2 Quick, Easy Recipes from the Blogging World

At the end of the day, I’m a pretty simple girl. I like food to taste good, and I like it to be easy–whether that means I’m making it quickly or someone else is making it for me. (Remember, pizza is still the meal I love best.)

And lately, I’ve really taken to finding one particular type of recipe: the kind that doesn’t require a trip to the grocery store (in other words: the kind with simple ingredients or, at the very least, the forgiving kind with ingredients that can be substituted). So here, I present to you two quick and easy recipes, brought to you by fellow bloggers:

1) A New Kind of Grilled Cheese, Nutella-Style (pictured above, as shown at kalofagas): The other day, I Stumbled Upon a blog carnival with Nutella-based recipes. Definitely bookmarked a few of those for later because, though I like cooking to be fast and easy, I think baking is a fair exception. This particular find, actually originally made with Merenda, which is the Greek version of Nutella, was something I made right away. Its instructions couldn’t be simpler: butter two slices of bread, coat the insides with Nutella, slap together and grill. Go take a look, and make your own version. It was delicious.

2) Homemade Granola Bars: L @ Spilling Buckets really inspired me with this one, a quick and easy recipe for granola bars. What really interested me was her substitutions: she changed the original recipe by using things already in the house. I followed suit, substituting almost all the honey for molasses (only a tsp of honey was left in the house), using chocolate chips instead of raisins (yum!) and taking out the nuts altogether. While the molasses was noticeable and not my fav and while my bars turned out to be more like squares than rectangles, all in all, I was very pleased. Cheap (no extra shopping!), easy (20 minutes prep time, tops) and tasty.

I’m on the hunt for more easy, fast, frugal recipes like these. Anybody have a suggestion? Do tell!

(This post is part of a Thursday series on frugal food. Go here to see more from the series!)

On Lunches

OK. So I had a good, long run of always making my lunches and brown-bagging my way through the first several months at my job. Then something happened–something for which I blame the complete change in my habit: Takeout-Taxi.

One day, we thought we’d try it, based on the coupons we kept getting. And we liked it.

My department has developed this horrible, wonderful habit of ordering food. Sometimes we have it delivered. Sometimes we take turns picking it up. Sometimes we spend our whole half-hour lunch break driving there and back together. Potluck Thursdays have been awesome, but the ring leader is leaving (so sad! this salary freeze stinks). So we’re back where we started, wanting to order out.

Every day is like another decision: should I order out, or should I eat what I packed? The nearby restaurants are endless, and it’s fun. The thing is that I often feel guilty because it’s not something I’m planning for ahead of time. OK, here’s what I know:

1) Making my lunch saves me money, takes time and tastes good (usually).
2) Ordering out costs money, saves time and tastes good (basically always).

I don’t know.

In trying to decide what I should do about this, I looked through my Mint records. And this is a great example of why it pays to track my spending: I’ve only spent $473 on eating out since January, which, in the grand scheme of things, isn’t so bad. I don’t count treating someone else to food/meal/coffee as eating out, but as a gift. So having only spent $78ish* dollars a month on average (when $85 is my budget), I think this is OK.

(*Wow, I can’t do math. Why was I thinking we were in the sixth month of the year? I actually have spent about $94/month, which is still fairly close to my budget, but I need to be careful about going over. May’s not even over yet!)

The Best Chicago Bakeries

I can’t say this post is especially frugal, but it is food, and it is some of the most delicious food: in Chicagoland: the bakeries.

Whether you’re from the city or visiting, you need to make time for some of the amazing bakeries around here. Seriously. Can you think of anything more fun than a nicely packaged box of cupcakes or cookies? I can’t. And in Chicagoland, here are my top four favorites:

1. Swirlz, 705 W Belden Ave, Lincoln Park, Chicago: The best frosting anywhere and gorgeous presentation.

2. Sweet Mandy B’s, 1208 W Webster Ave, Lincoln Park, Chicago: Literally, get anything. I dare you to be disappointed.

3. Bleeding Heart, 1955 W Belmont Ave, Roscoe Village, Chicago: Best Earl Grey cookies I’ve ever had. Extra bonus: all organic!

4. Bennison’s, 1000 Davis St, Evanston: They get points for the supercool vintage storefront and the window view into the actual bakery. I love, love the petit fours, and the prices are very reasonable.

Bad Day => I Need Cookies

Some days, I think everyone has them, nothing is more comforting than a fresh-baked, hot-out-of-the-oven cookie. Lately, I become a big fan of Martha (can’t believe I’m saying this), and I’ve enjoyed the following:

Giant Chocolate Sugar Cookies

Oh, delicious. I. love.

Have a favorite cookie recipe or even a recipe source? Post it here!

I Love Potlucking.

Turns out potlucks aren’t just good for my wallet (and they are!). The benefits keep on coming: I’m cooking again (hooray!), I’m bonding with my workmates, and I’m learning a little about creativity.

What have I been making?

Well, first there was the challah bread, then the knock-off Red Lobster biscuits. Next up: my favorite, trusty, delicious Greek chicken pitas. Tomorrow, the department potluck is on hold while we celebrate a baby shower–I’m bringing a fruit salad (gingered, from the Better Homes & Gardens book).

Cooking is fun, I’m remembering.

So tell me (I’m leaning over, whispering to you): do you have a potluck standby I should try? Tell me!

Potluck Thursdays!

Here’s a frugal foodie idea, if there ever were one: work potlucks just because. A couple coworkers and I have taken to ordering lunch in once in a while, in the interest of departmental bonding and fun. It’s fantastic because there are tons of choices, and it’s such a nice way to break up the day. It’s also horrible because it so quickly depletes my restaurant budget.

So we’ve come up with a solution: Potluck Days! One person is bringing crock-pot soup, I’m baking challah and another is bringing a dessert. Just as fun (or more?) and way less money.

How to Save When Dining Out

I was telling a friend at work that my dad’s birthday dinner (last fall) seemed to cost an arm and a leg. For all four of my family members to dine, my brother and I split an almost-$100 bill.

“That’s not so bad for four people,” she responded. “My family’s lucky if we can keep it under $200 [for six].”

She has a good point, turns out. I’ve done a little asking around, and most people seem to spend upwards of $20 each (even for lunch?) when enjoying restaurant fare. That’s high for me, but it’s normal, I’m told.

What about you? What’s your average?

In my frugal self, I cringe at spending more than $10 for lunch or $15 for dinner, per person. For anyone looking to lower the bill, consider these spend-less tips for the savvy diner:

1) Split an entree with someone.
Even though I love food, I can seldom pack away the whole portion of a restaurant meal. When possible, I like to split something. This means a lower bill and a smaller portion–both pluses for me.

2) Split an entree with yourself.
When I can’t share with someone, I often take leftovers home with me. I love when I can get two great meals out of an order. True, I’m still spending full price, but I consider it a deal when I’m getting another day’s dining out of it.

3) Drink tap water.
I don’t drink alcohol and rarely drink soft drinks, so water’s the way for me. Usually I ask for a slice of lemon, and I go through three or four glasses. It costs nothing and is good for me!

4) Don’t get appetizers.
Same goes for desserts, though I’ll admit I seldom resist. When trying to save, it’s a wise plan to just get one course at the restaurant. Maybe go out just for dessert or just for appetizers, if your friends are game.

5) Order like a child.
This is so tacky, but I still love ordering from kids’ menus, when I can. Obviously this wouldn’t work at a four-star establishment, but at weekly stops like a Steak N’ Shake or something, I happily order the child’s portion. Delicious and much lower prices.

Have an idea I missed? Share it here! I’ve heard a lot about the restaurant.com certificates and coupon books… anyone a fan?

Cool Link: 14 Frugal Food Ideas

Kudos to Ilene Helen Zundel for her frugal food ideas at Stretcher.com!

Among my favorites:
*Store brown sugar in a glass container in the fridge to keep it from hardening!
*Too much sugar in a recipe? Add a few drops of lemon juice or vinegar.
*You can grease a pan with a potato, if you’re out of oil. (Anyone tried this?)

Looking for Food Inspiration?

Take a look at Tastespotting. Stunning, delicious-looking photographs taken from all over the Web.

Click on anything that looks interesting to you, and you’ll be linked to the website with a recipe and maybe a story. A-ma-zing.

FOUR LUNCH-MAKING TIPS

Last week’s lunch planning worked really well, and it inspired me to aim for more creativity in the weeks to come. Do you have any brown-bagging advice? Share!

Here are some of my favorite tips so far:

1. SOUP
I was really reluctant to get a thermos, and now I have no idea why. It worked wonders. I heated some Campbell’s Wednesday morning while I ate breakfast, then I poured it into the thermos and clamped it shut. More than five hours later, the soup was still warm enough to be delicious.

2. CLEMENTINES
Can I tell you a secret? I’m almost totally convinced that clementines are the reason I haven’t gotten a cold this season. Everyone I work with has gotten sick, but so far I’ve been well. Two clementines a day, apparently, is just what the doctor ordered! Extra bonus: easy to peel and very tasty!

3. BATCHES
I like making something that can be used for a couple lunches: roast beef or brownies or homemade macaroons, for example.

4. WORK STORAGE
When in doubt, I always know I have some stuff in my desk. I keep a bag of chocolate pretzels, some M&Ms, crackers, granola bars… I don’t plan to use that stuff in my daily lunch, but if I’m ever in a pinch, it’s nice to have a backup.

More to come, I hope!