Clip Those Coupons

In my recent newsletter, I mentioned my miraculous savings at the grocery store with coupons. I've been clipping coupons for months and each week, my savings keep adding up. Emails have poured in with coupon advice from my readers. Clip coupons and go to stores that double coupons. Look for store specials to combine with the coupons. In addition to clipping the coupons out of the Sunday paper, try surfing the net for savings. Here are some of the sites that my readers and I recommend for cutting the grocery bill.

Couponsuzy.com
www.e-mealz.com
Coupons.com
Shortcuts.com
Couponmom.com

How do you save?

Hand Model "Moonlighting"

Most of us in the food business do a wide array of jobs to make a living. One of my most unusual sources of income is pretty surprising. I work as a hand model about twice a year on food commercials. A good friend of mine gets the job often (her hands are much prettier than mine) but when she's unavailable, I get the call. Last week, the call was for a commercial for a fast food restaurant's new breakfast items.
I spent most the day working on my computer in an "office" the crew set up for me. When I was called to the set to do my job, I flipped an omelet about 25 times.
If you've never been present for the filming of a 30 second food commercial, it's hard to imagine the effort that pours into making you want to head out for a meal.

White Wine Sangria

My class last week in Greenville, South Carolina was a blast. All the students sat around the counter so it was like cooking for friends at home. With the cold weather in full force outside, we sipped on a White Wine Sangria in hopes of an early Spring.

Only in the South

On a return trip from Sapelo Island this weekend, we stopped in Jesup, Georgia for a huge Sunday lunch at Sybil's Restaurant. Right in the middle of the dining room is a country buffet so long you almost need to stop for breaks between the deviled eggs at the front and the fluffy biscuits at the end. We were near starvation by our arrival at 10:50 am. After planning to sit in the parking lot until the doors opened at 11:00, we noticed locals trickling in minutes before the Sybil opened for business. In hopes of getting in line early, we waltzed in and found several tables filled with people just waiting on the food to emerge from the kitchen.
We, as well as everyone else, watched the buffet tables pouring out steam like a good sauna. It was torturous! As the hotel pans, filled with Southern food that only a Sunday lunch can justify, came out one by one, the others at their tables sat patiently. Once each and every pan was out, a tall, slender woman in an apron stood near the swinging kitchen door and asked everyone to rise for the blessing. After we were all up with our heads bowed, she eloquently asked the blessing. I've eaten out my fair share and certainly have partaken in countless Southern country buffets, yet I've never been a part of a formal blessing in a restaurant. Just for a minute, it was easy to forget that all the others in the room were strangers. We were all there for the same reason, good food, and we were grateful for it. That's a blessing in itself.

Chestnut Disaster

It's true - cooking disasters happen to everyone. After literally getting a blister from scoring chestnuts, I popped them in the oven and waited for what I thought would be a nice new holiday tradition. I followed a recipe exactly and experienced the disappointment that a bad recipe can bring. I had never attempted to roast chestnuts before (most Southerners have not) so I thought I would give it a try. How hard could it be?
After just a few minutes, the chestnuts were burned, a few exploded in the oven, and my house smelled awful. After cleaning the oven and opening the windows, I watched even the squirrels pass over the chestnuts that were now scattered in the yard. Nice.

Cooking at Sunrise

My kitchen has been filled with friends and family celebrating the holidays and eating their fill. Morning is my favorite time of day, which means I fired up the oven early each day for holiday cooking.
I hosted a morning party before Christmas for some girlfriends to come over after they dropped off the kids for the last day of school. We sipped on mimosas and relaxed over a breakfast of coffee cake, breakfast souffle, and grits. Every party should be so easy.
Christmas morning brought a new recipe to our family table. I made baked apples that were stuffed with granola and candied ginger. I served them with Greek yogurt and they were truly divine.

Lesson Learned

I learned a lesson over Thanksgiving, and no, it wasn't about turkey. You've heard it before, always pick up a pan as if it's hot. While not thinking, I managed to grab the handle of a cast iron skillet that was at least 350 degrees.
I can easily say it was the worst injury I have had in the kitchen. My right hand was essentially rendered useless for several days and that meant no cooking for me. (Thankfully my family chipped in and made all my recipes beautifully.)
I learned my lesson well - keep an oven mitt close by at all times.