Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Sunday, February 8, 2015
Quilling
Because I don't have enough hobbies.
To tell you the truth,
I want to learn everything.
Everything.
Monday, November 17, 2014
Angel's basic wheat bread
Here is my favorite bread recipe, developed after years of trial and error:
This is not a perfect bread recipe! I will post more pictures next time I make this. Here it is:
1 1/2 cups oatmeal
2 1/2 cups hot water
2 1/2 tsp instant yeast
3 T butter or coconut oil
2 tsp molasses (to taste)
1 cup warm milk
3/4 cup flaxseed meal
2 tsp salt
2 cups whole wheat flour
White flour--add until your bread can be kneaded (about 4-6 cups)
Add hot water to oatmeal and butter and let soften in a large bowl. (I heat up the teakettle and pour it in the bowl. But you have to let it cool until you can tolerate handling it. Don't burn yourself)
Separately, heat the milk to approx 110 degrees (or whatever your pkg instructions say to activate the yeast. I heat the milk in the microwave for about 1 1/2 minutes. It should be just a bit too hot to comfortably dip your finger in. Careful--if it's too hot, you will kill the yeast!)
Add the yeast and molasses to the warm milk (You're feeding the yeast with the molasses. Yeast needs a sugar to "bloom.")
When the oatmeal is cool enough (around 110), add the milk mixture, flaxseed meal, salt, whole wheat flour, and 1/2 cup of white flour. Knead until smooth--about 5 minutes--adding white flour as you go. This dough is sticky and the white flour is necessary for handling. It helps to coat your hands with it first.
Allow to raise to double. Punch down. (If you have time, let it rise in the bowl again. Develops the gluten more and helps with final texture.)
Let dough rest on the counter for 5 minutes (this allows the gluten strands to relax). Shape into a loaf and place in greased loaf pan. Or, make it round and bake on a parchment-lined sheet.
Allow shaped dough to rise to double. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Gently slit the top 2 or 3 times. (1/4 in deep. Very gentle swipe across the top with a sharp knife, or you will deflate your raised bread. Swipe, don't press down.) This will allow steam to escape.
Bake approx 1 hr or until the sides of the loaf are browned and sound hollow when tapped.
After bread is cool, wrap airtight. This bread has no preservatives, so it will only last a few days.
Let's experiment together!
This is not a perfect bread recipe! I will post more pictures next time I make this. Here it is:
 |
| This version had chopped spinach |
1 1/2 cups oatmeal
2 1/2 cups hot water
2 1/2 tsp instant yeast
3 T butter or coconut oil
2 tsp molasses (to taste)
1 cup warm milk
3/4 cup flaxseed meal
2 tsp salt
2 cups whole wheat flour
White flour--add until your bread can be kneaded (about 4-6 cups)
Add hot water to oatmeal and butter and let soften in a large bowl. (I heat up the teakettle and pour it in the bowl. But you have to let it cool until you can tolerate handling it. Don't burn yourself)
Separately, heat the milk to approx 110 degrees (or whatever your pkg instructions say to activate the yeast. I heat the milk in the microwave for about 1 1/2 minutes. It should be just a bit too hot to comfortably dip your finger in. Careful--if it's too hot, you will kill the yeast!)
Add the yeast and molasses to the warm milk (You're feeding the yeast with the molasses. Yeast needs a sugar to "bloom.")
When the oatmeal is cool enough (around 110), add the milk mixture, flaxseed meal, salt, whole wheat flour, and 1/2 cup of white flour. Knead until smooth--about 5 minutes--adding white flour as you go. This dough is sticky and the white flour is necessary for handling. It helps to coat your hands with it first.
Allow to raise to double. Punch down. (If you have time, let it rise in the bowl again. Develops the gluten more and helps with final texture.)
Let dough rest on the counter for 5 minutes (this allows the gluten strands to relax). Shape into a loaf and place in greased loaf pan. Or, make it round and bake on a parchment-lined sheet.
Allow shaped dough to rise to double. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Gently slit the top 2 or 3 times. (1/4 in deep. Very gentle swipe across the top with a sharp knife, or you will deflate your raised bread. Swipe, don't press down.) This will allow steam to escape.
Bake approx 1 hr or until the sides of the loaf are browned and sound hollow when tapped.
After bread is cool, wrap airtight. This bread has no preservatives, so it will only last a few days.
Let's experiment together!
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Young Living
Recently I became a distributor for Young Living essential oils. They go nicely with my lifestyle and philosophy. I an hoping to use them to assist my family in dealing with allergies, GI disturbance, mood, ADD, and immunity. I'm also going to use the Purification blend to try to get rid of some persistent odors in the home.
Two nights ago my 2 yr-old boy Vincent's head was so incredibly stuffed up. He was mouth breathing and snoring, and his ear was red. So, along with elevating his head and letting him breathe in steamy shower air, I rubbed "Breathe-again" blend under his nose, rubbed diluted Thieves (antimicrobial) blend on his outer ear, and R.C. (immunity) on the bottoms of his feet. I also rubbed R.C. on the bottoms of everyone else's feet (except Dad who is a skeptic). I diffused Thieves in the air--smells like cloves and cinnamon! It's my new go-to.
An hour after these interventions he was sleeping restfully and breathing through his nose.
Will let you know how it goes.
Comment below or email me @ mastuempy@hotmail.com if you want to try any samples or order product! We will experiment together--
www.youngliving.com
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
My first fleece--sheep to sweater
For some years I have had an mild obsession with wool. In my subconscious is a pastoral picture of a hobby farm with a big old white farmhouse and wrap-around deck. There are lovely tended flower beds, a productive weed-free vegetable garden, cats, an Airedale terrier, a chicken coop, and a small barn containing one or two . . . sheep. Sheep . . . are . . . stupid (Babe. Do you hear the mice?) I know this is a fairy dream so it will stay in my subconscious and the internet. For now. Small farms involve lots of manual labor, cleaning of poo, and minimal profit (Hence the word hobby). You have to be able to fix your own tractor. You have to have basic veterinary skills. It's not a picnic, in real life. See the excellent blog www.sheepnotes.blogspot.com by Joan Ellison of Pelican Rapids, MN.
Right now I live in a 1950's rambler in a suburb. I have four children ages 11, 10, 5, and 2 that ensure my garden is not weeded (NO picture provided). I have a 3-legged beagle who is not very smart. My flowerbeds are pretty, but "scruffy." The chickens may happen if I can talk the DH into it. I work 3/4 time as a nurse. Ironically, I do clean up a lot of poo.
So, I buy my wool from other people. My knitting friends introduced me to the Shepherd's Harvest Festival in Lake Elmo, MN about 6 years ago. It is a fiber FEAST. If you can make it next spring, you must. Even if you aren't a crafter. They have one whole building for demos of spinning, weaving, carding, blending, knitting etc. Outside they have demos of sheepherding, sheep shearing, AND bunny races. You can get lefse, a gyro, a buffalo burger, or a walking taco. They also have two large buildings full of every type of fiber or gizmo that may go with it, including goat, sheep, rabbit, and buffalo fiber, spinning wheels, drop spindles, needles, yarn, handmade baskets, pottery, soap, honey, and all kinds of hand-knit or crocheted or felted objects.
As you may expect, I saw real hippies there!
So about 6 years ago when I was there, I got a drop spindle and some roving. Roving is "a long and narrow bundle of fiber. Rovings are produced during the process of making spun yarn from wool fleece, raw cotton, or other fibres." (Wikipedia.)
I was able to make and process my first handspun yarn! I'll explain more about that later in this series. I also learned to call my drop spindle my "drop-and-swear spindle." My guide was "Spin to Knit--The Knitter's Guide to Making Yarn" by Shannon Okey.
After many years of yearning, I was finally able to purchase my own spinning wheel. It's a New Zealand made "Wendy" traditional wheel.
I got it very used for $250, which is the cheapest price I have ever seen. I am going to do a whole separate post about how we met . . . I floated away from Shepherd's Harvest on a cloud of endorphins. I also picked up a dirt cheap and dirty dirty stinky year old fleece for $10!!!
I had to wash it five times before it stopped stinking, and there is still vm (vegetable matter) in it. A bit. There will be a whole post or three about processing the wool, from fleece to finished product.
Some people no doubt wonder why in heaven I would want to deal with a stinky raw fleece, take the time to pick it and card it, and manually spin it. Why? There are sweaters at Target.
There is something valuable about using your hands to do a task. It's about being connected with the world. When I spin I am repeating an action done for thousands of years by thousands of women. It makes me feel I am a part of humanity. It's about remembering who I am in this world. It's about preserving an ancient art. It's a reminder that just because a machine can do it, that doesn't mean a machine should do it. It's the same way I feel when I work in my garden, or knead bread dough, or stir a pot of homemade soup on the stove, or hold my sleeping child. I think the word I am looking for is being human.
The more we have machines do for us, the fewer manual skills we have. I love machines, don't doubt me. Espresso machines especially. I'm not going radical purist either. I've read Isaac Asimov and it's entertaining fiction, folks. Still, wouldn't it be prudent of us to retain these skills somewhere besides a museum? Part of this is a whole movement now, right, the "whole foods" movement? Eat local foods, know your farmer, know where your food came from? I guess I feel better knowing where my sweater came from too.
When I spin or dig in the dirt or knead dough, I am centered. I am not distracted by tv, or internet (ironic for a blogger), or my smart phone. I feel serene and I can hear my own thoughts and feel my spirit expanding. Verses I learned years ago flow into my head with surprising clarity. That's when I can hear God talking the best . . . Romans 12 says "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind . . . then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--His good, pleasing, and perfect will." The renewing of your mind. Not the distracting of your mind. Why are we always seeking to be distracted? What are we afraid of? If we quiet all those distracting noises, we might be able to hear our own inmost thoughts. We might hear God's Spirit calling us. A sweet sweet sound.
People say all the time that they feel lost and have no direction. When I take the time to clear my mind, and bury myself in this kind of work, my mind is clear enough to hear and communicate with my God. And, I can hear His direction through His word and His soft touch on my heart. It's a kind of prayer. I come away feeling satisfied and nourished, body and soul. When I spin, I'm not looking for zen. I'm looking for God.
Right now I live in a 1950's rambler in a suburb. I have four children ages 11, 10, 5, and 2 that ensure my garden is not weeded (NO picture provided). I have a 3-legged beagle who is not very smart. My flowerbeds are pretty, but "scruffy." The chickens may happen if I can talk the DH into it. I work 3/4 time as a nurse. Ironically, I do clean up a lot of poo.
So, I buy my wool from other people. My knitting friends introduced me to the Shepherd's Harvest Festival in Lake Elmo, MN about 6 years ago. It is a fiber FEAST. If you can make it next spring, you must. Even if you aren't a crafter. They have one whole building for demos of spinning, weaving, carding, blending, knitting etc. Outside they have demos of sheepherding, sheep shearing, AND bunny races. You can get lefse, a gyro, a buffalo burger, or a walking taco. They also have two large buildings full of every type of fiber or gizmo that may go with it, including goat, sheep, rabbit, and buffalo fiber, spinning wheels, drop spindles, needles, yarn, handmade baskets, pottery, soap, honey, and all kinds of hand-knit or crocheted or felted objects.
As you may expect, I saw real hippies there!
So about 6 years ago when I was there, I got a drop spindle and some roving. Roving is "a long and narrow bundle of fiber. Rovings are produced during the process of making spun yarn from wool fleece, raw cotton, or other fibres." (Wikipedia.)
I was able to make and process my first handspun yarn! I'll explain more about that later in this series. I also learned to call my drop spindle my "drop-and-swear spindle." My guide was "Spin to Knit--The Knitter's Guide to Making Yarn" by Shannon Okey.
After many years of yearning, I was finally able to purchase my own spinning wheel. It's a New Zealand made "Wendy" traditional wheel.
 |
| Left: clean wool Right: Carded wool ready to spin |
 |
| Finished yarn--2 ply Worsted, 10 wpi (wraps per inch) |
Some people no doubt wonder why in heaven I would want to deal with a stinky raw fleece, take the time to pick it and card it, and manually spin it. Why? There are sweaters at Target.
There is something valuable about using your hands to do a task. It's about being connected with the world. When I spin I am repeating an action done for thousands of years by thousands of women. It makes me feel I am a part of humanity. It's about remembering who I am in this world. It's about preserving an ancient art. It's a reminder that just because a machine can do it, that doesn't mean a machine should do it. It's the same way I feel when I work in my garden, or knead bread dough, or stir a pot of homemade soup on the stove, or hold my sleeping child. I think the word I am looking for is being human.
The more we have machines do for us, the fewer manual skills we have. I love machines, don't doubt me. Espresso machines especially. I'm not going radical purist either. I've read Isaac Asimov and it's entertaining fiction, folks. Still, wouldn't it be prudent of us to retain these skills somewhere besides a museum? Part of this is a whole movement now, right, the "whole foods" movement? Eat local foods, know your farmer, know where your food came from? I guess I feel better knowing where my sweater came from too.
When I spin or dig in the dirt or knead dough, I am centered. I am not distracted by tv, or internet (ironic for a blogger), or my smart phone. I feel serene and I can hear my own thoughts and feel my spirit expanding. Verses I learned years ago flow into my head with surprising clarity. That's when I can hear God talking the best . . . Romans 12 says "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind . . . then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--His good, pleasing, and perfect will." The renewing of your mind. Not the distracting of your mind. Why are we always seeking to be distracted? What are we afraid of? If we quiet all those distracting noises, we might be able to hear our own inmost thoughts. We might hear God's Spirit calling us. A sweet sweet sound.
People say all the time that they feel lost and have no direction. When I take the time to clear my mind, and bury myself in this kind of work, my mind is clear enough to hear and communicate with my God. And, I can hear His direction through His word and His soft touch on my heart. It's a kind of prayer. I come away feeling satisfied and nourished, body and soul. When I spin, I'm not looking for zen. I'm looking for God.
Thursday, August 7, 2014
Minneapolis Farmer's Market
I went to the Minneapolis farmer's market last weekend. I overdid it a bit.
I came home with purple and Yukon Gold potatoes, beets, purple onions, leeks (!!) zucchini (because mine are a dud this year) dill, taragon, peas, cottage bacon, and pork sticks! And fresh cut flowers.
I got the dill by accident. I didn't look at it closely and thought I was buying tarragon. I tried to verify what it was with the sweet little Hmong lady running the stall, but she spoke no English. Plus I was distracted by my four children making all sorts of commotion. So I bought it, and later thought, "I don't want to make pickles. What do I do with this?"
I looked online for recipes. It seems a lot of people cook beets with dill in a cream sauce. But I remember seeing someone on the Food Network make them with basalmic vinegar. So, I held up the dill next to the mouth of the basalmic vinegar bottle, and took a sniff. Smells ok. (Galaxy Quest ***).
I sliced the beets, red and Yukon Gold potatoes, and purple onion into uniform-sized pieces. I lined a sheet pan with foil and tossed 'em on there. I coarsely chopped the dill and tossed it on along with kosher salt, coarsely ground pepper, and garlic powder (pure laziness). Then I drizzled the lot with olive oil, basalmic vinegar, and Honey! Lastly, I took a couple pieces of the cottage bacon and snugged 'em in among the veg. Then I put them in the oven at about 425 degrees to roast.
Went for a walk (because in MN, you store every drop on sunshine you can get to last through March) and when I came home the house smelled like grandma's house! Unfortunately, the DH did not take the pan out as promptly as I had hoped, so the veg pieces were a bit more chewy than I had hoped. Some a bit charred, in fact, But it was MAD DELICIOUS!
I got the dill by accident. I didn't look at it closely and thought I was buying tarragon. I tried to verify what it was with the sweet little Hmong lady running the stall, but she spoke no English. Plus I was distracted by my four children making all sorts of commotion. So I bought it, and later thought, "I don't want to make pickles. What do I do with this?"
I looked online for recipes. It seems a lot of people cook beets with dill in a cream sauce. But I remember seeing someone on the Food Network make them with basalmic vinegar. So, I held up the dill next to the mouth of the basalmic vinegar bottle, and took a sniff. Smells ok. (Galaxy Quest ***).
I sliced the beets, red and Yukon Gold potatoes, and purple onion into uniform-sized pieces. I lined a sheet pan with foil and tossed 'em on there. I coarsely chopped the dill and tossed it on along with kosher salt, coarsely ground pepper, and garlic powder (pure laziness). Then I drizzled the lot with olive oil, basalmic vinegar, and Honey! Lastly, I took a couple pieces of the cottage bacon and snugged 'em in among the veg. Then I put them in the oven at about 425 degrees to roast.
Went for a walk (because in MN, you store every drop on sunshine you can get to last through March) and when I came home the house smelled like grandma's house! Unfortunately, the DH did not take the pan out as promptly as I had hoped, so the veg pieces were a bit more chewy than I had hoped. Some a bit charred, in fact, But it was MAD DELICIOUS!
I was determined to remember to cook all the stuff I bought before it turned to a slimy mess in my crisper. So, today I took more of the delectable little potatoes, red and gold, added the coarsely chopped leeks (!!!!!) and coarsely chopped dill too, thin sliced some garlic, added kosher salt and coarsely ground pepper, and put it in the crock pot on high with about a cup of water.
RIGHT?
Then I will be taking a whole chicken, rubbing it with salt and pepper, and stuffing the cavity with lemon wedges and tarragon. I will lay lemon slices and tarragon leaves on the outside of the chicken. I will finish it with fresh Italian parsley. We will also have fresh green beans from the garden, steamed. My family will rise and call me blessed.
Pictures at 11.
Pictures at 11.
 |
| Here is the "before" picture. I will let you know how it goes. |
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Wanted: your dinner ideas
I've been cooking for my family for 10 years now, and have a few standby recipes that I routinely rely on.
I've been shopping for my family for 10 years now, and having gone through some significantly lean years, I know how to make a penny squeak. My meal budget--not counting snacks, health and beauty products, millk, etc--can be pretty impressively cheap on a lean week.
I recently heard that Mario Batali participated in the Food Stamp Challenge. He and his family tried to live for a few weeks on a budget equalling what a family living on food stamps would get. Here's an excerpt from an article from ABC News by Lindsey Antis:
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/lifestyle/2012/05/mario-batalis-food-stamp-challenge/
What is interesting is--this is pretty close to our grocery budget, though we don't qualify for government assistance. But he's an experienced chef. I was curious what kind of recipes he came up with after being forced to limit his ingredients. Unfortunately I couldn't find much except for what was shown on his show The Chew. I did do a search for "food stamp challenge" and found some great recipes, which I shared on my previous post.
Secondarily, I've starting trying to follow www.pocketyourdollars.com. It's not as hard as I thought, and kind of exhilarating. I'm not and "extreme" couponer. My rule is: I don't buy anything just because it's a good deal if it's not something I would normally buy anyway. And my super smart friend Hoa--who teaches a couponing class--says she knows she's done well if after looking at her receipt she has spent about a dollar per item. You have to be smart and learn the rules, but it can be worth it.
The drawback I have found is that the things I can get good deals on are often highly processed, packaged, and not necessarily very nutritious. This adds another aspect.
I am a "scratch" cook. That means instead of buying pancake mix, I will make it from scratch. I will chop and slice my own veggies, season my own tomatoes. I'm not a fanatic, but all the research I've done, and my own experience, indicates that it's the cheapest and most nutritious way to go. Though it's more work, I find it therapeutic.
Anyway, that was the impetus for these blog posts. As a nurse I am concerned about my family's nutrition. Despite my penny pinching, I try to be conscious of keeping our meals balanced. However, on a limited budget, things can get kind of boring and repetitive. When I'm not feeling creative, I tend to fall back on meat and potatoes. (My husband doesn't mind this.) This is ok sometimes, but not the best nutritional choice unless you're going to go work it off by manually plowing a field all day. So, I want to take advantage of my best resource--my friends and fellow moms.
I want to know what all of you make as "old stand-by" meals. Then I want to compile it all so we have somewhere to go for ideas when we're bored with our own "old stand-bys."
Guidelines--
Don't worry about making them official-looking recipes, unless you already have it in that format. Saying you throw together a can of this and a box of that is fine.
Nutrition is not a pre-requisite. My eventual goal is to have a compilation of the cheapest and most nutrition-packed meals, but I want to start with easy and cheap, and we'll go from there.
In these hard economic times, this seems like an appropriate topic.
Lastly, I must add some perspective--
To me, "cheap" groceries mean really bottom of the barrel. An acquaintance of mine once told me that Trader Joe's had such amazing prices. So I went there, and I wasn't sure what she was talking about. If you normally shop at Byerly's, then yes, Trade Joe's has great deals. It's also full of pre-cooked, prepared meals. It's a really fun store but I don't go there for bargains--just treats. Several famous food celebrities also feature lists of inexpensive recipes on their websites. Well, they may me inexpensive for a celebrity, but not most of America. If shrimp and parmesan cheese are in the recipe, I don't consider it cheap (unless I get it on sale ;-)
Organic eating is a fabulous idea. Maybe someday I'll be able to afford it. Right now I can't and I don't think many other Americans can either. Organic won't be featured here unless it comes from my local farmer's market or my own garden (maybe next summer . . .)
I'll start:
Tuna hotdish is one of the cheapest meals I can make.
Cost breakdown (approximate Aldi prices):
Egg noodles--$1.50
Tuna--69 centss.
2 cups Frozen green beans--$1
1 can mushroom soup--89 cents
Total: $4.00
I would say my recipe, using a half bag of noodles, serves at least 8. That's 50 cents a serving. (WOW!)
Nutrition breakdown:
The tuna provides protein.
There is a vegetable serving.
The mushroom soup is processed and fatty.
Egg noodles--white flour=relatively empty carbs.
(You could use whole wheat noodles which would increase the nutrition by a LOT, but they're more spendy.)
Score:
Fairly balanced, but nominal nutrition. As my husband would say, belly filler. But some weeks, we've been happy to keep their little bellies full.
Here's the thing: I detest it. however, my family eats it up like ice cream. I would rather--and often do--have pb+j.
p.s. my mom made it with peas. My family doesn't like peas, so I use beans.
Interesting side note: my mom told me once that she hated soup because that's what we ate when I was a kid when we were really broke, and it made her feel--well, broke.
I love soup. Somehow, when I ate it as a kid, the negative connotation did not transfer to me, the recipient. To me it's delicious and comforting. However, I hate tuna hotdish--which is what I make when we're really broke!
Ironic.
Tuna hotdish
1/2 pkg egg noodles
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/3 cup milk
1 can tuna, drained
1 cup frozen green beans, or 1 can cut green beans
Boil noodles until tender (do not overcook or they will be mushy!). If using frozen beans, add during last 2 min of cooking time. Drain. While still hot stir in mushroom soup, milk, tuna, and beans (if canned). Stir together over low heat until warm throughout.
Here's the healthiest cheapest meal I can make:
Lentil soup
Cost breakdown (very approximate):
1 bag lentils--$1
1 carton broth--$1.75
1 large can tomatoes--$1.50
Carrots, onions, celery--$1 for the amounts used
Total: $5.25, not counting the small amounts of dried herbs etc. It makes a bajillion servings, so I can't even figure out a cost per serving.
Nutrition breakdown:
Lentils--
30% of their calories are from protein. Lentils also contain dietary fiber, folate, vitamin B1, and minerals. Red (or pink) lentils contain a lower concentration of fiber than green lentils (11% rather than 31%).[7] Healthmagazine has selected lentils as one of the five healthiest foods.[8] Lentils are often mixed with grains, such as rice, which results in a complete protein dish. (Wikipedia)
Chicken broth--can be high in salt. Processed food, unless you make your own (easy, but can be bland)
Tomatoes--high in folate and other essential vitamins
Lentil soup
1 pkg lentils
1 carton (approx 2 cups) chicken broth
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cups carrots, peeled chopped
2 cups celery, chopped
1 lg can diced tomatoes--DO NOT DRAIN
2 Tbsp finely minced garlic OR 1 tsp garlic powder
Herbs to taste--
Basil, Oregano, parsley, salt
In large pot, heat 2 tbsp olive oil. Add onion, carrot, and celery, and saute until translucent. Rinse lentils and add to veggies. Add tomatoes and broth, and enough water to cover lentils by approx. 1 inch. Season. Stir and heat to boiling, then reduce heat and simmer until lentils are soft and carrots are tender. Check seasoning before serving.
My family loves this. I serve it with cornbread. Options include adding chopped fresh spinach, a diced turnip, or other veggies you like. It's a good meatless meal (if you use veg broth) as lentils are so high in protein. But you could add hamburger, ham, or chicken if you must have meat. It's very filling and satisfying.
Also, it makes such a large amount that you can easily freeze half. Be aware that when you defrost it, it will have a slightly mushier texture--but still taste good.
I'll be trying lots of recipes and reviewing them, including my opinion and my family's. Can't wait to see what you guys come up with--including your tips for cheap healthy shopping!
I've been shopping for my family for 10 years now, and having gone through some significantly lean years, I know how to make a penny squeak. My meal budget--not counting snacks, health and beauty products, millk, etc--can be pretty impressively cheap on a lean week.
I recently heard that Mario Batali participated in the Food Stamp Challenge. He and his family tried to live for a few weeks on a budget equalling what a family living on food stamps would get. Here's an excerpt from an article from ABC News by Lindsey Antis:
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/lifestyle/2012/05/mario-batalis-food-stamp-challenge/
"Food stamps are issued once a month, meaning families have to plan to make them last. Even with a strict budget and planning, Batali said he would expect to run out of money by the end of the month. There’s not enough money to feed the family and “you can’t live on a can of beans for five days in a row.” This week he said he has had to sacrifice some of his standards for food quality and nutrition to ensure that he will have enough food for every meal.
The challenge, which Batali says he plans to do several times a year, is changing the way his family thinks about food. While his kids are still eating what seem like everyday meals, including eggs for breakfast and lentils and corn bread for dinner, it has started a greater philosophical conversation.
“It’s an interesting conversation to think about what food is, what hunger is, what nutrition is in a way that makes us think about it on a much more personal level,” Batali said."
What is interesting is--this is pretty close to our grocery budget, though we don't qualify for government assistance. But he's an experienced chef. I was curious what kind of recipes he came up with after being forced to limit his ingredients. Unfortunately I couldn't find much except for what was shown on his show The Chew. I did do a search for "food stamp challenge" and found some great recipes, which I shared on my previous post.
Secondarily, I've starting trying to follow www.pocketyourdollars.com. It's not as hard as I thought, and kind of exhilarating. I'm not and "extreme" couponer. My rule is: I don't buy anything just because it's a good deal if it's not something I would normally buy anyway. And my super smart friend Hoa--who teaches a couponing class--says she knows she's done well if after looking at her receipt she has spent about a dollar per item. You have to be smart and learn the rules, but it can be worth it.
The drawback I have found is that the things I can get good deals on are often highly processed, packaged, and not necessarily very nutritious. This adds another aspect.
I am a "scratch" cook. That means instead of buying pancake mix, I will make it from scratch. I will chop and slice my own veggies, season my own tomatoes. I'm not a fanatic, but all the research I've done, and my own experience, indicates that it's the cheapest and most nutritious way to go. Though it's more work, I find it therapeutic.
Anyway, that was the impetus for these blog posts. As a nurse I am concerned about my family's nutrition. Despite my penny pinching, I try to be conscious of keeping our meals balanced. However, on a limited budget, things can get kind of boring and repetitive. When I'm not feeling creative, I tend to fall back on meat and potatoes. (My husband doesn't mind this.) This is ok sometimes, but not the best nutritional choice unless you're going to go work it off by manually plowing a field all day. So, I want to take advantage of my best resource--my friends and fellow moms.
I want to know what all of you make as "old stand-by" meals. Then I want to compile it all so we have somewhere to go for ideas when we're bored with our own "old stand-bys."
Guidelines--
Don't worry about making them official-looking recipes, unless you already have it in that format. Saying you throw together a can of this and a box of that is fine.
Nutrition is not a pre-requisite. My eventual goal is to have a compilation of the cheapest and most nutrition-packed meals, but I want to start with easy and cheap, and we'll go from there.
In these hard economic times, this seems like an appropriate topic.
Lastly, I must add some perspective--
To me, "cheap" groceries mean really bottom of the barrel. An acquaintance of mine once told me that Trader Joe's had such amazing prices. So I went there, and I wasn't sure what she was talking about. If you normally shop at Byerly's, then yes, Trade Joe's has great deals. It's also full of pre-cooked, prepared meals. It's a really fun store but I don't go there for bargains--just treats. Several famous food celebrities also feature lists of inexpensive recipes on their websites. Well, they may me inexpensive for a celebrity, but not most of America. If shrimp and parmesan cheese are in the recipe, I don't consider it cheap (unless I get it on sale ;-)
Organic eating is a fabulous idea. Maybe someday I'll be able to afford it. Right now I can't and I don't think many other Americans can either. Organic won't be featured here unless it comes from my local farmer's market or my own garden (maybe next summer . . .)
I'll start:
Tuna hotdish is one of the cheapest meals I can make.
Cost breakdown (approximate Aldi prices):
Egg noodles--$1.50
Tuna--69 centss.
2 cups Frozen green beans--$1
1 can mushroom soup--89 cents
Total: $4.00
I would say my recipe, using a half bag of noodles, serves at least 8. That's 50 cents a serving. (WOW!)
Nutrition breakdown:
The tuna provides protein.
There is a vegetable serving.
The mushroom soup is processed and fatty.
Egg noodles--white flour=relatively empty carbs.
(You could use whole wheat noodles which would increase the nutrition by a LOT, but they're more spendy.)
Score:
Fairly balanced, but nominal nutrition. As my husband would say, belly filler. But some weeks, we've been happy to keep their little bellies full.
Here's the thing: I detest it. however, my family eats it up like ice cream. I would rather--and often do--have pb+j.
p.s. my mom made it with peas. My family doesn't like peas, so I use beans.
Interesting side note: my mom told me once that she hated soup because that's what we ate when I was a kid when we were really broke, and it made her feel--well, broke.
I love soup. Somehow, when I ate it as a kid, the negative connotation did not transfer to me, the recipient. To me it's delicious and comforting. However, I hate tuna hotdish--which is what I make when we're really broke!
Ironic.
Tuna hotdish
1/2 pkg egg noodles
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/3 cup milk
1 can tuna, drained
1 cup frozen green beans, or 1 can cut green beans
Boil noodles until tender (do not overcook or they will be mushy!). If using frozen beans, add during last 2 min of cooking time. Drain. While still hot stir in mushroom soup, milk, tuna, and beans (if canned). Stir together over low heat until warm throughout.
Here's the healthiest cheapest meal I can make:
Lentil soup
Cost breakdown (very approximate):
1 bag lentils--$1
1 carton broth--$1.75
1 large can tomatoes--$1.50
Carrots, onions, celery--$1 for the amounts used
Total: $5.25, not counting the small amounts of dried herbs etc. It makes a bajillion servings, so I can't even figure out a cost per serving.
Nutrition breakdown:
Lentils--
30% of their calories are from protein. Lentils also contain dietary fiber, folate, vitamin B1, and minerals. Red (or pink) lentils contain a lower concentration of fiber than green lentils (11% rather than 31%).[7] Healthmagazine has selected lentils as one of the five healthiest foods.[8] Lentils are often mixed with grains, such as rice, which results in a complete protein dish. (Wikipedia)
Chicken broth--can be high in salt. Processed food, unless you make your own (easy, but can be bland)
Tomatoes--high in folate and other essential vitamins
Lentil soup
1 pkg lentils
1 carton (approx 2 cups) chicken broth
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cups carrots, peeled chopped
2 cups celery, chopped
1 lg can diced tomatoes--DO NOT DRAIN
2 Tbsp finely minced garlic OR 1 tsp garlic powder
Herbs to taste--
Basil, Oregano, parsley, salt
In large pot, heat 2 tbsp olive oil. Add onion, carrot, and celery, and saute until translucent. Rinse lentils and add to veggies. Add tomatoes and broth, and enough water to cover lentils by approx. 1 inch. Season. Stir and heat to boiling, then reduce heat and simmer until lentils are soft and carrots are tender. Check seasoning before serving.
My family loves this. I serve it with cornbread. Options include adding chopped fresh spinach, a diced turnip, or other veggies you like. It's a good meatless meal (if you use veg broth) as lentils are so high in protein. But you could add hamburger, ham, or chicken if you must have meat. It's very filling and satisfying.
Also, it makes such a large amount that you can easily freeze half. Be aware that when you defrost it, it will have a slightly mushier texture--but still taste good.
I'll be trying lots of recipes and reviewing them, including my opinion and my family's. Can't wait to see what you guys come up with--including your tips for cheap healthy shopping!
Friday, July 6, 2012
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
New beginnings.
Three flowers bakery is a dream that has to sleep a while. Pastry school was a lesson in rebellion and obedience. I told myself I was stepping out in faith, but I was actually trying to force God's hand and timing. I know that when we willfully follow our on stubborn desires God can still use us, and the skills I learned in school are very valuable. I think maybe the lessons I learned about obedience and self-restraint are more valuable. My battle against selfishness continues. I pray now that God would help me to learn to have a content heart and rest in Him. Someday, here or There, I will understand what I am supposed to do with all my ambition. Until then I refocus appropriately, (off myself and onto Him), and invest myself in the great loves of my life.
"I came that they may have life, and have it it abundantly." John 10:10.
Three flowers bakery is a dream that has to sleep a while. Pastry school was a lesson in rebellion and obedience. I told myself I was stepping out in faith, but I was actually trying to force God's hand and timing. I know that when we willfully follow our on stubborn desires God can still use us, and the skills I learned in school are very valuable. I think maybe the lessons I learned about obedience and self-restraint are more valuable. My battle against selfishness continues. I pray now that God would help me to learn to have a content heart and rest in Him. Someday, here or There, I will understand what I am supposed to do with all my ambition. Until then I refocus appropriately, (off myself and onto Him), and invest myself in the great loves of my life.
"I came that they may have life, and have it it abundantly." John 10:10.
Wanted: KITCHEN
Well, who needs pastry school anyway. Actually, I consider it a learning experience in more than the traditional sense. Though I'm still unsure if I was following God's will or my own in this matter, He chose to use it for the good. I made some great contacts and got to take the bread classes before I had to quit. That's what I really wanted anyway.
I am currently actively seeking a professional kitchen in which to bring 3 Flowers truly to life. I'll need to rent kitchen space one eve/night a week. Once that last obstacle is overcome, I will begin taking orders and scheduling once a week delivery to Hudson and the surrounding area. I will post the options. I will also start an email mailing list for those that don't want to order at the blog.
Also, very exciting! I have the opportunity to have a booth and the new farmer's market opening up on Charmichael in Hudson! It will be on Saturdays starting somewhere around the end of June/first part of July. IF I can find a kitchen. Praying hard for direction . . . anyone who knows of a lonely kitchen in need of a happy baker, let me know. Or an existing bakery/restaurant willing to rent out space on off hours.
Stay tuned . . .
p.s. thank you God for always being faithful. And thanks for sending Kara Jo, Jen, and Vonda when I needed them.
I am currently actively seeking a professional kitchen in which to bring 3 Flowers truly to life. I'll need to rent kitchen space one eve/night a week. Once that last obstacle is overcome, I will begin taking orders and scheduling once a week delivery to Hudson and the surrounding area. I will post the options. I will also start an email mailing list for those that don't want to order at the blog.
Also, very exciting! I have the opportunity to have a booth and the new farmer's market opening up on Charmichael in Hudson! It will be on Saturdays starting somewhere around the end of June/first part of July. IF I can find a kitchen. Praying hard for direction . . . anyone who knows of a lonely kitchen in need of a happy baker, let me know. Or an existing bakery/restaurant willing to rent out space on off hours.
Stay tuned . . .
p.s. thank you God for always being faithful. And thanks for sending Kara Jo, Jen, and Vonda when I needed them.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
jumped the gun
well, I may have jumped the gun--I think I'm going to push back the bake, I'm so sorry everyone--this week actually is turning kind of hectic. (No strep throat, though, phew!) Also, I may have a lead on a kitchen to bake in--not my own--with more space and less family clutter. That would really simplify things. I will let you know when I have definite date--it will be soon! Thanks everyone for understanding.
whole wheat winner!
After some tinkering and applying my new knowledge, I think I have developed a pleasingly moist, light and spongey wheat bread recipe. It is only partially wheat, but I did add flaxseed meal and oatmeal. I acheived the lovely texture by using the sponge method--you allow a small amt of the flour to raise with the yeast and water until double, then you mix up the rest of the dough. I also allowed it to double ferment. Bread raises twice--I did the first "ferment" or raising twice to add extra lift! I brought it to work as a test and it was a hit! And the kids devoured it, which is always a good sign.
I will be doing a bake this week on Thursday and probably finishing on Friday. If you are interested in ordering, let me know asap! I will send out emails too.
I think this multigrain loaf will be $5, and I am also going to offer focaccia with garlic and parmesan, also for $5.
FYI--Skye is sick today, and if we have any more sickness the bake will be off. The baby had a similar thing and was over it pretty quickly, so hopefully this won't be an issue. I'm going to clean my kitchen with anti-bacterial stuff just in case.
I am still looking for an "official" kitchen to bake in! In process . . .
Monday, November 9, 2009
Name Change
Hi! I realize the web address is kind of cumbersome--I first used that when I was blogging just for fun. Now that this might be turning into something, I will be changing the address to www.3flowersbakery.blogspot.com. That will happen next week. Thanks guys!
Three Flowers Lives!
From top: Challah, herb focaccia, apple sourdough, croissants, onion rye twist
Hello friends and customers,
I am having to cut down at school in order to work a little more until Bud finds a job.
Sad.
However, I decided to make lemons into lemonade. This gives me more time to bake on my own for Community Supported Baking! Or: Three Flowers Bakery. Those of you who have talked to me know the plan: I do some baking for friends, on an order-by-order basis. I did this once this summer and it was very successful! If you want to re-read the explanation, go to the main page of the blog and click on "old posts."
My goal is to have my own bakery in a few years, whenever circumstances make it possible. But until then, I'm itching to get going! So I am baking here and there when I get a chance, giving you all a taste of what's to come.
I have been fortunate in the past 12 weeks to gain a lot of knowledge. And, while I am by no means an expert, I do have more to work with now. So I'll be trying to bake again about twice a month or so. I have had so much interest that I am actually trying to find a larger kitchen in Hudson to use, with more ovens and more space. I'll post some pictures of the products I will offer, and soon I will post the dates of the next BAKE and start taking orders. I am going to try to offer a white and wheat bread each time, and a specialty too, like croissants or apple bread or cookies. And with the holidays coming up I'm going to do apple pies. It all depends on what people want!
To order, you can either: Comment on the blog--it's easy! It seems intimidating, but all you really have to do is click on "comment" at the bottom of the blog entry.
Or, you can email me at mastuempy@hotmail.com. When ordering, if you need it delivered please include your address and phone number.
If you become a "follower" of the blog, I think you should receive email updates when I update it. I will try to do that often!
If anyone knows of a lonely kitchen, for example in a closed business or an unused church building, let me know ASAP!
Thanks everyone for your support. Questions and Comments are welcome!
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
We're finally baking!
Well,
the first 3 weeks of school are over, and so is the "culinary" portion of my education. Thank goodness. It was fun to learn how to cut up a whole chicken, and how to make the "mother" sauces, and all that good stuff. But that's not why I'm there. We've had our hands in dough the past two days, and boy, does it feel good. I'm remembering the reasons I enrolled. I remember that "zen" feeling I get when the table is covered with flour, and I find myself humming as I gather my mise en place.
And boy oh boy! We start off with a bang! 3-4 recipes a day--we get a demo and then we have to get cooking. We're getting a general overview of baking, and later we'll go back over these same things and learn them more inimately. Yesterday we made Peanut Butter Cookies (using the creamy method) and brysselkex (basically those yummy pepperidge farm merona type cookies). We decided to get fancy--see picture. Today it was Strassler cookies (piped out of a fancy tip! Cool! I made beautiful rosebuds), macaroons--which, sweet saint whoever the patron saint of bakers is, where have these been all my life? I've had those nasty coconut macaroons out of the Good Housekeeping cookbook, and have avoided them since. These are made with crushed almonds, butter, confectioners sugar--they melt in your mouth. You can make sandwich cookies out of them if you spread a little Nutella in between. We also made biscotti, which you have to bake twice! It kept us all late after class because we couldn't get it done.
Which brings me to the more personal part of my reflections: going back to college as an adult is really interesting. I've realized that my time is VERY valuable, and I don't have much patience for laziness or incomptence, especially people at my table who I have to do group projects with. Seriously, kids, welcome to the adult world. I'm getting lots of material for my novel because the stereotypical characters are just thick in the room. You've got the lazy college kids who have everything handed to them and have never had to work a day in their lives. When the chore/work roster was handed out, you should have seen the sneers! "I'm expected to mop? Are you kidding?" All eloquently said with a lifted eyebrow and curled lip. And sleeping during lecture. And not listening to directions! ARGGHH! What do we do? What did he say? Can I borrow this because I forgot mine? Puh-leeze! Everyone deserves some rope, and I do lend stuff. I also need to borrow stuff and ask questions sometimes. But there is a limit. I seriously wonder how many people are actually going to make it through the program. Thank goodness for my table partner who is totally sane, realistic, nice, and knows how to work. We have collaberated a lot, actually, sharing supplies and baking trays and doing projects together. She's another mature (I use that term loosely in my case. Yes, I still laugh at fart jokes) adult with a career behind her, who knows what she wants and how the real world works. Who knows how listen and study and be responsible. We get along.
So, one of my large faults has been exposed--I lack mercy. I'm trying. I've got to vent somewhere. The characters are just so obvious it's unbelievable. I don't have to be creative or embellish at all, I just have to write it down, with the appropriate use of semicolons and no run-on sentences. Gosh, my high school creative writing teacher would kill me. I think my blogging will be more conversational in tone. I ain't go time to edit!
Some things I wasn't expecting: there are no traditional amounts as we're used to seeing them. We weigh everything on a digital scale. The recipe does not say, bake for 30 minutes. It says a temperature and that's it--you know it's done by what it looks like. We have to cream our butter and sugar and whip our eggs by hand! No mixers. We have to do it the hard way. We're going to learn to do it right! No sissy stuff. You eat dirt, and you like it! You walk to school barefoot in the snow uphill both ways! That's how we do it in the army, and no whining! I don't know. I'm tired.
Will update pictures soon--
the first 3 weeks of school are over, and so is the "culinary" portion of my education. Thank goodness. It was fun to learn how to cut up a whole chicken, and how to make the "mother" sauces, and all that good stuff. But that's not why I'm there. We've had our hands in dough the past two days, and boy, does it feel good. I'm remembering the reasons I enrolled. I remember that "zen" feeling I get when the table is covered with flour, and I find myself humming as I gather my mise en place.
And boy oh boy! We start off with a bang! 3-4 recipes a day--we get a demo and then we have to get cooking. We're getting a general overview of baking, and later we'll go back over these same things and learn them more inimately. Yesterday we made Peanut Butter Cookies (using the creamy method) and brysselkex (basically those yummy pepperidge farm merona type cookies). We decided to get fancy--see picture. Today it was Strassler cookies (piped out of a fancy tip! Cool! I made beautiful rosebuds), macaroons--which, sweet saint whoever the patron saint of bakers is, where have these been all my life? I've had those nasty coconut macaroons out of the Good Housekeeping cookbook, and have avoided them since. These are made with crushed almonds, butter, confectioners sugar--they melt in your mouth. You can make sandwich cookies out of them if you spread a little Nutella in between. We also made biscotti, which you have to bake twice! It kept us all late after class because we couldn't get it done.
Which brings me to the more personal part of my reflections: going back to college as an adult is really interesting. I've realized that my time is VERY valuable, and I don't have much patience for laziness or incomptence, especially people at my table who I have to do group projects with. Seriously, kids, welcome to the adult world. I'm getting lots of material for my novel because the stereotypical characters are just thick in the room. You've got the lazy college kids who have everything handed to them and have never had to work a day in their lives. When the chore/work roster was handed out, you should have seen the sneers! "I'm expected to mop? Are you kidding?" All eloquently said with a lifted eyebrow and curled lip. And sleeping during lecture. And not listening to directions! ARGGHH! What do we do? What did he say? Can I borrow this because I forgot mine? Puh-leeze! Everyone deserves some rope, and I do lend stuff. I also need to borrow stuff and ask questions sometimes. But there is a limit. I seriously wonder how many people are actually going to make it through the program. Thank goodness for my table partner who is totally sane, realistic, nice, and knows how to work. We have collaberated a lot, actually, sharing supplies and baking trays and doing projects together. She's another mature (I use that term loosely in my case. Yes, I still laugh at fart jokes) adult with a career behind her, who knows what she wants and how the real world works. Who knows how listen and study and be responsible. We get along.
So, one of my large faults has been exposed--I lack mercy. I'm trying. I've got to vent somewhere. The characters are just so obvious it's unbelievable. I don't have to be creative or embellish at all, I just have to write it down, with the appropriate use of semicolons and no run-on sentences. Gosh, my high school creative writing teacher would kill me. I think my blogging will be more conversational in tone. I ain't go time to edit!
Some things I wasn't expecting: there are no traditional amounts as we're used to seeing them. We weigh everything on a digital scale. The recipe does not say, bake for 30 minutes. It says a temperature and that's it--you know it's done by what it looks like. We have to cream our butter and sugar and whip our eggs by hand! No mixers. We have to do it the hard way. We're going to learn to do it right! No sissy stuff. You eat dirt, and you like it! You walk to school barefoot in the snow uphill both ways! That's how we do it in the army, and no whining! I don't know. I'm tired.
Will update pictures soon--
Next bread baking marathon
To all of you out there waiting for me to bake bread again: I'm on it. Trying to figure out the next weekend I will do it. I've been waiting to see how my school and work schedule falls out, and how my family adjusts to the new schedule. Plus my kids started school again too. I have to be at school in Mendota Heights at 7 am every weekday morning, and I work nearly every weekend. It's been kind of exhausting.
Actually, in school we were learning about sanitation, about how to cook and hold food safely so you don't get anyone sick. For a while there I didn't know if CSB was going to work out. No matter how clean and sanitized I try to keep things, there's no way I can be as germ-free as a professional kitchen. I talked to my chef instructor, and we decided that while there is some risk, it's not as big a deal as if I was doing chicken salad or something like that. My bread is all baked, and doesn't have any raw ingredients or anything that urgently needs to be kept in the fridge. So, I'm still going to bake for ya'll, though I officially state now that I am not responsible for foodborne illness, and you eat my home-baked stuff at your own risk. Gosh, that sounds harsh. I'm sure nothing will happen, because I am as careful as can be, but I feel like I need to address it.
On that strange note, I'll try to post as soon as I can about when the next disbursement will be. Thanks for your patience!
Actually, in school we were learning about sanitation, about how to cook and hold food safely so you don't get anyone sick. For a while there I didn't know if CSB was going to work out. No matter how clean and sanitized I try to keep things, there's no way I can be as germ-free as a professional kitchen. I talked to my chef instructor, and we decided that while there is some risk, it's not as big a deal as if I was doing chicken salad or something like that. My bread is all baked, and doesn't have any raw ingredients or anything that urgently needs to be kept in the fridge. So, I'm still going to bake for ya'll, though I officially state now that I am not responsible for foodborne illness, and you eat my home-baked stuff at your own risk. Gosh, that sounds harsh. I'm sure nothing will happen, because I am as careful as can be, but I feel like I need to address it.
On that strange note, I'll try to post as soon as I can about when the next disbursement will be. Thanks for your patience!
Friday, August 21, 2009
First week of pastry school
I am very weary.
I think people have a glamorous, romantic idea about culinary school. Or they think it's like "Hell's kitchen" where the chefs yell at you all the time. I am not to those parts yet, so I don't know either. This week I learned :
My uniform: Wear every aspect at all times, wear your apron if you're prepping food--but not in the hall! My commis (unsure if that's the correct spelling) is my skullcap hat that signifies my rank--lowest possible. Maggot. The cravat ties around the neck like a boy scout with the ends tucked in to catch your sweat. Neato chef coat, uncomfortable non-slip sole shoes.
My kit: it was like Christmas. It includes my knives (3), spreaders, peeler, corer, cake decorating tools, silpat cooking mats, rolling pin, measuring cups and spoons, spoon, spatula, etc. Very heavy.
History of culinary: lecture about important (but dead) French guys.
Knife skills: How to cut veggies into many shapes including seven sided footballs (chateau) , mini chateaux (cocottes), concasse (rough dice) batonetts (french fries) Julienne (1/8 in x 1/8 in x 2 in), brunoise (same size, dice), fine Julienne (1/16 in strips and dices), supreme (best part of the citrus, no peel or membrane), and other cuts. Getting used to the balance of the knife, getting a blister, trying not to lose any digits. This is basically what we did all week. And go home and practice, practice, practice! There will be a test.
Food safety: Keep the food in this temperature range or it will kill your customers and you will lose your business, etc.
Cleaning: I heard that people in the food industry spend 70-80% of their time just cleaning. We spend at least an hour doing it, even after just cutting. Washing dishes by hand (and rinsing and sanitizing), learning to use the big dishwasher, sweeping and scrubbing the floor, sanitizing tables, wiping walls and stovetops, and more. (Hopefully with all the mopping I'll drop some of this baby weight. Or not. Chef said many students gain about 30 lbs. during the program. Dang.)
The unexpected up side is: many of those veggies our class chopped turned into our snacks, cooked by us and the chef. He says, put that pot on the stove, add this, melt that butter, go get the food mill and rice the potatoes, etc. And he's always dropping tips that the Pastry and baking (P + B) students might never use, but good to know. Like, you make this recipe out of such and such an ingredient--like the carrots we cut at irregular angles (oblique) roasted on a sheet tray with oil, salt, pepper, and curry--never had that in the midwest before. For example, the onions we minced up, learning, turned into French onion soup and salsa one day, and the next we he reduced them with red wine and we ate them with mashed potatoes (yum!) We also had croutons with the soup made with cave-aged Gruyer cheese ($35/lb!!!!!--wasted on us maggots). The block he brought out was as big as my youngest child. A far as scraps, we try not to waste--inedible scraps go into the "pig bucket" and go to feed real pigs. And lots of stories from his career. Pretty interesting.
In short, even though we are P+B students, they are still teaching us the basics, and trying to cultivate an educated palate. It's all good.
But, class starts at 7 sharp every AM (no lateness is allowed, ever) and no one leaves until the room is spic and span. Then I go home and take care of kids, or go to work, only once or twice during the week. I'm basically working every weekend until this time next year. I've been ready for bed by 8:30 every night. My husband is doing such a good job with the kiddos in the morning. Anyway, I'm whipped, it's Friday night, and I can sleep in in the morning til the baby gets me up! Yippee!
I think people have a glamorous, romantic idea about culinary school. Or they think it's like "Hell's kitchen" where the chefs yell at you all the time. I am not to those parts yet, so I don't know either. This week I learned :
My uniform: Wear every aspect at all times, wear your apron if you're prepping food--but not in the hall! My commis (unsure if that's the correct spelling) is my skullcap hat that signifies my rank--lowest possible. Maggot. The cravat ties around the neck like a boy scout with the ends tucked in to catch your sweat. Neato chef coat, uncomfortable non-slip sole shoes.
My kit: it was like Christmas. It includes my knives (3), spreaders, peeler, corer, cake decorating tools, silpat cooking mats, rolling pin, measuring cups and spoons, spoon, spatula, etc. Very heavy.
History of culinary: lecture about important (but dead) French guys.
Knife skills: How to cut veggies into many shapes including seven sided footballs (chateau) , mini chateaux (cocottes), concasse (rough dice) batonetts (french fries) Julienne (1/8 in x 1/8 in x 2 in), brunoise (same size, dice), fine Julienne (1/16 in strips and dices), supreme (best part of the citrus, no peel or membrane), and other cuts. Getting used to the balance of the knife, getting a blister, trying not to lose any digits. This is basically what we did all week. And go home and practice, practice, practice! There will be a test.
Food safety: Keep the food in this temperature range or it will kill your customers and you will lose your business, etc.
Cleaning: I heard that people in the food industry spend 70-80% of their time just cleaning. We spend at least an hour doing it, even after just cutting. Washing dishes by hand (and rinsing and sanitizing), learning to use the big dishwasher, sweeping and scrubbing the floor, sanitizing tables, wiping walls and stovetops, and more. (Hopefully with all the mopping I'll drop some of this baby weight. Or not. Chef said many students gain about 30 lbs. during the program. Dang.)
The unexpected up side is: many of those veggies our class chopped turned into our snacks, cooked by us and the chef. He says, put that pot on the stove, add this, melt that butter, go get the food mill and rice the potatoes, etc. And he's always dropping tips that the Pastry and baking (P + B) students might never use, but good to know. Like, you make this recipe out of such and such an ingredient--like the carrots we cut at irregular angles (oblique) roasted on a sheet tray with oil, salt, pepper, and curry--never had that in the midwest before. For example, the onions we minced up, learning, turned into French onion soup and salsa one day, and the next we he reduced them with red wine and we ate them with mashed potatoes (yum!) We also had croutons with the soup made with cave-aged Gruyer cheese ($35/lb!!!!!--wasted on us maggots). The block he brought out was as big as my youngest child. A far as scraps, we try not to waste--inedible scraps go into the "pig bucket" and go to feed real pigs. And lots of stories from his career. Pretty interesting.
In short, even though we are P+B students, they are still teaching us the basics, and trying to cultivate an educated palate. It's all good.
But, class starts at 7 sharp every AM (no lateness is allowed, ever) and no one leaves until the room is spic and span. Then I go home and take care of kids, or go to work, only once or twice during the week. I'm basically working every weekend until this time next year. I've been ready for bed by 8:30 every night. My husband is doing such a good job with the kiddos in the morning. Anyway, I'm whipped, it's Friday night, and I can sleep in in the morning til the baby gets me up! Yippee!
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Baguettes and Whole Wheat Flaxseed
I finally found a French bread recipe I really like! I think the secret is in quality ingredients. I've always heard that, but always tried to skimp. This recipe called for a small amount of semolina flour (usually used for pasta). I also used real bread flour like a good girl. Otherwise, it's very basic--yeast, milk, salt, butter, olive oil. Once you mix it all together the sponge is immediately beautiful and smells divine. I love kneading dough! It's so hard to describe. I just zone out and get peaceful and go to my happy place. It feels really good in your hands. I think bread tastes better if it's been kneaded by hand. It needs touch.The only real problem I had with this was it was such a large recipe--10 cups of flour! It makes 3 long French loaves or 6 baguettes. I didn't have enough pans. Also, this recipe said to just "shape it into a long French loaf." Okay. Other recipes say to roll it up like a jelly roll. My first tries did not stay very round-- I think I need a baguette pan to get that classic shape. So these were flatter on the bottom. But the texture inside was perfect! Chewy outside (thanks to the cast iron pan full of boiling water in the bottom of the oven) and perfect on the inside. Really tasty too! My kids wanted to eat it all afternoon. And I didn't mind. It's real food. How did you like it?
I've tried quite a few different whole wheat recipes and I'm still trying to find one I like. I practiced with this one yesterday, and it turned out good, but not REALLY good. I tinkered with it a bit. The initial recipe had whole wheat alone (many w.w. recipes call for half white flour for a lighter texture and taste), honey, egg, butter, milk, yeast, salt. It didn't have any sweetness to it, and was slightly dry. But, it made a really good pb&j! On my second try I added molasses for a sweetner, along with the honey, because I think all that whole wheat masked the honey flavor. Also I increased the olive oil and butter just a little, hoping to moisten it. But the biggest thing was that I added some flaxseed meal to make it taste a little nuttier. The first recipe was kind of one-dimensional--I think that's where people get turned off to whole wheat--it's just dry and boring, unless you add some things to make it a deeper flavor. How did you like it?
However, last week I did a multi-grain that was amazing! (see previous post) I wasn't quite ready to debut it yet. Next time I'm thinking the multi-grain, sourdough, or a country oatmeal. And pie, for July! What are your thoughts?
Please post your comments--I really want honest feedback! Also if anyone has a good whole-wheat recipe, let me know. Sometimes Grandma's recipe is the best.
Please post your comments--I really want honest feedback! Also if anyone has a good whole-wheat recipe, let me know. Sometimes Grandma's recipe is the best.
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