Breakfast for Dinner

A really great way to stretch your grocery budget AND to make your family think they're getting a great treat is to serve breakfast for dinner. I do it once a week now. I was afraid that when I started Weight Watchers, I'd have to give up my breakfast for dinner routine. As a matter of fact, I thought I'd have to give up a lot of things.

As it turns out, I gave up nothing, except for 35 pounds so far (since mid-September). I still eat everything I used to eat. I just watch my portion sizes. I have never, not once, felt deprived, or "on a diet" since beginning with Weight Watchers. And that's key to sticking to a weight loss plan, isn't it? Feeling satisfied!

Last night, we had pumpkin waffles (two waffles each, for just 5 points!) and baked apples. It was delicious, satisfying, and belly-warming on that cold winter night. I want to share with you the recipe for baked apples. I modified it slightly from the original Weight Watchers recipe, but the Points Plus value remains the same.

Baked Apples
serves 6 (5 points each)

What You Need:

• 6 apples (I used red delicious, because they were on sale!)
• 12 Tbsp raisins
• 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1 cup apple cider
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1/4 cup fat-free vanilla yogurt
• 2 Tbsp chopped toasted pecans

How it's Done:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cut a small slice off the bottom of each apple, so that it stands up straight in your baking dish.
3. Scoop out the core with a knife and spoon or a melon baller, but leave the bottom intact.
4. Fill each apple with 2 Tbsp raisins. Sprinkle them with the cinnamon.

5. Combine the cider and maple syrup. Pour this around the apples.
6. Bake, uncovered, for about an hour. Baste the apples with the syrup/juice mixture every ten minutes.
7. Top each apple with 1 Tbsp yogurt and 1 tsp chopped pecans. Serve immediately.

Yet More Peachy Goodness

Day 154.

 

I'm still peach wealthy. I've frozen two bags of peach pie filling and five jars of peach jam. This morning, I used eight more peaches to make some peach sorbet, and I still have more than a dozen peaches remaining.

This sorbet is delicious. Rich in flavor but light and smooth in your mouth, fragrant and delicately spiced, it's unlike anything you'll ever find at your local grocery store.

Peach Sorbet

What You Need:

• 8 ripe peaches, pits removed (peeling is optional)
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 cup apple juice
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves

How it's Done:

1. In your blender, puree all the ingredients until you're left with a smooth liquid. If you opt to leave the peels on, be sure the peels are tiny flecks in your blender.
2. Process according to your ice cream maker's instructions. I use the ice cream attachment for my KitchenAid stand mixer and it took 20 minutes to freeze. 
3. Move to storage container, seal tightly, and freeze at least two hours longer before serving. 

Want more yummy recipes? Visit Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom and get more, or link up your own dish today!

Even More Peaches!

Day 152.

I still have peaches left over from my recent purchase of 25 pounds of them. And I'm tempted to go back for more from my farmer's market.

Today, I peeled and cut them into slices for future use in recipes. More specifically, I'm putting these up for future pies. While I would prefer to pack them dry, I want to avoid freezer burn and keep them in good condition, so I'm packing them in a light sugar syrup. And that works out well for pie peaches. Here's how it's done:

You will need:

• 8 peaches for each future pie (I'm making enough for two future pies)
• 2 cups of sugar
• 6 cups of water

Step 1: Prepare the sweetener liquid.

I used plain sugar. Heat 6 cups of water on the stove. Slowly add 2 cups of sugar, stirring constantly, until all the sugar is dissolved. Let this solution cool completely before you add the peaches.

Step 2: Prepare the fruit.

Bring  a pot of water to a boil. Drop peaches in gently and let them boil for 30 to 45 seconds.

Remove with a slotted spoon and immediately submerge the peaches in an ice water bath. Leave them there for a few minutes.

The skin will now slide off easily. Cut off any bruised portions.

Cut the peaches into slices or halves, whichever you prefer. Sprinkle the slices or halves with lemon juice or Fruit Fresh to help them maintain their color.

Step 3: Combine the fruit with the sweetener.

Fill your freezer bags or containers. If using containers, leave 1/2" head space. If using freezer bags, be sure to squeeze out as much air as possible before sealing.


Step 4: Label and freeze.

Enjoy the fruits of your labor all year long!

Peaches!

Day151.

A few days ago I posted my monthly shopping trip and mentioned that I scored 25 pounds of fresh Georgia peaches for roughly 50 cents per pound. :o) Today, I spent about an hour turning half of them into freezer jam. This was my first time making jam. It was so easy a child could do it. As a matter of fact, I did enlist the help of my two daughters. We all got sticky together.

The scent of ripe peaches filled the air in our home all afternoon. It was heavenly.

Being that it's summertime, many of us will come into bounties of fresh fruit. One way to extend the life of that fruit is through freezer jam. You don't need any special canning equipment and it takes only three ingredients to do. Here's how it's done:

1. Peel your peaches. You're going to need four cups' worth of mashed peaches. This was about 18 peaches for me. Remove the pits and dump them in chunks into a large bowl.
2. Mash them really well with a potato masher. I left lots of chunks in my jam because I like chunky spreads, but let your taste buds guide you.

3. In a separate bowl, combine 1 1/2 cup sugar with a packet of pectin (I found one specially formulated for freezer jams).
4. Stir together the mashed fruit and the sugar-pectin mixture. Stir for three minutes.

5. Funnel into jelly jars.     I found these lovely plastic freezer-safe jelly jars made by Ball. Leave 1/2" head space in each jar. Seal the jars.

6. Let the jam sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, or until thickened.
7. Refrigerate or freeze. The label on the pectin says that the jam will keep for three weeks in the fridge or a year in the freezer.

*I had a little leftover mashed peach mixture so I plopped it into popsicle molds for homemade all fruit popsicles for the kids.

Seeing Red?

Day 127.

 

Strawberries are in season in Florida, so here in Georgia, they're very inexpensive this time of year. In case you hadn't noticed, I've been on a strawberry kick this week. First, I made English muffins and topped them with homemade peanut butter and sliced strawberries. Then, I made strawberry pancakes. Today, I'm pleased to share with you a delicious summer thirst quencher: Strawberry Lemonade.

 

Strawberry Lemonade

 

What You Need:

• 1 cup fresh lemon juice (It took me 6 large lemons to get this amount)
• 1 lb fresh strawberries, cut into chunks and hulls removed
• 4 cups water
• 1 cup sugar or honey (honey would be wonderful, but I used sugar since it's cheaper)
• optional: lemon slices and/or strawberries to float in the pitcher or glasses

How it's Done:

1. Puree strawberries with lemon juice in your blender. 
2. Stir together in a pitcher 2 cups warm water and the sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Blend in the other 2 cups of cold water and the strawberry-lemon puree.
3. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Float lemon slices and strawberries in the pitcher or glasses as desired.

Part of This Complete Breakfast

Day 126.

I believe that commercials aimed at our children should be banned, particularly food commercials. I mean, Tony the Tiger: is he really going to come play soccer with my daughter if she eats his Grrrrrrrreat Frosted Flakes junk? No. Is Chuck E. Cheese really as awesome as its commercials make it out to be? Where a kid can be a kid? No. Where a kid can be a kid is in the backyard of his home, frolicking freely and using his imagination. Respect the pouch? What on Earth does Capri Sun mean by that high-quality bit of advertising? Respect it! How about that one where the Kool Aid man beats out the Soda man in the ballpark? As if Kool Aid is the healthier of the two? A full cup of sugar goes into those 8 servings of "fun!" Every glass is 1/8th of a cup of sugar! Who are they kidding? And then there's the McDonald's commercials that depict a mom gazing lovingly at her adorable, healthy weight child, who's not clamoring to be done with the fake food and go play on the playground that smells like sweaty feet.   

In a country where childhood obesity is all too common, what are we doing allowing these products to influence our children? And make no mistake: they do influence our children.

Back to the breakfast table: What is this "complete breakfast" that sugary cereals claim to be a part of? Generally, there's a brief picture showing us that the complete breakfast includes fruit, milk, juice, toast (usually buttered), and their sugary cereal. So the cereal is what? The dessert? I don't know about you, but I don't make a habit of serving dessert at breakfast. You?

I suppose cereals have their place in our lives. Just yesterday, I was eating a bowl of Honey Nut Clusters...for a snack. I did find myself curiously eying the flakes and wondering what they were at one time. I think we should always be able to recognize what we're eating. I'm not sure what I ate last night. I do buy cereals every now and again. Sometimes, even the sugary ones. But a complete breakfast they are not.

Strawberry pancakes with butter and honey drizzled on top, served with extra strawberries and a glass of milk on the side. Now there's a complete breakfast. You have carbs and fats and protein. And the pancakes will keep you fuller longer than the sugary cereal. Plus, they're very tasty.

Strawberry Pancakes

Makes about 12 pancakes

What You Need:

• 2 cups flour
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 Tbsp melted butter
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 12 fresh strawberries, cut into thin rounds

How it's Done:

1. Heat your griddle or pan to medium-high heat.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. In a separate bowl, beat eggs with butter and milk.
3. Add wet ingredients to dry, stirring just until combined.
4. Drop by 1/4 cupfuls onto the hot skillet. Place sliced berries on top of each pancake. When the top side bubbles up, flip the pancakes and cook for another minute or two. Transfer to serving plate.

We ate ours with a bit of butter and honey.

Something Out of Nothing

Day 118.

Today's the last day of my grocery cycle. It's the bare bones day. It's the day when we're often eating weird food combinations that would normally go untouched. It's the wipe-out-the-fridge day. It's the "Mom, there's nothing to eat," day.

Except it's not.

I came up with an amazing meal that I wouldn't have ever considered. It's has its quirks, because we've run out of many ingredients. You can avoid my quirks and still make this dish wonderfully, but I'm writing these recipes exactly as I created them.

Tomorrow, Picky Eater gets two crowns and Bayberry gets braces. Prayers, good thoughts, and input are all very much welcome.

Oh, and what do you think of my photographs? Major improvement since I began this blog, no? I've started playing with Picnik. I love it!

Slow Cooker Pork Ribs in Red Wine-Garlic-Tomato Sauce

What You Need:

• a rack of ribs
• mayonnaise
• sea salt to taste
• 1 1/2 cups red wine
• 15 oz can tomato sauce
• 15 oz can Rotel tomatoes and green chilis
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• cooked pasta
• fresh parsley, chopped

How it's Done:

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Spread ribs with mayonnaise. Sear in a hot pan on both sides. Move to slow cooker. Sprinkle with salt.
3. Deglaze skillet with1/2 cup red wine. Add onions and garlic and cook and stir 2 minutes. Add remaining wine and all tomatoes. Pour this sauce over the ribs.
4. Cover and cook on low 8 to 10 hours.
5. Remove ribs from slow cooker and remove meat from bones. Return meat to the slow cooker and let it sit in the sauce until your pasta is cooked and ready to serve.
6. Plate meat sauce over pasta and top with chopped parsley.

On the side, I served this lovely fruit crisp, because I had ONE apple and ONE cup of frozen raspberries.

Individual FAT-FREE Apple-Raspberry Crisps
makes 2 servings

What You Need:

• 1 apple, peeled, cored, and diced
• 1 cup frozen (or fresh) raspberries
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup

How it's Done:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two small baking dishes with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Divide apple and raspberries between dishes. Sprinkle with brown sugar.
3. Combine cinnamon, oats, and maple syrup in a small bowl. Divide over the top of the two dishes.
4. Bake for 35 minutes. Serve hot.

For more slow cooker meal ideas, visist Dining with Debbie.

A Letter of Apology

Dear Blog,

Oh, how I've missed you! I think of you often and long for the yesterdays, when I could stop by and look at you, primp you, visit your pages, and speak through you. Alas, family is in town and does not appreciate home cooked foods. Therefore, I've been neglecting you, and for that, I apologize. Oh, how I miss your nourishment! Packaged taco seasoning is scary! Papa John was in my house last night with his mystery sauce. Pizza, not home-made? A travesty!

Dearest Blog, my children have not been eating well. Cold cereals loaded with sugar, macaroni and cheese at restaurants (the type from the blue box, blog), and sugary strawberry soda pop have found their ways through my children's bellies.

Now, please know as I do that this is a temporary situation. All the work we've done to get my children off of processed foods does not have to come unraveled, dear blog. One more week and we can return to nourishing, healthful, fulfilling, wholesome, home-cooked foods.

For now, while the in-laws sleep, I sneak in a healthful beverage for my babies to enjoy. I hope you will, too.

Sincerely,

Michelle

Strawberry-Banana Breakfast Milkshake

What You Need:

• 1 cup of milk
• 1/2 cup of orange juice
• 12 strawberries, hulls removed
• 1 large banana, peeled
• 1 handful of ice cubes

How it's Done:

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree. Serve immediately. And be glad for the nourishment in your children's bellies. And plot to add greens and carrots to the next one. Mwah hah hah hah haha! ;)

Super Bowl Sunday

Day 38.

It's Super Bowl Sunday. It's a day of football. And a day of food. Super Bowl food should be portable, scoopable, and not require a utensil. But what rule says it needs to be spicy, cheesy, or even cooked?

Stuffed Strawberries

Ingredients:

• strawberries


• cream cheese frosting

How it's done:

Cut the stem off of the strawberries. Make a flat cut so it will sit straight on a platter. At the pointy end, make a cut 3/4 the way through the berry. If desired, you can make an X in this fashion like I did.

Now, pipe cream cheese frosting into the space until the strawberry is overflowing with it.

Serve chilled.