Broke Butt Basics: Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Candy

The holiday season is creeping up on us, y'all, and one of the things us Southern gals are known for is our yummy treats and hospitality. I'm going to show you a treat today that is a cheap little whip up of a thing that might take all of about 30 minutes to fix. Since every bit of this ought to be in your pantry and fridge, it is perfect for those times when you get a last minute notice that guests are stopping by for a chat... Or you have to go to some sort of gathering where everyone is bringing along some food to share. These will be bragged on, gone in a flash, and make everyone think you are some kind of old-time fancy cook. But we know the truth. Just don't tell 'em how easy it was.

Let's make some Old-Fashioned Peanut Butter Candy!

This is what you need:

• 3 3/4 cups (plus some, just in case) Confectioner's sugar (The 1 lb. box equals 3 3/4 cups.)
• 7 teaspoons Milk
• 6 tablespoons Butter (room temperature... if you don't have time to wait, just toss it in the microwave for 10 seconds.)
• Peanut Butter for spreading
• Butter knife, waxed paper, roller, mixer, and a large mixing bowl

Seriously. That is ALL you need. I told you this was easy!
First, you dump out all of the sugar and the butter into your mixing bowl. Then, you blend it all together until there are no noticeable lumps of butter.

Next, add in the milk... 1 teaspoon at a time... blending well after each addition.

You want to stop adding milk (even if you haven't used all 7 teaspoons) one the mixture starts pulling away from the sides of the bowl and tries to form a ball. Be careful not to do the idiot thing I did and accidentally spill a little extra milk in. You will make the mixture too sticky, like the picture below. Don't panic if it happens, though. That is the reason I told you to grab a little extra sugar, just in case. Just toss little handfuls of sugar in until you get back to that ball forming stage. Not too dry or too gloopy. Anyway, when you can form the mixture into a nice, soft little ball without it sticking to your hands very much, you are good to go.

(Yeah. Don't do that.)

Rip off a piece of waxed paper about the length of your arm and place it on the counter. Plop your ball of yum in the center, and roll it out into a long rectangle-ish that is around 1/4 inch thick. Go even thinner if you feel brave. I ain't stopping you. 

Just remember, always roll out in one direction only. Don't do the back and forth thing. It grabs the dough and usually rips it. And, let the weight of the pin itself do the work. Pressing down will give you weird lumpy bumps. 

(Oh! And if you don't have a rolling pin, just use a straight sided glass. No biggie. But, I do recommend you go get one soon. They are great to have around.)

Now that you've got this all ready to go, take a butter knife and, using the back side, cut the dough in half along its length, and spread both sides with peanut butter. Go all the way to both ends, but not all the way to the sides.

When you are finished with that, pop it in the fridge for around 15 minutes, if you have time. This step firms up the butter and helps it roll up a little easier. If you don't have time, skip it. Just practice a little patience when you roll, and it will turn out fine. 

(Mine went in the fridge. Don't judge.)

Now we are ready to roll. Deep breaths, people. This ain't scary. 

Check out the pictures.

Start by lifting up the side of the wax paper and turning over the dough in little increments. You want a good swirl, so (without squeezing) make sure that you are getting a nice, even roll. Go slow and steady. Stop at the cut. It's like peanut butter sushi! That is roll #1.

Turn the waxed paper and do the same thing on roll #2. 

Then cut each roll with your butter knife in 1/2 inch pieces. 

Your ends won't be as pretty as the center ones, but it is "old-fashioned" and handmade... It shouldn't be perfect. Perfect is store-bought and weird. We are better than that. This is like the hipster of candy. It doesn't do conformity. It was candy before candy went mainstream. Gracious. Moving on...

Aren't they lovely? And, I promise, they taste better than they look. I hope you all will give these babies a try sometime soon. Shoot me a note if you do! And, remember... Mama loves ya!

Go To Meals: Cracktastic Clam Chowder

Lawsy-bee, y'all! Get your mouth ready. This go-to beauty is going to make you happy when the weather cools and soup is on your mind!

I don't know about you guys, but this Mama is a cool weather, soup eating, sweater wearing kind of girl. I honestly don't know if I've ever met a soup I didn't like. But this one I'm about to teach you is one of the few that I absolutely LOVE! Y'all ready?

What you need: (If you are using Mama's Pantry List, then you'll already have a lot of this on hand.)

• 4 cans minced clams
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 4 cups water
• 1/2 slab bacon (I like thick sliced bacon, but that is just me)
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 8 - 10 potatoes
• 1/2 an onion
• 3 - 4 green onions
• salt & pepper
• 1 bay leaf

Chop up the potatoes, green onions, and bacon, but slice the onion thinly. Separate the green onion into two piles. One should just be the white and denser green parts; the other pile is just the tender green shoots. Drain your clams' juice into a large measuring cup or small mixing bowl. You should get around 2 cup of juice out of that. Keep it to the side, because every drop goes in the broth.

Heat up your big soup pot on the stove to a good medium high heat, then drop your bacon in. Once it starts cooking up a little, toss in the sliced onion and the white and dense green pile of the green onion. Let that cook together until your onions start to clear, then add the garlic. Now you just chill out a bit, and stir the pot every now and then, until the bacon gets all lovely and brown and a little crisp. Don't let the bacon or onions get too done. Burned is never a good flavor. Once the pot is deliciously golden and yummy, toss in your taters and stir it all up to get them coated and warm.

This soup's so cozy, even the taters get toasty!

Look at that! Oh, the smell! It's heaven in a handbasket, let me tell you!
Alright, now you want to really put some salt and pepper to it here. Do it to taste, of course, but remember... potatoes and flour both take a good bit of salt and pepper before you ever really notice that it is there. Put just a bit more than you think you need.
The last bit of seasoning needed is your bay leaf. It does beautiful things, trust me. Pop it in there and let's move on.

Ok, guys... It's broth time. Take the 2 cups of clam juice and 4 cups of water and pour it all in there. Give it a stir and turn the heat up a bit. That's it. Seriously. Broth doesn't have to be hard to be good.

Let it all boil for about 10 - 15 minutes, or until your potatoes can be squished with just a bit of pressure from a fork. (Check out my super instructive picture above.)

Add in the 1/2 cup (Give or take... I usually give. A lot.) and the drained, minced clams into the soup. Bring it all back up to temp, stirring constantly. Then, turn the heat down to a simmer and let it all cook for about 5 more minutes. Remove your bay leaf and discard, and then serve it up with a smile.

I serve mine with Parmesan and a little chunk of crusty french bread that I've brushed with olive oil and toasted for just a few minutes in the oven. It just adds to the cozy. One can never have too much cozy. 

Give it a try, y'all. I can't wait to hear how you like it! Stay warm as the weather cools, and remember... Mama loves ya! 

·       Crack-tastic Clam Chowder

•          4 cans minced clams, drained (2 cups of the clam juice reserved and kept for the broth)
• ·        4 cups water
• ·        1 tsp. minced garlic
• ·        ½ cup heavy cream
• ·        Half slab bacon, chopped
• ·        ½ an onion, sliced
• ·        3-4 green onions, chopped
• ·        8 - 10 potatoes, peeled and chopped
• ·        Salt & Pepper to taste
• ·        1 bay leaf

Drain clams into a bowl or measuring cup to get at least 2 cups of clam juice. Set aside. Cook the bacon in a medium pot until starting to brown. Add in white and denser parts of the green onions, and the sliced onion, and cook together until onion clears. Add in garlic and cook until bacon browns. Toss in potatoes and bay leaf, and stir it all together. Add salt and pepper, stir and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add in clam juice and water. Cook until potatoes are soft, but not floury (about 10-15 minutes). Add in the clams and cream for the last 5 minutes of cook time. Serve with crusty, toasted French bread and a little Parmesan Cheese, or Oyster crackers. 

Broke Butt Basics: How to make Gravy

Hey ya'll!
Today we are going to learn about an important little thing that was an absolute thorn in my side for years. I am a self-respecting Southern woman. As such, my inability to make a decent gravy haunted me like an angry ghost until a couple years ago when something finally clicked. I'm going to save you all every bit of that pain right now.

One of the absolute cheapest meals you will EVER make is biscuits and gravy. Toss in your sausage, a fried egg, and maybe a little jam or apple butter, and you will have full and happy bellies all around the table no matter what time of day it is. It's a no-brainer, and so easy to stretch into larger quantities if you need to. Plus, the basis of gravy... the roux... is the starting point for loads of other sauces for lots of other dishes floating around out there. Basically, gravy is a gateway drug for cooking.

This is what you'll need:  Milk, Heavy Cream, Mild breakfast sausage (I prefer Tennessee Pride), All-Purpose Flour, Salt, and Pepper.

Step 1: Heat a large, high walled skillet on the stove on medium heat. Don't be tempted to turn it up to speed things along. That will only end in tears. Good sausage and gravy is all about patience. While the pan is heating, open up your sausage and start forming it into 1/2" patties.

Step 2: When the pan is hot enough to give off a little sizzle when you touch the meat to it, go ahead and place your sausage in the pan. Don't overcrowd, though. You'll probably need a couple batches to get it all cooked. 

(And remember what I said about patience? Even Mama has a hard time with it sometimes. You can tell in the last picture that I tried to turn my sausage a bit too early. All the brown bits got left behind on all but one patty. Durn it. That's ok, though... brown bits make for a flavor-full gravy!)

Step 3: Add your flour, salt, and pepper. I usually only add around 1/2 cup of the flour, but trust me when I say you need to season this gravy well right now. Seriously. Your best chance of good gravy starts here. Add more salt and more pepper than you think you'd need, then check it again when it's finished. You'll probably need to add more. Flour and milk are bland, ya'll, even with the fat from the sausage helping out. Give it a little assistance!

Well, here we see a very common problem. See how dry and pitiful that flour looks? That, my dear hearts, is NOT a roux... it's a durn hot mess. No worries! We just need a bit more fat! If you don't have any more sausage grease just laying around, toss in a couple tablespoons of butter. 

Now, isn't that better? That last picture below is right about the perfect consistency for good roux. Thinner would be fine, too... but not much thinner. 

Whisk up all your yummy brown bits and beat the lumps into submission.

Step 4: Keep whisking the roux until it reaches a nice, soft brown, then add your milk in 1/2 to 1 cup increments. Bring it back to a boil each time (your stove eye should still be set to a medium heat) while constantly whisking. You can add more milk each time it thickens a bit until you've reached the amount of gravy that you want. 

Step 5: Finally, drizzle in about a 1/2 cup heavy cream. Whisk it until the thickness of the gravy will coat a spoon, remove it from the heat, and give it a taste. Does it need salt and/or pepper? I bet it does! Go ahead and add that in. and taste again. At this point, it is better to go easy and have to taste it a few times than to dump a bunch in and be sorry about it later. 

 Guys, I sure hope this has helped you get a little more comfortable with this delicious Southern staple. It's not nearly as scary as you thought it would be, is it? No, sir! Now get out there and cook up your own... and remember... Mama loves you!

  

Go-To Meals: Mama's Pumpkin Tortellini

Hey y'all! I'm here today with another great go-to recipe to help you with your weekly Broke Butt Menus. Just like all the others Mama will teach you, then recipe uses a lot of things from your Pantry List to help cut costs. Not to mention, it's a seasonal family favorite here at my house. When the leaves start changing and the air starts cooling down, there are few things that warm you up like a hot bowl of Mama's Pumpkin Tortellini!

Here's what you need:
* 1 pound of Italian sausage, mild (or Jimmy Dean Sage Breakfast sausage... both are great in this)
* 1 onion (chopped)
* 1 can pure Pumpkin
* 1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
* 1 teaspoon nutmeg
* 1 teaspoon sage
* 2 packages frozen tortellini (store brand is less and just as delish)
* 1 cup water reserved from the cooking of the tortellini
* Shredded Parmesan for finishing
(If you aren't feeding 5 very hungry people, feel free to cut all of this in half... except the meat. Because it's meat. )
(Also... you can add kale to this if you want some green in your life. It's really yummy! I promise! Just rip the leaves of the stems into little bite size bits and toss it in when you cook your meat.)

Ready to go? Great! First things first, let's cook our noodles.

Tortellini is one of the easier noodles to cook. Salt your water until it tastes like the sea, bring it up to a nice, rolling boil, and dump the little critters right in. In about 3-5 minutes, they will all start floating. That means they are done. Steal away 1 cup of water from the pot to set aside for the sauce, then drain the noodles into a colander and let them chill out while you start your sauce. 

This sauce is SO easy peasy! Just like in the picture above, you will brown and crumble your meat in a skillet set on medium high heat. Add in your onion, then cook those together until everything is lovely and tender. Plop in the whole can of pumpkin and mix that together until it is completely combined. Then add in the heavy cream and stir until it is thick and lovely. 

(Oh, how I love that stuff!) 

Add in your reserved cup of noodle water, a little extra salt, pepper, and your lovely sage. Even if you went with the Jimmy Dean sausage, I still add the sage. It really deepens the flavor nicely. Stir to combine all that yummy-ness. My goodness this is making me hungry again!

Now it's time to bring your noodles into the game. Pour all of those little bad boys into the skillet with the sauce, toss them around until every one is coated, then stir in a little nutmeg. You'll be glad you did. 

(Broke Butt Mama tip: Look in the Hispanic section at your grocer's for spices. They are the same spices, but they tend to be much less expensive. I got the nutmeg in the photo above for around $2 less than the store brand in the spice aisle!)

Now the only thing left to do is scoop some onto plates, garnish with Parmesan, and gobble it up! I like to serve mine with garlic bread and maybe a little salad. 

I hope you try it out and love it as much as my crew does! Don't be afraid to leave a comment or suggest something you might want to learn about. And remember, Mama loves you!

Broke Butt Basics: Using a Sewing Machine

My Granny Rose taught me to sew when I was a little girl. Every time I would go visit, she and I would usually end up playing with her fabrics. She started me out with a little Strawberry Shortcake tin and some tiny scraps that were as precious to me as the multi-colors jewels they so resembled. By the time I was nine, I had graduated up to being able to use her Singer peddle machine... a hefty thing of ancient beauty and mystery that I had been fascinated by forever. She let me choose from the yardages she had neatly folded into the green, built-in drawers of her craft room, and told me to "make myself something pretty". Well, I don't know how pretty it was, but I chose brown corduroy and a ivory and brown printed cotton, and proceeded to create a skirt, vest, and coordinating shirt. There was no pattern involved, just me, the machine, and bits and pieces of advice as I would ask for it. That day transformed me in a very real way. It showed me that I could do anything I set my mind to. I've absolutely loved sewing ever since.

Based on my experience, it has always been a little shocking to me to hear friends say they have never sewn, or that they had and didn't care for it or, worse than anything... They couldn't do it. Guys! Never, ever say you can't! I promise that you can! Mama is about to show you how.

Now, I know what you are thinking. "Mama, why on earth do I need to learn how to sew? Seriously? Do you not know what year it is?" Hush up and listen. Have you ever needed anything hemmed? Taken in? Have you ever torn a seam? Is it more expensive to sew those things yourself or take them to a tailor or replace them? Ahhhh! See. Told ya! Even if you never do it for fun or to create gifts, or clothing, knowing how to sew a thing makes life a little easier. I will eventually go over hand sewing, reading a pattern, and other things like that, but for today, let's just look at what the machine does and how to use one. Watch this video:

 

No matter the type of stitch being used, this is how all of them connect. Your top thread and your bottom thread (or bobbin) are basically looped over each other. Each thread needs to have the right amount of tension for the stitch to turn out right. Although every machine is a little different, they will each have the same basic dials or buttons to allow you to make adjustments to both the top and bottom threads, as well as to change the stitch length and type. Check out the picture below. This is a really great diagram from www.sewingschool.org. This is a great site for a beginner, because they break it all down into easily digested nuggets. 

I have taught several people how to sew, including my own daughters (to varying degrees of interest), and my first lesson always focuses on learning the machine you are working with. Once you know what the basic terms and functions are, then you can sit down in front of the machine you will use. Pick up that owner's manual and get on friendly terms with that bad boy! With just a little effort, you will be forming a friendship that will give immeasurably to your life and budget. 

Y'all, I sure hope that this has helped you. I'm cheering you on! Remember, Mama loves you!

Go-To Meals: Mama's "Easiest Ever" Fried Chicken Meal

Hey y'all!
As I mentioned in my last post, we are starting off a new segment today: Go-to Friday. Every Friday, I will be bringing you a new, easy, cheap recipe to add to your menu lists for those times when you just don't have inspiration to come up with something new... or when a good, tried-and-true meal is all you need.

Today's meal is 

Mama's Easiest-Ever Fried Chicken, Too Fast Sweet Taters, and Sauteed Green Beans. 

Let's get started with the grocery list:
From the pantry - Vegetable Oil, Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar, Salt, Pepper, Paprika, Garlic, Cinnamon, Brown Sugar, and Italian Seasoned Breadcrumbs

And the rest - Milk, Chicken Tenders, a bag of Green Beans, half an Onion, Sweet Potatoes, and butter (or margarine).

Now, there is a little extra prep you need to do on the morning that you intend to make this meal. Don't skip this step because it really adds a lot of flavor and makes for nice, tender, super moist chicken. Are you ready for this? You are going to soak your chicken in a milk bath. Sounds weird, right? Just trust mama and go with it. 

In a medium bowl that can be tightly covered, add 2 cups milk, a tablespoon minced garlic, 2 tablespoons paprika, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir the mixture until it is as combined as possible, then add your chicken and toss until all the meat is coated. Place the lid (or Press-n-Seal) on it so no air can get in or out, and stick it in the fridge. When you are ready to cook in the evening, just take it out, remove the covering, and pop it on the counter by the oven. Here's where the fun starts.

Pour around 2 cups (or more) of the Italian Seasoned Breadcrumbs in a separate bowl, and place both bowls by your stove. On the stove, start a large skillet warming on medium heat. Add enough oil to the skillet to make it come up about a half inch on the side.  While that is warming, shake off a bit of the excess milk bath from two or three pieces of chicken and start rolling them around in the breadcrumbs. You'll be ready to start frying when you start to see consistent rippling in your oil, like in the photo below.

Dangle your chicken over the breadcrumbs for a second before you put it into the oil. You don't want to take a bunch of loose breading into the oil where it will just burn and cloud things up. Cleanly fried chicken is yummy fried chicken. Another thing... When you place the chicken gently into the oil, you should hear a soft sizzle and see bubbles moving all around the meat. If you hear and see nothing, your oil isn't ready. Remove that piece, re-bread it, and wait a bit. If oil flies everywhere and the sizzling can be heard from the other room over your shrieks of fear, it's too durn hot. Remove the pan from the heat for a minute and let it cool before you try again. Frying isn't hard, but it does take a little patience and awareness. You've got this.

When the tender starts to look white around the edge, you are ready to turn it. Go easy. If it clings to the bottom, give it another second or two. It should come away from the pan easily.

Once you have golden brown awesomeness on one side, give the other side about the same amount of time. Look at that loveliness!! That, dear hearts, is awesome-sauce. I like to warm a plate in the microwave and leave it in there to catch every finished piece. That helps the chicken stay warm, moist, and locked away, while still within easy reach. (At this point, I had already made my Too-Fast Sweet Potatoes, so I just left them in the microwave with the chicken. They were a hot, cozy, little family.)

Now that that is finished, we switch gears to our Sauteed Green Beans.

All you need is a skillet (I like cast iron for this, but whatever you have will work), olive oil, balsamic, salt, pepper, green beans, and half an onion (sliced thin like you see above).

Warm a little olive oil in the pan on medium heat. Olive oil smokes at a relatively low heat, so we just want it to get it going, not let it go wild. As soon as you feel heat coming off the pan, toss in your onions and green beans. Salt and pepper liberally, and toss them about to get them completely coated.

Cover the beans loosely, stirring now and then, until your onions clear and your green beans are nicely done. You want them tender, not squeaky-snappy or soggy-floppy. Once they hit that stage, you are ready to remove the lid and add a splash of the balsamic vinegar. Not too much. This is a bold flavor, so a little goes a long way. Toss that about and let it cook for a 3-5 minutes more.  Stir it up again, taste a bean. Does it need more salt? If so, add it. Trust your nose and your tongue, always. Those two are your best friends in cooking. If you think it's good, it is!

Now, I didn't take any photos of the Too-Fast Sweet Taters... They were too fast for me. And, to be really honest, I had my 12 year old daughter do them for me. I promise you, it is the easiest thing in the world. All you do is poke some holes in your sweet potatoes, wrap each one in a damp paper towel, place them on a microwave safe plate, then nuke them for 10 minutes, or until they are nice and squishy.

Add a little butter, brown sugar, and a dash of cinnamon to your sweet potato, and you are ready to chow down! I hope y'all love it just as much as I do. I can't wait to hear some feedback on what you think. Like any good "Go-To" meal, it is cheap, easy, and delicious. Give it a try. And rememeber, Mama loves you!

Mama's Easiest-Ever Fried Chicken, Too Fast Sweet Taters, and Sauteed Green Beans

For the Chicken:
Vegetable Oil

Salt & Pepper to taste

2 tablespoons Paprika

1 tablespoon Minced Garlic

2 cups (or more) Italian Seasoned Breadcrumbs

2 cups Milk

Chicken Tenders

2-8 hours before cooking, prepare a milk bath out of the milk, paprika, garlic, salt and pepper. Soak the chicken in a covered bowl in the fridge until time to cook.
Dredge the chicken in breadcrumbs, being careful to shake off and excess, and fry in the oil (on medium) until golden brown. 

For the Sauteed Green Beans:

1 tablespoon Olive Oil

1/4 cup (approximately) Balsamic Vinegar

Salt & Pepper (to taste)

1 bag of Green Beans

1/2 Yellow Onion, sliced

Sautee onions and green beans in an oiled skillet on medium. Salt and pepper to taste. Cover and let cook until onions are clear and beans are tender. Remove lid. Add balsamic. Stir and allow to cook for 3-5 minutes more to intensify flavors.

For the Sweet Potatoes:

Cinnamon

Brown Sugar

Sweet Potatoes

butter (or margarine)

Pierce sweet potatoes with a fork several times all around. Wrap in damp paper towel and microwave for 10 minutes, or until the potato is soft. Split and serve with desired amounts of butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon.

Broke Butt Grocery Lists & Menus

Ahhh, the dreaded Weekly Menu and it's sidekick the evil Grocery List... These two can strike fear into the hearts of homemakers everywhere. It's ok. Breathe deep; blow it all the way out. Mama's here. This can be virtually painless. No, seriously. Just watch.

The first mistake we all make in the beginning is not having a Pantry List. Having a go to listing of all the things you have to have on-hand on a regular basis is a must. Pin it on (or near) your fridge, right by the next two must-have things: a notepad and pen. These are seriously non-negotiable. (Unless you have a phone app that will do the same thing and are a super-techy person that prefers pixels to ink.)

Anytime that you run out of something that you know will need replenished, write it down immediately. This includes anything and everything that you keep on hand that can be purchased at the grocery store you frequent. AA batteries? Put them down. Bananas aren't on the pantry list, but you know you want them in the house constantly? Those go on there, too. Getting the picture?

Keeping this running list will keep you from having to go into the pantry and all over the house when it is list making time, trying to double check that you've not run out of anything. It will also keep you from having an embarrassing restroom moment when you realize (too late) that you forgot to buy more toilet paper on your last shopping trip. No body wants that for you. Just take the extra five seconds in the moment to jot down what you are out of or running low on. You will thank me later.

On your shopping day, you will need your running list, an extra sheet of paper for your menu, your calendar for the week, and your favorite cookbooks, blogs (hint), etc. I find that posting my menu on the fridge really helps me to stay on track. If there is anything that will need to be defrosted, or if I'm using a slow cooker, checking my menu each morning before the day begins gives me plenty of notice for what needs to be done. It also lets my hubby and kiddos know what they can expect for dinner and ends the endless barrage of, "What's for dinner?".

So, you are sitting there at the table, all your stuff is sitting around you... What next? Check your calendar. What is going on this week for you, your kids, or your spouse? Look at the whole day and not just that evening. There is nothing worse than planning to cook a fun Pinterest meal that you've been dying to try, buying all the stuff, then not having time or energy to actually make it. (By the way, I just linked that to my personal Pinterest page if you want to look at my boards.)

That leads us to the next point. Be realistic. Think about how much time, money, and energy you really have available at each mealtime. Consider the actual time it will take to prep and to actually cook each meal. Remember the fact that if this is your first time making a recipe, you will typically take longer than you would at a recipe you've completed several times.

Another thing that helps me is to have a good list of "go-to" meals. These are quick and easy things that you know you can make with confidence, and that your crew will enjoy eating. There is no shame in spaghetti with store bought sauce that you've added some Italian sausage to. It's stinkin' delicious and soooo easy! They'll eat it and be happy. Yay, you! I'll help you add to that "go-to" list every Friday on this blog, too, with my "Go-To" Greats recipes. (Lord willing and the Creek don't rise.) Only ever try something new and a little challenging on days when you know you'll have the extra time that it will require.

Next, you want to think about budget. In other words, don't try to cook lamb on a ground beef budget. Be smart with how you build your menu. Try to share the same ingredients with a few of the meals to save money. Look up the sales at your local grocery and frame your list around the best deals. Don't forget to add one or two "Grab -n- Growl" days (a much more fun way of saying, "leftovers or bust"). Buy the lesser cut of meat, the fish that is on sale, and the store brand stuff as much as you can. (Except on toilet paper. Don't mess with my Cottonelle, people.) Use fresh or frozen veggies. Don't fall into the processed food trap. It might be a little easier, but you'll get more for your money if you fix it from scratch.

Finally, consider your health. Your body needs a variety of meats, fruit, vegetables, and dairy. I try to give my family each type of meat and every color of vegetable every week. Plus, variety keeps you from being bored, and no one wants boring meal times, so really it's a win-win. You can be really sneaky with vegetables, too. I'll show you all that later.

Now all there is to do after all your considerations are made is to write it out and put all your ingredients down on the list. You are ready to shop for the week.

Y'all, I hope this has been helpful for you. Please feel free to ask me some questions or make some suggestions if there is something you'd like to see me cover. Go make your lists and menus and get to cooking! Remember, Mama loves you!