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• 2 packages small corn tortilla shells
• 2 limes
• butter, melted (I used spray cooking butter since it is easier)
• salt

• 6-8 roma tomatoes, chopped (you can use any tomato you prefer, or whatever is cheaper...I prefer roma for salsa)
• 12 ounce bag of frozen corn, defrosted
• 1/2 pound fresh pineapple, diced
• 1/2 medium vidalia onion, diced (again, any onion, I just prefer the sweet onions)
• 1-2 jalapenos, diced (depending on how spicy you like things)
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, diced
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• juice of 1-2 limes

In honor of the upcoming Irish holiday, tonight I am making corned beef and cabbage.


When cooking corned beef, put into a large pot and fill with water to cover meat. Bring to a boil and then simmer for remaining time. Cook about 1 hour per pound of corned beef. During the last 20-30 minutes you can add any of the vegetables you wish. I usually add carrots, potatoes, and onion...maybe a few cloves of garlic for flavor. After the meat is done, remove from water and allow to rest for 10-15 minutes. During this time, add cabbage to the pot and cook for 5-10 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Wanted to share this recipe with everyone...absolutely fantastic. I love working with this cheese. It is similar in taste to a mozzarella. It is a Greek cheese made from goat's and sheep's milk. It has a very high melting point so this cheese can be easily fried or grilled alone. This recipe calls for grilling the cheese. I have found it at Whole Foods. You can find it at almost any specialty food shop, organic or whole food type market, as well as Greek or Middle East style markets.

Most people are pinching pennies these days and doing everything they possible can to save a little extra money. My husband and I are no exception. We are making sacrifices and doing the best we can to save every extra cent we can.


With that in mind, I plan on posting many cheap family meals. For example, tonight we are having beef stroganoff. Simple and cheap, but very delicious. I managed to buy everything we need for less than $15; and I still opted for the fresh produce instead of the cheaper canned options, but canned mushrooms will also work.


Beef Stroganoff

• 2 lbs ground beef (You can use any cut of beef you like as long as you cut it into little cubes, or buy already cut "stew" beef, or the even cheaper option is ground beef which is what we are using tonight.)
• 1 medium onion, diced (I prefer vidalia sweets for the flavor, but since they are seasonal yellow or white is just fine.)
• 1 lb mushrooms, whole or sliced depending on the size (If you can, avoid buying prepackaged! The great thing about bulk mushrooms is that you can pick similar sizes, and avoid the ones that are bad; with the prepackaged mushrooms you get what they give you. also, bulk mushrooms can be cheaper since you aren't paying for the package. Farmer's markets or produce stands are great places to pick these up, because it helps support the local economy. I know that almost all Walmarts sell bulk mushrooms if you don't have anywhere else.)
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped (You can use the refrigerated jar garlic if you want, it still works...but fresh garlic is pretty cheap so I usually don't mind springing for a few cloves of it. Grocery stores don't tell you this, but most of them don't care if you break apart the bulb of garlic and just take what you need.)
• 1 bag wide egg noodles, cooked (The noodles can be whatever you prefer really: egg noodles, pasta, rice, or even mashed potatoes which is very good by the way! If you are using any kind of pasta, make sure to add salt to the water when you boil...this is your only chance to add flavor to the pasta.)
• 2 small cans (10-11oz) cream of mushroom soup (Brand doesn't matter, and if you can find a large can for cheaper then definitely go with the cheaper option.)
• 4 oz cream cheese, cut into cubes (I've found that the square block is usually a little bit cheaper, but doesn't last as long and the tub can be reused as a storage container for leftovers.)
• 6 oz sour cream
• 2-3 tablespoon butter or olive oil (I usually prefer butter in this case, but if you would rather use olive oil you can.)
• Salt, to taste
• Pepper, to taste
• Milk (This isn't really a neccessary ingredient, I usually just use a little bit to thin it out so it all depends on your desired consistency. Also, you can use cream or half-and-half if you want that extra flavor.)

Saute onions and garlic in butter until tender over medium to medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and saute. Add ground beef and brown. As you brown, this is the time to add any seasonings or herbs you prefer. I usually use salt and pepper, maybe a little paprika or something spicy, any italian herbs: parsley, basil, oregano...this part is completely up to your tastebuds.


Next, lower temperature to medium or medium-low heat. Add cream of mushroom soup and cream cheese. Cook until cream cheese is completely melted. Add sour cream and cook just until heated through. Add seasonings as needed. If you wish to thin this out a little bit, add a little milk and heat through to desired consistency. Serve over noodles.

Peanut Butter Cake

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 Hour

1. Preheat over to 350.
2. Place butter, peanut butter, and sugar in the bowl of your mixer.
3. Using the paddle attatchment, process until smooth.
4. While machine is running, add eggs one at a time; then add buttermilk.
5. Add dry ingredients.
6. Mix until combined.
7. Add vanilla and mix.
8. Pour into greased and floured 9x13x12 inch pan; bake 45 minutes.

CHOCOLATE FROSTING
Here are 2 recipes for frosting: a simple one, and a more difficult/time-consuming one. Both are good.


Chocolate Frosting #1 (Simple):

• 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 9 ounces semisweet chocolate
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups sifted powdered sugar

1. To melt the chocolate, place in a double boiler over simmering water on low heat for 5-10 minutes; stir occasionally until the chocolate is completely smooth and no pieces remain; remove from heat and let cool 5-10 minutes or until lukewarm.
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter using an electric mixer on MEDIUM speed for about 3 minutes or until creamy.
3. Add the milk carefully and beat until smooth.
4. Add the melted chocolate and beat well for 2 minutes.
5. Add the vanilla and beat for 3 minutes.
6. Gradually add in the sugar and beat on low speed until creamy and of desired consistency.

Chocolate Frosting #2:

• 4 unsweetened chocolate squares (4 ounces)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 tablespoons cream

1. Melt the chocolate and butter together in a double boiler.
2. Mix the cornstarch with the milk; add slowly to melted chocolate, stirring until thick and smooth.
3. Add 1 1/2 cups sugar, salt, and egg yolks to chocolate mixture.
4. Continue to cook while beating until smooth,
5. Add vanilla and cool.
6. Use half of the mixture to spread between the layers.
7. Use the other half for frosting by adding remaining 2 cups of sugar and cream slowly to the mixture and beat until smooth.

This is the groom's cake I made for my husband as a wedding gift. It is a peanut butter cake with chocolate frosting. I will post the recipe soon! Very delicious!

Hello cooking world!


I will be adding recipes, sharing experiences, and uploading pictures of my cooking experiments. Please be patient with me as I am working on fixing my laptop, so there may be sometime in between posts as I can't always access the internet. But please...


Stay tuned!