food | Saved By Grace

World’s Best Cookies!

June 19, 2024 By Christine Leave a Comment

I think we are all blessed with wonderful talents. Unfortunately, baking was not one I was blessed with. It’s a shame, too, because my mom and my grandmother are/were excellent bakers. I just don’t have the magic touch in the oven I guess. The last time I tried to make cookies, they went flat as a pancake and were more like crisp little wafers of some sort. I actually failed baking TWICE in Culinary school when I attended. If well taught chefs cannot teach me how to bake, I fear it may be hopeless for me!

Fortunately, Bart at World’s Best Cookies was given the Midas touch when it comes to baking cookies! I was recently very blessed with a huge box of excellent cookies fresh from his oven! I had heard about these cookies from other bloggers and the buzz was defiantly going around social media about them, so I had to try them for myself.

Let me say, Bart (BMANNNN!) is amazingly funny. Just talking with him for about an hour on the phone one day last month, I was so excited to try these “World Famous Cookies”. My mouth watered, I waited in complete anticipation and I couldn’t wait to get my hands (and my tastebuds!) on them!

The day finally arrived that my cookies came. Good thing I was home alone and I could ration out and hide what I wanted to try myself with no one watching. I dove into the Milk Chocolate Chip and Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip immediately. They were like an explosion of chocolatey flavor and a complete slice, or rather bite, of heaven.

What really impressed my husband was the Big Mo’s. They are a complete delight in every sense of the word. When Bart says “Chocolate Chip Cookie” he means it. This is not just a regular old chocolate chip cookie. Oh no. This is a very chocolatey chip cookie.

If you need to try these for yourself, as I suspect you will after reading this mouth-watering review, please check out Bart’s Cookies on the website. He has been baking them up for over 20 years and he really knows his stuff. For my gluten free friends, he even has some for you! If you really need more convincing, although I doubt you will, check out the cookie videos!

Filed Under: Food, Product Reviews Tagged With: food, Product Reviews

Menu Planning Made Easier

May 26, 2024 By Christine Leave a Comment

Like most busy moms, I find taking the time to do menu planning hard to fit in my schedule. Too many times, we opt for take out and I hate this because I have culinary training under my belt. Lately though, in an effort to spend less, because taking the easy way out with take out is hugely expensive on our food budget, I have been looking for ways to make it easier to shop and menu plan with less time and stress.

Follow some of these tips and you may be finding yourself having an easier time as well!

I-5 Design & Manufacture / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND

Grocery shopping:

At the store, have a goal in mind. Don’t just meander around with no planning. I find that when I have a plan in place, I not only spend less time in the store, but less money as well by not picking up extras.

Make a list before you go. The best way I find to do this is after I have decided what I will be making for meals I then write down ingredients.

If you are a heavy couponer like myself, organize your coupons by sections of the store. Only take with you what you will need for this trip so you won’t feel encouraged to pick up more while you are there.

For basics like milk, bread or peanut butter, enlist your family’s help. Put a dry erase board on your fridge and whomever uses up the last of an item, they write it on the list. Add these items to your list before you go so you don’t waste your time making several trips a week because you forgot an item.

If you have older kids, ask them for help. I often will ask my daughter to go to aisles close to the one I am in and get the item I am needing from that aisle. This is great because it saves you time, keeps the kids occupied and teaches them to be frugal shoppers who can compare labels, prices and deals.

Do a weekly shop. This will cut down on food waste and allow you to only spend what you need for the week.

Compare prices with fliers from stores that are often available online before you go. Limit yourself to two stores that have the best deals. While I am a heavy bargain shopper, I find it wasteful of my time to go to more than that.

Menu Planning:

Before you plan for the week, see what you already have on hand and build from that. Less waste and less money spent at the store.

Try to think of ingredients that can be bought in bulk and used for multiple meals throughout the week.

Plan for leftovers you will have and plan meals using those. For instance, if I plan on making spaghetti one night, later in the week, I might make lasagna or a pasta bake using the leftover sauce.

If you are having a hard time deciding what to make, think about frozen meals you see in the store. Create your own dishes using the sides they pair with main dishes in them.

Stuck in a food rut? Browse blogs, recipe boards and pinterest to find some ideas. You may just get some inspiration for your own recipes!

Think of ways you can alter recipes for in-season foods like fruits and veggies. You will spend less money and create something new for your family to enjoy!

Stick to simple for breakfast. Pick up some oatmeal, cereal, grits or eggs for a main meal. Add in some fruit and yogurt for on the go!

Look at fliers for stores in your area online and make meals around what is on sale.

How do you make the most of your time for meal planning and shopping?

Filed Under: Food, Frugal Living, Homelife Tagged With: Family, food, Frugal living

Green Pan Giveaway!

May 23, 2024 By Christine 6 Comments

Before Mother’s Day, I did a review and video of the Green Pan. Here it is, many weeks later and I love it so much, still! Even though I recommended it for Mother’s day, if you have a Dear Old Dad that loves to test his culinary passions, you might consider this for him as well!

Finally, I am able to make healthy meals with ease and no oils and not have sticking! The green pan allows me to even make eggs and chicken using no oils (in fact oils are not recommend in the green pan!) and nothing sticks!
Green Pan loves Saved By Grace Blog and the readers so much so they wanted to offer my readers a giveaway for an 8 inch pan! I am super excited to offer this to one lucky winner!

Please, make sure you check out my review of the Green Pan and find out how great this cooking tool is for making healthy meals with ease in your home!

Follow Green Pan on Twitter and Facebook as well!

This giveaway will run from 5/23- 6/2/2013. It is open to US residents 18+. Please see my giveaway terms and conditions.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Filed Under: Food, Giveaways, Green Living Tagged With: food, giveaways, Green Living, Product Reviews

Proper Food Storage

May 17, 2024 By Christine 1 Comment

While many of us rely on the “sell by” or “use by” date on food to determine if it is safe or optimal for eating, there are some foods that do not come with a label telling us this info and even with the labels, there are some foods that are still usable past their dates. In this post, I will discuss proper food storage and time limits of common household foods.

What does “sell by”, “Use By” and “Expires on” mean, anyway? Is there a difference?

Sell By is the date the store is no longer able to sell the item. It does not mean it is in-eatable past that date, it simply means the food cannot be sold past this date as determined by the USDA.

Use By is the date that the manufacturer determines for best product quality. Again, it is not when the food is in-consumable, but when the quality will start to decrease and optimal flavor and taste is lost.

Expiration is exactly what it means. It is when food is no longer considered generally consumable and can actually be dangerous in some instances.

Now that you understand the differences, lets take a look at some common food people have in their homes and how to properly manage food storage. These calculations are for if you buy fresh at the market, not off the discount section.

Fresh Fruits:

Apples, pears and peaches keep about a month. Store in the crisper of your refrigerator
Berries keep about 2-3 days
Citrus fruits keep about 2-3 weeks

Fresh Meats:

Beef, about 1-2 days for ground and 3-5 for steaks and roasts
Chicken, 2-3 days
Fish, 1 day max

Dairy:

Hard Cheese, around a month to 6 weeks
Soft Cheeses, 2 weeks
Milk, 1 week past sell by date
Sour Cream and Cottage Cheese, 10-30 days
Butter, 1-2 weeks

Dry goods:

Sugar & flour, 2 years if stored in an airtight container. Check your flour for insects if keeping longer than 6 months
Pasta and dry beans, 2 years
Rice, white will keep for 2 years if stored in an airtight container and brown up to 1 year

Leftovers:

Casseroles and meat dishes, no more than 3-4 days
Soups, 1-2 days
Gravies and sauces, 1-2 days in fridge

Breads:

1 week, and frozen for up to 3 months

Fresh Veggies:

2-10 days depending on type, lettuces tend to turn faster
Root veggies like carrots and rutabagas, 2-3 weeks
Potatoes, do not refrigerate, kept in cool dry place for 2-3 weeks

Most foods can be frozen from 1-6 months. For optimal flavor, use as quickly as you can and never freeze veggies and fruits with high water content like lettuce or citrus.

It is important to heed these notations on food storage as they will not only make your food taste poor if used past dates, but it can also make you very sick. According to the CDC (Centers for Disease control), over 3,000 people die from food-borne illnesses each year with the elderly, young children and those with compromised immune systems most vulnerable. Even if you do not die from them, 1 in 6 Americans will get a food-borne illness this year causing mild to very severe symptoms.

Image via MorgueFile by hotblack

Filed Under: Food, Health Tagged With: Cleaning, food, health

20 Minute Meal Idea: Curried Chicken and Rice

May 15, 2024 By Christine Leave a Comment

As a busy mom and wife, I am always on the hunt for meals I can just throw together when I am exhausted from work. Often times, as I hate to admit, if I am too tired, it becomes a “pizza night”. I feel guilt about this as I would love to make home cooked meals for my family instead of take the lazy way out and do take out.

Since I have gone through culinary training, I feel terrible about using a lot of boxed meals. I can never just leave things alone as they are. I always have to enhance them with my own ingredients.

Ever since I was a child, I have loved Rice-a-Roni. I was tired one night and we needed to go to the grocery store and I had very little to work with. The last thing I want to do when I am exhuasted is head to the grocery store, even though it is just a couple blocks away. I had to use what I had!

I decided to make this easy concoction and I hope you will use it when you need a quick meal that is filling and delicious!

To make Curried Chicken with Rice, you will need:

1 1/2 Pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or about 3 medium sized breasts
2 Boxes of friend rice flavor Rice-a-Roni
1 Cup canned corn
4 Tablespoons margarine or butter
5 3/4 Cups water
2 medium eggs
1 1/2 Tablespoons Curry
A pinch of white pepper
A pinch of black pepper
Salt to taste

1. Start by making the Rice-A-Roni according to directions (with 5 cups water and 4 tablespoons margarine).

2. Cut chicken into cubes and saute in a pan over medium heat. When it is almost done, add 3/4 cup water, adjust heat to medium high and add curry and a pinch of black pepper. Cook until water is absorbed.

3. When Rice-A-Roni is almost done, add corn to it and stir in.

4. Beat eggs and make a space in your skillet for them. Pour the eggs into this space and gently scramble over medium heat. When almost all the way scrambled, mix into rice.

4. Add Chicken to pan with rice in it. Sprinkle a pinch of white pepper on top and mix in well. Add a bit of salt to taste.

That’s it! This whole process from start to finish took me less than 20 minutes! My family raved about it. If you don’t like corn, try peas. They taste excellent in this as well!

Filed Under: Food, Recipes Tagged With: food, Recipes

Chicken Avocado Quesadillas

May 5, 2024 By Christine 2 Comments

Just because Cinco De Mayo was yesterday, doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy delicious Latin style foods all month, heck, all year long!

I made a delicious quesadilla yesterday for my family to enjoy on the holiday. I want to share this with my readers and tell you about the wonderful products Goya has to help you make healthy and hearty Latin-infused meals!

To make Chicken Avocado Quesadillas, you will need:

Goya Organic Low Sodium Black Beans (1 can)
Goya Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 small tomatoes
2 Ripe Avocados
2 Boneless, Skinless, Chicken Breasts, cooked and shredded
Large Flour Tortillas
1 small tub of Low Fat Sour Cream
1 Can Enchilada Sauce
Hot sauce
Chilli Powder
Cheese Slices

1. Start by peeling and slicing avocados. One trick to this is to cut the avocado all the way around length-wise. Then twist, gently.

When you have the fruit in halves, take a chef’s knife and stick it into the pit. Gently pull the pit out and slide it the knife off. Please be careful in this step!

2. Dice tomatoes.

3. Empty Goya Organic Low Sodium Black Beans into a strainer and rinse off.

4. To make the spicy sour cream, first add it to a bowl. Pour in about half a can of enchilada sauce. Mix.

Add a teaspoon of chilli powder and a couple drops of hot sauce. Mix again.

5. Heat skillet on medium-high. Add a splash of Goya Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

6. Spread a small amount of spicy sour cream onto one half of a tortilla.

7. Add a couple slices of avocado.

8. Top with shredded Chicken and a small handful of Goya Organic Low Sodium Black Beans. Add 2 cheese slices.

9. Fold over and gently place in skillet.

10. Flip after about 1 minute.

When cheese is melted, you are ready to enjoy! Top with more spicy sour cream and tomatoes!

Goya makes it so easy to make Latin-inspired meals! Hungry for more? Goya has released a new bilingual MyPlate Cookbook that features easy to follow, delicious meals anyone can make and your family is sure to enjoy! Make sure you check out Goya’s wonderful line of products from beans, to sauces and even frozen vegetables.

Follow Goya on Pinterest, Twitter, and Facebook for more tasty recipes with Latin flare!

Want a head start on making this recipe or the other recipes in the new Goya bilingual MyPlate cookbook? Click here to enter to win a Goya prize pack!

Filed Under: Dinner Recipes, Food, Giveaways, Health, Lunch Recipes, Product Reviews, Recipes, Snacks Tagged With: food, health, Product Reviews, Recipes

Adding a Dash of Spice to Your Dishes with Beaverton Foods

May 3, 2024 By Christine Leave a Comment

Condiments are almost an essential part of any family’s pantry and fridge. There are so many to choose from these days and it can be hard to know which one is the best tasting and highest quality without spending a small fortune. Beavertoon foods, an Oregon based company, has always been one of my top favorites!

I have used their Sweet n Spicy Mustard for years in my Tuna salad recipe. Beaver brand (Beaverton foods) has some new tasty, zingy condiments for you to try! I was sent Beaver Hickory Bacon Mustard, Imglehoffer Seafood Cocktail Sauce, Inglehoffer Applewood Smoked Bacon Mustard and Pacific Farms Wasabi to try out.

I love playing with condiments and one of my favorite ways to try them is on my homemade Chicken strips. I made a sampling of them in bowls for my family to try. Oddly enough, a favorite was the cocktail sauce. I have always thought of cocktail sauce as a condiment for fish and seafood, but it really is pretty good on chicken!

We had left overs of our chicken strips and I made this delicious chicken sandwich the next day:

Chicken Cordon Bleu with Bacon Sandwiches:

Toasted Bread
Chicken strips
Beaver Brand Hickory Bacon Mustard or Inglehoffer Brand Applewood Smoked Bacon Mustard
Swiss Cheese
Ham slices

Spread mustard on both sides of the bread. Top with Swiss cheese and chicken strips (you ca either heat them or have them cold-if they have already been cooked). Delicious!

Pros:

These condiments are packed with flavor! I loved how the wasabi was zippy but not overly hot, as long as you don’t get carried away. As I mentioned, we loved the cocktail sauce and the mustards were awesome on our sandwiches the next day!

Cons:

If you are not a fan of spicy stuff, the wasabi can be a bit over-powering. However, just use it sparingly and there shouldn’t be a problem.

Verdict:

As always, I highly recommend Beaverton Foods’ Beaver Brand and Inglehoffer. They surpass my standards of quality and value. I loved looking at the website as I can see they have many more delicious flavors available to try that I had never seen before.

To purchase:

You can find many of your favorite Beaverton foods brands at local and chain supermarkets as well as order online on their website.

Filed Under: Food, Product Reviews, Recipes Tagged With: food, Product Reviews, Recipes

Kick Up Your Coffee Routine!

May 2, 2024 By Christine 1 Comment

As a kid, I saw all adults drinking coffee. I figured it was just something adults did. I remember the first taste of coffee I had. I was 7 years old, I believe and my grandpa let me taste his coffee. I remember how bitter it was and how I didn’t like it.

I have never been a big coffee fan, even as an adult, but I find that if I play around with it, I love it! I don’t drink coffee on a daily basis, still, but I do enjoy a cup every now and then. My husband has told me I make an awesome cup of joe as well!

In this post, I have included all I have learned since being married to my coffee-addicted husband. I hope you find yourself kicking up your coffee routine with some of my tips and tricks!

Making Coffee

Use distilled water for the best and smoothest cup of coffee you have ever tried

Kick up the flavor with home-made flavor blends. Try adding cinnamon, Nutmeg, or flavored extracts such as almond or chocolate to your grounds before you brew.

Don’t throw out your old coffee. Just refrigerate and you can have iced coffee later!

Warm your mug on the top of your maker. When your coffee is brewed, you will have a nice, warm mug to place it in!

Consider getting a grinder and grinding your own as you need it.

Try out other ways to make it. We have so many gadgets here that make awesome coffee. We have french presses and an Aeropress.

Keep those supplies in top shape

Clean your pot with vinegar. Just pour in a small pot of vinegar and run the cycle. Follow with a pot or 2 of plain water. This will help remove hard water inside your maker and make it last longer and brew better tasting coffee!

Clean hard water spots from your pot by placing salt (kosher works best) and ice in it. Gently swish it around and rinse out with warm water.

Properly Store Your Coffee

Freeze your coffee beans and grounds. It will keep them fresher, longer and doesn’t need any thawing to use it right away!

Avoid storing it in the bags they come in. Get an airtight container.

I hope these tips help you wake up to the best cup of joe you have ever made!

Filed Under: Food, Recipes Tagged With: food, Recipes

OWG (Old World Gourmet) {Review}

April 18, 2024 By Christine 3 Comments

I am so glad the warmer weather is coming our way soon in Montana because that means backyard parties are about to start!

One company making waves for over a decade now is OWG. They have all your get-together foods ready to make and they make hosting easy as pie!

I tried several products of theirs to see how they stacked up. I was happy to see such a variety for pallets including sweets, drink mixes and salty snacks. You can’t be a host with the most without a variety!

I did a small get together to hopefully welcome spring with a couple friends to test out all of OWG’s products they sent me. We were lucky to try Cracker Smack, Chocolate Espresso Cream Cheese Chewies and Strawberry Margarita Mix. We tried the Cracker Smack as an appetizer, and after a lovely Sunday meal of home-cooked fried chicken and mashed potatoes made by yours truly, we dove into the Chocolate Espresso Cream Cheese Chewies and later in the evening, we had the Strawberry Margarita mix.

I should say that even though my “Welcome Spring” get together was bombarded by snow, we had no problem having a blast inside with a summer drink and good friends!

OWG makes not only the tempting treats we delve into, but also bread mixes, wine mixers, gourmet snacks and even “Parties in a pitcher”.

I altered the Strawberry Margarita mix to not include tequilla as I am not a fan, but instead used a blush champagne. I just poured it into a bowl, poured the champagne in and added a bottle of cold water. You can make these in the freezer or even enjoy them instantly in a blender with ice. I did the blender method and topped them with a fresh strawberry!

The Chocolate Espresso Cream Cheese Chewies looked delicious when assembled and ready to pop in the oven. They were even better when they were baked and cooled! Delicious!

Pros:

The Chocolate Espresso Cream Cheese Chewies smelled so rich and delicious when they were cooking in the oven. I couldn’t wait to try them! They were so easy to assemble and took very few extra ingredients. Cracker Smack was also easy to make and tasted wonderful. I served them with fruit, but these would go great with an assortment of cheeses. My favorite was the Strawberry Margarita Mix. In minutes, I had an amazing drink to die for and all my friends made comments that they couldn’t wait to try these again this summer!

Cons:

I did find that the Chocolate Espresso Cream Cheese Chewies were a little hard to get out of the pan and honestly, not as good as I had hoped. Don’t get me wrong, they were still good, but they could have been a bit less sweet. The Cracker Smack was a bit spicer than I had anticipated.

Verdict:

Definetly check out OWG before you plan your girly get togethers! They have everything you need to be the hostess with the mostest! The prices are just right!

To Purchase:

Chocolate Espresso Cream Cheese Chewies retail for $10.00, Cracker Smack is $5.00 and the Strawberry Margarita Mix is $10.00. These party products from OWG come with very generous portion sizes!

Filed Under: Food, Product Reviews Tagged With: food, Product Reviews

I Heart Keenwah {Review}

April 5, 2024 By Christine Leave a Comment

In my quest to eat healthier, especially in the snack department, I am always open to trying new products on the market. I was intrigued when I was asked to give I Heart Keenwah (Quinoa) a spin. I love cooking with quinoa, but never really thought of it as a snack food. The folks at I Heart Keenwah have made an all new snack out of one of my favorite side dishes and stuffings.

The variety I was given to try was the Almond. Not being a big fan of almonds, I was hesitant to try it, but went ahead and gave it a shot. I Heart Keenwah is full of (you guessed it) Quinoa, which is full of whole grain as well as being a complete protein on it’s own. I Heart Keenwah is gluten free as well.

Pros:

The crunchy texture was that of a crunchy granola bar that I love and enjoy. It was a good combination of nutty and sweet. I think this is a healthy snack food that doesn’t taste as you would expect. It is a far cry from the tasteless cardboard often found in healthier snacks.

Cons:

There was not as much Almonds as I had thought. In the picture on the packaging, it shows large nut pieces and inside, there is hardly any detectable nut clusters. For someone like myself, this is not a bad thing, but my husband was a bit disappointed.

Verdict:

I say give it a try. It is a great snack for taking with you this upcoming warm season for hikes because it is full of protein and a good, healthy source of carbs. There are several varieties including the almond I tried as well as Cranberry Cashew, Chocolate Sea Salt and Ginger Peanut.

To Purchase:

I Heart Keenwah is available at Abe’s Market or on the site in bags of over 12 for bulk direct ordering. Follow I Heart Keenwah on Facebook and Twitter.

Filed Under: Product Reviews Tagged With: food, Green Living, Product Reviews