A blog about healthy, simple living.
Sunday
Green Chili Stew
Squash Casserole
Whole Wheat Bread
Monday
Kosher Grilled hot dogs
Baked Beans
Oriental cabbage salad
Tuesday
Chef Salad
grapes
Whole Wheat Bread
Wednesday
Sloppy Joe Sandwiches
leftover salad
chips
Thursday
Lentil Tacos
green beans
Friday
Date night….20th anniversary!!
Saturday
Dinner at moms
We are really trying to rid ourselves of all things white in our kitchen. I’m referring to white flour, white sugar, white rice, etc. The Standard American Diet (SAD) is exactly what the acronym says…it’s sad! Diseases and obesity are on the rise in America and I believe our diet is largely to blame.
In order to get fresh wheat, we grind our own with a grain mill. All the nutrients and fiber are intact and the flavor is unmatched when compared to dead white flour. There are so many benefits to grinding our own grains.
Here is a round loaf of whole wheat bread that we made today and the recipe. It mimics a slight sourdough flavor without needing the sourdough starter. Wonderful, moist, and good for sandwich bread too. We made one round loaf for our stew tonight and another in our new non-stick loaf pan for sandwiches this week. They both turned out fantastic!
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
2 1/2 cups warm water
2 TB lemon juice
2 TB softened butter
2 TB honey
2 TB vital wheat gluten
2 TB dough enhancer
1 TB real salt
1 TB yeast
8 cups freshly ground flour
Mix together in a bowl or mixer. If you have a Bosch mixer, knead for 5 minutes. If you do not have that mixer, knead by hand for 4-6 minutes. Use parchment paper or sprinkle cornmeal on a pizza peel or cutting board. Let rise until double. Brush with egg wash (egg and water). Make slits in the bread with a knife and transfer to a preheated pizza stone. Can also be baked in oiled bread pans. Place a pan of water on the lower rack for moisture. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes. You may also spray the bread while baking several times for a crispier crust.
The cooler fall weather puts me in the mood for comfort food. Whenever we’ve gone to the Black Eyed Pea to eat I would always get the squash casserole. I found this recipe in my collection and decided to make it today. I posted a pix of it below….
This one is from Paula Deen and the Food Network:
Squash Casserole
6 cups large diced yellow squash
oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 Tb butter (I used much less butter)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp Paula Deen house seasoning (salt, pepper, garlic powder)
1 cup grated cheddar cheese (I also added mozarella)
1 cup crushed butter crackers
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Saute the squash in a little oil over medium-low heat until it has completely broken down, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and squeeze excess moisture from the squash..set aside. Saute the onion in butter for 5 minutes. Remove from pan and mix all ingredients together except cracker crumbs. Pour mixture into a buttered casserole dish and top with cracker crumbs. Bake for 25 minutes.
Monday: Burgers on the grill
Baked Beans
Leftover roasted beets
Tuesday: Taco Bowls with all the fixins
homemade guacamole
corn chips
Wednesday: Green Chili Quiche
Green salad
Thursday: Brats on the grill
salad
Friday: Homemade pizza made with spelt flour
something for dessert
I promised to upload current pictures of Tom’s garden and here they are…. The backyard has really flourished this year with all the extra rain. Note how much taller the trees have grown in the last 3 years.
Here is the other side of the yard…..
And finally…..His thriving pond where our goldfish keep having 1000′s of babies….must be a healthy pond…. Mr Bullfrog, who lives in the upper pond, wakes us up at night sometimes….and he croaks when airplanes fly by…weird frog!
We have a few plums on our plum tree so maybe we’ll have enough to make plum jelly again this year. If we do, we’ll post our jelly making process.
Tammy