Grumpy Kitty

Hobbits can cook

Mondays are always crazy, so cliche, but true. Getting back into schoolwork, cleaning up, 2 hours of ballet and a sundry of other things make the day feel more hectic than the others. This week was no different and at 1:30 I realized dinner was not planned and we had to eat it by 4. Hmm. I also have begun to not use the microwave again. I succeeded in not having one for many years and then even after marrying the Professor kept one out. Somehow it sneaked back in a few years ago and I have one that is built in now. Well a few weeks ago I just said no more. I have figured out how to defrost somethings fairly quickly and without a ton of hassle, especially my chicken stock.

It really is true that if you get kids in the kitchen they will be more excited about what they are eating. Plain old potato soup doesn't get my kids hoping at dinner, but when they peeled and cut potatoes for it they really do feel more ownership of the meal.  

Potato Leek is my favorite soup on a rainy day and this did fit the bill.

8 good size potatoes

2 leeks

garlic cloves

4 cup of chicken (or turkey) stock

sea salt

a bit of milk (optional)

This soup was ready by 3:30 and the kids did 1/2 the work. Even the Baby washed the potatoes once they were peeled.

Cheap Eats

So I cooked all day the other day, or at least it felt like it. Guacolmole, kale chips, veggie lasagna and a coconut cake were on the list so that I could take the day off on my birthday and not be eating at a restaurant that was likley not too healthy. By the time dinner rolled around I was not in the mood. I had thrown a pot of black beans on earlier in the day to have around from the coming week. My mind raced through how I could serve them up besides with rice and I thought hmm polenta. I love polenta, my family does not so dressing it up was the only was I would get them to eat it. I whipped up the polenta (Bob's Red Mill) and dumped in generous amounts of green pepper, red onion, and garlic. Then I added the black beans and some monterey cheese and seasoned with my favorite chipolte spice. After I layered it in the well buttered dish I added some more cheese, one of our faves, parrano. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, or until cheese is well melted. Cool for 15 minutes and serve with salsa and sour cream. Did I say fast & tasty? Did I say cheap?

 

Food as Medicine

Every November I get 2 or 3 turkeys from the farm. This year my farmer was unable to get his turkeys on time due to his off farm job promotion. Lots of sad (and procrastinating) people like me had to buy their turkey from Whole Foods. Our Thanksgiving turned out fine with a store bought turkey, and then a week or so after the holiday WF had a great sale on the remaining turkeys. I picked up a $21 organic turkey and froze it. So our 4 year tradition of having a turkey in January still happened this week.

We had a scrumptious dinner on Monday and as it turned out Butter came down with a tummy virus that night so we needed that stock I had simmering for 18 hours. The yummy gelatinous stock found it's way into a new favorite chicken stew  last night and helped her reagin some of the vitality lost after a night of horrible retching.

Oh and that organic turkey fed us 16 meals which equaled about $1.31 per person:)

New Economy Meals: Parsed Cabbage Rolls

We are very blessed not to yet be affected by this economy, except to empathize with family and friends who have.  I've been thinking a lot about food security and how to make the most of what one has. Trying to make things from scratch even more when I "mostly" don't like to cook. I should say I don't like to be a cook for small children. It's frustrating and I'm ALWAYS hurrying and not in a position to let them help like I want to.  I don't want them to think that feeding oneself a nutrious meal is unenjoyable, but right now, frankly it's a chore.  Butter is uber picky, although she is getting better, likely from sheer hunger (not really). They are a snacky bunch and I indulge this habit, but I've learned if they snack much in the afternoon, they will not eat the dinner I've prepared.  I am also making a true effort to eat as locally as we can.  Combined with the assurance I feel that one day things will be a lot different in regards to what foods we can attain, I've decided to makeover our meals. They must fit these criteria to be what I consider NEW ECONOMY MEALS. I'll be posting them as I make them up, break them down, or borrow them from friends.

1. local or organic

2. 1-2 pans/pots-simple to prepare

3. balanced protein/veg or fruit

4. frugal, aka CHEAP:)

5. tasty

I've bee working on various receipes, some have passed, some will not be made again. Tonight,  I think was a fair success. The kids at least ate half.

Parsed Cabbage Rolls

1.5 lbs of ground beef

1 home or store can of marinara sauce

1 small onion

1 head of cabbage

bread crumbs

garlic

italian seasonings (canned or fresh)

2 eggs

worchester sauce

coconut oil

2 tsp curry powder

salt

Mix ground beef, spices, eggs, bread crumbs, worchester together and form balls. Brown these in oil in frying pan.  In a pot or dutch oven, saute onions and garlic. Add sauce to this when onions are soft. Mix balls into sauce after they have been browned on both sides. Cover and leave on low while you do something else for 20 minutes:)

Drop more oil in the frying pan that you quickly cleaned. Chop up cabbage and toss in oil with the curry powder. Saute until soft.

Serve in bowls with cabbage on bottom, meatballs on top. Have apples or orange slices  for dessert eat with homemade wheat bread and local butter.

***I didn't photograph this since it isn't very photogenic, but yummy.

Thanks to our local Sharon Rose Farm, Old Paths Farm, and Happy Cow Dairy Farm for providing some of this meal:)