Frugal Frenzy

Tasty Tuesday: Crock pot BBQ Chicken

2013-04-02T18:32:00.000-04:00

I thought I really liked MY BBQ chicken recipe -that was -until I tried Reagan's (sister #2). We enjoyed this little number in Washington, D.C. a couple of weeks ago. Oh my! how delicious it is. The house smells so good when this little guy is cooking too.

I hope you give this recipe a try even if you have one you already use. :)

7 ingredients make the sauce

Chicken plus sauce and toss in crock pot

Yummo!

INGREDIENTS

1	whole chicken, excess fat/skin removed
1/2	c. Packed brown sugar
1/4	c. Prepared mustard ( I use spicy mustard)
2	tbsp ketchup
2	tbsp cider vinegar
2	tbsp hot sauce ( Frank's)
1	tsp salt
1	tsp black pepper
1	tsp crushed red pepper (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

	Grease crock pot.
	Place rinsed and patted dry chicken in crock pot.
	Mix all ingredients in a small bowl and pour over chicken.
	Cook 8 - 10 hours on low.

Menu Plan - March 24 - 30

2013-03-26T06:30:00.000-04:00

Celebrating with NauNa

My first baby girl is now FIVE. I'm not so happy about it either. :( She received some baking tools and has been begging me to use them. Sunday since the weather was rainy and cold I decided we'd just have a baking afternoon. She was ready to put her new hand mixer and mini muffin pan to use!! She selected the recipe, gathered the ingredients and then went to work. I, of course, helped a little but she mostly did it herself. We had her muffins yesterday.

We are trying a few new to us recipes and I am really looking to them. I hope everyone here likes them. Here's to hoping...

Sunday, March 24th
Oatmeal, fruit
Lentil Chili with corn muffins (brought by precious friends)
Taco Soup (from freezer) avocado slices

Monday, March 25th
Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins (made by Davis), fruit
Sloppy Joe Corn Muffins, Carrot Sticks
Vegan Enchiladas with Cilantro Avocado Cream Sauce, mango

Tuesday, March 26th
Giant Breakfast Cookies, apples
Leftover over Sloppy Joes, peas, apples
Crock pot BBQ chicken (recipe next Tuesday), slaw, green beans

Wednesday, March 27th
Giant Breakfast Cookies, grapefruit
Special Stir-fried Quinoa (omit soy sauce & edamame, add sugar snap peas)
Jack Basil Meatloaf, sweet potatoes, asparagus

Thursday, March 28th
Vegan Banana Oatmeal Pancakes (thanks Heather), fruit
Corn Chowder, some kind of veggie side, fruit
Roasted chicken, potatoes, brussel sprouts

Friday, March 29th
Sour Dough Biscuits, fruit/smoothie
Potato & Cauliflower Curry, collard greens
Chicken fajitas, refried beans

Saturday, March 30th
Darrell's choice
Leftovers
Tacos

Menu Plan: March 17 - 23

2013-03-18T09:11:00.000-04:00

Washington Monument under repairs from Earthquake, scheduled to reopen 2014

National Museum of Natural History (we do this pic once a year)

Last week we enjoyed our trip to Washington, D.C. The weather was great for early March so that made it even better. We packed our lunch and hit the road/metro during the day. I have to say we go there at least twice a year so we don't have to rush around trying to see "all there is to see". We pretty much take our time and decide the night before what we'll do the next day.

We returned from DC late in the week then headed west to the mountains for a birthday party, my niece turned ONE-Happy Birthday Dagen!!
While last week was busy and fun I am happy to be home and can return to our normal routine (whatever that is). :) Plus get back in my kitchen and cook/bake!

Sunday, March 17th
Steel Cut Oats via crock pot
Mexican
BBQ, slaw, strawberries

Monday, March 18th
Banana Bread, fruit
Chicken salad w/ diced apples, orange slices
Sloppy Joes (sans bun), asparagus, okra

Tuesday, March 19th
Cranberry Bread, grapefruit
Leftovers/Sunbutter on Rice Cake, raw veggies, fruit
Shrimp and Quinoa (Instead of Grits)

Wednesday, March 20th
Giant breakfast cookies, applesauce
Meatless Taco potatoes, fruit
Crock pot Cabbage Rolls,

Thursday, March 21st
Waffles, fruit
Chicken and Noodles, carrots

Maple Baked Lentils with Sweet Potato, served over salad greens

Friday, March 22nd (Happy 5th Birthday Davis! - her choices)
Blueberry Muffins, grapefruit
Homemade corn dogs, peas, broccoli, fruit salad
Pizza (no surprise here!!), honey mustard & salad, raspberries

Saturday, March 23rd
Leftovers
Leftovers
Leftovers!

Menu Plan: March 10 - 16

2013-03-11T18:29:00.000-04:00

Reagan's Pho

This is a fun and busy week for us.  We (my three children, mom and Brittany (sister #3) are visiting Reagan (sister #2) in Washington, D.C.  We made our menu last night and I meant to post it but completely forgot.  Now after a long day I remembered I better get this posted.

Reagan made Chicken Pho for us Sunday night.  I had never eaten this before.  Can I just say, it was delicious!  If it didn't take all day I might even try this one myself.  Who knows I still may but just not anytime soon!!  Thanks Reagan it was delicious!!!

Sunday, March 10th
Banana bread, Grapes
Wraps (greens, ham, hummus, avocado), kiwi
Pho, salad, RaRa's French bread

Monday, March 11th
Cranberry bread, fruit
Wraps and fruit on the National Mall
Salmon, couscous, kale strawberry salad, broccoli 

Tuesday, March 12th
Overnight orange spice steelcut oats with pomegranate and orange blossom honey, 
fruit
Chicken salad, kale chips, fruit salad
Naked enchiladas served over quinoa

Wednesday, March 13th 
Breakfast cake, fruit
Leftovers
BBQ chicken, coleslaw, baked beans

Thursday, March 14th
Banana Muffins, fruit
Spaghetti, broccoli 
Meatloaf, potatoes, okra

Friday, March 15th
Steel cut oats via crockpot, fruit
Leftovers
Chicken, asparagus, peas 

Saturday, March 16th
Breakfast cake, fruit
Attending BBQ fundraiser
Leftovers

Menu Plan: March 3 - 9th

2013-03-04T16:53:00.000-05:00

Eggplant Parmesan (vegan) served last week - Delicious!!!!

This afternoon I did a quick inventory of our deep freezer. I hadn't done it in a while plus I wanted to make sure I hadn't forgotten about any meals I had prepped before Merritt arrived. While I didn't discover any 'forgotten' meals I did forget about the stock of garden fresh corn and squash. I filled (more than filled) a Trader's Joe's paper bag of creamed corn from my MILs garden last summer. I guess I will be making some corn/creamed corn recipes in the coming weeks.

Sunday the children and I leave for Washington DC. I decided to make nuggets for Darrell one day this week so he doesn't think he is going through withdrawal (mostly of honey mustard sauce-I think). ;) I will also be making meals for him for next week. I typically toss everything in the freezer (labeled) and leave a menu so he can see what his options are. This way I know he eats for a week and also know it isn't frozen pizza every night. Although I will say someone gave me a MIR (mail in rebate) for pizza so I bought him a frozen one from Whole Foods (I know he'll be thrilled).

Sunday, March 3th
Oatmeal, fruit
Burritos
Pizza Party with fruit (we celebrated the children's birthday(s) this weekend on a overnight trip!)

Monday, March 4th
Banana Bread, apples
Wraps made by Auntie B (they're the BEST, partly because I don't have to make them) ;)
Dinner Out

Tuesday, March 5th
Banana Bread, fruit
Clean out the Fridge, apple/orange slices
Naked Enchiladas, oranges

Wednesday, March 6th
Cranberry bread, fruit
Last Nights dinner, mango
Quinoa Veggie Chili, butterhorns, probably a salad and fruit too

Thursday, March 7th
Chocolate Chip Muffins, grapefruit
Last Nights Dinner, smoothies
Chick Fil A chicken nuggets, creamed corn, cauliflower, colorful fruit salad (what a boring colored meal)

Friday, March 8th
Chocolate Chip Muffins, fruit
Black eye pea soup (via crockpot), bread, fruit salad
Make your own pizza night!!

Saturday, March 9th
Cinnamon Rolls (last batch from freezer), fruit
Leftovers

Black Bean Chilaquiles (sans dairy), avocado slices

Tasty Tuesday: Chocolate Syrup (homemade, of course!)

2013-02-26T08:30:00.000-05:00

I am excited to share Heavenly Homemakers homemade chocolate syrup with you today. It is so simple. Now you don't have to buy the stuff with extras in it from the grocery store OR spend an arm and leg at the health food stores buying the "better for you kind." You can have this whipped up ready to go in ten minutes or less depending on how hot your stove top runs! ;)

Grab your 5 ingredients.

Measure, pour and stir the first four.

Boil for a minute, remove from heat

add vanilla then enjoy your treat!

Homemade Chocolate Syrup

1 cup sucanat (you can use white refined)
1/2 cup cocoa
dash of sea salt
1 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix your sugar, cocoa, sea salt and water in a pan. Whisk together and cook over medium-high heat until boiling occurs. Allow mixture to boil for one minute. Remove from heat, after cooling a bit add the vanilla. Store in the refrigerator.

Now how easy was that!

Menu Plan: Feb 24 - March 2

2013-02-25T14:47:00.000-05:00

Creamy Tomato Mushroom Pasta, Whole Wheat Butterhorns and Apple slices

This week all of our breakfast breads will come from the freezer. I made huge batches just for this occasion: a brand new baby and not wanting to spend all of my in the kitchen. Some of the main dishes are also tucked away in the freezer and will be pulled out too. Yeah to planning ahead!!

Sunday, Feb. 24
Oatmeal, Breakfast Cake leftover, banana
Lunch Out
Leftovers

Monday, Feb 25
Pumpkin bread, fruit
Burritos, fruit
Taco Soup, sliced avocado, tortilla chips

Tuesday, Feb 26
English Muffin bread, fruit
BBQ chicken/cilantro roll up, collard greens
Quick & Easy Creamy Tomato Mushroom Pasta (this is delicious!!!), WW butterhorns, apple slices (pictured above)

Wednesday, Feb 27
Banana Muffins, fruit
Black Bean Burgers, Sweet Potatoes, cauliflower
Curry Chicken

Thursday, Feb 28
Cinnamon Swirl Bread, fruit
Leftovers
Eggplant Parmesan served on greens

Friday, March 1
Monkey Bread, applesauce
Eggplant Parmesan leftovers
Meatloaf, Roasted Potatoes, Asparagus

Saturday, March 2
WW cinnamon rolls (from freezer), fruit
chicken Pot Pie
Make your own pizza night, salad, fruit

Menu Plan: Feb 17 - 23

2013-02-19T15:23:00.003-05:00

Merritt Kennedy via Instagram

We have been overjoyed at the arrival of Merritt Kennedy. We welcomed her bright and early Friday morning (2:27am). Needless to say, that is why this post is a tad late.
We have had friends reach out offering to bless our family with meals. We are so grateful for their willingness to minister to our family. Thank you ladies!!

My mother is here and is being the extra set of hands needed around here while adjustments are made. I'm so thankful for her and her love that she shows others!

The meal week looks something like this...

Sunday, Feb 17th

Oatmeal with fruit
S tuffed Peppers (stuffed with quinoa not rice), fruit salad
Blessed by a sweet friend

Monday, Feb 18th

Banana Bread, fruit
Clean out the fridge - leftovers
Blessed by a sweet friend

Tuesday, Feb 19^th
Cranberry Bread, fruit
Leftovers from last night – Awesome Mexican :)
Baked Chicken Nuggets, baked sweet potatoes, steamed broccoli

Wednesday, Feb 20^th

Oven baked pancakes, fruit salad
Baked beans, slaw, fruit
Corndogs, baked potato fries, peas, fruit

Thursday, Feb 21^st

Breakfast cake, fruit
Sloppy joe muffins, green beans, fruit
Blessed by a sweet friend

Friday, Feb 22^nd

Simple Sourdough Biscuits (will use soured coconut milk-will have to soak overnight), fruit
Leftovers
Blessed by a sweet friend

Saturday, Feb 23^rd
Vegan version of Warm Vanilla Soother, Pumpkin muffins, fruit
Hoping for leftovers
Whatever Daddy’s makes :)

Tasty Tuesday: Oven Baked Pancakes

2013-02-12T14:32:00.004-05:00

I ~~like~~ love simple Sunday dinners so when I found this I was most excited: Oven Baked Pancakes. Toss in a bowl, mix, pour, bake. No slaving over a griddle/pan. Yes, please, sign me up!!!

This morning while I was re-creating this recipe I meant to time myself to see how long it would take. Well, I forgot to do that but I can assure you it isn't long!

Cast of Characters:

Add to bowl

Add dry ingredients-give a little stir

Mix in wet ingredients-stir

Add fun mix-ins: chocolate chips, fruit, cinnamon, etc

Pour in baking dish (9x13 or larger for less "thick" pancakes

Cut and serve

Ingredients:

2 1/2 c whole wheat flour (I use freshly ground hard white wheat)

2 T sucanat (white sugar would be fine)

2 t baking powder

1 t sea salt

1/2 c water + 4 T ground flax seeds (or 4 egg whites)

1/4 melted coconut oil (or 1/4 oil)

2 c liquid (I used 1 c coconut milk & 1 c water-just bring frugal here add 2 c milk if you like)

1/2 t pure vanilla extract

Optional Fun Add Ins: chocolate chips, banana slices (any fruit), cinnamon or nutmeg to taste

Instructions

1. Mix dry ingredients then add your wet ingredients.

2. Pour the batter into a lightly coconut oiled/buttered dish (9 x 13 inches).

3. Bake at 450° F for 12 minutes until golden brown.

4. Cut each whole wheat pancake into servings. Or get cutesy and use a cookie cutter to create fun shapes!

5. Serve with fresh fruit and pure maple syrup, a sprinkle of cinnamon or nutmeg, applebutter/pumpkin butter/applesauce...

Menu Plan: Feb 10 - Feb 16

2013-02-11T15:49:00.001-05:00

Chocolate , Plain and Earth Balance Soy Free Buttered Popcorn

I am excited to share my popcorn with you. Not really sure why. Maybe because I remembered to buy some corns at Whole Foods while on a date night (I guess I could think clearly without kiddies). Maybe because we haven't eaten any in over two years (Lawson never). Who knows. However, my family was so excited when I popped it Saturday night for "dessert". I think the eating part was just as exciting as the watching it explode in the pot stove top!! Needless to say, I popped WAY too much but that's alright it's made a great snack. The brown popcorn, I promise, is chocolate. I tossed some mini chocolate chips in to melt at the last minute...sure satisfied my sweet tooth for the night!

Another fun thing I discovered Saturday is that you can bake pancakes. Yes, bake pancakes! Now why I am just now learning about this I have NO idea. I can say I will probably never make normal pancakes again. (Admittedly, I am a TERRIBLE pancake maker!) There's a program that my mother's business participates in called Rainbow In My Tummy and I was looking at some of the recipes and found it. I'll gladly share if there is interest mostly because I'll have to convert from a recipe serving size of 30 to something a bit more "normal" family sized. ;)

Enjoy your week as you celebrate Valentine's Day!!

Sunday, Feb 10th
Oatmeal, fruit
Lunch out Emma Keys (wanted burger and fries, what can I say)
Pancakes baked in the oven, fruit

Monday, Feb 11th
Oatmeal with cranberries
BBQ chicken roll up, steamed broccoli, orange slices
Chicken Nuggets, sweet potatoes, green beans

Tuesday, Feb 12th
Giant Breakfast Cookies, grapefruit
Quick & Easy Creamy Tomato Mushroom Pasta, WW butterhorns, apple slices
~~Some kind of chicken~~, okra, corn, beans/quinoa

Wednesday, Feb 13th
WW banana bread, fruit
Stuffed Peppers
Deer roast (via crock pot), carrots, potatoes, WW butterhorns

Thursday, Feb 14th
Breakfast Cake, fruit
Leftovers or Sunbutter on rice cake, raw veggies, fruit
Meatless Tacos

Friday, Feb 15th
WW cinnamon rolls (from freezer), fruit
Naughty and Nice Vegan Enchilada Casserole
Crock Pot Chicken and Rice, carrots, salad

Saturday, Feb 16th
Daddy Breakfast Choice
Leftovers
Homemade Pizza Bar, salad, fruit

Tasty Tuesday: Quinoa Veggie Chili

2013-02-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

Now this a hearty chili loaded with veggies and protein. It makes plenty and freezes well too! Just grab from freezer toss in crockpot and be on your way. Yes, my kind of recipe!

In a medium sauce pan, combine the quinoa and water. Cook over medium heat until water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Set aside.

While quinoa is cooking....in a large pot, heat the olive oil over med-high heat. Add the onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, jalapeño, carrot, celery, peppers, and zucchini. Cook until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.

Add the black beans, kidney beans, tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Season with chili powder, cumin, salt, and black pepper. Stir in the cooked quinoa. Simmer chili on low for about 30 minutes or until desired warmness (yes, I made that up).

What you'll need:

1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, diced (optional)
1 large carrot, chopped (yes, I leave the peel on!)
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped (grabbed from freezer)
1 red bell pepper, chopped (grabbed from freezer)
1 medium zucchini, chopped (optional, have some in freezer but going to use for muffins)
4 cups (or so) black beans, cooked and drained
2 cups (or so) red kidney beans, cooked and drained
1 - 1 1/2 cans diced tomatoes
2 cups (or so) tomato sauce (yes, I use homemade spaghetti sauce)
2 to 3 tablespoons chili powder, depending on your taste (I used 2-3)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Optional toppings ideas might be - green onions, avocado slices, cheese, sour cream, Greek yogurt, chips, crackers, etc.

How to make it

In a medium sauce pan, combine the quinoa and water. Cook over medium heat until water is absorbed, about 15 minutes.
While quinoa is cooking....in a large pot, heat the olive oil over med-high heat. Add the onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, jalapeño, carrot, celery, peppers, and zucchini. Cook until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
Add the black beans, kidney beans, tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Season with chili powder, cumin, salt, and black pepper. Stir in the cooked quinoa. Simmer chili on low for about 30 minutes.
Fun additions- green onions, avocado slices, cheese, sour cream/Greek yogurt, chips, crackers, if desired.

Meal Plan: Feb 3 - Feb 9

2013-02-04T11:20:00.001-05:00

Homemade Corn-dogs with carrots, apples and oranges

I was able to get a few things made for the freezer. We had plenty of Taco Soup and Quinoa Veggie Chili (recipe tomorrow) that went into the freezer as well. My brain isn't allowing me to remember what else I did last week (I am schooling two children while trying to get this posted).

UPDATE: I remembered! Freezer additions: 3 quarts of spaghetti sauce - 2 loaves of Cranberry Bread (recipe soon) - started a batch of cookies and bought 9 green bell peppers to chop and freeze as well. Wouldn't you know we are almost out of all of the ones from the garden!?! We do eat tons of peppers though so it only makes sense.

Food this week: I am using things (ie beans, veggies) leftover from last week in recipes this week. I didn't want to freeze them and had rather use them up. I only had to purchase fresh fruit and veggies (cabbage, kale, spinach, broccoli). I also grabbed several cans of organic diced tomatoes from Aldi as a stock up, can't beat $1.49 for 28oz. Meat is frozen and ready to go. Coconut milk is low (only one gallon) I am going to have to order some or hold out for a "better sale" at HT or LFs. Fingers crossed on that one!

Sunday, February 3^rd

Oatmeal with cranberries
Taco Soup
Chicken Salad, Applesauce (canned last fall), Greens

Monday, February 4^th

Poptarts (made Saturday-today first day serving them. Davis already asked, “What’s a poptart?”), fruit
Baked Beans, Coleslaw, green grapes
Chicken Pot Pie, oranges (sorry Reagan this is much quicker than what you sent me)

Tuesday, February 5^th

Cranberry Bread, fruit
Taco Bean Salad (chips, refried beans, guac, spinach with fruit)
Shepherds Pie

Wednesday, February 6^th

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread, fruit
Rajmah(red kidney bean curry), Naan Bread (new recipe-hope we like!)
Crock pot chicken BBQ, peas, potato wedges

Thursday, February 7^th

English Muffin Bread (new recipe), fruit
Sloppy Joe Muffins, Baby Carrots, Apple Slices
Veggie Soup, Cornbread (maybe, I might change this depending on the weather and if I feel like eating this because truth be known I don't like Veggie Soup)

Friday, February 8^th

Whole Wheat Pancakes, fruit
Leftovers
Jack Basil Meatloaf (venison, no eggs or cheese), Mashed Potatoes, Steamed Broccoli

Saturday, February 9^th

Sourdough Biscuits (they are our favorite WW biscuit recipe to date!), Grapefruit
Leftovers
Whole Wheat Calzones (pulling from freezer), Spinach Salad, fruit

Fruit for the week:

Blueberries – Blackberries – Strawberries – Bananas – Grapes- Oranges – Apples – Grapefruit

Snacks:
Breakfast breads from above
Smoothies
Fresh Fruit

Tasty Tuesday: Response to Comments

2013-02-04T10:53:00.000-05:00

Poptarts

Before I respond to the comments I thought I'd say this:

I mentioned here that I would make Poptarts this week. I made them Saturday afternoon. As I started gathering ingredients Davis asked what I was making. When I said poptarts she wrinkled her nose and asked what those were. I got a kick out of that and told her she'd have to wait and see. I wasn't so impressed and probably won't make them again any time soon. There isn't anything "bad" about the recipe just other things we'd rather eat. Lawson didn't approve at all and he eats ANYTHING! Instead he begged for banana bread this morning which I had so that's what he ate. Davis ate them just fine and would probably like them on special occasions.

Sara: Wow Morgan this is awesome. I would love to know more about your grocery budget..is it significantly higher? What store do you you buy most of your bulk? Also, alphabetically I totally agree. The only way it should be when you have that many. Also, what link is a referral link? You had several of them? Thanks for sharing :)

Our food budget is higher, yes. Worth every penny? Most definitely. I love knowing exactly what I am serving my family (and guests). Some months it is even more if I need to purchase grain, coconut milk or coconut oil since that runs close to and over $100 per purchase (not the milk).

It depends on what I am buying as to where I purchase the bulk items.

Coconut Milk: Whole Foods by the case lately. They've had it on sale plus a WFs coupon AND they have the added bonus of 10% off if you purchase a case. A case of So Delicious Coconut Milk (what we use) is 6 half gallons. Right before Christmas I bought three cases at an amazing price. While that milk is LONG gone and the awesome sale WF has still been running decent sales and put out another So Delicious coupon so that's where I've been getting it. :)

Grain: Yoder's Amish Market When I'm there I usually pick up other random things they carry (spices and such) I might be low on. While they are located in Salisbury and Blanch. I make half day fun trips out of it during the week or we'll do a family Saturday trip to Blanch, NC. Blanch is a nice two lane country drive so we take our time. This location also has a little deli so we've picked up a snack there too.

Spices: Earth Fare, Whole Foods, Deep Roots Market Co-op Depends. EF has more of everything I need. I feel like WF has a very limited selection. Deep Roots-lots to choose from too- I just don't frequent there as often.

Sucanut: I haven't found an unbelievable price on this very expensive sugar. I scoop from the bulk department at EF and WFs for now. Although Heavenly Homemakers does post when she or someone has spotted a good deal! :)

Coconut Oil: Vitacost or Tropical Traditions (depends which I need)

Dry Beans: Not exactly in bulk but kinda. Aldi, Walmart, Whole Foods or Earth Fare (looking for a serious bulk purchase of these but can't seem to locate anyone that beats the listed above, especially after shipping!)

Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips: Thanks to Enjoy LIfe we can still enjoy chocolate chips. My homemade ones melt too easy so these are a saving grace! Amazon and Vitacost have both has specials on these (very rare). The place I've purchased these the most is Target. Actually, it's a Target in Arlington, VA of all places. My sister lives in DC so when we visit her I clear their shelf OR if she visiting and I am low she clears the shelf for me and brings them down. :) They are free of wheat/gluten, dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, egg, soy, fish or shellfish. Enjoy Life products are also made without casein, potato, sesame and sulfites . Finally, they are made in a dedicated nut- and gluten-free.

Referral link: I'm sorry, that is for the Vitacost link. If you go through my link you will receive $10 off your $30 purchase and I will too if you go through my link. :)

Hana: Hey Morgan, thanks for sharing. Where do you buy your chicken? We are buying a portion of a hormone/antibiotic free, grass fed cow from a local farm and I'd love to do the same with chicken. Would love to never have to purchase meat from a grocery store again.

I purchase our chicken from Fresh Market (usually only during the $2.99 lb chicken breast sell), or Summerfield Farms (WFs or EF just price depending!). I'm not sure when they will be selling chickens again but I'm sure you could call to find out. Summerfield Farms also sells beef and eggs. They are grass fed ~ never fed antibiotics, hormones or animal by products. The hours are odd so make sure to you see their Facebook page for those.

If you know any local sources please share. I am currently looking for a great bee person for honey (obviously). I know one person but would like to get some other prices especially since honey is so crazy expensive!!!

Tasty Tuesday: In My Kitchen

2013-01-29T16:10:00.000-05:00

Sorry. No recipe today. With family here last week I didn't get around to taking any photos of food I prepared. Instead I thought I would give you a peak into my kitchen. I hope it helps at least one person out there...

I'll start off saying that I wish Darrell would agree to go back vegan but for now I guess it's a nice change up in the kitchen. Chicken. I have to say this stuff is pricey. I only buy hormone free, antibiotic free, blah blah blah free chicken. So, yes, it adds up. Today I purchased almost 20 pounds of chicken (15 breasts and 1 pound thighs). While preparing lunch from our menu (I actually switched lunch and dinner) I was able to prep these for the freezer. Normally, I would prep a little more, like cut them into cubes or strips. Today, I just wrapped them one breast per package and stuck them in my (thank you Rudd Farm) strawberry baskets and tossed them in the freezer. I decided it wasn't worth pre-cutting today since 1. I already have a jars with pre-cut chicken in the freezer and 2. I wanted a "quick" day in the kitchen.

Beans. This is how I store my dry beans. Yes. I realize I could leave them in the plastic bag I purchase them in but why? They don't stack nice and orderly in my pantry. Besides, isn't this more pleasing to the eye? Ok, so not the glare, but why take them all out just to snap a quick picture of. You get the idea (and yes, they are alphabetical)!

Stuff. Flax seed (bulk purchase I grind, we use as "eggs" and in smoothies/foods), sucanat, yeast, corn meal, nutritional yeast, etc. Everything here is bought in bulk and then stored in jars.

Spices. Bulk purchased and stored in half pint jars.

Coconut Oil. I purchase my coconut oil from Tropical Traditions and Vitacost*. In December I opened a five gallon, yes you read right, a five gallon bucket of the liquid gold (pictured above). I scoop it out into a smaller but large container to keep in quick reach. What do I use it for? Essentially it replaces butter and skin lotion. Yes, another great thing about this oil is that it's great for many uses or recipes.

Wheat. I also purchase 50 pound bags of whole Hard White Wheat berries (more info here, she does a great job explaining). Our family (2 adults, 5 year old, 2 year old and one on the way) can easily go through fifty pounds in less than three months. Crazy but true. Since everything I make is from scratch it doesn't take long to use it. I store it in plastic buckets with lids. To keep things ~~frugal~~ free I collected them from local grocery stores. Just call and ask the bakery for their icing buckets. They gladly handed them over to me (5 gallon and 2.5 gallons). Note: I recommend a warm day outside when you can use your garden hose to clean those lard ridden things. Talk about a job cutting the grease...and to think people eat that. :/ Not judging, just saying!) I digress. Back to wheat. I grind and store in the below container. That's the start to some cinnamon swirl bread in the bowl, yummy!

*Note: The link in this post is my referral link. If you go through this link you will recieve $10 off $30 and I will too!

Menu Plan: January 27 - February 2

2013-01-28T15:00:00.001-05:00

Success! My sister and her little enjoyed all of the meals last week. At least that is what she told me. Her son, who tends to be a bit picky, did an excellent job eating. I think he surprised her at every meal except breakfast and with the spaghetti! I was thrilled she now has new recipes to serve at home that they both enjoyed. Lucky for her for DH eats anything so she's sure he'll enjoy too. :)

Success x2 at adding food to my freezer. I added the following tasty treats: Black Bean Burgers, 1 Sicilian Chicken Kit, 1 loaf of Monkey Bread, large and mini Banana Muffins (would've been more if Whitney and I hadn't snacked on the mini's right out of the oven-yummm delish!), Pizza Crusts, Tortillas (but used those Sunday at lunch) and I also most forgot, Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls. We enjoyed one dish and I froze three more!! Highly recommend her recipe. It makes and ton and they won't disappoint.

I am again hoping for some good freezer things this week too. Although I'm not going to stress out if it doesn't happen. I am thinking the Quinoa Veggie Chili will for sure be a freezer meal since I tend to make such a large pot of it.

Sunday, January 27:

Cranberry Oatmeal
Metcalf Fa-burittos (mix of fajitas/burritos, wrapped like burrito), blueberries
Dinner out

Monday, January 28:

Whole Wheat Waffles, bananas
Mexi-dish potatoes (baked potatoes, season pintos, salsa, guacamole), oranges
Shrimp and Quinoa (Instead of Grits) (dairy/egg free), green salad or some veggie (still working on this one)

Tuesday, January 29^th:

Applesauce Carrot Bread
Spinach-and-Mushroom Quesadillas, Mango
Popcorn chicken, Baked Sweet Potato, Roasted Asparagus

Wednesday, January 30^th:

Cinnamon Swirl Bread, Kiwi
Homemade Corn Dogs, Baby Carrots, Fruit
Taco Salad (will use deer meat, greens, salsa, guac, organic tortilla chips,)

Thursday, January 31^st :

Cranberry Bread, Apple Slices
Turkey Breast Sandwiches, Cucumbers, Strawberries
Quinoa Veggie Chili

Friday, February 1^st:

Homemade Strawberry Jam Poptarts (first time for this), fruit
Chicken Salad on crackers, Carrot sticks, Applesauce
Vegan Quiche (spinach, mushroom, peas, red bell peppers)

Saturday, February 2^nd:

Simple Sourdough Biscuits (will use soured coconut milk-will have to soak overnight), fruit
Taco Soup
Leftovers

Tasty Tuesday: Baked Beans and Coleslaw (dairy/egg free slaw)

2013-01-22T21:37:00.000-05:00

Yes, so the beans (below) aren't so pretty. I started them around lunch and since it's winter of course it's dark when they finish so no lighting for a good photo. I also changed my mind from oven to crockpot at the last minute. So I usually don't dirty a dish just because. Who wants more dishes?

I never buy beans in a can, always dry. Here's a post about them. (I now use only glass to store our food in but who's paying attention? Yes, I love my glass containers now!!)

Bean Type: Navy

+beans are cooked BEFORE making baked beans.

Menu Plan: Jan 20 - 26

2013-01-22T06:56:00.000-05:00

Succotash, Cornbread

My sister and her children are visiting for a week or so. I just hope she and her little one enjoy our meals this week. They survived the Succotash last night so I'd say they're off to a good start. ;)
Last week Calico Beans and Black Bean Burgers didn't happen. I ended up with way more leftovers so I didn't need to make them. Hopefully, I have planned better this week and with visitors we won't have many leftovers anyway.

Sunday:
Cold Cereal (so glad I had on hand-running super late for church-thanks to a great deal at Whole Foods)
Leftovers
Dinner out with my sister

Monday:
Whole Wheat Pancakes, fruit
Chicken Salad with apples, Pretzels and Mango
Succotash, Cornbread (egg/dairy free cornbread)

Tuesday:
Breakfast Cake, Strawberries (no buttermilk, I use coconut milk with vinegar to "sour it")
Taco Potatoes (meatless), Oranges
Fajitas, will make WW tortillas

Wednesday:
Giant Breakfast Cookies, Strawberries
Black bean burgers, Ranch Potato Wedges, Blackberries
Sicilian Braised Chicken and Couscous with Celery

Thursday:
Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls, Apple slices (milk=coconut milk, butter=coconut oil)
Calico Beans (but I'll leave out the meat), Cornbread (didn't make last week) (egg/dairy free cornbread)
Split Pea Soup, Soft Pretzels (milk=coconut milk, butter=coconut oil)

Friday:
Monkey Bread, Mango (milk=coconut milk, butter=coconut oil)
Leftovers
Pizza, Salad, Kiwi (using this dough, freeze extra for later use)

Saturday:
Chocolate Chip Quinoa Muffins
Chicken, ~~Sweet Potatoes~~ Cauliflower, Fruit Salad
Spaghetti, Salad and No Knead Overnight Bread

Our substitues to linked recipes are:
milk=coconut milk
butter=coconut oil
butter for cornbread=Earth Balance Soy Free
eggs=flax eggs
buttermilk=coconut milk + vinegar

Tasty Tuesday: CFA Nuggets and Sauce(s)

2013-01-15T00:31:00.003-05:00

UPDATE: these bake just fine too, I think i did 350 for 15 mins. Depends on "nugget" size too

A few weeks ago I stumbled on this website. If you can get past her beautiful food photography you'll actually see that she has recipes too! ;) Once I wiped my drool away I found THIS RECIPE, copycat CFA ( you know what it stands for). I KNEW I had to try it. You see, I love some me Chick Fil A but what I don't love is the extra stuff aka MSG they add. :( So now we rarely eat there anymore. Yes, big tears but what'd ya do? Avoid junk, that's what we do. Anyway, I recommend checking out her mouth watering photos of her CFA nuggets and sauce that way you'll be inspired to make your own.

I made the above one Saturday for lunch. Nuggets, sauce with sweet potatoes fries (baked) and honey mustard sauce. Don't worry we ate some fruit too so it wasn't all bad fried stuff... Anyway, I think the nuggets are great not exactly ChickFila-ee but pretty close! I do think the sauce is spot on. This recipe doesn't have eggs (like the package) so we can eat it here! Wahoo!!!!! Random: Darrell confessed later that afternoon that when I wasn't looking he drank some of the CFA sauce. Really?!? I just hope no one else (being the children) witnessed him doing that. I guess you can say he liked it. Okay, here's the recipe-dairy free...

For the nuggets:

6 chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces

2 1/2 cups flour (I use freshly ground flour from hard white wheat)

1/4 cup powdered sugar (ground sucanat in my vitamix)

4 tsp. sea salt

3 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. paprika

Coconut Oil for frying

CFA Sauce:

1/2 cup soy-free vegenaise

2 tbsp. mustard (regular prepared yellow mustard or dijon works too)

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1 tbsp. vinegar

2 tbsp. honey

Salt (omitted, vegenaise has plenty I think) and pepper, to taste

For the honey mustard dipping sauce:

1/4 cup soy-free vegenaise

1/4 cup dijon mustard

2 tablespoons honey

I sure hope you enjoy these as much as my family does!!

Meal Plan: Jan 13 - 19

2013-01-14T13:05:00.000-05:00

Here it is. The meal plan for the week. I didn't mean to do pizza for dinner and then lunch the next day (who is complaining anyway?). But I have cilantro that needs to go before it gets only smoothie worthy and I'd like it on a copy cat Brixx pizza first!!

Does anyone have a recipe for Sticky Fingers Carolina Sweet Barbecue Sauce? I'd LOVE to find one but can't seem to find one on the internet The one I made for this pizza isn't quite there. I'm still 'doctoring' it but probably won't get close or even be able to do it again. :/

Sunday:
Giant Breakfast Cookies
Chicken salad, raw veggies, pretzels and berries
Homemade Chicken Nuggets, carrots, apple slices

Monday:
Pumpkin muffins
Homemade Nuggets, oranges, coconut yogurt
Whole wheat calzones, salad, apples

Tuesday:

Breakfast Cake, smoothies
BBQ chicken pizza (Brixx copycat, minus cheese), salad, fruit
Curry Chicken, mixed veggies

Wednesday:

Whole Wheat Waffles, blackberries

Black bean burgers, peas, strawberries

Baked Beans and slaw

Thursday:

Banana Bread, grapefruit
Sloppy Joe Muffins, cauliflower, blackberries
Birthday Party at a restaurant

Friday:

Banana Bread, fruit
Hummus, carrots, cucumbers, oranges and pretzels
Jack Basil Meatloaf, okra, potatoes (mashed most likely)

Saturday:

Biscuits, turkey bacon (maybe), fruit
Calico beans (I’ll leave out beef and just do turkey bacon/beans), cornbread
Shrimp, broccoli, quinoa dish (not sure what to call it really)

Going to add to the Freezer:
Calzones, because the recipes makes a ton!
Black bean burgers (again recipe large enough for two meals)
Baked breads (probably banana and pumpkin)

Menu Plan Nov 11 - 17

2012-11-11T19:08:00.000-05:00

It's been a while. Sorry. I stopped blogging when morning sickness kicked in full swing, well, in June. A weekly menu was the least of my worries. However, it was suggested today that I post my meal plan's again. So here I am.

In case you are new here we eat whole foods, period. I try to make most everything from scratch except rice cakes. I grind our wheat into flour for yummy breakfast items, bread and even tried and succeeded with pasta. I linked to Heavenly Homemakers recipes since she too grinds her wheat and has the same food philosophy.

We don't eat diary, eggs, nuts, peanuts or soy. So I make the necessary substitutions to make her recipes for our family. We just came off a complete vegan diet not too long ago. I know my dear huband is excited about that.

If you have any questions, leave a comment or email me at splithitter at aol dot com and I'll happily try to answer them. :)

Sunday Nov 11
Pumpkin muffins, pears
Shepherd's Pie, salad
Chicken salad on homemade pita, fruit salad

Monday Nov 12
Giant breakfast cookies, grapefruit
Vegan Veggie Loaded Lasagna, fruit
Creamy chicken and rice casserole, green beans

Tuesday Nov 13
Breakfast cake, applesauce
Taco soup, tortilla chips, apple slices
Chicken BBQ, slaw, okra with fruit

Wednesday Nov 14
Mini apples pies
Leftovers
Tacos

Thursday Nov 15
Oatmeal, pears
Thanksgiving Feast with Homeschool Group
Corn dog muffins (chicken dogs from Whole Foods, Shelton brand maybe), green beans, roasted cauliflower

Friday Nov 16
Whole Wheat Waffles (I recently subbed water for buttermilk, worked great!!) topped with applebutter
Leftovers
Homemade Pizza Night, salad, pomegranate

Saturday Nov 17
Banana bread, fruit
Hosting our Thanksgiving Feast with our families
Leftovers

Grocery Gatherings: June 13 - 19

2012-06-13T21:44:00.000-04:00

HERE

Menu Plan: June 10 - 16

2012-06-12T22:26:00.003-04:00

Breakfast:
Oatmeal x2
Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Zucchini Muffins
Bacon, Biscuits with homemade jam (per request of Davis)
Fruit Pizza on homemade tortilla's
Toast with honey
All served with fruit and a cold glass of coconut milk

Lunch:
Burritos
Chipotle, so another burrito (good thing we LOVE these)
Hummus w/ cucumbers, oranges
Homemade beans and slaw
Black eyed pea dip, veggie chips for dipping
Popcorn Chicken, baked sweet fries, roasted asparagus
Leftovers

Dinner:
Leftovers
Burritos
Mexican Pizza (tortilla/pinto beans/salsa/avocado)
Fajitas
Homemade beans and slaw
Veggie Delight (squash, zucchini, asparagus served on a bed of quinoa)
Leftovers

Other fun food projects:
*Batch of sugar free strawberry jam (sweetener with honey this time)
*Making batch tortillas (hence many recipes using them)
*A batch of beans a night: black eye peas, chick peas, pintos, black, red, northern
*Still in search of the PERFECT chocolate chip cookie recipe made with COCONUT OIL...if you have a tried and true PLEASE let me know!! (yes, I'm begging!)

Whole Foods: June 6 - 12

2012-06-06T23:52:00.002-04:00

Here's the match up...

Educational Freebie: Mail Carrier Unit

2012-06-05T23:04:00.001-04:00

Download a free Kindergarten Mail Carrier Unit

"This unit is designed for preschoolers and kindergartners.

It is a fun way to introduce Mail Carriers to your students, and help

familiarize them with the importance of community workers.'
THANKS! Confessions of a Homeschooler.

Grocery Gatherings: June 6 - 12

2012-06-05T22:39:00.000-04:00

HERE