Meal Plan Monday!

This week is the busiest, most stressful, and most FUN week of the year for me at work.  In case you didn't know, I am a dance teacher.  I also help run the studio of a few hundred students.  This week is our dress rehearsal and recital week, and I will be on my feet at the theatre and running errands all day every day from Monday-Sunday.  WHEW!  To make it through, I pack TONS of snacks.  There usually is not time for proper meals, but when the snacks are packed well, I rarely get hungry. 

Some of the things to cook/ prep for the week:

Mac n Cheese n Peas

Wilted Kale Leaves Salad (using this recipe, but not baked)

Kale Chips

Apple Chips

Broccoli  Supreme

Sliced Pineapple

Blackberries

Pears

Banannas

Grapes

Nut n Fruit Mix

Baba Ghanoush

Hummus

Salad

Plantains

Yellow Squash

Granola

Something with Beets.....

Now, to make sure I have time for all of this, I have to break it down.  I will be checking off items as I complete them.  You are basically getting to see my list!

So.. what do i have to do?

Slice Pineapple

Clean Grapes

Clean Lettuce

Snip Lettuce

Mix Salad

Clean Kale

Snip Kale

Soak Kale

Bake Kale

Clean Apples

Slice Apples

Flavor Apples

Bake Apples

Soak Chick Peas

Bake Eggplant

Peel Eggplant

Slice Plantains

Saute Plantains

Mix Granola

Bake Granola

Easy Stuff:

Mix Fruit and Nut Mix

Slice Plantains

Saute Plantains

Slice pineapple

Clean Grapes

Mix Granola

Mix Salad

Stuff that Takes Wait Time:

Soaking Kale

Soaking Chick Peas

Eggplant Cooling

Baking Stuff:

Bake Apples

Bake Kale

Bake Granola

I try to multitask as much as possible to save time.  John will be assisting by making the Hummus and Baba Ghanoush (and HOPEFULLY some yogurt, too!).  Stay tuned!!


This is also posted here!

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Budget Time

Food shopping together has been something that John and I have enjoyed since we first moved in together (3 years ago this month!).  When we returned from our honeymoon, we knew that diving headfirst into eating Real Food would cause a shift in our food shopping.  We planned our first food shopping trip before we even left Hawaii!  There were quite a few changes that we needed to consider.  For one thing, Real Food IS pricier.  For another, our old supermarket is open 24-7, the one we now frequent is only open until 10.  That may seem late enough, but considering I don't even get home from work until 7:30 on a good day, 10 is not that late.  

Before Real Food (BRF), we were spending about $35/week at the supermarket and about $20 every other weekend at the Farmers' Market.  In total, we were spending about $120/month.  The first shopping trip After Real Food (ARF), we spent $120.  In ONE SHOPPING TRIP!  Yikes!  The next week we spent about $100 again.  Although we could technically afford it, quadrupling our food budget was not in line with our savings goals.  To boot, these expenditures DIDN'T INCLUDE our trips to the Farmers' Market.  We needed to re-think things.  

We decided to get certain staples at the regular store or online every few weeks.  Things like nuts and dried fruit we order from A Nuts.  The might not have the best selection, but they have really good prices and service.  Paper and personal products we buy from Alice. We still frequent the Farmers' Market every 2 weekends, at least we try to.  That's where we tend to get the majority of our ingredient veggies, like garlic, onions, and leafy greens.  They sometimes have great deals on fruit as well.  Frozen produce, canned goods, grains like macaroni and rice, and dry legumes are purchased at our conventional supermarket when we need them.  We tend to buy a whole lot on sale occasionally.  We have been going there MAYBE once/month.  

That leaves the fresh produce, dairy, eggs, and meat products.  That we get at our new supermarket, Fairway.  We load up on decently priced produce, usually a mix of conventional and organic.  Then we swing to the cheese section and grab a few delicious cheeses.  We've found that a good cheese can take an average meal and make it sparkle.  Then we mosey on over to the meat and seafood.  We'll grab one type of seafood, usually what is on sale, and one cut of meat.  We only buy enough for the week, and we don't freeze it.  It is only the two of us, so when we bought clams, we bought a dozen.  We get 2 fillets of fish, not 5 pounds.  Our meat and fish are supplemented by veggies, grains, and sauces.  Lastly, we pick up eggs, milk, and butter.  

Since we make many of our foods at home, we don't require very much from the supermarket.  As we starting paring down the amount we would buy, and exercising enough self-control to only buy 1 week's worth of fresh food, we have gotten our weekly food spending down to....

About $50/week.  

Yes. Including Fairway, the Farmers' Market, online shopping, and the conventional supermarket, we are spending a mere $50/week.  While it is more than what we were spending, it is worth it.  The food is much more delicious, we are feeling better, and it is better for us.  

What we do might not work for everyone, but is sure works for us!!

This post was added to
Pennywise Platter @ Nourishing Gourmet!
and
Fight Back Fridays @ Food Renegade!

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Starting a Plan...

John and I will hopefully be moving this month.  Our apartment is a wreck right now, with boxes everywhere.  I am not motivated to cook a single thing.  Today I started to pack John's lunch, and realized we did not have a single thing he could eat.  I felt like such a failure as a wife!  By the way, it is still SO WEIRD to say "wife" and be referring to myself.  

In light of the chaos, I am trying to pat myself on the back for what I AM able to do.  I also wanted to keep track of the things I make from scratch so in the new house I can develop a schedule.  I don't ever want to wind up like we did today. 

A List of Home Made Things.

• Bread
• Yogurt
• Granola
• Granola Bars
• Hummus
• Baba Ghanoush
• Waffles
• Chicken Stock
• Crackers
• Vegetable Stock
• Fish Stock
• Beef Stock
• Peanut Butter
• Almond Butter
• Potato Chips
• Apple Chips
• Baking Mix (Bisquick Type)

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My Food Philosophy is Growing.....

Our style of eating as shifted lately, and I have been putting off writing a post about it for a while.  Not because I didn't want to share.  I did, and I do.  I just wasn't sure how to approach it, or explain it.  So here I am, taking a deep breath, and jumping in.

John and I have cooked the majority of our food at home for a while, at least most of the time.  We liked to cook and we did it often, but we also used convenience items to make life easier.  Things like baking mixes and canned paraphernalia gave the IMPRESSION of home-cooked, but without all the time and cost.  While this was helpful, I had a nagging feeling like I was cheating.  I started to make more foods from scratch, and I loved it.  The more I cooked, the more I wanted to cook.  I started reading cooking blogs and cookbooks and felt more and more inspired by each recipe.  I read, and I cooked, I read, and I cooked.  Many of the reading materials I was stumbling across were full of  "healthy" recipes, but they didn't sit right with me.

I reached a brick wall.  ::Warning-What I'm about to share might be too much info, so feel free to click away now!::  I had been dealing with digestive issues for as long as I can remember.  I recall sharing a theory with a friend as a young teen, and I think my theory sums up a part of it, even it if isn't scientifically sound.  I told her that when I ate, the food rushed into my intestine.  It waited there until the next meal or snack came.  When the next food came, it pushed the first meal out.  Forcefully.  Ouch.  In addition, I was lactose intolerant.  So, in a nutshell, I would eat, I would bloat, I would... let the food out.  You get it.  And I would be hungry.  All the time.  So I stopped eating lots of dairy.  I found that preservatives and artificial things in food were making it worse.  So I started cutting that out.  I never liked using them all that much anyway, but I became more aware of them.  That helped, but something was still wrong.  I started gaining weight, and I had never struggled with that before.  It didn't make sense.  The "healthy" recipes and ingredients were not making my digestion better, and I was gaining weight. 

So I gave up.  

I stopped looking for "healthy" recipes and started just started to follow my instincts.  I cooked what I wanted, when I wanted.  The food I wanted to make or cook was never really "bad," but they weren't "healthy."  They included meat of all kinds.  They included carbs.  They included dessert.  When I wanted ricotta cheese, I didn't get skim.  I gravitated towards blogs with the "whole food, whole person" view that my instincts had originally been guiding me towards.  This time?  I didn't fight it.  I started losing weight and feeling better.  My food stayed in.  I felt full.  So I continued.  Around this time, I read Nourishing Traditions.  It resonated with me, and for the first time, I felt validated.  I felt like my crazy way of feeling better wasn't so crazy.  I felt like my instincts were right. 

I tried to get John on board.  He was cool with trying the crazy recipes I was finding, as long as it did not too off the wall.  He ate all the things I cooked, and even liked some of them!  I wanted him to read about the logic behind it, but I knew Nourishing Traditions would be too much for him at first.  I mean, it is a lot of information, not really an introduction.  Enter Nina Planck and her books.  I knew her first book would be the perfect introduction for him.  I may or may not have forced him to read it on our honeymoon.  

The result?  Well let me just say that the day after we got back from our honeymoon, we went food shopping at Fairway for grass-fed butter, milk, and meat, along with free range eggs and other fun things.  

So far, John and I have been both feeling better and looking better.  Our lives have changed for the better.  So, you may be seeing some new things on the blog, or maybe you have already noticed.  Either way, I hope you continue to enjoy and join me on this journey!!

And if you are still reading at this point, you deserve a medal!

This post was listed on Fight Back Friday @ Foodrenegade.com!

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Long Time No See!

Hello?

Hello!

Anyone still there? 

Well, I'm back!  Sorry to disappear like that, but.... I got married! 

 I know, I know, that doesn't mean I need to neglect Munching Madness for 2 full months, but it happened.  

Now that I'm back on track, I must say, John and I have SO MANY COOL THINGS PLANNED.  For the blog, of course.  Like what, you ask?  Well, here's a taste...

Freshly Baked Bread

Yogurt

Waffles

Granola

Snack Bars

Crazy Veggie Concoctions

A NEW BLOG!!!

Yes, you read correctly.  We are expanding into a new blog, less food related, more life related.  Think budgeting, frugalness, creating a home, green living, sprinkled among our real-life adventures, complete with pictures, of course.  If you're interested, stay tuned.  It will be launched on 5-10-10, our 1 month anniversary (cue "awwwwwwww").  See you there!

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The (Ugly, yet Delicious) Truth

I have decided to come clean.  Based on the way I post, you probably think that I eat pretty well.  Here is the truth.  I don't.  I mean, I try.  Really, I do.  But I am weak.  And I have a sweet tooth. 

Therefore, this was my 10 pm dessert. 

A warm brownie, chocolate marshmallow ice cream (although I have to say, it is frozen yogurt.  John's choice, not mine.), and a sugar cookie. 

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New Toy #2 and Meatloaf/Potatoes

Have you been dying to hear about my other new toy?  I know, I know, you must have been on the edge of your seat waiting for this post!

I GOT A CAMERA!!!!!

My parent's gave us one for Christmas.  They knew we had been wanting one for wedding/honeymoon/future use and were saving up for it.  So..... THEY GAVE US ONE!

Of course, until then, I need to practice by photographing food.  Of course.

Right......

My mom's meatloaf was always a favorite of mine.  As an adult, I find that it's just the recipe on the back of the Lipton Soup Secrets Onion Soup Mix.  Since the box came with 2 packets of "spices," I made the potato recipe on the back, too!

POTATOES:

Clean 4 potatoes.

(How great is this picture!  Now, if you are a photographer, you will probably not be impressed.  HOWEVER, if you have seen ANY of the past pictures I have taken with older cameras, you will notice how much better all the photos in this post are.  Be impressed.  Please.  For me.)

Cut 4 potoates.  Try your hand at different photography settings on new camera.

Make sure you cut them into even sized chunks so they cook at the same time.

Mix the potatoes with a little oil (I used grapeseed oil) and the packet of onion mix.

Spread it out on the baking sheet and bake it at 425 for about 30-40 minutes.  Make sure to stir it occasionally.

ENJOY!

MEATLOAF:

 

I like to use a mix of ground beef, pork, and veal.  Toss it into a bowl and follow the directions on the back of the box of soup mix.

Shape it into a loaf.

Or a brain.  Doesn't it look like a brain?!

 

Bake it for an hour at 350.

Slice and enjoy with potatoes! Or whatever. 

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Present #1

Since I moved out and began really cooking I have been using a little itty bitty food processor.  It was one of those one cup deals.  I think I actually picked it as my prize when I redeemed a bunch of tickets at Dave and Busters.  Tells you a bit about me, don't it!

If you have ever tried to do any processing of food in one of those 1-cuppers, you know how futile it it is.  I have been WISHING for a real food processor.  I even registered for one on my wedding registry, knowing it would be months until I got it, IF anyone even picked it.  I mean, it's not the most glamorous gift unless you really know me (side note to the givers of the hand mixer- YOU KNOW ME!) So, yeah, you get the picture.  I really wanted one.

Fast forward months.  I was at John's mom's house and we were talking about Fudge Babies.  Well, I was talking about them.  And drooling.  They were listening.  Kind of.  Anyway, I mentioned that I was only making about 6 at a time because that is all I could fit in my little processor.  His mom turned to me and said, "Why didn't you tell me you wanted one?  I have 2!"  Turns out, she had one that she had NEVER USED!!! I got a brand new food processor!!!!!!!!!  A huge wonderful one!!

Isn't it a beauty?  Thanks!

Right away I started working with it!  We made nut butters...

which are delicious with a side of bananas

that is almond butter, by the way.

and shredded our own cheese for the pepperoni bread!

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Wish List

There are so many recipes that I want to make soon!  If you know me well, you know that my memory is not the best, so I am going to keep track of what I want to make here!  When I finally make something, I will try to update this page with the link. 

Home Made Ricotta Cheese

Home Made Butter

Beef and Broccoli Chinese Food Style

Apple Crisp
Pumpkin Ravioli
Pepperoni Bread
Cheesecake
Rice Milk
Fudgey Babies and Variations 
Meatloaf
Gravy and Meatballs

......

Any additional ideas are welcome!

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Sick Sick Sick

Hi!

So, I'm back!

So sorry I was gone for so long.  I had pneumonia.  For a while.  I was sick.  Really sick.

BUT NOW! I am back and cooking and eating again!!!

I was lucky enough to be sent some yummy leftovers to tide my over when I was sick.  I added the chicken to my salad and had that for dinner last night.  MMMmmmMMMm!

Today, I wasn't quite ready for a smoothie for breakfast.  I decided to have cinnamon raisin oatmeal instead.  UNFORTUNATELY there was no cinnamon left.

So I soaked some raisins, 

Cooked some oatmeal,

and added peanut butter to make it yummy!!!  It was probably the best oatmeal I have ever made myself. 

And I deserve it!

Lunch was a simple spinach salad with mushrooms and balsamic vinegar.

 aaaaaaand dinner was a version of this but with spinach.  Just rotini, penne, in a garlic clam sauce WITH spinach.  GO ME!

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Nothing Interesting

I know I haven't posted in a while.  Don't worry, it's nothing personal.  I just haven't really cooked anything interesting.  Lots of salads and variations on peanut butter sandwiches. 

 Salad, Apple, Nutella

Peanut butter and coconut on whole wheat bread

Peanut butter and boysenberry jam sandwich

... and thaaaat's it, in a (pea)nut shell. 

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Birthday Presents

Today was my dad's birthday (Happy Birthday Dad!).  To fuly understand why I gave him the present I did, you first need to know the back-story.  When he was growing up (with 5 siblings!) the kids, on their birthday, could choose ANYTHING they wanted for dinner.  Every year, my dad picked ravioli.  He loved ravioli on his birthday.  My whole life, at least as much as I remember, he continued to have ravioli on his birthday (do I get my insistence on tradition from him?  Hmmmmmm...).  This year, we were going out the night before his birthday because my mom and I had to go to a bridal shower on his actual day.  So we would not be around for any kind of OFFICIAL birthday cooking.

Last week when I made the home made macaroni this delicious idea hatched in my crazy head.  I knew my dad

1) loved ravioli on his birthday

and 

2) hated to cook on his birthday, although he loves to cook any other time

HOME MADE RAVIOLI birthday present!  I borrowed some cookie cutters and made them in different shapes.  John even helped!  I didn't take any pictures because they would have looked pretty much the same as the ones on the home made macaroni post.  My photography skills have not yet improved.

Now I was very content with what I did, but it seemed incomplete.  I vegged out on the couch catching up on some blog reading and brainstormed (I multitask).  Anne over at Fab Frugal Food had recently posted about Home Made Peanut Butter Cups. My dad loves both chocolate and peanut butter.  I was sold.

Unfortunately, it wasn't that easy.  Apparently I am chocolate-melting impaired. 

I lined the muffin pans with cupcake thingies and I was so excited.  I don't have a double boiler and I don't have any bowls I can put in a pot to make one, so I opted to microwave melt.

I put about 1 1/2 cups of semi sweet chocolate chips in a bowl and microwaved in 30 second increments, stirring in between each set.  It wouldn't get smooth, but I didn't bother about it.  I should have, because it was scorched.  I filled the cups with it and then tasted it.  Eww!  I scooped it all out and rinsed the cupcake liners.  John searched for other melting methods and came up with putting it in a baggie and then in boiling water.  That time the chocolate seized and wouldn't melt.  Chocolate-2, Us-0

Just as I was about to give up and cry, John said he would try and microwave melt it.  So... 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips go into the bowl, and he microwaves it at 30-second increments, stirring in between each set. SAME THING I DID!  And it was perfect.  Towards the end we did add a little vegetable oil to make it smoother.  He is awesome, although he wouldn't let me take a clear, non-stirring picture.  Consider this an action shot.

After the chocolate stress, the rest was easy.  I spooned the chocolate into the cupcake liners and then smooshed it halfway up the sides. Stick it in the fridge for about 15 minutes to harden. 

Next step?  Mix together about a cup of creamy peanut butter and 1/4 cup powdered sugar.  The recipe called for 1/2 cup sugar, but my dad isn't a fan of super sweet things.  Heat up that a little so it is pourable, and then put it on top of the chocolate.  Make sure not to fill it up past where the chocolate was smooshed up the sides because that's how the peanut butter leaks out the sides in the finished cup.  Then stick it in the fridge again to harden.

When the peanut butter layer is done, add another chocolate layer and harden again.  John had to do our chocolate again.  We used about 1/2 a cup of chocolate for this layer. 

This recipe made a dozen for us.  My dad loved them.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

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Birthday!

Yesterday was my birthday!

Happy birthday to me!

I am eating out this entire weekend (with John, my parents, his parents, and John again!) and I thought I would give you a preview:


I took my cousin to California Pizza Kitchen after school the other day. As I mentioned here, I always get the same pizza. When I went most recently, I decided to change it up. I ordered the Vegetarian without cheese on honey wheat dough.
It was so good! I probably won't be taking photos of any of the other restaurant meals, but let me ASSURE you that they will be delicious. Take my word for it!

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Raw Day! (and apparently, my food philosphy!)

I didn't start Wednesday with the intention of it being a high-raw day. In fact, I never gave the idea of eating raw, or vegan, or vegetarian a serious though. I enjoy so many types of food that I never wanted to limit what I ate based on a food philosophy. I do, however, enjoy learning about various ways of eating and food lifestyles. I have learned so much about food and cooking from raw foodists and vegans and I am so grateful for that. Although I have found that many vegetarians and vegans are opposed to the term "flexitarian," it DOES sum up the way I consume food. I tend to eat non-animal foods most of the time, however I do eat meat and dairy occasionally. I am not ever AGAINST eating meat, and eat it about once a week, but the majority of my meals are plant/grain based.

Anyway, back to Raw Day. Wednesday started out with a YUMMY peach-mineola orange-banana-strawberry-flaxseed smoothie. I drank it before I could take a picture, but it was SO filling! I had a late lunch salad during a break from work.

Spring Mix, Cucumbers, and grapes with balsamic vinegar and a touch of olive oil... YUM!

By the time I got home from work, I was pretty hungry. While I was figuring out what to make, I realized that I had eaten raw all day! I decided to see if I could do a whole day and what it would be like. So....

Tomato-Cucumber Salad! Quartered small tomatoes, farmers market cucumbers, olive oil, and LOTS of crushed garlic and parsley.
I did it! I have to say i felt great all day and the next morning. I am not looking for a total lifestyle change, as I said before, but incorporating a raw day into my week sounds good to me!

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Welcome!

Hello, and welcome to MUNCHING MADNESS!

I am constantly inspired by various recipes, photos, and food stories and use them as springboards for my own forays into food. While I am definitely not a "chef," or even "expert cook," I enjoy playing with food and devouring the result. This blog will be the scrapbook of what comes from my kitchen!

Enjoy!

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