Homemade Tortillas

I LOVE tortillas. I have been known to eat a whole bag of flour tortillas, plain, by myself. When I started reading ingredients, looking for healthier foods for me and my family, my heart sank. One of my favorite foods was full of junk! Seriously, some brands can have an ingredient list a mile long. Are these tasty flaps so complicated? Worse yet, it was hard to find tortillas without the potential for having trans fats (except for expensive organic brands).

My love affair with flour tortillas ended right then and there.

But after weeks and months without them, and even shelling out big bucks for a small pack of organic tortillas, I said enough is enough. There has to be a better way. I started making my own tortillas, which was the push toward more whole, from-scratch cooking in my home.

I was blown away, and even felt a little betrayed, that tortillas could be so simple to make. Four ingredients: flour, salt, extra-virgin olive oil, and water. Why did those companies have to shove 30 other ingredients upon me?

It has been about a year now, and I haven't bought a single bag of tortillas. I always have those four ingredients on-hand and with a little prep work, we have some delicious, fresh, hot tortillas made right at home.

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups flour
2. 1/2 tsp. salt
3. 3/4 cup water
4. 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)

Directions: (makes 8 medium tortillas)

• Whisk together salt and flour
• Add water and EVOO and mix with a wooden spoon until you can't mix anymore.
• Knead dough until smooth and not sticking to your fingers anymore. You may need to add more flour to accomplish this.
• Let dough rest a few minutes; meanwhile, get out your rolling pin and get your skillet or griddle ready.
• With a sharp knife, cut off pieces of the dough, depending on the desired size of tortillas. Cutting off a piece about the size of a baseball will give you a large (10") tortilla. Cutting a piece slightly larger than a golf ball will give you a medium (6") tortilla.
• Roll the cut-off dough balls into smooth, round balls.
• With a rolling pin, roll dough balls as flat as you can get them.
• When skillet is hot, carefully lay tortilla flat and let cook 30-60 seconds. Flip tortilla and cook an additional 5-10 seconds.

Enjoy these hot, fresh, slightly chewy tortillas. They freeze well and are so good!

4 easy ingredients

Let that dough rest!

In this batch, I doubled the above recipe. I ended up with 17 tortillas.

I'm still working on making them perfect circles

The cast iron skillet is my favorite, but any pan or griddle would work too!

 

Mmmmmmm

Week 16 Meal Plan

Temperatures are feeling more winter-like here in Wisconsin! I'm getting so excited for Thanksgiving, Advent, and Christmas coming up.

But I need to focus! I can't get ahead of myself dreaming of the future--it's never guaranteed.

I'm averaging about $70 on grocery bills each week without couponing. That's not too bad, right? I had to re-stock on a few basics this week, like extra-virgin olive oil, canola oil, and a few key spices. I know that when I need to re-stock on basics, I need to watch my meal plans even closer so I don't overshoot that $70 goal. Here's my meal plan this week:

1. Bean and pepper nachos
2. Homemade Margherita pizza
3. Pork chops with sautéed apples and onions
4. Crockpot BBQ pork with roasted cauliflower
5. Big Batch pierogis with cucumber/tomato salad
6. Pork chop stir fry with carrots and zucchini
7. Chicken with lemon-leek linguine

Week 15.5 Meal Plan

My family was on the road visiting our parents in another state for a week, so I got a week off of cooking! There's nothing quite like your Mom's home-cooked meals, no matter how old you get. My fond memories and love for my Mom's cooking are memories I hope to create for my kids.

Typically when we've gotten back into town on a weekday evening, we just get a pizza for dinner. But to save $12 from our monthly budget, I planned ahead weeks ago and had a Double Dinner of corn chowder ready in the freezer when we got home! It was so easy to throw on the stove to re-heat; it was so good that it tasted like it had been simmering all day.

I'm glad to be getting back into the swing of things. Because we got home a few days earlier than my normal grocery shopping day, I had to plan and buy for a few extra days this "week" (hence the 15.5). Here's my meal plan this week (and a half):

1. Double Dinner Corn chowder
2. Chicken fajitas (with homemade tortillas)
3. Black bean burgers
4. Crab pasta (froze half for a Double Dinner)
5. Chili
6. Beef stew
7. Mexican baked chicken
8. Tamale pie
9. Lentil soup (froze half for a Double Dinner)

Weeks 13 AND 14 Meal Plan

It's something I have always wanted to do, but thought it was impossible. I admire other people who can successfully pull it off. But I finally did it, myself! I made a meal plan for two whole weeks! (Minus one day that we will be on the road, but I still planned to do a Double Dinner to take instead of buying food on the road)

Even better yet, my grocery bill was less than $90 with no couponing or waiting around for sales.

Here's what's for dinner for the next two weeks:

1. Squash soup with French bread
2. Poblano and corn quesadillas (with homemade tortillas)
3. Whole chicken in the Crockpot + homemade chicken broth
4. Lemon-garlic spaghetti (squash) with chicken sausage meatballs
5. BBQ chicken with leftover crockpot chicken
6. Maple-mustard pork chops with winter squash puree
7. Chicken and okra stew

1. Salmon cakes with green beans
2. Big Batch Tomato soup and grilled cheese
3. Chicken with lemon-leek linguine
4. Crockpot Beef vegetable stew
5. Chicken with olives and lemon and pea rice
6. Lemon and thyme stroganoff
7. Double Dinner poblano and corn quesadillas (on the road)

Bonus foods:

1. Whole wheat huckleberry pancakes
2. Pumpkin-zucchini bread
3. St. Wilfrid apple cake

A few key ways I saved money this time:

• I'm starting to plan a Double Dinner once a week. I'll make a large batch of dinner one night to freeze half for later, while one of my meals that week will come from the freezer. Essentially, I'm only buying for 6 meals per week then.
• I love making a Big Batch of something once or twice a year and then eating off of it until I can make more. For this week, I'm using one of several quarts of canned homemade tomato soup that I made from our garden tomatoes. Another meal I "don't have to buy."
• I'm still using veggies from the garden. I saved some of the spaghetti squash and zucchini in the pantry, which will last a long time in a cool, dark place. I also bought butternut and acorn squash when it was on sale to save for later. Finally, with temperatures flirting near freezing this week, I pulled all my unripe tomatoes, put them in a brown paper bag, and will be waiting for them to ripen.
• Similar to Big Batch meals, I also like to make specific ingredients ahead of time and in bulk. Specifically: chicken broth, crushed tomatoes, and bread crumbs. Those things add up when you buy them frequently! So it's easier (and sometimes healthier) to make them at home and can or freeze for later.
• I bought cheaper cuts of chicken and did the preparations myself, rather than paying a higher price for that convenience. For instance this week, I needed 4 skinless leg quarters for a meal and 4 boneless/skinless thighs for another meal. Instead of looking for these specific items, I bought a family pack of 8 leg quarters. When my baby was napping, I took the skins off of them all and then separated the thigh and drumstick meat on 4 of them. I saved the skin and bones for the broth. A little prep work will save money twice and nothing goes to waste!

Paletta di Mandorla

I love traditions. I love other cultures. I love old family stories about gathering around meals and special foods for special occasions. I also love my Catholic faith above all.

I have a cookbook called "Cooking with the Saints" which is a collection of recipes for certain Saints which may be named after a Saint or is a traditional food made on that Saint's feast day in different countries around the world. I love this cookbook... can you see why?

Anyways, today, October 4, is the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi. That beloved, peaceful, animal Saint whom Pope Francis just happened to name himself after. My cookbook has two recipes for his feast day, so I chose one to make to celebrate his day!

I must say, I don't ever make a meal for a certain Saint or feast day without studying the purpose behind the celebration. Luckily, in this cookbook, there is a short bio on each Saint preceding the recipes, but that usually prompts me to do a little more research to learn even more.

The palette di mandorla (almond slices) that I made comes from the Umbria region of Italy (where St. Francis was born) and is traditionally served on his feast day. According to tradition, this recipe originated with St. Clare of Assisi and was one of the few foods that St. Francis let himself enjoy.

Either way, they were delicious, easy, and went well with my morning coffee. In some small way, my heart feels united with other Italians who may be enjoying these little treats today, too.

O beloved Saint Francis, gentle and poor, your obedience to God and your simple, deep love for all God's creatures led you to the heights of heavenly perfection and turned many hearts to follow God's will. Now, in our day, pray also for us, in our ministry to the many who come here searching for peace and intercede for us as we come before the Lord with our special requests.  

[Mention your special intention.] 

O blessed Saint of God, from your throne among the hosts of heaven present our petitions before our faithful Lord. May your prayers on our behalf be heard and may God grant us the grace to lead good and faithful lives. Amen.

Saint Francis of Assisi,
Pray for us. Amen.

Corn Chowder

This is the best corn chowder recipe, ever. What's better than curling up with a bowl of creamy, hearty soup on a cold day? I have adapted my recipe from Ree Drummond's original recipe, but mine is healthier without the butter and by using skim milk in place of heavy whipping cream. This can easily become a Double Dinner--just freeze half of it or make a slightly larger batch and freeze the excess for later!

Ingredients:

• 2 slices bacon, cut into pieces
• 1-1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 4 cups frozen corn
• 1 chipotle pepper in adobo, finely diced
• 1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies
• 32 oz low sodium chicken broth
• 1-1/2 cup milk (skim milk works well)
• 4 tablespoons corn meal
• 1 cup potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Directions:

1. Cook bacon in large pot or Dutch oven until crispy. Add onion and sauté 3-4 minutes.
2. Add corn and potatoes, stir and cook for a minute, then add chilies and stir well.
3. Add broth and milk and stir. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low.
4. Carefully sprinkle corn meal into soup (trying to avoid lumping), stirring constantly until incorporated. Let simmer 15 minutes, or until potatoes are cooked. If it still seems too runny, add more corn meal. Season with salt to taste.

Buffalo Chicken Pasta

A staple at our home. This meal isn't for someone who can't handle a bit of heat. It's adapted from Rachael Ray's original recipe, which she actually made for Olympians. My version of the recipe won a small cooking contest. If you're not heavy-handed with the cheese, it's quite a healthy meal, even though it tastes so hearty. Best yet, this recipe makes a large batch of pasta--enough for a Double Dinner! Freeze half of this recipe and there will be plenty to go around twice!

Ingredients:

• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" pieces
• 4 ribs celery, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 large carrots, chopped
• 1 can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 box whole wheat pasta (like penne)
• 1/4 cup Sriracha sauce
• 1/4 cup Frank's hot sauce
• 1 cup shredded Monterrey or Pepper Jack cheese

Directions:

1. In a large pot, cook pasta according to package. Drain pasta while it still has a little bit of a bite to it, as it will continue to cook in the meal. Draining pasta when it is fully cooked will result in it becoming over-cooked once added to the rest of the meal.
2. Put extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper and cook in skillet until done.
3. Add onion, celery, and carrots to the skillet and sautee until veggies are tender.
4. Add tomatoes and stir everything together. Turn heat down to low.
5. Add pasta to the skillet.
6. Add both hot sauces, using more or less depending on the level of heat desired.
7. Add shredded cheese and stir until all cheese is melted and well-blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Week 12 Dinners, Fall is here!

I went to college to study Meteorology, and in my former life before I became a stay at home Mom, I worked as a Meteorologist for 2 years. Weather is in my heart. This may be sort of nerdy, but I admit that I often plan my meals with the forecast in mind. It has been chilly off and on for the last few weeks, but this coming week will be consistently cool and fall-like. My heart is warmed with love for fall! So I'm starting to trickle out the recipes that will warm cold noses and that I have been waiting months to cook.

Last week, I drained the fridge and freezer of all of our meats, so I knew this week's grocery bill would be heavily influenced by re-stocking on meats. In order to balance the extra cost, I pulled two whole meals from the freezer. We are also experimenting with steel-cut oats or oatmeal for breakfast (a one-time bulk buy that lasts a couple weeks) rather than buying 2-4 boxes of cereal plus a gallon of milk every week, in order to save money. In all, I came a few dollars below my target (yay!).

Here's what's for dinner this week:

1. Big Batch Pierogis with roasted garden zucchini (a Big Batch meal from the freezer)
2. Shrimp jambalaya (for dinner on our meatless Friday night, but will add some chorizo for lunch on Saturday)
3. Corn chowder
4. Spanish stew chicken thighs
5. Green chili, white bean, chicken soup
6. Kielbasa n kraut
7. Buffalo chicken pasta (a Double Dinner meal from the freezer)

Saturday, October 4, is also the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, so I'll be making something special to enjoy on that day!

Zucchini Lasagna

This sounds like an overly-healthy lasagna, which might make veggiephobes run and hide, but it's actually a pretty basic lasagna recipe with thin layers of zucchini instead of noodles.

I plant zucchini every year and this year, they did pretty well. I usually let the squash get to be 1-1.5 feet long, so we usually have a lot of zucchini in the summer and fall! There's really only so much zucchini bread you can make to get rid of it, so I had to get more creative this year. This lasagna recipe became a favorite and something I will look forward to along with zuke bread.

Ingredients:

• 1 large zucchini, sliced long-ways into 8" strips
• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 15-oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1.5 tablespoon dried oregano
• 15 oz ricotta cheese
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 1.5 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1.5 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Get out an 8x8 baking pan
2. Using a mandolin, slice zucchini long-ways into 8" strips. You'll need roughly 12 strips.
3. In a skillet, heat some extra virgin olive oil. Sautee onions until tender. Add ground turkey and cook completely, until meat is no longer pink. Add the can of crushed tomato and season with the oregano, salt, and pepper to taste.
4. In a separate bowl, mix the ricotta, egg, basil, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
5. In the 8x8 pan, layer the ingredients: zucchini, ricotta mixture, meat mixture, mozzarella and parmesan. Repeat once more. Top with another layer of zucchini and top with mozzarella and parmesan.
6. Cook, uncovered, until lasagna is bubbling on the sides. Let rest about 10 minutes before serving.

Greek Salad

I love my homemade Greek salad. I never had anything like this growing up. It wasn't until our honeymoon on an Alaskan cruise that I had Greek salad for the first time. When we got back into the real world, I had to try and replicate it!

We love this recipe because, really, we just feel so healthy when we have this for dinner! (Extra piece of dessert, anyone?) It's part of my growing search to incorporate meals into my regular list of recipes that reflect the ideas of the Mediterranean diet, where the greatest portions of food are plant-based, replacing bad fats with healthy fats, and eating more fish and poultry over red meat. Whole, healthy eating.

I don't measure anything for this recipe; it depends on how many veggies you use and then how you want the dressing to taste, but I'll give a general recipe.


Ingredients:
Salad:

• 1 large cucumber
• 1 can black olives
• 1 small red onion
• 3-4 medium tomatoes
• Feta cheese

Dressing:

• Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• Red wine vinegar
• Lemon juice
• Dried oregano
• Dried thyme
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Chop vegetables and toss into a large bowl.
2. To make dressing, combine about  1/3 cup EVOO, 1/3 cup red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1.5 tablespoons oregano, 1 teaspoon thyme, 0.5 teaspoon pepper, and a little bit of salt to taste. Mix these ingredients well in a separate bowl. Tweak dressing with these ingredients until it tastes perfect.
3. Pour over veggies, toss, and crumble on Feta cheese.

Variations:
To make this feel more like a "meal," we may add chicken and/or quinoa. Cut 2 chicken breasts into 1-inch pieces. Season with salt, pepper, and oregano, and cook in a pan with a little bit of EVOO until done. Add to salad. Another great ingredient to add, with or without the chicken, is quinoa. Add about 1 cup of cooked quinoa for more fiber and protein!

Week 11 Dinners and Low Grocery Bill

I had a very good day grocery shopping. Not only did my baby sleep through the entire trip, but I managed to get a week's worth of groceries--breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks for two adults and ingredients for homemade baby food--for only $45! No coupons, no overly-processed food that tends to be cheap. I also bought freezer bags and ingredients to make and can my own Apple Butter Barbeque Sauce, so my grand total came to $55 this week.

The greatest ways I saved money were by using up foods that I had previously bought in bulk. Two of my meals this week called for ground beef--unless it's a hamburger, I almost always substitute the healthier ground turkey for ground beef. I already had two pounds frozen in the freezer, so I did not need to buy it this time. I also had frozen red and yellow peppers from last week's stuffed peppers. I cut up and froze the tops of the peppers that I cut off to make the cups. No waste! I also bought butternut squash when it was on sale a few weeks ago; foods like squash and potatoes will stay good for many weeks (or months) if cleaned off and then kept in a dark, cool place. So when they're on sale, stock up! Finally, because the risotto and lasagna make so much food, we actually got a freebie day by eating their leftovers for dinner on day 4 and lunch on day 5. I could have frozen half of the risotto, but the flavors actually got better the next day and the day after!

Here's what's for dinner this week:

1. Greek salad
2. Butternut squash barley risotto
3. Zucchini lasagna
4. Leftovers! (risotto and lasagna)
5. Lemon and thyme stroganoff
6. Mushroom and spinach calzones
7. Roast chicken with balsamic peppers

Hello!

"Freedom From Want" by Norman Rockwell

What has happened to the family dinner? How have we lost the intimacy of sharing a home-cooked meal, around a table?

I think there's a crisis in our culture. Children are growing up eating meals in front of the TV or alone in their rooms, not with their families. People are eating out more than cooking at home. Young adults don't know how to cook meals. People are eating overly-processed foods for the sake of convenience. We've lost an art, like the nostalgic images found in a Norman Rockwell painting.

I'm determined to change that. Here in my domestic church, in my growing family, sharing a meal around a table will be a priority. We won't pick from a list of fast-food, take-out "restaurants" for dinner, but I will prepare our meals. I will plan my meals to save money at the grocery store and minimize waste from only buying what we need on a weekly basis.

I'm learning along the way. I hope this blog will inspire another family to slow down and make family time a priority. That together we can recognize that Christ gathers us together for a Heavenly Meal each time we gather together at Mass, and that our homes can reflect that intimate, family gathering on a smaller scale.

Let's learn to eat healthier. Let's eat whole foods rather than processed foods. I don't buy organic; I can't afford it. But you can eat healthy on a budget with a little planning. We are running a marathon at a steady pace, not sprinting and crashing; healthier lifestyles take time. You take it one step at a time, making little changes into habits and then a way of life.

Come and take this journey with me!