Meal Plan! What Meal Plan?!

I have resisted writing down a definitive meal plan because our life is so chaotic that frequently we change dinner plans at the last minute. But realistically I have 14 meals I make regularly and use as a template for my shopping list. Hopefully these will give you some ideas for a quick dinner. My goal is to post the recipes for these over the next couple weeks but don't hold me to that!

Side dishes are almost always one of three things, oven roasted vegetables, seasoned rice, or some form of garlic/cheese bread. I always serve fresh vegetables, usually what is in season and cheap. By March we are sick of carrot sticks and celery to be sure but in the summer we uually have a good sized platter.

Desert is a -whatever I had time to bake- thing in our house. I am not a big believer in a sweet after every dinner. It's a high calorie finish that really isnt necessary. A couple times a week its a nice treat though. Cupcakes, cookies, and biscotti are our favorites. This time of year homemade ice cream is at the top of our list.

Here goes.......

Fish Tacos
Omelets
Pizza
Roast Chicken Thighs
Vegetable Quesadillas
Chinese Noodles
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Chicken Soup
Shepherds Pie
Calzones
Macaroni and cheese
Burritos
Vegetable Sandwiches
Spaghetti


No, there is very little meat here. I am a vegetarian and, besides, meat is expensive.  Surprisingly in our house the real budget breaker is lunches and snacks. Goldfish crackers, fruit snacks and juice packs for lunch boxes are hard to economize on. So I save where I can on breakfast and dinner.

Blueberry Muffins

Most weekends we hop over to Goss Berry Farm to pick some delicious berrys for eating out of hand or baking into scones and muffins. Of course our blueberry pancakes wouldn't be the same with bought berries. Here's my favorite muffin recipe.

Blueberry Muffins

3 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 Tb baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cup buttermilk
6 Tb melted butter
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup blueberries, lightly coated with flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. I use paper muffin liners usually, but if you won't, grease your tin's cups well with the butter wrapper.
In a large bowl mix together all the dry ingredients. In a separate small bowl mix together your wet ingredients. Add to dry ingredients and combine until just mixed. A few lumps is fine.
Gently fold in your blueberries. Fill your muffin tins about 3/4 full. You can sprinkle a bit of sugar on them for crunch at this point if you want.
Bake for 22 minutes for regular sized muffins, until golden brown.  Makes 12 muffins.

No Cook Play Dough Updated

We tried this recipe this morning and my 3 year old adored it. I'm not sure it will make it to a second play session, he's eaten so many nibbles there's a wall missing from his castle!

Peanut Butter Play Dough

1 cup creamy peanut butter
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla

Combine all in a large bowl. Mix until dough comes together. That's it, no cooking or letting cool.
How cool is that?

Another favorite of mine....

Gingerbread Play Dough

2 cups flour
1 cup salt
1 tbs ground ginger
2 tbs vegetable oil
1 cup water

Mix and knead until smooth. Smells delicious and non toxic ( not as good a snack as previous recipe!!) Add more flour if it's too sticky.

Store either recipe in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.

Don't go out and buy those playdough kits with the little cutters and tools. My kids use various things they find in my kitchen drawers and love them. Old cookie cutters, a whisk, small rolling pin, german cookie presses, plastic knives from takeout( shh, even I do takeout once in a blue moon, lol) and anything else that catches their eye. I think of it like when you buy a big expensive toy and they spend 2 hours playing with the box it came in! So look around your house before you resort to spending your money on toys and art kits.

Taco Seasoning Mix and Potato Wedges

This seasoning mix is good for seasoning beef or chicken for almost any Mexican dish, soft tacos, burritos, quesadillas or even just sprinkled on roast veggies before cooking for some extra flavor.
My boys like this on potato wedges too that I roast for a side dish frequently.

Taco Seasoning Mix

2 Tb Chili powder
2 tb flour
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cayenne or chipotle pepper

Combine in a ziptop bag and shake until mixed.You can definitely leave out the cayenne if you like.

Christina's Potato Wedges

Cut 6 potatoes into wedges. Place in a zip top bag with 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. Add 1 tsp taco seasoning mix. Close bag and shake to combine. Pour onto ungreased baking sheet and roast at 400 degrees for about 40 minutes. The time varies depending on the size of your potatoes and how crispy you want them. Start checking them at 35 minutes. Serve with ketchup or ranch dressing.

Homemade Laundry Detergent

OK OK I finally got a second to post this. Detergent prices are on the rise and more people are willing to explore alternatives. Here is  a fast easy powder detergent I've used for years.

Powder Laundry Detergent

1 cup grated soap
1 cup baking soda
1/2 cup washing soda
1/2 cup Borax


I whirl it in the food processor to take out lumps and mix well but I have tossed around a ziploc bag when I am in a hurry. For the soap I use either Ivory or Dial plain soap and grate it on an old cheese grater.(the kids love to help) Don't use a moisturizer or heavily perfumed soap but I've used whatever was at the local dollar store.

This recipe is easily doubled or tripled. I use the scoop that came with an old Oxiclean tub to portion it but it's around 2 Tablespoons or 1/8 a cup for a smallish regular load.

I splurge on Mrs. Meyers Clean Day laundry soap to use as a pretreater. Its expensive but it lasts forever a dab at a time and works great. I get mine at Drugstore.com.

When I'm feeling decadent I put about 10 drops of lavender oil in the detergent to give it a very light scent but you can certainly leave that out.

Leftover graham cracker crumbs?

If you are like me you always have a bit of crumbs leftover when I crush them for pies or  have a box that's been on the shelf for forever waiting for something to be used in after I make a holiday cheesecake. I found this recipe tucked away in a pile of old recipes I got from a recipe sharing club years ago. I made some up and my boys adored these bars. It got rid of that lonely baggie of crumbs in my freezer too!

Graham Bars

1/2 cup softened butter (1 stick)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
2 Tbs milk
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease an 8 inch square pan.
Cream butter and sugar until smooth.
Beat in egg, milk, and vanilla.
Stir in crumbs, coconut, and chocolate chips.
Spoon into baking dish and lightly pat flat if needed.
Bake 25 minutes until lightly browned.
Cool. Cut into bars.
 Yummy bars! Perfect for a lunch box treat or afterschool snack.

Italian Sandwiches

'Italian' Sandwiches From Maine



I made some of these for a friend the other day and she was completely baffled. 'Don't get me wrong but I don't get the whole 'Italian' thing? They aren’t Italian at all!’   

These sandwiches are a favorite here in Maine in the summer and I have no idea where they got their name. If you have never been here, you have never had one. They are fabulous, a crisp salad in a roll and very customizable for your picky eaters. The mixture of sweet and salty along with the fresh crunchy goodness makes this a sandwich to try at least once. 

Mine are vegetarian but you can add ham, turkey, tuna, or whatever you prefer in the bottom before you layer the vegetables. 

If you can’t find sub rolls you can use a bulky or sandwich roll. My son uses hot dog rolls in a pinch if I haven’t made any rolls recently.

Italians

6 inch sub rolls

2 slices cheese per sandwich (cheddar, American, provolone)

1 Thinly sliced raw sweet onion

1 thinly sliced sweet pepper

2 tomatoes, cut in half then sliced

Pickles, either sandwich or chips

1 small can sliced black olives, drained

Olive oil, sea salt, and freshly ground pepper

Assembly

Cut open rolls. Lay 2 slices of cheese across bottom, overlapping to cover the entire bottom. Spread onions in bottom. Layer the tomatoes, overlapping them to cover bottom. Next up is a couple pickle slices then a few pieces of the sweet pepper. A sprinkle of the sliced black olives followed by a swish of good olive oil, a couple grinds of pepper and a pinch or 2 of sea salt.

BBQ Chicken

Barbecue Season is here!

Even though I am a vegetarian a lot of my friends and family are not. A girlfriend asked me to make this for her and I was happy to oblige. Its a grill recipe but I use it in the crockpot more often than not and it comes out melt in your mouth fabulous. I dont have to watch it and the kids and it doesnt heat up my kitchen on hot days.
This is the time of year to stock up on chicken for your freezer too  for all your summer cookouts when you see those barbecue weekend specials. Depending on where you live, pork and beef can be inexpensive now as well.

A quick word about barbecue sauces and rubs.......
Do you really know what goes in those sauces? High fructose corn syrup and artificial flavors? Yikes, no thank you. Barbecue sauce is insanely easy to make and very forgiving. My next post will be some of my favorites.

Barbecue Chicken

4 pounds chicken thighs, drumsticks, and breast halves (Whatevers on sale or in the freezer)
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1(15 oz) can tomato paste
6 garlic cloves minced
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon salt
pinch black pepper
pinch cayenne pepper


To make sauce, in a saucepan combine tomato puree, garlic, onion, honey, maple syrup, salt and peppers. Stir in apple cider vinegar and bring to boiling. Simmer uncovered about 30 minutes. It should be nice and thick.

GRILL: Brush sauce generously on chicken on a medium hot grill. Grill about 50 minutes until chicken is no longer pink adding more sauce the last 10 minutes.

CROCKPOT: Remove skin and extra fat from chicken. Layer sauce and chicken in crockpot. Cook on low for 7 hours.

Serve extra heated up sauce with the chicken for those who like to dip.

Quesadillas

Farm Stand Favorites 2: Quesadillas

Another  versatile, inexpensive , and fast meal in my house is simple quesadillas. I buy the whole wheat variety at my local grocer when they are on sale and put in my freezer.

There are 2 ways to make these depending on how many you need and whether you want to heat up the oven. In the summer I have used the grill to make these and once at a friends house I used her foreman grill for almost instant quesadillas.

To feed a crowd, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly oil a baking sheet. Place a tortilla on the sheet. On one half of the tortilla, place very thinly sliced peppers, tomato, onion, mushrooms, whatever you like and have on hand.  Add a pinch of salt and pepper or your favorite seasoning. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of shredded cheese ( I use cheddar the most but I'll grate whatever's on hand in a pinch) and fold over the tortilla, lightly pressing it down. Continue to fill as many tortillas as will fit on your sheet, how many depends on which size tortillas you are using.  Bake for about 10 minutes until cheese has melted and quesadillas are golden brown. The oil from the sheet will make these crispy and golden brown outside.
Serve with sour cream and salsa.

To feed a couple, I do the same procedure but on a flat skillet over medium high heat. Perfect fast lunch for one or two people! They only take a couple minutes on each side to cook up nicely. To flip hold the open side together and turn or use pancake spatula.

This is one of my go-to summer meals as well as a low budget favorite in my house.
Enjoy!

Farm Stand Favorites: Grilled Vegetable Sandwiches

Farm Stand Favorites: Grilled Vegetable Sandwiches

We go to the farm stand twice a week. I let the boys pick out their favorites that day and plan the next few meals around whatever is on sale.


One of my favorite ( and cheapest) veggie meals is grilled veggie sandwiches. I cheat and roast the veggies more often than not.  I put whatever veggies I have on hand, peppers, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, carrots, asparagus etc., cut them into chunks and put in a bowl. A generous drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper goes on top. Stir to coat veggies with the oil. Dump onto a baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees for about 40 minutes. Which veggies you roast can change the time a bit but I start checking at 30 minutes and they are usually perfect at 40 minutes.

Unless it bread baking day and I have made rolls, I put the roasted veggies into a whole wheat tortilla.( which I buy on sale and keep in my freezer) Depending on the eater the protein is a sprinkle of cheese or some canned white beans rinsed.

Variations could included a drizzle of balsamic vinegar if you have some, roasted garlic spread, or some chevre bits.

Hearty, inexpensive and good for you. It's amazing what vegetables kids will eat if they get to pick them out too!

Easy Toffee

Heavenly Toffee for a Hostess Gift

I was having a nostalgia moment the other day and found this recipe I hadn't made in forever. It's incredibly easy and delicious and would be a perfect treat to take to someone's house for an indulgent treat.

Ingredients

2 cups butter

2 cups white sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup finely chopped almonds

Directions

In a large heavy bottomed saucepan, combine the butter, sugar and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring until the butter is melted. Allow to come to a boil, and cook until the mixture becomes a dark amber color, and the temperature has reached 285 degrees F (137 degrees C). Stir occasionally.

While the toffee is cooking, cover a large baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.

As soon as the toffee reaches the proper temperature, pour it out onto the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle the chocolate over the top, and let it set for a minute or two to soften. Spread the chocolate into a thin even layer once it is melted. Sprinkle the nuts over the chocolate, and press in slightly. Putting a plastic bag over your hand will minimize the mess.

Place the toffee in the refrigerator to chill until set. Break into pieces, and store in an airtight container.

Granola

Easy Granola

There is nothing better than homemade granola. It makes a great topping for yogurt, a healthy snack for the kids, or a base for other goodies like cookies. If you find it takes you awhile to get through a batch you can freeze half the granola to use later.

Homemade Granola

4 cups regular rolled oats
1 1/2 cups sliced almonds
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup cooking oil
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon real vanilla
1 1/2 cup dried fruit of your choice.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a large bowl, stir together oats, almonds, sugar, and cinnamon.
In a small pan heat oil and honey until warm. Stir in vanilla. Pour honey mix over oats and stir gently until mixed well.
Spread mixture evenly over a jelly roll pan or large rimmed cookie sheet.Bake for 45 minutes stirring a couple times.
After baking, stir in the dried fruit and cool completely. Transfer to an airtight container for storage. If its going to be around for more than a week store in the refrigerator or freezer.


You can customize this recipe by changing the nuts, adding a few tablespoons of flax seeds or even some coconut if that's what you like. Play with it and make it your own.

Granola Cookies

Granola Cookies

A friend stopped by for coffee and tucked into these yesterday and was truly amazed at how good they were. Apparently she had bad experiences with oatmeal cookies and couldn't get them to come out right. My secret is using my own granola instead of rolled oats. It adds a bit of texture and crunch and has all sorts of healthy goodies tucked in like flax seed and wheat germ..

Granola Cookies
1 cup butter or margarine
2/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
2 cups flour
3 cups granola
1 cup chocolate or carob chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cream together the sugars and the butter. Add eggs. Use mixer to add in flour and baking soda. Stir in granola.Stir in the chocolate chips.
Drop by heaping tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for about 11 minutes until lightly browned. Everyone's oven is different so start peeking on the first sheet at 10 minutes.
I get 30 cookies form this recipe.

You can substitute granola cereal if you don't have any homemade granola around. Chocolate chips can be swapped out for dried cranberries or raisins as well.( I've used chopped dried apricots, too)
I keep a  batch of dough in my freezer, shaped into logs and wrapped in wax paper to bake off in cookie emergencies.

Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Perfect School Break Snacks!

Peanut Butter Cupcakes

1 3/4 cup white flour

1 TB baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup margarine

3/4 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with paper liners.

Whisk together flour, salt and baking powder. Set aside.

In a large bowl cream together peanut butter and margarine. Add sugar and beat until fluffy.

Add eggs , one at a a time. Beat in vanilla. Slowly beat in flour mixture a little at a time, until all is incorporated.

Fill muffin tins 2/3 full.. Bake for 18 minutes.

I frost these with a little strawberry jam but chocolate frosting would be yummy too.

Black Bean Brownies

Can I have the recipe for THOSE brownies?

A few people have asked me for this already this year so I thought I would post it. It's a rich and delicious fudge brownie recipe with a secret ingredient. I have been making these for years.

Black Bean Brownies

1 (15 oz) can black beans

4 oz unsweetened baking chocolate

1 tbsp. butter

3 eggs

2 cups sugar

3 tbsp flour

1 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp vanilla

Rinse and drain beans. Process beans and 1 egg in the food processor. Melt chocolate and butter in the microwave( about 1.5 minutes in mine). In a large bowl combine the bean puree, sugar, flour, vanilla, cinnamon, and remaining eggs. Add chocolate and beat with mixer until smooth.

Pour into 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until toothpick in the center comes out clean.

French Vanilla Coffee Mix

I am finishing up my gift baskets this week.There are a few things everybody asks for every year that have become favorites and fortunately for me they are economical and easy to make!

Here's one of my favorites to hopefully save you a last minute trip to the store.A dozen biscotti and this mix makes a fabulous gift for a teacher or neighbor.

French Vanilla Coffee Mix

2/3 cup instant coffee powder

2 cups nonfat instant dry milk powder

1 cup powdered coffee creamer

2/3 cup white sugar

1 package french vanilla instant pudding mix

Put everything in the food processor and process about 5 seconds to blend completely.

If you don't have a food processor, a potato masher works well to break up lumps and help mix together.

Spoon into your jar of choice.  I put this in a crystal jelly jar. Place directions on a label for the jar or make up small gift cards to attach with ribbon.

Directions: Use 2 or 3 tablespoons of mix in a coffee mug. Add hot water and enjoy!

Homemade Cake Mix

Yeah, Yeah, I forgot to post it.Don't forget the granola bar recipe posted earlier.......

       Basic Cake Mix

8 cups all-purpose flour
5 cups sugar
1/4 cup baking powder
1 tablespoon salt
2 cups shortening

In a large bowl stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder,
and salt. With pastry blender cut in shortening till mixture resembles very fine crumbs. Divide mix into five equal portions (about 3 1/3 cups each). (I use Quart canning jars, you could use Ziploc Freezer bags.)
 

Place in airtight containers. Store in a cool, dry place up
to six weeks. Or place in freezer containers and freeze for up to 6
months. Don't forget to label them! You'll have no idea next summer what that bag is!

Yellow Cake

1 pouch of cake mix
3/4 cup of milk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon real vanilla
 

Grease and flour a 13 x 9 pan. Set aside. In mixing
bowl combine the mix and the milk. Beat at low speed of electric mixer till moistened. Beat 1 minute at medium speed. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed. Spread batter evenly in  pans. Bake in 350 degree oven about 20 minutes or till wooden pick comes out clean. Cool pans for 10 minutes and remove cake to cool completely.

Gingerbread Biscotti

These are Yummy!!!

Gingerbread Biscotti

1 c Almonds, blanched

3/4 c Sugar

1/4 lb Butter

1/2 c Molasses

1/4 c Ginger, fresh minced

3 Eggs, large

3 c Flour

1/2 Tb Baking powder

1 Tb Cinnamon

1 tsp Nutmeg

1/2 tsp Cloves

1/2 tsp Allspice

Place almonds in a 8 to 9 inch square pan. Bake in a 350 F. oven until golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool, coarsely chop, and set aside.

In large bowl of an electric mixer, beat sugar, butter, molasses, and ginger until smooth. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition.

In a bowl, stir flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice and almonds. Add to egg mixture; stir to blend. On two greased 12x15 inch baking sheets, use well-floured hands to pat dough into 4 flat loaves, spacing them evenly on sheets; each loaf should be about 1/2 inch thick, 2 inches wide and the length of the baking sheet. Bake in a 350 degree oven until browned at edges and springy to touch, about 25 minutes; switch positions of pans halfway through baking.

Let loaves stand on baking sheets until cool to touch, about 15 minutes, then cut into long, 1/2-inch thick diagonal slices. On baking sheets, arrange slices close together with a cut side down. Return to oven and bake at 350 F. until cookies are brown, 15 to 18 minutes longer; switch positions of pans halfway through baking.

Transfer biscotti to racks and let cool completely. Serve, or store airtight up to 1 month.

Peanut Butter Biscotti

I have been on a biscotti binge for this winter to keep the cookie jar full. Its OK if they are crispy and I have found a ton of yummy flavors. 

I am making some for Valentines day to put in coffee mugs with some cocoa mix for little inexpensive gifts.  It's my favorite treat on a snowy cold winter evening. How can you go wrong?

Peanut Butter Biscotti

2 3/4 C. flour

1 3/4 C. sugar

1 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

3 eggs, beaten

1/3 C. peanut butter

1/4 C. water

1 1/4 C. roasted peanuts, unsalted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, lightly beat together the eggs, peanut butter and water. Add to flour mixture and mix just until ingredients are incorporated. A little more water, a teaspoon at a time, can be added if mixture is too dry to make a smooth dough. Stir in peanuts.

Divide the dough into two portions, and form each into a log approximately 3 inches in diameter. Place the logs on the cookie sheet about 3 to 4 inches apart and flatten them slightly with the palm of your hand. Bake in preheated oven until light brown, about 40 minutes. Take out of the oven.

Turn the oven down to 300 degrees. Let logs cool for 10 minutes, then cut into 3/4-inch thick bars. Place bars, cut side down, back on the cookie sheet and bake until crisp, about 20 minutes.

Making Chocolate Pound Cake for Gifts

This recipe makes a fabulous pound cake that always has the recipient asking for the recipe. Simple and classic, it makes a great gift if made in the smaller loaf size but also an impressive Bundt if you would prefer.

Chocolate butter pound cake;

Cream well in a mixer(hand or stand, Ive used both)

3 sticks unsalted butter

3 cups white sugar

2 tsp real vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

Add, one at a time,

5 large eggs

Beat until well blended.

Sift together,

3 cups white all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

3/4 cup good baking cocoa powder.(not ground chocolate or drinking cocoa)

Add these ingredients to the creamed mixture alternately with

1 1/4 cups light cream

Beat well.

Bake in a preheated oven at 350 for the following times.

(1) 10 inch tube.....1 hour 20 min

(2) 9 by 5 loaf pans....1 hour 15 min

(8) mini loaves.......50 min

(12) jumbo muffins....45 min 

Optional Glaze

1 1/2 squares(oz) unsweetened baking chocolate

2 tb butter

confectioners sugar

1 tsp vanilla

in a saucepan melt together butter and chocolate. Remove from heat and add enough sugar to make a thin glaze to pour over cake.

Helpful tips.......

DO NOT SUBSTITUTE ingredients!! It will effect texture and flavor, not in a good way.The only exception is using fat free 1/2 and 1/2 for the cream.

Butter and flour your pans. I use the wrappers from the butter to grease my pans.Let items cool a 1/2 hour and then remove. If they cool completely they will only come out with a spoon.If doing the jumbo muffins I use paper cups.

Butter and eggs should be close to room temperature.I take them out when I preheat the oven before I start.

Have fun and enjoy!