Hello Everyone,
So we have made it to the fourth week of our Home Independence Challenge. This is also the second part of our Power of your Pantry Series.
So we have been focusing on Meal Preparation for our homes. Everyone knows that in order to have successful Meal Planning you need to have the vital ingredients or acceptable substitutes in your pantry. That is where having a Master Pantry List can really help you out.
It also can really simplify your shopping, since as you use things from your pantry you can easily see what is needed to replenish your stock.
CONDIMENTS:
prepared mustard
ketchup
pickles
mayonnaise
salsa
white and cider vinegar
marinades
GRAINS:
White Rice
Brown rice
Rolled Oats
BEANS - Canned and Dried
*honestly I don't normally have beans in the house. I will go and purchase them when I am in need. Otherwise they simply take up space for months at a time in the pantry
PASTAS:
spaghetti
lasagna
elbow
bow ties
wagon wheels
noodles
ziti
NUTS:
*again I purchase these as necessary
SOUPS (Canned or Dry)
chicken and rice
vegetable beef
chicken noodle
Soup sippers-coming soon Homemade Recipes
TEAS AND COFFEE
Once you get your pantry set up there is no limit to the things you can create. Never again worry about the phone call that company is coming over and you have nothing to serve.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Monday, October 17, 2011
The power of your pantry-Challenge Week #3
A pantry is a room where food, provisions or dishes are stored and served in an ancillary capacity to the kitchen.
As anyone who cooks knows you need to have the right ingredients on hand in order to create the meals that you want. You have to have somewhere to store these ingredients. Depending on the amount of space you have will determine the size of your "pantry". You could have a traditional closet for your pantry, or a single cabinet, sometimes you pantry might just be a tote that is stored under your bed. Any shape that is takes, they all serve the same purpose.
In order to have a successful meal planning you need to know what you have and where they are located. Here comes the master pantry list. First off you need to make a simple decision.
How much cooking do you like to do? Do you want to make most of your meals from scratch or are you looking for a more semi-homemade kind of meal?
Once you have answered those questions you can decide exactly what works best for your family. I do a little bit of both. I love to cook from scratch but during the week my meals are more of the semi-homemade variety. There is no right or wrong answer to this, it simply depends on what your preferences, skills and time allows.
BAKING
Flour
sugar/sweetener
baking soda
baking powder
salt
yeast
Butter
oil-your choice
SPICES:
allspice,
bay leaf
basil
cayenne pepper
cinnamon
chili powder
cloves
cream of tartar
cumin
ginger
garlic, fresh and powder
marjoram
mustard
nutmeg
onion powder
oregano
paprika
parsley
sage
salt
thyme
turmeric
vegetable broth
chicken broth
beef broth
Well this is a beginning of a master pantry list. This will be a three part series creating a pantry that works for you. I don't always have these things in my pantry but I work on devoting a small amount of money out of the grocery fund to stocking up and/or replenishing items I feel are essential to keeping my pantry well stocked.
As anyone who cooks knows you need to have the right ingredients on hand in order to create the meals that you want. You have to have somewhere to store these ingredients. Depending on the amount of space you have will determine the size of your "pantry". You could have a traditional closet for your pantry, or a single cabinet, sometimes you pantry might just be a tote that is stored under your bed. Any shape that is takes, they all serve the same purpose.
In order to have a successful meal planning you need to know what you have and where they are located. Here comes the master pantry list. First off you need to make a simple decision.
How much cooking do you like to do? Do you want to make most of your meals from scratch or are you looking for a more semi-homemade kind of meal?
Once you have answered those questions you can decide exactly what works best for your family. I do a little bit of both. I love to cook from scratch but during the week my meals are more of the semi-homemade variety. There is no right or wrong answer to this, it simply depends on what your preferences, skills and time allows.
BAKING
Flour
sugar/sweetener
baking soda
baking powder
salt
yeast
Butter
oil-your choice
SPICES:
allspice,
bay leaf
basil
cayenne pepper
cinnamon
chili powder
cloves
cream of tartar
cumin
ginger
garlic, fresh and powder
marjoram
mustard
nutmeg
onion powder
oregano
paprika
parsley
sage
salt
thyme
turmeric
vegetable broth
chicken broth
beef broth
Well this is a beginning of a master pantry list. This will be a three part series creating a pantry that works for you. I don't always have these things in my pantry but I work on devoting a small amount of money out of the grocery fund to stocking up and/or replenishing items I feel are essential to keeping my pantry well stocked.
Quilting a lost Art
Quilts - An American Legacy
Oct. 04, 2011 - Oct. 28, 2011Quilt show is open Tuesday thru Saturday from 11 am to 4 pm. Closed on Sundays and Mondays Opening Reception is on Saturday October 1 from 2-4 pm. Everyone welcome. For more information: Call Dorothy Hathaway 603-863-4342 or Lois Flanders 603-763-8752 or e-mail Lois at loisflan@hotmail.com
- Sponsor: SooNipi Quilt Guild
- Location: Library Arts Cebter, 53 N. Main St., Newport NH 03773
- Admission: free, donations appreciated
- Contact: 603-863-3040
- Email: toto863@gmail.com
Quilting was a traditional way of life for many of our Grandparents. It has become a disappearing art. There is a movement among people to redevelop this wonderful tradition. You see many local stores that are now offering quilting lessons, fabrics and all the supplies that you would ever need. There is nothing like a handmade quilt that could be passed down through families. I encourage you to seek out the local resources and learn this wonderful skill. You will never be sorry that you did, especially on a chilly winter night.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Week # 2 Check In
Here we are at the second week of our Home Independence Challenge.
Our week has been very busy. I am processing apples left and right. I have made a variety of applesauce in my crock pot. Unfortunately none of it has made it to the freezer but we are working on that as I write. If you are looking for a quick easy way to make homemade applesauce you can go here.
I also got a great surprise yesterday while going past the garden. I actually found more green peppers on the plants. I was very surprised since we had already had 2 deep frosts and in my foolishness figured there was nothing more in the garden. My mistake...
There are a couple a spots on them but simply cutting them out before I freeze them and it will all be just fine. This year after many years of never getting any peppers to grow I have managed to get three 1-gallon zippy bags full of them. I even had enough to make salsa.
Green Tomatoes....that is all I seem to have managed to grow this year. BUT if you pick them while still green and healthy and put them in a paper bag in the fridge and they will ripen.
I also have been checking out the reduced produce at the various grocery stores that I visit. You can get great produce at reasonable prices. I ended up with three 1-gallon zippy bags of corn that I cut the ears in half prior to freezing.
All of these little steps make it much easier to plan out my meals during the week. I have found that if I have pieces of meals set up in the freezer it makes the ability to plan out my meals more than five minutes before I need to start cooking. Even if I haven't sat down and actually committed all the meals onto papers I can open the freezer in the morning and pull things out. That will at least insure that my family is eating healthy foods and I am saving money by not having to run to a drive thru.
This weekend's plan is to actually go thru the freezer and make a complete meal plan for this coming week. I am also on the look for new recipes to change up some of the old standbys.
Our week has been very busy. I am processing apples left and right. I have made a variety of applesauce in my crock pot. Unfortunately none of it has made it to the freezer but we are working on that as I write. If you are looking for a quick easy way to make homemade applesauce you can go here.
I also got a great surprise yesterday while going past the garden. I actually found more green peppers on the plants. I was very surprised since we had already had 2 deep frosts and in my foolishness figured there was nothing more in the garden. My mistake...
There are a couple a spots on them but simply cutting them out before I freeze them and it will all be just fine. This year after many years of never getting any peppers to grow I have managed to get three 1-gallon zippy bags full of them. I even had enough to make salsa.
Green Tomatoes....that is all I seem to have managed to grow this year. BUT if you pick them while still green and healthy and put them in a paper bag in the fridge and they will ripen.
I also have been checking out the reduced produce at the various grocery stores that I visit. You can get great produce at reasonable prices. I ended up with three 1-gallon zippy bags of corn that I cut the ears in half prior to freezing.
All of these little steps make it much easier to plan out my meals during the week. I have found that if I have pieces of meals set up in the freezer it makes the ability to plan out my meals more than five minutes before I need to start cooking. Even if I haven't sat down and actually committed all the meals onto papers I can open the freezer in the morning and pull things out. That will at least insure that my family is eating healthy foods and I am saving money by not having to run to a drive thru.
This weekend's plan is to actually go thru the freezer and make a complete meal plan for this coming week. I am also on the look for new recipes to change up some of the old standbys.
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Apples and Sunshine
Well finally after some really cold morning and a good amount of frost we are feeling a little Indian Summer. So I have set up my crock pots and have applesauce cooking. We love apples and all the fun things you can do with them. Well this year I have bought way to many apples as usual so I am knee deep in the things.
So I have learned to make homemade applesauce. Well it was so easy that I just have to encourage everyone to make it. Here are the questions that you need to ask yourself prior to making homemade applesauce.
Can you cut up an apple? Do you own a crock pot? Do you have cinnamon and sugar available?
If you answered yes to these questions then you can make applesauce too.
Homemade Apple Sauce the Easy Way
8 large apples-cored, peeling is optional
3 tablespoons cinnamon
3 tablespoons sugar or sugar substitute
Cut up your apples, making sure to get the cores and seeds out. You can peel your apples if you want to but it isn't necessary. Once your all done cutting the apples up, place the apples and cinnamon, sugar all in a crock pot. Turn on low for 6-8 hours. You can stir and mash as you go or wait til it is all done. It is simply personal preference.
So that is it. So simply that even your kiddos can do it. Mine did.
This post is being shared at Wild crafting Wednesday
Real Food Wednesdays, Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways
So I have learned to make homemade applesauce. Well it was so easy that I just have to encourage everyone to make it. Here are the questions that you need to ask yourself prior to making homemade applesauce.
Can you cut up an apple? Do you own a crock pot? Do you have cinnamon and sugar available?
Homemade Apple Sauce the Easy Way
8 large apples-cored, peeling is optional
3 tablespoons cinnamon
3 tablespoons sugar or sugar substitute
Cut up your apples, making sure to get the cores and seeds out. You can peel your apples if you want to but it isn't necessary. Once your all done cutting the apples up, place the apples and cinnamon, sugar all in a crock pot. Turn on low for 6-8 hours. You can stir and mash as you go or wait til it is all done. It is simply personal preference.
So that is it. So simply that even your kiddos can do it. Mine did.
This post is being shared at Wild crafting Wednesday
Real Food Wednesdays, Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways
Monday, October 3, 2011
Week #1 Challenge Check in
Well it has officially begun, The Home Independence Challenge.
The first topic we are going to cover is meal planning. I know you have probably heard it a million times. Plan your meals, you can save money. But you are probably thinking I really don't have time to think about creating a menu. I know that I was thinking it many times. But I have learned how to cut corners so to speak and actually make it work.
I am still in the planning stages for the most part when it comes to meal planning. But it is getting better, I really promise you.
For perfect example: Tonight I made a roasted chicken for dinner. I will now throw that chicken in the crock pot tomorrow and cook on low all day (after adding the appropriate amount of water). So now while I am working the crock pot will be cooking. When I get home I will find two things, a wonderful chicken broth and the leftover meat from the chicken will be falling right off the bone. So I can take only a couple of minutes to pull off whatever meat didn't actually just fall off and add it to the broth. Throw all of that broth and meat into a container and freeze. There we go, I have just started another nights meal. During the winter we love stews and soups, plus anything I can do in the crock pot just makes my life so much easier.
So there is the crucial step one of menu planning. Actually thinking ahead and putting together a portion of a future meal. So now I know that I have broth with chicken already in it, safely tucked into the freezer. Now to use it in the future, I just pop it into the crock pot with some veggies and most likely rice, as the rice works so much better in the crock pot than noodles. When I get home the house smells so good and there is a hot meal just waiting for us.
I try and do this every time we have chicken. Whether it is legs or a roaster it all can make some wonderful broth. I have several ways that I save the broth. You can do it like I have stated above and have it pre-made into another meal or just freeze it in ice cube trays....Yes I said Ice Cube Trays. I also do this because each cube is the equivalent of 1 oz. So if I want to substitute chicken broth in something instead of water I can. Simply by remembering for every cup of water it has 8 oz of liquid. So 1 cup water would be 8 ice cubes.
So as you are cooking think about how tonight's left overs can make another meal without a lot of work.
The first topic we are going to cover is meal planning. I know you have probably heard it a million times. Plan your meals, you can save money. But you are probably thinking I really don't have time to think about creating a menu. I know that I was thinking it many times. But I have learned how to cut corners so to speak and actually make it work.
I am still in the planning stages for the most part when it comes to meal planning. But it is getting better, I really promise you.
For perfect example: Tonight I made a roasted chicken for dinner. I will now throw that chicken in the crock pot tomorrow and cook on low all day (after adding the appropriate amount of water). So now while I am working the crock pot will be cooking. When I get home I will find two things, a wonderful chicken broth and the leftover meat from the chicken will be falling right off the bone. So I can take only a couple of minutes to pull off whatever meat didn't actually just fall off and add it to the broth. Throw all of that broth and meat into a container and freeze. There we go, I have just started another nights meal. During the winter we love stews and soups, plus anything I can do in the crock pot just makes my life so much easier.
So there is the crucial step one of menu planning. Actually thinking ahead and putting together a portion of a future meal. So now I know that I have broth with chicken already in it, safely tucked into the freezer. Now to use it in the future, I just pop it into the crock pot with some veggies and most likely rice, as the rice works so much better in the crock pot than noodles. When I get home the house smells so good and there is a hot meal just waiting for us.
I try and do this every time we have chicken. Whether it is legs or a roaster it all can make some wonderful broth. I have several ways that I save the broth. You can do it like I have stated above and have it pre-made into another meal or just freeze it in ice cube trays....Yes I said Ice Cube Trays. I also do this because each cube is the equivalent of 1 oz. So if I want to substitute chicken broth in something instead of water I can. Simply by remembering for every cup of water it has 8 oz of liquid. So 1 cup water would be 8 ice cubes.
So as you are cooking think about how tonight's left overs can make another meal without a lot of work.
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