Onion Dip with Greek Yogurt (Use it/Lose it day 3)

So far, so good! We've got plenty of food and haven't had to get too creative. Here's what was on the menu for day three:

Breakfast: Blueberry Buttermilk Bread; vanilla yogurt with blueberries; milk


Lunch: Boiled Water; apple wedges with peanut butter


Dinner: Beef Stir Fry over Rice (used the flank steak from the freezer, the Meyer lemons (called them "oranges") in my produce bin, the Green Giant teriyaki vegetables from the freezer, some fresh broccoli, onions, soy sauce, ginger, and cornstarch to make this)


Snack: Onion Dip with cucumber slices and raw broccoli (recipe follows)

Onion Dip - 1 Points Plus value per serving
Serves 12

What You Need:

• 1 cup minced onion
• 2 cups plain low-fat Greek yogurt)
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 1/4 cup chopped chives
• salt and pepper to taste

How it's Done:

1. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Cover and chill overnight (or all day).
2. Serve with veggie sticks, crackers, bread cubes...whatever!

Spicy Lentil & Sausage Soup

Ode to a Lentil

Lentil, your wholesome.
Lentil, you're tasty.
Lentil, you make my
Dinnertime hasty.

Okay, so I'm no Robert Frost. But I do love me some lentils! And what's not to love? They're nutritional powerhouses. They're just about as cheap as food comes these days. They're versatile. They're quick. And they're delicious. This soup has just three main ingredients, yet the flavors that come out of it suggest a much more complex recipe. Warm your belly and your taste buds this winter. Belly up to a bowl of lentil soup. Here's a great way to make it.

Spicy Lentil & Sausage Soup
Serves 4 or 6 (8 Points Plus value at 4 servings; 5 Points Plus Value at 6 servings)

What You Need:

• 1 lb turkey sausage (hot is what I used)
• 1 cup dry lentils
• 6 cups chicken stock (homemade is best by far)
• salt & pepper to taste

How it's Done:

1. Brown the turkey sausage, but do not drain when you're done.

2. Add the chicken stock.

3. Add the lentils.
4. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes, or until lentils are tender but not mushy.

5. If the soup is too thick, add more stock. I like mine thick. Salt and pepper to taste before serving.

One year ago: Buttermilk Bread

Thanksgiving -- Day 3

I hope you've been enjoying my recipes so far. Today, I bring you a dessert that's both light and rich at the same time: Simple Pumpkin Mousse.

This won't be the last time I share a pumpkin recipe with you this week. My family loves pumpkin, and since it's an orange vegetable, I make as many dishes with it as I can all autumn and winter long. It's cost-effective, versatile, pretty to behold, and delicious. You can't get much better than that.

Simple Pumpkin Mousse, Two Ways
Traditional Method (Fat-Free, Low Sugar Method in parentheses)

What You Need:

• 1 can pure pumpkin, 15 oz size (same)
• 1 3/4 cups whipped heavy cream (16 oz fat-free Cool Whip)
• 4-serving size instant pudding mix, white chocolate or similar flavor (use sugar-free, fat free)
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice for garnish (same)

How it's Done:

1. Blend pudding mix with pumpkin.
2. Gently fold in whipped cream or Cool Whip.
3. Store refrigerated until ready to serve.
4. Before serving, sprinkle evenly with pumpkin pie spice.

I'm thankful for my ability to cook, which has blessed my family with nutrition and delicious-tasting meals, and has brought friends together, and has allowed me to share my passion with the world via this blog. What are you thankful for today?

Thanksgiving -- Day 2

Now, I have this problem that may or may not be unique to my little family. You see, I'm the only one who loves cranberry sauce! Every year, I buy a whole container of cranberry sauce, only to have one or two servings before throwing the rest away. What a waste! I can't simply give it up. Oh, no! It wouldn't be Thanksgiving dinner without my cranberry sauce! So I've devised a simple method to have my cranberry sauce without waste. I make a small batch.

This recipe easily doubles to accommodate a family that's more appreciative of a good cranberry sauce.

Whole Berry Stove Top Cranberry Sauce
Serves 2 to 4 depending on portion size

What You Need:

• 6 oz fresh cranberries (use the other half of the bag bought for the sweet potatoes!)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup water

How it's Done:

1. Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan with high sides.

2. Bring to a boil. Stir frequently.
3. Cook and stir about 15 minutes. Cool completely before serving.

I'm thankful for loving family and good friends to keep nearby during this holiday season and always. What are you thankful for?

Polenta Tots

It's the end of the month. I planned very, very poorly for groceries this month. Therefore, our last several days of the month have had to be more creative than even I care for. And my favorite Bare Cupboard recipe searching site, Cooking By Numbers, seems to have been taken off the 'net for some reason, so I've been seriously winging it. I haven't done too badly: we've had vegetable lo mein, bean & rice burritos, even some pan-fried pork chops. But I'm going to be so glad when grocery day rolls around. Enough of this seat-of-my-pants stuff.

One of the tricks up my sleeve is polenta. Using just one ingredient (well, okay, one main ingredient plus seasoning), I can create several dishes: grits, and polenta prepared many ways. Today, I made polenta tots. They're bite-size bits of polenta, baked until crispy on the outside and soft in the middle, golden in color and resembling tater tots. Here's how I do it:

Polenta Tots

What You Need:

• 2 cups uncooked polenta (also called grits)
• 6 cups water
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp minced parsley

How it's Done:

1. Combine everything in a tall-sided saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and maintain a simmer, stirring constantly, until your arm is about to fall off. Then, switch hands and do it some more.
2. No really -- cook and stir about 20 to 30 minutes or until the polenta is pretty much a solid mass that takes a long while to fall back into place after you run a spoon through it.
3. Line a 9x11" baking dish with parchment or foil. Spread polenta in the dish. Cover and refrigerate several hours, or overnight.
4. Remove polenta from the pan. Cut into desired shapes. Place on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Flip over and bake another 10 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle with more sea salt when they come out, if you want.
5. Serve with pizza sauce.

BUTTERFLIES IN MY TUMMY

My baby turns seven this week. She is the most amazing little human I've ever known: compassionate, helpful, caring, kind, conscientious, loyal, devoted, loving, smart, talented, beautiful, friendly, approachable, and loved by all. She has no foes, rivals, or enemies. She is just as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside.

She is a joy to parent. She has thrown one tantrum in her entire life. She's had to be scolded fewer times than I have fingers. She genuinely cares about everyone she meets, and always looks for ways to help. She has super self-esteem but is never boastful of herself. I am so honored to call her my daughter.

And she turns seven years old this week.

Birthdays are a bittersweet marking of time with my Little One. She professes that she's never moving out -- she always wants to stay with her parents. We struck a deal and offered to build a house on the back side of our property when we are ready to retire from the Army. She likes this idea. Such a sweet daughter.

Anyway, I'm daydreaming. On with this post.

Birthdays -- yes, they're bittersweet. Before I can blink my eyes, she'll be sixteen and asking for the keys to Daddy's car. And I'll be welling up with tears just as real as I am this week, as my sweet daughter, who has four wiggly teeth and has recently discovered modesty, turns seven years old.

There will be much celebration to mark this event. Aside from our intimate family acknowledgement of her actual birthday, there's her class party and a birthday party with friends to look forward to. We had a small party with Grandma Kathy yesterday. She was in town and we wanted to celebrate together, so I threw together this simply ice cream cake. It's not wholesome and pure. But it's a hit with all who taste it, so I'm going off the beaten path and sharing this simple recipe with you. Pull it out of your hat for your next cookout, church potluck, or friendly get-together.

Ice Cream Sandwich Cake
makes a 10" square cake

What You Need:

• 18 or so ice cream sandwiches, unwrapped
• 1 to 2 cups whipped topping
• hot fudge sauce (or caramel, or whatever you prefer)
• sprinkles, nuts, crushed cookies, or candy

How it's Done:

1. Lay the ice cream sandwiches side-by-side in one layer of a 10" square baking dish. You'll have to cut one or two of them up to fit in the remaining spots.
2. Cover with a thin layer of whipped cream.
3. Repeat another layer of ice cream sandwiches, and over with whipped cream again.
4. Drizzle sauce over whipped cream. Sprinkle with desired toppings.
5. Return to the freezer and let it freeze two hours. Remove from freezer and let the cake stand at room temperature for 20 minutes before slicing and serving.

Where's YOUR Smoothie 'Stache?

We love smoothies around here. They offer an opportunity to get healthful foods into a squirming, picky eater in very little time, with great taste. This one, like all the smoothies I've posted so far, is Picky Eater approved. Okay, well, maybe there was one smoothie she didn't like. But she loves this one. Just check out her smoothie 'stache.

Chocolate-Covered Cherry Smoothie
Makes 2 servings

What You Need:

• 2 cups frozen sweet cherries
• 1 cup milk
• 3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 Tbsp honey, sugar, maple syrup, or agave nectar

How it's Done:

1. Whirl all the ingredients in your blender for a couple minutes, until smooth and thick. Pour into tall glasses and serve.

No-Bake Peanut Butter & Jelly Snacks

It's the middle of summer. Temperatures are in the upper 90s and lower 100s. There's no breeze. You could pour yourself a nice warm cup of air and drink it.

But the kids want a snack.

Here's one that will give them some protein to keep them going in the pool, sprinkler, or slip n slide.

No-Bake Peanut Butter & Jelly Balls
Makes about 20 snacks

What You Need:

• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs (or other cookie crumbs)
• 1 cup peanut butter (I used freshly ground, just peanuts, so it's very thick)
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup jam/jelly/preserves
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup or honey

How it's Done:

1. Combine all ingredients in food processor (or mix by hand for chunkier snacks) and process until the dough forms a ball.
2. Shape into 1" balls. Roll in confectioner's sugar, coconut, or unsweetened cocoa powder.
3. Chill for at least an hour before serving. Unless your kids are like mine. Incidentally, I find that these freeze well and make good lunchbox snacks.

***WHILE YOU'RE HERE, ENTER TO WIN A SODASTREAM PACKAGE!

Honest Smoothies

In my house, I'm trying extra hard to get rid of all pseudo-foods and serve my family only proper, nutritious foods. No, I'm never 100% successful, for two reasons:

1. Life happens. I'm not going to freak out if we're at a skating party and fruit punch, chips, and a Carvel ice cream cake are served. We'll survive. Junk is okay once in a while, because the rest of our diet makes up for it.
2. Life is meant to be enjoyed! Sometimes, I just want a handful of Famous Amos chocolate chip cookies, or a junky Mountain Dew, or a combo meal from Taco Bell. And that's okay! I'm not one to become so rigid that I can't enjoy my life.

However, for the most part, I really do serve all natural foods. When I can manage it, I choose organics and local foods. It's really no more expensive than the other stuff. Some organic brands are very expensive, but I watch my budget, pay attention to sales, and I do okay.

My girls wanted a snack yesterday, and here's what I made them. It's simple, pure, and honest. While they enjoyed this snack, they were receiving many health benefits and liking it. Just look at these ingredients! What's not to like?

Honest Smoothies
Serves 2

What You Need:

• 16 oz plain or vanilla yogurt
• 2 small bananas
• 1 cup mixed frozen berries
• 2 Tbsp honey

How it's Done:

1. Simply add all ingredients to your blender and set to frappe. Let it whirl a full minute or two, then serve.

A Week of (Healthy) Bare-Bones Meals

Today's day five in my week of super-frugal recipes. You'll notice I don't use much meat this week. It's much less expensive to eat a plant-based diet. Therefore, my frugal tip for today:

Frugal Tip #5: Treat meat as a side dish or a tasty addition to a meal, not the main course.

If you find yourself in a situation where you need to cut your grocery budget, rethink your meat & potatoes approach. Even if it's what you've been doing your whole life, you can change now, and so can your spouse and/or children.

Today's meal uses up some of the scraps of foods leftover from other days. I encourage you to switch things up a bit with whatever you have around.

I don't have a recipe for you; just a set of instructions. Open up a bag of tortillas (flour, hopefully whole wheat). Spoon on any leftover beans and vegetables you have. Maybe you have some salsa and cheese in the fridge. If you don't, I suggest adding chili powder, salt, pepper, and garlic to the beans before heating them up. Anyway, you're making a leftovers burrito. It's easy, it's practically free, and it's tasty. As a matter of fact, I have a sixth frugal tip for you today:

Frugal Tip #6: PLAN to USE your LEFTOVERS.

Don't waste food. Plan to use them. Leftovers don't have to be the same dish just warmed over. Take your leftovers and transform them. Chicken becomes chicken soup and chicken burgers. Beans become Mexican pizzas and bean burritos. Change it up a bit. Add new spices. Make a main dish into a salad. Be creative.

And enjoy your quick and easy lunch. :)

Here, I've taken a whole wheat tortilla and stuffed it with my beans (leftover from Mexican Pizza), lettuce, and tomato. Filling, nutritious, and easy!

A Week of (Healthy) Bare-Bones Meals

Last week, I talked about ways to get by during food hardship periods. This week, I'm going to practice what I preach. I'm going to show you a week of rock-bottom recipes that you can pull out of your reservoir in hard times. Each day, I'll give you one recipe, along with a basic meal plan. I am not a dietitian, a doctor, or a financial expert. I'm just a gal with a kitchen, a computer, and a knack for saving a few bucks. Your mileage may vary.

Day One

Breakfast: oatmeal made with a banana and milk, not water
Lunch: peanut butter & jam on wheat bread & an apple
Dinner: vegetable fried rice

Recipe: Vegetable Fried Rice

This isn't so much a recipe as a basic set of instructions. What you include will depend on what you have. It's a forgiving recipe, so amounts are not exact. use what you have.

What You Need:

• 1 1/2 cups raw rice (at least use brown rice -- mine was a mix of brown & wild rices)
• 1/4 cup oil (I used olive, because I had it. use what you can afford and what you have on hand)
• 5 cups chopped vegetables (cabbage, carrots, onions, green onions, and peas are all cheap. I added green bell pepper, banana pepper, both from my garden)
• soy sauce to taste
• if you have it, fresh ginger is great. 2 Tbsp minced is enough (I will not count this in my grocery list at the end of the week)

How it's Done:

1. Cook the rice according to directions. Let it cool slightly before using it.
2. In a large skillet, heat half of the oil. Cook the vegetables in the oil until crisp-tender. remove them to a platter.
3. Add the remainder of the oil and fry the rice until it's browned a bit and smells nutty. Add the vegetables back in and stir-fry the food, adding soy sauce to taste.
4. Serve right away. This recipe makes a large amount, perfect for lunches throughout the week.

Frugal Tip #1: Plan meals that use similar ingredients. If you plan for 4 meals that use rice, you only need to buy one package of rice. That will cut your grocery bill significantly.

I made corn tortillas today!

...and it was easy!

Day170.

Wow! Have I really been at this venture for 170 days?

Anyway, yes, I made corn tortillas. I thought it would be an intimidating process, but it was very easy. Here are the steps I took. Tomorrow, I'll tell you about the enchiladas I made with them.

What you need: Maseca Masa, some salt, some water, a tortilla press, a skillet, and a turner.

First, you combine 2 cups of masa, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1 1/4 cups water and stir it up until the water's all soaked in and the masa is a nice soft dough reminiscent of moon sand...only less gritty.

Then, you divide the dough into sixteen even-ish pieces.

...and cover them with a damp cloth to keep them from drying out while you work.

You place a ball of dough between two GREASED pieces of plastic wrap...

...and you press it flat.

The dough gets cooked for a minute per side on a dry skillet over medium-high heat.

And here's your reward. Store them covered if you won't use them right away.

They smell wonderfully sweet -- nothing at all like the bitter-smelling store-bought type, which makes me wonder if the store-bought type might have gone rancid by the time they arrive in our homes.

Anyway, I'll never go back now. Nothing beats homemade. Now, I can add corn tortillas to my list of things I no longer buy from the store.

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!

Fond Memories of Food and Family

Day 110.

The first cookbook ever given to me was Kids Cooking for Kids. I still have it, with all of my own notes and recipe written in my own penmanship.

Every time I look through the cookbook, it brings a smile to my face. Now, my own children look through it and choose recipes to try on their own.

My breakfast "recipes" from childhood

One of the very first recipes I made by myself. From Kids Cooking for Kids.

The two leading influences on my love of cooking are my mother and my grandmother.  Growing up, I was always served fresh, wholesome, cooked from scratch meals by my mother. We'd have garden-fresh vegetables, backyard-raised beef, homemade breads, and homemade desserts. Thanksgivings were mostly spent at my grandmother's house, where a feast would await us. Grammy spent weeks preparing for Thanksgiving, and would be up cooking and cleaning all night before the big day. But it never showed. She was always so loving and fun to be around.

For many years, the Army kept us away from Grammy's at Thanksgiving. This year, however, my family and I got to visit for Thanksgiving and my own children got to experience their very first Grammy Thanksgiving. Now, it wasn't the feast of Thanksgivings past... it was smaller, and partially catered. But a few favorite dishes graced us with their presence, and just being at Grammy's made it special.

One side dish that Grammy makes is turnips & carrots. It's very simple to do, but it's so delicious. Only five of us like it: My Grammy, my mother, my two children, and me. Maybe we can add you to that list.

Turnips & Carrots

What You Need:

• 3 turnips, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 lb carrots, peeled and cut up
• 1/4 cup butter
• splash of milk
• salt to taste

How it's Done:

1. Boil turnips and carrots together until soft, about 20 to 30 minutes, then drain.
2. Move to a mixing bowl and add milk, salt, and butter. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth.