Cooking with Alcohol on a Budget OR Drunken Cookery.

I'm a drinker.

I don't hide that I like liquor. Pretty much everyone who
knows me will straight up tell you that I love alcohol. Not
just to drink with, I love to cook with it, too. Only
recently, have I discovered that I love to cook with alcohol.
I'm not about sharing my liquor, even if it's going in food
that I'm going to consume. Because it's not giving me a buzz.

Hey. At least I'm honest.

I'm a broke mo-fo. I can't spend a ton on alcohol. So, I shop
discount. It's nothing new finding out that I love Grocery Outlet.
I seriously love it there. I'm there so much that I should just
move right in onto the loading dock and just open my trunk and
dump everything in.

No, not really. But, close enough.

ANYWAY......

Grocery Outlet carries some killer local wines for a quarter of
what you would pay elsewhere. I buy mine there, a few bottles at
a time and just stock them. And hope I don't drink them. ;)

One recipe I make at least once a month is Snooty Chicken,
White Trash Style.
http://allrecipes.com/CustomRecipe/62321317/Snooty-Chicken-White-Trash-style/Detail.aspx<
Now, I will say that the original recipe, not mine. The original
recipe, very good. I just adapted it to work for my family.
Almost all the ingredients for this recipe can be bought
at Grocery Outlet on the cheap, or if you don't have a discount
grocery store near you, you can get most of it at your local store
cheaply. Just check out your flyers and clip your coupons and
do your homework. It takes a little practice, you'll get there.
It really only cost me about five bucks for the whole meal, and
that included the cheese and wine. That's for......six sandwiches.
Just think about how much you pay at Quizno's for ONE sandwich.
Or for one plate of chicken, rice and steamed veggies at
Applebee's, I got six plates. I bought the wine for this chicken
dish at Grocery Outlet for $2.99. Local wine maker, decent
flavor and it's drinkable. People always say that you shouldn't
cook with an alcohol that you can't see yourself drinking, that's
absolutely right. Why would you do that?

We like this recipe in two ways. First, is as written,
with a side of steamed rice and veggies. I prefer it this way,
but my boys....not so much. Second, is in sandwich form. If
you have boys in your home, like me, they'll eat just about
anything stuffed in bread. I make the chicken as directed,
then use the "sauce" ingredients to make an au jus. I broil
some hoagie rolls, then pile the sliced meat, sauteed onions/mushrooms,
top with the swiss and broil again. Serve with a side of homemade
jo-jo's (very simple, just cut your potatoes in wedges and toss
with EVOO and a couple choice spices) or a side salad with a
homemade salad dressing:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/No-Guilt-Zesty-Ranch-Dip/Detail.aspx<
(Little plug of another recipe of mine, heh. Just thin out
the dip with a little low-fat buttermilk
and you're golden. The dip is GREAT to dip your jo-jo's
in, too! Just ask Hubs.)

Really cheap to make and super filling. And a real family pleaser.

Super easy to have a snooty dinner on a white trash budget.

(I'm kind of all over the place lately. Thanks for hanging out
for the whole thing.)