This week I found I great two for one buy on a sirloin tip roast. I have a fool proof recipe for perfect medium rare roast beef the leftovers make very good hoagies. I also found a whole ham for just over a dollar a pound. So I baked it with squash and green bean casserole. With some of the ham I cubed it and made a hearty mac and cheese. With the bone of the ham I made split pea soup. Great fall food.

SUNDAY
Brunch Breakfast hash, toast w/ jam, orange juice
Dinner Baked Ham, green bean hot dish, baked squash, fresh fruit

MONDAY
Breakfast Cereal, orange juice
Lunch ham sandwich, carrot sticks
Dinner  Sirloin tip roast, salad greens, vegetable fresh fruit

TUESDAY
Breakfast cereal, orange juice
Lunch beef sandwich, fresh fruit
Dinner mac and cheese with ham, salad greens

WEDNESDAY
Breakfast cereal, orange juice
Lunch ham sandwich, carrots
Dinner split pea soup, salad greens, fresh fruit

THURSDAY
Breakfast Breakfast sandwich, orange juice
Lunch  mac and cheese, carrots
Dinner   beef hoagies, fresh fruit

FRIDAY
Breakfast cereal, orange juice
Lunch split pea soup, fresh fruit
Dinner grilled cheese sandwich  (make a big bowl of popcorn and watch a movie)

SATURDAY
Brunch Breakfast sandwich, orange juice
Dinner  Split Pea Soup, salad, fresh fruit

SHOPPING LIST

sirloin tip roast,ham, carrot sticks, pasta,split peas,can of green beans, can of cream of mushroom soup, eggs, cereal, frozen vegetable, grated  cheddar cheese, head of lettuce, bread, orange juice, fresh fruit

I have by accident found a new way to cook my turkey and I will not cook a turkey another way. It is very easy but it takes time. Think pork shoulder when roasting. For many years I have roasted at a high heat. That is what roasting is. For years many of us have cooked a turkey at 325 degrees. That in a way steams the bird. It cooks until all of the flavor and moisture have disappeared. This way of roasting will give you the best flavor and moisture  in a turkey. I have found that slow cooking will bring enhanced flavor of the bird. You will taste the salt and pepper or any other spice or herb you may add. Even days later you will marvel at how moist the breast meat is. I have cooked them this way a number of times and it comes out perfect every time.

Roast Turkey 
prep time 10 min
cooking time 5 hours

Ingredients
1 turkey ( I like using a 12-14 lb turkey for this recipe)
olive oil
salt/pepper to taste
herbs of your choice (I prefer just salt and pepper)

Pre-heat the oven until it reaches 445 degrees. Cut turkey in half along the breast bone using a large chefs knife. Then cut along the back bone until you have two halves. Rinse the bird well. Place side by side in a large roasting pan. Rub olive oil all over the turkey. Salt and pepper the bird. If you want to infuse another herb sprinkle that on top of the turkey. Place in oven for forty five minutes at 445 degrees. Without opening the oven door reduce the heat to 245 degrees. Leave in the oven for four and a quarter hours. Do not open the oven door. After 5 hours remove the turkey, slice and serve. You will find great juices in the pan to make a wonderful gravy.

This week we found some great buys on sliced cold meats and decided to take a break from the egg salad sandwiches. Took the time to roast a whole chicken for a nice Sunday supper and used the rest of the chicken for a couple of meals including chicken tacos on Friday night. Have an easy recipe for spaghetti and beef stew. Both make great leftovers for other meals. Making a vegetable soup on Saturday that uses up some of the vegetables we have accumulated in the freezer.

SUNDAY
Brunch Breakfast hash, toast w/ jam, orange juice
Dinner Roasted chicken, Mashed potatoes and gravy, frozen vegetable, fresh fruit

MONDAY
Breakfast Cereal, orange juice
Lunch cold cut sandwich, carrot sticks
Dinner  Beef Stew, salad greens, fresh fruit

TUESDAY
Breakfast cereal, orange juice
Lunch Turkey Soup, fresh fruit
Dinner easy spaghetti, fruit

WEDNESDAY
Breakfast cereal, orange juice
Lunch Beef Stew, carrots
Dinner roasted cauliflower soup, salad greens, fresh fruit

THURSDAY
Breakfast Breakfast sandwich, orange juice
Lunch  chicken sandwich, carrots
Dinner  hoagies, fresh fruit

FRIDAY
Breakfast cereal, orange juice
Lunch easy spaghetti, carrots, fresh fruit
Dinner chicken tacos  (make a big bowl of popcorn and watch a movie)

SATURDAY
Brunch Breakfast sandwich, orange juice
Dinner  Vegetable Soup, fresh fruit

SHOPPING LIST

package of cold cuts,whole chicken, carrot sticks, whole canned tomatoes, pasta, eggs, cereal, frozen vegetables, potatoes, grated cheese, head of lettuce,cabbage, bread, orange juice, fresh fruit

This recipe is a quick and easy meal that is hearty and I like the flavor of it. It is a hot dish that is cooked on the stove top. Makes great left overs for another meal. Freezes well too.

Turkey Rice and Peas Hot Dish
prep time 10 min
cooking time 20-30 minutes

Ingredients
1 lb ground turkey
1 small onion diced
1 can low sodium cream of mushroom soup
salt/pepper to taste
1 soup can full of brown instant rice
1-2 cups frozen peas or peas with carrots

In a heated pot add 1 tsp olive oil and brown ground turkey. Add onion and cook until onion is translucent. Add the soup along, fill the emptied can with water and add to pot. Add the rice and stir.  Add the frozen vegetables and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat to simmer. Let simmer until rice is cooked. If using instant rice 5-10 minutes. If using regular rice about 20-30 minutes. Taste for seasoning. Because this recipe uses a canned soup be careful on how much salt you add. You can saute mushrooms with the onion and substitute the soup with 1 cup half and half and one tbsp of corn starch.

This soup is from my friend Bonnie who is always sharing her comfort food recipes with me. She like me enjoys good food and I trust her taste on many levels. When I served it at a dinner party everyone wanted the recipe. I said I will post it on my blog. So here it is. Enjoy.

Corn Chowder Soup
prep time 15 min
cooking time 30 minutes

Ingredients
4 slices bacon cut in pieces browned then add:
1 small onion diced
1 clove garlic finely grated
1 tsp basil
1 10 oz frozen corn
1 10 oz frozen peas and carrots
1 cup cubed potato cut in small bites
2 cups chicken broth
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 cup half and half

Fry the bacon, do not drain the grease, saute onion, garlic, basil. Add corn, peas and carrots, potatoes,broth salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes.  Mix cornstarch and half and half add to soup. Stir and simmer to thicken for 10 minutes. Serve in bowls with grated cheddar cheese. (optional)

This week I am starting to find turkeys at around a dollar per pound. I enjoy roasting turkey like I do chicken. If you prepare it as I have shown in the recipe posted this week you can cook it in the time it takes to prepare chicken. Use the left overs for sandwiches, cube it for a stuffed potato and make a great soup. Thanks to my friend Bonnie there is a great corn chowder on the menu. I served this at a dinner party with a good crusty bread and salad and everybody wanted a second bowl. Also this week I show you a quick and easy lasagna where you do not have to pre cook the pasta and you use regular lasagna pasta not the no cook kind. Add some sausage if you have some.  Note some of the items I show from week to week on the shopping list do not have to be purchased every week.  I bought a bag of potatoes and got another free. (Don’t need them for a while). I list them to make sure you have them on hand before you head to the store.

SUNDAY
Brunch Breakfast hash, toast w/ jam, orange juice
Dinner Roasted turkey, Mashed potatoes and gravy, frozen vegetable, fresh fruit

MONDAY
Breakfast Cereal, orange juice
Lunch egg salad sandwich, carrot sticks
Dinner  Easy Lasagna, salad greens, fresh fruit

TUESDAY
Breakfast cereal, orange juice
Lunch Turkey Sandwich, fresh fruit
Dinner Corn Chowder, fruit

WEDNESDAY
Breakfast cereal, orange juice
Lunch Lasagna, carrots
Dinner Hamburger, salad greens, fresh fruit

THURSDAY
Breakfast Breakfast sandwich, orange juice
Lunch  corn chowder, carrots
Dinner  Turkey stuffed potatoes, fresh fruit

FRIDAY
Breakfast cereal, orange juice
Lunch egg salad sandwich, carrots, fresh fruit
Dinner cheese pizza  (make a big bowl of popcorn and watch a movie)

SATURDAY
Brunch Breakfast sandwich, orange juice
Dinner Turkey Vegetable Soup, fresh fruit

SHOPPING LIST

10-12 lb turkey,1/2 lb hamburger, bacon, onion, carrot sticks, whole canned tomatoes, lasagna pasta, eggs, cereal, frozen vegetables, potatoes, grated mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, head of lettuce,bread, orange juice, half and half fresh fruit

Roasting meat at a high temperature in an oven reduces the cooking time, adds flavor and seals in the meat for juicy moist chicken. Roasting also helps the caramelization of the vegetables. All ovens are not alike. You need to know how your oven will do with this dish. Some ovens need to be at a slightly higher temperature or require more cooking time for the result you want. Convection ovens are great for roasting. They require less time to cook a dish like this and a lower temperature. I love the flavor of this dish and depending what you add to the pot it is different each time I make it.

Roasted Chicken and Vegetables
prep time 15 min
cooking time 45 minutes

Ingredients
1 whole chicken cut in 4 or 8 pieces
assortment of roasting vegetables ( potatoes, carrots, onions parsnips, roma tomatoes, mushrooms, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, garlic etc….)
salt free seasoning to taste
salt/pepper to taste
1-2 Tablespoons olive oil
fresh herbs (rosemary, sage etc if available or use dried herbs)

Preheat oven to 445 degrees, oven needs to be good and hot before putting dish in oven. Take roasting pan and put in vegetables and season. Add olive oil and toss vegetables until well coated. Add chicken pieces and season to taste. Put in well heated oven and check half way through. You may want to stir the vegetables for even cooking. After 42-45 minutes check to see if chicken is done and vegetables are fork tender. Remove from oven and serve on a platter.

The base of this soup is a good ham bone. In this recipe we started with the spiral cut ham bone left over from last week. Simmering the ham bone over a number of hours adds great flavor. You don’t need much seasoning such as salt because there is lots of flavor already in the ham. I use a salt free seasoning because I like the herbs in the blend. The work for you is to find the right combination that works for your taste. This soup is a meal itself. Add a grilled cheese and you have a wonderful meal.

Bean Soup
prep time 30 min
cooking time 4-5 hours

Ingredients
1 lb great northern beans soaked over night
1 Ham bone with some ham still on it
salt free seasoning to taste
salt/pepper to taste
1 cup diced carrots
4-5 stalks celery diced
1 medium onion diced
1 14 oz. can tomatoes diced

Take large stock pot and saute onion, celery and carrots in 1 tsp olive oil until onion is translucent. Add beans to pot and mix in with vegetables.  Add ham bone and cover with water. Add seasoning and bring to a boil. Turn down heat and cover simmer on low for 3-4 hours. During the last hour remove the ham bone and set on a plate to cool. Add the can of tomatoes. Taste for seasoning and adjust to your desire. Continue to simmer the soup for another hour. Remove ham from bone and cut into bite size pieces. Return ham to soup pot. Heat thru and serve.

This week we use the bone from the spiral cut ham and let it simmer for a few hours along with some beans (I used great northern) to make a hearty soup that will not only provide for a few meals this week but can be frozen for a quick meal in the future. I found a pork tenderloin on special that along with baked acorn squash makes a nice fall meal on Saturday. This is the third week in a row for salmon but I am trying to put more fish in this diet and the package of frozen wild salmon I found on sale provided enough for four weeks of meals. When planning a budget look out at what an item you are buying today can do for you tomorrow. For instance at one store I found a two pound bag of the great northern beans. It was a good price and I only used one pound saving the other pound for a future meal.

SUNDAY
Brunch Breakfast hash, toast w/ jam, orange juice
Dinner Bean Soup, salad, fresh fruit

MONDAY
Breakfast Cereal, orange juice
Lunch egg salad sandwiches, carrot sticks
Dinner  Broiled Salmon, salad greens, fresh fruit

TUESDAY
Breakfast cereal, orange juice
Lunch Bean Soup Soup, fresh fruit
Dinner Roasted Chicken and vegetables, fruit

WEDNESDAY
Breakfast cereal, orange juice
Lunch Pb&j sandwich, carrots
Dinner Turkey burger, salad greens, fresh fruit

THURSDAY
Breakfast Breakfast sandwich, orange juice
Lunch  chicken sandwich, carrots
Dinner Turkey rice and Peas, fresh fruit

FRIDAY
Breakfast cereal, orange juice
Lunch egg salad  sandwich, carrots, fresh fruit
Dinner Bean soup and grilled cheese  (make a big bowl of popcorn and watch a movie)

SATURDAY
Brunch Breakfast sandwich, orange juice
Dinner pork tenderloin, baked acorn squash, salad greens, fresh fruit

SHOPPING LIST

ground turkey,whole chicken cut up,small pork tenderloin, acorn squash , onion, carrot sticks, dried beans, eggs, cereal, frozen peas, potatoes, sliced swiss cheese, head of lettuce, assortment of root vegetables such as new potatoes parsnips, or any vegetable you like to roast,bread, orange juice, milk, fresh fruit

This recipe is the inspiration of my friend Michelle and is more savory and less sweet than most butternut squash soups I have had. The roasting of the squash and the savory herbs is the base for this hearty soup. The sour cream really adds a zesty flavor to the soup.

Butternut Squash Soup
prep time 15 min
cooking time 90 minutes

Ingredients
2 lbs Butternut squash peeled seeded and cubed
salt free season blend to taste
salt/pepper to taste
Dried sage to taste
dash of nutmeg
1 medium onion diced
6 cups chicken broth
sour cream (optional)
Put cubed squash in roasting pan add seasoning to taste  coat with olive oil and  roast in oven at 425 degrees for 45 minutes.  In stock pot add olive oil and onion cook until caramelized. Add chicken broth and squash. Add more sage, salt /pepper, salt free seasoning and nutmeg to taste. Simmer for 20 minutes. Use a stick blender in the stock pot to blend or cool soup and puree in blender. Serve in bowls and top with a dollop of sour cream.