Meal Plan February 27, 2011

Welcome to the new meal plan where I identify some of the reasons behind our meal choices. Ingredients and Influences:

• time at home, almost no special events this week
• lasagna noodles in the pantry
• still more home canned tomatoes
• our chickens are producing more eggs
• my sister turns 29 on Wednesday. Happy birthday Sarah, we love you!

Monday - chickpea curry Tuesday - pad thai with eggs and green beans Wednesday - dinner out with Dad (we ended up hosting last week) Thursday - eggs in the hole for breakfast, roasted chicken and root vegetables Friday - spinach lasagna Saturday - fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green veg, homemade applesauce, birthday cake for Sarah! Sunday - dinner at Alex's parents

I'm playing with posting this on Sunday night or Monday. When do you do your weekly meal planning?

Meal Plan February 21, 2011

The formidable Joan Dye Gussow finished the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA) conference with a speech that included a personal history of the food movement and rabble rousing call to action. "We are well overdue in this country for a revolution!" she incited. I happen to agree though I am not the revolutionary type. I prefer to work at the ground level, tending my small plot of land, eating food from reliable sources, and making sustainability a priority in my life. Hopefully I can inspire others to make similar small changes that can rock the world though my workshops and writing.

Other words in Gussow's speech, about eating seasonally and what that looks like, spurned me to make changes this weekly Meal Plan. From now on, I will share with you some of the inspiration and ingredients that drive the meal plan.

It isn't just about putting food on the table, after all. Meal planning for local sustainable eating calls for using seasonal ingredients, eating from pantry stores, exciting the palate with new recipes and paying attention to the weather. I will try to share bits and pieces of those thins that influence our meals.

Inspiration and Ingredients:

• President's Day Monday
• Overabundance of pantry tomato sauces
• Fresh sausage made at OEFFA workshop in the fridge
• Snowville whipping cream in the house
• Several aging oranges in the fruit bowl (We buy Florida citrus this time of year, as local as one can get for citrus)
• Moderately cold weather with snow possible Tuesday, rain possible Thursday
• One conference presentation, one cooking class, and one Broadway show at week's end

Meal Plan:

Monday - I'll make hoecakes for breakfast, the preferred meal of George Washington and other early presidents. Thomas Jefferson is reported to be one of the first to grow an embrace the growing of the tomato, a fruit many other gardeners considered toxic. In his honor on President's day, we will have tomato bisque and muffins or biscuits.

Tuesday - Toad in the hole using homemade sausage, cranberry orange sauce

Wednesday - Lentil chili and cornbread for family with a side of chorizo for the charcuterie fans

Thursday - Roast chicken and root vegetables for friends

Friday - Chicken and bean burritos with rice

Saturday - Speaking at Beyond Social 101, spaghetti and tomato sauce before Madagascar Live! (Only 12 hours left to enter my contest for four tickets!)

Sunday - Teaching Family Style Soups at Franklin Park Conservatory, Alex will make something for family dinner hosted here

PS. If you missed my interview with Joan Dye Gussow, you might want to click the link. She reveals a trick to longevity and fascinating information about growing sweet potatoes.

Meal Plan Sunday February 13, 2010

I am teaching a private cooking class, preparing to present at the OEFFA and Beyond Social conferences, celebrating Valentine's day, and hosting three giveaways on the blog this week. We're planning quick and simple meals to complement all the special events. Sunday - dinner with family, bringing vegetables and cranberry applesauce compote

Monday - Afternoon tea of crackers, cheeses, cornichons, special dessert; later, Alex and I will share carryout taco truck treats for a Valentine's dinner in.

Tuesday - mushroom strogannof over homemade egg noodlees

Wednesday - dinner at a restaurant with Dad

Thursday -baked macaroni and cheese with friends

Friday - grilled fish, vegetables, and rice

Saturday - OEFFA conference

Sunday - OEFFA conference

Don't forget about the Beyond Social 101 Ticket giveaway! It ends tomorrow (Monday) night at 8 pm.

Meal Plan February 7, 2011

Ah, it feels good to be back together. This weekend was bustling with foodie tasks: Alex stuffed cured pork chunks into beef middles and hung them to dry for coppa, Rachel rinsed and readied pork belly for bacon makin', the whole family helped friends kill and eat a backyard chicken, and we made Lean Green Bean's homemade soft pretzels and beer cheese sauce for a Superbowl dinner.

We're looking forward to more cooking and eating this week.

Monday - Soba peanut noodle salad with green beans and Not Your Mother's Casseroles baked tofu

Tuesday - Goat roast with mashed potatoes and clementines

Wednesday - Homemade sausages and braised cabbage

Thursday - First Date Night of 2011!! Appetizers at Mouton, Pecha Kucha at Columbus Art Museum, Cocktails at Jury Room

Friday - Goat shepherd's pie

Saturday - Corn chowder from the freezer

Sunday - Family dinner

Pantry Month Final Update

Yesterday ended the Pantry Month challenge. I gave my family $100 to buy groceries for the entire month, supplementing with what we had on hand in our chest freezer and pantry. Here's the final report: Accounting

After week one, when I ended up having sinus surgery, we eliminated the idea of including restaurant food from the $100 total. We spent $25.95 on milk, kefir, and tea.

In week two, we bought $36.68 of yogurt, milk and produce.

By the January 19 report, we spent another $20.92 at the other whole foods on bananas, kale, cheese and milk.

In the final week of January, pantry month went to hell in a hand basket. I contracted tonsillitis and could barely eat which you would think might limit grocery purchases. Instead, Alex threw the budget aside and bought a selection of things I might be able to enjoy: ice cream, bananas, kefir, yogurt, and honey, that ancient throat healer. I was too ill to keep track of purchases.

Our Mint software shows an unaccounted for $143.06 spent at grocery stores in January. I'm not sure what of that qualifies for the pantry month count. I do know that beer and wine are restocked but unconsumed, which I suppose we could count as Alex's reward for taking care of me so well. I know he intentionally over-bought on his last grocery run because the ice storm was forecast and he was heading out of town.

Conclusions

• I do think we could have managed to stay under the self-imposed $100 limit if I had not gotten ill. We are fortunate to have had the savings from the rest of the month to spend. I now feel more empathetic to families with a tighter budget who face health challenges.
• $100 is not enough for our family. Snowville milk alone cost $26.32. We would need to drastically change our eating habits and values to regularly eat with $100/month.
• We did not consume nearly the amount of odds and ends in the pantry that I had hoped. There are still many little jars of lentils and beans and quinoa. Some are at least two years old and perhaps I should just sprout them and feed them to the chickens.
• We noticed how many 'treats' we buy at the store regularly, based on how many things we had to deny ourselves in January. We will try to curb these because they were not missed once we left of the store.
• We didn't eat a great variety of vegetables and fruits. They are expensive, so I limited us to high nutritional value items like citrus, bananas, and kale. We did have some frozen vegetables in the freezer at the beginning of the month and used most of those. I found it boring to cook without fresh veggies.
• This challenge would be easier in the summer when fresh produce and eggs are mere steps away. Perhaps I will try a pantry month again in August or September with a more realistic budget.

I know a few people commented that they were going to try a grocery challenge with their families. How was your January?

Bloggers Amanda from Homestead in My Heart and Sally from Real Mom Nutrition shared that they are taking up a pantry challenge for February. I look forward to reading about their experience.

Added to Hearth and Soul Volume 33.

Meal Plan January 24, 2011

It is really hard to write this menu because I am suffering from acute tonsillitis that makes swallowing food and drink painful. Hopefully the antibiotics prescribed by my doctor will start working soon and allow me to enjoy this week's meals. Monday - spaghetti with homemade meatballs, salad

Tuesday - toad in the hole with homemade sausage, peas

Wednesday - cornbread crust veggie pot pie

Thursday - homemade pizza

Friday - fish, quinoa, green beans

Saturday - dinner with Ohio 4-H International County Coordinator Team

Sunday - hosting Alex's parents - french onion soup with swiss cheese croutons, cranberry sauce

Pantry Month Update

When I gave our family the challenge of eating what we had in our pantry, freezer, and larder with only $100 for fresh groceries, I pulled that number out of a hat.  A very shallow hat, it turns out.

I initially thought we might be able to count restaurant expenses from the benjamin, but in the wake of sinus surgery we relied on take out and busted the budget in two quick days. I'm changing the rules (they are my rules after all) and only counting grocery and beverage purchases for home consumption, also discounting purchases for cooking classes.

Current Report

In the first week, I spent $17.95 on milk and kefir and $8 on tea. We visited Whole Foods with me under the influence of pain pills and purchase $36.68 of yogurt, milk and produce. Yesterday, we spent $20.92 at the other whole foods on bananas, kale, cheese and milk. Grand total thus far: $83.55 Less than $20 for the next 12 days...

This is becoming a real challenge.

Going Without

There were pomellos at the grocery yesterday. Lil was very interested in them. Never having eaten one myself, I wanted so badly to buy the very large green skinned fruit and try it. But at $3.99 each, they were too expensive for our budget. In a normal month I would have bought one without a thought.

The rice Lil likes is almost gone as is our dry pasta. Lil is a carboholic and a picky one at that, so she may be sorely disappointed in the final week's menu.

I have no more red wine and am almost through the last bottle of white. I ordered more with a Groupon credit (I figure credits paid before January don't have to count towards the budget) which may or may not get here before the end of the month. The liquor cabinet remains well stocked to fulfill my drinking needs.

We have no more honey. I usually buy it in the lowest-cost-per-volume half gallon quantity but that would eat up nearly our entire remaining cash. I'm not sure yet whether we will continue to do without or buy a small bottle in the interim.

Can We Make It?

I remain confident that we will finish January spending no more than the remaining $16.45.  I am also confident we will go to the grocery bright and early on February 1 and buy some outrageous interesting food.  I am willing to wager that our receipt for that trip will be over $100...

Is anyone playing along?  How's it going?  If you are more experienced at budgeting, how much do you allow for groceries each month?

MLK Meal Plan: January 17, 2011

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." - Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Alex and I chatted with Lillian about the work of Martin Luther King today.  She has yet to notice race independently but we are quick to talk about differences in people's bodies (skin color, weight, etc.) as something natural and normal.  We are fortunate to have a wide variety of friends that demonstrate how skin color makes no difference in how families and friends love each other.

We read one of my favorite books for kids about Dr. King, My Brother Martin, by Christine King Farris.  Through the magic of youtube, we pulled up a video of the 1963 I Have A Dream speech and a lovely protest song, If You Miss Me From The Back of the Bus.  I feel fortunate to raise my child in a world where racial equality is a protected right.

Weekly Meal Plan

I'm going to write about the Pantry Month in another post soon.  We're eating well this week but saying no to so many things at the grocery store was hard today!

Monday - bison, potato, carrot stew

Tuesday - kale and dragon tongue bean soup, pumpkin cake or muffins

Wednesday - homemade chorizo tacos, refried beans, salad for Rachel's family

Thursday - pasta baked with veggies and mozzarella for friends

This weekend, my parents are treating the family to a weekend at Stahl's Farm Vacation in Bladensburg, Ohio.  We are sharing meal duties, with Alex and I assigned to Saturday dinner.

Friday -  Mom and Dad

Saturday - Pork tamales, chips and guacamole, black beans, and rice

Sunday - french onion soup and salad for Alex's parents