ChambanaMoms.com » Food

Superbowl Recipe: Philly Cheese Steak

Amy L. Hatch — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 19:51:49 +0000

The key to the perfect Philly cheese steak is the thickness of the beef. Credit: Amy L. Hatch

By Amy L. Hatch

Everyone has their favorite foods and tastes from the areas they grew up in. For some people, it’s Tex Mex. For others, it’s Polish foods or, in my case, Buffalo wings.

I’m also kind of crazy about Philly cheese steak subs, which is weird because I don’t usually like red meat, or meat of any kind, really. If I’m going to eat an animal protein, it really needs to taste like mayonnaise or any other combination of condiments. I am, however, a sucker for a really good steak every now and then.

I’ve had a hard time finding a cheese steak sub I enjoy as much as the one at my favorite bar-food joint back East. Vinny’s East Coast Pizza offers a very good one, but sometimes you just don’t want take out.

On a recent evening I tackled the Philly cheese steak at home, something I’ve done before with mixed results. My problem was always finding good beef sliced the right way — very, very thin. None of the butchers I’d visited seemed able to accomplish that.

As I cook more (and I hear my husband laughing somewhere, and I’m telling him to can it), I get more comfortable with things like Big Scary Knives. I have a set that we got as a wedding gift and I decided to get busy and shave myself some beef tenderloin.

This time, our sandwiches were so good that the mister said they did not need steak sauce — high praise, indeed.

These Philly cheese steaks are a kind of gourmet version — I used beef tenderloin. But heck if it wasn’t totally worth it. You could also use sirloin just as easily.

These subs would make a fantastic Superbowl party meal — you could make cut the portions really small, double the recipe or you could make them just for your family to enjoy while they watch the big game.

Superbowl Recipe: Philly Cheese Steak

Recipe type: Main Course

Author: chambanamoms, adapted from Rachel Ray

Serves: 4

A delicious at-home version of the popular restaurant food!

Ingredients

1 1/4 lbs beef (tenderloin or sirloin)
One small onion, sliced very thin
Mushrooms, sliced
Green pepper, sliced
Garlic salt
Pepper
Worcestershire sauce
Olive oil
Cheese (see instructions)
French bread or other sandwich rolls

Instructions

Using a sharp knife, slice the beef very thin (see image).
Slice your onion (very thin), green peppers and mushrooms
In a small skillet, go twice around the pan with olive oil and heat over medium-high heat.
Add veggies and saute until desired doneness.
Use a paper towel to wipe olive oil around a large skillet, and heat to high or medium-high.
Add your meat in batches so you can cook one layer of meat at a time.
Brown on both sides and chop with your spatula while it cooks. Just before it’s done, sprinkle with garlic salt, pepper and worcestershire sauce.
Keep cooked meat warm by covering with foil.
When all the meat is cooked, place 1/4 of it back in the pan with some of the veggies and a good melting cheese like American, mozzarella or provolone. Place on roll, bread or bun.
Repeat until you’ve made four sandwiches or used all the beef.
Serve with mayonnaise, steak sauce, lettuce and tomato if desired.

Google Recipe View Microformatting by Easy Recipe

Restaurant Review: Meatheads

Amy L. Hatch — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 13:16:34 +0000

By Amy L. Hatch

If you haven’t heard, there’s a new burger joint in town and I’m here to tell you that it is downright delicious.

My husband and I decided to check out the new Meatheads on S. Neil Street last week and we had such a great experience and meal that I know we’ll be going back soon with the whole family.

Photo courtesy of meatheads.com

The chain is located in Illinois only, with the closest location to Chambana being Bloomington. The new restaurant here in town is spacious, and, much to my husband’s delight, also has two Coke Freestyle machines.

The menu is much what you would expect — burgers, burgers and more burgers — but there are also hot dogs (including one on a New England style bun — they have a split top — which are virtually impossible to find west of Pennsylvania). The kids menu does feature grilled cheese, as well, but no chicken nuggets.

I ordered the 1/3-pound Meathead and my husband opted for the half-pounder. The toppings are numerous and yummy, and the fresh-cut fries are seriously to die for. Ask for vinegar and add some sea salt (there’s a shaker of it on every table) and you could make an entire meal of the fries alone.

We both really enjoyed our burgers, despite the fact that both sandwiches showed up with three patties, which was a little too much meat for me. I eat burgers as a socially acceptable way to consume mayo on bread.

You order and pay at the front of the store and you get a number for your table. The food is delivered to you while you sit, and we had several employees approach us and ask us how we were enjoying our meals.

Meatheads is also committed to communities, and proves it by advocating for youth sports. Their “Meathead of the Game” program rewards outstanding student athletes (chosen at the discretion of their coaches) with a free meal after a game.

In addition, they offer the “voracious reader” program. Any child between the ages of 6 and 13 who reads five books is eligible for a free kid’s meal, and their website even offers reading suggestions!

We felt very welcome and at home at Meatheads, which also has an ample supply of highchairs. Employees have been trained to spot a mom a mile away and to help ensure that both she and her child have an easy time ordering and getting seated for their meals.

All in all, we had a great experience at Meatheads in Champaign, and I can’t wait to go back and get some of those fries.

Mmmmm, fries.

Holiday Baking: Chocolate Crinkles

Amy L. Hatch — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 19:08:27 +0000

The famous chocolate crinkles. Credit: Amy L. Hatch

by Amy L. Hatch

When I woke up today I knew it was time.

Time for what, you ask? Time to finish my holiday shopping? Time to put up the Christmas tree? Time to put the lights on the house?

Yes to all of the above. But, most of all, it was time to bake the chocolate crinkles.

Off all the weapons in my holiday arsenal, the chocolate crinkle is perhaps the most powerful. Sure, telling the kids that Santa is watching might get them to stop misbehaving.

But offering them a crinkle if they promise to get along? That will bring them to their knees. This isn’t just a cookie: This is a Cookie.

Just ask Laura, who once famously said that it isn’t Christmas until “Amy bakes the crinkles.”

Alas, Christmas has arrived. This weekend, I finally baked the chocolate crinkles. And they are perfect, at long last. I’ve been working on them for eight years, trying to achieve the texture my mother was always able to get when she made them every year.

And yes, I will share that secret with you, my friends.

First, gather your ingredients:

1/2 cup veggie oil
4 sq. unsweetened chocolate (4 oz), melted
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Now, I made a double batch, and while I can’t say for sure, I think that was part of my success this year. You might want to consider it.

First, mix together the oil, sugar and chocolate. Then, add the eggs, beating after each addition. Sift the dry ingredients together and add to the chocolate mixture, stirring until fully incorporated.

Refrigerate the whole thing. The original recipe calls for the dough to chill for at least four hours or overnight, but this year my dough sat in the fridge for a week because I was too busy to get to baking the cookies.

I’m pretty sure that is the secret to the texture. So, make these at least two days in advance, and chill.

When you’re ready, use a small ice-cream scoop or a tablespoon to scoop the dough, then roll it into a ball. Drop the ball in confectioner’s sugar and roll until it’s covered in powdery goodness.

Place on a well-greased baking sheet and bake at 350-degrees (convection if you have it) for about nine minutes. DO NOT OVERBAKE. These are soft and chewy cookies. Don’t let them get brown.

Store in an airtight container, or in a cookie jar with a small slice of apple. The apple keeps them soft.

Laura, there’s a box of these at my house with your name on it.

Homegrown for the Holiday: A Locavore’s Thanksgiving

From The Editors — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 17:18:40 +0000

By Greta Weiderman

This thanksgiving, stuff your face, and your turkey, with food produced right here in central Illinois. Fresh and locally grown produce is available at the Holiday Market, Common Ground Food Co-op and from nearby farmers.

The Urbana Business Association’s Holiday Market at Lincoln Square runs 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday from now through Dec. 17. Many farmers who sell their produce at Urbana’s Market at the Square will be selling it at the Holiday Market.

Beekeeper Kim Campbell sells clover, wildflower, basswood and tulip flavors of honey through Campbell's Apiaries. Credit: Greta Weiderman

And don’t let the word locavore scare you. Your entire meal doesn’t have to be locally produced, just whatever works for your family and budget.

“Supporting local can be something you do on the holidays or for 5 percent of your diet,” said Jacqueline Hannah, general manager of the Common Ground Food Co-op. “Whatever you’re able to do and whatever feels right. Food should bring us pleasure. It’s a pleasure in life and a joy.”

To her, Thanksgiving is an ideal time to create a meal from locally produced eats. She said she believes that importing foods may not be sustainable, so supporting local farmers helps redevelop our local food shed.

“It’s also a way to give thanks to the people who give their lives to this difficult and unpredictable work of feeding our communities,” she said. “It’s a hard and often thankless job.”

Consider the following sources for your holiday favorites:

Butternut and acorn squash, other produce

Kleiss Produce Farm from Tuscola will be selling acorn and butternut squash, cabbage, broccoli cauliflower and other produce at the Holiday Market.

Cary’s Garden, which has a farm on Race Street just past Windsor Road outside of Urbana, will be selling apples, potatoes, winter squash, parsnips, kale, spinach, lettuce, radishes and turnips at the Holiday Market, according to employee Kristi Howrey.

Common Ground Food Co-op also sells locally grown produce.

A salad

Phillip Swartz of Moraine View Farm near Hoopeston will also have fresh vegetables for sale at the Holiday Market.

“I think my lettuce, my spinach and arugulas will be ready,” he said.

Consider topping a spinach salad with pecans and locally produced goat cheese from Prairie Fruits Farm in Champaign, which will also be at the Holiday Market throughout the season selling around eight types of cheese.

“We will have our goat cheese – the fresh cheeses and some aged goat cheeses and some jams,” said Leslie Cooperband, co-owner of the farm. She also suggested using it to top a casserole or to make a cheesecake.

Apple pie

If you want to pick your own apples, check out Curtis Orchard and Pumpkin Patch just outside of Champaign. They are open until Dec. 20.

Or try baking with locally produced honey from Campbell Apiaries. Beekeeper Kim Campbell sells clover, wildflower, basswood and tulip flavors of honey and also sells Amish-made Kuntry Kettle brand jams and jellies. He will be at the Holiday Market selling and sampling his honey, which ranges from $5 for 12 ounces to $45 for a gallon.

Spirits

Sleepy Creek Vineyards in Farmount, Ill. is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. on Sundays. They sell various dry and sweet, red and white wines. The restaurant and brewery Destihl in downtown Champaign offers several to-go options for their handcrafted brews, including growlers and kegs.

Greta Weiderman is the mother of an extremely active toddler, Jack, and she is married to Alexander Weiderman, who cooks dinner frequently and can fix anything. With a background in newspaper reporting and magazine editing, she works in communications in Urbana.

Feast or Family: The Original Pancake House

From The Editors — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 02:28:42 +0000

By Megan Gillette

It was about Month 5 into my first pregnancy that I succumbed to my cravings and visited The Original Pancake House in Champaign. To my great, pregnant delight, not only could I order a sumptuous salad of spinach, boiled eggs, crumbled bacon, and mandarin oranges with sesame dressing, I could eat a whole bowl of freshly-sliced strawberries and whipped cream. I was in super-food heaven.

Since having children, breakfasts there have become a family tradition. Every Friday, we make the pilgrimage — kids, parents and grandparents — for everyone to order exactly what they want. Salad orders have become pancakes and cravings have turned into splurges. My children ate their first eggs, pancakes and mashed bananas there. Always comfortable and efficient, the warm atmosphere is bustling and friendly. Lester, the host, always has a new super-hero coloring page and crayons for the boys upon arrival. They only retreat to this after they’ve solved every Search and Find page of the variety of Dora, Pixar, and Disney books waiting in the foyer. Cups of coffee never become cold or empty and the fresh orange juice is always rejuvenating!

The atmosphere at The Original Pancake House lends beautifully to time with the family. Credit: Megan Gillette

Presently, pumpkin pancakes are on the menu. I like mine with toasted pecans, whipped cream and maple syrup — it’s a harbinger for the Thanksgiving flavors I start hungering for this time of year. Our order always includes at least three sides of bacon, which my boys eat steadily until it’s gone. Then they start on their pancakes and eggs. (What is it about bacon and little boys?) Since we load up on carbs and protein, I make a point to start with a bowl of mixed berries and bananas, which we all use as a vehicle for the giant fluff of whipped cream that comes on the side. Vitamin C, potassium, and calcium, um, right?

On the foodie side of things, the best part about the OPH is that all of the food is REAL food. Eggs are cracked from their shells. The bacon is thick, salty and toothsome. The whipped cream is real, rich cream. The pancakes may vary from time to time because they are mixed in batches and not squeezed out of a giant udder of pancake batter. The food IS comforting because someone has taken the time to source good, quality ingredients and not over-process them before preparing and serving them. I’ve never left unsatisfied.

My personal favorites are the lacy, Swedish pancakes with lingonberries, the bran pancakes with strawberry syrup, and the veggie omelet — minus mushrooms, plus bacon. If I’m without kids, the Dutch Baby — a custardy-in-the-middle, fluffy-on-the-edges German pancake — is a must. (It takes longer to make.)

Really though, why come here without kids? This place is for friends and families. It is a joy to indulge with some of the pickiest eaters who lose themselves in mounds of waffles, pigs in a blanket, and rivers of syrup.

Verdict: FAMILY!! Let everyone order just what they want because how many times do they get that kind of control over what they eat? Enjoy the family meal and know that what they are eating was made with care and quality control.

The Original Pancake House is located at 1909B W. Springfield Ave., Champaign.

Megan Gillette is a mother of two active little boys — FIT kids (Foodies in Training). In her “spare time” she is a senior graphic and web designer at Wolfram, a real-estate broker with TeamKay at Keller Williams, and a real-estate maven for the family holding company. Megan is in constant pursuit of perfect food, exciting dining experiences, and farm-to-fork meals with her husband and personal sous chef, Kurt.

Chambana Mom to Know: Leslie Liautaud

From The Editors — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 02:40:41 +0000

See why we think Leslie Liautaud -- playwright and mom of three -- is a Chambana mom to know. Photo provided

Dancer, playwright, actress, choreographer — Leslie Liautaud is a woman of many talents who has dedicated her life to the arts for more than 25 years. Last year her one-act play “The Mansion” debuted at Parkland College, with Leslie in the director’s chair as well. When she’s not acting or writing, Leslie also enjoys participating in various philanthropic work with her husband, Jimmy, founder of Jimmy John’s. The couple lives in Champaign with their three children: 17-year-old Spencer, 12-year-old Lucy and 11-year-old Fred.

See why we think Leslie is a Chambana mom to know.

Q: You are an accomplished playwright. How did you get into theater?

My first experience on the stage was when I was 5. My mother was an actress and I got the part of the “Little Girl” in Annie Get Your Gun, which she was also in. I remember being so nervous because I had to count (and remember) how many times someone said “Get out of here kid!”, the fourth time being my cue to run off stage. But the first time I heard the audience respond and I got a laugh…it was all over. No more anxiety, I was hooked. I was very fortunate to train with some wonderful coaches and because they gave me LOTS of rope to stretch and try different aspects of theatre and dance, I discovered that what I truly loved was the creating. I moved from dancing in a ballet company to choreographer and from actor to writer. And again, it was just luck that the people around me nurtured that passion and gave me the chance to prove myself.

Q: What does it mean to be married to a local celebrity?

That’s so funny to me…because to me, he’s Jimmy. He’s my best friend, my husband and the father of my children. We’re fortunate that we’re both extremely independent people…that might be one difference in having a recognizable spouse, you can’t be too clingy or insecure. If I was too needy, the attention he gets would be a negative. I think we can both agree that the best thing that comes out of it all is that when we feel the passion to bring attention to a cause or a non-profit, Jimmy’s face, contacts or “voice” can get the message out there much more quickly. Believe me, I use him with wild abandon when we’re trying to help a particular organization! There has been no greater gift to come out of the company’s success than to have the public attention and means to help others in a significant way.

Q: Your family is in the food business, so I have to ask — what’s your favorite local restaurant and why (besides your own, of course :-)

Wow, that’s a tough one. I think because we’re in the food business it’s difficult to say “This is my favorite.” I see the great things (and not so great things) the local restaurants are doing…whether it’s the service, the management, the concept or the actual food. I can say some of my favorite restauranteurs are Tifani Moot and Carlos Nieto, Thad Morrow and Ray Timpone.
Q: Since it’s almost Halloween time – do you have any favorite special Halloween memories of your kids?

MY favorite question!!! My youngest, Fred, when he was about 5 decided to be a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. He insisted on getting dressed a about 7:30 a.m. Halloween morning. As the day progressed, he began to get too warm, too itchy, too tight, etc. During the course of the day, he started taking pieces of his costume off one by one. By the time trick-or-treating rolled around, all he had left was the last piece of his costume. The first neighbor we went to made a funny face and asked me, off to the side, what Fred was that year. I replied to her he’s “A chubby little boy in a green unitard.”

Q: Has your strong background in the arts influenced how you parent? If so, how?

I think the biggest thing art has given me, that I try to pass on to my kids and how I live my life with them is the message that they are “OK” Whoever they are, whatever their passion…as long as they are kind to others and kind to themselves…then they are OK. It’s hard to put on costumes and play on stage for a living and then go judge how other people live their life. I want them to feel the same way. That they can follow any path and as long as they try not to hurt themselves or others on that journey, then they should go take that journey with joy. Art taught me not to be afraid. I want my kids to be fearless.

Q: What is your biggest parenting challenge right now?

Ugh. What ISN’T a challenge right now?! No, seriously, I think the biggest challenge is my own mindset. There is a definite switch from when your kids are small to when they become pre-teens/teens. In the beginning, it’s all about the physical. Feeding them, dressing them, carrying them…basically making sure all their basic needs are met. And then suddenly, it morphs into all mental. Checking out their moods to help them the best you can as a parent, watching for signs of distress, explaining sex and sexuality with their changes, helping them deal with social situations, biting my tongue and letting them fall down (physically and mentally)… I swear, it’s ten times more fatiguing than changing diapers. But the reward as a parent grows, as well.

Do you know a Chambana mom we should profile? We love nominations! Send them to us.

From There to Here: The Grocery Store Shuffle

Amy L. Hatch — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 05:00:46 +0000

Credit: Navicore, Flickr

by Amy L. Hatch

You know what makes me feel crazy? Having to go to more than one grocery store to get what I need.

We go grocery shopping pretty regularly, every Saturday or Sunday. This week, at the Meijer in Urbana, I discovered that the store stopped stocking a certain kind of pancake mix that I like. I turned to my husband and scowled.

“Why is it that every time I start using something, this $%*& store discontinues it?!” I asked. He just shook his head. After all, he’s the one who found several different varieties of the yogurt he likes at the Champaign Schnuck’s — only to discover on the next trip to that they were no longer available there.

It’s round-robin grocery shopping: Urbana Schnucks, Urbana Meijer, Savoy Schnuck’s, Champaign Meijer, Champaign Schnucks, Urbana Wal-Mart, County Market …. what I spend in gas money shuttling between all these stores could pay my kids’ college tuition.

Now, I’m not knocking the Chambana grocery-store options. I dig Meijer and Schnucks, and of course Common Ground Co-op and Strawberry Fields. This isn’t even about The Grocery Store That Shall Not Be Named (and just as an aside, let he who has no grocery-store bias cast the first stone).

This is about not being able to get my damn shopping done in one trip. Take the example of the tomato puree.

Every few months I make a big batch of my mom’s spaghetti sauce, and that requires at least three large cans of tomato puree. My mom always used Hunt’s brand puree, so of course that’s what I look for. At Meijer, I can find Hunt’s brand sauce, whole tomatoes, diced tomatoes, diced tomatoes with Italian seasoning, Hunt’s tomato paste … you know where this is going, don’t you?

Same at Schnuck’s. Sometimes I can find Hunt’s tomato puree at both of these stores, a can or two pushed waaaaaaay back on the shelf, but most of the time I have to go to WalMart. Even there it can be a challenge to find that particular product.

Same story with roaster chickens. In the winter we love a good roasted chicken. A little rosemary and onion, a lot of melted butter and a plump chicken make the perfect cold-weather meal. One Sunday I went looking for a chicken to roast at Meijer in Urbana.

There were none out, so I asked at the butcher counter if there were some in the back. The butcher looked at me like I had three heads and informed me that chickens for roasting are a “holiday item” at Meijer.

Huh. Well, you could have …. wait for it …. knocked me over with a feather. I never had a hard time finding these birds anywhere else, including the Savoy Schnucks. So there I went to get my fowl.

That story at least has a happy ending — the butcher at Meijer seems to have caught on to the fact that people roast a chicken year-round, because now I can get them at that store …. but not always at Schnucks.

For now, I’ve just resigned myself to driving all over creation to stock my pantry. But I long for a day when I can get all my supplies at one store.

A Trader Joe’s, perhaps?

Amy L. Hatch is a co-founder and editor of chambanamoms.com and she almost always forgets to buy bread and milk, but always remembers the Doritos. She can be reached at amy@chambanamoms.com.

Best Kept Secret: Miniature Shopping Carts

Best-Kept Secret: Philo Tavern

Amy L. Hatch — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 05:00:41 +0000

The Philo Tavern isn't fancy, but it is friendly.

by Amy L. Hatch

I’m almost ashamed to admit this, but we’ve exhausted most of the family-restaurant options in Champaign-Urbana.

The past few months were worse than usual, and we ate out far more than we would have under normal circumstances. There is a silver lining to this dinner-cloud, however — we discovered the Philo Tavern.

We were in search of a new place to eat, the regular haunts having worn thin (and, subject to the whims of two picky eaters, limited by menus) when chambanamoms.com’s own Aubrie Williams mentioned the Philo Tavern.

We were intrigued, having just found out about the Sidney Dairy Barn just a few days before. A new restaurant! A scenic drive! And they have chicken tenders!

We invited another couple along on our Philo Tavern adventure and then promptly got lost on the way there (or, I should say, I got lost — my husband would want me to make that clear). But finally we got back on track and arrived in downtown Philo.

Just an aside — I never cease to marvel at the landscape in Chambana or these small towns we happen upon. Philo, Tuscola, Monticello … they all strike me as a lovely patchwork prairie quilt that still surprises my Eastern eyes.

Once we arrived, we found the place hopping. It was, after all, dinnertime on a Friday night, but be aware that you might find a crowd. And, if you do, there isn’t much room in this joint to hang out and wait for a table. We stood in the vestibule for awhile until we decided to brave the heat and go outside for awhile.

When we were seated, the waitstaff was friendly and quick to bring our drinks and take our orders, while we enjoyed the downhome atmosphere. It isn’t a fancy place at all, but the kids sure did enjoy the vintage beer advertisement behind us that consisted of a clock and a lake scene that appeared to be moving.

That kept them quiet while we waited for our meals (which did take a bit, which I attribute to the crowd), as did the crackers provided to us by our server. The food was good and plentiful … and it was a change of scenery.

One of the great things about Champaign-Urbana is that we’re within driving distance of quite a few other towns. Even the smallest ones — and Philo struck me as pretty small, go ahead and correct me if I’m wrong — have their own quirks and flavors.

If you ask my son, dining there was the highlight of his summer. When we showed up at our beach vacation, he talked my mother’s ear off about the “Vilo Tavern.”

I’m glad we stumbled upon the Philo Tavern (thanks, Aubrie!) and you will be, too.

Do you know of any best-kept secrets in Champaign-Urbana? Send us a note or leave them in the comments!

Easy Weeknight Cooking: Low-Fat Baked Beans

Amy L. Hatch — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 00:21:33 +0000

by Amy L. Hatch

My kids are already in school (praise be!) but there’s an awful lot of summer left. And summer means picnics and backyard barbecues with friends, not to mention Labor Day parties.

And what goes better with hots and hamburgers than baked beans? I mean, that’s as American as apple pie, am I right?

I’m totally right. At least about baked beans and hot dogs. Ask me about advanced algebra and I’m likely to be dead wrong.

Anywho, I love these baked beans — and so does nearly everyone in my family. They’re always a hit when I make them for company, and my youngest gobbles up the leftovers all week, begging for “brown beans” at nearly every meal.

These are maybe the easiest baked beans on the planet. They’re also very low in fat, and keep and reheat really well.

First, gather your ingredients:

Yes, those are two different kinds of beans.

You will need two large cans of baked beans (I like Bush’s Best, but any brand will do), molasses, barbecue sauce and liquid smoke flavoring. I like to mix things up (heh, get it?) so I vary the flavor beans I use, but I almost always get one can of vegetarian. The flavor will also change based on the barbecue sauce. I usually grab whatever is on sale, but these could more sweet or spicy to suit your tastes depending on what sauce you use.

Preheat your oven to 325-degrees. While it is warming up, mix the beans with a 1/2 cup of barbecue sauce, 1/4 cup of molasses and one tablespoon of liquid smoke. The original recipe calls for half an onion, sliced thin, but my crew complained so I leave them out. It makes a very small difference in the flavor, as far as I’m concerned, but if you like onions, toss ‘em in, too.

Mix the whole mess up and put it in the oven for two-and-a-half hours. Stir the beans every now and then, when you remember. Be careful, because these will be nuclear hot when you take them out of the oven. Be sure to let them cool a bit — this also helps them thicken.

These are better the next day, and they keep for about a week — if they last that long.

Easy Baked Beans

2 28-ounce cans of baked beans
1/2 cup of barbecue sauce
1/4 cup molasses
1 TBS liquid smoke
Half an onion, sliced thin (optional)

Mix ingredients in heavy casserole dish. Bake for two hours and 30 minutes at 325-degrees, stirring occasionally.

Feeding Healthy Families: Frugal Family Fare

From The Editors — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 12:34:58 +0000

By Stacey Krawczyk

The USDA says we spend $700 to $800 on average every month for food to feed a family of four on the “modest
plan.” Of course, that average encompasses a broad spectrum, from super-frugal folks that scrape by to folks
that spend most of their food budget on eating out each week. I know for a family of six (two of who are male
‘tween food-vacuums) that I spend more than I want on food each month, but I also choose to “upgrade” in
this budget department and save elsewhere. (For example, I have a crappy pay-as-you-go Tracfone, versus a
supercool smart phone. Sigh.)

Menu planning isn't tough. It's just about thinking ahead. Credit: Flickr, shimelle

I also clip coupons, but I don’t go all out and I don’t always remember to take them along to the store. And the same goes for my huge stash of reusable grocery bags as I’m about 50 percent on remembering those, too. Apparently I need to divide my coupons up and put some in each car so I have some with me all the time. I am not perfect, I’ll own up to that! I shop the unit price and make wise comparisons as possible, so at least that part is automatic and how I typically save the most consistently on our weekly food bill. Where I could grow the most is doing more menu planning so I am shopping with a more concise list.

Menu planning doesn’t have to evoke fear or dread. It can be as simple as jotting down the dish/recipe on a pad of paper anytime you hear the kids say “We love this! Can we have this again?!?” Seriously, I’ve taken to writing these things down on a little notepad I keep on the dining room table. After you get a list going, then ask yourself this question the next time you get ready to head to the grocery store: “OK, what’s on this list that I would tolerate/enjoy this week, and what can I plan on in advance?” If this works for you, then you can even consider putting some foods/dishes/recipes in a rotation, so you have them weekly. That way, you automatically know how much of which ingredients to buy!

Regardless of my many shortcomings, I really work hard to have healthy meals, most of the time, and try to stay on budget. Here is a quick and easy favorite that has evolved over time.

First things first, I put the rice in the rice cooker as soon as we get home, as it takes close to an hour. You can do this on the stove, but I scored a $1 rice cooker at a garage sale a few years back and I love it! Then I assemble the remaining ingredients and preheat the oven as time gets closer. Yes it would be super-quick if I did the rice the night before. Perhaps I need to try that sometime! Yeah, I’ll put that on my menu plan! (smile)

The protein is up to you and yours. Make it your own! In fact name it after yourself — you earned it!

_______’s (fill in your name) Quick & Easy Rice Casserole

2 cup light sour cream or nonfat plain yogurt (whatever is cheapest on per-ounce price!)
1 can (7 oz) chopped green chilies, drained well (unless the smaller cans are on sale)
1 Tbsp Mrs. Dash (or favorite seasoning blend)
½ tsp Kosher salt
6 cups cooked rice (I use brown rice to get another whole grain in the kids)
8 oz low-fat cheddar, shredded, about 2 cups (You save money when you shred it yourself!)
Favorite protein (beans, cooked ground meat, tuna, salmon, soy crumbles … )

Mix sour cream, seasoning blend, salt, and chilies. Layer the following in greased 9 X 13 pan: 3 cup rice, half of the sour cream mixture, all of the protein, half of the cheese, other 3 cups rice, remaining sour cream mixture and top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Serves six to eight.

Stacey Krawczyk is a local registered dietitian and working mom of four busy kids. For more Feeding Healthy Families, check out her Facebook page.