Parsnips

My mom always had to have Parsnips at our Thanksgiving table so now sometimes I do and sometimes I don't have them at ours, because I'm the only one who will eat them. Maybe my daughter does now, I don't remember. Anyway, I think of them and I think of thanksgiving. For those of you who are clueless as to what I'm writing about, parsnips are those strange white carrot looking veggies in the produce section. They have a sweet earthy taste somewhat like a carrot but different from a carrot. There, that was clear. The thing that is clear is that there are two distinct camps when it comes to parsnips, you either hate them or you adore them.

Here is how I do it, seems like a labor intensive dish and you'll use every cooking technique while making them, but you'll be in the kitchen anyway and they can be prepared a day or two before and warmed up when you serve.

Parsnips
this is a no measure recipe

Parsnips-probably 1/2 per person if you've never had them before
butter
brown sugar
salt and pepper

So scrape or peel the parsnips like you would a carrot. Cut off the ends and I cut into chunks about 5 or 6 inches long. Cover with water and boil until tender but not mushy. Drain.

When cool enough to handle, slice lengthwise so that you have nice long and thin slices. I then fry in butter until golden or a little color on both sides but not overcooked, season with salt and pepper.

Then transfer to a casserole and dot with butter and sprinkle all slices with brown sugar. You will then bake to warm. Or do what I do and heat up in the microwave because by this time you've cooked them to death anyway. They are dead, and safe to eat by now. You can tell that I always thought this was a funny recipe or steps to take for one mere vegetable. But I must admit, now that I'm older, I am hooked and will be buying these next week to boil, fry and bake.

Parsnips are also great in stews along with the carrots. Treat them as you would a carrot if putting them in stew.


Post your favorite non traditional sounding Thanksgiving dish or recipe if you want on the comments section of this post.

Green Bean Casserole

I love fresh green beans. I love Tyler Florence.

Tyler Florence's green bean casserole. What's not to love.
Right on top of the recipe, it says "video". Click onto that to see Tyler prepare the casserole from an old "Food 911" episode.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/green-bean-casserole-recipe/index.html

Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage

Trying to find my mom's recipe and couldn't. I found this blog that had it. My mother's recipe had cinnamon and cloves in it. This one has caraway seeds and nutmeg. If you wanted it sweeter and with the cinnamon and cloves, you could always add more sugar and maybe omit the onions if you wanted to.

http://www.wardstreetbistro.com/wsb/2009/01/sweet-and-sour-red-cabbage.html

Menus for what's on sale Aug. 26-Sept. 2

$68.82

Breakfast
1-Egg biscuit
2-Cold cereal
3-Cinnamon or orange rolls
4-Cold cereal
5-Cinnamon toast
6-Orange or cinnamon rolls
7-Cold cereal

Lunch
1-Green salad, apple, brownie
2-Lunch meat sandwich, celery sticks, cookie
3-Lunch meat sandwich, apple, cookie
4-Chicken salad, leftover from dinner idea #3, cookie
5-Lunch meat sandwich, orange
6-Mac & Cheese, plum
7-Mac & Cheese, 7 Up

Dinner
1-Mac & cheese, sliced tomatoes, broccoli salad, see recipe below (save some bacon crumbles for baked potatoes in dinner idea #2.)

2-Baked potato with sour cream, sliced scallions, shredded cheese and bacon crumbles, canned vegetable

3-Chicken salad, see recipe below, cantaloupe wedges, crescent rolls, brownie for dessert

4-Tacos made with ground beef, shredded cheese, some lettuce left from Lunch idea #1, shredded cheese, some tomato dices left from tomatoes used in Dinner idea #1, sour cream. If you don't have any taco seasoning mix, but you do have some little packets of taco sauce from Mexican take out in your fridge, use those to season the cooked ground beef. Or use garlic salt or garlic powder, cumin, chili powder to taste.

5-London Broil, cauliflower gratin, grilled corn on the cob. see http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sara-moulton/grilled-marinated-london-broil-recipe/index.html or http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,1726,154168-232205,00.html
for London Broil recipes and http://www.recipezaar.com/Barefoot-Contessas-Cauliflower-Gratin-208626 for the Barefoot Contessa's recipe for Cauliflower Gratin. I would use regular cheese instead of Gruyere if it were me.

6-Try Chicken Squares at http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,1839,146187-227194,00.html You hopefully have a can of cream of chicken soup in the pantry. If you'd rather have plain chicken, then bake and have the crescent rolls on the side. You'll have to add a canned vegetable to the grocery list or eat leftover sides.

7-Beef and Cheese Crescent Pie and mashed potatoes. See http://www.kitchentips.org/recipes/a-tasty-beef-and-cheese-crescent-pie-recipe




Polynesian Chicken Salad (Stacey C.)
2 C. cooked chicken breast, diced
1/4 C. pineapple chunks, drained
halved green grapes (red ones are the ones on sale this week)
small can of drained mandarin oranges
1/2 C. celery, diced
1/4 C. slivered almonds
4 green onions, sliced
1/2 C. low-fat vanilla yogurt (can substitute plain non-fat yogurt)
1/4 C. regular mayonnaise (can substitute fat-free mayo)

Combine chicken, pineapple, celery, almonds, and onion; set aside. Blend together yogurt and mayonnaise; stir into chicken mixture. Serve on bed of lettuce.

NOTE: I did not put almonds on the shopping list, you may want to do that. I was trying to keep costs down. Also, you may want to double this recipe since it is for a main dish. Or just double the chicken, celery, pineapple amounts.


Broccoli Salad
2-3 bunches broccoli, cut into florets
4-6 slices of bacon, fried and crumbled
1/2 C. of grated cheddar

Dressing:
1 C. Miracle Whip salad dressing
1/2 C. white or cider vinegar
4 Tablespoons sugar

Wash the broccoli and trim into florets. Make the dressing and add the other ingredients, gently toss.


Grocery List:
Albertson's
Corn, 6/$1, buy 6
Fresh Express salad, $1, buy 1
Libby's vegetables, 5/$3, buy 3, one veg needs to be green beans for the Beef and cheese crescent pie. Whether you buy a third canned veg for a side to the chicken squares is up to you.
Green onions/scallions, 2/$1, buy 1
Boneless/skinless chicken breast, $1.57 lb., buy 3 lbs. at aprox. $4.71

Bashas'
Bashas' 1/2 gallon milk, .88, buy 4 at $3.52
Food Club Mac & cheese, 3/$1, buy 3
London Broil, $1.67 lb. It will be aprox. $8-$9 for 2 pieces of London Broil, have one ground into hamburger for Tacos and Beef and cheese crescent pie, leave the other one whole for grilled London Broil
Bashas sour cream .88
7 up, .89
Land O'Frost deli shaved meat, $1.99, buy 2
Valu Time Eggs, .98
Prune Plums, .99 lb.
Canned pineapple, $1.38
Valu Time mandarin oranges, .50

Fry's
Mega buy 10 event
1-Gen Mills or quaker cereal, $1.39
2-Gen Mills or Quaker cereal, $1.39
3-Grands! biscuits, .88
4-Pillsbury cinnamon rolls, .88 (.38 if you have a coupon)
5-Pillsbury cinnamon or orange rolls, .88 (.38 if you have a coupon)
6-Pillsbury crescent rolls, .88
7-Pillsbury crescent rolls, .88
8-Pillsbury crescent rolls, .88
9-Betty Crocker Brownie mix, $1.49
10-Old El Paso Taco shells, .99

Organic red seedless grapes, .67 lb., buy 1
Navel oranges, .77 lb, buy 2 lbs. at $1.54
Kroger shredded cheese, $1.99, buy four package
Kroger Value cookies, $1.19
Celery, allowed for $1.00
Vanilla yogurt, buy 2 small containers, allowed for $1.50
Tomato sauce, allowed for .50
Apples, 3 lb. bag, $2.77
Potatoes, $2.97 for 10 lb. bag
Kroger Value bacon, $1.77 lb., buy 1
Kroger Value bread, .88, buy 2

Sprouts
Snow White Cauliflower, .99 ea
Large cantaloupe, .77 ea
Broccoli crowns, .77, buy 2 at $1.54
Hot House tomatoes, .99, buy 2 lbs.


Items not on list:
Miracle Whip
sugar
soy sauce
honey
vinegar

Other great deals:
93% lean gr. beef, $1.77/lb.-Bashas
Bashas cottage cheese, .88-Bashas
dole mushrooms, .99-Bashas
Valu Time sugar, $1.88-Bashas
Red or green cabbage, 2 lbs/$1-Albertsons
Fresh carrots, $1/2 lbs.-Albertsons
Yellow onions, 3 lbs./$1
Raspberries, .99-Sprouts
hass Avocado, .77 ea-sprouts
Carne Asada, $3.99/lb-sprouts
Reeses King size peanut butter cups or Reeses pieces theater candy, free with coupon-Fry's, see http://www.couponsense.com/ to find out how