Merry Christmas

Corn Chowder

12/14/10 Trader Joe's total: $42.67

12/16/10 Fresh & Easy cash total $16.82

Jamba Juice cash total: $7

Colder weather calls for warmer food. Like I said earlier this month, I'm all about soup. The Lentil soup I made went quick. It was a clear broth based soup. But now I'm wanting something a bit more substantial.

When I started into making a corn based soup, I had a real reason. I like corn chips, but for some reason I tend to abandon a bag with about 1/5 remaining. Maybe its the effort to getting through the broken chips and crumbs, but I just don't finish the bag. I hate that waste, so I figured I'd make a corn soup and add the chips to it, kind of like chili and saltines. The more I went on mixing this chowder, the more I realized it was going to be a big meal!

Corn Chowder
**If using fresh corn, I'd recommend 10-15 stalks shucked. 1/3 should be creamed (water, corn starch and blend in a blender) and the rest set aside.

1lb frozen corn
2 cans whole corn
2-3 cans creamed corn

2lb potatoes cut into cubes
1lb yellow split peas
2 bricks silken tofu
1 cup corn meal

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Wash and drain yellow split peas and start to cook in 6 quart pot 1/3 filled with water.
Cut and wash potatoes and when peas half cooked, add potatoes and 2 tsp salt. Allow to cook until potatoes are tender.
Add frozen corn. Add more water if needed. Cook for 20 min before adding canned corn. If you are using fresh corn, add non creamed corn in 2 parts and allow 20min of cook time between additions.

(Chowder before creamed tofu.)

Take creamed corn and tofu and blend in blender.

Add corn meal to pot and cook for 10 min.
Add blended tofu and creamed corn to pot. Add 2tsp salt and dust with pepper.

Allow to simmer until corn meal thickens chowder and potatoes become grainy.

This turned out so well and I made it on the fly!

The bad news is it tastes terrible with the corn chips, but aw well.

The Month of Soup

This Month's Allotment: $200

12/2/10 Food 4 Less total: $24.47

12/4/10 Trader Joe's total: $49.94

12/6/10 Fresh & Easy total: $37.20

12/8/10 Trader Joe's total: $18.33

12/10/10 Food 4 Less total: $23.59

This months I'm all about soup. So far I've made three soups: Lentil mushroom, corn chowder, and split pea.

Lentil Mushroom Soup

1lb of lintels
1lb of split peas
1lb frozen peas
1lb hominy
2 stalks celery
1 chopped onion
1lb spinach(frozen)
chopped portabella mushrooms
2 packages of extra firm tofu
salt and pepper to taste

Rinse the dry grains and fill a 6 quart basin 1/3 full of water. Add 2 tablespoons of salt and cook grains until half done. Fill with water 1/2 to 3/4th full. Bring to a simmer. Add chopped onion and let cook for about 30 min.
At this time add the spinach and let simmer until beans are tender.
Chop and drain tofu and add to soup. Chop celery and add. Allow to cook for another 30 min.

Chop mushrooms in bowl and pour soup over. The soup will cook the mushrooms just enough. Salt and pepper to taste.

Its awesome!

November Food

Food Stamp total: $200

11/2/10 Fresh & East total: $71.68

11/2/10 Trader Joe's total: $40.00

11/3/10 Trader Joe's cash total: $12.58

11/3/10 Food 4 Less total: $12.35

11/13/10 Trader Joe's total: $43.72

11/23/10 Trader Joe's cash total: $30.02

11/24/10 Food 4 Less total: $13.26

11/16/10 Food 4 Less cash total: $17.41

11/30/10 Gelson's Market cash total: $11.48

It's been a rather uneventful food month for me. Thanksgiving, you'd think would be a feast, right? Naw. I got invited to a dinner, a friend's family, but I didn't feel like going. One reason was I just was not in the mood to socialize, the other being I'd have to bring all my own food. What's the point in that? I can eat in the comfort of my own apartment and still be in pajamas.

I chose that option. Don't get me wrong, the sentiment was lovely, but I get so sick of the , "You can't eat this?" "You can have that, there is only butter in it, no meat." conversations that I would rather simply forgo.

Avocado and spaghetti, my favorite comfort food. Delicious.

But there is one thing I have discovered again, soup!

Oh! how I have missed you fair food!

I'm going to be making a lot of soup this month, get ready for it!