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A Life Better Than I Deserve
Aug. 10, 2009
Our Week's Menu (mostly Sue Gregg's recipes)
I've decided to join in on this fun meme I've noticed on other's blogs. This is my first time to participate. I've begun planning out my meals more than one or two days in advance lately, so I thought participating would be a good way to increase my accountability. 
Also, since my husband just discovered his cholesterol was high and since I'm reviewing three of Sue Gregg's cookbooks for the TOS Homeschool Crew, my menu this week focuses on using her recipes and using mostly home-cooked, unprocessed, healthy, whole foods cooking. I italicized Sue Gregg's recipes. So, here is our menu for the week:
Monday:
- Oat Waffles with Honey-Butter Syrup, fresh berries and cantaloupe, scrambled eggs
- leftover Turkey (substitute Venison)-Mushroom Sauce over brown rice or leftover Black Bean Chowder, salad, homemade honey-oat sourdough bread
- Taco Chip Ole (substitute lightly oiled and baked flour tortillas for the corn chips due to allergy), Yogurt Pie with fresh strawberries
Tuesday:
- Leftover Oat Waffles with syrup, Sunshine Muffins, Egg Scramble
- Best Burrito Beans made as burritos with optional cheddar cheese, salsa, romaine salad
- Casserole a la Tuna, Orange Tossed Salad, Yogurt Pie
Wednesday:
- Sunshine Shakes, Blueberry Coffee Cake, Egg Scramble leftovers
- Grilled cheese sandwiches, tomato soup
- Grilled chicken (Debbie's Chicken Marinade from 30 Day Gourmet), spinach salad, baked potatoes
Thursday:
- Blender Breakfast Crepes (fruit and cottage cheese-filled), any leftover breakfast items from earlier in the week
- Sweet N Sour Beans, romaine salad, baby carrots
- Chicken Tetrazini, steamed green beans
Friday:
- Apple Shakes, Swiss Breakfast Cereal
- Chicken salad sandwiches, baby carrots
- Boboli whole wheat pizza night--one vegetarian pizza, one cheese, one turkey pepperoni, romaine salad
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Jul. 7, 2009
Dietary changes for summertime heat
Do you remember that fun Scottish Oatcakes recipe I said we'd been making while we were studying The Chronicles of Narnia? And the "Whenever Scones" we like from 30 Day Gourmet? We've continued to bake them . . . until very recently. 90-something degree weather with Southern humidity is not a good companion for heating up the oven. We're trying to watch our electricity bill with not overusing air conditioning, and I'm trying to get my sweet husband to grill out more for dinner. We've also been eating more sandwiches for lunch lately.
I have a new breakfast recipe I've been making lately. Oatmeal Waffles is quickly becoming a staple of our breakfast menu. I like that I do not have to heat up my kitchen! I'm also quite certain that my little waffle iron does not use nearly as much energy as my full-sized oven!
I have followed this recipe's serving suggestion of a dollop of yogurt and fresh berries. Berries are still fresh, in season, very healthy (full of antioxidants!) and fairly inexpensive. I've been serving vanilla flavored yogurt to the children while I've been putting unflavored Greek style yogurt on mine. I serve the toddler's waffles with sliced bananas instead of fresh whole or sliced berries. This is probably the way I'll serve them as berries begin to go out of season and become more expensive.
Yum! Everyone loves them. I love that they are whole-grain and digest more slowly than higher carbohydrate meals. I do serve them with either eggs or a breakfast meat (sausage or bacon) on the side for a more filling breakfast. We prefer to eat larger, filling breakfasts and then eat a lighter, more easily assembled lunch.
I've also been doubling the batch for the recipe I've been using here and adding a bit of vanilla to it for more flavor. This way I make enough for two meals for our big crew of 7. I made 25 square waffles from a double batch this morning. These are very good; 5 out of 5 kid stars awarded on these!
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Jun. 23, 2009
My Secret Weapon for Getting My Children to the Breakfast Table . . .
Well, I do have a few--but one of their favorites is this little recipe called Whatever Scones from the 30 Day Gourmet website. One advantage to it is that it can be partially assembled and then frozen in zipper-style freezer bags to make for really quick breakfast assembly. My children's favorite combination of all is when I omit the ginger and instead add in some freshly grated orange peel and substitute chocolate chips for the fresh or dried fruit. I usually use mini semisweet chocolate chips, but regular sized chocolate chips work as well.
My poor eleven year old Webelos scout wouldn't get out of bed for his morning workout this morning. He was too tired. I tried a few times, and finally I went and baked two batches of these--one with the fresh orange peel and chocolate chips and one with orange peel, diced dried apricots and dried mixed berries. I cut back on the ginger and added in a dash of nutmeg and cinnamon, too.
When I mentioned to my son what was for breakfast, he immediately got up and dressed. He ate half the batch of these this morning!
I guess we'll be exercising in the heat of the day today though . . . 
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Jun. 19, 2009
Green eggs and ham
Green Eggs and Ham was one of my favorite childhood books. A year or two back on Dr. Seuss' birthday I actually considered whether I should make green eggs and ham for my children for breakfast one morning. How would I do it? Scramble them and add pureed spinach? Green food coloring? I must be pretty unimaginative, as that is as far as I ever got with my musings. And perhaps a little cowardly.
I'm so relieved to discover I'm not the only one who sometimes combines two of the most fundamental things which children need to grow--children's literature and food. At the library this week, I noticed a new book in the children's section. Green Eggs and Ham Cookbook. Only this author has come up with a recipe where the eggs are fried and covered in guacamole. It really is authentic to the Seuss story and pictures. Interesting. But would my children actually eat it? Somehow I think it doesn't conjure up quite the same excitement as Scottish oatcakes from The Narnia Cookbook. What do you think?
Somehow I think my own children would find the Daisy-Head Mayzie Burgers and Pink Yink Ink Drink more palatable.
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Jun. 17, 2009
Memories in the Kitchen
Today I was visiting a Christian homeschooling mom friend who suddenly inquired of me, "How do you make a grilled cheese sandwich?"
Yes, she was serious, and no, this post is not intended to poke fun at her.
Indeed, when I was 11 my parents divorced and my mother got a job. A real, full-time job outside the home. She had forgotten to teach me much of anything in the kitchen prior to that time. She continued to forget, with the end result that when I went off to college I did not know very much about cooking or baking or even taking care of a home. Midway through college I moved into an apartment with a friend and I learned a few basics on my own, but I am here to attest that my husband did not marry me for my culinary skills. Luckily for him, twenty years have helped me to hone my own skills in the kitchen.
I know some of you are wondering why this particular friend has not learned more about cooking and baking since she now has children she is homeschooling. Honestly, until now her husband has made a very good living and they have been able to eat out as often as they've wished. I've had other friends with similar yet different tales to tell. They are your neighbors. They sit next to you in church. In your homeschool support group. They are reading this blog.
It truly is worth at least considering teaching your children, especially your daughters, some basic life skills, especially in the kitchen. I venture to say that it will, some day, some time, come in handy. Recently I found out that Future Christian Homemakers is offering their lessons free on their website. My two eldest daughters and I went over the first lesson this week.
Today I was reminded why. It doesn't really matter to me whether they become the next Martha Stewart or not, but I want them to be able to fulfill whatever role in life the Lord places them in. In a minister's home raising a large family. On the mission field in Africa. In a small town in the South practicing hospitality. Even possibly as a single woman who can take care of herself and give to others--cooking for families who have had a new baby, taking meals to convalescent church members . . . the possibilities are endless.
If you have daughters, please take the time to look at this link, and if you'd share how you train your daughters in the comments, it might help encourage my readers here. 
And, if your homeschooling friend turns to you next week and asks you how to make a meatloaf, don't laugh, just look her straight in the eyes, and tell her how you do it. Offer to write it down for her. Make her feel she can ask you how to make chicken pot pie next week.
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Mar. 16, 2009
Oatcakes experimentation continues
We've now made the yeast version of oatcakes following this recipe here, which is very similar to the suggested recipe in Further Up, Further In--yet the linked recipe thankfully converted the oat and flour measurements from lbs. to cups for me! I could handle measuring the pints with at least the lbs. converted into cups! My brain just does not want to perform a lot of complicated conversions early in the morning! Have I mentioned that I am not a morning person? 
We have found that we do not care for it as much as the other recipe from Further Up, Further In. The Scots Oatcakes recipe here is very similar to what we've been using, only calls for more sugar. I've also been using a standard biscuit cutter rather than cutting into squares.
Now, you have to understand up front, that we actually like oatmeal in our household. Might be all that Scottish ancestry. If your family prefers fluffy, tall white biscuits these might disappoint your crew. Honestly, I've been making one and a half times a batch to feed my hungry crew in the mornings! We also bought some soft farmer's style cheese Saturday when we were at Sam's Club, so we'll be trying that with it tomorrow. We finished up the last of the yeast batch this morning.
Enjoy! Feel free to leave a comment if you try one of these recipes!
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Mar. 13, 2009
Scottish oatcakes for breakfast
I noticed this morning that someone has asked about the Scottish oatcakes I've been making for breakfast. I've tried two of the three recipes offered in Further Up, Further In, which is a unit study on The Chronicles of Narnia. One of these recipes turns out like oatmeal cookies, so we've only made those once.
The one we've been using is the one which is about 2/3 oatmeal, 1/3 flour, and contains butter, salt, a minute quantity of sugar, and some baking powder. I'm searching some weblinks for a similar recipe I can post. These turn out like very dense biscuits, and we've been eating them spread with a little cream cheese, or occasionally with homemade pear butter or strawberry preserves.
True confession time! I'd like to try the yeast version, but since I'm not a morning person, the conversion/measurements of the pints of water as well as waiting 30 minutes to let the yeast work and then baking on a griddle has seemed more daunting.
We are not big on lots of sugar and carbohydrates first thing in the morning. I think everyone in the family does better with more protein, a little fat and more calories to get going--"brain food!" I like the fact that oatmeal is simply lower on the glycemic index--more fiber and converts to energy more slowly for a steady release of calories.
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Mar. 3, 2009
Saving money at the grocery store
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