cheap, stingy, miser

I confess, sometimes I’m a cheapskate to a fault. A perfect example of this character flaw? Mandarin oranges. Here’s how it went down; I needed an 11-ounce can of mandarin oranges back in April for a sorbet I was creating for this very blog. At the same time, I was shopping for a cooking class, which meant that I’d be going to my usual three stores to get everything needed for the class. The three stores are Safeway Grocery, Trader Joe’s, and Costco. I loaded the cooler in the car and headed out. At stop number one, Safeway, I noticed the price for a can of mandarin oranges was $1.99.  That seemed a bit high to me, so I passed them by, thinking maybe I’d find them at Trader Joe’s for a better price.  Stop number two, Trader Joe’s – no mandarin oranges. Oh well, I’d double back by Safeway after the final stop at Costco and pick up a can. Good plan… until… I spotted a case (12 cans) of mandarin oranges at Costco for….. wait for it….. $5.99! In miser terms, that is 50 cents a can! Now I had a serious dilemma on my hands. Should I pay 4-times the price for a single can of mandarin oranges at Safeway or be stuck with 11 extra cans if purchased at Costco? Let me tell you how long I pondered that question… less than 2 seconds. I loaded up the case into the cart with all the other mega-size items and figured that after I used just 3 of the cans from the case, the rest would be FREE (at least they would be free if they would have been purchased at the Safeway $1.99 price!) And FREE is my second favorite 4-letter word, next to LOVE. How sweet is that?

So here it is the 7th of July, three months later, and how many of those cans have I used? I have used four cans, thank you very much, the last one used was FREE!  Now that I’m into the free cans, if you live nearby and would like to purchase an 11-ounce can of mandarin oranges for this, or any other recipe, just give me a call. What?  Did you think I was going to give you that 11-ounce can of mandarin oranges for free? Well, I think you missed the first sentence of this post… go back and read that, and then give me a call.

Avocado -Mandarin Orange Salad

(To make this more of a main-course salad, add some shredded rotisserie chicken.  Sliced strawberries are really yummy too!)

Balsamic Vinaigrette
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Salad
11-ounce can mandarin oranges, drained
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions (white and green portions)
1/2 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
6 cups mixed baby salad greens
2 medium ripe avocados, peeled and cubed

Vinaigrette: Whisk together the vinegar, cheese, garlic, mustard, and honey to combine in a medium bowl. While whisking, slowly drizzle in olive oil and continue to whisk until well combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Salad: In a bowl, combine the drained mandarin oranges, green onions, and pecans; set aside.

Just before serving, place the greens in a salad bowl; top with orange mixture and avocado.

Drizzle with vinaigrette and serve.