The Simple Woman's Day Book . . .

FOR TODAY, March 23rd, 2009 ...

Outside My Window...
The sun is well up and the birds are singing away. It looks to be a clear day so far. We have been really blessed with fine weather over this past week. I know that sooner or later the rain must come. Every day of sunshine we have over here is an extra blessing, as it does rain rather a lot. Back home if it rained, we stayed indoors. I soon came to learn upon moving over here, that people don't melt in the rain . . . if I had stayed indoors every time it rained, I'd never have gone anywhere. My first year over here ended up being the wettest autumn/winter season in the UK for many years! I have come to appreciate the rain for what it is and I rather enjoy it from time to time . . . just not all the time.

I am thinking...
About the beautiful service we had in church yesterday for Mother's Day. The primary children sang a song which was sweet and the Bishop and his son sang a duet which was beautiful. It touched my heart in a special way. They sang "Love is Spoken Here," which is one of my very favourite of all the primary songs. It begins with the words . . . "I see my mother kneeling, with the family each day. I hear the words she whispers as she bows her head to pray. Her plea to the Father quiets all my fears, and I am thankful that Love is Spoken Here." It's a beautiful song and was so very beautifully sung yesterday. Here is a video you can listen to if you want to, but be sure to pause my play list before you do. It truly is beautiful.




I am thankful for...
I was sitting in church yesterday and I was thinking about how blessed I am to be a member of my church. I am so thankful for all the truths it has taught me and continues to teach me. That is what is so amazing about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is so simple, and yet . . . there are so many layers of understanding to it. The more I read, the more I study, the more I listen . . . the more convinced I become of the truthfulness of it all. I truly feel blessed that I had a heart that was teachable and willing to listen and to learn. I am thankful for my testimony which continues to grow and to fill my world and my heart with Joy . . . pure and simple Joy. That is a priceless gift from above.

From the kitchen...
The rhubarb in our garden is ripening. I love rhubarb so very much, and yesterday I made rhubarb muffins and some rhubarb squares. I also have my Dorie challenge recipe, a lovely blueberry cake, sitting on the counter. So much goodness!

I am wearing...
Black and White pj's! Very comfy.

I am creating...
I did two paintings at the weekend, which I have shown you, and I also did a rubber stamp design for this website that was asking for reading artists to design a rubber stamp to be included in their fundraising campaign for Cancer Research UK, it's a girl thing, breast cancer fund raising event. The main part of their fund raising will be done with a selection of specially designed limited edition stamps donated by their illustrators and possibly one of their readers. I thought it would be fun to participate and so I did a little design that I e-mailed off to them. It might be used, it might not, but I thought it was pretty cute. You never know, they may decide to use it, or they may not, but I had a lot of fun doing it at any rate!



I am going...
I have a really busy week looming ahead of me this week. On Thursday evening not only do I have a Seminary Lesson to teach but the youth of the church are doing a ground's cleanup so we will be grabbing rakes and bin bags to clean up the gardens surround the chapel. We are on a main road and for some reason people are always tipping their garbage into it. We are always finding empty crisp bags, tin cans, beer cans, liquor bottles amongst other things. It really is quite ignorant of people, but what can you do . . . Anyways, we are cleaning it all up and also the dead leaves and branches left from the winter. Then on Saturday our Ward (church congregation) is having a family preparedness day and the Youth are hosting a car wash to help raise funds for this years EFY event, which is a special camp that is held nationally for our Youth every second year. The cost of going is quite a lot, so we try to encourage our young people to raise as much of the funds needed as possible, themselves. We will be holding several activities in the coming months towards that end!

I am reading...



"The Art of Racing in the Rain," by Garth Stein. The perfect book for anyone who knows that some of our best friends walk beside us on four legs. It's a book written from a dog's perspective on the eve of his death. Touching, funny, and quite entertaining, it runs the gamut of emotions. I am loving it.

I am hoping...
Todd wasn't feeling all that well yesterday, so I am hoping that he feels better today. I don't like it when he isn't well. It frightens me. We found each other so late in life every day is precious to me and I am greedy, I want as many of them as possible together on this side of the veil.

I am hearing...
My play list, which is filled with all the music I love. I really enjoy it. Jess is laying by my feet and softly snoring, off on her adventures I am thinking as her legs and feet twitch. The birds are singing at full throttle outside my window. It's a beautiful day and I am feeling very blessed.

Around the house...
I look around and see photographs of my children and grandchildren. I miss them quite a lot, but I know that they are only a heartbeat away in my mind and in my soul. I am so proud of each one of my children and the decent people they have grown up to be. Each one is special in their own unique way.

One of my favorite things...
Is laying in bed and listening to the sparrows that nest in our eaves. You can hear their tiny wings fluttering against the walls and their soft chirrups as they settle in. It's really quite sweet and endearing, a beautiful and restful sound.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...
Well, you all know that at some point I will be dragging my paints and brushes out, that's a cert . . . and obviously there will be some heavy duty cookery going on as well. I have a lesson to plan for Seminary and other odds and sodds. It won't be a boring week, that's for sure!

Here is picture thought I am sharing...



Primroses all in bloom on a sunny day! If that doesn't do your heart good, I don't know what will! Have a wonderful Monday and a beautiful week!

And there you have it, my Simple Woman's Day Book for today. Don't forget to hop on over to the Simple Woman to check out the other day book entries! (Or better yet, do a simple day book entry yourself! )


These are the delicious rhubarb squares I made yesterday. Not a great picture I know! This is what happens when you are too greedy to wait until they are completely cooled before cutting into them! Doesn't change the taste though . . . totally moreish!



*Oaty Rhubarb Squares*
Makes 24

This is one of my favourite ways to use the rhubarb in our garden. It's like having a rhubarb crumble and a square all at the same time. Very reminiscent of Date Bars, this lovely square is sure to become a fast and true family favourite.

Crust:
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1 1/2 cups rolled oats (not the quick oats)
1 cup soft light brown sugar, packed
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup butter
1/4 tsp vanilla
Filling:
3 cups chopped rhubarb
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 TBS cornstarch
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tsp vanilla

First make the filling. Place all the filling ingredients, with the exception of the vanilla in a saucepan and mix well. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the mixture bubbles up and thickens. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Set aside to cool.

Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Lightly grease a 13 by 9 inch baking pan.

Combine all the crust ingredients in a large bowl, rubbing them together with your fingertips until crumbly. Press half of the crumb mixture into the prepared pan. Bake in the heated oven for about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and pour the rhubarb filling over top. Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture evenly over top. Return to the oven and bake for a further 20 minutes, until golden brown and set. Remove from the oven to a wire rack to cool completely.

Delicious with a scoop of ice cream on top!

Marie's Sunday Six Smile Makers

Happy Sabbath day to you all. It's Sunday and time for my Sunday Six Smile Maker post again. Sundays seem to come around so very quickly, it's hard to believe that here it is again, but there's no denying it, along with Spring . . . Sunday has arrived! I am really looking forward to going to church today. I have not been for the last two weeks. Two weeks ago I had to dog watch at work, and last week we had company that didn't want to go. We just could not leave them on their own for that space of time, as they were only with us for a few days, and so we stayed home. My spiritual battery is really in need of some charging! Today is "Mothering Sunday" over here in the UK as well, so it will be a really special service this morning. Happy Mother's Day to all you UK'ers out there! Hope it's the best one ever for each of you and chock full of new blessings and happy memories!



Sunny Days. We had a lovely week full of sunny days and mildish weather! It has really caused everything in the garden to burst forth and all the trees and bushes are now covered in the green haze of budding leaves. The rhododendrons along the drive are all in bud and my tulips are getting ready to bloom! It's just been a lovely week. I have always said you just cannot beat England on a sunny day! There truly is no lovelier place on earth . . .



Having a day all to myself to do whatever I wanted and only that. Yesterday was the first day in a couple of weeks that I didn't really have anything pressing that needed my attention! Imagine a whole day with no chores to take care of, or jobs that needed doing! Oh my, but I really enjoyed it from start to finish! I did a bit of baking, a bit of telly watching and a bit of painting and planning. I did have my lesson for the Young Women to plan, but that is always fun, so it's not like a real chore to me. I even watched American Idol last evening. They had some country music singers on it which I really enjoyed, but I thought Randy Travis was looking rather thin and haggard. I hope he's well????



When I was cooking our supper last night (nothing special, just some sauerkraut, bockwurst and mashed potatoes) it made me think of my sister and so I picked up the telephone and called her, right then and there. My sister and I have always been the best of friends, and I really miss her alot. When we were really young, we were inseparable. When we became teens, we fought like dogs and cats. When we became adults, we found our closeness again. It wasn't all that long ago that we used to begin each day chatting with each other on the telephone. (after the children had gone to school that is.) Now we live too far away from each other, and we both work full time. Getting to talk to her yesterday was a real "ME" treat, and it was so very good to hear her voice. I love her to bits!



Mending fences. As some of you know my youngest daughter has been somewhat estranged from me for several years now. The few times I have been face to face with her, she has spoken to me, but she has not gone out of her way to communicate with me at all at any other time. No letters, no e-mails, no telephone calls. No Mother's Day, Christmas, Birthday or other cards. Zip, nada, zilch . . . Two days ago, right out of the blue, I got a nice chatty message from her on my facebook. It really made my day, and I cried big soppy tears of joy. I have been waiting a long time for her to do this and it really touched my heart in a really big way. In truth, it meant the world to me.



A letter from my mom. My mother, for years and years now, and religiously, has hand written each one of us children a letter every two weeks. I really look forward to that precious letter falling through my letter box. It is like getting a little *hug* and "I love you" from her that I can touch. I save each one of them, and put them into a box. I know that one day the letters will stop, and so, when that time comes, I will still have her letters, and every second week, I will be able to pull one out and her "I love yous" and *hugs* will go on. I actually found a couple that she had written a long time ago to two of my sons the other night when I was rifling through one of my recipe boxes. How precious they are . . . and so I am keeping them safe. I am sure one day my boys will really appreciate having them.



All of your lovely comments from yesterday. They really made a great day even better! It is nice to know that you all enjoy seeing my artwork. I know that I really enjoy doing it. I did another little fairy yesterday. I am liking these ballerina fairies. I called this one, "Always Kiss Me Goodnight." You can see all of her HERE if you so wish. I got quite a few sketches done this week and no less than three paintings. Todd says I will never get all my sketches painted, but , like I told him, I just have to put the ideas down on paper when I get them, or I will lose them forever!

I picked up some frozen mixed summer fruits the other day at the grocery store and made Todd a delicious Summer Fruit Crumble the other night. Oh, I know . . . I do spoil him relentlessly . . . but I can't help it, I just love it!



*Summer Fruit Crumble*
Serves 4

This lovely crumble has a nubbly golden topping made with oats. You can serve it with lashings of fresh cream or custard, or with a little ice cream, or just plain. It's delicious every which way!

4 cups fresh or frozen summer fruits
(A combination of raspberries, blackberries, and black and red currants)
3/4 cup sugar
grated zest and juice of one orange
1 sweet eating apple, peeled, quartered, cored and thickly sliced
1 ripe Bosc pear, peeled, quartered, cored and thickly sliced

Oat Crunch Topping:
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 cup plain flour
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Pre-heat the oven to 190*C/375*F. Line an oven rack with foil and place in the centre of the oven. Lightly butter a shallow baking dish and set aside.

Mix the frozen fruit, sugar, orange zest, and orange juice together in a bowl. Stir in the apple and pear slices. Pour this mixture into the prepared baking dish, spreading it out.

Combine all the topping ingredients together in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is crumbled to the size of peas. Do not over process. Alternately you may rub the mixture together with your fingertips to make a crumbly mixture, or cut it together with two round bladed knives. Scatter the topping mixture evenly over the fruit.

Bake in the heated oven until the fruit it bubbly and the topping is nicely browned, some 35 to 40 minutes. Serve warm and spooned into bowls. You can top each serving with the desired accompaniment, or not at all. It's up to you!

I got to be me . . .

Be the Best of Whatever You Are

If you can't be a pine on top of the hill,
Be a scrub in the valley . . . but be
The best little scrub by the side of the rill;
Be a bush if you can't be a tree.

If you can't be a bush, be a bit of the grass,
And some highway, happier make;
If you can't be a muskie, then just be a bass . . .
But the liveliest bass in the lake!

We can't all be captains, we've got to be crew.
There's something for all of us here,
There's big work to do, and there's lesser to do,
And the task you must do is near.

If you can't be a highway, then just be a trail,
If you can't be the sun . . . be a star;
It isn't by size that you win or you fail . . .
Be the best of whatever you are!
~D. Malloch

I got another rejection letter yesterday, right out of the blue. It was from a card company I had sent some of my work to back in November and I had completely forgotten about them. It seems that my artwork is not their image either . . .

I sat and looked at my paintings and studied them for a time. My heart felt really low, and for a few moments I thought . . . maybe these are not any body's image. Maybe these are really not very good at all. Maybe nobody will ever like them . . .

Oh, I have looked at other people's drawings and whimsies, and loved them. But I cannot be them . . . all I can be is me. Each picture that I paint comes straight out of my heart and is inspired from what lays within. Sometimes the voice of God flows from the end of my brush . . . and at others it is my own whimsical thoughts that dare to express themselves. But they always contain a piece of me, and I can no more try to be another artists' voice than I can stop breathing. My paintings have always been, and shall always be my own voice, and maybe nobody will love them but me, and maybe many will love them, but . . . I'm experiencing too much joy to give up, or to lay my brushes down, and maybe it will be a hundred years before anyone appreciates them, or maybe it will be never, but I will not quell the song of my heart
on someone else's say so. I just got to be me . . . and try hard to keep being the best me that I can ever be.



My Todd does love to eat a good pork chop now and again. We did try to stop eating pork a time back, but dear me . . . we do get a craving once in a while. I cooked these lovely and moist stuffed pork chops the other night, and they were wonderful. I adapted this recipe from a cookbook I have, entitled, "365 All-American Favourites." It's loosely based on theirs, but with a delicious twist of my own added.



*Tasty Stuffed Chops*
Serves 4

Imagine a wonderfully succulent pork chop, stuffed with a flavour packed stuffing filled with herbs, sweet raisins, sun dried tomatoes and crunchy pine nuts . . . now cover it with a luscious gravy filled with some of the same flavours . . . D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S!!

1/2 cup of seasoned stuffing crumbs
(I used pepperidge farm)
2 TBS pine nuts
2 TBS golden raisins
2 TBS apple cider balsamic vinegar
2 TBS olive oil
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
2 TBS minced oil packed sun-dried tomatoes
2 TBS chopped flat leaf parsley
the finely grated zest of 1 lemon
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup chicken stock
4 centre cut pork chops, each about 1 1/2 inches thick

Place the raisins into a small bowl, along with the balsamic vinegar. Set aside to infuse for about 15 minutes.

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Toss in the pine nuts and dry fry them for several minutes, stirring constantly until they are nicely toasted. Remove from the heat and place in a bowl. Add 1 TBS of the oil to the pan and saute the onions, cooking and stirring until golden and soft, about six minutes. Add the garlic and cook until soft and fragrant, about 2 minutes longer. Remove 2 tablespoons to a small bowl and reserve for later.

Scrap the remaining onions and garlic into the bowl with the pine nuts. Toss in the stuffing crumbs. Drain the raisins, reserving the remaining vinegar for later. Add to the stuffing mixture, along with 2 TBS of the tomatoes, the parsley, lemon zest, and some salt and pepper. Mix well. Stir in 2 to 3 tablespoons of the chicken stock. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

Using a sharp knife, cut a deep pocket horizontally in the centre of each chop, taking care not to cut all the way through. Fill each with some of the stuffing. Pin closed with a toothpick, and season each side lightly with some more salt and pepper.

Heat the remaining 1 TBS of oil over medium high heat in the skillet. Add the chops and cook, turning once, until nicely browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Add the remaining chicken broth and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and cover. Simmer, turning once, for about 15 minutes, until the chops are cooked through. Remove the chops to a plate and keep warm.

Add the reserved vinegar, onion mixture and sun dried tomatoes to the skillet. Bring to the boil over high heat. Boil and reduce until the sauce thickens slightly, some 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat. Serve the chops on heated plates with some of the sauce spooned over each.

PS - Don't forget to leave a comment on my Spring Giveaway post to be in on all of the fun. The giveaway will go on until 31st of March. I shall pick a winner on the 1st of April! All those goodies could indeed be winging their way over to you in just a few weeks!

Spring, Spring . . . beautiful Spring, and a Giveaway!

"The wood is decked in light green leaf.
The swallow twitters in delight.
The lonely vine sheds joyous tears
Of interwoven dew and light.
Spring weaves a gown of green to clad
The mountain height and wide-spread field.
O when wilt thou, my native land,
In all thy glory stand revealed?"
~ Ilia Chavchavadze, *Spring *

Well, it's official now! It's Spring! I do love the spring, that beautiful time of the year when everything around me seems to take on a greenish hue. The branches of every tree and bush are covered with tiny buds just waiting for the warmth of the sun to burst out into leaf and the banks of the roadways are filled with blooming Primrose. Tis the season of yellow as well, as daffodils wave their golden heads in the warming breezes, and can the birdsong ever be any prettier than it is at this time of year? I watch the blackbirds challenge each other in the mating dance of spring in the grass of my garden, and if a person is very quiet and looks very closely, one might see the dance of a March hare across the fields, dry yet, soon damp and soon after that filled with the prancing bloom of wildflower . . .

To celebrate the birth of Spring, I have decided to do a delightful "Welcome Spring" giveaway. I have not done one for a while and have been storing up a few goodies just for this reason.



What would spring be without a Garden Tea Party? I love Tea Parties and this lovely book is filled with lots of delicious ideas of just the perfect sweets and savouries to serve on just such an occasion! I love Tea Parties so much that I just might give one over the next month or so and share it with you all. In the meantime this book is up for grabs in my giveaway.



You heard me wax on last weekend about this beautiful smelling candle. This lovely scented candle would be the perfect addition to a Springtime Tea. "Sweet Pea . . . the one I truly love." I just adore this candle and I am throwing one of them into the giveaway so someone else can fall in love with it too . . .


How could one have a tea party and not invite Ladybirds! (Or ladybugs as they are known in North America.) Yes, I shall be giving away a delightful little box filled with milk chocolate Ladybirds. These little Ladybirds could indeed be flying away to your home!



"Make A Wish", and I am including 4 of my handmade greeting cards, just for you, each one with a delightful springtime print of one of my images on the front, including this one that I just finished yesterday, entitled "Make A Wish." (I shall be posting the full image on my art blog, Blossom Time Creations, later today, so do pop back over to have a look later on!)

And there you have it, a lovely book, a sweet candle, some lovely chocolates and a set of springtime greeting cards, just for one lucky person. To be included, just leave a comment here at the end of this post. If you would like your name to be entered twice, just post about it on your own blog, and then let me know you have done so!

What would a Springtime Tea Party be without some delicious cookies to serve? Why, it's just not a tea party without at least one or two different ones! I made these lovely little biscuits the other day to share with my work mates and they went down a real treat!



*Crisp Butter Thins*
Makes 48

These beautiful crisp cookies have a buttery, melt in your mouth texture. They smell heavenly when they are baking and one can hardly wait for them to cool before sinking their teeth into their sweet deliciousness!

2 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening (such as Crisco, Trex, or White Flora)
again, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups icing sugar, sifted
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract



Sift together the flour, salt, baking powder and cream of tartar into a large bowl. Set aside.

In another bowl, cream together the butter and the shortening with an electric mixer until light and fluffy and totally amalgamated. Cream in the icing sugar, a little at a time, until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Beat in the egg and vanilla, until well combined. Slowly beat in the flour mixture until well combined, stopping to scrape down the sides of your bowl from time to time.
Cover with plastic cling film and then place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Scoop out small bits of the chilled dough and shape into 1 inch balls. Place the dough balls on an ungreased baking sheet, pressing down with the tines of a fork to flatten. Place at least 2 to 3 inches apart. Keep the dough chilled in the refrigerator in between batches until all are done.

Bake until golden, but not browned, some 10 to 12 minutes. Cool slightly on the baking sheet before removing with a spatula to a cooling rack to finish cooling completely. Store in a tightly covered container.

Marie's Thrifty Thursdays

Welcome to my Thrifty Thursday post. I wanted to talk about saving money on your groceries again this week. I have talked before about clipping coupons, buying in bulk and avoiding pre-cooked ready meals, but this week I wanted to talk about something a bit different. I want to talk about planning your meals around certain types of food or recipes, recipes which have always been known to be thrifty and economical.

One of the first things we must always do when trying to economize is to make weekly menus and plan our shopping lists around those and then when we do go to the shops, to buy only what's on the list and not to be tempted by other things that we might see as we are wandering up and down the aisles. (Hard to do I know!) I think I would save money if I sent Todd all on his own, as he is the type of person who goes in, gets what's on the list and nothing but! The only problem is he would invariably get the wrong thing and so it's just easier for me to do it and a lot less stressful!

When planning your menus there are several types of dishes that are economical and easy and quite tasty as well.

1. Pasta Dishes - Dishes that include pasta as the main ingredient, mean that you don't need to use a lot of meat, and in some cases like macaroni and cheese, you don't need to use any meat at all. Making your own sauces in many cases is a lot cheaper than buying a ready made sauce because you end up with more of it and can freeze some for a later date, and not only that . . . homemade is better . . . it tastes better, you know what's in it and you can adjust the fat and sodium levels to a healthy proportion!

2. Rice/Whole Grain Dishes - Dishes that include rice, Bulgar, barley, quinoa, etc. as the main ingredient also can cut down on the amount of meat you are using. When you combine them with lentils or beans you create a whole protein as well. Some ideas include making Spanish Rice and adding a bit of sausage or ground beef, cooking an Indian Dal and serving it with rice. Vegetarian Curries, using cauliflower and other vegetables are also very tasty and delicious when served on top of rice or Bulgar wheat. Myself, I love Chinese style rice. I chop up all sorts of veggies to put into it and a bit of scrambled egg, then you can add a cup or two of leftover meat scraps. It's pretty wonderful!

3. Stir Fries - These types of meals are really cheap and easy to do. All you need is a variety of sliced up veggies, a few scraps of meat and some sauce and seasonings to pull them off. I often don't use any special sauce at all. I just season my veggies and meat with lots of garlic, ginger and soy sauce. This is one way of making a small piece of rump steak or a couple of chicken breasts go really far.

4. Soups and Stews - This is a really easy way of making food in vast quantities (great for freezing for future meals) and often uses the really budget cuts of meat and or leftovers and bones. Soups are a great way of using up those tired vegetables in the veggie bin and make great meals when combined with some crusty bread and a simple salad. Stews on the other hand, are a great way of making a little bit of meat go a lot further.

5. Salad Suppers - While you may not be inclined to eat salads much in the winter, they are a wonderful way of stretching your food budget in the warmer months. Often we will just have a salad plate with some sliced cold cuts, a potato salad and perhaps a coleslaw and or green salad on the side. You can leave out the meat all together and just have some deviled eggs, or open a tin of tuna or salmon and just have some of that with the salads. Cheap, easy and in the summer months a lot cooler to prepare and to eat!

6. Egg Suppers - How about basing your supper on egg dishes. Have breakfast for dinner, or whip up an omelet or frittata. A Spanish Tortilla is always nice as well, and the leftovers are always delicious for lunch the next day. Let's not forget quiche!

7. Sandwich Suppers - Sandwiches and wraps are not just for lunch! We often have a nice grilled cheese with some delicious homemade tomato soup, or a ham and cheese toastie served with some homemade oven chips. Cold or hot, sandwiches are always a welcome change and quite easy on the budget as well.

I hope that I have given you some ideas this morning that will help you to stretch that food budget of yours just that little bit further. Eating can still be fun when you are on a budget and economical as well, with just a little planning!

One of the more popular meals in fast food restaurants is the fish sandwich. They are very easy to make at home though, and with a few ingredient switches you can make them a lot healthier and lower in fat as well!




*Catch of the Day Sandwiches*
Serves 2

From a typical fried fish sandwich to this delicious baked alternative, this is the perfect catch of the day! Here is a tasty alternative to the high fat restaurant version, made at home with lighter, leaner ingredients!

4 frozen, 97% fat free baked breaded fish fillets, fingers or patties
1/3 cup fat free mayonnaise
1 TBS finely chopped gherkins, or pickle relish
2 crusty sandwich buns, whole wheat or as you prefer,
split and toasted
2 slices of low fat processed cheese
lettuce and sliced tomatoes (as desired or optional)

Prepare the fish fillets as recommended on the package. In a small bowl, combine the mayo and the chopped gherkins, or pickle relish. Mix well. Spread the cut sides of the toasted buns with the mayonnaise mixture. Layer with some lettuce and tomato if desired, on the bottom halves. Place two fish fillets on top of the lettuce and tomato, and then top the hot fish with a slice of cheese. Cover with the top of the toasted bun and serve.

*Note - If fish is not your thing you can use frozen baked and breaded chicken patties instead. Just use some plain low fat mayo, or ranch dressing instead of the mayo/relish mixture and try adding a bit of cranberry sauce. Delicious!!

Stay tuned for tomorrow when I'll be announcing a lovely Spring/Easter Giveaway!