Anyways, last week’s experimentation with real wines (as opposed to cooking wines) in my recipes went well.  It was especially good with the white wine I picked for the Tuscan Chicken bake – the flavor of the wine was amazing and it came through nicely in the finished bake.  I was pleased.  This is my official good-bye to cooking wines!

This week I’m back to looking at side dishes.  My eternal challenge is actually filling my family of bottomless pits up (even Galen nurses endlessly!) Not that I resent this challenge at all – I’m pleased to be able to cook for my family (and enjoy it) and I’m pleased they’ll eat literally anything I prepare.  I’m not sure that says so much about my cooking skills as it does the depth of their stomachs.  But anyways.

Dr. Pottenger’s meal protocols included salads with both lunch and dinner and I think I’m going to try that.  I’ve already incorporated his salad plus two veggies at supper (and manage that most nights) which was well-received.  He usually prepared a simple soup at supper – just warm home made broth really.  The more complex soup was served at lunch.  I think I’m going to do that because it will make suppers easier for me.

Almost every meal this week is being doubled because I have got to get some meals into my freezer for nights when I’m exhausted, which is going to happen

Monday – B Eggs, oatmeal with cream (I’m going to experiment with breakfasts some this week but not yet sure how)

L Minestrone w/ cheese for garnish, enzyme salad, milk, kraut, steamed asparagus (hopefully with a sauce :p)

S Liver and onions, hot soup Caesar salad, steamed spinach, buttered carrots, rice, kraut, milk

To-do soak liver in lemon juice, thaw bison heart, cook lima beans + black-eyed peas overnight, make salads for the week, start sauerkraut

Tuesday – B Eggs, oatmeal with cream

L “Mom’s Vegetable Soup,” cheese garnish, salad, milk, kraut

S Easy and Delicious Chicken (didn’t get to this last week), hot soup, Caesar salad, steamed broccoli, baked squash, rice, kraut, milk

To-do start crockpot chicken early AM, thaw home made refried beans, cook white beans in crock pot overnight

Wednesday – B Eggs, oatmeal with cream

L White Bean Chili soup, cheese for garnish, salad, milk, kimchi

S Mexican Casserole, Mexican soup, enzyme salad, steamed spinach, baked squash, kimchi, milk

To-do cook pinto beans in crock pot overnight

Thursday – B Eggs, oatmeal with cream

L Beef stew, salad, milk, kraut

S Chili, hot soup, enzyme salad, baked squash, steamed broccoli, rice, kraut, milk

To-do cook kidney beans early AM, start chili in crock pot at lunchtime, crock pot cook black beans overnight

Friday – B Eggs, oatmeal with cream

L Black bean soup w/ sour cream garnish, salad, milk, kimchi

S Meatballs and Coconut sauce, hot soup, Caesar salad, steamed asparagus, baked squash, kraut, milk

To-do roll out meatballs at lunchtime, thaw liver, thaw chicken breasts, thaw whole chicken, brainstorm vegetable side dishes for lunches

Saturday – B Scott makes breakfast

L Pate, coconut chicken soup, sweet potatoes, salad, kimchi, milk

S Asian ginger chicken, hot soup, Caesar salad, baked beets, steamed cabbage, rice, kimchi, milk

To-do make grocery list and shop

Sunday – B Scott makes breakfast

L Beans and Rice, Jamaican style, salad, kimchi, milk

S Roast chicken with potatoes, Roman egg soup, enzyme salad, steamed beet greens, kraut, milk

To-do soak rice, soak oats, make whey, cook kidney beans (from fridge) overnight, start beans and rice early AM, soak kidney beans, lima beans, black-eyed peas, pinto beans, white beans

Visit the Organzing Junkie for more menu plans!

When I first started teaching myself to cook I was in my late teens. I live in the good old USA and I couldn’t buy wine for cooking. So I used cooking wine. Never stopped using cooking wine.

But my mom got me a new cookbook for Christmas this year and the author talks about cooking with wine quite a bit. I’m really somewhat clueless about wines and things still, however, since I don’t really drink them or cook with them. So I found a wine list in a different cookbook and got together a few recipes for this week that use wines. We’ll see how that goes.

If you have any good resources on learning about wines for cooking please share!

Onto the menu plan:

Monday – B Eggs and oatmeal w/ cream and butter… I’m getting bored with the normal egg scramble so I need to think of something different to do for breakfast eggs.

L Minestrone

S Liver w/ Onions, Roman egg soup, Caesar salad, sweet potatoes, steamed spinach, baked squash, kimchi

To-do start kraut, soak rice, start stock, cook lima beans in crockpot overnight, soak liver in lemon juice @ lunch, start squash and sweet potatoes early enough to have them done by supper!

Tuesday – B Eggs and oatmeal w/ cream and butter

L “Mom’s Vegetable Soup”

S Lentil Loaf, simple soup, baked squash, kimchi, Balsamic carrot salad, hot corn w/ butter

To-do cook white beans in crockpot overnight, cook rice at lunch, go to co-op (and find out bulk bean costs)

Wednesday – B Eggs and oatmeal w/ cream and butter

L White Bean and Chicken Chili

S Sesame Sherry Chicken, Coconut chicken soup, Caesar salad, avocado slices, rice, steamed spinach, kraut

To-do Marinate chicken in the AM, soak rice, thaw beef

Thursday – B Eggs and oatmeal w/ cream and butter

L Beef Stew

S Glazed meatballs and soft-boiled eggs, fried rice, carrot soup, kimchi, avocado slices, steamed cabbage, enzyme salad

To-do cook kidney beans in crockpot overnight, start cabbage steaming early enough for it to be done by supper

Friday – B Eggs and oatmeal w/ cream and butter

L Beans and Rice, Jamaican Style

S Tuscan-style Chicken Tetrazzini (w/ rice), mushroom soup, enzyme salad, steamed broccoli, steamed squash, kraut

To-do soak rice, thaw liver, start squash early, make next week’s menu plan/grocery list

Saturday – B Eggs and oatmeal w/ cream and butter

L Pate, sweet potato, kimchi, salad, coconut chicken soup

S Easy and Delicious Chicken (tripled for freezer) – made in crockpot, Roman egg soup, Caesar salad, avocado slices, steamed spinach, rice

To-do grocery shop, plan what should be soaked, cook black beans in crockpot

Sunday – B Eggs and oatmeal w/ cream and butter

L Black Bean Soup

S Roast chicken with potatoes, enzyme salad, squash, broccoli, kraut, simple soup

To-do soak: lima beans, kidney beans, lentils; thaw liver, soak oats, make enzyme salad, sprout sunflower seeds, make whey, roast peanuts overnight

Visit the Organizing Junkie for more menu planning ideas!

Yes, this week we’re eating a lot of winter squashes.  But they are inexpensive and in season so I’m serving them. Avocados have also been on perpetual sale, we must be getting a lot trucked in.

This week I’m experimenting with a suggestion of Dr. Pottenger’s, which is to serve a green salad and two cooked veggies with supper each evening. We’ll see how that goes (i.e. does it stress me out a ton?) I can remember that my grandma always served a salad and 2-3 veggie sides.

As far as salad goes those are working out very well. I buy two heads of lettuce each week and use one for the Caesar salad and one for the Enzyme salad – those two salads carry us through the week for suppers and even a couple of lunches. The carrot salad I make with our liver supper makes a little less but it still goes for that meal and for a lunch. So salads are working out nicely.

We’re beginning week 2 of our “traditional foods” 30-day challenge. Thus far benefits have been: my milk supply is literally overflowing, and the milk is very rich; Cassidy seems to be putting on some weight, the kids are pretty cheerful, and everyone except Scott seems to be full for a time between meals.

The kids and I sometimes get a snack that Scott doesn’t get though, and he really dislikes being hungry. I’m still working on good snacks to send with him to work – pints of soup, I finally got our crispy nuts done, etc. And at night after supper I try and make a nourishing before-bed snack because he likes those too. I tend to crave sugar and carbs at that point as well.

I’ve written about some of the challenges I’m facing in my food challenge 7 day update. I’ve also considered some ways to streamline my kitchen time in that post. My “to-do” lists look more manageable now :p

On to the menu plan!

Monday – B: Eggs, beef and veggie scramble; oatmeal with butter and yogurt
L: Black bean soup and kimchi
S: Meat loaf (using brown rice instead of bread crumbs); enzyme salad; simple soup; steamed broccoli (w/ hollandaise if I’m motivated); steamed squash, kraut.
To-Do: cook rice @ lunch, soak rice, start fermented sweet potatoes, soak rice, start kraut

Tuesday – B: Eggs, beef and veggie scramble; oatmeal with butter and yogurt
L: Beans and rice, Jamaican style; simple soup, kimchi
S: Chicken supreme (using leftover chicken); Caesar salad; coconut chicken soup; sliced avocado; steamed squash, rice, kimchi
To-Do: start beans and rice early AM, make whey, soak rice, start crock pot kidney beans before bed.

Wednesday – B: Eggs, beef and veggie scramble; oatmeal with butter and yogurt
L: White bean chili soup; kimchi
S: Liver w/ onions; Balsamic carrot salad; simple soup; steamed spinach; steamed squash; rice; kraut
To-Do: visit farm store for beef products, soak liver in lemon juice (at lunch), thaw a bison heart.

Thursday – B: Eggs, beef and veggie scramble; oatmeal with butter and yogurt
L: Beef stew; kraut
S: Black-eyed peas and greens; enzyme salad; coconut chicken soup; sliced avocado; rice; kimchi
To-Do: soak rice, study a new fermented veggie recipe for trying next week.

Friday – B: Eggs, beef and veggie scramble; oatmeal with butter and yogurt
L: Minestrone; kraut
S: Spaghetti w/ meat sauce served over rice; Caesar salad; Roman egg soup; steamed broccoli; steamed squash; kraut
To-Do: cook pinto beans in crockpot overnight, grind bison heart.

Saturday – B: Scott makes breakfast
L: Pate; fermented sweet potato; squash; kimchi; coconut chicken soup.
S: Chili (making a triple batch to freeze two portions); Caesar salad; simple soup; sliced avocado; steamed squash; rice; kimchi
To-Do: start chili cooking at lunchtime

Sunday – B: Scott makes breakfast
L: Omelettes; simple soup; baked beets; kraut
S: Roast chicken over potatoes; Enzyme salad; simple soup; carrots sautéed in butter; steamed squash; kraut
To-Do: soak rice, soak oats for the week, sprout seeds, start chicken stock, soak – kidney, pinto, and black beans for the week

Visit the Organizing Junkie for more meal plan ideas!

The hour is upon us… today is the start of our 30 day food challenge.  We’re taking 30 days to follow the principles of the Weston A. Price Foundation (WAPF) and the Price-Pottenger Nutrition Foundation (PPNF).  Everything I prepare will be based on the principles of eating healthy traditional cultures had.  And foods I’m buying will be either from the “Best” or the “Good” category in the WAPF 2009 shopping guide.

The only exception I can think of will be Scott’s daily coffee because I’m not going to ask him to give that up.  I’m also not holding Scott to it because he’s a grown man and can decide what he wants to eat for himself – but at home he’ll be getting my cooking and I’ve been working hard to send good snacks with him to work.

I’ll be blogging throughout the trial to report how I’m feeling, and how I’m managing a traditional foods lifestyle with a family of six.  Traditional foods take more planning and preparation than processed foods from the market so it’s a little overwhelming to think of not taking any “shortcuts.”

I’m going into the challenge slightly bummed because I like making enchiladas once a week or so, but we can’t use store-bought tortillas during the trial.  I’ve been planning to make some but our source of whole corn is sold out   So no properly soaked tortillas until I find a source of non-GMO whole kernel corn.

My major goal for the challenge is to get myself into the habit of properly preparing grains – and to learn how to manage traditional foods with a large family to care for, homeschooling, and running a business.  I’m also hoping to work on eating more seasonal foods and, of course, avoid most canned products (tomato products are going to be an exception to the canned stuff avoidance).

I hope this eating style will also make good nourishing breastmilk for Galen and that it’ll put a little meat on Cassidy’s bones!

Ok… onto this week’s menu plan, and I’ll update how things go!

Monday: B -Egg, Beef, +Veggie Scramble; soaked oatmeal (we are going to have Scott try soaked oatmeal this week), beet kvass “shot”

L - Coconut fish soup, kraut

S - Balsamic carrot salad, Coconut chicken soup, Sweet potato “coins,” Liver with onions and mushrooms.

To-do – Soak kidney beans, soak oatmeal, soft-boil eggs, crockpot chicken, start chicken stock, boil white beans + transfer  small crockpot for overnight cooking.

Tuesday: B - Egg, Beef, +Veggie Scramble; soaked oatmeal; beet kvass “shot”

L - White Bean Chicken Chili soup (chicken from the crockpot chicken yesterday), kraut

S - High enzyme salad, Egg soup, Red potatoes + butter, spinach + butter, Shredded chicken (served with poulet au porto sauce, chicken meat from our crockpot chicken yesterday)

To-do – soak rice, boil kidney beans and transfer to crockpot to cook, soak oatmeal

Wednesday: B – Egg, Beef, +Veggie Scramble; soaked oatmeal; beet kvass “shot”

L - Beans and rice Jamaican style, Simple soup (whatever soup takes my fancy that meal), kimchi

S - Caesar salad, Simple soup, kraut, steamed winter squash (w/ butter and nutmeg), rice, Hearty Hamburger and Heman sauce (I love this recipe lol!)

To-do – start beef stock (morning) soak oatmeal, soak nuts, start fermented sweet potatoes, soak rice

Thursday: B - Egg, Beef, +Veggie Scramble; soaked oatmeal; beet kvass “shot”

L - Beef stew, kraut

S - High enzyme salad, French onion soup, Baked beans, rice, kraut

To-do – soak oatmeal, soak rice, roast nuts

Friday: B - Egg, Beef, +Veggie Scramble; soaked oatmeal; beet kvass “shot”

L - Pate, fermented sweet potato, steamed squash (w/ butter and nutmeg!), kimchi

S - Ceasar salad, Roman egg soup, kraut, broccoli w/ hollandaise, spaghetti sauce, rice (yes we eat our spaghetti sauce over rice…in a gluten free family you learn to like strange things)

To-do – Soak lentils, soak rice, try Bacon, Egg, and Cheese muffin recipe (a GF recipe!)

Saturday: B - Scott makes breakfast

L- Omelettes, Simple soup, kraut, baked beets

S - Simple salad (in otherwords, one I throw together) and dressing, Korean beef soup, kraut, Lentil loaf

To-do – start beets early AM!, soak black beans, go to to farm store

Sunday: B - Scott makes breakfast

L – Black bean soup, kimchi

S - High Enzyme salad, Simple soup, kraut, steamed squash (w/ butter and nutmeg), Roast chicken and potatoes

To-do – start black beans early AM, soak oatmeal, start fish stock, sprout seeds, start kraut, soak white beans, grind beef for breakfasts

Snack Choices:

We have milk with every snack, and I add extra cream to the milk several times a week.

whole milk yogurt, raw milk cheese (spread with butter for me and kids), crispy nuts, soft boiled eggs, avocado, pate, marrow and cheese, bacon egg and cheese muffins (new recipe we’re trying this week!)

Visit the Organizing Junkie for more meal plan ideas

I’ve decided since I’m going to be working intensively on our nutrition that I’ll join the Menu Plan Monday brigade   Deciding this late I’m just barely going to make it on Monday

I’ve decided to try serving multiple-course suppers this week, in the hopes of actually filling my family of bottomless pits up.  Thus far this has effectively resulted in more food being served at supper, however I can’t exactly pull off serving separate courses – I just end up with all of them on the table at once.  We’re having a salad, soup, and main dish with every meal.  This brings us to two soups a day most days, as we almost always have soups with (or for) lunch.  Anyways, on with the menu plan:

Monday – B: Egg, mushroom, zuccini, and beef scramble.  Soaked oatmeal with butter, cream, and yogurt for the kids an I, leftover roasted potatoes for Scott.

L: Homemade nachos supreme, homemade tomatoe soup, sauerkraut.

S: Balsamic Carrot Salad, Coconut Chicken Soup, Liver with Mushroom and Onions, soaked rice.

To-do: Soak oats, crockpot cook chicken (for tomorrow’s soup and extra chicken to freeze for enchiladas next week)

Tuesday -  B: Veggie, beef, egg scramble.  Soaked oatmeal for kids and I, soaked rice with coconut oil for Scott.

L: White bean chicken chili soup, sauerkraut.

S: High Enzyme Salad, Chicken Rice Soup, Chicken supreme with rice (rice leftover from yesterday).

To-do: boil black beans and transfer to crockpot to cook through morning, soak rice, soak oats, start sunflower seeds sprouting, pick meat off yesterdays chicken; start stock

Wednesday – B: Veggie, beef, egg scramble.  Soaked oatmeal for kids and I, soaked rice with coconut oil for Scott.

L: Black bean soup, sauerkraut.

S: Cucumber yogurt salad, Roman egg soup, chicken gumbo w/ rice

To-do: soak nuts, soak oats, start sauerkraut

Thursday – B: Veggie, beef, egg scramble.  Soaked oatmeal for kids and I, soaked rice with coconut oil for Scott.

L: Beef stew, kraut

S: Salad, Mexican soup, Black bean enchiladas w/ guacamole and sour cream

To-do: start stew at breakfast, start fish stock, soak oats, roast nuts

Friday – B: Veggie, beef, egg scramble.  Soaked oatmeal for kids and I, soaked rice with coconut oil for Scott.

L: Coconut fish soup, kimchi

S: Caesar salad, Soup (whatever takes my fancy), Roast

To-do: meal plan/grocery list, thaw liver

Saturday – B: Scott does weekend breakfasts!

L: Pate with crackers, Soup, steamed squash, kimchi

S: Salad, Mexican soup, Tacos garnished with avocado

To-do: grocery shop

Sunday – B: Scott does weekend breakfasts!

L: Omelettes, soup, tomato slices, sauerkraut

S: High Enzyme Salad, Simple veggie soup, Roast Chicken w/ potatoes

To-do: soak rice, soak oats, grind beef heart (for breakfast’s ground beef), soak black beans, soft-boil eggs (for snacks for the week), soak marrow (for snacks for the week)

Thanks to Cheeseslave for the idea of publishing our menu plan

Visit Organizing Junkie for more menu planning ideas