Simple, and Simply Delicious, Broccoli-Cheese Casserole

This surprisingly yummy dish is oven-ready by the time
the oven has pre-heated!

Dave and I are trying hard to increase our variety and consumption of vegetables and fruits. To that end, we picked up our first community fruit and veggie order recently

Each week, as we receive our order, we will be "forced" to try things that we normally wouldn't think of buying, along with some things we may occasionally consider buying and probably things we always buy.  It should be fun --- and it will probably be challenging at times.

Neither of us are broccoli fans so naturally two bunches of broccoli stared at us defiantly as we opened our first veggie box. 

My computer search turned up many recipes and as I plowed through them I found a couple that sounded edible as well as doable. I read reviews, I added, deleted and combined, and . . . came up with

a simply quick, easy, adjustable/versatile and delicious main dish I'll call ---

Cheesy Broccoli Souper Stuff 

Turn oven to 350 degrees.

4 to 6 cups steamed or blanched broccoli florets (or frozen, chopped), drained

2 cans of cream of chicken* soup 

1/4 cup sour cream

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

1-1/2 cups grated sharp** cheddar cheese 

approximately 2 cups dry stuffing mix*** (like Stove Top) divided

In large bowl combine all ingredients except for one cup stuffing mix

Spread in 9x13 pan or casserole dish. Sprinkle with remaining stuff mix. Spray lightly with butter spray if desired.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes.

As I said this is a very forgiving dish so feel free to adjust as desired. I would recommend always including the lemon juice, although you may wish to change the amount.

* can be any cream flavored soup or combination of flavors, or a home-made cream soup base. A great plus is the canned soup doesn't taste like canned soup!

** I use sharp but any cheddar will be fine.

*** you can also use seasoned dry bread crumbs or seasoned croutons that have been lightly crushed

We have also included 2 cups chopped cooked chicken. 

You can use a broccoli-zucchini, broccoli-cauliflower, all cauliflower, or a combo of veggies, fresh or frozen.

You can use 1/2 cup mayo or sour cream instead of 1/4 cup of each.

Cheapskates are like-minded --- it seems such an extravagance to throw out the broccoli stalks you paid for.  

Here are some ideas I found at 

http://purposelyfrugal.com/2011/11/28/6-ways-to-use-broccoli-stems/#.UCmJx6GPW8A

Ideas for using broccoli stems

• Freeze – Cut them up into bit sized pieces and freeze in a bag. It probably would be best to only freeze them if you plan on cooking them before eating.
• Use in Soup – This is my favorite way to use them. I make a veggie soup using whatever veggies I have, including broccoli stems. The last time I cut up broccoli I had a whole cup of broccoli stem pieces, that’ll really help stretch my next soup!
• Juice in a juicer – If you have a juicer you could juice your stems in a veggie drink.
• Peel the tough outside and cut the inside into sticks and enjoy as a tasty snack(idea from The Complete Tightwad Gazette).
• Shred the stems and use in a coleslaw (idea from my mother-in-law).
• Another idea my mother-in-law suggested was if you do want to cook all of the steams, but the outer skin is tough, just peel it off and cook up the rest.

Broccoli Leaves: You know those little dark green leaves that are often on broccoli stems? I remember reading once that they’re really nutritious, so leave those on and cook them up too!

We liked this combination so much I hope broccoli is included in each box---and with so many variations I won't need to search out another broccoli recipe for some time. Plus, we will probably plant some in our coming-up fall garden. 

'til we eat again,

             Simply, Gail

Simple Grocery Shopping Tips to Save You Money, Time, Sanity & . . .

More!


For years I was naive about these practices. Over time I have learned that you can save a lot of money just by knowing the carefully-calculated-ways you are led to purchase things you hadn't intended.

Did you know there are companies that specialize in all aspects of consumer habits, enticements and product placements?

Grocery stores' arrangements/placements are carefully orchestrated to sell the most products. Even the style of music they play and their overall ambiance is selected to appeal to the clientele they want to attract.

Statistics show that  60 percent of all items purchased in grocery stores are “impulse purchases.” The grocery stores prominently display these items on the end caps of the aisles, in display boxes  in the aisles themselves, and by the check-out counter. These displays are specifically set by the store to get you to buy something that is most likely NOT on your list.

Learn to be a less frequent and smarter shopper. Watch the ads. Grocery stores and product manufacturer's have fairly dependable sale cycles —if the basic item you need is not on sale this week, it most likely will be in the next week or two. Being aware of this allows you to buy staple-type items when they are on sale--- before you need them.

Stores usually offer a few "loss leaders" in each ad, especially around holidays. Loss leaders are deeply discounted items to get you in their doors, counting on you to buy more. Also, be aware that not all things listed in the weekly ad are actually on sale.

• The less you shop the more you will save----on the money you spend as well as your time and gas.
• Plan your meals to use/eat the produce you buy in the order of it’s “fraility” – leaf lettuce doesn’t last long, head lettuce lasts longer and cabbage even longer. Bananas ripen quickly, apples and oranges last.
• When buying bagged apples, oranges, potatoes, etc. heft a few or maybe even weigh them. A 5 lb bag of fruit or vegetables has to contain a minimum of five pounds. The $2.99 3 pound bag of onions I bought yesterday weighed 3-1/2 pounds --- which amounts to an extra 50 cents worth! 
• I read an interesting comment: lunch meat is a bunch of bologna. If you watch carefully, deli meat may be a healthier step above packaged long-shelf-life lunch meat.  The best deal - financially, health-wise, and taste wise is to cook a chicken, roast a turkey, bake a ham, and slice them and freeze them to make your own “lunch” meat.
• Don't be afraid to house or generic brands  a try. The same manufacturers usually make both---same product with different packaging and price. You own it to your bank account to at least try less expensive house brands of the products you buy most frequently.

• Plan a meatless meal day at least once a week. You will save money and eat healthier.
• Something you hear over and over is true: Do not shop on an empty growling stomach.

AND . . .

Find a way to grocery shop WITHOUT the kids!!!

Not only is the marketing industry into massive product-placing attempts to make you impulse shop,  they seriously research ways to encourage kids to want things. Not only do most major advertising agencies have children's divisions, some marketing firms are entirely devoted to kids ---- and I am not talking about being devoted to kid's needs I'm talking about creating their "I wants!"

Ad agencies admit that most ads aimed at kids have one simple goal: getting kids to nag their parents. While I have seen the following kid behaviors  in stores, the fact that the "how and why children nag their parents is an intensely studied subject of these ad agencies" was a real eye-opener.

Their studies have categorized the following stages of nagging:

1. A pleading nag is when a kid repeats the same words over and over again, like "Please? Please?" or "Mom, Mom, Mom."
2. A persistent nag is when a kid constantly asks for something using phrases like "I'm gonna ask just one more time."
3. Forceful nags are really pushy and may include mild threats like "Well, then, I''' go and ask Dad."
4. Demonstrative nags are the riskiest, sometimes leading kids to have an all-out tantrum in a public place---to hold their breath, cry and refuse to leave a store until they get what they want.
5. Sugar-coated nags promise love in return for a purchase and may rely on sweet, adorable comments like "You're the best mom/dad in the world."
6. Threatening nags are the nastiest, with kids vowing to hate their parents forever or to run away from home if what they want isn't immediately bought.
7. Pity nags claim that a kid will be heartbroken or humiliated or teased by friends if a parent refuses to buy something.

James McNeal, the Texas A&M professor of marketing who identified these stages states "kids tend to stick to one or two of each that prove most effective. . . for their own parents." 

Marketing agencies play heavily on the guilt of increasingly busy parents' efforts to soothe this guilt by giving in to nags.

There is much more to learn about the greedy tricks of the trades, including Chew on This by Eric Schlosser and Charles Wilson and McNeal's book Kids as Customers.

What goes on behind the scenes in victimizing consumers is unbelievable, unfathomable, and unforgivable. It is all about GREED.

Helpful Guidelines for Easing Little Kids Into Sports

     When I was a little kid team sports consisted of whoever you could round-up in your neighborhood at a moment's notice ----
     Which meant when we all had our chores and school work done and it was not yet time for dinner. In summer the games often continued after dinner.
     Our field was the street in front of our homes. Most homes had only one car and traffic was rarely a problem.
     Age wasn't usually a factor unless you were the kid sister who was five years younger than her brother. He never wanted to let me play but his friends would convince him often enough that when he wouldn't give in, I was content to sit and watch.
     That was then.


The little newsletter that accompanies our utility bill has a non-utility-related column each month. This month the column was on Caring for Kids. The sources were Child Centered Coaching by Dr. Stephen Bavolek, and Prevent Child Abuse Utah.

Sadly, at least in the suburbs of the United States, casual neighborhood pick-up games are long gone, a thing of the past----replaced by "organized" sports. When we were young, those neighborhood games didn't require coaching and the only child abuse was the occasional child-to-child type (like when my brother pushed me out of his way).

While the sources for this column were an eye-opener for me, the information is spot-on. Through our many years of watching our children and grandchildren participate in organized sports, we have cringed too many times. Many parents expect too much of their kids and can be pushy to down-right brutal in expressing their expectations. Some go so far as to bribe.  These same parents can also be demanding of the coaches and rude to the referees.

What are these parents teaching their kids?  and Why?

From the column authors:

Children's Needs When Learning a Sport:

• Have fun
• Get some exercise and be physically fit
• Be with friends and meet new ones
• Learn new skills
• Learn how to accept losing as well as winning

Stages of Competition:

At age 4, children like to cooperate

At ages 5 and 6, children learn competition

At ages 7 and 8, children compare their abilities with others

At age 12, children start to associate losing with personal failure.

From Simply, Gail:

This world is a crazy place and kids are growing up too fast in all aspects of their lives---too often with their parents approval or at least their acceptance---and even more sadly, their encouragement. 

Isn't there automatically more than enough stress in life even, unfortunately, in young people's lives, without introducing it to not-much-older-than toddlers who look cute in their too-big uniforms and just want to run around playing "herd" ball and having fun with each other? 

Maybe, rather than Simply, Gail --- I am simple Gail, but if so,  I don't think that is a bad thing.

Simply Amazing Microwave Bread and Butter Pickles

Tuesday I mentioned how well our garden was doing and my subsequent search                       for different ways of preparing cucumbers.


And I mentioned the plethora of almost-identical sites that proclaimed 13 "amazing ways" to use them in reportedly "amazing" ways  and --- the blogger who's personal tests proved them amazingly ineffective.


Yesterday I found yet another plethora of sites touting an amazingly delicious, amazingly simple, amazingly quick method of making bread and butter pickles in the microwave --- in less than 10 minutes from start to finish.


They are amazing FANTASTIC !


Comments from the various sites all followed along the
same lines. As I remember them, they included:


"My mother actually cried when she tasted them -- they reminded her so much of the ones she used to make with her mother."


"I don't even like bread and butter pickles but I LOVED these!"


"My husband ate the whole jar."


"I could hear my kids in the kitchen chomping away."



"This is how bread and butter pickles used to taste."


"My Nana's pickles tasted just like this!"


Since Simple Gail is not into hyperbole . . .


I can't give them higher praise because  I'd hate to oversell them and raise the hopes of bread and butter pickle lovers everywhere.


Finally. . .


THE RECIPE


One large cucumber, unpeeled and thinly sliced 
One onion, even more thinly sliced
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp celery seeds
1/4 tsp ground turmeric


Combine above in medium-size microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high 7-8 minutes, stirring twice, until cucumbers are tender and onions are translucent. 


Put into a clean jar with a lid. Chill (and store) in refrigerator.  Enjoy!


Comments from others included:

• doubling or tripling the batch
• using canning lids and rings and 10 minutes in a water bath to seal them for storing
• adding small amounts of garlic for variety

Gail's comments:

• when I make jam I sterilize my jars in hot water, fill them with the hot liquid, top with canning lids (that have been sitting in hot water) and rings and then I turn them upside down on a towel. This helps ensure a seal. You don't need to water bath jams and jellies because of the high sugar content. Maybe the sugar and vinegar in these would allow you to do the same but for now I am just sealing the jars with my upside-down-way and storing them in the refrigerator. 

• to save bunches of money I buy my spices at a health food or grocery that sells bulk spices by the ounce. One ounce each of the three spices came to $1.74 and is enough for making several batches! 

'til we eat again,
          Simply, Gail

Cucumbers are much, much more . . .

than simply salad toppers !


Our garden has been doing great. As a result I have been searching out new recipes for common produce.
     Among the "amazing" things I found were many almost identical posts heralding the wonders of the cool cucumber for its various health and household cleaning powers. Most fell in the too good to be true category so I went to Snopes to check them out. They rate them  "undetermined."
     Along the way I happened on the post of another blogger who wrote that her earlier Snopes inquiry showed the jury was still out, so she took it upon herself to check out the 13 purported miracle workers.
     She found that most didn't live up to the hype.

My search for new and unusual cucumber recipes yielded much greater success. Until this week, I had no idea you could/would actually cook a cuke!  These are not your typical cucumber recipes but all three were a hit with us.


Richard's Cucumber Soup 
Serve icy cold or piping hot - both really hit the spot


2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and chopped
2 T thinly sliced green onion
2 T butter or margarine
1 T red wine vinegar
4 cups chicken broth (2 cans)
salt to taste
1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried tarragon or marjoram (or to taste)
1 to 2 T. finely chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup sour cream


In large pot, melt the butter and saute the sliced green onions until soft. Add the remaining ingredients except the sour cream. Let the soup simmer for 20 minutes or until the cucumbers are soft. Pour the hot soup in a blender and puree it. Return to the pot and whisk in the sour cream. Serve immediately as a hot soup or chill thoroughly and serve cold. 


Creamed Cucumbers
This recipe is fun to play around with. Adjust the spices and the done-ness of the cukes to suit your taste. It seems lend itself to many variations.


2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and finely sliced
3 T. butter or margarine
1/4 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
few sprinkles nutmeg
dried or fresh dill and/or chopped chives


Melt the butter or margarine in a skillet. Saute cucumbers until they begin to shine. Stir in the cream,  a couple of sprinkles of nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste, stirring constantly over low heat. Add the dill and or chives. Serve warm.


Cucumber Lime Cooler
No cooking this time --- just blend, chill and enjoy.  We really like the pulp in this refreshing drink but if you don't, you can strain the mixture before serving. 


1 cucumber, peeled and cut into chunks
Juice of two limes (or to taste)
1/3 cup sugar


Put cucumber chunks, lime juice and sugar in a blender container. Add enough water to come within 1-1/2 inches of the top. Blend well. Refrigerate until icy cold. 


'til we eat again,
          I am Simply, Gail

What If . . . A Message from Paul Harvey

Yesterday,  while I was preparing a simple post on cucumbers, 
a cool refreshing summertime treat --- 


a chilling e-mail arrived in my inbox.


Do you remember the famous ABC radio news commentator Paul Harvey, known for telling us "the rest of the story"? Millions of Americans listened to his programs which were broadcast over 1,200 radio stations nationwide. 


On April 3, 1965 he delivered a sobering message. He updated it occasionally as time went by.  


Paul Harvey passed on in 2009.  Please take 3 minutes  to listen to his  47 year-old message --- observations from then that are stark realities today. 

http://www.youtube.com/embed/H3Az0okaHig?rel=0

 

Dissecting . . . Soda Pop

      Dissecting is not a word that comes with pleasant images.

The things I am discovering about

edible food-like substances

are also unpleasant. Very unpleasant. 

Edible is probably even an iffy (and overly generous) word to use.

It is becoming more and more common for the common foods we eat to be less and less real --- and it is important to our health and to our family's health to find out if what we are eating is real.

I am going to be stepping on some toes                       
(okay, probably many toes) with this one but,
 as the saying goes,  if the shoe fits wear it or . . . 
take it with a grain of salt  sugar.


Soda Pop


Soda pop is "simply" carbonated water, sugar*, 
flavoring and coloring** --- 
and many/most contain caffeine, a stimulant.


A 16 ounce can of soda pop averages 200 calories --- all from sugar*


A 16 ounce can of soda pop contains approximately 12.5 teaspoons of sugar*


12.5 teaspoons of sugar = 4+ Tablespoons of sugar


4 Tablespoons of sugar =  1/4 cup




Wow!  
Seems unbelievable? 
It is unbelievable.


Would you ever put 1/4 cup sugar in a glass of ice tea or cup of coffee?




Even when the food is real, it is disconcerting to see that sometimes the real is too much of a good thing.


*and even worse, high-fructose corn syrup has replaced sugar in most if not all soft drinks. HFCS is another questionable manufactured product but aside from this small blurb below, I am not going to get into that --- at least for now.




"In the 40 years since the introduction of high-fructose corn syrup as a cost-effective sweetener in the American diet, rates of obesity in the U.S. have skyrocketed, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 1970, around 15 percent of the U.S. population met the definition for obesity; today, roughly one-third of the American adults are considered obese, the CDC reported. High-fructose corn syrup is found in a wide range of foods and beverages, including fruit juice, soda, cereal, bread, yogurt, ketchup and mayonnaise. On average, Americans consume 60 pounds of the sweetener per person every year.


"The new research complements previous work demonstrating that sucrose can be addictive, having effects on the brain similar to some drugs of abuse."  
http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S26/91/22K07/


What Started Out as Good . . .

• A hundred years ago, the first school lunch programs were started because a 1906 study discovered 2 million American children were so poor they frequently went hungry. The program was run by volunteers serving limited amounts of donated food.
• In the 1930's President Franklin D. Roosevelt decided that the federal government should help feed poor children and he instructed the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) to buy food from farmers and ship it to schools. This program helped farmers by giving them money during the Great Depression, and it met the needs of poor children. The federal government hired people to work in school cafeterias.
• In 1946 Congress passed the National School Lunch Act, which expanded the program and announced that its goal was "to safeguard the health and well-being of the nation's children."

Became Ugly!

As the years passed, the needs of children became less important than the needs of companies hoping to sell them things. Soda, candy, and fast-food companies approached school officials seeking permission to put their products inside schools.


The U.S. government worried that selling junk food and soda violated the spirit of the National School Lunch Act.

• In 1977 The USDA blocked the sale of "foods of minimal nutritional value" in schools.
• The National Soft Drink Association and other food companies didn't like that rule and filed a lawsuit against the USDA.
• At first the junk-food and soda companies lost in court but they wouldn't give up.
• In 1983 a federal judge ruled that sodas and junk foods could be sold in schools, with some restrictions.
• By 2006, 43  percent of elementary schools, 74 percent of middle schools and 98 percent of high schools had soda machines, candy machines, snack bars, or stores that served foods high in sugar, fat, and salt.
• A study of the children in the New York City public schools, in 2006, showed more than 40 percent of the children were overweight and almost 25 percent are obese. 

Above excerpted from Chew On This (everything you don't want to know about fast food) by Eric Schlosser and Charles Wilson.

WARNINGS: Caramel Coloring


**Caramel appears innocent enough but you may want to make note of the following --- especially if  you or any of your family members have allergies.


"Caramel is manufactured by heating carbohydrates, either alone or in the presence of acids, alkalies, and/or salts. Caramel is produced from commercially available nutritive sweeteners consisting of fructose, dextrose(glucose), invert sugar, sucrose, malt syrup, molasses, starch hydrolysates and fractions thereof. The acids that may be used are sulfuric, sulfurous, phosphoric, acetic, and citric acids; the alkalies are ammonium,sodium, potassium, and calcium hydroxides; and the salts are ammonium, sodium, and potassium carbonate,bicarbonate, phosphate (including mono- and dibasic), sulfate, and bisulfite. Antifoaming agents, such as polyglycerol esters of fatty acids, may be used as processing aids during manufacture.^[2] Its color ranges from pale-yellow to amber to dark-brown." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caramel_color


In conclusion, if the above is not enough to make you gulp here are two comments I pulled off the net.


The concentrate for 70 percent of Coca-Cola’s 1.5 billion drinks served each day originates in the tax haven of Ireland, where enough concentrate for 50,000 Cokes costs $2.60—including labor. The concentrate’s main ingredient? Caramel.


Yes, America loves its Coca Cola. But keep in mind – with fountain soda running $2.00/glass these days, a family of four that dines out twice per week will save nearly $1,000 per year by skipping the soda pop and instead going with water. Don’t get me wrong – I like a nice, cold, refreshing (caffeine-free diet) Pepsi as much as the next guy. But personally, I’d rather spend that $1,000 on an extra weekend getaway or two. Wouldn’t you?