Weekly Blog Highlight~Penniless Parenting

This is a great blog on living frugally, extremely frugally.  Lots of great ideas.  Click here--->Penniless Parenting

A Well Stocked.... Bowl

Alright, so you don't have to keep these items in a bowl, but for the most part I do so that they are handy and I can see at a glance when I am getting low.  I usually have on hand, yellow onions, red onions, shallots, garlic (Of course!!), some sort of squash (Here I have an acorn squash, but sometimes I have spaghetti squash or butternut squash in my bowl... zucchini is usually in the refrigerator.), different types of tomatoes (Never refrigerate tomatoes!), sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, lemons and limes (I do normally refrigerate the lemons and limes unless I am using them the day I bring them home from the store).  So, there you go, there are many, many recipes that call for these simple ingredients and are really easy to keep on hand.

Homemade Granola

I have made homemade granola for years and years.  Actually, I don't know if I have ever purchased packaged granola.  My favorite recipe until recently was great, didn't use any oil, but it did have 1 1/2 cups of brown sugar.  In trying to cook "better" I set out to make a better granola.  I made a huge batch using honey once and it was a disaster!  Through lots of trial and error I finally had a successful batch today. 

You will need:
6 cups oats
1/2 cup barley
1/2 cup flax seed (I forgot that I only had milled flax seed, but I went ahead and used that anyway.)
1/2 cup wheat germ
1 tsp ground cinnamon
nutmeg (add to your liking)
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup raw sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce (This takes the place of the oil that is in a lot of recipes.)
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
(You may choose any combination of nuts and/or seeds that you like.)

In a large bowl combine all of the dry ingreidents.

Then, in another bowl add  the wet ingredients.

Mix the wet and dry ingredients thoroughly.  Line two rimmed cookie sheets with parchment paper and divide the mixture evenly.  It's very important to spread it all out.

 

Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes, stir and bake another 15 minutes.  Rotate the pans if you need to for a more even cook.  Cook longer and stir every 5 minutes until the mixture is dried out and crunchy.  Cool and then store in an airtight container.

Hummus

I love hummus!  It is a garbanzo bean spread that is used in the middle east a lot as well as in some of the Mediterranean countries.    I first had it in Spain at a Mediterranean restaurant and then I had it in Crete along side of their yummy goodies.  A lot of restaurants serve this as their version of (chips and salsa) in the middle east and in the Med. region.  Ever since first trying it I have been hooked.  It is inexpensive to make, very easy and good for you.  It makes a great appetizer, but I also love it for lunch.  I will slice open and heat up a piece of whole wheat pita bread and then top it with some hummus.  Hummus is also a great dip for veggies and can even be used as a sandwich spread.

Here is what you will need:

2 cans garbanzo beans(chickpeas)

3 Tbsp Tahina (sesame seed paste)

1/2 to 1 tsp cumin

1 tsp paprika

2 cloves garlic

5 Tbsp lemon juice (I was able to get 5 Tbsp from 2 lemons.)

3 Tbsp. Olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Drain and rinse the garbanzo beans.

Juice your lemons to make 5 Tbsp.

Load everything up in a food processor, including your garlic and seasonings.

Puree until well combine.  This is the consistency that I like, but you may like it creamier.  At this point you can add a little more olive oil or some water until it is the consistency that you prefer.  Taste and re-season to your liking.

This recipe makes about two cups of hummus.  Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator and it will keep for 5-7 days.

A Well Stocked Freezer

This is a continuation of my "A Well Stocked..." entries.  I can't stress enough the importance of being prepared so that you aren't tempted to run out and go out to eat or eat junk, because of the fact that your pantry, fridge and freezer aren't properly stocked.  Or, how many times have you started a recipe just sure that you have all of the ingredients and then it turns out that you are missing one of the main components.  Frustrating for sure!

Let's go nuts!  Nuts are one of those items that are actually better if you keep in your freezer so that they do not go rancid on you.  You can store them in your freezer and pull them out as needed.  If you are so inclined, toasting them for a minute or two in a dry skillet will bring back their "freshness".  I have many varieties in my freezer and some are whole, chopped and others are actually ground.  Here's a look:

Here I have peanuts (that I keep in my pantry, not freezer), soy nuts, walnuts, pecans (from Texas!!), sunflower seeds, raw almonds, slivered almonds, and pine nuts.  I also like to make my own trail mix using a variety of nuts and seeds, that recipe will show up in a future post.

I usually put some sort of nut on  my salad and this particular week it was hazelnuts and so those are kept in my refrigerator.  Here they are.  I chopped them already so that they are ready to go!

Fruit is also a great addition to your freezer.  I always buy fruit, especially berries, when they are in season and at their cheapest.  That way I have fruit all year round.  Frozen fruit is great for things like pancakes, muffins, smoothies, crisps, etc.  Here is just a sample of what I have.  I currently have strawberries, blueberries, pineapple, bananas and pomegranate seeds in my freezer.  Not all of them made the photo shoot, but for some reason my ginger root did! Ha!  Yes, the freezer is a great place to store your fresh ginger root, it will last forever!

Of course I have plenty of vegetables, too.  Currently, I have frozen peas, corn, butternut squash, sugar snap peas, green beans, diced sweet potatoes, sweet potato fries.. I think you get the picture.

Also, cooking a bunch at one time and freezing is also a great way to save time on those rushed weeknights or days when you have unexpected company.  I don't have a lot of things in there right now, but I do have some tortilla soup, marinara sauce, vegetable samosas, taquitos, taco meat, chili, pesto... I think that is it.  OH... I do have fresh/frozen lemon and lime juice.  When lemons or limes go on sale, or when you buy too many that you aren't going to use, juice them all up and freeze them in icecube trays.  Once frozen, pop the cube out and put them all in a freezer bag.  Whenever you need lemon or lime juice pull one or two cubes out and defrost in the microwave for about twenty seconds or leave at room temperature for a little while.

All of these tips really do add up to great time and money savers!

"My Life" Blog

Hello!  This is for those that are wanting me to continue blogging about my daily ins and outs and not just about food.  There is a link on the right hand side of the page, but I will also publish it here in a post this one time.  Click Here----> My Life Blog... Jeremiah 29:11~13

Homemade Almond Milk

I am lactose intolerant and have been searching for a non-dairy milk to use.  I used to use soy milk with cereal and smoothies, but I realized that I was getting headaches.  I linked the headaches to the carrageenan in the soy milk.  Carrageenan is very similar to MSG and people (like me) that have adverse reactions to MSG will most likely have the same reactions to things with Carrageenan in it.  Commercial Almond Milk and Soy Milk are overly processed.  So, I set out to make my own almond milk, so I thought I would share it with you.

You will need:
2/3 cup raw almonds
4 cups water, plus more for boiling
small skillet
fine mesh strainer
blender
container to store the milk

First, you will want to blanch the almonds.  Place the almonds in the skillet and cover with water, bring to a boil and boil for 3-4 minutes.  This will losen up the skin on the almonds, making it easier to remove.

After 3-4 minutes of boiling, drain off the water and place on a towel and let cool a few minutes.

The skin will now be super easy to pop off of the almond.  Remove the skin from all of the almonds.

Place the 4 cups of water and the almonds in the blender.

Liquify the mixture for a couple of minutes, allowing the almonds to become a very fine mixture and turn into milk.  Below is what you will see.  It starts out a little tan and then turns white.

 Here is what it will look like once it is completely combined.

Pour the milk over a strainer back into your measuring cup.  I would like to suggest putting a piece of cheesecloth over the strainer to catch some of the fine bits of the almonds.  This is not necessary, but will give you a smoother milk.

This is what is leftover.

And, here you go, here is your milk!  Store in the refrigerator or up to a week.  Stir before using.  This recipe makes 4 cups.

A Well Stocked Pantry... Boxed or Prepared Items

Alright, so normally I do not buy packaged foods, but on occasion I do have on hand some healthy go-to options.  Here are some of those things.

Obviously peanut butter is a staple in our house.  It would be the best to grind your own, but I don't and I don't worry about it too much.  I don't like salmon in cans, but I do keep this salmon on hand for salmon croquettes.  Bacon, I love bacon, even though it is a no-no in the "What The Bible Says About Healthy Living".  If you buy the bacon pieces that I have above, it is a better choice if you are just wanting to add a little bacon to a recipe.  They have cooked it and stripped off all of the fat, so you don't have to worry about that.  Pita bread is another staple.  This is a go-to for lunch for me with hummus or other dips like that.  You can make little pizzas out of them and lots of other things.  I usually have some sort of boxed soup on hand for those nights that I have run out of time.  I have a great recipe for butternut squash soup, but the boxed soup will work in a bind or on a night that the hubster is left to his own devices.  I also like Kashi's crackers when I need a carb-crunch snack or something to go with my salad.  These are also good with hummus.  The organic stuffing is good and you can also use it for breadcrumbs.  You can pour them into a ziploc bag and smash them or throw them into a food processor and pulse until they are a good crumb.  I also love to make bruschetta, but I like to have Trader Joe's bruschetta when I am short on fresh, good tomatoes or if I have a last minute function to go to, if I have this I can just slice up some good, crusty bread and toast it and there you have a quick appetizer.  So, there you have it a few of my favorite go-to prepared foods that I like to have on hand.

Weekly Blog Highlight~Kitchen Stewardship

This was a neat blog that I came across that I thought that I would share for this week.

A blog Balancing Family Nutrition, Environmentalism, Your Precious Time and Your Crunched Budget by Letting God Help with the Cooking.  Click Here---> Kitchen Stewardship

I ate fake food today.

Ok, so really, I do not eat clean 100% of the time... not even close, but I am trying and everyday is better.  However... today I had a little rebellion to eating clean.  I really wanted to make some homemade chex mix and since we had an unopened box of chex cereal leftover from company I thought hmmmmm..... "chex mix sure sounds like a yummy.... LUNCH!".  Nope, it wasn't even for a small snack it ended up being lunch.  Boy, was it good!!!  Then I thought to my not-so-brilliant self, "ohhhh, a nice cherry limeade from around the corner would be a great way to wash this down!".    Yes, the cherry limeade was tasty.... very tasty....and then..... my body went into shock and proceeded to protest everything that I just put into it.  Ugh... I was sick for hours, yes hours!  Can you imagine what we are doing to our bodies when we put processed foods in our bodies every meal, every day?  My body has quit yelling at me, but it definitely wanted to teach me a lesson!

A well stocked pantry... Canned Goods & Condiments

I don't keep too many canned foods in my pantry, because I don't like the taste of a lot of things in cans, a lot of times they are filled with extra sodium and other things as preservatives.  However, there are a few canned items that are always in my pantry. For a quick go-to meal I keep canned beans of all varieties in the pantry.  Just make sure you really drain and rinse the beans to get all of the extra "stuff" off of them.  I also keep coconut milk on hand for my Indian food nights.  I can't say enough good things about canned tomatoes, of all varieties!  They are canned very soon after being picked and if you choose the cans with "no salt added" you aren't getting a lot of extra sodium.  I buy stewed, crushed, whole, diced, tomatoes as well as tomato sauce and tomato paste.  I buy the San Marzano for my marinara sauce, but I buy whatever is on sale for my salsa tomatoes.  Also for salsa I keep a can of Rotel tomatoes.  I like to have corn on hand to throw onto salads sometimes.  Certain fruits are ok in a can to have in a pinch to make a quick fruit salad.  I usually have mandarin oranges and pineapple in cans in the fridge and then toss them with apples, kiwi, grapes and any other fruit I have on hand.  And, we always have green chilies ready to go for mexican night or to throw into a salsa.

There are a lot of things below that I always have on hand... Wheat Germ, Chili Paste, Satay Peanut Sauce, Dijon Mustard, Honey, Pure Maple Syrup, Raw Sugar, Ghee (clarified butter used in Indian cooking), Broth (vegetable, chicken and beef), Tahina (sesame seed paste used in making hummus), sea salt, ground back pepper and all of the spices you see in the back.

I LOVE salads!!!  One of the things that make them so fun for me is making different salad dressings.  I haven't bought bottled salad dressing in a very long time.  It is so easy to make your own, tastes so much better and is so good for you.  I keep a variety of vinegars on hand as well as different Asian sauces and good quality olive oil.  Mr. Apple Cider vinegar missed this photo shoot, but that is also a great vinegar to have on hand!

This is the good quality olive oil that I just mentioned.  When using extra virgen olive oil for making salad dressings please use a good one.  The taste will be worth it!  The oil you see on the right from Ybarra is actually the oil that I used to use when I lived in Spain.

This is just pure olive oil that I use in most of my cooking that requires a lot of oil for pan frying, etc.  It's cheaper than the oil above and since it isn't extra virgen that makes is a better oil used in frying.

My Italian red sauce.

You may call this marinara sauce, spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce, dipping sauce.... I think you get the picture.  Making your own homemade sauce is so very easy and tastes so much better than a jarred sauce that is usually filled with ingredients none of us need.  So, if you have never made your own sauce before take a leap, make a batch and then  freeze some for future use.

Let me also add that I usually make this at the beginning of the week and have some in the fridge ready for pasta on Italian Night or pizza on Pizza Night and so on.

These are the items that you will need.

Olive oil
2 medium onions or 4 small
4 garlic cloves
1- 6oz can tomato paste
2- 28oz cans crushed tomatoes
Red Wine
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried marjoram
1 tsp dried parsley
2 bay leaves
pinch of thyme
crushed red pepper (optional)
salt
pepper

I like to use "No Salt Added" products whenever I can so that I can control the amount of salt that I eat.
Also, I really love the flavor of San Marzano tomatoes.  They are tomatoes that are grown very close to Naples, Italy and really have a great flavor.  However, if you can't find them or if you would rather not spend the extra money, any crushed tomato would be ok.

Go ahead and open the cans, chop the onions, mince the garlic and open your wine.  (Please do not use cooking wine.  Pick a wine that you would drink, however, if you do not drink wine you can buy some of these small bottles and use them for cooking.)  Once you start this sauce you will need to have everything ready.

Cover the bottom of a large pot or dutch oven with olive oil and then add your onions.  Season with salt and pepper and cook over medium heat until the onions become translucent.

Once your onions are tender add the minced garlic.  *If you would like your sauce a bit spicy go ahead and add some crushed red pepper now.

Cook the garlic for a couple of minutes and then add the tomato paste.  Mix thoroughly and heat through.

Next add your dried seasonings and stir until combined. OH!  I totally forgot to add the bay leaves, but please add them.  I guess that is what happens when the recipe is in my head and not on paper~I forget something!

Here's the yummy part!  Add just enough wine to thin out the tomato paste mixture and stir until combined.  Keep adding wine until you are happy with the consistency.

This is about how much wine I added.  Doesn't this look yummy??

Now it's time for those crushed tomatoes.

Stir everything together and then add more salt.  Taste and re-season to fit your personal taste.

Lower the heat and simmer (see the tiny bubbles?) for a minimum of 30 minutes and up to a few hours.  At this point it is ready to be served, put in the refrigerator or this freezes up beautifully!  This will make about 9 cups of sauce or the equivalent to 3 jars of sauce.  Enjoy!

A well stocked pantry... Grains

Anyone who enjoys cooking will be the first to tell you that one of the "must haves" is a well stocked ____________.  You can fill in the blank with a well stocked pantry, refrigerator or freezer.  There are items that are always, always in my kitchen and I thought I would share them you. 

Let's talk grains.  Grains are always great to have on hand for quick and versatile side dishes, vegetarian main dishes and even breakfast.  I try and buy whole wheat pasta and there is a pasta that is out there that has as much protein per serving as a chicken breast.  I use corn tortillas A LOT!  The Bomba rice that you see is a special rice from Spain that I use in my paella.  When cooked it opens up like an accordian and is yummy!  I use oats for my homemade granola and I prefer to make my own oatmeal than open up an instant package.  Couscous is just brilliant!  It's a blank canvas and only takes 5 minutes to cook!  Risotto rice is used in a lot of dishes, but I most frequently use it to cook Arancini (Italian rice balls). And then you have brown rice and barley, neither are really my favs, but they have earned a place in my kitchen for clean cooking.  I also have regular long grain rice and basmati rice (which is essential in Indian cooking), but they were too shy to come out and play.  Ok, so I forgot to get them out for their photo shoot!

Popcorn Snack

Alright, so this may be a total no brainer for most of you out there, but this became a change in our house when I was eliminating processed items from our pantry.  My son's favorite snack in the world is popcorn!  Our go-to snack when we watch movies together as a family is, you guessed it, popcorn.  In the last year or so it came out that the powdery butter stuff in microwave popcorn bags was harmful to your health.  Even though you would have to ingest A LOT of it for it to be harmful, it still isn't "good" for you.  Plus, as much as we (as a family) were eating popcorn it can add up.  I went on a quest to eliminate microwave popcorn from our house, but replace it with something that our son, a popcorn connoisseur, would eat and enjoy as much as the other stuff.

I went out and spent $20 on an air popcorn popper, bought some good ole kernals and popped them, melted some butter, added a little sea salt, mixed it together and then waited for my little popcorn judge to make his verdict.  His response, "WOW, mom, this is way better than the other stuff!!!"  Whew! One point for mom!  My favorite way to have popcorn is to airpop it and sprinkle some grated parmesan cheese over it.  We do not miss microwave popcorn one bit and this is cheaper, too!!

Weekly Blog Highlight~God's Pharmacy

Wednesday's are now going to be "Weekly Blog Highlight" day.  This is a first in a weekly series that I hope to continue and that I hope you will enjoy!  I love coming across different blogs that are unique.  For this week I since this blog is so close to "What The Bible Says About Healthy Living", I thought I would share this blog first: Click here---> God's Health  It's filled with a lot of interesting stuff!

This blog hasn't been updated in a while, but it has some great information on it, some I have seen before and a lot I haven't.  Enjoy!