Shopping Day!

I survived a trip in to town.  That would be Vancouver, Washington.  It takes me about an hour and 15 minutes to get in to town.  First I went to the Farmer's Market.  Lots of great deals today like zucchini, blueberries, walla walla onions, garlic, apples, fresh basil (oh how it scented the van all the way home!), lettuce, patty pan squash, tomatoes and more.  I then went to a few thrift shops looking for clothes and then on to Trader Joe's, Whole Foods (whole salmon on sale!) and then Wal-Mart.  I know....I have not figured out how to make it without Wal-Mart yet.  To some of you it's easy, for me not so much.

Tonight we are having London Broil (great deal a few months ago), corn on the cob and cantaloupe.  I'm hoping the kids will finish up cheesecake for dessert.    I purchased ingredients to try another cheesecake this week.

I still haven't typed out my menu, I'm hoping to get a chance to do that in the next day or so.  Happy Saturday!

Menu Planning

Ahhh...the sound of silence.  The littlest one is fast asleep and the rest of the gang went in to the city to catch a movie.  This left my sweetie and me alone..for the first time in a VERY Long time!  Soo...
I'm Menu Planning!  :D
Tomorrow is the farmer's market and I'll be purchasing our food for the week.  I'm still using up our "junk" here and there.  I'm also hoping to get to pick some blueberries this weekend.  I think it will be the last weekend I will have a chance to do that.  I also need to make brownies for a funeral of a community member tomorrow.
I'll post my menu later!

Blueberry Chicken with Sangria

Blueberry Chicken with Sangria

 

1.5 lb pkg of frozen boneless chicken breasts

1T Oil

1/2 cup Apricot Jam

3T Dijion Mustard

1 cup frozen blueberries

Sangria

 

Brown chicken breasts on each side in oil. about 6 min. on each side.

Combine jam and mustard.  Spread over browned chicken.   sprinkle with blueberries (honestly I use more than 1 cup because we LOVE the sauce over rice to potatoes)

Reduce heat to low, cover.  Cook 15 min or until chicken is done.

Remove chicken and blueberries with slotted spoon.  Add Sangria and bring to boil until thick, if it doesn't thicken up to the consistency I want it, I add a little cornstarch.  I then put the blueberries back in the sauce and give them a nice stir.

 

Great with some rice or potatoes and steamed broccoli.

 

It is so super easy.  If I can make this successfully anyone can.

Pesto..YUM!

Pesto      

1 head of garlic (at least) roasted and squeezed, or raw pressed through a garlic press

About 3 cups of very very fine minced fresh basil, Don’t use your blender for this; the heat of the blade affects the taste of the basil

A cup of fresh flat-leafed parsley, if desired

¼ - ½ cup pine nuts, toasted in olive oil, drained, and chopped fine
    Reserve the olive oil you used for toasting; add it to the pesto
Salt to taste
Additional olive oil if needed

Making Roasted Garlic

Roasted Garlic       

1.    Remove outer papery skins from 2 heads garlic; cut top quarters off heads and discard.  Wrap garlic in foil and roast in a 350-degree oven until browned and very tender, about 1 hour.
2.    Once roasted garlic is cool, squeeze cloves from their skins.  You should have about ¼ cup.

This is so incredibly good.  You can put it in Hummus, home-made goat cheese, veggies, etc...

A New Adventure.....

So just call me crazy...everyone else does.

Like everyone else our family is sensing that a big change is needed.  We are concerned about what our children eat and are exposed to environmentally.  We are also concerned about the financial stability of our country.  Obama's camp chanted for change, I agree..it's time for a change.  However, I believe that the change is not going to come from the top, it's going to come from each household in America.  The government is not going to be the one to come and help our neighbors, feed our children, care for the homeless or help our nation's foster children.  It's up to us.  The government is not America, we are.

Enter the "big corporations" that want to take our tax money, pay out huge salaries and basically pollute our nation and our food source.  If we want big businesses to change, we are going to have to impact them with a vote from our purses.  If there is no demand for the chemically induced garbage they produce, eventually they will no longer produce it.  I've realized that I am part of the problem if I continue to purchase their junk.

Some time ago I watched a documentary called "No Impact Man".  While I cannot see our family being that extreme, I can see value in the issues that he brought to light.  I'm not going to give up running water, electricity or my morning shower.  However, I can use cloth bags, be conscious of the waste I am bringing in to our home and become a "locavore" (I love that term).  I'd recommend watching No Impact Man and another documentary called "Food, Inc."  Food, Inc. was hugely eye-opening for me.  I had no idea that my pre-made hamburger patties were treated with Ammonia!  In fact, Food, Inc. was so eye-opening that I found myself taking notes so that I could check the facts.  While I don't agree with everything...there was enough to make me think.."wow...what are we eating?"

For several years I've been committed to changing the way my family eats.  At one time we were a McDonald's supporting, junk food eating and pop addicted family.  My older children are now very conscious of things that contain corn syrup and caffeine.  Although I usually can avoid pop, coffee is something I'm not sure I can give up at this time.  I realize that although we need to make radical changes in the way our family lives, it's going to be one step at a time....

Let the journey begin!