Weekly Menu Plan Oct 21, 2012- Oct 27, 2012

Hello Again!

Here is our Menu Plan for this week. To view last week's Menu click here!

As you can see- our weekday lunches are quite boring and without much variety but they do suffice! 

Stay Glamorous!

Sunday Supper: Gourmet Veg*n Sausage Rolls

Hello Glamour Dolls!

If you're from the British Commonwealth you'll more than likely know what a Sausage Roll is- however, they're not nearly as common here in the U.S.! They're a delightful treat for either a Potluck, Party or just for a comforting dinner at home (perfect with Salad!). 

The ingredient combination sounds strange- but I can assure you they are delicious! Even if your family isn't Vegetarian / Vegan- these are less than half the calories and fat of regular meat-based Sausage Rolls! 

As this recipe makes a lot (32 sausage rolls) I often divide it in half. However, you can also wrap them up individually after cooking and freeze them and reheat them in the oven as necessary! 

Serve them with lashings of Ketchup (aka 'Tomato Sauce') and enjoy!

Gourmet Veg*n Sausage Rolls:

Ingredients:
1 Onion, roughly chopped
2 Carrots, peeled & grated
2 Green Onions, chopped
2 Tbsp Minced Garlic
1/2 cup Italian Breadcrumbs + extra for garnish
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
1 cup Pecans
1 cup Quick Cooking Oats
2 cups Cottage Cheese (Vegan Subsitute Recipe Here)
3 Eggs or equivalent Egg Replacer
Salt & Pepper to taste
5 Sheets Puff Pastry (Pepperidge Farm brand is Vegan)
Milk or Almond Milk for Brushing
Sesame Seeds for Garnish

Method:
1) Combine Onion, Green Onion, Garlic and Pecans in Food Processor until nuts are lightly ground
2) Add Eggs, Soy Sauce, Breadcrumbs, Cottage Cheese, Salt, Pepper and Carrot and process until well combined
3) By hand, stir in Oats
4) Place mix in the fridge and defrost 5 sheets of Puff Pastry
5) Once Puff Pastry is defrosted, cut each sheet in half
6) Place a 'sausage' of the mixture about an inch wide and 1/2 inch high all along the long length of a piece of the pastry, about an inch from the edge (if you're used to regular sausage rolls, the mixture will seem more watery but don't worry, it will become more firm when cooked)
7) Fold up both sides of the pastry and seal to create a long 'log' with the filling in the middle. Cut into 4 sausage rolls. 
8) Repeat with the rest of the pastry
9) Place sausage rolls carefully on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper
10) Lightly brush each sausage roll with Milk or Almond Milk (this will help the pastry become more golden)
11) Sprinkle with Breadcrumbs and Sesame Seeds
12) Bake at 425 F for 20-25 minutes or until pastry is puffed and golden brown
13) Serve with Ketchup and Salad or piled high on a large platter for company!

Saturday Night At The Movies: What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?

Jon has 24 hour duty at the base tonight so I've decided to re-watch one of my favorite films- What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? 

The 1962 film stars two of Hollywood's greatest leading ladies- Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. However, it's the kind of film you're going to either love or hate. For me, the pairing of Bette Davis and Joan Crawford on the same screen is just so electric that I can't help but obsess! 

Our film opens in 1917 with a run of the mill Vaudeville act featuring Baby Jane Hudson singing and dancing for a delighted crowd while her sister, Blanche waits off stage in the shadows. Fast forward 18 years to 1935 and we find Blanche Hudson at the top of her game in Hollywood while 'Baby' Jane is a loathed D-movie player. A highlight of this segment however, shows clips of period Joan Crawford and Bette Davis films (Sadie McKee, Ex-Lady and Parachute Jumper). 

We move forward in time again to present day (1962) and find Blanche and 'Baby' Jane living together in a decaying mansion. Blanche is crippled and confined to a wheelchair while Jane is a drunkard living in some absurd recreation of her youth. 

'Baby' Jane deludedly attempts to rekindle her stage career as Baby Jane Hudson and tensions build as the resentment between the sisters grows. How did Blanche really end up in a wheelchair? Was it 'Baby' Jane's fault, as she's been led to believe the past two and a half decades? How far will 'Baby' Jane go to become famous again?

An addicting film noir that takes you on a macabre ride as Hollywood's Golden Age was beginning to fade. 

Extraordinary acting (and no doubt the off screen tensions between the two megastars), classic cinematography and great direction make this film an absolute treat. 

You can currently watch What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? for Free with Amazon Prime here. I believe Amazon Prime is still offering 2 week Free Trials so if you don't want to fork over the money for it right now, you can try it for free (and watch Baby Jane for free!). 

Enjoy the movie and Stay Glamorous!

Frugal Fridays: Saving Money at the Movies

Good Evening All!

This week's Frugal Friday topic is on Saving Money at the Movies. Some of this may apply to you and your area, some may not. Also, this advice is a bit subjective as I will freely admit that I loathe modern multiplex type Cinemas. With that said though, on with the show!

Frugal Tip #1: 
If you must go to a multiplex cinema, matinee screenings (ie: before 6pm in most areas) on weekdays are often a few dollars cheaper than peak times (evenings and weekends). 

Frugal Tip #2:

If you are fortunate enough to have a Drive In Theater still operating in your area, PLEASE support it! Okay so you don't get surround sound, and as a lot of Drive-In's are now getting rid of the speakers that you sit inside your car door you have to invest in a battery operated radio (unless your car radio won't drain your car battery too much) but Drive In's are the greatest movie-going creation, ever!

As a child, my mother opted to take me to the Drive In to see movies rather than the actual cinema because it was so much cheaper. Adults were $7 for a Double Feature and on Tuesday nights, children were free. Additionally, we could bring my beloved Poodle, Nadia along in addition to our own food without any angst from management. The Drive In I frequented as a child, the Aspley Starlite Twin on Brisbane's North Side has now been replaced by a housing development. 

It was still there when I was a teen though- I dragged my boyfriends there as soon as I started dating boys old enough to drive.

Thankfully, there is still a Drive In within an easy commute of St. Louis, the Skyview Drive In located in Belleville, Illinois.

The current prices at the Skyview are $10 per adult for a Double Feature ($5.00 per movie) and I believe children are free. 

Unfortunately, Drive Ins all throughout the world have been closing down for decades. Click Here for a list of Drive Ins throughout the U.S. categorized by State- the information shows both former and existing Drive Ins and in some cases offers prices.

With the impending transition to digital movies however, some Drive Ins may not be able to afford the new equipment charge. It is so important to support our Drive Ins now- you'll be saving yourself some money, and possibly saving an American Institution in doing so!

Below- St. Louis's former Airway Drive In on St. Charles Rock Road was redeveloped as a shopping complex. Thankfully they still retained their fabulous retro sign!

Frugal Tip #3:

If I wasn't going to the Drive In as a child, I was going to one of many small, locally owned and operated Cinemas. This kind of falls into my logic behind Drive Ins as well- instead of your money going to a nationwide conglomerate, wouldn't you prefer your dollar being invested at grass roots level in your own hometown or region? 

Additionally, smaller (non-chain) cinemas are often much cheaper than the big multiplexes as they don't have the same amount of overheads. 

In St. Louis, the Hi-Pointe Theater is $5.00 for a standard seat, Monday-Thursday or you can purchase a $40 card to see 10 movies (therefore $4.00 per movie). This is a definite saving when you consider the average movie ticket at a multiplex is about $8.00 in most areas nowadays!

Other affordable theaters in the St. Louis area include the Keller Plaza 8 in South County (which is technically a multiplex but is part of a very small chain) which offers films for $3.00 matinee or $4.00 regular showings and The Lincoln in Belleville IL (about $5.00 per person). I'm hesitant to list the Tivoli as it's now a part of the Landmark chain, and in spite of it's charm, it's about the same price as your average multiplex.

Frugal Tip #4:

Avoid the Concession stand at all costs! Unless you're going to a Mom & Pop cinema (who can use all the help they can get) steer clear of the Candy, Popcorn and Drinks! I was horrified to find that last time I went to a Multiplex, a bottle of water, even out of the vending machine was $5! Large cinema chains use the concession stand as their primary source of profit due to the exorbitant cost of overheads. 

The best ways to avoid this trap and the tempting smell of popcorn are to:

a) Eat beforehand! Hit up your local diner or greasy spoon and spend a few dollars on something far more filling and satisfying than Popcorn and Good & Plenty! Or, just eat at home! Never go to the Cinema feeling hungry!

b) Smuggle in your own snacks. Okay so this could be construed as unethical by some, but I know that if I have to suffer through a screening at a multiplex, the air conditioning makes my throat dry. It's not uncommon for women to tote hobo style bags nowadays- hide your bottle of water and your small snacks from home under a scarf at the bottom of a large handbag (as some cinemas ask you to open your bag to prove you aren't bringing in any outside food or drink). Once you're in the dark cinema, nobody is any the wiser! 

So to summarize- Go Early, Go Local and Go Full!

Of course, you could always wait until the movie is available for rental on DVD and save yourself even more money, but if you have to see something on the big screen, my tips will save you some more of your hard earned dollars!

Stay Frugal and Stay Glamorous!

St. Louis LIFE March 8, 1948

A  bit of a follow up from the last post, and rewinding further into the past we find St. Louis in the spotlight in 1948 as the first plans for the Gateway Arch were unveiled.

A croquet wicket? I've never heard it described as that but I suppose it reflects the sentiment of the time. 

For those of you familiar with it, the Arch once completed on May 25, 1968 (20 years after the original proposal) stood 630 feet- making it the tallest monument in the United States, a title it retains to this day.

Below is the proposed 'Mussolini Memorial' for the Esposizione Universal di Roma in 1942. However, the 1942 World's Fair in Rome never came to fruition and the Arch's possible inspiration was never constructed.

I have always thought the St. Louis Arch beautiful- it's miraculous to think that it was designed while still in the shadow of the aftermath of World War II as it's so mid century mod. It sets the St. Louis skyline apart from other cities throughout the Midwest and the United States. 

It's stunning no matter the time of day or time of year.

Stay Glamorous!

St. Louis LIFE Nov 14, 1960

As you may know, I have an obsession with vintage Life magazines. I thought I'd share some treats from the Nov 14, 1960 issue featuring a spread on my beloved St. Louis.

We open with a stunning picture of St. Louis Union Station juxtaposed behind the Carl Milles Meeting of the Waters fountain. I worked at the hotel portion of St. Louis Union Station when I first moved to St. Louis from Australia. 

This below photo is bittersweet. In one respect, it goes to show how the once prosperous St. Louis was keeping up with the times and moving ahead to become a city of the future in the optimistic mid 20th century. However, it is also a reminder that St. Louis has lost more architectural treasures to the bulldozers and wrecking balls than most cities have to begin with!

It's no understatement that St. Louis was once considered the driving force in making 10 Pin Bowling one of America's favorite retro pastimes. Although the Bowling Hall of Fame shut it's doors and headed south in 2008, Saratoga Lanes in the St. Louis suburb of Maplewood is still operating after almost 100 years with few major changes.

I love the optimistic sentiment of Union Electric's spiel below. Union Electric is still St. Louis major provider of electricity, although is now marketed under the name AmerenUE. 

Whether you're a St. Louisan or not- I hope you enjoyed this blast from the past :)

Stay Glamorous!

Wednesday Reads: Betty Crocker's Guide to Easy Entertaining

Hello Glamour Dolls!

I've decided to start a Wednesday segment called Wednesday Reads. For my first entry- I'm focusing on Betty Crocker's Guide to Easy Entertaining- How To Have Guests and Enjoy Them (1959).

The edition I've actually got is a modern reprint, but it's exactly as it was in 1959. It is a delightful book, with both old fashioned and timeless wisdom. I don't know about you- but I read cook books and entertaining books cover to cover as if they were a novel!

The book is divided into the chapters of:

Planning Your Party

Invitations, Acceptances, and Regrets

When Guests Arrive

When Guests Leave

Dinners

Small Dinners

After Dinner Coffee

Buffet Dinners

Pot Luck Dinners

Come By for Dessert and Coffee

Midnight Suppers

Stag Parties

Lunches

Teas

Brunch

Barbecues

House Parties

Therefore, it pretty much covers everything a perfect 1950s hostess could expect to encounter. Proper etiquette and social grace is also something that is reminded and enforced heavily throughout the book. Some of the advice is rather sweet:

Worth remembering are the words of one of my friends to her daughter who was complaining about having to entertain one of her husband's friends she termed "a crashing bore". 

"Try to see him as he sees himself. Treat him as if he were fascinating- and maybe you'll find that he has something".

One of the other factors which sets this book apart from later Betty Crocker books, is that it's written in the first person rather than the impersonal, academic style of more modern Betty Crocker books.

No, Betty Crocker was never a real person- but in 1959 she had a face and a voice and was probably considered 'real' by women all over the country. 'Betty Crocker' although an actress playing a role created by executives at General Mills, had her own radio show and TV spots and was no doubt loved by home cooks everywhere. 

I like receiving the advice directly from Betty- it's as if she is a make believe, retro Martha Stewart politely but firmly guiding you through mid century social norms. 

The book is also littered with Recipes- from the delightful to the bizarre and sports a few full page color photographs (in addition to those cute drawings). 

Obviously some of the advice will fall by the wayside in your house (for instance, she suggests putting an ashtray on every surface, and discretely going through emptying them between Main Course and Dessert!) but by and large I find the advice useful, albeit antiquated by modern tastes.

I wish we still lived with such etiquette when it came to introducing people when they came to parties. I wish men still stood when a lady left the table. I wish we still wrote thank you notes to our host/hostess after being invited for dinner. 

I personally aspire to take Betty's wisdom to heart and host all of my future dinners in the way she suggests (sans the ashtrays!). 

So, if you're as into retro as I am or just love recipes and have a Penny to spare- pop over to Amazon where you can find it for as little as $0.01 + shipping! 

But remember, no matter what you do, Stay Glamorous!