Pallet for Home

My friend, Shannon, introduced me to the healthful properties of coconut oil, and I've been working on incorporating it into daily lives.  I was surprised by it's many beneficial uses, and have been experimenting with substituting it recipes we enjoy.

I will start out by warning you that the following recipe is dangerous and addictive.  Eating a whole batch of waffles in one sitting is not healthy or beneficial in any way, and one should never make this recipe while home alone.  There, I've done my duty and warned you all!

With that said, my family has declared these to be the best waffles in the world.  They are easy to make, and the recipe can be adjusted to any type of wheat flour you desire.  I prefer a combination of hard and soft wheat, but these can also be made with straight whole wheat or, dare I say it, straight all~purpose flour. I have not experimented with non-wheat flours, but if you do, please let us know how it turns out and I will reprint that information with a link to this post.

Lisa's Out Of This World Waffles

2 1/2 cups flour (any kind or combination of wheat flours)
1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
2 large eggs
2 1/2 cups milk (can use fresh or sour)
3/4 cup melted coconut oil, or vegetable oil

Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl.  Stir. Combine eggs and milk in seperate bowl and whisk together. Add to flour mixture, then add oil.  Stir with a whisk or beaters just until all ingredients are moistened.  Cook in preheated waffle iron.  Keep warm in low degree oven until ready to serve. 

You can also cool and freeze these yummy waffles, then re~warm in toaster or oven.  They are truly delicious.

Linking up to Beauty & Bedlam's Tasty Tuesday

<sup>The Pioneer Woman Cooks!

20</sup> He who walks with wise men will be wise,
      But the companion of fools will be destroyed.
       (Proverbs 13:20, New King James Version)

Every Wednesday, I'll  be posting about someone with whom I've been walking. It might be through books, movies, or a personal relationship that I've been spending time with these wise men and women, and I'll share a bit of the wisdom I've gleaned from my time with them.  Today's wise one is Ree Drummond.

I've been reading over at Ree's place and if you need a laugh, you should probably spend a little time with this self described "desperate housewife who channels Lucy and Ethel."  We had a fantastic sammy for dinner tonight, thanks to Pioneer Woman. You can find the recipe in that sammy link, and a bunch like it in her cookbook.

Since the Pantry Challenge, I've been more creative in my cooking, mostly because I was inspired not to spend more than I need to for nutritious foods.  Since we have a small family, I don't need to do the OAMC or bulk cooking like some bloggers, because for us, it leads to waste.  It's just not MY mindset.

I did learn that I need to branch out a bit, and utilize my at~home days to experiment a bit more with new recipes.  I was also inspired to use my small appliances a bit more.  I have a Bosch Compact mixer, and need to use it more often, so today I made the most delicious Bran Muffins I have ever had! 

I tweaked a Raisin Bran Muffins recipe I found here.  Here's my version:

Fiber One Raisin Bran Clusters Muffins

1 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup ground Flax seed

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder

3 cups Fiber One Raisin Bran Clusters cereal
1 1/4 cups milk
1 egg
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Directions ~

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a small bowl, combine 1 tbsp sugar,cinnamon and Flax. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, stir together flour, 1/2 cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl (I used my Bosch bowl), combine cereal,  milk, egg and oil. Let stand about 3 minutes or until cereal is softened. Beat well. (Flakes and clusters were still distinguishable after beating about 2 minutes.)

Add flour mixture to cereal mixture and stir just until combined. Scoop into lined or greased muffin cups. Sprinkle evenly with topping.

Bake approximately 25 ~ 30 minutes, or until tester comes out clean.
 
 
I told my picky eater they were Cinnamon Muffins, and she approved, so no problems passing these off to the children!  They are moist and I believe they will freeze well, which is great since my muffin tins are not bakery sized, and the recipe made 18 muffins. 
 
Hope you enjoy them!

This post shared with Jen...

Part of bargain shopping is keeping an eye out for items that will be going on clearance.  Since I live in a very small town, our local grocer is easy to visit a few times a week while I'm out for other things.  Last week, I was able to find a great deal on my favorite Yancey's Fancy Cheese, Roasted Garlic.  Regularly $5.49, this cheese was half price, plus the cashier was training another employee and told her the price was $1.74 instead of $2.74 as marked.

They rang up 4 before we all realized what had happened, and the trainer didn't want to void the order, so she rang them all at that price!  Talk about being in the right place at the right time.  Anyway, I also had $0.50 coupons, which doubled, and paid with a gift card so I spent zero OOP for this tasty cheese!

Now, I'm sure you're wondering what I'm going to do with all that cheese...

One of my favorite places to eat is Mahogany Prime Steakhouse.  If you're ever in the Tulsa area, you really need to check them out.  The menu is a little pricey, but for a special occasion or tax deductible business meal, it's completely worth it.  We always order their Au Gratin Potatoes, and I've created a recipe similar to theirs.  Here's my version of Mahogany's Au Gratin Potatoes.

4-5 large Russet potatoes, baked and cooled
1-2 pints heavy cream
salt & pepper to taste
smoked Cheddar cheese, grated
butter

Grease a casserole dish with spray.  Slice the potatoes in1/4 inch rounds.  Pour small amount of cream in dish, then layer in potatoes; sprinkle with cheese, and season with salt & pepper.  Repeat with remaining ingredients, dotting in small bits of butter.  End by pouring small amount of cream over top.  Cream should almost cover all other ingredients.  Bake at 350 until golden on top. 

Don't blame me if you become addicted to this recipe. It's pretty much a heart attack in a dish!

I like to use the Smoked Cheddar Cheese from Swans Dairy in Claremore, Oklahoma, but it's not available year round. You can order the cheese during the cooler months from that link above.  When I can't get the smoked cheese, the Yancey's Roasted Garlic makes a wonderful substitute.

If you like Yancey's Fancy Cheese, be sure and write the company to let them know.  I did, and received several coupons, a note pad, and some recpies from their fabulous customer service rep.  If you haven't tried Yancey's, you must! It's delish!

My friend Lisa gave me this recipe for restaurant style Chicken Tortilla Soup.  It's become one of our most favorite recipes.  Since it takes cilantro and Poblano peppers it can get expensive, but watch for sales and stock up on those fresh items when you can.

Cilantro leaves can be cut from stems and frozen whole until ready to use.  It's also super easy, although rather invasive, to grow but is mostly a cool weather crop so keep that in mind.

Poblano peppers are also very easy to grow.  We ended up with only one plant last year thanks to some hungry gophers, but we still had as many peppers as we could eat fresh, and freeze, with only one plant! 

Lisa's Favorite Tortilla Soup
1 cup chopped onion
6 cloves of garlic, minced
4 Poblano peppers, seeded and chopped
2 Tbsp. cumin seed
2 Tbsp. cooking oil
Cook above ingredients in hot oil about 5 minutes, or until tender, stirring constantly.

Add the following:
1 1/2 cups (about 3 ears) fresh cut corn kernals
     (Use a package of frozen corn in winter)
3 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 14oz. cans chicken broth (about 3 1/2 cups.  I use bone broth!)
1 1/2 cups coarsely shredded cooked chicken
2 bunches snipped fresh cilantro

Bring mixture to boiling; reduce heat and simmer, covered until tomatoes are tender.  Serve with:
tortilla chips
shredded cheese
cilantro
sour cream

It would be nice if I actually had a plan!  I've been battling a little health issue, which has interfered with my life, including planning the meals for this week.  But I'm not giving up!

Today, we had cereal with milk and hash browns for breakfast.  Lunch was baked potato and quiche with salsa, a weird combo, but my dd17 loves baked potatoes and since they have more bio-available potassium than a banana, I let her have them as often as she wishes.  She also weighs 98 pounds...  I on the other hand, stick with the quiche.

This evening we had a yummy green salad with baked chicken, cottage cheese, and a black eyed pea salad with fresh cilantro.  I didn't like it as much as I had anticipated, but my dh likes cilantro, so he'll have the rest with lunches, or crackers for a snack later in the week.  I also took a loaf of Panera Asiago Cheese bread from the freezer, and toasted it in the oven to have warm with the rest of a cheese ball. 

The Pantry Challenge plan for the rest of  Week 4 looks something like this:

Breakfasts
Quiche cups with phyllo dough, fresh orange juice
Homemade waffles with peanut butter and bananas, milk (using my waffle maker!!!)
Bagels with cream cheese, milk or cocoa
Shredded Wheat with milk
Cinnamon rolls with milk, stewed apples
Repeats x2

Dinners
Chili with beans, onions, cheese and fritos, Apple Sticky Bun Bread Pudding (new!)
Spaghetti/Ravoili with tomato meat sauce, parmesan, green salad
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Homemade Chicken Pot Pie
Cabbage Sausage Stew, bread
Beef and Noodles with English peas, (my new recipe for the week) with Cinnamon Pumpkin Cake

Lunches
Bean & Cheese Quesadillas, carrot sticks with ranch
Green salad with baked chicken, orange slices
Grilled Cheese sammies,
Creamy Mac & Cheese or Creamy Fettuccine (another new recipe!)
Pigs in Blankets (to have with leftover chili)
Leftovers from dinners

I'm going to try my Any Meal Cheese Pie recipe, and make Quiche Cups using  phyllo dough I have frozen. I've gotten to the "creative stage" in the Pantry Challenge!  I'm out of my comfort zone, and am having to put together things we don't normally eat, but I know I can do this!

Ann asked if I would post my recipe for homemade biscuits, but I have to admit that it is not my original recipe.  It came from a Southern Living magazine article written by Deborah Lowery, circa 1987,  and the recipe was created by Mrs. Ken Altizer, from Charlotte, North Carolina.

Cloud Biscuits
2 1/4 cups flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1 egg, beaten
2/3 cup milk

Combine dry ingredients, then cut in shortening.  Combine egg and milk, beat slightly, then add to flour mixture, stirring until just moistened.  Turn dough out onto a floured surface, and knead 3 or 4 times.  Roll or pat out dough to 1/2 inch thickness and cut with biscuit cutter.  Bake at 450* for 10-12 minutes or until golden.  Remove from oven and brush with melted butter, if desired.

I hope you like them as much as we do!

Here's a link from my friend, Shannon, who has a blog called All Things Health.  She shares great recipes and thoughts on food and nutrition.  Her bone broth description should help you get started with making this wonderfully nutritious food.  Enjoy!

My Big Give results for the week were pretty exciting!  I was able to clean out a little of the pantry, and decided to bless another family with some of my abundance.  I also cleared out several clothing items from our closets, and a few odd dishes that really were not necessary.  So since the new year, I've given 23 items away! 

Sadly, I also broke an antique lamp because my giveaway box had become lodged under the bookshelf where the lamp was sitting.  So, my house is actually 24 items lighter, but I'm not counting the lamp in my total since I could only throw it away after the disaster! Needless to say, I was not a happy camper after that little incident, and the 30 minutes it took to clean up the glass from my concrete floors.

As far as the Pantry Challenge, I've done really well this week.  We finished off the last of the fresh strawberries from the wedding, but still have plenty of other fruits.  One night we had Crockpot Swiss Steak, and I saved half the package of steak to marinate and grill.  We also had a turkey soup made with the frozen carcass from Christmas. It stretched into lunches for two days for the whole family!  I'll include the recipe below.

We had the steaks I set aside on Friday night with baked potatoes, and steamed cauliflower, and watched a bit of Little Dorrit.  If you like costume dramas, keep reading as I have links and news for the latest BBC/PBS films now airing.

My overall spending for the week was $26.34 but the breakdown reveals I actually did quite well.  I purchased lunch for myself, my dd17 and a friend we picked up after car trouble for a cost of $8.65.  I also purchased 2 gallons of raw milk ($7.50), because my friend was going to the dairy (about 45 minutes away.)  I also was given another gallon of milk the same day, so I have enough now for two weeks!  Overall, that puts my spending in the $10 range for Week 3!  It's my best total yet!

If you're interested in free entertainment, I have great news! In case you haven't heard, Return to Cranford is playing now on Masterpiece, Sunday nights on PBS. If you missed the first episode, you can watch it online here. The second episode will air tomorrow evening.  Check your local listings for times!

When it concludes, I believe the new Emma with Romola Garai will begin the following week.  We have seen it once already online, and it was excellent.  This is another great BBC/PBS movie we will own! 

Here's the recipe for Gramps' Chicken Basil Soup and then directions on how I modified it.

Gramp's Chicken Basil Soup
In crockpot, assemble the following:
1 chicken leg/thigh portion or 2 thighs
2 carrots, peeled or scrubbed, and diced
3 cloves garlic
3 chicken bullion cubes
lots of basil, dried or fresh.  We like fresh best, leaves only, chopped fine. *
sea salt
pepper
cayenne to taste (about 1/2 tsp. is my preference)
water to cover everything plus two to three cups

Reserve the following:
1/2 cup cooked barley**
2/3 cup cooked rice***

Add ingredients except rice and barley to crockpot.  Cook all day on low.  Stir in barley and rice about 30 minutes before serving.  Can also be cooked on stove.

Now here are my notes and modifications:
*basil ~ I prefer to use fresh from the garden, and because of the bulk of fresh leaves, the measurement is probably about 1 to 1/2 loose cups of leaves.  If using dry, use at least 1 Tbsp. crushed, (meaning crush it in your palm before adding to soup!).  Let it cook all day, then add more to taste at end, if needed.

**barley ~ I don't prefer barley, but will use it occassionally.  Don't add uncooked barley, as the starch will make the soup slimey and thick, like pudding.  Not a good texture for soup, trust me.

**rice ~ If cooking on the stove, you can add uncooked rice, and let simmer until the rice is tender.  Just make sure you have enough liquids to keep the soup from getting too thick, as rice absorbs 1 1/2 cups or so of liquids for every 1 cup of dry rice.  You may also use frozen rice, or leftover rice from another dish and add to crockpot during last hour or so of cooking time.

This is a very "forgiving" recipe and a family favorite here, when served with a crusty bread and green salad.

I used the carcass of my Christmas turkey to make the broth for this soup, by using the Bone Broth recipe that includes a little bit of vinegar to draw the nourishment from the bones.  The one I use is actually from Nourishing Traditions, but the one listed above looks about the same.  If you haven't made this recipe, you really should try it.  It's especially great if you've had any type of illness because the nutrients are bio~available.  I make my bone broth in the crockpot for 18 hours, or on the stove for about 6 hours.

This morning, I used my Champion juicer to make fresh orange juice, and I salvaged part of the pulp to use in Orange Cranberry muffins.  They were delicious, and I felt inspired because I had all the ingredients on hand.  If it was that easy to make something new from what I already have, surely I will be able to make a good plan for the next month's worth of meals from the pantry as well!  I'm hopeful, anyway!

Here's the recipe I used for the muffins:
Cranberry Orange Muffins
2 1/4 cup flour (I used a combination of oat, whole wheat and unbleached)
1 cup sugar
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
Mix these in a large bowl.  Then cut in:
1/2 cup butter
In seperate bowl, combine by wisking:
2 whole eggs
pulp of 2 oranges
2 Tbsp + 1 tsp orange juice
enough milk to make moist but not runny (I used raw milk that was ready to expire)

Add the liquid ingredients to the dry, and stir until moistened.  Add extra Tbsp. milk if needed.  Fold in:
3/4 cup dried cranberries ( you could use fresh, but this is what I had on hand).

I also added 1/2 tsp of McCormick's Chai Spice, but you could skip this step, or add cinnamon in it's place.

Bake at 350* in greased or lined muffin tins for 20-25 minutes.  Makes 18 medium muffins.

You could also add grated orange peel if you have organic oranges, but I didn't so I skipped that ingredient.  It would add greatly to the orange flavor.  This was a new recipe to me, and the first time I made muffins by cutting in the butter, but I really liked the flavor, so I will add this to my Heirloom Family Cookbook and make these again. 

Don't forget to serve them with the fresh orange juice or some aromatic hot tea!