With Easter coming up at the end of this month, I thought I would share something fun for you to make for your kids! This cute little Bunny Cake caught my eye! For the recipe and directions go here.
Happy Easter!
Joanna LaVan
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Saturday, March 9, 2013
Monday, March 19, 2012
A Few More Weeks of Comfort Food
As winter is coming to a close and we're all looking forward to spring salads, I'm a little reluctant to give up cold weather comfort foods. I've so enjoyed soups, hot cocoa and home-cooked meatloaf over the past few months. While I'm looking forward to planting our garden and enjoying fresh vegetables from it, I hope to fit it a few more of those "comfort food" meals.
I was excited to get to review Kate Tietje's new cookbook, Wholesome Comfort: Whole Foods to Warm and Nourish Your Family. While I am into trying new foods bordering on "health nut" status, I understand that many of you are not. Kate's site, Modern Alternative Mama, will blow you away if you do happen to be into natural health. However, this cookbook is especially for the person who doesn't want to give up some of these foods:
What I especially liked about this book, since we have food allergies in our home, is the allergen component to the recipes. Each recipe is marked with a symbol to tell you if it is free of gluten, dairy, eggs, etc. All recipes are soy and seafood free, which really makes me happy!
Kate and her team at Modern Alternative Mama have offered to give one of my readers a copy of the e-book. Cookbooks are especially great to have as e-books because it is easy to print recipes and there are links to some tutorials on Kate's site right in the book. This is nice for those of us that need step-by-step help!
Mandatory: If you'd like to win a copy of Wholesome Comfort, visit this page and come back and leave a comment on this post telling which recipe you'd most like to try.
For extra entries:
Disclaimer: This post does include my personal affiliate link to Wholesome Comfort. I received a free product for review and no other compensation from Modern Alternative Mama.
I was excited to get to review Kate Tietje's new cookbook, Wholesome Comfort: Whole Foods to Warm and Nourish Your Family. While I am into trying new foods bordering on "health nut" status, I understand that many of you are not. Kate's site, Modern Alternative Mama, will blow you away if you do happen to be into natural health. However, this cookbook is especially for the person who doesn't want to give up some of these foods:
- Beef Stew
- Roast Turkey
- Scalloped Potatoes
- Green Bean Casserole
- Bread Stuffing
- Gravy
- Biscuits
- Chocolate Fudge
- Hot Chocolate
What I especially liked about this book, since we have food allergies in our home, is the allergen component to the recipes. Each recipe is marked with a symbol to tell you if it is free of gluten, dairy, eggs, etc. All recipes are soy and seafood free, which really makes me happy!
Kate and her team at Modern Alternative Mama have offered to give one of my readers a copy of the e-book. Cookbooks are especially great to have as e-books because it is easy to print recipes and there are links to some tutorials on Kate's site right in the book. This is nice for those of us that need step-by-step help!
Mandatory: If you'd like to win a copy of Wholesome Comfort, visit this page and come back and leave a comment on this post telling which recipe you'd most like to try.
For extra entries:
- Like Cherish the Call on Facebook and leave a comment on this post telling us you did.
- Like Modern Alternative Mama on Facebook and leave a comment on this post telling us you did.
Disclaimer: This post does include my personal affiliate link to Wholesome Comfort. I received a free product for review and no other compensation from Modern Alternative Mama.
Monday, March 12, 2012
The Most Frugal Practice in My Kitchen
Everyone seems to be trying to save money these days. For moms with many kids and/or one income families, it is essential to cut unnecessary costs. One of the variables in a budget is food. No two household grocery budgets look alike, however almost all of us could cut costs here first in an emergency.
I will make a confession. I am not into couponing. If you get carts of groceries for pennies, then my hat is off to you. (Actually, I'm toocheap discerning to buy a hat. But you know what I mean.) That why this is the most frugal practice in my kitchen. I'd love to hear about some of yours!
No, mine isn't couponing or even making my own bread most of the time (although that would save a lot of money....and chemicals). It's bones. Yep! I get a lot out of bones. Now before you get a mental image of my children fighting the dog for his chew toy (No dog either...again, toocheap frugal), let me explain.
When we buy our beef, I request the bones from the butcher. When I roast a chicken or turkey, I save the bones. When my mom roasts one and offers the bones to me, however, I say "No, thank you!" The bones and broth have spilled in my car on the way home too many times.
So how do bones save me money? Well, first of all, I get great nutrition and often one or two more meals out of something I would have thrown away. Secondly, I never have to buy canned broth for recipes. Or bouillon. I cannot even remember the last time I bought cream of chicken soup which used to be a staple in my pantry. Third, having the broth on hand motivates me to make healthier, more frugal meals like homemade soups and casseroles.
The process. I know a lot of you already do this and probably have a method more perfect than mine. However, enough people look at me strangely when I mention saving the bones from meat that I know you don't all do this.
In this example, I'll tell you how to stretch a roast chicken. After feeding it to your family with some mashed potatoes and noodles (or gravy if you don't have Pennsylvania Dutch heritage like I do), put the bones back in your roaster or crockpot. I do not have pictures of this because I really didn't think anyone wanted to look at bones. I said this was frugal not photogenic.
Pour any leftover broth or gravy over the bones, then cover completely with water. Turn it on low heat and leave it alone. You can add some onions and garlic and celery. It adds a delicious flavor, but it is not necessary. If you do it in the crockpot, you can leave it overnight or longer.
What you have after this process is delicious broth. You can strain it and put it into the refrigerator. All the fat will rise to the top after being chilled. You can skim it off and, if you cooked a good chicken, you should have a gelatin-like broth.
Put it into freezer bags (or glass jars if plastic creeps you out---just make sure you leave space at the top for expansion). A sandwich bag holds about 2 cups. A quart bag holds about four cups.
After you put all the broth away in the freezer, you can pick the bones. This is admittedly not very fun. It is also something you will most assuredly do alone. This is not a kitchen chore for which I get volunteers. I can usually get a cup or two of chicken off the bones. I also freeze this for other meals like Chicken Enchiladas, Chicken Casserole or sandwiches.
The best part is, you can boil the same bones again for several more times and get even more broth! I have done this until the bones started to disintegrate, although the flavor is most rich with the first time or two of boiling.
Why do I say this is the most frugal practice in my kitchen? If I pay $6 for a roast chicken and feed our family of 6, I have paid $1 per person for our meal. Not bad. If I boil the bones and get broth and chicken for one more meal, I have paid 50 cents a person per meal. A lot better. If I boil the bones again, while I may not have enough meat for another meal (though often I can get 3 or 4 meals out of one chicken), I have at least cut the cost to somewhere below 50 cents per person per meal.
If I got a free box of Hamburger Helper with coupons, I'd still have to buy the hamburger and it would only last my family one meal (probably one snack, the way my family eats!). So this is my brand of frugality.
Do you keep your bones? What is your most frugal kitchen tip?
I will make a confession. I am not into couponing. If you get carts of groceries for pennies, then my hat is off to you. (Actually, I'm too
 |
| Source |
No, mine isn't couponing or even making my own bread most of the time (although that would save a lot of money....and chemicals). It's bones. Yep! I get a lot out of bones. Now before you get a mental image of my children fighting the dog for his chew toy (No dog either...again, too
When we buy our beef, I request the bones from the butcher. When I roast a chicken or turkey, I save the bones. When my mom roasts one and offers the bones to me, however, I say "No, thank you!" The bones and broth have spilled in my car on the way home too many times.
So how do bones save me money? Well, first of all, I get great nutrition and often one or two more meals out of something I would have thrown away. Secondly, I never have to buy canned broth for recipes. Or bouillon. I cannot even remember the last time I bought cream of chicken soup which used to be a staple in my pantry. Third, having the broth on hand motivates me to make healthier, more frugal meals like homemade soups and casseroles.
The process. I know a lot of you already do this and probably have a method more perfect than mine. However, enough people look at me strangely when I mention saving the bones from meat that I know you don't all do this.
 |
| Source |
In this example, I'll tell you how to stretch a roast chicken. After feeding it to your family with some mashed potatoes and noodles (or gravy if you don't have Pennsylvania Dutch heritage like I do), put the bones back in your roaster or crockpot. I do not have pictures of this because I really didn't think anyone wanted to look at bones. I said this was frugal not photogenic.
Pour any leftover broth or gravy over the bones, then cover completely with water. Turn it on low heat and leave it alone. You can add some onions and garlic and celery. It adds a delicious flavor, but it is not necessary. If you do it in the crockpot, you can leave it overnight or longer.
What you have after this process is delicious broth. You can strain it and put it into the refrigerator. All the fat will rise to the top after being chilled. You can skim it off and, if you cooked a good chicken, you should have a gelatin-like broth.
Put it into freezer bags (or glass jars if plastic creeps you out---just make sure you leave space at the top for expansion). A sandwich bag holds about 2 cups. A quart bag holds about four cups.
After you put all the broth away in the freezer, you can pick the bones. This is admittedly not very fun. It is also something you will most assuredly do alone. This is not a kitchen chore for which I get volunteers. I can usually get a cup or two of chicken off the bones. I also freeze this for other meals like Chicken Enchiladas, Chicken Casserole or sandwiches.
The best part is, you can boil the same bones again for several more times and get even more broth! I have done this until the bones started to disintegrate, although the flavor is most rich with the first time or two of boiling.
Why do I say this is the most frugal practice in my kitchen? If I pay $6 for a roast chicken and feed our family of 6, I have paid $1 per person for our meal. Not bad. If I boil the bones and get broth and chicken for one more meal, I have paid 50 cents a person per meal. A lot better. If I boil the bones again, while I may not have enough meat for another meal (though often I can get 3 or 4 meals out of one chicken), I have at least cut the cost to somewhere below 50 cents per person per meal.
If I got a free box of Hamburger Helper with coupons, I'd still have to buy the hamburger and it would only last my family one meal (probably one snack, the way my family eats!). So this is my brand of frugality.
Do you keep your bones? What is your most frugal kitchen tip?
Monday, January 23, 2012
Batch Cooking for Busy Moms
I already told you here that once-a-month cooking isn't for me, but I like to do batch cooking sometimes. This simply means to make a few things for the freezer to make later mealtimes easier. I'm sure many of you do this already. However, here are a few ideas if you're not sure what to put in your freezer:
Ground Beef
Browning ground beef is a big time saver. When you have the beef already browned, it is easy to add it to any meal and decrease the cook time. How you prepare your beef depends on what your family favorites are. Here's what I do. I brown the meat, then add seasonings depending on the dish in which I will be using it. I brown some with onions, salt and pepper for adding sauces later such as spaghetti sauce.
Sausage - Add 2 T. sea salt and 1 t. each sage, pepper and garlic powder per pound. This recipe adapted from Anne Elliott's cookbook available for free download here.
Italian Sausage - I use this recipe.
Taco Meat - I also adapt Anne Elliott's recipe: 1 t. each chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, paprika, cumin, salt, pepper per pound.
Chicken
We use a lot of diced chicken and chicken broth in our meals. I love to roast a whole chicken, then boil the bones for broth. However, if I need something quick and easy; I just buy a few pounds of chicken thighs, bring to a boil and simmer 15 minutes with some onion and garlic. I then have a pot full of chicken broth to freeze in 2 c. portions (fill a recloseable sandwich bag) plus enough meat on the bones to make a couple meals. I use this for chicken pot pie, chicken stirfry, chicken enchiladas, three bean chili chowder, fajitas, chicken casseroles and many other dishes. If you prefer white meat, you can boil some chicken breasts and dice and freeze the meat. I wouldn't recommend keeping the broth, though, because without bones a broth is just chicken-flavored water in my opinion. Diced chicken breast is great to add to lunch time salads and wraps as well.
Rice and Beans
Did you know you can freeze these? Yep! Just prepare them as directed on the package or according to your own recipe and freeze in individual or meal-sized portions.
Breakfast
Just about any breakfast food can be made ahead and frozen. Make a double batch of waffles or pancakes and freeze the extra. Just heat up waffles in the toaster and pancakes in the microwave later. Baked Oatmeal freezes well before baking. If you put it in the fridge the night before, you can bake it for the same amount of time your recipe calls for when it's made fresh. If you like breakfast burritos or biscuits and gravy, all you need to do is pull out some of your prepared sausage and add to scrambled eggs and cheese on a tortilla or thaw in a pan and add your milk and thickener.Muffins freeze well, too.
Leftovers
Sometimes batch cooking can be as easy as doubling a dinner recipe and freezing half. I try to do this sometimes, but other times we have leftovers from a meal that don't necessarily equal a full meal. I freeze them anyway, because I hate to throw food away. Throwing food away is like tossing dollars and hard work in the trash can! I use these portions for lunches later on or for "restaurant night". Everyone gets to "order" from my freezer stash of leftovers and they each get their individual meal just like at a restaurant.
I hope these ideas are helpful to you. They are just the beginning of the possibilities and can be adapted to your family's tastes and meal planning style.
What prepared foods are in your freezer?
Ground Beef
Browning ground beef is a big time saver. When you have the beef already browned, it is easy to add it to any meal and decrease the cook time. How you prepare your beef depends on what your family favorites are. Here's what I do. I brown the meat, then add seasonings depending on the dish in which I will be using it. I brown some with onions, salt and pepper for adding sauces later such as spaghetti sauce.
Sausage - Add 2 T. sea salt and 1 t. each sage, pepper and garlic powder per pound. This recipe adapted from Anne Elliott's cookbook available for free download here.
Italian Sausage - I use this recipe.
Taco Meat - I also adapt Anne Elliott's recipe: 1 t. each chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, paprika, cumin, salt, pepper per pound.
Chicken
We use a lot of diced chicken and chicken broth in our meals. I love to roast a whole chicken, then boil the bones for broth. However, if I need something quick and easy; I just buy a few pounds of chicken thighs, bring to a boil and simmer 15 minutes with some onion and garlic. I then have a pot full of chicken broth to freeze in 2 c. portions (fill a recloseable sandwich bag) plus enough meat on the bones to make a couple meals. I use this for chicken pot pie, chicken stirfry, chicken enchiladas, three bean chili chowder, fajitas, chicken casseroles and many other dishes. If you prefer white meat, you can boil some chicken breasts and dice and freeze the meat. I wouldn't recommend keeping the broth, though, because without bones a broth is just chicken-flavored water in my opinion. Diced chicken breast is great to add to lunch time salads and wraps as well.
Rice and Beans
Did you know you can freeze these? Yep! Just prepare them as directed on the package or according to your own recipe and freeze in individual or meal-sized portions.
Breakfast
Just about any breakfast food can be made ahead and frozen. Make a double batch of waffles or pancakes and freeze the extra. Just heat up waffles in the toaster and pancakes in the microwave later. Baked Oatmeal freezes well before baking. If you put it in the fridge the night before, you can bake it for the same amount of time your recipe calls for when it's made fresh. If you like breakfast burritos or biscuits and gravy, all you need to do is pull out some of your prepared sausage and add to scrambled eggs and cheese on a tortilla or thaw in a pan and add your milk and thickener.Muffins freeze well, too.
Leftovers
Sometimes batch cooking can be as easy as doubling a dinner recipe and freezing half. I try to do this sometimes, but other times we have leftovers from a meal that don't necessarily equal a full meal. I freeze them anyway, because I hate to throw food away. Throwing food away is like tossing dollars and hard work in the trash can! I use these portions for lunches later on or for "restaurant night". Everyone gets to "order" from my freezer stash of leftovers and they each get their individual meal just like at a restaurant.
I hope these ideas are helpful to you. They are just the beginning of the possibilities and can be adapted to your family's tastes and meal planning style.
What prepared foods are in your freezer?
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Quick, Easy, Healthy: Lunchboxes
I don't often have to pack lunches for my kids since we home school. Our lunches usually consist of leftovers or mac and cheese or cheesy rice with the occasional sandwich. However, sometimes we have to be out for the day and we do different things. If I were to pack a school lunch, here are some easy things I would try:
Read the rest of this post over at Healthy Moms Magazine.
Read the rest of this post over at Healthy Moms Magazine.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Quick, Easy, Healthy: Try Something New
I finally did it...I tried "one of those weird health foods" and no it was not tofu! (Cue the shudders!) During my allergen-free experiment, I was allowed brown rice, which we love, but I was soon ready for another carb.
So, I got in the bulk bin at my favorite health food store and measured out a few cups of Peruvian quinoa. In case you're wondering, that is pronounced keen-wa. Or, if you are under 6 years old in my house: king-wah! with a karate imitation.
There are lots of delicious-looking recipes online, but I decided to just cook it as basic quinoa so we could really see what it tasted like. Couldn't be any easier:
1. Put 1 cup quinoa into a pan with 2 cups of water.
2. Bring to a boil and boil for 10 - 15 minutes.
3. Fluff with a fork, sprinkle on some sea salt and black pepper, and do your best karate imitation as you enjoy!
This post linked to:
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| Photo Credit |
There are lots of delicious-looking recipes online, but I decided to just cook it as basic quinoa so we could really see what it tasted like. Couldn't be any easier:
1. Put 1 cup quinoa into a pan with 2 cups of water.
2. Bring to a boil and boil for 10 - 15 minutes.
3. Fluff with a fork, sprinkle on some sea salt and black pepper, and do your best karate imitation as you enjoy!
This post linked to:
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Quick, Easy, Healthy: Desserts
Did you just do a double take? Can dessert be healthy? Yes. With a few disclaimers, of course. First of all, I don't believe that health is all about losing weight. I'd rather go for high nutrient than low fat, carb, etc. Just so you know where I'm coming from. Still, whether you are trying to lose weight or not, desserts should be treats not a regular part of every day. Or so I am learning...rather reluctantly.
My go-to dessert when I need something quick is Hot Fudge Pudding Cake. This is NOT low fat or even low sugar. It should not be eaten very often. I'm just saying....so you don't blame me for gaining 10 pounds on my recipe. ;-)
Hot Fudge Pudding Cake
1 1/4 c. sugar - divided
1 c. flour
7 T. cocoa, divided
2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1/2 c. milk
1/3 c. butter, melted
1 1/2 t. vanilla
1/2 c. packed light brown sugar
1 1/4 c. hot water (tap)
Heat oven to 350 degrees. In bowl, sift together 3/4 c. sugar, flour, 3 T. cocoa, baking powder and salt. Stir in milk, butter and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Pour batter into ungreased 8 or 9 inch square baking pan. Stir together remaining 1/2 c. sugar, brown sugar and remaining 4 T. cocoa. Sprinkle mixture evenly over batter. Pour hot water over top. DO NOT STIR! Bake 35-40 minutes or until center is almost set. Let stand 15 minutes. Spoon into dishes, spooning sauce on bottom to top.
I mix this up before dinner and let it cook while we're eating dinner. It is best served with whipped cream or ice cream (homemade is best, but if you're going for quick, you might have to cheat on that).
O.K. that's quick and easy. How to make it a little healthier? Use a natural sugar (I like evaporated cane juice). It's still sugar which is not healthy, but it is at least not bleached and processed as much. Use whole grain flour in place of all-purpose. Make sure your vanilla and cocoa don't have sugar in them---this recipe has enough!
If chocolate isn't your thing, here's a way to make your apple crisp much healthier:
How to Healthify Apple Crisp
My go-to dessert when I need something quick is Hot Fudge Pudding Cake. This is NOT low fat or even low sugar. It should not be eaten very often. I'm just saying....so you don't blame me for gaining 10 pounds on my recipe. ;-)
Hot Fudge Pudding Cake
1 1/4 c. sugar - divided
1 c. flour
7 T. cocoa, divided
2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1/2 c. milk
1/3 c. butter, melted
1 1/2 t. vanilla
1/2 c. packed light brown sugar
1 1/4 c. hot water (tap)
Heat oven to 350 degrees. In bowl, sift together 3/4 c. sugar, flour, 3 T. cocoa, baking powder and salt. Stir in milk, butter and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Pour batter into ungreased 8 or 9 inch square baking pan. Stir together remaining 1/2 c. sugar, brown sugar and remaining 4 T. cocoa. Sprinkle mixture evenly over batter. Pour hot water over top. DO NOT STIR! Bake 35-40 minutes or until center is almost set. Let stand 15 minutes. Spoon into dishes, spooning sauce on bottom to top.
I mix this up before dinner and let it cook while we're eating dinner. It is best served with whipped cream or ice cream (homemade is best, but if you're going for quick, you might have to cheat on that).
O.K. that's quick and easy. How to make it a little healthier? Use a natural sugar (I like evaporated cane juice). It's still sugar which is not healthy, but it is at least not bleached and processed as much. Use whole grain flour in place of all-purpose. Make sure your vanilla and cocoa don't have sugar in them---this recipe has enough!
If chocolate isn't your thing, here's a way to make your apple crisp much healthier:
How to Healthify Apple Crisp
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Quick, Easy, Healthy: Side Dishes
The best way to make sure a meal is quick, easy and healthy is to keep it simple. Many of you may think this is not a full meal, but our weekday meals are usually 1 protein (almost always meat), 1 starch, and 1 vegetable. I occasionally add bread or salad, depending on the meal. This makes things so easy because after I do the main dish, I usually just have to worry about a vegetable and one other side dish. Here are few quick favorites we enjoy:
Of course, there's the Oven Brown Rice I've already told you about. Baked Potatoes or Sweet Potatoes are good and quicker if you use the microwave. Sweet potatoes can even be substituted in the Cheddar Potato Strips recipe above, replacing the cheese and parsley with cinnamon.
What are your favorite quick side dishes?
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| Quick Carrots |
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| Roasted Asparagus |
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| Cheddar Potato Strips |
What are your favorite quick side dishes?
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Quick, Easy, Healthy: Kid Favorites Revisited
Is anyone else tired of restaurants assuming all children like is pizza, chicken nuggets, mac and cheese and cheeseburgers? O.K., maybe I'm alone on that one. (That's all right. I'm getting used to it.) I'm getting better at following recipes but still a novice at creating my own, so I'm going to point you to a few recipes that are healthier versions of the above "kid food". They also taste SO much better.
Instead of chicken nuggets, try this:
Garlic Lime Chicken (scroll down the page a little)
I promise, your kids will beg for this and they won't miss the breading at all! I use chicken strips to make it cook faster and sometimes just sprinkle the seasonings on instead of "dredging" and dirtying up additional dishes and counter space.
I told you about our main substitute for mac and cheese here, but if you want the real thing, this tastes awesome: (Hint: If your kids are used to the box with a K on it, add some orange food coloring. Unless of course, you like to see the real color of the food you eat.)
Creamy Mac and Cheese
There are many ways to do homemade pizza, but here is the fastest (and still pretty good!) I've come up with:
Homemade Pizza (in Less than 30 Minutes)
My adventurous little self actually made adaptations to this recipe. I poke the crust with a fork and pre-bake for 3 minutes before adding toppings, then I bake for 10 minutes at 500 degrees. For the sauce, I open an 8 oz. can of tomato sauce (1 per pizza), and stir into each can 1 tsp. each of garlic, oregano and basil as Anne recommends here. (I never seem to have the marjoram on hand, but I'm sure it's delicious, too!)
As for cheeseburgers, that's another one I usually hand to my husband because he makes delicious ones on the grill. We get grass-fed beef from a farmer each fall, so our beef is delicious (and cheaper, per pound, but this list isn't necessarily about frugal). Here are a few little tips to make our cheeseburgers restaurant-ish (but better!):
Hint #2: If there is bacon in the house, I usually count it as the 20% unhealthy (see below) and let it go.
Yes, I am aware that I left hot dogs off of the list of generally-accepted-as-kid-foods in restaurants. I'm not sure that these qualify as food, but if you get unprocessed beef ones from a farmer, I guess they would qualify as healthy. I'm just a little wary of unknown animal parts in my food, but that's probably just me.
By now, you probably think I'm a total food snob. Not really. My kids go to restaurants and order off the kids' menu occasionally, and I don't say anything (except maybe gasping when I have to pay $5 for 1/4 of a box of mac and cheese). We eat at friends' and family's houses and campfires and picnics and I don't say anything. However, as a general rule, I try to keep our house 80% healthy, and hope that someday my kids are 100% thankful.
Instead of chicken nuggets, try this:
Garlic Lime Chicken (scroll down the page a little)
I promise, your kids will beg for this and they won't miss the breading at all! I use chicken strips to make it cook faster and sometimes just sprinkle the seasonings on instead of "dredging" and dirtying up additional dishes and counter space.
I told you about our main substitute for mac and cheese here, but if you want the real thing, this tastes awesome: (Hint: If your kids are used to the box with a K on it, add some orange food coloring. Unless of course, you like to see the real color of the food you eat.)
Creamy Mac and Cheese
There are many ways to do homemade pizza, but here is the fastest (and still pretty good!) I've come up with:
Homemade Pizza (in Less than 30 Minutes)
My adventurous little self actually made adaptations to this recipe. I poke the crust with a fork and pre-bake for 3 minutes before adding toppings, then I bake for 10 minutes at 500 degrees. For the sauce, I open an 8 oz. can of tomato sauce (1 per pizza), and stir into each can 1 tsp. each of garlic, oregano and basil as Anne recommends here. (I never seem to have the marjoram on hand, but I'm sure it's delicious, too!)
As for cheeseburgers, that's another one I usually hand to my husband because he makes delicious ones on the grill. We get grass-fed beef from a farmer each fall, so our beef is delicious (and cheaper, per pound, but this list isn't necessarily about frugal). Here are a few little tips to make our cheeseburgers restaurant-ish (but better!):
- Spread the inside of your hamburger buns with butter and grill before topping with burgers.
- Saute onions and mushrooms in butter until onions are transparent, spread bun with mayo and top with cheese and the onion mixture.
- Add a little Ranch dressing, cheddar cheese and bacon. (To keep this healthy, make your own dressing, get real cheddar cheese and nitrate-free bacon or turkey bacon if you like it.)
Hint #2: If there is bacon in the house, I usually count it as the 20% unhealthy (see below) and let it go.
Yes, I am aware that I left hot dogs off of the list of generally-accepted-as-kid-foods in restaurants. I'm not sure that these qualify as food, but if you get unprocessed beef ones from a farmer, I guess they would qualify as healthy. I'm just a little wary of unknown animal parts in my food, but that's probably just me.
By now, you probably think I'm a total food snob. Not really. My kids go to restaurants and order off the kids' menu occasionally, and I don't say anything (except maybe gasping when I have to pay $5 for 1/4 of a box of mac and cheese). We eat at friends' and family's houses and campfires and picnics and I don't say anything. However, as a general rule, I try to keep our house 80% healthy, and hope that someday my kids are 100% thankful.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Quick, Easy, Healthy: Breads
When I was growing up, a meal was never complete without some kind of bread. I've since learned that we consume way too many carbs, but it is still nice to know how to make bread for my family at least as an occasional treat. Homemade bread does not seem to fit into quick, easy or healthy; but here are a few recipes to try if you've been intimidated by bread as I once was:
If you have 3 hours and a bread machine:
Amish White Bread
Quick because your hands-on time is less than 30 minutes. Easy because all you have to do is put ingredients in the bread pan. Healthy because you can use whole wheat flour and cut out that long list of unpronounceables on the label of store-bought bread.
If you have an hour (or less):
40 Minute Rolls
If you have 20 minutes:
Fluffy Biscuit Muffins
Sweet Cornbread Muffins
Note: I love sourdough bread and tried it once, but I found that feeding anything other than myself, a husband and four kids is a bit too much at this point in my life.
If you have 3 hours and a bread machine:
Amish White Bread
Quick because your hands-on time is less than 30 minutes. Easy because all you have to do is put ingredients in the bread pan. Healthy because you can use whole wheat flour and cut out that long list of unpronounceables on the label of store-bought bread.
If you have an hour (or less):
40 Minute Rolls
If you have 20 minutes:
Fluffy Biscuit Muffins
Sweet Cornbread Muffins
Note: I love sourdough bread and tried it once, but I found that feeding anything other than myself, a husband and four kids is a bit too much at this point in my life.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Quick, Easy, Healthy: Cheesy Rice
My kids love this recipe. It's our staple in place of macaroni and cheese. Unfortunately, unless it's in a box that has a K on it, my kids won't eat macaroni and cheese. I can't remember the last box I bought. If we have a craving for cheese and carbs at lunch time, this is what goes on the table.
Provided the rice is leftover rice from dinner or we have another box that comes from Uncle somebody, this qualifies as quick.
If you like "rice and beans" as made famous by a financial guru whose initials are D.R., then this will be just down your alley (you could even add frugal to that wonderful list of adjectives in the title!).
Anyway....
Cheesy Rice
What You Need:
Leftover brown rice (or quickly cook some of the pre-boiled stuff from a box, just make sure it's not white rice, please!)
Shredded cheese (any kind, any amount you like)
Salsa
Beans (optional)
Salt, pepper and spices to taste
What You Do:
Put rice into individual bowls. Let kids top it how they want. Microwave each bowl for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Stir together and enjoy!
Disclaimer: This recipe was tested in my kitchen which wasn't quite presentable enough to include a photo of. The amount of servings depends on how hungry my kids are and the preparation time depends on the number of diaper blowouts, sibling spats and rescue-the-baby-from-consuming-refrigerator-magnets drills.
Provided the rice is leftover rice from dinner or we have another box that comes from Uncle somebody, this qualifies as quick.
If you like "rice and beans" as made famous by a financial guru whose initials are D.R., then this will be just down your alley (you could even add frugal to that wonderful list of adjectives in the title!).
Anyway....
Cheesy Rice
What You Need:
Leftover brown rice (or quickly cook some of the pre-boiled stuff from a box, just make sure it's not white rice, please!)
Shredded cheese (any kind, any amount you like)
Salsa
Beans (optional)
Salt, pepper and spices to taste
What You Do:
Put rice into individual bowls. Let kids top it how they want. Microwave each bowl for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Stir together and enjoy!
Disclaimer: This recipe was tested in my kitchen which wasn't quite presentable enough to include a photo of. The amount of servings depends on how hungry my kids are and the preparation time depends on the number of diaper blowouts, sibling spats and rescue-the-baby-from-consuming-refrigerator-magnets drills.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Quick, Easy, Healthy: Lazy Mom's Frittata
Doesn't the name frittata sound like something to slave over for a good portion of a morning? Well, it did to me for many years. The first frittata recipe I tried was fairly easy, but way too time-consuming for my taste. Until I forgot to stir my scrambled eggs one morning....and I got an idea. Which stuck and is still a staple breakfast for us usually once a week.
All you need:
6 eggs (adjust to how many you're serving--see disclaimer below)
shredded cheese
chopped onion (optional)
other chopped veggies (optional)
1-2 T. butter
salt and pepper, to taste
cast iron skillet with lid (essential, for me....may be optional for you)
1. Melt butter in skillet.
2. Beat eggs, salt and pepper in a bowl as you would for scrambled eggs.
3. Pour beaten eggs into skillet when butter is completely melted.
4. Gently loosen edges from side of pan with a spatula as they set.
5. When top is almost set, sprinkle with veggies and cheese and remove from heat.
6. Top with a lid for a few moments to melt cheese.
7. Cut into wedges with a pizza cutter and serve them plain or with a spoonful of salsa.
Disclaimer: This recipe was tested in my kitchen which wasn't quite presentable enough to include a photo of. The amount of servings depends on how hungry my kids are and the preparation time depends on the number of diaper blowouts, sibling spats and rescue-the-baby-from-consuming-refrigerator-magnets drills.
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| Photo Credit |
6 eggs (adjust to how many you're serving--see disclaimer below)
shredded cheese
chopped onion (optional)
other chopped veggies (optional)
1-2 T. butter
salt and pepper, to taste
cast iron skillet with lid (essential, for me....may be optional for you)
1. Melt butter in skillet.
2. Beat eggs, salt and pepper in a bowl as you would for scrambled eggs.
3. Pour beaten eggs into skillet when butter is completely melted.
4. Gently loosen edges from side of pan with a spatula as they set.
5. When top is almost set, sprinkle with veggies and cheese and remove from heat.
6. Top with a lid for a few moments to melt cheese.
7. Cut into wedges with a pizza cutter and serve them plain or with a spoonful of salsa.
Disclaimer: This recipe was tested in my kitchen which wasn't quite presentable enough to include a photo of. The amount of servings depends on how hungry my kids are and the preparation time depends on the number of diaper blowouts, sibling spats and rescue-the-baby-from-consuming-refrigerator-magnets drills.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Quick, Easy, and Healthy
As a busy mom that came late to the enjoyment of cooking and even later to my obsession with interest in whole foods, I've adopted three kitchen criteria that I use roughly 90% of the time: Quick, Easy, and Healthy. If a recipe doesn't fit these three categories, it rarely gets on the table at our house.
Generally, this means it has an active preparation time of a half hour or less (this usually stretches to more for me because of all the interruptions---which is all the more reason to make it a quick recipe), has fewer than 10 (and ideally closer to 5) ingredients and is mostly--if not all--real food ingredients. I gave you one of my recipes here so you can get an idea of what I mean.
This summer, I'll share a few of our family favorites and some ways I keep them within my three criteria while also maintaining a reasonable food budget and making food my family loves.
If you have any of your own meals to share, please e-mail them to me. I would love to see them and maybe I'll post a few here--with credit to you, of course.
Generally, this means it has an active preparation time of a half hour or less (this usually stretches to more for me because of all the interruptions---which is all the more reason to make it a quick recipe), has fewer than 10 (and ideally closer to 5) ingredients and is mostly--if not all--real food ingredients. I gave you one of my recipes here so you can get an idea of what I mean.
This summer, I'll share a few of our family favorites and some ways I keep them within my three criteria while also maintaining a reasonable food budget and making food my family loves.
If you have any of your own meals to share, please e-mail them to me. I would love to see them and maybe I'll post a few here--with credit to you, of course.
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