Just the beginning of Canning Season

Here is the view of my kitchen during canning season. I had awoke in the early morning dawn to can tomatoes and to get a jump start before my sweet cheeks awoke from their slumber. Before starting my second batch, I took a moment and looked around my kitchen and saw my first batch of tomatoes cooling and the empty jars lined up waiting to be filled with more nourishing food. When... pure joy and happiness warmed my heart. I grabbed my camera and snapped a couple photos, so I can look back on the moment that gave me such joy for my hard work I had been enduring for the love of my family. I can't wait to taste those tomatoes this Winter and savor the flavor of love and joy.
My kitchen is the heart of my home.

Menu Plan This week

Breakfasts: Cereal, Oatmeal, Pancakes, French Toast, Bagels

Lunches: Sandwiches, Salads, Soup, Leftovers,

Dinners:
Sunday - French Bread Pepperoni Pizza
Monday - Vegetable Beef Soup and Sandwiches
Tuesday - Steak, Potatoes, Green Beans and Cottage Cheese
Wednesday - Cacciatore Stoup with Meatballs (Rachael Ray Recipe)
Thursday - Pork Chops, Stuffing, Cream of Corn, Apple Sauce
Friday - Potato Soup and Crusty Bread
Saturday - Dan's Spanish Rice

Grocery Budget and Menu Planning

This week I officially started my Menu Planning. I want to restrict myself on my grocery budget since, we spend way too much. I am scared to really know the dollar amount. In my budget I am allowing $100 a week for my family of five. My goal is to spend as little of that $100 a week as I can and whatever I don't spend on groceries I get to put that money into our vacation fund for December. We plan to go to Leavenworth, Washington for their Christmas Festival, German style.

Since I have been stocking up my pantry, my freezer and my stockpile in the garage, I probably will only need to purchase perishables like milk, eggs, fresh produce and some bread, etc. I have been canning, drying sliced fruits, and preparing quick fix freezer meals. It has been a lot of work in the kitchen and little sleep some nights but it sure will pay off this Winter. With the economy the way it has been heading I feel that this Winter and possibly Spring will be quite tight on the budget. I have been preparing for this for some time and hope that I have acquired enough of the necessities as we will need. I may sound like a squirrel stockpiling for Winter, but I would rather be prepared for any hurdle that may head our way.

I plan on getting back to homemade food from scratch and not store bought/commercially made if at all possible. I will start baking some of our bread, making my own pie crusts, pizza dough, granola bars etc.. I intend on being more frugal in other areas in our home and budget too. Menu planning will help keep me on track and help simplify my budget, meals and inspire me to think before I purchase.

I hope that you are inspired too, to think ahead for Winter and Spring and get your home, pantry and freezer stocked.

Under the Weather

Sorry for not posting in a week. I have not been feeling up to par and have been taking care of one of my little sweet cheeks, who has been under the weather too. I am starting to feel better. New posts coming soon.

Frugal Recipes

My dear friend Jen called me today to ask me and my other dear friends to bring a few frugal recipes to our Friday morning coffee gathering to exchange. She wants to menu plan for two weeks and needs some new recipes that are cheap to make on the budget and tastes good.

Can any of you inspire her with some of your frugal recipes for her family? Much appreciated.

Homemade Baby Food

Homemade baby food is so easy to make and less expensive for your budget. This happens to be pears that I did one day a few months ago. Now, since my little sweet cheek is 9 months old, I am combining veggies with protein like chicken and turkey and adding brown rice. I love these trays with lids so I can stack them in the freezer. You can use a hand held immersion blender, the magic bullet or a baby food mill to puree to the consistency that you need for your sweet cheeks.

When the baby food is frozen solid I just pop them out of the trays and put them in Ziploc bags and label them. It is really simple to do and I know how fresh and nutritious the food is. I have to confess, I do have organic baby food in jars on hand when we are traveling for convenience.

Heirloom Tomato and Bocconcini Mozzarella Salad

This is one of the recipes that I made with those wonderful heirloom tomatoes that I found at my local farmer's market. Each bite was bursting with fresh flavors.

Heirloom Tomato and Bocconcini Mozzarella Salad

Variety of fresh heirloom tomatoes or any tangy tomato variety (sliced in quarters)
3 balls of fresh baby bocconcini mozzarella (sliced)
1/4 cup of EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
the juice of one tomato
a drizzle of basalmic vinegar
2 garlic cloves (minced)
salt and pepper to taste

Toss together to coat and let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Calling all cooks

All good cooks need the proper tools in the kitchen to make cooking and baking simple, fun and easy. Even if you are an amateur chef, good tools make cooking an ease. Over the last twelve years I have purchased Pampered Chef products and my kitchen and motor home are filled with them.

The new Fall products and catalog are now available. I am hosting a Kitchen Show and would like to invite you to shop online from the comfort of your home or kitchen. Go here to do your shopping for yourself or for Christmas gifts and stocking stuffer's. Yes, Christmas is just around the corner.... If you spend over $60 you get a free gift. This months gift is the meat chopper tool.

All shopping must be done by Friday, September 19th as I am closing my show on the 20th. If you want to view the catalog and/or shop online, click on Order Products it will ask you for a host name. The correct spelling of my name is Angela Koch.

Happy Shopping and Cooking!

Cooking with Friends

The last two days my friend Misty and I have been in my kitchen canning and freezing fruit. I showed her how to make no sugar added apple sauce sweetened with 100% apple juice. She was busy slicing her peaches and putting them on giant trays and freezing them and making zucchini chocolate chip bread. It was really good.

I made marinara sauce, a few more apple pie fillings, five quart bags of diced apples for apple cake, two loaves of apple walnut bread and canned quarts of fresh tomatoes. I still have to make more peach pie fillings tonight after my sweet cheeks go to bed. It has been a busy few days but it will be so worth it this winter. My freezer is filled with colorful fruits and veggies, pies, sauces, bread etc...

Today I treated her for lunch. I made us an heirloom tomato and bocconcini mozzarella salad on baby lettuces drizzled with a homemade tomato, balsamic vinaigrette and garlic dressing. It was just delicious. She had brought over her grandma's vintage aprons and recipes to show me. It makes me wonder how many fabulous dishes her grandma made wearing those handmade aprons. We had such a good time in the kitchen together. It is fun cooking with friends.

This weeks Farmers Market Find

Today my friend Misty and I took our kids for a nice sunny stroll down to our local Farmer's Market in Creswell. Todays finds were a loaf of Honey Oat Bread, a loaf of Whole Wheat Bread, Heirloom tomatoes, plums, a large bag of mixed salad greens and a carmelized onion tart. The Farmers Market will be closed for the season at the end of this month. It will be sad. I enjoy my weekly adventure and the fresh produce and recipes that I create from them.

However I will still be able to purchase my delicious baked goods this Winter. If anyone else is interested please e-mail Julie Furrer with your orders at Julie's Baked Goods. She can be reached at her e-mail jubugme@gmail.com Thanks Julie! The honey oat bread smeared with honey butter was so good and the carmelized onion tart was delish.