Date Night Chopped

We don't watch a lot of TV, but we have been watching some episodes of Chopped here and there online. We were trying to decide on what to do the other night and on a whim Jake came up with a game plan. We ran to the store, had a budget of $4 each to buy ingredients with, came home and revealed them to each other, then had to use what the other person had bought (along with pantry items) to create a delicious dinner in 30 minutes. Mayhem ensued, and a plate of waterchestnut/pepper/onion/& chicken sausage stirfry and a plate of smoked cheddar/broccoli/bacon/tomato sauce pasta with broccoli salad were the results. I was hesitant to do it at first and wasn't really in the mood, but in the end it was a great time. I didn't get any pictures of the food cause we were so hungry by the time we were done, but here is the resulting disaster in our kitchen:

The Pumpkin Patch

Every year we venture out to the pumpkin patch to have some homemade apple cider & pumpkin doughnuts, pick out a pumpkin, taste fudge samples, and walk around the farm. We did that this year as well. Although we tried our best to find pumpkins that were narrow and tall (cost of the pumpkins is based on the width not the weight), it still would have cost us 7 bucks to get two small ones. So after enjoying the atmosphere and tasty treats, we followed a sign to a small pumpkin patch without all the hoopla. It was $2 for any pumpkin, and paying was on the honor system. I feel like we got to experience the best of both worlds.

Gleaning for Free

Jake and I went on a bike ride the other night. We wanted to get one last one in before the rain inevitably starts up for the winter. It was a lovely, crisp fall evening. We decided to check out the local community garden, and Jake wanted to also hunt for dandelion greens. Upon arriving at the garden, a couple who had some plots there told us that people were pretty much done working in their plots and to help ourselves to whatever we could find. There was so much left it was sad to think that people just left it to rot, but also exciting for us who got to reap the bounty for free.

The Glory of a Costco Rotisserie Chicken

For being someone who didn't eat meat for 11 years, I never though I'd buy a whole chicken at the store. Since reentering the glorious world of meat eating, I've cooked with a lot of things that surprise myself. Rotisserie chicken being one of them. These babies are so cheap at Costco- $5! After picking all the chicken off (it's not as gross as you'd think it would be, just make sure to pick it while it's still warm so that the skin is easily removed), I used to just throw away the carcass and skin and nasty leftovers. Until recently when my mother in law introduced me to making my own chicken stock.

It's as easy as taking all the stuff that's left after you pick your chicken,
-putting it in a pot with enough water to cover it,
- throwing in stuff to season it if you want (i usually put in a couple onions, and some garlic cloves),
-bringing it to a boil, letting it simmer for a bit (maybe 1/2 an hour-45 min?),
-and pouring it all through a strainer.

Then you're left with glorious homemade broth from something you were going to throw away. One chicken gives me enough meat for 2-3 meals (think putting it in soups, enchiladas, sandwiches, salads...) plus 3 quarts of broth (great for homemade soup, flavoring rice or pasta while it cooks, making sauces)- all for 5 bucks. Deal of the century.