Every time the weather turns even the slightest bit cooler, I know potato soup is on the horizon! And with autumn coming in a little less than two days, I knew it was past time to bring out one of my very favorite fall and winter recipes.  When it comes to comfort, nutrition, tastiness, and ease, Mama’s potato soup fits the bill every time.

I’ve written about this soup recipe before – it’s a perennial favorite.  Over the years, it has been used to entertain guests, warm the family’s bellies after a hike or a sports event, soothe a broken heart after a breakup, or nourish those who are ailing (I will never forget the day Mama brought an entire pot of potato soup over to my house at the university when she heard I was sick and exam week loomed large).

And it couldn’t be simpler to make.  Peel a bunch of potatoes (depending on how many people you’re feeding, judge accordingly; personally, I like leftovers, so I always use at least a dozen or so — I think I may have mentioned that I’ve got plenty of potatoes these days), dice them up into chunks, and place in a soup pot, covering just barely with as little water was you can get away with.  Season to taste with salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder – Mama prefers Mrs. Dash.  Boil until tender – the same way you would for mashed potatoes – and when they’re done, drain most of the water.  Replace with milk (we use soymilk), and mash the potatoes until they’re at the consistency you like.  Personally, I don’t like mine completely smooth, so with a potato masher I just spread them out a bit so that the consistency is soupy, but still teeming with bits of potato.

Ladle your soup into a nice big bowl and top with your favorite fixins!  I like to use what I always did growing up – Goldfish crackers. :)  But LeeLee likes fake bacon bits in his.  And both of us would happily accept some scallions if any are on hand!

Welcome, autumn!

:)

Just a note to check in on how I’m faring in my commitment to stay on the homemade yogurt bandwagon.  I put a new batch in to cook last night, and just after my alarm went off this morning, I could hear the beeps from the yogurt maker announcing the end of the process!  Now I’ve got six jars chilling in the refrigerator (only six, because I ate the seventh this morning – quality control is very important, you know!).

This marks my third batch since I made the commitment to keep the yogurt-making going throughout the weeks.  So far, so good!

:)

When it comes to purchasing household products, food, and the like, it’s often a wise idea to scan the shelves for the cheapest item.  When selecting a can of black beans, say, my eye gravitates toward the 89-cent can rather than the $1.89 variety, and for good reason – the contents are almost identical.  Why not save a dollar when you can?

But this rule of thumb doesn’t always apply in other areas of life.  I’ll often spend a little (or, sometimes, a lot of) extra coin if the product is going to be well-used, well-loved, and well-kept for years and years.  Which explains why we are now the proud owners of two Lodge cast-iron skillets.  And why I’ll pay full price for a nice pair of running shoes that are sure to travel at least 500 miles.  And why we now have a Keurigrather than one of the other, less expensive models (less expensive coffee makers that, it bears repeating, used to dribble a cup of coffee atop my counter every.single.time.).  I would add my Le Creuset French oven to this tally, as well, but I paid for it with a gift card so it actually cost me nothing.  :)  But you get the point.

This weekend, LeeLee and I said goodbye to our beloved tea kettle of more than a decade – the kettle we bought back at our first little home together in Florida, the kettle that has brewed thousands of pots of tea over the years.  It was past its prime – the inside was beginning to warp, the outside was now sporting scars from a recent near-fire when someone (follow my eyes) left it on the eye of the stove for too long.  We hated to replace it, but its time had come.

For weeks now, we’ve dithered about which kettle to purchase.  It certainly needn’t be $100 – it’s only boiling water, after all – but the $10 models seemed so … cheap.  Flimsy.  Like they weren’t going to last the month.

And so we purchased the kettle you see above, a jaunty little yellow number that rang in at $35.  That’s more than I would usually like to pay for, well, most anything, so before we purchased it, LeeLee and I had a little conference. 

Our last kettle cost about $25.  Amortized out over, say, 2,000 uses (and honestly I’m sure it’s had more use than that!), that comes in at just under 2 cents per pot of tea.  A $10 model may only last us fifty uses, say.  That comes in at 2 cents per use, but we will then have to go out and purchase another, and another, and another – and likely settle on a higher-priced model in the end, at that.  Once you factor in the travel time and the hassle, the $35 model is the winner, at least in our minds.  And so far, so good – three pots of tea and counting! ;)

Some of you may disagree.  Some of you, I’m sure, have had inexpensive products last until the end of time.  I have, too.  But I confess I’m finding them harder to come by in the open market!  Not to sound like a little old lady (I’m not quite there yet!), but they just don’t make things like they used to.  (Whoever “they” are.)  When my mother’s Sunbeam hand mixer finally bit the dust a year or so ago, we mourned its loss – it had been a member of our family for 40 years, longer than I’ve been around!  (See?  Not a little old lady yet.)  Will her next mixer last another 40?  I’m betting not.  It’s just the nature of the era.

And so we fork over a little extra money now for a longer-lasting product that is designed to withstand daily use well into the future.  Sometimes, paying more saves you money.  Where have you saved today?

And would you like a cup of tea?

:)

Dinnertimes are going to be unwieldy this week, so yesterday I decided to cook a big lasagna pan’s worth of “beef” and hash brown casserole – found in Christy Jordan’s Southern Plate Magazine ­– to tide us over for a couple of days.  As usual, it turned out great – and has offered more than enough to keep us fueled for several dinners, plus at least two lunches!  And it’s a cinch to make.  Paired with some zucchini from last week’s Great Country Farmsshipment, it was a perfect meal.

The casserole is a layered dish of goodness – a layer of frozen shredded potatoes, a layer of mixed-together ground “beef” and frozen onions and peppers, another layer of potatoes, a layer of spaghetti sauce, and finally some cheese to top the whole thing off.  (We actually used Daiya vegan cheddar this time and were thrilled with the results!)  Bake the whole shebang for 35-45 minutes or so in total, and you’ve got a hearty, one-dish supper that keeps very well for leftovers.

But since I had the zucchini and all, I decided to do a little something with it too in order to add some greenery to the plate.  :)  I sliced each squash lengthwise, then again to make four quarters; then I cut each quarter in half crosswise.  I sprayed a pan with some Pam, added the squash, and cooked on medium for a couple of minutes.  Then I decided to add in four tablespoons of veggie broth (I actually have an ice tray filled with broth at the moment – don’t ask – so I used four of the ice cubes) and, finally, some diced-up Morningstar Farms bacon strips.  I let it all cook for the last 10 to 15 minutes of my casserole’s cook time, and voila!  Dinner was served.

The broth really brings out the flavor of the zucchini without eliminating its crunch, and the side paired very nicely with the casserole.  Further, there was just enough zucchini left over for us to enjoy tonight as Leftover No. 1 – a special treat!  Tomorrow night we’ll have to add another side to pair with the entrée.  At this point, I’m thinking of using the delicata squash that came in our CSA box last week.  Who’s got a good recipe for me to try?

:)

On Saturday, in advance of my beloved Florida State Seminoles football game, I whipped up two batches of pizza dough – one for Saturday night and, if no friends joined us at the last minute, one for Sunday.  We decided to experiment with different toppings each night so dinnertime didn’t get too repetitive (and so that leftovers for lunch didn’t, either!).

Well, no friends materialized for the 3:30 game, so a little after halftime I prepped one pizza for the oven using the dough recipe I’ve already outlined here.  We topped the crust with tomato sauce, sliced fresh mushrooms, diced bell pepper, sliced black olives, and – my favorite – thinly sliced Lightlife Italian “sausage.”  I added a light layer of Italian cheese blend for texture and popped the pie in at 450 degrees.  In 15 minutes or so, the pizza was piping-hot and ready to eat, and eat we did, while cheering FSU on to a 62-7 victory!

Yesterday, we baked the second pizza for dinner and aimed to spice things up a bit.  Instead of tomato sauce, we spread a thin layer of olive oil across the prebaked dough and added some garlic powder, salt, and pepper.  Then it was time for the toppings, some of which we used on Saturday – mushrooms, diced bell pepper, more Lightlife sausage – and one that was new to the scene: halved cherry tomatoes.  This time, instead of adding cheese, I decided to go the dairy-free route and simply pile on more veggies (and sausage).  When the pizza was ready, I dusted the top with some nutritional yeast, and dinner was served!  We added some tomato sauce to the side for dipping, and the combination was a delight.

The best part?  There are plenty of slices left over for lunches!  These meals ought to carry us through Wednesday, at least.

Here’s to football fare!

:)

Weekends aren’t exactly lazy here at Chez Recessionista – neither LeeLee nor I idle well – but the time off from work does allow for some rejuvenation.  And where better to begin our rest and relaxation than at the brunch table?  Usually, we each go for a run/bike/spin on the elliptical trainer in the morning and reconvene around noon to start our time together.  This Saturday was no different!

As vegetarians, we’re no strangers to tofu.  A great way to get some extra protein without all the cholesterol of eggs is to scramble up a block of tofu for breakfast or brunch!  We’ve been doing this for years, and over time I’ve honed a recipe that’s become my go-to.  It’s quick, simple, and tasty, and you’ll find the details below. J

Now, I may have mentioned that we’ve got 40 pounds of potatoes skulking about the house, waiting to be used.  So I’ve been looking for all sorts of ways to integrate them into as many meals as possible, in as many forms as I can!  And I’ve found a winner with these breakfast potatoes.  They’re amazingly simple to prepare.  First, peel and dice as many potatoes as you’re planning on using for brunch; then parboil them for 4 to 5 minutes, drain, and add them (along with some diced onion, bell pepper, and whatever else you’ve got on hand) to a waiting hot cast-iron skillet.  Season with Cajun seasoning (or your seasoning of choice) and let them heat up on medium heat, stirring very occasionally to ensure that all sides cook evenly.  Once they’re golden-brown enough for your liking, remove from heat and pile them high atop your plate!  Or do like we did yesterday and make a Mexican meal out of it.

For yesterday’s brunch, we tucked our tofu and potatoes in burrito-sized tortillas and carefully rolled the tortillas up.  They were too heavy to eat with our hands – we had to use a fork – but the end result was superb!  We garnished our plates with some sour cream and pico de gallo for a fantastic brunch that kept us full all afternoon — and provided enough leftovers for another great brunch today!

And now the tofu recipe …

SCRAMBLED TOFU

Serves 4

1 block firm or extra-firm tofu

1 can Rotel, drained

1 tsp. turmeric

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. onion powder

Salt and pepper to taste

Spray a frying pan with cooking spray (or coat with a thin layer of vegetable oil).  Drain the block of tofu and crumble with your hands straight into the pan.  Add the Rotel and seasonings and stir to toss. 

At medium heat, cook the tofu for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated and the tofu has taken on the golden color of the turmeric.  Use atop English muffins, in burritos, or plain on the plate – and enjoy!

:)  

I’m going to try a new series for the weekends, featuring festive and/or fun things LeeLee and I do in our area – and you can do, too, whether you’re our regional neighbors or not – that also help us keep our money in the bank.  Got a great idea?  Leave it for us in the comments!

The public library is a well-known frugal tip for the bookworms among us (myself included).  Since I was a child, I’ve been in love with the rows and rows of books, on any subject imaginable, all of which can be checked out for free!  Now, with the advent of the e-reader, I can even check out books for my Kindle and watch them magically disappear when my lending period is over – avoiding those unsightly (and, in my case at least, sometimes very costly!) fines.

But the public library can also be a way to spend time frugally, as well.  Many city libraries offer movie nights, classes, book clubs, author talks, children’s programs, adult programs (well, programs for adults – not adult programsif you catch my drift, and thank goodness for that), and more.  Here in Alexandria, there’s a wealth of entertainment options on our library calendar every month, catering to all sorts of tastes and styles.  And they’re all free!  A bargain indeed.

Further, I’ve taken to visiting my local library for a change of scenery when working at home gets a little dull (or when I get distracted by, say, a certain four-footed whiskered animal who clamors for food during every waking hour).  There’s a great little work/study area on the second floor of our neighborhood branch that is perfect for setting up shop on a Saturday afternoon to get some writing done!  And the people-watching can’t be beat – our branch is a great microcosm of the neighborhood, attracting folks from all walks of life and all ages.  In an age of impersonal communication, the library offers a great face-to-face opportunity to connect with neighbors and other, further-flung residents of the community.  Again: All for free.

So the next time you find yourself distracted from work you should be doing at home, or in need of something new to read, or craving stimulating conversation regarding a contemporary popular book, or anything in between, give your local library a shot.  It’s amazing that in an age of budget cuts and belt-tightening, the librarians continue to make their buildings hum.  I for one am quite appreciative for the service!

:)

During our most recent trip to the library, LeeLee found a new book, “The Chinese Takeout Cookbook,” sitting on the “Featured Books” shelf, and it certainly caught his eye right away!  It caught mine, too, as soon as he showed it to me, so we brought it home for a test-drive.  Tonight’s meal of kung pao tofu (the link goes to the recipe, which was reprinted with permission in the Omaha newspaper) with white rice comes from its pages – the maiden voyage! – and it’s safe to say we were both thrilled with the results.

The original recipe calls for chicken, but as usual, it’s super-easy to substitute a vegetarian protein instead.  Tofu always works well in Asian dishes, and the extra-firm variety was a hit here.  It held up well in the marinade andin the stir-fry pan, keeping its form all the while.

And the end result tasted great.  After years of trying and failing (or, at least, not succeeding to my liking), I think I may finally be getting the hang of stir-frying.  The trick, of course, is to cook the food over a high heat for a very short amount of time – a task I’ve had trouble with for years.  But today I decided to simply trust the instructions (imagine that!) and let the chips, or tofu cubes, fall where they may.  Less than 10 minutes from the time I turned the stovetop eye on, dinner was ready.  Now that’s service!

I loved the sauce from this recipe; it was tangy but not overly spicy, which I appreciated.  I substituted red pepper flakes for Sichuan pepper because I couldn’t locate the latter, and the recipe wasn’t worse off for it.  The spice and sweet notes blended so well together; I could see this same sauce being an excellent dip for veggies or other appetizers!

I’m so glad LeeLee found “The Chinese Takeout Cookbook” sitting on the library shelf; we’re excited to try another recipe soon!

:)

I came across this recipe for tamale pie over at Southern Plate last week and immediately added it to my menu plan.  Ground “beef,” Rotel, corn, French-fried onions, with a cornbread topping AND cheese (we used Daiya pepperjack) over that?  What’s not to love?  Paired with a jaunty little salad, it was a complete meal.  And a good one, at that!

We both loved the filling of the tamale pie – the flavors mingled beautifully together, and the taco seasoning that I added to the beef really set it off and made it taste like a big ol’ burrito, laid out flat.  The Jiffy cornbread mix we used spread over the top nicely, and while cooking I learned something new – when one is out of eggs, one can use a tablespoon of mayo per egg to replace it.  We only had Vegenaise on hand, and so I added it instead of high-test mayo, and the end result was still fantastic!  You never would’ve known I hadn’t used eggs. I’ll be filing this little tidbit away for later, to be sure.

The one thing I might do differently when I make this again (for that is a “when,” not an “if”) is use only one box of cornbread mix – or even forgo it altogether.  I found the sweetness of the cornbread to not gel quite perfectly with the other flavors in the dish, though LeeLee vehemently disagreed and has advocated for the cornbread topping to stay.  That’s why I think I’ll use only one of the two boxes next time; a nice compromise!  And who knows, maybe a little less cornbread will do the trick with the flavor profile.

In salad news, I also created a new dressing tonight – a creamy vinaigrette.  I’ll include the recipe below!

Suffice it to say, the entire dinner was great (even with the overabundance of cornbread)!  I will definitely keep this in the menu rotation.

And now the recipe:

CREAMY VINAIGRETTE

What you’ll need:

¼-½ cup mayonnaise (we used Vegenaise)

¼ cup olive oil

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

In a half-pint jar/measuring cup/serving bowl, blend all the ingredients together with a fork until smooth, and let stand until salad time!

:)

There’s been a bit of a nip in the air this week – even today, as the mercury rises to 90 again, there’s an underlying autumnal feel – and as a result, it’s high time we bring out the Crock-Pot for some fall meals!  Though this isn’t the crockery’s maiden voyage this autumn – we had barbecue chili last week, remember – it’s the first time I’ve fired it up with fall in mind.  On tonight’s menu: Taco soup!

I’ve discussed this recipe before on this blog – several times, in fact – so longtime readers may remember how much I adore this soup AND how easy (and economical!) it is to make.  But for those of you who are new to the scene (and welcome!), let me clarify: This is one of those meals that takes minutes to cobble together and makes enough to last all week.  My standard-size Crock-Pot was filled to the absolute brim when I left the house this morning, teeming with a slightly spicy, protein- and veggie-rich concoction of black beans, chili beans, corn, taco seasoning, Rotel, tomato sauce, veggie broth, and – new to our kitchen – Beyond Meat vegetarian chik’n strips.

I’ve been wanting to try the Beyond Meat strips for a long time, but Whole Foods has always been out of them each time I’ve looked in the last month or so – a ringing endorsement, for sure.  The result?  The Beyond Meat worked out great!  It held together beautifully in the Crock-Pot all day, which has been a problem for some of its competitors, and had a good texture and taste.  LeeLee said it didn’t taste quite as much like chicken as some of the other strips we’ve used in the past, but I actually thought it tasted MORE like chicken than its competitors.  We agreed that neither of us truly remembered what chicken tasted like, having not had any in more than a decade.  So don’t let us steer you one way or the other on that. ;)  Either way, both of us liked Beyond Meat quite a lot and will be using it again!

We spooned the soup into big bowls and used tortilla-chip strips for dipping.  Pair it with a frosty-cold beer to ice down the taste buds when things get too spicy, and this meal can’t be beat!  Expect to see it time and again this fall and winter; and expect to see the Beyond Meat brand again, too.  We are converts, for sure!

:)