Posted by Krista | Under Cooking Reflections
Friday May 16, 2008
I headed over to our local farmers’ market a couple weeks ago to scope out the scene. Around here the market runs year round, although there are far more vendors in the summer months than in the winter.
I went looking for lettuce, and was pleased with what I found. There were romaine and spinach to choose, plus tomatoes and green and white onions. I bought two gigantic heads of romaine, which have lasted our family over a week so far. The second head is still hanging out waiting for us to need it, but it looks like it will last still a few more days. Maybe next time I will just buy one.
I got a few bonuses, too. From the romaine vendor, I received some sprigs of dill and a sprig of Thai basil for drying. And from the spinach vendor, I picked up two bunches of red scallions for a few cents. They have a woody flavor I could (almost) eat raw. Our baby-shower chicken salad the next day was bumped up from terrific to unbelievable by the addition of these sweet onions.
I saw a vendor of local honey, as well as one selling natural soaps and lotions. I used to wash my hair with a natural soap bar that left my hair so clean it became curly. I look forward to testing these soaps sometime in the future, to see if they have the same effect.
My daughter and I spent time at the table of someone selling potted cactus and other plants. She had an emergent butterfly drying out on her shoulder, that she had found in a bunch of parsley someone was purchasing earlier in the morning. Looking at this dark beauty was a very neat experience for my daughter and I. After taking several pictures of this wonderful example of God’s creation, I purchased a small cactus plant and we continued with our round of errands for the morning.
Total investment at the market: $7 for two heads of romaine, a bunch of spinach, two bunches of red scallions, a handful of herb sprigs, three onions and a cactus plant.
Now that I have a better idea what to expect, I think I can be better prepared to visit at least every two weeks (it is a 30 minute drive). I plan to regularly purchase tomatoes, lettuce, and honey. And after enjoying my bonuses so much, I think I will go prepared to spend a few dollars each time on something surprising. !Viva la aventura!
Posted by Krista | Under Cooking Tips, Food News, Meal Planning
Thursday May 15, 2008
From the previous list and what I already have in stock, I have come up with food not just for next week but through the end of the month! I am excited to think that next week I only need to purchase about five fresh items, plus the usual milk and bananas.
I don’t plan more than four meals in a week because there are nights we just want nachos, or have a potluck dinner, or feel obligated to clear out the fridge to make room for more.
Week One:
Greek Salad
Romaine Lettuce
Cucumber
Red Onion
Feta Cheese
Olives
Chicken on the Grill
Taco Ring
(I’m going to have to make a special post about this one. I will do that when I make it this week. Let me know if you are ready for the recipe before I post it!)
Crescent Rolls (I bought these last week)
Taco Meat (Pulling some out of the freezer)
Lettuce
Tomatoes
serve with Corn Cake
Pork Chops
(we already had these in the freezer from a sale 2 weeks ago)
Marinate overnight in Italian Dressing, then grill.
Oven roasted potatoes (cut 6 potatoes into 1″ cubes, put in gallon bag. Pour 2 Tbsp olive oil in bag, then 1/2 packet dry onion soup mix. Roast at 375 for 35-45 minutes)
Steamed broccoli
Artichokes
steam for 45-50 minutes
serve with rice and pineapple
Week Two
Teriyaki Pork Stir Fry
Dice the leftover pork chops and allow to soak in teriyaki marinade 30 minutes to overnight.
Add in fresh sugar snap peas, red pepper strips, and whatever other vegetables you desire.
Use Make Your Own Stir-Fry for guidance, substituting more of the teriyaki marinade instead of the sauce listed.
Spaghetti
Ragu Sauce, add in cooked crumbled italian sausage and mushrooms.
Serve with Salad and a loaf of French Bread
Smoked Sausage & Beans
Use your imagination, half of the dinner was free!
Chicken Pot Pie
Serve with salad.
Posted by Krista | Under Cooking Tips, Food News
Thursday May 15, 2008
Weekly sales fliers came out yesterday. I went ahead and made my list, in case anyone wants to take advantage of my time already spent.
I am going to publish my shopping list and meal plans for this/next week. If you find this useful, please drop me a line to let me know, as that will motivate me to continue it!
Monday is shopping day, but these sales are valid through next Tuesday. Items with * are on sale. Items marked with (S) are ones I will not be needing in the next two weeks, but are a good price for stocking up. Hope it’s helpful!
Sam’s Club
Bananas
Romaine lettuce hearts (unless I get to the FM this weekend)
HEB
*cucumbers
*mango
*greenhouse tomatoes
*athenos feta cheese
*(S)ground chuck
smoked sausage (w/ coupons for:)
*tortillas (free!)
*ranch beans (free!)
Kraft string cheese (w/ coupon for:)
*lunchable (free!)
HEB yogurt 4/4oz packs)
Albertsons
*seedless watermelon
*(S)Ragu sauce
*DiGiornio Pizzas (3 for $10)
*(S)ground turkey
Kroger
*pineapple
*broccoli crowns
*(S)rice-a-roni
*tortillas
*fritos
*Kroger yogurt
*artichokes!!!!!
*organic strawberries
*celery hearts
pie crust
olives
spaghetti noodles
canned mushrooms
Posted by Krista | Under Breakfast, Recipes, bread
Wednesday May 14, 2008
This recipe is decadently good, yet so simple I was able to make it on impulse, with no special trip to the grocery store. It is not a “diet” recipe by any stretch, but I can justify it on a Saturday morning when everyone will be working hard around the house burning energy all day. This also uses less sugar and butter than the original recipe.
Notice the only time consuming step is thawing frozen bread dough. Make it yourself from scratch early in the morning, for a little more love (and sugar) and a little less forethought. “From Scratch” instructions follow the recipe below.
This recipe got me thinking about making my own nutrient-boosted dough from scratch, and freezing it until I am ready to use it. Like many things I do in the kitchen, I don’t think it would be difficult. It just requires a little planning. I will post the results of any research I dig up!
Thawing time: overnight
Morning prep time: 75 minutes
ROLLS:
1 loaf frozen white bread dough
6 Tbsp butter (3/4 stick), softened
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)
ICING:
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp cream cheese
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
dash salt
Set frozen bread loaf in a 13″ x 9″ baking dish. Spray a piece of plastic wrap with cooking spray, cover loaf, and set in refrigerator. Allow to rise overnight. HINT: Set your butter out on the counter now, so it will be soft by morning.
75 minutes before breakfast time, stir together 6 Tbsp softened butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
Remove loaf from refrigerator; save your piece of plastic wrap. Place loaf on a floured surface and roll to 12″ x 9″. Spread sugar mixture on dough, leaving 1″ empty along one long edge. Sprinkle raisins and nuts over sugar mixture. Then, starting along the other long edge, roll the dough into a 12″ log. Sprinkle a few drops of water on the last 1″, and pinch the edge onto the log.
Using dental floss or a sharp knife, carefully cut the log in half, then in half again. Cut each quarter into three equal parts. Set the twelve pieces on end into lightly greased muffin cups. Cover with the saved piece of sprayed plastic wrap, and allow to rise for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375.
Bake in preheated oven 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool in muffin cups for a few moments while making the icing.
Melt 2 Tbsp butter and cream cheese together in microwave. Mix in powdered sugar, vanilla and salt.
Remove rolls to a serving platter, and drizzle with the icing. Serve warm.
Makes 12.
OPTION: Place all rolls in a 13″x 9″ dish, and bake for 30-35 minutes. Serve warm, directly from the dish.
DOUGH FROM SCRATCH:
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 (.25 ounce) package instant yeast
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup water
1 egg
Heat the milk in a small saucepan until it bubbles, then remove from heat. Mix in margarine; stir until melted. Let cool until lukewarm.
In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 1/4 cup flour, yeast, sugar and salt; mix well. Add water, egg and the milk mixture; beat well. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the dough has just pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 5 minutes.
Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let rest for 10 minutes. Proceed with rolling and spreading processes above.
Posted by Krista | Under Food Fun
Wednesday May 14, 2008
OK, this one is for my local friends. I may make a Kroger one too, sometime, but I happen to know that one special friend most in need of shopping inspiration only shops at this store. So this list is for her, and you get to read it!
I came up with a few simple meal ideas that make good use of the sales for this week. Items with a * are on sale this week through the end of next Tuesday. You have to spend at least $10 in addition to all those that are 5 for $5 mix-n-match. This list is especially for a pregnant mommy needing to restrict her salt intake , but the last one is one of the HEB special deals of the week that could keep for a few weeks, or feed the hubs for a few days when you’re not hungry.
Greek Salad:
Romaine Lettuce
Red Onion
*Greenhouse tomatoes (5/$5 mix-n-match)
*Cucumber (2/$1)
*Athenos Feta cheese ($3.29)
*split chicken breasts (5 lbs/$5 m-n-m)
can of black olives or a few from the olive bar
Spaghetti Night:
*Francesco Rinaldo spaghetti Sauce (5/$5 m-n-m)
*Central Market organic pasta ($1.69/lb)
*Central Market Italian Sausage Links ($1.99/lb)
*Broccoli crowns steamed ($1.29/lb)
Panini!
1/2 lb HEB ham (comes w/ coupons for:)
*1/4 lb artisan cheddar (free!)
*loaf french bread (free!)
Texas food:
Kiolbassa Smoked Sausage (comes w/ coupons for:)
*Guerrero tortillas (free!)
*Bush’s Best Grillin’ Beans (free!)
Special mommy snacks:
*Mangoes ($.89)
*Blackberries, 5.6 oz (5/$5 m-n-m)
*Fuji Apples (5 lbs/$5 m-n-m)
Posted by Krista | Under Adventures, Go Green
Monday May 12, 2008
Let me start by sharing that for me, going green is about fulfilling the original mandate entrusted to all of mankind: Rule over the earth, and take care of it. Essentially, we were given the role of stewards of this planet. Someday, there will be an accounting for how well we used the resources contained here.
So, whenever I speak of going green, I am referring to my personal understanding that the earth is a resource, and I will someday be asked to account for my use of it. I use the word green because it seems to convey a universal meaning. In this instance, I think people can have many different underlying reasons for their conviction, yet we can all agree on the importance of intelligently occupying this planet on which we live.
I am sure many of my readers have already embraced the green lifestyle. I salute you. For whatever reason, I became environmentally conscious when I lived in California, where the dense population brings a constant awareness of consumption. And I was a recycling maniac when I lived in Salt Lake City, and had curbside pickup and city-owned bins for all recyclables as well as green waste. Not only that, I was given the option to purchase wind energy credits, and I did.
Living in the country in my my new home state of Texas has challenged my private activism, and somewhat cramped my sense of civic pride. I suppose it is easier to participate in any activity when the community around you supports that activity. Of course, the city itself does offer curbside recycling, but we are outside the city limits.
So, my “greenification,” if you will, has had to start over from the inside. Recycling is no longer just a matter of sorting the trash into two different piles. I did some research and found that there are a dozen places all over town that will each receive one or two types of recyclables. And they seem to all have different hours of operation. You do the math, but if I make several trips into town to recycle items, but use extra fossil fuel to do it, have I really made a step forward?
I decided to choose the one location that takes the best selection of items. I can take newspapers, plastic bottles, brown or clear glass, and any kind of metal food cans. In this new paradigm, I have to clean and sort each type of item, even down to the brown glass from the clear. It’s a bit more work, and also leaves me with multiple sorting bins.
Call me a complainer, but that’s actually a lot of work! And now that I know exactly what this valley has facilities to process, I am realizing that the plastics and glass I used to throw indiscriminately into the recycle bin probably never actually got recycled after all.
I still struggle with our country recycling program. When I get a carload, I can drive it all a half hour away to the facility. But the bins don’t fit well in the house, so I don’t get many carloads recently. I find it difficult to commit to all the sorting and storing when each item requires a separate trip outside to the garage.
I realize I need to recommit myself to going green. Just because it has become inconvenient, or because we live in a low population area, does not give me permission to abdicate the sense of environmental responsibility I feel comes from an authority higher than myself.
More than just a list of “100 ways to go green,” I will try to share practical ways each week that I am actually incorporating green ideas into my daily life. I think there probably are about a hundred ways that come first before I start considering high-cost ways such as building a windmill or installing solar panels. It seems to me that many food topics are related to green, or stewardship, issues. Some of the ways are small, some are large.
This week I present the first two ways I am making better stewardship decisions, to contribute to a greener planet:
1. I bought local lettuce at the farmers market, that did not need to be imported or trucked across the country.
2. We have started replacing incandescent light bulbs with compact florescent bulbs. We discovered that our local energy company is offering a $3.50 credit per year on a compact florescent 4-pack! Seems pretty paltry, but after laughing about it we decided that at least it is a step in the right direction.
This week’s goal: get back in the groove of sorting and storing recyclables.
Posted by Krista | Under Food News, Go Green, Nutrition
Thursday May 8, 2008
While many people have been buying and consuming organic foods for ten to twenty years, organic produce and organic dairy products have only recently entered the mainstream marketplace, thus becoming available to a wider section of the population. As more people purchase these foods produced by sustainable means, generally without the use of pesticides, the markets offer more choices. As more people are exposed to the opportunity, more markets make it part of their standard lineup, and the positive cycle continues.
But there are still some, maybe even quite a few, who don’t quite get what the big deal is with organics. I am likewise a recent convert, and would like to share a few insights I have gained that helped push me over the line, despite our rising food prices.
There are multiple reasons why consumers are choosing organic produce over commercially produced varieties; primary motivators are environmental, economic, nutrition and health concerns.
ENVIRONMENTAL
Speaking from a conservationist standpoint, organic farming attempts to responsibly harvest from the earth in a way that is sustainable; that is to say, it is conscious of the environmental impact of its methods, and is concerned with quality of life of workers and animals. All around us we are seeing a push toward greater environmental responsibility in our choices; and organic produce, dairy, and meat are all items we can choose as we seek ways to be responsible.
Additionally, organic products often come from local farmers, especially when one shops at a local farmers’ market. Not all farmers market vendors are certified organic, but many are still practicing sustainable methods, and the fact that they are local means that fewer global resources (i.e. fuel) have been expended to get them to market.
ECONOMIC
When all food prices seem to be rising at rapid rates, financially making the switch to organics sounds particularly painful. But the truth is that many organic products are grown and produced locally, leaving them less susceptible to price hikes due to higher fuel and transportation costs. Additionally, the farmers markets bring produce directly to the consumer, cutting out a middleman that would raise costs. Produce purchased directly from the grower also has the advantage of being fresher, meaning the consumer has a longer period in which to prepare and eat it, leading to less waste.
NUTRITION
Aside from global concerns and attempts to support the local economy, buying organics provides greater nutritional punch. Organics are better for what they HAVE. The Organic Trade Association reports that more than three dozen studies have found increased levels of various nutrients in organic produce and grain, vs. conventionally grown crops. This includes at least 25% more vitamin C and magnesium, 20% more iron, and 10% more phosphorus. This supports the logic that growing crops in actual soil with animal fertilizers—as opposed to recycled paper or water with chemical fertilizers or whatever conventional methods use—is better for the end result. Organic products also tend to contain about 15% less nitrates than traditional crops. Nitrates are one of those bad boy ingredients that should optimally be kept to a minimum.
HEALTH
Another reason to choose organic is for what it DOES NOT HAVE. Foods vary in the amount of pesticides they contain. There is a diversity of opinion about how much those pesticides really are dangerous to humans, but if one is working toward consuming all-natural foods, then organic foods are closer to that goal than traditional commercial ones. While organic farmers are held to a certain standard in production that still allows use of some chemical pesticides and fertilizers, their produce is undeniably exposed to many fewer chemicals overall by the time it reaches the consumer.
The Environmental Working Group has found that different fruits and vegetables retain different amounts of pesticides. The group has identified what they call the “Dirty Dozen”: these should be chosen organic whenever possible. The group has also identified a list of those fruits and vegetables that seem to retain none or almost none of the pesticides used in growing them, and thus can be purchased commercially without worry about possible contamination.
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