Turkey Dinner

This Holiday season, I think I came up with a perfect solution! Whenever I make a Turkey dinner I am always so tired by the time the Turkey is finished roasting that I loath to make the gravy with the drippings and it takes too long and things start to get cold. This year I figured out, I can cut off the legs and wings the day before and simmer them with vegetables to make delicious broth to use in the stuffing and make the gravy. I even pulled meat off the bones to add to the gravy and it turned out delicious. Of coarse, if you have giblets, you can add them to the pot as well. It was so nice to make the gravy ahead of time and everything was hot and ready at the same time. It was lovely and much less stressful. 

I am all about eliminating stress! For a holiday meal, I make what I can the day before. Cranberry jam, pies, whipped cream, dessert gelatin for the Gelatin Salad, green bean casserole mixed and ready to bake and now the Turkey gravy. Something to keep in mind is, if the legs and wings are missing from the Turkey body, it is going to cook faster in those areas. I like to just roast a breast for my small family, so I can simply buy legs or wings separately to make the broth. It's easy and much cheaper than buying boxescof broth especially since you can also use the meat! Happy Holidays!

Diverting the Meal Plan Debacle

I love looking at refrigerator ads. They look so tidy, clean and abundant with food ready to be eaten. I find myself wondering why my own refrigerator doesn't look like the ads. When I studied some vintage ads to see what they had in common, I found many similarities.

In the main cavity:

A Roast or two- Ham, Beef, Chicken or a Turkey

A big Salad or two, or Platter of Fruit

A Crock of Beans or maybe Soup

An Aspic

Usually Dessert Cups

A Cake, Pie or Moulded Gelatin- sometimes all three

Dishes of Berries, Cherries or Apricots

Crocks of Leftovers or Potato Salad?

Sometimes a Casserole

Milk, Chocolate Milk, Cream, Juice, Sparkling Water, Condiments, Eggs, Butter, Cheese

Jars of Olives, Pickles or other Ferments, Jars of Peaches, Tomatoes, Green Beans etc.

In the Vegetable Drawer-

Carrots, Celery, Lettuce, Peppers, Tomatoes

In the Fruit Drawer-

Apples, Oranges, Grapes, Lemons, Limes,  Grapefruits, Pineapple, or Watermelon

At first, I imagined these ads are trying to show how problematic items for dinner parties will all fit into their refrigerator. But, then I thought, what if housekeepers of the past didn't think in terms of individual meals each day. Perhaps instead, they thought in terms of foods they wanted to prepare to eat each week. It's a mindset shift that is both more practical and more efficient! Then the lightbulb turned on in my head. (Seems like common sense to me now, but I was thinking like a foodie before.)

So I began to formulate a plan of action based on this desire- I wanted to pattern my own refrigerator after these attractive displays on a daily basis. After all, how great would it be for my own family to open the fridge on any given day and find a beautiful assortment to choose from. Not only for this reason, but I wanted a fridge full of food I could quickly piece together meals with (almost like I would piece together an outfit with a capsule wardrobe!) This I believe would be enough to keep us out of the drive-thru, away from the candy bar displays and still eating what sounded good to us in the moment. 

Hungry? Take a few slices of roast and handful of salad for a sandwich! Snacky?Grab a couple devilled eggs and an orange or chunk of watermelon! Cravin' a sweet treat? Have a slice of cake or dessert cup! How content would we all feel with this kind of yummy fair ready and waiting? How easy would meals be to prepare in a few minutes. I think I am on to something!

Meal planning can be a tricky business for me at this stage in my life and I think I safe in supposing I am not alone in this struggle. What works one month, the next month proves impossible. My thought is this, if meal planning were more based off of a basic routine, (not just food-types on certain days) it may prove more sustainable.

So this is my new formula, many meals can be prepared from one roast (whether you have 20 people to feed and that "one roast" looks more like five roasts cooked at once, or you are vegan and that roast looks more like a couple squashes or potatoes.) The meal planning then becomes based off of that roast. The routine then is to cook a roast or the base of your meals every so many days that it takes to consume that roast. I have a small family, so for me, that means I can cook a chicken, beef or pork roast about every three days. (This could include a meatloaf big enough to last or a ham or fried chicken or just browned ground beef or sausage.) If I keep in mind the next two days will also include this meat, I can make sure the leftovers will fit into other meals. So I will say to myself, okay self, I am going to cook a roast on Sundays and Wednesdays and have a special stand alone meal on Saturdays like burgers, chilidogs, wings, ribs, a giant sub or pizza.

If on Sunday I make a beef pot roast, then Monday and Tuesday we can eat: Tacos, Barbecue Sandwiches, Enchiladas, Soup, Stroganoff, Pot Pie, Cheesesteak, Pizza or Pasta, or just Pot Roast again. Then on Wednesday if I roast a Chicken, Thursday and Friday we could have Chicken Salad, Chicken Noodle Soup, Chicken 'n' Dumplings, Chicken Fried Rice or what have you. This way there is almost always fresh Roast in the fridge to also use for snacks and lunches! This may eliminate the need for purchasing lunchmeats additionally. We will save time not cooking meat everyday, all the leftovers potentially get eaten, and the food always tastes fresh! We don't have mold-growing leftovers in the back of the fridge or sloppy squishy fruits and vegetables left at the end of the month.

I do the same thing with Salad and always wash and chop salad greens for ready to go fresh salads or sandwiches. I can do the same with fruit salads. To get my family to eat more fruits and vegetables; I can always have fresh produce on the table at mealtimes, preparing them only twice a week! If the salads don't get finished by the third day they can be made into  smoothies, popsicles, stir-fries, & soups. I can get a feel for how much my family need@ to buy each week too. I cook leftover fruit into a sauce to top biscuits, waffles, pancakes or ice cream!

I can do the same with other side dishes and Desserts and just choose a day that I will always prepare a type of dish so meals are fast and easy to put together and there is always something ready to eat in the fridge. We may never have to eat-out again! Mind-explodes...

Whenever I see a video or blogpost about meal planning it always annoys me that no one seems to plan side dishes, maybe they have a reason for that, but I always came to the end of preparing my main dish and realized I still needed to make at least one side. Let's not forget the importance of Breakfast and Lunch, I find myself getting up in the morning not knowing what to fix, but we sure aren't going to eat cold cereal because I don't even buy that chemical mess wrapped in franken-sugar and plastic anymore.

I have discovered making roughly the same things for breakfasts and lunches everyday simplifies the process. Watching old TV shows and listening to an older generation's anecdotes as well as reading vintage home economics books, I found this used to be the general practice among homemakers. It is very practical!

When planning lunches, I like to leave room for eating leftovers if we want them, but eating something fresh for lunch sets a nice tone for the rest of my afternoon. I feel like soup or salad with a sandwich makes a wonderfully satisfying lunch most days. 

For breakfast, hot cereal in the morning is always a good start. I can change it up whenever I want and it's good to keep several options all together near the stove (Creamy Wheat, Oatmeal, Multigrain, Polenta or Grits, Rice or Granola for that crazy morning I just had to sleep in a little longerrrr.) From there, I can add some kind of eggs, fruit, meat or bread for each day of the week. But, being flexible, on special mornings I may skip the hot cereal altogether.

All these things considered, here is a meal plan I put together to demonstrate how my method comes together.

Monday 

BREAKFAST: Porridge, Smoothie, Warm Muffins and Cheese Omelets

LUNCH: Cabbage Chowder and Ham Sandwiches

DINNER: Sloppy Joes, Slaw and Steak Fries

DESSERT: Fruit Gelatin and Cookies

Tuesday

BREAKFAST: Pancakes, Fruit Salad, Fried Eggs and Bacon

LUNCH: Macaroni & Cheese with Broccoli and Ham Sandwiches

DINNER: Mashed Potatoes, Hamburger Gravy, Salad, Broccoli and Dinner Rolls

DESSERT: Chocolate Cake and Fruit Gelatin

Wednesday

BREAKFAST: Porridge, Egg Burritoes and Fresh Berries

LUNCH: BLT's, Apples & Banana Slices with PB

DINNER: Fried Chicken Alfredo Pasta, Caesar Salad, Sautéed Mushrooms and Asparagus

DESSERT: Chocolate Cake and Berry Compote

Thursday

BREAKFAST: Porridge, Poached Eggs on Dry Toast,  Bacon and Stewed Apricots

LUNCH: Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup

DINNER: Fried Chicken, Frybread, Corn on the Cob, Steamed Summer Squash and Baked Beans

DESSERT: Chocolate Cake and Ice Cream

Friday

BREAKFAST: Cheesy Grits, Bacon, Eggs, Biscuits & Orange Wedges

LUNCH: Navajo Tacos with Salad

DINNER: Orange Chicken, Brown Rice, Green Beans and Cream Cheese Wontons

DESSERT: Mango and Sticky Rice

Saturday

BREAKFAST: Waffles, Fried Eggs, Sausages and Fruit Salad

LUNCH: Kimchi Fried Rice and Miso Soup

DINNER: Pizza and Caesar Salad

DESSERT: Rice Pudding and Berry Compote

Sunday

BREAKFAST: Granola, German Pancakes, Fruit Salad and Sausages

LUNCH: BLTs and Potato Soup

DINNER: Pot Roast, Mashed Potatoes, Salad and Biscuits

DESSERT: Rice Pudding and Cookies

I find this meal planning format also; streamlines grocery shopping and minimizes food waste, while still providing diverse meal options for everyday. I am very excited about this meal planning hack and I hope it proves a game changer.

Baking and Eating Whole Grains

After years of compromise and yearnings I finally purchased a real grain mill!

 I knew I wanted to mill my own flour for years, decades even.  

I grew up during the 80's and 90's when there was quite a lot of push about eating whole grains. This was before anyone had ever heard much about gluten intolerance, sensitivity or celiac disease. Not that these digestive issues didn't exist, they just weren't very commonly heard or thought of. My mother wanted a grain mill while I was growing up and eventually obtained one, but before that she always bought 'whole grain bread' at the store. I don't think any of us enjoyed that bread. It was acidic, the texture felt scratchy in my mouth and it felt like mud in my stomach. My mother bought whole wheat flour and tried baking with it, but everything she made was dense, dry and the flavor was not enjoyable. The "whole wheat" took over the flavor of the whole baked good and it was all disappointing. With such a waste of effort and flour my mother soon gave up baking what her family would not eat. 

In contrast; later when my mother aquired an electric stone grain mill, it was a much different story.

I left home thinking I wanted a grain mill of my own, so I could store grain and mill it fresh myself when needed. But, I soon forgot all about my milling aspirations when I found I could not make a proper loaf of bread, even in a bread machine, as it was.

After collage I was too busy trying to stay slim and trim and dating, to think about baking bread. After I married; I began to think about cooking nutritious foods for my own family, milling grain and baking bread again. I took a class on bread baking offered for free by an educated and experienced bread baker at church. I still had very little success in baking bread even with white flour. Then, a kind German-American lady invited some young women and myself to her home for instruction. This sweet woman kneaded her dough by hand in her warm fragrant kitchen, and showed me how to mill the wheat and bake bread with it. I watched her intently and soaked up every detail. She was so full of warmth and love, so generous and unpretentious. All of which was kneaded into the loaves she prepared. I was reminded of my childhood desire and felt more certain that I wanted to mill my own flour. The bread turned out fluffy, soft, fragrant and delicious! She had run out of hard wheat and made the bread with soft white wheat, and it was wonderful anyway! (For those who are not familiar; soft wheat is a pastry flour and hard wheat has stronger gluten for making bread.) I started making better bread when I stopped fussing about it and just made a simple loaf. (A friend gave me the recipe. And I improved it from there.) Fourteen years later I settled on which electric mill I wanted and made an order. It took four months for my mill to arrive (it was delayed further than projected.) But, finally it arrived on my doorstep and I was thrilled! I immediately set it up and was milling flour the next day. I had some Einkorn wheat berries I had been saving since my Kitchenaid Mixer seized up while mixing a loaf of bread after using an attachment mill to grind flour. The attachment grinder had been a "cheap" compromise and eventually took its tole on my mixer's motor. I purchased a high speed blender (the Deluxe Cooking Blender by Pampered Chef) to grind the remaining wheat berries, but I felt it heated the grain too much, and would even make it sticky and clumpy (activate the gluten? I dunno.) So I had just waited, coarsely grinding a bit to make a porridge cereal from time to time. I was frustrated and disappointed.

The first thing I baked when I recieved my proper mill was muffins. Sourdough English Muffins and my 8 year old's favorite banana muffins. I suddenly realized I didn't have many recipes for fresh ground flour, so I got out all my recipe books to take stock. Then I went in search online. Even the bloggers I knew milled their flour didn't have many recipes using fresh milled grains. I was disappointed again. I went searching on Youtube and I found The Bread Beckers! 

The Bread Beckers are a family owned business in Woodstock, GA, who sell grains, mills and much more, but also teach classes about the importance of whole grains, digestion and baking. It's amazing and wonderful and you can find them at breadbeckers.com. They are too far away for me to buy grain from them, but they have the best prices. I did order their Red Cookbook and Sue Becker's recently published cookbook The Essential Home-Ground Flour Book because I didn't know which to get. Many recipes from the Red book are in Sue's published book and on their website, but the Red book also has recipes for dehydration and sauces that I didn't see in the published cookbook. The published cookbook has many more recipes in it. I love Sue's recipe for basic bread dough using both red and white wheat, at first I decreased the sweetener and use SuCaNat instead of honey. It was delicious, but I have since found that honey makes the bread turn out even better!

The basic muffin recipe is good, but I think has too much baking soda. I will try ½ tsp instead and see how it goes.

My whole family loves the recipe for Rich Peanut Butter Bars, and they are so easy to whip up I don't mind making cookies every week to keep them away from candy bars. I grind a whole cup of Einkorn berries for this recipe, sprinkle Guittard milk chocolate chips on top and press them down before baking. My 8 year old doesn't like the chocolate chips, but eats the bars anyway. They are soft and chewy.

We love the Barley Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe too, they make a great, almost guilt-free snack. I use all SuCaNat in it and grind about 1 ½ cups of barley that makes 3 cups of flour. They are a thick almost cakey cookie. I usually like my cookies chewy and crisp, but these are very satisfying and some chopped pecans go really well in them!

I have been using a recipe from King Arthur Flour that makes really nice chewy brownies. I weigh my Einkorn berries and then grind them right into the mixing bowl. I use much less cocoa powder because when it comes to Cacao powder I do feel less is more! 

I wanted to share these finds because I feel like eating fresh milled flour in baked goods is important in most people's diet and needs to be encouraged. Baking with fresh milled flour is so easy, yummy and an investment in our health. Once you have a mill the rest is economical and so worth it. Like any change we make in life, we just need to be convinced we are right and committed to our work. Sue Becker is a great inspiration if you need motivation! I feel like God led me to her on YouTube and I am so greatful for all the work she has done.

I just had a baby and my house is a wreck, but I still clean up the kitchen and bake with whole grains, because I am convinced it is the best thing for my family and I am committed to maintaining and improving our health. I continue to find more and more recipes and bake the same cookies, bread and muffins my family loves because I do continue to see our health improve.

So now we are eating fresh milled whole grain bread, muffins, cookies, tortillas, buns, and porridge cereal. I also make up an easy no fuss granola that is mixed and baked without stirring. I recently purchased a bag of Lundberg Short Grain Brown Rice at my nearest Costco. I cook the Brown Rice in the Instant Pot for 20 minutes on high and it turns out soft and tasty. I love Brown Rice now! I cook a big batch and freeze part and I put it in stew and stir-fry where my family might not notice as much they are eating brown rice. It is funny to me how whole grains have such a bad rap. If you don't like brown rice it probably hasn't been cooked enough. If you don't like whole wheat bread, the flour probably hasn't been fresh ground before baking. Einkorn makes sooooo delicious Cream of Wheat-type porridge just coarse ground and a super easy and fast breakfast item. I make biscuits, pancakes and waffles my children and I love. I feel excited to bake again and to eat the food I make. I told my mother I didn't know why I was so excited about this! She said, it's because you know you are doing something good for your family's health and you are prepared and have good food to make for them. I think she is right, but I also feel like part of it is because I know I am eating something God intended for me to eat and I am being blessed. I feel those blessings every time I eat those whole grains. Might sound crazy, but I say try it and see for yourself!

Four (or Five) Homemade Family Beverages

I have been trying to keep my family from soda pops and sport drinks for a long time. I tried Water Kefir, Kombucha and powdered additives, but they just weren't tasty enough. Knowing plain water is the best option I suggested we get used to it. One night after dinner, my husband expressed how much he enjoyed a sweet beverage with dinner rather than plain water. I thought about it and had to acknowledge that a tasty beverage does improve a meal. What is a picnic without Lemonade or Rootbeer? Lemonade is the perfect accompanyment to spicy foods, and eating burgers and chips and watermelon on 4th of July just isn’t the same without a grape or orange soda. I immediately thought to myself, what did retro housewives do? I remembered black and white images of their dinners spread out on the table for the family to sample from. The old refrigerator ads that always had a jug of something in it even with the bottles of Coca-Cola. I had assumed they were jugs of canned juice like my Momma usually kept. I considered what beverage a person could make that would be just as tasty as kool-aid, soda or bottled juice, but much healthier? That is when I thought of Lemonade. Well sure, Lemonade is nice, but my family is sure to be tired of it in three days. Then I thought of flavoring the lemonade with fresh or frozen fruits to change it up! They do it at restaurants and my family loves it, so why couldn't I make it myself? So I did, and they liked it and I did too! 

As a society, we have gotten so far away from carefully prepared meals at home. We all seem to think we need to go out to eat in order to have a nice relaxing experience, but really it only takes a few thoughtful finishing touches to create a cozy meal at home. Even better really. If we try adding a tasty beverage, maybe a bowl of celery and carrot sticks and some dinner rolls! That would liven up any dinner I say! Who doesn't like dinner rolls?

I decided then part of my dinner preparations should include a beverage. I bought a big bag of limes at Costco and started experimenting. Next, I bought a bag of lemons and just rotate flavors so we always have a refreshing tasty homemade beverage in the fridge that is versatile. Sometimes I add frozen berries, sometimes fresh fruit and sometimes I leave it classic.

Bonus; I know my family will be getting their vitamin C and antioxidants on a regular basis and no more artificial flavors and colors not to mention added sodium or copious amounts of sugar or who-knows-what! It helps that this beverage is very fast and easy to make up ahead of time and to keep making it whenever it runs out. I use a Citrus press and a half gallon mason jar with a pour and store lid and just rinse it inbetween a couple batches, so there aren't as many dirty dishes created. Since lemon or limeade has a fresh citrus base, it doesn't have much chance to harbor any bad bacteria and we go through it in a couple days so it doesn't ever go bad. I just quickly wash the citrus press after I use it and it's ready for the next batch!

Fresh Homemade Beverage

½-⅔ cup Fresh Pressed Juice 

(I use 3 Limes or 3-4 Lemons)

¾ cup Organic Cane Sugar

7 cups Purified Water

1 cup Berries or Fruit of choice, fresh or frozen (optional)

Press juice and pour sugar into a half gallon jar; add water until it almost fills the jar, then add the fruit or berries to top it off. Screw lid on tightly onto jar and shake till all the sugar is dissolved (About 1-2 minutes). For an extra flair you can add sparkling water for a sparkling lemonade! Just disolve the sugar in lemon juice and a couple cups of water, add your carbonated water and give it a stir to combine. Enjoy chilled.

I make this up in the afternoon long before dinner, so it is nice and cold at mealtime especially for the summer!

Another homemade beverage that can be easily made and chilled is Tizane. If you are wondering, 'what is Tizane?' It is an herbal infusion like tea or herbal tea. I find it much less confusing to use the term tizane instead of tea eapecially because I use herbs instead of tea leaves for this infusion.

Somewhat like Sweet Tea in The South, I have taken to infusing herbal tea bags or herbs in hot water, adding honey to enhance the flavors and chilling it in the fridge until ready to serve. It is easier than making lemonade, but adding some citrus juices or other fruit and berries are delicious variations as well. To make iced Tizane, just boil 8 cups of water. Add 4 herbal tea bags to a half gallon mason jar or jug. Pour boiled water over herb sachets and let steep for 5 minutes with the lid on or a silicone mat or small plate over top. Remove sachets squeezing out liquid with a slotted spoon (careful not to burn your fingers.) Stir honey or other sweetener into the now infused hot water until dissolved and chill in refrigerator. Add-ins may be included before chilling. Note that if you want to include fruit you may want to decrease the water to infuse by ½-1 cup so as to make room for the displacement.

The third homemade beverage I want to suggest here is to mix bottled fruit juices with sparkling water to taste. This makes a delightful beverage for any meal and is also simple to throw together at the last minute provided both sparkling water and juice are present and chilled.

Lastly, I have learned how to make hot chocolate and chocolate milk from scratch. They are one and the same in this preparation, but could be counted as 2 if you don't want to complicate things for your family.

Hot Chocolate/Chocolate Milk

Chocolate Chips (to Taste)

1 Tbsp Sugar (or more to Taste)

About 1 quart of Whole Milk

Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan and stir continuously until the chocolate has melted into the milk and the sugar has dissolved. To make this process easier, one could melt the chocolate and heat the milk and sugar. Then whisk the sweetened milk slowly into the melted chocolate.

Enjoy a cup of hot chocolate or chill for chocolate milk later! This will need to be shaken up before pouring. It's easy and free of all those nasty carcinogens included in most prepackaged chocolate milks. I also think it tastes better and it is much cheaper than the store-bought bottles that have a clean ingredients list.

This can also be carefully reheated for hot chocolate again!

Spring and Fall Cleaning Guide

Soak Make-up Brushes with a Natural Homemade Cleaner.

Boil Menstral Cup for 5 minutes.

Strip clothes, sheets and towels by soaking in hot water with shampoo before washing.

Clean, freshen and polish Shoes, Jackets and Belts.

Air, freshen and vacuum Beds.

Scrub, clean out and pour boiling water down Drains.

Wash Windows and Windowscreens.

Wash Curtains and Blinds.

Clean Carpets and Rugs using Vacuum and Carpet Cleaner.

Clean Vacuum and Carpet Cleaner.

Clean and fluff Dusters.

Clean Mop Head.

Vacuum Sofa, chairs and Pillows.

Wash pillow covers.

Wash Dining Chairs.

Treat and polish Wood and Leather Furniture.

Wash Refrigerator and Freezer.

Remove expired or freezer burned foods.

Wash Pantry Containers and Shelves.

Wash Kitchen Cupboards and Drawers.

Wash Oven.

Wash Toaster and Microwave Filters.

Freshen Garbage Disposal.

Deep Clean Dishwasher.

Deep Clean Washing Machine.

Wipe out Dryer.

Wash and Dry Lint Trap completely.

Scrub Grout.

Wash Bathroom Cupboards and Drawers.

Declutter, dust and vacuum Closets.

House Vents and Floorboards.

 Change or wash filtering systems (water filters and air filters)

Declutter, dust, sweep and wash Garage.

Change oil, tune up, Car Filters, dust, vacuum and wash Vehicles and change Windshield Wipers.

Fertilize or transplant houseplants.

Clean Houseplants leaves.

Fertilize and freshen the Garden.

Wash, treat and polish Outdoor Furniture.

Freshen bird feeders and bug hotels.

Trim trees and bushes.

Airate and fertilize lawn.

Weed rocks and driveway.

Sweep porch and walkways.

Uncrowd flower beds.

Scrub and clean Barbecue and Cover.

Good Gravy!

When I was about to spread my wings and go out into the world, I asked my parents to teach me how to cook for myself. My mother told me I already knew how to read recipes and she gave me a cookbook. My Dad taught me to cook one thing that has served me my whole life, and that was gravy. I wasn't great at it at first, but then I read Julia Child's cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking in which, there is a whole chapter about gravy! Not called gravy, but none the less it took my gravy making to new levels and broadened my understanding.

Here is why you should learn to make gravy too! Gravy is a sauce which is based on a rue, just flour, seasoning and fat. With rue you use the same principles in making gravy to make; cheese sauce for Mac 'n' Cheese or Alfredo, white sauce for any casserole, thicken any kind of soup or stew, cook pudding and even nacho sauce! Some people say that gravy isn't healthy, but I beg to differ. When making Hamburger Gravy, for instance, you add flour and salt to the ground beef you just browned (garlic and onion, if you have it!) and then milk to form the gravy. There is no added fat, if your meat is from a healthy source you are getting good saturated fats and there is no messy waste or extra grease down the kitchen drain.

Gravy makes a meal more delicious, it's a simple addition to jazz up any boring meal you throw together quickly and it has minimal clean up. If you are having roasted chicken breast, rice and steamed veg, a simple chicken stock gravy takes the meal from 3 to 10 on the yummy scale! The French who are renouned for their cooking, apparently cover everything with sauce; hollandaise, bechamel etc.

I guess what I'm saying is, if you want to make delicious food on a budget, you should learn to make good gravy! Gravy is a sauce and basically makes everything taste better; from a can of tuna, to a veal cutlet. Doesn't matter how much is in your budget. Hollandaise is just eggs lemon and butter, aolli is just a fancy word for a well seasoned Mayonnaise that is also just eggs, fat and lemon. Bechamel is half a step from Sawmill Gravy and it is so easy to make once you understand the basics.

So if I have little money and no idea what to cook for dinner; I think of a gravy or sauce I can make, and what can go under it and next to it. No one ever complains about a meal of potatoes, egg noodles or rice and gravy. I recommend reading the Sauce and Soup section in Julia Child's book, but I have read good Home Economics books that explain it well too (although not as thoroughly or entertainingly.)

2 Tbsp Fat

2 Tbsp Flour

2 cups Liquid

-makes a thin sauce or gravy.

4 Tbsp Fat

4 Tbsp Flour

2 cups Liquid 

Yields a thicker sauce or gravy and you can play around to see how thick you prefer it, but once you add the liquid you will not want to fuss about thickness anymore.

Once the fat it hot, add the flour and salt before the fat gets too hot or starts to smoke. Let the flour cook a minute, but don't let it over cook either or it will taste burnt and won't thicken. I like to have my liquid already measured and at hand so I can quickly add it before there is trouble. Stir out any lumps while the flour cooks, add liquid and stir continuously until it starts to thicken and there are no lumps. Once it starts to thicken turn heat way down or off.

And those are my tips! Enjoy your new super-power!

How to Create a Perpetual Fridge-Full-of-Food!

Have you ever gazed at those Refrigerator advertisements vintage or modern and wondered if you could fit that much food in your fridge? You know the photos; there is usually a Roast or two, a cake, fancy cups of pudding or parfaits, a beautiful fruit gelatin ring as well as a bowl of salad, a bowl of fresh fruit a boat of gravy or dressing along with the usual coke bottles, eggs, milk and juice bottles? Not to mention produce drawers packed to the brim... Sigh. Just me? Okay, but I'm sure I'm not the only one who was wishing I could have more ready-to-eat healthy food in my fridge, even for a party!

I have struggled to keep fresh ready to eat food in my fridge ever since I left home for college. Wouldn't it be nice to just open the fridge, warm or chop a few things and have a nice full meal within a few minutes.

After staring at dozens of these Refrigerator advertisements for several days, I had a light-bulb turn on in my brain. What if I always made sure there was food ready to eat in my fridge, not just ingredients, but already prepared food. (I'm not talking about ready-made prepackaged preserved substances that grace the groceries isles.) If I always had a bowl of washed fresh fruit in my refrigerator, why wouldn't my family and I be more likely to eat it for lunch or as a snack. Likewise, if I were to always prepare vegetable tray items such as celery and carrot sticks, green onions and sliced peppers, wouldn't I be more likely to add it to my lunch or throw together a snack? A few more items would easily keep a few days and allow for easy meal options. First I noted what kind of foods could be cooked or prepared and last several days in the refrigerator and still be good to eat. Next I thought about the versatility of such foods and soon I came to realize not too shockingly that most of the foods in these vintage advertisements were smart things to have in refrigerators at any given time.

As for the bowl of salad, well that could be easily put together after lunch clean-up and be just ready for dinner so that one would not have to scramble to add a salad to the main course while one was cooking it. All that chopping could and should be done ahead of time so that dinner really could be on the table when the main bread-winner returned home famished. What a delight to come home wash hands and sit down to eat a well rounded meal with a family that is not hurried or stressed, but comfortable and happy to see you. I understand both sides of this equation and I feel very certain, this is the a great way to run things smoothly. The more I learn the more I realize my Grandmother and Great-grandmother were not naive about this part of life at all, but I and my mother (as many others) have been. Because I didn't learn to efficiently run a home, because I thought I didn't need to do things the old-fashioned way, I have had to struggle along and learn it on the job. Trial and error of a craft that was organized long before I was ever born, what a waste.

Well all that to say, I figured out I should start shopping for what I wanted to have ready to eat in my fridge, instead of just getting ingredients I knew I could cook into a meal.

By doing this, I have a perpetual gocery list I can quickly see what needs to be replenished and be on to the shops in minutes. I no longer have to meal plan because I can put together whatever we feel like eating with little forethought, because the forethought has been systemized and streamlined!

Here is the list I came up with, of course, yours may be different since everyone's diet is personal.

#1 Eggs. Hard boiled eggs can be peeled and kept submerged in water for several days without spoil. I peel them because I am more likely to eat them that way instead of letting them go to waste. I also keep them in a clear jar in the front so my son can see an easy snack right away. Hard boiled eggs can be made into egg salad sandwiches especially nice on fresh baked dinner rolls, they can be made into devilled eggs for a nice side for lunch or a snack. The hard boiled eggs may also be quartered and added to a salad (love me some cobb salad!), or just eaten whole with a sprinkle of salt and pepper.

#2 Vegetables. Duh, right? But if I buy vegetables I want to get ones I can keep in the freezer until dinner-time or lunch (novel idea) and steam in a few minutes. In addition; I want to get vegetables I like to eat fresh, like what I would find on a vegetable tray to munch on. So I can buy celery and carrots and immediately wash and cut them into sticks when I get home. I stand them on end in jars with water to keep them crisp and they will easily keep a week or two. Peppers are different, but I will still wash and slice them so they are ready to eat for the next few days. Likewise I can slice a large onion and keep it all week and us it as I need it on sandwiches or in main dishes. This also cuts back on prep time later because I can easily grab a handful of this and that and dice them into soups, salads, stir-fries and casseroles. It becomes easy to add more vegetables to just about anything.

#3 Fruit. I can have a drawer full of fruit and not touch it for weeks, but if it is washed and ready to eat I will grab it day after day. If I put washed and dried apples, pears, grapes and what-have-you in a bowl, I can easily pull it out and put it on the table to entice everyone at any meal! Not to mention add to the landscape. Bowls of fresh berries, cherries, chunked watermelon or pineapple in season have the same value. 

#4 Lettuce or Greens. I know you can make a salad without lettuces, but I don't really like to. So when I get home from the market I can chop and  submerge lettuce in water for ten minutes, drain, dry and keep it in a glass container for a week or two... or three if I'm lucky. Likewise a quick dressing should be made right away to go with it so that even if you have nothing else but greens your salad will taste delicious.

My favorite vinegrette recipe is one my mother taught me.

Equal parts Balsamic Vinegar and fresh squeezed Orange Juice, add the zest of said Orange. Maybe a tsp of brown sugar, or not- just as you like. So yummy.

I also love this homemade ranch recipe.

Easily done and now it is easy to throw together a side salad even if all you have is lettuce and dressing. (Dried Cranberries, Cherries, or blueberries and a little cheese and nuts is nice to have in the pantry and fridge in these emergencies.)

#5 Cheese. One you can cube and snack on, or put on a charcuterie board.- I like Gouda. A few you can shred and put on anything (mac and cheese, top carreroles make pizza.)- I like Cheddar, Parmesan and Mozzarella. One or two you can slice or buy sliced for sandwiches.- I like Cheddar, Havarti or Swiss. 

#6 Roasted Meat or Alternative. Whether it's beef, chicken or ham it can always provide some protein to whatever you are eating. Add it to stir-fry, soup, salad, sandwiches, charcuterie, snacks casseroles, it will keep for only a few days so freeze whatever you can’t eat in that time for up to a month. It cuts back so much time to have meat already cooked and ready to eat. This is an art I am working on mastering.

A few neccessary pantry staples to compliment your fridge would be Pasta, Rice, Potatoes, Olives, Nuts, Dried Fruit and baking supplies.

Then a meal can be made in about 20 minutes which is just the amount of time it takes to cook rice, potatoes or dinner rolls. (Especially if you made up the bread dough at lunch.) I like to make up my own Biscuit, Cornbread, Pancake and Pie mixes. Homemade mixes come together quickly in jars I keep in the cupboard so it takes care of measuring time when I want to quickly add a baked good to a meal. I just add butter, milk, eggs or water and mix it up and bake it quickly. I can mix these up on a weekend measuring them all out at once and cleaning up one time.

When thinking in these terms it is also a snap to make a grocery list after a quick inventory of fridge and cupboard.

Milk

Juice and other beverages

Eggs (some to boil and some to cook with)

Cheese (to shred, slice and cube)

Butter and/or Oil

Vegetables (to cook and some for a tray)

Salad Greens

Potatoes

Pasta

Rice and Beans

Fruit (for a bowl, salads and/or pie)

Meat (something to slice and special cuts for dinners.)

Bacon or Sausage for large breakfasts

Nuts, Seeds and Dried Fruits (for snacking and baking)

Crackers or Chips (unless you bake them)

Olives or Pickles

Baking Supplies (flour, sugar, salt, yeast, baking soda, etc.)

Special items for planned recipes or Condiments

If I keep a running inventory of these things as well as soaps, paper goods, garbage can liners, batteries, lightbulbs and other consumable household items. With this kind of organization, I only have to shop every two weeks, there is always something to eat when I look in the fridge and I have more time to keep the house clean and orderly as well!