Hard Times

This month is a hard one for us in that I got the breaks on my car fixed and the $174+ cost ate up most of our grocery money. Also needed to spend a little more on Meds.

I managed to find 2 packages of beef on sale beef for soup. Got Celery and bags of mixed frozen vegetables and a few cans green beans for POO. Eggs, canned milk, four bananas, bottle of syrup, and a box of all purpose baking mix rounded it out.

The bananas were going brown so I ate two each day for two days...POO got a "Good-Cookie" treat while I ate a banana because he doesn't like banana but didn't want to be left out.

So now I'll have no fruit because the watermelon was over ripe...POO likes the sweetest part so I managed to scrape out enough for him to have some for several days. Got two cantaloupes and discovered that the first one I tried to eat was still too green. Managed to Mince the inside edges for POO. The other one has spoiled and gone soft while I wait for it to ripen.

The receipt for Pancakes called for 2 Cups baking mix and 1- 1/4 C. milk. I used the optional addition of oil and got a good pancake. I whisked everything together and used my small skillet and used about half the mixture to make a hungry person's size stack of pancakes. Had butter so I buttered them as I made them. Nice thing is the batter will keep a couple of days in the refrigerator.

POO got the first three...approtiately chopped and buttered. I know he enjoyed them enormously because some of the butter got on the dog food on his plate and he gobbled that up with the pancakes. I found that funny because he had pushed the dog food aside earlier in the day while he ate his green beans.
I ate mine with syrup. I prefer to eat a maple (or any spiced ) flavored pancake wrapped around a link of traditional link of pork sausage. And have over light eggs.

I have a package of sausage gravy mix so I will add some Apple pie spice to the pancake mix and use the pancakes as Flat Bread Dippers in the Gravy.

Because this pancake mix is wheat it can be flavored with savory spices and used with a bean dip for protein.
You can make your own bean dip by putting the cooked beans in your food processor and pureeing them...Add a little Olive oil if you can.
Bean Dips can be flavored many different ways too.

Don't forget about other Vegetables.
These are good meal time foods and are best eaten while warm the same way way you would fill a soft Taco. Just cook the vegetables down so that they are not Watery.
You can drain the Juice from the Cooked Vegetables and use Cornstarch to make a gravy for them. Direction are on the Box.
Squash and Onions.
Cabbage with or without seasoning.
Leafy Greens...Garlic is good with most of these.
Carrots...Go ahead and add some Apple Pie Spice and sugar to them.

It is helpful to have a Simple Cabbage Slaw or Carrot Salad on hand.

This is a time when all of those Condensed Cream of Whatever Soups come in Handy.
You can use the Undiluted soup and fill it out with a can of Green Peas or in the case of Tomato Soup use cooked Dried beans. ** If you are not able to cook dried beans then use Canned beans and Black-eyed Peas. Smash them with a Potato Masher.
Mix them together and Heat. Then just hold your Pancake as You wood a Soft Taco and Spoon some of what you have got on the Pancake and Eat out of Hand adding another spoon of filling as you go along.
This, along with some Juice and any Fresh vegetable such as Celery, Carrot Sticks, and Radishes, can fill you up.
With Tomato Soup+Bean Dips I like Potato Salad.

These are short time solutions and will leave you wanting to return to more Meat if that is what you were used to so don't over do it in the beginning.

If you have a Family, I suggest a 2 or 3 night a week Pancake Celebration.
Make the Pancakes ahead of time and Refrigerate, make several Dips ahead of time and Refrigerate.

For a Large gathering use 3 different Dips.
For 4 people or less 2 Dips and Fresh Veggies will probably satisfy.
Milk or Fruit juice to drink.
Apple for disert...Peel the Apples...As you peel each one put in a bowl with salt water and it will not turn brown. Then slice or Cube the Apples and put the pieces in salted water. Drain before serving.

Reheat Pancakes loosely covered in oven.
Heat Dips on Stove Top or in Microwave.

If you can afford it Chicken that has been boiled and chopped is good to add to Soup-Bean Dips.
Scrambled Beef goes with Tomato+Bean Dips.

My favorite is a variation of an old classic.
Cream of Mushroom Soup
Can of Mushroom Pieces
Scrambled Ground Chuck
Instead of Toast I enjoy this with Plain Pancakes.
Just scoop the Dip on the Pancake and enjoy.

Another Stretching-it-out thing I do is to make Beef vegetable soup.
Ground Beef---Boil , refrigerate and discard fat.
1-Stalk Celery
1-2 packs Frozen mixed vegetables
When vegetables are tender I add
1-Can Tomato Paste
Add water and vigorously stir to dissolve Tomato Paste.
If there is room in your Pot add water to within 1" of pot.
Bring to rolling Boil and add 2 Cups of Pasta.
Simmer 15 Minutes stirring every 5 minutes.
Turn off heat and place tight Lid on Pot.
Check after 20 minutes.
Taste and adjust seasonings.
Believe it or not I just love this stuff with my favorite brand of Mayonnaise and Crackers.
Oh yeah, this doesn't get past POO, he really goes for it.

Chicken Soup
Boil some chicken and remove from Pot.
Thighs are best for flavor.
Refrigerate Chicken.
Add water to broth and add
Couple shakes of Poultry Seasoning.
1-Stalk Celery
2-3 large Onions...more if you got them
1-2 packages frozen vegetables
Boil some Potatoes in separate Pot.
When vegetables are done
Remove any Skin and Bone from Chicken and chop.
Add to soup and bring to Boil.
Peel cooked potatoes, cube and add to Boiling Soup.
Stir gently.
If you don't have Potatoes
Add 2C pasta and simmer 15 minutes.
Stir every 5 minutes.
Turn off heat and place tight Lid on Pot.
Check after 20 minutes.
I dip POO's portion first and let cool.
No way I'm going to sneak Chicken past him.

My meal today is going to be Squash and Onions with Pancakes.

Later...
towwad