So long, Saturday

Today, I made:

• peach custards for breakfast
• leftover chicken pot pie for my lunch
• Catalina Roast for supper

The custards actually baked with the sweet potatoes last night, and I re-warmed them in the toaster oven this morning. I used a recipe from MDC as a guide. I wasn't terribly impressed with the way these came out - they seemed pretty bland. And I think they would have been better fresh.

I nearly forgot to put together the Catalina Roast from KerryAnn's TF MenuMailer this morning - as I rushed out the door, I grabbed a frozen chuck roast, chopped carrots, onions, potatoes, celery, parsnips, and turnips, and whipped up KerryAnn's sauce. The roast was frozen solid, and would not conform to my slowcooker...so on to plan B...which was to find a roasting pan large enough for the chuck...which was at my parents house since we're trying to de-clutter prior to listing the house...so on to plan C...which was to stuff as much into my smaller roasting pan as possible and cover the whole thing with foil.

That worked.

So I popped it into the oven at 200 degrees and jumped in the car, 30 minutes late.

The kids were at Grandma & Grandpa's for lunch, so I scrounged the last of the chicken pot pie (DH was at a meeting).

The roast was nice and tender when I got home from picking up the kids. I chopped the remaining meat and added it to the broth/vegetables that were left. We'll eat that for supper tomorrow over some brown rice. I put the bones/gristle in the slowcooker with a little apple cider vinegar and filled to the top with water.

I ate a cup of Sundrops after supper. Ugh. But I'm too tired to care now. I must finish up our bathroom -but first I think I'll lie down in the living room and let the kids race their cars on my back. :)

Tomorrow is another busy day. We'll eat:

• leftover pancakes and fresh bone broth for breakfast
• leftover taco stuff for lunch
• leftover roast etc for supper

AND NO SUNDROPS!!

Glazed Steelhead Trout

All measurements are approximate

I buy my Steelhead trout in a 3 lb or so package at my local Sam's Club. When I get home, I repackage it into 1 lb portions and freeze for later use. In my opinion, Steelhead trout has a similar taste and texture to salmon, though it's more tender. I make the glaze rather mild - you can easily make it stronger - just be sure to balance sweet/sour.

In a large mug, combine:

one spoonful Ginger Spread (or 1 tsp minced ginger root and sweetener to taste)
1 Tblsp soy sauce or Bragg's Liquid Aminos
1 Tblsp balsamic vinegar or lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced and/or a handful of fresh garlic greens from the garden, snipped finely
1/2 tsp or more of any desired spices (red pepper flakes, cayenne, cardamom, etc)

Mix thoroughly and set aside.

Rub 1 Tblsp coconut oil onto the bottom of a glass pan (mine measures about 7.5" x 10.5"). Carefully wash 1 lb of the Steelhead trout and place in prepared pan. Spoon the sauce over the trout and set aside while you scrub sweet potatoes (put them in the oven at 350 degrees). When the sweet potatoes are nearly done (check them at 30-45 minutes), put the trout into the oven. Meanwhile, wash and chop your chard. Saute briefly and drizzle with butter or olive oil and lemon juice. By this time, the rest of the food should be done. Serve and enjoy! :)

Full-day Friday

Today we're eating:

• smoothies for breakfast
• leftover pizza for lunch
• glazed steelhead trout, sauteed chard, and baked sweet potatoes for supper

The smoothies turned out different than I expected. I used a recipe posted on the MDC forums as a guide, and didn't refrigerate overnight as the recipe called for...maybe that's why it seemed so thin. Anyway, I used several eggs, some coconut kefir, a little butter, 2 overripe bananas, kale, and a tablespoon of raw honey. The kids drank it in no time flat. My ears are still buzzing from the loud motor on my new food processor, though!

I'll post my glaze recipe in a few. We have been LOVING the steelhead trout we get at Sam's...it's soooo juicy and fatty. Really takes care of cravings here, and it tastes just as good as something you'd get in a fancy restaurant.

Where did Wednesday go? or Thoughtful Thursday

Actually, I don't have time to think OR blog today.

Yesterday, we had:

• leftover pie with kefir cheese for breakfast
• kale omelets with kimchi for lunch
• leftover taco stuff for supper

We did apples & peanut butter for snacks before naps and slippery elm tea with coconut oil after naps. DS had a lot less drainage yesterday.

Since I'm teaching today, we'll have an "easy" meal day (more grain-based compromises). We'll be eating:

• leftover pancakes topped with mango puree
• leftover something for lunch - probably taco
• leftover something for supper - probably the chicken pot pie

Manic Monday, New Year Tuesday!

The pie crust ended up okay, though I will add more liquid next time. I used freshly ground pastry flour, beef tallow, sea salt, whey, ACV, and an egg, then let it sit out 24 hrs. Next time I'll add a couple of extra tablespoons of whey, as it was very difficult to roll out. It was probably the nicest whole wheat crust I've ever eaten, though!

For the filling, I used 1/4 the recommended sugar and added enough stevia for the another 1/4. I didn't notice any difference between that version and my usual (half the recommended sugar). Texture was fine, no strange aftertaste...next time I'll try 1/8 sugar and 1/4 stevia and see what happens.

So we ended up with:

• pumpkin pie with kefir cheese for breakfast


• kale & ground beef omelet for lunch


• out for supper...pizza, and I really, REALLY needed these for my night out:

But I didn't get them.

Sigh.

I'm going to head for a low-grain, low-sugar diet this month. My goal is 4 protein breakfasts/week (working up to daily) and replacing grain-based snacks with nuts or raw cheeses.

The pumpkin pie is lower grain than pancakes or toast, but next time it will just be custard or a nut crust. Today we're eating:

• pumpkin pie leftovers for breakfast


• chicken, rice, & vegs with Mom & Dad for lunch


• stuffed squash from KerryAnn's TF Mailer & sauted greens for supper