Spend Bill update

Update I found a great link here that is a detailed chart of spending! Thanks again to ReadtheStimulus

A Spend…Stimulus Bill is on us, there is still too much fat in it. The real problem after knowing that there is too much spending since it isn’t addressing the real issues we need to this new bill will not fix the problem. Then they will all want more money to fix another problem. Congress and Senate has got to be conservative with spending not frivolous. Here is the updated bill link. This is provided by ReadTheStimulus. These volunteers (note lack of payment or bailout) have done the work for you the tax payer.

Great Recipe for you!

I love good food. I love tasty rich food, but that doesn’t mean I want high fat food. I want my cake and eat it too. Friday I was inspired to make a barley, beef and veggie soup. I chickened out, I was afraid I couldn’t make it taste good, that somehow it would lower my expectations of a good meal.

Saturday I bit the bullet and tried what I figured would be an okay recipe. I had looked up recipes, but none looked like they were good enough for me. It is good, it is rich, and it is good for you!

Here is my Barley and Beef Veggie Soup

2 cans of 14 oz of beef broth

2 cups water

1 can petite diced tomatoes

1 lb carrots slices

2 really big russet potatoes

1 lb. cooked hamburger

1 onion chopped

1 tsp olive oil

½-cup barley

Seasoned salt, salt and pepper to taste.

You brown the onion in the oil, add the rest and simmer for 2 hours. You get a rich, hearty soup.

Now I should explain my trick with hamburger. I buy in bulk packages of about 5 lbs at a time on the discounted bin. I bring it home and brown it all at one time, then I rinse it with water. Most of the fat is long gone by the time I put it into 1 cup silicone mini loaf pan. I actually add less than 1 lb. cooked. It is about 5 oz. I pre-freeze the hamburger for a couple of hours, then food save it.

I got the water trick from Hillybilly Housewife. It works like a charm!

What you should know about cooked hamburger is it does have a tendency to get tough when you reheat it. But if you only simmer or slowly heat it, the meat stays nice and tender. It is wonderful time saver, I make lasagna, spaghetti, you name it I cook it from my frozen hamburger.

Here is another way to make beef broth. I got this site from Tipnut.

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Next up is the recipe called The Marlboro Man Sandwich. First, let me say this recipe is not for those with deep cholesterol problems, mine is pretty well controlled. Second, I do this recipe as a special night recipe. I would not advocate making it weekly, but when you really want to make a great recipe, save money from eating out and make your family love you this baby does the magic. The Marlboro Man is married to Pioneer Woman, yes as if I know either one. As far as I can figure Pioneer woman is a great cook that loves her man and homeschools their kids. Her original recipe is here, along with her pictures. I love the way her blog illustrates a great recipe.

Her recipes I have to tweak, it is a southern or Texan thing. Nothing wrong with them, I just cook her recipes and then I think hmmm what if? Next thing I know I am doing it the way I like it. My change is a simple one for the recipe. I use less butter when I cook my onions; you get the flavor just not as much fat. The old trick of adding more olive oil but using butter as the flavor, believe me it works. The next thing I do is when I am going to cook my tenderized steak strips I have to (well in my mind I do!) put the strips in some flour with salt and pepper to season. This allows the meat to be more like pan-fried steaks, flour at that amount will not hurt you, and as long as you are using olive oil, it will work out. After I cook the meat, I deglaze the pan with some water and make gravy, I use a bit less of the Worchester’s sauce as well. I use more water to help the gravy along. Don’t leave out the Tabasco, Tabasco is a great flavor additive. You can lessen the amount but keep it in the mix. Come on you know I am a gravy making fool, and Hubby is a gravy loving man! Depending on how done or over done the pan has gotten I may remove the bits that are burned. Then I add back in the meat and onions stir and call the family. Even with the changes, this recipe is high fat. It is a “to die for” recipe, the kind that you remember and hunger for. Dunk said that this sandwich he could eat everyday. Hubby loves the recipe with the gravy as well.

Now to the part that tells you how to save money on this dish. I buy my onions in five lb bags, and my sub rolls at Sam’s. When I did a comparison-shopping, I was able to spend a lot less by buying those items there. I just figure it in when I am doing my bulk shopping at Sam’s. Tenderized round steak is a very cheap meat cut, but I buy it in the family packages at my local store that has excellent meat. I try to make sure the great butcher that we have a few miles from the house will continue to have customers. The full cost of this meal for a family of 5-6 is less than two fast food meals for more fat.

It is a crowd pleaser either way you make it, if you like a good beef and onion sandwich. You are welcome. Believe me I get respect even from my two teens when I make this baby!
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