One Big Family

EASY chicken and potato soup

8:33 PM, Dec. 11, 2006 .. Posted in Pantry Principle .. 5 comments .. Link

Here's something nice for a cold day.

uick and easy poato soup:

Peel and cube 8-10lbs of potatoes--do this with your kids and take advantage of an opportunity to talk with them about life.

Place in stock pot, throw in 2-3 frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts, along with salt pepper, and onion powder to taste. Cover with water, bring to boil

Put approx. 3 cups powdered milk and approx. 3/4 cup white flour in a small container and add enough water to make a paste. Set aside.

When chicken breasts are done, remove with tongs and snip into small bits with kitchen scissors.

Return to stockpot. Add milk/flour paste and stir, while heating, until thickened.

You can also add some corn for a more "chowder" type soup.

Good with cornbread or ww french bread on the side.

Meatball sandwiches

10:42 PM, Sep. 3, 2006 .. Posted in Pantry Principle .. 1 comments .. Link

It's getting a little cooler, so we are beginning to crave some real "comfort food".

Get from your freezer:

Whole wheat baguettes
Meatballs
Frozen shredded mozarella

Get from your pantry:

Tomato paste
Itallian seasoning
Onion powder
Dash of salt

Place meatballs in pan (enough to make a complete line on each baguette) with seasonings, tomato paste, and small amount of water (to keep from singing on the bottom). Warm, stirring constantly, until meatballs are thawed and seasonings are absorbed.

Cut the baguettes lengthwise, but only on three sides. Leave the 4th uncut to act as a "hinge".

Place each baguette on a baking pan with uncut side on the bottom, so that it looks like a "v".

Place meatballs with sauce in a line in each baguette. Cover with mozarella (and maybe a sprinkle of parmesan).

Bake in 350F oven until wonderfully warm and bubbly! Mmmmmmmm.....

Side dish suggestion: cole slaw mix with ranch dressing

Quick stew and biscuits--pantry-style

10:04 PM, Aug. 10, 2006 .. Posted in Pantry Principle .. 1 comments .. Link

Today my dear husband and I were out at the OB doc's--with a little glucose test and some blood-letting, so there wasn't much time for dinner plans--I'm sure you've been there!

Enter--the Pantry Principle! Like Old Mother Hubbard, I looked in my cupboard, and there before me were some cans of stew, potatoes and carrots, and in my fridge a stock of canned biscuits.

I simply open the stew (3 huge cans for us), pop it in the pan, open and drain the potatoes (2 cans) and carrots (these stretch the stew, and my family likes extra potatoes) and warm them all up, stirring occasionally, while baking the biscuits in the oven (4 cans for us).

Before you could say "get her poor dog a bone", my children were singing yummy songs--I even had time to watch them all scooter and ride bikes outside because it was such an easy dinner.

Desert--fresh fruit, of course--gotta keep those fruits and veggies always in the picture!

Pantry Principle recipes--spaghetti

3:12 PM, Aug. 5, 2006 .. Posted in Pantry Principle .. 1 comments .. Link

Spaghetti Bolognese (pronounced "bo-lo-nyai-sie"--which is fancy for "spaghetti noodles with meat sauce") for 12-14:

2.5 lbs dry spaghetti noodles--cooked

2 lbs browned hamburger--I take the frozen hamburger, add a small amount of water in the pan, and cook it, scraping the cooked portions off of the frozen mass as I go.

Then I add:

5 cans tomato paste, plus 2 cans of water

Seasonings to taste--onion powder, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper

I simmer this for a few minutes, while we are setting the table, getting some garlic bread ready, etc.

Then we assemble and eat!

Pantry Principle--what's in my general pantry

3:03 PM, Aug. 5, 2006 .. Posted in Pantry Principle .. 2 comments .. Link

I have a pantry cupboard in my kitchen, with overflow space in the garage. Most of these items I purchase at an Aldi’s-type store--Save-a-Lot--I am praying for an Aldi’s to open out here--I am in the West):

--24 cans each (it takes 3-4 per meal for us) green beans, corn, kidney beans, black-eyed peas, and pinto beans

--24 small cans tomato paste

--12 cans diced tomatoes

--6 cans black olives

--6 cans potatoes

--6 cans carrots

--1 jar green olives

--2 jars relish

--4 bottles ketchup

--2 bottles mustard

--4 bottles ranch dressing

--1 bottle Italian dressing

--I large bottle salsa

--taco shells

--large bucket chicken broth powder

--soy sauce

--18 boxes various hamburger and tuna helper mixes (I get these at .89 a piece)

--9 boxes chicken Rice-a-Roni-type mixes

--6 boxes cereal--at 1.79 or less a box

--12 boxes of graham crackers, at $1 a piece. I choose grahams over other cookies because they seem to me to be a little healthier choice, and they are also very versatile.

--3 lbs egg noodles

--5 lbs pasta--penne, rotini, macaroni, etc.

--10 lbs spaghetti

--5 lbs rice--brown and white

--2, 15lb bags potatoes

--I bag yellow onions--not stored with potatoes

--6 cans stew

--10 cans chili

--16 cans various fruits

--6 jars jams

--HUGE can peanut butter

--20-or so lb bag popcorn kernels (we use an air popper)

--various treets

What’s in my refrigerator:

Things I can buy ahead:
--butter, in 4 pound packs

--6 cartons of 18-count eggs

--5-lb blocks sliced cheese--stores in refrigerator well, but does not freeze well

--1 large, red onion--I slice off what I want and save the rest in the zippie

Things I pick up weekly:

--milk--6 gallons

--lettuce or salad mixes

--carrots, celery, green and red peppers, tomatoes

--fresh fruit, sometimes not stored in fridge--whatever is cheap and good, usually apples, oranges and bananas, sometimes kiwi, fresh pineapple, strawberries, watermelon, etc.

Seasonings:

--salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, basil, chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, brown gravy mix, dried parsley, dried ginger, cloves, allspice, etc.

I also grow my own herbs (which is extremely simple for my sunny, arid climate, and they are also rather decorative in a cottage-type garden), so, especially in the summer, I can just go out my front door and gather up sage, cilantro, peppermint, lemon balm, oregano, basil and thyme as needed.

Follow this thread of thought over to the recipes you can create with a well-stocked pantry.

Pantry Principle--what's in my baking area

3:00 PM, Aug. 5, 2006 .. Posted in Pantry Principle .. 0 comments .. Link

I have a portion of my cupboards dedicated to baking:

--25 lb bag of high-gluten white flour

--6 lbs brown sugar

--2 lbs confectioners sugar

--4 liters oil--olive or canola

--4 packages of coconut

--cocoa powder

--baking powder--Rumford is aluminum free, and can be found at WalMart

--baking soda

--corn starch

--yeast--the bulk packages from Sam’s--until opened, then they are refrigerated

--4 cans of pie filling

--honey

--molasses

--big box of powdered milk

--dried fruit--craisins, raisins, etc.

--gelatin boxes

--4 devil’s food cake mix, 4 yellow cake mix

--lemon juice

--apple cider vinegar

--muffin cups

--baking spray

--spices--I generally buy these at Sam’s in bulk, but a few I buy elsewhere

Next--my general pantry

Pantry Principle--what's in my freezer

2:54 PM, Aug. 5, 2006 .. Posted in Pantry Principle .. 0 comments .. Link

This is how I fill my freezer:

--small ziplock bags of shredded mozarella and Colby-jack cheese, which I have portioned out of a 5lb bag

--snack-sized ziplock bags if pepperoni, which I have portioned out of a huge bag from Sam’s club

--small ziplocks of cooked and chunked chicken breast ( I cook the chicken all at once and “chunk” it, then put it into the zippies)

--meal-sized zippies of frozen hamburger

--hamburger patties

--strawberries and blueberries

--30 lb box of French fries

--tater tots

--tortillas

--French bread--whatever is on sale or at Sam’s, which usually has the cheapest price

--sliced bread--this I either buy as a “loss leader” or at a baker thrift store, usually about 20-30 loaves at a time

--bagels

--orange juice

--bacon

--sausage, rolled and links

--various lunch meats

--hotdogs

--vanilla ice cream

--whole wheat flour

--wheat germ

--wheat or oat bran

--raw nuts for cooking

--there are certain times, although I have not hit any recently, that I will buy steak, pork or chicken in bulk if it is REALLY cheap--I once found leg quarters for .25 a pound, so I bought 80 lbs! This lasted us for about 4 months. I’ve also been known to buy 50lbs of hamburger or 10 roasts at a time. This way you are utilizing one of the neatest features of “pantriness”--you can take advantage of odd sales, etc.

What you won’t find:

Not many convenience foods--too expensive and too unhealthy!

Next--my baking area

Food logistics for an army (WFMW)

11:12 AM, Aug. 4, 2006 .. Posted in Pantry Principle .. 2 comments .. Link

Over the years I have gone down many avenues with my food procurement and preparation.

These are the main methods:

1) Go to the store and buy stuff, then go home and cook it. This is the method used by most of America. You basically realize that you need to go to the store, so you grab the keys and your pocketbook. When you arrive at the store, all you know is that you're hungry, and that is what the grocer is counting on. Every display is meant to entice you into spending your money on things that look yummy for the moment, but don't feed you well or for very long. This is the least efficient way to satisfy your family.

2) Plan-ahead meals. This is the most popular of organized methods, one that is recommended by numerous homemakers. It gives you some predictability and allows you to go to the store armed with a detailed list that will hopefully keep you from falling prey to the flash of all of the display, among other things. However, it does have its drawbacks and limitations. For instance, I have had trouble with planning the right meal for the right day, since it doesn't allow for much flexibility, and our lives can get pretty "interesting". For another thing, it keeps you from taking advantage of sale items that may not be on your "meals list"--keeping your budget from stretching as far as it could. Besides this, I found myself, no matter how carefully I tried to plan, running out of some key ingredients for my meals towards the end of the month, causing me to have to be spontaneous anyway.

3) Once A Month Cooking--or OAMC. This is a plan in which you cook ahead as much as you can and freeze your meals. I have done this in the past, and it was quite a fun and convenient thing for me, back when I had fewer and younger children! I can remember the good feeling of a freezer full of ready-made French bread pizzas, casseroles, etc., and there are great budget benefits to this, as well. However, there are even drawbacks to this one--especially for a larger-than-average family. As we have grown, both in number and in each child's size, it has become increasingly difficult to quadruple a recipe that I already had to quadruple, and then find enough casseroles, etc. to keep everything in! By the time we would prepare enough for everyone for 30 days, it was already the next month (just a little exaggeration there for effect). Besides this, it has been my experience that most prepared meals, although not all, tend to lose their flavor after being re-heated.

4) The "Pantry Principle", as Amy Dacyczyn, of Tightwad Gazette fame, has called it seems to be the one that fits for me. It helps if you keep a price book, which helps you determine where to find certain items at the cheapest price, or when to buy them at the cheapest according to the store's regular sales.

Next, you compile a pantry list of staples that you would need on hand to prepare meals for your family (I will be posting an example list so that you can begin to think in this line). It helps to keep in mind the types of things your family likes to eat. Of course, these days a pantry includes a freezer, which no big family in America can afford to be without!

After keeping my pantry stocked, I always have enough of my monthly budget set aside for milk and fresh produce that I will buy while out on errands at our neighborhood grocery store.

Then, as I go along, I plan our meals by pulling out what I already have on hand, along with the fresh in-season items that I buy each week. At this point I can even make up a "possible" meals list that will jog my thinking on those days when I am not "running on all thrusters".

Of course, my budget does not allow for many of the high-priced health foods--I tried to keep my meals as "organic" as possible for a few months, and we were hungry so much that I gave it up. It occured to me that Paul told us that what we receive with thankfulness is blessed, so until I find myself with an "organic" budget, we will be blessed with some good-old traditional American cuisine! I have already grown up a few healthy adults on this sort of diet, so I don't feel the necessity to fix something that
"ain't broke", although I try to insure my children eat whole grains, fresh fruit and vegetables daily.

I have found this to be just what we need--flexibility combined with frugality!

There are numerous meals you can prepare by using the staples in your cupboard--and in future posts I will be sharing some of these recipes as well.