Last Friday as a free-loader

Today, Friday, marks my last day as a free-loading house elf who does nothing but cook, clean (sort of) and go to school. Starting Monday, I'll rejoin the responsible world of those who work. BOO! I've really enjoyed my lazy mornings drinking a pot of coffee and doing my homework at my own volition. Things will start to get a bit more complicated next week, but it's time, and to be honest, I'm ready.

I have secured a pretty kick-ass AmeriCorps position with a local government agency, and in a nutshell I'll be a health educator for old people. Kind of a departure from my future career in secondary education, but the skills translate. I hope anyway.

I really wanted to take advantage of this last Friday of freedom. How did I start my morning out, you ask? Well, dear readers, I snuggled in bed with Berkley drinking coffee and watching Dancing with the Stars on my computer until about 9:30 and then I got up and made the following oh-so-delicious hummus recipe. Next on my list, once I finish this post, is to take Berkley and her boyfriend Benny on a run. We are watching Benny while his Dad is in Moab for the weekend. Benny had a bit of gastrointestinal blowout yesterday, and the poor guy's pride hasn't recovered. Hopefully a jaunt through the sagebrush will help restore his confidence.

Berkley and Benny sitting a tree.

K I S S I N G

Then I get to arm wrestle with financial aid. I am straddling two schools -- my education classes are undergraduate and obviously my master's classes are graduate. Well, this unorthodox behavior of mine is giving both the financial aid and the registrar's offices aneurysms. Apparently, no one has ever, in ISU's history, attempted to gain their teaching credentials while completing a master's degree. I am going where no student has gone before, and it SUCKS!!! I just want to go to school and secure a little financial help while I'm at it. Is that too much to ask? In the eyes of ISU, yes.

That, ladies and gents, will wrap up my day because I'm quite certain after the encounter with financial aid I will be defeated and want want to crawl back in bed with Berkley. Instead of coffee in hand there will be another choice beverage, and it most definitely won't be an upper.

Sorry for the diatribe! On to the hummus!

This is a fantastic, quick and oh sooo yummy homemade hummus. I have tried a couple of unsuccessful hummus recipes that have ended up tasting and looking like play dough. This does not. This hummus is lemony and garlicky and wonderful. I had to restrain myself from licking the food process bowl. You could play with flavors too -- sun-dried tomatoes, roasted peppers, hot chile flakes. Homemade hummus sounds daunting, but it is incredibly simple. Try it at your next soiree -- you'll totally wow your friends!

Only the finest for this house elf.

Usually tahini is in the organic/healthy

section of your grocer. It's a little pricy,

but it will stay good in your fridge

for a muy long time.

Hummus

1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed

1/3 cup tahini, mixed well

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp cumin

1.5 tsp salt

pinch cinnamon

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 tablespoon olive oil

Italian parsley for garnish

In a food processor, puree the chickpeas, tahini, garlic, cumin, salt, cinnamon, lemon juice and zest until smooth. Gradually incorporate the olive oil. Add a few drops of water if necessary to make the hummus more creamy. Before service, drizzle with olive oil and chopped parsley.

Because my quads deserved some half and half

Heather and I recently joined a local gym, and we had a complimentary "meet and greet" with a personal trainer. This personal trainer wasn't your average sporty kid decked out in wind pants and high tops. Oh no. We met with RICH. (You're meant to read the name RICH in a low, manly, beer-crushing kind of voice). RICH is a twenty-something body builder whose arms are three times as large as my thighs. I am quite certain RICH could bench-press my Subaru.

So Heather and I discussed our fitness goals with RICH, and he asked us if we have any injuries or had surgeries he should be aware of. I immediately looked at Heather with trepidation because I hate admitting that I had heart surgery. I was totally fine mentioning to this stranger, RICH, that I had knee surgery in college, but as soon as I utter the words heart and surgery in the same sentence people look at me like I have three eyes.

At this point in our little "meet and greet," RICH looked at me like I was the bionic woman whose fitness goals were totally unrealistic. I would rather reveal my body fat to you, internet, than have to repeat that conversation with RICH. Not going to happen!

Nonetheless, RICH did redeem himself with his weight training regime he suggested for us light weights. He walked us around the gym and demonstrated his Herculean strength on the various weight machines. I was not kidding about the Subaru.

We finally got around to RICH's legs workout on Monday. I am writing this Wednesday evening and both of our legs are still sore. The kind of sore where it's difficult to walk up/down stairs. The kind of sore where it's difficult to sit on the toilet. Sore.

We returned home from the gym on Monday and did not feel the slightest bit guilty when we devoured this creamy, comforting pasta dish. This is another recipe that you can totally tweak to suit your fancy -- use what you have on hand, leave out the artichoke hearts, add bacon, use fettucini instead of ravioli, whatever! Also, my veggie friends, this a great one for you.

I may be the bionic woman, but after RICH's weight training regime, I'll be able to bench-press my Subaru.

This is the greatest tomato paste around.

You don't have to waste an entire can

when you only need a tablespoon.

Find it at your local grocer :)

Notice Berkley wondering if these raviolis are for her.

I got these at the DI for $1.33 in total.

I love them.

Pink sauce with ravioli

2 packages ravioli

2 shallots, diced

2 cloves garlic, diced

1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (not in oil), sliced

1 can artichoke hearts or bottoms, cubed

3-4 large mushrooms, sliced

1 cup spinach, rough chopped

5-6 basil leaves, chiffonade

1 small can tomato sauce

1 tbs tomato paste

1.5 cups half and half

1/4 cup parmesan cheese, more for garnish

1 tbs olive oil

1 tsp red pepper flakes

s/p

Cook pasta according to the directions. In a large sauce pan, heat oil over medium heat. Saute shallots and garlic until fragrant, about two minutes. Increase the heat to medium high and add mushrooms. Stir to combine and resist the urge to constantly stir. Allow the mushrooms to caramelize. Season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.

Once the mushrooms have gained some color, reduce the heat and pour in the tomato sauce. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and artichoke hearts, as well as the tomato paste. Stir well to combine. Pour in the half and half and allow to simmer until sauce begins to thicken, about 3-4 minutes. Add the spinach, basil and parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Serve over the pasta.

A staple

I hope everyone survived the holiday weekend. Tami from Running with Tweezers coined the perfect phrase, and I hope she doesn't mind but I am totally going to steal it: Swalloween. This phrase summed up our festivities, and I won't share many of the details because I want you, friends, to continue reading this site.

In brief, Warren Jeffs made a quick prison-break for the weekend to help us horrify our friends and the local children. Fun and debauchery was had by all. Thanks, Warren.

The following recipe is a dish I could not live without. Seriously, I might die if I don't eat it in some form several times a month. As Stuart Mackenzie says in So I Married an Ax Murderer, it has "an addictive chemical that makes ya crave it fornightly, smartass!" This mixture, combination, amalgamation of turkey, crunchy vegetables and salty goodness is, well, worthy of the above quotation.

Here's the problem though. I have never written down my recipe. My mom has asked for this recipe at least thirty-seven times, and I've always said add a couple tablespoons of this and a couple tablespoons of that. As I've mentioned before, I am a chronic non-measurer. It also depends on what I have in the fridge. This time I didn't have any sesame oil so I had to do without -- did the lettuce wraps still make my toes curl with ecstasy? Yes. Internet friends, I love this dish. LOVE. LOVE. LOVE.

I suppose my point is: BE FLEXIBLE. Try using ground pork, use cabbage instead of lettuce, serve over rice or rice noodles, adjust the seasonings to suit your family's taste. I admire Asian cuisine and wish I was more well-versed in it's many nuances. By no means am I expert. In fact, I probably butchered a classic recipe, but if butchering tastes this good, I'm going with it.

I hope you aren't disappointed by the hype of my toe-curling description. But I could die happy after a meal of these lettuce wraps that's how good they are.

Feel free to adjust these characters. Like I said,

they were on hand.

Water chestnuts are FUNDAMENTAL.

Lettuce Wraps

1 package ground turkey

2 carrots, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

5 green onions, diced

1 can water chestnuts, diced

2 shallots, diced

1 - 1 inch piece ginger, minced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbs canola oil - NOT olive oil

1/2 tsp sesame oil

2 tbs hoisin sauce

2 tbs oyster sauce

3 tbs soy sauce

1 tsp fish sauce

1 tsp brown sugar

1 tbs sriracha - disregard if you don't like spice

1 head crunchy lettuce or cabbage

In a large pan or wok heat oil over medium high heat. Add ginger and garlic. Be careful not to burn, as it will ruin your dish. Stir-fry until fragrant. Add the carrots, celery and shallots. Cook for about 5-8 minutes or until tender. Meanwhile, mix all of the sauces together in a bowl including the sugar. Stir well.

Add the turkey. Stir completely to incorporate all the vegetables. Add the water chestnuts and green onions. Pour in the sauces. Continue stirring so all the flavors combine. Cook until the turkey is cooked through. Serve in lettuce/cabbage cups.

Leaner, meaner baked schnitzel

Ever since the Eat on $30 Challenge I've been reserved about the meals I've prepared, or not prepared for that matter. We've been eating a fair amount of what I call cheater meals, stir fries made with frozen vegetables or ham sandwiches, for dinner. Not that these dishes don't have a place in our busy lives, they do. If I were living alone I probably would just eat string cheese on nights like this, but I'm the big sister and have to take care of my little sister (even though I live in her house, with her husband and her dog while I go back to school to restart my life). Life's funny that way.

None-the-less, I just finished a big paper and had lots of free time yesterday. Berkley and I both could have used a run in the hills, but the wind was hateful and we would have returned home grouchy with earaches. We hung out in the kitchen instead.

This is one of my favorite methods of preparing pork or chicken -- pound it super thin and then cover it in bread and cheese. Yum, right! Most often people fry schnitzel, which makes it heavy and fatty, and I'm all about cooking food that is as healthy as possible. Go to a restaurant and eat fried schnitzel -- that way it won't stink up your house, your clothes, your dog.

This dish is easy. It's just messy. I wish I could have taken a picture of my fingers when I was finished, but I didn't trust Berkley with my camera. Be prepared to make a bit of a mess, but trust me, it's worth it. This pork or chicken (I know there are folks who just don't like pork) is divine. With a squeeze of lemon it is so bright and cheery. I served it with the Pioneer Woman's crushed potatoes, which you can find here. By the way, my Utah lovelies, she'll be in your neck of the woods next week! She's signing her new cookbook at the King's English Bookstore on Wednesday. You should go for me and tell her how much I love her and how when I grow up I want to be just like her -- kitchen and cowboy and all :)

Baked Schnitzel

3 boneless pork chops

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

¼ cup parmesan cheese

¼ cup flour

2 eggs

1 tbs grainy mustard

1 tbs chopped Italian parsley, more for garnish

½ tsp salt/pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. On one plate combine flour and salt and pepper. On another plate combine panko, parmesan and parsley and in a bowl scramble the eggs with the mustard.

Place pork chops in a sealed zip lock bag and pound the hell out of them. Don’t worry if they look a bit mangled – the more tender, the more better :). In assembly line fashion, dredge your chops in the flour first. Shake off any excess. Move on to the eggs and then the breadcrumbs. Place on a cookie sheet (I sprayed mine with Pam to ensure stick-free removal).

Depending on how thin your chops are, bake for about 15-25 minutes. No one likes to eat raw pork. Serve with lemon slices.

An ode

I just returned from a quick trip to visit friends in Utah over the weekend. Not only was I craving fake chicken, but I was long overdue for a slow meander through the King's English bookstore and the cleansing breaths of Scott's yoga class, but mostly, I missed the company of people I love so dearly. I needed another day or two or month to see everyone and spend ample time, which is why I am so glad it's a quick drive. If only I could teleport.

This was actually meant to be my second post, but alas, here we are today. Over a year late. That's how I roll -- late, postponed, delayed and always with the best of intentions.

I must mention that I have a mild obsession with television. In fact, my obsession is so severe that I didn't have television in my house for over five years. There is a TV in the house now, but it only has three channels, none of which are the Food Network so I am able to curb my addiction and safely walk into the living room without the concern that my arse will permanently mold into the couch. Visits to my mom and dad's house are still dangerous though because left to my own volition, I could watch HOURS of slicing, dicing and Giada. I have no self control. None.

During those years without tv I discovered that networks were taking pity on fools like myself and airing their programs online and for free. This enabled me to catch my favorite shows in a 'controlled environment.'

Enter Gordon Ramsay.

I'm sure many of you are muttering to yourselves, but Hailey, Gordon's not on the Food Network. Yeah, I know. He should be. He's too much for those safe housewives though. He would make all those Paula Deen lovers gasp in disapproval. He would add much needed sexiness and scandal in contrast to the Sesame Street cake contests. Hell's Kitchen introduced me to his incessant hand-clapping, garbage can-kicking and wanker-screaming tirades. I then discovered Kitchen Nightmares, the F Word and miriade other shows he has on the BBC. Then I fell in love. Hell's Kitchen . . . Hail's Kitchen.

He is much milder on his BBC programs. I think his Fox producers encourage him to beef up the bitchy persona he has adopted here in the states. Youtube has tons of videos from the F Word where he cooks in his own kitchen. There is one specific video where he prepares scrambled eggs. He plates this gorgeous breakfast of eggs, tomatoes and toast and then mentions it's for his wife who is sleeping upstairs. I am not so naive to think the scenario was indeed as he mentioned, but the delivery was spot on. Oh to be served breakfast in bed by Gordan Ramsay.

I am not entirely sure what my obsession is with the man. Perhaps it's how wild his hair is or how crisp his chef coat always looks or how passionate he is about food and how that translates beautifully to the destitute restaurant owner or the arrogant chef. He is definitely high on my list of celebrities I would, well, you know. My dad reads this blog -- Hi dad! Mostly, if I ever had the chance to meet him, I would ask him to teach me to make scrambled eggs. He says this is a gauge of one's skill in the kitchen. Then I might seduce him.

Here are a few hysterical videos one, two, three of a young Chef Ramsay. They made me laugh on this Monday morning.

By the way . . .

I was accepted into the MA program :-) Hooray for more school and more student loans!

Eat on $30 - afterthoughts

The past few days have kept me away from my computer, but I've had lots of time for much needed reflection. I had about six hours in a float tube on Saturday, which when I wasn't catching enormous fish and pissing off my hosts -- Hi Brent! -- I had lots of quiet time to get into my own head. The water was a tepid 37 degrees so a fair amount of time was spent fantasizing that my toes and arse were on a beach in Tahiti, but my mind also drifted to the week's Eat on $30 challenge.

I felt guilty that my last day on the challenge was on another’s dime, but guess what I woke up smelling?! COFFEE! Yeah, baby. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the coffee that I had been dreaming about and pining for the past week. It was what we call in Idaho: cowboy coffee; I kind of had to chew it. Spiked with some eggnog, it did the trick. I was more than a little concerned it would do the trick on my G.I. track too when I was stuck in my float tube in the middle of the lake, but I think my system was more concerned with the fact that the bottom half of my body was frozen to be concerned with the diuretic.

None-the-less, the week’s festivities replayed through my head, and I realized that I would make a concerted effort to adopt the frugal approach to meal planning/grocery shopping that this challenge necessitated. Granted my financial situation has changed drastically and that should be dictating my spending, but let’s be honest, how many of us really live within our means? I am going to try, damnit, and spending less on groceries is a great place for me to start.

I also plan to cook out of my pantry and my freezer. We have so much great food waiting patiently on shelves to be consumed – I just need to get creative. The other realization I had was how expensive it is to eat out. I’ve always known this, but to see how much I saved with one week of not eating out was huge. I was thinking back on my days of working in downtown SLC, and I ate out every single day for lunch. That was nearly $10 a pop – five days a week! Of course I have a new appreciation of $50, but still, are you kidding me? Packing a lunch, eating leftovers, staving off that $10 noodle soup helps one’s budget enormously!

It’s also been fun checking in on my challenge cohorts. You should check them out here as they had some fantastic observations, stories and recipes. The other great thing about the challenge was it got me writing. I am sure my fervor will wane a little, but I hope you keep reading. I have some “pantry posts” coming up that I think you’ll like.

Below is an easy stew recipe that was made with ingredients I had in the fridge and pantry. The fall weather continues here in Eastern Idaho so the crock pot won't be getting a break anytime soon.

My cooking companion, Berkley.

Beef Stew

2 pounds beef, cut into chunks

2 large potatoes, cubed

2 carrots, sliced

1 large onion, diced

1 leek, white part only, sliced

1 14 oz can beef broth

1 14 oz can diced tomatoes

1 cup frozen peas

1 tbs soy sauce

2 tbs flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 bay leaf

6-7 fresh thyme sprigs

In a large bowl, combine salt, pepper and flour. Add beef and mix well. Add all ingredients, less the peas, to a crock pot. Stir well to combine. Cook over low heat for 6 - 8 hours. About five minutes before service add the peas. Serve with crusty bread.

Days 4 & 5 - Eat on $30

Well, day four was a-okay. Day five was a little rough. I managed to make the cozy, comfort dish below on Wednesday, which if you have kids, you have to try it. It is one of those meals that reminded me of being a kid. It has lots of healthy elements, too, so moms (or girl friends/wives who have to find creative ways of sneaking in vegetables) this is a great one to add to your rotation.

While Boise State was victorious, it was by the hair on their chinny, chin, chins. Despite the crappy game, we managed to have a great time. I don't get out much so when I do, I seem to always come home with a couple of hilarious stories. For those of you who don't know me, if there is a weirdo in the facility, I am sure to attract him/her. Guaranteed. I am not sure if it's because of my innocent looks, HA!, or if it's because I'm nice. To everyone. Often times to a fault.

So Heather and I took advantage of two seats at the bar and commenced to drink our $1.75 beers, on special!, and apparently I had taken homeboy's seat. A brief description of homeboy: he had wiry red hair that just reached his shoulders in a mullet-esque way with a matching beard that had to be at least three inches long, and half of his teeth on one side of his mouth were severely damaged. I would guess he was in his early thirties. The important point to remember about homeboy, he was DRUNK. D.R.U.N.K. Drunk.

Well, he returned to the bar and grumbled a bit behind us that I had taken his seat. He then saw the opportunity at hand -- two pretty girls to hit on -- homeboy did not let off for the duration of the game. At first, Heather blatantly ignored him leaving me to answer his questions. I half-heartedly answered trying to appear overly-interested in the football game. Fortunately, the US soccer team was playing Costa Rica in heated match so I was able to split my attention between the two screens. As soon as my attention deviated though, he was right there with another mundane question. I quickly got annoyed and decided that I too would be mute.

I'm not sure this will come across to you, internet, but he kept making this sound, "pssshhhhh" over and over and over, as if he had turrets. It was always right after he asked me a question, which I ignored. He'd make the sound, grumble under his breath about the "world going to shit, not fair, try harder" and shake his head. At this point, Heather started to perk up. This dude was CRAZY!

His running personal commentary caught the attention of everyone around us including the bar tender who had already cut him off. Heather enjoyed inciting his random opinions on life and pirates, as did the slew of boys playing pool behind us. The highlight of the evening was when he told us that "smoking and eating bacon will make you go back in time." Really? Cool! Perhaps even more profound was his distrust of technology. "I will twitter you with my mind!" Everyone enjoyed the comedy that surrounded homeboy, unfortunately the majority of it involved me because that's what happens when I go out. I attract the the crazies. Psshhhhh.

As for our beer consumption, we bought two $1.75 beers, and we did have one charity beer each. I was proud of us for not drinking more considering the circumstances.

Day five of Eat on $30 was by far the hardest. I had my staple string cheese for breakfast along with a cup of green tea. I am DYING for COFFEE. I can't really even talk about it. I get a lump in the back of my throat and want to cry a little. Loud sigh. I came home from class absolutely ravenous and ate the most disgusting combination of leftovers for lunch: mexican pasta and a big pile of sauerkraut and potatoes. Just typing that makes me gag a little. I was so hungry and so determined not to skew from this regime that I wolfed it down. I will say, and this is probably way too much information, that the burps I experienced later came straight from the bowels of Hell. Not a combination I recommend.

I had planned on visiting friends this weekend in Utah, but knowing that I have another mid-term looming on Monday and that this challenge doesn't end until tomorrow, I figured it's best to stay close to home. I know there would be no way I could stay on budget if I visited my food-savvy friends who would want to take me out for sushi or thai or tapas or wine or martinis or any combination of the aforementioned wonderful aspects of my previous life that I miss so dearly. Next weekend, friends. I will have a map charted of where we'll be eating!

Tonight I'll be joining my dad and his cronies at a cabin near Henry's Lake. I figure it will be good for the budget and the soul. I've been promised big fish. If not, I'll sit in the boat and study Piaget and Vigostky. I hope everyone has a great weekend. May you NEVER have to eat the following dish accompanied with sauerkraut and mashed potatoes. xoH

Mexican Pasta

1 package pasta, any shape you like

1 pound ground beef (you could use turkey too)

1 onion, diced

1 green pepper, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 can rotel tomatoes

1 can diced tomatoes with herbs

1 tbs canola or olive oil

1 package shredded cheese

s/p

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta according to instructions. Heat oil over medium heat and sauté diced onion, pepper and garlic. Cook until translucent. Add beef and season with salt and pepper. Add both cans of tomatoes with juice. Combine the cooked pasta and beef/vegetable mixture in a baking dish. Cover with cheese. Bake about twenty minutes or until bubbly.

Day three - Eat on $30

Between my junior and senior year of college, I was fortunate to spend a summer in Spain. Two professors from my college organized the trip and chaperoned our hodgepodge group of students from Madrid through Northern Spain. We all stayed with host families as part of our cultural experience. When we arrived at the university in Santander there were lots of short, gray haired ladies in cardigan sweaters waiting patiently on the curb.

One by one, my fellow students’ names were called out, “are you so and so?” They would exchange pleasantries and the little Spanish mamas would help them with their bags and off they went. I kept looking around longing for my very own Spanish mama, but no one ever called my name. There was, however, this tall woman standing in the background with fire-engine red hair, tattooed eye makeup and enormous breasts. I paid her no attention and figured my senora was just delayed. She would be there. Dismayed that I was the last student to be picked up, I finally heard, “are you Hailey?” Hailey is difficult for Spanish speakers to pronounce – the H is tricky so usually my name comes out sounding guttural and totally unsexy.

“Yes, I’m Hailey.” Oh. My. God. The siren was my host mom.

To be brief, my host mom was wonderful, and I was so lucky have her. She raised two boys so to have a girl in her home was an experience she reveled in. I was the daughter she never had. We bonded on many levels; she borrowed my clothes, showed me her recent cosmetic surgery (she was newly divorced and hot to trot), we frequented the beaches together – she was always nude, and she also taught me to cook the following dish, tortilla Espanola.

The entire time I spent in her home, she never uttered a word of English to me. As I was boarding the bus to return home, she told my professors she was going to keep me as her own. She even threatened to call my parents and tell them I wasn’t coming back. Then she said something to one of my professors that still baffles me today, “Hailey is a very clever girl, and I’m going to miss her.” Huh, wha?! Clever? Apparently she spent several years studying at Oxford. In England. Where they speak English. There were many occasions when I could have used her English assistance so she must have gotten a kick out of what a moron I was. Some day I’ll make it back to Santander and be brave enough to take it all off on the beach with you, Sandra.

I have successfully made this recipe many times. Of course, when I want to post about it and when I’m on a budget, it fails. It's not just a little burned or the edge fell off. This is a failure of epic proportions. It doesn't even resemble tortilla Espanola. Normally I would just redo it, but this week I don’t have that luxury. I need eggs and potatoes for another dish. My pride hurt and my wrist burned, I’m still posting this meal malfunction. The challenge continues!

A few additional thoughts as the week progresses: I had to go to the grocery store this morning for a non-food item, and it was really hard to stay on task. I found myself staring at the floor just to avoid eye contact with Captain Crunch. But it was on sale!

Tonight’s festivities pose a challenge: beer. Boise State plays Tulsa at 6:00 and since our bunny ears unfortunately don’t pick up ESPN, we have to go to a bar, which usually means beer consumption. I’ll let you know how it goes. I may have to make some friends and drink some charity beer.

Because this was such a failure, I am not posting the recipe. I will redo and conquer at a later date. I blame lack of coffee for its demise :)

Oh yeah, yesterday I ate an apple and string cheese for breakfast, leftover pork and sauerkraut for lunch, and this mess above with some cherry tomatoes for dinner. I was fueled/distracted by several cups of green tea throughout the day.

I’m off to take my first midterm exam. Wish me luck!

Day two - Eat on $30

Eat on $30 day 3 begins! All told, the hard part is over. With the shopping and planning behind me all I have to do now is cook, and that's the fun part. I will be honest in saying, I really miss my cup of coffee. I think more than the caffeine, it's the routine I miss. My coffee intake could use some curbing so perhaps this is beneficial.

I realized that I didn't eat very much yesterday. It wasn't the challenge that caused me to go hungry, I was just busy. I had a cup of green tea and an apple for breakfast. The apples rang up at $1.29/lb and the tea was $2.99 for a box of 16 tea bags. I am going to agree with my challenge cohorts that calculating every penny is a bit of a drag. Jimmy Buffet's song, "I hate math" comes to mind each time I have to pull out my calculator to figure out the portions. It's a good thing I will not be teaching math. I think you all can get the gist of what we spent and how much we are saving.

None-the-less, the leftover pasta was warm and cozy for lunch because our house seems to turn into an icebox in the afternoon. I threw pork chops (by one get one free, at $3.39) seasoned with salt and pepper into the crock pot with two cans of sauerkraut at $1.09 each, and half of a sliced apple. This cooked for over five hours on low heat. I have the recipe for pork and sauerkraut in more detail here . I smashed up four large potatoes with 1/2 cup of milk ($1.50 for half gallon), couple pads of butter (this was one of our freebie items), and salt and pepper.

This is an inexpensive and satisfying dish that makes for great leftovers. There was plenty leftover for both of our lunches today, and it always tastes better the next day.

I apologize for the afterthought photo.

Starvation doesn't lead to good photography.

Day one - Eat on $30

Yesterday was the first day of the Eat on $30 challenge, and I spent the weekend at my parent's house so my ability to track the budget was, we'll just say, a bit skewed. I woke up to the smell of sausage strata and coffee wafting through the house (I will post this recipe soon, as it is one of the yummiest brunch dishes around). While I did feel slightly guilty that I was receiving a delicious, free meal, let's be honest, not that guilty.

We discussed this challenge through our entire brunch. My mom and Heather offered meal suggestions that were both cost effective and delicious. Occasionally my dad would chime in with, "elk stew." Man loves his wild game. Our conversation was one that isn't entirely foreign to the Hodges household -- food is a very common theme. In fact, my mom has turned into a canning maniac this summer. Her pantry is stocked full of fruits and vegetables that she has lovingly canned for darker days this winter. They are fortunate to not only have the farm to supply them with endless vegetables, but they also have a garden in their backyard. With a little foresight and effort, your summer bounty can reward you in February when grocery store produce is more than lackluster. Canning your own fruit, vegetables, salsas and sauces is also cost effective. Mom, Goddess of Canning, if you are reading this, would you please share your thoughts on the topic?

On to adventures in budget shopping. Heather and I didn't make it out to the store last night until about seven o'clock. We had a general menu/grocery list in mind, we also had COUPONS in hand. Without Heather's keen eye for coupon-clipping in the weekend's paper, we would have lost out on $13.24 in savings. We shopped at Alberstons, which isn't my favorite store, but based on the week's ads, they proved to be our best ally.

Our first issue was that we were both starving. We drove by a Little Caesars on our way to the store and both had the same thought: $5.00 cheese pizza! We snapped out of our low blood sugar induced mania and proceeded to kick our budget's ass. We had a coupon for buy one get one free chicken breasts and were dismayed when we learned they were bone in. That's what butchers are for -- removing bones. Pork chops were also on sale, buy one get one free. Heather immediately thought, pork and sauerkraut. We bought two packages of pork chops, three each, for $3.39, respectively. We also bought a package of beef for stew for $3.24. Thank you meat isle.

On to produce. We do live in Idaho so one would suspect that one could get a good deal on taters. One guessed correct! We bought a FIVE POUND bag of potatoes for $.79! I was so pleased I carried the bag around like an infant for the duration of our shopping spree.

My second moment of anxiety was my gravitation towards fresh herbs, more expensive vegetables like leeks and shallots, and organic produce. Sacrifices had to be made, and this was an area that made a big impact. We bought staples that I couldn't cook without, garlic and onions, salad fixings, a few apples, and a handful of other veggies you'll see through the week. I tend to spend a majority of my budget in the produce isle, but I used restraint and bought canned tomatoes with herbs.

Some other random items included fresh and dried pasta, string cheese (my breakfast staple), cheese, milk, eggs, green tea (coffee proved quite problematic and expensive so this will be a serious test).

We caught ourselves a few times aimlessly walking around wondering what else we could do, but then a discounted item would catch our eye and spark an idea. All told, we spent $42.57; we saved $2.72 on bonus buy items, $14.16 with our preferred card, and $13.24 with store coupons. We walked out with grocery bags in hand, heads held high and huge, mischievous grins on our faces. It was almost as if we had done something naughty by saving that much money. Then we realized we'll never be able to go back to our old ways of shopping. We've been saved. We're born again coupon-clippers! Oh lord.

I tried to take a picture of our dinner last night, but my camera battery died. It included a package of fresh linguine at $2.29, one can diced tomatoes with italian herbs at $1.50, 1/2 cup of cream at approximately $.75, one garlic clove at $.5?, handful parmesan cheese $1.69 for the entire bag so we'll say $.40. $5.44 for the meal, $2.72/person. We even had leftovers for lunch today. Not bad.

Right now pork and sauerkraut is stewing away in the crock pot. I'll post today's meals and my lack of coffee tomorrow. So far so good. Talk to you tomorrow.

Eat on $30

For those of you who know me, know that I just committed myself to a major life change -- quit my job to return to school. Currently, I am still looking for a job in this town some have lovingly nicknamed Poca-hell-hole, and my only source of income is student loans. Ouch. I know there are lots of folks who are living in similar circumstances, but there are also lots who are living in far worse conditions.

Enter: Eat on $30 challenge! Tami from Running with Tweezers is hosting a week long hunger awareness campaign that challenges people to eat on $30/person for an entire week. I was immediately inspired and motivated to join the great bloggers who are participating in this important conversation.

I got all wrapped up in the excitement and meal planning, and then I had an epiphany:

Tami was speaking to directly to me . . . to my broke ass who can no longer afford to go to the grocery store and frivolously drop $60 on A MEAL. She reminded me that I am part of this community who should be spending $30 a week on groceries every week, not just for a challenge. I am still digesting that conclusion.

This Eat on $30 challenge is meant bring awareness about hunger and poverty and the disparity that exists in our nation. As bloggers, we've been challenged to only spend $30/person, use nothing existing in our fridges and pantries and share with you our experiences -- so long pumpkin lattes. Sniffle, sniffle.

Check out the other fabulous conversations that are taking place:

• Betty Joan with Trouble with Toast
• Carrie Neal with carrienealland
• Paula with bell'alimento
• The Broke Socialite
• Jimmy with Eat It Atlanta
• Robert and his blog
• Jen with Use Real Butter
• Mike and his blog
• Zach with Mise en Face
• Kristina with TNLocavore.com
• Susan with Doughmesstic
• Another Susan with Frugal Hostess
• Diana with A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa

I'm off to class, but I can't wait to report our shopping trip last night. Here's a preview: we saved $30.12 on our groceries! It was exhilarating. Who new coupon-clipping was so awesome?!

Chili time of year

I suppose I should quit bitching about the weather. I really do love winter and all things related to snow. I am anxious to slip my hands into the pocket of my ski pants in hopes of finding some cash; I am excited to explore Pebble Creek, the local ski resort (and return to my Utah favorites, too); and I am jonesing to start cooking hearty, stick-to-your ribs dishes – like chili!

Chili is one of those fabulous, manipulateable (yes, I just made that up) dishes that you can throw in whatever you have on hand: beans, spices and vegetables. I grew up with my mom’s decadent chili that included chocolate, so naturally, mine does too. It adds a richness that is subtle and fantastic. The Red Iguana in SLC is the master of this genre. Their moles are rich with chocolate, peanut butter, chiles, spices and herbs. I could shed a tear thinking about what I would give for one of their enchiladas right now. Loud sigh.

Anyway, I would encourage you not to shy away from the chocolate in this recipe. You will hardly notice it’s there, but without it, this chili is just chili. With chocolate, this chili is competition-worthy-chili. Blue ribbon, kick ass, lick your bowl clean chili. Just saying.

Blue ribbon, kick ass, lick your bowl clean chili

1 pound ground meat -- I used ground turkey

1 onion, diced

1 red pepper, diced -- I had a green pepper as well so I used both

2 jalapenos, more if you like it spicier

4-5 cloves garlic, minced

4 15 oz cans of beans, I used black, garbanzo, kidney and pinto, drained and rinsed

1 28 oz can of diced or crushed tomatoes, juices too

1 15 oz can of corn

1 15 oz can chicken broth (or veggie if that's how you roll)

2 tbs olive or canola oil

5 tbs chili powder

1 tbs cumin

1 tbs oregano

2 heaping tbs chocolate chips, I used semisweet

salt to taste

garnishes: cheese, sour cream, green onions, red onions, tortilla chips

In a large stockpot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, peppers, garlic and jalapenos. Saute until translucent. Add meat if you are using it. Cook through. Add spices and stir thoroughly. Pour in tomatoes, beans, corn and broth. Finally, stir in chocolate. The longer this chili cooks the tastier it will be. I let it cook for over three hours, stirring occasionally, and it was divine. You could also let this simmer away in a crock pot.