Grocery Tips | Stock Up and Save with Canned Goods

Last week I did a post for ShopRite's Potluck Blog to promote and support their semi-annual Can Can Sale. If you live in the mid-Atlantic region, you're probably familiar with the event, but even if you live outside this area, I shared some helpful tips for utilizing canned foods in recipes.

Take a minute to check out my post and let me know what you think!

Chicken Tamale Casserole

A lot of people make new year's resolutions about their physical health (losing weight, quitting smoking, running a marathon, etc.). I'm concerned about my physical health, too, but last year I was very successful in sticking with my resolutions because they were about my state of mind. I resolved to be more organized, less stressed by everyday problems and to ask for help when I needed it. And guess what? It worked!

Meal planning is a major part of organization and health. I don't cook perfectly healthy meals every day, but I know that I'm probably better off (both physically and financially) eating homemade meals instead of fast food and restaurant food. One of the biggest challenges to meal planning is building up a decent pantry and recipe collection, especially for weeknights. I want meals that aren't too stressful to cook after work, but that taste good enough to make me commit to preparing them.

I found this chicken tamale pie casserole on Pinterest from Cooking Light. I was intrigued by the fact that it looked pretty simple and claimed to approximate the flavors of one of my favorite Mexican dishes.

Well, this casserole was great! It only took about 15 minutes of hands-on time to prepare and the result was as good as the tamales I've ordered in local Mexican restaurants, but much easier to prepare. The sweet corn cake layer is soft and slightly spicy and the chicken topping has just enough cheese to taste, but not enough to make the dish uncomfortably heavy. It smells great, it tastes great and the leftovers were delicious for lunch on the following day.

Try this recipe as as an alternative to taco night or a pan of enchiladas. It has a nice flavor payoff for some pretty common ingredients.

Chicken Tamale Casserole
adapted from Cooking Light
serves 4-5

1 (8.5 ounce) box corn muffin mix
1 (12 ounce) can creamed corn
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles (check the Latino section of your grocery store)
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1 (10 ounce) can red enchilada sauce
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken tossed in 1 tablespoon taco or southwestern seasoning
1 cup shredded cheese (I used a pre-shredded Mexican blend)
cilantro and diced red onion, for garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine first six ingredients (through milk) in a bowl. Stir until just blended. Spray a 13-9 inch baking dish with non-stick spray and pour mixture into the dish.

Bake for 15 minutes or until set and barely light brown.

Remove cornbread mixture from oven, poke holes all over with a fork. Pour enchilada sauce over the top. Top with shredded chicken and cheese.

Return to oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until bubbly and heated through.

Remove from oven and top with cilantro and red onion, if desired.

Serve hot. The leftovers are great, too.

Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes

Okay, I realize that all things pumpkin are associated with fall and that Christmas is just days away. But, on this last day of fall I want to share my favorite pumpkin discovery of 2013: these awesome pumpkin pie cupcakes.

So here's the deal. They are handy and portable like a cupcake, but they have the consistency of pumpkin pie, crust and all, without doing all of that work. The outside is firm, yet tender and the inside has a custardy consistency. How is that even possible? It's like baking magic!

If you make these, please take the extra few minutes to make fresh whipped cream. I promise that it takes these cupcakes from good to great. Imagine soft, custardy pumpkin pie in a portable form topped with a cloud of sweetened whipped cream.

These cupcakes are elegant enough for a party or a special dinner. They are just too cute! And I promise, they are so close to the taste of traditional pumpkin pie that you may actually prefer to make them.

Don't limit this recipe to fall... or even dessert. I like to enjoy one with my morning coffee, too.

Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes
adapted from The Krazy Coupon Lady
yield 12 cupcakes

1 15 oz can pumpkin puree
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
3/4 cup evaporated milk
2/3 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray. Don't use paper liners - the cupcakes will be impossible to remove.

Mix the pumpkin, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, lemon extract and milk. Add the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, baking powder and baking soda to the mixture. Fill each muffin cup with 1/3 cup of the mixture. Bake for twenty minutes and let cool for twenty minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. Top with fresh whipped cream and sprinkle more pumpkin pie spice on top and serve. Makes 12 cupcakes.

Spiked Spiced Cider

Cold weather calls for hot drinks. And since it's Thanksgiving Eve and it's snowing (well, at least flurrying) here in Delaware, I think it's time to share a recipe for a hot toddy. I like to brew a pot on the stove on the weekends and refrigerate the leftovers in a pitcher in the fridge. If you don't drink alcohol, don't despair; this recipe still tastes great without the liquor. Consider making this a last-minute addition to your Thanksgiving menu, a fun beverage to enjoy while you put up your Christmas decorations or a nice drink to sip by the fire after a long week.

Spiked Spiced Cider

8 cups apple cider
1 cup spiced rum, optional
1 cup apple pie moonshine, optional (I buy Midnight Moon at Costco, if you can't find it, use spiced rum)
1 pear, sliced
1" piece of fresh ginger, peeled
1 orange, sliced
2 cinnamon sticks

Place all ingredients in a large pot. Bring to boil and reduce to simmer. Cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve hot.

Store leftovers in the refrigerator. Leftover cider can be enjoyed cold or reheated in the microwave.

Cherry-Apple Cranberry Sauce

It's Thanksgiving week! Are you excited? I've been recording Food Network Thanksgiving shows on my DVR for the past week and watching them over and over again while I plan my menu. This is the first year that we're hosting Thanksgiving at our home and I am thrilled to build this menu and cook this meal for our family.

Are you a fan of cranberry sauce? I bought some of the old-school jellied version for the traditionalists, but I decided to make a fresh, homemade cranberry sauce this year. Interestingly, I don't love cranberry sauce with my turkey dinner, but I enjoy using it on French toast and other unexpected places.

This sauce is a bit of a departure from the home-canned version I posted in 2011. It's a smaller batch and you don't have to can it. I love canning, but I know that not everyone has the time or desire to do so. This small batch of sauce can be prepared a few days in advance of Thanksgiving. I've already made mine in anticipation of the big day.

This sauce is tart (as expected!), but there are also bites of sweetness due to the dried cherries. I'm looking forward to serving this on Thanksgiving and finding a creative application for the leftovers. I'm thinking of using it on baked brie, leftover turkey paninis, and using it to make a flavored butter. This is a quick recipe. I hope you try it!

Cherry-Apple Cranberry Sauce
inspired by Cookin' Canuk

1 12-ounce bag of fresh cranberries, rinsed
3/4 cup dried cherries
3/4 cup apple cider
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon orange zest

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan.

Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer, stirring frequently. Simmer for 15-20 minutes or until all berries are popped and sauce is thickened.

Carefully pour cooked sauce into container. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve cold. This sauce will hold for a week or more in the refrigerator.

Carrot Souffle

Last year I took a few cooking classes at my local ShopRite. I enjoyed each class, but this recipe was hands-down my favorite.

Years ago I enjoyed an awesome carrot soufflé at a cafe in North Carolina. I attempted to make it at home, but I wasn't able to get the smooth, fluffy texture like in the restaurant. Here's the thing: carrots seem to take forever to cook and once they're cooked they can be a pain to whip to a smooth consistency. I finally realized that a food processor made all the difference. Between using a food processor and having the right recipe I finally struck gold.

This side dish is slightly sweetened, but not sickeningly sweet. I think it's a nice alternative to candied or mashed sweet potatoes and it would be an awesome addition to your thanksgiving meal. The fresh ginger gives it a subtle holiday flavor and the sweetness makes it pleasing to the vegetable-averse members of your family. I enjoyed this so much that I ate it for breakfast the next day. And Max loved it, too.

Carrot Souflé
inspired by ShopRite Culinary Workshop
about 8 servings

1 pound of carrots, peeled and chopped into 2" pieces (or 1 pound baby carrots)
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
2 teaspoons grated fresh peeled ginger root
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 eggs
1/2 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Boil carrots for 25 minutes or until carrots are very soft. Drain carrots and put them in the bowl of a food processor.

Add butter, ginger, sugar and vanilla. Pulse until smooth. Add eggs, flour and baking powder. Pulse until smooth.

Pour mixture into a 2-quart baking dish coated with nonstick spray. Bake for 45 minutes or until center of soufflé is set. Serve hot.

List Obsessed | How I use my iPhone to get it all done.

I like lists.

Lists keep me on budget. They give me a place to dump preoccupying thoughts. Lists encourage me to plan ahead. They make me look like I have it all together when I'm called out on the spot.

I used to keep lists on paper. This worked well, but inevitably I'd lose the paper and be all out of sorts without my list. Now I keep all of my lists on my iPhone. If you don't have an iPhone there are list apps on other smart phones (and even regular mobile phones now), so you could apply these organization techniques to whatever mobile phone situation you have right now.

Organization is a big factor in family meal planning. You need to know what is in your fridge, freezer and pantry and you need to know what you still need to purchase. Having organized lists can help you stay on budget and can prevent the frustration of not having an ingredient you need when you get ready to prepare a meal.

I use something simple and free that comes with your iPhone: the "Reminders" app. If you have a Mac computer or you haven't updated your iPhone/iPad lately the icon looks like a checklist:

If you have an iPhone with the newest iOS (operating system), the icon looks like a list with colorful buttons in the left margin:

Either way, click on it and open it up. I keep the following lists running at all times:

Mall - When I get to the mall, what do I need and from what stores? I don't go to the mall as often as I used to, so this is helpful when I am in a time crunch.

ShopRite - I do most of my grocery shopping here, so this is a basic grocery list.

Target - I go here enough that the store deserves its own list.

Costco - I love Costco, but the store is overwhelming, so this list keeps me on track.

Menu Plan - This keeps me from losing my mind about what's for dinner. I also have a board on Pinterest where I re-pin recipes that I intend to use in the upcoming week.

Farmer's Market - I don't get here often, but they have great deals on grains, produce and spices, so I'm prepared whenever I finally get there

Pediatrician - Baby health questions for upcoming medical appointments

Resolutions 2013 - I keep my New Year's Resolutions in this app. When I'm losing focus, I pull them up. I also check them off as I complete them.

Trader Joe's - Another store I don't get to very often, but I like specific items, so a list keeps me on track if I ever end up in the store.

Blog Updates - Blog article ideas, design inspiration.

Errands - If I need to go to five places in one day, I actually make a list of the order of the errands to keep me on track. Life is hectic.

Freezer Meals - This helps me remember that I have three chicken pot pies and 72 homemade meatballs in our extra freezer. I add meals to this list as I add food to the freezer... otherwise they'd be lost in the abyss and found in the summer of 2015.

Packages - Because I order a lot of stuff online and I need to remember who may be leaving a package at the door while I'm at work during the day. I check off packages as they arrive.

HomeGoods/TJ Maxx - I love these stores for home items, so I make a list of what I'm looking for (pillows for the living room, artwork for Max's room, etc.) to keep me on track when I get there.

How does it work? Well, each of the categories above is the name of a list. First, create the categories that work for you. You can always edit or delete them. Next, click on the list and add items to your heart's content. I just add items to the list as time goes on. When I accomplish or purchase an item, I check it off and it disappears. Making eggs for breakfast and realize that you're almost out? Add "eggs" to the appropriate list. Clicking through Pinterest and see an awesome recipe, but you're all out of unsalted butter? Pick up the phone and add "unsalted butter" to the list. Does your baby have a strange rash on his hand, but you're already scheduled for an appointment next week? Add "rash" to the Pediatrician list.

Once you complete an item, just click on the check box/button and it disappears. The app also archives everything that's ever been on the list, just in case you need to un-click something. I get so much satisfaction from clearing a list, but I always leave the blank list there for future items.

You can also tell the Reminders app to give you an actual reminder (pop up on screen or an alarm) at a specific time. You can even take it one step further and tell it to remind you at a location. Yes, this means my phone will remind me to buy eggs the second I pull into the parking lot at ShopRite! Crazy, right? It can also remind you to grab your glasses when you get to your mom's house. The possibilities are endless.

My favorite part is that if you have multiple Apple devices/computers (iPad, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iPhone) your Reminders app syncs seamlessly among your devices. This is a huge advantage if you end up using all Apple products. If I'm at work and I realize I need to pick up a pork roast on the way home, I just add it to the Reminders app on my work computer and I know it will show up on my iPhone as I'm walking into the grocery store on my way home.

Mobile phones aren't cheap, so you may as well make the best of them. I use my iPhone as my personal assistant and it really helps me stay on track.

Is anyone else using a list application to keep their life in order? Which one do you use?