Recipe: Black Bean Burgers

I love pretty much anything in burger form.....beef burgers, veggie burgers, chicken burgers.......and black bean burgers.  I love how the possibilities are practically endless when it comes to sprucing up a burger.  There are so many toppings, breads, and seasonings that can take a bland burger and turn it into a wham burger (I know....bad joke.....I just couldn't help myself)!

I make these black bean burgers pretty frequently in our home.  They're cheap, easy, quick, and nutritious.....and did I mention that they taste good as well!  What more could you ask for?

Black Bean Burgers

1 1/2 cup of cooked black beans
2 slices of 100% whole wheat or 100% whole grain bread (crumbled or pulverized in food processor)
1/4 cup of corn meal
1 large egg (beaten)
1 clove of garlic (minced)
1 teaspoon of dried oregano
1 teaspoon of chili powder
1/2 teaspoon of cumin
1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
Canola oil for cooking

1.  Put the black beans in a medium bowl.  With you hands, smash the beans.  There will be some beans that are still whole, but about 1/2  to 3/4 of the beans should be smashed.
2.  Add all of the remaining ingredients except for the canola oil.  Mix well.
3.  Separate the black bean mixture into 4 equal parts.  With your hands, take each part and shape into a patty that is about 1/2 inch thick.
4.  Heat about 1-2 tablespoons of canola oil in a pan.  I like to use a cast iron skillet, because it allows the burgers to get a good sear on the outside.  Sear the black bean burgers until they get a nice golden brown crust.
5.  Serve the burgers on wheat hamburger buns and with your choice of toppings/condiments.

Mommy Money Saving Tip: Pack Your Lunch

Seems like common sense, huh?  The problem is, that in a country that is so focused on doing things quickly, we tend to go for the "fast food" options in order to save time.  I remember working in the office and seeing people purchase their lunch every day of the week.  Then, I would hear that they were having difficulty with paying their bills.  I truly believe that they could have cut their lunch expenses in half or better if they would have just brought a sack lunch.

Think about it. In today's economy, a cheap lunch would probably run you an average of $5....and that's being modest.  If you eat out 5 days per week, you end up spending $25 that week just for lunch.  At the end of the month, you'll have spent anywhere from $100 to $115 just on eating out.  That number only accounts for lunches during the week.

On top of saving money, you'll probably get healthier as well.....given that you don't replace fast food meals with oven ready processed meals.  The food you make at home will probably have far fewer processed ingredients and much less sodium.  Plus, you can up the intake of fruits and veggies since you're in control of what goes in that sack lunch.

So if you're feeling a little pinch in the wallet, try substituting your purchased lunch with a wholesome homemade sack lunch.

Mommy Money Saving Tip: Double Check That Fabric

This is one of many lessons that my mom taught me growing up.  Check what fabric your clothing is made out of and if that fabric needs to be dry cleaned.

Dry cleaning costs can add up very quickly, so I don't think I'm alone when I say that dry cleaning is just not budget friendly.  I understand that some things just have to be taken to the cleaners.....like the suits you wear in the office.  However, you can save a lot of money if you avoid buying dry clean only clothing when possible.

I remember going shopping with my mom, and every time I would pick something out, she would ask, "Is that dry clean only?"  Of course being the rambunctious teenager I was, I would roll my eyes and say, "It doesn't matter as long as I like it."  That was pre-having to pay my own way....so of course, it didn't matter then (even if it should have mattered).  Fast forward to now, I do have to pay my own way.....so dry clean only matters!

So ladies (or gents) when you're out shopping, put back that silk top and opt for something with a more resilient fabric that can be machine washed or hand washed.  I promise your wallet will love you for it!

Mommy Money Saving Tip: Drop In Care Centers

This is a recent discovery of mine, but drop in care centers are amazing!!  To back up a little, I recently got a job in order to supplement some of our current income.  We're wanting to buy a house, so I searched diligently to find something that would allow me to bring in income without sacrificing Liam's care.  Well...I was able to find a job that allowed me to put Liam in another person's care for only 3 hours per day and only 4 days per week.  The dilemma that came up, however, was finding affordable child care that was also good. 

What I found was a play center that also provides drop in care for up to 4 hours per day.  At $9 per hour, it was already a steal.  However, they provide bulk pricing for $7 per hour (buying a bulk amount of hours with a minimum of 8 hours), and they provide monthly pricing that goes down to $5 per hour.  Plus, there's no registration fee!  You can't find those prices at many places these days.....and if you do, many times the care is questionable.

The best part of all of this is that Liam loved the place and the facility was clean with friendly staff members.  Drop in care is similar to day care without the day care prices or the commitment.  If you're looking for regular part time child care or just need someone to watch your kids while you run errands, look up drop in care centers in your area.

Recipe: Butternut Squash "Pancakes"

This is a recipe that I scored from Maangchi which is a wonderful Korean food blog.  A family friend had cooked us loads of Korean food to take home, and I wanted to add a little more veggie to the mix since most of the food was either a grain or protein.  I made a couple of modifications to suit to my family's taste, but it turned out wonderfully!

This is such an easy recipe that the whole family will enjoy....from toddlers to grown ups.  I recommend using a skillet for this.....I find that the skillet cooks these "pancakes" much better than stainless steel or other forms of cookware.  Plus, cooking with cast iron skillets is a simple way to add iron to our diets!

Butternut Squash "Pancakes"
(adapted from Maangchi)

1 small butternut squash (peeled and inside seeds/strings scooped out)
1/4 teaspoon of salt
3-4 tablespoons of whole wheat flour
Canola oil for cooking

1.  Do a thin julienne cut to the butternut squash (in about 2-3 inch long pieces) or use the shredder option on the food processor.  Don't use a hand grater because it will grate too thin.  I used the food processor method, because I was pressed for time.  However, you will get a crispier pancake if you hand julienne.
2.  Put the butternut squash shreds in a large bowl and sprinkle it with the salt.  Mix the salt into the squash and allow to sit for 20 minutes.
3.  Add the flour to the shredded squash, and mix to ensure that all of the shreds are coated with the flour.
4.  Heat a cast iron skillet and 1/2 of a tablespoon of oil on medium heat.  Spoon 1 cup of the butternut squash shreds into the skillet and spread into a thin layer.  Cook on one side until golden brown.
5.  Flip the "pancake" over and press firmly with the back of a spatula.  Cook on this side until golden brown.
6.  Repeat these steps until all of the squash is cooked.
7.  Serve as a side dish.

Recipe: Apple Streusel Coffee Cake

I love having play dates at our home, but it can get a little stressful thinking about how to feed all the kiddos and mommies on our budget.  Just like with my everyday grocery shopping, I keep in mind the regularly low priced items and sale items when I'm developing my play date menu.  At a recent play date at our home, I came across a recipe for an apple streusel coffee cake from Gale Gland and Elsie Grossman (Food Network).  I made a few modification to adjust the taste to my preferences, but it was pretty close to the original recipe.  I wanted to post this recipe, because it's cheap, easy to make, and tastes great!

Apple Streusel Coffee Cake
(Adapted from Gale Gland and Elsie Grossman)

Ingredients for the cake:
1 cup of all purpose flour
1/2 cup of whole wheat flour
2 1/4 teaspoons of baking powder
1/2 cup of natural sugar
1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1 large egg (beaten)
1/2 cup of milk
1/4 cup of melted butter
1 1/2 cup of chopped apple (I used Fuji apples)

Ingredients for the streusel topping:
1/2 cup of light brown sugar
1/4 cup of all purpose flour
2 tablespoons of butter
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

1.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2.  Mix together the dry ingredients for the cake (both types of flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon).
3.  Mix together the egg, milk, and melted butter in a small bowl.  Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients.  Also, add the chopped apples to the dry ingredients.  Mix until combined.
4.  Grease an 8x8 square baking pan.  Pour the batter into the pan.  This batter should be very thick.
5.  In a small bowl, mix together the streusel ingredients.  Use your fingers to cut the butter into the rest of the ingredients.  Sprinkle the streusel over the top of the batter.
6.  Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the cake.

Mommy Money Saving Tip: One Man's Trash is Another Man's......Chicken Stock??

I'm talking about the carcass of your roast chicken or turkey and the bones left over from a pork or beef roast.  They are perfect for making delicious homemade stocks that can be used in any recipe that calls for stock or broth.  In fact, you can use the leftover pieces of many items such as the bottom of the asparagus or celery stalk.

I hate throwing away food.  All I can think is that I'm throwing money in the trash can.  When I find ways to use up the pieces that most people would throw away, I feel a sense of accomplishment.

I don't have an exact recipe for stock, because it's really not a science.....just throw things in a large pot and simmer! My go to method for stock is combining the carcass/bones with 1 large onion (cut in half), a handful of cloves of garlic, a couple of carrots (or a little over a cup of carrot ends and peels), a couple of stalks of celery (or a little over a cup of leftover celery end pieces), herbs of choice (bay leaves, parsley, thyme, etc), 1/2 tablespoon of kosher salt, and 1/2 tablespoon of black peppercorns.  I put all of this in a very large stock pot....the kind that has 2 handles on each side of the pot.  Add enough water to cover all of the ingredients.  Bring to a boil, and simmer while covered for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.  After you allow the stock to cool a bit, strain the pieces and foam out of the stock.  You can divide the stock into 1-2 cup portions and freeze for later use.  When you're ready to use the stock, you can either defrost it in the fridge or pop the frozen stock in a pot and heat it up until completely defrosted.

Trust me when I say that homemade stock is so much better taste-wise than the canned or boxed stock.  By making your own stock, you get to save money, save food waste, and have a delicious stock to use as a base in many recipes!

Mommy Money Saving Tip: Use Your Leftover Grits

I don't know about you, but there are some days when I just make way too much of a certain food.  Grits happen to be the food that I tend to do that with the most.  Of course, my initial thought was that leftover grits were just no longer good for eating since they lose that initial creaminess.  However, I was wrong!

If you have leftover grits, save them for grits cakes.  It's easy!

Grease a square casserole dish, and spread the leftover grits in the dish.  This usually results in a 3/4 inch to 1 inch thick grits cake.  Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least an hour or until it firms.  Using a small knife, cut the grits in 4-8 squares (depending on how large you like your cakes).  Using a cast iron skillet, add enough canola oil to cover the bottom.  Heat the oil over medium heat (use an even higher temperature for an electric stove).  After the oil has preheated, sear the grits cakes on both sides.  They will be golden in color.  Make sure not to overcrowd the skillet in order to get those yummy crispy edges.  Voila!  Grits cakes!

These can be eaten in so many ways.  I like to top the cakes with black beans, cilantro, shredded cheese, and salsa, but the possibilities are endless.

So the next time you notice that you've made too many grits, think twice about throwing them away.  Grits cakes can not only help you avoid wasting food, but they are also mighty tasty!

Recipe: French Toast with Butter Syrup

My family and I look forward to Saturdays, because we can plan for the breakfast foods that we crave all week.  Now, don't get me wrong.....I have a home cooked breakfast for my family every morning, but they're usually the kind of meals that take no longer than 15 minutes to cook. We reserve the breakfast meals that take longer to cook for the weekends.

This past weekend, I was craving french toast.....but I noticed that we didn't have any maple syrup or pancake syrup.  To me, I can't have french toast or pancakes without some sort of syrup.  The thought crossed my mind to run to the store, but I knew that Liam wouldn't wait that long for breakfast.  At that moment, I realized that there was probably a way to make my own syrup.  I searched the web for a recipe that would satisfy my craving, but I couldn't find one that I thought would work.  So.....I decided to experiment with my own.  What did I come up with?  A buttery delicious sweet syrup that took less than 5 minutes to make.....yes.....I said less than 5 minutes.  That takes much less time than running to the store.

I hope you and your family enjoy this sweet Saturday morning breakfast recipe!  Don't forget to bring the conversation as well!

French Toast

3 large eggs (beaten)

3/4 cup of whole milk

1 tablespoon of natural or organic sugar

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

6-7 slices of oat bread or some other nutty grain bread

Butter for cooking the french toast

1.  Preheat the griddle to 300-350 degrees F.

2.  Whisk together the eggs, milk, sugar, and vanilla extract in a 8x8 square glass baking dish.

3.  Melt 1 tablespoon of butter on the griddle and spread the melted butter over the entire griddle surface.

4.  Place the slices of bread (one or two at a time) in the egg mixture.  Allow the bread to sit in the mixture for 30 seconds to 1 minute on each side.  Place the coated bread on the griddle.

5.  Cook the bread on the griddle until it is golden brown.

6.  Repeat steps 3-5 until all of the french toast is cooked.

7.  Serve with syrup and fruit or nuts.

Butter Syrup

1/2 cup of dark brown sugar

1/2 cup of organic sugar or granulated sugar 

1/2 cup of water

1 tablespoon of butter

1.  Combine the first three ingredients in a small saucepan.

2.  Bring to simmer.

3.  Cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes.

4.  Turn off the heat and add the butter.  Stir until the butter has completely melted.

5.  Allow to cool until it is warm but not hot.

6.  Serve over pancakes, waffles, or french toast.