14 Days of Frugality- DAY FOUR

It's hot out and I am not really into the heat so we pretty much stayed inside the house in one of the two air conditioned rooms. I ask myself, what would I be doing if I could spend money right now? Maybe I'd be at the mall, Peek-a-boo or Greenlight studio with Max. I don't really know because this weather doesn't make me want to do anything. Without spending a dime I can go to the beach or the splash pool, which are both good hot day activities. But we just stayed inside until a neighbor invited us into their pool... which was the highlight of our day.

Today we went grocery shopping and I stretched the rules a bit and bought some organic lemonade. When we got home we poured it into some make it yourself ice pop molds and set them in the freezer for later. We went to Harbor Fish Market and bought some cod on sale for $5.99 a pound. For dinner I used a recipe that I found on Epicurious. It was cheap, delicious, quick and easy, so I thought I would share,

Baked Cod and Potatoes with Horseradish Cream Sauce

* Nonstick vegetable oil spray
* 1/2 cup mayonnaise
* 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard with horseradish
* 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
* 2/3 pound unpeeled red-skinned potatoes, thinly sliced
* 2 6-ounce cod fillets
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

I preheated the BBQ to 400°F. I took two large sheets of tin foil and laid them on top of one another and sprayed them. Then I Mixed the mayonnaise, mustard, and lemon juice in medium bowl and seasoned the mustard mixture with pepper. I tossed the potatoes in the mustard mixture and gently shook the excess mustard mixture from potatoes before spreading potatoes in single layer prepared tin foil. I then covered the potatoes with two more sheets on tin foil and folded up all the edges, making sure the package was sealed. I put the package on the BBQ and closed the lid, letting the potatoes cook for about 13 minutes. Meanwhile, I coated the cod with the mustard mixture and sprinkled it with salt and pepper. When the timed buzzed for the potatoes, I opened the package up, be careful, the steam inside is very hot, and placed the cod on top of the potatoes, resealed the package and placed it back on the BBQ with the lid closed. Bake until fish is opaque in center and potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes longer.

I also cooked some asparagus on the grill next to the tin foil package. This dinner was fantastic. Jeremy and I cleared our plates and Max ate a ton of it. I would estimate that this dinner for two adults (and a 13 month old) cost me around $10 to make. Before this experiment I would sometimes buy seafood or meat that cost over $12 a pound, making the meal far more expensive than this one. I think I am a little proud of myself right now.

Saving money doesn't mean you have to eat boring, bland meals :)