Chicken Tortilla soup & Kim's Kornbread

Here's the truth...I love autumn! I love the cooler temperatures, the faint scent of wood smoke in the air, (and not from a forest fire!), the sound of the leaves crunching beneath my feet and the early evenings as the days get shorter. In the spring, I will be ready for the longer days and the freedom from having to pack firewood into the house, but right now, this is paradise!

Autumn is also a sign that it is safe to head back into the kitchen. During the summer months, the kitchen is the last place I actually want to be, even though that is where I'm most comfortable! Meals during the hottest part of summer are either cold or prepared outside. My canning is done on a camp cook stove and the baking is just a happy memory. The cooler weather brings me back indoors, where I can happily look through my recipe files and reintroduce my family to the "comfort" foods of fall. It is also a time when I can utilize all of the summer's bounty that is now gracing the pantry shelves and freezers!

This is one of our favorite meals! (Whenever possible, use organic ingredients for maximum nutritional value!)

Chicken Tortilla soup

1 whole chicken, cooked and deboned (I cook it in a pot of water with carrots, onions, celery, salt and pepper and then save the broth to use here!)

2 quarts stewed tomatoes

9 cups chicken broth

1 large, sweet onion; diced

1-7 oz. can diced green chilies

2 cloves garlic; minced

1 can black olives; sliced

1-15 oz. can tomato sauce

1 can black beans

1 T. ground cumin

1/2 t. cayenne pepper

2 t. dried oregano

2 cups frozen sweet corn

Garnish:shredded cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips

Put everything into the pot and bring to boil. Turn down heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Garnish with cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips. Great for left-overs!

Kim's Kornbread

1 cup organic white flour (organic has a higher protein content)

3/4 cup yellow cornmeal

1/3 cup sugar

2-1/2 t. baking powder

3/4 t. salt

2 beaten eggs

1 cup milk

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

Place 10-inch cast iron pan with 1 T. butter in 400 degree oven. Mix dry ingredients with wet. Do not over mix! Take skillet out when butter is melted and pour batter in. Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm.

I can't believe another year has flown by. One year ago, my family and I were anticipating a very important phone call. You know the one? The call that makes the rest of life come to a standstill and all but disappear? The call that drowns out the noise of life and all you can hear is the Hallelujah choir singing. For me, it was the call that I had been waiting for my whole life. My graduation day from being a Momma, to becoming a Grandma! Age didn't cross my mind at that point. Oh, it has made it's point too many times to count since that day, but on that day, not once.

This year hasn't been all sunshine and roses though. Back in February (the 13th to be exact), my daughter was on her way to work (she's a nanny for another pastor and his family), when she hit black ice and spun out of control into the oncoming lane. There just happened to be a car there. My husband & I were camping nearby, celebrating our anniversary, so when we got the call, we were able to be at the hospital in minutes. That is NOT a phone call any parent/grandparent wants to receive. My daughter, Kelsie, was bruised, cut-up and badly shaken, but generally okay. But my granddaughter, Madison, had to be life-flighted to Doernbecher's Children's Hospital in Portland, Oregon. We drove. For 5 hours. It was the longest drive of our lives, made even longer because Kelsie was driving with her husband, Ben, behind us. We spent 2 1/2 days at the hospital, holding Kelsie's hand, comforting Ben and praying over little Maddie. The doctor's were amazing and ran every test that they could. It was determined that she did NOT have bleeding on the brain, but did have a fractured neck and skull. They said she would make a full recovery, and that the biggest obstacle would be to keep her from bouncing up & down!

I am happy to say that, 8 months later, Madison is fully recovered. She has hit all of the major first year milestones and I'm pretty sure even made up some new ones!! And this goofy "Nana" is going to spend several days watching her do every single one of them and thanking God for this beautiful gift. My granddaughter.

Our son-in-law, Benjamin and granddaughter, Madison Anne

Grocery shopping results

I learned 2 valuable lessons today. If there is not a price on an item, don't assume that you're getting a deal! I made that mistake with toilet paper of all things! I was in a local "bargain market" and seen the "deals" on other brands of t.p., and figured that the larger package would be approximately double of the smaller. Wrong! I found the same package of t.p. at Wal-mart for more than a dollar cheaper. So, just because there are good deals to be had in a discount store, doesn't mean that everything is a good deal!

The other lesson learned is this...DO NOT TAKE THE HUSBAND GROCERY SHOPPING! My nerves can't take it, and neither can his heart. (and he is a perfectly healthy 43 year old man!) It is such a shock to him to see how much food costs these days. The good thing is that he realized just how much work goes into each home-cooked meal! And I got to spend a couple of hours "alone" with my honey!

I went over budget this week because I had to plan for our meals at home, meals while camping, and meals that my college kids could fix for themselves. These groceries will be lasting for 1 1/2 weeks also, so overall, not too bad! (If I do say so myself!)

Grocery Outlet
4-1/2 gallon milks $6.76
Fresh cranberries (Yippee!!) $2.99
Pineapple sausage $5.99 (camping trip)
2 quarts 1/2 & 1/2 $3.78
2-12 pack, double rolled t.p. (grrr...) $13.98
Sub-total: $33.50

Winco
Frito-Lay variety pack (36) $8.98 (college lunches!)
2-Arm & Hammer washing soda $5.40 (taking to daughter so she can make soap too!)
2-cans of olives $1.96
2-cans spaghetti sauce $1.76 (camping trip)
2-mayo $5.96
Pure maple syrup $19.76
1-bag of tater tots $2.93 (college kids meal!)
2-spaghetti noodles $1.96 (camping)
Adams peanut butter $4.89
Spanish olives $2.73
Sweet Italian turkey sausage $3.18
2 lbs. Tillamook butter $4.80
bulk Sunflower seeds (1.42#) $1.69
bulk dried cranberries (.86#) $3.23
frozen hash browns $2.93 (camping)
bulk Parmesan cheese (1.04#) $3.91
bulk dried dates (.59#) $1.37
bulk popcorn (3.23#) $2.10
bulk granola (3#) 6.93
2 pig ears $2.26
2-Fels Naptha bars $2.24 (daughter's laundry soap)
2-bags of tortilla chips $5.16
bananas (3.64#) $2.11
1# bag of key limes $1.28 (special dessert)
flour tortillas $2.98

Sub-total: $102.50

Grand total: $136.00

There are things that I could change to make this total smaller, I can't help but wonder if the difference would be made up (and over!) in doctor's office visits. In the long run, I think that we are saving money without compromising our health.

Menu Plan for 10/4-10/11/09

This week is going to be a little different. We are heading south to celebrate our granddaughter, Madison's, first birthday! I can't believe how time flies! Seems like yesterday that we were racing south, turning a 6 hour drive into 4 1/2! (While I don't recommend speeding under normal circumstances, the birth of a first grandchild is worth the ticket that might be received!)

We are going to drive the coastal highway and make a few fun "pit" stops along the way. We'll be visiting a cranberry festival, kite festival and maybe even an aquarium..who knows? Since our daughter and her family live in a coastal town, prayers for good camping weather would be appreciated!

Monday
Oatmeal w/ blueberries
Leftover stew, sourdough bread
Quinoa, meatloaf, corn (carried over from last week)

Tuesday
ApplePanGoody
Leftover meatloaf/tomato sandwiches on sourdough
SpicySplitPeaSoup, green salad

Wednesday
*Plum Smoothies, English muffins w/peanut butter
Leftover Spicy Split Pea soup, crackers
YummyYammyFries
Salmon Patties, green beans

Thursday
Poached eggs on sourdough toast
*Corn Dog muffins, sliced carrots, sliced apples
*Lentil burritos, green salad

Friday
French toast, orange juice
On the road sandwiches, chips and apples

While camping, we will be eating the usual camping fare...pancakes (from a mix, blah), hamburgers, chili, sandwiches, and some dutch oven stuff. I'm not very good at "winging" it, so I'll let you know what we ended up doing! I'm sure that there will be some seafood on the menu somewhere, after all, how can you visit the coast and not partake in some delicacies of the sea!

*Recipes*
Here's the recipes that I have no links for. I don't even remember where I got them, so if you are seeing something that looks like what you've created...well, thank you from the bottom of my heart! (And I am sorry that I didn't give you the credit!)

*Plum Smoothies (This recipe came from MaryJanesFarm. It is my absolute favorite magazine! I couldn't find a link to the recipe, but you can get your own subscription with this link. This is from the June-July 2009 issue!)
1 cup plums, frozen
1 cup strawberries, frozen
1/2 banana, peeled and frozen
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup milk
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1 Tbl. maple syrup (the real stuff!)
Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.

Corn Dog muffins
1 favorite cornbread recipe
4 nitrite/nitrate free hot dogs (we use Shelton's)

Mix up your favorite cornbread recipe. Fill muffin tin (12) 1/2 full. Slice hot dogs into thirds. Place on each muffin. Cover with remaining batter. Bake according to your cornbread recipe!

Lentil Burritos
3/4 cup dried, brown lentils
3/4 cup brown rice, uncooked
4 cups water
4 beef bouillon cubes (read labels and avoid MSG and it's aliases!)
1 Tbl. + 1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
shredded cheese
Dump everything into medium pot and bring to boil. Turn down heat to med. low and cook covered until done. Stir occasionally. Fill large tortillas with approximately 1/3 cup (could be 1/2 cup, I don't like to measure!), sprinkle a little cheese and wrap. Place on greased (I use olive oil) cookie sheet. Bake @ 375 for about 15 minutes. If you like your burritos crisp, brush a small amount of olive oil on each burrito before baking. Serve with sour cream!

Check back tomorrow to see how I did on my shopping trip!

Simplicity

According to Webster's Dictionary (1828 version), simplicity means, "plainness; freedom from artificial ornament; as the simplicity of a dress, of style, of language"...Living in this modern day of technology and growth (not always a good thing), it is easy to lose ourselves in the busyness of life. We run to town for the slightest thing, have to have 500 channels on the satellite, cell phones for every person, Internet that is faster than the speed of light and all for what? So we can work harder to pay for these "luxuries" of life?

This week, for me, involved a lot of time spent behind the wheel of my car. Between transporting kids to college (that is SO ending!), to appointments, to groceries & library, I spent more time on the road than I did on the couch! And I need couch time! I don't mean that literally, but for me "couch time" is the simpleness of just living. Not trying to make it in a dog-eat-dog world, but just breathing in and out and actually seeing, hearing, tasting and smelling what I have been blessed with. The simplicity of enjoying a meal with my family, of watching our newborn calf frolic with the chickens in the field, of taking a walk through the woods with my husband, and listening to my children challenge each other during a game of Scrabble. The simpleness of a fire in the wood stove, the smell of apple butter bubbling on the stove and the sound of the crows, fighting over the scraps thrown to the chickens are things that I've been taking for granted.

It is important for each of us to find that simple place that we can visit, a place where we can linger, and plan for that time when we can slow down and just enjoy all that we've been given. A place that I plan on visiting more often.

Benefits of Black Tea

In a family of our size, finding drinks that are affordable and nutritious is a sometimes daunting task. We do not drink Kool-aid or other sugary beverages, and buying fruit juice is limited to orange and apple only. When we lived at our previous home, apple trees were plentiful and autumn meant pressing the extra apples into cider. It was a huge family affair, with aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents participating and the prize was to be able to take home 15-20 gallons a piece! Of course, the juice never lasted as long as we wanted it to, but boy, was it delicious!

When thinking about black tea, I picture Grandma in her chair, sipping from a pretty teacup, with her sugar cubes and cream lined up neatly on a tray. Grandma enjoyed her afternoon tea, but I wonder if she knew about the "benefits" of drinking it!

Black tea has been used throughout history for medicinal purposes, such as; preventing tooth decay, lowering cholesterol levels and relieving diarrhea. It also promotes blood flow to the brain without overstimulating the heart like coffee does. While black tea does contain caffeine, it is at a much lower level than coffee.

How do you incorporated black tea into your family's diet? Try making this simple, nutritious drink.

Pineapple Tea

8 cups water
12 black tea bags
2 cups pure pineapple juice
2/3 cup lemon juice
4 Tbl. agave nectar

Bring water to boil. Turn off heat and place tea bags in water to steep for 3 minutes. Remove bags. Add juices and agave nectar and stir. Serve over ice.

Not only will your family enjoy the healthy benefits of the tea, but they will also be getting their vitamin C from the juices! And better yet...no artificial dyes and preservatives!

Rainy Days and a Giveaway!

I love the autumn rains. I guess I would have to, living in the Pacific Northwest! After experiencing a rather hot summer, the cooler moist air is most welcome. I enjoy seeing the beautiful trees start to change colors, the creek levels rising so the salmon can return to spawn, and the brown fields giving way to patches of green. The air even smells cleaner! Of course, that could be because the dust has settled and now we can actually breathe!

So, what does a rainy day and homeschooling have in common? Actually, not a lot, but it is a good time to take the kids into the craft store and let them choose a project to work on! When the weather is sunny, they work diligently on their bookwork with the goal of squeezing in a little outdoor playtime. For a country kid, that doesn't mean 10 minutes of riding a bike. It has to be long enough to have an adventure, such as fort building, a "safari", or zoo-keeping. (They have to have plenty of time to gather "critters" and send me into a full-on tizzy!) Rain means that they will have to find something to do with their extra time, or Mom will!

Today, we will have a rainy day adventure. My kids will go in the local craft/fabric shop, armed with their baskets and ideas, and go nuts! (Oh wait, we're not talking about me!) And while they are happily working on their projects, they will be learning to follow directions, using math skills, and practicing patience. The workbooks will still be waiting for them, but we'll save that for a really rainy day!

Speaking of projects...Mountain Home Quilts is having a give-away! Visit Heather's site at http://www.mountainhomequilts.blogspot.com/ and look at the beautiful quilt patterns she is sharing with 2 lucky winners! Leave a post on her blog and on Oct. 7, she will randomly draw 2 names! It's that easy! While you're there, check out the gorgeous quilts in her shop! I am inspired...and I am going to the fabric store...!