Apparently my hubby is sending friends to this blog for recipes that I haven't even posted here. I'll just post the link here for the baba ghanoush recipe I use. I use more garlic, less lemon and little to no olive oil. I put it all in a big bowl and just use my hand blender on it. Totally easy.
baba ghanoush
Friday, September 26
Wednesday, September 24
blanching
That's what I was thankful for yesterday. Whoever thought of that one I am forever indebted. I had about 40# of tomatoes to put up yesterday. I canned a big batch of stewed tomatoes, and then froze the others to use in place of diced canned tomatoes. No easy put it through the kitchen aid attachment this time. I had to actually peel those things. I was so thankful to be able to blanche them and have the skins come right off. *sigh*
I still have a mountain of apples in my kitchen. Duane brought me some more yesterday, and these are really tasty even for eating. I think I need to make some pie filling with the other tart ones.
I told Duane last night at dinner that I had decided I was a little of an overachiever. Just when it comes to the kitchen, mind you. Monday I canned tomato sauce and peaches and made chicken divan for dinner. Yesterday I canned stewed tomatoes and froze more tomatoes. I made a pork roast and German red cabbage for dinner along with some whole wheat noodles (because I knew the kids wouldn't fill up on cabbage prepared like that) and then we had a peach pie with dried cranberries and streusel topping. Tonight I am planning on a veggie filled pasta sauce with some penne and frozen meatballs.
So why do I think I am an overachiever? Because I would normally feel apologetic for making such slim meals the past two days even though I was busy in the kitchen putting things up for later. I have been reading some of my friends' blogs and am surprised to see that a casserole can pass as dinner. WHAT? Or they may make a meat entree, a veggie side dish and a starch. And that's all. Only 3 things? Is that really a meal?
Now I'm not saying that I don't prepare meals like that too, but I feel guilty about it. Like I should prepare a banquet every time we have dinner. I do really like to cook. And my family really likes to eat. But I'm learning that it doesn't have to be like that every time. Wow.
My future daughters in law really are doomed anyway, though because my big boys think I could make anything and it would be wonderful! LOL
I still have a mountain of apples in my kitchen. Duane brought me some more yesterday, and these are really tasty even for eating. I think I need to make some pie filling with the other tart ones.
I told Duane last night at dinner that I had decided I was a little of an overachiever. Just when it comes to the kitchen, mind you. Monday I canned tomato sauce and peaches and made chicken divan for dinner. Yesterday I canned stewed tomatoes and froze more tomatoes. I made a pork roast and German red cabbage for dinner along with some whole wheat noodles (because I knew the kids wouldn't fill up on cabbage prepared like that) and then we had a peach pie with dried cranberries and streusel topping. Tonight I am planning on a veggie filled pasta sauce with some penne and frozen meatballs.
So why do I think I am an overachiever? Because I would normally feel apologetic for making such slim meals the past two days even though I was busy in the kitchen putting things up for later. I have been reading some of my friends' blogs and am surprised to see that a casserole can pass as dinner. WHAT? Or they may make a meat entree, a veggie side dish and a starch. And that's all. Only 3 things? Is that really a meal?
Now I'm not saying that I don't prepare meals like that too, but I feel guilty about it. Like I should prepare a banquet every time we have dinner. I do really like to cook. And my family really likes to eat. But I'm learning that it doesn't have to be like that every time. Wow.
My future daughters in law really are doomed anyway, though because my big boys think I could make anything and it would be wonderful! LOL
Monday, September 22
thankful
Last week, Duane my husband came home from work with 2 huge bags of peaches. He had been at an empty house that day with a bountiful peach tree. We have eaten quite a few but today I decided to can what was left.
As I stood peeling my blanched peaches and filling quart jars, I was so thankful. I am thankful for the peaches, very truly free food. I am thankful for the know-how to be able to save these fruits for later. I am thankful that I know we will enjoy these special peaches and remember this season of our lives.
Am I funny for getting nostalgic over a bag of backyard peaches? maybe so...
As I stood peeling my blanched peaches and filling quart jars, I was so thankful. I am thankful for the peaches, very truly free food. I am thankful for the know-how to be able to save these fruits for later. I am thankful that I know we will enjoy these special peaches and remember this season of our lives.
Am I funny for getting nostalgic over a bag of backyard peaches? maybe so...
Thursday, September 4
an excess of melons...
...has led me to making melon bread. Right now I have a lot of musk melons and white honeydew and orange honeydew. I have frozen some in chunks for eating in winter (when it will taste sooooo good), but yesterday I tried something new. Well new to me anyway. I have a friend that uses melon purees a lot like this apparently.
Melon Bread
Mix
3 eggs beaten
1/2 c turbinado (or more if your melons aren't as sweet)
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
stir in
3 cups melon puree
Sift together
3 c whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 ground ginger
Then add dry ingredients to wet ingredients just until moistened. Stir in
1 c chopped nuts (I used pecans)
Pour into 2 prepared 8x4 pans. Bake at 325 for 50-60 minutes.
Next time I make this, I think I will add a couple Tbsp of flax meal too. Trey called this bread "absolute yumminess" and he is my least carb/bread inclined child. It has a different flavor that is hard to describe. But we really liked it here!
I was looking online for recipes and saw where someone had replaced the oil in their recipe with some extra melon. Then I thought about how sweet our melons are and realized that I could add much less sugar than the recipes I was looking at called for. That led me to think about using melon puree in all kinds of recipes just as added sweetener. Like you would use applesauce I guess, but this adds sweet as well as the moisture. Personally I have nothing against things being sweet. I'm not militant about no sweets. Quite the opposite in fact. But I do like to use natural sweeteners whenever possible. And I like that this also adds a healthy dose of vitamin C and vitamin A (for the orange melons) and a host of other nutrients I probably don't even know about.
Somebody try this and let me know what you think!!!
Melon Bread
Mix
3 eggs beaten
1/2 c turbinado (or more if your melons aren't as sweet)
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
stir in
3 cups melon puree
Sift together
3 c whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 ground ginger
Then add dry ingredients to wet ingredients just until moistened. Stir in
1 c chopped nuts (I used pecans)
Pour into 2 prepared 8x4 pans. Bake at 325 for 50-60 minutes.
Next time I make this, I think I will add a couple Tbsp of flax meal too. Trey called this bread "absolute yumminess" and he is my least carb/bread inclined child. It has a different flavor that is hard to describe. But we really liked it here!
I was looking online for recipes and saw where someone had replaced the oil in their recipe with some extra melon. Then I thought about how sweet our melons are and realized that I could add much less sugar than the recipes I was looking at called for. That led me to think about using melon puree in all kinds of recipes just as added sweetener. Like you would use applesauce I guess, but this adds sweet as well as the moisture. Personally I have nothing against things being sweet. I'm not militant about no sweets. Quite the opposite in fact. But I do like to use natural sweeteners whenever possible. And I like that this also adds a healthy dose of vitamin C and vitamin A (for the orange melons) and a host of other nutrients I probably don't even know about.
Somebody try this and let me know what you think!!!
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