The Organizing Blog

waffles

minimalistmommy@gmail.com — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 01:42:01 GMT

Even though I have the luxury of being a stay at home mom that does not have to rush to work, mornings still end up being chaotic. I cannot imagine what a working mother or father with two young children go through to get them out the door. Breakfast has to be quick and easy, but what about healthy?. I admit when I am in a rush a simple bowl of cheerios is what I reach for but I am trying to avoid this day in and day out. I like the idea of waffles and pancakes but could not bring myself to make them in the morning let alone make them from scratch.

I recently came across this Master baking mix in my favourite cookbook More for Less and decided to make the base mix as a starting point for several recipes.

The required ingredients are as follows

MASTER MIX

10 CUPS FLOUR

6 T BAKING POWDER

1 ½ t SALT

1 ½ t CREAM OF TARTER

¼ C SUGAR

2 C SHORTENING

2 C DRY MILK

To make waffles and pancakes add: 1 cup milk, 1 egg and 2 cups mix (I did have to add a 1/4 c more flour as the batter was very thin)

I stored the mix in a large glass jar with the instructions clearly printed on a recipe card for reference. I made up two large batches and froze them on a cookie sheet and stored them in a large Ziploc bag for the freezer. Breakfast is as simple as popping them in the toaster and topping them with some homemade syrup, yogurt of some of my recently canned cooked strawberries. I like this recipe for ease and simplicity and take these out on those mornings when we have appointments or are running late to stay on schedule.

For the odd morning I have a the luxury of staying in my PJ's and fuzzy slippers, I plan ahead and made my preferred waffle recipe. We are incorporating more whole grains into our diet and specifically those that require soaking overnight. Grains such as millet, quinoa, bulgur, wheat berries and spelt are all used in my whole grain waffles after a good healthy soak in my homemade yogurt. In the morning I simply add a few additional ingredients, give it a whirl and they are ready to be poured on the griddle. These waffles are a little heartier and filling than the former and provide the much needed nourishment I like the kids to receive. These grains tend to be a little more expensive but can be picked up bulk or when there is a special coupon for a certain amount purchased. Why not give this recipe a try, it is easy and nourishing.

This works for me. Check out more tips at Rocks in my dryer

journey to whole grains

minimalistmommy@gmail.com — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 01:59:51 GMT

I have been slowly incorporating more whole grains into our diet, I'm not talking a simple loaf of whole grain bread but more complex grains that need some sort of preparation like soaking them to maximize absorption. Grains like millet, Quinoa, bulgur, wheat berries and spelt are all staple grains in my pantry (I am still working on how to pronounce half of them). I have been inspired by several sites such as Nourishing Gourmet, Keeper of the home and Frugal granola and slowly have taken their advice in making the transition. Here is the problem. My 3 year old lives on love...literally. He barely eats anything other than toast and rice let alone soaked Quinoa for supper. I have come to the conclusion I am totally responsible for messing him up, he will have to add this to his list for therapy of things to blame his mom on. When he was starting to eat solids I found myself eating supper alone because my hubby worked late so it usually would involve bowls of cereal or cans of soup. With my youngest he has been exposed to whole grain cereal from the very beginning (we used very little to no commercial baby cereal) it was nothing for him to chow down on steel cut oats or millet oatmeal in the AM while his brother cowered in the corner over the very thought of coming into close proximity to the stuff. There is nothing this little guy won't eat (including things he finds behind the couch) he can even leave a homemade cookie and turn around and eat a meatball, fact is he loves food but more importantly he loves wholesome food.

My plan is to continue this way of eating and expand on it. Although I would love to eat more organic food the outrageous price of certain items makes this near impossible. I frequent our local bulk store and stock up on some organic whole grains and pasta at a reasonable price and pick up any organic cereal they may have at a reduced price. I recently picked up this bag of whole grains cheerios for $4.50 (yes they are actually asking $9 for a bag of cereal) and returned several days later to pick up two more for the freezer . We have been slowly weaning out whole wheat bread in place of whole grain bread (the majority of it is made by me) , many cakes and our favourite waffles are made with whole grains soaked in acid medium over night to neutralize the phytic acid and our snacks are mainly fruit or goodies made from scratch including any whole grain flours when I can.

I keep telling myself it is baby steps and each one makes a difference in our overall health and that of our children. So although we don't eat strictly organic per say we do consume foods that nourish our bodies without breaking the bank...well most of anyway.

Check out Laura's site for more chatter.

The lazy organizer

Menu Monday

minimalistmommy@gmail.com — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 01:43:16 GMT

Monday - Chili form the freezer with bread machine whole grain rolls. This is the last of the bulk chili from the freezer and wanted to clear it out to make some room for frozen lasagnas that I have every intention of making. The rolls will be started on the dough cycle of my machine and allowed to rise and bake in the oven.

Tuesday - Spaghetti pie and sourdough bread garlic toast - Instead of eating the sourdough "as is", I decided to slice it up and serve as garlic toast.

Wednesday - Tuna casserole with whole grain pasta - You think I would be sick of this dish but I never tire of it...or is it because it's a cinch to prepare? probably both.

Thursday - rice and bean burritos - We are skipping supper due to a drill team competition that is being held in another town. I plan to make these at the beginning of the week to freeze for lunches etc.

Friday - take out - We have not had take out for quite some time now and think I may need a break by the end of the week. There is a local buffet restaurant that has a large salad bar and a do it yourself Sundae bar. We rarely go out to eat and could actually count on one hand the amount of times we do this in a year. This place is very kid friendly (AKA loud) so I think I am brave enough attempting to bring the kids out.

Saturday - pumpkin waffles. I am going to give canned pumpkin a second shot to redeem itself. Although it's not comparable to homemade pumpkin puree in my opinion, it still produces wonderful waffles for our breakfast theme supper night.

Sunday - chicken drumsticks with homemade sweet and sour sauce over soaked brown rice. Now I only have to remember to soak the brown rice overnight to ensure it will be ready for supper time.

Because last week I had appointment every day of the week and nothing other than maintaining my sanity was accomplished, I am taking this week to cook and bake to ensure the fridge is stocked. I plan to make tortillas for the burritos, granola and homemade yogurt as well as pancakes and whole grain soaked blender waffles for breakfast.

Lastly for all you local gals reading this blog remember that chicken legs are 99 cents /lb at Superstore (that means possibly half that in the AM). If you venture out at the crack of dawn be on the look out for the token male there making the mad dash for the poultry. The forecast calls for rain all week so instead of biking my husband is taking the car making it convenient to stop in before work...look out ladies he is a man on a mission.

For more menu "eye candy" check out Laura's site.

happy birthday hun

minimalistmommy@gmail.com — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 00:57:39 GMT

Thank goodness my husband is fine with my thrifty/neurotic ways, if he wasn't he would have ran screaming towards the hills long ago.

It was his birthday yesterday and I have been trying to come up with some sort of small gift to give him. We traditionally don't go overboard for this occasion, a simple cake, favourite meal and a small token is the extent of our celebrating (kids being the exception at this point, although they do not get an abundance of gifts).

Since cutting out on a particular salty snack, commonly known as potato chips, he has been resorting to popcorn to cure this craving. For a while he was eating a bag of microwave popcorn each night and although this does contain less calories I am sure it has it's fair share of chemicals. After reading some frugal material I discovered that you can make your own microwave popcorn using plain brown paper bags. True to its claim it worked like a charm...for everyone except my husband. For some unknown reason when he attempted to make this treat it never failed to burn or not pop altogether. As the chip craving started to win over I knew I had to find something more reliable. I have been eyeing these fancy popcorn makers for some time now but was a little hesitant due to the sheer size of the machine and because I am a self proclaimed appliance fanatic I did not need another machine taking up valuable space in my kitchen (plus I am saving room for my much anticipated pressure canner) I stopped by Wal-Mart and picked up a small $20 hot air popping machine, a large bag of kettle corn from the bulk store and several flavours of popcorn seasoning. On my way home I stopped by our local resale store and staring right at me upon entering was the exact machine sitting on the shelf for $2. I immediately picked it up and thought not only is this $18 less there is one less piece of large plastic and all of the packaging for the new one being sent to the landfill. What's a frugal gal to do? You guessed it I picked it up and brought it home.

For me It's not always about the money rather the struggle to reduce our constant need for new things right away. I often stop myself from running to the nearest department store just because we need it now. You see stores can provide that instant gratification and therefore feed on that instinct and desire for buying things. I have also been purposely waiting to purchase anything to ensure I really do NEED it and many times I either found one used or realized I didn't need it anyway. The other problem for me when shopping is the overwhelming amount of stuff that I am bombarded with, stuff that I have been clearly been doing fine without up until that point. How is it that I can stay home for a week without needing anything yet I take one sweep through the aisles of Wal-Mart and discover I have been hard pressed surviving without something? This is an area I continue to struggle with and have been making strides in achieving...I still have a long way to go, but for now ....

here ya go Hun, Happy Birthday!!! here is a used popcorn maker (as he rolls his eyes and laughs to himself)

If you like all things frugal check out Biblical womanhood

Guest post

minimalistmommy@gmail.com — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 02:18:35 GMT

I was recently asked and honoured to do a guest post at a wonderful new site called "Happy to be at Home" This blog is made up of three moms, Kate, Joy and Toni, with their own blogs I might add, who bring forth a wealth of information and ideas to this new joint venture. Please check it out and take a second to check out my post, I would love to know what you think.

I thought I would leave you with a short video of my oldest taking the youngest for his very first Gator ride. This was a gift from Grampie and one that was not taken lightly. In actual fact this "gift" has received plenty of use in the past year, with 50 acres of property it comes in handy for the kids to get to and from the barn and has also been useful in helping Grampie carry tools to and from the barn when working on projects.

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canning part 1

minimalistmommy@gmail.com — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 10:14:12 GMT

Take a look at this? and this is only half of them...

This is what two hours of berry picking looks like. That would be two hours of squatting down, two hours of swatting bugs and two hours in the stifling heat. I know that I will forget all of the hard work when I bite into that strawberry trifle or spread my homemade bread with the sweet freezer jam. Up until this year I always picked raspberries but after shelling out more than $60 for 2 batches of jam I started to do the math and quickly realized my attempt to be frugal was in actual fact costing me more. For a mere $1 lb I picked over 37 lbs of plump strawberries (that does not include the approx 4lbs we ate while doing that) I will be able to make 5x that amount with strawberries.

So now I am home, soothing the burn and bites, ready to tackle the chore of canning. In actual fact I love this job and from now until the first frost I will spend a good portion of my summer evenings boiling, chopping, stirring and ladling fresh produce into cans for the winter. I love to harvest fresh produce, especially those I grew myself. Reaching for a can of peach jam or cucumber relish in the middle of January is so much better in taste and quality than store bought stuff. Yes, canning is a tad bit harder than throwing the jar in the cart but once you start doing this you will find it is rather easy and often times quite relaxing. Now that I have convinced myself how comparable this is to Disneyland I am off to can in the 110 degree kitchen.

Here is a post from last year from my old site Minimalist Mommy in case you missed it. Kind of a starting point for rookie "canners"

Home Canning Part 1

I started out with easy recipes such as freezer jam and once I was comfortable with the process I worked my way to more labour intensive ones. I suggest trying the same approach to those who have never canned before, this way you won't become overwhelmed and throw in the towel. Another reason I thought I would start discussing this topic early is to give those who are thinking of starting the time to look for second hand items that are needed to home can. Because it is not harvest season most often you can find numerous canning jars and other canning items at your local thrift store. So on your next trip keep your eyes peeled for the following basic essentials. (start looking now and throughout the winter for items needed to harvest your own produce)

1) canning jars with screw lids (my preference is 500 ml but I do have some 250ml that I have for gift giving) Be sure to thoroughly check the rims of the jars to ensure there are no chips as this would interfere with the seals and safety of the product inside.
2) sealing lids. These cannot be reused so you will have to purchase new each season. I have seen these periodically at our Dollar Store and I usually stock up in the winter as they can cost double that at the grocery stores.
3) Large canning pot to process the filled jars. Normally there is a required inch of water needed to cover the jars when processing. The size required will depend on what size jars you prefer to work with.
4)Dutch oven to prepare the recipe. Most of us have a large pot that we cook pasta in. This would suffice and should preferably be stainless steel to avoid scorching.
5) Canning rack for the bottom of the processing pot so the jars do not sit on the bottom. If you do not have one you can easily use several metal canning lids tied together.
6) Jar tongs. Most recipes have you remove the hot jars minutes after the processing time is done. How is that possible?? Well it isn't really without one of these gadgets. I rather like my fingers so I put this tool right up there with the jars in necessity and well worth the $5 or $6.

7) rubber spatula. I use one of these when stirring the ingredients, this ensure nothing sticks to the bottom when boiling at high temperatures.

8) plenty of clean dish towels, rags and paper towels. Ensure your hot processed jars are placed on a thick towel as opposed to directly on the counter. Also paper towels are nice to wipe clean the mouth of the jar to ensure a proper seal.

Some of the following items are not "necessary" but make the process that much easier.

1) funnel. This fits into the large mouth of the jars and prevents overflow when pouring the prepared recipe into the hot jars.
2) Lid lifter. The sealing lids have to be heated prior to placing on the jars. As this tool is magnetic it makes it a snap to lift out of the hot water to be placed on the prepared jar.
3)Head space measuring tool. Each recipe will advise how much room should be left between the product and the lid. Honestly once you have done this several times you can do without this tool.

If you are thinking of doing some canning why not take the next year accumulating some of these basic tools. Start asking around to friends and families who no longer can. Check tag sales, thrift stores or there may even be some items left on clearance racks in stores. Thinking of this now will prevent you from paying full price for these items in the peak canning season.
In Part II I will explore the basics on canning and some do's and dont's. I promise before long you will be enjoying the summer's bounty all year round

Love onions, hate the smell

minimalistmommy@gmail.com — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 02:16:45 GMT

It is a good thing my father doesn't read my blog, if so he would be forever skeptical of my cooking. He has been struggling with the direction my healthy cooking has taken lately and I know this next confession would set him over the edge. I am going to admit that I occasionally cook with onions. The man will honestly eat just about anything, onions being that one exception.

I have to paint the scene for you... picture a large overpowering woman aka his mom, one that's very kind but cannot compute the word NO when it comes to food. My dad grew up eating whatever was put in front of him and he quickly discovered that he despised onions. This naturally caused my grandmother to cook with more in an attempt to force feed him this hated veggie and pretty much resorted to lacing everything but his breakfast cereal with it. Point is he hates them, period. Although I can't say they are my favourite veggie, I do enjoy the flavour they add in certain dishes more so than onion salt or powder and for this reason I try to sneak some it when I know they will be thoroughly disguised. What I hate most about them is not so much eating them but more specifically chopping and preparing them for a dish. Despite reading every known tip out there on how to prevent the tears etc the fact is they stink and seem to permeate into your pores and clothes.

My solution: Once a year (in the summer when they are fresh, plentiful and cheap) I buy a large bag and spend the afternoon chopping semi frozen ones in the food processor. The house is a big stinking mess when I am done but it is done in one fell swoop, no prolonging the agony year round. To package, I simply place them in half cup portions in small sandwiches baggies tossed in one large freezer bag. I have been trying to find an alternative to this unnecessary disposable packaging and hope to find something more environmentally friendly other than plastic.

When scanning a new recipe and come across the ingredient chopped onion I no longer cringe and reach for the onion powder, I simply open up the freezer and pop out one of these "onionsicles" and I am on to the next step in no time.

For more kitchen tips visit Tammy's recipes

Menu Monday

minimalistmommy@gmail.com — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 01:58:25 GMT

Monday - Broccoli stuffing bake. I don't care for curry so I omitted this ingredient. I also use my homemade chicken broth and cream of mushroom soup (instead of chicken soup) This way I know exactly what goes into my dish.

Tuesday - Wet Burritos. I found this at Kate's site and have been meaning to give it a try

Wednesday - meatloaf and scalloped potatoes, once again using my homemade cream of mushroom soup

Thursday - Leftover meatloaf. We normally have plenty leftover so I simply whip up some BBQ sauce and add to the crockpot with the meat. I serve this over buns to make a quick sloppy Joe meal.

Friday - homemade chicken/turkey pizza

Saturday - Homemade egg mcmuffins with turkey bacon

Sunday - Honey baked pinto beans. I recently discovered these wonderful beans and absolutely love them. Not only do they stay firm when cooked, they have a wonderful taste and texture. I plan to exclusively use these for my chili and Boston baked bean recipes as well, no more navy beans for me. This recipe was a combination of a couple I found and was pleasantly surprised how well it turned out.

Honey baked pinto beans

2 cups Pinto beans

4 pieces of turkey bacon (regular is fine but we had 4 slices of this sitting around)

Garlic powder (amount depends on preference)

1 large onion, chopped

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon oregano

1 pinch of rosemary

½ cup honey

¼ cup corn syrup

2 teaspoons dry mustard

3 tablespoons ground ginger (or fresh ginger root)

1 teaspoon black pepper ·

Place 2 cups of dry pinto beans in a large saucepan and cover with cold water to 4 inches above the beans...they will swell overnight. I like to add a Tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to help in the soaking process. For more on soaking whole grains and beans click here. In the AM drain water and replace with fresh cold water to cover the beans

Bring pot to a boil and then lower and simmer for 30 min. Add bacon, onion, salt and pepper and simmer for another 30 min.Drain beans and save 2 cups of the liquid

Now add 2 cups liquid, Rosemary,Oregano. Honey, syrup, dry mustard and ginger and place in greased pot and place in oven at 300 stirring occasionally until tender – approx 3 hours.

Hope you have a wonderful week, for more menu ideas visit Organizing Junkies site

Cheese!!!

minimalistmommy@gmail.com — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 01:41:58 GMT

With both my father and brother being photographers, growing up we were accustomed to a lens and flash in our face at all times. My parents had quite a collection of beautiful family portraits and many wonderful memories were captured on film. The majority of our pictures were developed into slides that we viewed on a projector screen (just dated myself) and more recently by way of film *gasp* that we had to mail away or process in a dark room ourselves. Archaic in today's standards I know, but back then few people had the quantity and quality of beautiful pictures many of us enjoy today. With relative ease and a simple click of a button, we can snap, develop, fix, nip, tuck and print our way to perfection. The majority of this done from the comfort of our own home.

Although I don't share the love of photography like my father and brother I do realize the importance of preserving memories on film. I admit I have my fair share of shoe boxes waiting to be organized but I ensure those "special" shots are proudly displayed on the walls around our home. I love the look of photo walls, especially with a similar theme in frames such as the same colour or material, like all black or similar type of wood.

When my husband and I were D.I.N.K.S. (double income no kids) I purchased beautiful ornate frames and thought nothing of slapping down $20 for one, after all our precious Great Dane was being showcased. Fast forward two kids later and one income, the priorities shift from ornate scalloped wood frames to being lucky I actually got them developed. On my numerous thrift store/yard sale trips I am constantly on the lookout for beautifully crafted frames that may or may not already have a picture or piece of art in it. I don't care about the colour or material at this point because I know that my chosen style is all black and there is nothing a can of flat stove spray paint can't fix. By simply dismantling, cleaning and giving them a thorough coat outdoors, I am able to duplicate the more expensive frames for a fraction of the cost. I especially like the quality of some of these frames that otherwise would have been overlooked simply because they didn't match my colour scheme. I have to think beyond the obvious and see what they can become.

By ensuring I use the same brand and colour of black spray balm I'm able to ensure that my wall murals match and co-ordinate. Now only if I could do the same with my wardrobe....

So check out all of the other frugal ideas at Biblical Womanhood

I planted What? Where?

minimalistmommy@gmail.com — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 01:32:25 GMT

Without writing stuff down I would be a complete mess, more so than I am now. Without writing things down I would not remember to get dressed in the morning let alone what strain of zucchini flourished more than another. I need to keep things journaled and the contents of my gardens are no exception. For years I kept this information in a plain notebook and was particularly excited to find this brand new gardening journal at the thrift store for a buck. The book breaks down the gardening in months, tasks to complete, notes on specific plants for specific areas. Although I have always kept records of my gardening successes and many disasters I like to make sure I have every detail listed to ensure I don't repeat the same mistakes the following season.

Some of the info I keep in this journal:

Diagrams of each raised bed and what it contains for plants.
Information on each plant and what I killed (full sun/shade/ best companion plants)
The date each seed was started and notes on progress of growth
Things to do differently the following year
What containers were used to plant seeds in (when to start saving milk containers)
Date first set of leaves emerged
Date second set of mature leaves emerged
Timing of hardening off and how they fared
Reminders (such as covering seedlings with containers to ward off cutworm)
Yield of crops and timing of harvesting
Approx how many vegetables were produced be each plant ( to prevent the onslaught of Roma tomatoes and scrounging for enough cucumbers to finish my relish recipe)
How many were required for each canning recipe
Best place to pick berries, best time and how much per lb
Price of canning supplies and best place to stock up
Things I would like to do differently next year
Number of bottles made by each recipe
When we ran out of particular bottle of produce
Helpful notes and tips I from magazines in relation to a particular plant

The possible are endless. For those magazine clippings that I am forever tearing out I simply keep these in my home binder in the gardening category. Periodically I go through this and cull or make notes of information that I would find relevant to my system. With the ever growing size of my garden I may need a second garden journal....Great! an excuse to go shopping.

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