Bang Bang Shrimp

Bang Bang Shrimp

My Version

Their Version

Trying to find time to write when Andy is on night shift and I work days is impossible. Maxen puts everything he can find into his mouth, so I can't work for two minutes unless he's asleep, and I go to bed at the same time as Lila. I finally got Andy to take the baby so I can work, and Lila is sitting on my lap whining because she wants to play the Daniel Tiger Tea Party game on the computer. Also, every minute or so she decides she needs to attack me with make-up. I'm going to look like a tranny hooker pretty soon.

Enough complaining about my crazy-busy life, let's get to the cooking! This recipe is one I've been thinking about doing for quite a while. The last time we were in the cities visiting Aunt Paula (for my birthday, in July) she took us to the Bonefish Grill, this delicious place in the West End in St. Louis Park (side note, if I lived in the cities it would be in this area. In a studio apartment probably to afford it). Anyway, we tried their specialty appetizer, Bang Bang Shrimp, and it was the most amazing shrimp I have ever tasted. Because I am (theoretically) following the 21 Day Fix currently, I decided to search pinterest for a "skinny" version--and this is what I found.

Bang Bang Shrimp 

Skinny Mom, March 2016

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces high-protein angel hair pasta (I used Jasmine Rice instead)
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• ½ tablespoon paprika
• ½ tablespoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 pound medium shrimp (40 shrimp), peeled and deveined
• 3 tablespoons plain 0% Greek yogurt
• 3 tablespoons Thai® Kitchen sweet red chili sauce
• 2½ tablespoons sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1½ teaspoons sriracha sauce
• ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced

The fact that I have everything needed for this recipe seems really weird (really? I hate greek yogurt and sriracha, because I'm not a hipster), until I remember I actually had a similar dish in mind a couple of weeks ago and it's just luck the yogurt exists. I really want to substitute mayo, because it is delicious (and the original bang bang shrimp base), but I'm trying to eat healthy. And what else am I going to use plain Greek yogurt for? I guess I could give it to my brother-in-law, who told me that eating plain Greek yogurt is like eating a tub of sour cream, but normal.

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the pasta to al dente according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
2. In a large resealable bag, combine the cornstarch, paprika, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Add the shrimp, seal, and shake a few times to evenly coat the shrimp.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, sweet chili sauce, 1½ tablespoons of the sesame oil, the lime juice, sriracha, and pepper flakes. Pour the sauce over the pasta and toss to evenly coat the pasta. Set aside.
4. In a large skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon sesame oil over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until the shrimp are pink, turning occasionally.
5. Serve the shrimp over the pasta and garnish with the green onions.

This is one of very few recipes I've made where the timing on the recipe is actually pretty accurate. Except they never take into account the "cooking to package directions", which is at least 20 minutes for rice. The only reason it doesn't take forever to make is because there is really no prep work (chopping takes forever, I wish they would take into account the 30 extra minutes it takes to chop veggies in other recipes). 

This recipe is super easy and pretty quick. After I mixed up the sauce I tried a little bit on my finger, and it seemed pretty mild (Andy and I like spicy), so I mixed in another 1 tsp of sriracha, which may have been overkill. My first serving was good. My second serving my tongue was on FIRE! Because it was so spicy, I fed the kids dinosaur chicken nuggets and rice, so they have no opinion on the meal. My husband was mad because I left the tails on the shrimp (they were barely unthawed and my fingers were cold!), but other than that he enjoyed it.

Verdict? Taste of Day Success

Slow-Cooker Enchiladas

Slow-Cooker Enchiladas

The Homemade Version

Tastefully Simple Version

Andy finally talked me into restarting the blog, and I can know there are a couple of people out there that are super excited! First off, welcome back to Taste of Day! I know all five of my regular readers have complained that I stopped writing, so here I am. Back to cooking and trying new things. Only the rules are about to change.

Last week, while grocery shopping, I picked up the new (April, 2016) issue of Woman's Day magazine so I could get started on blog planning. After flipping casually through the magazine twice without finding my monthly menu, I took a closer look at the table of contents, which did not have it listed. I then frantically searched cover to cover, with no luck. OK, maybe they switched it to be an online-only thing. Check the website and, sure enough, there's my "Month of Menus". Click on the link, and the most recent is January 2016. I'm now panicked. What am I going to write about if I don't have a well-planned menu? Am I actually going to have to (gasp!) plan on my own?

On Friday my husband decided that chickens aren't enough so he went out and bought goats. The most expensive goats he could find (apparently they are the "Grade A Angus" of goats. Like I'm actually going to eat a goat steak I raised from a baby). I decided that, in order to save money, I was going to do something unthinkable. I was going to stick to a budget when getting groceries (I can easily drop $200 at the store when I went for a gallon of milk and cereal). And instead of picking a random menu and buying everything I need, I'm going to use everything I have and pick a menu based on that. So, for the month of April I have a $50/week grocery budget (for necessities like milk and lettuce) and the rest I need to have on hand.

To get me through this difficult plan (I have three freezers that are full, along with a pantry and 2 refrigerators), I spent today doing an inventory of everything I have (why do I need 12 cans of green beans?) and decided to start with something super easy: a freezer-meal.

Slow-Cooker Enchiladas

Tastefully Simple

Ingredients:

• 1½ lbs. lean ground beef, browned
• 2 Tbsp. Onion Onion™ Seasoning 
• add to cart
• 2 (10 oz.) cans enchilada sauce
• 15-16 oz. can chili beans in mild or medium sauce
• ½ jar Corn, Black Bean Salsa 
• add to cart
• 11 oz. can corn with red and green bell peppers, drained
• 2.25 oz. can sliced black olives, drained
• 3 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
• 8 (7-8 inch) corn tortillas

My friend, Amanda, had a Tastefully-Simple freezer-meal workshop that I attended in January. I made 10 different recipes and have only tried two of them so far (Maxen loved them both, Lila and Andy liked 1, I didn't like either of them). Unlike normal people, who can do a crock-pot meal on workdays, I prefer doing them on my day off (it's kind of hard to adjust cooking times when you have to start it at 6am). I think this one sounds delicious, lets see how it goes.

Directions:

Serve it tonight: Combine first 7 ingredients in a large bowl. Set aside ½ cup meat sauce and 1/3 cup cheese. Spoon ½ cup meat sauce into a greased slow cooker. Top with 2 tortillas. Add 1/3 of the meat sauce and 1/3 of the cheese. Repeat layers twice. Top with 2 tortillas and reserved meat sauce and cheese. Cover; cook on low 5-6 hours. Salt and pepper to taste.

Freeze it for later: Combine first 7 ingredients in a gallon resealable freezer bag. Place cheese in a quart resealable freezer bag. Place both bags in a gallon resealable freezer bag. Seal well, label and freeze. Thaw completely. Combine ingredients, except cheese and tortillas, in a large bowl. Layer as directed above.

Serve with steamed green beans. (I served mine with fresh avocado)

Andy didn't really love it (he ate it, but he's not a fan of my moms similar casserole, or enchiladas, so I didn't have high hopes he would enjoy it). Lila took two bites (without whining, score!) but it was too spicy so I made her grilled cheese. Maxen loved it and ate his entire plate. I also enjoyed it (my mom's taco casserole is one of my favorite foods), and even had seconds.

Verdict? Taste of day Pass

Turkey Meatball Stroganoff

The homemade version.

The Woman's Day Version. Photo: Con Poulos; Food styling by Simon Andrews;
Prop styling by Marina Malchin

It's been a while since I sat down to write. Heck, it's been a while since I actually cooked. I know I'm supposed to be doing it like every day, but I've just been exhausted for the past week and haven't gotten much of anything done. I did become a chocolatier and now sell Dove Chocolates at home parties, but that's another story. This story is about cooking healthy meals for my family, which I need to get back to doing because eating out is not healthy and it's expensive. I'm excited to make this meal because Lila loves beef stroganoff. At least the kind that comes from a hamburger helper box. This should be tasty. At least she will eat it--she loves noodles and meatballs. As long as it does't involve grilled peaches. Peaches should not be grilled, and if they are, not put with spinach and white wine vinegar. Yuck.

Turkey Meatball Stroganoff

Woman's Day Magazine, November 2014

Ingredients:

• 1 (10 oz) package egg noodles
• 1 large egg
• 2 tbsp. Red Currant Jelly, plus more for serving
• 1/8 tsp. ground allspice
• Kosher salt and pepper
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/4 c. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for serving
• 1/4 c. bread crumbs
• 1 lb. ground turkey
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 package (10 oz) cremini (baby bella) mushrooms
• 3/4 c. dry white wine
• 1/3 c. lowfat sour cream
• 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard

I looked all over the town of Fairmont, in every aisle of the grocery store, and was unable to locate red currant jelly. I could find a red currant and plum chutney with (I believe) mint, but I wasn't going to replace the jelly with it. According to the Cook's Thesaurus at foodsubs.com, you can replace red currant jelly with grape jelly or a combo of apple jelly and lemon juice. I have grape jelly, so that's my plan. I'm not sure if I like the idea of grape jelly in stroganoff (or with meat in general), but it sounds fun I guess? 

I also spent a long time trying to find cremini mushrooms, until I finally just googled it and found out that cremini mushrooms are baby bellas. That is so much easier. I added it to the ingredient parts for anyone who wanted to print off the recipe, so you didn't search forever. 

One thing that does bother me about this recipe is the lack of a vegetable. I know, mushrooms are kind of like a vegetable, and many people consider them to be one, but I want a real, brightly colored veggie. I'm thinking about going with green beans as a side dish, most likely canned no-sodium-added french cut green beans. They are delicious any way you serve them (I tend to go straight out of the can, maybe a bit warmed but no seasoning).

Directions:

1. Heat broiler. Line a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick foil. Cook the noodles according to the package directions.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the egg, jelly, allspice, and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Stir in the garlic and parsley, then the bread crumbs. Let sit for 2 minutes. Add the turkey and mix to combine.
3. Form the turkey mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls (about 20 total) and place on the prepared baking sheet. Broil until cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, season with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper and cook, tossing occasionally, until golden brown and tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the wine and simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in the sour cream and mustard. Toss with the meatballs and additional parsley, if desired, and serve over the noodles.

This was definitely a first: Lila loved it. She wouldn't touch the meatballs (too much "green stuff" inside) or mushrooms, but she loved the noodles and sauce part. She even had seconds! Andy, on the other hand, took one bite of noodles (too much mustard) and one bite of meatball (why are these sweet? Oh, grape jelly? No.). I was somewhere in the middle. I could eat it, but I wouldn't choose to ever again. And after two meatballs and a small scoop of noodles, I was done. We ended up eating the green beans and grilled cheese sandwiches. 

Lila asked if I could make it again sometime. I guess, since she loved it, I'll have to fix the recipe a bit and try again. I'm thinking no jelly in the meatballs (substitute milk and use seasoned bread crumbs) and 1/2 the amount of mustard. Then it should be good. I hope.

Tips: The sauce was quite thin, after I stirred in the sour cream and mustard I added a couple spoonfulls of flour to thicken the sauce.

Verdict? Taste of Day Redo

Grilled Chicken and Peaches Salad

My version. Looks pretty good.

Con Poulos/Woman's Day

Oh, not peaches. I like peach pie (it's basically apple pie), but I've never been a fan of JUST peaches. Lila and Andy love them, so as long as I pick decent ones this one should be fine. Right? I mean, how bad could a grilled peach be? But picking peaches is hard--even people like my sister, who usually does an amazing job of picking out produce, says peaches are hit and miss. Give the job to a novice (me), and this could turn into a disaster quick. I googled, wikipediaed, and Betty Crocker-ed. I smelled, looked, and felt all the peaches in the store. I am in no way confident in my peaches, but let's proceed.

Grilled Chicken and Peaches Salad

Woman's Day Magazine Online, May 2012

Active Time: 15 minutes       Total time: 30 minutes            Level: Easy

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. Grated Ginger
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• Kosher salt and pepper
• 2 medium red onions
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 3 peaches
• 1 bunch spinach

Usually when I do chicken Lila and I share a breast. That's what I'm doing tonight, since chicken is like $7/pound. Also, when I bought my chicken (on Saturday, August 22), I apparently bought chicken that was best if used by August 20. I'm hoping this doesn't look or smell funny. Ok, it's 5 days past the sell-by date, time to find something else. It's already 5:15 pm Tuesday, so the plan is Woody's Pizza tonight (and groceries),  chicken salad tomorrow for supper. Reminder to everyone to look at dates before they buy, because I just threw out $7. Maybe not a lot, but it adds up I'm sure.

Directions:

1. Heat grill to medium-high. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, ginger, 1 Tbsp of the oil, and 1/8 tsp each salt and pepper; set aside.
2. Brush the onions with 1 Tbsp of the oil and season with 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper. Brush the chicken with 1 tsp of the oil, and season with 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper. In a bowl, toss the peaches with the remaining Tbsp oil.
3. Grill the chicken and onions until the chicken is cooked through and the onions are tender, 5 to 6 minutes per side. Grill the peaches (reserve the bowl) until charred, 2 minutes per side.
4. Transfer the peaches and onions to the bowl. Add the spinach and vinaigrette and toss to combine. Serve with the chicken.

So, that was almost a week ago. I did end up making 4 chicken breasts, and I'm happy I did because that was pretty much the only edible part of the meal for me. Andy thought they were delicious--then he realized that the meal was the salad part. I don't think Andy even touched his peaches, but he did eat the salad both for supper and then as lunch at work. I took a bite of peaches and spinach, got to try it right? It was gross. The combo of warm, gooey peaches, crisp spinach, and a white wine vinaigrette was not a flavor I enjoyed. I couldn't even eat the plain spinach after that because the peaches were still sort of just there. Lila and I decided to have lettuce with ranch and croutons. That was way better.

Tips: Grilled peaches would be fine, good even, on ice cream. They don't belong in salad. 

Verdict: Taste of Day FAIL.

Black Bean Burger with Couscous

The homemade version

Their version. Photo: Con Poulos; Food Styling by Maggie Ruggero;
Prop Styling by Erin Swift

On the plus side, they finally decided to celebrate "Meatless Monday." If I'm going to go meatless, it needs to be alliterative. I would prefer if meatless meant grilled cheese and tomato soup, but beggars can't be choosers. On the negative side, more couscous. I remember not enjoying couscous at all the last time we had it. In fact, we disliked it so much we fed it to the chickens. I'm hoping this will be better, but my one experience with a veggie burger did not go well. It kind of looks tasty, but a bit boring. We will see how this goes. My in-laws are coming to visit, I wonder if they will be staying for supper or not? Only time will tell (my guess is my father-in-law will decline).

Black Bean Burger with Couscous

Woman's Day Magazine, December 2014

Active time: 25 minutes        Total time: 25 minutes        Level: Moderate
Serves: 4         Cost per serving: $1.14
Ingredients:

• 1 c. couscous
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium red onion
• 2 clove garlic
• 1 tsp fresh thyme
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• Kosher salt 
• Pepper
• 2 medium carrots
• 1 can vegetarian refried beans
• 4 english muffins
• lettuce
• sliced avocado
• red onion
• tomato

This is one time I should have read the recipe before going to the store. The handy-dandy shopping list on the Woman's Day app (usually super convenient!) told me to buy a can of black beans. The actual recipe says a can of refried beans. Luckily, I have a can of refried beans in the cupboard. They're traditional, which means my version isn't actually vegetarian, but since we're omnivores around here it's not a big deal. My husband thinks I should just skip this meal, but that's not really the point of this experiment is it? The goal is to try new things and follow each day, regardless of the meal. I mean, obviously I've skipped days before (because we had something planned), and sometimes I have an issue come up that involves switching days, but I can't just skip it because it sounds terrible. Maybe we will be surprised! Lila does love refried beans.

Directions:

1. Place couscous in a medium bowl. Add 1 1/4 c. hot tap water, cover and let sit for 15 minutes; fluff with fork.
2. Meanwhile, heat 1 Tbsp oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add all the 1/4 c. onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 4-5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and thyme, sprinkle with 1 tsp cumin and 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
3. Add 1/2 the carrots (about 1 c.) and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes more, remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl. Fold in refried beans and 1/2 c. prepared couscous.
4. With wet hands, form mix into 4 3/4" thick patties. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook the patties until browned and heated through, about 3 minutes per side.
5. Fold remaining carrots, onion, Tablespoon oil, and 1/2 tsp cumin into couscous along with 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper. Serve the burgers on English muffins and top with lettuce, avocado, onions and tomato, as desired. Serve with couscous.

OK, so that happened. My first issue arose with the cooking of the couscous, I followed the directions on the recipe and ended up with wet, crunchy couscous. I then put it in a pan and simmered until cooked through and water was gone. If you want to make this, just follow the directions on the bag. 

This is what the patty mixture looked like

The next problem I had was the forming of the patties: it was warm and gooey and actually felt like a pile of poo (I'm a nurse, I know what I'm talking about). It also looked like poo and (surprise surprise) tasted terrible. As my husband said, it could be good if you used it in something, like tacos or burritos, but on its own it was not our favorite. I personally just didn't like the carrots and couscous, it probably would have been OK if it had just bean beans and onion. Still not my favorite, but probably better. We all had a couple of bites then when to The Still for burgers. Real meat is always better than fake meat, at least in this family.

Tips: Follow the instructions on the couscous, not the recipe. Make sure everything is chopped before you start cooking. Sometimes, you can chop as you go, this recipe you're better off having everything prepped before you start. If you don't like couscous, this will not make you a fan.

Verdict? Taste of Day FAIL!

Pork Tenderloin with Summer Succotash

The homemade version.

Alexandra Rowley/Woman's Day

I've spent most of the last week at the Martin County Fair eating a lot of junk. We had both plain and jalapeno cheese curds (the plain were better), hamburgers, fresh cut fries, malts, nachos, and mini donuts. After all that fried food, I'm looking forward to a healthy meal with actual vegetables! We had succotash for the first time on August 1st (the first blog meal), and it was delicious. That one had edamame instead of lima beans, this one looks like it is made with lima beans. I'm not really a fan of them, but I'm learning to try a lot of things with this project. Not all of them are good, but I'm trying. I hope that this one turns out to be as good as the first. And pork usually turns out ok--if all else fails, just smother it in ketchup.

Pork Tenderloin with Summer Succotash

Woman's Day Magazine, June 2012

Active Time: 25 minutes            Total Time: 25 minutes         Level: Easy

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 pork tenderloin (1 1/4 pounds)
• 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
• Kosher salt
• pepper
• 1 onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 package frozen lima beans or shelled edamame (10 oz)
• 1 c. fresh or frozen corn kernels (about 1 ear)
• 1 Tbsp red-win or sherry vinegar

What is it about Kosher salt that is superior to regular salt? I have table salt, which is what I use (mostly because iodine is important for your brain, especially when pregnant or breastfeeding). Apparently, when switching from Kosher to table salt, you should cut the amount in half. Good to know. Also, sea salt (which I also use regularly) naturally contains iodine. I may start using seas salt in all my recipes and save the "table salt" for the table and baking. I'm not sure if I will be cooking at home or away tonight, but since my brother left for college there won't be anyone to complain about pork loin (my Lila is a carnivore, as long as it doesn't come in a fancy sauce she'll probably love it).

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400F. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the pork with the chili powder (1 1/2 tsp), 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Cook, turning occasionally, until browned, 6-8 minutes.
2. Transfer the pork to a baking sheet and roast until a thermometer registers 145F, 12-14 minutes*. Transfer the pork to a cutting board and let rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing.
3. Meanwhile, wipe out the skillet and heat remaining Tbsp oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, bell pepper, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 6-8 minutes.
4. Add the lima beans and corn and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the vinegar. Serve with pork (can be served hot, cold, or room temperature).

 *For me this resulted in pork that was quite rare. I put it in for a total of 18 minutes and it was still perfectly juicy but cooked through. Because of the chili powder rub, I thought it might end up a bit too spicy for Lila to enjoy, but she ended up eating more pork than anyone else (smothered in ketchup of course) and actually ate some of the corn from her succotash.

I always take the time to read comments before preparing a recipe, and this is the first Woman's Day recipe I've come across with comments. The lady said that she prepared as instructed, and the lima beans were rock hard and inedible. Based on her advice, I cooked the onion mix for 3 minutes, threw the lima beans in for 5 minutes and then added the corn as instructed. I still didn't care for the lima beans, but they were edible.

My mother and I both have pepper plants in our gardens, so I decided to use what we grew. I had a yellow pepper that was small but ripe, my mom had purple peppers. I ended up using one of each. Purple peppers, if you aren't familiar, are not good for eating raw, but when cooked basically turn into a green pepper (they even change color). If I were to remake this recipe, I would use the edamame instead of lima beans for a couple of reasons: they have a higher protein content and they taste better. I mostly picked my beans out (as did Lila), but the dish turned out well.

Mom also made a fresh pico de gallo from her garden with tomatoes, onion, garlic, 1/2 a habenero pepper, salt, and pepper. We used Tostillos Cantina chips to dip, and it was a perfect mix of salty crunch with the crisp taste of fresh tomatoes. Overall, a delicious meal.

Tips: Play around with the ingredients for the succotash. Watch the meat cooking time, I tend to go for more time with pork, which should always be cooked through (at least in my opinion, and I come from an area of pork producers).

Verdict? Taste of Day Success!

Tex-Mex Chicken Salad

This is my version.

Jonny Valiant

Just reading this title makes me hungry. There's a picture so it's obviously a lettuce salad with a Tex-Mex feel, but it makes me hungry for a chicken salad sandwich. I'm imagining chicken mixed in with my homemade guacamole on a tortilla. Maybe a little Colby jack cheese mixed in. Lila and Andy both love tacos. Like, I will eat three tacos every day for the rest of my life and still want tacos love. I'm pretty sure this meal will be a hit for everyone.

Tex-Mex Chicken Salad

Woman's Day Online, October 2014

Active time: 15 minutes             Total time: 15 minutes            Level: Easy

Serves: 4          Cost per serving: $2.31

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 c. shredded rotisserie chicken
• 1 can pinto beans
• 1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1 c. fresh corn kernels
• 1 c. fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 1/4 c. fresh lime juice
• 2 Tbsp low-fat sour cream
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp honey
• Kosher salt
• pepper
• tortilla chips

I don't know where the people writing these shop, but it's definitely not the Estherville, Iowa Hy-Vee. The chicken alone cost more than their estimate for the entire recipe ($8.99 for just the breasts). Add on 2 limes ($1.38), a can of pinto beans ($1.99) and chips ($4.29) and the cost has gone up significantly ($4.32/person). That isn't even counting all the stuff I already had at my house.

While I was doing my shopping, I bought the new Woman's Day magazine for my September month of menus--some of the recipes look amazing. I'm especially looking forward to the "fried" chicken on Friday the 4th! Andy is, of course, concerned about the meals that lack meat, but they even look good (more cheese and noodles, less nuts).

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, gently toss together the chicken, beans, lettuce, corn, cilantro, avocado and onion.
2. In a bowl, whisk together the lime juice, sour cream, oil, honey, and 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper.
3. Drizzle dressing over salad and gently toss to combine. Serve with tortilla chips, if desired.

That's it. Simple. Fresh. Delicious. There are no tomatoes in this recipe, but I have a ton in my garden so I chopped up a couple and threw them in. There's no such thing as tacos without tomatoes. Andy of course complained about the cilantro, and Lila just complained, but overall the opinion was positive. Andy ate a big plate, decided he would wrap up the leftovers in a tortilla for work tomorrow night, and went to hold Maxen on the couch. Lila finally started eating after he left. She ate chips with sour cream, a mini pepper, a cherry tomato, and one bite of the salad. She did eat the chicken, after I picked it out for her. Then she had two bowls of strawberries with whipped cream. She was complaining she was hungry, but we stood our ground and said no snacks (the strawberries were planned), eat your supper. She went to bed a little cranky.

Tips: As per the magazine and Andy, wrap up leftovers in a tortilla. 

Verdict? Taste of Day Success