Weeks 5 and 6 Food - KC in the Kitchen

KC is nearly 17 and very capable in the kitchen.  The challenge for her is that the day is long, starts early, often requires things of her after school, and getting dinner on the table and lunches into bags is a tall order to fill.  This is the real world and she is no stranger to managing time and resources.  It isn't impossible, but it is hard to nourish and sustain a family meal after meal, day after day. 

KC had three additional challenges.  First, she had no farmers market or goods from the dairy to supplement with.  Second, she was working in the dark without a plan.  Before this challenge started, the other kids did all of their planning and shopping.  KC was otherwise engaged, so she wasn't part of that process.   She gets the final two weeks without the benefit of prep time. Finally, she had to finish up the No More Grocery Shopping challenge with me out of town.  And, she did it! Though, I did call a few times to remind her that having a meal at dinner time really was an essential part of the day.  KC is like me in that if left on our own we would be happy with popcorn and cold cereal for most meals.  She finished the 40 days of staying out of the store with pasta, curry, mac&cheese, rice&beans.  Pretty modest fair, but done with a little KC flair, no one complained.  

I think the best part of her two weeks in the kitchen came on day 41 when she could finally go to the grocery store again.  Surprisingly, the thing everyone was most anxious to have was fresh produce.  Though our final foods were nutritious and tasty, we really missed the crunch of fresh veggies when most of the meal came from long-term storage.  But, that is another essay altogether.  Here's what KC did.  

     

Day 29, Monday, November 3

Lunches - for 5

Mashed potatoes - 2lbs potatoes, cream, butter 

Corn bread 

Canned Pears 

Dinner - for 5

Hash-brown Waffle Hack

                      

Day 30, Tuesday, November 4

Dinner - for 5

Cheesy broccoli soup 

cornbread

Day 31, Wednesday, November 5

Lunch - for 6

Cornbread

Hummus 

Crackers

Dinner - for 5

Japanese Curry

Day 32, Thursday, November 6

Lunch - for 6

Pears

Pb&j

Dinner - for 6

Pizza

Day 33, Friday, November 7

Lunch - for 6

Pizza leftovers

Dinner - for 6

Egg on toast

Day 34, Saturday, November 8

Family lunch  Up north

Salads

Lasagna

Family dinner down south

Curry bar

Day 35, Sunday, November 9

Dinner at friends' house

An amazing spread that we contributed to with pasta, Alfredo sauce and homemade bread.

        

Week 6 Food - KC in the Kitchen

Day 36, Monday, November 10

Lunch - for 6

pb&j

Dinner - for 5

Japanese Curry leftovers

Day 37, Tuesday, November 11

All out for dinners

Kids at thanksgiving party

Mom at a wedding

Dad out of town

Day 38, Wednesday, November 12

Dad and Caleb out on a huge adventure

Dinner - for 2

Girls only - Mac and cheese

Day 39, Thursday, November 13

Fend For Yourself - mom and dad out of town

Kids on their own

Day 40, Friday, November 14

Mom out of town

Dinner - for 4

Beans 

Rice

Chips

Sour cream

Salsa

Day 41, Saturday, November 14

Mom still out of town

Grocery shopping again!

Sandwiches

Fruit

Salad

Day 42, Sunday, November 15 

Mom is not back yet!

Veggie burger fest

French Fries

Salad

Week 4 Food - Hannah at the Helm, Again

What we learned this week:  lunches are the hardest thing to get together for 6 hungry hard workers.  Leftovers are the boss!  Especially leftovers that don't need to be re-heated or messed with - just eat and get on with the day whether it is to run off to recess, head up the drama club, get back to work so you can clock out early, or to cleanup from a lunch time run.  No one wants a fussy lunch, but they also prefer not to have pb&j  everyday.  So, lunch is tricky. 

Also, for the ensuing weeks, I am not pricing out every single ingredient.  It is okay to do for a while, but now it is just making me tired.  Go back and look at weeks one thru three.  We eat similar things, just thrown together in different ways.  The point is, we didn't go to the store.  We stayed in budget.

Day 22, Monday, October 27

Lunches

Corn on the cob

Pears

Brownies

Dinner

Pasta

Sautéed Garlic Primavera

        

For a recipe, just look closely at the pick.  Boil a pound of pasta.  In a separate pan sauté a couple of cloves of minced garlic, some zucchini and tomatoes in 1/4 butter.  Pour it over your pasta when the noodles are al dente and drained.  Easy Peasy!

Late night snacks

Pb&j

Mac and cheese

Day 23, Tuesday, October 28

Lunches - for 6

Pb&j

Dinner - for 5

Baked Potatoes

Day 24, Wednesday, October 29

Lunches - for 6

Baked potatoes

                     

Dinner - for 6

Thai Coconut Curry Soup

2 tbsp canola oil - $0.05

2 tbs ginger, grated - $0.10

2 garlic cloves, minced $0.10

1/4 cup cilantro - $0.25

2 cups spinach - $1

2 cans coconut milk - $3

3 cups veggie broth - $1

1 cup cream - $1

2 tbs lime juice -$0.10

2 tbsp yellow curry powder - $0.10

1/2 lb baby carrots - $0.50

2 red or green chili peppers, diced tiny - $0.10

1 avocado, diced - $1

1/2 small red onion, diced - $0.10

3 cups rice - $0.25

Family Dinner Total - $8.65

Per Person Total - $1.44

1. Cook the rice.

2. Sauté ginger and garlic in oil

3. In a food processor or blender, combine cilantro, spinach and one chili pepper with one can of the coconut milk.  Blend it up and add it to the pan with the garlic and ginger.

4. Add remaining coconut milk along with cream, broth, lime juice, curry powder and carrots.  Bring soup to a boil over medium heat.  Cook until carrots are tender.

5. Serve hot over rice.  Top with peppers, avocado, and onion.

                             

Day 25, Thursday, October 30 

Lunch - for 5

Leftover curry soup

Whole grain dipping Crackers - $1.50

Pears - $2.50

Family Lunch Total - $4

Per Person Lunch Total - $0.80

Dinner - for 7

Butternut tikka masala

Seasoned rice

Veggies and babaganouj 

Day 26, Friday, October 31

Halloween Parties all day

Dinner - for 4

Homemade Burritos

Day 27, Saturday, November 1

DIY lunches and dinners from the pantry and freezer

Day 28, Sunday, November 2

Dinner - for 14

Mashed potatoes

Corn bread

Braised carrots and beans

Squash 

Cake

                         

3 in 1 Real Foods Recipes

Butternut Chickpea Tikka Masala

This is really three recipes in one.  Don't be afraid of the ingredients listed or the steps in the process.  Each recipe could be paired with lots of things, and two of the three could be enjoyed totally on their own.  All of them are inspired by fond memories of the wedding we celebrated for our son last year, our No More Grocery Shopping Experiment, and The 52 New Foods Challenge.

First, the wedding!  

A year ago, I'm sitting at the table with Brennan, our oldest child, and Marissa, his fiance.  Their wedding is less than two months away and it is time to get serious about the menu for the festivities. 

"We were thinking curry," she says.  Bren and Marissa are both vegetarian and Indian food is one of their favorite cuisines.

"Yeah, remember when we made a huge pot of Tikka Masala curry for the homeless kids?" Bren asks.  "We could just do something like that.  Right?"  

"Yeah," I laugh.  "Feeding the homeless and feeding a bunch of  wedding guests are pretty much the same thing."  But, I don't laugh too hard, because, with this thrifty pair and their' taste for delicious, inexpensive food, we really don't need to switch our culinary gears to get wedding-worthy results out of  homeless shelter fare.  I'm glad about that, and I know they are, too.

"The thing is, we only made one recipe for the homeless shelter.  What are you hoping to do for your wedding dinner?"

"Well, we have several kinds of curry we love.  I guess it would come down to what is cheapest and easiest to make," my daughter-in-law-to-be says.  She's a keeper.  No trace of BrideZilla here.

"Okay, what would you say are your very favorites?  Let's list them out and go from there."   We make a list of curries and other Indian cuisine.  Tikka Masala is at the top.  After weeks of experimenting we have a bride-and-groom approved recipe.  It was amazing, and many people left saying it was the best wedding food they had ever eaten.  This recipe is just part of what we did, it comes in three parts and it is worth replicating!

        

Garlic Ginger Jumble

20 cloves garlic, peeled

6 inches ginger root, peeled and chopped

3 tbsp coconut oil

Salt and pepper

      

1.  Peel all that garlic.  As an easy tip, break all the cloves away from the bulb and throw into a large bowl that has a tight lid.  Cover the bowl with the lid and shake vigorously for 30 seconds. The skins will slip right off.  It may take a minute or two of additional shaking,  but it's good exercise and way quicker than standing there peeling each clove.

      

2. Peel the ginger root and cut it into one inch pieces.  

3. Add the garlic and the ginger,  along with the oil, into a blender or food processor and grind to a paste or poultice.  

4. Saute up and use in curries, lentils and rice dishes.  Refrigerate for up to two weeks.

Second, The 52 New Foods Challenge

Hannah trying her hand at butternut squash and the 52 New Foods Challenge     

I love this book.  I hope you buy it, read it, practice its precepts and slowly convert your family to a renewed habit of conscious eating. You have 52 weeks to do it in, for crying out loud.  Jennifer Tyler Lee inspires me to look at old favorites in new ways (ever try Brussel Sprout Chips, for instance?) in fact, the garlic ginger jumble above came as a result of asking how other cultures use these familiar additions to their food.  A Pakistani friend you'll meet at the end of this post says that is a regular recipe in his kitchen. Now, it is a staple in mine as well. 

After reading the book, I should say I made a discovery, and it is this:  there are ways to prepare an old standby so it seems new.  Take butternut squash, for instance. Not usually my favorite of the squashes.  And, my kids don't like it either.  My husband, on the other hand, will eat it any way he can, but he usually falls back on soup or mashed butternut.  YUCK!  No offense butternut soup lovers of the world.  It might as well be pumpkin pie soup If you ask me.  Always too sweet and creamy to believe it should be a main player at the dinner table.  

However, the 52 New Foods Challenge inspired me to try something new with butternut. I wanted it to be so savory it could stand on its own or be a meat substitute in tacos, curries or pastas.  I wanted it to be something easy enough for an 11-year-old to make. I was honestly doubtful every step of the way until they came searing hot out of the sauté pan into the serving dish.  One taste and I knew we had hit on something we were going to look forward to in many meals to come.  Thanks, Jennifer.  Here is the recipe:

     

Curry Peppered Butternut Squash

2 cups butternut squash cooked and cubed

1 tsp chili pepper

1/2 tsp yellow curry 

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp salt

1. Cut Squash lengthwise, deseed, lay face down on a cooking sheet.  Cook for 30 minutes at 350*.  When it's finished peel squash, and cut it into one inch cubes.Toss cubed squash in a bag with spices, shake to coat well

2. Heat 3 tbsp olive oil or coconut oil in a medium sauté pan.

3. Sear squash in the pan with oil until all sides are browned

4. Set aside and try not to eat it all before you get the rest of your meal done.  Serve on top of rice, in curry, or on its own.

      

Finally, No More Grocery Shopping.  

We were 25 days in to our 40 day grocery store fast when we have Hedar, a friend of KC's, came over for dinner.  Hedar is a Pakistani exchange student.  Pakistanis love curry.  Hedar, homesick for food from his homeland, especially loves Tikka Masala.  When I realized he was coming on the day of my photo shoot of all these great recipes, I sort of panicked.  What if I didn't have a key ingredient? What if I couldn't get the curry just right with whatever I had on hand?  What if he hated the whole meal?  I confronted the first question with my Trusted Advisors - could I go to the store just to get a few items for this special meal for the photos, and for the Pakistani boy.  "No!" Was pretty much the resounding answer.  "You can barter for your missing ingredients."  I traded a whole meal in exchange for some yellow curry powder, ginger and coconut. The caramels I bought at the gas station for the dessert I made later were declared a cheat by every kid, my husband and my trusted advisers.  I thought the loophole was clear.

When our guest arrived, he could smell all the garlic, ginger and curry in the air.  "What did you make for dinner?" was his first enthusiastic question when he came in the door.

"Well, I made a bunch of stuff.  Syrian rice, Babaganouj, Hummus, and Tikka Masala."

"You made Tikka? I love Tikka!" He said, wonder and homesickness in his voice.  I was immediately intimidated by the prospect of having screwed it up.

"No! Actually, it is just a random curry sauce.  See this one over here?" I ask, lifting the lid of a different pan, trying to divert his attention from what may be a very disappointing version of his beloved dish.  "This is Syrian rice.  Have you ever had this?"

"Yes.  We have this.  But, why do you say this is not Tikka?" he asks, wondering if I know my own mind.

"Well, because, it probably isn't the tikka masala you know.  Maybe it's too American.  I have never fed this curry to a person who would really KNOW.  Here," I say taking the lid off of the curry pot, "see what you think."

Before I even hand him the spoon, he takes a big whiff of the steam coming off the curry.  He smiles broadly.  "THIS IS TIKKA!" he exclaims.  "I know it is!  I can smell this in the air.  I smell the masala spices."

He is so excited.  I hand him the spoon.  He tastes.  "TIKKA!" is all he says.

So, with bartering and bargaining, and no trips to the grocery store, I was able to pull of a very authentic dish.  Yay!

        

Butternut Chickpea Tikka Masala

1 onion, diced

2 tbsp garlic ginger jumble (recipe above)

1 hot chili, minced

2 cups veggie broth

3 potatoes diced

1 lb baby carrots whole

1 tbsp yellow curry

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp cumin

2 tsp paprika

1 Tbsp red pepper

2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp cinnamon

1  28oz can of petite diced tomatoes

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

1 cup cooked chickpeas

1 1/2 c cream

2 cups prepared butternut squash (recipe above) 

        

1.  Sauté onions and garlic ginger jumble and pepper in a large pan over medium-high heat. 

2. In a separate pan, potatoes and carrots in two cups of veggie broth.  When veggies are steamed but still firm, add them, along with the broth to the onions and garlic.  

3. Add spices and stir well.  Reduce heat to medium.  Add all additional ingredients.  

4. Simmer to a gentle bubble for 15 minutes.  Serve piping hot over rice.

30 Days Down

We've finished 30 days of our 40 day fast from the grocery store.  I have documented the 4th week of meals, Hannah's wrap up of being head chef in the kitchen, but I still have to price it all out, and that is very tedious.  There is no real plan for the next ten days, other than we are not going to the grocery store, or the farmers market, or the dairy.  Eileen was right.  I should have quit at 30. This is no-man's land! And, i am terrified!

      

So, for now, let me tell you where we stand as far as what we have on hand -

Fresh Produce: 

Cucumbers

1.5 lbs Carrots

2 Cabbage

5 Onions

8 Multi-colored peppers

One half of a precious little bunch of cilantro

Dairy:

1 and 1/2 gallon 2% milk

1 qt egg nog

4 lbs butter

10 slices provolone

8 slices Munster

2 cups mozzarella

1 lb fresh feta

1 cup cream

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

Misc.:

Juice

Coconut milk

Mustard

Mayo

Salad dressing

Jam

Freezer:

2 loaves bread

Bananas

Spinach

Broccoli

Cauliflower

Green beans

Edamame

Pantry/Storage:

Canned - milk, peaches, pears, tomatoes, black/white/kidney beans

Dry goods - rice, wheat, flour, sugar, legumes, barley

Veggie oil, vinegar, peanut butter

Cake/corn bread mixes

50 lbs of pasta

8 boxes Mac & Cheese

20 packs ramen noodles 

2 bags of tortilla chips

Popcorn

Dried apples and bananas

Some almonds and cashews, maybe 2 lbs total

5 lbs honey

Other Stuff:

Potatoes, herbs and peppers from the garden

1 spaghetti squash, a few butternut squash

Eggs from the henhouse

Fresh Garlic & Ginger

Tons of Spices

Actually, now that I look at the inventory, I am not afraid.  We are going to be just fine.  I think being low on milk and cheese, not really having much in the way of snacky food, and having less fresh produce than we're used to makes me feel insecure.  Salad is usually a staple around here. But, seriously! Look how much food there is to feed our family!

KC, 16, is in charge for this two weeks+.  I am leaving town for one week of her stewardship in the kitchen. She gets no budget and can't go to the store until Saturday, November 15.  She is on deck from Nov 3-18th.  she gets an extra day because i will be gone.  So, she's planning on her wits and creativity alone for the first twelve days of the fifteen days in her meal prepping duties.  

Here's what she has planned for dinners.  I don't have pricing, but you can see it is all pretty cheap stuff.

Whole wheat waffles with sour cream sauce

Brocolli cheese soup 

Veggie Curry and rice x 2

Pasta and veggies x 2

Roasted veggies and bread

Saag Shorba - spinach soup 

Pizza 

Navajo tacos

Rice and bean burritos

Yakisoba and edamame (stir-fried ramen with veggies)

That is her 12 meals of No More Grocery Shopping.  She is not afraid.  this is KC, and this is not her first rodeo!

                      

After our 40 day fast is up, on November 14, she gets to finish her shift with a trip to the store and three days of who-knows-what-treasures procured from our local market (surely milk and salad greens will be on the list.) 

Today, though, and for the next 10 days, we are roughing it,  using only what's currently in the refrigerator and pantry.  Since people joke about eating lots of ramen when they are on a budget,  let me share our favorite ramen recipe with you.

                          

Yakisoba - Stir-Fried Ramen for 6, Under $0.40/serving

8 packs ramen noodles, par boiled - $0.80

1 med onion, diced $0.30

2 cups carrots, diced $0.30

2 cups red cabbage, thinly sliced $0.30

2 tbsp canola oil - $0.10

3 tbsp soy sauce - $0.56

Fresh cilantro, sesame oil and siracha sauce as toppings, optional

$2.36

1. Open ramen packages, set flavor packets aside.  Bring large pot of water to a boil. 

2.  When water is boiling, add all the ramen together in the pot.  Par boil noodles until they are just cooked, but still a bit firm.  Drain, drizzle with oil to prevent noodles from clumping together.

3.  In a large frying pan or wok, sauté onions in oil over high heat.  As they are turning clear, add the carrots.  As carrots are beginning to soften, add the red cabbage and soy sauce, cook until all veggies are crisp but tender.  

4. Add noodles to sautéed veggies.  Stir in 5 of the 8 seasoning packets.  Serve hot with chili sauce, sesame oil or freshly sliced peppers and cilantro.

 

The 52 New Foods Challenge - A Challenge Within a Challenge

So, as of today, DAY 25, we are more than halfway through our No More Grocery Shopping challenge.  We've also taken the SNAP challenge to keep our food expenditures under $4.50 per person per day (as an average).  Honestly, staying out of the grocery store is by far the more difficult challenge when compared to coming in under budget.  But, since I am committed to both, and we are doing reasonably well, I thought it would be fun to get another plate spinning in this whole food challenge circus side show.

Enter the 52 New Foods Challenge!  Jennifer Tyler Lee, creator of this engaging game and  300+ page recourse guide and recipe book, is a writer, a foodie, and a mom committed to helping build strong, healthy families through fresh food experiments.  As you know, my blog is all about experiments, especially with food.  So, Jennifer's mission immediately resonated with  me.  The 52 New Foods Challenge is built around 7 Principles, all of which are easier said than done.  However, as a mom of four, myself, I know that's the case with most things that are worth pursuing and family related.  It takes commitment, creativity and connection to see a challenge through, and I know Jennifer Tyler Lee understands this, too.  She never claims a quick fix though this process.  Rather, she suggests a systematic, planned approach to introducing new foods and recipes to your family.  That said, let me share with you two of my favorite principles from her book, and how we've incorporated them in our family over the years of raising children.

The 52 New Foods Challenge           

Let Kids Lead

If you've followed this blog at all, you have seen the kids leading out. If you are new to this blog, you should know that they have they taken each meal for the last month from the planning stages to the table , including making all the purchases before we started this crazy 40 day fast from grocery shopping.  Through our experiments over the years, our kids have learned to do more with less, eat fresh on a dime, make a meal out of whatever is in the fridge even when you are exhausted at the end of a long day, and push the limits of their own creativity in the kitchen and in life.  

"Can we have breakfast for dinner a bunch of times during my turn?" our youngest child, Hannah, asks. 

"You can't do it a bunch of times because dad doesn't think breakfast for dinner is really a legitimate option, remember," responds her 16-year-old-sister, KC.  

"What's not legitimate about waffles?" Hannah asks.  The question actually inspires KC to go on a quest for hardy, not-your-regular-run-of-the-flour-mill waffle recipes.  She found some and made them.  They were legit.

They have also learned to tolerate frustration and failure to the point of trying again until they are happy with the results they get from a given recipe or experiment.  

"Mom, you made the curry without me?  it's my week and i suck at making curry.  i really wanted to make it." Caleb, 13 complains.

"Well, you were napping and i tried to wake you, but you just didn't get up.  So, I made it by myself.  I'm sorry.  And, how can you say you're not good at curry when poor, pregnant Aunt Katie tells me every time we talk about food how she craves that cilantro lime curry you made at her house this summer.  She dreams about it.  She loves it so much that even in restaurants she compares other curries to yours and they don't meet the standard."

"Well, she is pregnant," he replies, with a smirk.  "Anyway, that was Thai.  It wasn't as tricky as Indian curries, there are so many spices to keep track of, and I really wanted to learn the ones we did for Brennan's wedding."  Our other son got married last December.  We served Coconut Korma and Chickpea Tikka Masala, along with a lot of other highly seasoned menu items. 

"Fine, I'm making it again later this week to post on the blog.  If you are all caught up on school I'll keep you home for an hour so I can walk you through it."  He has straight A's for the first time in his life.  He mastered the Coconut Korma.

                                              

Cooking Together

While letting kids lead has gone a long way to teach our children new skills around meal prep, cooking, and budgeting, I have to say that the habit of  "Cooking Together" actually saved our family.  2 1/2 years ago, our oldest child, Brennan, became ill with what turned out to be chronic, recurrent mono.  Previously an avid eater and fan of all things foodie, he lost his appetite, lost 20% of his body mass, and lost his connection to most of the important things in his life - relationships, music, intellectual pursuits, food.  He was sick.  For a long time.  It was life-altering.  Still, throughout this trying time, we kept our habit of cooking together, entertaining a small crowd on Sundays, and planning food for special occasions .  I have to give him an immense amount of credit for his example to our family, because even though he rarely felt like it, he always participated in the kitchen as an effort, actually, as an act of hope, to one day reconnect with food and people and life as he knew it.  

During this time Brennan chose to become a vegetarian.  This gave our whole family an opportunity to learn new recipes and reimagine old favorites.  It also inspired us all to examine what we were eating more closely.   Since then, every kid in our house has chosen a vegetarian diet.  Caleb,  has also chosen to quit refined sugar. (I tell him, "that is a great choice," as i shudder at the thought of taking that on personally.) Here, I have to say, feeding a bunch of vegetarians is the easiest family challenge I have ever confronted.  My husband jokes about this because even though he still eats meat occasionally, he has always had more vegetation on his plate than anyone else, and hangs on to his "youthful figure" by consuming a colorful palette of fruits and vegetables.    Me, I pretty much only eat meat on my date night, always incorporate as much color as i can encourage into our various kid managed menus, and will always be trailing my husband as far as overall fitness goes.  

Wrap Up

So, here's what I've learned about family challenges: the bad news is, some of them you don't get to opt in and out of, and, sometimes they take a lot longer than you ever thought they would.  The good news is, when you have foundational practices in place, like letting kids lead, and things as everyday as planning and preparing meals as a family, or looking forward to Sunday dinner entertaining, you can pull through just about anything together.

And, now, for the Caleb's Coconut Korma, prominently featuring 52 New Foods Challenge Ingredients: Garlic and Cauliflower (so, the ingredients aren't new, but the final outcome is unique). 

Thanks, Dawni, for your beautiful photography.

         

Coconut Korma

2 Tbsp butter

1 medium onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups cauliflower florets 

1 cup veggie broth

1 1/2  tbsp curry powder

1 1/2 tbsp garam masala

2 1/2 tsp salt

2 cups chickpeas

1 15oz can chopped tomatoes

1 15oz (regular size) can coconut milk

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 c toasted cashews

1/2 c golden raisins

2 tsp chopped chilis of choice

cilantro and rice to serve

1.  Sauté onions and garlic in a large pan over medium-high heat.  

2. In a separate pan, steam cauliflower in one cup of veggie broth.  When cauliflower is steamed but still firm, add it, along with the broth to the onions and garlic.  

3. Add spices and stir well.  Reduce heat to medium.  Add all additional ingredients.  

4. Simmer to a gentle bubble for 15 minutes.  Serve piping hot over rice.

      

Coconut Lime Curry for a Pregnant Mama's Worry

                       

My sweet little sister is 9 months pregnant with her 3rd child.  She has been craving this curry since Caleb made it for her this summer as part of a Cousins Iron Chef competition we had at her house.  We were talking about it this morning, laughing about how she dreams of this recipe.  

"Oh, Katie, you went past your due date.   You need this curry!  You deserve this curry." I said.  "I will see if I can't find the recipe, or at least a list of ingredients for you." 

"Today?  Will you find it today?" she presses.  She is overdue, worried this baby is never going to come.  Or, that he may come while she is trick-or-treating with her toddler.  Actually, she's worried he's going to come at the perfect time.  It just is past time, already.

"I'll do my best." I assure her.

I have to admit, this commitment is a little shifty.  No one in our family - my mom, my sisters, my husband and kids - is good about keeping a record of what we throw into a pot of sauce.  And, it is unconscionable to give an over-due pregnant woman false hope about anything.  However, I seemed to remember that since it was a competition the kids had at least made a shopping list in a notebook somewhere.

School gets out, kids come home, notebooks are gathered.  Caleb has no record of the event.  Hannah, on the other hand, had written more than a list of ingredients.  She had the whole recipe and remembered the alterations they had made for their competition.  

So, as a good omen, an act of desperation on behalf of my beautiful sister, I send her this curry recipe - spicy, tangy, creamy, savory - in hopes that it does her some good in preparation for having that baby ANY TIME NOW!

                   

Thai Coconut Curry Soup - For 6

2 tbsp canola oil - $0.05

2 tbs ginger, grated - $0.10

2 garlic cloves, minced $0.10

1/4 cup cilantro - $0.25

2 cups spinach - $1

2 cans coconut milk - $3

3 cups veggie broth - $1

1 cup cream - $1

2 tbs lime juice -$0.10

2 tbsp yellow curry powder - $0.10

1/2 lb baby carrots - $0.50

2 red or green chili peppers, diced tiny - $0.10

1 avocado, diced - $1

1/2 small red onion, diced - $0.10

3 cups rice - $0.25

Family Dinner Total - $8.65

Per Person Total - $1.44

1. Cook the rice.

2. Sauté ginger and garlic in oil

3. In a food processor or blender, combine cilantro, spinach and one chili pepper with one can of the coconut milk.  Blend it up and add it to the pan with the garlic and ginger.

4. Add remaining coconut milk, cream, broth, lime juice, curry powder and carrots.  Bring soup to a boil over medium heat.  Cook until carrots are tender.

5. Server hot over rice.  Top with peppers, avocado, and onion.

                       

P.S.  This recipe, featuring Garlic and Avocado, among lots of other fresh ingredients, is a preview to my promo of the book The 52 New Foods Challenge, by Jennifer Tyler Lee.  You won't believe the great food she has inspired me to share.  Tune in tomorrow for another awesome curry recipe you won't want to miss.

Caleb with his soup and the 52 New Foods Challenge

Hannah at the Helm - 11 Year-Old Girl Feeds Her Family All Week

Three weeks of No Grocery Shopping recorded, and it is tedious but enlightening.  Like, we had 4 days with per person totals of $2 or less when all ingredients are counted.  With three meals a day (okay, we can't necessarily call hot chocolate, for breakfast, a meal) that is some CHEAP eating.  Also, if kids are home for a long weekend, like they were this week, or any weekend, for that matter, we may or may not have breakfast and skip straight to lunch.

On the flip side of the frugal coin, we had some weekend cheats of eating out, NOT grocery shopping.  But, because we were so good the rest of the week it didn't throw our goal off at all financially.  Also, this was the cheapest week so far, coming in $11 under our first week and $30 less than the second.  I have a hypothesis about why this is the case and it has to do with our favorite resident novice sous chef, Hannah, who is also a proficient baker.

                           

"Mom, I want to learn to make things besides cakes and treats.  I love potato soup and I want to do this risotto I saw on Pinterest."  Hannah is 11, and always full of elaborate plans.

"Potato soup is a great idea.  Risotto is pretty tough to make.  I haven't even mastered a good risotto yet." I tell her.  I'm the mom who is always trying to temper her plans.  I think when she grows up she may use the word "stifled."

"But, look, it uses ingredients we always work with. Rice, garlic, tomatoes, sage, basil.  It can't be too hard.  Let's try it."

"Okay, put it on the menu." 

That was two weeks ago, and all week she has been looking forward to making ever since.  Then, when the day came to make the risotto, she nearly backed out because we were short on time.  Not wanting to stifle her creativity in the name of expediency I encouraged her to try it anyway.  It was not our best endeavor.  It was also not our worst.  On the scale of making Top Ramen and Boeuf Bourguignon, it comes in somewhere toward the upper end near Molten Lava Cakes.  I'm sure that italian short-grain arborio rice makes a difference, but went multi-cultural and used Japanese short-grain instead.  Though everyone enjoyed the risotto just fine, I don't think Hannah or I would call it worth it. You have to stir it almost the whole time for 30 minutes.  Bag that.  Even Martha Stewart has a no-stir recipe, and we might just check that out next time.

                              

Having an 11 year old at the helm for dinner means lots of days look like this.

"Ugh, I am so exauhsted.  I had so much going on today, and I don't even know what I am going to do for dinner." Oh, wait.  That was me.  Here's Hannah:

"Mom, I have dance tomorrow. Do you think I will have enough time between school and dance to make my potato soup?" She asks.

"Yep, you will have just enough time, if you hurry with your homework."  She did it.

Another day, "Mom, I have art and dance today.  What is on my list that is super quick and easy to make.  I know I am going to be dying when I get home?" 

We decided on the frittata.  And, she was really tired.  But, she did it anyway and I think this is one of the best lessons she's learning, and teaching me: Sometimes, 90% of the meal time battle is won just by having in your mind what you are going to make for dinner. 

As a reminder, here is what we were striving for according to the SNAP Challenge: 

Goal 

7 Day Family Total = >$157.50

7 Day Per Person Total = >$31.50

Actuals

Week 3 Family Total - $121.36

Week 3 Per Person Total $21.18

Now, go see how we did it. 

Day 15 Monday, October 20

Lunches - kids home DIY for 4

Mac & cheese - $1

pb&j $0.70

leftovers 

Milk $1

Family Lunch Total - $2.70

Per Person Lunch Total - $0.67

Dinner - for 9, Grandpa's Bday

Frozen Ravioli - $3

Homemade Pasta Sauce - $2

Tomato salad: 4 tomatoes from the garden $0.40, basil from garden $0.10,  1/2 cup feta cheese $0.75, olive oil  $0.15 - $1.40

Homemade bread - $1

From scratch chocolate cake - $2

Family Dinner Total - $9.40

Per Person Dinner Total - $1.04

Day 15 Family Total - $12.10

Day 15 Per Person Total -   $1.71

                         

Day 16 Tuesday, October 21

Breakfast - for 5

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal - $1.20

Milk - $0.15x5 - $0.75

Family Breakfast Total - $1.95

Per Person Breakfast Total - $0.39

Lunch - for 6

Sliced Apples - $3

Homemade Bread & 3 tbsp butter - $1

Leftover Pasta Sauce 

Family Lunch Total - $4

Per Person Lunch Total - $0.67

Dinner - for 6

Potatoes Cheese Soup

1 large onion, diced - $0.25

3 cloves garlic, minced - $0.15

4 tbsp butter - $0.37

6 medium potatoes, diced - $0.40

4 medium carrots, diced - $0.50

4 cups veggie broth - $2

2 cups milk - $0.30

2 tbsp corn starch - $0.05

1 cup cream + a splash - $1

2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded - $2

1 tsp garlic powder - $0.05

2 tsp seasoning salt - $0.05

Homemade Whole wheat Tortilla Triangels - $0.15

Family Dinner Total - $7.27

Per Person Dinner Total - $1.21

Day 16 Family Total - $13.22

Day 16 Per Person Total - $2.27

                         

   

Day 17 Wednesday, October 22

Breakfast - for 4

Toast w/ butter and jam - $0.75

milk - $0.60

Family Breakfast Total - $1.35

Per Person Breakfast Total - $0.34

Lunch - for 6 

Potatoes - $0.40

Green Beans - $2

Applesauce - $0.50

Cupcake $0.55

Family Lunch Total - $3.45

Per Person Lunch Total - $0.57

Dinner - for 6

Macho Nachos

Chips - $2

2 cups Cheese - $2

2 cans beans $1

1 can rotel tomatoes $1

Homemade salsa - 6 med tomatoes $2, 1/2 bunch cilantro $0.30, 1/2 lrg onion $0.15, 1 spicy pepper $0.10 - $2.55

Family Dinner Total - $6.55

Per Person Dinner Total - $1.09

Day 17 Family Total - $11.35

Day 17 Per Person Total - $2

Day 18 Thursday, October 23

Breakfast - for 4

Milk/hot chocolate $0.15x3 = 0.45

Granola for 1 - $0.25

Family Breakfast Total - $0.70

Per Person Breakfast Total - $0.17

Lunch - for 6

Macho nachos revisited

All leftovers, all ingredients previously counted, except

1 cup cheese - $1

Family Lunch Total - $1

Per Person Lunch Total - $0.17

Dinner - for 5

Frittata

1 large onion, diced - $0.25

1/2 stick butter - $0.37

3 small tomatoes, diced - $1

2 potato hash-browns - $0.40

2 cups cauliflower florets, steamed - $1

9 eggs  - $0.90

1/2 cup shredded cheese - $0.50

Family Dinner Total - $4.42

Per Person Dinner Total - $0.88

Day 17 Family Total - $6.12

Day 17 Per Person Total - $1.22

Day 19 Friday, October 24

Breakfast - for 4

Toast w/ butter and jam - $0.75

milk - $0.60

Family Breakfast Total - $1.35

Per Person Breakfast Total - $0.34

Lunch - for 4

Mac & Cheese - $1

Family Lunch Total - $1

Per Person Lunch Total - $0.25

Dinner - Cheat!

Sandwiches for 6 from Jimmy Johns - 20.25

Family Dinner Total - $20.25

Per Person Dinner Total - $3.38

Day 19 Family Total - $22.60

Day 19 Per Person Total - $3.97

Day 20 Saturday, October 25

Breakfast - for 4

8 Eggs - $0.80

4 pieces of Toast - $0.40

Milk - $1

Family Breakfast Total - $2.20

Per Person Breakfast Total - $0.55

Lunch - for 7

Farmers Market Food

Korean Veggie Cup Bop - $11

Doughnuts $3

French Fries $6.50

Family Lunch Total - $20.50

Per Person Lunch Total - $2.92

Dinner - for 4

Date Night for 2 - pizza and dessert $13

Kids - Dinner for 2

Mac & Cheese $1, 1/2 lb Steamed Broccoli  $1, Ice Cream $1 - $3

Family Dinner Total - $16

Per Person Dinner Total - $4

Day 20 Family Total - $38.70

Day 20 Per Person Total - $7.47

Day 21 Sunday, October 26

Lunch - for 4

Ramen - 4 packs of ramen $0.40, 4 eggs $0.40

Family Lunch Total - $0.80

Per Person Lunch Total - $0.20

Dinner - for 8 with Great Grandma

Garlicky Herbed Risotto

1 large onion, diced - $0.25

4 cloves garlic, minced - $0.20

1/2 cup butter - $0.75

3 small tomatoes, diced - $1

3 cups rice $0.25

1 cup apple juice $0.20

5 cups veggie broth $1

Splash of cream - $0.20

2 tbsp basil, chopped - $0.10

2 tbsp sage, chopped -$0.20

1 cup mozzarella, shredded

Salt and pepper to taste

$4.15

                        

  

Spaghetti squash - free from the neighbor

4 cloves garlic, minced - $0.20

1/2 cup butter, melted - $0.75

Salt and pepper 

$0.95

                        

Butter Braised Garlic String Beans 

1 1/2 lbs green beans - $2

2 cloves garlic, minced - $0.10

4 tbsp butter - $0.37

Salt and pepper

$2.47

Super Easy Homemade Whole Wheat bread

3 cups warm water

1 Tablespoon dry yeast - $0.03

1 Tablespoon kosher salt - $0.02

6 1/2 cups whole wheat flour - $0.35

$0.40

Brownies from a mix - $1.50

Family Dinner Total - $9.47

Per Person Dinner Total - $1.18

Day 21 Family Total - $10.27

Day 21 Per Person Total - $1.38

Week 3 Family Sub-Total - $114.36

Week 3 Per Person Sub-Total - 20.02

Adjustments

So, I quit counting snacks because they are too hard to keep track of.  But, here is a list of snacks and additional groceries I know we went through this week that may not be accounted for in the previous listing.

Misc Additional Snack Items - for 5

1 bag choco chips - $1.67

1 bag tortilla chips - $2

1 batch homemade salsa - $2.55

1 gallon milk - $2.40

1 box Mac $ Cheese - $1

3 packs ramen - $0.30

6 eggs - $0.60

Family Misc. Total - $7

Per Person Misc. Total $1.16

Week 3 Family Total - $121.36

Week 3 Per Person Total $21.18

Final Reflections

I am making a pact with fresh cilantro now: I will never treat you badly again.  Also, fresh bread is great, but ready-to-go-store-bought-sandwhich-bread is REALLY nice to have around.  Butter, you are safe this week, but I have my eye on you.  So grateful for the dairy and the farmers market.  Salad is officially off the menu until the end of the experiment.  Lettuce can not be found in my house any more.