Food, Menus, and Recipes

I meant to write down every meal this last month but I didn't accomplish that. I am still finding the balance between living and recording what we are doing, and this last month was heavy on the living/doing part and less on pictures and writing things down. I wish I'd taken more pictures though and kept better records. I will try to be better at that this month. I do have a weeks worth of food written down so I'll share that. I don't menu plan in the way it's normally done, I do kind of a reverse menu where I see what I have and create meals around that. I keep bulk staples on hand that are multi-purpose and can be used many different ways and in many different dishes.

Breakfast: oatmeal & grapefruit

Lunch: leftovers

Supper: Baked venison steaks, zucchini cakes, peach pie

Breakfast: fried eggs & summer sausage, bread & jam

Lunch: leftovers

Supper: meatloaf & baked potatoes

Breakfast: fruit, bread & jam

Lunch: leftovers

Supper: cornbread & chili soup

Breakfast: fruit, cornbread & milk

Lunch: leftovers

Supper: tacos, apple pie

Breakfast: bread & jam, yogurt, fruit

Lunch: leftoevers

Supper: pizza & salad

Breakfast: oatmeal, yogurt

Lunch: leftovers

Supper: pureed squash soup, homemade bread

Breakfast: pumpkin muffins, yogurt

Lunch: leftovers

Supper: deer steaks w/onion gravy, homemade noodles, homemade creamed corn

Our meals are very simple, but filling and delicious. I try my best to get a good variety of meals with my few ingredients and to make them lovely and healthy. Setting out china and lighting a candle is an easy way to make a breakfast of simple muffins and yogurt feel like luxury. Steep a pot of tea and everyone feels like royalty and I believe manners and conversation are better because of it. I love to have "tea parties" on Monday mornings as it sets the tone for the week and starts off the first day after a weekend on a civilized note and gives all of us something to look forward to. Even the 2 year old sits up straighter and handles his cup with utmost care.

Sour Cream Pecan Cookies

1 c. butter 1 tsp baking soda

2 1/2 c brown sugar. 1 tsp salt

2 eggs 2 tsp vanilla

4 c flour

Topping:

2 c chopped pecans 1/2 c sour cream

1 c brown sugar

Cream butter, egg and vanilla. Add dry ingredients. Shape into 1 inch balls. Make a thumb print in center and fill with topping. Bake at 350* for 10-12 minutes.

This is my husband's aunt's recipe from our family cookbook. These are like little pecan pies. They are so good and moist and simply luxurious. Perfect for an extra treat or for having with a friend over tea.

Thousand Island Dressing

3 c mayo 1/2 c pickle relish

1 1/2 c sugar ketchup, until pink

3/4 c vinegar 3 T. taco seasoning

Place all ingredients in blender and mix well.

We love this dressing and I make it up and put it in a big reused ketchup bottle to use. I don't usually have pickle relish so I just used some of my canned pickles and blended them up. It is very good.

Basic Bread

2 T. yeast 1 T. salt

1 qt. lukewarm water. 2 c whole wheat flour

1/2 c sugar 8 c white flour

1/2 c lard (I use shortening)

Sit together yeast, sugar, salt, water, and lard. Add 2 cups whole wheat flour and 3 cups white flour. Mix well. Let stand for 20 minutes, then add the remaining flour until a manageable kneading consistency. Knead dough 10 minutes. Let rise until double. Shape into 4 loaves. Let rise again until doubled, then bake at 350* for 30 minutes.

I half this recipe as I only have 2 loaf pans. I also use all white flour instead of adding the whole wheat flour. I mix this in my stand mixer with a dough hook for 10 minutes instead of kneading it by hand which is much easier. I grease my loaf pans and put the loaves in there for their final rise after shaping them. This is so simple and turns out so good every time.

I hope you enjoyed this post and a glimpse into our meals and some of the recipes I use on a regular basis. I would love to know if there is anything specific you would like to know about our meals/menu so that I can keep that in mind next time I share about food.