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The Crock-pot: The Investment Cook’s Best Friend

October 23, 2009 by mamakay Leave a Comment

One of the best tools for investment cooking is a crock-pot. With this simple appliance you can get lots of work done with very little effort. It usually takes 15 minutes of prep time to prepare a meal for the crockpot and you can choose when the best time is for you. I usually prepare dinner just after lunch. It is amazing how much better the evening goes when dinner is all ready. Crockpots are especially useful for making beans, cooking whole chickens, a roast or soups. They are an inexpensive tool especially when you consider what a difference they can make in the time it takes to prepare a meal. Almost every time I use my crockpot I have enough for 2 to 3 meals which is even better!

If you do not already own a crockpot may I suggest you look for one that has a removable crock. This makes it so much easier to clean! I see that they now have ones with timers which would be wonderful! I would make sure and get a larger version so you can have plenty for additional meals. Mine is a 5 quart and I love it!

General Tips for using a Crockpot:

Fill it 2/3 full for the best results. More than that and it won’t cook properly; less it will cook too fast.

Add dairy products and frozen vegetables in the last 30 minutes of cooking.

Don’t lift the lid! You lose 30 minutes of cooking time each time you lift the lid to check on the food.

When cooking vegetables with a large piece of meat make sure to put the veggies on the bottom so they will cook faster. They generally take longer to cook than meat does.

Browning meats before adding them to the crockpot adds to the flavor and look of the meal.

Reduce the liquid of recipes you are adapting to about 1 cup. Because of the way crockpots work less liquid is evaporated during cooking and it captures the juices from the foods you are cooking.

I hope you will take your crockpot out of the cupboard and put it to work for you.

Following are some recipes to get you started.

Recipes:

Whole Chicken

This is a great way to have cooked chicken for other recipes.

1 roasting chicken (thawed or frozen)
1 onion
1 celery rib
4 cloves garlic
Salt & Pepper

Rinse and dry the chicken. Cut up the onion and put half of it on the bottom of the crockpot. Put the rest of the onion, the celery and garlic cloves inside the cavity of the chicken. Salt & pepper the outside to taste. Put it in the crockpot. (If the chicken is frozen put a 1/2 cup of water in the bottom of the crockpot to act as a buffer.) Cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 8-9 hours.

Basic Bean Preparation

5 cups (aprox. 2 pounds) of Northern, navy, pinto or black beans
3 quarts Warm filtered water
4 tablespoons of whey (the clear liquid that separates from plain yogurt or raw milk) or lemon juice

Rinse the beans and put them in a bowl. Cover with warm water & add whey or lemon juice. Cover the bowl and leave overnight. Drain and rinse. Place in the crock-pot on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-5 hours until desired consistency.

Cool and bag for the freezer.

White Chicken Chili

5 cups white beans, cooked
2 cups chicken, cooked and cut into bite sized pieces
1 onion, chopped and sautéed
2 cloves, minced garlic
1 can chopped green chilies
2 t cumin
1 t white pepper
1 t salt
1 quart of chicken broth

Garnishes:

Sour Cream
Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack Cheese, shredded
Tortilla Chips

Throw all of the ingredients (except the garnishes) in the crockpot. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. Serve with a nice green salad and garnishes. Everyone in my family loves this recipe (especially with the cheese and sour cream)!

4potato’s birth story

September 10, 2009 by mamakay Leave a Comment

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4Potato’s Birth Story

4Potato’s arrival was the longest anticipated birth. We thought she was due December 29^th but she did not arrive until January 20^th.

She was born at 10:12 a.m. Jan 20th after 14 hours of labor. Out of those 14 hours only 2+ hours seemed like hard labor. I went into labor between 7 & 8 p.m. on Wednesday night. We called Paul’s parents over to spend the night after several false calls. I had been feeling like my body was preparing for labor although I hadn’t actually been having contractions yet… Things weren’t too intense but I was definitely in labor. We went to bed for awhile and things picked up around 2 am. We called the midwife to come over. Labor was pretty intense for an hour or so after Donna got here but then let up. So we went back to bed for awhile. I can’t really remember what happened after this. At some point after the sun came up my labor picked back up and I took a shower. Donna checked me afterward and I was at 7 cm as usual. She got ready for the baby’s arrival much earlier this time since 3potato had surprised her. After a couple of pushes we had another beautiful girl at 10:12 am. She weighed 7 lbs and was 21 inches long. Although she was later than we expected the midwife commented that she actually looked early. We were just off on our due date and I was so glad that we waited on God’s timing instead of inducing labor based on our timing.

This poem helped me get through the very long wait for 4potato’s arrival.

Waiting

by Robin Jones Gunn

Dear Baby, here beneath my heart,

I thought that you might come today;

The timing seemed just right.

But the stars are out

And the moon is high

And sheepishly I wonder why

I try to arrange the plans

of God.

For now I know

You will not come

Until the One who holds eternity

Rustles your soft cocoon

And whispers in tones that I will not hear,

“It’s time, precious gift.”

“Now it’s time.”

Investing in Your Health: Whole Grain Bread Tutorial

April 29, 2009 by mamakay 4 Comments

Man has eaten some form of bread since he was forced out of the Garden of Eden. Genesis 3:19 says, “By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” The Bible mentions bread specifically 330 times. It is a vital part of our diet. Then why do so many people seem to have trouble when they eat bread? Why do all of the fad diets tell us we should stop eating bread and that gluten-free diets are healthiest? Could it be that the bread that is found in most homes today is not the nutrient dense food of our ancestors? We as a civilization have taken a wonderful food, removed all of its nutritional value and then called it bad. Let us go back to our ancestors and find how they created a life sustaining food instead of a health hazard for their daily sustenance.

The flour used to make breads was not a refined and processed flour that we see today instead the whole grain was ground into fine flour that was then made into bread. There are many grains that are easily available to us to make bread today as in yesteryear. The most popular, of course, is wheat. The best wheat for bread is hard winter wheat. You can also make wonderful bread from spelt and Kamut. For more variety you can replace 1/3 to ¼ the total amount of flour with other grains such as barley, oats, or rye.

Whole grain breads are a great way to add nutrition to your diet. They are delicious, inexpensive and are packed in vitamins. Whole wheat flour (especially when freshly ground) contains the following nutrients: thiamine (B-1), riboflavin (B-2), niacin (B-3), pyridoxine (B-6), choline, folic acid, pantothenic acid, vitamin E, chromium, manganese, selenium, zinc, iron, cobalt, calcium, sodium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, molybdenum, copper and fiber. When wheat flour is refined and turned into white flour the loss of these nutrients is between 16-89% depending on the nutrient.

To get the most nutrition possible for your time and money you need to grind your grain fresh or find a store that will grind it fresh for you. Within 72 hours of being milled grains lose much of their nutrients and start going rancid. Always store flours in the refrigerator or freeze and use them within 2-3 months. Bring the flour to room temperature before using for the best results.

We are blessed in that we don’t have to get out a stone to grind our grain. There are appliances now to help us in our work. I highly recommend investing in a grain mill and a bread making/kneading machine if at all possible. It takes me around 30 minutes to prepare enough bread to feed our family of 7 for a week using these tools. This is investment cooking at its best!

I buy my grain from a Azure Standard or Wheat Montana. The grain to me in 25 lb or 50 lb bags depending on the type of grain. The cost is a lot cheaper than getting it from the bulk bins at Sprouts or Whole Foods. I pay just over $1/pound including shipping for my grains. One recipe that produces 4-5 loaves of bread needs about 3 ½ pounds of grain. I store my grains in food storage buckets with gamma lids that securely seal the buckets. Whole grains can be kept for at least a year if they are kept dry and at room temperature or below.

Making my own whole grain bread costs me less than $2 a loaf. At the health stores around here the same bread costs between $3-4 per loaf. Besides when there is bread on the table the rest of our food goes a lot further which saves money as well.

With a little practice you can invest some time in preparing homemade bread and reap great health for your whole family.

Recipes:

Our Daily Bread

Makes 6 Loaves

18 cups whole wheat flour — freshly ground; 10-12 cups whole wheat berries (or spelt)

3 tablespoons yeast

1/2 cup vital wheat gluten

1/4 teaspoon Vitamin C granules

6 1/2 cups warm water

2/3 cup olive oil

2/3 cup honey

2 tablespoons sea salt

2 tablespoons butter

Place 10 cups of flour into mixer bowl with kneading arm. Add dry yeast, vital wheat gluten, and Vitamin C. Pulse to mix well.

Add water and mix for 1 minute. Turn off mixer, cover and let sponge for at least 15 minutes for lighter bread.

When the sponging is finished, add oil, honey and salt.

Turn mixer on and quickly add remaining flour, 1 cup at a time, until dough form a ball and cleans the side of the bowl. The amount of flour needed may vary.

Knead 7-10 minutes. (If kneading by hand, knead for 12-15 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic.)

Grease pans - 4? x 8 1/2? pans work best - I use olive oil

Fold dough into thirds going the other way

Cover pans and let rise until almost double, approximately 20-30 minutes.

Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes until loaves are golden brown.

Rub butter on tops of loaves and let them rest in the pans for 10-15 minutes.

Remove from pans and let cool on a rack on their sides.

Enjoy! Keep in the extra loaves in the freezer not the refrigerator for best results.

Alternative:

You can freeze this dough to have on hand for fresh baked bread on another day as well. Just grease the inside of a gallon freezer bad and add the dough. When you are ready to use it take it out and let it thaw, then shape, let it rise and bake.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES:

Yeast Breads by Sue Gregg

This is a great cookbook with lots of techniques explained and diagrams to show you how to make wonderful breads.

Set For Life by Jane Merrill & Karen Sunderland

Although I do not agree with all of the premises these authors make in their book, their bread section is outstanding! They give several wonderful recipes for whole grain bread and rolls.

Eating Well on a Budget

December 1, 2008 by mamakay 1 Comment

In this economic climate everyone is looking to see how they can cut their expenses and trying to eat healthy and save money at the same time takes some extra effort. Organic products are more expensive than regular grocery items especially if you buy them at the grocery store. There are no coupons to save you money and sometimes finding the items requires a trip to stores like Whole Foods or other natural food sources that aren’t known for their cheap prices. You are going to have to make choices. Your family only has so much to spend so what are the wisest choices you can make to eat the best?

First of all, pray that God will give you wisdom and the vision to see what your choices are. He will honor that request. We can not make eating healthy an idol in our lives. We should pursue good health so that we can better serve our God not so that we can have the perfect body and live without illness.

Eat seasonally. By eating seasonally you are gaining the best nutrient dense foods plus those foods are usually cheaper because they are bountiful. If you have a garden it is even easier to do this. Watch for new sources for great food. Food Co-ops like Bountiful Baskets or CSAs can offer you wonderful food for much lower prices.
Buy in bulk. I stock up on our main foods at Costco and from Azure Standard. Buying in larger quantities can save you lots of money. For example, I can buy 25 pounds of dried organic black beans for $1.00/pound, which makes about 100 cups of cooked beans. To buy one can of organic black beans it costs $1.43 for 1 ¾ cups of beans. For the cost of 1 can of prepared beans I can make over 6 cups of beans. Cooking beans is one of the easiest foods to prepare and one that my crock pot takes care of for me so it requires very little effort on my part. (See below for my recipe for cooking beans easily.) I usually fix a whole crock pot full and then freeze the extras in 2 cup portions for future meals.

Put your freezer to good use. When you are able to get a good deal on produce, preserve as much as you can for the future. I also like to buy big bags of frozen veggies from Costco for quick meals. They have more and more organic choices and for feeding the family it is much more efficient to buy the large bags for several meals then to buy the small bags at the grocery store.

Be creative in using your leftovers. I like to make soup with some of the bits and pieces left over from other meals. It is like making a meal for free when you can use the leftovers.

Make sure your meals include whole grains and beans. Not only will you get wonderful nutrients from these foods but tummies will fill up and not require so much of the more expensive foods. Make sure to soak your grains with whey or lemon juice whenever possible to make them more digestible.
Find a farmer’s market or participate in community supported agriculture. A great source to find the ones in your area is www.localharvest.org.

Be a good steward of the budget you have for food and be creative in finding ways to obtain your food and you will be able to eat healthier for a lot less. May God bless your efforts!

Recipes:

Beans:
5 cups of black beans (or most other beans: kidney, navy, or pinto)
3 quarts Warm filtered water
4 tablespoons of whey (the clear liquid that separates from plain yogurt or raw milk) or lemon juice

Cool and bag for the freezer.

This recipe is from Sue Gregg’s Soups and Muffins Cookbook.

Black Bean Chowder

From Soups & Muffins p. 82

Serves 8 to 10 About 14 Cups
1. Bring water to a boil with rice and potatoes; lower heat to a very gentle boil, uncovered for 30 minutes:
2 1/2 quarts water
1/4 cup brown rice, uncooked
2 medium potatoes, unpeeled or peeled, cubed

2. In a separate pan sauté vegetables in oil:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped or1/4 cup dried green pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced

3. After potatoes and rice have cooked a full 30 minutes, add remaining ingredients and continue a very gentle boil about 1 hour until chowder is slightly thickened:
sautéed vegetables
15 oz. can black beans, undrained (I use my cooked beans from the freezer)
15 1/4 oz. can kidney beans, undrained
16 oz can Vegetarian Beans in Tomato Sauce
1 1/2 cups frozen corn
1 teaspoon ground cumin seed
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
3 tablespoons Sue’s Kitchen Magic Seasoning

4. Remove bay leaf. Top each bowl of soup, as desired, with:
grated cheddar cheese,
chopped fresh parsley or cilantro

Bountiful Baskets

November 22, 2008 by mamakay Leave a Comment

Here in Phoenix we have a wonderful co-op run by two amazing moms called Bountiful Baskets. Every other week you contribute via their website and on Saturday morning you go to a site to pick up your baskets of fruit and vegetables. They have an organic version for $25 and a conventional version for $15 on opposite weekends. Because of the size of our family we need 2 of the organic baskets and then we share some of it with my in-laws.

They also have some great opportunities for extra produce from time to time. For example, I was able to buy 2 bushels (38 pounds) of Honey Crisp Apples for $24.50/bushel! They were delicious! Earlier this year we were able to buy cases of peaches and pears too all for great prices.

I am learning to can and I’ll try to get some pictures of what I’ve canned so far this fall up soon. I’ve been saving a lot of money buying our produce this way plus it keeps me out of the store so I save money that way too.