Hello Spring!

Spring is Here! That means we can get out of the house and really enjoy the outdoors. One of the things I really enjoy doing is going to different wineries. It’s always a pleasure to view the vineyard, learn about the grapes and enjoy a glass of the wine they are showcasing that season. I look forward to sharing with you in the upcoming months my experiences and the wines that really caught my eye. In the meantime, I thought I would share with you some of the wines that get me in the mood for Spring and before you know it; Summer!

• San Antonio Winery Cardinale Sweet Red: This wine surprised me because it is the perfect amount of sweet for those who tend to prefer dry reds. For those of you who enjoy drinking wine for the taste and the social aspect, this is the wine for you! It is delicious. This wine can be served chilled or room temperature.
• Hatch Green Chile Wine: I equate this wine to a party wine. It is a spicy white that pairs well with white meat dishes whether it be barbecued or a delicious Latin/Mexican dish. Shrimp, chicken, pork, fish, or vegetables this wine pairs well and ends with a nice kick of spice. This wine is to be served chilled.
• Madria Sangria: This is my favorite store bought Sangria!!! When I have a glass of this wine, I feel like I am at a restaurant. Sangria is wine infused with fruit. Some will also add soda or fruit juice too when making their Sangria but traditionally it is just fruit. This wine you also serve chilled and pairs well with Latin/Mexican dishes, A Barbecue, appetizers or just great conversation.

I hope you try some of these wines. They are not too costly and they are delicious. Let me know your thoughts. Also, be sure to check out my YouTube Channel in the month of the May. This is where I will be sharing videos with different tasting notes, pairings and winery visits. My YouTube channel is Smiling Danny. Just go to YouTube.com and enter Smiling Danny in the search bar. Or, you can click the YouTube icon in the upper right corner of the home page and it will take you directly there.

Happy Tasting, SmileyDannyGirl

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Finding Money Around the House

Hi Smileys!

I hope you all had a wonderful month of February. I sure did and am excited to share with you some ways to make a little extra money this month. I have spent the month removing unused and unwanted items from our home and ended up making a little extra money in the process. I have a rule: “If I have not used it or thought about it in the last year, it must go!” This rule applies to clothes, shoes, appliances, jewelry, handbags, etc. Normally, I just give away or donate these items. This year I have been giving away, donating and selling these items. Of course, your normal Goodwill, Women’s shelter, Men’s shelter, Homeless shelter, Pregnancy centers, Churches, family and friends are wonderful places to give. In addition to those avenues, if you are interested in making some money off your items, here are some places that I came across that will buy from you:

1. Style Encore: buys and sells gently used, casual and business clothing for women. They also buy and sell shoes, handbags and accessories. They will pay you cash immediately.
2. Plato’s Closet: buys and sells gently used teen and young adult style clothing and accessories. They also pay cash on the spot and have both girl and boy clothing items.
3. Once Upon a Child: buys and sells gently used baby and kids clothing, shoes, toys and baby gear.  They will pay cash on the spot or write you a check immediately.
4. Consignment Shops/ Pawn Shops: I have not had experience with either of these avenues but know that with consignment shops they do not pay cash on the spot but after a period of time. Rules apply differently with each shop.
5. Yard Sale/ Garage Sale/ City-wide Garage Sale: check with your local Parks and Recreation center for more information about this and for proper licensing.
6. Half Price Books: buys and sells books, textbooks, movies, cd’s, dvd’s, cellphones, tablets, e-readers, games and gaming consoles. They also pay cash on the spot.

Let me know if you try any of these avenues. I would love to hear your success stories!

I also would like to encourage you to browse the different tabs on this site. Each month, I will be sharing my favorite wine on the Wine tab. I have also listed different YouTube videos on the Money & Finance tab that you can view in order to learn more about budgeting and saving.

Recipe for Month: Save your Spare Change

You will need:

• Cash
• “Piggy Bank”, Jar or Vase
• Coin Wrappers

Directions:

• Use whole bills for each transaction.
• Save change in a piggy bank, jar or vase.
• At the end of each month or quarter, sort, count and roll your change.
• Take your rolled coins to your bank and deposit into your savings account, kid’s savings account or the college fund account.

Happy Savings,

Smiling Danny

Fast Food Fixes and Cutting Corners

Hi Smileys!

I hope you all had a wonderful month of January and found ways to save $$$ and cook more at home. I sure have. I noticed through the month though that there were times when I had a taste for Chinese food or Mexican food. Instead of going out to eat though, I whipped up a couple of dishes that were simple and delicious.

The first dish I made was what I call: Green Chile Enchilada Chicken. I sauteed some chicken breast tenderloins (1 lb) in olive oil. Chicken was seasoned with lemon, parsley and black pepper (You can add salt). Then I took one packet of green chile enchilada mix and poured it over the chicken. Let this simmer for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, I made some black beans and I also roasted some zucchini and squash. Once the chicken was nice and simmered I plated it along with the sides. Once plated, I sprinkled some shredded cheddar on top of the chicken and black beans. Then I added pico de gallo on top of the beans as well. Very delicious! I felt like I went out to eat.

The next dish I made was Orange Chicken. From Sprout’s Grocer I bought a bag of orange chicken and heated it per package instructions. Meanwhile, I made some brown rice, simmered some frozen broccoli (seasoned with pink salt and pepper) and I baked some vegetable egg rolls. Once the chicken was done I plated my meal: brown rice, broccoli on top, then chicken on top. Deeee-licious!

So Smileys, these are a couple of recipes that you can use so that you can get that going out to eat feel without messing up too many dishes and without spending too much money. The family enjoyed both meals!

Lastly, this month I went through my grocery list and found ways that I could save money on my purchase. Of course you know that I enjoy using coupons. I also found that I can save money by brewing a pot of tea versus buying a gallon. Another thing I found was that I could buy my salad leaves and chop it myself versus buying it in the bags. Warehouse stores such as Sam’s and Costco also have their salad at a good price. Buying value packs of cheese and fruit (apples and oranges) saved money and lastly, buying frozen mixed berries versus fresh berries was also a money saver.

I hope you find these tips helpful!

 

Bon Appetit and Happy Saving, Smiling Danny

 

 

January Challenge

Hi Smileys!

As you know, I enjoy cooking AND budgeting/saving. This year I am determined to reject that urge to order take-out and embrace the leftovers that I have in the fridge. My family doesn’t eat out often but the few times that we do, we find it to be very expensive and not always tastefully satisfying. This year I intend on doing a lot more cooking and a lot more saving. I feel weird saying that because I cook A LOT! But like I said, $30-$50 per take-out adds up and will look very nice sitting in a savings account versus leaving my fingertips.

I’ve tried the planning your meals bit but find that I don’t cook what I intended on cooking. I usually cook based off of what I have a hankering for; with the exception of breakfast/lunch. I do intend on trying that again as a means to save money but not sure how successful I will be with that. Any other suggestions?

Anyway, I’m sure you are wondering: Sooo Danny, what’s the challenge? The challenge is to cook more this year as a means to eat out less and also to save money. So, will you join me? Will you join this: “Cook more, Spend Less challenge?” I sure hope so. I would love for us to do this together; encouraging each other along the way. Your reasons for cooking more this year may be different from mine but whatever reason, we will make a great team!

Happy Cooking, Smiling Danny

Recipe:

I kicked off my month this month by cooking Turkey Spaghetti with a Butternut Squash Sauce. Deee-lish!

Ingredients: 1lb Ground Turkey Meat, 1/2 pkg wheat spaghetti noodles, Dave’s Gourmet Butternut Squash Sauce,  Pink Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder

Instructions: Season and Brown Meat, Cook Noodles, Simmer sauce. Combine cooked meat and sauce, season with salt and pepper. Once sauce tastes to liking, remove from heat and add cooked noodles. Let stand for 5 mins. Bon Appetit!

 

 

What’s for Dinner? Leftovers, Nooo… Can we have Take-out?

I know, I know. Sometimes, we get in that mood where we don’t want leftovers for dinner. Or as I like to say: Fir Dinner, hahaha :). However; leftovers, can be convenient and beneficial to your household because it saves time, money, energy, thought, debates, and can improve your health. How does it improve my health Danny? It improves your health because it forces you to stay on the diet that you have determined for yourself, that is if you are cooking the appropriate meals conducive to your diet, and you get to dictate what and how much salt, sugar, butter, etcetera that is going in your dish. And my favorite, it saves money because you aren’t paying double, sometimes triple, the price for a meal that you can cook better yourself.

So here is what happened tonight, I went to the fridge to do my mid-week: “what’s in the refrigerator that we need to eat so that it doesn’t get wasted bit?” I found some boneless ribs. Let me tell you, I WAS NOT EXCITED about having this for dinner but I wanted to end the year and start a new one with a bang, so I refused to spend grocery money on eating out. These ribs looked so bland and lifeless. I could taste my palate desiring something else… Something else like…. Ramen Noodles. RAMEN NOODLES! YES! Ramen Noodles! And No, not the fancy smancy gourmet kind but the the 25 cents, high sodium, cardiac arrest Ramen noodles. Oriental to be exact. Instead, I took those ribs, put them on the stove on low heat and began thinking of what I could do to elevate this dinner. I am watching my sugar intake and since I don’t eat much desserts I am cutting back in other areas such as carbohydrates and condiments. So I knew my go-to adding BBQ sauce wasn’t going to work because it is loaded with unnecessary sugars. So I took some raw unfiltered honey and some steak sauce and mixed those together. (1 part honey, 2 parts steak sauce) and wha-la! I had my own delicious sauce and my family truly enjoyed! I heard yums and palate tunes all throughout dinner. My heart was so filled. It was if I had been in the kitchen all day.

I also kicked this meal into a high gear by changing up my sides and by not using paper plates. Instead of the regular and routine brown rice I would normally use, tonight I did wild rice with carrots and peas. Delicious!

So now, we ate good and we have money to eat out when we like, we get to order what we want and can truly enjoy the experience and fun of eating out at a good restaurant.

So Smileys, take your leftovers to the next level by changing up the sides, sauces and/or seasonings and even by using different dishes (that you already have in your home) and surprise your family and their taste-buds with a new recipe or meal created and made by you!

Happy Eating!

Smiling Danny

 

This month’s recipe:

No Sugar Added BBQ Sauce:

1/8c Honey (Raw and Unflitered)

2/8c of Steak Sauce

Steak, heat on low heat until warm, serve on meat of choice

Danny’s meat of choice: Pork Ribs

Wash 12 boneless ribs, season with Himalayan Pink Salt, Black Pepper and Garlic Powder. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven until pork is no longer pink. Let meat rest.  Serve with sauce poured over meat. Enjoy.

 

 

Life Made Simple

I love my family! I love doing all I can for them: cooking, baking, teaching and conversing. Family is a good thing and Praise God for that blessing that He has given unto us, to enjoy them here on earth.

These past couple of months have been filled with hills and sweet calm lakes and I am Thankful for the lessons learned in both.

One thing I learned was to “Give yourself some Grace.” Yes, it is wonderful to pour into your family but that does not necessarily mean draining yourself of all you have in the process (Thank You Friend, You know who are). The other sweet nugget I was told this month was by my Loving Mother in Law, She said: “Hey, It’s okay to serve your food on paper products, Then you won’t have to wash dishes.” Oh My Goodness, what an Epiphany! I can do that! Not only can I do that, I took it to the next level: I began cooking and baking with aluminum products and the end was an easy clean-up!

So this month my advice to you is to Enjoy your Family and Friends! What a blessing they are and what precious, sweet, little time we have with them here on earth. In the meantime, we can still make and serve a delicious and nutritious meal without draining ourselves in the process.

Happy Cooking and Baking,

Smiley Danny Girl

The Breakfast Rut

Hi Smileys!

Have you ever found yourself getting up in the morning and not knowing what to make for breakfast? Or really not having a taste for anything but extremely hungry? It seems like breakfast, or any mealtime for that matter, can be monotonous:  Eggs, Oats, and Salty Pork. Of course we can switch it up a bit by making omelets, frittata’s, quiche’s etcetera; but it is still eggs. We can also switch our protein but……I still find myself getting bored very quickly with the breakfast menu.

This month, as a means to find my way out of the tunnel of The Breakfast Rut, I added some fresh fruit, seasonal english muffins, and a mocktail mimosa to our breakfast menu just to add a bit of excitement to my life and taste buds. And I have to admit, it was very nice. On the morning that I made our “Mimosa’s”, it felt like we had went out to a restaurant for brunch! It’s the little things. So although breakfast may seem tedious and overwhelming, little changes here and there can spruce up the menu and add a little excitement along the way.

Well Smileys, that is all that I have for now. I hope you are enjoying the beginning of the holidays with your friends and family. I absolutely love the Fall! Enjoy this time and season, as you can’t get it back. Don’t get caught up in things that are unimportant and frivolous: such as breakfast menus. Instead, enjoy your loved ones and eat good food along the way.

Happy Cooking,

Smiling Danny

Recipes:

1. Mocktail Mimosa:
   • Ingredients:
     • 1 Part Sparkling Water
     • 2 Parts Orange Juice
   • Serve in a champagne flute
2. Oven Crispy Bacon
   • Place bacon on a sheet pan
   • Place in cold oven
   • Heat oven to 375 degrees, 400 degrees  if thick sliced
   • Turn over after one side has browned
   • Cooking time depends on bacon manufacturer and bacon thickness so keep an eye out.
3. Egg Muffins
   •  Ingredients:
     • 6 eggs
     • Your Choice: garlic, onions, peppers, meat, cheese
     • 1/4 c milk
     • Salt and pepper
   • Preheat oven to 350 degrees
   • Beat raw eggs as normal
   • Add whatever vegetables and cheese to eggs
   • Season
   • Add milk
   • Pour egg mixture in greased muffin pan
   • Cook for about 10 to 15 mins or until egg is firm

Braised Lamb

Hi Smiley’s!!

This Summer has gone by so fast. It was filled with many family adventures but of course I didn’t forget my Smileys along the way. I have been working on some new recipes and video requests so I can’t wait to get back to the swing of things on YouTube and here!

Speaking of here! This is a new adventure as well! I have had so many requests to start a blog. Since 2009 actually. Well, it is 2017 and I have finally started it! So welcome! I hope that we all enjoy it.

So let’s talk Lamb! I have to admit, I was not really a fan. I didn’t like that gamey after taste and therefore wasn’t really interested in trying it again. However; one year I surprised my hubby to a wine dinner for his birthday and they served lamb. To my surprise I really enjoyed it and wanted more! That’s when I learned, hmmm, maybe it’s not necessarily the lamb but the way it is made. Fast forward to early 2016. I went to Costco and picked up these pre-made lamb shanks. So good, so tender, but there were only two! The Cost: 20.00 and my family and I were trying so hard to share with one another but there just wasn’t enough. So this Summer I remembered that lamb and I wanted to make it. So here began the preparing’s of my recipe.

You will need:

10 Lamb Chops or Shanks (short boned chops)
Himalayan Pink Sea Salt
Ground Black Pepper
EvOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
1 Red Onion, peeled & chopped
2 Sprigs of fresh Rosemary (leaves only)
8 Garlic Cloves, peeled and chopped
3/4 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
1 1/4 Cups Dry Red Wine (Cabernet-esq)
2 Tbs Worcestershire

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Pour EVOO in dutch oven. Just enough to sear your meat. Meat will be seared on stove at medium heat.
Wash and Season meat with salt & pepper.
Brown lamb on both sides. Once browned, remove from pan.
Saute onion and garlic in dutch oven until onion is transluscent.
Meanwhile, combine all liquids in a separate bowl. Stir. Pour into dutch oven.
Add browned lamb back to dutch oven.

Add rosemary leaves.
Cover and reduce heat to low.

Simmer and let marinade reduce for 5 minutes.
Cook in oven (covered) 2 hours.

Cooking Notes:

• Recipe serves five. Of course, this will vary dependent upon the appetite of your family and if seconds and thirds are involved. This recipe is very delicious.
• I like to combine all of my liquids in a glass measuring cup.
• The wine I used for this recipe came from a local winery; however, I would equate it to a Cabernet.

I like to choose good quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar. I tend to buy it like wine by going to a balsamic and olive oil store. If you do not have one of these stores, choose EVOO and vinegar that has a harvest date notated and that is in a dark bottle. Expiration date should be one year from harvest date.

Well Smileys, that’s all for my first post. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family and a few friends did. And as always…..Bon Appetit’ and Happy Cooking.

Sincerely,

Smiling Danny

(Bye)

 

Braised Lamb served with mashed Cauliflower, sauteed Zucchini and Squash. Pair with a glass of the wine that you used to braise the lamb.