"Money's the same, whoever gives it to you. That was the point of money, after all: crisp and clean or wrinkled or disintegrated into quarters - a dollar was always worth a hundred cents." - Scott Westerfeld

SavingAdvice.com Blog

Bridging the gap between saving money and investing

recipe

Memorial Day Barbecue Chicken Recipe

By Leave a Comment

chicken barbecue recipe, grilled chicken, barbecued chicken

Happy Memorial Day! In the event that you’re still trying to figure out what to grill today, here’s the perfect recipe for enough barbecue chicken to feed half a dozen guests.

It takes only five minutes of advance preparation and 35 minutes on the grill. Best of all the sauce would work just as well on pork chops or ribs — just increase the proportions of the ingredients if you want to grill more types of meat (or serve more than six guests).

Ingredients

4 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 1/2 cups of diced onion
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup of ketchup
1/2 cup of honey
1/2 cup of brown sugar
100 ml apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper, to taste
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Directions

1. Preheat grill for medium-high heat.
2. For the sauce: Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté onion and garlic until tender.
3. Stir in ketchup, honey, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper.
4. Cook for a few minutes to thicken the sauce. Remove from heat, and allow to cool.
5. Lightly oil the grill grate.
6. Dip chicken in sauce, and turn to coat.
7. Cook on grill until the chicken has a few charred marks, no longer pink or until juices run clear.
8. Turn and baste occasionally with remaining marinade.
9. Serve and enjoy with your favorite side dishes.

Quick tip: You can also soak the chicken in the marinade overnight for a juicier barbecue result.

Readers, please let us know what you — and your guests — think of this recipe.

Read More

If you enjoyed this recipe, you might like these other food-related articles in our archives:

If you enjoy reading our blog posts and would like to try your hand at blogging, we have good news for you; you can do exactly that on Saving Advice. Just click here to get started.

chicken barbecue recipe, easy chicken barbecue, barbecue recipe

Shrimp Scampi Pasta Recipe

By Leave a Comment

pasta recipe, shrimp pasta recipe

Pasta is one of the most cost-effective meals you can make — the ingredients are inexpensive and the recipes are pretty easy to follow. Even though this one for shrimp scampi lists a lot of ingredients, there’s not a lot of work involved. The dish takes 20 minutes to prepare and another 20 minutes to cook.

Ingredients

  • 1 (16 ounces) package of linguine, or any pasta of your choice
  • 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
  • 3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil, or to taste
  • 2 shallots, finely diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 cup of dry white wine
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 1/4 cup of finely chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; cook linguine or pasta in boiling water for six to eight minutes. Then drain.
  2. Melt two tablespoons of butter with two tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
  3. Cook and stir shallots, garlic, and red pepper flakes into the hot butter and oil until the shallots are translucent, about three to four minutes.
  4. Season shrimp with kosher salt and black pepper; add to the skillet and cook until pink, stirring occasionally for about two to three minutes.
  5. Remove the shrimp from the skillet and keep them warm.
  6. Pour white wine and lemon juice into the skillet and bring to a boil while scraping the browned bits of food off of the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon.
  7. Melt two tablespoons of butter in skillet, stir two tablespoons of olive oil into the butter mixture and bring it to a simmer.
  8. Toss linguine, shrimp, and parsley into the butter mixture until they’re coated; season with salt and black pepper.
  9. Drizzle with one teaspoon olive of oil to serve.

Quick tip: The pasta isn’t cooked according to package directions or that will result in overcooked noodles. When you toss it together with the shrimp mixture, there will be the additional heat that can cook the pasta further. This is why it’s best to boil the pasta a couple of minutes less than what the package recommends. No need to worry, as this will still come out with the ideal consistency.

Readers, please let us know what you think about this recipe by posting about it in the comments section beneath this post.

Read More

If you enjoyed this recipe, you might like these other food-related articles in our archives:

If you enjoy reading our blog posts and would like to try your hand at blogging, we have good news for you; you can do exactly that on Saving Advice. Just click here to get started.

simple pasta recipe, shrimp scampi, pasta recipe

Easy Roast Prime Rib Recipe

By Leave a Comment

Roast prime ribs, roast prime ribs, easy roasted ribs

Making that perfect roasted prime rib can seem daunting, especially if you’re expecting company. It becomes much more straightforward with the following recipe. It takes only 10 minutes to prepare before you put it in the oven.

Depending on how large of a roast you choose and how well you like it cooked, you can have it ready to go within six hours.

Best of all, you probably have many of the ingredients in your kitchen already so all you have to do is visit your butcher shop to choose your roast.

Ingredients

  • 1 (14 pounds) roast-ready prime rib roast (with the ribs cut out)
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons of freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons of salt
  • 2 teaspoons of paprika
  • 1 teaspoon of onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon of celery seed
  • Olive oil

Directions for Roast Prime Rib

1. Take out the prime rib from your freezer and allow the meat to come to room temperature. This should take about three hours, depending on the size of the roast.
2. Preheat the oven to 425° F. Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil.
3. Unwrap the prime rib and place it onto the roasting pan; blot it with paper towels. Rub the meat with olive oil all over.
4. Sift together flour, pepper, salt, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and celery seed into a small bowl. Coat and rub the prime rib all over with this flour mixture.
5. Roast in preheated oven until cooked to your taste: about four-and-a-half hours (or 20 minutes per pound) for medium rare. Roast to an internal temperature of 120° F for medium rare; 130° F for medium; or 140° F  for well done.
6. When the prime rib has finished cooking, take it out of the oven, and cover with aluminum foil. Allow the roast to rest in a warm spot for 30 minutes to one hour before slicing.
7. Serve the roast with your favorite side dishes and enjoy.

Readers, please let us know what you think of this recipe — and tell us about how your guests enjoyed it too; post about the experience in the comments section beneath this post.

Read More About Food

If you enjoyed this recipe, you might like these other food-related articles in our archives.

Readers, if our articles make you want to try your hand at blogging yourself, we have good news for you: You can do exactly that right here on Saving Advice. Just click here to get started.

Beer-Battered Fish Recipe for National Beer Day

By Leave a Comment

fish fillet, fish n' chips, beer-battered fish fillet

April 7 is National Beer Day — commemorating it isn’t just about drinking the beverage, but also including it in recipes. With that in mind, here comes a recipe for beer-battered fish.

It’s simple to make yet delicious to taste, and great for a weeknight dinner, munch on while watching Netflix, or even during snacks for game night.

Many of the ingredients can be found in your pantry so this is an affordable and easy dinner or snack to make. Another tip: Aside from cod fish fillets, you can also use other types of fish fillets like pollock, snapper or haddock. Serves eight people.

Ingredients

  • 2 quarts vegetable oil
  • 8 cod fish fillets, 4 ounces apiece
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons garlic powder
  • 2 tablespoons paprika
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 bottle of beer, 12 ounces
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons pepper

Beer-battered fish directions

1. Heat oil in a deep fryer to 365 degrees F (185 degrees C).
2. Rinse fish fillets, pat dry, and season both sides with salt and pepper.
3. Combine flour, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper into a bowl.
4. Stir egg into dry ingredients.
5. Gradually mix in one bottle of beer until a thin batter is formed.
6. Dip fish fillets into the batter. You should be able to see the fish through the batter after it has been dipped, then drop one at a time into hot oil.
7. Fry fish until both sides are golden brown.
8. Drain on paper towels, and serve warm.

Note: If you don’t have a deep fryer, making beer-battered fish in a deep frying pan will do. Adjust the amount of vegetable oil, just good enough to coat the fish fillets when cooking.

Optional dill tartar sauce: In a bowl, blend 3/4 cup mayonnaise with 3 tablespoons sweet pickle relish, one diced sour pickle and one tablespoon chopped dill. Season the tartar sauce with salt and pepper and serve cold. Makes about one cup.

Best served with thick-cut fries on the side.

Readers, please let us know what you think of this recipe after trying it out in your own kitchen. Also tell us what if anything you’re doing in honor of National Beer Day today.

Organize Your Recipes To Eat At Home More

By 2 Comments

recipe organization

One of the reasons that people often give for eating out a lot is, “I don’t know what to make.” (That, or “I don’t know how to make it,” which can be overcome with some simple cooking lessons). Yet many of us have recipes for wonderful, simple dishes scattered all over our kitchens. Some may be tucked into cookbooks, or they’re tacked to the fridge. Sometimes they’re stuffed in junk drawers or just placed in an envelope with no way of knowing exactly what’s in there. When it comes time to make a meal, we’re stumped. We know we have a recipe for something good, but we can’t lay our hands on it. Forget it, we say, as we head out to the local restaurant.

It doesn’t have to be this way, though. If you take the time to collect and organize your recipes you’ll find it easier to cook at home. You’ll be able to lay your hands on that great recipe immediately and start cooking. While there are lots of ways you can organize your recipes, three main ways seem to prevail. Here are some ideas for each.

Binders

You can set up a binder with printed or handwritten sheets of recipes. You can protect your recipes from spills by investing in some plastic sheet protectors. Use tabbed dividers to separate by meal, main ingredient, or occasion. Get some baseball card pockets or plastic binder pockets to store recipes cut from magazines and boxes. Binders are great because they lay flat on the cooking surface and are easy to store on a shelf amongst other cookbooks.

Index card file

You can write your recipes on index cards and put them in a hard sided, plastic or metal box. Use tabbed dividers to separate recipes by meal or occasion. You can also use an accordion/check file. Most come with tabbed pockets and you simply need to label each pocket. Recipes from boxes and magazines can be placed in the appropriate place without requiring special holders.

Computer file

You can create your own document or spreadsheet, or use one of the many commercially available software programs to organize your recipes. The benefits of computer organization include searchability and cross referencing, and they can be backed up to prevent loss. The negatives are that you must have your computer, tablet, or phone in the kitchen when cooking and you have to be careful not to spill something on it. It also means that anything you find on a box or in a magazine will have to either be entered into the database by hand or scanned, or you’ll have to keep a second system for those loose recipes.

For further organization, you can dedicate a section of your binder, box, or computer file to your meal planning sheets. Each week or month you can plan out what you’re going to make and then attach the recipes to the meal sheet. It makes it so easy to cook dinner when you not only know what you’re making on any given night, but the recipe for it is right at your fingertips. When the next week or month rolls around, file the unneeded recipes and attach the new ones.

A well-organized recipe collection goes beyond making your own meal planning easier. It also makes a great gift. Give one to your daughter when she starts her own home, or give one to a bride-to-be. Your heirloom recipes will make a great keepsake and give someone just starting out more dishes to choose from.

You can be as creative or plain as you want with your organization. If you’re into crafts, you can make an elaborate scrapbook-type binder. If you’re less inclined, you can buy a plain binder off the school-supply aisle. There are also dedicated recipe books and card files available at many stores. Whatever method you choose, make sure it works with the way you cook. Some people will prefer a binder they can lay flat on the counter, while others will prefer a small card box that can be tucked away. Once you have your recipes all organized in a way that works for you, you’ll probably find that eating at home becomes less problematic and, maybe, even enjoyable.

(Photo courtesy of Starsammy)

13 Gifts For Forgotten Occasions

By 4 Comments

We’ve all done it. Your best friend’s birthday is today and you completely forgot. Your anniversary is today and you haven’t done anything. You forgot to buy a Christmas present for Aunt Imogene and she’s at the door. You don’t have time to pick out a fabulous present, so what can you do, besides the obvious email gift certificate?

Unfortunately, there’s probably no way to disguise the fact that you forgot, or at least didn’t have a lot of time. It’s an unfortunate fact that, in our consumer oriented culture, a homemade gift is code for, “I screwed up. Don’t hate me.” Either that or it’s code for, “I’m broke or cheap. At least I tried.” It’s terrible that we think this way but, be honest, you probably think like that, too.

Most people who remember occasions buy commercially available presents. Those who forget make stuff up. But this isn’t a sin and, in fact, you can give some pretty cool stuff if you just think about the gift’s suitability for the recipient. If you live by the adage that, “It’s the thought that counts,” you can salvage a forgotten occasion with grace, tact, and a really cool gift. Here are some ideas:

Give coupons: This is an old idea, but now with basic word processing software and a color printer, you can make coupons that are also works of art. Give free nights of babysitting, massages (great for anniversaries), chores, or anything else that you know the recipient wants to do or doesn’t have time to do.

Charitable contributions: Give to a charity that you know means a lot to your gift recipient. Most places now let you donate online and print out a gift card or certificate to mark your gift.

Your best recipes: If you have a stash of family favorites that people rave about, type them up neatly and print them on decorative cards or paper, slip into a small binder, and give them away.

A framed picture: For the cost of a pretty frame, you can make someone’s day. Maybe you have a picture of you and your best friend on a great vacation, or a family photo that no one knows you have. Print it and frame it.

Treat pack: Gather single serve packs of some of your friend’s favorite candies into a decorative jar or bowl.

Your own produce: If you have a prolific garden, give away some of your produce in decorative jars or containers. If it’s past summer and you canned some of your haul, give some away.

Music CD’s: You probably have a good idea of your recipient’s musical taste. There are plenty of free, legal songs available for download that you can burn to a CD and maybe introduce your friends to new artists.

Podcasts and audiobooks: I’m sure you know what your friends are interested in. There are free and legal podcasts and audiobooks for almost every interest, from sports to travel to cooking to auto repair. Download a few and put them on CD so your friends can pass some wait time with some interesting material.

Give them a night out – at your house: Invite your friend and a guest to your house for a night out. Cook them a meal, pair it with wine, and serve it like a professional waiter. Then leave them alone to eat and talk. When dinner’s over, let them choose a movie from your collection, fix them some popcorn, and leave them to canoodle on your couch. It’s cheaper for you than giving them a “true” night out and they still get to get out. It may even be better for them since there are no annoying people on cell phones to ruin the movie or dinner conversation.

Handmade cards: If you don’t want to give a present, a handmade card is unique and appreciated. Use personal photos or fun clip art to design the card and put your own thoughts inside, or a piece of favorite poetry.

Offer to teach something: You probably have skills that your friends want to learn. Give them the gift of your knowledge. Teach them computers or cooking. Teach them how to use coupons or search for online bargains. Teach them the basics of an instrument or a few words in a foreign language.

A video: You probably have some pictures or video of times together or fun things you’ve done. Create a video and burn it to DVD. Even a collection of still pictures synched to music makes a memorable gift.

Cook a meal: Offer to make a meal with all the trimmings and deliver it to the person’s house. You’re just like the pizza delivery guy, only free.

You don’t have to run out and buy something when you realize you’ve forgotten an occasion. There are plenty of creative gifts to be made from things you likely already have on hand or can at least get quickly. Gift cards are great, but impersonal. Add your personal touch to these ideas and they’ll be appreciated and well received.