Happy Father’s Day

Daddy – You are the funniest man I know

Grand Daddy – Thank you for ‘saving’ my grandmamma from New Jersey 52 years ago

Bob – Thank you for making such a great man out of Jason, he is the
best husband a girl could ask for

We love you all!

I Tried This and It Worked {The Second Time}

Want to know how to make this sweet piece of meat on a shoe string budget...read on!

Jason and I recently had a "discussion" that we needed to cut back on the grocery bill. Because of this I spent the better part of Sunday searching the internet for ways to save money at the store. I came upon this method of improving a "Choice" cut and making it more like a "Prime" cut. I found boneless chuck pot roast on sale at Publix for $1.99 lb in the Sunday Paper and thought it would be the perfect cut to test this newly found process on.

So I bought a 2.5lb piece - took it home - salted that baby up and - and it sucked - but I was bound and determined that my source couldn't have gotten all excited about something that would suck so bad. I licked my wounds {inflicted by my husband taking one bite of the first round try and immediately spitting it out while proclaiming "I can't eat this"} and gave it the ole' college try.

And it worked by golly.

Basically it is a process used to make a less expensive piece of steak taste like filet mignon. I tried it once, didn't work very well. Tried it again with a few changes and HOLY COW! I am mad at myself for not finding this out years ago. I would have saved so much money! This will make your Dollar Store steak taste like a dish prepared at Ruth Chris.

OK – here is the low down.

Less expensive steak is tends to be a little chewy and a huge work out for the jaws. The reason is that the enzymes are not broken the fibrous, connective tissue in the muscle in the meat. This process helps remedy that issue.

Try tolling all the sides in salt.

Massively salt your steak for at least 15 min {1 full hour is better though.} Don't just sprinkle a little on the top – you need to make the steak look like a salt lick. I used rock salt the second time and this worked SO MUCH better than table salt. After an hour nap, rinse the steak with water {thoroughly} and pat dry {very dry.} I used a super absorbent paper towel and wrapped mine until there was no trace of liquid escaping out.

Slap that baby on the grill or pan fry and you are good to go!

I know that there those of you who are dying to know why all this happens. Jaden Hair of SteamyKitchen explains visually what is happening.

Photo and kick-butt artist rendering credits {Jaden Hair of SteamyKitchen}

Going Broke For a Good Meal {Thank you Mom}

We are living on one income, as most people are these days. We as a couple are fairly frugal, we didn’t grow up with a lot and as a whole, it prepared us to not waste our money on things we won’t use or don’t need.

HOWEVER!

I love to eat – and I would rather go broke than to eat bad food. My mother had the same attitude. We didn’t eat normal food growing up. Instead of a PB&J in my lunches I would get portabella with marinara. Instead of pot roast for dinner, we would have paella. Try explaining these exotic dishes to your friends!

For the first five years away from home – I ate what one might call “normal.” Chicken, veggie, bread dinners were the norm. But then in 2000 I landed a job at a Ritz-Carlton Club in an exclusive neighborhood in Atlanta called The Vinings Club. I had access to a kitchen that housed with chefs educated in Paris and New York. Chicken now was followed by words like “Provencale”, “Coq Vaughn”……Vegetables we now either steamed or grilled…..Bread; my eyes were opened to a whole world of Focaccia, Ciabatta and Muffuletta. When I lived at home, exotic food was a bummer and embarrassing. But now – I started to understand that with a little flair, food could be more than food – it could be an experience. I started to understand my mom better.

Now that I am married and have taken on the responsibility of chef for the household I have recently noticed something about myself. If there is one thing I could go broke for, it’s food!

Say I am at the store and there is a sale on store-brand cheese. It is priced at $.99 for a brick. It is the kind of cheese that some might call government cheese. The kind that “melts well enough.” I know that I can make a decent grilled cheese sandwich with it, although I know that once it heats it will take the consistency of liquid. I would forget the sandwich soon enough and it would do the job. But then beside it are authentic farmhouse cheddars, aged at least 8 months. The grilled cheese that I can make with it will have a soft crunch to it and will have a definite break to it when you pull the sandwich apart. I will want to make a grilled cheese sandwich everyday for a week. Maybe one day with a roma tomato a little basil or I could pair it with a nice salad or serve it with tomato soup. I will think about this cheese and make a special trip to the store to buy it. The cheese is priced at $7 a lb. Now times this example by 20 and you could see how my grocery budget is a little larger than it could be.

I have a need to eat well, Jason has a need for us not to go broke {I have that need as well – but as you can see above my priorities not in the same order!} This whole post is somewhat anticlimactic and there is not really a point. But, I was thinking about my mom today and it was her who put that thing in me that would make me analyze the benefits of buying the good cheese and enjoying every meal.

I love you mom and I miss you dearly! If you were still here I would share my pricey grilled cheese with you. Afterall, you are the one who made my first one and taught me how to make my own.

What happens after you get married?

I have noticed a trend with bride bloggers – once you get married you either:

1. Become a full time blogger
   

   OR
   

2. Just stop all together
   

I have considered deleting this blog only because there are so many other things I need to get done {like find a job.} In addition, I started another blog since my interest have shifted from flowers, favors and ceremony details to our new puppy, maybe starting a business and home decor details. It is in my nature to share with all the engaged girls of the world the tricks I used to make our wedding the best CELEBRATION of our lives without going in to HOC!

What's the point! The point is – yes – it was only a year ago that I was engaged. However I think that some things I can share are timeless and will relevant in another two years or twenty years! So stick around – check the blog out every now and then and hopefully I will get around to post about the details of my wedding that I hope will make your wedding your own.

What Our Household Believes

We are a Bipartisan household!