Avoiding Fast Food Alley

Are you like most families this time of year and you find more than one night filled with activities?  Fast food alley on these nights beckons to me.  The bright neon lights with their messages of burgers and fries, tacos, delightfully wrapped in paper, just fly through convenient drive through, use the plastic card, and off you go.  The scene when I get home is one of delight, until we unwrap the delicacies, and they just don’t quite live up to the standard.  I smile and reason, it is just one time.  Then, I remember how much I spent and I think, I could have bought two bags of groceries for this convenient meal that really did not taste good and I will be thirsty all night long because of the excess salt on the food.  When I have these “fast food alley” moments, I remind myself that the aftermath includes not feeling good and the money going into the pocket of those lovely neon light places and not in my pocket for other things.  If I add it up, it could easily be money saved up to buy something our family really needs.  It is a given that if you have kids, they have events and not all events are nice and convenient and revolve around the dinner clock.  So what is a mom to do?  Get creative!

One night in frenzy at 8pm and no dinner, I decided to opt out of the neon lit fast alley and went home to prepare a quick meal.  As I drove home, I thought about what I had on hand.  Let’s see, eggs (we have our own chickens, so I had this on hand), broccoli, onion, zucchini, tomatoes and cheese, this would make a great Egg Frittata.  I had covered the protein group, vegetable group, and dairy group.  We had sliced watermelon and French bread.  Now, I have all the food groups covered and a meal that was on the table in 30 minutes!  Success!  I avoided fast food, and the food was very enjoyable.  So how do you make a Frittata?   If you know how to make scrambled eggs, you can make a frittata!

                                

 

Egg Frittata (Serves 4) Prep time:  30 minutes

 Ingredients:

6 eggs, beaten

1tsp. fresh or dried basil

½ c. vegetables, sauté in 1 tbs. olive or canola oil

1/8 c. onion (more or less depending on your liking)    ¼ to ½ c. cheese, cheddar or mozzarella

Directions:

Scramble the eggs, add basil and set aside.  Chop vegetables, sauté in oil until tender.  Add eggs to the vegetables.  Move egg mixture around just as you would scrambled eggs. When they are almost set, add cheese to top.  If you have a pan that is oven safe, you may finish this process by placing pan under broiler for 3 to 4 minutes until brown, watch carefully so it does not cook to long.

Menu Ideas:  Fresh fruit, whole grain bread or roll, and a glass of milk. 

Another great way to avoid eating out is to use a slow cooker.  More to come next week on this!  Until then, have a healthy and happy week!

 

 

BRING ON THE LEFTOVERS!

It is Wednesday night and already I am plotting for what to do with the turkey leftovers!  Call me crazy, but I enjoy the leftovers.  This is when I get truly creative in the kitchen.  I have lots of ideas and would love to hear from you if you have other suggestions.

Be sure to follow simple food safety guidelines to be sure you keep your food safe and your family void of food borne illness.  When your dinner is complete and everyone is full, enlist help to put leftovers in containers and into the refrigerator.  If you have some dishes that are large in size, be sure to divide them into smaller containers so they cool quickly as well as so they do not cause issues with the rest of the food in your refrigerator.  Personally, I work on taking the meat off the bone as soon as I can.  Be sure to keep the bones however, there is nothing like turkey noodle soup!  Left overs can safely be used for 4 days and then, throw them out.  Utilize your freezer so nothing goes to waste.

Now that your food is safe in the refrigerator, the fun begins!  This year, I am going to try my hand at a turkey potpie.  I have to admit that in college, I had my share of the frozen banquet pies and they were the best comfort food!  So, I am imagining homemade pastry, vegetables and turkey should be really good.  I found a recipe online at http://southernfood.about.com/od/turkeypierecipes/r/blbb187.htm , I have had great luck with recipes from this site.  I will more than likely be creative and use vegetables that may be in my leftover stockpile.  This is the beauty of leftovers, you can be creative!

One of my favorite things is to create a casserole that is a version of Shepard’s pie. In a 9X13 pan, I place gravy, turkey cut into chunks, and vegetables (again, what I have on hand), on top, I put left over stuffing or mashed potatoes, maybe even a little of both.  Put in oven and bake until heated thoroughly. I typically bake it at 350 degrees.

A family favorite is hot turkey roasters.  You got it, just like a hot roast beef sandwich except with turkey.  A slice of bread cut in half, scoop of potatoes in the middle, sliced turkey (However you prefer, slices or chunks), and gravy over top.  Talk about your comfort food! 

The last “hoorah” is the tried and true turkey and homemade noodle soup.  The beauty of this is there are always leftovers and I freeze them in quart self-sealing bags to pull out for a day that is cold and soup hits the spot.  The bones that you kept are put into your stockpot, cover with water and any broth you may have left from the original bird.  I add onions, carrots, cabbage and again, whatever else I may have.  Adding the vegetables gives the soup a wonderful flavor.  I also add a few fresh herbs from my kitchen garden, a little rosemary and thyme and a bit of cracked pepper.  While this cooks, I make my noodles.  Very simple, ½ cup flour to one egg.  For my family of four, I use about 2 cups flour and 8 eggs.  Slightly beat the eggs, add to flour, stir with fork.  Kneed this into a ball.  Then, refrigerate for 10 minutes to allow the gluten to work.  Roll out on a floured surface.  I have found a pizza cutter works great for cutting noodles.  If I have time, I let the noodles dry a bit.  If not, add them to the broth when it has come to a nice boil.  Before adding the noodles, you may want to strain the broth and remove the bones from the soup. 

From my kitchen to yours, I hope you had a very Happy Thanksgiving!  Enjoy your leftovers and let your creative mind go! 

 

  Holidays are a time for family and of course food!  With a few easy tips, the holiday season can be less stressful when it comes to your food.  When preparing for the holidays, having a plan that includes food safety is a must.  Also plan your meals to include healthy selections.  Finally, making your holiday stress free will allow you to remember the spirit of the season and it will help you create lasting memories.

     A helpful resource for food safety can be found at www.HolidayFoodSafety.org  .  You will find lists for perishable foods and one for non-perishable food.  The guideline for perishable items is to shop no more than 5 days away from your planned dinner.  The categories are poultry, fresh produce, eggs, cheese/dairy, bread & rolls, fresh herbs, seafood and other.  The non-perishable list breaks it down into canned/bottled, hardy vegetables, dried spices & herbs, nuts, crackers & other packaged, pantry basics (flour, sugar, and grains, salt), butter and dairy products, frozen ingredients, beverages/juices and other.  The non-perishable items can be purchased ahead of time, these are the items to have the list ready so that when you see a store special this is the time to buy the item.  Typically, before Thanksgiving, food prices drop, so canned items for your upcoming dinners can be purchased and stored.  Also, items such as butter and cream cheese can be purchased and frozen until one needs them.  You can also make ahead some of the items for your holiday meals, things such as noodles and pies can be made ahead and put in the freezer, this is a great time saver.

     Remember basic food safety rules.  A great resource is the Fight Bac website at http://www.fightbac.org/ .  The recommendations are:  clean, separate, cook and chill.  When thawing turkey or poultry plan to allow 24 hours in the refrigerator for every 5 pounds of meat.  For Beef, plan 3 to 5 hours per pound for small roasts and for large roasts, plan 4 to 7 hours (http://www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com/handlingstorage.aspx).   One can thaw in water, but it must be kept colder than 4o degrees and should be a quick method.  Thawing meat in the microwave is safe as long as you cook it as soon as it is thawed as the microwave begins a cooking process.

NEVER rely on the Pop Up Timer!  Make sure to get an internal temp with a thermometer!

     

     Be sure to use a meat thermometer and follow the guidelines for bringing meat up to the appropriate temperature.  You will find the latest guide for cooking temperatures at http://www.fightbac.org/storage/documents/flyers/cook_fightbac_factsheet_2010_color.pdf .  Some meat thermometers will have the appropriate temps written on the dial of the thermometer which is very handy.

     Finally, be sure that you include some healthy foods into your holiday plans.  It can be as simple as having a bowl of fruit on the table as an alternative to the sweet decadent cakes and pies.  Also, as a host, you can help your guests with portion sizes by cutting those heavy calorie treats into smaller sizes.  Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Eating Healthy and On a Budget Durring the Holidays

Welcome to my blog!  My goal is to bring families helpful information on how to eat healthy, sneak in exercise and all while living on a tight budget!  This is my first experience blogging so question, thoughtful suggestions and comments are encouraged!  So, here we go!

Thanksgiving is coming up!  Did you know that food prices drop at this time of year?  This is your opportunity to stock up on canned items and items for the upcoming holiday season.   If you have the freezer space, an extra turkey is a great thing to have!  Later, I will provide some recipe ideas on using all of your turkey!

I began Extension in 2006, writing was daunting but also fun as the writing is my favorite subject, FOOD!  Here is an article I wrote on keeping the focus on the spirit of holidays!  Enjoy!  Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

CREATING YOUR OWN CHRISTMAS TRADITION

 If I close my eyes tight, I can visualize my Grandma’s kitchen.  It is in this room that traditions came alive.  As a child, when asked about Christmas, I would point out the ornamental tree and the beautifully wrapped presents.  At some point in my young adult life, the focus came to be the kitchen and not the gifts.  Christmas became that warm kitchen that lent itself to conversation among the women.  It became the smell of turkey and all of its trimmings. It was the longing for the desserts, everything from pumpkin bars and chocolate cream pie to my brother’s favorite raisin cream pie.

 Grandma made those extras for us because she knew how much we loved her homemade noodles and the traditional sauerkraut and wieners that became a standard on the holiday table, indeed, for any family gathering.  Grandma knew how to turn a meal into a wonderful, lasting Christmas tradition.

As I look at the calendar and realize that in a few weeks, I will be the one attempting to instill this wonderful food filled tradition to my own family, I begin to feel stress.  Just when did Grandma have time for all of this?  Well, I just have to adapt these food experiences to my schedule and do my best. 

My first step is to decide what to include on my menus.  Long ago, I decided to leave the baking and candy making to others.  I make enough for our family and I may make loaves of banana bread for our cherished neighbors.  I make sure that my favorites make it to my festive holiday table and take out those that seem to just add stress and chaos to my kitchen.  I have found that when I keep things simple, it has the best outcome.  I have more energy to be the host who I remember Grandma to be.

Christmas Eve is a wonderful time for easy soups, beef and noodles and lots of snack-type dishes.  Don’t forget the cookies and milk for dear old Santa Claus!  Christmas day can be a little more elaborate.  Turkey is a nice choice, as is baked ham and even prime rib.  Add to the meat entrée a potato dish, vegetable and perhaps a fruit salad. 

The key is to take a food from each area of MyPyramid.  This can be achieved and you can still have those family traditional dishes at the table.  The holidays can be such a busy time and can result in poor eating habits.  If you can offer a variety of good, nutritional foods, then the sweet decadent desserts and candies can be eaten in small portions.

Next, look at your menus and determine if some items can be made and frozen ahead of time.  The freezer is a wonderful asset this time of the year.  If I choose to make Grandma’s homemade noodles, I can make them ahead and put them in the freezer (She taught me this!).  I can also do this with pie crusts and even cookies.   Be sure when you freeze items that you utilize appropriate sizes of freezer bags and containers that will prevent freezer burn.  Look at your calendar and choose days that will work for preparing the dishes you want to freeze.  Some may need to be made the day of the meal.  Time management will help to reduce your stress.

When you do feel a bit of stress,   just go back in time.  Think of your very best Christmas.  Concentrate on the warm, scent-filled room, which was filled with laughter and conversations of Christmas past.  Think of the wonderful stories that most certainly include the holiday festive foods that have blessed each of our tables since that first historical Christmas. 

Remember, when you focus on the spirit of Christmas, everything will fall into place.  May you all have a wonderful and healthy Holiday Season!

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