Thursday, July 30, 2009

It's not that I am ignoring you.

I have had a lot of stuff going on this past week and this is why I am neglecting here.
One of my neighbors has a problem with our chickens and has called the authorities on us. We have been dealing with Animal control and the state had a surprise visit for us form the Dept of child welfare. Everything is fine we just have a few things to do to make sure the state is happy. I will resume menus and such on Sat morning. thanks Evie

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Convience Food Wednesday

I love the new Quaker oat instant oatmeal packets of Healthy Harvest Oatmeal, but I do not like paying the 3.99 per box price!
Here is my alternative:
1 box sandwich Ziploc baggies
6 cups oatmeal
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 cup powdered milk
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup pecan pieces
1/2 cup whole flax seeds

Mix the ingredients. Place 1/2 cup into each baggie. Makes about 16 baggies full. Heat with 3/4 cup boiling water and serve. Tastes just as wonderful as the store brand at half the cost. Be sure to re-use the bags to save money too.

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Eat good this week for under $100

A Monday thru Friday meal plan for under $100. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

Monday:
B- Frozen Waffle sandwiches:
Heat frozen whole grain waffles, cut in half, smear with peanut butter, drizzle with honey, and place half a banana(cut the long way)on one side. Top with other half and serve.

L- Egg salad sandwiches made with tomatoes:
6 hard boiled eggs
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
1/4 cup chopped green onion
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 medium diced tomato

Dice egg and add remaining ingredients, mix well. Serve with grapes and potato chips.

D- Meatloaf with peas and mashed potatoes
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (4oz)
1/2 cup quick-cooking oat
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 lbs grass fed ground beef
2/3 cup ketchup
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons prepared mustard
In a bowl, beat the egg and milk. Stir in cheese, oats, onion, and salt. Shape into 8 equal sized loaves. Place in non-stick baking pan. Sauce: Combine ketchup, brown sugar and mustard. Spoon over each loaf so they are all covered in the sauce.
Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Tuesday:
B- Fried egg sandwiches and blueberries

L- Frozen pizza with raw carrots and green pepper strips

D- Grilled pork chops
Steamed carrots(make extra for Thursday)
Butter noodles
Noodles:
1 package egg noodles
1/2 stick of butter
1 tablespoon dried parsley
2 tsp garlic powder
2 table spoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp salt

Cook noodles. In hot pan place butter and spices. Add noddles mix well and add cheese.

Wednesday:

B- French toast and bananas (see previous post for how to make french toast)

L- Grilled cheese sandwiches with grapes and chips

D- Spaghetti with sauteed zucchini

Saute zucchini in butter until softened add to cooked spaghetti sauce and toss with cooked noodles.

Thursday:
B- Scrambled eggs with toast and blueberries

L- Boxed mach and cheese with peas

D- Asian chicken thighs and steamed rice with carrots and peas.
Chicken:
6 bone-in chicken thighs (about 1-3/4 pounds)
5 teaspoons olive oil
1/3 cup warm water
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon white vinegar
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder(can be omitted)
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons cold water

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook chicken in oil for 8-10 minutes on each side or until juices run clear. In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the warm water, brown sugar, orange juice, soy sauce, ketchup, vinegar, garlic, pepper flakes and five-spice powder; shake until sugar is dissolved.
Pour over the chicken. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30-35 minutes or until chicken is tender, turning occasionally.
Combine cornstarch and cold water until smooth; gradually stir into the pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve over basmati rice cooked with some chicken broth and peas and carrots.


Friday:

B- Quick oats with milk and blueberries

L- Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with grapes

D- Spinach and potato curry
Curry:
2 bunches spinach
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tsp minced ginger
1 onion diced
1 can green chilies (small can)
1 15oz can coconut milk (use as needed to moisten)
2 tablespoons Madras curry powder
salt and pepper to taste
10-12 med. to small red potatoes boiled and then diced
olive oil

Soften onions in olive oil, then add ginger and garlic. Add spinach and more olive if needed. Saute all together until spinach is wilted and softened. Remove mixture and place in blender or food processor. Add half of the coconut milk and all of the curry powder, and a bit of salt and pepper. Puree adding more coconut milk as needed. Remove, stir in potatoes and heat if needed. Serve warm.

Shopping list:
OG waffles 1.99
OG bananas 1.50
2 loaves whole wheat bread (or make at home) 3.50
2 dozen local eggs 5.00
2 pints blueberries 3.00
1 box instant oats 2.50
2 lbs of grapes 2.00
bag of good potato chips 2.50
1 gallon OG milk 5.69
1 frozen pizza 2.50
1 bag baby OG carrots 1.50
1 big bag OG shredded cheddar cheese 3.97
1 box OG mac and cheese 1.79
1 big bag organic frozen peas 2.19(with $1 off coupon)
1 bag egg noodles 1.79
1 bag OG potatoes 3.79
1 lb unsalted butter 1.99
1 lb whole wheat spaghetti 1.59
OG pasta sauce 2.79
local zucchini 1.00
1 pack smart chicken(or veg.fed hormone/antibiotic free) 6 thighs 4.79
1 1/2 lbs local grass fed beef 6.00
2 bags OG spinach 5.00
1 can green chilies .99
1 can OG coconut milk 1.69
1 jar OG peanut butter 3.29
1 jar real fruit spread 2.59 ( I make my own)
1 OG green pepper 1.99
1 local tomato .89
1 1/2 cups OG basmati rice from bulk bin 1.29
Snacks:
Bag OG cheese sticks 4.09
Og 6 pack of yogurt 3.29
Box of OG microwave popcorn 3.19
Bag of OG apples 4.99
Total cost: 99.94
Hope you have a great week!

Thursday, July 16, 2009

OMG! Free Chocolate!

I found this whilst surfing today:
https://secure.realchocolate.com/
It by Mars and they are giving away Free chocolate on Fridays, check it out.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Make your own on Wednesday.

I was brainstorming things I could blog about and came up with this idea. Many of my girlfriends marvel at how I make my own convenience foods. So hopefully if I can keep it up I will post a new homemade convinence food each week. Here is this week's.

Frozen french Toast sticks:
The ones at the store are cheap and tasty but have you looked at what's in them?? Holy S&!T, there are a lotta unpronounceable in there.
Here is what I do:

6 eggs slightly beaten
1 tsp salt
4 tablespoons sugar
2 cups milk
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
12+ slices of day old bread, homemade is just fine too

Mix all ingredients except bread. Cut bread into 3-4 strips each. Dip each piece into bread, turning once. Not too long, it will get too mushy! Cook on medium heat, in a well oiled non stick pan. Brown on each side. Lay out all cooked strips onto a non-stick cookie sheet and freeze. Place into a Zip lock baggie after frozen. I serve 3-4 strips to each kid with their own vessel of syrup for dipping. A baggie of these lasts about a month in my house but freezes for up to 3 months. Enjoy!

Monday, July 13, 2009

Anniversary weekend

Well it was our 6th anniversary this weekend. We had a really nice practically kid free weekend. On Friday night it was babysitting night at our preschool. We went to dinner and then out for drinks with friends. On Sat. night we attended a birthday party, and Zach had his first sleepover with his best buddy. We stayed out until 2am together..and had a really good time. On Sunday it was a trip to Freestate Brewery for lunch, followed by a dip in the pool at our Indoor Aquatic Center. Then we grilled out some juicy pork chops that I had marinated all day...yum-o. Recipe to follow.

Sunday night marinade for pork chops:
1/2 cup Olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 cloves of minced garlic
1 tablespoons fresh minced rosemary
1/2 tsp salt and pepper each
2 tablespoon Dijon mustard


Place chops in bag or bowl. Whisk together ingredients. Slather all over chops and refrigerate for 5 hours. Take out 1/2 hour before grilling to bring up temp.

Monday:
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 T. Olive Oil
1 pound ground beef
2 t. chili powder
1 t. ground cumin
1/8 t. cinnamon
1/8 t. freshly ground black pepper
1 t. kosher salt
1 small can tomato paste
1 T. brown sugar
1/4 C. ketchup
1/2 C. water

Saute onions, peppers and garlic in olive oil until softened.
Add ground beef and cook until no longer pink. Drain fat.
Add all other ingredients to the ground beef mixture and cook, stirring, over low heat for a few minutes until thickened. Add more water if it gets too thick.
Serve in hamburger buns and try not to make a mess!


Tuesday:
Chicken Parmesan

4-6 boneless chicken breasts
1/2 c. dry bread crumbs
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs, beaten
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 (4 oz.) pkg. sliced Mozzarella cheese
1 jar favorite spaghetti sauce
pasta

Cut chicken breasts in half longways. Pound until evenly flattened. Combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, some black and red pepper, 1/8 teaspoon sage, 1/8 teaspoon thyme. Dip chicken in egg, coat with crumb mixture and set aside to dry.
Heat oil in large skillet and brown chicken well on both sides. Place chicken in glass baking dish sprayed with Pam and pour sauce over all. Bake in 375 degree preheated oven for 8 minutes. Remove from oven; add a slice of Mozzarella cheese over each piece of chicken and return to oven until cheese melts.
Put sauce over pasta and serve with chicken.

Wednesday:
Veggie stir-fry
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 1/3 cup broccoli florets
1 1/3 cup cauliflower florets
1 1/3 cup carrot slices, cut at the diagonal
1/3 cup low sodium vegetable broth (more if needed)
1 teaspoon minced or chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger (or 1/8 teaspoon powdered)
2 teaspoons lite soy sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tablespoon water.

Heat large, nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add sesame oil, turning the pan to coat well. Add the vegetables and saute for a minute. Add in the vegetable broth, garlic, and ginger, and toss to blend. Cook about four minutes, stirring constantly. Add more vegetable broth if more moisture is needed. Reduce heat to medium-low, push the vegetables to one side of the frying pan, and stir in the soy sauce and cornstarch mixture. Heat and stir until thickened (about a minute). Stir in the vegetables to coat with the sauce.

Thursday:
Tacos
re fried beans

Friday:
Baked Hot Chicken legs
raw veggies with dip

Chicken:
Prepare chicken legs like you were making hot wings,(I use franks hot sauce with added garlic powder and 1/2 stick of melted butter) Bake for about 45 min at 350.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

better late than never menu.

We had a pretty busy weekend, I hope everyone had a good fourth. I know I did!
We set off many fireworks and had a blast..literally haha. My parents came for a quick visit which made for much frenzied cleaning last week. I made a spectacular dessert, Blueberry Spice whoopie pies,(I got the recipe from a Woman's Day magazine, I think). I have busy pickling as my neighbors cukes have come in and he wants me to pick them..oh darn.
Did I forget to tell you that Zach got married?
Oh yeah Zach got married. He has been telling us for years that his wife is going to be Asian, his dream came true!
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the bride
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the ring
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the happy couple..so cute

Our garden is doing really well. This week its all about broccoli, cabbage, beets, turnps and potatoes. More than we can eat!
I made some fabulous Sour Kraut
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It was really easy to make and tastes wonderful..yum
Like I told you our turnips our full grown, really full grown!
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here are the pickles I made:
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I made whole, chips and spears, all dills. I am going to try my hand at bread and butter pickles next week.
Here is the menu:
Tuesday:
German Hot pot (an old favorite and uses up some of those garden staples)
hot mashed potatoes

1 lb ground pork
1 lb smoked sausages cut into rounds
1 head of red and green cabbage each
1 onion diced
2 cloves minced garlic
lotsa salt and pepper
1 can sauerkraut
1/2 stick butter minced up to diperse
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 shredded carrots
Dump all ingredients into crockpot mix and cook on low 6-8 hours and stir once in awhile. Serve over hot mashed potatoes.

Wednesday:
Mashed potatoes and roasted veggie enchiladas

1 head broccoli, cut into florets
8 ounces whole button mushrooms
3 small zucchini, chopped or 2 cups sauteed cabbage
2 cups chopped carrots
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
4 cups mashed potatoes
1 (12 ounce) package corn tortillas
3 cups enchilada sauce
8 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese

In a large mixing bowl, combine broccoli, mushrooms, zucchini, and carrots. Drizzle the vegetables with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Spread vegetables in a single layer in a shallow baking dish. Roast vegetables in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes; stir halfway through their cooking time. When finished cooking, remove from the oven, and reduce oven temperature to 350. In a dry, nonstick skillet over medium heat, quickly heat each tortilla on both sides to make pliable. Dip the tortillas in enchilada sauce. Put a large spoonful (approximately 1/4 to 1/3 cup) of potato-veggie mixture into the center of each tortilla. Top mixture with about 1 to 2 tablespoons cheese, and roll tortillas. Place seam-side down in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Pour extra sauce over top, and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Thursday:
Baked chicken
mashed turnips
steamed broccoli

Friday:
Its our 6 year anniversary..so we are eating out..yay!























.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Wednesday morning muffins

Banana, granola Chocolate chip muffins:
4 smashed bananas(mine were from the freezer, so they were good and ripe)
1 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Butter
1 Egg
1 C. Flour
1 C. Whole Wheat flour
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1/3 tsp. Baking Soda
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Vanilla
2 tablespoons honey
1 cup of granola
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup ground flax seed

Preheat oven to 350. Grease muffin tins. Cream butter and sugar. Blend in bananas and egg. Sift flour, baking powder and baking soda together. Add to mixture. Add vanilla and honey. Be sure not to over mix! Stir in granola, flax and chocolate chips. Fill muffin cups about 2/3 full. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until done. Makes about 12 muffins. These are great with a cup of very creamy coffee,