The Prepping Economist

I hoard butter.
Seriously, I do.

At any given time, I have between 15-20 pounds of it in my freezer.
Cheese? Yeah, not as crazy but I still like to have around 5-10 lbs of it, frozen. Mozzarella, cheddar, Monteray Jack, etc. You just never know when the mood for a quesadilla or pizza will strike!

Healthy Cooking

I've been a registered user of Mealime for a few months. Let me tell you, I love this site.  You can choose the number of meals/recipes you want to cook in a week, as well as narrowing down the types of meals you want.

Vegetarian? No problem.
Classic meat-based meals? Got it.
Lots of fish? Swim on down.
Paleo? Bring it on!

You can specify your allergies and restrictions, the number of persons eating, and the biggie....you can tell them the foods you DON'T like.

You get a picture of the finished product, an interactive grocery list where you can check off items you already have, and a recipe guide.

And you get this all for free!

You can join for $6 a month ($4 if you pay $50 at once for the year), and you get even more benefits like calorie and nutritional information, build meal plans from your favorite recipes, etc.

Here's a sample, simple meal of chicken and carrots:

You should try it. You've got nothing to lose, and if you DO like it, join!

(and no, I am not being paid to advertise Mealime. I just love it!)

Food in a Pinch

Have you ever wondered about eating freeze dried food? I certainly have. So much so that when the husband and I went to our local big chain outdoor store a few months ago, we picked up some to try.

Now, I know some people have heard that freeze dried is absolutely horrible, and yet others say it was fabulous. But this is what I know for sure- it's food, and in a pinch (say lost job, grid down, or just to supplement your food storage), freeze dried is certainly an option to remember.

Espresso Dark Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

I got this recipe from The Monday Box and I am so glad I did!
These are wonderful. Not sweet, not not sweet. Ya know? Perfect with a cup of coffee or hot tea.

I used 85% Dark Chocolate instead of the toffee or semisweet chocolate bar the recipe calls for. I'm sure if you use the recipe as posted, it would be sweeter. I like mine not that sweet, so the dark chocolate worked out perfectly for me!

The Joys of Porking

I am a Pinterest junkie. Yeah, I said it. After all, admitting is the first step, right?

Anyway- I ran across this fabulous recipe and I had to try it. You know me and my love of cooking.....I'll try anything once. Twice if I get a good review. LOL

So- here's a WONDERFUL Tuscan Pork Roast (they called it a roast, but it's really a tenderloin).

And can I tell you how easy this was to make? Seriously, I couldn't have asked for an easier recipe that looks and tastes as good as this does!

The recipe:
2 T chopped fresh Sage
2 T chopped fresh Rosemary
2 cloves garlic
1/4 t Salt (I use sea salt)
1/4 t pepper

Mince it all together and lay out across a cutting board.

Take your pork tenderloin and trim off fat and icky pieces (yes, that's a technical cooking term!).
Coat tenderloin in 1 T Olive Oil and brown on all sides in frying pan. You are not cooking it, just browning it to lock in the juices.

Take a baguette....cut out the middle.


Take pork tenderloin and roll in minced herbs. Place tenderloin inside baguette. Place any remaining herbs on top of pork.

Truss up the baguette with cooking twine.

Then bake at 375 until port reaches 165' an the fattest part. Remove from oven and let rest 5 mins. Slice through and serve.