Spinach Artichoke Dip

We had a little appetizer party yesterday, and here is a recipe I adapted from a friend. Andy turned his nose up at the name of it, but I demand he at least try it. After he tasted it and admitted it was good, he suggested they change the name as "Spinach" and "Artichoke" do not sound appealing, especially when you are a male.

Spinach Artichoke Dip
(I am such a terrible food photographer!)
1 8oz pkg cream cheese, softened
4 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
dash of Worcester sauce
salt pepper to taste
14 oz can artichokes
small box frozen spinach

whip all ingredients together and spread in an oven safe dish. Warm thru. 350 for about 20 minutes.

We scooped ours up with homemade corn chips. YUM!

Mock Refried Beans

This is an easy recipe to make refried beans, without actually cooking them a second time. You just throw everything in your crock pot, let it cook away, then you mash it all up and VIOLA! Re fried Beans.

I cooked a big pot of these, and just put the leftovers in the freezer. They will be good for bean burros or tostadas on a night when I am in a hurry.

A LITTLE SIDE NOTE: I was lucky enough to have some delicious homemade tamales to eat along with the yummy beans. The tamales were the ABSOLUTE BEST I have ever had (and I have eaten a lot of tamales in my day!) My friend and her family buy whole corn, cut it off the cob and grind it themselves to make masa for their tamales. Which just supports my whole thinking on food, homemade is always best. Time consuming? Yes. But always best. Getting as basic as you can always yields the best results.

Re Fried Beans

1 large onion, diced (or about 1/2 cup dried onion flakes)
*About 4 cups dried pinto beans*see note below
2 fresh jalapenos, seeded and diced OR 1 can of diced green chili for a milder flavor
4 Tbs. minced garlic
1/2 tsp cumin
salt
pepper
taco seasoning


Sort and rinse beans then leave to soak overnight. *(The beans will bulk up after a soak on the counter, so be sure and adjust the recipe to the size of your crock pot. I have a large crock pot so I had no problem fitting this into my pot.)

After beans have soaked for 12 - 24 hours rinse them really well and dump them into your crock pot. Add onion, peppers, garlic and cumin. Pour enough water in the crock pot to cover the beans. Let it cook on high for about 8 hours. Check to be sure the water does not get all absorbed in the cooking process and add more if needed. Once beans are are soft, turn off your crock pot and drain out the water, but reserve it for later.

Mash up the beans with a potato masher (I used a pastry cutter) If the beans are too thick, add in some of the reserved water. The beans should be about the consistency of mashed potatoes.

Taste the beans, if they need more flavor add taco seasoning, salt, pepper, salsa, cheese, sour cream, whatever sounds good until the flavor is to your liking.

I added in about 3 Tbs. taco seasoning and some salsa while I was mashing. Then my husband topped his bowl of beans with cheese and sour cream. Very versatile and easy dish.

Favorite Potato Bread

My sister in law made this bread on Sunday for dinner. It was delicious. The recipe is written out for a bread machine, and it stated that it made one loaf. Here is what I ended up with:
A loaf of bread big enough to make sandwiches for Paul Bunyan. Next time I will split it into 2. This recipe is great to make if you have a Kitchen Aid because the dough is not very substantial. A Kitchen Aid could handle it just fine, I think.

I added some whole wheat to the recipe and it did not take away from it at all, the bread is soft soft soft.

1 1/2 cups luke warm water
2 Tbs. butter
2 tsp. salt
4 cups bread flour (I used 2 cups white and 2 cups wheat)
4 tsp. sugar (I used 2 tsp)
1/2 cup potato flakes
2 1/2 tsp yeast

dissolve yeast in water. Combine all other ingredients in mixer. Slowly add yeast mixture and mix until combined. Knead in mixer about 3 or 4 minutes, until dough is smooth and shiny.(If the dough does not smooth out, add a Tbs. or so of water.) Let raise for about an hour. Punch down and form into 2 loaves. Let it raise for about 30 minutes. Bake 350 for 25 minutes, checking periodically. You want it nice and brown on top, but not burnt.

Minestrone

A friend shared some of this soup with me the other day. It was spectacular! Since it is the end of the gardening season for us, we eat a lot of soups in the fall to help clean things out. Minestrone is a good versatile soup cuz you can add or subract almost anything you want.

In general, my kids will eat anything. They had a hard time with the spinach in this soup. I think next time I make it, I will use fresh spinach and chop it up more so its not so clumpy and stringy in the soup. It didnt bother me, but they were irritated that it kept falling off their spoons.

The original recipe (and the picture) are found here


This is my version:
8 cups chicken stock
2 cups fresh tomatoes, diced and save all juices
2 cups dried beans - rinsed in hot water. I used black and white beans
1 cup chopped carrots
1 onion, diced
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1/2 cup uncooked pasta (I used whole wheat shells)
1 cup fresh grated zuchinni
1 cup fresh diced yellow squash

I rinsed my beans in hot water and soaked them overnight before I used them in this dish.
If you are using any variety of red beans, YOU MUST do a rapid-boil to kill a possible toxin that occurs naturally in red beans.

Add everything to the crock pot, cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or until the beans are soft. Add dry pasta, and cook on high for about 30 minutes.

Serve with bread sticks and enjoy!

Soaked Whole Wheat Pancakes

I try to always soak my wheat because it reduces the phytic acid. In general, whole grains have high levels of phytic acid, a substance that reduces our absorption of minerals such as calcium, iron, zinc, and magnesium.

Phytic acid is becoming a hot topic on the internet, even Lance Armstrongs website is talking about it.

In all my reading, this explanation seemed the easiest to understand (aside from all the scientific terms)

Phytic acid (known as inositol hexaphosphate (IP6), or phytate) is the principal storage form of phosphorus in many plant tissues, especially in the grass family (wheat, rice, rye, barley etc) and beans. Phosphorus in this form is generally not bioavailable to humans because humans lack the digestive enzyme, phytase, required to separate phosphorus from the phytate molecule.

Phytate structure (Source)

Phytic acid binds to important minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc and can therefore contribute to mineral deficiencies, as the minerals are not released from the phytate and are thus unavailable to the body. For people with a particularly low intake of essential minerals, especially young children and those in developing countries, this effect can be undesirable.

A common way in developing countries to increase the bioavailability of minerals from grains and beans is using fermentation. Many bacteria possess phytase activity and by fermenting grains or beans by lactic acid bacteria the phytate is destroyed and the bioavailability of the minerals is increased.

Phytic acid recently has been studied for its potential anti-carcinogenic properties. Recent studies have indicated that phytic acid may have some preventive effect in prostate, breast, pancreatic and colon cancer. The mechanism, however, is not yet understood.

If we can reduce the phytic acid in whole grains, our bodies can better absorb the minerals and the food is easier assimilated into our bodies. Here is an easy recipe for whole wheat pancakes, using the soaking method. It yeilds a light and fluffy pancake. Skip any boxed whole grain pancake mixes and give this a try, its easy and tasty too!

Whole Wheat Pancakes

3 cups fresh ground wheat flour
2 1/2 - 3 cups kefir
1/3 honey
2 T. baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup powdered milk
1/3 cup coconut oil
2 eggs

About 24 hours before you plan to make your pancakes, combine wheat and kefir in a large bowl.

It does not need to be runny, just be sure to use enough kefir to moisten your wheat, like this:
Stir it up really good and cover it, I just set a plate on top of my bowl and it forms a sort of lid, you dont want to seal it tight, just cover it. Plastic wrap would work fine too. Let it sit on your counter for 12 - 24 hours.

When you are ready to make pancakes, add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl of soaked wheat. Whisk everything together and cook on a hot griddle.

These are yummy when they are topped with fresh fruit, yogurt, or homemade buttermilk syrup.
Extra pancakes can be stored in the freezer and cooked in the toaster on mornings you are in a hurry.

$50 Bucks

That is how much I spent in groceries last month.

I didnt use a debit card, or swipe my credit card one time.

Twice a month, Andy "pays" me enough money for food and groceries. In September, there was a bit of a snafu with the money and when Andy only gave me $50, I looked at it and thought it would be fun to see how long I could make it last. Well, I rationed it out and it covered 30 days. I went to the grocery store ONE TIME during the month. And other than that, I did not step foot in a store for an entire 30 days. No trips to Wal Mart for "just one thing" no late night runs to the grocery store for "just milk".

I often ask myself if I could live as a pioneer. The hardest thing for me to give up would be food. I could go without a shower, with out electricity, I would love to live off my garden and sew my families clothes. But the food...I would struggle with that. I love cooking and trying new recipes. If I were a pioneer I am certain that Curry and Naan would have never been served, and chocolate chip cookies would not be a regular treat in our house.

I understand that pioneers diets were limited, because their income and resources were. They didnt have a supermarket 5 minutes away that held millions of half prepared items inside. I thought it would be interesting to see if I could really get back to the basics, so I limited my income and resources for a month.

Granted, this can not happen every month in my house, our cupboards and freezer were full of random items that have now been used up and will not go to waste.

I buy a lot of items in bulk, so we have plenty of grains in this house. Wheat, spelt, millett, rice, various types of beans, ect. I used the bulk grains we have on hand and it seems like I barely dented my supply. I ground my own grains for biscuits, breads, tortillas, cookies, etc.

Even Maggie got homemade foods, ground or prepared right here in our own kitchen. She has been eating solids for about 3 months now and to date, I have purchased 1 box of rice cereal at the store. She eats millet, barley, and rice fresh ground from the organic bulk stuff I have on hand. And fruits and veggies pulled from our garden and shared from friends.

The biggest thing I did was simplify and MAKE everything from scratch. When I made chicken enchiladas, they were made with homemade tortillas (CHEAP and EASY!!), homemade cream of chicken soup (CHEAP and EASY!) white beans bought in bulk a few months ago (CHEAP!) and served with chips made from homemade tortillas (CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP!!!) and tomatoes from our garden (FREE!). Once I sat down and calculated the cost of that meal, I was astounded. It cost me less than $2 out of my pocket to make a 9 x 13 pan of chicken enchiladas, which fed us dinner and lunch the next day.

Here is a little summary of what we consumed:

breakfasts:
1. 12 grain cereal (no cost, purchased a few months ago. 50lbs of organic grain cereal only cost me $27, why doesnt everyone eat this stuff? I swear I am never going to get to the bottom of the bag!)
2. whole wheat pancakes and homemade syrup (no cost for anything, all items were on hand.)
3. scrambled eggs and toast from homemade bread (no cost, all items were on hand, we get eggs for free from my father in laws chickens)
4. blueberry muffins (no cost, all items on hand. I have 15 lbs of blueberries in my freezer that need used)
shakes/smoothies (cost of milk to make kefir, all other items on hand from bulk purchases in the past.)


lunches:
1. leftovers
2. peanut butter and jelly and applesauce (no cost. homemade bread, homemade jam, natural peanut butter purchased in bulk last month that needed to get used. homemade apple sauce)
3. quesadillas (homemade tortillas. cheese purchased from the store. Served with homemade salsa)
4. chips and salsa (No cost. homemade chips, homemade salsa.)
5. egg salad sandwiches (no cost. homemade bread, free eggs, condiments on hand)
6. salad (minimal cost, I used veggies from the garden, but had to buy some leafy greens)

dinner:
this was really the only place I spent money. I had to buy a few items to help me complete some meals. I always served fresh fruits or veggies on the side, which for the most part cost me nothing.

1. chicken enchiladas (almost no cost. everything was on hand but the cheese. I canned my own chicken last summer so I used that, made my own corn tortillas, made my own cream chicken, used chilis from my garden, served with garden tomatoes and homemade salsa and chips)
2. ham and bean soup (no cost, I got a ham bone from my mother in law and used beans and spices that I had on hand. served with homemade corn bread)
3. chicken noodle soup (almost no cost. all garden veggies, 1 chicken breast, homemade egg noodles and homemade rolls)
4. spaghetti (no cost. no meat. I had everything on hand. I rummaged in my food storage and found a can of spaghetti noodles that were nearing its expiration date, so we used them up and served them with home made sauce and tons of garden veggies and homemade bread sticks)
5. some nights we ate peanut butter and jelly
6. Brazillian Beans and rice (no cost. no meat. all items on hand)
7. Chicken roll ups (minimal cost. 1 chicken breast, homemade rolls, spices, and soup used)
8. Biscuits and gravy with eggs (no cost, no meat. homemade biscuits and pan gravy with fresh eggs)
9. pancakes (no cost. homemade pancakes, homemade syrup. served with homemade apple juice from a large apple harvest)
10. Macaroni and cheese (minimal cost. everything was on hand, but I did buy cheese and used it for this)
11. Minestrone with homemade rolls (no cost. All garden veggies, homemade chicken stock. Homemade herb rolls)
12. Salad (minimal cost. free garden veggies but I did buy leafy greens. I used old-ish bread to make croutons)
13. chicken fingers and fries (homemade chicken fingers and oven baked fries using spuds from the garden)
14. Sitaw, a traditional Philippino food. (minimal cost. brown rice, green beans from the garden, chicken and spices all on hand)

snacks:

1. apples (free from our trees)
2. veggies (from the garden)
3. hard boiled eggs (from the Father in Law)
4. Zucchini Bread (Zuchinni from the garden, all other baking items on hand)
5. carrot cake with no frosting (Carrots from the garden, all other baking items on hand)
6. bread and butter (homemade bread)
7. granola bars (homemade with items on hand)
8. popcorn (I bought a 25 lb bag of organic popcorn for $15 a few months ago and we are working our way thru it)
9. blueberry muffins (leftovers from breakfast)
10. Shakes/smoothies (cost of milk to make kefir)
11. cookies (no cost, all items on hand)
12. homemade pretzels (no cost, all items on hand)
13. applesauce (no cost, made last summer from a large apple crop)

I have to say, with all that homemade stuff, last month was not even hard. Meals were not extremely time consuming. It was great to really use the basics when feeding my family. For bulk items, I think if we had some wheat, beans, flour, sugar and butter on hand we could fare just fine. (sound familiar? FOOD STORAGE!!!)

This month I purchased butter, milk, cheese, chicken, and bananas, milk and a few other small items. Otherwise, I just used stuff I had around here. And my supplies are still full. I still have tons of grains and butter and chocolate chips.

Anyone can cut back their grocery bill this way. Cook your own food. Grow a garden. Get as basic as you can when preparing meals. Skip the box of Bisquick and find a recipe for biscuits and pancakes, homemade tastes so much better anyway. Make your own tortillas, and let your kids help. My boys love rolling out the corn dough and pressing it. Make your won syrup, sure it has sugar in it but its nothing compared to the stuff Aunt Jamima makes, and the taste surpasses store bought stuff too. Its easy and its cheap.

I think I will try this again in a few months. I am always over buying and keeping extra stuff in the freezer and cupboard. This helps me to use it up and get creative and forces me to hone my cooking/baking skills.

Beans

People often ask me how I get my family to eat less meat. For me, its easy. I supplement with beans.

If you could look in my freezer at any given time, you would see an assortment of frozen beans. Black beans, white beans, red beans, adzuki beans, pinto beans, etc. About once a week, I soak and cook up a big pot of each then divide them up into plastic bags and freeze them for later use. This is so much more economical than buying beans in a can. Have you seen the prices of one can of beans? Its ridiculous!!

Aside from the pinto beans I have purchased at the cannery, I buy all my beans in bulk from Azure Standard. I choose the organic ones and most of them are grown in the US. Even then, they work out to be cheaper than store bought canned beans.

Now, beans take a lot of forethought which I why I try to stay ahead of myself and have them in the freezer. Here is my process for making beans:

First, I sort out the beans. I always pick thru them carefully as I find lots of little rocks in them. I dont want my family to munch down on one of those! After sorting the beans, I put them in a bowl of water and let them soak for about 2 days. I drain and rinse them a few times while they are sitting on the counter. Then one morning after breakfast I give them one last good rinse and dump them in my crock pot. I cover the beans with water and let them cook all day until I am ready for bed. (Some beans will still absorb water as they cook, so watch them and add water if needed. You can always drain off extra later.) I turn them off and let them sit in the pot overnight. In the morning, they are cool and can be sorted into plastic bags. I put 2 or 3 cups in a bag and then put them in the freezer.

Then I can use them in a pinch when I am making dinner. I use them in Kellys chicken tortilla soup, chicken enchiladas, bean dip, white bean chili, and much more. I add beans to spaghetti to stretch it a little, I put beans in sloppy joes instead of using all meat, I have even made cookies using mashed white beans instead of butter.

We eat beans atleast 2 times a week, sometimes more. If I use a recipe that calls for ground beef, I usually cut the meat down by about 2/3 and fill use beans in its place. And the kind of beans I use depends on what I am cooking. White beans go good in casseroles and soups. Black and pinto beans serve as a good substitute for meat. Black and pinto also work well in any mexican dish to stretch it out a little.

I have been asked to store foods for "a rainy day" and beans are easy to store and cook (although the process is lengthy). So I am always looking for ways to use them and incorporate them in our diet. Not to mention they are CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP!!

Now, here is an easy recipe for a delicious bean dinner:
At Sunday dinner a few weeks ago, my mother in law cooked a ham. I bummed the bone off her and used it for ham and beans with cornbread. This was so easy and SUPER tasty!

about 8 cups of pinto beans, sorted and presoaked
1 large onion roughly chopped (I like the pieces cut big so I can fish them out later, I am not a fan of cooked onions)
ham bone with leftover meat on it
salt and pepper

Put everything in the crock pot on low and let it cook for about 10 hours. The leftover meat will fall off the bone as it cooks so there is no need to try and cut it off. Stir it around and get the bones and onion pieces out before serving.

I served it with cornbread and put the leftovers in a plastic bag in the freezer for an even easier meal in the future.