Real Green Bean Casserole

2 pounds fresh green beans, snapped into 2" sections
2 cups of homemade cream of mushroom soup (recipe below)
2 cups of homemade French fried onions (recipe below)
a dash of pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Steam green beans for about 3 minutes (I like mine to have a crunch still), add cream of mushroom soup, and pepper, mix well. Place into a 9x9 baking dish and bake about 15 minutes, remove from oven and add the french fried onions. Return the casserole to the oven for another 5-10 minutes.
Serves 8-10

Cream of Mushroom Soup

Cream of Mushroom Soup
1/2 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 tablespoons arrowroot
4 tablespoons of butter
2 cups of raw cream
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2-3/4 cup of flour (I use sprouted spelt flour)
1 1/2 teaspoons of sea salt
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
dash of smoked paprika
2 teaspoons of parsley
20 medium mushrooms, chopped

Lightly sauté onion and garlic in the butter, add cream and then add remaining ingredients. Simmer lightly until desired thickness about 10-15 minutes.

French Fried Onions

French Fried Onions
1 large onion thinly sliced
2 cups raw cream
1 1/2 cups flour (I use sprouted spelt flour)
1 teaspoon sea salt
dash black pepper
dash of smoked paprika
2 cups lard (use best quality)

Heat lard slowly and carefully in frying pan, start by using only 1 cup. Mix everything except lard and onions in a medium mixing bowl. Add onions till thoroughly coated in batter. Lightly shake excess batter from onions and place into hot lard, fry slowly over med-high heat until golden brown.

Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe

Turkey Brine:
10 cups of vegetable broth (I use: 1 whole onion quartered, 6 celery sticks, 4 whole carrots, 1/4 cup of parsley flakes.)
1/2 cup Sea salt
2 teaspoons crushed rosemary
2 teaspoons sage
2 teaspoons thyme
10 cups of ice water

Bring broth and spices to rapid boil, remove from heat. Cool to room temperature. Add ice water, I use a 5 gallon bucket (food grade). Place thawed turkey into brine that's in the bucket. Set in the fridge or cold room, leave turkey completely submerged and cold for at least 12 hours.

Herbed Butter (for injecting)
1 1/2 cups of real butter
1/2 cup of Olive oil
1 Tablespoon of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon of sage
1 Tablespoon Thyme
1 Tablespoon of lemon juice
1 Tablespoon chopped onions

Rinse off brine and dry the turkey. Inject half of the herb butter and baste the turkey with the remaining half. Add 1 cup of water and slow roast the turkey over night on 250 degrees, I usually roast our 20 pound turkey for at least 18 hours.

Soaked Oatmeal-The Old Time Fast Food Breakfast

3 cups oatmeal (non-gmo)
64 oz filtered water
2 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar

Mix well and store in the fridge overnight, heat in the morning (about 5-10 mins).
Add honey, cinnamon, cream, whatever suits you.
I sometimes make more, enough for several days, if I am going to have a busy week and I just take out what I need for the day and store the rest in the fridge for the next day. This way also works nice if you have little ones who are very hungry one day and not the next. you can also soak this in the same pan you are going to cook it in to save time and dishes.

Shopping list and menu for weeks 3 and 4 of 2014

So our children have been complaining about our breakfast oatmeal for the last couple weeks, so I figured I would change it up the next few weeks and give them a break before they really hate oatmeal. I did splurge this shopping time, not much but I am not sure if we made our $50 a week budget or by how much we over spent. So here it goes the menu as follows;

Week3
Tonight's Dinner-Venison Chorizo sausage pizza.

Saturday (January 18)


Breakfast Scramble
 

Breakfast- Breakfast scramble
Lunch-Tuna salad sandwiches (the tuna comes from our larder)
Dinner-Tomato Soup and grilled cheese sandwiches (homemade bread)

Sunday (January 19)
Breakfast-Waffles with Chokecherry jelly (from our larder)
Lunch-Tuna salad sandwiches
Dinner-Steak roast and homemade dinner rolls.



Waffles with Chokecherry Jelly

Monday (January 20)
Breakfast-Oatmeal with strawberries and cream.
Lunch- Tuna Sandwiches.
Dinner-Burger gravy, mashed potatoes, corn and a dinner roll.

Tuesday (January 21)
Breakfast- Sausage-less  breakfast scramble.
Lunch-Egg salad sandwiches.
Dinner-Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, corn and a dinner roll.

Wednesday (January 22)
Breakfast-Oatmeal with strawberries and cream.
Lunch-Egg salad sandwiches.
Dinner- Bean-less chili over baked potato and a dinner roll.

Thursday (January 23)
Breakfast-Sausage-less breakfast scramble.
Lunch- Eggs salad sandwich.
Dinner- Elk Burger on homemade bun and potato salad.

Friday (January 24)
Breakfast-Oatmeal with strawberries and cream.
Lunch-Tuna salad sandwich.
Dinner-Venison chorizo pizza

Week 4
Saturday (January 25)
Breakfast-Waffles with Chokecherry jelly
Lunch-Tuna salad sandwich
Dinner-Tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwich

Sunday (January 26)
Breakfast-Waffles with Chokecherry jelly
Lunch-Tuna salad sandwich
Dinner-Steak roast and dinner roll

Monday (January 27)
Breakfast-Sausage-less breakfast scramble
Lunch-Elk roast sandwiches
Dinner-Burger gravy, mashed potatoes, corn and a dinner roll.

Tuesday (January 28)
Breakfast-Oatmeal with strawberries and cream.
Lunch-Elk roast sandwiches
Dinner-Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, corn and a dinner roll.

Wednesday (January 29)
Breakfast-Sausage-less breakfast scramble.
Lunch-Elk roast sandwiches
Dinner-Ham and scalloped potatoes.

Thursday (January 30)
Breakfast-Oatmeal with strawberries and cream.
Lunch-Elk roast sandwiches
Dinner-Elk burger and potato salad.

Shopping List (2 weeks $100)

9 dz. Eggs $17.91 ($1.99ea.)
Raw Local Honey $15.98
2lb. Sweet Cream Butter $5.98
Hearts of Romaine $2.49
2 Tomatoes $2.67
3lb. onions $1.99
20lbs. Flour $9.58
5lbs. Oatmeal $4.27
4lbs. Block Cheddar Cheese $11.98
4lbs. Block mozzarella $11.98
8oz. Block Hot Habanero Cheese $1.99
10 single Dannon yogurts $10
32oz. French Vanilla Coffee Mate $3.99
Ham steak $3.75
6.5lbs. reduced bananas $3.22
30lbs. potatoes $7.98
2lbs. Strawberries $5

The Total: $120.76 ($20.76 over budget)

So we went over the budget but I think the extra eggs, strawberries, Habanero cheese and the yogurt were worth the overage.

Did we make our budget?

I am going to restructure this a little this time, I am going to show you what I buy for a $100 every two weeks.
Our shopping list that needs to stretch the next two weeks;
4 lbs. raw honey $15.98
Coffee filters $2.29
Tomato sauce 4-8oz. $1.38
10lbs. flour $4.79
5 lbs. Oatmeal $4.27
Dijon mustard $6.09
Ketchup $3.79
Raw sugar $3.99
Kitchen trash bags $6.74
3 dz. large eggs $5.97
3 lbs. Lucerne mozzarella cheese $4.99
4 cups Shredded sharp cheddar $5.99
French vanilla coffee mate 64oz. $4.25
Sweet cream butter 3 lbs. $7.14
1 lb. bag of onions $1.99
15 lbs. potatoes $3.99
Total>>>$16.36 Leftover


Sun 1/5/14
Breakfast: Breakfast scramble w/hunters sausage (from our deer harvest)
Lunch: Homemade bread, Chokecherry jelly(from this years harvest), a tall glass of milk.
Dinner: Beer battered fish with homemade fries.

Mon. 1/6/14
Breakfast: Soaked oatmeal with honey and cinnamon.
Lunch: Homemade bread, tuna salad mix, and a home canned dill pickle.
Dinner: Homemade pizza with venison chorizo sausage.

Tues. 1/7/14
Breakfast: Breakfast scramble w/hunters sausage (from our deer harvest)
Lunch: Homemade bread, tuna salad mix, and a home canned dill pickle.
Dinner: Navajo tacos, http://www.thankyourbody.com/recipe-navajo-tacos/

Wed. 1/8/14
Breakfast: Soaked oatmeal with honey and cinnamon.
Lunch: Homemade bread, tuna salad mix, and a home canned dill pickle.
Dinner: Chili with homemade rolls.

Thurs. 1/9/14
Breakfast: Breakfast scramble w/hunters sausage (from our deer harvest)
Lunch: Homemade bread, tuna salad mix, and a home canned dill pickle.
Dinner: Cheesy herbed meatloaf, baked potato, and a roll.

Fri. 1/10/14
Breakfast: Soaked oatmeal with honey and cinnamon.
Lunch: Homemade bread, tuna salad mix, and a home canned dill pickle.
Dinner: Spaghetti and garlic rolls.

Sat. 1/11/14
Breakfast: Breakfast scramble w/hunters sausage (from our deer harvest)
Lunch: Homemade bread, Chokecherry jelly(from this years harvest), a tall glass of milk.
Dinner: Ranch steaks, sautéed onions, and mashed potatoes.