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Top 3 Non-Waffle Recipes Using Your Waffle Maker

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Use your waffle iron to whip up quick and easy recipes.

A waffle iron is handy, as you can whip up a fresh batch of homemade waffles any time you want. And if you’re feeling creative, you can toss in various fruits, chocolate or nuts into your waffle batter to spice things up. But did you know that a waffle iron can do much more? This useful kitchen tool can grill up a cheeseburger, bake cookies and even soft pretzels. Check out our top three picks for non-waffle recipes using your waffle maker.

Ham and Cheese Panini (adapted from Foodie with Family)
2 slices of sturdy bread
1 tablespoon softened butter
6 thin slices deli ham
2 thin slices provolone cheese
1 fistful baby arugula
Thin slices sweet onion, to taste
Dijon mustard, to taste
Mayonnaise, to taste

Preheat your waffle iron according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Spread the Dijon and mayonnaise on one piece of bread, and then arrange three pieces of ham on the bread, as well as one piece of cheese. Add half of the arugula, last piece of cheese and the remaining three slices of ham. On the remaining piece of bread, spread more Dijon and mayonnaise and then top the sandwich. Butter the top of the bread.

Hold the sandwich together and carefully invert it onto the waffle iron so the buttered top is facing down on the iron. Quickly butter the other piece of bread and close the waffle iron. Toast the sandwich until it has a panini appearance and the outside is crispy with a golden brown color. Use tongs or a spatula to carefully remove the sandwich from the waffle iron.

S’moreffles (adapted from Waffleizer)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2/4 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces, chilled
1/3 cup honey
5 tablespoons vanilla extract
Pinch of cinnamon
Chocolate pieces
Marshmallows

Mix the dry ingredients. Add the butter and rub together until the ingredients are coarsely mixed. In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, honey and vanilla. Add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients until a dough forms. If it looks like there’s too much liquid, slowly add in more flour, up to a half cup. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least two hours.

Preheat your waffle iron. Roll out the dough on a floured surface. Cut the dough into squares, about 4 inches on each side. Add each square of dough to the iron, and cook for three minutes. Set aside the waffled graham crackers.

To make s’mores, place one waffled graham cracker onto the waffle iron, and top with chocolate and marshmallows. Place another waffled graham cracker on top, and then close the waffle iron to allow the heat to melt the chocolate and marshmallows, about one minute.

Calzone (adapted from Rachael Ray)
1 cup fresh ricotta
Handful of parsley, chopped
Handful of basil, chopped
½ cup provolone cheese, shredded
2 cloves garlic, minced
Fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
1 round pizza dough
Salt and pepper, to taste
Extra virgin olive oil
Water

Preheat the waffle iron to medium-high heat. Mix together ricotta cheese, parsley, basil, provolone, garlic, salt, pepper and a little olive oil together in a bowl. Split the pizza dough in half, and roll into an 8-inch round. Spread half of the cheese mixture all over the dough, leaving about a ½ inch border. Lay a few slices of mozzarella across one side. Rub water around the edge of the dough, and fold the dough over and crimp the edges.

Lay the calzone in the waffle iron and gently close it. Do not apply pressure, and let the calzone cook until the crust turns brown.

Repeat the above steps for the other half of the pizza dough. Serve with marinara sauce.

Photo Credit: iStockphoto/RonBailey

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Go Meat-Free This Thanksgiving With Delicious Vegetarian Dishes

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If you’re a vegetarian, there are still many great meat-free dishes to enjoy on Thanksgiving.

This Thanksgiving, if you’re a vegetarian, give thanks for the fact that you can have such a healthy and delicious meal that you won’t even think twice about the fact that it’s sans turkey. Here’s how.

Roasted Delicata Squash Salad (adapted from Chow.com)

With all the meat, cream-based casseroles and starchy vegetables abounding, salads can get lost in the Thanksgiving shuffle. So start your meal off with this light and healthy squash salad that’s as delicious as it is beautiful.

1 medium delicate squash, seeded and sliced into ½-inch-thick rings
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for brushing
4 ounces spinach, washed, dried and torn into bite-size pieces
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1/3 cuproasted and salted pumpkin seeds
2 ounces shaved ricotta salata

  1. Heat the oven to 400F and arrange a rack in the middle. Brush squash rings with olive oil on both sides and place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Season well with salt and pepper and roast until the underside of the rings is blistery and brown and fork tender, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, transfer cleaned spinach to a large bowl, cover with a damp paper towel and reserve in the refrigerator.
  2. When the squash is almost ready, heat olive oil in a small frying pan, add shallot and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until tender and beginning to brown, about three minutes. Deglaze the pan with vinegar, scraping up any bits that are stuck to the bottom and remove from heat.
  3. Pour shallot mixture over reserved spinach and toss to combine. Season with additional salt and pepper as desired. To serve, layer squash with spinach and top with pumpkin seeds. Sprinkle with ricotta salata.

Vegetarian Stuffing (adapted from Epicurious.com)

Swap out your boring, meat-based stuffing for this hearty and savory vegetarian stuffing that highlights fresh, seasonal ingredients.

2 sticks salted butter
3 tablespoons fresh, chopped sage
1 large white onion, chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
3 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 cupscremini mushrooms
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can vegetable broth
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 loaf day-old French bread
½ cup dried cranberries

  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Melt butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat and add one tablespoon of the sage, onion, celery and carrot. Add garlic, mushrooms and salt and pepper generously. After the apples have cooked for a few minutes, pour the broth into the pan, season with the cayenne and more salt and pepper as needed, and let the mixture cook for a few more minutes.
  2. Tear the bread into approximately ½-inch squares and place in a 2-3/4-quart casserole dish. Add the cranberries and sage. Remove the mixture from the stove and pour it over the bread. Mix well and bake uncovered for about 45 minutes to an hour, stirring at least once for best results.

Root Vegetable Gratin (from Eating Well)

The rich flavor of the Gruyere cheese brings out the nutty notes of the root vegetables in this delicious gratin.

3 pounds assorted root vegetables (beets, carrots, parsnips, rutabaga, turnips, etc.), peeled and cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cupthinly sliced shallots
1 1/3 cupslow-fat milk
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups finely shredded Gruyere cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 cupfresh whole-wheat breadcrumbs

  1. Preheat oven to 400F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Cook vegetables in a large pot of boiling water until barely tender, about 5 minutes. Drain.
  2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring occasionally until light brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add1 cupmilk and bring to a simmer. Combine flour and the remaining 1/3 cupmilk in a small bowl to make a smooth paste; stir into the hot milk and cook, whisking constantly until the sauce bubbles and thickens, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in ¾ cup cheese, thyme, salt and pepper.
  3. Combine breadcrumbs, the remaining ¾ cup cheese and 1 tablespoon oil in a bowl. Layer the vegetable slices in the prepared baking dish. Pour the cheese sauce over the top and top with the breadcrumb mixture.
  4. Bake the gratin until it is bubbling and the top is golden, 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Glazed Lentil Walnut Apple Loaf (adapted from Oh She Glows)

Whether it’s smoked, roasted or deep fried, everybody knows that turkey is generally the main focus at Thanksgiving. As a vegetarian, you could spring for the Tofurky, but why not grace your table with this hearty lentil loaf instead? You won’t even miss the meat.

Loaf

1 cupuncooked green lentils
1 cupwalnuts, finely chopped and toasted
3 tablespoons ground flax plus ½ cup water
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 ½ cups diced sweet onion
1 cupdiced celery
1 cupgrated carrot
1/3 cuppeeled and grated sweet apple
1/3 cupraisins
½ cup oat flour
¾ cup breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons fresh thyme

Balsamic Apple Glaze

¼ cup ketchup
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 tablespoons apple butter
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

  1. Preheat oven to 325F. Rinse and strain lentils and place them into a pot along with3cupsof vegetable broth. Bring to a boil and season with salt. Reduce heat to medium/low and simmer, uncovered, for at least 40-45 minutes. Stir frequently and add additional broth if needed. Mash lentils slightly with a spoon when ready.
  2. Toast walnuts for about 10 minutes and set aside. Increase oven temperature to 350F. Meanwhile, whisk ground flax with water in a small bowl and set aside.
  3. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté the garlic and onion for about five minutes and season with salt. Add in the celery, carrot, apple and raisins and sauté for five more minutes. Remove from heat.
  4. In a large mixing bowl, mix all ingredients together and adjust seasonings to taste. Grease a loaf pan and line with parchment paper. Press mixture firmly into pan. Whisk glaze ingredients and then spread half on top of the loaf, reserving the rest for a dipping sauce.
  5. Bake at 350F for 40-50 minutes, uncovered. Edges will be slightly brown. Cool in pan for at least 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Photo credit: iStockphoto/NWphotoguy

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Gobble ‘Til You Wobble: How To Reinvent Thanksgiving Leftovers

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What’s even better than Thanksgiving dinner? The Thanksgiving leftovers. But if you’re worried you’ll get bored eating the same meal for a week straight, mix things up with these unique recipes. (And no turkey tetrazzini is involved!)

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Need Extra Holiday Cash? Bring Your Lunch and Save Money

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Make lunch fun with a colorful Bento lunchbox, with strips of raw vegetables and dip, pita pockets, crackers, fruit or nuts.

With the holidays right around the corner, you may wonder how you’re going to get the perfect gift for everyone on your list. Parents, bosses, nieces, nephews and spouses all need gifts that say “thoughtful” but don’t scream “cheap.” Instead of charging everything on your credit card in the two weeks before Christmas, why not sock away $40 weekly until you have a solid gift-giving budget? It’s easy when you swap dining out three to four days a week with healthy, filling, cheap lunches you brought from home. Plus, if you lose a little weight while eating healthier in the weeks before the holidays, you’ll feel less guilty for indulging in Thanksgiving favorites.

Try the wholesome, budget-friendly suggestions below and you’ll be on your way to a leaner waistline and fatter wallet in as little as two weeks, and prep as much as you can the night before so bringing your lunch helps you out rather than stresses you out.

Colorful Bento box
Packed in a divided dish or individual small reusable containers, a do-it-yourself Bento box is easy, cheap and fun. Include a hard-boiled egg, cut in half and sprinkled with salt and pepper, baby carrots, celery sticks and low-fat ranch dressing and cheese, ham and crackers, stacked and stored sideways. For dessert, add a container of sliced kiwi and mango. Go Japanese and make a box of store-bought California rolls, shelled edamame and orange slices, or think like a kid again with sliced turkey and cheese roll-ups with mustard to dip them in, green grapes, Goldfish crackers and a pudding cup.

Sandwich shake-up
Regular old peanut butter and jelly doesn’t have to make it into your brown bag. Make over your sandwich with the following combinations on whole-wheat bread: peanut butter and thinly sliced pears; fresh mozzarella, pesto, tomatoes and basil leaves; hummus, fresh mint and cucumber slices; egg salad and smoked salmon; or grilled chicken, apple slices and mango chutney. Instead of whole wheat bread, also consider bagels, crackers or bakery rolls.

Kicked-up leftovers
There are two types of people in the world: those who like leftovers, and those who don’t. If you’re in the latter category, fall in love with leftovers again by making them over on the second time around. Add drained, rinsed chickpeas and enchilada or taco sauce to leftover macaroni and cheese; top beans and rice with a fried egg and a few drops of hot sauce; douse a baked potato with leftover chili or soup and shredded cheddar; and turn steamed rice into fried rice by heating it in a skillet with a tablespoon of vegetable oil, chopped scallions and carrots, a scrambled egg, a handful of frozen peas and a few dashes of soy sauce or teriyaki sauce. If you have leftover chicken, ham, bacon or ground beef to throw in, even better.

Wrap-tastic
Breathe new life into familiar favorites by surrounding delicious fillings with a whole-wheat tortilla. Combine grilled chicken, chopped romaine lettuce and reduced-fat Caesar dressing for a Caesar salad wrap; mozzarella cheese, turkey pepperoni, sliced black olives, sautéed onions and peppers and a little pizza sauce for a microwavable, melty pizza wrap; or Brie, raspberry jam and toasted pecans for an almost-baked Brie wrap (after it’s heated). If you have time the night before, lightly toast your wrap in a skillet after the filling has been added.

Photo Credit: iStockphoto/jabiru

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What Makes an Ingredient ‘Good’?

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If you’re a fan of cooking shows, you may have noticed when a celebrity chef instructs you to use a “good” version of an ingredient but doesn’t explain what makes an ingredient worthy of that designation. Celebrity chefs likely can’t endorse a specific brand without the brand expecting some kind of compensation or endorsement deal, so they turn the label where the camera can’t see it, cover it up or create a new, fake label entirely.

For anytime you’ve heard or read the words “good” cheddar, chocolate or olive oil, read below for suggestions for the top-of-the-line, tried-and-true brands for these and more, so your next dish will be ready for its own close-up.

Olive oil
For making salad dressings, finishing dishes and dipping bread into, look for extra virgin olive oil that has been cold pressed, which means no heat was applied during the crushing process and less flaws will be in the oil. Select a California oil over a Spanish or Italian one, as California has stricter regulations than its international counterparts, which means your oil has less of a chance to go rancid. Color, whether it’s more green or yellow, doesn’t matter, and remember that quality olive oil will always cost more. Fortunately, you should only use extra-virgin olive oil when you want the flavor to shine, but for sautéing or baking, regular olive, canola or vegetable oil is fine.

Chocolate chips
According to America’s Test Kitchen, Ghirardelli 60% Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Chips are the best for making desserts from chocolate chip cookies to ganache. Their wider, flatter chips distribute chocolate more evenly through the cookie, snap pleasantly like dark chocolate should, are not waxy and have a nice balance of sweet-to-bitter flavor.

Cocoa powder
The gold standard in cocoa powder is Pernigotti cocoa, from one of the oldest chocolate manufacturers in Italy, founded in 1860. It’ll cost you (about $23 for just over two pounds), but its cocoa and vanilla flavors and higher percentage of fat set it apart from the other cocoa powders. Callebaut Baking Cocoa Powder is another excellent choice, rated “Best Overall” in Cooks Illustrated Magazine but is considerably more expensive.

Dark chocolate bar
“Dark” is in the eye of the beholder. Technically, European rules specify that chocolate must not contain less than 35 percent dry cocoa solids, 18 percent cocoa butter and 14 percent of dry non-fat cocoa solids. For you, this means that dark chocolate cacao percentages can be all over the place, from 70 to 99 percent, and the higher the number, the better for you, but the more bitter the chocolate. If you prefer chocolate in the lower range, choose Scharffen Berger Bittersweet Dark Chocolate, 70% Cacao, for its smooth texture and deep-but-not-bitter chocolate flavor. On the much darker side of the spectrum, Lindt Excellence Extra Dark 85% Cocoa bar is the best for its bright, intense chocolate taste.

Cheese
Brand recommendations don’t necessarily apply here, but instead, look for the following, and select ones that are more grainy looking and less waxy: For feta, choose a Greek feta that’s a solid block (not already crumbled) and packed in brine. For cheddar, look for a white, sharp cheddar that’s been aged for at least six months. For the best flavor and texture, parmesan should be either Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano, the latter of which cannot technically be designated Parmigiano Reggiano but tastes similar and is much cheaper. Mozzarella should be fresh or whole-milk; if you choose fresh, your dish will be wetter than traditional whole-milk mozzarella. For a delicious, no-fail blue cheese, select a Stilton, which is always produced with high standards in Stilton, Cambridgeshire, England.

Chicken stock
You’ve always heard homemade chicken stock is better, but realistically, most of us don’t have the time or freezer space to make our own. Two canned broths stand out as acceptable substitutes: Swanson Natural Goodness chicken broth and Swanson’s Chicken Cooking Stock. For a space-saving alternative, try Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base, a (salty) cooking base made with real chicken, vegetables and herbs. Hint: You don’t even have to heat it with water separately; just whisk a teaspoonful into a cup of water (for every cup of broth or stock called for in the recipe) and stir into your dish. However, adjust the salt in your original recipe when using Better Than Bouillon so your finished meal doesn’t end up too salty.

Vanilla extract
When it comes to vanilla extract, always opt for pure over imitation. Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract is regarded as the industry standard for the best pure vanilla extract. With only four ingredients – water, alcohol, sugar and vanilla bean – Nielsen-Massey produces a vanilla extract with a sweet, creamy, intense vanilla flavor that you sense as soon as you open the bottle.

Salt
Overall, varying brands of Fleur De Sel, a French, briny, mild salt with large flakes, is the gold standard for salt, though it shines best when used as a finisher, such as sprinkling over gently sautéed fresh green beans or sugar snap peas. For using every day, seasoning meats before cooking and baking, Maldon flaked sea salt is top-notch, as its flakes are actually pyramid-shaped. If you prefer fine ground versus coarse salt, opt for Celtic Sea Salt, Fine Ground.

Canned tomatoes
Available in a variety of brands, San Marzano tomatoes are considered the world’s best paste tomatoes by chefs. Similar to the Roma tomato, San Marzano tomatoes are more slender with a thicker flesh and a strong, sweet taste.

Ghastly Delicious Recipes for Your Halloween Get-Together

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Make your Halloween get-together unforgettable with these delicious, sometimes weird food ideas that will have guests haunting your kitchen for more!

Try these tasty Halloween recipe ideas for your haunted Halloween gathering – you’ll be scared by how much your guests eat! Have fun while putting a ghoulish twist on old favorites or creating something scrumptious out of the seemingly unappetizing.

Sinister starters
Consider these creepy foods to kick off your festivities. Weird food can gross out guests, while delivering a savory or sweet surprise with every bite.

Make deviled eggs extra devilish for your Halloween get-together using jarred red peppers, chives and scallions to create a bedeviled face. You’ve never had stranger-looking sausage balls than these Monster Eyes, but you’d better hurry and sample them before your invited ghouls finish them off. Bat Wings (actually seasoned chicken wings) may look completely unappetizing, but are sure to disappear when your first brave visitor takes a bite. Serve them with a macabre, but tasty, tapas dish called Devils on Horseback, which are oddly-delicious, bacon-wrapped prunes.

Devilish drinks
You can ladle this spooky Brew Ha-Ha Punch into the cups of adults and kids at your Halloween party. When you place dry ice (safely) under the bowl, your guests will sense the smoky chill. For a truly creepy grown-up beverage, make this Eyeball Martini, using a radish and olive as a gruesome garnish floating in gin or vodka. A dead-of-night alternative is the Headless Horseman, made with Falernum, rum and pumpkin ale. This cocktail, with flavors of lime, almond and ginger, is seasonal, yet quite unexpected.

Sweet and spooky treats
What would Halloween be without spooky treats for the young and the young at heart? Your guests will love spider cookies, made with crispy chocolate cereal and black-licorice legs. (Here’s a gluten-free version.)

Chocolate bat cupcakes take two squares of chocolate, mints, or cookies placed on each side of the cupcake to form wings. Use a thick chocolate ganache frosting to hold the “wings” in place. With a frosting tube, draw on a bat face. Place small, white candies or white daubs of frosting for eyes.

No ladies’ tea would be complete without Lady Fingers cookies, but you can give them a gruesome twist at your Halloween party this year by serving them with Men’s Toes. These delicate biscuits will have your guests grimacing for more. Or serve up some Black Magic Cake. The coffee in this formulation deepens the chocolate flavor, sending this dark confection to flavorful depths.

This year, plan ahead to make your Halloween get-together unforgettable with these delicious, sometimes weird food ideas that will have guests haunting your kitchen for more!

Photo Credit:  Shutterstock / Azurita

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Toast to Five Outrageous Cocktails

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Bacon and quail eggs are just a few of the things you might see in some outrageous cocktails.

If you think food is the only thing you can get creative with, think again. Alcohol is one of the most versatile mediums, and just about anything goes. So from the disgusting to the delicious, raise a glass to these five outrageous cocktails that you can find across the United States.

The Bloody Best, Atlanta, Ga.

Some people refer to bloody marys as “a meal in a cup,” but The Nook really sticks to its word with its outrageous cocktail creation, the Bloody Best. This monster of a drink is a 16-ounce bloody mary served with one skewer of steak and tater tots, another skewer with peppers and blue-cheese-stuffed olives and rimmed with a hardboiled egg and a piece of toast. But it doesn’t end there. The cocktail is garnished with a piece of crispy, fatty bacon and served with a beef straw. That’s right, a straw made entirely out of beef. Order up one of these bad boys and chances are you might not even need to order an entrée.

Insect Cocktails, New York, N.Y.

New York’s innovative restaurant and cocktail bar, White & Church, takes the most ordinary (or disgusting) of ingredients and elevates them into something extraordinary. As such, they’ve developed a series of cocktails using insects as the focal point. If you’re an adventurous drinker, try the Summer, made from Batilda de Coco, oatmeal milk, sugar and dried grasshoppers placed in a weaved bamboo leaf sphere, resulting in a sweet, earthy cocktail. Or, the Blue Velvet, a mix of Crème de Menthe and Sambuca rimmed with black sesame seeds and topped with a scorpion. If you’re a margarita fan, try the Why Not?, a cocktail featuring Don Julio tequila, Cointreau, sugar, lime and avocado topped with Mexican dried spicy worms.

Mamma Mia! Pizza Beer, Campton Township, Ill.

You’ve probably seen beer made from citrus peels, honey, coriander, hemp seed, maple syrup and various fruits, but have you seen a beer made from tomatoes? Billing itself as the “Beer So Good It Deserves a Wine Glass,” the Mamma Mia! Pizza Beer might be better served on a plate. Developed by a couple of chefs-turned-home-brewers in 2006 whose goal was to create a beer that would pair well with a number of foods, especially pizza, this crazy brew takes tomatoes, oregano, basil & garlic, as well as a whole Margherita pizza and steeps it in the beer mixture, resulting in a beer that tastes scarily like a pizza.

MacGriddle, Alexandria, Va.

The small, unmarked speakeasy known as PX, helmed by renowned mixologist Todd Thrasher, is churning out some of the most unique cocktails around. When tomatoes are in season, you can try the famous BLT, a savory cocktail featuring a huge ice cube made with lettuce water, clear tomato water and bacon-infused vodka poured into a glass rimmed with bacon salt. But it’s his off-the-menu special cocktail, the “MacGriddle,” that has really earned him notoriety. This sweet concoction, reportedly tasting just like a McGriddle from McDonald’s, is made from a mixture of bacon vodka, cream, maple syrup, a whole egg and confectioner’s sugar.

Bunny Tail, Las Vegas, Nev.

Everyone knows that everything in Las Vegas is simply outrageous, so it should come as no surprise that one of the most unusual cocktails comes from this nightlife hotspot. The playfully named Bunny Tail can be found at the Playboy Club inside the Palms Casino Resort. This delightful concoction is made from a mix of Limoncello, San Pellegrino Limonata, sparkling soda and a choice of Ketel Citroen, Ketel One or Don Julio Blanco. Once garnished with a lemon wedge, the Bunny Tail is topped with a puff of pink cotton candy and served with a side of Pellegrino and a mini bottle of liqueur so partygoers can pour the drinks over the cotton candy, watching it dissolve into the glass.

Photo credit: iStockphoto/pirukas

How to Do Valentine’s Day For Less Than $50

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Purchase flowers for her at a grocery store to cut down on expensive delivery costs on Valentine's Day.

Times are tough and belts are tight – but that doesn’t mean your sweetie still won’t expect the royal treatment on Valentine’s Day. Don’t worry if you’re feeling pressure to go all out but don’t have the budget, because you can still give your loved one a memorable, meaningful Valentine’s evening without spending more than $50, and that’s including flowers and chocolates. Here’s how:

Dinner

The least expensive dinner is one you make yourself – and she’ll appreciate the effort you put into slaving over a hot stove. Incorporate lots of aphrodisiacs into your meal, starting with this roasted asparagus, fennel and avocado salad. For the main course, serve smoked salmon pesto pasta, which contains libido-enhancing Omega-3 fish oil in the salmon and basil, said to boost fertility. If she’s not a fish person, opt for chicken almondine and a rich, creamy potato gratin. End the meal with decadent molten lava cakes from Paula Deen, which have a hint of orange liqueur and vanilla for extra flavor. Since most recipes listed make enough for four to six people, don’t forget to divide the recipes to both save money and make only enough for two people.

Setting

Parks create a perfect (and free!) backdrop for a romantic evening walk, or you could pack up your special dinner to dine by the pool in your apartment community. Set up a few long, taper candles in the center of the table to create mood lighting and have a small stereo or your iPod playing a set list of your honey’s favorite love songs. Alternately, scatter rose petals from the door of her apartment and have a candlelit dinner waiting on her when she walks in from work. Ask her to slow dance with you in the kitchen.

Flowers

Prices are often marked up on flowers for Valentine’s Day, but with a little research, you can find a dozen roses for cheap if you live near a chain grocery store. You’ll have to nix having them delivered as that’s where most of the cost comes in, but you can hand-deliver a dozen roses purchased from stores such as Safeway or Kroger for $10. Plus, scour billboards on interstates in the weeks leading to Valentine’s Day – local florists often advertise ultra-cheap flowers there. If you can’t find roses, purchase a mixed flower bouquet from a grocery store for around $7 – just make sure she doesn’t hate carnations before you do that.

Gifts

Drugstores offer a ton of ideas for inexpensive Valentine’s Day gifts. Valentine’s chocolate assortments from Russell Stover and Whitman’s start at $6, or you could create a candy dish of her favorite miniatures for less than $10. Available in most drugstores around Valentine’s Day, Cupidology has a series of inexpensive romantic gifts, including romantic coupons, body candy and massage oil.

Photo Credit: iStockphoto/Ljupco

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How to Host a Holiday Dinner for Eight People Under $50

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Score a free or discounted turkey as the centerpiece of your budget holiday meal.

Holidays stop for no one, whether you’re on a budget or not. Since Christmas is a time to reflect on what you do have, there’s no reason you can’t serve multiple seasonal side dishes on a budget. Of course, the most budget-friendly way to host Christmas dinner is to ask each person attending to bring a dish or two and you handle just the turkey and dressing or stuffing.  But if you want to show everyone a classic dinner by yourself that doesn’t scrimp on flavor, it is possible to host a Christmas dinner for eight for $50 or less if you follow the tips below.

The turkey or meat is the centerpiece, but also the most expensive component, of your Christmas meal. In the weeks before Christmas, grocery stores heavily discount turkeys to bring people inside, and stores such as Safeway, ShopRite and BJ’s Wholesale Club offer annual promotions where if you spend a certain amount  in a time period or buy specific products, you receive a free turkey. Some car dealerships offer a free turkey for a test drive; check your local news to see what’s going on in your area.

If you can’t score a discounted or free whole turkey, change the meat of the meal. Instead, purchase a turkey breast (using this roasted turkey breast recipe), turkey legs, a whole fryer chicken, chicken pieces or a small spiral ham.

Make your sides largely from vegetables and fruits you purchased fresh and in season in December, such as apples, Brussels sprouts, carrots, cranberries, oranges, potatoes, rutabagas, winter squash, turnips or yams. Keep the dishes simple so they bring out the flavors of each vegetable or fruit. Some suggestions include: baked apples, homemade applesauce, Brussels sprouts sautéed with bacon, carrot soufflé, mashed potatoes, butternut squash, apple and cranberry bake, butternut squash with brown butter and thyme, scalloped turnips and candied yams.

For dessert, make one pie and a large dessert you can cut into squares, such as Vanilla and Chocolate Delight, which combines a pecan shortbread crust with a cream cheese and pudding filling, crowned with whipped topping. If you want to make a pie, save money by making the pie crust yourself, then make a pumpkin (buy your canned pumpkin as early as possible, as it runs out closer to the holidays), apples or sweet potato filling to tailor it to the season.

 

If your family is okay with having Christmas dinner on paper or plastic plates, go with those, but if you want to serve them on real plates, purchase two inexpensive sets of four white dinner plates from Wal-Mart. Serve homemade iced tea and water with it, and your meal under $50 looks as amazing as a meal that cost twice that much.

Photo Credit: iStockphoto/boblin

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Top 5 Apartment Cooking Blogs

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Make the most of your apartment kitchen with the top cooking blogs, designed for small spaces.

Let’s be honest—sometimes, apartment living can be a struggle, and cooking in an apartment can be even more difficult. Creative culinary freedom can be hindered, counter space is often limited and your budget might not allow you to splurge on expensive kitchen gadgets and ingredients. Fortunately, there’s a select group of bloggers out there that understand the (sometimes) hair-pulling frustration of living (and cooking) in a small space, and can commiserate with fellow apartment inhabitants who are hungry to live on more than just ramen noodles.

From long-time apartment dwellers to those who have relocated from a larger space, we’ve searched the internet far and wide to track down the top five apartment cooking blogs from those who know the drill. So take a big bite out of the following blogs. We’re sure that you’ll find apartment culinary inspiration to suit your palate.

Bluestem Kitchen
What It Is: A recent graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, the writer behind Bluestem Kitchen, Erin McDowell, found herself cooking in tiny apartment kitchens and blogging about ideas, recipe improvisations and delicious meal solutions.
Why We Love It: Bluestem Kitchen includes recipes for simple yet creative food that don’t require special equipment or extravagant ingredients. Plus, Erin’s pictures are gorgeous and absolutely drool-worthy.

My Crummy Apartment
What It Is: My Crummy Apartment is a blog dedicated to real cooking on a real budget, in a really small basement apartment kitchen.
Why We Love It: Documenting the trials and tribulations of a self-proclaimed “kitchen impaired” amateur foodie who relocated from a big house with a state-of-the-art kitchen, this blog offers a healthy heaping of humor along with video tutorials that range from the helpful to the hilarious.

Tiny Urban Kitchen
What It Is: The name of this blog says it all. The writer behind Tiny Urban Kitchen, Jen Che, an MIT grad residing in a tiny urban condo in the Boston area, has been cooking in tiny spaces since her college days, where she managed to make complete meals with a rice cooker and a hot plate.
Why We Love It: Jen’s charm and wit shines through in every post, and she brings a unique point of view to the table. In an interesting twist, her experience as a research chemist comes in handy in certain posts involving gastronomic experimentation.

The Kitchn
What It Is: As a spinoff blog from the now infamous Apartment Therapy website, The Kitchn offers amazing recipes with a focus on home-cooked meals, DIY advice and kitchen tours to apartment dwellers.
Why We Love It: Touted as somewhat of an authority in small space management, this blog includes expert advice from industry authorities. You won’t find this much comprehensive and well-organized small kitchen and apartment culinary advice anywhere else.

Smitten Kitchen
What It Is: Blogging (and cooking) from a 42-square-foot kitchen in New York City, Deb Perelman’s Smitten Kitchen focuses on elevated comfort foods prepared in a tiny space.
Why We Love It: With posts including “How to Max Out Your Tiny Kitchen” and “Build Your Own Smitten Kitchen,” this blog is about more than just amazing recipes. SK has also garnered praise from Saveur, Time Magazine and InStyle, among other media outlets.

Photo Credit: iStockphoto/sturti

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