27 and Frugal

leslie August 08, 2011 Expenses, Food 12 Comments

I knew that groceries would be expensive in Manhattan. They were expensive in NJ so thought the difference would be negligible. It was not.

Here’s my first shopping trip on the upper west side:

Grated parm: $3.91
Grapes @ $2.69/lb: $5.33
100% whole grain bread: $3.99
Jarred Pesto: $3.59
Unsalted butter: $4.39
Cottage Cheese: $3.79
Strawberries: $3.99
Nellie’s Natural Eggs: $2.69
Chicken breasts: $6.01

Now, let’s compare this to the prices of some of these at a central New Jersey Wegman’s super market:

Cottage Cheese: $2.99
Unsalted Butter: $2.79
Strawberries: $2.49
Eggs: $3.69
Grapes @ $2.49/lb
Pesto: $2.49
Bread: $2.69

Shopping Around

Now, I am sure that the prices are cheaper in the outer boroughs and plan … Continue reading »

leslie July 11, 2011 Food 2 Comments

I was looking through a friend’s pasta cookbook when I saw a recipe that used strawberries, balsamic vinegar & canned tomatoes to make a pasta sauce. I had never thought of strawberries being used in that way and was immediately intrigued.

Fast forward to several months later, I stumbled upon this article about the strawberry pasta sauce. After just buying some strawberries recently, I decided to have a kitchen experiment of my own and give it a shot.

Honestly, I had my doubts, but the result turned out much better than I expected!

Note: I didn’t measure … Continue reading »

leslie February 01, 2011 Food, Tips 12 Comments

With busy schedules, finding time to cook, especially if you do not enjoy it, can be difficult. Many “quick and easy” recipes are subjectively so. Numerous steps and ingredients can be overwhelming to someone who is used to take-out. When cooking solely for yourself, things like plating and appearance can take a back seat to quickness.

For those of you who don’t know, I spend a minimum of 13 hours a day doing work activities (including commuting) and am never home before 7p. Although I do enjoy cooking, I do not want it to occupy my entire evening. Since I am only cooking for myself, the quicker the meal is to make, the better.

Some might scoff that this isn’t a recipe at all, but we all have to start somewhere. Putting together this easypeasy pesto pasta (say that three times fast!) is still better than take-out.

Yes, I know fresh-made pesto will taste better, but it’s winter. And sometimes, there just is not time for that.

Continue reading »

leslie January 10, 2011 Food 2 Comments

As part of my 2011 goals, I said that I would try one new recipe a week. Here’s this weeks adapted from AllRecipes.

I didn’t actually measure much of the ingredients. Instead I mixed everything together to taste, then added the chicken and made sure it was covered. The chicken does come out tasting pretty balsamic-y but I loved the taste even without searing it beforehand. It came out great on the foreman, though I am sure you could also sear full breasts on the stove then bake with potatoes/vegetables to add even more flavor to your meal. Even better, plan ahead and marinate the chicken overnight. As usual, he longer you marinate the better the flavor but mine were in for 20 minutes and tasted great!

What You Need
1/2C Balsamic Vinegar
1T Soy Sauce
1t Brown Sugar
1t Garlic Powder
Salt/Pepper to taste

What You Do

1. Mix all ingredients together and marinate 3 thin sliced chicken breasts.
2. Remove chicken from marinade and put onto a pre-heated Foreman grill for several minutes.
3. Eat!

Continue reading »

leslie December 13, 2010 Food 7 Comments

This is my go-to recipe for get-togethers. It is fast, easy, fairly affordable and all homemade. This combination is a huge crowd pleaser.

Let’s start with the pita chips. You can flavor them however you like and I encourage you to experiment with different seasonings and flavors that you like. Usually, I just stick with salt and some garlic powder then offer several dips to kick up the flavor. I have spread pesto on them as well. This is totally up to you.

Pita Chips

2 Packages of Pita Bread (white or whole wheat)
Olive … Continue reading »