We had such a fun weekend as a family touring the Vancouver, WA farmer’s market! What a beautiful weekend it was and everyone was out getting fresh fruit and vegetables.
Daddy & Karis playing in the water! Don’t you just love naked babies in their cloth diapers!
We also enjoyed the recycled product event that was taking place as well. There were multiple booths filled with creative reusing and recycling of products. Here are a few of our favorites:
A recycled washer machine bin attached to a old chair base – transformed into a camp stove/grill!
Make your own re-usable shopping bag! Grab an old tank top and sew the bottom up! Ta da!
I absolutely love curry! Every time I make it I think back to many a lunch with my piano teacher at the Indian restaraunt close to her home. During those long extended practice seasons leading up to big performances or examinations, she would delight in taking us to this Indian cuisine for a break. So many wonderful memories…which has inspired my family to love Indian food!
I think I will always be perfecting this recipe, but here it goes for your enjoyment as promised! This dish can be made very easily with very little meat and have lots of flavor still! The key: fresh ginger & garlic, and lots of it! Serve over brown rice or alongside Indian naan (Indian flat bread). Naan can be made at home or is available at Middle Eastern stores or Trader Joes.
Chicken Curry
Makes 6-8 servings
This recipe extends for several meals at our home! It is very freezable as well! Serve a smaller portion, balanced with vegis and rice and/or naan and it will stretch quite a bit!
2-4 Chicken thighs, cut into chunks (depending on how much meat you would like!)
2 Tbsp whole wheat flour
1 Tbsp curry powder
4 Tbsp ginger, fresh and finely chopped
4-6 garlic cloves, fresh and finely chopped (start with four and add more as needed)
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 green apple, chopped
3 Tbsp curry powder
6 or more Tbsp whole wheat flour
1 Tbsp sea salt (lower this amount to 1-2 tsp if you are using canned chicken broth)
1 Tbsp rapadura or other natural sweetener
2 1/2 cups (or approx. 1 1/2 -15 oz cans) chicken broth
2 1/2 cans (14 oz) coconut milk
Optional additions: sweet potato, zucchini, carrots (I usually add one of each of these to our curry with delicious results!)
Combine chicken, 2 Tbsp of flour & 1 Tbsp of curry powder in a Ziploc or bowl to coat. Fry lightly in oil (preferably coconut oil) in a frying pan for just a few minutes until cooked. Set aside.
Combine fresh garlic, ginger, onion, apple, curry powder, flour, sweetener and salt in frying pan (add optional veggies at this time as well). Allow to fry under medium heat to mold the ingredients together (around 10 minutes), until onions are transparent, heated completely through. Add liquids – chicken broth & coconut milk, and stir frequently until heated through and thickened. Add more flour to thicken as needed. Add breaded chicken.
This was my frugal & nutritious meal for the week!
For the Freezer:
This recipe freezes remarkably well. You have two options.
1. Layer a greased pan with cooked brown rice and then top with the cooked curry sauce. Cover and freeze. When ready to serve, thaw, and reheat at a low temperature.
2. Wait to prepare your brown rice till the day you desire to serve this and simply freeze the curry sauce in a container. Glass canning jars work very well. Give plenty of expanding room and make sure it is completely cooled before freezing. When ready to serve, thaw the sauce, and then prepare your rice and reheat your sauce.
The average American eats an overabundance of sodium each day! It is the preservative in all the processed and packaged foods you may purchase at the store. Its nicely hidden in condiments, dressings, prepared meats, canned foods, and the like. Studies have shown that high sodium diets can lead to high blood pressure, heart and kidney diseases, and diabetes.
That being said, Lori Lipinski, a Certified Nutritional Consultant, shares in her article, The Kitchen Transition: “We have been told for years to avoid salt, but following this advice can lead to even more problems. We are all salty on the inside–our blood, sweat, tears, and even our urine–it’s all salty. It’s important to replenish the salt in our body, using the right salt is what makes all the difference in the world”
Sally Fallon in her book, Nourishing Traditions, says “A 1930′s study found that salt deficiency led to loss of taste sensations, cramps, weakness, lassitude and severe cardiorespiratory distress on exertion…Salt provides not only sodium but also chloride, needed for the manufacture of hydrochloric acid, proper functioning of the brain and nervous system and for many other processes.”
I have been wanting to begin posting my menus again for several weeks now, but have not achieved it yet. It helps keep me accountable to compile and print it out each week. Here we go again! I love getting inspiration from others eating nutritionally on a budget (which has been my pursuit) so therefore, I thought I would return the favor, if it is any help at all!
This week is my final week of the month before my monthly grocery shopping trip, so I am pretty low on most items, and will be using what I have! I am low on all my fruit (so smoothies and applesauce this week!), but I wanted to try an experiment of making my budget stretch even more by not taking another trip to the store. I will sharing more this week on simplifying menu planning in continuation of my simplifying series on Wednesday.
Michele at Frugal Granola inspired me awhile back to start including preparation steps in my menu planning. These have been so helpful to remind me of any soaking that needs to take place, or for any things that need to be taken out of the freezer. Thanks Michele!
Monday
Sunday evening prep: soak kidney beans (for taco salad) & navy beans (for baked beans)
Monday morning prep: soak oatmeal & black beans for Tuesday, cook navy beans
Breakfast: Pancakes -the hubby’s favorite, topped with peanut butter & maple syrup!
Leftovers
I am excited to share my chicken curry dish later on this week…I have been experimenting with it and it is very authentic tasting (thanks to my sister Christa’s inspiration and tips!). It is actually very frugal as well!
A reader recommended this tonic for hay fever/allergies awhile back after my request for natural remedies. I tried the honey alone without too much success. With the sun coming out this past weekend, we were hit with allergies pretty hard, and this little recipe came to the rescue!
1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Tbsp Honey
8 oz water
Take 2-3 times per day. Once in the morning and once in the evening seems to be working pretty well for us! We formally have used smaller quantities for a daily immune boaster and for all the other wonderful benefits of ACV, but now I am seeing it as greatly beneficial for allergies!
Nettles: Nettles is also a great herb for allergy relief. If you suffer from pollen related allergies, treat yourself to a cup of Nettle tea a few times a day during allergy season. For added benefit, use local honey to sweeten the tea…the natural pollens from the local flowers – via the bees – will build up your tolerance levels for pollens in your area. This must be done preventatively, however, not to provide immediate relief.
I have always loved tea parties! Growing up I collected all sorts of elegant tea cups, tea pots, and the like (from Goodwill, garage sales, gifts, etc). We hosted many a Mother’s Day (to honor mother’s in our church) and Christmas teas (neighborhood gatherings) growing up, and it was such a delight to bless other women in our home in this way. Continuing on in this tradition, I invited a few ladies over for a tea luncheon this past Saturday.
We had such a refreshing time of fellowship and encouragement together around the Lord. I invited everyone to come prepared to share how the Lord has been working in their lives. It could be insight from a book, or sermon, or simply whatever the Lord laid on their hearts. I was so greatly challenged as we discussed the importance of the Word and daily communion with the Lord to walk out our roles of wives and mothers.
Why not host a little tea or simple luncheon this summer and encourage your sisters in the Lord? You can honor mothers in this way, or reach out to neighbor ladies as well. Draw your attention to the Lord and it will be very fruitful. Older woman, seek to encourage the younger woman (thanks Mama Edmonds for your presence and godly wisdom!). Let’s seek to be purposeful in our plans this summer! (More encouragement on this topic lately from Girltalk).
Who would have thought homemade yogurt could be so easy and yet so yummy! Making homemade yogurt is not only frugal, but you get to control all that is added to your final product. Unfortunately, most store bought yogurts are loaded with sugar and preservatives.
This is a scrumptious main dish salad and a favorite for any warm evening! It is our frugal and nutritious meal for the week!
Chicken thighs, cut into strips (we used 1 thigh for our family!)
Avocados, sliced
Black beans, heated
Corn, heated
Salad Greens
Green onions, chopped
Cilantro, fresh and chopped or dried
Olives, chopped
Tomatoes, chopped
Mozzarella or Sharp cheddar, grated
Dress with Ranch dressing or salsa
Tortilla chips, on the side, optional
Barbecue chicken strips and toss with seasonings of your choice (i.e. Savory seasoning). Top your greens with all other toppings and enjoy!
Here we are again with more about other healthy and nutritious oils to enjoy in your cooking! Much of this information is provided through research as I personally have not experimented with many of them. I love my olive oil and coconut oil, what can I say? But after researching these oils and learning their value, I may start exploring more in this world of good oils some more!
These are by far the best muffins in the world! I am serious…these are my all time favorite muffins! You can use fresh or frozen bananas, just thaw and mash up!
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (whole wheat pastry/soft spring wheat is the best!)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 bananas, mashed
3/4 cup rapadura or sucanat (natural sweeteners)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup butter or coconut oil, melted – or replace with half applesauce, as desired
Topping, optional:
2 Tbsp whole wheat flour
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup rapadura, optional
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease 12 muffin cups.
In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling 3/4 full (Definitely fill all 12, otherwise they will overflow).
Optional: In a small bowl, mix together 1/4 cup rapadura, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins. I normally just sprinkle with cinnamon and a little rapadura.
Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.
Blueberry Variation: Replace bananas with 1 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries and 3/4 cup applesauce. Yum!
You can use fresh or frozen bananas, just thaw and mash up!
