Drying Spices & The Mini Farm

I'm slowly replacing my dry spices and tried drying my own recently.  I'm LOVING it!  I keep fresh parsley and cilantro on hand anyway and I needed to replace the dry parsley so I chopped up the fresh very finely and spread it thin on a small plate.  I set it up high in the kitchen out of direct sunlight and water spray and it dried beautifully in two days.  I ended up with about an ounce of dry parsley and I need about 2 1/2 so I've got another batch drying now.  I think they charge about $2 for that at the store!!!  Cilantro, onions and mushrooms are up next! 

Oh- also, I need to start planning this year's miniature farm.  I'll need to buy seeds for the garden soon.  I'm seriously debating whether i'll start them indoors or not.  Either way, I need to buy them when there is a good selection.  So far I've decided on: italian parsley, cilantro, spinach, romaine lettuce, iceberg lettuce, (some) cayenne peppers, (some) jalapenos, bell peppers and grape tomatoes. 

Pan Seared Lemon Tilapia, Rice & Stir Fried Veggies (new sauce)

B ate green vegetables!!!!!!  Thats huge!!  Last night I made Pan Seared Lemon Tilapia, brown rice, stir-fried vegetables and oven rolls.  Success!  Well, except for the rice.  I've seasoned the rice with lemon and fresh cilantro before and the boys liked it but this time I think it was a little strong.  I also tried the microwave steamer bag for the rice and it was exactly the same as if I'd made instant rice- just 7 minutes quicker.  So I dont think I'll be keeping it stocked. 

The tilapia was a new(ish) recipe.  I found it on allrecipes.com and used it because I had all of the ingredients on hand (because our stand-by recipe is SO close) but I learned a few things along the way.  I poured lemon juice over the fillets on a plate, turned them to coat and let them sit for a few minutes.  Then I sprinkled dried oregano, kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper and fresh cilantro on top.  (recipe called for dried cilantro)  I let that sit for about 15 minutes and then sauteed in a skillet with olive oil.  B liked it a lot.  P wasn't in the mood for fish. 

The veggies were cleaned, chopped and ready to put in the wok.  I heated veg oil in the bottom and seared the vegetables (fresh: green beans, yellow squash, baby portobello mushrooms, onion & green bell pepper) with a healthy sprinkle of garlic salt.  Everything except the green beans were soft(ish) when I added about a tbsp of soy sauce.  About 3 minutes before I was ready to take the vegetables off the heat, I sprinkled in a pinch (seriously) of white sugar.  It was so yummy!!!  And we all loved them.  Oh- and the green beans were crunchy which we liked.  Everything else was regular stir fry consistency. We even used the little sauce left in the bottom of the wok to season the rice. 

So if I chalk up P spitting out the rice as if I'd insulted him by serving it, to a learning experience, I'd say this dinner was a keeper!  The vegetables can definitely use a healthy make-over.  I need to reduce the salt by at least half.  I think low sodium soy sauce and garlic powder instead of garlic salt will work.  I'll have to try it again soon!

Wiggle Room

OK its Day 2 of using the menu and, surprise, surprise, I'm already changing things up!  Oh well!  Plans are always flexible.  We did eat tacos for dinner last night but the pork loin wasn't thawed in time to roast so I threw in a chicken breast I already had thawed.  It was just P and I so I didn't feel too bad substituting a less attractive piece of meat.  The vegetables were good, though.  I didn't try the baked apples.  None of us were in the mood for dessert so I will use the apples for snacks this week. 
Today, instead of pork sandwiches (since I didnt roast the pork on Sunday), I substituted Big Burritos for lunch.  I really like these!  I used a wrap-size flour tortilla with added omega-3's and put mexican rice, black beans, and an assortment of other ingredients in the middle and wrapped them up like a burrito from Qdoba.  I thought it turned out pretty well.  I used fresh cilantro and squeezed in just a couple of drops of lime juice and thought it was pretty good.  You definitely have to steam the tortillas well before putting everything in or the ends will split when you try to fold up the burrito.  I put mine in a medium-size plastic container to take to work so I can microwave it.  I put B's in foil.  He can either put it on a plate to warm it or throw it in an oven at the restaurant.  P has a stomach bug so he got an assortment of low-sodium crackers and some leftover potatoes and carrots.  I'm interested to see how B liked the burrito.  For me its a keeper.
Tonight we're still on schedule to have tilapia, I just don't remember what recipe I had in mind.  Its on the counter.  I was smart enough to thaw the filets I'll need.  and the veggies are cleaned, chopped and ready to go in the wok.  I shouldnt be pressed for time but I am planning on using a steamer bag of brown rice I found at the store this weekend.  The listed ingredients are 'brown rice and water'.  So if it tastes good and really cooks in 2 minutes, I'll keep it on hand for busy nights.  Its $1.25 for 2 cups so its not cheap but sometimes time takes the priority.

Monthly Meal Planning

Last week I sat down with a cup of coffee and tackled a meal planning strategy I have been contemplating for a while.  I planned four weeks worth of meals, three meals a day.  It took about an hour to plug in a breakfast, lunch and dinner everyday for 4 weeks.  It found it amazingly easy!  And I felt SO good after I was done!  Each week I tried to plug in 2 fish dinners, 2 vegetarian dinners and fill in the rest with our favorites.  When I had a hard time deciding what meal to have on a day, I just put in the category and moved on (fish, chicken, vegetarian, etc).  It was easier to fill in the details later, after I had decided on the meals for the rest of the week.  I do my grocery shopping on Saturday afternoon (like a crazy person), so I put the meals with fresh produce in the beginning of the week.  I will use frozen vegetables for meals at the end of the week. 

I kept breakfast simple with alternating meals:  eggs and pancakes every other day.  I make pancakes on Saturday mornings and will make extras to freeze and pop in the toaster in the mornings.  My son will have milk, my husband will have a low-sodium V8 and I will have my coffee.  Breakfast is NOT the most healthy meal of our day.  I need to work on it.  We do all have morning snacks in our lunch bags, though, but I consider all of that as part of our lunches. 

I pack a lunch bag for each of us at night.  I planned lunches according to what we had for dinner the night before.  Most days I have a new spin on dinner but some days I listed straight-forward leftovers: spaghetti for lunch the day after spaghetti for dinner.  I know, not creative and the boys will be unhappy when they open their lunches but I had to start somewhere!  Two days a week my son goes to a preschool program and needs cold fingerfoods for lunch.  On Tuesdays he will have a 'lunchable'- slices of cheese, diced chicken or whole beans & crackers.  Thursdays he will have a peanut butter sandwich.  For lunches on the menu planner I only listed the entree.  I always throw in 'snacks' to last through one morning snack, lunch and one afternoon snack. 

For dinner, I tried to detail the meal as much as possible to eliminate any thinking at mealtime.  I should be able to look at the calendar the night before and know exactly what I need to prepare or thaw for the next day's meal. 

Here's Week 4:  (I started on Week 4 because I'd like for my weeks to coincide with the month)

Sunday
Breakfast
pancakes - leftover, toasted

Lunch
Roasted Pork Loin & Vegetables (carrots, potatoes, onion)

Oven Rolls (Sister Schubert's)
Baked Apples

Dinner
Homemade Tacos (lightly fried corn tortillas, tomatoes, iceberg lettuce, black olives, sr cream, salsa, shredded Mex. cheese blend, chopped onions, lean ground beef)
Cookies (homemade chocolate chip)

Monday
Breakfast
Eggs

Lunch
Sliced Pork Sandwiches

Dinner
Tilapia (I left the recipe on the counter... will add tonight)
Instant brown rice
Stir-fried veg (all fresh: yellow squash, green beans, bell pepper, onion, mushrooms)
Oven Rolls

Tuesday
Breakfast
pancakes - leftover, toasted

Lunch
B&A – Salad (spinach/spring mix, black olives, mushrooms, bacos, cheese, boiled egg, 1tbsp dressing)
P – ‘lunchable’
(pepperoni, cheese slices, crackers, etc.)

Dinner
Spaghetti (whole wheat angel-hair, Hunts mushroom spaghetti sauce, add: fresh mushrooms, green olives, black olives, chopped onion, minced garlic, s&p)
Salad
Toasted garlic bread (Split Sister Schuberts oven rolls lightly buttered w/garlic powder mixed into butter)

Wednesday
Breakfast
Eggs

Lunch
B&A – Spaghetti
P - quesadilla (handfull of shredded mex. blend cheese & 1 corn tortilla - his sitter can microwave)

Dinner
Tilapia (I left recipe... will add)
Mashed pot & gravy (peeled white potatoes, gravy from mix)
Steamed whole-kernel corn (steamer bag)
Corn bread (from mix)

Thursday
Breakfast
pancakes (leftover, toasted)

Lunch
B&A – salad
P - PB Sandwich

Dinner
Homemade pizza (crust from scratch, diced tomatoes, mozzerella & italian blend cheeses, black olives, mushrooms, onions, bell peppers, leftover ground beef from tacos)

Friday
Breakfast
Eggs

Lunch
B&A – Pizza
Peyton - Pizza

Dinner
B&A planning to go out
P - peanut butter on crackers, sliced cheese & apple slices

If we stay home
Pork
Box Rice
G. Beans w/Mushrooms
Ovn Rolls, Choc. Souffle

Saturday
Breakfast
Homemade Pancakes

Lunch
Pasta Salad (rotini pasta, b&g olives, chopped mozzerella cheese, chopped tomatoes, drizzled italian dressing)

Dinner
Homemade vegetarian lasagna
Salad
Crystal Light popsicles

The Challenges

Even when I was a stay-at-home mom I didn't have time to plan out and cook elaborate meals from scratch.  Now that I work I have less room for error.  I still insist on healthy meals for my family, though.  We eat, essentially, no processed food.  I guess I should define processed.  Fresh fruits and vegetables whenever possible.  Frozen when fresh isn't available.  No canned veggies.  Dry beans when possible.  Occasionally I will use canned fruit but VERY sparingly.  Animal products are tougher as I do not live on a farm.  I prefer butcher-fresh meat but I do take advantage of my husband's restaurant discount with a national food supplier and buy frozen chicken breasts and tilapia filets in bulk.  I don't love that we eat a lot of sodium-glazed meats but I try to compensate in other areas.  My favorite place to shop is my small backyard garden but, again, I don't live on a farm.  I just do the best with what I have available. 

The Budget:
I might as well start here as it plays just as big a role as nutrition in our household.  Like everyone else, my money is spread thin and I have to make the very most of my grocery dollar.  I know that buying fresh produce is not the cheapest way to eat.  However, I also know that a diet of canned ravioli and ramen noodles will lead to serioius health problems with serious health care bills.  Bottom line: I have $100/month to spend at our local warehouse club and $65/week to spend on groceries.  This has to cover food and toiletries for two adults and a 2-yr old; 3 meals a day, 7 days a week.  (we rarely PLAN to eat out... more on that later)

The People:
I'm feeding my husband, my son and myself.  My husband is a restaurant manager and is around food all day long.  He is a great cook but hasn't cooked a meal in our house in years.  Thats totally fine with me, I love to cook!  But that does mean I have to be creative about what I put on the table.  He manages a BBQ restaurant so brisket, ribs and pulled pork are OFF the menu!  My son is a very agreeable 2 year old but he IS 2!  Currently he dislikes 'slimy' food.  If it makes a mess or leaves a residue on his fingers (he rarely uses a fork), he doesnt eat it.  He loves plain pasta, breads, and cooked vegetables.  Today.  (who knows about tomorrow!)  My husband and I were raised on steak and potatoes and he began his career in a steakhouse.  We eat meat!  But he has blood pressure issues.  I try to keep our sodium intake low (1500 - 2000 mg/day) and serve at least two vegetarian meals per week.  I... have dietary issues... I am allergic to aspartame and have a high need for potassium.  Iron and soy interfere with a daily medication.  I also plan on feeding 1-4 guests per week.  We are very close with my husband's family and have a good friend over a lot.  These are rarely planned visits and I like to feed them when they are at the house.  So I try to keep their tastes in mind when I plan meals, whether I know they will be with us or not. 

The Food:
We're food people.  We like to eat and we like to eat good food.  A huge challenge of mine is replicating restaurant entrees.  I know, it doesnt REALLY matter if my chicken alfredo tastes EXACTLY like Olive Garden's chicken alfredo but that's the goal.  When a family member or friend loves a dish, I try to replicate it and serve it when they'll be around. 

Time:
Including dropping of my son and picking him up from our child care, I commute an hour to work and an hour back home.  This leaves me with about 4 hours to cook dinner, connect with my family and get ready for the next day.  It works but there is no room for time management mistakes.

So these are the challenges to my cooking.  I know- I make it sound like a battle!  But really, isn't it?  Isn't that all we hear about these days?  Battling the obesity epidemic, the divorce epidemic, absentee parents...  Its kind of a challenge when I think about everything I should be addressing with mealtimes.  But I know generations have raised healthy, well balanced families and with the right discipline, and a whole lot of prayer, we'll do it too!