View Full Version : April Cook at Home Challenge
Is anybody interested in keeping this going? I know that I am really motivated by all your posts even when I don't get time to post.
So, I'll start. Today I have a batch of sourdough bread in the bread machine, I have managed to keep this starter going since September. :D We will have steak sandwiches with caramelized onions and mushrooms on these crunchy sourdough baguettes baked potatoes and a spinach salad. Mmmm, I'm so hungry today. :)
TMC, that sounds SO GOOD!
I'm in for another month, which probably just means you will all be reading about frozen dinners and my MIL's cooking. LOL
Yes, I always enjoy hearing what everyone is cooking! Tonight we're having leftovers, and tomorrow night we're bring a salad to a friend's house (who is determined to break out the grill now that it is officially spring, despite the weather).
Yes, I always enjoy hearing what everyone is cooking! Tonight we're having leftovers, and tomorrow night we're bring a salad to a friend's house (who is determined to break out the grill now that it is officially spring, despite the weather).
No kidding, snowing here today....it's a like a cruel April fools joke. :)
I may break out my grill soon too. It's time for grilled veggies and pasta salads and the like....weather be darned.
domestic goddess
4-1-11, 2:32pm
I'd like to join, as I have surely been short on inspiration lately! I'm going to start some pumpkin bread and some chocolate chip cookies. Pumpkin bread because, well, I have a can of pumpkin in the pantry I want to use up. Chocolate chip cookies because we like them. As far as "real" food for dinner, haven't the vaguest idea, but it may be pepper steak because I have some sliced meat in the freezer to use up.
Today is a pretty warm day (40's), but it is supposed to turn colder. It is dreary and overcast. I am happy because I have a bit more money than I thought, though times are tough in this household, so it won't last long. But at least we have food to eat!
I'll play, but I'm probably not the best role model. Yesterday the kids were off school, so I took them to the dentist in the morning for cleanings. We had lunch at home, but then had an evening work gathering that I took them too. Free pizza, but we didn't make it ourselves.
lhamo
Once I get home from the hospital I am so in! I have some casseroles and freezer meals ready for this week and I am stocked up on food. I have several roasts that I can just toss in the slow cooker too.
domestic goddess
4-2-11, 2:11pm
Well, I have to say that I am not off to a great start yet. Haven't felt well, so I haven't yet done any baking. Last night no one fixed dinner; it was catch as catch can. The kids ate, but half of the adults went bowling (and probably ate there), and the rest of us just grabbed our own quick and easy meal. Not always a bad solution, but not the solution I was aiming for.
I have a roast I want to cook in the crock pot, too, but I keep forgetting about it. Maybe I need to embroider a reminder on my forehead!
Bastelmutti
4-2-11, 8:54pm
Yay! Happy to continue...but April 1, we went out to dinner. Really enjoyed it, though, after a tough day.
This week is spring break for my kids & DH is back to work. I am completely swamped with work, so I have a couple of convenience things in the freezer and am planning easy things - tacos, pasta - except for two special-request meals I am doing for the kids to celebrate spring break.
I baked bread, started a new batch of bread dough for the fridge, and prepped a lot of vegetables today. Made some coleslaw that we took to our friends' first bbq of the season.
Oh boy, yesterday was tough for us. The weekends are our weakness for eating out, we are running errands, nobody has been to the grocery store.
So yesterday we took drinks in the car and bought two giant subs that the four of us shared on the go. DD and I never eat all of ours so at least we can eat our other halves for lunch today. Last night we were so tired, we are finishing the basement ourselves. So we almost got takeout but in the end DH fired up the grill in the snow, threw some turkey burgers on, I baked some French fries and mozzarella sticks and the kids threw together a spinach salad.
This morning I made a baked buttermilk doughnuts that I topped with homemade chocolate glaze and sprinkles I had bought just for this. A little fun to follow our same old eggs qnd fruit on Sunday. Funny how doughnuts perks everybody up.
Tonight for dinner simple roast turkey, sweet potato biscuits I made and put in the freezer and something else...still working on it.
I'm out of here after lunch today! Yay! Dinner is already made for most of the week. Tonight is a casserole and salad from a neighbor, tomorrow is stuffed shells I froze a while back, Tuesday is crock pot pork sandwiches and a salad, Wednesday is a frozen lasagne and Friday is soup supper night at church. Thursday is the one day I don't have covered. We'll probably do burgers and baked beans. Saturdays Dad takes the kiddos out for dinner so it will just be me, Zach and the baby. We'll probably just have quesadillas or grilled cheese sandwiches. Something simple.
Well, no plan for today. I have some leftover turkey, will probably make chef salads out of it and some tortellini soup.
I have to get my act together for the week, I just got an entire list of my freezer together. I have to start using it more.
Lunch was whatever I foraged in the fridge. :)
Bastelmutti
4-4-11, 4:23pm
Yesterday was just DH and me, so we had giant salads. Tonight - Spanish rice w/ shrimp. Tomorrow - Beef or veggie burgers. Weds. - probably pasta. Thu. - if friends come over, taco night. Friday?
Since it's spring break, we might go to the zoo tomorrow or Weds. in which case I will pack lunches to offset the expensive parking. Another day will be a cheesecake factory tour, but that's a fun activity for $3/person & we're looking forward to the cheesecake!
Bastelmutti
4-4-11, 4:26pm
I made a baked buttermilk doughnuts that I topped with homemade chocolate glaze and sprinkles...
My mouth is watering!
I hear you about eating out on weekends. Saturday is my tough day. We have an activity that takes most of the day, so I have to make breakfast, pack lunches (or get sandwiches made by the parents at our activity - lunch comes out to maybe $3 if I do that), then I'm busy all day. It can be easy to eat out Sat. nite, and as a matter of fact I used to plan on it every week, but now we're just trying to make easy stuff.
More meals are on their way! I am such a lucky woman. Last night we had chicken parmesan. We have two of those in the freezer actually. Tonight is stuffed shells with marinara. Tomorrow is crock pot pork sandwiches. Thursday I'm still not sure, but I know someone is bringing us a meal. I just don't know what it is. Friday is soup supper, Saturday is quesadillas or grilled cheese, Sunday is another round of chicken parmesan. I'll have a few more meals brought for freezing too.
Frozen dinners for me! LOL Oh boy am I going to cook up a storm when that kitchen is done! ;-)
We had an exhausting day yesterday, out of the house nearly the entire day. Lunch was soup at our church - 4 people brought soup, including me, so I was up at 7am cooking a huge pot of black bean soup. On the way home in the evening, thoughts of a quick restaurant stop entered my mind... but those stops are never that quick, and they always cost too much, and the food is just not as good as home-cooked. So I didn't voice them and just drove us all home.
I made some kale omelettes, using kale I had lightly steamed and frozen in the fall, which we had with some leftover coleslaw. Very good.
Today and tomorrow are chicken & black bean burritos with salad (I cooked 2# dried black beans for the soup, and reserved enough for these meals). On Wednesday evening, our neighbor is cooking for us.
but those stops are never that quick, and they always cost too much, and the food is just not as good as home-cooked. So I didn't voice them and just drove us all home.
This is so true! Frequently going to a restaruant is just as big a hassle as cooking something. This is especially true for me right now. There is nothing quick and easy about taking a toddler and a newborn to a restaurant. :) It has really removed one of my biggest excuses for eating out.
earthshepherd
4-4-11, 9:03pm
off to a bad start with my dad in the hospital (he is home now and fine) - had to eat hospital cafeteria soup a couple of days. But back to cooking this evening, and hopefully life will settle down!
SOrry about your dad, earthshepherd, but glad to hear everyone is back home.
Last day of the kids long weekend and we're making pizza for lunch. Not convinced it is cheaper than ordering it, but should be fun. I'm going to let the kids make their own.
lhamo
Bastelmutti
4-5-11, 9:43am
Earthshepherd, hope everything's OK now.
Lhamo - Do you have a source of pitas? They make awesome pizza bases and so easy.
domestic goddess
4-5-11, 9:39pm
Since I didn't make all of this, I'm not sure it counts, but here goes:
Tonight we are having Bourbon Chicken my dd's sil made. I made rice to go with it, and veggies from the freezer. Got to the store today and bought ingredients to bake (we were out of eggs and butter), so will do that later this week. Will cook a roast in the crock-pot tomorrow for sandwiches. Also bought bell peppers for pepper steak later this week. Want to bake a cake tomorrow, but we'll see. Strawberries and/or watermelon for dessert.
earthsheperd I'm glad your dad is feeling better!
Any desire to eat out has completely disappeared. Completely. I have so much food here. I spent $68 on groceries this week and I bet that will carry me through more than a week.
Bastelmutti
4-7-11, 9:23am
Yesterday was easy pasta & sauce. Tonight friends are coming who are on an elimination diet, so it'll be black bean and rice bowls with whatever they can put on them (& all the good stuff for the rest of us!), plus a raw mango-lime pie with nut-date-coconut crust (they can have that)!
I'm pretty happy because the food I made over the long weekend has pretty much lasted us the rest of the week. We had the rest of the leftover pizza for dinner on Wednesday, plus some veggies and hummous, then last night we had pasta or beans and rice, depending on preferences. Tonight kids will get their weekly bowl of ramen and DH and I will split the rest of the pasta and beans. I had a mix of different leftovers for my lunches. Didn't even have to go to the grocery store during the week, which is kind of rare.
Kids have asked for pizza again, and I still have a package of pepperoni and enough cheese, sauce and other toppings. So that will be lunch on Saturday. We always have chicken for lunch on Sunday at DD's request. SO I only have to think up two more meal ideas for the weekend. Probably will go with a chicken curry and then try to find something new for the other meal.
lhamo
Picked up a few sandwiches from Arby's last night. Back to TV dinners tonight! :-)
Tonight is the soup supper at church. I think that's what we'll do for dinner.
I'm actually feeling ready to cook again, so I think I might make something tomorrow and save some of the frozen meals for some future tough day. It will be nice to have a few things in the freezer the next time life knocks me on my butt temporarily. :) I'm thinking lettuce wraps or stir fry.
It feels good to be able to cook again, just in time for spring. Cooking has always been one of my favourite things to do! It's been weird having to step back from it for so long, but it's been good for me too. It's given Zach a chance to learn to cook and it's given me permission to back away from perfectionism a bit. I don't mean to be perfectionist, but sometimes my enthusiasm and excitement gets away from me.
Pizza turned out much better this time -- we rolled the crusts thinner and I used the convection setting on the oven, which seemed to help the crusts bake better/more evenly. The kids each ate their own entire small pizzas. I made some potato soup with leftover mashed potatoes that had been sitting in the freezer for awhile, a package of sliced ham I needed to use up, the last bits of a red onion I had sliced for pizza topping, and a couple of cups of chicken stock that hadn't been used up this week. That turned out pretty good, and meant DH and I still have plenty of pizza to have the leftovers for dinner. I have a workout scheduled for late this afternoon, so DH will probably just order food for the kids.
I'm all set for meals tomorrow, too. Lunch will be our standard favorite baked chicken, hummous and carrot/cucumber slices. for dinner I will probably make a big pot of beef curry, though I did get tofu today and could make spicy tofu instead. See what we feel like tomorrow.
I haven't tried a new recipe this week, but not really feeling inspired. I am already up to 10 new recipes tried for the year -- only one shy of my original goal of 11. So I think I can take a week off from experimenting! Actually I made corn tortillas last week and didn't count that, so I actually am up to 11 already. I actually enjoy trying new stuff most weeks, so I think I can at least double or triple -- and maybe even quadruple? -- my original goal.
lhamo
Update: DH spaced out and didn't order food for kids like I suggested, so I made pasta instead. Will have enough for leftovers for dinner tomorrow, so threw the beef in the freezer for another day. Looks like we'll be having a 100% eat at home weekend. Asked DS if he thinks food tastes better at home or out and he said "At home, of course!" Yay. That is actually quite an interesting development, as he used to always beg to go out or order in for just about every meal on the weekend. Start em young...
I spent a lot of time in the kitchen yesterday.
Poached chicken and sliced it for use on sandwiches, froze in small containers to take out during the week.
Made chicken-barley-vegetable soup with the poaching water. Added some garbanzo beans that I cooked and froze last month. That will be lunch today & tomorrow.
Roasted the last container of butternut squash that I had in the freezer from the fall. Will eat it on salads this week.
Made a pan of experimental brownies, using some of those garbanzo beans, pureed, in place of the fat. DD and her very picky friend gave them the thumbs up.
Chopped up some onions for the next couple of days, since I was cutting anyway for the soup, and also sliced a bunch of carrot sticks.
Sliced a jicama that a friend gave me - she had tried it but her family wouldn't eat it - and left half plain, for DH & DD, and made a jicama-orange salad with lime dressing for me.
For dinner we had some local sausage, flaxseed rolls that I made on Thursday, and broccoli (steamed and in broccoli salad - I'm working more salads in now that the days are warmer, but DH & DD are picky about salads, so making them an option at this point), along with the jicama & jicama salad.
Tonight we have a planned date night and DH and I will go out for dinner.
I made 13 quarts of Texas-Style Pinto Beans last weekend, so we have been eating beans daily and will continue to do so throughout the remainder of April. I have 5 cups of brown rice in the electric rice cooker as I'm typing this, so we will have plenty of brown rice for the next 3 days, too. I cook 5 cups of brown rice 2 to 3 times per week. I bake homemade bread regularly (using the N.Y.Times recipe featured on Simple Living Forum) and we get bagels at Pepperidge Farm outlet or Entenmann's outlet quite inexpensively. I bought frozen mixed vegetables, frozen corn and frozen peas on sale last week. I roasted 10 lbs. of chicken legs and thighs ($5.09 for 10 lbs. at Bottom Dollar!), cut the meat off the bone and froze it in small containers and used the bones, skin, etc. to make chicken stock for soups, to flavor rice and pasta, etc. I also purchased apples, carrots, celery and 5 lbs. of onions this week. Pasta, tomato sauce, oatmeal, nuts, cream cheese, butter, olive oil, eggs, vegetable oil, coffee, tea and, on average, 1 cake per week (I purchased cake mixes for $1 each at DEAL$ last week!), round out the menus for this month. With the exception of two meals for the month of April when visiting my daughter at college, the two of us will eat all meals at home. We typically spend less than $50 total per month dining out for the 3 of us when visiting my daughter.
I am so desperate to find time to cook, so many other things to accomplish as well. Love to hear about what you guys are cooking......you motivate me!
Ah, everyone's meals sound so delicious! We still don't have a kitchen, and I fell flat on my face this weekend. Ordered pizza Friday night and ate out for lunch and dinner yesterday. Bad, bad, bad Kat! Will try to do better next week.
Bastelmutti
4-10-11, 10:03am
Honestly, Kat, I think you're doing fine. We went w/out a kitchen for a month once & ate approximately like you are. Nothing to do about it until it's done! Then you'll have missed cooking so much, you'll go crazy w/ the eating at home! :-)
Last night was lavash pizzas & on the menu for this week:
* Tostadas w/ beans cooked from dried (getting in the swing of this & I love it)
* Pasta w/ red sauce or creamy cheese sauce
* Chicken & rice noodles with fresh vegetables and Vietnamese sauce
* probably pitas/hummus/chicken with the awesome pitas from the pita bakery.
Also need to cook a pot of chickpea curry for DD1's lunches. Chickpeas are soaking. I did a large pot of Thai red curry soup for my lunches toward the end of last week & probably have 2 more lunches out of that.
I agree with Bastelmutti, you are doing fine Kat. I don't think I'd do well not having a kitchen either.
Dad ended up taking us out for dinner last night, which I don't count as cheating because I didn't pay for it.
Tonight I think we are having our belated New Baby Brunch for dinner. I usually make a pancake breakfast the Saturday after bringing home a new baby, but this Saturday he was in the hospital. He's coming home later today so we're going to have the breakfast tonight.
This is the menu I am hoping to work from this week.
Monday: Lasagne and salad
Tuesday: Grilled chicken, baked potatoes and salad
Wednesday: Rice noodles with peanut sauce and veggies
Thursday; Hoisin chicken lettuce wraps
Friday: Soup supper
Saturday: Dad takes the kids. Zach and I have something simple. Grilled cheese or something like that.
Sunday: Pot roast, mashed potatoes and carrots
I'm revising my menu a bit. We're having company for dinner tomorrow and I'm in the mood to cook. I think I'm going to make avgolemono (Greek chicken, lemon and rice soup) and some no knead bread and a salad. It sounds yummy to me, plus it's pretty easy and I have all the ingredients on hand.
this week -
M - chicken, sugar snap peas, raw vegetable sticks with hummus
T - spinach lasagna, broccoli
W - leftovers
Th -tofu/bok choy stir-fry
We've been eating most meals at home, though we did eat out once. At least I boxed half to take home! The good news is that my contractor is getting ready to put a coat of primer on the kitchen. This means we can paint, get cabinets in, get the floor down, and then get measured for the countertop. You have no idea how excited I am to get my kitchen back. Maybe in a couple of weeks I can actually cook again!
I decided to have some "International" fun with leftovers for dinner tonight, as I have had a nice variety of meals since April 1 on a limited food budget. Phở gà (Vietnamese), Veggie Burritos (made with carrots, onions, Texas-style Pinto Beans, a little shredded part-skim extra sharp cheddar cheese & brown rice) (Mexican), homemade Kahlua Choc. Chip Cake (Mexican) w/ (Swiss) buttercream frosting & Coffee (Colombian). We will likely have this same bizarre combination of foods several times over the next few days, as I tend to cook in large quantities for leftovers.
Saturday: bok choy/carrot/tofu stir-fry.
Sunday: pasta, sauce, meatballs, asparagus. This is our last week before the allergy elimination diet.
Monday: leftovers
Tuesday/Wednesday: pot roast, potatoes, carrots, broccoli. Using up a piece of grass-fed beef in the freezer, that's not on the diet either.
Thursday: homemade pizza. (I have a homemade pizza crust in the freezer, too) Salad.
Friday: Black bean enchiladas, salad.
Bastelmutti
4-18-11, 11:48am
Rosemary, I missed the fact that you were going on the elimination diet. For what it's worth, I have a friend on it, and she found it easier than she thought. Are nuts off limits? If not, I have a rockin' raw fruit pie recipe for you! Good luck with it.
Not a good week for the challenge for me, I'm afraid. Went out this weekend w/ family to my favorite Asian restaurant after a long day of activities - that Saturday thing. This week we also have at least 2 planned meals out with friends coming to visit from another country (foods they don't get easily back home). Otherwise, I'm soaking black beans for tacos/tostadas and will make pasta once from my pasta stash. I'd also like to try a salmon burger recipe I found.
I am finding this pretty easy now. I probably shouldn't say that. Now I'm going to fall off the wagon. :)
Last night we just had quesadillas and popcorn while we watched a movie. It was a huge treat for the kids. We absolutely never eat in front of the TV.
Tonight is a stir fry I've been trying to make for a couple of days and haven't gotten to. Later this week another friend is bringing a meal as a baby gift. Apparently people know that fourth babies don't need much because almost every gift I've gotten this time around has been either a meal or diapers, which is exactly what we do need. Tomorrow we have a babysitter, so I have to think of something easy to make for the kids to eat. Maybe a crock pot roast.
Thanks for the inspiration, Stella. I'm going to make quesadillas today, as I have leftover flour tortillas to use.
Bastelmutti, we can have nuts - I'd love the recipe, thanks!
I've been preparing and although we will be eating differently, it won't be as bad as I first thought - at least for me. My husband eats a lot of prepared snacks and cheese, so it will be more difficult for him.
I do need to come up with a substitute for soy sauce/tamari, though, because soy's not allowed.
earthshepherd
4-18-11, 4:37pm
we have had a couple of crazy weeks with several eat-out nights, but this afternoon, I am cooking up a storm trying to be frugal again. I am in the middle of making pizza dough and lentil tomato stew, both of which will provide two or three meals apiece.
Well, we are still kitchenless BUT we went grocery shopping and tried to buy easy to make things that appealed to us besides frozen dinners. We are sick of them, and if that is all we have, we will eat out. So we got some stuff for sandwiches, some potato salad, fruits and veggies, etc. My MIL sent over some macaroni salad and some grape salad, so we have that, too. So far so good.
Bastelmutti
4-18-11, 6:23pm
You are doing great, Kat! I have a kitchen and well...!
Rosemary -
http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2009/06/how-to-make-a-raw-fruit-pie/
The first one I made had strawberries & Greek yogurt, but dairy is probably off-plan for you. I made another one subbing 5 champagne mangoes for the strawberries, lime for the lemon juice & only 1/2 c. dates in the filling & it was awesome.
PS I freeze these for more of a sorbet-type filling. Don't know how firm the filling gets un-frozen.
I do need to come up with a substitute for soy sauce/tamari, though, because soy's not allowed.
Can you use Bragg's Liquid Aminos? I substitute it for soy sauce frequently. It can be found at most health food stores and online. If you can have nuts, perhaps you could substitute all natural nut butters?
Maxamillion
4-18-11, 7:34pm
Last week I made two homemade pizzas. I put allspice in the tomato sauce this time and it went really well with the garlic in it.
This week I plan on baking a loaf or two of bread, making coconut shrimp, and maybe a coconut cake if I have all the ingredients. A few other things planned are chicken picadillo, baked beans, hummus, orange ginger rice and veges, mango shrimp, and of course some easy things like PB&J sandwiches, quesadillas, and mashed potatoes (from the box, heh). I've got some dried mayocoba beans that are really great, I'll cook those and add some shredded chicken or ham. I plan on making chili one day too using some dried beans and a frozen hamburger patty from the freezer.
That's quite a bit of variety, Maxamillion. It sounds like you're doing just fine!
Maxamillion
4-18-11, 7:56pm
Thanks. :) Most of this month has been PB&J, cause I haven't felt like cooking but the last few days I've gotten into a cooking mood. The mango shrimp is an experiment, it should be...interesting...to see how it turns out, lol.
ETA: I forgot to list tonight's dinner...macaroni noodles, broccoli, and chicken with a cheddar/bread crumb topping and a mango for dessert.
Bragg's was my first thought for a soy sauce sub as well, but it's soy-based. I can use almond butter in place of peanut butter for nut-based sauces, and almond milk to make things creamy. I will have to come up with something in place of soy sauce, though. Possibly balsamic vinegar with something to make it less acidic?
I looked up substitutes for soy sauce in cooking online and found several recommendations for using Worcestershire sauce and water in equal parts as a substitute for soy sauce. Might this work?
Thanks for your efforts, RCWRTR! Unfortunately, Worcestershire has sugar in it, which we can't use, either!
Has anyone used ume plum vinegar before? I never have and am wondering what it tastes like.
Bastelmutti
4-19-11, 9:39am
I have some ume vinegar in the fridge, but haven't really found a proper use for it yet. The flavor is very strong, and I'm just not sure what it goes with (apart from plain rice or noodles).
Maxamillion - Your mango shrimp sounds good. At the Asian restaurant someone at the table next to us had mango chicken & it looked simple & yummy.
Earthshepherd - Your lentil-tomato stew sounds good, too!
Maxamillion
4-21-11, 11:38pm
Maxamillion - Your mango shrimp sounds good. At the Asian restaurant someone at the table next to us had mango chicken & it looked simple & yummy.
Mango chicken sounds good too. I made the mango shrimp tonight. I didn't have any fresh mangos...I'm going to try it again after the first with fresh. The sauce itself reminds me a lot of Major Grey's Chutney. It went pretty well with the shrimp. I added in some frozen green beans, mango, pineapple, coconut, and bell pepper and put it all over jasmine rice.
Maxamillion
4-25-11, 6:40pm
For lunch today, I fell off the wagon and fixed a frozen pizza...but..I soaked some beans overnight and have them cooking right now. Will probably make chili out of them.
Last night I made baked beans (using canned this time)...with the onions, bell pepper, and ham slices, it was a meal by itself.
Awesome, Maxamillion. I have been eating a lot of Texas-style Pinto Beans and brown rice lately. I have one burrito left from the 14 I made earlier in the month. I have 3 quarts of chicken vegetable noodle soup to use for a few simple meals for the last week of April. I used leftover whole wheat penne pasta, frozen peas, crushed tomatoes and leftover bacon to make a wonderful inexpensive lunch yesterday. I baked potato chip cookies to use up leftover potato chips that would probably go stale before they were eaten. I shared them with my neighbors.
I just made a huge pot of my chorizo sausage/black bean/onion/sweet potato/red and orange pepper/zuchini stew ~ sounds kind of crazy but it is soooo good, especially on such a dreary rainy day. There is enough for six meals for me!
That sounds wonderful, SiouzQ! I'm wondering if it would have a vegetable, hicken or tomato base? Would you share the recipe, please?
hot cornbread with home made blackberry syrup.
Bragg's was my first thought for a soy sauce sub as well, but it's soy-based. I can use almond butter in place of peanut butter for nut-based sauces, and almond milk to make things creamy. I will have to come up with something in place of soy sauce, though. Possibly balsamic vinegar with something to make it less acidic?
Miso?
Miso is soy, too! Apparently there is a company that makes chickpea-based miso but I've not seen it yet.
We've been doing pretty well. We have not spent more than our budgeted amount for eating out. We've been eating a lot of easy things like sandwiches, salad, etc.
Maxamillion
4-26-11, 10:45am
I do need to come up with a substitute for soy sauce/tamari, though, because soy's not allowed.
I was going to suggest fish sauce, but it's got sugar in it. I wonder if there's a sugar-free version.
I did find a sugar-free crab sauce online but I've not tried it so I don't know how it would taste.
To RCWRTR: well, there is no recipe but this is what I did ~ brown two cut-up chorizo sausage (from Wholefoods) in a big pot using olive oil, add one diced onion, 2 cans of black beans, 1 can of diced tomato including liquids, add maybe 1/2 to one cup water, one peeled and diced sweet potato, diced peppers (used red and orange but anything will work) and one diced fresh mango. I don't think I used any spices in this batch, but the sausage was plenty spicy. Cooked on stove for as long as the sweet potatoes need to get cooked, then added the sliced zuchini and watched it to make sure those didn't get over-cooked. Distributed into many little plastic containers for the freezer ~ I grab these when I run out the door on the way to work because I prefer eating my "dinner" at lunch; it's like a treat to break up the work day. When I get home at 7:30 dinner is whatever I scrounge up at random!
Bastelmutti
4-28-11, 1:26pm
Hey, how's everyone doing? After having a great time with our visitors, we're back on the bandwagon. I have another two weeks of working day and night, so I'm trying to do easy meals. This week we had leftovers from eating out, a crockpot tortilla pie (layer corn tortillas, beans, salsa mixed with a little cream or sour cream, and cheese plus any stray veggies in a crockpot & cook for 3-4 hours on high until it all melds together - a great clean-out-the-fridge meal), and yesterday a bag of ravioli I found in the freezer. We've been eating meat, but less than before DH started reading Omnivore's Dilemma. Also, DD1 started baking - YAY, now I don't have to! and getting interested in where food comes from. The DDs were saying yesterday that we should get rid of palm oil in our foods to save the rainforest (anyone have more info on this?) so they were reading the labels of all of our snacks & realizing they all pretty much contain palm oil. After this project would be a good time to start making homemade snacks! Have been regularly cooking beans from dried, but want to get back to making our own yogurt. Have a good last few days of April!
Great job Bastelmutti! I might have to try the tortilla pie. I'm in a clean-out-the-fridge and freezer phase right now.
I have ROCKED this challenge this month. As I said on the frugals thread it's just gotten to be to big a pain to go out and eat with four young children. I'd imagine that will be true for a while. Outside of DH eating at the cafeteria when I was in the hospital and a couple of late night coffee-and-pie date nights we haven't eaten out this month on our own dime.
Maxamillion
4-28-11, 4:40pm
I had chili for lunch yesterday and looks like I'll have it for supper tonight. I'm getting mighty tired of chili, lol. Tomorrow is payday, so I'll be going grocery shopping. I'm making up a list of menu ideas and stuff I'll need to buy. I've got a recipe for zucchini quiche I want to try and am planning on grilling out a couple of days.
Forgot to add: For lunch today I made soup with leftover beans. I added in some pasta, onions, can of carrots, chicken stock powder, and garlic powder.
I found a sub for soy sauce. Coconut aminos: http://www.coconutsecret.com/aminos2.html Our local natural foods store had it.
We won't be eating out until this elimination diet is over, in 5 more weeks (longer than that given the time it takes to slowly re-introduce foods), so I've been cooking even more than usual! We're also eating a lot of salad.
Today I made some turkey-vegetable soup from some organic turkey wings that I also got at the natural foods store - that will last for a few meals through the weekend.
I did some experimental gluten, egg, and dairy-free baking a few days ago, and everything came out really well. I made some banana muffins and some almond-based shortbread. Now I have some small treats to pack in DD's lunch so she doesn't feel quite as shortchanged by the elimination diet.
And it looks like we might finally get some spring weather over the next week, so smoothie season will begin again in our house. I have difficulty drinking an icy beverage when it's freezing outside - we don't keep our thermostat warm enough for that! Smoothies after school make DD very happy.
Rosemary I've been anxious to get back on the smoothie bandwagon too. I was so excited to see that it's going to be decent weather this coming week!
I used 2 quarts of Texas-style Pinto Beans, 6 cups of rolled oats, 2 T olive oil, 1 finely chopped onion, 1/2 cup chopped Spanish green olives w/ pimentos, 1 grated carrot, 1 can diced tomatoes, drained and 2 cups Italian seasoned breadcrumbs to make a veggie "meat" mixture, which I used to make 4 veggie burger patties, 12 veggie "meat"balls and "meat" to go in my 13x9 spaghetti pie casserole. I spent $357.41 on groceries and 2 restaurant meals (when visiting my daughter at her university) for April 2011, and I still have a lot of unused grocery items, which will reduce my May 2011 grocery bill. How did y'all do for April 2011?
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