of new jobs and processed peas

I'm so sorry for having abandoned you for the past few weeks.  You see, I just started a new job as the afterschool coordinator at a daycare.  I love it, but it's tiring, and while working there, I've been eating the same processed lunches the kids get and thinking a lot less about food.  But luckily, when the kids start school, my presence won't be required when they serve processed peas and "steak nuggets" (what?!) for lunch.  yay!
But while I've neglected writing, I have thought about you a lot! and I promise to catch you up on the fantastic homemade granola and crockpot chicken soup that happened last week.  :)

Soup first.

In an effort to save money, I decided to buy a whole baking hen rather than boneless skinless breasts, and cook and separate it myself.  Doing so really does save a lot of money.  Rather than spend $8ish on a few pounds of chicken breasts that would last about 1 1/2 to 2 weeks (if I'm lucky), I spent $5ish on slightly more poundage, and got free healthy chicken broth to boot! I got the idea from blog I recently started stalking, The Cheapskate Cook. 

Ingredients:
1 baking hen, thawed, gizzards removed
1/2 an onion, chopped
1-2 c raw/fresh frozen veggies like carrots, celery, turnips, potatoes, etc. (chopped)
1 bay leaf (optional- I didn't use one because I didn't have it on hand, and it was still great.)
2  cloves fresh garlic, chopped
1-2 T each of your favorite herbs/spices.  I used rosemary, basil, oregano, and black pepper.
a sprinkling of salt (added at the end)
water

After removing the gizzards (not difficult at all once the chicken is thawed) and rinsing it, place 1/2 of the onion, herbs, and spices inside the chest cavity.  Place the chicken in the crockpot.  Surround with the rest of the ingredients.  Pour water slowly into the crockpot until an inch or two below the edge. 
Turn it on low for about 6-8 hours, or high for 3-4 hours. Add salt.

You're done!

Once the chicken's cooked, turn off the crockpot and allow it to cool. If you want, you can pull out some of the veggies and meat for a quick and easy dinner (I did!). You get the most out of your chicken if you debone it (save the bones for more broth if you want- they can be used twice); put the meat, bones, and broth each in their own freezer bag and you have makings for lots of healthy chicken-based meals on hand!

and to make soup:

1 1/2 c chicken broth

1 1/2 c water

1 c shredded chicken

1/2 c fresh frozen carrots and peas

1/2 t rosemary

1/2 t ginger

1/2 t salt

1/2 t pepper

1/2 c orzo

Method:

Toss everything but the chicken in a pot and bring it to a slow boil. Add the chicken and boil for just a few minutes so it gets hot, but not flavorless. Enjoy!!

See now, wasn't that easy?  The granola was too :)  I got the base recipe from a blog called Smitten Kitchen.  The best part? It's truly healthy granola, so you can eat dessert for breakfast and not feel guilty. :)

So now for the first .... (imagine me tapping out a drumroll on my keyboard...) Dessert of the Month!!!

Homemade Granola Bars

Ingredients

1 2/3 c rolled oats (NOT the quick-cook kind)
1/2 to 3/4 sugar (granulated, artificial, or brown, it's up to you.  So far, I've used granulated and it's good.)
1/3 c oat flour (easily made by placing rolled oats in a food processor or blender till they're in very small bits)
1/2 t salt alternative (optional)
1/4 t ground cinnamon (optional)
1/4 c Dried fruit, nuts, candy, or cereal.  (So far, I've experimented with chocolate chips, sunflower seeds, Rice Krispies, and dried blueberries, and they're all fantastic.)
1/3 c peanut or other nut butter (I recommend crunchy!)
1 t vanilla (optional)
7 t melted butter or oil (use olive oil or canola butter if you want to be healthier)
1/3 c sweet syrup (i.e. honey, maple, corn, or agave syrup)
1 T water
2 T ground or whole flax seeds (optional)

Method

Line a baking pan longways with parchment paper so that it covers only the center (not the sides), but come up over the edges at the ends. Grease or butter the paper and pan.  Stir together dry ingredients.  Place all liquid ingredients in a microwaveable container and zap them for a couple of minutes on medium power.  Stir the liquids until the peanut butter melts into the rest.  Slowly drizzle into the dry mixture while gently stirring and tossing.  Press the mixture into the pan.  Pack it as densely as you can.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes (until golden brown all over top).  Allow the granola to cool COMPLETELY, and for best results chill overnight in the fridge.  Don't get impatient and cut them warm like I did with my first batch.  Unless you want yummy granola in a non-bar form in your cereal for the next week. ;)  Once they're cool,  use the parchment paper to carefully lift the granola out of the pan onto a large cutting board.  Cut it into squares with a long carving knife or butcher knife.  For ultimate freshness, wrap them individually in saran wrap and store them in a ziplock or tupperware container in the fridge. 

SOOOO GOOD!!

I hope that tides you over till next time.  And if that takes a little over a week, I apologize... My hubby's laptop has to get sent away and fixed, and I don't have one of my own right now 'cause I drowned the last one, so internet access is gonna be a little scarce at our house. :( 

Hello again! sorry to be gone so long...

I have to say, it's nice to be back.  I've been giving myself a break while planning my wedding; I just couldn't focus on anything else, to be honest.  But now, I am VERY happily wed, and happily blogging again. 

As I start back, I'm going to change some things, add some method to my blogging madness. Each week, the husband and I will choose our favorite dinner and I'll share it with you.  I'm decided to categorize these recipes as "Dinner of the Week."  :) 

Every 1st week of the month, I'm going to include a feature called "Double-Green Tips" in my post.  Why are these monthly tips double green, you ask? Because they are personally tested and proven ways for you to save both natural and financial resources :)  I've already got the one for next week picked out, and I'm excited to share it with you!

THEN, every 3rd week of the month, I'll include a dessert recipe with my post, for my fellow sweet tooths out there :)

So, if anyone's still out there after my long AWOL period, here's the first "Dinner of the Week!"

DINNER OF THE WEEK

Chicken Curry



Ingredients:
1 1/2 T olive oil
1//2 onion, chopped
2 grated carrots
2 T flour
1 1/2 T curry
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t garlic
1/2 t ginger
1/2 t black pepper (fresh ground is best)
1/2 t crushed red pepper
1/2 t coriander

1/2 t cumin
1 1/2 c chicken broth or stock
2 1/2 c milk (for creamier consistency, use about 1 c half and half)
1/2 t salt
2 t lemon juice
4-6 cups of (preferably skinless) shredded, cooked chicken




Method:

For starters, I recommend  cooking a whole chicken yourself in a crockpot, with onions,  herbs, and spices of your choice.  It will be very tender and easy  to debone and shred.  The best way to shred it is to simply pull it off the bones, then tear and mush it into small bits with your fingers.  Messy, but effective!

Now, for the curry!
Saute the onions and 1/2 of the grated carrot in the oil, until onion is transparent.  Add flour, curry, and other spices.  Cook 1 minute.  Add broth and milk slowly while stirring.  Add salt and bring to a slow boil.  Add the rest of the carrot and lemon juice, then transfer to a blender/large food processor, and puree until carrot and onion bits are gone. Return to stovetop, bring to a simmer, and cover.  Let the curry simmer about 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid browning on the bottom.  Add chicken, and simmer until it thickens, about 3-5 minutes.  Serve over rice, or with naan bread.  Serves 4-6.

Enjoy!  I'll see you next week!

busy-ness

So, I could go into this long spiel about how my life is crazy-insane, and how this week has been the craziest yet, but I'll spare you the details.  Just know that I'm sorry if this little blog gets neglected, but sometimes I actually have to prioritize... and that means NOT procrasti-blogging.  

BUT, I do have a few moments this evening (Happy April Fool's, by the way!) and thought I'd share one of the low-stress meals I made during this week's madness.  Enjoy!

Cinnamon Chili

Ingredients:

1 lb Ground Meat (I usually use 80-20 or 90-10 ground turkey, but I used ground chicken this time, and liked it better!) 

1-2 cans low sodium red kidney beans (use 2 if you like bean-ey chili, 1 if you like it meaty.)

1 can diced tomatoes, low sodium

1 small can tomato puree, low sodium (can you tell we're on a low-sodium diet at my house?)

1 can chicken broth, low sodium

1/4 c chopped yellow onion

chili powder

garlic powder

red pepper

cinnamon

Directions:

Brown the meat with the onions.  Drain the pan of any excess grease.  Stir in a tablespoon each of garlic and chili powder, and a teaspoon each of cinnamon and red pepper.  Allow to simmer on very low heat while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.  Pour the beans into a colander and rinse. Pour diced tomatoes, chicken broth, and tomato puree into a crockpot and stir until well mixed.  Add beans and meat and stir.  Simmer on low for 3-5 hours, stirring occasionally, and adding spices to taste.  

I personally enjoy eating my chili with sweet cornbread crumbled into it!

Second Promised Recipe...

Ok, so here's the second recipe I made during mid-terms week, but didn't have time to write about then.  I adapted it from a recipe found on Angel Food Ministries Website.  By the way, if anyone is looking for a way to trim their food budget without sacrificing quality or health, I highly recommend Angel Food Ministries.  Angel Food puts together a variety of different food packages and offers them for sale at discounted prices.  You can look at their menu online and order a month in advance.  The food is good, healthy food, even if it's not always what I would think to buy.  However, I like to look at it as a challenge to widen the variety of foods and recipes I can cook!  This was one (VERY successful) attempt to do just that.

"Standing Up" Roast Pork Chops with Veggies (for crockpot)

-Pork Chops in 4 oz. portions (use as many as you like/ will eat, these portions are very flexible.)
-1/2 medium to large yellow onion
-2-3 tbsp butter 
-Salt, Pepper, and your favorite seasonings to taste.   I used Garlic, Seasoning Salt, Cracked Black Pepper, and Montreal Steak Seasoning (Mrs. Dash.)
 -Carrots
-Celery


Healthy Hints:
My mother-in-law makes a mix of half butter, half canola oil, which she refrigerates in a container and uses in place of butter.  It still has the buttery flavor, but the bad fats are cut in half, and it melts and spreads like a dream.  Also, I recently discovered "No-Salt," which is a fairly cost-effective and tasty salt alternative.  


Directions:
Place pork chops in crockpot skinny side up, like a wheel.  To help them stay standing, place small balls of aluminum foil between them, leaving some space to fill in with veggies later. Cut onion into slices like rings, then cut a slit on one side.  Arrange the curly onion pieces over the tops of the pork chops.  Chop carrots and celery into bite-size pieces and drop into empty spaces around pork chops.  Drop dollops of butter over onions, pork chops, and veggies, and sprinkle liberally with salt, pepper, and seasonings.  Cook on Low for 6-8 hours.  I served it with rice and a side salad, which worked great! It does need light, less flavor-intense sides, since the veggies and pork absorb so much of the flavor.  This is a great dish for meat lovers who have trouble with veggies, because they become so soft, and catch a lot of the meat flavor.  


Enjoy! :)