The internet thinks I'm on a budget...maybe I should start spending less
Suddenly all of the advertisements I see on Google are about how to save money. Specifically related to grocery shopping. I should know why this is happening because my full time job is a paid search marketer. My job is literally to show people ads to people who are searching for things. I should know why this is happening. It's not just the ads I see on the web, it's my Pinterest too. All of the sudden my top Pins are "How I feed a Family of 7 on a $85 weekly Budget," "How to Save Money by Paying All of Your Bills Weekly." My Favorite, "How I Make $3,000 a Month as a Wife with No College Degree." Ok who is that chick?
Growing up my Mom made, what I think was a brilliant parenting decision, and instilled the most horrific fear in us children that being spoiled was the worst possible thing that could happen to you. I would literally lay awake at night wondering what would happen to me if I was allowed to use the 25 cent machine and get a gum ball. Could I sound more like I grew up in the 1950s? Mom also was such a drag and didn't let me go to the drive in. But seriously, the gum ball was the kick starter of the spoiled phobia.
Now that I'm living on my own, I can't help but wonder...am I spoiled? Am I spoiling myself? Can I feed my family of seven if I had one on an $85 budget? Who knows? Clearly the universe is trying to tell me something through the advertising on my internet browser. I'll let you in on a little secret. Food waste is kind of something I struggle with as a single twenty six year old living alone. Sometimes, I get excited in the grocery store and buy two kinds of lettuce only to find that I didn't eat one and it became wilted and sad. I make too much chicken for me to eat in a week sometimes. The box of pasta is my real struggle. When I lived with my brother, he would consume a whole box in one sitting, so my portions are skewed.
For today's special, we are cooking on a budget baby. This is made easy with the help of these roasted red peppers that I made myself! Way cheaper than buying the jarred version. Especially if you are making a pepper heavy recipe like this roasted red pepper pasta sauce. I'm gearing up for peak tomato season which hasn't yet arrived. Believe me, by then my pasta sauces will be filled with nothing but tomatoes. In the meantime, I like to spice it up and make a base of red peppers rather than tomatoes. You can use this sauce on loads of things, not just pasta. Chicken, Fish, or even just as a dipping sauce for bread. To avoid cases where I end up having a pound of pasta in my fridge, I opted to only use half of a box to satisfy my single self.
Growing up my Mom made, what I think was a brilliant parenting decision, and instilled the most horrific fear in us children that being spoiled was the worst possible thing that could happen to you. I would literally lay awake at night wondering what would happen to me if I was allowed to use the 25 cent machine and get a gum ball. Could I sound more like I grew up in the 1950s? Mom also was such a drag and didn't let me go to the drive in. But seriously, the gum ball was the kick starter of the spoiled phobia.
Now that I'm living on my own, I can't help but wonder...am I spoiled? Am I spoiling myself? Can I feed my family of seven if I had one on an $85 budget? Who knows? Clearly the universe is trying to tell me something through the advertising on my internet browser. I'll let you in on a little secret. Food waste is kind of something I struggle with as a single twenty six year old living alone. Sometimes, I get excited in the grocery store and buy two kinds of lettuce only to find that I didn't eat one and it became wilted and sad. I make too much chicken for me to eat in a week sometimes. The box of pasta is my real struggle. When I lived with my brother, he would consume a whole box in one sitting, so my portions are skewed.
For today's special, we are cooking on a budget baby. This is made easy with the help of these roasted red peppers that I made myself! Way cheaper than buying the jarred version. Especially if you are making a pepper heavy recipe like this roasted red pepper pasta sauce. I'm gearing up for peak tomato season which hasn't yet arrived. Believe me, by then my pasta sauces will be filled with nothing but tomatoes. In the meantime, I like to spice it up and make a base of red peppers rather than tomatoes. You can use this sauce on loads of things, not just pasta. Chicken, Fish, or even just as a dipping sauce for bread. To avoid cases where I end up having a pound of pasta in my fridge, I opted to only use half of a box to satisfy my single self.
Ingredients:
2 cups roasted red bell peppers
3 cloves garlic minced
2 tbs olive oil
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
salt and pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
Fresh basil to taste of 1/2 tsp dried basil
In a large skillet heat olive oil. Add in garlic and cook until fragrant, stirring frequently. Roughly 1 - 2 minutes. Add in red peppers and cook for an additional two minutes. Remove from heat and either use an immersion blender, or transfer to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Return to heat and add in cream, salt and pepper, and basil. Serve over pasta.
2 cups roasted red bell peppers
3 cloves garlic minced
2 tbs olive oil
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
salt and pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
Fresh basil to taste of 1/2 tsp dried basil
In a large skillet heat olive oil. Add in garlic and cook until fragrant, stirring frequently. Roughly 1 - 2 minutes. Add in red peppers and cook for an additional two minutes. Remove from heat and either use an immersion blender, or transfer to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Return to heat and add in cream, salt and pepper, and basil. Serve over pasta.
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