Cooking in hard economic times

While on vacation I decided it was time to do some serious cooking.

In an attempted to get a jump on the coming school year, I spent all day Monday cooking casseroles. I was pretty productive making four chicken divan casseroles, four chicken tetrazzini casseroles, five containers of beef stroganoff and almost six gallons - yes, gallons - of albondigas (meatball soup). I figured I have about 20 meals for four ready to go. On top of that I decided I needed to figure out how much money each meal is costing and then further broke that down into a cost per meal, per person. I estimated each meal costs $1.40 per person. Not bad. Knowing this also helps keep a leash on that desire to eat out when we're all feeling a bit lazy at the end of a long school and work day.

With everything, and I mean everything, costing so much, my goal is not only to save time but money. Now I need to find other recipes (we're eating an awful lot of chicken) and continue the process of cooking to save. Share anything good with me please!

Some casserole cooking tips I've learned over time:
Dishes with mayo and/or sour cream work well if given time to defrost slowly
Make extra "sauce" for any dish that calls for it (like the Tetrazzini). When the casserole is cooked it won't end up too dry.
Skinless, boneless thighs are less expensive and have more flavor and work great in casseroles.
Freeze in aluminum pans so you can put your casserole right into the over. It makes the clean up that much easier.

I'm certain all of these "tips" can be found on Foodnetwork, but here they are just in case.

Ahhhhh . . . Vacation

Friday I officially began a week (plus one day) of vacation.  Today has been spent sitting, with occasional moments of being productive - creating a list of possible casseroles to cook and freeze with an accompanying grocery list - and a brief stint of Wii golfing followed by trying to learn how to Wii box.  

As with any day of sloth, there have been moments of guilt.  I really should do some laundry.  Maybe I should actually cook a meal instead of making Leo go for take out pizza.  Those moments passed quickly enough and then I decided, "Time to blog!"  As usual, I'm not certain what the topic should be, but commenting on my upcoming week of vacation seems fair fodder and so I write.

Friday started with an overnight stay at the local resort, complete with water park fun.  There's something a bit decadent about going on vacation so close to home; being able to drive up the street to get something important left behind, or to be able to feed the dogs in the morning so we don't have to feel badly about them wondering what happened to breakfast and why there were left out all night to sleep without comfy dog beds.  

So I've come to find out that staying home or going overnight so close to home is now commonly referred to as a "staycation".   Not bad.  In a time when everything is so costly, particularly gas, it's nice to be able to get away and feel like you've left home even if you only did drive five minutes to a nearby resort.  

The other great and decadent part about this "staycation" is being able to order food and drink, sit in your bathing suit, and be waited on while sitting under a lovely cabana.  Now that's living.  If only we could find the time and resources to do this for more than just one night.  Then again, like Christmas, if we had the opportunity to do this with unlimited abandon, would we appreciate it as much?

This week (tomorrow to be exact) I also celebrate a birthday.  We'll just say I'm not as young as 30 but not as old as 50.   OK - I should not be so grudging about this.  I'll be 42 tomorrow.  Is that the new 30 now?  Also tomorrow, Mitch get braces.  Happy Birthday to me.  

Last night, I had a mini celebration of sorts with a wonderful group of women who get together once a month.  We ate sushi, drank beer, sake and plum wine, shared terrific desserts and, always the best part of the evening, we talked and laughed.  

Friday we celebrate the Fourth of July and we'll be heading down to Tucson to spend time with my sister and her family.  I'll celebrate my birthday once again, this time with another favorite indulgence, drinking champagne with my mom and my sister.  I've decided that life is too short not to drink champagne as often as you like or can (good champagne that is).  

If I plan this out right I can make my birthday last for at least the entire week. I've been successful at this in the past so my track record speaks for itself.  Birthday wishes and extravagant gifts are never expected but always appreciated!

Traveling again?

Some things happen too quickly to be believed.  Just a couple of days ago, the thought of traveling any time soon was, to say the least, a bit repulsive.  Who wants to fight long lines, stand in security, risk being put in the little box where you get "wanded" just to get somewhere only to turn around and head back into the melee again?  

Travel is in my not too distance future.  My dear friend, Raquel, is graduating from Antioch College with her PhD!   The first of my childhood friends to reach this milestone.  Not only am I impressed because I have done little more than contemplate such a goal, but the achievement of this degree is, still, relatively unattainable for most people.  The financial considerations are enormous when pursuing a terminal degree, but the financial gains can be just as considerable.  See Classroomtools.com for a list of facts related to educational level.  It is interesting to say the least.

So what is my point again - Right!  I'm going to Ohio to see Raquel graduate.  As a graduation specialist it's always intriguing to see how other schools celebrate their students.  More importantly than that, I get to see Raquel participate in the ritual of investiture - that moment when a chosen faculty member places the hood on the graduate.  There is real significance in this moment.  It represents the student becoming a steward of her discipline. 

Rock will be wearing beautiful new regalia, and the second leg or my trip will be to the plant where regalia is manufactured.  After that, it's back to the office with, I hope, plenty of new ideas and some great memories. 

One more thing

Why "Wernola" -- that's a nod to my friend Sonia Honne Gonzalez.

We started working together in the spring of 1990. Sonia's great gift is to give everyone a nickname. Mine is Missola Wernola. And Leo, of course, is Mr. Wernola.

Freerice.com

I'm including this site here because the before mentioned, Jessica Davies, has it on her blog. It's an addicting site if you like words and having an expanded vocabulary. www.freerice.com

Get the words right - donate grains of rice. How cool is that?

And before I Knew What Happened . . . .

I don't think I intended to create a blog but Jess Davies sent me her blog and I thought I had to sign in and before I knew what happened, I've created a blog.

I seriously doubt I have anything to say here, but I'll blog for the sake of blogging and see what happens.