Bigos

Bigos (Polish pronunciation: [ˈbiɡɔs]), known as a Hunter's Stew, is a traditional meat stew typical of Polish, Lithuanian, Belarusians and Ukrainian cuisine, considered to be the Polish and Ukrainian national dish.

Ingredients

In order of volume: 2 lb sauerkraut, washed and drained; 2 lb white cabbage, shredded; 1 lb sausage, sliced into ½" pieces; ½ lb smoked ham, cubed; ½ lb smoked pork, cubed; ½ lb bacon, chopped; ½ lb beef or venison, cubed; 2 oz dried mushrooms; 4 pitted prunes, chopped; 2 apples, cored and cubed; 1 tomato, cubed; 1 onion, diced; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tsp allspice; 2 bay leaves;: 1 tbsp peppercorns.

Directions

Prepare the ingredients as listed above. Simmer the cabbage until soft (1/2 to 1 hour), then drain. Meanwhile, cook the bacon and set aside, preserving the fat. In the bacon fat sauté the onions and garlic, and brown the remaining meat except the sausage. Combine all ingredients in a pot and cook: in a slow cooker, set on "low" for 5–10 hours; on the stove, cook briefly on medium and then simmer 2–3 hours.
Refrigerate any leftovers and reheat for serving. The flavor improves each time, peaking around the third day. Many like to freeze it solid before thawing, heating and eating. Traditionally, it was left out in the freezing cold to store.

Recipe and Photo credit: Wikipedia

Do you Love Cookies???????

Brush up on some old favourites at Epicurious.com, just in time for the holidays....of course....what else would we be thinking of???

40, 50, Fit & Fabulous

Well, it's been a little while since an update. Unfortunately my internet connection has been severely lacking and I haven't been able to post on blogger for so long.

I've been working hard, although a little lax in the exercise department. I've managed to do a bit of walking and riding my bike, but it's been deadly hot (for exercise at least), and considering we have no a/c I'm afraid it's been a major setback. I really can't believe we on to our 6th week of temps well over 90 F. In all 15 years I've been back in NY I've barely counted 6 days that hot during any summer.

But the good news is, I've been eating lots of fuit, salads, and smoothies. This is my green smoothie...spinach, strawberries and a banana. Almonds can be thrown in for protein (I own a Vitamix, but I don't think I'd try them with a normal blender). I have found when I'm eating well, that I have more energy, and my muscles are not sore and weak. Today it cooled down a little, so hopefully we'll get a break, I'm badly in need of some stretching. Back on the treadmill this week! Wish me luck!

40, 50, Fit & Fabulous

So around rolls another week, and I've been having a terrible time committing to exercise everyday. I can manage about 3 days a week, but it's often thrown in at the moment I remember I'd forgotten. Clearly, I need to commit to more of a scheduled time...something which...when I find a moment for myself...I like to use for something other than exerise. So I hereby away sign my time after breakfast on the dotted line. No more laundry, or dishes or 'gasp' blogging!

On a more positive note...it's only fair to mention the achievements for the week. I have been out and about, walking here and there, with a lovely stroll thru Central Park yesterday...oh and does chasing a toddler count, I've done many hours of that, with about 10 loads of laundry carried up and down 2 flights of stairs the past couple of days.

So now let me go have breakfast, and no more excuses after that!

Some of the areas I intend to focus on this week, tummy & arms - lots of good old fashion situps & pushups! There's nothing like a free workout!

Menus & Shopping Lists

I've been having a terrible time getting meals together and shopping since I had my last little munchkin. We're be living on milk and bread too much from Costco, with a pizza thrown in for good measure. I've been trying to get an idea of how much food I need to buy in bulk per month and found this list, with most of the stuff I need...although looking at it this is what we'd go thru in a week easily. We're still waiting on the food stamps...we got some emergency funds in February, and hubby went to see the supervisor a couple of weeks ago to see why we still don't have them. I really don't know what's going on, but she put another month on our card. Each case worker has around 1,500 applicants to work thru, how crazy is that. I don't know if we'll get any more, we'll see. Hopefully hubby will have some work, he's had a bit here and there, and we've had good tax returns, we were a couple of years behind. He had a job for a supervisor with a friends site in the city, but that hasn't started yet.

I'm finding the womans day monthly menus great too, I just tweak them for our needs.
http://www.womansday.com/Articles/Food/Month-of-Menus!
http://www.byui.edu/ce/assets/documents/conferences_homeandfamily_handout_lindsey-dewey_groceryList1_2010.pdf

http://www.familieswithpurpose.com/family_meal_planning_grocerylist.pdf

Here is the list for us:

1 lrg Oatmeal
1 bag Grits
10lbs Flour (5lbs All-Purpose and 5lbs Whole Wheat)
10lbs Sugar
2 lb Brown Sugar
5lb Potatoes
5 bags frozen veggies
3 bags frozen broccoli
6 cans tomato sauce
8 cans tomato paste
6 cans diced tomatoes
10 pkgs raman noodles
2 bags dried beans
6 cans beans
4 lbs spaghetti pasta
1 lb elbow pasta
2 bags egg noodles
6 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 tub margarine
1 lb butter
3 doz eggs
4 gallons milk
1 dry milk (last 2 months)
4 gallons Apple Juice
5 lbs various cheeses
2 lrg containers vanilla yogurt
1 lb lunch meat
1 bag popping corn
3 boxes Graham Crackers
2 boxes Saltines
1 jar Peanut Butter
1 jar Simply Fruit Grape spread
1 bag Choc Chips
1 box Family Size Tea Bags
10 pkgs flavored drink mix
3 boxes instant pudding
2 boxes Pancake/Waffle Mix
1 Pancake Syrup
1 Lrg bag Dog Food

Meats I buy when I find Manager's Specials and Markdowns so I never really pre-plan. Generally I have a good freezer selection of meat. I want to limit myself to $40 per month of fresh meat. Things I look for marked down are:

whole chickens
chicken thighs
chicken breasts
Beef Roasts
Top/Chuck Roasts to cut into stew meat
Ground Turkey
Sweet Italian Sausage
Ground Beef
Pork Butts
Bacon

All of this based on our current prices runs right at $200/month. We like soups/stews, casseroles, pasta meals and baked potato dinners. And, since we homeschool all our meals are at home. With this list I should be able to add another $50 per month for misc (spices, baking needs etc as needed) or a special treat here or there. And then another $50 for diapers and HBA items. That should get me to $300!
http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/kitchen-basics/92606-monthly-grocery-list.html
 
Sat 1st – Salmon en croute with red pesto, roasted sweet potato, asparagus, baby corn, carrots
[Salmon fillets spread with red pesto and wrapped in filo pastry]

Sun 2nd – Falafels, pitta breads, salad
[First attempt at these – basing mine on an Ainsley Harriot recipe]

Mon 3rd – Vegetable biryani
[Usually make this with prawns but trying a veggie version this time – onion, garlic, carrots, peas, green lentils, tinned tomatoes, curry paste, basmati rice, veg stock made from stock cube]

Tues 4th – Greek salad frittata, jacket potato, salad
[Another new recipe, can’t remember what inspired it now! Red onion, feta cheese, eggs, olives, tomatoes, oregano]

Wed 5th – Chilli con carne pie, carrots
[Chilli con carne base already in freezer, frozen peas to be added to base, then top with mashed potato with tinned sweetcorn mixed in and some grated cheddar on top]

Thu 6th – Pasta with spicy tomato sauce, roasted peppers, capers, olives and fennel seeds
[Peppers roasted in oven with a sprinkling of fennel seeds, then added to cooked pasta along with homemade spicy tomato pasta sauce, some olives and some capers]

Fri 7th – Chicken fajitas
[Chicken breasts, tortilla wraps, Chicken Tonight fajita paste, mixed peppers, onion]

Sat 8th – Sausage and pea risotto
[Grilled sausages chopped and added to fried onion and garlic, along with frozen peas, rice, chicken stock made from stock cube, oregano, chilli flakes and Worcestershire sauce…if I’ve got any in the cupboard I sometimes add sundried tomatoes to this]

Sun 9th – Caramelized onion soup, garlic bread
[Been bumping this on and off my menu plans for months now, but WILL make it this month! Onions, garlic, stock, herbs, little bit of sugar to encourage the onions )

Mon 10th – Tuna and mushroom pasta bake
[Cooked pasta mixed with tinned tuna, chopped fresh mushrooms, tin of low fat condensed mushroom soup, herbs, chilli flakes and a drop of water, then topped with grated cheese]

Tues 11th – Lentil soup, pumpkin bread, cheese
[An old favourite – onion, carrots, celery, red lentils, veg stock, peppercorns and herbs]

Wed 12th – Salmon with fennel, mash, broccoli, carrots

[Another new experiment…thought I’d bake some salmon fillets topped with fennel seeds and maybe a little dab of butter, then served with mashed potato with stir-fried fresh fennel added to it, and the other veg listed]

Thu 13th – Chickpea and spinach curry, naan bread
[Chickpeas, homemade tomato sauce, spinach, curry paste, mustard seeds, cardamom pods, ground coriander, veg stock, will get OH to rustle up some home made naan bread!]

Fri 14th – Spaghetti Bolognese
[Another old favourite! Beef mince, onions, garlic, celery, carrot, mushrooms, streaky bacon, tinned tomatoes, beef stock made from stock cube), oregano, bay leaves and Worcestershire sauce]

Sat 15th – Off to best friend's hen do – Pizza for OH

Sun 16th – Mushroom and spinach risotto
[Another new dish to try – onion, garlic, mushrooms, spinach, chilli flakes, rice, veg stock, herbs]

Mon 17th – Bacon and roasted pepper tortilla, salad
[Fancy omelette type thing really! Fry bacon and onion in large frying pan, then sliced cooked potatoes, roasted pepper pieces and herbs, then add beaten egg and cook until egg is nearly set on top…finish under the grill making sure frying pan handle is not directly under the heat…not that I would do a thing like that of course…]

Tues 18th – Chorizo and chickpea soup, crusty bread
[An unusual but tasty soup, very filling! Fry onion and chorizo…fat from chorizo should be sufficient to cook these in…add chickpeas, chopped savoy cabbage, chicken or veg stock, chilli and herbs…simmer for a bit and serve with some nice crusty bread to dip in]

Wed 19th – Cheese and red bean pie
[Another pie without a flake of pastry in sight! A base of onion, garlic, red kidney beans, chilli, and homemade tomato sauce, topped with a mashed potato and grated cheddar…very simple, cheap and very tasty!]

Thu 20th – Salmon with garlic, ginger and chilli, roasted sweet potato, broccoli, carrots
[Salmon fillets topped with crushed garlic, grated fresh ginger and dried chilli flakes and roasted in oven wrapped in foil]

Fri 21st – Spanish chicken risotto
[A special request from OH…red onion, garlic, chicken, chorizo, peppers, olives, herbs, rice and chicken stock]

Sat 22nd – Moussaka, salad
[Made with Bolognese sauce as I don’t like lamb]

Sun 23rd – Chicken en croute with red pesto, potato gratin, courgettes, braised celery
[Using up some more of that filo pastry]

Mon 24th – Carrot and coriander soup, bread, cheese
[Can’t beat a bowl of homemade soup can you? )

Tues 25th – Cottage pie, brussel sprouts, swede
[Made with Bolognese sauce, tin of baked beans on the bottom, then mashed potato on the top]

Wed 26th – Cauliflower and green bean curry, rice
[Cauliflower, green beans, homemade tomato sauce, curry paste, mustard seeds, cardamom pods, ground coriander, veg stock]

Thu 27th – Rustic pasta
[Another of OH’s favourites – grilled sausages added to homemade tomato sauce along with frozen peas, and then mixed into cooked pasta]

Fri 28th – Steaks, homemade potato wedges, salad
[OH’s birthday so using the last of the lovely sirloin steak we bought back from Devon with us at Christmas]

Sat 29th – Have left this day blank for now as OH’s family are coming for the day – there is talk of a big picnic but will make firmer plans nearer the time

Sun 30th – Chickpea enchiladas
[Chickpeas, homemade tomato sauce, cumin seeds and chilli flakes, spooned into tortilla wraps which are then rolled up and popped into a baking dish, top with some grated cheddar and bung in oven until cheese is melted and browning a little]

Mon 31st – Toasted sandwiches, salad

Avocado, Tahini & Tomato Sandwich

Someone made this for me in my hippie days, out in the boonies, where everything is still wild, and the home grown food tastes delicious. It's still one of my favourite lunches. It's also great as an open sandwich on homemade bread or toast.

Pretty simple to make ;) spread tahini, avocado on bread, it's better on homemade...slice a tomato, and salt and pepper. Also great on an open sandwich, with toasted bread! Enjoy!

40, 50, Fit & Fabulous

Well this week was a very slow start....in the beginning of the week, I scratched a mole off my back, and it's been very sore...so i didn't want to do more damage...must go to a doc.

I did take 3 lovely walks, and managed to start eating healthier. including in the menu this week, fruit salad for breakfast, 2 salads, I made my pasta sauce with a bunch of fresh tomatoes added. I managed to make some green drinks - my preference is kale and strawberries, so refreshing! Snacks consisted of raisins & almonds, fruit.

This week I really have to start stretching my aching bones...and I will start juicing, my juicer is ready to go again. I will make a note to put my vitamins out, and take a multivitamin every day, and the big one...I need to get to bed earlier...I'm a night owl. I'm hoping for more energy and less aches, because then I will be happy to be more active.

Goal is to enjoy whatever I'm doing.

2 tips...

TOMATOES - I really liked having fresh tomatoes in my pasta sauce...I always go by the reduced produce stand...there are often packs of tomatos that are very ripe. I wash them, slice the tops and put them in the freezer whole and cook them as needed. If you're adding to cooked food...just pop them in 1/2 cup water and boil for a few minutes, the skin comes off very easily when pulled with tongs. They can also be used uncooked for cold soups. I would like to make my own from scratch like this or  this and keep it in the freezer for when I need it.

STRAWBERRIES - I like to buy frozen strawberries, i find they're often cheaper and don't require cleaning, don't go bad immediately, and my kids don't eat them as soon as they come into the house. My husband was buying them from Costco...but I bought some from Trader Joes this week and they were smaller, riper, and had so much more flavour. We cooked some with a little organic sugar and made strawberry syrup for our pancakes (recipe), and of course I used some in my green drink.

Here's a nice little blog on organic vegetable gardening in case you're really adventurous...now is the time to get planting.

40, 50, Fit & Fabulous

This is the first week of my very own fitness program. Come join me.

40, 50, Fit & Fabulous

Here is my plan:



1 - 5 minutes of stretching....more if I want, the goal is to get my body moving, get rid of the aches & pains, and become more limber.

2 - There are four areas I'm unhappy with right now...arms, legs, hips, and waist so I will try to do an extra toning exercise in one of those areas each day.

3 - Funfilled activties, is really something I'm looking forward to - I would like to try a brisk walk Monday morning with my toddler after I take my prek'er to the bus. Just to take a deep breathe of fresh air, clear my mind for the week....let it go from there. Wednesday I would like to commit to playing raquet ball with my girls down the street at the local basketball courts...even just for 1/2hr, and Friday I would like to walk down to the library with my young children. 2 miles. I also walk to any afterschool sports, which during spring will be maybe once a week for my 2 oldest. I would love to find someone to walk with, so I will see if I can find a willing partner.

4 - My plan of healthier eating is to try and eat at least 2 salads for lunch, fruit in the mornings, start making fresh juices, and we're already eating a lot more vegetables with dinner eat week, and being warmer weather, I'm making a salad niscious once a week, and salad as a side at lease once. My pitfall right now is just eating cereal or bread or toast all day...so it's just carbs with little nutrition. I think for this week I will make the fruit and juices the priority.

Thai Red Curry Paste

Ingredients

1 shallot OR 1/4 cup purple onion, chopped
1 stalk lemongrass, minced ( see instructions below) OR 2 Tbsp. frozen prepared lemongrass (available at Asian stores)
1-2 red chilies, OR 1/2 to 1 tsp. cayenne pepper, OR 1-2 tsp. Thai chili sauce
4 cloves garlic
1 thumb-size piece galangal OR ginger, sliced
2 Tbsp. tomato ketchup (OR 2 Tbsp. tomato paste + 1/2 tsp sugar)
1/2 Tbsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 tsp. ground white pepper (available at your supermarket or Asian food store)
3 Tbsp. fish sauce (OR 4 Tbsp. soy sauce if vegetarian)
1-2 tsp. shrimp paste (omit if vegetarian), available by the jar at Asian stores
1 tsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. regular chili powder
1/4 can good-quality coconut milk (or just enough to keep the blades turning), reserve remaining for the curry
2 Tbsp. fresh-squeezed lime juice
Optional: 1/2 tsp. cinnamon (OR add 1 cinnamon stick to your curry pot)

Recipe
Photo

Spicy Asian Noodle and Chicken Salad

Ingredients

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter (do not use old-fashioned style or freshly ground)
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons chili-garlic sauce
1 tablespoon (packed) golden brown sugar
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
3 tablespoons (or more) low-salt chicken broth

3/4 pound linguine or dried chow mein udon noodles
4 cups thinly sliced cooked chicken, cut into strips
2 large carrots, coarsely grated (about 1 1/4 cups)
6 green onions, chopped
1 red bell pepper, cut into matchstick-size strips
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves


Preparation


Combine peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili-garlic sauce, brown sugar, ginger, and 3 tablespoons broth in processor; blend until smooth. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain pasta; rinse with cold water to cool and drain again. Transfer pasta to large bowl. Add chicken, carrots, green onions, bell pepper, and cilantro; toss to blend. Pour dressing over and toss to coat, adding more broth by tablespoonfuls if dressing is too thick. Season salad to taste with salt and pepper.

Makes 4 main-course or 8 side-dish servings


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