This Iowa State University Extension site has some great ideas on meal planning .  Meal planning is such an overlooked step as we race from activity to activity and then come home and wonder, “What’s for dinner?”  I particularly like the 5-day worksheet.  What I usually find out when I plan my meals is that I don’t plan the spot for left-overs.  If you’re not eating leftovers for lunches or freezing them in TV-dinner-style containers for later quick servings, then you really need to set a leftover day.  I have one about every 3 days depending upon how hungry the family was!  It is also nice to have a leftover day right before garbage day — just in case you need to clean out the refrigerator so it won’t be sitting around in the garbage to spoil.

Meal planning not only saves you time, but it saves you money.  Create grocery lists so you only buy what you don’t already have on hand, better track leftovers so you’re not throwing away food, food isn’t spoiling because you bought too much to cook.

This site also suggests “Use-up Lists.”  List the items in your refrigerator, freezer, cupboard/pantry that you have — then plan your meals from what you have.  Make sure you concentrate on the real “use-up” items first.  I call this “Reverse Meal Planning!”  It really helps me from overbuying at the grocery store — especially if I go when I’m hungry!

A Year of Slow Cooking: Slow Cooker Cheese Enchilada Stack Recipe

I am going to try this enchilada recipe for tonight.  I’m leaving out the olives (as our family would not touch it if I put them in!), and I think I might serve with salsa and sour cream on top.  I’ll have sides of rice and beans.  Cinco de Mayo on May 19th!  Sounds good to me!  I will be trying out my new 5-qt. crock pot.  What happened to the old one, you ask?  Well, it seems that I left it a little too close to the stove, then turned on the wrong burner to boil some water.  Then I went to help my oldest daughter with long division.  When I returned, I had smoke and flames — the plastic off/low/high knob had caught on fire!  What a mess, but a real wake-up call — don’t try to do too many things at once! 

Here is Chef Meg’s reference for her favorite kitchen tools are.  I had not thought of the coffee grinder for spices, but it sure makes sense.  I think I’m also going to pick up a Y-peeler and also start pounding my meat — just to see if that really is better!
NEW: Chef Meg’s 6 Favorite Kitchen Tools Video

My favorite kitchen tools are my strainer that fits over the sink, my strawberry huller, my cookie drop (good for meatballs, too), my wire wisk, and my very flat pancake turner (great for cookies, too).

Crab Nachos

Originally uploaded by improvisationalgourmet

This was a very tasty dish! I had tried the Crab Nacho Appetizer at Joe’s Crab Shack in West Des Moines, IA. It was so good that I couldn’t stop eating it. I tried to duplicate it at home — with a few improvisations, of course!

Layer blue corn tortilla chips on the bottom of a glass baking dish.

Top with frozen corn, beans (I thought I picked out black beans, but they turned out being red beans), crab meat (yes I used imitation — couldn’t find the “real” stuff at the grocery store), and shredded cheese.

I put it in a 400 degree oven for about 7 minutes.

My husband raved about it!

Strawberry Pie

4 cups strawberries
1 box (four serving size) Jello strawberry sugar-free
1 box (four serving size) Jello vanilla sugar-free pudding (not instant – the kind you need to cook)
2 cups water

Slice strawberries into a pie plate. Combine next three ingredients and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cool slightly. Pour over the
strawberries and refrigerate until set. Serves 4. Each serving: 1FR, 28C

I got this recipe from a Weight Watchers meeting a long time ago.  It was back before “points” when they used their exchanges method (which I totally preferred!).  It is a nice alternative if you don’t mind not having a crust on your pie!

I use a 9″ glass pie plate.  Serve with whipped topping if you like — but don’t forget to count the calories!