Beer bread - recipe from a friend

Beer bread:
3 cups flour, sifted

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt 

1/4 cup sugar

1 12oz beer

1/4 cup butter, melted. 

Mix all ingredients except butter. Spread in a GREASED round cake pan. Pour melted butter on top. Bake in preheated oven 375 for 55 minutes.

The Best Beef Stew: Altered from "Crock Pot Best Loved Slow Cooker Recipes"

Here's the book the stew recipe is from:
Crock-Pot Best-Loved Slow Cooker Recipes



I have altered the amount of meat in this recipe. The original called for 3 lbs of stew meat in standard size and 1lb smoked sausage sliced. I've found that dicing the reduced amount of meat still have meat in every bite but it's much more manageable.

The Best Beef Stew:

1/3 cup flour + 2 tablespoons divided

2 tsp Salt

2 tsp pepper

1 lb beef stew meet diced (I use med-rare cooked roast which I freeze in 1lb ziploc bags alread diced)

1 can (15-16 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained

3 red potatoes (I've used yellow too) peeled and diced

1/2 smoked sausage (I used turkey smoked kilbasa)

1 cup chopped leek (I used 1-2 leeks, whatever looks good) 

1 cup chopped onion (I used 1 medium and didnt measure)
4 sticks celery diced

1/2 cup chicken broth

4 cloves garlic minced

1 tsp dried thyme

3 TBS water

1. Combine 1/2 cup flour, salt & pepper in bag. Shake meet to cover. Dump in Crock.

2.Add remaining ingredients except 2TBS flour and the water. Stir. Cover. Cook on low 8-12 hours or on high 4-6 hours. 

3. One hour before serving turn to high. Combine 2 TBS flour and cold water (I shake it well in a plastic container). Add to crock and stir into stew. 

I serve with Beer Bread

Costco Shopping, Food Storage and corresponding recipes

I make a bee line to the produce department.

I only shop in season fruits (a 10 lb package of gross apples is a complete waste of money).

English Cucumbers. A key part of our day. 2 3-packs will last us a week...maybe two

The only "sides" we make are salads, roasted veggies, and veggie "fries" A package of Romaine keeps in our crisper drawer for 2+weeks. Plenty of time to eat it all.

This spinach is delicious.
We love it with beef and feta!
It only keeps in the fridge for about a week but it freezes well and is excellent in smoothies
To Freeze just flatten bag and release air. I roll mine so it sits end over end.

Bakery:

These torta rolls are excellent for French Dip sandwiches (with the Beef Round Eye Round Roast).
They have a very short shelf life (typically 4 days) so plan to eat them soon or don't pick up any.

$4.29 for two loaves Nature's Own 100% Whole Wheat.
This typically lasts for almost 1 month.

These are delicious and they have a shelf life of 2+ months.

Meat and Poultry: 

Beef:

88%/12% reasonably lean for a reasonable price.
I prefer to get my ground beef in this package as close to an even 6lbs as possible.

For storage ideas click here 

For recipes click here

This Beef Round Eye Round Roast is amazing. Super lean and delicious. According to most data I've found this averages 1 gram of fat and 8 grams of protein PER OUNCE. At $4.29 (was $3.99 in Jan 2014) it is an excellent choice for a red meat.
For more information on this roast click here
For meal ideas and other storage options click here

PORK - THE OTHER WHITE MEAT:

I used to think Pork Tenderloins were the way to get more lean pork in our diets.
Two Tenderloins in each vacuum packed section.
In my opinion, Pork tenderloins are not nearly as versatile as Pork Roasts,
particularly because the tenderloins do not fit in my round crockpot.

Pork Sirloin Tip Roast 0 grams fat and 6 grams of protein per ounce.

4 roasts individually vacuum sealed and ready to freeze or cook.

Just $1.99 per pound.

My preferred recipes include:

Brown Sugar and Balsamic Glazed Pork

Any crockpot pulled pork variations.

Crock pot pork carnitas

Crockpot Chipotle Roast For Tacos, Nachos, and Sandwiches

Update: Costco quit selling the Pork Sirloin Tip Roast. I was heartbroken, devastated, crushed, etc. I spoke to the butcher shop manager and sure enough, they cancelled their agreement with Smithfield due to unpredictable packaging causing spoilage. Next time I go to Costco I'll try to remember my camera my updated option.

Chicken Breast:
$2.99 per pound fresh chicken breast vacuum packed and ready to cook or freeze. The organic option is available for $3.99 per pound. Legs set you back a mere $.99 per lb with boneless skinless thighs (a favorite around here) weighing in at $1.99 per lb
Or over in the freezer section Kirkland Individually Vacuum packed chicken breast check out for $2.61 per pound.

Click here for recipes

Lamb:

Checkout that beautiful rack.
At $10.99 a pound I think I'll just admire it
from a distance until I've somewhat mastered lamb

I've never cooked lamb.
Weighing in at $4.99 per pound. I hope to give this a go soon.

DAIRY

Cheese:

Block of Parmigiano $11.49 per pound.
A substantial per pound saving but grating
 this is a long process or pick up the pre-shredded

Shredded Parmigiano: $14.39 per pound

The price tag was missing from the Feta but I do buy it. I believe it's about $4 and it's life expectancy is over a year!
So many great recipes call for Feta. We eat tons of salad and a little feta on a beef and spinach salad is truly magical or go for a wedding salad with the Organic Spring Mix, craisins, feta, chopped almonds, and a drizzle of your favorite salad dressing/oil/vinegar.

I'll pick up a tub if I'm planning multiple Italian meals
(lasagne is my go to new mom meal) or
I'll freeze it flat stored in freezer quart Ziploc® bags in two cup increments

Excellent price.
I grate it, flash freeze on a cookie sheet,
then store in freezer in 2 cup increments in freezer quart Ziploc® bags.

This cheddar is delicious. It's shelf life is about 3 months.  

Did you know most cheddar cheese is safe for the lactose intolerant? It's true, depending on the aging process, cheddar cheese may be safe for the lactose intolerant. My husband has extremely severe reactions to lactose and yet this cheese sits with him just fine.

MILK:

Almond Milk $2.60 per half gallon carton.
Amazing in smoothies and for the lactose intolerant in your life.

2% milk. $3.15 per gallon

OTHER DAIRY:

Plain, Fat Free Greek yogurt.
Great for recipes and useful to substitute for higher fat options.
$3.45 per 32 oz container

Greek Yogurt uses: In smoothies, use it instead of sour cream to compliment food, Stonyfield® published a fantastic PDF of different ways to substitute for other high fat options, with a cake mix to make a delicious high protein low-fat cake, in this amazing chicken breast recipe, in place of mayonnaise in tartar sauce, in place of buttermilk in Ranch® dressing mix for a fat free salad dressing or dip, with a packet of onion soup mix for chip dip, etc.

Butter. 4 boxes (4 sticks per box) $8.79. That's $2.20 per box.

SNACKS:

$4.99 per bag. These are the only chips we buy.
My husband is a chip person, I am not. Our compromise is tortilla chips.

Check out the ingredients: Organic Apples.
The bag says there are over 30 apples per bag.
Having made my own apple chips in the past I totally believe them.

Organic Animal Crackers-I could live without these and haven't purchased them in 2 years.

FREEZER: 

These are the individually vacuum packed chicken breasts. $2.69 per pound

SMOOTHIES!!! Frozen berry mix is perfect for smoothies.

COFFEE:

We get the Kirkland Columbia.
$3.00 per pound this is my absolute favorite coffee and not just because of the price.

VARIOUS:

7-1lb boxes of variety pasta usually $7.99
This lasts us about 6 months.

Organic Diced Tomatoes
8 15oz cans
$.75 per can

Organic Tomato Sauce
12 15oz cans
$.63 per can

Here is Extra Virgin. I think this is what I get...but it's been a year+ since I last purchased any.

$15.99 for Organic Cold Pressed Coconut Oil is an amazing price

HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS:

If you have a 3 year old son with a brand new bike (or any kids), I highly recommend stopping by the pharmacy for a box of bandaids. This box contains 100 of THE perfect size Baind-Aid® brand adhesive bandages. This box of magical boo-boo disappearing stickers set me back $4.57 which is approximately $1,000,000 cheaper than a box of 10 Jake and the Neverland Pirates undersized bandages. These are available at the pharmacy counter and are more affordable than the other bandages in the health department area. Update: these bandaids were a BAD IDEA. For some reason the sticky strips rip off when I try to remove the backing. Stick to the health department ones.