Posts Tagged "food"

“Want to go for ice cream?”

Posted by Michelle on Jun 3, 2010 in Parenting | 0 comments

The Little Empress enjoying (yet another) summer ice cream cone

If it seems like I have a disproportionate amount of The Little Empress eating ice cream pictures posted on my blog, it is because my usual bribe treat is ice cream. A scoop of ice cream is her treat for having a good week at school, a doctor’s visit that didn’t result in a tantrum or to make an otherwise ordinary summer day into a special one.

Sometimes I worry that I’m spoiling her a bit on ice cream. She’s still a wee thing, barely on the weight charts, so high calorie foods like ice cream get the green light from her doctor. Still, I try to make it only a twice a month treat. But she does love it so. Her eyes light up and she claps happily whenever I mention going for ice cream. After all, what’s better than getting an entire cup of ice cream to yourself when you’re 2?

And honestly, when the local ice cream shop is a mere $1 a scoop, how can I say no? We may not be able to afford much but this is just too good of a treat to pass up.

No, I want CHEESE darnit!!

Posted by Michelle on Apr 7, 2010 in food | 2 comments

So I was randomly checking my GMail when I spied a Google Ads link to a food service ingredients site that sells things like ready made roux, flavor enhancers and what not.

I’m not so naive to think that all restaurants make their own roux or stock. That requires manpower and manpower requires money and let’s face it — restaurants that I can afford to eat at likely can’t afford all that manpower.

I can maybe understand taking certain shortcuts with stock and such. No different than the home cook that uses bullion, really. No, it is not ideal — all that salt! — but not every home cook has the time nor inclination to make their own stock.

However, this particular product just made me go “…”

CheezMaxTM is a revolutionary new dairy product replacing up to15-20% of mozzarella cheese on pizzas. This product is made with whole milk, and has less fat than mozzarella cheese. It is synergistic with cheese, and actually binds with existing cheese to give the appearance of more cheese – while increasing hold time.

It has applications in fresh, refrigerated and frozen pizza, and can be custom formulated to meet specific cheese flavor profiles. It can also be utilized in other applications such as enrobed cheese products.

CheezMaxTM has a potential of up to 30% savings over current cheese cost.

From the CF Chef’s Ingredients website

In two words – “F*ckin’ euw.”

But cheese replacement? Um, no, dammit. I’m paying for cheese on my pizza, stromboli, calzone, whatever. (And I usually get extra cheese!) So guess what I want? I want cheese. I don’t want whatever they’re cutting the damned cheese to improve the damned bottom line.

I’m not so granola minded that I think everyone should eat whole, unprocessed foods. (And certainly not Whole Foods. I can’t afford to even step on their grounds much less afford their food.) Mind you, I try to eat and feed my family as few processed foods as possible, more out of frugality than anything else. But the realization of how overly processed restaurant food is makes me think twice, if not three or four times, about eating out. If I go through so much effort to avoid processed foods at home, why would I go out to eat it and pay a premium to do so? YUCK!

Menu Mondays – Week of March 9, 2009

Posted by Michelle on Mar 8, 2009 in food, Menu Mondays | 0 comments

The Hubster ™ is approaching an important work deadline which will probably have him working overtime. While this means comped dinners for him, it also means I’m on my own for my dinners. The Little Empress hasn’t been quite so cooperative lately when it comes to getting meals on the table for both of us so let’s hope that we’re able to stay to this week’s meal plan!

Here’s our menu for the coming week:

Breakfast choices: Bagels with salmon cream cheese, yogurt, cereal
Lunch choices: Leftovers OR frozen dinners (for The Hubster ™); soup & sandwich (me)
Snack choices: Crackers, cheese, fresh fruit, cottage cheese

Dinner (all served with lettuce salad unless otherwise noted)
Monday: Omurice
Tuesday: Baked chicken with rice
Wednesday: Japanese-style beef curry
Thursday: Loco Moco
Friday: (out with parents)
Saturday: (out with friends)
Sunday: Leftover bufffet

The Little Empress’ meals:

• Breakfast -  fruit yogurt and cheerios / soft scrambled eggs with cheese, whole grain toast
• Lunch – grilled cheese with meat on whole grain / cheese & veggie pancakes, juice + water, fruit
• Snack – cheese and crackers, juice + water, fruit
• Dinner – Modified adult dinner + assorted veggies, juice + water

Menu Plan Monday at OrgJunkie

This post is part of Menu Plan Mondays @ OrgJunkie

Menu Mondays – February 23, 2009

Posted by Michelle on Feb 22, 2009 in food, Menu Mondays | 0 comments

What needs to be used this week?

Eggs
We were gifted with about 18 farm fresh eggs by my parents last week. Giving unexpected food to you is an Asian parents’ way of showing you that they love you. And we appreciated them though it would have been nice if they had asked first — we already had over a dozen eggs in the fridge! A few egg salads, baked goods and other egg dishes, we still have over a dozen of those eggs left. Need to use them. Pronto.

Ricotta, veggies
I had planned to make a roasted veggie lasagna for my lunch for the week last week. I never got around to it so it will have to be done this week. The Hubster(tm) is not a fan of veggie lasagna so this is all for me. Woohoo! Lunch for a week and less groceries to buy overall.

Various leftovers
We have some leftover steamed rice, squid adobo and other stuff from my parents’ visit this evening. The leftover squid will likely be my lunch tomorrow as The Hubster(tm) refuses to eat it.

What do we need to buy?

Rice
Like most Asian families, many of our meals are built around rice and not having rice in the house is unheard of. The Hubster(tm) and I try not to eat a lot of rice but there’s no way we could cut it out completely so a 20lb bag lasts us quite awhile. Unfortunately, we’ve run out so I need to make a run to the local Asian market.

Here’s our menu for the coming week. Since I have to hit up the Asian market to replenish our rice supply, I decided to feature an egg-heavy menu centering around Japanese donburi dishes.

Baby’s Menu
Yogurt, Cheerios, saltines, banana, carrots & peas, chicken, pork

Breakfast Choices
Yogurt, cereal, peanut butter & banana on whole wheat, milk

Lunch Choices
Leftovers (for The Hubster(tm))
Roasted veggie lasagna (for me)

Dinner
Monday – LEFTOVERS: Beef mechado (Filipino beef stew) OR Meatloaf
Tuesday – Omurice
Wednesday – Oyakodon (chicken & eggs over rice)
Thursday – Nikujaga (Japanese beef & potato stew)
Friday – Yakiniku with stir fried veggies
Saturday – Stir fried veggies & chicken
Sunday – Tofu nabe with veggies

Menu Plan Monday at OrgJunkie

This post is part of Menu Plan Mondays @ OrgJunkie

Menu Mondays – 1/26/09

Posted by Michelle on Jan 25, 2009 in food, Menu Mondays | 1 comment

Here’s our menu for the coming week:

Monday: Baked chicken & salad
Tuesday: Pork adobo
Wednesday: Baked chicken & salad
Thursday: Beef salad
Friday: Baked chicken & salad
Saturday: Lasagna
Sunday: Superbowl Fried Frenzy

Breakfast choices: Cereal, oatmeal, breakfast burritos

Menu Plan Monday at OrgJunkie

This post is part of Menu Plan Mondays @ OrgJunkie