Food Lush

Deals Ahoy! The Grocery Pal Mobile App

By Dani

Back when I was unemployed, I would spend a whole day driving from store to store for in search of deals, and I was frequently one of those irritating people buying the entire end-aisle of some canned good because it was such a screaming deal that I couldn't resist.

Now, I'm too busy to be an Extreme Couponer, but I do dearly love a good sale. Grocery Pal is a relatively new app for iPhone and Android, but it's a lifesaver for my hectic life, as it gives a run-down of ALL the local sales. It sees your location and can even be store-specific, it alerts you when items on your list go on sale, it has a manufacturer and store coupon database and it's intuitive and easy-to-use.

If you've ever wanted to be better at shopping sales or using coupons, I think Grocery Pal is the perfect solution. Just don't mind me if I'm staring at my phone is the produce section - I'm not texting, I'm looking for deals.

(Photo credit: Android Market)

Reader Question: Deep-Freezing Containers

By Dani

We got this question from Dawn: "I'm trying to figure out how to best store homemade deep freeze items. We recently purchased a deep freeze, and my goal is to fill it with yummy, homemade sauces, casseroles, etc. We're expecting a baby in mid-January, and I figure if I can put the work in now, I can be super lazy about cooking when the baby comes... Any help you can provide would be much appreciated!"

I LOVE my deep-freeze, and I'm often teased for having a stuffed freezer even though I now live in the suburbs (growing up 40 miles from a store can give you some funny habits...) and I LOVE this idea of prepping ahead of time.

That said, I think solutions really need to be tailored to your tastes and portion sizes, but here are the general rules I've discovered:

For traditional casseroles or large baked dishes like lasagna or enchiladas, you really can't beat the disposable aluminum pans. Don't buy them at your grocery store, though, because you'll hardly save money--I suggest Costco or Sam's Club (if you don't have a membership there, Wal-Mart is your next cheapest bet). The ones at Costco are much tougher than the traditionally flimsy pans you buy at the regular grocery store, and they are much less expensive. Those kinds of meals are typically really messy, too, so these throwaway pans can save you a lot of scrubbing on stuck cheese later.

For freezing smaller meals (say, two chicken breasts with teriyaki sauce and some veggies--instant stir-fry!) I've found that heavy-duty plastic or glass to-go containers work really well. I use these ones from Rubbermaid (bought at Costco for a great price!) and they are super tough. Rubbermaid also has a glass variety--I haven't tried them myself, but I have these glass containers from Pyrex that have frozen and defrosted beautifully for years.

The only trouble with using re-usable containers is that they are hard to label. I've tried to use masking tape or sticker name tags to delineate different dishes, but they can come off in the freezer and have occasionally left nasty residue on my containers. One solution is to place a small piece of paper with the information on it directly inside the container facing out, but I rarely remember to do that.

Another option for small meals is Ziploc bags. I know it's kind of trashy (ba-dum-ching!) but freezer-safe Ziplocs are a life-saver in my house, especially for random things like extra muffin batter I didn't have time to bake, leftover marinara sauce, smoothie ingredients, cooked rice or ... well, you get the picture. Generally, if it's not a complete meal but still needs to be frozen, I stick it in a Ziploc, label it with a Sharpie and put it in the freezer for a night when I need that extra ingredient.

For proteins, like premade kabobs or chicken breasts, I wrap them in aluminum foil and then put them in a Ziploc. I think it keeps the flavors tasting fresher, especially for seafood. Another option is to use butcher paper, which also works well to keep flavors in and freezer-burn out.

Hope that helps, Dawn, and happy cooking and freezing!

(Photo credit: Rubbermaid.com)

Eating Fresh Coconuts: a Tale of Woe

By Dani

My Hubs and I recently bought a VitaMix blender, and we have been whipping up delicious, healthy smoothies almost every morning for the last month or so. One upside to having a juicer or heavy-duty blender is that it makes us more adventurous -- I'm much more likely to buy produce that I'm not sure how to cook or prepare, because I figure I can always throw it in a smoothie if it doesn't work out.

There is a downside to this philosophy though, and it was made manifest with my most recent failed purchase: a peeled organic coconut.

It looked like this (minus the straw and fancy stand, of course) and I thought, "hey it's already been peeled! We have loved fresh coconut on every tropical vacation we've ever been on! I've discovered smoothie-making heaven!" But it was not to be.

Once I got it home, I started choppping slivers of the outside "meat" off and put a few pieces into a smoothie. While most of the smoothie was greens and other fruits, this coconut made it completely undrinkable. There were tough, stringy fibers in every sip that could not be blended or chewed. In other words, it was super nasty.

So I started to think that the outside (even though it's peeled, perhaps the white part is still considered "husk"?) wasn't edible. However that means that there's very little usable in a coconut - just the water and the few teaspoon-fulls of flesh from the water cavity. Is that right? Perhaps being peeled (as was suggested in this Chowhound forum) is bad for the coconut and makes it tough?

This lady seems to think that opening up a fresh coconut and using every bit of it is a walk in the park. What do you think?

(Image credit: AgroFruits, who seem to also believe that peeled coconuts taste great and I am a failure.)

The Shops at Target: the Curiosity Shoppe

By Dani

Does anyone think it's a little weird that Target has become one of the "it" places to shop? I mean, it wasn't that long ago when Target was basically Cleaner Wal-Mart. I appreciate the transition, but I tend to run over to Target for Wal-Mart-ish things like detergent and napkins and leave with a new dress in tow, all surprised at how classy they are these days.

Anyways. I digress.

My point is, Target is a pretty cool place to shop, and this new trend of having limited-edition designers and collections has made it even cooler. I missed out on the Missoni craziness because a) I'm not stylish and b) I hate crowds but, BUT - I will fight with some surburban home cooks over cute kitchen decor, y'all. Watch yoselves.

Enter the Curiosity Shoppe, and a totally good reason to go to Target even if you don't need toilet paper. Their stuff is funky and quirky and mostly unneccessary, but that's what makes it a fun splurge, right?

Check out the cuteness:

(a nod to Amarillo, Texas and Chris LeDoux. Yeehaw!)

(I just love their colors and patterns!)

I totally bought this cutting board for myself Sunday morning when I stopped in to Target "just to see." I love America, yo, and I couldn't help myself. Isn't it perfect for an MNF cheese plate?

If your Target has been mobbed by fellow classy kitchenistas, you might check out the Curiosity Shoppe online. They always have super cute things, and although the Target line is exclusive, I just love their style.

What do you think of the Shops at Target? Were you there when the doors opened, or are you "toothpaste and toilet paper only" Target-shopper?

(All photos from Target.com)

It's Political Convention Time! Let's Booze Up, Shall We?

By Dani

We're 10 weeks out from the election, and whether you're Team Red or Team Blue, it can all get a little old, right? After a while, even political junkies like yours truly start watching the convention coverage for pure stereotype-spotting and mockery.

But, I was thumbing through Garden and Gun (a lovely magazine that I discovered through our sister-site, Style Lush, and have loved ever since) and I discovered the solution to my politically-charged angst.

RED AND BLUE COCKTAILS!

Inspired by these beautiful drinks from Garden and Gun, I went in search of some more booze to unite all political leanings.

Blue:

• Little Italy (Chow.com)
• Pacific Breeze (Food and Wine magazine)
• Moody Blue (Food Network)

Red:

• Gina's Red Carpet Cocktail (Food Network)
• Ruby Sangria (Chow.com)
• Holland Red Light (Bon Appetit magazine)

And, finally, to bring us together, like the good ol' Star Spangled Banner:

• Blackberry and Cabernet Capairihna (Chow.com)
• Rose, Bourbon and Blue (Bon Appetit magazine)
• Fourth of July Cocktail (Food Network)

Personally, I don't know how I'll make through the next few months of political huffing and puffing without a healthy imbibing of booze - and I'm excited to bring a little levity to this whole thing by making some red, white and blue drinks.

So, let's raise a glass to America, and our messy, awesome, and sometimes awful democratic process. Salute!

(Photo credit: Garden and Gun magazine, which you should totally subscribe to, by the way.)

How to Make Delicious Taco Meat

By Dani

Tacos are the ultimate weeknight meal, as they are fast and easy with little advance preparation required. Because they are fast and easy, I find myself making them frequently, which gets a little ... redundant.

Never one to stay in a rut, one night I was feeling bored by my "ground hamburger + taco seasoning = taco meat" recipe, and starting throwing stuff in the pot left and right.

Let me tell you what, y'all - it was the best taco meat I've ever made.

Adding a sauteed onion, a can of diced green chiles, some sliced black olives and a tomato or two to a pound of ground hamburger adds color, flavor and variety to a plain weeknight dinner. If you have kids, it's a great way to sneak in some veggies (I've even added chopped zuchinni to my taco meat - you barely know it's there).

I love that I can make tacos and variations on tacos (using pitas, fried tortillas or wraps, depending on the mood) and get a unique flavor combination every time. I always use grass-fed lean hamburger, but another way to change it up would be with a different meat source (or even tofu!).

What do you add to your taco meat to make it distinctly "yours"? Anything I should try (or avoid)?

Beer and Restaurant Review: Deschutes Brewing Company

By Dani

(Next week, my hubs and I are taking a mini-vacay to my home-state of Oregon, and in celebration, I'm going to tell you about some awesome beers. You're welcome.)

Oregonians are not strident state-lovers like Texans or Californians. Part of it is because our state flag isn't particularly awesome, and partly because there are relatively few native Oregonians--most people come to Oregon in search of a place to hang their Tibetan prayer flags and drink Campajujujuju tea in peace. (I kid, I kid.)

Oregon is a quirky place--part unabashed redneck country, part self-aware hipster, part hand-wringingly evironmentally-concious and part-the-Earth-is-our-playground joyful.

One place that captures all the sides of Oregon (and one of my personal favorite destinations) is Deschutes Brewery. It has the kind of food one expects from the Northwest (gluten-free and vegetarian options abound) while still maintaining a lumber-jack-ish, manly quality to many of its offerings. (Pear, goat cheese and arugula pizza shares menu space with wild boar sausage, for instance).

The restaurant location in Bend, Oregon is pure perfection, located in the heart of downtown (close to the Deschutes River, natch) and complete with the kind of easy-going, loud atmosphere that any good brewpub should have. (There's also a brewery tour, complete with free beers, apparently, which WHY have we not done that yet? Next week, I'll try it for y'all, and report back, like the selfless tester I am.)

But I haven't even gotten to the best part yet, which is obvious: THE BEER. Oh you guys, the beer.

It's flavorful without feeling kitschy, handmade without being overly fussy.

My hubby, a stout-lover, likes the Black Butte Porter, a creamy dark beer with a nutty chocolate flavor. It's considered the "flagship beer" for Deschutes Brewery, so that means (lucky you!) that it's available at most BevMos, even if other flavors aren't.

Being more of a heffeweizen girl myself, my personal favorite is the seasonal summer ale, Twilight.

It's only available May-September (boo!) and is harder to find out-of-state, although I have found it in California on occasion. It's less citrus-y than many summer ales, and has a dangerously drinkable quality - I'm pretty sure I could burn through a six-pack on my own pretty easily.

Really, though, these are just our personal faves. I've never had a bad beer from Deschutes Brewery, so you just need to go taste some and decide for yourself.

"The meek shall inherit, well, some pretty dull beers." -Deschutes Brewery

Fresh Olympic Donuts: The Official Cure for NBC-induced Lack of Sleep

By Dani

I'm an unapologetic morning person. I love waking up early and refreshed, getting in a few solid hours of work or play before the rest of the world is even lining up at Starbucks. Unfortunately, over the last week, the Olympics have officially ruined my life, because all this late-night TV-watching (curse you, NBC!) makes me a crabby-patty indeed.

The only thing that is worth disrupting my lovely early morning patterns is the Olympics, and I want all of the athletes to know that the years of training is nothing, this girl is sacrificing her sanity to cheer on Team USA. (I kid, I kid.) (But really, NBC, would it KILL you to cut down on the vignettes about British pop culture and let us go to bed an hour earlier? I mean, really.)

Anyway, that was a lot of build-up to say that I love mornings and the Olympics, and right now, the two aren't friends. However, give me a little fresh glazed donut and a cup of strong coffee by 7 a.m., and I might just be OK with the looming spectre of late-night athletics yet again.

Pixel Whisk just posted the absolute cutest and tastiest-looking homemade Olympic donut recipe (which I am making, stat). Now, if that doesn't get me ready for some track and field, what does, right? I mean, don't Olympic athletes often advertise for donuts? Breakfast of Champions, yo.

(Photo credit: Pixel Whisk)

Gadget Review: OXO Rolling Herb Mincer

By Dani

The first time I ever helped make a fancy dinner was at my collegiate best friend's house in Dallas, and I was asked to help mince up tomatoes and garlic for a garnish. I was happily chopping away when my friend took a glance at my chopping board. Her eyes widened, and she gently admonished, "Dani, we need the vegetables minced."

I looked at the giant cubes of tomatoes (what I had considered minced) and realized a simple truth: that I am not a good mincer. I don't have patience for it, and, as the Top Chef judges would say, I don't have good knife skills, and honestly, I just don't care enough to spend the time to really mince anything.

So, imagine my surprise and delight when I realized that Williams-Sonoma sells just the gadget for me. (Actually, the whole store is for me. Of this I am convinced.)

The OXO Rolling Herb Mincer has four blades, so even an impatient knife-wielder like myself can actually cop small enough for a fancy garnish or strong herbs. You do need to pre-chop any larger veggies before you can truly mince anything other than small herbs, but it is a total time-saver, and I love it.

It cleans up pretty easily and is actually a gadget that I use frequently (unlike my zucchinni-steamer-peeler-doodad).

(Photo credit: Williams-Sonoma)

Summer Berry Dip: Balsamic Vinegar Reduction

By Dani

I shop at Costco, which means that I buy roughly 10 pounds of strawberries every time I think "hey, a strawberry sounds good!"

Maybe I should work on that. 

Anyway, I had a ton of strawberries in my fridge and so I made this tart for a party the other night, but it seemed a little boring. 

So, in a spirit of adventure, I poured a couple of cups of Balsamic Vinegar into a saucepan and started heating it up with about a half-cup of brown sugar and a tablespoon of honey, having read somewhere that it might be tasty. (If you can tell, I'm not very good at thinking through my cookery before getting after it. I just wing it and pray for luck most of the time.)

After about 20 minutes at a gentle simmer, I had a thick, sweet and sour syrup that punctuated my tart nicely and now has become my favorite dipping sauce for all my summer berries. My recipe made plenty extra, so I've been drizzling a bit over fruit salads and dipping my strawberries into it and wondering where it's been all my life. 

Try it. Easy, delicious and perfect for summer desserts. 

My after-dinner treat: strawberries and glaze in a teacup. Photo by me.