**Product Review** Good Earth Dinner Kit

October marks a year since I learned about, figured out and wigged out over couponing.  Funny how that has become a verb.  And, I don't mind telling you, I've become pretty damn good at it.  I have cut our household expenditures by at least 60%, and that may be a conservative estimate.  All I can tell you is that it has added up...big time.

So, for quite some time I've been seeing and actually cutting out coupons for some product called 'Good Earth.'  I hadn't heard anything about it from friends, on TV, Facebook, nothing.  So, I saved the coupons, never saw a sale for this product, coupons expired, I clipped the next ones.  Well, a couple of weeks ago I decided to break this cycle and (insert audible gasp here) buy one at RETAIL (+ a coupon of course; I'm not crazy).  I only bought one to give it a go.  Here's how it all went down:

I chose the 'Mediterranean Chicken' kit.  It consists of a seasoning packet of herbs & spices (garlic, parsley, oregano, basil, onion), a cheese sauce packet (cheddar, cheese cultures, salt, etc) seasoned flour and whole-wheat angel hair pasta. Now, of course there are some components that come from a lab.  Hello people, we can't store stuff on the shelf, in boxes, jars, tubes or bags without a little help from the lab!  Although I hated chemistry with a passion, I must advocate for that field...it's not all bad just because it has a long name that you can't pronounce.  Hell, we had more than one President who couldn't properly pronounce 'nuclear' and consequently have millions of Americans that now do the same, because, that's how the President(s) said it.  Ok, I'm off track...reeling myself in.  

The ingredients I was responsible for:  chicken, olive oil, milk, & hot water.  Trim and slice chicken (good for people like me who can't tolerate skin, fat or cartilaginous funk).  Coat chicken in seasoned flour and pan fry in olive oil until golden.  Then I added herb packet, hot water, milk and sauce packet.  Of course the pasta is boiling away at this point (a whopping 5 minutes, thank you angel hair).  Boil then simmer about 8 minutes.  They suggest either serving the chicken & sauce over pasta or tossing together.  I chose the latter.


It was very good.  Not $18 entree in a restaurant good, but a rockin' good entree for a 15 minute meal at home after work on a busy pre-Halloween night. (I "installed" cob webs on the porch and carved a pumpkin tonight too).  The flavors were very full and satisfying and the sauce pulled it all together...pasta, tender chicken and Mediterranean spices.  I had lots leftover and so I'm curious to see how it tastes tomorrow, since so many dishes are better on day 2.  And, here's good news:  a serving size is 1 cup and has 290 calories, 3g of fat and only 470mg of sodium.  The biggest problem with most "prepared foods" is that they have enough sodium to dry up 4 million jellyfish. 


So, if you want my opinion (you do, right?) give it a try.  Oh yeah, on the box, they recommend a variation using pork tenderloin sliced into thin medallions.  That sounds super duper to me, so that's what I'm planning the next time around.  As my life gets busier, I find it's just smart to have some little tricks like this hanging around in the cabinets.

Coffee Season

I become a big coffee drinker when the weather cools off.  During our SC summers though, the mere thought of coffee makes me queasy, literally.  And, the diehards who drink it throughout the day; how do they do that?  Or the Marlboro Coffee Man/Woman who drinks a steamy cup with a cigarette dangling out of their mouth.  And, I have never understood how some people can order a sandwich and a cup of coffee.  I mean, coffee just isn't a "with a meal" kind of drink.  I guess maybe if you're a Mount Pilot girl perhaps (Hi, Doll).

Anyway, my office has a Keurig.  I am officially enamored with this machine.  What a brilliant invention!  So, this time of year, I can pop in a K-cup of hot chocolate, regular coffee, decaf, hazelnut, oh, the possibilities are many!  I'm a seasonal coffee drinker, so this is perfect for someone like me.  And, since Neil's coffee consumption comes in waves, no more making a pot of coffee for me to have one or maybe two cups and then have coffee left over.  I can't bear to waste anything. So, I have a ziploc full of coffee ice cubes in the freezer.  You know, for all the coffee ice cream I'm gonna make one of these days. Yep, any day now...

How my Husband has Influenced the Columbia Restaurant Scene

Today's deal on Groupon is for Za's.  It's a half off certificate.  50% off anything gets my pulse rate up!

Like trivia?  Here's a true story about Za's. We've been going to Za's since it opened.  I can't even remember how long that's been...10, 12 years maybe?  We had a favorite waitress named Lisa, who we always requested.  She would always indulge me and go to the kitchen to have them 'doctor up' a dish for me when I wanted to place  a "When Harry met Sally" kind of order.  They always had great specials: one of which was the smoked salmon pizza.  Neil loved it so much, that the kitchen would make it for him even when it wasn't on the specials menu.  

Well, one night, the manager came to our table to let us know they were revamping and getting ready to print a new menu.  And guess what they added as a permanent item?  That's right, Neil's smoked salmon Za (as I like to call it.)  It's still on their menu today.  They still keep forgetting to print "Neil's" in front of the name of the pizza, but we all know it's his.  If you like smoked salmon but haven't tried this, you owe it to yourself.  It's got a creamy smoked gouda understory, delicious capers, garlic, red onion and of course the salmon. 

Another little known piece of trivia involving Neil relates to Dano's Pizza.  (Hmmm, pizza, I'm seeing a pattern here)  When Dano's first opened, we stopped by to check it out.  Neil asked the owner, Dan, if he could make a stromboli, but make the filling Philly Cheesesteak, instead of the usual Italian-type filling.  Dan looked a little unnerved by this flavor proposal, but he agreed to make it.  Well, guess what?  That's right, it's on their menu!  Who knew Neil could wield such power over the restaurateurs of Columbia? 

Thank you, I'll be here all week! Don't forget to tip your server!

So, I guess the logical conclusion would be this:  if you have a favorite restaurant and you'd like something new added to their menu, have Neil accompany you and he will perform his restaurant Mind-Meld and make it so.  Tips are appreciated!

It Ain't Pretty, but it's Homemade!

Believe it or not, I've never made a homemade apple pie.  I just didn't grow up with apple pie being a regular in my Mom's repertoire.  Interestingly, I've always been drawn to apple pie and I read the recipes all the time.  So, when Viv and I picked all those beautiful "Blushing Gold" apples from Hendersonville, I decided now is the time!

So, I went for it today.  First, let me make a confession.  I'm a decent baker, but I have always had trouble with dough/crust/pastry.  From pizza dough to pie crust.  Everytime I turn around I have a magazine or Ina Garten telling me how easy it is to do a crust from scratch, and I believe them, but when I try,well, it is anything but easy for  me.  

Nonetheless, I decided I'd try once again today with the crust and I was gonna go all the way to the actual elusive apple pie.  Long story short, I had crust issues, but I managed to hammer it out and create a pie.  Maybe I pulsed too long in the food processor? I don't freakin' know...

So, it's been baked, the house smells wonderful and Neil says it looks great.  In fact, what he actually said was, and I quote, "Wow, baby, that looks like a real "old lady at church" kinda pie." It's cooling and setting up now.  We'll know later tonight how it turned out!

Crockpot Chicken Marsala

I used to be afraid of crockpots.  I'm kind of weirded out about leaving any cooking device on when I'm not around.  I realize throughout history, cooks have put a pot roast in the oven, gone to pick up the kids, gone to the market, gone to church, etc. and returned home to find their house not burned down and smelling like a yummy pot roast. So, when Neil and I first teamed up 13 years ago, he was flabbergasted that I didn't own a crockpot and couldn't believe that I was actually afraid of them.

So, once upon a time, my friend Eugenie got married.  She got crockpots galore for gifts (apparently) and offered one to me.  I took the leap and accepted.  Now I have to admit that I love the damn thing.  And, it's a big one too.  I can cook the (dreaded and nerve-wracking big cuts of meat), chili, soup, and (wait for it, wait for it) CHICKEN MARSALA.

I credit my co-worker Catherine for printing the recipe for me.  I changed a few things, just minor, because as some of you know, I will follow a recipe the first time and tweek the next time.  So, before I headed to work today, I got it all ready to go, set a timer for Neil and he turned it on for me at the appointed time.  Result?  Came home to a wonderful smelling home and a delicious supper.  

I went to Greene's and got a California Marsala wine for about $5.  I always assumed it was expensive. That's what I get for assuming, right?  The chicken was so tender, when I went to pick it up from the pot, it was falling apart.  Even though I'm not a mushroom eater, I do appreciate the flavor they impart.  The sauce was just fantastic.  The only thing I will do differently next time is to add salt.  Salt gets a bad rap for the whole sodium thing.  That's because people misuse it....it's not intended to be glopped all over the food.  It's purpose is to enhance and bring out other flavors.  So, use it wisely and it makes all the difference.  (If any of you are watching the current season of The Next Iron Chef, you know they all keep getting blasted by the judges for under-salting.)

Ok, enough of my babbling.  As usual, if you try it, I'd love to hear about your results and your opinion.  The base recipe came from Pillsbury's website; here's how I actually prepared it for us:

• 3-4 boneless chicken breasts 
• 2 1/2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 Tbs vegetable oil
• 1/2 tsp salt & 1/2 tsp pepper (as I said, I'll add more here next time) 
• 8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup Marsala wine
• 1/2  cup water
• 1/4 cup corn starch 

Coat crockpot crock with Pam-like spray.  Place garlic and oil in  next.  Season chicken with salt & pepper.  Place on top of garlic.  Then, place mushrooms on top of chicken then pour wine over all.  Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours (I did ours for 5 hours and it was falling apart tender).

Remove chicken from pot and cover with foil to keep warm.  Mix water & corn starch until smooth, then stir into the mushrooms and juice in the crockpot.  (This is where I'm going to add maybe a teaspoon or so to the sauce next time.) Turn the heat up to high and cook until the sauce thickens & is bubbly. Add chicken back in and cook until the chicken is hot.


I served it over fettucine with the sauce spooned on top, and with an Iceberg wedge salad with blue cheese & thick-sliced bacon pieces.  Neil thinks I'm a genius and Vivian thinks it's really cool that she's the only 4 1/2 year old who is enough of a big girl to not only pronounce Chicken Marsala but also to actually like it.  She's taking some to school tomorrow for lunch!  I love that kid!  :-)

The Great Chick-fil-A Grand Opening

Many of you know that my husband works for Terracon Environmental.  When Chick-fil-A decided to build in Five Points, Terracon was called in to install a (anti-) vapor-intrusion system.  So, for a few weeks, Neil hung out at the dirt site of Chick-fil-A, supervising this endeavor.  So, every morning on the way to school, the Vivver and I would pull in for more kisses and hugs. 

As "Daddy's Chick-fil-A" has grown and evolved, she's become more and more excited with each passing day.  She's said things like "It's really coming along" and "When are they ever gonna open that Chick-fil-A?"  You get the idea.  Well, yesterday was the Big Day.

Neil took her in after school to have an early supper.  She was able to meet the cow, received her own cow to bring home and, of course, had the kid staple, chicken nuggets.  And let me tell you, that take home cow is now a coveted toy.  When she woke up this morning, the first words she uttered were "Where's my Chick-fil-A cow?!" And, as Friday is show-and-tell day...

Those of you in Columbia know that Five Points was all a-buzz yesterday with the Grand Opening and then the Hootie & The Blowfish street dedication, concert & sidewalk sculpture unveiling.  Well, this morning, the energy was still pumpin'.  You know how you find yourself doing the slo-mo "NNNNO" in warp speed when something comes out of someone else's mouth? Like for instance, the moment Neil uttered this aloud, "hey, maybe Mommy can stop by the Chick-fil-A and get you a biscuit for breakfast."  NNNNNNO (warp warp) No other breakfast could compare; no other breakfast would be considered.

So, as I pulled in and noticed the orange cones that were extending their drive-thru lane due to the forty five hundred hungry chicken motorists, I decided this was a time to actually exit the vehicle and go inside.  And, happily, it was all good.  We ordered, we found the cow (that costume ends up making that guy about 7 feet tall, btw), had a big squeezy cow hug and were on our way.  As we walked back to the car, I could feel all those drive-thru people glaring.  Hey, you want chicken, you gotta know how to get chicken.

And lastly, I leave you with this. After joking around all morning with things like 'chick-falafel' and 'chick-fil-B', Vivian took a pause and then simply said "I like the chicken."  Enough said really.