Alphabet Soup

I loved this recipe. Everyone else was pretty meh about it, but I loved it and will definitely make it again, probably not on a night when Andrew and Dad are rushing out to Cub Scouts. I will offer extra dessert to anyone who can spell their name in the soup, and then eats it.

Real life. I don't believe in staging. Not pictured: the crying baby on my lap.

Alphabet Soup

from Happy Healthy Mama

2 T butter or oil

1 onion, diced

3 carrots, diced

1 potato, diced

1 medium sweet potato, diced

1 cup cauliflower florets, or 1 small red pepper, diced

2 quarts chicken of vegetable broth

1 can diced tomatoes, not drained

2 t salt

black pepper to taste

2 T tomato paste

1 cup small alphabet pasta (I used the Prince brand, 69 cents at my local grocery store)

1 cup frozen green peas

1 cup frozen corn kernels

In a large saucepan, heat oil and sauté all veggies about 5 minutes, until they start to soften. Add broth, tomatoes, tomato paste, salt and pepper and simmer, covered, about 20 minutes. Add pasta and simmer 5 more minutes. Add peas and corn and heat through.

I made this in my instant pot since we cracked our stovetop. I sautéed all the veggies about 5 minutes, then added everything except the peas and corn (I decreased the broth to 6 cups) and cooked on high pressure for 6 minutes. Everything except the potatoes was a little overcooked, so I would try 5 minutes next time.  Let the pressure come down for 10 minutes, then release the rest of the pressure. 

I served this with some delicious cornbread and it was a perfect meal, in my book, but I think you could easily brown some ground beef, turkey or sausage in step 1 or add some cooked chicken with the peas and corn for a meatier option. 

Pretend Lasagna

Lauren saw this recipe in Andrew's High Five magazine and wanted to make it. I got the ravioli on a BOGO sale, but it's still not very frugal or very healthy. It was quite tasty, though, and all the kids ate it and even helped make it. Since lasagna is on my Don't Make list, this was a good substitute.

Pretend Lasagna

jar of pasta sauce (I didn't use the whole jar)
10-ounce package of ravioli (I think I used a 24 oz package and would recommend that size)
shredded mozzarella cheese (called for one cup, but we used more)
optional vegetable layer (we used spinach; you could also use diced red pepper, olive, mushrooms, etc)
parsley flakes

Spoon a thin layer of pasta sauce in the bottom of a baking dish. Place a layer of ravioli on top of the sauce. Add a thin layer of cheese, and then a layer of vegetables, if desired. Repeat layers until you use up all the ravioli, then add a final layer of cheese. Sprinkle parsley flakes on top.

Cover dish with foil and bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.  Remove foil and bake another 5 minutes until the cheese is lightly browned. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Loaded Enchilada Pasta

I am trying to eat less meat, for both health and financial reasons, so I have been searching for some different meatless recipes. This one was a winner. I've had it bookmarked for a while and finally made it last week. I really enjoyed it and the kids even ate it, although they did eat around the beans.

Recipe from the Budget Bytes cookbook

1 T oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles
8 ounces wide egg noodles
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
1 cup red enchilada sauce (recipe below)
3 green onions, sliced
1 cup shredded cheddar
cilantro (optional)

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add garlic and sauté for 2 minutes, until softened. Add tomatoes and their juices and 2 cup of water. Add the uncooked egg noodles, cover the skillet, and raise the heat to medium-high.

Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the noodles have absorbed most of the liquid and are tender. Add the black beans, corn and enchilada sauce and stir to combine. Cook for five minutes longer until heated through.

Sprinkle green onions and cheese over the pasta. Cover the skillet until the cheese has melted. Sprinkle cilantro over just before serving.


Red Enchilada Sauce

This recipe makes two cups of sauce. I used one for the recipe above and the other for these black bean spinach enchiladas. 

2 T veg oil
2 T flour
2 T chili powder (I used slightly less to make it milder)
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/2 t cumin
1/2 t garlic powder
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1/2 t salt, plus more as needed

Add the oil, flour, and chili powder to a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Whisk ingredients together. Cook until the mixture begins to bubble, then continue to cook for 1 minute more.

Add the tomato paste, cumin, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and 2 cup of water or chicken broth and whisk until smooth. Bring to a simmer until thickened slightly. Whisk in salt, adding more if needed. Remove from heat and serve.

Our Breakfast Rotation

My previous Themed Dinner Planning post has been so helpful that I decided I need a breakfast one too. If I don't have a plan, we end up having cereal way more than we should, so hopefully this helps avoid too much cereal and get breakfast going before the kids empty the fruit bowl every morning.

Monday - Oatmeal

Chocolate Banana Sweetened Oatmeal - still a favorite

Overnight Steel Cut Oats - my favorite way to eat them is with frozen sweet cherries

Plain oatmeal with various toppings - frozen blueberries and sliced banana is the kids' favorite. My current favorite is this cookie in bowl form with brown sugar, craisins, coconut, and if I have them, a few white chocolate chips

Tuesday - Eggs

Scrambled eggs and toast, muffins, or smoothies. Lauren finally likes scrambled eggs, especially since she can make them herself.

Wednesday - Pancakes or Waffles

Perfect Pancakes - my favorite everyday recipe
Cottage Cheese Pancakes
Blender Pancakes - now that I have a decent blender, I can make these
Classic Buttermilk Waffles - I double so I have enough to freeze for another meal
Overnight Buckwheat Oat Buttermilk Waffles - I haven't made these yet, but I really want to

Thursday - Yogurt

I'm not a big yogurt fan, but the kids are, so I'm trying to make it regularly using my Instant Pot, following these tips. We have it with toast, muffins, or granola.

Friday - German Pancakes, French Toast, or Baked Oatmeal

German pancakes seem like a special breakfast, but I find them really easy for a weekday morning since you just mix and stick in the oven - no standing over a griddle or waffle iron. And, I tried to figure the cost and with current prices found that a pan equals just about $1 to make. I cut our 9x13 pan into four pieces and it is devoured fast. I might have to start doubling the recipe soon.

Lauren learned how to make french toast and now thinks she's ready for the Kid's Baking Championship.

Themed Meal Planning

I enjoy meal planning and cooking, but lately, it has become a chore and I have felt the need to simplify. I have friends who have used one or two week meal plan rotations and have had good luck with that, but I like a little more variety. So, this is what I have come up with. Each day has a theme and I simply choose one of the meals on the list for that day and make sure we have everything we need for it. All of these meals are, or easily can be, gluten, dairy and egg free and they are all tried, tested, and approved (by Preston and me - kid approval not necessary). Most of the meals we eat regularly fit into one of these categories, but if I feel like switching it up, I'm in charge and I'll do it. If you can think of any other meals to add to the list, let me know and I'll add it.

Monday - Beans and Rice

Classic Black Beans and Rice
Fiesta Rice
Bean Curry
Mush
Asian Lentils and Rice from Allred cookbook

Tuesday - Soup or Salad (or Taco Tuesday, per Lauren's request)

The Best Ground Beef Tacos
Big Salad
Taco Salad
Spinach Lentil Soup - from Mom's cookbook
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Colorful Chicken and Squash Soup
Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Broccoli and Cheese or Cauliflower and Cheddar Soup - not for us :(
Chicken Tortellini Soup - also not for us :(

Wednesday - Pasta or Potatoes

Baked Potatoes
Cottage Pie
Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie
Spaghetti  - with or without meat
Quick Chili Mac - from Mom's cookbook
Meatloaf and potatoes
Pork chops and sweet potatoes
Potato Broccoli Sausage Dinner - from Mom's cookbook
Veggie Pasta Stir Fry (add chicken or shrimp if desired)
Asian Beef and Noodles - from Allred cookbook
Eggs and Noodles
Loaded Enchilada Pasta

Thursday - Chicken and Rice

Basic Stir Fry
Honey Baked Chicken and Baked Brown Rice
Coconut Chicken Curry
Hawaiian Haystacks
Chicken Fried Rice or this version
12-minute Chicken and Broccoli
Chicken Rice Enchilada Skillet
Crockpot Thai Yellow Curry

Friday - Beans or Quinoa

Refried bean and cheese burritos
Sloppy Lentil Joes
Chili
Vegetarian Asian Lettuce Wraps
Lentils Ole - from Scoresby cookbook
Spicy Pintos
Zesty Veggie Enchiladas
Little Quinoa Patties
Black Bean and Sweet Potato Burritos
Black Bean Spinach Enchiladas

Food Blogs I Follow

The title of this post may be misleading because there is really only one food blog I follow regularly, but there are others I visit occasionally to see what's new.  It's kind of ridiculous how many food blogs there are out there, and it seems like every time I find one I like, they stop posting.  But here's a list of some of my favorites.

Mel's Kitchen Cafe - The obvious choice. I don't actually make that many of her new recipes (although I did make the double chocolate oatmeal cookies, which were delish), but if you are searching for a good classic recipe, she's a go to.  I have made a few things from there that I didn't love, but chance are good, whatever you make will turn out well. We've been making these granola bites quite a bit lately. Lauren once ate eight in one sitting (or standing). Plus, Mel very rarely has spelling or grammar errors, which is a big turnoff for me.

Pennies and Pancakes - If you are poor, this site is for you. She is not posting any longer, but it's worth perusing the archives for cheap and tasty meals, especially breads. I really like her recipe for hamburger buns, and I have been making her Best Wheat Bread (to use up some hard red wheat) and Grandma's Country White Bread (not actually white, but with white whole wheat flour) lately, and they are both very good. The Grandma's recipe might become my new everyday bread because it holds together much better and I can make thinner slices. Oh, and her refried beans are easier and cheaper than Mel's.

Super Healthy Kids - I occasionally go here to see if there are any new recipes that interest me. They focus a lot on veggies and being well rounded and healthy. My one complaint is that their website is not very easy to navigate.

100 Days of Real Food - Same as above. I only go for the recipes and try to ignore all the organic/natural hype. I like this kale salad and the pumpkin spelt muffins. It's been a while since I found a new recipes from there.


Other sites I have made recipes from, but don't really follow includes Real Food, Real Deals, Two Peas and Their Pod, Budget Bytes, and Tasty Kitchen.


Tell me - what other blogs do you follow or sometimes read?  Not that I need to spend more time online, but sometimes I need some new inspiration.

Feeding a Hungry Husband on the 6-food Elimination Diet (plus Coconut Chicken Curry )

It has now been six months that Preston has been wheat, dairy, egg, soy, seafood, and peanut free. It hasn't been too bad, although Preston might say differently, and we have gotten used to it. The diet is definitely working. It's nice to not spend time making a nice dinner only to have Preston come home, take a bite, and spend the next hour or two in the bathroom trying to work it down (or up) his throat. I would like to say I make him a lot of fancy allergy friendly treats, but the past six months have also been full of sick kids and babies not sleeping through the night, so I keep it as simple as possible. Plus, one time when I did make a cake for him, he said he would rather eat cereal....so I stopped trying very hard after that.

Our food budget has definitely increased and I am trying hard to just not worry about it, while still keeping things as frugal as possible on my end. This is what his diet is like most days.

Breakfast:  Cereal with almond milk. Usually some variety of Chex, Cheerios, Rice Krispies, or Corn Flakes, although there are more options becoming available. This is where most of the increase in our food budget has come from. We go through lots of cereal and lots of almond milk. Almond milk is $1 cheaper at BJ's, so I get it from there as often as possible, but it's still just expensive.

Lunch:  I try to make a dinner that will have leftovers that Preston can take, but it doesn't always happen. If he doesn't have leftovers, he has oatmeal packets and fruit, or buys a salad or rice bowl.

Snacks:  At work, his staples are Enjoy Life bars, Justin's Honey Almond Butter packets, and oatmeal packets. At home, his staple snack is........cereal........with almond milk.

Dinner:  There really are only a few options that are completely off the table for dinner - like pizza - I can't make pizza allergy friendly. Or lasagna. Or quiche. But most other things can be adjusted.  Our staples lately have been baked potatoes, bean and cheese burritos (bean and guacamole on corn tortillas for Preston), basic stir fry, brown rice spaghetti, and any other chicken and rice or beans and rice combination. I have made meatloaf with applesauce and quick oats instead of eggs and bread crumbs. We have also discovered some new favorite recipes, like the lentil, sausage, and spinach soup from Mom's cookbook, and the coconut chicken curry recipe below.

Preston has another upper GI endoscopy in a couple of weeks, and then will probably start adding foods back in one at a time. Six months from now, only one or two of these things will be permanent. That will be nice.


Coconut Chicken Curry from the Budget Bytes cookbook (my changes in parentheses)

2 T vegetable oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled (I always used powdered)
1.5 pounds chicken breast, cut into 1.5-2 inch chunks
1/2 t paprika
1/2 t turmeric
1 t curry powder
2 cans coconut milk (I think one is plenty, especially if you use less chicken)
1/2 t salt
6 cups cooked rice (I cook 1.5 cups dry rice and it's about right)
1/4 bunch fresh cilantro (I omit because cilantro is way too expensive and I can take it or leave it)

Heat the vegetable oil in large skillet. Add the onion and garlic, and using a small-holed cheese grater or a Microplane, grate the ginger directly into the skillet. Saute about 5 minutes until the onions are soft and translucent. Add the chicken and continue to saute until the chicken is cooked through.

Add the paprika, turmeric, and curry powder and saute for 1 minute more. Add the coconut milk and stir, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Reduce heat to low and cook for 10 minutes more, or until warmed through. Stir in the salt. Serve over rice. Top with cilantro leaves, if desired.