Sunday, Sunday

tomorrow we're eating:

• leftover pumpkin pancakes for breakfast
• leftover pizza for lunch
• taco salad for supper

I'll use the taco filling recipe from KerryAnn's TF MenuMailer as a guide this time...it looks really similar to what I usually do, except I typically use leftover rice rather than making fresh, and I always add beans. I think I'll add extra liver, though...we haven't had any in a while.

We've got to be at church early since I didn't have rehearsal Wednesday night, so hopefully we won't be too cranky to make it to the Co-op to pick up a few things before we head home for lunch. The Organic Valley butter has been on sale for $4.79/lb so I've been trying to stock up!! I also need swiss chard and some other kind of greens for sauteing; parsnips, carrots, and turnips; broccoli; onions; and lots of eggs. I'm pretty well stocked with everything else so should be fine without another grocery run for a couple of weeks. :)

Sunday night, I'll bake a couple of pumpkin pies for breakfasts this week. The kefir cheese is ready and is always yummy with the pies!

slo-mo Saturday

well, not really. But did get a late start and I've been running ever since. Here's what we're eating today:

• pumpkin pancakes topped with mango puree for breakfast
• eggs and the last of the ginger carrots for lunch
• pizza for supper

Got a double batch of pancakes made...they turned out yummy - but next time I'll add some lemon juice to the mango for a bit of tang. We should have enough for a couple of quick breakfasts later in the week, too!

I used the leftover brine from the last batch of ginger carrots for the new batch. Hope they turn out as yummy as the last batch! I've discovered that we like the carrots sliced a little thicker so they retain some crunch after fermentation.

The pizza dough was waiting for me in the fridge. I used freshly ground white wheat and 5-grain mix for the flour, cut the yeast by half, and used kefir whey and potato water for the liquids. I doubled the recipe and used some sourdough starter as well, then put it in the fridge for several days. I've got it ready on some parchment (divided into three pizzas), topped with tomato paste & spices, in the oven with the light on. I hope it turns out well! This is the first time I haven't used the dough immediately after it was made. After it rises, I'll top with chopped spinach, browned hamburger, onions, & mozzarella and bake. MMMMMMmmmmmmMM.

I'm going to try making a TF version of Pioneer Woman's Pie Crust to soak tonight. Our family recipe works fine with this, so I'm pretty optimistic about the results...

We're going to pick up a freecycled crockpot here in a bit. (Woohoo!!!) I broke the lid on my current crockpot two years ago and have been alternating between using an ill-fitting substitute and covering my crock with foil. Neither is optimal...I'm so excited to be getting one with a LID that FITS!! :) After I get it cleaned up, I'll drain the beans that have been soaking on the counter and cook them overnight in the veggie stock I made yesterday. I'd like to try cooking the beans with some kombu but I keep forgetting to purchase it.

Friday Feats!

today's menu:

• leftover oatmeal for breakfast


• easy egg drop soup and ginger carrots (Nourishing Traditions, p. 95) for lunch


• burgers, mashed potatoes & gravy, and green beans for supper
  
  

After breakfast, I did some prep work. For tomorrow's breakfast, we'll have pumpkin pancakes. I got out a 2-cup bag of frozen pumpkin puree to thaw in the fridge overnight, then got to work on the batter: start with a pint of kefir-whey in an 8-cup glass measuring cup and add freshly-ground flour and water until the thick batter reaches the 8-cup mark, then set aside to soak.

With that done, I decided to strain more kefir so I'd have plenty of whey for breadmaking later this week. Then I started soaking about a pound each of red and black beans for Sunday's supper.


Then I did laundry.


No school this week - hurrah! I did get a few things accomplished. :)


And then I did more laundry.


And then we got hungry again, so I threw together some egg drop soup. This batch of ginger carrots was nice and fizzy and was a nice companion to the soup.

I dumped the bag of veggie scraps I've been saving into a big pot with a touch of apple cider vinegar and 4 qts of filtered water to soak while I did more laundry. Then I set the burner on low and did more laundry and menu-planning for the next two weeks.

Then I thought about how I could really use some new shoes. :)

Then I sighed. siiiiiiiiiiiiigh.

And then I prepped supper. The sun finally peeked out, so we grabbed a quick walk - 34 degrees and brisk north wind...and then I did more laundry and made supper. I saved a quart of potato water for breadmaking later this week.

And now I've got a mound of laundry to fold...