Katie’s Kitchen – UPDATE

UPDATE – March 25, 2009  10:20 am

This meal was not as good as I anticipated. I thought it was going to be spicy and full of flavor and it wasn’t at all. I substituted the pork for chicken which turned out to be somewhat dry. This is not a meal I would make again. Nick said he enjoyed it but was definitely not one of his favorites. If you are still interested in the recipe let me know.

As you may or may not know, my father was in the hospital for a while and therefore my cooking was put on hold. But I’m back… although with a cold. Tonight I’m making New Mexican Green Chile Stew with chicken. I found the recipe in the Crock Pot Recipe Card Collection book at my grocery store. I was unable to find the recipe online, so if your interested in it, let me know and I will share. The recipe calls for pork, but I’m substituting with chicken. It also includes salsa verde (green salsa) and green chiles. So it should be spicy. Stay tuned to find out how dinner turned out.

Katie’s Kitchen

It’s Friday so I’m cooking Pan Seared Salmon with Citrus Vinegar Glaze and Green Beans. I’ve never made this Rachael Ray recipe before but all her meals turn out to be a huge success so I’m looking forward to tonight’s meal. Below is the link to the recipe. Don’t forget to check back later to see and hear about the end results. 

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/pan-seared-salmon-with-citrus-vinegar-glaze-and-green-beans-recipe/index.html

Save Money at the Grocery Store

Oprah was great today and showed viewers how to feed families for less money. In this economy we need to save wherever we can. Eating out, ordering take out and not using leftovers will not help your wallet. Oprah had 3 top chef’s on helping 3 different families. Below is a link to Oprah’s site on today’s episode. The show solidified a lot of the things that I have been doing lately. 

 

I’ve been cooking more since I have not been working. Partly because I have the time, also because it really helps us financially. Not to mention it tastes far better than any restaurant.

 

Some of my tricks that help us save money and move faster in the grocery store are:

1. Plan Ahead

I plan my menu for 1-2 weeks in advance. Today I selected what I will be making the next 2 weeks. I will be going to the store Friday night as it always seems to be less crowded then. Then I wrote down all my ingredients that I will be needing for my upcoming meals (checking the cabinets for items I may already have). Tomorrow I will type out my menu by aisles so that its easier for me to maneuver through the grocery store.

2. Don’t Stray from the List

I really try my best to keep to the list that I have made. I don’t need anything except for what’s on it anyway. Right?

3. Look at your grocer’s website for special deals, coupons, etc. 

 

It has been my experience that as long as you plan ahead, have a list and don’t stray, you will save money each week. It is far cheaper to cook for yourself than it is to eat out every day. Plus, the leftovers are always better. We never used to eat leftovers, but we do now in order to save. 

 

The process is a bit time consuming I’ll admit. Friday plan your meals, make your list, find some coupons and head out to the store. You’ll be surprised the money you will start saving. Being an organized, smart shopper will save you at least $100. I have bought 2 weeks worth of groceries for about $100. Not bad huh?

 

Try it for a week and let me know how it goes. Don’t forget to read the link below on Oprah’s show today.

 

http://www.oprah.com/slideshow/oprahshow/20090227-tows-grocery-shopping-tips

Katie’s Kitchen – UPDATE

UPDATE – March 11, 2009 7:42 pm

Chicken Cutlets, Fried Zucchini, Roasted potatoes & Corn

Dinner tonight was FANTASTIC!! Definitely a repeat. Nick says I should make this and garlic fettuccine alfredo every week. I cleaned my plate and so did Nick. He even had seconds. Only one piece of chicken and some zucchini to take for lunch tomorrow. Wow! I’m so happy. I love a good meal. I don’t know what else to say about this one other than it was a huge success. The chicken had the perfect amount of breading and had a great flavor. The zucchini was very flavorful and so were the potatoes. I ran to the store today and picked up some corn as I needed to grab my fish for Friday’s meal. 

 

Nicks thoughts on the meal:

This meal needs to become part of our weekly repertoire. I say home run all the time but this one is a grand slam. The cutlets were browned to perfection. I enjoyed the zucchini and potatoes. I was pleasantly surprised by the corn. (frozen – Birds Eye Buttered Corn) I’m really looking forward to my leftover lunch tomorrow.

 

Hmmm maybe I’ll win the Word Series. Check out the photos below and stay tuned for what I’m cooking Friday. We’re off to Delorenzo’s pizza tomorrow. Nick likes me to take cooking breaks, plus it’s our 6 month wedding anniversary. Boy does time fly.

 

Chicken Cutlets, Fried Zucchini, Roasted Potatoes & Corn

 

 

 

All gone!

 

 

 

What’s for dinner tonight? I’m making one of Nick’s favorite meals of all time… chicken cutlet’s. Nick’s sister Renee gave me the recipe she uses, but there aren’t exact measurements of anything, so wish we luck. I will let you know how it turns out. In addition to the chicken cutlet’s, I will also be making fried zucchini and roasted potatoes.

 

Chicken Cutlet’s

Wash the chicken thoroughly. Combine one egg and a little milk to a bowl. In a separate bowl combine seasoned bread crumbs, dried parsley, oregano, basil and grated Parmesan cheese. I purchased cutlets already that do not need to be pounded thin. Dip each cutlet into the egg/milk mixture, then into the dried mixture and place into a sizzling pan of Canola oil. Cook chicken thoroughly approximately 8-10 minutes. 

 

Fried Zucchini

Wash and cut zucchini (green squash) into slices, dip into panko bread crumbs and place into a pan of sizzling canola oil. Cook until slightly brown.

 

Roasted potatoes

I’ve made these before and they are spectacular.

http://www.bhg.com/recipe/vegetables/easy-roasted-potatoes/

 

Just finished planning my meals for the next two weeks and made my grocery list. Lots of great meals coming up in the next 2 weeks so stay tuned. Don’t forget to check back later tonight to see how dinner turned out.

Katie’s Kitchen – Dinner Update

UPDATE – March 9, 2009 7:32 pm

 

This meal is fantastic!!! It’s extremely savory, tangy and spicy. This dish is packed full of flavor. I had a tough time finding canned tomatilla’s so grabbed a green tomatilla chunky salsa in the taco aisle instead. I used one cup of that as a substitute. If you want your taste buds to explode, this is the dish for you. I will definitely make this meal again. Its easy, inexpensive and just fantastic. Next time, I will plan to have some tortilla chips at hand so that we can dip them in the tomatilla salsa. It leaves a lot of extra salsa. I wouldn’t keep it for too long though as it requires fresh cilantro. I give this meal a 10 out of 10.

 

Nick’s thoughts on the meal:

The tomatilla salsa was 50 times better than any I’ve ever had out. I usually don’t like it out, but liked this version. (Maybe its because I put a lot of love into it.) For having a whole jalapeno, it wasn’t nearly as spicy as I anticipated.  Definitely a repeat meal. Another home run!

 

What’s for dinner tonight? Chicken Breasts with Tomatilla Salsa. I can’t wait! I am in love with the tomatilla sauce at On the Border and now I have a recipe for something similar. Here’s the link to what I’m cooking tonight. Make sure you check back to see how it turned out.

http://www.bhg.com/recipe/chicken/chicken-breasts-with-tomatillo-salsa/

Quest for Happiness

I have started this blog in hopes of finding a job that will be fulfilling both emotionally and financially and all the while making me happy. I want to enjoy going to work every day and know that I’m doing something for the better good. I don’t want to bring my job home with me. Instead, I want to leave it at the office or at least at my front door, so to not constantly bring it into my personal life. Because it is just that… my personal life. I need to be able to separate my personal life from that of my professional life. 

 

In the past I have not been happy coming home after work and less than thrilled with my past job experiences. I always loved what I did, but there was always something there that made me less than happy to be there.

 

This blog will provide updates on my job search and at the same time discuss my day to day operations such as what I’m cooking for dinner, my thoughts on a tv show, interview outcomes, etc. What I’m cooking for dinner has been a big interest to those who follow me on Facebook and Twitter so I plan to provide more detail on my meals and my husband Nick’s thoughts on them as well.

 

Thanks for reading and following along as I pursue my quest for job happiness, while being addicted to reality tv, cooking a go-go, hustling the interviews and being a loving at home wife.