Eating in July

My mom dug out the hand cranked ice cream maker for the fourth.  It was a lot of fun.  The last time my kids had hand cranked ice cream, we only had the older three.  I think they were 2, 5, and 8 at the time. 



We had our very first bakery cookie this month.  Around here all the grocery stores give the kids a free cookie.  He hasn't been able to really handle one yet.  He was just shoving everything in his mouth and not taking bites.  But, he was very patient and sweet and took wee little bites as we shopped.



Here she is making her strawberry shake.  She loves adding everything to the vitamix on her own.  The boys tried to correct her.  But, she was very certain it was a shake.  Of course, I told them all they were wrong.  She was definitely correct!




This was an awesome salad made of everything I could find in the fridge.  Lettuce, red onion sliced super thin, jalapeno and garlic stuffed olives, bunny love carrot chips, tomato, avocado, and sprinkled with spike and pepper.  We had Goddess Dressing with it. 



And, dessert. We love peach crisp.  I use fresh or frozen peaches if  I can find them.  But, I admit I keep canned peaches in my pantry just for crisp.  We love to make up extra to eat for breakfast, too. 

Cornbread with jalapeño, cilantro & daiya cheddar

Cornbread with jalapeño, cilantro & daiya cheddar, a photo by OakBlossoms on Flickr.

Yummy! Yesterday was a cold and rainy day in Washington State. I know you are thinking, well that sounds normal. But, it hasn't been. We have had a lovely winter. And, our weather has been summery and short loving for the last month.

So, a few days of rain (albeit not too cold rain) left us yearning for chili and cornbread.

This version was made from the recipe on the Bob's Red Mill Cornbread bag. I made it vegan by using egg replacer and melted Earth Balance. I added some Daiya cheddar and chopped jalapeno because my kids love jalapenos. We buy huge jars from Costco and they can eat 1 a month. My favorite tip for making cornbread in a cast iron pan is to put a glob of coconut oil in the pan.  Then put it in the oven while the oven preheats.  you get a good rise on your cornbread and a yummy crust.

November Meal Planning

 I always find things I want to make.  But, then I look in my pantry and I am missing stuff.  Sometimes, when I work on my weekly plan there just isn't room for a few ingredients.  In September, I started planning for October. I made a folder to save the new recipes for October.  When it started looking a bit too much, I think around 20, I started November.  This worked so well for me.  I looked through them all and added those staples to my first shopping list.  I was able to do most of them for October.  It really helped to mix up my normal go to recipes like chili, enchiladas, tacos, homemade pizza, pasta and sauce.  So, here are my picks for November. 

 Breakfast

If I can actually get up in the morning and make something for breakfast.  SURPRISE!  My crew will wake up early, too.  They are so much happier with something to eat.  If I remember I will set out stuff the night before. I can mix up dry stuff and put them in the mixing bowl.  The bright green one that has it's own lid.  The one that used to seem so big before I had a teenager. 

Mocha Coconut Banana Bread

Orange Glow Muffins

Protein Porridge

Soup
It is starting to get cold.  I love soup. It is cheap.  I can usually make it in the crockpot.  When put in the crockpot at breakfast time, it is usually read for lunch.  Hot lunch makes homeschooling just a little bit better.  Already prepared hot lunch makes me feel like I almost have a maid or cook or mother's helper.  
 
Gluten Free Goddess's Mulligatawny soup with Jasmine Rice

Humboldt Soup

Dinner

For some reason dinner is the hardest meal of the day for me.  I don't really like dinner.  Everyone in my house likes something different for dinner.  My husband and the 14 year old man er boy...whatever he feels like that day...think they need meat and man food.  My 11 year old is a staunch vegetarian. My 8 year old wants to eat and run.  My toddler wants to eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. The baby wants to slap my spoon and nurse at the same time.  I could eat chili and rice or stir fry and rice EVERY SINGLE NIGHT.  If I was feeling warm I might eat a smoothie. Oh, and the budget. Our budget is tight.  My compromise?  They don't get to complain unless they help. I buy meat maybe once a month and it is usually I really good sale.  Our local store often has B1G1F.  I can usually get nice chicken or roasts in a family pack.  So, I can get a lot of meals out of those.  I am totally digging on the lentils, too.  

Lentil and Quinoa Stuffed Peppers.

Crockpot Pizza Potatoes

Eggplant Veggie Burgers

Spaghetti and Red Lentil Balls

I made the lentil balls and they were awesome.  No one complained.  Well, at least not the annoying kind. But, everyone ate.  No one said they had a stomach ache.  I even made some Vegan Parm.  I used half raw almond and half nutritional yeast. I whizzed that up in my vitamix very carefully.  I was afraid of making nut butter.  I ended up adding salt to taste. I felt like it needed some saltyness.  I feel like such a dummy mummy for waiting so long to make Vegan Parm.  It is so expensive and the jar is so little.  I think I spent maybe 2 or 3 bucks and the jar is huge.  It is so yummy and full of protein and B12.  What isn't to like about that?

From the Joy of Vegan Baking

From the Joy of Vegan Baking, a photo by OakBlossoms on Flickr.

These were delicious bars. I doubled the recipe, used canola oil instead of Earth Balance, and Marionberry preserves instead of raspberry. These would be a great breakfast bar for on the go mornings. The jam gets a bit gooey, but it sets up nice by the next morning. Of course, I only had one bar left to enjoy by the next morning. So, you might consider making them after the kids go to bed.

This weeks Menu

Well, this week starts up on Friday.  I plan to shop early on Friday morning.  We usually visit with friends that day.  But, that will have to wait to see how shopping goes. I am using my printable shopping list again.  We follow the menu from my last week for the entire month.  We were able to really stretch our budget and fit in some goodies, as well.

Breakfast 

F-Muffins or Granola Bars

S-Waffles or French Toast

S-Cold cereal or leftovers

M-Pancakes

T-Hot Cereal with honey

W-Eggs or breakfast burritos

T-Oatmeal

Lunch

F-Fruit, Crackers, Cheese, deviled Eggs

S-Quesidillas or leftovers

S-Leftovers/Fend for yourself OR English Muffin Pizza & Salad

M-Chickpea or tuna salad sandwiches/melts

T-Grilled Cheese & baked beans or soup

W-Peanut Butter and Jelly on bread/tortillas

T-Mac and Cheese & frozen veg

Dinner

F-Pizza

S-Snackies, pizza leftovers, poppers

S-Dad's Birthday...Fish Burgers, Coleslaw, Avocado, Homemade Fries, german chocolate cake

M-Bean Burritos

T-Chicken, tofu, cornbread, salad or frozen veg

W-Church, leftovers or spaghetti

T-Chili and baked potatoes

Kitchen Organization

I have a good size kitchen with a slightly strange layout.  I haven't figured out how to use it yet.  And, this is the second time I have lived in this house.  You would think I would have it down.  But, you must remember with me.  Back then I was newly married and a new mom.  I had only a husband and little baby to feed.  Seriously, I didn't need any room.  My cupboards were barren because well....I didn't need pots and pans and piles of dishes.  It took us forever to fill up the dishwasher.

Now I have four.  I am tired.  I am homeschooling.  We come and go.  Everyone is always hungry.

A real live action break

Enters oldest son....why is there nothing to eat...I hate curry....I am complaining because complaining is fun.

So, I am looking for some inspiration.
Down to Earth talks about her pantry here.

So, I made a menu.  Which I plan to repeat to boredom every week.  I need to put something on auto-pilot. I, also, created a shopping list for said menu.  So, I can just check off what we need/want and not spend forever shopping and guessing and wishing and wondering.  Cooking is no fun right now.  I will let you know when it is.  Right now, I don't want to think about it.  I don't want to hear how there is nothing to eat.

Breakfast 

M-Pancakes

T-Cream of Wheat

W-Eggs

T-Oatmeal

F-Muffins or Granola Bars

S-Waffles or French Toast

S-Cold cereal or leftovers

Lunch

M-Chickpea or tuna salad sandwiches/melts

T-Grilled Cheese & baked beans or soup

W-Peanut Butter and Jelly on bread/tortillas

T-Mac and Cheese & frozen veg

F-Fruit, Crackers, Cheese, deviled Eggs

S-Quesidillas or leftovers

S-Leftovers/Fend for yourself OR English Muffin Pizza & Salad

Dinner

M-Bean Burritos

T-Chicken, tofu, coleslaw, cornbread, rice

W-Church, leftovers or spaghetti

T-Chili and baked potatoes

F-Pizza

S-Curry Beef in crockpot, tofu, rice, frozen veg

S-Leftovers/Fend for yourself or Fried Rice

A link to the actual Shopping List

An Autumn meal...

I checked out some books from the library. One of them was....


I am making Sage, White bean, and Sausage soup from it. I am going to use Tofurkey Italian Sausages to make it vegetarian so everyone can eat it. Plus, greasy foods aren't sitting well with my stomach lately. Did I forget to mention it uses dry beans and my crockpot. I love the crockpot. I am planning on making some rice because we have a bunch of limes leftover from yesterdays dinner. a squeeze of lime is really good on rice. I am going to make pumpkin muffins, too. I am going to double up so we have enough for tomorrow's breakfast. I love muffins for breakfast.