Thoughts about leaving for the weekend...

Okay, I really hate to leave for the weekend without double checking the fridge. I would say this is probably because of the price per item of the foods I buy since I'm so picky. So then I find out that the $9/pint of goat yogurt is about to expire...EEP! Strawberries are on the edge, spinach is on the edge... I have reached a new low. I actually froze yogurt in an icecube tray to use in smoothies. Brilliant! I have no idea what this will do to that yogurt, but we shall see. I also steamed all of the spinach and put it in the freezer.

Here comes the next question, do we really not value our food anymore? I mean looking at how much we waste? Ever since I started REALLY analyzing what I was buying, it was like, "Darn I really don't want to waste that... four freakin' dollars!" However, now it is almost an appreciation thing. We buy our milk and honey (stopped buying processed sugar altogether) locally, eat our own eggs from the backyard brooding girls, and I'm starting to buy meat locally as well when I can (we don't eat much beef, otherwise it would be a higher percentage). So now with the money I spend on food, I really don't want to waste it. It isn't really expensive considering that we don't buy pre-packaged food anymore, but still, don't want to waste quality stuff.

We are what we eat!
Charlea

Hearty Spinach Cheese Bread

I most definitely made this for dinner tonight and it was very filling!

1 1/2 cups stoneground whole wheat flour
1 cup milk
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 onion, grated
2 cups fresh spinach, steamed
2 TBS olive oil

Preheat 350. Mix flour, baking powder and nutmeg. Add milk and egg. Fold in chopped steamed spinach, onion and cheese. Pour into a greased casserole dish (or loaf pan, extend cooking time). drizzle olive oil over the top and bake about 20 minutes or until cooked through.

Hot Spinach and Artichoke DIp

Approximately 2 cups loosely packed spinach, or about 1/2 cup pre-steamed canned or frozen

4 artichoke hearts chopped or roughly 1 1/2-2 whole artichokes, prepared

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar

1/2 cup mozarella

1/2 grated parmesan

6 oz cream cheese

4 TBS butter

1/2 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1-4 tsp hot sauce (depending on your taste, 1 tsp doesn't provide any kick, just a bit of flavor)

Steam your spinach until very cooked and set aside (thaw frozen or drain canned). Add onions, garlic and butter to a saucepan. On medium, saute until clear and add cream cheese (cut into pieces). Partially melt the cream cheese, then turn heat to low and mix in cheeses, artichokes and spinach (squeezed of all excess water and coarsely chopped). Once cheeses are melted, stir in hot sauce and pour into a casserole dish and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes until bubbly and beginning to brown on top. If serving later, store in the fridge prior to baking. When ready to heat, cover and bake about 40 minutes to heat through, then remove lid and bake an additional 10-15 minutes for a lightly browned top.

*Note* The artichoke type doesn't make a lot of difference in flavor, so I would opt for the jarred or canned kind. If jarred, remember that those are not packed in water, thoroughly rinse them of all extra oil and flavors.

FRESH spinach makes a HUGE difference on taste. I always buy fresh and steam it myself while I'm doing the other steps. Frozen and canned just doesn't have much spinach flavor in the end result.

Alton Brown's Soft Pretzel Recipe (NOT mine) :)

1 1/2 cups warm water

1 pkg yeast

1 TBS sugar

2 tsp kosher salt

4 1/2 cups flour (I use whole wheat, but it calls for all-purpose)

1/2 stick melted butter

Vegetable oil ( to coat the dough and baking pans)

10 cups water

2/3 c baking soda

1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tsp water

Pretzel or kosher salt

Parchment paper

Put warm water, sugar, 2 t salt and yeast in a bowl and let sit until foamy (5 mins). Add flour and butter and knead until it all comes together. Coat bowl with vegetable oil and let rise for an hour under saran wrap (or an upside down bowl) until doubled.

Boil water and baking soda. Cut dough into 8 even chunks and roll out into pretzels. Drop pretzels in water with a slatted spatula and boil for 30 seconds, one at a time. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut paper to fit cookie sheets and coat with vegetable oil. Place pretzels on the pan and brush lightly with egg yolk/water. Sprinkle with salt and bake until golden brown (about 12 minutes).

Tortilla Soup

2-3 corn tortillas (dried out is fine, doesn't matter)

1/2 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 jalapeno, veins and seeds discarded, minced

1/8 cup olive oil

1 can or 3 ears of corn

1 chicken breast, diced

1 small can tomato paste

2 medium tomatoes (or probably 1 regular can)

3 tsp cumin

3 tsp poultry seasoning

Heat your oil over medium and cook onion, garlic and japaleno until about half-way done. Add corn tortillas, cut into 1 inch pieces and fry until crisp and light brown on each side. Remove tortillas. Add remaining ingredients and simmer until chicken is cooked through. When ready to serve, fold in tortillas and cook about 2 minutes longer, then serve immediately. (I just altered the last part because how I did it was leave them in the beginning which is what the recipe tells you do to, they end up being so soggy...blech.)

Pineapple Muffins

2 cups wheat flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 c wheat germ

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup diced pineapple and juice

1/2 cup honey

1 egg

1/3 cup vegetable oil

Topping:

1 oz cream cheese

1 TBS butter

4 TBS bran

2 TBS wheat germ

8 TBS oats

1/8 c honey

Preheat 375. Mix wet ingredients and pineapple. Add dry ingredients all at once, beating thoroughly. Pour into greased muffins cups. Crumble topping with a fork and sprinkle on top. Bake 20 minutes and let cool 5 mins in the pan before removing.

Miso Soup

2 tsp (or to taste) miso paste 1 bag Dashi fish stock (the bags, not the loose kind) 6 cups water 1/2 cup cubed soft tofu 2 long strands seaweed, chopped small (if salted, soak 20 minutes beforehand) 4 mushrooms, sliced 1 green onion, chopped Boil your water and add dashi. Cover and let simmer 10 mins with the mushrooms and green onion. Whisk in miso paste. Add tofu and seaweed and heat through.

Real Mac N Cheese (This is a WHOLE meal)

Either 1 cup of chicken stock, canned (not very healthy) or:

1 chicken breast

1 carrot

1/4 onion

1 stalk celery

1 1/2 cups whole wheat macaroni

1 cup milk

3 TBS flour

4 TBS olive oil or other oil or butter (or a blend of butter and oil)

1/2 c shredded parmesan

1 pkg frozen spinach (cheap) or 2 cups fresh, steamed

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

Throw your chicken breast in a pot with 2-3 cups water, your chopped carrot, celery and onion (salt and pepper). When chicken is cooked through, cut up into small pieces and pureee your broth in the blender (with onion, celery and carrot). Heat oil over medium heat and add flour. Cook one minute and add milk and one cup of the puree broth and turn to low. Add nutmeg and let simmer. Boil macaroni. When macaroni is done, squeeze spinach out and tear into pieces. Add chicken, parmesan and spinach to the sauce. Mix in macaroni.

Super Sweet Granola

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup honey

1 tsp vanilla

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp salt

2 1/2 cups whole oats

1/4 cup wheat germ

1/4 cup oat bran

1 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup crushed or sliced almonds

Heat your butter on the stove top in a big pan and add honey. Mix thoroughly before adding salt, vanilla, and cinnamon. Fold in oats, oat bran and wheat germ (or just sub out of bran and germ with anything you want, more oats, etc). Add coconut and almonds and stir until coated and all look wet. Bake at 375 on a cookie sheet with sides for 10 minutes. Stir and thenbake another 5-7 minutes. Let cool on pan. Store in an airtight container.

The Wonderful World of Blogging!

Well, in light of the fact that I ALWAYS lose my recipes, I've decided to start blogging (primarily to save myself the hassle of remembering where I stuck the recipe card). I may throw some additional information in, too. I'm sure it'll all slip through the cracks here in about six weeks when dirty hippie baby number 2 is born :).

-Charlea