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a balanced plate with room for dessert

Category Archives: Money Matters


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SNAP Challenge

September is Hunger Action Month. I’m joining many others and I’m taking the SNAP Challenge for the week of September 15 – 21. Simply put, this is a challenge to eat on what the average Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit is – $1.50 per meal, or $4.50 per day. That gives me a grand total of $63 to feed Mike and me for the entire week. The rules:

  • $4.50 a day per person for all our food and beverage
  • No eating out is allowed – you can’t use SNAP benefits to purchases restaurant meals
  • I can’t use any items that I’ve already purchased (excluding spices & condiments)
  • No free food from friends, family, and co-workers
  • Keep track of spending with receipts

I’m nervous about not being able to stay within budget. Sure, we normally make one massive trip a week and spend about $50 – 60, but that doesn’t include all our last minute purchases like late-night ice cream runs. Mike doesn’t think he can live without coffee. I don’t know how I’m going to kick my Sour Skittles habit.

I’m determined to not sacrifice taste, nutrition, variety, or quality in our foods. And I’ll make sure Mike gets his coffee.

Are you up for the SNAP Challenge?


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Sweet & Salty Kettle Corn

I love going to the farmer’s market. I’m proud to say that Madison is home to one of the greatest farmer’s markets ever. I’m also proud to say that the Appleton market is also pretty darn spectacular. I try to go to the market every weekend. Since we have a garden full of veggies, I don’t usually end up buying any vegetables. The one thing I make sure I walk away with? Kettle corn.

Yum. There’s something about that sweet and salty combination that just get to me. It’s dangerous. One minute I have a warm, foot-tall bag. The next, it’s empty and my stomach hurts. To make it worse, I am left kettle corn-less for a whole week until I buy another bag on Saturday. Repeat over and over and over.

Well, I finally figured it out. I can make it at home with my Whirley Pop! This is bad news. I made my first batch on Friday night as a movie snack. I inhaled it. Then Saturday night I ate kettle corn for dinner. I’m going to be out of town for work for a couple days, and I’m contemplating cooking up a huge batch of it to bring with me. A suitcase half full of kettle corn… Hmm.

sweet & salty kettle corn | doughseedough.net

Sweet & Salty Kettle Corn
make this easy snack in a Whirley Pop* or a large lidded pot

1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 cup popcorn kernels
1/4 cup sugar
salt

  1. Whirley Pop directions: Heat canola oil in a Whirley Pop over medium-high heat. Place  a few popcorn kernels in the popper. When the kernels pop, it means the oil is hot enough! Place remaining kernels in and pour in sugar, stirring constantly. Stir popper over heat until popping slows down to 3 – 5 seconds between pops. Remove from heat and continue to turn handle until popping stops.
  2. Large pot directions: Heat canola oil over medium-high heat with a few popcorn kernels. Once these kernels pop, pour in the remaining kernels and sugar and stir quickly with a wooden spoon to coat the kernels. Cover the pot and shake vigorously every 5 – 10 seconds to keep sugar from burning. Continue to shake until popping slowly to 3 – 5 seconds between pops. Remove from heat and continue to shake until popping stops.
  3. Pour popcorn into a large bowl, shaking salt over it as you go.
  4. Popcorn may stick as it cools – simply give it a good shake in the bowl or gently break it up with a wooden spoon.
  5. Serve immediately. Sharing is optional 🙂

*Don’t have a Whirley Pop? Get one. Now. I use mine all the time to make popcorn! I’m pretty sure that there’s no such thing as too many popcorn makers. I also own an air popper and I’ve been known to make microwave popcorn as well once in a while. YOLO.


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Baked Chicken Nuggets

Chicken nuggets bring out the kid in all of us! Mike told me that he used to put down a 20 piece McD’s chicken nugget “family” sized box like it was nothing. Gross. Impressive, but gross. I decided to cook him a little pick-me-up after I got him sick (oops). These little bites are far from the nuggets that you would find in a drive-through. They’re made with chicken breast and packed with flavor. Best of all, they’re baked, not fried! And there’s no limit to how much dipping sauce you can have either 😉

baked chicken nuggets

Baked Chicken Nuggets
adapted from Martha Stewart

4 chicken breasts
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3/4 cup skim milk
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup all purpose flour
3 large eggs, whisked

  1. Lightly pound chicken breast to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut into 1.5 – 2″ pieces. Set aside in a large bowl. 
  2. Combine lemon juice and milk in a bowl, stir to combine. Let sit for 15 minutes. Stir in garlic powder, Worcestershire, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Pour over chicken and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  3. Preheat oven to 475°F. Spread panko on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes or until golden brown, being careful not to burn.
  4. Transfer panko to a shallow dish. Once cool, mix in grated Parmesan and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Set aside.
  5. Set out flour in a second shallow dish and whisked eggs into a third shallow dish.
  6. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  7. Remove chicken from the fridge and discard marinade. Working a few pieces at a time, dredge chicken through flour and shake off excess. Dip in the egg, and then lastly coat with panko. Transfer to baking sheet. Continue until all chicken has been coated.
  8. Bake for 12 minutes, turning halfway through, until panko is lightly browned and chicken has an internal temperature of 165°F.
  9. Serve with spicy ketchup and honey mustard dipping sauces, recipes below.

Spicy Ketchup

1/4 cup ketchup
3 tablespoons Sriracha
2 tablespoons low fat mayonnaise

  1. Combine all ingredients and stir well to combine. 

Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup Dijon mustard

  1. Stir honey and mustard together well to combine.