Save Money on Groceries!!

I am so embarrassed at how long it has been since I’ve posted on kristacooks I have shamefully been eating Lean Cuisines and convenience foods. This semester has been a black pit of misery so far! But it is SPRING BREAK (even though it is 40 degrees outside). So I am perusing my “Recipes to try” bookmark folder! So expect some new stuff this week! 

Now on to the money saver! 

Have you heard of Angel Food Ministries?

This is a GREAT program, especially now that everyone is aching in the financial department these days!

My mom orders these kits once a month to help with my teenage brother’s eating habits (not to mention the other boys that practically live there).
The boxes are an assortment of various dietary needs,they include: Meat, vegetables, eggs, milk, even desserts!

There are so many different options!!!!

Right now they have:

Senior’s/On-The-Go menu full of prepared meals for 28 bucks!

Regular box to feed a family of four for a WEEK for only 30 bucks!! (Nerd and I could live off this for 3 weeks)!

They also have other specials each month, this month they are offering a Mom’s Easter Sunday Box!!

I would definitely recommend looking into this!! Even if you ordered one box a month for $30.00 you could lower your grocery bill immensely by supplementing the contents of the box with a bit of necessities a week!

Let me know how it works out for you!!

p.s. They also accept EBT food stamps (as do most Farmer’s Markets these days)!!

Kristacular:)

Kettle Corn!

Sorry for my absence; iphoto was being awfully rude and not allowing me to upload any pictures! 

Back to why you are here :

How long has it been since you had homemade popcorn?! I mean really? I was a child because I’m pretty sure in the 80′s it was super cool to have an air popper because it was what we did at sleep overs! Or was it a 70′s thing the folks got for wedding presents?!  

There are three reasons why I love this recipe: 

1.  Economical: I laugh in the face of the Recession while eating my $0.15 snack!

2.  Ingredients: Popcorn, Oil, Sugar; have you checked out the ingredients in your 100 calorie snack packs? 

3.  Burnt Kernel Free! (Well the first time I was nervous about them being all popped, but really no reason to worry, Popcorn isn’t available rare)!

For 6 cups popped pop corn: 

1/3 cup kernels

2 tsp oil (Alton Brown claims peanut oil is best, but I’m all for Olive Oil. You tell me) .

2 tsp* granulated sugar (optional, without is Naked Corn). 

Items needed: Wok and spatter gaurd

• This amount of sugar results in a subtle sweetness, not the intense sweetness your used to at fairs; increase sugar if want more sweet.

Pour oil and sugar into wok, stir to incorporate and add kernels, stir once again to coat. 

Place spatter guard over kernels and shake vigorously close to fire for ~10 seconds and resting for ~10 seconds, repeat until kernels start popping (~2 minutes). 

Now you need to shake to keep the popcorn on top and the heavier kernels at the bottom near the heat (This is where the convenience of the rounded wok comes in). Continue until it seems as if all kernels have popped. Don’t overcook (see comment number 3 above).

It really is simple, you can’t walk away from the microwave. But I am serious when I tell you that this popcorn taste much better than bagged popcorn! But of course you’ve been doing your memory exercises and taking your Ginkgo Biloba and remember the taste from your youth.

I have also seen popcorn made with: 

 A metal bowl and aluminum foil

Brown paper bag and a stapler

Enjoy!