What'd Ya Do With An Eggplant

Well, I have been without a job for a week now; so much for my never being out of work for more than a week comment. In keeping with my new mission of planning meals on a now a very tight budget, I thought of a question that one of the girls at the office asked when one of the salesmen brought in eggplants. “What’d ya do with an eggplant?”

My grandparents grew eggplants in the backyard garden. Gramma Rinaldi used eggplants in many different recipes. She used them in vegetable stews, minestrone soup, and just plain fried. Gramma taught me that the perfect eggplant is not the biggest one; it’s the medium size because the bigger ones are too seedy. At first, I wouldn’t eat eggplants because I didn’t like the seedy part. But after I took my private cooking classes in Gramma’s kitchen, I learned to appreciate the eggplant. Now, the first thing that comes to my mind when I see a nice sized purple eggplant is eggplant parmigiana. I always make sure to buy an extra one because it is just to tempting not to munch on them while they’re frying. I can make a meal out of just eating them during the frying stage of preparation, which would save a few bucks too.

Eggplant Parmigiana

Ingredients:

2 medium eggplants
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt/pepper to taste
¼ tsp. Garlic Powder
Marinara sauce (preferably your own homemade sauce – or 1 jar of store bought sauce)
16 oz. mozzarella, sliced thin or thickly grated
olive oil for frying

Directions:

Slice eggplant into slices about 1/4" thick. Mix bread crumbs with grated cheese, salt/pepper and garlic powder. Dip eggplant in egg and then roll in bread crumb mixture. Fry until light brown. Drain on paper towel. In baking pan, put a layer of eggplant, sauce and mozzarella cheese, make layers until pan is full. Top with mozzarella, more grated parmesan cheese and sauce. Bake in 350 degree oven for 35 minutes until cheese melts.

Bum Stew

Soon, I will be out of a job because my employer is going to close up the box plant where I work. My job hunt has begun and frankly it is a little frightening. Everyday I am bombarded with stories on the nightly news about the awful state of our economy. Friends,family, and co-workers all wish me the best. Vendors and customers have offered to let me use their name as a reference. Many offer tips on resume writing, places that may be hiring, and some just moral support. Every comment, every offer, and every kind word of support has built up my confidence until I check my e

mail and don’t see any job offers.

When the announcement was made about the plant closure, I was not worried. I have never been out of a job for more than a week. In the past, I’ve been fired from my first job at a pretzel factory, quit several jobs, experienced a closure before, and was even unexpectedly fired from a job in which I had worked eleven years. I took it all in stride as they say and always came out ahead. The scary part about losing this job, besides the economy, is now I’m much older and out of shape. People that know me are aware of my reputation and work ethic. They know what kind of a worker I am; age and appearance never seemed matter too much. It is much more difficult

to impress a total stranger that knows nothing about me.

On the other hand, it seems that most companies prefer that you apply online. Applying online does save my time and gas money but doesn’t allow for any face time with hiring managers. I’ve been asking myself and others what is the recipe for success in getting my resume noticed. The answer is: the recipe has to be one that people would be willing to try out. So, that is my immediate goal, to create a recipe for success by creating a noticeable resume and a positive, self confident job hunting attitude.

Like every other middle class American, one of the few ways of cutting back on expenses is to carefully plan a trip to the grocery store. After all, the grocery bill is the only one we have control over. My family, middle class background has taught me how to make up meals on a tight budget. One recipe that came to mind to me today is my mother-in-law’s recipe for what she calls bum stew. It’s made from ingredients that are usually already in the pantry; and doesn't cost much to make. I remember that my father-in-law, fondly named Bop Bop by my daughter, loved bum stew. He’d ask Mom Mom, my mother-in-law, to make it even though they could afford to make much finer meals

Bum Stew:

1 pound ground beef
2 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup
4 cups water
1 large chopped onion
4 carrots, chopped
3 potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 lb. fresh green beans, cut into bite sized pieces
Salt & Pepper to taste

In a large pot, sauté the ground beef. Drain off about half of the fat. Add the tomato soup, water, onions, carrots, potatoes, and green beans. Salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer about 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender