Gobble, Gobble, Gobble!

Thanksgiving is upon us!!  It's time to plan our menus, clean the house and pray that the bird is perfect. Many will travel near and far. Some will be staying home and hosting, possibly their first ever Thanksgiving dinner. It can be fun and scary at the same time. This will only be my second time hosting, with the first being several years ago. If you are hosting this year, don't stress yourself out. Be sure to delegate. If some of your guests will be arriving early, allow them to help you. Someone can set the table, someone can keep the dirty dishes out of the sink and someone else can help with child patrol (namely your husband). As much as we want everything to be perfect, don't overwhelm yourself. When we try to please everyone, we end up pleasing no one. Also, keep it simple and stick to recipes that you know. Don't try some new, gourmet recipe that you've never made before. It will end up taking too much time and stressing you out.

 

A friend of mine, who doesn't do much cooking, sent me a facebook message yesterday stating, "You of all people will appreciate this. I am in charge of the entire Thanksgiving feast. I'm already working on plan B. Chinese delivery! Any chance you will have an emergency line this year? :)"  It made me chuckle, but she was serious. We ended up having a pretty lengthy conversation about it. She already has an extremely busy week, so I advised her to make as much ahead of time as she can. It sounds like she's already planning to keep it simple, which will help her a lot.

 

As much as we want everything to be perfect and made from scratch, sometimes we have to step outside of the 'tradition' box when we are flying solo. I'm a pretty staunch make-it-myself kind of person, but I have my limits. If it's something that I don't have time for, or don't make well, I delegate it to someone else or skip it all together. Thankfully, this year is going to be very small and my mom is a great cook. I've assigned her the stuffing, since I've never made my own from scratch and I will not buy the pre-packaged stuff (no judgement if you do, I just know what's in it).

 

Here are a few tips, for those of you hosting this year, that will help to keep you from being committed for a psychiatric evaluation:

1. DELEGATE: don't ever be afraid to ask for help from those who are known for a particular dish, especially if it's a family favorite. That's one less thing that you have to worry about. If you need to, call your local bakery (today). They would be happy to make something for you and most of them offer that service during the holidays anyway. It's still scratch made and you can warm it in the oven the day of.

2. PLAN AHEAD: Turkeys take FOREVER to thaw out, so you can't wait until the last minute to get it out of the freezer. I am brining our bird this year and that can be a lengthy process, so my bird is already thawing in the fridge. Brining is also a great way to season the bird and help to keep it moist and tender. (World Market has a great brine mix that is inexpensive. I highly recommend it)

3. SHOPPING: Once you have your menu planned (and by now you should), make your grocery list and check it twice. If your schedule allows, go shopping TODAY. If you wait until Wednesday, the stores will be INSANE. Don't do that to yourself. You're already under enough pressure.

4. CLEAN OUT THE FRIDGE: You know that you need to anyway, so get the old leftovers out to make room for the big day. You're going to need the space. If you can get your hands on a second fridge, DO IT! Plug it in out in the garage and utilize the space.

5. MAKE AHEAD DISHES: To reduce stress on T-Day, make as much ahead as you can. Things like pies, desserts and casseroles can all be premade and set aside in the fridge. Casseroles can be made up to the baking point a day or two before. The morning of, get them out and let them come to room temperature on the counter. You can also finish them off completely, and then just warm them through the day of. All desserts should be made the day before so that they can cool and are not taking up precious oven space. If you are blessed and have more than one oven, use it to your advantage. If you only have one oven, makeing items ahead is the only way to go when you have a turkey that can take hours to roast. (if you are doing any special decorating, do that the day before as well. You don't need to be ironing your table cloth as your guests are arriving).

6. SHOWER THE NIGHT BEFORE: I know that this might be a silly one, but it will help you immensely. Get everyone's clothes out and press anything that needs it.

7. HAVE FUN: Enjoy the day for what it is. We put so much emphasis on the food that we sometimes neglect the true meaning of Thanksgiving. Planning ahead will help us to not stress out some much and allow us to step out of the kitchen and spend time with those we love most.

 

If you have any questions, or comments that you can share with others, feel free to post them below.

 

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

 

'MomNinja' Strikes Again!

I, like every mom out there, has tried tirelessly to get healthy food in front of my family. I am thankful that my clan is pretty good about eating their veggies, yet there are still plenty that my kids, and husband, refuse to eat. I am doing my best to get my family away from processed and unclean foods, but because of my families disdain for certain veggies it can be tricky and I was finding myself preparing the same dinners over and over. Needless to say, we needed to liven things up around here.

Enter my new favorite cookbooks, Deceptively Delicious and Double Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld. She has found creative and delicious ways to get veggies into her family, all with them not knowing it. I have made several of her recipes and every one of them has been very well received, especially by my kids, with quips of, "Mom! This is great! You can put this on the 'make it again' list!" I have even made some of the treats from her books and my kids love them. Chocolate Chip Cookies made with Chickpeas?? Brownies made with spinach??? You bet! They get gobbled up. Lord help me if they ever find out the truth.

I am so excited about how well this 'experiment' has gone, that I want to share it with all of you. As I try these recipes, I will be posting them (as long as they are successful) to the Recipes page. There is definitely some prep work and pre-planning involved, but it is all worth it. There are tools that you will need to successfully pull all of this off. If you want to try some of these recipes before spending the money on things like a food processor or a steamer, find someone who has these gadgets and see if you can borrow them for a little while (there are lots of us out there who have 'fun kitchen tools' that are collecting dust and would love a workout). I highly recommend going out and purchasing at least one of these books, if not both. However, if you would like to 'try before you buy', feel free to copy the recipes here and try them for yourself. I am now a firm believer in deceiving my family, when it comes to getting healthy food into their tummies.

If you're ready to go all in and get started, but need some help, I am happy to share what I have learned to help you get healthier foods in front of your families.

Autumn Has Arrived!!

Where did all of the time go!!??  School has started, summer is over and Autumn blew in like a monsoon. We have been so busy this past month that I don't think that I have posted anything since August and I can't remember any of it either.  One thing that I don't think that I will forget is how we went camping on possibly the worst weekend ever in our history of camping.  The first weekend of fall was cold, windy and rained 90% of the time.  We did have a few bright spots where we were able to take the kids to the beach for some kite flying (we stayed in South Haven) but that was short lived.  We didn't wear our suits of course, but that didn't stop my 6 y/o son from getting into the water up to his chest.  We definitely can't say that we didn't make any memories, and we all came home with a souvenir head cold.

Now that it's fall, the chef in me is getting antsy.  This is my favorite time of year!  I get to break out my big cast-iron Dutch ovens and make homemade soups, stews and chili, make everything that I can possibly make with pumpkin in it and put out my fall decorations.  One of the best things about fall is taking enjoyment in God's handiwork.  He's quite the painter, that guy!  The leaves have already started to turn and soon the country-side will be ablaze with burgundy reds, golden yellows, and burnt oranges.  We get to turn off the a/c but aren't yet ready to turn on the furnace, so we snuggle up under a blanket on a weekend afternoon with those we love most.  Autumn also makes me think of my grandmother and how much I miss her.  Fall was her favorite season too (which may explain why it's also mine) and she took such enjoyment in it.  My time with her was brief, but I believe that it helped to make me who I am today and I will be forever grateful.

I realize that I haven't been posting many lately, but soon my Recipe page  will be full of yummy things to eat that are based around all of the goodness that the season brings (even if I have to be sneaky about it).  Dust off your roasting pans and heavy cookware and be ready to stock up and get cookin'!!

Oh, a camping we will go....

The camper that Grandpa & Grandma have used for over 20 yrs

Camping. A great American past time. Whether in a tent, pop-up, travel trailer or motor home, camping does something that nothing else can; It brings a family together, creates bonds and builds life-long memories. This past week, my husband, two kids and myself, along with my in-laws, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins, spent four days camping at Fort Custer near Battle Creek. Every year, around the middle of August, for the past several years, my husband's family, on his mother's side, spends a weekend at Fort Custer. It is quite the experience!

I have had the pleasure of being a part of this for over ten years. Watching children grow into adults with babies of their own, babies grow into teenagers, and parents turn into grandparents or great grandparents. We play games, ride bikes, talk, chatter and laugh. The best part is usually sitting around the huge campfire built by my father-in-law, roasting marshmallows, telling hilarious stories (at someone else's expense) or gleaning a bit of wisdom. And all of our campsites are in a row, on both sides of the street. At the height of family camping, there were 6 couples, over a dozen kids and usually a few babies. Sadly, those numbers have dwindled as the 'kids' grow up, move away and start families of their own, some of which can't even come out for the day to visit, let alone camp.


Our kids love it and always get so excited to go. This year, our son was so ready to go that he wanted to sleep in the camper the night before we left. Five minutes down the road, our daughter asks the infamous question, "How long til we get there?". Luckily, we were able to satisfy her with the answer, as she was able to watch the clock. We even made it in record time! Now, if you have ever stayed in a pop-up camper, you know that it's nothing short of a glorified tent. Sure, you have a door that latches instead of zips, a sink and a table, but you are surrounded only by canvas and if a madman wants to murder you in your sleep, all he has to do is undo the canvas by detaching the bungie ties just underneath your slide-out bed. My favorite part is it's lack of a bathroom, as I so thoroughly enjoy the (what seems like) half-mile walk through the dark woods in the middle of the night in order to use the facilities with nothing but a modest flashlight and the sounds of night animals surrounding me on all sides. I feel like I'm in a scene from The Blair Witch Project.

This year, the weather was fantastic, but got down right cold at night (Friday night it was in the upper 40s). However, we enjoyed the cool weather so much that we are planning one more camping trip to South Haven before the season ends and we have to pack up for the winter. We also said goodbye to the old camper that Grandma and Grandma have used for over 20 years. My husband and his cousins have many fond memories of staying in it, but know that it's time for it to go. I took the picture above while I was out walking early one morning. The sunlight was hitting in such a way that it almost seemed dream-like. I'm hoping that I can get it developed for and framed for them.

If you have never camped or have only done it a few times, do something special for your kids and take them, even if it's just once. It gives you a moment away from the rest of the world to enjoy the tranquility of nature and of just being together without the distractions of modern society. There's just something about a campfire that stirs us in our quiet places and melts our reserves, allowing us to be ourselves.

"I want a blog toooooo!!!"

This is my first attempt at a blog, so ya'll will just have to bare with me. Like many of you, I am constantly posting various things to CrackBook with no real rhyme or reason (aka unorganized thought processes). I post mostly about recipes, health and nutrition related topics, or things that only my closest friends would find funny, but some of it is actually thought-provoking.  In my (usually half-hearted) attempt at getting my life and family organized, I have come across some great blogs on recipes, organization, etc and thought, "What a great way to put all of my (albeit random) thoughts together so that they are all in one place!"

I've gotten a little tired of how CrackBook changes everything around without notice and it's gotten to the point where now I can't even find stuff on my own page half the time.  Now, there will be a place for everything, and everything in it's place (I'm laughing at myself as I type this).  To help you find your way around, here is a little rundown of what you will find here. (you might even find an explanation to the name of this blog, but don't hold your breath. (I will get a little snarky from time to time. You've been warned).

Recipes: Quick, easy and family friendly, while also being nutritious. I use whole grains such as brown rice, Quinoa (keen-wah), Barley, whole grain pastas, etc. If my kids like it, most likely yours will too.
If you are anything like me, you did not get your training as a short order cook, so don't be one. Whatever I fix for dinner is what's available. They either eat it or they don't. I require a 'no-thank you bite' of everyone at my table. I do my best to make something that they know and one new thing. I like to experiment, but I'm not Dr. Frankenstein.

Frugal Living: This is an area where I have to be very purposeful. I did not grow up learning to plan and save, which led me to accrue credit card debt in my early adult years. Thankfully, I married a man that is very conscious regarding money, but it still took me a while to catch on. We have a set budget in place for groceries and such, but we weren't following it very closely. I came across a blog recently that gave me some new ideas, so that is where you will find these.

Life: Family, kids, faith, friends. What you will find are my feelings, thoughts and opinions on all of the above. Some you may agree with, some you won't. Like it, or hate it, I will always stand by my convictions.

Local Folks: What I would like to accomplish here is to get the word out on local, small-scale farmers, ranchers, gardeners and other food producers who are doing things the natural way (no pesticides, antibiotics or hormones, artificial ingredients, etc). The more focus we can put on them, the better.

Healthy Living:  This stems from a page that I had started on CrackBook called 'Raising Healthy Families'. This is a topic that has been on my heart for a numbers of years because, when it comes to nutrition, our current culture pretty much sucks, especially where children are concerned. Again, this is one that you may want to take with a grain of salt. I do my best to keep things civil, but, well....

Baking/Cooking Tips: Pretty self explanatory. I will post tips. You can ask questions. You can post tips. We're all friends here. In learning you will teach, and in teaching you will learn.

Fave Products: I love all things food related. I will post my favorite things (and not so fave), where to find them and who has the lowest price.  Visit this page often.

Buzz Words: Here we will take a spin around nutrition labels and sometimes go off road. If you're a label reader already, some of these words may look familiar to you. If you're not, we'll teach you how. Be forewarned: This ride may not be for the squeamish.

So, there we are in a (very large) nutshell. Where did the name come from you ask? Well, I'm a baker and I live on 5 acres. So there you go. And, the pages are a work in progress. Oh, and I'm not much of a photographer, so I can't guarantee pretty pictures like the other bloggers.