So it's a start...Need to finish the end of the week. Need inspiration!
Monday
breakfast
eggs, toast, kefir smoothies
dinner
whole wheat pasta with bolognese sauce, salad, garlic bread
prep
prep oats, thaw roast
Tuesday
breakfast
baked oatmeal
dinner
crock pot fajitas
prep
grocery shopping, mill and soak wheat for pancakes
Wednesday
breakfast
whole wheat pancakes, kefir smoothies
dinner
chicken walnut bulgur, baked spinach
prep
make granola, bake bread, make yogurt, do milk order
Thursday
breakfast
cinnamon bread, eggs
dinner
leftovers, liver and onions for Duane
prep
thaw liver
Friday
breakfast
yogurt and granola
dinner
homemade pizza
prep
make pizza crust
Saturday
breakfast
dinner
prep
Sunday
breakfast
dinner
prep
Sunday, March 29
Saturday, March 21
Sunday, March 15
Menu Plan Monday
I have been consistently making menu plans for a while again. Now that I am trying to feed us more traditionally...more whole foods, more natural meals, I have to plan more. Since breakfast is no longer a bowl of boxed cereal, I also have to plan for that. Most of the things I make for breakfast also require preparation, too.
So here is is my plan for breakfast, dinner and whatever I need to do to prepare for the next day or prepare for later in the week.
Monday
Breakfast
toast (with today's homemade bread) and eggs, kefir smoothies
Dinner
potatoes au gratin and ham, corn
Prep
thaw corned beef, make yogurt
Tuesday
Breakfast
homemade yogurt and granola parfaits with frozen berries
Dinner
corned beef, cabbage, potatoes anc carrots, irish soda bread
Prep
bake soda bread in afternoon, mill flour and soak for waffles, thaw chickens
Wednesdayday
Breakfast
waffles and kefir smoothies
Dinner
roast chicken, mashed potatoes, fried cabbage with bacon, roasted beets
Prep
prepare baked oatmeal before bed
Thursday
Breakfast
baked oatmeal
Dinner
Leftovers...and if there is nothing to eat, we'll have eggs!
Prep
make muffins, bake bread, make chicken stock
Friday
Breakfast
muffins and smoothies
Dinner
maybe homemade pizza, still deciding
Prep
mill and soak flour for pancakes, thaw beef
Saturday
Breakfast
pancakes. bacon, eggs
Dinner
crock pot beef fajitas
Prep
prep oatmeal, thaw roast, brew kombucha
Sunday
Breakfast
baked oatmeal
Dinner
pot roast, potatoes, carrots
Prep
do meal plan for next week...
For more meal plans you can visit 5 dollar dinners
So here is is my plan for breakfast, dinner and whatever I need to do to prepare for the next day or prepare for later in the week.
Monday
Breakfast
toast (with today's homemade bread) and eggs, kefir smoothies
Dinner
potatoes au gratin and ham, corn
Prep
thaw corned beef, make yogurt
Tuesday
Breakfast
homemade yogurt and granola parfaits with frozen berries
Dinner
corned beef, cabbage, potatoes anc carrots, irish soda bread
Prep
bake soda bread in afternoon, mill flour and soak for waffles, thaw chickens
Wednesdayday
Breakfast
waffles and kefir smoothies
Dinner
roast chicken, mashed potatoes, fried cabbage with bacon, roasted beets
Prep
prepare baked oatmeal before bed
Thursday
Breakfast
baked oatmeal
Dinner
Leftovers...and if there is nothing to eat, we'll have eggs!
Prep
make muffins, bake bread, make chicken stock
Friday
Breakfast
muffins and smoothies
Dinner
maybe homemade pizza, still deciding
Prep
mill and soak flour for pancakes, thaw beef
Saturday
Breakfast
pancakes. bacon, eggs
Dinner
crock pot beef fajitas
Prep
prep oatmeal, thaw roast, brew kombucha
Sunday
Breakfast
baked oatmeal
Dinner
pot roast, potatoes, carrots
Prep
do meal plan for next week...
For more meal plans you can visit 5 dollar dinners
Wednesday, March 11
Real Food Wednesday
This is an ongoing thing that I have never participated in only read with delight. But today's topic is about getting kids to eat real food...and like it.
One of the staples around our house the past few weeks have been keifr smoothies. I've read about how great raw milk is and I really believe it to be true (more about that soon), but in Colorado it's illegal to sell raw milk unless you own a share in the cow. That would run our family about $8/gallon. Really not affordable right now.
But I want them to have the benefits of good milk. Right now we are trying to get the best milk we can afford and consume as much of it in it's cultured form as possible. Culturing helps to get some of those healthy nutrients back into the milk.
So one of our favorite ways to get some cultured milk each day is a morning smoothie.
For me and the 2 littles, I do
2 cups kefir
1 whole banana (Jack E loves to watch it disappear into the blender)
1/2 c frozen blueberries
1 Tbsp raw local honey
Blend it all together and enjoy!
You can see more kid friendly real food ideas here.
One of the staples around our house the past few weeks have been keifr smoothies. I've read about how great raw milk is and I really believe it to be true (more about that soon), but in Colorado it's illegal to sell raw milk unless you own a share in the cow. That would run our family about $8/gallon. Really not affordable right now.
But I want them to have the benefits of good milk. Right now we are trying to get the best milk we can afford and consume as much of it in it's cultured form as possible. Culturing helps to get some of those healthy nutrients back into the milk.
So one of our favorite ways to get some cultured milk each day is a morning smoothie.
For me and the 2 littles, I do
2 cups kefir
1 whole banana (Jack E loves to watch it disappear into the blender)
1/2 c frozen blueberries
1 Tbsp raw local honey
Blend it all together and enjoy!
You can see more kid friendly real food ideas here.
recipe tweaking
Last week I posted a recipe for spice muffins. I made them again yesterday and updated the recipe with my changes. It also gave me an even 18, which suits my OCD much better than the 16 I had before.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Tuesday, March 10
bloggy give away
One of my favorite bloggers is hosting a chocolate giveaway. The chocolate is amazing. Made from only single beans. Only uses can sugar. So delicious. I'm hoping to win some!
You can check it out here.
You can check it out here.
Monday, March 9
don't think they noticed
But I put pumpkin puree in their mac and cheese tonight. Hubby is out so I took advantage and made an easy dinner of homemade mac and cheese. Just before I stirred the shredded cheese into the white sauce I added a cup of pumpkin puree that I froze this fall.
I don't think anyone noticed any thing different, and I feel so much better that the got more veggies in them tonight.
I don't think anyone noticed any thing different, and I feel so much better that the got more veggies in them tonight.
Friday, March 6
liver and onions
That's what I made for dinner tonight! Well. that's what I made for hubby. I did make something else for the kids that were home tonight, but they all tasted the liver. Most of them liked it, too. For me, it's a texture thing. But I did eat a few bites to get some that super nutrition.
And I did it the old fashioned way, with bacon and onions too. It's liver from our half a beef. So I know that their liver hasn't been working hard cleaning out as many toxins as conventional stock yard cattle. The flavor was really mild, too. I think next time I'll use it with some ground beef to make burgers.
And I did it the old fashioned way, with bacon and onions too. It's liver from our half a beef. So I know that their liver hasn't been working hard cleaning out as many toxins as conventional stock yard cattle. The flavor was really mild, too. I think next time I'll use it with some ground beef to make burgers.
Thursday, March 5
making yogurt
My friend came over this morning to see how I make my yogurt. It's one of my culturing habits I started in December and now it's part of my weekly routine. Making yogurt is one of those kitchen chores that takes some time, but not all of it is active time. Like baking bread. You have to be there to watch how it's rising, but you can do other things and just check in from time to time.
So the basics of my yogurt making habit....( this is where I realize I really need a decent camera so I could share pictures )
I start with a half gallon of milk, and heat it at medium heat for about 20 minutes until it reaches 180º F. This is to make sure that any competing bacteria are killed off. ( I usually unload my dishwasher and wipe down counters while it heats. )
Then the milk has to be cooled to 110º F so that when the starter is added ( more about that in a sec ) it won't be killed off. I set the pan of milk in a sink of cold water to do this. It takes 5-10 minutes depending on how full I fill the sink.
At this point I get my jars ready. ( Yogurt needs to be stored in clean glass jars so there is no residual gunk in there. I always use the same jars over and over. Once we have emptied a jar and it's been through the dishwasher, I set it aside. When I have 4 jars, I know it is time to make more. ) I put my 4 empty peanut butter jars into the other side of the sink with hot water. This gets the jars warmed so the yogurt stays at a more constant temp while it incubates.
( I use empty peanut butter jars because they have a wide mouth and are easy to empty. I would rather make smaller jars of yogurt and dip into them less so there is less separating too. You can easily use 2 quart jars, but I like the smaller jars. I think I will also get a different cooler at some point and even do individual cups for the kids to use in school lunches next fall. )
When the milk is at 110º, I stir in about 2 Tbsp of starter yogurt. This is just a little yogurt held back from my last batch. Originally it was plain yogurt (with active cultures) from the grocery store. I then take about 2 Tbsp out and put that aside to use as my starter next time. ( I keep my starter in a little plastic tupperware type container. It incubates on my stove top under a towel for the day. )
Then I stir in 2 teaspoons vanilla and 1/2 c raw sugar. ( Since we were used to eating store bought fruit flavored yogurt before, I am not making plain yogurt for the kids yet. It's a compromise right now, but they eat the yogurt and still think it's a little sour. Once our taste buds adjust, I will add less sugar I think. ) Then it's into the jars. I use my ladle and big funnel just like when I am canning. Before I fill each jar, I pour the hot water out and into my little cooler. The jars are only about half full. Yogurt doesn't need any head room. so I fill the jars to the brim.
I have an old cooler that would hold a six-pack of soda cans. It's really small and there is not a lot of extra room once the jars are in. If you need to use a bigger cooler, you can add a towel over the jars to insulate them too.
With 4 jars in the cooler and the water that was in the jars before in the cooler, the water level is about 3/4 of the way up the jar. That water needs to be about 100º. The yogurt then needs to incubate in the 100º water for 6-8 hours. Then into the fridge over night so it's completely set.
I like my yogurt thick and custardy ( which is why I don't like the crock pot method ) and this method yields that every time.
Some random other things:
The starter culture will work best if yogurt is made every week or so.
Longer incubation will make a tangier yogurt.
No matter how much milk you use, the ratios of ingredients stay the same.
More starter will actually produce a runnier end product, the opposite of what I would think.
It's really, really good...and with cherry preserves we made last summer it makes an awesome dessert.
So the basics of my yogurt making habit....( this is where I realize I really need a decent camera so I could share pictures )
I start with a half gallon of milk, and heat it at medium heat for about 20 minutes until it reaches 180º F. This is to make sure that any competing bacteria are killed off. ( I usually unload my dishwasher and wipe down counters while it heats. )
Then the milk has to be cooled to 110º F so that when the starter is added ( more about that in a sec ) it won't be killed off. I set the pan of milk in a sink of cold water to do this. It takes 5-10 minutes depending on how full I fill the sink.
At this point I get my jars ready. ( Yogurt needs to be stored in clean glass jars so there is no residual gunk in there. I always use the same jars over and over. Once we have emptied a jar and it's been through the dishwasher, I set it aside. When I have 4 jars, I know it is time to make more. ) I put my 4 empty peanut butter jars into the other side of the sink with hot water. This gets the jars warmed so the yogurt stays at a more constant temp while it incubates.
( I use empty peanut butter jars because they have a wide mouth and are easy to empty. I would rather make smaller jars of yogurt and dip into them less so there is less separating too. You can easily use 2 quart jars, but I like the smaller jars. I think I will also get a different cooler at some point and even do individual cups for the kids to use in school lunches next fall. )
When the milk is at 110º, I stir in about 2 Tbsp of starter yogurt. This is just a little yogurt held back from my last batch. Originally it was plain yogurt (with active cultures) from the grocery store. I then take about 2 Tbsp out and put that aside to use as my starter next time. ( I keep my starter in a little plastic tupperware type container. It incubates on my stove top under a towel for the day. )
Then I stir in 2 teaspoons vanilla and 1/2 c raw sugar. ( Since we were used to eating store bought fruit flavored yogurt before, I am not making plain yogurt for the kids yet. It's a compromise right now, but they eat the yogurt and still think it's a little sour. Once our taste buds adjust, I will add less sugar I think. ) Then it's into the jars. I use my ladle and big funnel just like when I am canning. Before I fill each jar, I pour the hot water out and into my little cooler. The jars are only about half full. Yogurt doesn't need any head room. so I fill the jars to the brim.
I have an old cooler that would hold a six-pack of soda cans. It's really small and there is not a lot of extra room once the jars are in. If you need to use a bigger cooler, you can add a towel over the jars to insulate them too.
With 4 jars in the cooler and the water that was in the jars before in the cooler, the water level is about 3/4 of the way up the jar. That water needs to be about 100º. The yogurt then needs to incubate in the 100º water for 6-8 hours. Then into the fridge over night so it's completely set.
I like my yogurt thick and custardy ( which is why I don't like the crock pot method ) and this method yields that every time.
Some random other things:
The starter culture will work best if yogurt is made every week or so.
Longer incubation will make a tangier yogurt.
No matter how much milk you use, the ratios of ingredients stay the same.
More starter will actually produce a runnier end product, the opposite of what I would think.
It's really, really good...and with cherry preserves we made last summer it makes an awesome dessert.
Sunday, March 1
soaked kefir spice muffins
I have lots of kefir now that I got my own grains. I love it, but we don't drink smoothies every day. I used some to make buttermilk biscuits the other day and they were awesome. I decided to make some buttermilk spice muffins like the ones at Mimi's Cafe. But I did tweak the recipe a little to fall in line with how we are trying to eat now. I only topped a dozen of the muffins because I have one kiddo that doesn't like nuts. Next time I think I will skip the topping altogether and add the nuts to the batter. And D (the husband) thought they needed raisins or cranberries or something, but that's his personal preference. I thought the muffin itself was quite yummy.
Here's a link to the original recipe.
And here's my recipe
Soaked Kefir Spice Muffins
Combine 1 1/2 c kefir and 2 1/2 c freshly milled whole wheat pastry flour and let soak overnight.
In the morning.
cream 1/2 c butter
1/2 c turbinado
Add 3 eggs and beat for 1 minute.
Stir flour and kefir mixture to soften up and make more pliable then add to eggs, butter and sugar, and stir to mix.
Add
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Mix until combined.
Stir in 3/4 c dried cranberries or chopped nuts
Pour into prepared muffin tins and top with nut topping (optional, follows). Bake at 375 for 20 minutes. Yield 18 muffins
Nut topping, optional
1 c chopped walnuts
1/3 c cane sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
Here's a link to the original recipe.
And here's my recipe
Soaked Kefir Spice Muffins
Combine 1 1/2 c kefir and 2 1/2 c freshly milled whole wheat pastry flour and let soak overnight.
In the morning.
cream 1/2 c butter
1/2 c turbinado
Add 3 eggs and beat for 1 minute.
Stir flour and kefir mixture to soften up and make more pliable then add to eggs, butter and sugar, and stir to mix.
Add
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Mix until combined.
Stir in 3/4 c dried cranberries or chopped nuts
Pour into prepared muffin tins and top with nut topping (optional, follows). Bake at 375 for 20 minutes. Yield 18 muffins
Nut topping, optional
1 c chopped walnuts
1/3 c cane sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
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