Simply Steena

Five steps to flexible menu planning!

2010-06-15T17:46:00.000-07:00

Menu planning may seem restricting, time consuming, or just too organized for some. But even the most spontaneous of cooks can form some type of meal plan. With my freezer and pantry fairly well stocked and with fresh produce (bought according to sales each week) I know that even with a meal plan, if creativity (or a taste for something special) strikes, I don't have to completely re-do my meal plan.

Here's how I do it in just a few simple steps:

Step 1: Scan the sale ads (and coupons you may have). I usually shop at the same two stores every week, and I don't bother taking the time to look through all the sale ads in the paper. Jot down the great sales and veggies that look especially yummy!

Step 2: Mentally (or physically) scan the freezer and pantry. There may be items I would like to use soon, or things I forgot about that sound tasty!

Step 3: Make a list of about 12 meals. I usually try to think of at least four or five that are just out of the pantry and freezer such as Lentil Casserole, Tomato Soup and Pitas, Pita Pizza, etc. and the rest will use the fresh produce and grocery items with freezer and pantry ones. I do this so that I have options for meals if I run out of fresh produce before I want to or am able to go grocery sopping again. I try to shop every other week, sometimes once a week for fresh items.

Step 4: Shop! Meal planning makes it easy to stick to a list! Since you know what is on sale and have an accurate idea of other ingredients you need to pick up - you're set to go. You can even go as far as to jot prices down and total your list before shopping.

Step 5: Reap the rewards! I do not assign a specific meal to each weeknight. I also find that many weeks I have ingredients for a meal such as Tacos even though it wasn't on my meal plan list - score! I don't always use all of the meals listed, but I do use all the fresh produce and work from the freezer too.

The best part about this method is that it's simple and I feel like I really do save time - instead of spending time creating a meal plan I'll never use! You can adjust this to how long you shop for (a week? two weeks?) and make it more or less complex.

Hope you enjoy!

Junk Email....

2010-06-10T11:18:00.000-07:00

So this is a different kind of post than many of the foods and such that I have before posted; however, I've realized how refreshing this exercise is feeling and I want to spread the word!

Lately I have been making myself open EVERY email that I receive. If I do not need or want to read the email, I NEED to unsubscribe! How many emails do you receive on a daily basis that you never even read? Why take up brain space even reading the titles and clicking on them to delete when you know they are of little or no importance to you? It seems like I get a newsletter or sale email from about 10-20 different companies on a daily basis or at least a few times a week. Receiving these emails also entails that I be extra careful not to click through and accidentally delete an email from a real person! I'm taking a step towards email simplicity and am taking a minute to just "unsubscribe".

Hope you have a simply wonderful day!

Just some ideas!!!

2010-05-14T17:57:00.000-07:00

I am finally hitting the second trimester of my pregnancy and thinking about real FOOD isn't as hard as is has been! So I'm getting ambitious and will be trying out these meal/recipe/food ideas in the coming weeks.
(click on the titles below to see the directions I'll be using).

Tahini: This is sesame paste made out of.... you guessed it... sesame seeds! Sounds super easy and I hate spending $8 a jar on it at the store!

Cottage Cheese: Apparently all it takes is a gallon of milk and some acid (vinegar, buttermilk, or lemon juice) and maybe 15 active minutes of cook time? Supposed to be delicious!

Laundry Detergent & Softener (scroll down on site): I love my seventh generation laundry detergent, but I hate dishing out $15 or so every time I need it! I'm ready to try this homemade laundry detergent, as I know I'll be needing TONS when the baby comes.

Grocery list to try these:
1 bag of sesame seeds (or a pound bulk maybe)
Olive or Vegetable Oil
1 gallon of milk
Vinegar (can be used for cottage cheese and laundry)
Arm&Hammer Super Washing Soda
Borax
Fels-Naptha bar soap OR Ivory, Sunlight, Kirk's Hardwater Castile or Zote bars

Hope you have fun experimenting!

What are your favorite money or time saving tips for the kitchen? Something you'll never buy again, but will always make?

Healthy Burrito Night

2010-03-22T07:06:00.000-07:00

Last week I decided that I would tackle a new project: Refried Beans. I recently had made a "hummus" out of great northern beans and thought that refried beans couldn't be much different. This was SURPRISINGLY easy. So easy, I think a four year old could do it. So the next time you're tempted to pick up a can of refried beans at the store for $1 a can, consider this thrifty recipe that costs about $1.25 for about four times as much product.

What you will need:

1 bag of dry pinto beans (soak overnight in 6 cups of water, drain, simmer for about 1.5 hours or until tender)
About 1 teaspoon each of following spices (I don't measure any of them, just keep tasting as you blend and add what you like): Taco seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, chili powder.

Drain Beans with about 1/2 cup of liquid still in them (you could also just drain out all the liquid and add it back in as you see fit).

Add ingredients to the food processor and process on high, adding water as needed to make the beans more pasty:

Now you will have a TON of refried beans! Total time for this may seem like a lot, but since you don't have to keep an eye on the beans the time that really takes effort may be about 10 minutes.

I took half and froze a cup or so each in little baggies marked with the contents and date:

YUM! Stay tuned for whole wheat tortillas coming up later in the week!

Ending my Blog Hiatus!

2010-03-18T06:43:00.000-07:00

Hello all!

I can hardly believe that it has been since January 15th that I last posted!!! I have blog topics building up and I think they are about to burst! So here are some of the upcoming topics as well as today's Spring cleaning photos and pantry organization tips.

I'd also like to take a moment to recommend Google Reader and a subscription to this blog. It makes reading much easier and keeps you updated with what's going on at Simply Steena.

SPRING CLEANING: The Pantry

Do you ever get the feeling that there is a Tupperware avalanche waiting for you behind your kitchen pantry door? Well I took a few days to rid my kitchen of the stressful mess that had somehow accumulated there. Here's one of the big projects.

Before (lower shelves):

Before (Mid and upper shelves):

After (lower shelves):

Now I can breathe!!!

After (top shelves):

TIPS for organizing your pantry:

- Go to the dollar store! Notice those cute little milk crates? Yep, ONE dollar! They were perfect for grouping together snacks, beans, pastas, rices, and other bags that tend to clutter a pantry.

- Pitch it or give it! I had some healthy fruit bars hanging out in here for a while that I thought for sure I would eat.... but never did. I gave them to my niece and nephew and they loved them! Now I feel better because it helped me de-clutter, but I didn't have to waste good food.

- Categorize by shelf. Maybe this is a given, but it really helps me to keep all of my canned goods together, baking goods, snacks, and in the bottom paper products and cloth napkins.

-Catalog it! When I cleaned out my freezers and cupboards I cataloged each and every food item. Now I know what I have and can add to it when I get home with groceries. Initially this may seem tedious but it's very helpful when it comes to meal planning.

I hope you will check back soon to read about these upcoming recipes and topics:
-How to poach an egg (the EASY way)
-Finding use for awkward home spaces
-Organize your craft/work room
-Start a personal/home organizing binder
-Make your own re-fried beans and tortillas for a delicious, healthy, burrito night!

What have you been working on this spring cleaning season? Are there any trouble areas of your home you would especially like tips on?

To cook a book or not to cook a book?

2010-01-15T18:19:00.000-08:00

Hello friends!

I have (of late) been considering publishing my own cookbook! I also might add meal planning to it as well as home tips etc. Well, it may turn in to just a "Simply Steena" book! I think it would be a blast and I would love your input.

What would you like to see in a book by me?

What are some things around your house that you could use help with?

Would you like more help with planning, recipes, cleaning, crafting, or another topic?

Feel free to leave any comments here! Thanks!

Steena

Kale: What you're missing!

2010-01-12T08:41:00.000-08:00

As I was browsing through the discout produce at the local health food store this past week, I came upon two bunches of Kale for 70 cents each! (not sure what the regular cost is). I had wanted to try Kale for quite some time now but was a little intimidated by it being labeled "chard" or "dark leafy green" and imagining it kind of slimy and bitter.

NEWS FLASH: Kale is delish!!!!!!

Below is the recipe that I used to prepare the Kale. It is SUPER easy and SUPER filling! Don't let the poached egg scare you away either - coming up I will be posting how to poach an egg (failure proof!).

This recipe serves 8 people. If I am making it just for my husband and I, I'll cook the whole recipe (I'm experimenting with freezing it too) and only poach 2 eggs. I'm not sure how well poached eggs would keep in the fridge.

Total time is about 1 hour, but this is mostly the rice cooking time. Do that ahead and it will be about 15 minutes to poach the eggs and cook the Kale.

Kale Rice with Poached Egg

2 cups dry brown rice (any variety, the darker the better in my opinion, wild or dirty rice would suffice)
8 eggs (or one egg per person being served up to 8)
1 can black eye peas (or about a cup dry soaked and cooked accordingly)
1 generous bunch of kale
1 small onion
4 cloves garlic (or more :)
1 tsp. smoked paprika (or to taste)
1 tsp. salt (or to taste)
3 tbs. olive oil

Optional:
1 tbs. chicken stock powder/mix
1 tsp. parsley

Cook rice according to package directions (with chicken stock powder and parsley for taste).

While rice cooks: Heat olive oil in a wok. Chop onion and garlic and add it to the oil. Saute for 2 or 3 minutes.

Wash and de-stem Kale (hold stem and pull the leaves in the opposite direction); roughly chop Kale (pieces should be about 1"x1" but not perfect). Add this to the oil, onion, and garlic.

Add a sprinkle of salt and the smoked paprika. Cook for about 10 or 15 minutes or until Kale cooks down slightly, gets a bit darker, and starts to get tender but not mushy (easier than I make it sound!)

Add beans to the kale and heat through, add rice when it's cooked.

Poach eggs.

Serve rice mixture with the egg on top! It will look like this:

What a hearty, comforting, delicious meal! Here's the cost break down:
$2.00 Rice
$1.50 Kale
$0.60 Beans
$2.30 ORGANIC eggs
$0.50 Onion
$0.50 Other spices
TOTAL: $7.40
Price per serving......$0.93!!!

Enjoy!

What ways have you used Kale? Do you have any tricks or tips for poaching eggs?
(Leave a comment!)

The New Laurel's Kitchen

2010-01-08T12:39:00.000-08:00

I recently bought a copy of The New Laurel's Kitchen at the discount book store for four dollars and have been loving it! You can find it on half.com for just over four or five dollars (including shipping). It's a great resource for vegetarians/vegans or anyone else curious about exploring food a bit more! There's also a section that goes a little more in depth about nutrition. The recipes are also very user friendly. I hope you will take a look at it!

What was for dinner?

2010-01-07T07:25:00.000-08:00

Last night I made some steak fajitas and a bean side dish. The steak was leftover from another meal and I threw in some green peppers and onions with lots of spices to make the filling. That part's not too spectacular. But I cannot get ENOUGH of these tortilla things that I make! So good! Below is also the side dish recipe. The side was super easy, almost more like a soup, and could be served as a meal over rice all on it's own!

Tortilla/Roti Bread

2 cups of whole wheat flour (I used King Arthur organic)
1-2 cups of water (varies each time)
2 tablespoons of olive oil
*extra flour and olive oil

Put flour in a mixing bowl and mix in one cup of water and the olive oil. You are looking for a bread-like consistency that will roll out without falling apart. If you need more water add that. I usually add too much water and end up putting a little more flour in :) The BEST way to mix this after the first addition of water is with your hands! Even on the counter as you "knead" it.

Sprinkle surface with flour (I do this right next to my stove).

Get a 10 inch skillet heating on the stove over medium-ish heat with about a teaspoon of olive oil in it(a two burner skillet thing would work amazing too).

Divide dough into 8 balls (each ball should be the size of an ice cream scoop).

Roll out one ball until it is around 8 or 9 inches across.

Once oil is hot spread it around in the pan by tipping the pan or using a basting brush. Put the rolled out tortilla/roti into the pan getting the oil on one side and flip immediately to oil the other side (I use my hands... just be careful!).

Let it cook until it is forming several bubbles and then flip again. It only takes a few minutes on each side. While this one is cooking, roll out another and have it ready. Cool the cooked torilla/roti on a wire cookie rack and repeat this process until they are all finished!

Once you get the hang of this recipe it is easy-peasy! And you can always have the ingredients on hand. Other things I've used them for: chicken ranch wraps, tacos, taco pie, breakfast burritos, and bean burritos. They could also be great for a crispy personal pizza - use your imagination!

Black Eyed Pea Side Soup:
1 can black eyed peas (drained)
1 can of stewed tomatoes (not drained)
1/2 teaspoon taco seasoning
1 teaspoon dried cilantro (or to taste)

Heat beans in a small pot.
Open tomatoes and either drain the juice into the pot and chop the tomatoes on a cutting board, or take a pair of kitchen scissors and chop down in the can.
Add tomatoes and spices and heat through.
Serve in bowls (over rice if desired).

Even my husband who normally dislikes cilantro loved this dish!

Done and delicious!

It's not rocket science - just soup!

2009-12-30T07:51:00.000-08:00

So lately I am loving this Lentil Soup recipe! I found the original recipe in the Moosewood cookbook, but have adapted it slightly to suit our tastes. It is SO SO SO CHEAP to make and packs in a lot of protein and taste for the price. So here it is:

1 bag of dry lentils (about 3 cups or 1 lb.)
7 cups of water (or half broth half water, whatever's on hand)
2 tsp. of salt
1/2 a bulb or more of garlic (crushed, chopped, however you like it!)
1 onion
2 or 3 stalks of celery
1/2 lb. of carrots or more
1/2 tsp. or to taste each of:
basil
thyme
oregano
some ground black pepper
optional red wine vinegar to drizzle when serving

-Put lentils in soup pot with water/broth and simmer for about 20 or 30 minutes. Taste one and if it is tender kind of like a bean it's good!

-While lentils simmer chop up garlic, onion, celery, and carrots. You can add as much or as little of each of them as you like. My husband loves onions and I love carrots so I tend to be pretty generous with them. If you have peas, grean beans, tomatoes, corn, or other soup veggies I imagine they would all be good too if you'd like a more veggie type soup.

-After lentils have simmered add vegetables, herbs, and some pepper. If you added a lot of veggies you might want more water too. Use your judgment. Cover and simmer for about 20 or 30 minutes.

-Serve hot when all veggies are tender with a drizzle of red wine vinegar if desired (hubby likes it, I don't :)

Total recipe cost:
Lentils $1.15
Garlic .25
Herbs .30
Onion .50
Carrots .50
Celery .33

$3.03!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AND - this soup will make about 8-10 servings! (depending on what's added) That means it's $0.38-$0.30 a serving - WOW!

I hope you enjoy this soup on a chilly night soon! Come back and let us know what you've added or tried with your lentils!

Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth - Without Sugar!

2009-12-22T06:09:00.000-08:00

In my recent quest for more healthy sugar-free options for a sweet treat I found a recipe last night for whole wheat honey cookies! I adapted the recipe a bit and below is what I came up with. If you bake these for 10 or 12 minutes you get a soft, shortbread like cookie. A little longer in the oven and you get more of a cracker type cookie. I am digging the shortbread version and my husband and I came up with a few topping ideas to try next time (yogurt and cream cheese frosting, peach or pear jam, etc.)

Whole Wheat Cookies (for original recipe click here):

Ingredients

* 4 cups whole wheat flour
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1 cup butter
* 1 cup honey
* 1 egg, beaten
* 1/3 cup hot water
* 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
* 1/2 generous teaspoon freshly grated ginger root
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
* a dash of nutmeg

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, stir together whole wheat flour and baking powder. Cut in butter with a pastry tool until butter lumps are no larger than peas. Add honey, egg, water, cinnamon, ginger, vanilla, and nutmeg. Mix until the dough comes together into a ball (use your hands if necessary).
3. Roll out dough to 1/4 to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into squares or with a cookie cutter (I found it was easiest to just roll it out and cut it into cookie sized squares, cookie cutters would be more fun for kiddos, though). Place 1 inch apart on cookie sheet and bake 10 to 15 minutes or until edges are light brown (If you take them out before the edges turn, they will be a softer cookie).

WARNING: These cookies ARE addicting!!! I know you are going to love them!

Any other suggestions for flavor add ins (in place of the ginger/cinnamon)? I was thinking lemon and poppy seed! Any other topping suggestions?

For Your 2011 Christmas Sanity!

2009-12-20T12:57:00.000-08:00

I am sharing this tip with you just as much as myself for next Christmas! I have started a list this week of all of the people I bought Christmas gifts for and included family members that I regularly buy Birthday gifts for too (mine happens to be on my iPod, but in a planner would be great too!). For each person I am going to keep track of gift ideas that I have in the months to come. Here's how I anticipate this helping in the next year:

1) This will save me from the stress and agonizing "what should I get so and so" thought. I also think that the gifts I give will be more thoughtful and unique.

2) The list will help me watch for sales on gift items throughout the year saving me lots of moo-lah!

3) Christmas gift buying will no longer seem like a surprise I didn't see coming (yes folks it is December 25th every year).

4) I can plan on getting all my shopping done before anyone is even thinking about Christmas and making out their lists! Which means avoiding traffic, stress, and rushing when I am supposed to be relaxing and celebrating the season!

I hope that you will think about starting a "gift list" for your family and friends, as it is a simple way to save money, time, and your sanity around holidays and birthdays allowing you to truly celebrate!

Merry Christmas Week!

Vinegar does it again...

2009-12-16T07:59:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I realized that the drip pan under my electric burner was getting quite grimy/caked with burned stuff (hey - it happens!). So I thought I would try working a little vinegar magic on it! I put the pan in the sink and sprayed it with enough vinegar to pool in the bottom of it covering all of the burned stuff. I let it sit for the afternoon and then over night. This morning I practically wiped it clean! Amazing! No elbow grease needed here!

I also thought I would mention a little bath trick that makes for super silky skin. The other night I took a couple of cups of quick cooking oats (regular would probably be fine too), put them in an old knee high nylon, tied it up, and let it soak with me in a nice hot bath! It was wonderful and much cheaper than buying any bath products. I also added a few drops of essential oils and Epsom salts. Ahh.....

A recipe and a read.

2009-12-10T11:13:00.000-08:00

If you're craving some winter-time comfort food as you look outside into the blizzard that is MI I have a recipe I bet you'd like to try!

This thai beef dish I found in the Martha Stewart Everyday Food magazine is one of my favorites and any friends that have tried it immediately are begging for the recipe! It is a little bit of a splurge dinner because of the coconut milk and fresh basil, but the rice and ground beef are very inexpensive.

I have also found that rounding the ingredients works just fine (i.e. you will only need 1 cup of rice and 1 pound of meat).

Also on these cold blizzardy days, curling up on the couch with a good crochet project or book sounds wonderful as well. Add a cup of tea and you're set. Here are some of my favorite things as winter hits:

-Caron Simply Soft Yarn
I'm currently working on little girl hats for the nieces!
-Buy Buy Baby
Interesting book about marketing to children.
-MelCat
Michigan's online library source - order books from all over the state for FREE!
-The Chronicles of Narnia
Oldie but goodie! I am working my way through the last few books.
-keeperofthehome.org
Obsessed with this amazing blog. What a resource for women!
-Lemon Chiffon Rooibos Tea
I am in love with Chocolatea in Portage. Check it out if you're in town.

And in case you don't have a loose leaf tea pot here's how I brew mine! All you need is one of these re-usable "gold" coffee pot filters, a binder clip, and various glass measuring cups. I use my 2 cup for my husband and I (no clip required), the 4 cup for company, and my 8 cup for LOTS of company :D

Hope you are all safe and warm at home today! If not be careful out there!

CAROB BALLS ARE AMAZING! (well, mine were cocoa).

2009-12-03T06:03:00.000-08:00

I've recently developed a habit of having something sweet after dinner/before bed. After a little critical thinking I realized that this night time snack was what has been giving me excruciating morning headaches!

So I am in LOVE with this recipe! I adapted it from the original recipe at keeper of the home blog to include cranberries as the dried fruit, added 1 tblspoon of tahini, and also used some cashews. Not only do these little morsels of goodness keep me away from sugars, it also is packed with seeds and nuts that are full of protein to keep my blood sugar constant through the night. Next time I will try carob powder if I can find it at the health food store!

1/2 c dried cranberries
1/4 c sunflower seeds (raw, hulled)
1/4 c pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1/4 c cashews (raw, unsalted)
3/4 c peanut butter (any kind)
3/4 c cocoa or carob powder
2 tbls honey
1 tbls tahini (optional)
1/4 c or less of water
1/2 c coconut shredded (optional)

NOTE: Any seed, nut, or dried fruit can be substituted (in equal amounts) for the above chosen ingredients, I would suggest using whatever you have on hand the first time that you use the recipe so that you can get a feel for what you would like more/less of, this recipe reflects what was in my cupboard.

Combine dried fruit and seeds/nuts in the food processor, process until well chopped.

Add Peanut butter, honey, cocoa or carob powder, and tahini and continue to process into a chunky "dough."

Add water until the dough is a sticky cookie dough consistency so that you can make it into balls without it falling apart.

Roll into 1 tblsp. balls (use a spring handle cookie scoop if you have one!) and then roll/press into coconut.

Place in a freezer safe container, chill for a couple of hours, and enjoy!

(I am going to continue keeping mine in the freezer, Stephanie at Keeper of the home says they are fine out of the fridge to. This is all assuming that they aren't gone the day you make them!)

Hope you enjoy!!!

Everday to Extraordinary!

2009-12-01T07:52:00.000-08:00

A couple of easy household tricks!

CLEANING:
Ever tried cleaning with Vinegar? Generally, I use vinegar for kitchen surfaces. Just fill up a spritzer bottle with white vinegar, spray and let it set for a few minutes (this helps the vinegar work into stains/splatters/and stuck on food!), then just wipe up with a sponge or cloth! Works amazing on the stove top instead of using harsh chemical cleaners. Finish it off with a spritz of peroxide for extra bacteria killing power.

HEALTH:
Gargle with salt water! Okay, so the idea isn't too terribly appealing (you'll get used to the saltiness), but gargling with salt water and using saline are two of the absolute easiest and cheapest ways to clean out cold and flu bacteria that settle in your nose, mouth, and throat!

Mmmm..... more food ideas!

2009-11-13T07:20:00.000-08:00

Just the other evening we had friends over to enjoy a wonderful shrimp scampi dinner with us. I've made this meal twice now and have been thinking - who on earth would ever pay $15 at a restaurant for this meal if they know how EASY it was to make!!! The answer - hopefully not you!

Here's all you need for two people (super easy to make for any number):
1/2 pound raw, thawed, easy-peel shrimp (only $4.99 a pound at Aldi)
1 c. Jasmine rice (approx. $2.50 a bag, you can use minute rice too)
1 stick of butter (salted or unsalted)
4 ish cloves of garlic
Olive Oil (optional)
Parsley
Crushed Red Pepper

Begin thawing shrimp, move them around often or you will get a big clump of icy shrimp.

Start cooking the rice according to package directions or 1 c. rice to 2 c. water for stickier jasmine rice.

Peel the shrimp by pinching right at the end of the tail, then grab the little legs and pull of the shell (the back should be split and cleaned already).

Once the rice has cooked for about 10 minutes (assuming you're using the jasmine rice), melt the butter in a skillet or frying pan and add olive oil(to your liking, no more than 1/4 c.). Add garlic, a few dashes of parsley, and a sprinkle of crushed red pepper.

Add shrimp and cook until they are just orange/pink (My friend said cook them to a "C" for cooked, not an "O" for overdone).

Fluff rice after it has cooked, and serve shrimp and buttery "sauce" over the rice!

My husband and I like a nice light spinach salad with this meal too!

Hope this becomes one of your favorite, quick, easy recipes that you won't even need a recipe for! It is also a great meal to have friends over for because there aren't many dishes, it only takes about 20 minutes to make (5 minutes if you have minute rice).

Enjoy!

Holy Cow! and about that chicken...

2009-11-03T06:29:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I took a trip to Jackson where I picked up 101 pounds of beef!!! I have to admit I feel a little crazy telling people I have to go pick up my quarter of a cow, but I think I'm okay with that. Our freezer is now well stocked and I'm sure we'll be eating our beef for quite some time.

With that said, I wanted to make sure I posted a (pseudo) recipe for steamed chicken! I'm not sure how much chicken we'll be eating in the coming months so here it is before I forget:

Plan 1/2 to 3/4 chicken breasts per person. (I usually find that cooking two leaves leftovers for my husband and I)

At this point, get your water boiling. I like to use a bamboo steamer on top of a soup pot.

Cut each breast in half so you end up with two pieces the size of the breast but thinner. If you like, you can pound these out, I don't go through the trouble.

Lay out a few sheets of plastic wrap that are about 18" long.

Place each "cutlet" on a piece of wrap and on top of them put pesto and mozzarella, or ham and swiss, or spinach and feta, or any combination of spices and cheeses. Just don't put too much filling!

Next, roll the chicken into a little spiral and then wrap it in the plastic wrap like a little candy. Place them in the bamboo steamer over boiling water.

Let the chicken steam for 30-35 minutes, and you've got the most moist, delicious chicken ever!!!

I hope you enjoy trying out this cooking method for chicken as much as I do!

To Buy or Not to Buy: Organic?

2009-10-21T07:20:00.000-07:00

To kick off my blog I would like to share a few tips and sites with you all about buying organic. I will not always be sticking to "green" topics, but being that my sister-in-law Cait and I have had many, many discussions on the topic I finally did a bit of research to answer the question:

What really matters when it comes to buying organic groceries?

Below are my top finds for everyday grocery items that are the most important to buy organic:

Buy Organic (most important)	Buy Non-Organic (least important)
Meat	Onion
Milk	Avocado
Coffee	Sweet Corn
Peaches	Pineapple
Apples	Mango
Sweet Bell Peppers	Asparagus
Celery	Sweet Peas
Nectarines	Kiwi
Strawberries	Cabbage
Cherries	Eggplant
Kale	Papaya
Leafy Greens	Watermelon
Grapes	Broccoli
Carrots Pears Potatoes	Tomato (different sources disagree)
	Sweet Potato
Raspberries
Spinach
Baby Food
Rice
Oats
Bananas
Raisins
Soybeans
Green Beans
Corn

In my research I’ve found that thedailygreen.com is one of the best resources for finding out more about the practical applications of eating healthier foods. This site also does a great job going into a bit more depth on the reasoning behind the foods listed above. I hope this is a valuable resource for you!