I Survived!:::Jenn

Picture the Splitting Headache Mama who has pushed through and been productive in spite of it all. This is the same character who knows she had dance class at 4PM which would make 5:30 dinner a challenge--the heroic soul who planned early in the day to pull out a frozen meal (chicken, broccoli, and pasta casserole) that would mean a balanced meal in one dish--one that would cook while she shuttled das kinders to artistic venues. Now picture the same Splitting Headache Mama rushing back into her lair of domesticity (kitchen) to ensure the five extra cooking minutes have not rendered the meal unfit for a family. Are you with me? Can you feel the energy? Now feel her complete confusion, transformed into utter dejection as the opening of her high tech culinary creator (stove) released no heat. Can you see the salvation dinner sitting there in it's cold, frozen defiance, laughing at the unsuccessful attempt to turn it into something usable. If you are still with me on this one, still feeling Splitting Headache Mama's pain (literal or figurative, either one will work), you will understand the amazing strength and perseverance she showed when she took her dejected creativity and went back to the drawing board. She forced herself to open the vault of creativity (refrigerator) and make another attempt. She fought off the Take-Out Monster who attempted to force her to the phone, and endured the "oh they don't really need dinner" doubts that Bad Mommy tried to send her way. Out of the vault came pieces of salvation (leftovers) to be nuked into acceptable (if eclectic) versions of sustenance for a questioning family. Hunger overcame the "we're having what with that?" doubters, and dinner was one again saved. (Enter dun ta da dunnnnn music.)

Sorry no pictures this time, some meals do not warrant being remembered forever!

All They Are Cracked Up To Be!:::Jenn

These perfect little packages of protein, what's not to love? As I am not a vegan, and I buy cage-free, organic eggs, I have nothing but admiration for these little gifts. They are fast, easy, economical, oh so very versatile and always a hit. I can use them in a million different recipes ( well I haven't actually tried, but I have faith). A pretty jar of the hard-boiled versions leaves me prepared for a jaunt into the world with no concerns about hungry kids, and equally prepared for snack time. They can easily be transformed into a meal themselves (egg-salad sandwiches) or used to improve another entree (green salad or tuna sandwiches). The "incredible, edible egg" indeed!

Eggplant Parmesan in a Frenzy:::Jenn

The time is ticking away and I have not yet accomplished the dinner goals previously set by an overly ambitious morning shopper. The same one who looked at these lovely eggplants in the store and heard their call to become something tasty.

Instead they sit all too whole and tidy. Finally, determination and frenzy strike the cook...

and slicing commences. Such a small first step, but the lovely quater-inch planks inspire more frenzy.


Next, we tackle those googly eyes (well we actually put the munchkin to work upon them as they were a bit intimidating with that milky stare).


A quick dip in the pool...

oh crumb! #@&**@#!' action...

and into the fire we go. This tried and true mix of olive oil, a bit of smart balance to raise the smoking point and a touch of butter to kick up the flavor (and the calories) yields tender and tasty morsels every time.

Out of the fire they came, and into a roasting pan to be layered with mozzarella (courtesy of the Bug) on a thin bed of marinara sauce.

Dump the extra oil and add a splash of red wine for deglazing the pan, whoosh! I tossed in the rest of the marinara to warm and meld flavors before...

spooning on top of the cheese and broiling for about 5 minutes.

Out came that oozy, gooey wonderfulness that is baked cheese. So we kissed it with a bit of Parmesan for company...

and served it with a chair of bowlies.


Layered on a bed of greens, this was a meal fit for royalty. Or maybe it just tasted that way to a hungry crowd, but we all ate too much!


A bit later than our usual 5:40PM supper time, but well worth the wait. Another meal saved by the frenzied chef.

Meals On the Go:::Jenn

I grew up in a family that packed a cooler for every trip. We just didn't eat out, ever. We happily traveled all the way to Washington, DC and never considered eating anything not out of the cooler. We also made regular trips around the state with the same expectations. Part of this happiness came from the fact that mom had mad cooler packing skills. She knew how to stock it full of things we loved or didn't get often. Things that tasted good at room temperature (I still drool over the thought of warm cheese) and that were either fun to eat or took a while. Also, she balanced those with things that were hearty and nutritious, so we didn't end up feeling gross. We got yogurt, hard-boiled eggs, jerky, trail mix, cheese sticks, sunflower seeds (lots of time involved in those), and chips (which we never got otherwise). Imagine my surprise when I met my DH and he balked at this understood concept that, we don't eat fast food or gas station fare on a trip or outing, we pack a yummy cooler. It has taken a few determined years for me to come up with some Daddy-tested items that enlist his support, instead of just his tolerance of packing food. Mostly I have found that with the right "main course" item he is happy no matter what the "side items" are. These are some of our biggest hits; all can be made a day ahead and therefore are easy to pack when it's time to go. Breakfast burritos (the egg, potato, and sausage variety), pigs in a blanket (little sausages inside a roll or biscuit), or any type of meat pie variation. (An eastern European idea where meat or fish pieces or patties are wrapped up in a roll or pastry crust to cook.) These are a more recent addition to my menus but so far, are a huge hit. Inspired by my sister's trip to Russia (and how many savory pies she found there), I have been experimenting. So far, every attempt has met with success.

Breakfast burritos: makes 15 (they freeze well, too)
18 scrambled eggs
1C cooked sausage (optional for vegetarians)
1C shredded cheese
1C green chili (you can skip it but they are really dry then)
2 /2 LB of cooked potatoes (cubed or sliced, baked or fried. I haven't tried hash brown or Tatar tots but it might work well too and save a step.)
Mix all this together in a big bowl and measure out a scoop with a 1 C measuring cup onto a standard burrito size tortilla. (Not the big wrap ones or the little fajita size). Wrap it up in tin foil and refrigerate or freeze. To warm them up, just toss them all in the oven at 200-350 for 10-20 min until hot. Packed tight in a little cooler they will stay warm and fresh for hours. They actually taste better made ahead, as the flavors meld together.

Pigs in a Blanket: count on 3-5 per person
Any little cocktail sized sausage or hot-dogs cut to this general size will work.
biscuit or roll batter. You can make roll dough or use refrigerator biscuits. I tend to use the flaky type of refrigerator biscuits and divide them in half to cover more sausages.
Just roll them around the sausage and pinch closed. They usually take a few minutes longer than the recommended baking time.

Meat Pies: These are very filling. One is probably plenty for most people.
Either bread dough or pie crust will work and can be homemade or store bought. (The pastry crust version is more crumbly, so pack extra napkins.)
Any savory type filling works.
Either hamburger, salmon or tuna patties are easy to wrap around and can be made for dinner and the extras wrapped up later. (These are cooked first and then wrapped up when cool.)
A salmon/tuna salad mix can be made into a ball and wrapped up with pastry crust for a tasty combination, though they are messy to make. The filling should be about the size of a large lime and just enough pastry to cover and pinch around it.
Any mix of savory diced meat and sauce with say mushrooms, or a shredded BBQ beef type filling in a roll is another winning combination.
All of these should be cooked as you would the outside covering (around 350 usually) since the filling is already cooked or ready to eat before stuffing.

Breakfast for Dinner:::Jenn

How many times in my childhood I remember Dad fixing egg sandwiches and the like for dinner. I now realize that it's an easy, fast, hot, filling, crowd-pleasing, simple, and fairly cheap dinner option. When I got home with only 20 minutes to get dinner on the table, no leftovers, well...left, and no plan in mind, I turned to dear old Dad's tried and true. An egg, a slice of bacon, a piece of toast (because every thing is better as a sandwich) and some spinach (okay, I had to try and redeem the grease a little bit) and dinner was finished in 16 minutes. Total outlay for this all- organic meal for four, $3.75. How about that.

On The Go:::Jenn

While I had planned some lovely picture of these plump and tasty little life-savors, my Bug had other ideas. I try to keep something in my "Mama Bag" so that when we are out running and time gets away from us I don't give into the temptation to pick something up. This started last summer when we kicked the fast-food machine habit for good and is still serving us well. Yesterday we were running what was supposed to be one errand, but turned into three errands and a favor. The clock took us past the lunch hour and only the small bags of nuts and apricots saved us from giving into the blood sugar crashing monster that is the eternal foe of unprepared souls from not-eating-out land. Dry fruit, nuts and, a few LaraBars are the standard answer to kiddie hunger pains when we are not at home. They keep well forever in my bag, are high in actual food value, and the girls will eat them--especially when hungry. So, when I got home and decided to do a picture for this posting, my little one decided that they had made her tummy very happy and that I "just had to do the picture with a smiley face."

It's Dinner:::Jenn

"What is it Mama?" "It's dinner."

Sometimes that is all that can be said. Since my reasons for dining in are most motivated by frugality, I simply can not condone letting food go bad in the refrigerator from lack of consumption. Consequently, tonight when my daughter asked what we should call it, my only answer was dinner. I crumbled up the stale bread sticks and two remaining corn tortillas and added the soon to expire package of lunch meat. I think it was turkey, but honestly I just didn't look that close at the package. In went some grated cheese, frozen peas and corn, and half a bottle of Goddess dressing. I mixed it up and baked it in my dutch oven at 400 for about 25 minutes. Upon tasting, it was lacking. Therefore I added a can of diced and drained tomatoes and some butter, mixed it up and cooked for another 15 minutes. At that point we sat down to "dinner" and found it quite tasty actually. Some wrapped it up in a tortilla and some just used a spoon but all seemed quite happy. Add some fresh fruit and (while not my best creation ever) it was very filling and somewhat balanced. I had to admit to my daughter that no, we would probably not be able to make it again, but that we could try something similar another day. 

I basically follow the basic casserole formula for a lot of these sort of meals and they almost always meet with success. It says something like this:
2 C of starch, 2C of protein, 1C of veggies and 1C of moisture. Something for a topping is a nice addition as well.

I can't say that I always follow this formula, but the results are much more consistent when I do. I also find that as long as I oil/grease my dutch oven a bit, the flavor from using it over another pan is noticeable. All the past 1,000 or so meals cooked in it have added a nice taste to the pan that is noticeable in many dishes.

A Dollop:::Jenn

It's amazing to me how just a bit of a special ingredient can take a food and make it truly special, or in the kids' case, edible. My family does not love lentil soup. I do not understand this failing in their character. Having tried everything, including repeatedly exposing them to large quantities (after all, I love it) I am continually disappointed that none of them looks at this wonder soup with anything but grim resolution to get through the meal. Due to extreme frugality, convenience, ease of preparation, and nutritional value, this soup makes it on our table at least twice a month. Today I served leftover cornbread on the side (always a hit) and a dollop of sour cream for the top, and it went over really well. I won't claim they hungered for more, but all three ate well and that's always a good lentil day. The point of all this being, of course, that even simple fare that is not a favorite can be transformed (almost) by a touch of luxury.

Winter Greens:::Jenn

What's not to love about a dish with this much color? Last night I took 1/2 a cabbage and a small bunch of Kale and chopped them roughly to saute in a skillet with garlic onion and a touch of olive oil. I served it over some pre-cooked pasta ( I frequently cook some extra pasta to have an easy meal addition later) with scratch corn bread and a pitcher of wellness tea. The chicken was bartered, and I cooked it in the new crock-pot for a few hours with just enough water for moisture. It came out very tender and with enough leftovers to make chicken enchilada casserole for tonight's dinner. I would estimate cost at about $3.25 for the meal and I have over half of a pan of corn bread left, lunch for DH to pack, and a good start on tonight's meal. My kids ate it all (they love cabbage with an abandon unnatural to childhood) but said it had a bit too much onion this time. Though I struggle to keep a balance between cost and nutrient dense foods, I am always pleasantly reminded how well things like kale and cabbage do both. On a time note, this was not as consuming as it might appear. The chicken went into the crock pot in the late morning and the corn bread took only a few minutes (even with lots of little girl help). Come dinner time, all I had to do was chop and saute the greens and warm up the pasta. Somehow a little time here and there during a day at home seems so much less effort than something that takes an hour to prepare right at dinner time--especially as we are trying to also get ready for bed and straighten up after day of wreaking havoc upon the tiny place we call home.

It's a Charlotte:::Jenn

Well, as I have had the funky fridge problem going on, I am determined to have every thing we eat come out of there so it will be empty as soon as possible. This should be an adventure in culinary creativity.

First up on the list is a Charlotte. Our version began with leftover angel food cake and whipped cream from our Baby Jesus birthday cake. We added the only gelatin in the house (which happened to be strawberry) and a sleeve of lady fingers leftover from making a tiramisu cake for a friend's birthday so long ago, I refuse to admit who it was. Either the cake or the lady fingers would have been fine but as we didn't have enough of either--voila, a new version. So you layer the cake/cookies in the bottom of the pan followed by the gelatin/whipped cream mixture. Continue layering until you run out of something (in my case room in the dish). Finish off with either cake (for a traditional cake that can be turned out), or cream mix (to allow it to soak up into more of a pudding cake that will probably serve with a spoon). We used the second method based upon available materials and then put it into the fridge for dessert tonight. Now, made fresh this would be about $3 for the cake, $1 for the organic whipping cream and about $1 for the gelatin, but mine was all leftover from already allocated events and a box of gelatin that had been in my cupboards forever (and probably a gift from my grandma since it's the sorta thing she tends to give us). Therefore, I count it as a free item!

Edited later for taste opinions. While they were completely excited to make and to taste our creation, both girls found it way too sweet. Must be the combination of sweet gelatin, whipped cream and cookies! Next time I think I would steer more towards a fruit puree filling and more cake.