Marathon Cooking & Camping Food

1 minivan

+

1 pop-up camper

+

4 kids across 6 states and back in 7 days

+

how many meals is that?

=

1 very busy mama!   

Yep, we've got a big trip coming up in a few days and I've been cooking up a storm in preparation.  No menu plan this week...I'm winging it since we're running around like chickens with our heads cut off trying to get everything ready!  I've done some marathon cooking today and we've got lots of freeze-ahead goodies to show for it.  Here's a peak...

1

16 Whole wheat hot dog buns,

A batch of regular whole wheat buns,

2

2 dozen soaked granola bars,

   33 Coconut peanut butter cookies,

H

Homemade breakfast cereal,

and

11 hamburger patties.  

All of this went into the freezer along side a beefy enchilada bake, a magnificent casserole, a couple of toaster oven sized pre-baked sourdough pizza doughs, and pizza toppings that were already in there (I've doubled a few meals lately to have extra for the trip).  Whew!  Now, we've just got to figure out how to fit all of that food into the van! 

Menu Plan 9/12-9/18

Sourdough tortillas

 We're in the midst of a gospel meeting, so Sunday's menu is a little different.  We have a fellowship meal after evening worship when we kick off a series of meetings, so I have a simple lunch on the menu plus dishes for the evening fellowship meal.  The meeting will last through Wednesday night, so I'm keeping it simple on those nights:)     


Sunday, 9/12
Soaked oatmeal
Sourdough english muffins, eggs, grits (lunch)
Chicken and dumplings, rolls (for fellowship meal) 

Monday, 9/13
Sourdough banana muffins
Beef stroganoff (homemade sourdough noodles), broccoli 

Tuesday, 9/14
Sourdough skillet pancakes
Chicken and smoked sausage jambalaya, baby limas 

Wednesday, 9/16
Cinnamon-apple baked oatmeal
Beef stew, homemade bread 

Thursday, 9/17
Toast, eggs
Beef burritos (sourdough tortillas), black beans, fixings

Friday, 9/18
Sourdough cinnamon rolls
Chicken fried rice

Saturday
Sourdough skillet pancakes
leftover buffet

Running Behind Menu Plan 9/5-9/11

I mentioned in another post that I enrolled in the Sourdough eCourse at GNOWFGLINS, and I am loving it!  I've always used my sourdough starter at least a couple of times a week, but I'm inspired to use it even more now.  This menu plan reflects that!  Even if you don't have a starter, check out this eCourse; the first lesson will show how to start and care for one. 

Sunday, 9/5
Soaked Oatmeal
Pork chops, rice, gravy, sweet potatoes, GBC (a.k.a. green bean casserole)


Monday, 9/6
Organic grits, bacon
Chicken divan, sourdough bread

Tuesday, 9/7
Strawberry Banana sourdough muffins
Beefy pitas, hummus

Wednesday, 9/8
Sourdough English muffins, eggs 
Beef pot pie, baby limas

Thursday, 9/9
Baked oatmeal
Chicken noodle soup (made with homemade sourdough noodles), sourdough bread

Friday, 9/10
Sourdough cinnamon rolls
Mini pizzas, sourdough spice cake (bi-weekly bible study time again!)

Saturday, 9/11
Sourdough pancakes
Leftover buffet/sandwiches

9 Tips for Eating Well on a Budget

A few people have expressed to me recently that they'd like to change the way they feed their families, but a) they don't know where to start, and b) they're afraid it will be too expensive.  These are legitimate concerns that many of us have had at some point.  I've thought a lot about the "where to start" subject and I have a few suggestions, but first I want to address the cost of nourishing food.  We live on one modest income and we eat pretty well, so I feel fairly qualified to advise in this area.

•  Menu plan and budget!  This is first and foremost.  Eating well on a budget absolutely requires planning, especially if you're just starting out toward healthier eating.  Once you get into it and have a good healthy meal rotation, you can afford to be more general in your planning, but I really believe that you need some sort of system when trying to stretch quality foods and your dollars.  I won't go into any depth on money management, but if you don't already have a budget, take the time to make one and stick to it.  You won't regret it!  I highly recommend Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover.
• Swap the bad for the good.  High quality food may seem expensive, but if you consider the soft drinks, processed snacks, and boxed foods you won't be buying, $4-5 a pound for a pastured chicken probably won't bust the budget.  Start by swapping those expensive, chemical laden cold cereals for nourishing and frugal old fashioned oatmeal or eggs for breakfast (check out this blog post for tips on how to replace breakfast cereals in your kid's diet and why you should do so NOW).
• Focus on frugal, but nutrient dense food options.  These include homemade bone broth, eggs, cabbage, broccoli, zucchini, potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, and organ meats (such as liver...I know, I know, I'm still trying to talk myself into that one, but it is very nourishing and very inexpensive).  Another great option is wild game.  If you're blessed to have a family member who hunts, you have access to frugal, pastured meat!  Just try to convince your hunter that "baiting" his game with Round-up corn is not a healthy practice (seriously, Dad, bad idea!).
• Meat:  Choosing quality over quantity and making it stretch.  Quality over quantity is especially important with meat and dairy purchases...It can also be really hard for those of us who pride ourselves on bargain shopping.  Before I knew the dangers of meat/dairy/eggs of unknown origin, I loved stocking the freezer with "bargain" meats from supermarket sales (read about the hidden costs of industrial food).  I didn't have to think much about stretching my meat because it was so cheap!  Now, I roast one pastured chicken every Saturday, debone it, use the meat for two meals during the week, and make a few quarts of broth from the bones. Similarly, you could stretch your grass fed beef by using half a pound of ground beef in chili or casserole recipes and compensate with extra beans or veggies.   
• Make it yourself.  Cooking from scratch saves a lot of money!  However, if you're new to cooking from scratch, don't overwhelm yourself.  Start by learning to make one thing that you would normally buy packaged.  Homemade bone broth is something that anyone can do and it offers so much nutritionally (The Benefits of Bone Broth).  Consider learning to make soaked whole grain tortillas.  They're frugal, easy, delicious, and much better for you and your little ones than the store bought kind.  Once you've mastered a few recipes, you can graduate to learning to bake bread.  Believe me, unless you were somehow blessed with innate baking skills, it can be a frustrating process; when faced with bread failures, take a breath, take a break from trying if you need to, but do try again.  I've made my fair share of bricks and I've got a freezer full of bricks-turned-bread crumbs to prove it!  If you're already an experienced baker, consider purchasing or starting your own sourdough starter.  Sourdough breads provide for optimal digestion and bio-availability of nutrients from the whole grains, plus not buying yeast means saving even more money.  I highly recommend GNOWFGLINS Sourdough E-course if you're ready to go sourdough (no pre-set fee is charged for the course, but they accept "pay as you can" payments).  I've just signed up this week, and I've learned so much already!  
• Make your own household cleaners.  There are so many reasons to do this; homemade natural cleaners are better for you and your family than chemical ones, they free up more money that you can put toward good quality food since they cost next to nothing, and it's so nice not having all of those bottles of products that are just for one specific cleaning job.  There's not much that plain white vinegar, baking soda, or a combination of the two can't clean.  I occasionally use oxygen bleach (OxiClean), but I don't have even a fraction of the cleaning product clutter that I used to have.  No chemicals or fumes to breathe is also a major plus if you or your kids have allergies or skin sensitivities (not to mention, you can put those little helpers to work with a cloth and a bottle of vinegar solution with no worries!).  So many pros and I can't really think of any cons, can you?  Get started with these articles for recipes and tips for frugal, natural cleaning:  Top 5 Homemade Cleaners and Simple Routines for Homemade Green Cleaners.
• Look to the Dirty Dozen, Clean Fifteen.  If you can't afford all organic (I can't), The Dirty Dozen, Clean Fifteen is a great guide for buying produce (there's even a handy iPhone app).  Stick to conventionally grown items from the clean fifteen, but avoid non-organic items from the dirty dozen.   
• Prioritize.  Make the health of your family a priority.  What's more important, a fancy gadget, a new beauty product, or nourishing food that will keep your family well?  When I'm tempted to buy another cute outfit for one of the girls or a kitchen gadget that I can live without, I have to remind myself of all the good food that I can buy with that money.  It may be hard at first, but in time it will become second nature to avoid buying "stuff" so that you have more money to invest in your family's wellness (the doctor's bills you won't be paying will be further motivation!).
• Don't stress.  Finally, don't stress about the things you may not be able to change right away, or even at all.  Do what you can when you can and rest knowing that even the smallest changes can improve your family's health in big ways.      

So, these are some of the ways that we make real food work with our budget.  If you follow some of the links to other blogs that I've included and browse around, I'm sure you'll find many more.  I realize that what works for me might not work for you, but I hope that at least something in this list causes you to have a "Hey, maybe we can manage this!" moment!  I'll follow up with a post that addresses where to start when you're ready to take the real food plunge!

This post is part of Simple Lives Thursday at GNOWFGLINS.
     

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New Fave Sourdough Biscuit and Menu Plan

I've found a sourdough biscuit recipe that we love!  I tried these from Sarah's Musings last Saturday when I had a hankering for some biscuits and didn't want to wait for a soaking period.  The only modifications I made were to sub organic palm shortening for lard (still haven't rendered that pig fat), and I dipped the biscuits in bacon grease on both sides before baking instead of brushing them with butter (yes, I did!).  They were SO good.  I felt sort of naughty using all purpose even though my sourdough is whole wheat, so I decided to modify the recipe a bit this morning to include a soaking period for all whole wheat flour (since sourdough makes quick work of phytates, you wouldn't have to soak as long as you would with other acid mediums, so still not a terribly long wait).  They turned out fabulous, so this may be my new go-to biscuit recipe.  I imagine I'll still make Sarah's white flour version every once in a while, too, when I have a hankering and just can't wait ; ) 

Sunday, 8/29
Soaked oatmeal
Baked chicken, rice, gravy, sweet potatoes, sourdough biscuits

Monday, 8/30
German pancakes, pure Grade B maple syrup
Pizza w/ sourdough crust,  fried cabbage

Tuesday, 8/31
Oatmeal raisin muffins
Tortilla beef skillet, black beans

Wednesday, 9/1
Baked oatmeal
Bar-b-que chicken sandwiches on homemade buns, broccoli

Thursday, 9/2
Toasted buns, eggs 
Chicken and rice, cornbread, cream peas

Friday, 9/3
Scrambled eggs, sourdough biscuits
Goulash, mashed potatoes, baby lima beans  


Saturday, 9/4 
Sourdough pancakes
Leftover buffet 

Back to School Menu Plan

Technically, we started school Wednesday, but this will be our first full week back...with one tiny interruption; my oldest daughter got braces Thursday and she's already knocked a bracket loose, so Monday we're heading back to the orthodontist for the third time in a little over a week.  I have a feeling they're going to know us really well before long.  School is going really well so far, though.  We've started year one of the multi-age curriculum from My Father's World, and we're loving it!  I especially like that the girls are getting a solid foundation in Creation-based science, and I'm learning right along with them!  It's really fun and I love the structure and routine of school days, but I haven't had as much time to post.  Alas, I do have some recipes coming up soon, plus I'll be posting about my first lard rendering experience!  That is, when I actually get around to doing it!  I've got fifteen pounds of pastured pig fat in my freezer that's been calling my name.  Very, very exicited!  

Sunday, 8/22
Soaked oatmeal
Chicken and dumplings, baked sweet potatoes, purple hull peas

Monday, 8/23
Blueberry muffins (a whole wheat, soaked overnight version of these)
Beef and cheese roll-ups, black beans

Tuesday, 8/24
German pancakes
Nitrate free hotdogs, homemade buns, Creamy mac and cheese, broccoli

Wednesday, 8/25
Baked oatmeal
Italian stew w/ green beans

Thursday, 8/26
Scrambled eggs, hashbrowns
Cheesy chicken & pasta casserole, baby lima beans

Friday, 8/27
Toast, nitrate free bacon, eggs
Deviled eggs, cheddar sourdough biscuits, chocolate sourdough cupcakes w/ cream cheese icing (hosting a bible study, so there will be other finger foods, as well)

Saturday, 8/28
Sourdough pancakes
Leftover buffet

Menu Plan for 8/15-8/21

We've had family here this past week and we've been wingin' it on meals!  We've had some good ones!  My 3rd daughter's 2nd birthday was Tuesday and I made a delicious AND wholesome chocolate sourdough cake using the recipe at GNOWFGLINS.  Truly the best of both worlds, I don't think I'll ever need another birthday cake recipe!  The cream cheese icing was a little naughty with organic powdered sugar, but it was just a tiny birthday splurge.  It's been a fantastic week with family and the break from planning has been really nice, but I've got to say that I love my menu scheming!  Lots going on this week, so it's a simple one.

The big girls decorated their little sister's cake with a little help from Meme

Sunday, 8/15
Soaked oatmeal
Roast chicken, rice, gravy, sweet potatoes, broccoli 

Monday, 8/16
Eggs, soaked whole wheat biscuits
BLT's   Fried Rice w/ leftover rice and veggies

Tuesday, 8/17
Muffins
Baked spaghetti, green beans

Wednesday, 8/18
French toast
Tortilla Beef Skillet

Thursday, 8/19
Soaked oatmeal
Casserole from the freezer (appointments in town all day)

Friday, 8/20
Sausage, soaked whole wheat biscuits
Chinese cabbage and rice

Saturday, 8/21
Sourdough pancakes
Leftover buffet/sandwiches