Peppermint Joe-Joe Ice Cream (No ice cream maker required)

I am a lover of peppermint.  Not just at Christmas time, either.  It isn't unusual to hear me order a peppermint hot chocolate at Startbucks in July.  And they comply, albeit with a slight shake of the head. I know -- I am breaking the peppermint rule: it is a Christmas treat, and that's that.

But who says so?  Not me.  I say give me peppermint all year long, and I will show you a happy girl.

My favorite peppermint thing?  Peppermint Joe-Joe's from Trader Joe's.  Crazy goodness, right there. Like an Oreo (but better!) with real pieces of candy cane crushed into the cream.  Um, HELLO.  Could they have created anything better?  No, definitely not.

Except... I did :)

I took my favorite cookie (which we stock up on around Christmas so they can last until about April when they expire -- smart, right?!) and turned it into my favorite type of dessert: ICE CREAM.

Best part is that you don't even need an ice cream maker, just a blender or food processor, and mixer of some sort, and a freezer.  SHEZAM!  Pepperminty deliciousness in a bowl.

Merry Christmas!

PEPPERMINT JOE-JOE’S ICE CREAM

SERVES 6  •  PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES  •  TOTAL TIME: 10 MINUTES + FREEZING

ingredients:

• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 5-6 Peppermint Joe-Joe’s cookies from Trader Joe’s
• 1 pint heavy whipping cream
• ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract

directions

1. In a blender or food processor, blend sweetened condensed milk with cookies.
2. Combine whipping cream and peppermint extract in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Beat cream/extract with a mixer on medium-high speed until whipped cream is formed. 
3. Combine sweetened condensed milk mixture with whipped cream and pour into airtight plastic container, such as a larger-sized Ziploc Smart-Snap container.  Freeze eight hours or overnight.

COST: $6.23        COST PER SERVING (6): $1.04

Ice Cream    //    Dessert    //   Peppermint

Sweet Find: Super Lemony Lemon Bites

I'm back!  Well, not really.  I guess you could say I am just stopping by to say hello and give a quick update on life/ shout out to something fabulous I found.

Can you believe it has been more than 10 days that I have done anything in the kitchen?  Sad for me, I know.  But what I have been up to has been worth it.

First stop?  Colorado.  One of my best friends tied the knot this past weekend.  Pretty bride, handsome groom, lovely day in the Rockies... what more could you ask for?  What a fantastic weekend!

But the traveling did not end there. Oh no, not even close.  And it is fun.  But let me just say this: Man cannot live on restaurants alone, and so I took my summer colleagues to one of my favorite places:

That's right, Trader Joe's.  Man, if I could just have a house with the farmers' market on my left and Trader Joe's on my right I would be the happiest camper of all.  So happy to have found my lifeline while I am far from home!

Which brings me to my post today.  A fab find, from the best store around.

I could go on and on about how awesome Trader Joe's is, but you really don't want to hear it.  So let me focus on one thing today: real ingredients, freshly made.

These lemon bites come home to you from Trader Joe's, but the truth is they first come from a local bakery in the area, that way they are fresh and do not require any preservatives to stay that way.  And the ingredient list?  Cane sugar, unbleached flour, eggs, unsalted butter, powdered sugar, tapioca syrup, lemon juice, kosher salt, baking powder, pure lemon oil, pure vanilla extract, and citric acid.  In other words?  A sigh of relief because you know what?  I have those ingredients in my cupboard at home.  And that is important to me.

And the taste?  Well, it is super lemony, yet very sweet, and kind of addictive.  I should probably hide the these before I eat them all in one sitting.  Since they are made fresh they must be eaten in a few days... so maybe it isn't that bad of an idea if I just eat them all before they go bad ;)

COST: $3.99 for 24 bites

It's a love/hate relationship these days... (Sweet Potato Pizza)

Love/Hate.

Words that are on opposite ends of the spectrum.  Well, kind of.

I would say that love and apathy are on the opposite ends, in actuality.

But let's roll with this.  We hear it all the time. "I have a love/hate relationship with ______________." It might be a person, a situation, or in my case, a food.

Sweet Potato Pizza.  It's a love/hate thing, for sure.

Let's get the LOVE out there, first and foremost.

This might possibly be the best tasting pizza that has ever graced my kitchen.  Wait, might? Nah... IS.  This IS the best tasting pizza that has ever graced my kitchen.

The blend of garlic and sweet potatoes, combined with a Parmesan and fresh greens top... WOW.  And that Trader Joe's garlic herb pizza dough?  Um, HELLO.  This is vegetarian goodness that my super carnivorous husband asks for again and again.

So yes, we LOVE this pizza.

And for the HATE?

Well, that is primarily experiential.  The first three (three!) times I made it I looked at those vibrant oranges and greens, and I couldn't take pictures of it.  Darn sun that kept setting too early!  So I had to keep making it again.  And again.  And again.  Until finally I had enough light in the day to take pictures (hooray for Daylights Savings Time -- a food blogger's best friend).  But then my sweet potato was white when I peeled the skin away.  No vibrant orange for me.  Oh, the let down!  So you will just have to trust me that this is, indeed, a sweet potato pizza.

And the other bad thing?  Easy.  It goes away too fast when all I want to do is keep eating more... because really, I can't get enough.

I guess love wins.

SWEET POTATO PIZZA

ingredients

• 1 pack fresh pizza dough or make your own (I used Trader Joe's... $1.29)
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and thinly sliced                                                     
• 1/2 onion, sliced
• 1 head garlic, peeled
• 1 T olive oil + 2 T more
• salt/pepper
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan
• 1 cup fresh greens (baby lettuce, arugula, etc.)

directions

1.       Prepare pizza dough according to directions on package.  Mix sweet potato, onion, and garlic with 1 T. olive oil and a bit of salt/pepper in roasting pan.  Cook at 400*F for 10 minutes or until soft. 

2.      Spread dough out on pizza pan or baking tray.  Brush with remaining olive oil.  Spread cooked sweet potato mixture on top.  Top with cheese.  Bake for 13-15 min. at 400*F or until lightly golden brown.

3.      Remove pizza from oven and top with fresh greens.  Cut and serve.  ENJOY!

 COST: $5.24           COST PER SERVING (3): $1.75

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Peanut Butter Chocolate Crispies

Move over, marshmellows...  There's a new Rice Crispy treat in town!

That's right, peanut butter & chocolate.  Looks and feels like Rice Crispy treats, tastes like Lil' Debbie's Nutty Bars.  Heck yes.

What do you need?  Five ingredients: brown sugar, blue agave, puffed rice cereal, peanut butter, and chocolate.

I went all Trader Joe's on this one, as I should have.  They are the ones who supplied me with the recipe after all.  Just another reason to love them.  Which I do... a lot.  Make these and you will love them a little more, too.  And with raw brown sugar, blue agave, and natural peanut butter, this is quite a healthy rice crispy treat.

Sure doesn't taste that way ;)

PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE CRISPIES

Recipe from Trader Joe’s Crisp Rice Cereal

ingredients

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup blue agave                                                       
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 7 cups crisp rice cereal
• ½ cup chocolate chips            *Leave the chocolate chips out to make it vegan

directions

1.      In sauce pan, mix brown sugar and agave.  Bring to an almost boil, stirring constantly, until brown sugar is melted.  Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter.

2.      In large mixing bowl, combine crisp rice cereal with brown sugar mixture.  Stir and add chocolate chips.

3.      Pour into greased 13x8 baking dish.  Press down with waxed paper.  Put in fridge for several hours to cool, or put into freezer for one hour. 

 COST: $5.89           COST PER SERVING (18): $0.33

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"We trust you..." {Sweet Potato Hummus}

I walked into Trader Joe's earlier today with a shopping list in one hand and bag with some return items in the other.  Up to the counter I went and started making my returns/exchanges.  You know, without a receipt, without a reason...  The beauty of Trader Joe's.

They took back the chips that I didn't like (because they were too crunchy for my taste) and made my exchange of coconut oil.  Not wanting to have to pay for the coconut oil again, I asked if I should keep it up there at the customer service counter.  Since I didn't have a receipt or anything... "No, just take it with you and tell the cashier you've already paid for it.  They'll be cool with it; we trust you."

We trust you.  

Three simple words.  And that's one of the reasons Trader Joe's has my business.  No having to prepare myself for battle; no one looking at me sideways when I want to bring something back.  They just take it, do whatever it is they do with it, and smile.

They trust me.

What would shopping -- or better yet -- the world be like if we all had that attitude?

Sure, I could have been dishonest. I could have eaten half of the bag of chips because I was hungry and then brought them back claiming I didn't like the texture or taste (which is, by the way, a totally acceptable reason to bring things back at Trader Joe's).  And they would have lost $2.  Two dollars isn't much, but if many people do that it adds up.  But they choose to trust, making me a more solid shopper, which will balance out what might be dishonestly lost.

They are making the right choice.  By trusting, they are not losing, but gaining.  I don't think life is much different... so I choose to trust.

Sweet Potato hummus

ingredients

• 1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed into 1 inch pieces

• 1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

• 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic, chopped

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin

• Salt and pepper

directions

1. Set a steamer basket in a large pot. Fill with enough water to come just below basket; bring to a boil. Add potatoes; reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a blender.
2. Combine the garbanzo beans, lemon juice, oil, cumin, and garlic in the food processor. Puree, about 1 minute; thin with water if necessary. Season with salt and pepper and let cool; refrigerate, in an airtight container, up to 1 week. Serve with pita bread or make pita sandwiches.  

COST: $2.07  (Makes four cups)

10 Reasons to LOVE Trader Joe's

If you have been reading my blog for any amount of time, it is no secret that Trader Joe's is my favorite grocery joint in town.  Maybe you too are in love with this small grocery chain, maybe you have never been, but friends, there is so much to love about Trader Joe's!

I took my class on a field trip there last school year when we were learning about communities, and I found out even more awesome facts about TJ's that I didn't know before.  What makes Trader Joe's the place to shop?

1. Small store, big community
Yes, the stores are small.  But they are no Mom and Pop operation.  They feel like it -- people take the time to say hello and chit chat -- but they operate as a full functioning grocery store.  The selection is smaller, but the basics are all there.

2. The prices
I have been saying for years that I save money by shopping at TJ's, yet so many friends of mine didn't believe me.  So I sought after proof.  Last Christmas I went shopping there with my list for the week.  I then headed to Safeway and price checked all of the same items.  Guess what?  I saved over $20 in one week by shopping at TJ's!  That's around $80 a month.  Cha-ching!

3. Samples
Raise your hand if you like to pig out on samples while at Costco?  You can do the same at Trader Joe's.  I have gotten so many great snack and dinner ideas right here, at this sample station.  Plus, there is always free coffee and tea for you to grab while you continue shopping.

4. A fab deli selection
If you want good deli meats or a variety of cheese, you have come to the right place.  Enjoy your edamame hummus and pita cracker like my little friend above and then head over and pick up some salami, gruyere, and chicken sausage.

5. "But I'm vegan!"
Have no fear!  You can get veggie-turkey, vegan cheese, or chicken-less nuggets.  No biggie.

6. A world-wide selection at local prices
Olive oil from Italy, rice from Thailand, Spanish olives from Spain.  These items come from where they are supposed to come from, but you pay for them like they were made right around the corner.  And hey -- if you want to shop American, they usually have a substitution for you, too.

7. Try it at no risk
Maybe you don't know if you really like olives from Spain.  That's alright.  Buy them, try them, and if you don't like 'em, return them for a full refund.  And you don't even need a receipt.  Or you can just ask them to open that bag of seaweed or whatever it is you are taking a risk on... if you like it they will give you a new package to purchase.

8. Preservative free, artificial color-and-flavor free
Did you know that everything with the Trader Joe's brand on the box is guaranteed preservative free, as well as artificial flavoring and artificial color free?  That means you are buying REAL food -- even the frozen stuff.  Imagine that!

9. Supporting the local community
If I buy red velvet cake here in California and you buy it there in ______, it might taste a little different.  Why?  Because although the recipe is the same the bakers are different.  Each store has a local bakery that bakes their recipes right there -- so your bread/cakes/scones/ are FRESH.  And then when they getting close to the date of expiration (but are still good) they send them off to the local food bank to pass out.  It's a win-win.

10. A personal touch
Every sign in the store, from the posters to the price tags on the shelves, are painted right there in your local TJ's.  The store is designed by local artists to reflect the community it serves and then artwork is created for each store specifically.  Not to mention there are no intercom calls, just a bell that is dinged and someone who comes out to help.  And if you are like me and you go weekly, they might even learn your name.  Plus, not only did they host our awesome field trip, they gave every child a snack pack with fruit, a 100% juice box, popcorn, and a real-fruit-no-sugar lollipop.  Way to help our kids see that eating right can taste GOOD!

A store that sells REAL FOOD at a GREAT PRICE with a PERSONAL TOUCH?  Yeah, that's the kind of store I want to shop in, too!

(This was in no way sponsored by Trader Joe's.  The opinions are my own, but the facts remain the truth.)

Pineapple and Mint Granita

It's official.  My husband likes peanut butter.  Loves?  Nah.  But likes.  All you Americans out there are like, "Well, duh!"

It's also official... he had the ability to get sick of rice and beans.  All you Brazilian readers out there are thinking, "WHAT???!!!"

I know.

 

So what does all this mean, then?  Well, he is becoming American.  Which I love, don't get me wrong.  But I feel like I need to help him remember every once and awhile that he is Brazilian.  And what a better way to do that than abacaxi com hortela?

When I saw this week's recipe for the cooking group I am a part of (Sundays with Joy) was an espresso granita, I first had to ask, "What the heck is a granita?"  Once I found that out (basically a homemade snow cone, but much better) I had to ask another question -- "What flavor should I make since we don't drink coffee?"  I racked my brain for flavors I would like to have on a warm summer day.  Several ideas came to me, but only one stuck.

Pineapple juice with mint.

Perfect for a summer day; perfect for reminding my man that he is still Brazilian.

Now there is something else official: granitas are the ideal summer treat.  No dairy, low in sugar, cold and refreshing, and so incredibly tasty.  I may not have figured out what a granita was until my late 20's, but rest assured it will be an active part of my (future) young children's working vocabulary.

Abacaxi com hortela?  Tastes like sunshine.  Frozen sunshine. 

Yum.

Recipe entirely mine, yet inspired by Joy the Baker's Espresso Granita from the book, Joy the Baker Cookbook 

Pineapple with Mint Granita

Ingredients
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup water
1 T fresh chopped mint leaves
2 1/2 cups pineapple juice

Directions

1. Bring sugar and water to a boil.  Let boil without stirring for five minutes.  Remove from heat and let cool, adding the mint leaves as soon as heat is removed.
2. Let mint steep in sugar syrup until cooled down.  Remove leaves by pouring through a fine-meshed sieve.
3. Add pineapple juice and stir. Pour into a 13"x9" glass baking dish.  Cover and place in freezer.
4. After one hour, remove from freeze and scrape edges with a fork, bringing the frozen pieces into the middle.  Repeat every 30 minutes until all frozen.  Let freeze 30 more minutes and then fluff with fork and serve.  (Save any left over in a smaller container in freezer.)

COST: $3.35       COST PER SERVING (6): $0.56

Mint Chip Ice Cream Pie (Sundays with Joy)

I don't know about you, but Summer has gotten a hold of me and taken me hostage.  Not that I am complaining about that... sunshine, beach days, carefree moments spent in between the stuff I must do.  I really would have it no other way.

What that means, however, is I have spent almost no time in my kitchen.  Yup, I have resorted to eating super easy food and lots of leftovers.

Whatever.

Leftovers are the bomb if they came from a good meal, right?

Something good about being a part of a cooking group (Sundays with Joy) is that there is some motivation to get myself in there and make something because, well, I have to.  I committed to this thing, and I want to see it through!  My husband had no complaints about that.  "You are making ice cream pie?" he asked.  "I'm not really sure what that is, but it sounds good!"  And so off to the kitchen I went.

The original recipe had this as a coffee-vanilla ice cream pie but ever since my husband gave up coffee  because I was tired of him being grumpy when it wasn't around (a Brazilian that doesn't drink coffee -- WHAT?! Yes, they are a rare species, but they do exist...) he won't taste anything that has any coffee flavor.  He didn't just give it up, but he rid himself of anything having to do with it.  Which means my Starbucks runs are always alone and he will not eat any mocha flavored ice cream or anything.  Oh well, more for me ;)  But mint chip?  Oh, we LOVE mint chip, so that is the flavor I went with.

To make it even more husband-friendly, I used Brazil nuts in the crust instead of walnuts.  Are Brazil nuts even really from Brazil?  I have no idea.  But the name sounds nice :)

I finished making this around 10pm on Friday night (yes, I was baking on a Friday night instead of going out -- call me a square if you want to, but if I am a square then I am a square with really good food in her kitchen and in her belly!) and then I tossed it in the freezer to finish up completely planning on taking pictures and enjoying it the next day.  Yet Summer took hold of me once again and I had no time for such behaviors.  Thus, when I was asked if we could try the pie last night I said, "Nope, the lighting is poor.  We have to wait until tomorrow so I can take pictures first."  This delicious pie has been there for 24 hours and yet I have not let anyone dig in. 

Poor husband.

You think that is bad enough, but then he woke up with a cold today.  A cold.  In the summer.  He has no desire to eat ice cream pie.  So sad for him...

But that didn't stop me.  I had it for breakfast ;)

Although it was more money than I normally spend on a dessert, this is totally and completely a repeater.  The recipe looked a little difficult but it wasn't at all.  And my favorite part is that everything I used, from the knock-off Nilla Wafers in the crust to the chocolate on top, it was all from Trader Joe's.  Why does that excite me?  Because anything that is TJ's name brand is guaranteed to be preservative and artificial flavor free.  Which is how I like it.  Not to mention cheaper than going than if I got the stuff at my other local grocery stores.  It's a win-win, I tell ya.

This recipe was taken from the Joy the Baker Cookbook, inspired by the Pioneer Woman.  To see Joy's complete idea, go grab the book.  For the recipe that inspired it all (and to see how to make the crust) visit Pioneer Woman's link, here.

COST: $9.32          Cost per Serving (8): $1.17

My Confession... (Cocoa Almond Spread)

I have a confession to make.  And it may shock you.

Are you ready?

I have never ever, not even once, tried Nutella.

I hear your gasp all the way over here.  I warned you that it may shock you.

I know, I know.  I have no excuse really.  Truthfully, I didn't even know it existed until a few years ago when my students were bringing it with their fruit for snack or lunch.  Even then, I just thought it was some new-fangled kid food, like Crustables.  But then I started noticing people making references to it and its apparent amazingness on Facebook.  It didn't really phase me though, I had lived twenty-some years without it, and I figured I was doing just fine.  Others didn't think so, but I did.

Then I saw a recipe that called for it.  There it was -- my excuse to finally give in and try it.  I headed out to do my grocery shopping with "Nutella" scribbled on my list.  Right after a stop at Trader Joe's I was going to dash over to Safeway to pick some up... but you know how Trader Joe's is, right?  They have these yummy samples all the time.  And my local TJ's doesn't just have one, but they always serve two samples, plus coffee and tea.  (Are you starting to see why I have a love affair going on with them?)  And guess what one of the samples was that day?  Yup, you got it.  The Trader Joe's version of Nutella, served up with pretzels.

 
Creamy, sweet, and chocolately, it was delicious.  I crossed Nutella off my list and grabbed one of these off the shelf, tossing it into my cart.  Basically, from what I found out via those who have studied this intensely (and there are quite a few, surprisingly) the main difference is that Nutella is made with hazelnuts while Trader Joe's Cocoa Almond Spread is made with, you guessed it, almonds.  Calorie-wise they are about the same, both contain no artificial colors/flavors or preservatives, and they are both the same price, at least in my neck of the woods.  But you know what this one has over the other, at least for me?  Convenience.  As you know, I am a shopper of TJ's and if I can get it all in one spot for a low price, why not? 

You know what this means?  I have still never tried Nutella.  Maybe I will someday, maybe I won't.  But I will enjoy chocolately spread because it is so delicious.  How did I go this long without figuring that out?!

(Check back soon to see this bad-boy in action.)

Reason 897 Why I Love Trader Joe's

(My Local TJ's)

Walked in with an empty OJ box, handed it to the guy at the desk and said, "I got this a month ago and it had a little leak.  I dumped it out so I could bring it back without it spilling, but then I forgot about it."  His answer?  "Sorry about that!  Hey Joe -- can you get her another orange juice, no pulp?"  No asking for a receipt, no suspicion that it was empty, no inspecting the carton, just taking me at my word.  They know customer service. 

Sweet Find: Coconut Water with Dark Chocolate

I think I have found the drink of all drinks:
Zico Pure Premium Coconut Water with Dark Chocolate.

(Whew -- that was quite a mouthful!)

//source//

Have you ever had coconut water?  I mean, the real stuff, like cut-the-top-off-of-the-coconut-and-stick-a-straw-into-it coconut water?  It tastes nothing like you would expect.  When I think of coconuts, I think of the stuff that comes in the candy bars.  Sweet.  But that is not what coconut water tastes like.  The first time I tried it I hated it.  Hated it.  But over time it grew on me and now I am a fan.  And my body is a fan, too.  Coconut water is so incredibly healthy, filled with all kinds of electrolytes your body needs.  But alas, I do not have any coconut trees in my neighborhood (sigh...) so I must stick to the packaged stuff.  Which is good, too.  But now I found something great...

Coconut water with dark chocolate!  YESSSS!  So maybe there is some sugar thrown in there.  Whatever.  I like sugar.  This stuff is amazing.  I am sure you can find it in many places, but of course I will promote my favorite:  it is a buck-99 at your local Trader Joe's.  Yup, less than the cost of chocolate milk in most places.  Sure is better for me than those Starbuck's-fraps-in-the-jars that I love (the taste of, if not the ingredients). 

//source//

I think I have found my happy drink.  Move over Ovaltine and Silk.

Have Some Aloha in Your Life & Save Money

A few days ago I shared with you about saving money by shopping for produce at Mi Pueblo.  I got tons of people (here and on Facebook) who were surprised.  I wasn't.  I had known for awhile that I saved money by shopping there, I just didn't know how much.  Now I do, and that makes it more real to me (and apparently you, too).  Of course, that got me going, and I couldn't stop.  So today, after I went grocery shopping to get us through to next Tuesday (there is NO WAY I am stepping foot in any store between now and Christmas, nor the day after!) I had to do again -- this time with my purchases from Trader Joe's.

There about a kajillion reasons (give or take) why I love Trader Joe's.  I have mentioned it (many times) before, but they just have the best stuff around.  Taste-wise, creativity-wise, and healthy-wise.  I am not one of those big everything-must-be-organic people.  Quite the contrary, actually.  I kind of just buy things that sound healthy, make sure I have a lot of veggies and fruits, not so much dairy and fat, and OK, yeah, I love my sugar.  But I do try to avoid preservatives and added junk.  I try to make sure the food we eat is just that -- food.  Not chemicals and colors, but things I could find in my kitchen.  Good ol' Joe provides me with healthy, usually organic, DELICIOUS stuff.  And at a great price.  GREAT PRICE. 

Don't believe me?  Here, my list for today:

Do you see that?!

If I had gone to Safeway I would have spent $19.13 more, MORE, just because I chose one store over the other.  Um, I'm sorry, but what makes Safeway so special that it can charge me so much more?  I mean, I like Safeway, and I kind of feel bad for beating up on it this week, but you know... not really.  If they want to bring their prices down, then I will stop harping on them.  But until that happens, I will not be shopping there.  (And the same goes for all the other major grocery stores in my area.)

<FYI -- A Trader Joe's commercial just came on Pandora.  What are the odds?>

Just so you know, I did not get these numbers arbitrarily.  I actually price checked and found the equivalent item -- and the cheapest version of it.  In times that I couldn't find a match I did the math and found what the item would be for something of the same size.  (Yay for passing 5th grade math back in the day.  Let me tell you, as a teacher, if you can pass 5th grade math you can do almost anything in life.)  I did not choose any organic items in Safeway, although most of my TJ's item naturally came that way.  So these numbers you see?  They are the real deal.

So, what's this for a month?  $76.52   Yup, you read that right.

And a year?  $994.76  

Read it and weep, Baby!  Almost one thousand buckaroos, right there.  Plus my Mi Pueblo savings (because, let's face it, as wonderful as Trader Joe's is, most -- not all -- but most veggies straight from Mexico are going to be cheaper...), that comes to around $1,400 or so per year. 

Of course, I only went shopping for four days.  I will have to do another check when I do a whole weeks worth of groceries.  But until then, go and visit our friends in Aloha shirts at Trader Joe's.  Enjoy their samples, chat it up with the friendly people (who happen to me by name in my town -- yeah, I shop there a lot), and save some dough.  Like I said before, we all work hard for our money and I am pretty sure we want to keep it in our bank account where it belongs.  Or cash it in for some plane tickets to Hawaii and get some Aloha on for real.

Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup

I have a super big perk to my job: free lunch.  Yes, I am a little spoiled, I know.  During school vacations I have a different story, however.  I have to provide lunch for myself.  But I like that.  I take these days to make things that Mr. Brazil does not believe is real food, such as a grilled cheese sandwich with a side of tomato soup.

YUM.

You all know how to make a grilled cheese, I am sure.  And if you don't, well... it isn't that hard.  There are a couple of things that I would like to point out that you need in order to make the perfect (according to me) grilled cheese sandwich:

Put stuff inside of it!  Today's sandwich had my typical fillings: avocado and tomato.  Really, though, you can put anything inside of it.  My absolute favorite is my "Tropical Reuben Grilled Cheese".  It has a secret spread, tuna, and sourkraut.  Weird?  Maybe.  Delicious?  Definitely.

I believe the best sandwiches are made with sourdough bread and Colby cheese, except I use very little Colby myself.  Those slices on top are there to show you what yours should look like.  That orange stuff on the bottom is mine -- and are actually not cheese slices, but faux-cheese, some soy-based stuff.  Cheese and my stomach have a touch-and-go relationship, so I use my fake cheese and buy Colby for the others who might be around.  You, however, should just use cheese if you can. 

Of course, you want to have buttery-spread on both sides so they grill evenly and crispy.  One other thing I like to do is place a smaller lid on the top.  This helps keep the heat in while pushing down on the sandwich, allowing the cheese to melt faster and all the ingredients inside not to fall out.

Now for the soup.  I would like to say I made it from scratch, but I did not.  I grabbed some off the shelf at Trader Joe's, Organic Creamy Tomato Soup.  IT IS AMAZING.  I have been eating bowl after bowl.  My husband is starting to get worried that I am going to turn orange or something, but so far I am OK.  I think I am going to go buy some more tomorrow...

Perfect for a rainy day, or any other day for that matter. 

COST: $2.45 per sandwich & bowl of soup

October Unprocessed: Tortellini with Butternut Squash and Mushrooms

Real Simple.  Love this magazine.  I don't actually buy it myself because I wait for it to show up in the staff room at my work.  I may be looking at it one month late, but whatever.  I am getting the same money saving tips, decorating ideas, and fresh recipes as the rest of you. 

Last month I changed my tune and actually purchased the magazine.  Why?  Because it had twenty fresh and easy dinners -- one month of easy and healthy meals.  WIN!  Knowing that the October Unprocessed challenge was coming (this was in September), I shelled out the 5 bucks for the magazine.

Yes, I think about spending five bucks.  I am cheap like that.

Anyway, the point is that I finally tried some of the recipes this week.  Two, actually, and I am planning on another one tomorrow.  I thought I would be all over this magazine for the month, but mostly I have been cooking things I already know how to make, but learning how to make it all unprocessed -- like tacos with my homemade tortillas or soup with with made from scratch vegetable stock.  And I have been baking, a lot.  But finally, a new recipe! 

It was worth the wait.

Before we go on, two things:

1. If you want to smell something good, go cut some sage with your kitchen shears.  WOW.  I have never actually smelled fresh sage before.  WOW again.
2. When I googled "how to chop butternut squash" the link I found said, "Once you figure out how easy it is to cut up butternut squash you will want to use this versatile vegetable again and again."  Um, once I figure out how easy it is?  If easy means a stabbed finger, a bruised toe, and butternut squash all over my kitchen, then sure... EASY.  (I think I need to read the directions again.)

I had never heard of Fontina cheese before.  I am a simple girl, really. I know my cheddar, jack, and colby.  Now I have added to my cheese vocabulary.

The tortellini you see below is not homemade.  However, I found one that was preservative free (hip hip horray for Trader Joe's!) and with all ingredients I own, meaning it fits the qualifications for the October Unprocessed challenge. 

(Out of curiosity, I checked out the "fresh" tortellini being sold at my local Lucky, under a brand name we all know.  LOADED with things I do not have in my kitchen nor can I pronounce.  And more expensive, too.)

In true Real Simple fashion, this took about 10 minutes of my time, 35 minutes from start to finish. 

Ingredients

1 small butternut squash (2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

1/2 pound button or cremini mushrooms, stems trimmed and halved if large

1/4 cup fresh sage leaves

2 tablespoons olive oil

kosher salt and black pepper

1 pound fresh cheese tortellini (2 packs if from Trader Joe's)

2 ounces fontina or Gruyère, grated (1/2 cup), plus more for serving

 

Directions

1. Heat oven to 450° F. On 2 rimmed baking sheets, toss the squash and mushrooms with the sage, oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Roast, tossing once and rotating pans halfway through, until the vegetables are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, cook the tortellini according to the package directions. Reserve ½ cup of the cooking water; drain the tortellini and return to the pot. Add the vegetables, fontina, ¼ cup of the cooking water, and ½ teaspoon salt and toss gently to coat (add more cooking water if the pasta seems dry). Sprinkle with additional fontina.

COST: $10.48               PER SERVING (4): $2.75