New Things

New things are happening in my kitchen. Here is what I have done in the last week:

-Made homemade chicken stock
-Made spouts with quinoa
-Made homemade cream of mushroom soup (for casseroles)
-Cooked most of our meals from scratch
-Cooked and baked with coconut oil
-Made homemade Thai coconut chicken soup

I've also stopped buying:
-boxed mac & cheese
-canned soups, chili, spaghettios

Next steps I want to take:
-stop buying all processed food...crackers, tortillas, bread...(need to make alternatives first)
-learn to make sourdough bread
-find a recipe for Ranch dressing that my kids will eat
-find a recipe for non-dairy creamer that my husband will use
-buy local eggs and chicken from a farm
-cut back on white sugar

There are more things I want to do, but I'll get overwhelmed if I try to change everything at once...I do still have to feed four children and my husband!

I am reading:
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver
And these blogs: Kitchen Stewardship, GNOWFGLINS

So far I'm having a blast...hopefully I wont burn out before I make more positive changes!

Menu Planning

Menu planning saves my sanity. It makes grocery shopping easier, faster and more economical. I am not normally a very organized person, but in certain areas of life, I need to be.

This is one. When feeding a family of six three meals a day, it takes a bit of planning. Over the last few months, I've made it easier and less time consuming by compiling a list of meals we like and a chart to plan each week's dinners.

I decided on these categories: Soup/Stew, Mexican, Pasta/Italian, Casserole/Roast, Asian, Take-Out @ Home, and Quick & Easy. I made myself a chart with different meals under each category. I try to plan one meal from each category for each week, but I don't assign a specific day for each--I like to be flexible so I can decide what to make on a daily basis. Some people like to decide what they are having each day, and sometimes I do that, but most of the time I wait to see how the day is going or what I feel like.



When deciding what to make for the week, I look through the grocery store ads to see what's on sale. I haven't ever been good at using coupons, but I try to find good deals. Also, if I know I'll have leftovers, I try to plan one of the meals around them. For example, this week chuck roast was on sale, so I'm planning on making roast beef in the crock pot one day, and then I'll shred the left over beef for quesadillas on another day.



So, here is our dinner menu for this week:

Asian~Beef Sate with peanut dipping sauce, rice and peas

Soup/Stew~Corn/Potato chowder with popovers

Mexican~Shredded beef quesadillas with corn casserole

Pasta~Fish sticks (the only fish my kids will eat, besides canned tuna) with pasta and sauteed zucchini and mushrooms

Casserole/Roast~Roast Beef with carrots, potatoes, and gravy

Take-Out @ Home~Sausage and Egg muffins, fruit

Quick & Easy~Tomato soup with grilled cheese sandwiches

Lately, my husband has to work on Friday and Saturday nights, so I usually plan our Take-Out and Quick & Easy for those nights with just the kids. Sometimes we'll just have leftovers or breakfast on those nights, too.

I don't actually plan out each breakfast and lunch, but I try to make sure I have general idea of what we can eat. For example, this week I am making pumpkin or applesauce muffins to have on hand for breakfast, along with fruit, yogurt, or smoothies. For lunches there will be possible leftovers from dinner, tuna fish sandwiches, pasta with butter and cheese, baked potatoes, and of course peanut butter and jelly. My kids also like flour tortillas with cheese or jelly or even a scrambled egg burrito. So we just make what sounds good that day.

Do you plan out your dinners for the week? What works for you?

Food Thoughts and Taco Pie

So, I realize that most of my posts have been about food lately. I was contemplating this, and I think there are a couple of reasons for this. One, I'm nursing my two month old, actually, I've been pregnant and/or nursing for over two years now. What I'm trying to say is, it takes a lot of calories for my 5' 1", 105 lb. frame to keep up with all this baby growing and feeding, so food has been extra important to me. Second, I enjoy feeding my family. It is something that I can take pride in, and since it is something that has to be done, I try to have fun with it. Also, it is a chance for me to be creative. There isn't a whole lot of time for other creative pursuits right now...

Anyway, here is another recipe! I made this last night. My family loves tacos, and this is a little easier than assembling everyone's individual tacos.

Taco Pie

(or Taco Lasagna, if you will)

1 lb. ground beef

salt and pepper

about 1 T. cumin

about 1 T. chili powder

about 1 T. dried minced onion

1 8oz. can tomato sauce

6 flour tortillas, soft taco size

8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese, or Mexican mix shredded cheese

Season beef with salt and pepper, brown in a skillet and drain. Back in skillet mix cumin, chili powder, minced onion, and tomato sauce with beef. Heat through.

In a deep, round casserole dish layer a tortilla, spread about 1/3 cup meat mixture on top, and sprinkle on about 2 tablespoons cheese. Repeat about five times until you reach the top of the dish, ending with meat and cheese.

Bake in 350 degree oven for 20 min. Slice like a pie and serve with your favorite taco toppings.

Well, I hear my little miss waking up...time for another feeding...

Applesauce Muffins

Warm up your kitchen with this yummy snack.

Applesauce Muffins

1 cup flour + ¾ cup whole wheat flour (or 2 cups white flour)
¾ cup sugar
2 tsp. Baking powder
¼ tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Cinnamon

1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
½ cup butter, melted

12 apple slices
cinnamon and sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine dry ingredients and whisk to blend.
Add egg, applesauce and butter.
Stir until just blended.
Spoon into greased or lined muffin pan.
Top with slice of apple and sprinkle of cinnamon sugar.

Bake 18-20 minutes.
Makes 12 muffins.
Enjoy!

Cowboy Stew

Or "Cowgirl Stew" as my girls like to call it. I love this recipe because it is quick and easy, everyone loves it, and it simply cooks away all by itself during that busy time between 4:30 and 5:30 when every child needs my attention and the baby needs to nurse. I can get it in the slow cooker during nap time, at my leisure, without stress. My kind of meal!

1 lb. ground beef

1 sweet onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 can cream style corn

1 can pork and beans

1 can chili beans

1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce

chili powder

cumin

salt and pepper

Brown the beef with the onion and green pepper.

Season with salt and pepper, chili powder and cumin to taste.

(I just add a little and taste, add more and taste until I like it.)

Drain well.

Put all ingredients into a slow cooker.

(Sometimes I'll add more chili and cumin after tasting everything stirred together.)

Cover and cook on low 7 to 10 hours, or on high 3-5 hours.

My family likes to add sour cream, shredded cheese, and even tortilla chips to their bowls.

Oh, Cowboy(girl) Stew is great with corn bread, too!

Check out more great soup (or stew!) recipes at Jessica's Soup Swap!

Soup Swap

Mmmm...I love soup; especially in the fall and winter months. Jessica over at Turkey Cookies is hosting a Soup Swap. Head over there for lots of great soup recipes.

Here is my contribution: Curried Cream of Chicken Soup. I found this recipe at In the Heart of My Home. I've changed it just a little to make it fit my own family.

Curried Cream of Chicken Soup

1 TBSP. butter
2 cups chopped sweet onion
2 carrots peeled and chopped
1 TBSP. curry powder

Cook the above ingredients over low heat until tender.
Add:

7 cups chicken stock
2 lbs peeled, diced butternut squash
3-4 chicken breasts, bone-in (you can use a whole cut up chicken if you want)
1/2 cup basmati rice (I haven't tried it with rice, yet)
salt and pepper to taste

Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until chicken is done (25 minutes or so).
Cool chicken in stock. (I let it sit out a few minutes, too.)
Remove meat from bones and dice.
Remove fat from broth. (I usually remove the skin from the breast, so I don't have a lot of fat.)
Stain soup, reserve solids.
Puree solids in food processor or blender with some stock, in batches. This makes it so creamy and yummy.
Return puree to rest of stock. Add diced chicken.

Then add:

1 cup half & half
10 oz. frozen peas, defrosted

Simmer 15 minutes or until peas are done.

This is really good with pumpkin muffins!

Even my kids like this soup. It is definately a family favorite.

Please Pass the...

Hash Brown Quiche

I acquired this yummy recipe from my old church. Every year they have a women's breakfast, and this was one of the choices for the hostesses to make for their table. Everyone loves it, and I've been making for my family for a few years now. What's really great is that you can do most of the prep and assembly the night before.

24 oz. shredded hash browns

1/3 cup melted butter

1 1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese

1 1/4 cup grated Swiss cheese

1 1/4 cup diced ham or bacon

6 eggs

1 1/2 cup cream or half & half

1/4 t. salt

pepper

Thaw hash browns and press out water with paper towels. butter 9x13 in glass baking dish. Press hash browns into dish and brush on melted butter. Bake 25 minutes at 425 degrees. Let cool a bit.

Layer cheddar, then ham or bacon, then Swiss onto the hash browns. (These steps can be done the day before and refrigerated until the next day.)

Beat eggs, cream, salt and pepper. Pour over other ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until done. I like to let this sit for a bit before serving.

For more breakfast and brunch recipes head on over to Please Pass the... going on at Today's Housewife.

Have a great weekend!

Please Pass the...

Pork chops, rice, and gravy!

This is one of my favorite recipes that my mom would make us. I make it for my family quite a bit. It's easy and yummy.

What you need:

4 pork chops (bone-in is best)

1-2 tablespoons of olive oil

salt and pepper

1 package brown gravy mix

1 can cream of mushroom soup + 1 can of water


Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Season chops with salt and pepper. Brown chops for a few minutes on each side. Meanwhile whisk soup, water, and brown gravy mix in a bowl. Add a little salt and pepper if you want to.
When the pork chops are nice and brown, turn down the heat
and pour the soup mixture over the meat. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or so--less if your using boneless.

We serve this over white or brown rice and sprinkle green peas on top. Yummy.

Find more family recipes for Please Pass the...over at Today's Housewife.

First Days of Fall

Well, our weather isn't exactly fall-ish, but I have embraced this new season in the kitchen, at least. I've made curry pumpkin soup (which we thought was ok), vegetable beef soup (which we all liked), applesauce from our apples (very tart), and a batch of my Great Grandma Kelley's ginger cookies (which everyone loved). Tomorrow might have me whipping up our favorite potato corn chowder, we'll see if the mood strikes me.

We, well, really just the kids, have been enjoying the apples from our trees. Especially my little man. Here he is sampling from the apple bowl (I took these without a flash, cause the evening light was so nice, but they turned out blurry for some reason. However, I like how they look.)

Especially that last one. I like the light and the shadows. Kinda like impressionist paintings.

Here's to fall!

Autumn Delights Day Six

Autumn Delights: Yummy Drinks

-hot apple cider

-warm, milky, spicy tea, like Constant Comment or a chai

-cocoa with whipped cream and a sprinkling of freshly grated nutmeg

*all are especially good on a cold, perhaps rainy, day; while curled up with a book

Pumpkin Bread Recipe

Pumpkin Bread/Muffins

2 cups unbleached white flour
1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
1 ¼ cups sugar
2 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
¼ t. ground cloves
¼ t. ground ginger
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. nutmeg
1 t. salt

1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree
½ cup applesauce
4 eggs
2/3 cups water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 loaf pans, 24 muffins cups, or,

as I usually like to do, 12 muffins and one loaf pan :)
Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. I like to use a wire whisk for this. In a separate bowl, blend pumpkin, applesauce, eggs, and water. Add wet stuff to dry stuff. Stir until all is moistened. It doesn't look like it will all mix together, but it will! Pour into pans.
Bake: 20-25 minutes for muffins, 40-45 minutes for loaves, or until toothpick comes out clean.
Yum!

Autumn Delights Day Two

Autumn Delights: From the Kitchen-

-the joy of cooking comes back with cooler weather

-soups and stews simmering along all day, filling the house with warmth and comfort

-baking, baking, baking

-pumpkin bread and muffins

-pumpkin pie

-pumpkin bread pudding

-apple pies


For tomorrow: creating a cozy fall kitchen

Mmmmm...Banana Bread

I love making banana bread. It is so easy ( I don't even bother with my mixer), and all you need is a few pantry staples and some extra ripe bananas. Whenever we end up with over-ripe bananas, I just throw them in the freezer; they last forever and work perfectly (just thaw in microwave or on the counter before peeling).

This is my Grama Nancy's recipe that I adjusted to use some whole wheat flour. I like it better with the whole wheat; it seems a little chewier-which I like! And of course, it makes it healthier.

Grama Nancy's Banana Bread

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a loaf pan with non-stick spray.

Combine in a small bowl:

1 cup sugar

1 cup white flour and 3/4 cup whole wheat flour (or 2 cups white flour)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

In a separate bowl mash 3 bananas. I used a potato masher, but a fork would work too.

Add:

1/4 cup softened butter

4 Tablespoons milk (or just 3 if you're using only white flour)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional, I leave these out for my baby)

Stir well. Add the flour mixture a little at a time and mix until combined. Dollop into loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes (1 hour and 15 minutes for all white flour) or until a toothpick comes out clean.

I love the first slice, warm from the oven, smothered with butter. YUM.

More Snow= Potato Corn Chowder

Yesterday afternoon the feather-like flakes started swirling through the air.

They soon started piling up, so a warm, comforting dinner was in order.

I have been making a potato corn chowder recipe for a long time that my family loves. But I was getting a little bored with it. So, last night I changed it up a bit. I made it thicker and creamier; and I added fingerling potatoes, cheddar cheese, and broccoli.

Jen's Potato Corn Chowder

1 sweet yellow onion, finely chopped

1 Tablespoon butter

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 large russet potato, peeled and diced

8 or so fingerling potatoes, sliced 1/8 inch thick

5 cups chicken stock

1 cup frozen corn

1 1/2 cups half-n-half

3 Tablespoons flour

3/4 cup broccoli florets, bite size

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter with olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, cook, covered; stirring occasionally until translucent, about 10 minutes. Don't let it brown.

Add chicken stock, russet potato, corn, and a little salt. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are soft, about 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, add flour to a small bowl, add a little half-n-half, whisk with a fork until smooth, adding half-n-half a little at a time until it is all incorporated.

When potatoes are soft, mash in the pot with a potato masher. Stir in half-n-half mixture and fingerling potatoes. Simmer about 5 minutes, add broccoli, continue to simmer for a few more minutes until broccoli is al dente (unless you like it softer). Take soup off heat, stir in cheese.

To serve, I add a little frozen corn to the bottom of each bowl, then ladle in soup. This cools off the soup for my kids (and husband) without watering it down.

I wish I had taken a picture! Next time...

I like to make popovers or corn muffins to go with this. This time we had warm corn muffins with butter and honey. Yum.

This morning we woke to this:

So, I guess we need more comfort soup tonight. Anyone have a good recipe?