Eat at home

[AuntieKels]

I really want to try baking bread for saving money and the yummy factor. I tried a recipe I found online and both attempts turned into flour bricks. I think my main problem is that I don't have a mixer, so everything was done by hand (I will be borrowing one this week though for my next attempt). Does anyone have any suggestions for totally handmade (and mixed) bread? I also wondered if I was using enough yeast and/or water. The packets I found called for 1/4 cup warm water. The recipe I was using said "follow the directions on the packet - It should be about one packet to a cup of warm water." Well, needless to say, that confused me and the bread didn't rise much. Both times I tried it I had to add at least 1/4 cup water to the recipe just to get the dough to stick together.

@Tiffany - I didn't make the depression era bread because I don't have enough mouths or room for that many loaves. Can I find that recipe taken down to 1 or 2 loaves somewhere? LOVE your blog!

 

[TiffanyK]

@Tiffany - I have been trying to get onto your blog all morning and it isn't loading... are you having problems with it today? I have been able to get onto other blogs, so I don't know why I can't load yours.

Hmmm, I didn't think it was down. Did you ever get on? I have had some server problems in the past where it worked for some people but not others.

I really want to try baking bread for saving money and the yummy factor. I tried a recipe I found online and both attempts turned into flour bricks. I think my main problem is that I don't have a mixer, so everything was done by hand (I will be borrowing one this week though for my next attempt). Does anyone have any suggestions for totally handmade (and mixed) bread? I also wondered if I was using enough yeast and/or water. The packets I found called for 1/4 cup warm water. The recipe I was using said "follow the directions on the packet - It should be about one packet to a cup of warm water." Well, needless to say, that confused me and the bread didn't rise much. Both times I tried it I had to add at least 1/4 cup water to the recipe just to get the dough to stick together.

@Tiffany - I didn't make the depression era bread because I don't have enough mouths or room for that many loaves. Can I find that recipe taken down to 1 or 2 loaves somewhere? LOVE your blog!

You might try 4 cups flour, 1 Tbs yeast, 1 tsp. salt. The water in that recipe isn't exact anyway, so just use as much warm water as it takes to make a nice dough. The post gives better instructions. I think that amount will make 1-2 loaves. Let me know how it works, if you try it!

 

[LilyWDW]

Le Bump

 

[hsmamato2]

mmmm.... 5 days ago I made rice and beans (mmm) we ate that w/ sour cream and shredded cheese-
4 days ago- we had pasta and sauce-
we had leftovers with both-
3 days ago it was leftover pasta/sauce,add shredded cheese,bake into a gooey casserole,and ds and I made fresh meatballs to go alongside
2 days ago it was leftover rice and beans rewarmed,,along with 4 chicken thighs spiced nicely to go along with it,and grilled( and we had company over too)
1 day ago I made crockpot pot roast and potatoes-
***tonight we had the rest of the leftover rice and beans(it's that good) I mixed it with (surprise) shred cheese,and layered sliced leftover pot roast and bit of the spiced chicken from the other night in a casserole,baked till bubbly- it is now ALL GONE.
I love making a lot and then reusing another night,it makes cooking easy!
(plus, I added side veggies of some kind nightly,in this season usually something fresh cut up from the market)
In my house,I can basically mix any leftover item with shredded cheese,and my family thinks I should be on food network!

 

[figment3258]

Yesterday I made grilled cheese and tomato soup.

Tonight chicken with rice and veggies

tomorrow? we shall see.

saturday going out for our anniversary! Maybe the melting pot? Anyone have a good or bad review of that?

 

[hmdavid]

Yesterday I made grilled cheese and tomato soup.

Tonight chicken with rice and veggies

tomorrow? we shall see.

saturday going out for our anniversary! Maybe the melting pot? Anyone have a good or bad review of that?

I love Melting Pot! Check out restaurant.com for discounted gift cards. Our Melting Pot in San Antonio is usually on there. If you use the code STEAK you will get 70% off so the $25 gift card will be $3!!! Read the fine print, though, to make sure that the gift certificate can be used on the night you want to use it.

 

[canadianjovigirl]

Great thread!!! I am working on clearing out my freezers and food stashes so at times we have been mixing sides that we dont normally.

So far this week we have had

Monday -Chicken Ceasar salad with garlic toast (chicken breast done on grill and did extras for later in the week)
Tuesday - Beef strogonoff over noodles and left over ceasar salad (leftovers for lunches)
Wednesday - hot dogs/smokies on the grill, potato chips, veggies and dip
Thursday - chicken enchiladas with the left over chicken from earlier in the week mexi rice
Friday - Sloppy Joes (yuck, sons birthday so he gets to pick) with garden salad (toss in all the left over veggies from the veggie tray from Wednesday
Saturday - philly cheesesteaks, pototo wedges and veggies
Sunday - sausage and rice skillet meal (will give some leftovers for the following week)

Going to finish this thread and plan out meals for next week..........

 

[nancycg56]

Some of my choices this week are my son's favorites ~ he works in IT for Busch Gardens-Williamsburg and is transferring to Seaworld Orlando so this is his last weekend in the area. He moves out of his apt. tomorrow and is staying here until he leaves on Monday.

Without further ado, this upcoming week's menu in no particular order:

1. Grilled pizza, Greek salad
2. Marinated flank steak with horseradish sauce, potato leek gratin, roasted mushrooms
3. Burgers, homemade tater tots
4. Drunken pot roast (crock pot), mashed potatoes, veg (whatever I get from my CSA this week)
5. Chicken tortilla soup with homemade tortilla strips, Mexican salad
6. Parmesan and herb baked chicken strips, rice of some sort, veg or salad
7. Polynesian chicken, rice, stir fry vegs

Also on the menu to make during the week:
"Almost" nutri-grain bars (for breakfast during the week)
Chocolate pie (DS's fave)
Blue cheese dressing
BBQ herb & garlic bread (grilled)

I haven't decided where they will fit in but fit in they will

 

[curlybop]

Without further ado, this upcoming week's menu in no particular order:

I just added you to my feed reader. You have great recipes on your blog!

 

[nancycg56]

I just added you to my feed reader. You have great recipes on your blog!

Thank you!!

 

[hambirg]

I really want to try baking bread for saving money and the yummy factor. I tried a recipe I found online and both attempts turned into flour bricks. I think my main problem is that I don't have a mixer, so everything was done by hand (I will be borrowing one this week though for my next attempt). Does anyone have any suggestions for totally handmade (and mixed) bread? I also wondered if I was using enough yeast and/or water. The packets I found called for 1/4 cup warm water. The recipe I was using said "follow the directions on the packet - It should be about one packet to a cup of warm water." Well, needless to say, that confused me and the bread didn't rise much. Both times I tried it I had to add at least 1/4 cup water to the recipe just to get the dough to stick together.

@Tiffany - I didn't make the depression era bread because I don't have enough mouths or room for that many loaves. Can I find that recipe taken down to 1 or 2 loaves somewhere? LOVE your blog!

Did you proof the yeast? Proofing is where you mix it with warm water before adding it to your floor. I always do this, because I don't use yeast very often, and frankly, my yeast can be old and I want to make sure it is still live and active. You need to make sure the water is the right temperature too. They say between 105 and 115 degrees (very warm on your wrist, but not hot) . Too cold and it won't work, too hot and you can kill the yeast. If the yeast is working than it should start to look bubbly on the top. If you don't get bubbles then maybe your yeast is dead. The only other thing I can think is are you using whole wheat flour? It doesn't have enough gluten to keep the gas from the yeast in the dough. . .it calls for more yeast or mixing more gluten in.

I found this:

Loaf is too small:
Too much salt, not enough yeast or starter, the bread rose at too cool a dough mixture to allow yeast development, too short a rise, dough not kneaded after the last rise and before forming the loaf, or the oven temperature was too high.


http://www.baking911.com/bread/problems.htm


And lastly, don't feel bad. Making bread can be fickle. I've made many "bricks" myself.

ETA-Do you have a food processor? You can make your dough in that. I actually prefer it to my mixer.

 

[LilyWDW]

I NEED HELP!!!

Okay, so I am having a heck of a time with a weekly menu. I have this week and next week set, but the following week is really giving me issues. I start classes on the 31st and my mother works at an off campus college bookstore so she will be working pretty late.

So, I need some ideas my friends... and who better to ask then members of this thread. I need recipes that: (A) can be served twice without losing its taste so that I can eat when I need to and she can eat when she gets home, (B) can all be made ahead of time and served cold, or (C) is so quick to make that if she gets home at 8pm I can toss it all together fast.

BTW, salads are a no go atm. I got food poisoning from something else, but got sick after eating a chicken ceaser salad. Now, I KNOW the salad was NOT what made me sick, but I am still having an aversion. Side salads are no problem, but anything more just isn't doable at this time.

 

[TiffanyK]

I NEED HELP!!!

Okay, so I am having a heck of a time with a weekly menu. I have this week and next week set, but the following week is really giving me issues. I start classes on the 31st and my mother works at an off campus college bookstore so she will be working pretty late.

So, I need some ideas my friends... and who better to ask then members of this thread. I need recipes that: (A) can be served twice without losing its taste so that I can eat when I need to and she can eat when she gets home, (B) can all be made ahead of time and served cold, or (C) is so quick to make that if she gets home at 8pm I can toss it all together fast.

BTW, salads are a no go atm. I got food poisoning from something else, but got sick after eating a chicken ceaser salad. Now, I KNOW the salad was NOT what made me sick, but I am still having an aversion. Side salads are no problem, but anything more just isn't doable at this time.

My favorites for this type of meal are:

1) things that cook in a crockpot and get served in a tortilla like: Smoky Chipotle Chicken Tacos, Salsa Verde Steak, Fiesta Chicken with Black Beans or chicken tacos.

2) Soup - Here's a list of 19 recipes. I love a recipe that makes enough for the freezer and there are some of those on this list.

3) Pasta salads with or without grilled chicken. The chicken can be eaten cold too. Here's the recipe I use most often for pasta salad and here's one for Broccoli, Tomato Tortellini Salad

 

[LilyWDW]

First off, Nancy, your blog is amazing. I lost count of the number of recipes I bookmarked to try! There is just some amazing things on there and I am excited to use them.

Tiffany, thank you for those links. I really do appreciate it. I am making French Onion Soup that week since the longer it cooks, the deeper the flavor. I am also going to do an appetizer night. I will make some hot ham and cheese sandwiches and either little smokies or meatballs in the crockpot. Then I will have a liver sausage ball with rye bread, onion dip, and a few other cold items. I can snack as I am hungry and then mom can do the same.

But then I need 2-3 more meals...

Any other suggestions out there?

 

[charming23]

Been doing really horrible this week not eating in. People keep inviting us to go out and we have been. Also been just grabbing small things at home instead of cooking actual meals. Tomorrow we are heading to see my cousin in college and taking her out for her birthday since we missed going out with her before she left. Saturday I am out to a friends house so Sunday I am getting back on schedule.

 

[nancycg56]

Been doing really horrible this week not eating in. People keep inviting us to go out and we have been. Also been just grabbing small things at home instead of cooking actual meals. Tomorrow we are heading to see my cousin in college and taking her out for her birthday since we missed going out with her before she left. Saturday I am out to a friends house so Sunday I am getting back on schedule.

I have weeks like that, too. Don't be hard on yourself ~ sometimes it just happens that way

 

[nancycg56]

First off, Nancy, your blog is amazing. I lost count of the number of recipes I bookmarked to try! There is just some amazing things on there and I am excited to use them.

Tiffany, thank you for those links. I really do appreciate it. I am making French Onion Soup that week since the longer it cooks, the deeper the flavor. I am also going to do an appetizer night. I will make some hot ham and cheese sandwiches and either little smokies or meatballs in the crockpot. Then I will have a liver sausage ball with rye bread, onion dip, and a few other cold items. I can snack as I am hungry and then mom can do the same.

But then I need 2-3 more meals...

Any other suggestions out there?

Thank you ~ I have fun doing it!

 

[PenguinWaiters]

So far, so good. Tomorrow is the end of week two of no eating out. We typically eat out three scheduled times a week, plus I usually eat lunch at work "out" (in the cafeteria) plus we would probably have eaten out one more time each week, so I feel that I have done pretty well so far. I've spent a bit more on groceries of course but not nearly what we usually spent at restaurants.

Thanks to the PP who posted that sometimes you can just have bacon and eggs. Last night was crazy hectic and we just chucked our regular plans and had eggs, bacon and pancakes. It was great!

Here is the plan for this week:
Sunday: Lunch is generally a clean out the fridge sort of thing since I shop after lunch on Sundays. Dinner will be chicken fried rice (I have saved leftover rice, chicken and veggies from this week)
Monday: this is our date night. The first week instead of eating out we grabbed some food at the local grocery store and had a picnic. Last week, no sitter so no date night. This week we might eat out since it is also my birthday.
Tuesday: Crockpot pulled pork tacos (from Weelicious) with sliced mangos
Wednesday: Ravioli with Sweet Potatoes and Thyme (from Real Simple)
Thursday: I have a reception at work so DH is on his own with the kids. He requested I pick up a frozen pizza for this night.
Friday: Crockpot turkey and stuffing & roasted garlic potatoes (a recipe I found buried deep down in my recipe stash)
and that is as far as I got for meal planning. I need to find some more ideas before tomorrow! Usually I have a hard time with weeknight plans as they need to be able to be completed in a half hour or less. This time though the weekend has me stumped. As PP mentioned, the weekend meals need to be pretty good so that I look forward to them and don't want to skip them to eat out!

 

[Darcy03231]

Sunday - BBQ Baby Back ribs, oven fried potatoes, brocolli & salad

Monday - Crockpot Mexican Chicken served with warm tortillas & salad

Tuesday - Lobster Macaroni & Cheese & salad

Wednesday - Steak tips, rice, green beans & salad

Thursday - Wicked Chicken casserolle & salad

Friday - Usually take out subs or chinese

Saturday - Grilled salmon, pasta, stir fry veggies & salad

My parents put in a big garden each year so we have lots of salad and fresh veggies this time of year.

 

[Swimnoid]

Sunday - BBQ Baby Back ribs, oven fried potatoes, brocolli & salad

Monday - Crockpot Mexican Chicken served with warm tortillas & salad

Tuesday - Lobster Macaroni & Cheese & salad

Wednesday - Steak tips, rice, green beans & salad

Thursday - Wicked Chicken casserolle & salad

Friday - Usually take out subs or chinese

Saturday - Grilled salmon, pasta, stir fry veggies & salad

My parents put in a big garden each year so we have lots of salad and fresh veggies this time of year.

What is Wicked chicken? I'm always looking for good chicken recipes!