Menu Monday - Paninis are better than Sandwiches!

First, let me apologize.  Last week was a bit crazy (including an interview for a great job!!) so I'm sorry for my lack of posts.  But I'm back today with a great new recipe the hubs and I tried out this weekend.

One of the worst times for us is weekends.  Out running errands most of the weekend, hubby and I tend to just grab something to eat at a "reasonable" restaurant and sometimes that means eating out two or three times a weekend!  This weekend we had plans for dinner Saturday night and decided to make something new and fun for lunch instead of eating out.  We got a panini maker for a shower gift and everyone knows, paninis are better than sandwiches!  We opened up our panini cookbook and found a fun new recipe we LOVED. We learned a few lessons with it, which I will explain after I show you the great recipe and photos!

Crab Melt

Ingredients:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3 Tbls finely chopped fennel bulb
3 Tbls thinly sliced green onion
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning (or other Chesapeake Bay-seafood seasoning)
8 oz fresh lump crabmeat (we used imitation)
2 hot dog buns
1 Tbls unsalted butter
2 oz shredded Cheddar Cheese (optional)

All of our ingredients and the great cookbook we got the recipe from!

Directions:
     In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, fennel, green onion, lemon juice and zest, and Old Bay seasoning until well blended.  Gently stir in the crabmeat, takingcare not to break it up too much.
     Preheat the sandwich grill.  Open the hot dog buns flat and brush on all sides with the melted butter.  Place in the grill, close the top plate and cook until lightly toasted, 2-3 minutes.  If using the cheese, leave the buns in the grill and heap the crab salad into them, dividing it evenly, then sprinkle with cheese.  Lower the top to within 1/2 inch of the cheese and hold until melted, 30-40 seconds.  If not using the cheese, simply transfer the toasted buns to warmed plates, heap the crab salad into them, and serve at once.

The sandwiches were delicious!  We made them with some of my mom's homemade potato fries that the hubs loves so much.  A couple of things we learned.  First, we already had fennel seed seasoning so instead of spending the money on a fennel bulb (which we couldn't find at our local grocery store) we substituted the fennel seed.  We only used half the amount of seed it called for because raw seasonings are always stronger than the fresh fennel bulb, but that was still a bit much.  I would suggest only using 1/2 Tbls of fennel seed, taste the mixture and see if it needs more.  Also, we substituted fake crab meat because its cheaper and easier to find and wouldn't have to worry about picking shells out of the meat anyhow! It made it much easier to fix.  We have enough left over in crab meat and other seasonings for 1 more sandwich, which may come in handy this week since we are expecting a blizzard here in Missouri!  Another reason having leftovers is always great, you never know when you're going to be trapped in the house for days at a time!

The finished product with our potato fries with cheese!  So yummy!

So let me know how your crab melt is!  And don't forget to send me any of your favorite low cost recipes for me to try and feature on Menu Mondays!

Introducing...Menu Mondays!

My good friend Amanda had a great idea so if you enjoy my new Menu Mondays, you can thank her!  Being on a budget means cooking a lot more and the worst thing that can happen is getting into a rut, which leads to boredom and, at least in our case, leads to going out to eat just to change things up.  My husband and I have decided to try a new recipe at least once a week, so now I will start sharing those recipes with you!  Here is what I promise...I promise the recipes will be budget friendly, things you may already have in your fridge or meals that will go a long way!

To start out, I have to thank The Nest magazine.  Those of you who signed up for The Knot when you got engaged probably receive this seasonal magazine as well, full of great ideas and tips on everything from the kitchen to decorating to baby making.  The latest issue had 5 Meals Under $5 so the hubby and I decided to give one a try and we have to say, it was fabulous!  Below is the recipe and a few pictures of what part of the final product looked like.  We ate it with a bottle of wine we had already opened and had a really nice homemade meal that cost us very little and we still have enough for leftovers AND enough ingredients to make it again!  So without further ado - here is the first Menu Monday Recipe!

Apricot Glazed Pork Chops with Lime Cilantro Couscous

Ingredients:
1 Tbl. Olive Oil
1/2 Tbl. peeled and finely chopped fresh ginger
1/4 Cup apricot marmalade or jam
2 bone in pork loin chops (each 8-10 oz and 1/2 in thick), trim fat (We used no bone chops and it still was wonderful!)
Kosher salt and cracked black pepper
1/2 Cup couscous
1 Tbl. chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp. grated lime zest
1 Tbl. fresh lime juice

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to broil, with the rack set 4-6 inches from the heat.
2. In a heavy skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add ginger and cook until golden brown.  Add marmalade or jam, and reduce heat to medium.
3. Place pork on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil; season generously with salt and pepper.  Brush both sides with the apricot glaze.
4. Broil until thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the pork chop reads 155F.  (About 8-10 minutes. Ours took 10 minutes since we didn't have a thermometer)
5. While the pork chops are in the oven, begin the couscous by following the directions on the box.  After removing the couscous from heat, stir in cilantro, lime juice and zest.
6. Carefully remove pork chops from oven and brush again with marmalade.  Allow meat to rest 5 minutes before serving with the couscous.

 All the ingredients we had left over (plus some frozen pork).  Enough to definitely make it again without spending more than $2 at the store.

The meal was incredibly simple and was a lot of fun for the hubby and I to make together.  I am also pretty sure you could easily substitute chicken for the pork if you aren't a pork eater.  A couple of tips...we used the boneless pork chops which we bought at Sam's and got 9 pork chops!  They are extra thick so we cut them in half and were able to make twice as many pork chops, which led to yummy leftovers for lunch during the week.  Also, make sure the lime zest is chopped very small before you mix it in with the couscous.  We thought ours was chopped up enough but a couple of times we would get a heavy dose of lime zest in a bite!

So let me know how it is!   Have a recipe you use a lot that you think I should try and feature in Menu Mondays?  Let me know!  I'm always looking for inexpensive recipes that can be stretched.  Bon Appetite!

Sacrificing Doesn't Have to Feel Like Sacrificing...

I was having a conversation with my mom last night that inspired this topic. We were discussing living on a budget, and how everybody has to do it, some of us are just better at it than others. I think the hardest time to live on a budget, though, is right out of college.  For the first time you aren't surviving based on your parents' income, its based on your income. Some of your friends are making $50-$60K a year right out of school and some are still searching for a job living on a very limited "allowance."  When I first graduated I was at the bottom of the barrel when it came to my salary compared to my  friends and roommates, but I made it work, sometimes it was just more difficult than others.

I think the one thing I learned that was most important, was sacrifice.  I love to shop, I love to travel, I love to be pampered, and I love to go out to eat and to the bars with my friends, but I realized quickly that my spending money, after paying rent, bills and groceries, was not going to allow for all 3 of those things every month.  Some sacrifices were easier than others and trust me, I learned that the hard way.  Just ask my first roommates out of college, there were times I had to tell them I couldn't go to dinner or couldn't go to the bars because I couldn't afford it that month.  I had made a sacrifice, because maybe I had instead gone to visit a friend out of town or bought a new super cute outfit.  Either way, I couldn't have it all, and that's a lesson that is hard for all of us to learn.

I've had to make hard sacrifices too, some very hard.  I've missed some very good friends' weddings because I just couldn't afford a plane ticket and two nights in a hotel.  I'm lucky, because my friends have all understood.  I had some friends not make it to my wedding for the same reason and although I was sad, I was never upset, because not being able to do everything and be everywhere is just a part of life.

My husband and I have become very good at substituting our sacrifices so we don't feel like we are missing out on it all. We both love a good massage, but instead of going to the overly expensive spa in town, we go to the massage school.  It's at least half the price and you aren't allowed to tip!  They only have the most experienced students doing the massages and they still have all those great oils!  We can't go as much as we would like, but being able to afford it every once in awhile is worth it.  And shopping.  We LOVE to shop.  But we have yet to spend full price on pretty much anything we buy.  We give ourselves a budget, go to the stores we have coupons and deals for, and get more for our money.  And did I mention we budget?  We know we can't shop every weekend, but we also don't want to feel like we look frumpy, so we go just enough to keep our wardrobe looking nice, but not so much that we sacrifice anything big.  In the same area as massages, I really enjoy a nice manicure and pedicure every once in awhile...what girl doesn't?  But I've learned that $12-$50 a week isn't really doable at the moment.  Instead I treat myself to a new bottle of nail polish every few weeks.  Yes, I may get the $8 polish, but $8 once a month versus $45 is a big difference and I can still feel like my nails look great.  Can't paint your own nails?  Have some friends over and pamper each other.  The stores are full of fun things to help you do your nails, open a bottle of wine or 2 and have an inexpensive night in with the girls! Or maybe you can afford one or the other.  Rotate, one week get a manicure and the next a pedicure.  You still feel pampered, you just have to do half the work yourself :).

Travel is a big sacrifice.  That's one thing we have really had to cut.  Just this week I had to tell my best friend we wouldn't be seeing her in 2 weeks for a trip we've had planned for awhile.  She completely understood and reconfirmed why she is my best friend with that.  Because no matter what you think, your friends will understand.  They won't talk about you behind your back, they won't even snicker.  They get it, because like I said, they are budgeting too.  What we are doing is planning.  Our friends are getting married in San Jose in September, so we are planning that trip (which happens to coincide with our anniversary), we are making a list of places we want to go, people we want to see, so that we can start saving.  And when the time comes, we will be prepared.

Trust me, I'm no pro at this.  I was terrible at it until recently.  Maybe its maturity, the whole "I'm married now and my finances aren't my own anymore" mentality, but I like to think that my past mistakes are what make me better at it now.  Girls nights in with a bottle of wine instead of a crowded noisy bar, BYOB party at your place where everyone brings something to snack on and their favorite bottle of alcohol - you just provide the mixers and a couple snacks (see my  post on Costco and Sams!), Matinee movies and then dinner instead of dinner and then a late movie or eating in then going out to a movie, eating out at restaurants you have coupons for, pulling out a set amount of cash every month as your "fun money" and when that is gone, you're done, all of this is just a place to start.  Even asking for restaurant gift cards, or mall gift cards for birthdays or holiday gifts is a great way to go if that's what you enjoy.  Restaurant.com is a great place to look for gift certificates for yourself even!  They advertise spending $10 for a $25 gift card to spend at certain restaurants.  There, you just saved $15, now you can go to that movie or grab a drink after too :).  And trust me, even if you don't think your friends are budgeting, when you pull out that B1G1 coupon at your favorite restaurant, they will be just as excited as you, maybe they will even buy you an extra drink!

Road Trips - My Survival Guide

This past weekend, my husband, puppy and I loaded up the car and headed to Dallas for an incredible weekend of family.  My husband and I love road trips.  About a year ago, we decided we wanted to do one mini road trip a month to explore all there is to see in middle America.  We didn't do such a great job of turning that thought into a reality, but we still love the road trip!

Living life on a budget cuts back on our road trip possibilities (we just had to cancel a weekend trip with our best friends because of it) but being able to have a very low expense weekend in Dallas, we couldn't pass up the idea of it.  Luckily Dallas is a quick, 7 hour road trip.  We both ate lunch before we left the house and knew we would get to Dallas in time for dinner which saved us money right off the bat.  My mother-in-law also stocked us full of some car ride goodies in order to keep us from eating the crapola you find on the road as well as save us a few dollars from having to buy it in the first place.

The hubs and I are also pretty good at gauging our gas, no pun intended.  We knew that one tank of gas would take us almost all the way to Dallas (we would roll in on fumes, but we could have done it), so at about half a tank we started watching the gas stations.  We knew that gas was anywhere from $2.92 a gallon to $3.10 a gallon depending on where we stopped and we didn't want to get stuck at a $3.10 station.  Luckily, on this drive, you go through a bunch of towns in Oklahoma, which is a pain for speed limit purposes, but is great for gas hunting purposes.  As soon as we hit about 1/2 a tank we ran into a stop that was $2.94, a good deal if you ask me.  We know that we aren't going to get "cheap" gas anymore, so rather than taking our car as far as we can go and getting stuck getting whatever we get stuck with, we tend to play it safe and try to fill up at a half tank at a good price.  If you are going on a road trip, check out the AAA website...they are great at letting you know about how much the round trip will cost you, allowing you to budget better.  Just an FYI, I checked it on Friday before we left and it actually said it would cost us more in gas than it actually did!

While in Dallas my amazing husband understood the importance of girl time.  We know we are living on a budget, but like is the purpose of this blog, we like to continue to live.  My cousins and I were headed to H&M, a store found around most of the country except where we are in Springfield and were my cousins are in Houston.  Luckily, Dallas has one single store!  The hubby gave me a $30 budget, which I found completely fair considering our financial situation and the cost of clothes at H&M (easily could have bought me a sweater...bought my cousin 2 shirts)!  With a little extra boost from my mom (my parents like to make sure we can continue to live our lives as well) I headed to H&M with a $60 budget and walked out with 2 great new sweaters.

We headed back to Springfield on Monday with a car stocked with goodies.  My incredible uncle packed us sandwiches and my equally incredible aunt stocked us with snacks and goodies and insisted we take more bottles of water than we had planned on (there was no shortage of bottled water at this house)!  We were smart again on our gas on the way back, although when we went to fill up to head out we thought we had hit the motherload with $2.89 gas only to find out the station was actually out of fuel.  Explains the lower cost on their sign, they must have been out for at least 2 weeks.

Hubs and I definitely spent more this weekend than we would have if we had stayed home, but we wouldn't have traded the trip for anything.  We would not be able to live our life and be so safe living our lives as we have continued to do without the support of our families near and far.  But more importantly, we would not have been able to do the road trip had we not done it smart.  We stayed with family, we budgeted while we were there, but more importantly, we planned ahead.  Planning...it comes naturally for us, but it is what allows us to continue living our lives the way we want to live them!

The Gift of Girlfriends

I'm lucky.  Through all of the trials and tribulations we are facing right now, I have an amazing family, great in-laws and a beyond fantastic husband, all of which motivate me, challenge me, and inspire me every day.  But on top of that, I have the world's greatest friends.  I could go on and on about all of my friends, from high school, college, past jobs, the list goes on and on. But I have one group of girlfriends who are ALWAYS there no matter how much time passes between visits, phone calls and even emails. 

The other day I got an email from one of them, sent to our little group just updating us on her life and wanting to hear how we are all doing.  After almost all of us had responded, filling each other in on jobs, lack of jobs, baby talk, husband updates, family news, etc, she responded back letting us know about her off day at work that day, just needing to vent. She ended the email letting us know she wished we all lived in the same place (4 girls, 4 cities) so she could call us up to grab a beer on her and she could get a good laugh in.  It was then that I realized how great and necessary a good group of friends can be when things aren't going great.

Family is incredible, husbands are fantastic, but there's just something about your closest girlfriends that are irreplaceable.  When things aren't going great, whether in relationships, jobs, family, I truly believe every girl should have at least one girlfriend they can turn to.  I'm lucky.  I have a great group of girls to choose from.  And a group of best friends I know I will be escaping with 10 years from now, away from kids and husbands to just sit with a glass of wine for a weekend and do nothing but laugh and cry and feel how lucky we are to have each other.  The best part, it costs nothing extra to pick up the phone to chat or send an email just to catch up and get that smile.  Soon, when things are fiscally better, I plan to visit and vacation with these amazing girls more often!

Do you have a great girlfriend or girlfriends you can always turn to?  Don't forget to thank them for that, and realize they are just as glad to have you in their lives!  To my best friends, thank you.  Thank you for always knowing how to put a smile on my face and helping me to keep my life as normal as possible.  And on the same note, I'm pretty sure my husband thanks you too.  That's what makes him the best, his ability to know that sometimes a girl just needs her girlfriends!

Dancing with my amazing best friends/bridesmaids on the happiest day of my life!

Puppies are Like Children

The hubs and I found out what kind of parents we will be this weekend.  Our adorable, almost 10 month old puppy Cali was sick.  It started Saturday afternoon as a poopy problem which took our usually active, playful, fun loving puppy into a lathargic, quiet, lazy, sleepy puppy.  I was immediately worried, for multiple reasons.  One, of course, for Cali since we hadn't seen her sick yet.  And two, because the only vet open on the weekends was the emergency vet which charges $68 just to get in the door.

We went up to my in-laws for my FIL's birthday Saturday night and left Cali home to sleep, something we normally don't do since her Ganny loves when she comes to visit.  When we came home we walked her around outside and sat up with her until midnight trying to decide if a middle of the night vet visit was needed.  My husband once again talked me down from the ledge (I was ready to pack up the car and go) and we decided to hold off on the visit and instead check on her throughout the night.

Cali ended up being fine after a long Saturday night and her Ganny coming over to "babysit" while we did  a quick grocery shopping trip.  By Sunday afternoon she was back to her normal self, although we are monitoring her to see how she does and if we need to visit our normal vet just in case.  It's funny, we don't have kids but for the first time I felt like Cali really was one of our children.  There was lots of taking care of her over the weekend in ways that weren't always appealing, but I did learn that when we do have kids, the hubs will be talking me down from the Dr. ledge a lot I'm sure. We were lucky this time, because had he not been there, we would be looking at a vet bill easily over $100, and right now, that's not money we really need to be spending if we can help it!

Our adorable Cali!

Do you rush to the vet, or doctor, for you pets or kids at the first sign of sickness even if it means spending money you don't have to spend?  How long after you had pets or kids did it take for you to realize that you don't have to rush to the doctor at the first sign of sickness or is it something you never "outgrow?"

My name is Allyson and I am bad at eating leftovers...

I have to admit, and my parents will back me up, growing up I was TERRIBLE at eating leftovers.  Even when I first moved out on my own I would find months old leftovers in my refrigerator and freezer.  I had great intentions, I was definitely planning on eating them, but on my way home I'd get a sushi craving or decide I'd rather meet a friend out rather than eat leftovers from a couple days before.  I mean, doesn't that sound more exciting to you?  Now that we're living on a tight budget, I'm learning to eat leftovers and actually enjoying it.

The hubs and I have become good at not just eating leftovers but using leftovers to sometimes create another dish.  The day after Christmas we weren't super hungry for dinner so Chris cooked up some of the roasted turkey we had leftover from Christmas Eve.  But he used a marinade my parents had left us which they had used on a pork dish a couple of nights before.  Chris chopped up the turkey, heated it with the marinade and wrapped it in a tortilla.  That way we didn't feel like we were eating Christmas Eve dinner again, but spent no extra money on dinner.

We've also started making a menu every Sunday for the following week.  We do our grocery shopping on Sundays so when we go to the store we know exactly what we need.  Because of that we've only had to do "big" shopping trips every 2 weeks.  Whatever we buy for one week we normally have leftovers for at least a week after.  And we always cook more than we need so we  know we'll have leftovers for lunches or dinner throughout the next week.

But don't get me wrong...there are plenty of times we have enough of leftovers and cooking all together.  That's why we always schedule one night out on the weekends to eat out.  I'm all about keeping things normal of course, so we couldn't go without a date night every now and then.  I'm looking forward to our dinner tomorrow night at Fire & Ice, a local restaurant I haven't been to yet!

And just a shout out to my fantastic husband who gave me the best leftovers ever the other day.  He had a work lunch at a restaurant we both love, so he brought home half of his meal for me to have for lunch the next day. Those are leftovers even I could get used to!

I'm a Member! Are you?

So I knew I was getting older when I got excited about a dishwasher and vacuum cleaner as a Hanukah/Christmas gift.  But one of the best gifts we got this year was our Sam's Club membership.  My parents bought it for us after I lost my job knowing that we had talked about getting a membership for awhile.  Let me just tell you...we've been 3 times in the last month we've had the membership!

I just got back from a trip with my mother-in-law and I love the place more and more every time I go.  Places like Costco, Sam's, BJ's, any big box club store can be dangerous for those of us living on a budget because you don't realize that you're getting a lot but spending more than normal.  The first time I came home my husband almost choked when I gave him a list of 5 or 6 things I had bought but told him it had come to a total of $75.  It wasn't until after he came home and saw how we wouldn't have to buy paper towels for a few months did he realize its just a different way of budgeting.  We now have to realize that if a Sam's trip is coming up, our budget might be thrown off, but we will definitely make up for it.

Today I bought a 5lb bag of cheese (we like cheese around here) that doesn't expire until March.  I'm pretty sure we won't have to buy more cheese until then when we would normally be buying cheese twice a month for $3 a bag.  I also spent $14 on 500 feet of foil, another item we don't usually find coupons for.  At that price for that amount of foil, we wont have to worry about it for quite awhile.

I think I'm all out of reasons to go to Sam's right now, although while on the trip MIL and I found a few things we could buy together and split, another great way for the hubs and I to save some money.  I have a feeling that once the budget gets back in order, I will be frequenting Sam's a bit more and finding some more fun things to buy!  Plus, who doesn't love a store you can eat your way through?!

A New Beginning

I've had the idea to start a blog for awhile, but was never 100% sure what to blog about.  Then, early last month, I got laid off from my job and my new husband and I found ourselves in a tough situation.  Don't get me wrong, the hubs has a great job, but for 2 young, childless people, we enjoy going on trips, eating out, shopping, as much as the next person.  That all got put on hold and we now have a strict budget.  Then it hit me.  So many people are in a similar situation to us, why not start blogging about things I've found to help save money, continue "living" our life how we like, and surviving the tough time of unemployment.  Plus, it will give me a chance to vent, allow you all to vent, because, let's face it...no matter how great our jobs are, we are all nervous at some point that our position might be next one cut.  I thought I had the indispensable job, yet I ended up on the opposite side of our HR director right before the holidays.  So follow me on my journey to save money and make sure that our little family of 2 doesn't miss out on any of the excitement life has to offer, even on a budget.

To end this first post, I want to put up a quote my best friend sent me yesterday that was exactly what I needed to hear at the time..."When it is dark enough, you can see the stars." - Ralph Waldo Emerson.  So here's to star gazing and realizing that there is no mountain too high!