Lazy Sunday

I should have posted a picture of what I looked like when I woke up this morning--- before my first sip of caffeine. Considering what's on the plate for today, it's a big order.

On today's cooking schedule are a few different things- some for today, and some are being combined with cooking for later in the week.

I'll be cooking sausage patties (baking in the oven) for this morning, as well as for sausage, egg, and cheese biscuit sandwiches for tomorrow's breakfast.
I'll also prep and make french toast using the bread I baked yesterday and allowed to go slightly stale over night as well as a fruit salad using all stone fruit- peaches, plums, and cherries.
Taking advantage of the warm oven, I'll go ahead and prep another loaf of bread for toast later this week. I'll also go ahead and prep biscuits for tomorrow, although I'll freeze them so I can bake them fresh in the morning. I'll also go ahead and make some pita bread while I've got the flour out of the pantry.
Using the crock pot, I'll be making beans for for tonight's dinner as well as the breakfast burritos later this week.
And then I'll go ahead and make the chicken salad as well as the enchiladas. Since these both require a bit of onion, I'll go ahead and peel several onions for cooking through-out the week and put them in a bag in the fridge.

Seem chaotic enough yet?

The current contents of the oven: hamburgers, buns, and bread.

A close-up of the bread. Smells divine!

The oven fries that will go with the hamburgers during dinner time.

The baked chicken for meals later this week. Two chicken breasts were used in the making of the pasta salad for lunch, however I didn't think to snap a photo before the salad was eaten.

Recipes:

Bread and Buns

• 2 cups warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 1/4 cup margarine, melted
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 2 (.25 ounce) packages instant yeast
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 6 cups all-purpose flour, or as needed

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, stir together the milk, margarine, warm water, sugar and yeast. Let stand for about 5 minutes.
2. Mix in the salt, and gradually stir in the flour until you have a soft dough. Divide into 25 pieces, and form into balls. Place on baking sheets so they are 2 to 3 inches apart. Let rise for 20 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Bake the rolls for 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool slightly, then split them in half horizontally to fill with your favorite burgers.

(Note: I actually divided it into half. Half was shaped into a log and allowed to rise in my bread pan. The other half was formed into logs and sliced before proofing to become buns.)

Hamburgers

• 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 pound ground beef
• 6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
  

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat a oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the Cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese, onion, egg, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Crumble in the ground beef and bacon, and mix together by hand. Form into 6 patties.
3. Place patties in the oven, and cook for 15-25 minutes or until done to your liking.

The problem with taking on a cooking from scratch project is getting organized.

I left my children in charge of putting away the groceries. Somewhere in the process, several items were eaten, others were complained about, and still more was insulted.

We got off to a simple start, the Husband-character let me sleep in a little late this morning and he prepared the first breakfast, scrambled eggs, toast, and BACON. Yes, I know I had sausage scheduled for today. But this is reality. Sometimes the chef doesn't want to make sausage--- I'll just use that in a meal where I was to use bacon.

I'm off to prep and cook lunch and hopefully have a few pictures to post.

Menu for 8/8/09-8/21/09

It always helps to have a plan.

Keep in mind, this blog is NOT about saving money. It's about food. Real food. Good food. Food from my own hands.

Food items labeled with an * will be items that are purchased in a pre-made form, simply because I do not have the kitchen space or tools available to make a comparable product. All other items will be made from scratch, using base ingredients from the fridge, freezer, or pantry.

Snacks for the entirety: Fresh Fruit, Milk, nuts, or air-popped popcorn. Beverages will rotate between Pop*, Juice*, Water, Iced Tea, and Milk.

August 8, 2009
Breakfast: Toast, Sausage Patties, Scrambled Eggs,
Lunch: Chicken Pasta Salad,
Dinner: Hamburgers, Salad, Buns, Seasoned Oven Fries,
Dessert: Chocolate Mousse with cookie spoons

August 9, 2009
Brunch: French Toast, Bacon*, Fruit Salad, Yogurt,
Dinner: Chicken Enchiladas, Spanish Rice, Beans,
Dessert: Cinnamon Ice Cream* with cookie spoons

August 10, 2009
Breakfast: Sausage, Egg and Cheese Biscuit Sandwiches
Lunch: Chicken Salad in Pitas*
Dinner: Crusted Pork Loin, Green Beans, Baked Potatoes

August 11, 2009
Breakfast: Cold Cereal*, Fruit, Milk/Juice
Lunch: Sloppy Joes, Salad
Dinner: Curried Beef Stew over Jasmine Rice

August 12, 2009
Breakfast: BYO (Build Your Own) Breakfast Burritos- flour tortillas*, scrambled eggs, seasoned potatoes, sausage crumbles, cheese, beans, rice, salsa
Lunch: Calzones
Dinner: Salisbury Steak, Gravy, Rice, Corn on the cob

August 13, 2009
Due to a drive to the airport very early in the morning, most meals today will be cobbled together from left-overs. We also entertain a large group of people on Thursday evenings, so dinner tends to be something easily buffet style.
Breakfast: FFY (Fend For Yourself)
Lunch: FFY
Dinner: Nacho Bar- Fresh Queso, salsa, refried beans, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, diced olives, fresh tortilla chips
Dessert: Brownies

August 14, 2009
Breakfast: Ham Steaks, Eggs, Toast
Lunch: Pork Satay with Peanut Sauce over noodles
Dinner: Fried Rice

August 15, 2009
Breakfast: Cold Cereal, Fruit
Lunch: Chicken Nuggets, Oven Fries, Fruit Salad
Dinner: Japanese Hot Pot Movie night

August 16, 2009
Brunch: Waffles, Fruit, Bacon*, Yogurt*
Dinner: Roasted Turkey Breast, Broccoli Casserole, Herb Roasted New Potatoes

August 17, 2009
Breakfast: Cold Cereal, Fruit, and Yogurt* parfaits
Lunch: Chinese Steamed Buns
Dinner: Pizza

August 18, 2009
Breakfast: Grits, eggs, toast
Lunch: Chicken Fajitas, Spanish Rice
Dinner: Buffalo Chicken Bites, Corn on the Cob

August 19, 2009
Breakfast: Biscuits and Gravy, Fruit
Lunch: Spaghetti with meatballs, garlic bread
Dinner: Pork Chops, Scalloped Potatoes, Salad

August 20, 2009
Breakfast: Sausage, Egg, Biscuit Sandwiches
Lunch: Jambalaya with Jasmine Rice
Dinner: Spaghetti Buffet

August 21, 2009

FFY Day- to prepare for grocery shopping and cleaning out the fridge.

Starting Out is Hard to Do

It's always these first blog entries that are the most difficult.

I should start by saying that this isn't a blog about how I use coupons to save money.

This isn't a blog where I tell you my secret kitchen short cuts.

This is a blog about cooking, cooking, and more cooking. This is a blog about destroying my kitchen daily in an attempt to see how difficult it is to do a little pre-cooking and a little planning to provide filling, healthy meals for my family.

This blog is starting NOW, as I write my grocery list and menu in the real world and discover that my list surprisingly short on pre-processed foods.

Is it possible to live my life as well as cook from scratch meals for two weeks at a time?

I hope you'll read along with me as I find out for myself.