Menu 12 Whole Wheat Flour Tortillas

My oldest daughter started back to work yesterday. It is not something she ever dreamed of having to do, to work outside of her home and leave her little girls, but sometimes life calls for great sacrifices. I am so grateful to be here for her and the girls. I would not want them anywhere else, however it does make life much more hectic. Don't get me wrong, I love being able to spend time with them, home school them (like I did their mother) and bond with them, but it takes a lot more planning and effort on my part. I have learned to be very organized over the years in order to accomplish all that is expected of me. I say expected of me, but really it is me who puts high expectations on myself. I sometimes feel a little burdened because I often I fall short of these expectations, but I keep pressing forward.

I hope to be able to keep up with my blog as I start a new school year. I have really enjoyed it as an avenue of expression. It has been kind of a 'get away' for me, and I love sharing new ideas and things that I have learned along life's way.

Enough said, Here is Menu 12


Breakfast:

• Oatmeal You would be surprised at the variety of ways you can serve oatmeal. So when your children or husband starts complaining about having oatmeal again, and again, try some of these suggestions.
  
  · Raisins and brown sugar
  · Low-fat granola and skim milk
  · Raisins adn Walnuts
  · Apricot fruit spread and sliced almonds
  · Sliced strawberries
  · Maple flavored pancake syrup and a sprinkle of sunflower seeds
  · Canned crushed pineapple, sliced bananas, and chopped nuts
  · Strawberry nonfat yogurt and sliced kiwi
  · Sliced bananas and vanilla nonfat yogurt sprinkled with cinnamon
  · Reduced fat peanut butter and strawberry fruit spread
  · Coarsely chopped canned peaches and ground ginger
  · Diced dried apricots and honey
  · Apple butter and raisins
  · Blueberry fruit spread and vanilla or plain nonfat yogurt
  · Coarsely chopped apple and brown sugar
  · Reduced fat caramel topping and a sprinkle of chopped pecans
  · Warm apple pie filling and skim milk
  · Skim milk and sliced peaches
  · Canned pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice
  · Chunky natural applesauce
  · Sliced bananas and mini-semisweet chocolate morsels
  · Blueberries and sliced strawberries sprinkled with cinnamon-sugar

Lunch:

• Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
• Soup
  
  

Dinner:

• Bean Burritos with Whole Wheat Flour Tortillas
• Mexican Rice
• Salsa
  
  

This is my favorite tortilla recipe. The tortillas are soft and pliable and taste absolutely wonderful. I have always wanted to see if they keep well, but they are so delicious that there are never any leftovers at our house.

WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR TORTILLAS

• 2 Cups whole wheat flour
• 2 Cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 Cup powdered milk
• 2 Teaspoons salt
• 3 Teaspoons baking powder
• 4 Tablespoons oil
• 1 1/2 Cup warm water

Mix together all of the dry ingredients.

Slowly add the water and the oil Stir until a ball is formed.

Remove from the bowl and knead for 2 minutes.

Return to the bowl, cover and let

rest for 20 minutes.

Divide the dough into 20 balls.

Cover them and let them rest again for 10 minutes.

The dough will be elastic and will not roll out to a

desired thickness if not allowed to rest.

After the dough has rested, lightly flour your surface

and roll into a 9-10 inch circle.

It will be very thin and that is what you want.

Don't over work the dough or it will become stiff.

Keep the rolled tortillas covered until ready to cook.

On a dry skillet, (I prefer a cast iron skillet)

over medium-high heat,

cook the tortilla until bubbles begin to form.

Turn and cook on the other side.

Makes 20 tortillas.

They are best served warm, or you can store them in an airtight container until you use them. I will make them up early in the morning before my day gets too busy and just put them in a gallon sized zip-lock bag.

Just for your information, even Kendrick will eat these. That is the best compliment I could ever ask for. :)

Menu 11

Breakfast

• Oven Pancake
• Apple Topping

Lunch

• Garden Fresh Salad
• Whole Wheat Rolls
• Fruit Grapes from our garden :)

Dinner

• Navajo Tacos

OVEN PANCAKE

• 6 eggs
• 1 cup flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 Tablespoons powdered milk
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 Tablespoons butter,melted

Crack eggs into the blender. Blend until foamy. Combine dry ingredients. Add to eggs and blend until smooth.

Swirl butter in 10 inch oven proof skillet or pie pan. Make sure you have covered the sides well with the butter. Pour egg mixture in pan.

Bake at 450 degrees for 15-20 minutes until puffed and golden.

I took some of the yogurt I made the other day, added a little honey and vanilla and put a dollop on each serving. The kids loved it with the apple topping

Navajo Tacos are chili beans and your choice of toppings spread over fry bread. We enjoy lettuce, homemade salsa, olives, cheese and sour cream on ours. Whenever I cook chili, I make an extra large batch and freeze the left overs for a quick meal later in the month.

INDIAN FRY BREAD

• 4 Cups flour
• 3 Tablespoons baking powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon salt
• 1/4 Cup oil
• 1/2 Cup powdered milk
• 2 Cups water

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Make a well in flour mixtures and pour in the water and oil. Knead thoroughly to made a stiff dough. Add more flour, if necessary. It should not be sticky. Pinch off fist-sized lumps and pat or roll it into a flat round with a small hole in the center.

Fry in frying pan with at least 1 inch of oil. Bread will puff and turn golden. Flip over to fry on both sides. Remove to drain on paper towel. Makes 12

Menu 10

Breakfast

• Yogurt Shake
• Lemon Muffins
  

Lunch

• Chicken Salad Sandwich
• Fruit
  

Dinner

• Fettichini Alfredo
• Shredded Fried Zucchini
• Sliced Tomatoes
• French Bread

About a year ago I found a recipe for a Magic Mix. It is so versatile and can be used in numerous ways to make anything from Alfredo Sauce to Pudding. Here is the recipe for the Magic Mix followed by the recipe for Alfredo Sauce. I will continue to post other recipes using the Magic Mix throughout the year.

MAGIC MIX

• 2-1/2 Cups powdered milk
• 1 Cup all-purpose flour
• 1 Cup butter
  

In a large bowl, combine dry milk, flour and butter in a food processor until the texture looks like fine crumbs. Store in airtight container in refrigerator. Use within 2 months. Makes 1 quart. MAGIC MIX can be used in many recipes to make food preparation easy and economical. (I love those words!)

ALFREDO SAUCE

• 2/3 Cup Magic Mix
• 1 Cup cold water
• 1/3 Cup Parmesan cheese

In saucepan combine the Magic Mix and water. Stir constantly over medium heat until sauce is thickened and simmering. Stir in Parmesan and continue to cook for a few more minutes. For a richer sauce you may substitute milk for water. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 1 cup

Menu 9

Breakfast

• Buttermilk Oatmeal Corn Waffles
• Blueberries

This is my absolute favorite recipe for waffles.

They are light, with a amazing hearty taste.

BUTTERMILK OATMEAL CORN WAFFLES

• 2 Cups flour
• 1 Cup yellow cornmeal
• 2 Cup rolled oats
• 4 Tablespoons baking powder
• 1 Teaspoon baking soda
• 1 Teaspoon salt
• 6 Eggs
• 4 Cups buttermilk
• 1 cup melted butter or oil

Sift the flour, salt, baking soda and powder into a large bowl. Stir in cornmeal and oats. In a separate bowl mix together all of the liquid ingredients. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the liquid. Stir just until dry ingredients are moistened.

Pour into a preheated waffle iron until 2/3 full. Bake until golden. Serve immediately.

Lunch

• Chicken Salad Sandwiches
• Fruit

Dinner *

• Zucchini Pancakes
• Mashed Potatoes
• Grilled Corn on the Cob
• Sliced Tomatoes

*It is a joy to be able to pick fresh produce from our home garden to add variety to our food storage.

This afternoon Tyrone and his family came over to hang out for awhile. I was teaching piano at the time and so they graciously volunteered for dinner duty. It was wonderful to get a break from all of the cooking I have been doing lately. Aimee had decorated the cutest train cake which she brought over to share with us. It was definitely everyone's favorite. We spent the remainder of the evening playing games.

Thanks Tyrone, Aimee and Ty-Kell

for the surprise visit.

It made my day!

Menu 8

My day was almost as long as this post it. I usually only feature one recipe in each menu but today I decided to feature two. I have to admit that it was very time consuming making everything from scratch. I felt like I was in the kitchen for the better half of the day. The plus is that my family is eating healthy.I was devastated when I pulled the last of the bagels out of the oven and called the family over. You spend hours baking away and your hard work is gone in a matter of minutes. I had to scramble to save one for Mar-Kay.

Today's Menu

Breakfast

• Creamy Cracked Wheat
• Strawberries
  

Lunch

• New York Style Bagels
• Yogurt with Blueberries/ Strawberries

Dinner

• Black Bean Cakes
• Vegetable (Zucchini from the garden)
• Rolls
• Salad
  
  

HOMEMADE YOGURT

• 7 1/2 Cups warm water
• 3 1/2 Cups powdered milk
• 1/2 Cup store bought plain yogurt with active cultures

In a large saucepan combine the water and milk. Stir well with a whisk. Let it sit a few minutes and then stir again. Heat the milk on the stove over medium heat until it reaches 180 degrees. Remove from the stove and allow to cool to 110 - 115 degrees. (I was taught by a good friend to fill a large bowl with ice and set the pan in it to help it cool down faster. If it is any hotter than 110-115 degrees it will kill of the live cultures in the yogurt. Once it has reached the proper temperature, take out 1/2 cup of warm milk and stir into the yogurt. Return all to the saucepan and stir well. Let it sit for another minute and stir again.


Pour carefully into a clean thermos and set it on the counter away from drafts to incubate. It will take 6 to 8 hours to set up. Try not to disturb it to ensure good results.




After it has thickened. Pour it out into a container and refrigerate. It is now ready. You can cook with it or just enjoy eating. It will stay fresh for about 2 weeks.

We will often sweeten it with honey

and add a variety of fruits with it.

*Make sure you read the label of the yogurt you are purchasing from the store to see if it contains acidolphilus cultures. This is necessary to make your own yogurt.

*You can use your own homemade yogurt to continue making homemade yogurt, however it will lose it's strength after using if about 3 or 4 times.

NEW YORK STYLE BAGELS

• 1 Large potato, peeled and quartered
• 2 Cups water

Boil the potato in the 2 cups of water for fifteen minutes. Discard the potato from the water (serve it to your family to keep them at bay until the bagels are done) and allow the water to cool to 110 degrees.

• 1/3 Cup potato water
• 1 Tablespoon yeast

Take 1/3 cup of potato water and put it in a small bowl. Sprinkle the yeast over the water, stir and then set aside for 5 minutes until foamy.

In the meantime sift together:

• 4 Cups flour
• 1/2 Tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 Tablespoon salt

Add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture. Stir.

Pour into the mixture

• 2/3 Cup potato water
• 2 Eggs
• 1/2 Cup oil
  
  
  

Stir well to form a dough ball.

Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes

until the ball is firm and elastic.

Place into a greased bowl.

Cover and place in a warm area.

Let rise until double, about 60 minutes.

Punch down and let rest for a few minutes.

Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces.

The easiest way to form the bagel is to roll the dough into a ball.

Nest, poke a hole in the center of the ball

and then stretch the ball into the doughnut shape.

Place on a lightly floured surface

Cover and let rise for 20 minutes.

In the meantime put 8 cups water in a large saucepan with

1 Tablespoon sugar. Heat to boiling.

Drop the bagels into the boiling water and cook

for about 1-1/2 minutes on each side.

Place on a prepared cookie sheet that has been

lightly greased and dusted with cornmeal.


Brush with an egg white and bake in a

450 degree oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Homemade bagels are amazing.

Make sure you make an extra big batch,

they go quickly!

Someday I will have to share my

Sourdough Bagel Recipe with you.

*I have been asked by some people about the other recipes I use in my menus. It would not be feasible to add all of the recipes in each blog entry, they would go on forever. However, I am willing to share my other recipes upon request.

Menu 7

Homemade Sourdough English Muffins are my children's favorite breakfast. (You can find the recipe on the rightside of my blog under Sourdough.) It takes a bit of planning to serve them first thing in the morning, but it is well worth the effort when you see your families reaction to them.





Breakfast

• Sourdough English Muffins
• Scrambled Eggs
• Juice
  

Lunch

• Bar-B-Que Beef Sandwich
• Carrot Salad

Dinner

• Creamy Chicken
• Rice
• Canned Vegetable
• Whole Wheat Chocolate Zucchini Sheet Cake

We usually do not have a dessert in the middle of the week, but my husband needed refreshments this evening. This sheet cake is so moist and delicious that no one would ever suspect that it is made of whole wheat and zucchini. Imagine a cake that is somewhat good for you.

WHOLE WHEAT CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI SHEET CAKE

• 1 Cup butter
• 1 Cup water
• 1/4 Cup unsweetened cocoa
• 2 Cups sugar
• 2 Cups white whole wheat flour
• 1 Teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 Teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 Cups sour cream
• 2 Eggs
• 1 Teaspoons vanilla
• 1 Cup Shredded zucchini

Frosting

• 1/4 Cocoa
• 1/2 Cup butter
• 1/3 Cup milk
• 4-1/2 Cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 Teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 Cup nuts, chopped (optional)
  

In a large bowl, combine sifted flour, baking soda and salt. In a medium saucepan, combine cocoa, water and butter, bring to a boil. Beat chocolate mixture into sugar. Add dry ingredients and beat 1 minute at medium speed. Stir in sour cream. Add eggs one at a time and beat well. Add vanilla and mix an additional 2 minutes on low speed. Stir in zucchini. Pour into greased and lightly floured 15 x 10 x 1 inch pan. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 to 22 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Frost the cake while still warm. To make the icing, bring the cocoa, butter and milk to a boil. Remove from heat and beat in sugar. Frost cake and sprinkle with chopped nuts. Let cake cook completely before serving.

Menu 6

I love the applesauce that is featured on todays menu. It is made strictly from dehydrated apples. Amazingly, it only takes 5 minutes to prepare. This applesauce a great as a snack or side dish. It is also perfect to serve babies just starting out on their adventure of eating food.

Breakfast

• Applesauce
• Scrambled Eggs
• Cinnamon Toast
  

APPLESAUCE FROM DEHYDRATED APPLES

Take 4 cups of water and cook in a

medium saucepan over med-high heat.

Once it comes to a boil take it off the stove

and stir in 4 cups of dehydrated apples.

Stir to moisten.

Cover and let sit for 5 minutes.

Pour water and apples in blender.

Hit puree and blend until the

consistency of applesauce.

(I like mine a little chunky.)

You can eat it plain or add sugar and cinnamon.

Lunch

• Wheat Berry Salad
• Whole Wheat Rolls
• Canned Fruit
  

Dinner

• Whole Wheat Meatloaf
• Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes
• Canned Vegetable
  

WHOLE WHEAT MEATLOAF

• 1 1/2 Pounds ground beef
• 1 Cup whole wheat berries, cooked
• 2 Beaten eggs
• 3/4 Cup water
• 1/4 Cup ketchup
• 2 Tablespoons dehydrated onion
• 3 Tablespoons powdered milk
• 2-1/2 Teaspoons salt
• 1/2 Teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 Teaspoon sage
• 1 Teaspoon prepared mustard
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and pack into a loaf pan. Top with sauce. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Serves 6-8

Sauce:

• Combine 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard.
  

Menu 5

My kids think that I am absolutely crazy to blog my menus and even crazier that I take pictures of our food. Who knows, maybe I am. My intent is to help others and hopefully spark an interest in food storage by showing how easy, versatile and delicious it can be to use on a daily basis.

Today was a little crazy with errands and babysitting so the only picture is the finished product.

Breakfast

• Apple Cinnamon Creamy Oatmeal
• Milk
  

Lunch

• Chili Rice and Beans
• Flour Tortilla
• Salsa
• Canned Fruit

Dinner

• Spaghetti w/Garden Fresh Marinara Sauce
• Broccoli
• Salad
• French Bread
  
  

GARDEN FRESH MARINARA SAUCE

In a large pot:

• Heat 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Add and saute until translucent:

• 2 Small onions, chopped
• 2 Cloves of garlic, minced

Add and cook until vegetables are soft:

• 2 Celery stalks, chopped
• 1 Large bell pepper, chopped
• 1 Medium zucchini, chopped
• 2 Carrots, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 Teaspoon salt
• 1/2 Teaspoon pepper
• 1 Tablespoon fresh chopped basil

Stir in:

• 2 (28 oz) cans crushed tomatoes
• 1 Tablespoon sugar

Simmer uncovered over low heat until the sauce thickens. It will take approximately 1 hour.

I usually double the recipe and freeze half of it after it has cooled completely in 2 or 3 cup portions. It will last up to three months in the freezer.

The chunkier the better.

After I served dinner, I was able to freeze 9 cups of Marinara Sauce.

Menu 4 Focaccia

Today's entire menu revolved around Foccacia.

Focaccia is a flattish Italian bread topped with herbs, cheese, peppers, olives, fruits, meats or just about anything you desire. I used it as the main dish for each one of the meals today. The kids had a great time making their own and believe it or not, there were no complaints.

Breakfast:

• Fruit Focaccia
• Fruit Smoothie

Lunch

• Pesto Focaccia
• Green Salad

Dinner

• Vegetable Focaccia
• Fried Zucchini Sticks

FOCACCIA

1 Tablespoon yeast
1 1/4 Cups warm water
1 Teaspoons sugar
1 Teaspoon salt
1 1/2 Cups Whole wheat flour
2 to 2 1/2 Cups all purpose flour
1/4 Cup olive oil

Proof the yeast by combining it with warm water and sugar. Let sit for 5 minutes until foamy. Add olive oil, whole wheat flour and salt. Stir until well mixed. Add flour 1 cup at a time until you can no longer stir it.

Turn it out on a lightly floured work surface and add the remaining flour. Knead the dough for 6-8 minutes until smooth and elastic.

Place in a well oiled bowl, cover and let rise until double. About 1 hour.

While it is rising prepare your toppings.

Toppings from my garden.

Once the dough has risen. Punch it down and let it rest a few minutes while you prepare your pans. Coat the baking sheet with olive oil and a sprinkling of cornmeal. (I like to use pizza stones to cook my Focaccia on.)

Heat oven to 425.

Typically Focaccia's are more oval or rectangle in shape, but I like mine circular so that I can serve it in wedges. Call me crazy.

Take the dough on a floured surface and start patting it into a round shape. Do not roll your dough, pat it with your hands. When you have partially shaped it, transfer to your baking sheet and continue shaping your dough to fill the pan. Now using your fingertips, form dimples in the dough. Let it rest for about 10-15 minutes.

Now it is time to top your Focaccia.

By the way, I tripled the recipe for the day since I used it for all three meals.

This Focaccia is topped with Pesto sauce,

sliced tomatoes, olives, and sliced onions.

Place in the oven and cook for 25 minutes.

Topping for this include, olive oil spread over the entire dough,

Feta cheese, bell peppers, tomatoes, onion and minced garlic.

While my favorite was the Pesto Focaccia,

my boys enjoyed this one with Feta Cheese.

Fruit Toppings

Sprinkle olive oil over the dough.

Cover the entire surface with fruit.

Sprinkle with sugar.

Drizzle with icing and serve warm.

We had a blast creating our Focaccias. It was a fun activity to draw the family closer together while teaching them how to cook. The possibilities of this bread are endless and the kids are already talking about what topping they want next time.

Menu 3

Boy, making all of this food from scratch is time consuming, yet very fulfilling. Today was such a busy day. I got up very early and was able to get breakfast, lunch and dinner into the crockpot by 8:30. That really felt rewarding!

Breakfast

• Pumpkin Muffins
• Scrambled Eggs (I get fresh eggs weekly from a piano student who has chickens)
• Canned Fruit

Lunch

• Pesto Pasta Salad
• Juice
• Zucchini Bread

You can find the recipe on the right under Pesto

Dinner

• Vegetable Enchilada Casserole
• Tomatoes (from the garden)
• Shredded Lettuce (from the garden)
• Apple Juice

Vegetable Enchilada Casserole

• 2 Cans diced tomatoes
• 1 3/4 cup prepared salsa
• 1/4 Cup ketchup
• 4 Cups cooked black beans
• 2 Cans corn, drained
• 1 Can green chili
• 2 Teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 Teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 Can olives
• 2 Cups grated cheddar cheese
• 18 corn tortillas

(I keep cheese and corn tortillas in the freezer as part of my 3 month supply)

Combine the first 9 ingredients in a bowl. Mix thoroughly.

Pour about 1/3 of the mixture into the bottom of a crock pot on low heat. Spread evenly and top with 6 tortillas cut into wedges. Sprinkle with cheese. Repeat with two more layers. Cook about 5 hours.

Serve warm.

Menu 2

So far so good, everyone is loving the food, except of course my picky child. I am hoping that by only having food storage in the house, he will eventually accept it.


Today's menu consists of:

Breakfast

• Wheat Berries
• Canned Fruit

Lunch

• Quesadillas
• Carrot Sticks (from the garden)
• Canned Fruit

Dinner

• Vegetarian Burgers
• Rice
• Beets (From the garden)
• Juice

VEGETARIAN BURGERS

• 1/2 Cup bulgur or cracked wheat
• 2 Tablespoons plain yogurt
• 1 Cup boiling water
• 1 Teaspoon salt
• 1 Small onion, minced
• 1 Garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 Teaspoon pepper
• 2 Tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
• 1 Egg
• 1/2 Cup bread crumbs
• 3 Cups cooked garbanzo beans
• Olive oil
  

Place wheat in a 1 quart bowl and cover with the boiling water. Let rest for 30 minutes. Drain.

Place wheat with all the remaining ingredients

except the bread crumbs and oil food processor.

Puree to a smooth paste.

Shape 1/2 cup of mixture into a patty

and coat with bread crumbs.

Repeat with remaining mixture.

Chill for 1 hour.

To cook, heat oil in a skillet over medium heat,

add burgers and saute for 7 minutes.

Turn burgers over and cook on the other side

for about 3 minutes or until lightly browned.