A Peek into my Pantry

This post has been some time in the making.  I am doing it because the number one questioned asked me at playdates, and group things is "so what do you cook?"... this is usually in response to a few things 1) our food budget, 2) the fact we don't consume meat (we aren't vegitarian... we do eat meat, we just do it is small quantities.... ex. a 5 lbs chub of hamburger can last us all year), 3) or I mention I buy no prepackaged snacks or food items (nothing readily snackable like crackers, fruitsnacks, or cereal)

So...  when I am asked this question, I tend to rack my brain, and eventually come up empty handed... which is silly, because I cook nonstop.  Sometimes I feel like I am glued to my kitchen.  And we do eat very healthy... I'm kind of picky about how I want to raise my kids.  And my kids are excellent eaters.  So I know you are dying to ask "So WHAT do you cook???"  Well after keeping track of it for a while, I did come up with the things my family eats the most of... and I am going to break it down into Breakfast, Snacks, Lunch, and Dinners.

And if I feel so inclined, I may add recipes.  We will see.  So lets get this post started shall we?

Ok, so these are my food guidelines that rule our household:

1) Recipes must be healthy - I substitute lots of ingredients.... applesauce for oil, honey for sugar, whole wheat for white wheat, plain yogurt for sour cream, etc.

2) Recipes are usually meat free, with the exception of fish!  We do eat fish.  And when company comes over, we do have chicken usually (just to avoid weird stares and excessive questioning : )

3) I prefer recipes that help me rotate my food storage.  I use my food storage at lease once a day, but usually 3 times a day.  I know, I know you are thinking I'm insane, but my food storage is all readily available in my pantry, and I do use everything!

4) To make sure we get adequate amounts of protein, we do consume lots of beans, mushrooms, eggs, cottage cheese, and other non-meat proteins.

5) But last, and most importantly, it must be tasty, and kids must like it!

Breakfast

• Eggs and Toast  (scrambled with cottage cheese then cooked is a fav, and so is over easy)
• Apple Pancakes (whole wheat, buttermilk cakes with apples diced up inside, served w/ applesauce on top)
• Malt o Meal (hot wheat cereal, made with milk not water! then we eat it like grits: buttered and salted)  Served with fruit.
• Florentine Scramble (eggs with spinach, mushrooms, and roma tomatoes)
• Bagels and Yogurt served with a fruit smoothie
• Home made granola (served with milk like cereal, or with fruit and yogurt as a parfait) 
• Huevos Rancheros (2 corn tortillas topped with over easy egg, and fresh made salsa, and cheese)
• Breakfast burritos (eggs, bacon, potatoes. This is rare since I only buy bacon once in a while..)
• Oatmeal (usually mixed with something... pumpkin, yogurt, or applesauce are some favs)
• Skillets (Eggs, different colored bell peppers, sliced onions, potatoes, topped with cheese)

So mainly breakfast is eggs! eggs! and more eggs! A protein packed breakfast leaves us much fuller and jump starts our metabolism for the day.  Cereal breakfasts (which happen every couple of months when I cave into the sugary cereal craving) usually leave the kids and I hungry an hour later, and very grumpy.

Snacks

• Any veggie with ranch dip (ranch dip is homemade with ranch packet and plain yogurt... if you do this splurge for the Greek Yogurt that is thick and full flavored with lots of live active cultures and probiotics!  Greek yogurt has a deeper more sour cream like flavor and texture... others can be too runny and sour.)
• Boiled eggs
• Any fruit (sometimes we use vanilla yogurt or plain yogurt with honey as a dip)
• Granola
• Muffins (usually chock full of veggie puree, or fruit bits, as well as flax seed, and whole wheat flour)
• Black Olives 
• Homemade Popsicle (using fruit juices or fruit puree)
• Sweetened Cooked Rice topped with Mango or Peaches (recipe for rice is from church cannery website, and is super! Especially when you sub out the water and add coconut milk instead!)

Snacks are basic.  But if I'm not careful, sometimes we have to scrounge... and that is awful. So I try to have  things pre-made and on hand before I hear "Mommy, can we have a snack?"

Lunch

• Peanut butter, Banana, and Honey Sandwiches
• Tuna salad sandwiches
• Ham and Cheese Sandwiches  (with lots of veggies on top)
• Quesadillas
• Bean and Cheese Burritos
• Egg Salad Sandwiches
• Salads with lots of veggies (topped with tuna sometimes)
• Left overs from night before
• Raita (plain yogurt, cucumber, tomato, onion, lemon, salt and pepper)

Usually lunch is served with cottage cheese, pickles, fruit, raw veggies, or yogurt.  It changes up.  My kids really love raita as a side with their lunch.

Dinner

• Spinach Lasagna (made with cottage cheese so it is cheaper and occasionally I add mushrooms)
• Cuban Rice and Beans (Black beans with tomato, bell pepper, onion, garlic, oregano, and 3 slices of bacon crumbled up, served over white rice... really scrumptious! On of Jesse's favs)
• Homemade Mac N Cheese (usually I make the cheese sauce and add cauliflower puree to it or cubes of butternut squash.  Served with veggie or fruit)
• Butter Garlic Fish (usually Swai because it is cheap and good, served with broccoli and brown rice)
• Potato Tacos (if you have never had these, come for dinner!  It is no fail fabulous dish.  Served with sliced cabbage, tomatoes, cheese, avacado, green onion, cilantro, and just a touch of mayo spread over each rolled taco to keep the fixins on) I make a cilantro lime rice with it, and refried beans. 
• Veggie Dippers (Shredded veggies: potatoes, zucchini, carrots, onion, broccoli, cauliflower, mixed with flour and egg to create patties you then stick on a hot griddle sprayed with pam.Serve with a marinara sauce like Preggo or Ragu).
• Vegetarian Chile
•  Stir Fry (either add mushrooms or pineapple instead of meat. Serve over rice)
• Cabbage Stew (with tons of other veggies: tomato, potato, celery, carrot, onion...squash, you name it,  I've added it!  Sometimes I even put barley in there too : )
• Eggplant Parmesan
• Veggie Pizza (occasionally I buy pepperoni, but usually I sub eggplant or mushroom for meat.  I also chop up all kinds of veggies to put on it: Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Bell pepper, onion, mushroom, eggplant, olives, etc.  Chop very fine and cover with cheese... your kids will eat it!  
• Black beans and rice, served with Raita over the top
• Black bean and Tomatillo Enchiladas (super healthy, light and delicious tasting, served with plain yogurt rather than sour cream)
• Lingini and Clam Sauce (great seafood dish that doesn't taste sea foody!  Lemmony and delish! I serve it with a fresh tomato brushetta, and asparagus)

Dinners are usually a lot of prep. An hour is what I usually put into dinner.  If I serve bread with dinner, it is usually homemade biscuits, french bread, or my normal wheat flaxseed bread that I make for everyday eating at breakfast and lunch.  I don't always have time to make my own bread.  Currently it is about 50 % of the time.  

Now keep in mind that these are some of the things we eat... there is lots more, and lots of variations on the things listed. It really depends what produce is in season.  If it is in season it is cheaper, hence we eat more of it... so our menu is very cyclical, and follows the harvest for all four seasons.  And most of these recipes can incorporate my food storage!  Which I do regularly.  It saves money, although it doesn't save time... unless you are ultra prepared... if I forget to soak the beans, sometimes we end up with grilled cheese for dinner :)  

I hope this was helpful to those of you who have asked me in the past and gotten a lame answer.  I can't seem to think of things off hand!  And for all you out there who want to eat healthier... do it!  

Also, to answer the meat question that is lingering in your mind......

It all started in college.  We couldn't afford it.  So I didn't buy it.  I learned to cook without it.  Now that we can afford it, I choose not to.  It is an expensive waste of money.  We feel better without it, and our bodies tend to get out of whack when we do eat it elsewhere away from home.  No doubt you can't beat the flavor of a good steak... mouthwatering... but some fast facts about meat:

1) Your body doesn't actually have the capacity to digest red meat, it rots in your gut for about 2-6 weeks before passing, causing gas, bloating, and other unwanted side affects. (I actaully learned this in one of my animal science classes at the U of A... where I was getting a degree to go into the industry that sells all you consumers red meat! Ironic... I thought so!)

2)  Eating meat has been linked to causing ALL the types of cancer.

3)  The word of Wisdom says eat meat sparingly and in times of famine (which currently my family is not in : )

4) Most commercially raised beef is given growth hormones and antibiotics, and these residues are found in the meat you consume every day.  (Unfortunately I saw a lot of stuff in the industry that turned me against supporting the way our food gets to our table, especially animal products... And while not everyone is willing to pay for the more expensive alternative, and farmers are driven to produce this way to earn a living... it would be lovely if more people stood up for environmental, and animal friendly growing practices.)  

Ok, meat soapbox over.... enjoy your dinner!

P.S.  If any of you want any of my recipes... just holler, I can email them, or post them.