Recipe Reveal: Salmon Patties

One of my goals for 2012 was to serve fish once a week. I know that eating good fish can do wonders for your health. However, have you seen the price of fish at the meat market? It is hard for me to stomach the $5/lb for grass-fed beef, let alone the $10-$15/lb for good fish. What's a mama to do?

One way that I have been able to meet my goal of serving fish once a week is by serving my family salmon patties. I buy canned seine net caught wild Alaskan pink Salmon from Aldi for about $2.50/can. One can feeds all three of us one meal plus enough for Julian and I to have leftovers the next day for lunch. This is a frugal way to still be able to eat good fish!

Salmon Patties

1 can (14.5 ounces) wild caught salmon

1 egg

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tbs. parsley

scant cayenne pepper

1/4 c. unsweetened shredded coconut (or breadcrumbs)

Butter or coconut oil

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. Melt a small amount of butter or coconut oil in a pan on the stovetop. Form the salmon mixture into patties and place in the hot pan. Cook on each side about 2-3 minutes. We like to eat ours with homemade ranch smeared on top!

this post is linked to: real food wednesday and healthy 2day wednesday

 

Menu Plan: June 18-24

 It has been almost three months since I last posted a menu. For some reason, my typically well-planned life has been not so well-planned as of late, which resulted in some less than stellar menu planning. I think I am back on track, although in about a month everything will be topsy turvy yet again as we move to Champaign!  As a side note, it has been far too long since I have been able to find organic potatoes around here. I found them this past week and promptly bought six pounds. Yikes! Hence all the potato dishes this week...

Breakfast

• Monday: Birthday berry crisp, fresh fruit
• Tuesday: Baby red potatoes with sausage and garlic, fresh fruit
• Wednesday: Perfect fall muffins, hardboiled eggs
• Thursday: Eggs with sausage and garlic, fresh fruit
• Friday: Soaked pumpkin oatmeal with walnuts
• Saturday: Coconut flour pancakes (recipe below!), bacon and fresh fruit
• Sunday: Eggs with sausage and garlic, fresh fruit

Lunch

• Monday: Rice with chicken, fresh fruit
• Tuesday: Grain-Free Pigs in a Blanket, carrots with homemade ranch dip
• Wednesday: Cheesy pan-fried potatoes, fresh fruit
• Thursday: Smoothies with cheese and veggies
• Friday: Italian stew, fresh fruit
• Saturday: Salmon patties, fresh fruit
• Sunday: Lunch at church

Supper

• Monday: Popcorn, fresh fruit
• Tuesday: Leftovers, smoothies
• Wednesday: Smoothies with cheese and veggies
• Thursday: Chicken and potatoes, fresh fruit
• Friday: Taco potatoes, smoothies
• Saturday: Herb roasted potatoes with sausage, smoothies
• Sunday: Leftovers, smoothies

Coconut Flour Pancakes

 Makes about 20 pancakes

9 eggs

2 sticks butter or 1 c. coconut oil, melted

1 c. coconut milk (or whole milk)

4 tsp. honey (maple syrup or sucanat works great, too!)

3 tsp. sea salt

3/4 c. coconut flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder (aluminum free, if possible)

Mix together eggs, butter/coconut oil, milk, sweetener and salt in a larger bowl. Add the baking powder and coconut flour and continue to mix until everything is incorporated. Melt a little more butter/coconut oil in a skillet and scoop about an 1/8 of a cup of batter into the pan. Repeat until you have about 20 pancakes. Server warm with more butter and real maple syrup!

This post is linked to menu plan monday

Birthday Berry Crisp

In honor of my husband's 25th birthday, I created this special berry crisp. He is not a huge fan of cake and I am not that great of a cake baker, so it works out well for me! This dish also got me one step closer to using up the remaining oatmeal in my apartment as we are preparing for a grain free experiment during the month of July.

Birthday Berry Crisp

1 c. organic rolled oats

1/4 c. melted coconut oil

1/3 c. organic sucanat

1/4 c. coconut milk

1/2 c. whole wheat pastry flour

1 tsp. cinnamon

3 c. organic berries (I used strawberries, but raspberries, blueberries etc. would work too!)

1 tbs. lemon juice, freshly squeezed

Mix the first six ingredients together in a small bowl, cover and allow to soak for 12-24 hours. After the soaking period, mix berries and lemon juice together in small baking dish (I used an 8 x 8 in.). Pour/spread the soaked crumb topping over the berries. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 25-30 minutes. Enjoy as is or with homemade ice cream!

Grain Free Blueberry Muffins

It was my intention to start posting our menus again, but I realized that I need to re-evaluate how I menu plan in light of the fact that Julian is eating more table food these days. We are not giving him any grains until his first year molars come in, so some of the food we regularly eat he cannot have yet. We are planning on doing a grain free month for the whole family in July to see if cutting out grains will alleviate some of the digestive issues both Kerry and I have. So, taking both of these factors into consideration, I have been experimenting with alternative flours lately. This muffin recipe is my latest concoction!

Grain Free Blueberry Muffins

6 eggs
1/4 c. milk (I used coconut)
1/4 c. honey
1/4 c. coconut oil, melted
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 c. coconut flour
1 c. organic blueberries (fresh or frozen)

Mix together eggs, milk, honey, coconut oil and salt. Be sure to give this mixture a good beating, as the key to baking with coconut flour is making sure the eggs are well beaten. Add in the coconut flour and baking powder. Mix until the batter is no longer lumpy. Thaw the blueberries, if using frozen, and fold them in the batter. Scoop into lined muffin tins and bake at 400 for 15 minutes.

This post is linked up to Real Food Wednesday at Kelly the Kitchen Kop

Simple Cobb Salad

In the winter, we love to eat soups and chilis several times a month. In the summer, we much prefer salads. Although I am always looking for new dinner salad ideas to serve, this is an old favorite of ours.

Simple Cobb Salad

10 oz. bag organic lettuce

10 grape or cherry tomatoes

2 hardboiled eggs, sliced

1 avocado, sliced

6 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled

Homemade ranch dressing

Place bacon in a deep frying pan and cook over medium heat until done. Remove to plate and allow to cool before crumbling. Arrange lettuce on two plates. Top with tomatoes, eggs, avocado and crumbled bacon. Finish with the dressing and enjoy!

This post is linked up to Real Food Wednesday at Kelly the Kitchen Kop. 

 

Julian turned UNO!

Although Julian's real birthday is May 5th, we celebrated with family this weekend. The theme for his party was UNO, the card game of yesteryear, and I had so much fun incorporating it in all the details.

The Invitations (Design: Randie Kocher ; Photo: Kelsey Sliger)

My good friend Kelsey took some adorable photos of Julian playing with UNO cards and my husband's cousin Randie came up with the awesome design. I fear I set a precedent with these invites and will have a hard time topping them in the years to come!

The Decorations (Dollar Tree and Party City)

I borrowed the color scheme from the UNO cards, so everything was black, red, yellow, blue and green. We had yellow and red plates, blue and green cups, yellow and green forks, red and blue napkins and black tablecloths. Each table had a bunch of balloons in the same colors. We scattered UNO cards throughout the house as further decoration. I also used mini UNO cards that we found at Party City as the cupcake toppers. My favorite part was the banner that my husband put together using the photos that Kelsey took of Julian playing with UNO cards and some vintage UNO cards from his mom.

The Memories (Book Design: Grace Lawler ; Materials: Scrapadoodle)

I borrowed this idea from my friend Kelsey, as well (...do you see a theme here? Kelsey has great ideas!) She made a small scrapbook that she gave me at the baby shower she hosted for friends and family to write notes to Julian in before he was born. I LOVED that idea, so I had my crafty sister make a similar one for Julian's first birthday since he won't be able to remember anything about it on his own.

The Food (Hyvee and homemade)

I served chips with homemade salsa, broccoli and cauliflower with homemade ranch dip, fruit and organic whole wheat chocolate cupcakes with sucanat buttercream frosting. My mom and I attempted to arrange the fruit to look like a UNO wild card.

The Outfit (Amazon and Jo-Ann Fabric)

I got the idea for Julian's party outfit from my good friend Kelsey. She introduced me to freezer stenciling at the baby shower she hosted for me a little over a year ago. Since I am really not crafty at all, she came over and helped me make the stencil on Thursday afternoon. Thanks, Kelsey!

 

 The Cake (Homemade)

 I made Julian a small cake version of the same cupcakes I made for the party. I used pineapple to make it look like a yellow UNO card. I don't claim to be a fantastic (or even mediocre!) cake decorator, but it was as healthy as sweets can be, which was the goal. He was not too interested in his cake, but we got some good photos of him playing with it!

 
The Family

We are so grateful the Lord saw fit to bless us with a healthy baby boy almost one year ago. We look forward to seeing how the Lord uses Julian to further His kingdom in the years to come!

Pancakes in a Pan

I am always hunting for quick and easy recipes to serve on Monday evenings in our home since I am gone all day doing laundry. In the fall/winter, I almost exclusively relied on my crockpot to cook a hot and delicious meal while I was away from home all day. Now that spring has sprung and summer is not too far away, soups and stews in the crockpot just don't sound that appetizing. However, I still need quick and easy because there is no way that I am walking in the door at 5:30 loaded down with clean clothes and cooking a complicated meal. I adapted this recipe from a recipe I found in a Food Network magazine to suit the dietary choices of my family. It is extremely yummy and takes approximately five minutes to be ready to pop in the oven. Definitely a Monday meal around here!

Pancakes in a Pan

1 c. greek yogurt

1 c. flour (whole wheat pastry flour is what I use, but anything would work!)

4 eggs

2/3 c. coconut oil (or butter, if you prefer)

dash of vanilla extract

optional: chocolate chips, almonds, walnuts, shredded coconut, chopped apples etc. 

To soak: Mix the yogurt and the flour together in a small bowl and cover. Leave out on the counter for 12-24 hours. 

If you would rather not soak, skip the yogurt and just follow the directions from this point on.

Heat the oven to 425. Put chunks of oil or butter in the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch pan and stick it in the oven while it heats up. Throw the eggs into a blender and mix for a couple of minutes. Add the soaked flour mixture (or just the flour, if you don't want to soak) and blender for another minute. Add the dash of vanilla and any optional additions you want and give it one final whirl in the blender. Remove the pan from the oven and gently shake the pan from side to side to evenly distribute the oil/butter. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Homemade Cleaners

All Purpose Spray/Glass Cleaner

1/2 tsp. liquid castile soap (I use Dr. Bronner's tea tree soap)

1 tsp. borax

1 tsp. super washing soda

1/2 c. white vinegar

2 c. hot water

25 drops essential oils (I use orange and eucalyptus)

Mix the soap, borax, super washing soda and vinegar in a small bowl (I use a measuring cup that has a pour spout). Add the water and stir. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then add the essential oil. Pour or funnel into a old spray bottle.

Toilet Cleaner

1 c. water

1/2 c. liquid castile soap (I use Dr. Bronner's tea tree soap)

1 c. baking soda

1/4 c. white vinegar

25 drops essential oils (I use orange and tea tree)

Put the baking soda in a large, deep bowl. Slowly add the vinegar (the foaming and fizzing is normal!). Add the soap and the essential oils and stir. Pour or funnel into an old squirt container. 

Bathroom Cleaner

1 c. baking soda

1/4 c. vinegar

1/3 c. castile soap (I use Dr. Bronner's tea tree soap)

3 tbs. super washing soda

1 tbs. coconut oil

1 tbs. salt (I use Real Salt brand)

25 drops essential oil (I use sage and orange)

Put the baking soda in a large bowl. Slowly add the vinegar (the fizzing/foaming is normal!). Add the remaining ingredients and mix together well. Spoon into a container. I use this to clean the shower and the sink in our bathroom and kitchen. I spray the all purpose spray first, then rub some of this mixture on my sponge and scrub away. 

Menu Plan Monday 3/26-4/1

While I did plan my menu for this week like usual, my pantry/freezer/refrigerator are WAY too full, so I am going to go ahead and cook what I had planned for this week, but try to not go grocery shopping (except for produce on Wednesday since HyVee has 10% off organics every Wednesday) until I run out of things to make.

So, here is the plan for this week!

Breakfast

• Banana muffins, hardboiled eggs and fruit x 2
• Soaked granola and fruit x 3
• Sourdough pancakes, bacon and fruit
• Scrambled eggs and sunrise smoothies

Lunch

• Standard lunch x 2
• Leftovers x 2
• Taco salad and fruit
• Stuffed peppers and salad (recipe below!)
• Hot dogs, fruit and fresh veggies
• Leftovers, fruit and fresh veggies
• Church lunch

Dinner

• Standard lunch x 3
• Leftovers x 3
• Italian stew and salad
• Salmon pasta salad and fruit
• McKee Family dinner
• Popcorn and strawberry oatmeal smoothies

Stuffed Peppers

 

1 lb. ground beef

1/2 c. brown rice

1 c. water

6 peppers (I usually use green)

2 cans tomato sauce

1 tbs. Worcestershire sauce

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. italian seasoning

Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Place rice and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover. Cook for 20 minutes. In a skillet over medium heat, cook the beef until evenly browned. Remove and discard the tops and seeds of the peppers. Arrange them in a baking dish with the hollowed sides facing up. In a bowl, mix the beef, rice, one can of tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce and spices and spoon into each hollowed out pepper. Mix the remaining sauce in a bowl and pour half over the peppers. Bake for one hour, basting the peppers with remaining sauce every fifteen minutes or until peppers appear tender. 

menu plan monday

Menu Plan Monday 3/19-3/25

Since it has been in the 80's nearly every day for a week here in central Illinois, we nixed the oatmeal for breakfast in favor of smoothies all last week. I made up some granola and banana muffins over the weekend, so those will be in the breakfast rotation for this week, too. I put away all of our winter clothes, so hopefully this gorgeous weather is here to stay!

Here is our menu for the week!

Breakfast

• Banana muffins and smoothies (Strawberry oatmeal, green monster and sunrise) x 3
• Soaked granola and fruit x 3
• Sourdough pancakes, bacon and fruit 

Lunch

• Standard lunch 
• Leftovers
• Salmon patties, green monster smoothies, fresh veggies and dip
• Sweet potato burrito bowls, fruit, veggies and dip
• Italian stew, biscuits and fruit
• Keema, biscuits and fruit
• Hot dogs, fruit, veggies and dip
• Church lunch

Dinner

• Chicken and rice soup, biscuits and fruit
• Meat and potato meal, biscuits and fruit
• Standard lunch x 2
• Leftovers x 3 
• Volunteer dinner
• Calzones, salad and homemade dipping sauce
• Popcorn and chocolate peanut butter banana smoothies

Banana Muffins

 

3 c. whole wheat flour

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

6 bananas, mashed

1 1/2 c. sucanat (or other sweetener)

 2 eggs

2/3 c. butter, melted

 

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a small bowl and set aside. Combine bananas, sweetener, eggs and butter in a large bowl. Fold in flour mixture and mix until smooth. Pour in greased muffin tins and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes. 

menu plan monday

Menu Plan Monday 3/12-3/18

I am looking for new breakfast ideas, so if anyone has any suggestions, let me know. Oatmeal is wonderful when it is cold outside, but this warm weather is making me not want to eat a bowl of steaming oats in the morning!

Here is our menu for the week...

Breakfast

• Soaked oats x 6
• Sourdough pancakes, bacon and fruit

Lunch

• Standard lunch x 3
• Leftovers and smoothies x 2
• Picnic lunch with friends (!)
• Salmon patties, smoothies and veggies
• Soup, biscuits and fruit
• Hot dogs, salad and fruit
• Church lunch

Dinner

• Standard lunch x 2
• Leftovers and smoothies (or, in the case of tonight, popcorn and fruit!) x 3
• Chicken cakes, potato wedges and salad
• Shrimp curry, biscuits and fruit
• White chicken chili, biscuits and fruit
• Volunteer dinner
• Popcorn and smoothies

Shrimp Curry

 

 This is by far one of my easiest recipes. I LOVE Indian/Thai/Vietnamese food and was super happy to realize how easy it is to recreate it at home.

2 cans coconut milk

2 tbs. red curry paste

1 tbs. fish sauce

24 large shrimp, peeled and deveined

Bamboo shoots, pepper strips, baby corn, edamame etc. (optional)

In a skillet, combine coconut milk, curry paste and fish sauce (add any optional veggies at this point). Slowly bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low and add shrimp. Cook, uncovered, stirring frequently, until the shrimp are cooked and the flavors mellow, about 15 minutes. Serve over hot rice.

menu plan monday

Super Easy Homemade Frosting

We are having a friend of Kerry's over for dinner tonight, so Julian and I have been busy cooking all day. I decided yesterday that we would have the Sourdough Chocolate Cake from Smart Sweets for dessert. I made the cake up this morning and planned on making the almond frosting that goes along with it this afternoon. I ended up not having everything I needed for the frosting, so I improvised and came up with this super delicious and healthy frosting!

Super Easy Homemade Frosting

1 c. greek yogurt

1/4 c. real maple syrup

Put the yogurt and the syrup in a bowl and mix (I used my hand mixer since I don't have a fancy stand mixer!) on low until well combined. Feel free to lick the beaters :) Spread on cake or cupcakes and enjoy!

Real Food Wednesdayl

Menu Plan Monday 3/5-3/11

I began reading Organized Simplicity this weekend and, although this is not the order she recommends in the book, tackled my kitchen on Saturday. I re-organized the pantry, purged kitchen gadgets and tools (some that have not seen the light of day since we got them as wedding presents!) and cleaned out the fridge and freezer. I made an inventory sheet of my spices and all my pantry items, as well as a freezer inventory. Needless to say, I am SO invigorated by the overhaul and am looking forward to cooking in my newly organized and simplified kitchen this week!

 

Here is our menu for the week!

Breakfast

• Soaked oats and fruit x 6
• Sourdough pancakes, bacon and fruit

Lunch

• Standard lunch x 4 (for Kerry)
• Leftovers and smoothies x 4 (for me)
• Soup buffet, biscuits and fruit
• Snacky lunch on the road
• Church lunch 

Dinner

• Small group (bringing Chocolate-Strawberry Truffle Pie for dessert)
• Scrambled hamburger, biscuits and fruit
• Brown rice spaghetti, salad and fruit
• Sweet potato chili, biscuits and fruit
• Leftovers and smoothies (for me)
• Volunteer dinner (for Kerry)
• Calzones, Homemade dipping sauce and fruit
• Popcorn and smoothies

Sweet Potato Chili

1 large onion, sliced

3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 medium zucchini, diced

2 c. black beans

1 1/2 tbs. chili powder

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. orange zest

1 c. chicken stock

Combine all ingredients in a big pot and bring to a boil. Then lower and simmer for at least four hours.

Menu Plan Monday

Menu Plan Tuesday 2/27-3/4

Yesterday was extremely busy and I did not get to posting our menu for the week.

In other news, I did not get to bake bread last week because I killed our sourdough starter :( I started another one and it will be ready to go on Friday. My plan is to try some bread on Saturday!

Here is our menu!

Breakfast

• Soaked oatmeal and fruit x 5
• Eggs and toast 
• Sourdough pancakes, bacon and fruit

Lunch

• Standard lunch x 3 (for Kerry)
• Leftovers and smoothies x 3 (for me)
• Hot dogs, salad and fruit
• Soup buffet, biscuits and fruit x 2
• Church lunch

Dinner

• Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings and fruit
• Hamburger Vegetable Soup, smoothies and biscuits (recipe below)
• Baked Yams and Black Bean Stew, biscuits and fruit
• Standard lunch x 3 (for Kerry)
• Leftovers and smoothies x 3 (for me)
• Popcorn and smoothies

Hamburger Vegetable Soup

 

1 lb. ground beef

1 c. onion, chopped

1 c. potatoes, diced 

1 c. carrots, chopped

1 c. celery, chopped

2 cans diced tomatoes

1/2 c. brown rice, soaked and uncooked

4 - 8 c. water

1 tbs. salt

1/4 tsp. basil

1/4 tsp. thyme

1 bay leaf

Brown ground beef and onion together until meat is lightly browned. Drain off grease. Add all remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 2 - 4 hours. Remove bay leaf and serve.

Menu Plan Monday 2/20-2/26

At the beginning of January, I found out some sad news. My favorite bakery in the Peoria area, Peoria Bread Company, was closing. They made my wedding cake and we had bought our bread from them since we got married. They announced their closing suddenly, so I still am unsure as of why they closed down, but the fact is they are no longer in business and I no longer have a yummy (and healthy!) bread supplier! I bought seven loaves of bread the day their closing was announced and promptly put them all in my freezer. We have been slowly working our way through the loaves, all the while knowing that those seven loaves would eventually be gone and we would have to find another bread source.

That day has come.

I pulled the last loaf out of the freezer this morning.

My husband has been encouraging me to try my hand at making bread from scratch. He sees everything else I make from scratch on a regular basis and has asked on several occasions why I don't make our bread. He is right, of course...Ahem. However, there is something that he doesn't know...I have always been scared of baking bread. Sure, I have made quick breads, pizza crusts, biscuits and muffins, but never have I made a loaf of sandwich bread. So, stay tuned...in the next week or so, I will be attempting to make my very first loaf of homemade sourdough sandwich bread!

In other news, here is what I will be feeding my family this week...

Breakfast

• Soaked oatmeal and fruit x 6
• Sourdough pancakes, bacon and fruit

Lunch

• Standard lunch x 5 (for hubby)
• Leftovers and smoothies x 5 (for me)
• Hot dogs, salad and fruit
• Church lunch

Dinner

• Salmon patties, sweet potato wedges and fruit
• Sweet potato and sausage soup, whole wheat biscuits and fruit
• Standard lunch x 2 (for hubby)
• Leftovers x 2 (for me)
• Scrambled hamburger, mashed potatoes, whole wheat biscuits and fruit
• Calzones with homemade dipping sauce, salad and fruit
• COCUSA chili supper

Homemade Dipping Sauce

4 cans tomato paste

1 can tomato sauce

1 c. water

1 tsp. garlic powder

2 tbs. italian seasoning

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

3 tbs. olive oil

1 tbs. honey

Combine all ingredients in the crockpot. Cover and cook on low for four hours. Try to stir every hour or so, to prevent the sauce from sticking to the pot. Serve immediately. If not, cool to room temperature and freeze or refrigerate and use within 1-2 days.

Menu Plan Monday 

Menu Plan Monday 2/13-2/19

I must confess something. I don't always follow my own advice! I wrote this post which outlines a schedule of sorts to follow when planning meals for the week. While I think that is a great idea and I tried it for a few weeks, I quickly realized that it just doesn't work for us. I was disappointed, at first, because I wanted to do what I thought was the MOST ORGANIZED WAY EVER to plan meals. I was forcing myself to find soup for Tuesday and sandwiches for Thursday and whining my way through making homemade pizza on Saturday nights until I realized...hey, I don't HAVE to follow that schedule. I am imposing that on myself...nobody is standing in my kitchen, judging me on the fact that I am serving my family soup on Thursday instead of Tuesday. Whew...what a relief that was!

I do still plan a crockpot meal for Monday nights because I am gone all day doing laundry, but I do not stress if I am not serving the meal that corresponds with the day in my thematic menu planning. And, you know what, I am pretty sure I am more fun to be around because of it. Silly me, stressing over getting dinner on the table.

Here is our plan for this week...

Breakfast

• Soaked oatmeal and fruit x 5
• Whole wheat heart shaped cinnamon rolls and fruit
• Soaked whole wheat pancakes, bacon and fruit

Lunch

• Leftovers and smoothies x 4 (for me)
• Standard lunch x 4 (for hubby)
• Valentine's lunch (Kerry is planning this!)
• Hot dogs, chips and fruit
• Church lunch

Dinner

• Unstuffed cabbage rolls, whole wheat biscuits and fruit (recipe below!)
• Leftovers x 2
• Stir fry, mashed potatoes and fruit
• Spud special soup, whole wheat biscuits and fruit
• Meat and potato meal, whole wheat biscuits and fruit
• Popcorn and smoothies

Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls

 

Kerry LOVES cabbage rolls, but they are SO time consuming. I made them the traditional way a few times before Julian came along, but now that I have a baby to keep an eye on, I don't really have the time to devote to traditional cabbage rolls. Enter the unstuffed cabbage rolls!

1 lb. ground beef

1 large onion, chopped

4-5 c. cabbage, shredded

1 can tomato sauce

1/4 c. sucanat (you can use brown sugar)

3 tbs. apple cider vinegar

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. paprika

1/2 tsp. onion powder 

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

2 c. cooked brown rice

In a crockpot set to low, layer the ingredients in order given. Put the lid on and cook for 4 hours. Add cooked rice and stir. Put the lid back on and cook for another 4 hours on low. 

Menu Plan Monday

Menu Plan Monday 2/6-2/12

You may have noticed that the menu plan for last week was missing. I can assure you we ate, but don't ask me to remember what! We are slowly climbing out of the pit known as sickness and I was doing my best last week to keep clean (read: not puked on) clothes on myself and Julian. I think we are past the worst of it now, so I am praying that we can get back on schedule this week!

Here is our menu plan!

Breakfast

• Soaked oatmeal and fruit (with honey and maple syrup) x 6
• Soaked whole wheat pancakes, bacon and fruit

Lunch

• Out with a friend x 2
• Leftovers and smoothies (for me) x 3
• Standard lunch (for hubby) x 5
• Hot dogs, chips and fruit
• Church lunch

Dinner

• Spaghetti (trying our spelt noodles for the first time!), garlicky biscuits and fruit
• Beef and cabbage soup (recipe below!), whole wheat biscuits and fruit
• Hamburgers, potato wedges and fruit
• Leftovers (for me) x 2
• Standard lunch (for hubby) x 2
• Calzones, homemade dipping sauce and fruit
• Popcorn and smoothies

Beef and Cabbage Soup

1 lb. ground beef, browned

1 onion, coarsely chopped

2 stalks of celery, chopped

1/2 head of cabbage, coarsely chopped

64 oz. tomato sauce*

4 c. soaked, rinsed and cooked kidney beans (1 1/3 c. dry beans)

1 c. brown rice, uncooked

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 tbs. chili powder

Stir all the ingredients together in a slow cooker and cook on low for 8-10 hours. 

 

*tip: If I am running low on my supply of canned tomato products, I will substitute a can of crushed tomatoes for the tomato sauce in this recipe. The crushed tomatoes I buy come in a 64 oz. can, while the tomato sauce comes 15 oz. to a can. Simply open the can of crushed tomatoes and give it a whirl in the blender!

Menu Plan Monday

Menu Plan Monday 1/23-1/29

One of my goals for the new year was to serve fish once a week. My husband and I love fish, but, I just don't have that much experience cooking it, which makes me shy away from including it in our menu plan. If you have been following our menu plans thus far this new year, you will notice that I have yet to serve fish (except for salmon patties, but those don't really count!). So, when I went to the grocery store on Wednesday, I marched up to the fish counter and got some cod fillets. Hopefully they turn out delicious!

Here is the rest of our menu plan, broken up by meals rather than days of the week because I want to try something different :)

Breakfast

• Soaked oatmeal and fruit (with honey and maple syrup) x3
• Soaked chocolate coffee cake, hardboiled eggs and fruit x 2
• Soaked whole wheat pancakes, bacon and fruit

Lunch

• Leftovers (for me) x 4
• Standard lunch (for hubby) x 4
• Hot dogs, chips and fruit
• Church lunch
• Interview lunch (second to last medical school interview for my husband!)

Dinner

• Crockpot spaghetti, whole wheat biscuits and fruit
• Sausage and red bean stew (recipe below!), whole wheat biscuits and fruit
• Leftovers (for me) x 2
• Standard lunch (for hubby) x 2
• Honey baked cod fillets, brussel sprouts, whole wheat biscuits and fruit
• Calzones, homemade dipping sauce and fruit
• Popcorn and smoothies

Sausage and Red Bean Stew

1 lb. cooked sausage

2 c. soaked, rinsed and cooked red beans (2/3 c. dry beans)

1/2 c. brown rice, uncooked

1 c. water

1 1/2 c. frozen corn

2 c. tomato juice

1/2 c. green pepper, chopped

salt and pepper, to taste

Layer all ingredients in a slow cooker. Give it a stir and cook on low for 6 hours.

 

Are you trying to incorporate more fish into your diet? What is your favorite way to eat fish?

Menu Plan Monday

Menu Plan Monday 1/16-1/22

It is Menu Plan Monday again!


This week is unusual for us (more like this month is unusual!)...Kerry has another interview for medical school on Friday all the way in Pennsylvania and he works some double shifts, so I will be on my own for meals quite a few times this week. I am omitting Thursday and Friday from the menu plan because I plan on just eating leftovers when Kerry is not with us for meals. Breakfast and lunch are the usual.

Here is our plan for the week!

Monday

• Dinner: Thanksgiving in January with my parents

Tuesday

• Dinner: Red eye gravy, mashed potatoes and fruit

Wednesday

• Dinner: Crockpot chicken curry, biscuits and fruit (recipe below)

Saturday

• Breakfast: Soaked whole wheat pancakes, bacon and fruit
• Lunch: Hot dogs, chips and fruit
• Dinner: Calzones and fruit

Sunday

• Lunch: Church lunch
• Dinner: Popcorn and smoothies 

Crockpot Chicken Curry

1 can coconut milk

2 c. garbanzo beans, soaked, rinsed and cooked (2/3 c. dry beans)

2 c. chicken, cooked and shredded

1 tbs. tomato paste

2 tbs. curry powder

1 tsp. coriander

1 tsp. cumin

few dashes of hot sauce (I use Sriacha)

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves of chopped and smashed garlic

1 green pepper, chopped

1/2 of an eggplant, chopped

1 sweet potato, chopped

Assemble all of your spices, coconut milk, hot sauce and tomato paste in the bottom of the crockpot and mix together. The sauce should be a pretty yellow color. Add the chicken and pour in the garbanzo beans. Wash and chop all the veggies, then add to the crockpot. Don't worry about stirring them in with the sauce. They will sit on top of the chicken and steam up nicely. Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours or on high for 4-6 hours. Stir gently to mix flavors, careful not to mush the sweet potato. Serve over rice.

Menu Plan Monday 1/9-1/15

It is Menu Plan Monday  again! Our menu plan this week is extremely simple due to the fact that Kerry will not be home for a few nights and I don't care to dirty dishes and make a brand new meal just for myself :)

We are having soaked oatmeal and fruit for breakfast every day except Saturday and the usual lunch, unless otherwise noted on the menu plan. Where lunch is the main meal due to Kerry's work schedule, we will be having the usual lunch at dinner time.

Monday

• Dinner: at the Sliger's (bringing brownies)

Tuesday

• Lunch: Salmon patties, potato wedges and fruit

• Wednesday

• Lunch: Hot dogs, chips and fruit

Thursday

• Dinner: Leftovers ( Kerry is traveling for a medical school interview!!)

Friday

• Dinner: Leftovers

Saturday

• Breakfast: Soaked whole wheat pancakes, bacon and fruit
• Dinner: Calzones and fruit (recipe below)

Sunday

• Lunch: Church lunch
• Dinner: Popcorn and smoothies

Whole Wheat Calzones

 

2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast

1 c. warm water

1 tbs. + 1 tsp. olive oil, divided

1 tsp. sucanat (or sweetener of your choice) 

1 tsp. salt

1/2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour

2 c. white whole wheat flour

1/2 lb. sausage, cooked

1/2 c. mushrooms (or veggies of choice, I have used green pepper, eggplant etc.)

1 tbs. basil (I never measure this!)

1 egg, beaten

Dough: Dissolve the yeast in water. Add the 1 tbs. of oil, the sweetener and salt. Mix in 1 cup of the flour until smooth. Gradually add the rest of the flour until the dough is smooth and workable. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for about 5 minutes. Lay the dough in a bowl with 1 tsp. of oil, then flip the dough over. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place about 40 minutes or until doubled. Alternately, you can make the dough the night before and cover it tightly with plastic wrap or a lid and let rise in the refrigerator overnight. If you do this, let the dough warm up for about a half hour before making the calzones.

Filling: While the dough is rising, combine the sausage, veggies and basil in a bowl and refrigerate. 

Preheat the oven to 375. When the dough is ready, punch it down and separate it into two equal parts. Roll parts into thin circles on a lightly floured surface. Fill each circle with half of the filling mixture and fold over by securing edges and pressing in with a fork. Brush the top of each with egg and place on a baking stone or cookie sheet. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve with homemade dipping sauce.