tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-374918652024-03-07T13:11:06.223-05:00Thou and Thou OnlyRiches we heed not, nor man's empty praise.<br><br>
This blog belongs to the family of JunkMale, a Christian and Georgia Tech alumnus. Target demographics might include conservative Christian, healthy-eating, homeschooling, interracial families, and others who do not call this world "home." Where homemade is usually better than store-bought. For more info, click the "About" link below.Harmonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15105846442509828835noreply@blogger.comBlogger118125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37491865.post-81642479134136102592011-04-12T09:14:00.000-04:002011-04-12T09:14:00.131-04:00April 2011 grocery budget week 2The main shopping trip was at Target, where I spent $44. We also made a couple of "emergency" runs to the store, which totaled about $10. That brings our monthly grocery expenditures up to $145, and leaves us $155 left in our budget for the rest of the month. That leaves us approximately $52/week from here on out.<br /><br />From our Target trip, we bought:<br />reeses cups - $1<br />tortilla chips - $2<br />pringles - $1.44<br />kashi granola bars - $2.99<br />juice - $4.73<br />onions - $2.24<br />spaghetti sauce - $2.84<br />zucchini - $0.35<br />garlic - $0.25<br />cucumbers - $1.48<br />oatmeal - $2<br />oranges - $2.04<br />bread - $2.69<br />pork roast - $6.49<br />ground chicken - $2.29<br />eggs - $2.39<br />almond milk - $4.50<br />allergy medicine - $3.84Harmonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15105846442509828835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37491865.post-75333338916848975802011-04-05T11:02:00.001-04:002011-04-05T11:02:00.251-04:00April 2011 grocery budget week 1This week we went to the Super H mart 30 minutes from our house. We spent about $85 there. The majority of the expense was 30 lbs of brown rice (15 lbs sweet rice, 15 lbs medium grain rice). We also spent $11 on beef for bulgogi and $7 on mandoo (we had friends over for lunch on Sunday, and we have to serve American-friendly food when we're introducing Korean food to someone).<br /><br />Other items we bought at H mart: Korean pear, roasted seaweed (a gift for a friend - no, really), rice flour, sweet red bean paste, 6 lbs napa cabbage (w00t, 6lbs of kimchi in the fridge!), Chinese chives, green onions, apples, garlic, ginger, tofu, eggs, and a family pack of Shin Ramyun (JunkMale insisted I treat myself, for some reason).<br /><br />We also took a trip to Kroger to get more American staples for the week: peanut butter crackers, hummus, yogurt, juice, basil, granola bars, green onions, mushrooms, fruit cups, and potatoes. This cost us $36.<br /><br />I don't usually count bulk-purchased staples like rice in our monthly budget - 15 lbs of medium grain rice lasts us 4-6 months and 15 lbs of sweet rice lasts even longer, so it seems unfair to include a 6-month expense in a monthly budget. Obviously you could abuse this by labeling too many foods "bulk staples", but I really only count non-perishable things like grains, sugar, etc, and only when it will last us more than 4 months without stocking up again. Thirty pounds of rice certainly counts. Quick note: if you cannot afford more than your monthly grocery budget, you shouldn't use this method. Our grocery budget was designed with this in mind. :-)<br /><br />The cost of the rice (minus tax) was $29.98, so I will subtract $30 from our total. This means we have spent $91 so far this month on groceries - 30% of the total budget. We will have to be careful the rest of the month not to average no more than $52 each week. But with 6 lbs of kimchi in the fridge and 30 lbs of rice in the pantry, we shouldn't have too much trouble.Harmonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15105846442509828835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37491865.post-66127470950796210422011-03-29T09:11:00.000-04:002011-03-29T09:11:01.229-04:00Keeping tabs on our grocery budgetThis series of posts was prompted by my sister, who wondered how we were able to keep to a $300/month grocery budget.<br /><br />Well, to be honest, I'm not really that sure that we <span style="font-style: italic;">do</span> keep to that sort of budget. I've never really tracked it. But in theory, we average no more than $75/week in groceries. And now - partly because I'm curious and partly because we need more posts to keep this blog up and running - I'm going to find out. I will do my best, every Tuesday, to post an accounting of the grocery bills from the previous week.<br /><br />But to start off, I thought I'd set the stage. We eat a mostly dairy-free diet (JunkMale and I do eat dairy every now and then) because of Pearl. This means that we eat a lot of foreign food (mostly Korean, but also a lot of Thai/Vietnamese and Greek foods around this time of year). It also means that we buy a lot of expensive dairy replacements - almond milk, soy and coconut yogurt, etc. This all has an effect both on our budget and how we shop. The closest Korean store is 20 minutes from our house, and it's more expensive than the large Korean market 30 minutes away. So trips to buy specifically Korean ingredients (red pepper paste, fish sauce, fermented soybean paste, sweet potato starch noodles, seaweed, 15-lb bags of brown rice, etc) are important but infrequent. That means that when I go I stock up. That changes how I have to view my weekly food budget. If I had to stick to a strict weekly budget, I would be going to the Korean store every week, and that would be a huge hassle.<br /><br />OK, with that in mind, I will present a summary of what we have spent so far this month on groceries. I made 6 trips to the grocery store over the first 4 weeks of March, spending a total of appx $238.51. I have all of my receipts except for one (I do remember that I spent about $48, though). Here is what we bought with the $190.51 we have recorded:<br /><br />22.5% was spent on generic food items (condiments, pasta, cheese, chicken broth, etc)<br />19.5% was spent on meat/protein (eggs, tofu, and vegetarian corndogs were included with meat)<br />14.4% was spent on produce, fresh or frozen<br />13.6% was spent on beverages<br />13.1% was spent on snack items (chips, crackers, cookies, granola bars, etc)<br />9.2% was spent on vitamins<br />Approximately 6% is tax. The remaining 1.7% can probably be attributed to rounding and simple arithmetic errors that I don't feel like going back and finding. :-)<br /><br />So with one week left in the month, we have $61.49 left to spend before we go over budget. Considering this week's shopping list is pretty short, I expect we'll have made our budget for the month. So that, apparently, is how we eat on $300/month - or, at least, how we ate on $300 in March 2011. I do not clip coupons except for on rare occasions. I do not look at sales fliers. We do have a garden that every now and then saves us a dollar or two, and I also keep the going prices of food items in my head and will sometimes change the menu on the fly in the store because something is very expensive. But those are my only "secrets". Other than that we just eat what we like.<br /><br />For the incredibly curious, here is a breakdown of exactly what we bought, and for how much.<br /><br />Nitrate-free deli meat - $5.00<br />Frozen chicken breasts - $7.98<br />Ground turkey - $2.56<br />Eggs - $2.78<br />Chicken tenders $8.88<br />Frozen baby lima beans - $3.00<br />String cheese - $2.64<br />Frozen baby brussels sprouts - $2.25<br />Cheese slices - $4.28<br />Potatoes - $2.47<br />Garlic - $0.69<br />Tomatoes - $3.24<br />Granola bars - $10.92<br />Cooking spray - $1.68<br />Ginger ale - $3.33<br />Spaghetti noodles (either multigrain or whole wheat) - $1.18<br />Crackers - $2.28<br />Bread - $2,72<br />Potato chips - $5.36<br />Dill pickles - $3.04<br />Lime juice - $1.19<br />Onions - $2.49<br />Chicken broth - $5.28<br />Hoisin sauce - $2.39<br />Fresh basil - $2.99<br />Fresh cilantro - $0.99<br />Cucumber - $0.99<br />Pork roast - $4.54<br />Mushrooms - $1.99<br />Juice - $12.68<br />Mustard - $1.58<br />Almond milk - $8.56<br />Tortilla chips - $1.88<br />Vegetarian corn dogs - $3.48<br />Unspecified produce - $1.99<br />Cookies - $2.37<br />Gummy vitamins - $17.48 (2-3 month supply)<br />Non-grocery items - $7.69<br />Korean radish - $1.14<br />MSG-free ramen noodles - $1.39<br />Korean red pepper paste (고추장) - $5.99<br />Buckwheat noodles (냉면) - $3.99<br />Organic tofu - $1.99<br />Seaweed (김) - $6.99<br />Coconut milk - $1.59<br />Barley tea - $1.39<br />Tuna in hot pepper sauce - $2.59Harmonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15105846442509828835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37491865.post-80473670844981964092011-01-31T09:26:00.000-05:002011-01-31T09:26:00.388-05:00How we like our cruciferous vegetablesCabbage. Collard Greens. Broccoli. Brussels Sprouts. You know they're good for you, but can you hold your nose long enough to choke them down?<br /><br />We used to feel that way too. But somehow, we in the JunkHouse have found ourselves not only tolerating cruciferous vegetables, but enjoying them. JunkMale now really enjoys both broccoli and brussels sprouts. I am fond of collards, broccoli, and brussels sprouts, and Pearl loves cabbage, collards, and broccoli. Luna will eat them all. :-)<br /><br />So how did we come to change our minds? I think it was because I learned new ways of cooking them that appealed to our palate. I realize not everyone enjoys the same foods as we do, but hopefully this list of recipes will help you, too, learn to enjoy the <a href="http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=10">many </a><a href="http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=138">health </a><a href="http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=9">benefits </a>of cruciferous vegetables.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cabbage</span><br /><br />We mostly eat napa cabbage, which I used to make kimchi. Kimchi isn't for everyone, so I'm willing to let that one slide. :-) But before we discovered Pearl's dairy problems, JuneMale and I used to really enjoy making <a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Dianes-Colcannon/Detail.aspx">colcannon</a>. Mashed potatoes with bacon <span style="font-size:78%;">(and cabbage)<span style="font-size:100%;">.</span></span> What's not to like? :-D<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Collard Greens</span><br /><br />I'll admit that I used to hate these. But <a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Kickin-Collard-Greens/Detail.aspx">this recipe</a> has changed my mind. I add 1 Tbs of brown sugar to them and leave out the red pepper flakes. Oh, and I double the bacon. :-D<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Broccoli</span><br /><br /><a href="http://thou-and-thou-only.blogspot.com/2007/12/emergency-meals.html">Broccoli noodles</a>. What else can I say? This has been a staple in our house ever since I saw the recipe posted at <a href="http://heartkeepercommonroom.blogspot.com/">The Common Room</a>. We've tweaked it in the years since then, and it continues to be a consistent performer on our menus.<br /><br />But if you don't like broccoli noodles or have a peanut allergy in your family, you could always try drowning your broccoli in a cheese sauce. This was my favorite way to eat broccoli growing up. Yum, yum yum! <a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Cheese-Sauce-Over-Cauliflower/Detail.aspx">It works well on cauliflower, too</a>, but JunkMale hasn't gotten up the nerve to let me serve him cauliflower yet. ;-)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Brussels Sprouts</span><br /><br />I used to hate these. JunkMale used to hate these. So why are they a favorite of ours now? I credit the <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/roasted-brussels-sprouts-recipe/index.html">Barefoot Contessa</a>, who first turned me on to the idea of oven roasted brussels sprouts. They taste a bit like sweet, green oven fries, and they are absolutely wonderful. Caveat: the smaller the brussels sprouts, the better they taste. Large brussels sprouts tend to be bitter and not-so-tasty. Brussels sprouts from your backyard garden are To. Die. For. If you've never tried brussels sprouts this way, you owe it to yourself to try it at least once.Harmonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15105846442509828835noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37491865.post-20934448514120923382011-01-04T08:52:00.003-05:002011-01-04T08:56:32.927-05:00Kitchen Tip Tuesday - Peeling GarlicKorean food calls for a lot of garlic - some recipes call for a cup or more! Think of all the time you might spend peeling garlic! There has to be an easier way, right?<br /><br />Well there is: use water. Throw all your garlic cloves into a bowl of water and then begin peeling. The water will loosen the skins. After a while, the skins will almost just pop off, no fuss!<br /><br />Visit <a href="http://www.tammysrecipes.com/node/4154">Tammy's Recipes</a> for more kitchen tips. :-)Harmonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15105846442509828835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37491865.post-66235230032990441262010-11-15T07:34:00.000-05:002010-11-15T07:34:00.115-05:00Menu Plan Monday: 11/15/2010What's that you hear? Crickets?<br /><br />Yes, the blogging has been sparse lately, but the blog is not dead (yet). JunkMale is in the final month of his Masters degree program, he just transferred to a new job, and Pearl is still not sleeping.<br /><br />In other words, this is a busy time in our lives. :-) Hopefully the blogging will pick back up in the new year.<br /><br />In the meantime, here is a peek into what we're eating this week. This week is another Korean food week. Since Pearl loves kimchi so much (and she does - I can't remember if I've mentioned this on the blog before, but it's probably her favorite food), and since eating dairy makes for lots of tantrums and a hyper toddler, eating Korean food is just simpler for me these days. This week we will be eating some of our favorites.<br /><br />Yesterday we ate out at a Chinese restaurant with a couple from church, and we brought home leftovers. Those will be our lunches until they run out.<br /><br />I made <a href="http://www.maangchi.com/recipe/potato-side-dishes">soy sauce cooked potatoes (감자조림)</a> yesterday - a triple batch! - to eat as a side dish for dinners, but it also makes a good lunch for Junkmale every now and then. A supplement to lunches for me and Pearl will hopefully be seaweed soup, if I'm able to motivate myself to make it.<br /><br />Last night's dinner was <a href="http://korean-cuisine.blogspot.com/2009/01/kimchi-dwenjang-soondooboo-jjigae.html">kimchi and soft tofu stew with soybean paste (김치 된장 순두부찌개)</a>. I'm aiming for the taste of the soybean paste soft tofu stew at a local restaurant, but I'm not quite there yet. I think last night's recipe held promise, but it needs some more work.<br /><br />Tonight we're going to have <a href="http://thou-and-thou-only.blogspot.com/2010/08/spicy-mixed-noodles-bibimmyeon.html">spicy mixed noodles (비빔면)</a>. It's one of our favorite dishes in our house because it's easy and delicious. Once that runs out (maybe Wednesday or Thursday), I'm going to make Japanese style curry. If I get around to it, I'm going to post my updated recipe for this when I make it.<br /><br />By the time we run out of curry, I'm hoping it will be the weekend because I'm planning to make either kimchi pancakes or mung bean pancakes to help use up our very old kimchi. These are more labor-intensive than the other recipes, and it will help immensely to have another adult around to watch Pearl - or the food!Harmonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15105846442509828835noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37491865.post-37406697167801515462010-10-23T15:39:00.003-04:002010-11-08T18:53:37.192-05:00Crockpot "Baked" BeansYum, yum, yum! And super easy, too. What else is there to say?<br /><br />Ingredients:<br />3 cups dried beans, whatever variety you like<br />8 cups water<br />1 package bacon<br />2 small onions<br />2 tsp dried mustard<br />1/4 tsp cayenne pepper<br />2 small serrano peppers (optional)<br />1/4 cup tomato paste<br />1/4 cup brown sugar<br />3/8 cup molasses<br />2 Tbs ketchup<br />1 tsp ground pepper<br />1 1/2 tsp kosher salt<br /><br />Directions:<br /><br />1. The night before, put the beans and water in the crockpot. Cook over low heat overnight.<br /><br />2. In the morning, drain off excess water. Check the beans to see how soft they are. If they aren't done yet, increase crockpot heat to high. <br /><br />3. Chop the bacon and onion and cook on the stovetop until the bacon is fully cooked. Add to the beans.<br /><br />4. Add remaining ingredients and continue cooking. "Baked" beans will be ready in time for lunch.<br /><br />You can find more recipes for a crowd at <a href="http://heartkeepercommonroom.blogspot.com/2010/11/large-family-recipes.html">The Common Room</a>!Harmonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15105846442509828835noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37491865.post-65515932790691863382010-08-26T13:10:00.003-04:002010-08-26T13:41:04.116-04:00Spicy Mixed Noodles (Bibimmyeon)This sweet and spicy noodle recipe has quickly become a favorite in our house. There are a few ingredients that you might have to get from an Asian grocery, but it's very much worth it. I recommend doubling the recipe!<br /><br />Spicy Mixed Noodles<br />비빔면 ("Bee-beem-myeon")<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Beef Marinade</span><br />1/4 lb beef (any cut that holds up well to stir frying)<br />4 to 6 white button mushrooms<br />1 Tbs light soy sauce (or 2 tsp soy sauce + 1 tsp water)<br />2 tsp finely chopped green onions<br />1 tsp minced garlic<br />1 tsp sesame oil<br />ground black pepper to taste<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Chili Pepper Sauce</span><br />2 Tbs Korean hot pepper paste<br />3 Tbs soy sauce<br />2 Tbs brown sugar<br />1 Tbs sesame oil<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Other Ingredients</span><br />1 small cucumber<br />2 hard-boiled eggs<br />10 oz somyeon (thin, dried wheat noodles - can substitute angel hair noodles)<br /><br />1. Prepare the beef marinade, set aside for about 30 minutes.<br />2. Prepare the chili pepper sauce and set aside.<br />3. Julianne the cucumber and slice the eggs.<br />4. Cook the beef and mushroom mixture until the beef is fully cooked. Set aside to cool.<br />5. Boil the noodles, then drain and rinse.<br />6. Mix the noodles with the sauce. Add noodles to individual bowls and top with beef mixture, cucumber, and eggs.<br /><br />Serves 4. Diners should mix the toppings with the noodles before enjoying. :-)Harmonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15105846442509828835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37491865.post-23185741747949486022010-08-24T19:36:00.002-04:002010-08-24T20:44:49.957-04:00Dairy FreeWhen Pearl turned one year old, we did the standard practice of giving her whole milk (to <span style="font-style:italic;">supplement</span> breast milk, not to replace it). For about a month, it seemed like everything was going well, but the more milk she drank, the more tantrums we seemed to have. We had days on end where it seemed like all she did was cry and whine and destroy things. Eventually we began to notice that she had developed two rashes on her body.<br /><br />So we finally made the decision to eliminate dairy from my diet and from hers. The first week the rash went away, and by week 3 she was only having 2 or 3 mild tantrums a day instead of day-long tantrums. Then JunkMale, in a sleep-deprived-brain moment, forgot himself and gave Pearl some dairy. The rest of the day was a nightmare. Pearl was hyper, aggressive, whiny, and angry. And if that wasn't enough proof, the rashes came back the next day.<br /><br />Eating dairy-free for the past month has been an interesting experience for our family. We have eaten a lot more Korean food, because the Korean diet is naturally dairy-free. JunkMale has noticed significantly improved digestive health - whether from eliminating dairy or eating kimchi every day, he is not sure - and Pearl has of course had an improved disposition and less itchy skin. But as for me, I notice no difference except that I long for my dairy.<br /><br />We have learned that we love almond milk and I have learned some new yummy Korean recipes (spicy mixed noodles/비빔면, crab pancakes/해물전). Korean food is, of course, <a href="http://thou-and-thou-only.blogspot.com/2008/03/big-shopping-trip.html">less expensive than American food</a>, but dairy substitutes like margarine, soy and coconut yogurt, and "ice cream" are much more expensive. Sometimes we are able to stay under budget, but often we have to go over.<br /><br />I have learned to <a href="http://thou-and-thou-only.blogspot.com/2010/08/easy-kimchi.html">make my own kimchi</a>, and unlike during our <a href="http://thou-and-thou-only.blogspot.com/2008/03/korean-food-experiment.html">Korean food month</a>, I'm not finding myself craving American food. I am treating myself to expensive coconut ice cream and American junk food treats, so I don't really feel deprived like I did back then. And I also have two extra years' experience both in cooking and in learning to enjoy eating Korean foods.<br /><br />In subsequent weeks I will be sharing some of the new recipes and also some strategies to eating dairy-free. If you have some strategies to share with me, please leave a comment, and also if you have questions about eating dairy-free let me know and I will try to find the answer.Harmonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15105846442509828835noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37491865.post-29200576118588991002010-08-02T08:00:00.000-04:002010-08-02T08:00:07.964-04:00Easy KimchiKimchi is not easy to make. My first three attempts to make kimchi ended in various states of disaster. But them I found <a href="http://www.maangchi.com/recipe/easy-kimchi">Maangchi's recipe for cut-up kimchi</a>* (막김치). I made it before Pearl's first birthday, and my in-laws enjoyed it so much they took a jar home with them. I have since made the recipe again, and again it has turned out to be quite decent kimchi.<br /><br />I don't think it's just a matter of getting better with practice, either. <a href="http://www.maangchi.com/">Maangchi</a> provides what is severely lacking in Korean cooking: actual recipes (you know, with <span style="font-style: italic;">measurements</span> - wow, concept! ;-), with easy-to-understand directions, and a video to go along with it. I watched the video through about three times, then followed the directions while making the recipe, referring back to the video when I had further questions.<br /><br />Here are a few notes on how I made the kimchi:<br /><br />Both times I've only bought one large head of cabbage from the store. I weighed it on our bathroom scale (3.5 lbs the first time, 5 lbs the second) and scaled the recipe accordingly. <br /><br />For the hot pepper, I stuck with the mildest amount. There were two reasons for this: first, we want to introduce kimchi to Pearl (we think she'll like it) and, second, because the hot pepper we have is extraordinarily hot. JunkMale's mom brought it back from Korea and labeled it "Very Hot Pepper". JunkMale still thinks the kimchi came out very spicy.<br /><br />And finally, I store the kimchi in pint-sized canning jars. You should always store kimchi in glass, unless you want your plastic to take on a very pungent odor. By storing them in smaller containers, our family is able to stretch out the life of the kimchi much longer than in the very large containers it's usually kept in. To keep the kimchi odor from permeating your fridge, put plastic wrap on top of the glass jar before you put the lid on. And keep some baking soda right next to it. ;-)<br /><br />You, too, can make kimchi (or any other Korean food), thanks to Maangchi. This week I'm going to be using her recipe for soy sauce beef (장조림, a recipe I've had serious trouble with in the past) and chicken porridge (닭죽). And we'll be eating my homemade kimchi along with it.<br /><br />*Before anyone asks, I left out the raw squid. Ewwww!Harmonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15105846442509828835noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37491865.post-83857480729220066062010-03-31T14:29:00.003-04:002010-03-31T14:40:46.417-04:00Your Last MealAt my office, the punishment for violation of security procedures is to bring in a box or two of donuts for the office. This is a very very cruel punishment. For all the rest of us, not necessarily the person who had to buy the donuts. I do not know why we are subjected to such cruel and unusual punishment. <br /><br />It is true, we do cheat sometimes in our generally healthy eating, and splurge in a donut every now and then. Whenever someone brings in donuts, I always sneak one out to bring to Harmony.<br /><br />This got us talking about last meals and what our's would be. Here I confess that I am not high class in any sense - my last meal would probably be a fast food hamburger (Big Mac probably, Harmony calls McD hamburgers "wormburgers") and a box of hot just-made Krispy Kremes. Perhaps half original glazed and the other half some variety of glazed creme filled or jelly filled donuts. <a href="http://krispykreme.com/varieties.html">See more of varieties here</a>, and don't blame me if you are suddenly filled with the urge to buy a box. Then again, I suppose I would be mostly to blame there. <br /><br />I think Harmony said her last meal would consist of something from Captain D's. Assuming that you knew when your last meal would be, and assuming you would be willing and able to eat (i.e. your guts are still intact and you are not wrongly on death row or something like that), what would your's be?JunkMalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02619673168896233941noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37491865.post-50976744585264400772010-01-25T07:52:00.001-05:002010-01-25T07:52:00.385-05:00A History of Breastfeeding, Part 1When you do a Google search for "history of breastfeeding", you get hundreds of hits that go something like this:<br /><br /><blockquote>In ancient times all women breastfed their babies because it was the only way to feed them. Then in the mid 1800's, men like Henri Nestlé began making commercial infant formula. It wasn't long before the rates of breastfeeding began to sharply decline.</blockquote><br /><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; width: 200px; height: 147px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_avUUQxpy30o/Sy9lTQi0WrI/AAAAAAAACew/z4veXZgb8Vs/s200/0_newborn_drinking_milk.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417660258282920626" border="0" />... and so on. While all of that is for the most part factual, it is in no way a complete history of breastfeeding. It implies that between ancient times and the mid 19th century, breastfeeding practices were largely uniform across cultures and across times, and what's more, it implies that the breastfeeding relationship between mother and baby was ideal and rosy until the advent of formula.<br /><br />Based on the few essays and historical documents I've been able to find that deal with earlier history, this could not be further from the truth. In fact, the reason formula caught on like it did was because there already existed in Western societies a shocking disconnect between mothers and babies for centuries before formula was invented.<br /><br />So let's start at the beginning. At some point in ancient history, it was certainly common for women to nurse their own children. But as early as the time of Abraham, the custom of wet nursing had apparently been invented (Gen 24:59 and Gen 35:8 refer to Rebekah's nurse). But Sarah - a very wealthy woman - nursed Isaac (Gen 21:7), and it seems likely (although finding scholarship to back this up is difficult) that the majority of women breastfed their babies. We see that Naomi was a nurse to her grandson Obed (Ruth 4:16), though it is not clear that she was a <span style="font-style: italic;">wet</span> nurse.<br /><br />While the Bible is mostly silent on the subject, Jewish tradition <a href="http://www.natural-jewish-parenting.com/01Tokayer.html">is full of advice on the "right way" to breastfeed</a>:<br /><blockquote><ul><li>The <i>Mishna </i>(<i>Ketubot </i>59b) instructs us that breastfeeding her baby is a woman’s obligation toward her husband—so much so that other household functions take lower priority during this time.</li><li>According to the <i>Shulchan Aruch </i>(<i>Yoreh Deah</i> 81:7) a child may nurse, if healthy, until four years old; a sickly or weak child, until five years old.</li><li>Most sources point towards 24 months as the accepted <i>minimum </i>length of the breastfeeding relationship. Even the most lenient of authorities points to the age when a baby has six to eight teeth. This is estimated to be between the ages of ten and sixteen months.</li><li>The <i>Talmud</i> (<i>Yerushalmi, Brochot</i> 68a) states that a Jew should be involved in Torah every hour of the day just as a baby nurses every hour of the day. Also, a baby should be allowed to nurse as often as he desires. “Even if he nurses all day long it will not harm him” (<i>Tosefta, Sotah </i>4:1).</li></ul></blockquote><br />Some Orthodox Jewish women believe it is her duty to breastfeed until the baby is 24 months old and that anything less is sinful. Two years seems to be the bare minimum that most cultures recommend. I understand that the Koran also advocates at least 24 months before weaning, and even in European cultures - which have had serious problems with breastfeeding for centuries - experts believed that when the baby had all its teeth its body was ready to be weaned. In Florence in 1415, there was even a law that if a wet nurse weaned her charge before 30 months, she was subject to public whipping (page 21 <a href="http://www.unicef-irc.org/publications/pdf/hisper_breast.pdf">here</a>).<br /><br /><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; width: 154px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUICy6rYX_aSZbDZYrcmWofFshMbrvhCSS65KLF6MXI8qbjhvlazFQZzcwTjtXNy_7XycP08_TJluduaz98eflFygzRVf_zCz7akDNjWNPV6n-CNbmE7_0V3v0JC5YrgF-CgkusQ/s200/1999_76_2_bw.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417681288336452578" border="0" />It would seem that most cultures had a pretty good grasp of the benefits of breastfeeding and its role in preventing infant deaths.* But this is not always the case. In Europe around the Renaissance, something went terribly wrong.....<br /><br />To Be Continued<br /><br />*Many cultures did seem to have a fear that colostrum was bad for the baby. Often babies were hand-fed until the mother's milk came in, a practice that surely resulted in the unnecessary deaths of many children.Harmonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15105846442509828835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37491865.post-33322478070866510812009-12-02T12:42:00.002-05:002009-12-02T12:51:25.692-05:00Whole Wheat Apple CakeAs far as healthy cakes go, this is our current favorite. Compared to my grandmother's oh-so-delicious chocolate pound cake with buttercream frosting, this is practically a diet food. And while the chocolate pound cake edges apple cake out in decadence, the apple cake is pretty yummy and there's not nearly the guilt involved in the eating. :-)<br /><br />Whole Wheat Apple Cake<br /><br />2 eggs<br />1 cup oil<br />1 tsp vanilla<br />1 2/3 cups honey crystals<br />2 cups whole wheat cake flour (you can use half white flour and half regular wheat if you can't find the cake flour)<br />1 tsp baking soda<br />1/2 tsp salt<br />2 tsp cinnamon<br />4 cups apples, diced<br /><br />Beat together eggs and oil, then add in honey and vanilla. Mix the dry ingredients, then add to the egg mixture. Fold in the apples, then pour into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. You can top with powdered sugar, streusal topping, or a cream cheese frosting, but really it's delicious as is.Harmonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15105846442509828835noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37491865.post-27838709781552870792009-10-28T07:22:00.000-04:002009-10-26T15:14:05.764-04:00Japanese CurryI love curry rice, but I don't like how much MSG is in the pre-packaged curry roux blocks. Unfortunately, I had not been able to duplicate the flavor in homemade versions. The flavor always fell short - mostly because all the recipes call for bullion,which I never add. But <a href="http://www.norecipes.com/2008/07/18/karei-raisu-japanese-curry-rice/">this recipe</a>? Excellent! It's the Worcestershire sauce* and ketchup that does it, I think. Seriously good eats.<br /><br />I added sweet potatoes and mushrooms and left out the peas (because I didn't have any). I also didn't use the apple puree. Served over <a href="http://thou-and-thou-only.blogspot.com/2007/06/healthy-rice-in-korea.html">japgok</a>, it was an excellent meal, and really very healthy.<br /><br />I do need to find a cheaper source for curry powder. I'm getting tired of paying $4 for a tiny jar at the grocery store that only lasts through 3 meals of curry or so. Any good ideas?<br /><br />*To the best of my knowledge, my Worcestershire sauce does not have any MSG. It does, however, have ingredients (like anchovies) that have naturally-occurring glutamate. You might remember from my discussion of fermented soybean paste that glutamate is the key to getting tasty and savory foodHarmonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15105846442509828835noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37491865.post-46236800823427961102009-10-13T08:57:00.000-04:002009-10-13T08:57:55.818-04:00Luna's Raw Diet Starts AnewThat Luna, she's got a lot of heart.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_avUUQxpy30o/StR0DdNiVeI/AAAAAAAACKk/ixnSCgYAvwo/s1600-h/IMGP1620.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_avUUQxpy30o/StR0DdNiVeI/AAAAAAAACKk/ixnSCgYAvwo/s400/IMGP1620.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392062256599160290" /></a><br /><br />...dehydrating in the garage at 125 degrees F, since 6 PM yesterday.<br /><br />A few weeks before Pearl was born, we switched Luna over to high quality canned food, then eventually to high quality dry food. We did this because we wanted to eliminate possibilities for Pearl to catch food-borne illness from Luna's licks, which were and sometimes still are quite plenty. After we stopped the raw diet, we did deep cleanings of the house.<br /><br />Mostly we were concerned with Luna's fondness for licking faces, but now that she has been with Pearl for 4 months, she knows that licking Pearl's face means getting swatted. Sometimes I'll put her right to her face to see what she'll do, and Luna will sniff and turn her face away. "I must flee temptation!"<br /><br />I also started to cut the contents of a bag labeled "Organs" but when I offered some to Luna, she sniffed and turned away. I'm not quite sure what organ it is, nor am I sure what animal it came from, but it did have a bit of an "off" odor to it. I just figured it was the normal smell of an animal product which we never buy for ourselves, but I guess Luna decided that she didn't want it. <br /><br />I've decided that from now on, I will dehydrate all organ meats for Luna. It's a bit of work every time I have to dehydrate, but I think it's much more convenient after that. Undehydrated organs can only stay unthawed for so long before they start getting gross. Dehydrated organ pieces stay in the freezer - I can take a piece out and give it to Luna and don't have to go through the hand washing process that I do with undehydrated (I still do rinse though). Also, if the power were to go out for an extended period of time, dehydrated organs will be much less likely to go bad. Related to this is that dehydrated organs are MUCH more convenient for travel.<br /><br />(I don't believe there's as much nutrient loss from dehydration. This is also why I dehydrated at such a low temperature, for meats.)<br /><br />Of course, I do realize that heart is closer to a muscle meat than an organ, so I will have to dig through our chest freezer and attempt to find some liver, the best multivitamin a dog can get. We will be in the vicinity of one of the big Asian grocery stores this weekend, so we'll be able to stock up there, if I can't find liver already in our possession.<br /><br />Luna's in for some treats the next couple of months. We have the usual chicken leg quarters, but we also have duck feet, goat pieces, whole sardines, and one gutted/skinned rabbit.JunkMalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02619673168896233941noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37491865.post-17061079932786365942009-10-12T08:22:00.007-04:002009-10-12T09:00:54.601-04:00Can Christians Ever Disobey Ridiculous Laws?(<em>ah finally, it's been too long since a Christianity + politics and junk and stuff blog post...)</em><br /><br />The subject of this post has come into my mind a few times recently, brought on because Harmony is pumping breast milk for a friend of our's who is staunchly committed to breastfeeding, is due with her fourth child, but has been troubled by low milk supply (I'm sure she's tried all the remedies) with all previous children (I think).<br /><br />Christians are supposed to subject themselves to the laws of the land. So says Romans 13:<br /><blockquote>1Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. <br /> 2Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. <br /><br /> 3For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; <br /><br /> 4for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. <br /><br /> 5Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience' sake. <br /><br /> 6For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing. <br /><br /> 7Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.</blockquote><br /><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;width: 200px; height: 179px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_avUUQxpy30o/StMnN9fRHaI/AAAAAAAACKY/kmBDhMbq9gs/s200/762148_dripping_milk_5.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391696299690106274" />Obviously we are supposed to obey God rather than man, so unless man's law contradict's God's, we are to follow it. If the government were to pass some sort of ridiculous law saying that any/all breast milk must be tested in an expensive procedure before being allowed the possibility of being shared, what to do in that situation? (Think that's too ridiculous to be plausible? Go to the <a href="http://heartkeepercommonroom.blogspot.com/search?q=cpsia" target="new">Common Room </a>blog and search for the term "CPSIA," for extensive blog entries about the subject) I have a bad feeling that a law such as that one would not directly violate any of God's laws...<br /><br />BUT...<br /><br />Perhaps there would be loopholes in the law that Christians could find and heavily exploit, as long as exploiting the loophole did not involve any sort of deceit or illegal activity (notice the phrasing where I do not include deceit as an illegal activity, for if it were so, all politicians would be in jail, where probably most of them belong anyways). Then again, would that sort of interpretation/exploitation of loopholes be Pharasaical? Would we cease to be following the spirit/intention of the law? (then AGAIN, we are not dealing with exploitation of perceived loopholes in God's law, but man's.)<br /><br />Of course, some would say "but think of the CHILDREN...what if someone were to try to hurt your children by passing them bad milk...??? So we must outlaw unregulated breast milk in all forms." My question does not pertain to getting milk from a milk bank or whatever; it concerns getting milk from someone you know, from a friend who would never think to give spoiled milk to anyone, much less a friend with a new baby.<br /><br />I know that this blog has several readers (maybe even the vast majority) who are firmly supportive of breastfeeding, who also happen to have similar Christian worldviews as we do. You know who you are, and I would like to hear from you. I'll also take comments from people who do not share similar views as we do (and you know who you are) ;) What do you think?JunkMalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02619673168896233941noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37491865.post-11943553508972634692009-09-18T18:36:00.005-04:002009-09-18T18:54:32.050-04:00The Taste of HomeThis is for all you displaced North Carolinians who miss that good old vinegary barbecue*. And I know we've got at least 4 displaced Carolinians who read this blog. This recipe isn't perfect, but it's amazingly close. Just a tad bit too much salt and slightly too little vinegar and sugar.<br /><br />Eastern North Carolina Style Barbecue<br /><br />2 lbs boneless pork shoulder<br />1/2 cup apple cider vinegar<br />salt and pepper to taste<br />a few dashes liquid smoke<br /><br />Put these in a slow cooker and cook on low for 10 hours (or high for 5). You might want to put your slow cooker out in the garage or on the back porch, if you don't like the idea of your house smelling like vinegar. Pull the pork, and then mix in:<br /><br />2 1/2 tsp brown sugar<br />1 3/4 tsp hot sauce<br />3/4 tsp cayenne pepper<br />3/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes<br /><br />Enjoy. :-) Oh, and for all you yankees out there: The word barbecue? It's so NOT a verb.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/6ubTQfr_tyY&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/6ubTQfr_tyY&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />*I know, I know, I hate vinegar. But... this is just how barbecue is supposed to be! <span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span>Harmonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15105846442509828835noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37491865.post-13134445066930294672009-09-16T14:37:00.002-04:002009-09-16T14:41:08.922-04:00Why Does Linguini Exist?Really, what is the point of linguini? You want round noodles? You got spaghetti. You want flat noodles? Let me introduce you to fettuccine. What can linguini do that spaghetti or fettuccine can't? <br /><br />Someone just got lazy one day while making fettuccine (crushed spaghetti) and said "I don't feel like squashing as much today, I'll invent something called linguini and then my laziness can be disguised as a revolutionary new product."JunkMalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02619673168896233941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37491865.post-84596272709440594912009-08-31T09:24:00.003-04:002009-08-31T09:38:36.612-04:00Speaking of Breakfast Burritos...JunkMale mentioned our new, delicious breakfast in his <a href="http://thou-and-thou-only.blogspot.com/2009/08/comparing-butter-to-other-animal-fats.html">last post</a>. I love breakfast burritos. They are tasty, reasonably healthy, and <span style="font-style: italic;">should</span> be filling. Unfortunately, we both were hungry 1.5 hours after eating one. Now can someone tell me why breakfast burritos - full as they are with protein, fat, and whole grains - would make us hungry when a bowl of overnight oats (with its 30+ grams of sugar!) will satisfy JunkMale for an entire morning? Yes, the oats have about a hundred calories more than the burritos, but could that really account for the huge difference? But then what about JunkMale's other favorite breakfast, two eggs and two slices of toast, which has nearly the same nutrition profile as the burrito? Why will that hold him an entire morning when the same number of calories from a burrito left our stomachs growling in church?Harmonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15105846442509828835noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37491865.post-43814954215754624562009-08-31T08:32:00.000-04:002009-08-31T08:33:03.341-04:00Comparing Butter to Other Animal Fats<img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_avUUQxpy30o/Spu_KB476ZI/AAAAAAAAB0I/reX3AZLCEys/s200/stock_photo_pig.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376100759223658898" />Harmony recently bought a bunch of nitrite/nitrate-free bacon in order to help experiment with cheaper (yet still satisfying) breakfasts. We remembered a <a href="http://heartkeepercommonroom.blogspot.com/2009/06/cooking-with-lard.html" target="new" title="The Common Room - Cooking with Lard">Common Room blog post on this subject</a>, and I remembered reading the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lard" target="new1" title="Wikipedia - Lard">Wikipedia article on lard</a>, particularly the part that said lard actually has less saturated fat and more monounsaturated fat than butter.<br /><br />So I went to one of my favorite government operated sites, the <a href="http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/" target="new2" title="USDA Nutrient Database">USDA nutrient database</a>, and looked up the total fat contents of the following fats: salted butter, chicken fat, bacon grease, and beef fat. As I was posting this, and for purposes of full disclosure, I decided to toss in the facts for "SMART BALANCE Regular Buttery Spread," as the entry is titled in the database. I also decided to throw in the cholesterol numbers.<br /><br />All of these are per 100 g serving. Excluding Smart Balance, I have <u>underlined</u> the best fat for each category.<br /><br />Total saturated fat, g:<br />Butter: 51.368<br /><u>Fat, chicken: 29.800</u><br />Animal fat, bacon grease: 39.004<br />Fat, beef tallow: 49.8<br />Smart Balance: 19.510<br /><br />Total monounsaturated fat, g:<br />Butter: 21.021<br />Fat, chicken: 44.700<br /><u>Animal fat, bacon grease: 44.874</u><br />Fat, beef tallow: 41.800<br />Smart Balance: 25.640<br /><br />Total polyunsaturated fat, g:<br />Butter: 3.043<br />Fat, chicken: 20.900<br />Animal fat, bacon grease: 11.144<br />Fat, beef tallow: 4.000<br />Smart Balance: 17.700<br /><br />Cholesterol, mg:<br />Butter: 215<br /><u>Fat, chicken: 85</u><br />Animal fat, bacon grease: 95<br />Fat, beef tallow: 109<br />Smart Balance: 0<br /><br /><center><hr width="75%" /></center><br />The fact sheet for Smart Balance also listed that it had 0.710 g of <i>trans</i> fat per 100 g. None of the other fats had an entry for <i>trans</i> fat, but since they occur naturally in the milk and body fat of cows (and other ruminants such as sheep), I would guess that butter and tallow probably have small amounts of it.<br /><br />Thus, we saved all of the bacon grease from this weekend's cooking, and in the future will save the fat from every dead chicken that enters this household. I'll bring it to your attention that if you are the type to care about how processed your foods are, chicken/bacon/beef fat are the least processed of these (considering that you sort of "make" it yourself), with Smart Balance being the most processed, assuming that the bacon drippings are from bacon that you actually made and not the hydrogenated and chemically treated lard that you buy from the store.JunkMalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02619673168896233941noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37491865.post-50345633966898886152009-08-09T19:17:00.003-04:002009-08-09T19:42:39.266-04:00Dak Galbi (닭 갈비)Dinner tonight was delicious: spicy without being painful, and a delicious combination of two of our favorite dishes. The dish was dak galbi/닭 갈비, which literally means "chicken ribs". I have no idea how the dish got this name, because there are no chicken ribs to be seen. It must be something like those nebulous "chicken fingers." Actually, it turns out the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dak_galbi">origin of the name</a> comes from the fact that it was as popular as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galbi">galbi</a>, but cheap - commoner's galbi!<br /><br />Dak Galbi<br />yields about 7 or 8 servings<br /><br />3 chicken breasts<br />1 Tbs 고추가루 (Korean red pepper powder)<br />1/4 cup 고추장 (Korean red pepper paste)<br />1 tsp curry powder<br />2 Tbs minced garlic<br />1/4 cup soy sauce<br />2 Tbs sugar<br />1/4 cup rice wine<br />1 tsp fresh ginger<br />1 small head of cabbage, sliced<br /> (preferably a baby napa cabbage, but American cabbages are fine, too)<br />2 onions, sliced<br />1 to 2 sweet potatoes, cubed<br />1 bunch of green onions, sliced<br />1 package of <a href="http://www.wommarketing.net/onetouch/files/comm/149ff9641e104b.jpg">rice cakes à la ddeokbokki</a> (optional, but oh-so-good)<br />2 green peppers, sliced<br />3/4 cups water<br />olive oil<br />sesame oil<br /><br />1. Cube the chicken. Set aside.<br />2. Combine ingredients from red pepper powder to the fresh ginger. Mix well, then spoon some onto the chicken and allow the chicken to marinate while you prepare the other ingredients.<br />3. Heat oils in a large pot over med-high heat, then add everything. Cook until the chicken is cooked through, the rice cakes are soft, and the vegetables are at your preferred doneness. Serve over rice.<br /><br />*Feel free to add more spice, up to double the amount shown here.<br />**The curry powder does add something to the dish, but I added too much (1 Tbs). I have adjusted this recipe accordingly.<br />***You can also add sesame leaves (깻잎), sliced thinly. JunkMale doesn't like these and they're hard to find outside of Asian markets. But they have a delightful bite to them, very herby.<br />****You might as well add other veggies in there, too. Carrots would be nice, I think.Harmonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15105846442509828835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37491865.post-9187325396655308672009-07-22T12:31:00.002-04:002009-07-22T12:59:29.081-04:00Spanakopita PieDon't you love it when someone says, "I don't like 'X', but I love it when you use 'X' in this dish!" I have had this experience three times: first with broccoli noodles ( JM isn't especially fond of broccoli), then with eggplant Parmesan (eggplant reminds JM too much of mushrooms), and now I've gotten him to eat cooked spinach with this recipe. This is a Harmony original recipe, adapted from several Spanakopita recipes and then converted into a pie because the first time I made this we couldn't find phyllo dough in the stores. JunkMale asked me to post this a long time ago, and it never happened, but the other day a friend of mine asked for the recipe. So here it is:<br /><br />1 lb frozen chopped spinach, thawed<br />1 onion, chopped<br />1 clove garlic, minced<br />1 Tbs flour<br />3 eggs<br />4 oz feta cheese, crumbled<br />salt and pepper to taste<br />mozzarella cheese (optional)<br /><br />1 1/2 cups flour<br />1/2 cup oil<br />1/4 cup water<br />1/2 tsp salt<br /><br />Preheat oven to 350F. Saute onion in oil until it softens. Squeeze all the water out of the spinach, then add to the pan with the Tbs flour and garlic. Crack the eggs in a bowl, then add the feta cheese. Add the spinach mixture and mix well.<br /><br />Mix the flour and salt in your pie pan. Add the wet ingredients and mix with a fork until well combined (you might need to add a touch more flour). Use the fork to spread the dough out to form a crust. Pour in the spinach mixture. Top with mozzarella cheese if desired. Bake for 30 minutes, or until done.Harmonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15105846442509828835noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37491865.post-25160698183544443692009-05-25T08:23:00.000-04:002009-05-25T08:23:00.525-04:00Needed: Fudgy Brownie RecipeIn case you were wondering, I mean "needed" in the sense of "I am 38 weeks pregnant and am about to go out and buy packaged brownie mix" <span style="font-style: italic;">need</span>.<br /><br />Brownies are my Achilles heel, my kryptonite. They are my favorite dessert, and the only baked good that I thus far have been unable to reproduce to my satisfaction at home. All the recipes I have tried have come out tasting more like chocolate cake then brownies, or have been severely lacking in chocolate flavor. Or both. I like my brownies with deep chocolate flavor, a dense fudgy texture, and generally <span style="font-style: italic;">exactly like the boxed kind</span>. If anyone has a recipe that they have had success with at home, you will be my hero. If we didn't already have a baby name picked out, I might even have named the baby after you.<br /><br />Seriously, if the next batch doesn't come out right, I might have to resort to a boxed mix simply for my sanity. This will not promote marital harmony, although I am holding out hope that my husband will be gracious and allow me one cheat. Right???<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span>Harmonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15105846442509828835noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37491865.post-13395579694036179242009-03-27T17:50:00.000-04:002009-03-27T17:50:03.459-04:00A week of SE Asian cookery<a href="http://www.rasamalaysia.com/vietnamese-spring-rolls-goi-cuon-with/">Vietnamese Pork Spring Rolls</a> - These are awesome. Everyone ought to try these, especially on a nice warm spring or summer day. They taste so fresh, and the dipping sauce just makes them fabulous. Personally, I like the dipping sauce enough to use it as an everyday salad dressing. In the interest of full disclosure, I did not add the vinegar to the dipping sauce, and I only used a very tiny serrano pepper instead of a Thai chili. The sauce wasn't spicy at all (next time I'll up the spice). We used peppermint from our garden, which was pretty cool. This summer, we'd like to get a plant or two of Thai basil to use in place of sweet basil + mint, but regardless we're going to be making these again. And doubling or tripling the recipe. Those of you without an Asian grocery store around might have some difficulty finding the wrappers, but I hope you can find them. It takes a bit to get the hang of wrapping them, but even if they're falling apart they still taste good.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.rasamalaysia.com/red-curry-recipe/">Thai Red Curry</a> - I'm just finishing up the last bowl of this today, and boy is it tasty. We used full fat coconut milk, because we're just a full fat kind of family, but I'm sure it would be fine to use a lower fat coconut milk - it just wouldn't taste as yummy. ;-) This was a very quick and easy recipe. Our regular grocery store carries tiny little jars of Thai curry paste (don't use curry powder!), but you can get a much better deal from an international or Asian market.<br /><br /><a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pad-Thai-2/Detail.aspx">Pad Thai</a> - We enjoyed this a lot. It didn't really look like the pad thai we're used to eating (do pad thai sauces have some sort of coloring in them usually?), but it was still yummy. One of your local American grocery stores should carry rice noodles. Here are the changes I made to the original: 1) I doubled the seasonings. This was a good idea, and you should do the same. 2) I used apple cider vinegar instead of rice wine vinegar. I don't like having more vinegar in the house than necessary, so I just used what we already had. ;-) 3) I used alfalfa sprouts instead of mung bean or soybean sprouts, which are more traditional. This was more a matter of what I could find in the stores. It didn't have the crunch of the larger sprouts, but it didn't detract from the dish at all. 4) I didn't use butter to saute the chicken.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thai Coconut Soup for 2</span><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Best-Soups-Stews-Recipe/dp/1933615028/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1237920964&sr=8-1">From my favorite soup cookbook</a>. I am proud to say that this tasted nearly exactly like the soup that I order every time I go to a Thai restaurant. I reduced the recipe to 1/4 of the original. Sure, it's not much, but it uses up my extra coconut milk, curry paste, cilantro, and chicken (there should also be a half stalk of lemongrass in this... but we can't get those at our local grocery stores and I didn't have the time or energy this week to make the trek to the Asian grocery - 30 minutes away!).<br /><br />1/2 Tbs minced ginger (fresh)<br />1 small clove garlic, minced<br />generous 1/2 tsp Thai red curry paste<br />1 1/2 cups chicken stock<br />2 1/4 tsp fish sauce<br />3/4 tsp sugar<br />1/2 can (14-0z) coconut milk<br />1/4 boneless chicken breast, cut into thin strips<br />4 white mushrooms, quartered<br />2 1/4 tsp lime juice<br />2 Tbs fresh cilantro leaves<br />1 small scallion, greens only<br /><br />1. Heat a bit of oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the (lemongrass) ginger and garlic, and cook for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Then add the curry paste and cook for another 30 seconds, stirring constantly.<br /><br />2. Add 1/2 cup of the chicken stock and stir to dissolve the paste. Add the remaining stock, fish sauce, and sugar, and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce to low, mostly cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes.<br /><br />3. Stir in the coconut milk, chicken, (mushrooms) and lime juice. Bring back to a simmer and cook until chicken is fully cooked. Season with salt, if needed. Serve immediately, garnishing bowls with cilantro and green onion.Harmonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15105846442509828835noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37491865.post-81976689202913059872009-03-27T11:37:00.003-04:002009-03-27T18:41:15.749-04:00Ethnic Food Week Sample MenusBecause <a href="http://thou-and-thou-only.blogspot.com/2009/03/wfmw-ethnic-food-weeks.html">Ashley asked</a>.<br /><br />These are sample 1-week menus for having an ethnic food week. The only one that I'm not quite sure how it would work for a week is Korean food. Usually when we do Korean food, we do 2-week stints at minimum. We've gone as long as 1.5 months eating nothing but Korean food for meals. So I don't know how well the menu would translate to a 1-week menu, but you're welcome to give it a go and see how it works for you. :-)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tex-Mex week</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span></span>Sunday - vegetarian chili<br />Monday - vegetarian chili<br />Tuesday - chicken enchiladas<br />Wednesday - chicken enchiladas<br />Thursday - chicken enchiladas<br />Friday - burritos<br />Saturday - burritos<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />Korean week*</span></span></span><br />Sunday - bulgogi (Korean bbq beef)<a href="http://thou-and-thou-only.blogspot.com/2006/12/korean-food-week-part-2.html"></a><br />Monday - bulgogi<br />Tuesday - <a href="http://thou-and-thou-only.blogspot.com/2009/02/soybean-paste-stew.html">Soybean paste stew</a><br />Wednesday - Soybean paste stew<br />Thursday - <a href="http://www.geocities.com/ypmljulia/images/rice&noodle/porridge/chicken_porridge.htm">Chicken and rice soup</a><br />Friday - Chicken and rice soup<br />Saturday - <a href="http://koreancooking.xanga.com/427631228/item/">Omelet rice</a> or fried rice to use up leftovers<br />*Don't forget that <span style="font-style: italic;">every</span> Korean meal is served with rice and <a href="http://thou-and-thou-only.blogspot.com/2006/12/korean-food-week-part-2.html">side dishes</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><a href="http://thou-and-thou-only.blogspot.com/2009/03/week-of-se-asian-cookery.html">Southeast Asian week</a></span></span></span><br />Sunday - Thai red curry + coconut soup<br />Monday - Thai red curry<br />Tuesday - Vietnamese spring rolls<br />Wednesday - Vietnamese spring rolls<br />Thursday - Pad Thai<br />Friday - Pad Thai<br />Saturday - Swimming Rama<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Italian week (great for a week when canned or fresh tomatoes are on sale!)</span></span></span><br />Sunday - <a href="http://thou-and-thou-only.blogspot.com/2008/12/chicken-spezzatino.html">Chicken stew</a><br />Monday - Chicken stew<br />Tuesday - Spaghetti and and meatballs (optional), with <a href="http://thou-and-thou-only.blogspot.com/2008/07/csa-produce-and-marinara-sauce-recipe.html">homemade marinara sauce</a>**<br />Wednesday - <a href="http://thou-and-thou-only.blogspot.com/2009/02/baked-ziti-and-chicken-with-onion-gravy.html">Baked ziti</a>, using homemade marinara<br />Thursday - Baked ziti<br />Friday - Chicken or Eggplant parmesan, using homemade marinara<br />Saturday - Chicken or eggplant parmesan<br />**Make a BIG batch of marinara - you're going to use it the rest of the week<br /><br />Ethnic food weeks that the Junk family intends to try at some point in the future:<br /><ul><li>Indian</li><li>Chinese (<span style="font-style: italic;">real</span> Chinese food, not Americanized dishes)</li><li>Caribbean or South American</li><li>Middle Eastern</li><li>Greek</li><li>French<br /></li></ul>Happy eating! :-)<br /><br />EDIT: <i>JunkMale would like to add that if anyone has any suggestions for specific recipes within any of these prospective cuisines, please share it in the comments!</i>Harmonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15105846442509828835noreply@blogger.com0