Day Two: Veal Parmigiana (chosen at random by my husband)

Total Cost of Prepared Recipe: $42.93

Let me start by saying that this is NOT a quick-to-fix recipe. Be prepared to spend two hours from start to finish. That being said, it is probably the best meal I have ever made.

A couple things to keep in mind: First, be prepared for sticker shock. It cost $27.95 for 1 1/2 lbs of veal for scallopini. I didn't know if that would be enough for my big eaters, but stuck to the recipe amount of 1 1/2 lbs. I'm SO glad I did because not only did it take FOREVER to bread them, it made a huge pan of them.

Second, the process would go quicker with two sets of hands. I fried five at a time, but they only take 2 1/2 minutes per side - so, to keep the oil from burning, you need to go fast. I started out with vegetable oil, but it seemed to get too hot. So, I switched to shortening - which leads me to my last warning...
This is not a heart healthy meal. Even if I had used olive oil, the amount you end up using is ridiculous. I've been eating clean for awhile (steaming/grilling/raw), so frying anything was a hurdle for me. I almost didn't want to try any of it after standing over the frying pan seeing all that oil. But, I put each one on a plate w/paper towels immediately after getting them out of the pan and that seemed to help soak up any extra oil.
I served the veal parmigiana with angel hair pasta and steamed green beans.

Veal Parmigiana p.247, The Big Red Cookbook, Betty Crocker

2 c. spaghetti sauce (I used Valentino's Old Style Sweet Italian Basil and I used the whole jar)

1 large egg (by the time it was done, I had used four)

2 Tbsp water (I used six)

2/3 c. dry bread crumbs (yeah, whatever. I ended up having to use to whole canister)

1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese (used at least 2 cups)

1 1/2 pounds veal for scallopini

1/4 c. olive or veg oil (again, I used probably 1 1/2 cups and changed out the oil every other pan full.)

2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Heat oven to 350.

2. Mix egg and water. Mix bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Dip veal into egg mixture, then coat with bread crumb mixture.

3. Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over med heat. Cook half of the veal at a time in oil about 5 minutes, turning once, until light brown. Drain. Repeat with remaining veal, adding 1 or 2 Tbsp oil if necessary.

4. Place half of the veal in ungreased rectangular baking dish overlapping slices slightly. Spoon sauce over veal. Sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese.

5. Bake uncovered about 25 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and cheese is light brown.

Day One: Peach-Berry Fruit Mold (I flipped the cookbook open)

Total Cost for Prepared Recipe: $4.85

Peach-Berry Fruit Mold p.425 Betty Crocker's Big Red Cookbook, 2001

1 c. boiling water

1 pkg. (4-serving size) peach-flavored gelatin

1 c. cold water

1 c. raspberries

1/2 c. blueberries

1 medium peach, peeled and coarsely chopped

Leaf lettuce, if desired.

1. Pour boiling water on gelatin in medium bowl: stir until gelatin is dissolved. Stir in cold water. Refrigerate about 1 hour or until slightly thickened.

2. Spray 1-quart mold with cooking spray. Stir raspberries, blueberries and peach into gelatin. Spoon into mold. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours until firm.

3. Unmold gelatin onto lettuce leaves on serving plate.

I went to Walmart to find a mold, but no luck. So, I am making this in a glass bowl. I'm using frozen fruit (no sugar added) in place of fresh - it's hard to find a fresh peach in a blizzard in Nebraska. However, next time, I will use fresh raspberries because they are now kinda mushy. I also doubled the recipe. According to my calculations, each serving (serves eight) contains 113 calories. Of course, replacing the regular gelatin with sugar-free gelatin would reduce the calories even more.