Monthly Archives: August 2012

Catching my breath

Posted by Melissa in thoughts

I had such rosy visions of all the things I would accomplish, all the projects I could finally begin–once the kids started school. Visions of paintbrushes were dancing in my head. It’s been a week, now, and I haven’t started a single project. Granted, there was that party to prepare for and clean up after, and though it wasn’t stressful, it did take time. And just to throw another monkey wrench into the works, I’ve been sick. Not take-to-my-bed sick, but a few days of low-grade fever, and a lingering cough and chest congestion–the kind that’s not bad during the day, but goes into high gear as soon as I lay my head on the pillow. (I’m afraid I craigslisted that old recliner a couple of weeks too soon–it was always good for nights when you need to sit up to get some sleep.)

But after a pretty good night’s sleep, today I’m inclined to celebrate the successes of the past week instead of focusing on all I have yet to accomplish. We slid easily back into the school day routine. Earlier bedtimes, packing lunches, homework, and piano practice. I’m working my way through the laundry pile (the daily routine lapsed in the past few days). Yesterday I finally did something with that little basket of shriveled apples so they wouldn’t go to waste (I made a mini batch of apple butter). I don’t know what’s for dinner yet (I skipped out on this week’s menu because we had lots of party leftovers to eat, but I think tonight we’ll need a change), but it might involve butternut squash.

Next week the after school activities begin in earnest (be prepared for a bunch of slow cooker recipes!), and Little Four finally starts preschool. Instead of catching up, I’m going to catch my breath. Get well. Take some time to make a list of all the projects I’d like to do, and decide which ones I’m ready to tackle.

Next week, that is.

A big party doesn’t have to be a big headache

We hosted a potluck party over the weekend for about 40 people from the community chorus that I sing with. Though we intended to have the festivities in the back yard, it rained steadily all day long. Despite the deluge, everyone enjoyed catching up with friends and sharing good food, and the preparations were not that difficult or expensive. If you have the space at home, don’t be afraid to invite a crowd the next time you feel like celebrating!

Here are my top six tips for hosting a fuss-free party at home:

  • Keep it casual! If your budget won’t allow for a huge spread for 50+ people, plan a potluck. You can either assign groups of guests a category (side dish/appetizer/dessert), or just take your chances that you’ll have a good mix of dishes.
  • Borrow supplies from your friends and neighbors. We borrowed a tent and tables from a friend of the chorus, more tables and chairs from a neighbor, two beverage coolers from another neighbor, and buffet plates and flatware from yet another friend. My parents loaned us their slow cooker and chafing dish.
  • You don’t need to spend money or time on decorations (unless you really enjoy it!). We cut flowers and greenery from the garden and put them in glass jars for centerpieces. We used our regular, mismatched tablecloths to cover the folding tables–it looks homier than color-coordinated plastic table covers.
  • Choose a main dish that you can prepare ahead. Some people like to grill, but I think it’s difficult to coordinate for a large crowd. I made pulled pork a couple days ahead of time and kept it warm in several slow cookers during the party. Buns, cole slaw, pickles, and some homemade macaroni and cheese were my contributions. The slaw and mac-n-cheese were also easy to make ahead of time, so the day of the party I could focus on setting out all the supplies, and guests didn’t need to wait long for the food to be served.
  • Have separate stations for plates and utensils, food, and drinks. Don’t try to fit everything on one table–you’ll have a traffic jam when people try to serve themselves.
  • Designate areas for dirty dishes. Clearly label garbage and recycling containers, or bins for dishes and glasses. If you invite the right people, they may even load the dishwasher for you!

Have you hosted a large party at your house? What was the occasion?

Back to school baking

Posted by Melissa in Baking, Food, Kids, School and tagged with , , ,

It’s the first day of school for my fourth grader and second grader. (Little Four has a couple more weeks before Pre-K begins.) You might be under the impression that their lunches are lovingly crafted, homemade works of art, but you would be mistaken. Today their lunchboxes contained applesauce, orange juice, animal crackers, and a thermos of spaghetti and meatballs from a can. They had goldfish crackers and water for snack. Not the best, but not the worst, either.

But hey, now that they’re out of my hair for 6.5 hours each day, I can take a little time to bake something healthy. Our school district has banned all peanut and tree nut products from snack time (which is eaten in the classroom), so I need to pay a little more attention to what we pack. I used up some bananas in banana-chocolate chip muffins (using half whole wheat flour, half all-purpose flour, and a good dose of wheat bran), and then tried something called “breakfast cookies.” I was going to make granola bars, but Miss Seven has a mouthful of orthodontic appliances and shouldn’t be eating sticky foods.

These cookies are 100% whole grain, mildly sweet, nut-free, and full of fiber. I think they are little more like tea cakes or hearty scones than cookies, but they’re yummy. If you can’t find quinoa flour (or don’t want to pay the outrageous price for it here in the U.S.), just use a cup of cooked quinoa and omit the milk (as in the original recipe).

Whole Grain Breakfast Cookies

adapted from Dinner: A Love Story

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup quinoa flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup honey

2 large eggs

1/4 cup milk

1 cup old fashioned oats

1/2 cup toasted sunflower seeds

1 cup raisins

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment or silicone baking mats. Whisk flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Beat butter and sugars together with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add eggs and milk and beat until thoroughly combined, about 2 minutes.

Mix flour mixture into butter mixture 1 cup at a time. Stir in oats, sunflower seeds and raisins. With your hands, roll dough into balls about golf-ball size and then flatten into 1/2-inch thick disks. Arrange 1 inch apart on baking sheet. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges.

Does your child’s school have a ban on nuts to protect those with allergies?

Monday Menu

Posted by Melissa in Food, Monday Menu and tagged with , , , ,

School starts this week, and this weekend we finally made an attempt to get back to the school year routine. We got everyone up early and out the door for church. It was still early when we got home, so we enjoyed some time with the newspaper and a second cup of coffee on the patio. The Hub took charge of making the menu and grocery list, and while he was out grocery shopping, I clipped coupons from the circulars that have piled up over the past few weeks. It has the makings of a nice Sunday morning routine.

This week relies heavily on an oldie-but-goodie, The Frugal Gourmet cookbook by Jeff Smith. The Hub reminded me that I should consult it more often.

Sunday: Turkey meatloaf, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, sliced tomatoes

Monday: Broccoli and Chicken Salad (The Frugal Gourmet, p. 97)

Tuesday: Pasta with Onion Sauce

Wednesday: Pot-Sticker Pockets (Rachael Ray)

Thursday: Eggs in tuna sauce (The Frugal Gourmet, p. 410), soup and salad bar

Friday: Sweet corn pancakes (some of us will eat them savory, with sour cream and tomatoes)

What cookbook do you return to again and again?

Monday Menu: the lazy edition

Posted by Melissa in Food, Monday Menu and tagged with , , , ,

We just sadly bid goodbye to our good friends who trekked down from Canada with their two small children to spend some time with us. We had a great weekend, but now the house is eerily quiet. My husband is doing a wee bit of business travel this week, and after feeding a dozen people several meals over the past few days, I am unmotivated to exert any more effort than necessary. The kitchen is all cleaned up, and I’d like to keep it that way. Fortunately, I have fridge full of leftovers and I’m not afraid to use them. If I buy anything at all, it will be bacon. I don’t think I need to expound upon its transformative properties in the kitchen, do I?

Monday: Leftover turkey burgers and corn on the cob

Tuesday: Asparagus, goat cheese and lemon pasta (ours is leftover, but making this from scratch is so easy it counts as lazy)

Wednesday: Pancakes (and bacon)

Thursday: Mexican Sweet Corn Cake, leftover pork carnitas and slaw

Friday: Bacon corn hash and eggs

 

Last week on Home Baked

Dust-free drapes

Monday Menu

Dust-free drapes

Posted by Melissa in Cleaning, Laundry and tagged with , , ,

The summer is still barreling along at a frantic pace, and I’m only just hanging on. Thursday arrived and I could no longer put off cleaning the house. No time for special projects–just clean the house. Wipe down the bathrooms, vacuum up the cobwebs. It took me all day. I had hoped to break it down throughout the week, but I just wasn’t home.

I spent a lot of time in the family room, that ground zero of kid-created disaster. I eradicated the broken crayons, the tiny bits of shredded paper, the Legos, the crumbled half-eaten cereal bars and discarded wrappers and yogurt cups from under the sofa. (And that was just the mess of the past few days.) Then I rearranged the furniture and dragged the old recliner out to the garage (a victim of one too many sessions as a trampoline) to be picked up by a Craigslist reader.

After all that, I couldn’t ignore the thick layer of dust on the drapes any longer. I noticed it a couple of months ago, but couldn’t decide what to do. They are the most expensive drapes I’ve ever bought–lined and double-width made to fit our sliding doors. Dry clean? Wash on the delicate cycle and hang to dry? I consulted my mother. She warned me that she has had poor results from both options, and suggested instead tumbling them in the dryer on a cool setting with a couple of dryer sheets. I added a clean, damp towel as well, and used the “extra delicate” temperature setting (one step above “air fluff”).

It worked perfectly. Thirty minutes in the dryer for each panel (because they are so big and I wanted to give them enough room to tumble), and I was able to hang them right up without even touching them up with the iron.

Thanks, Mom. (And Happy Birthday!)

Monday Menu

Posted by Melissa in Uncategorized

I’m pretty certain there aren’t enough hours in the week for me to finish everything on my list this week, but I’m trying to get a small jump on things by planning my menu on Sunday night. There’s lots of fun planned this week–sleepovers, birthdays, visits with friends–but isn’t it funny how much work there is to get ready for the fun? I already warned the kids that tomorrow is Clean Your Room Day, or we won’t be having that sleepover with the cousins…

Monday: Ham and cheese quiche

Tuesday:  Dinner at Grandma and Papa’s house 

Wednesday: Fried rice, edamame

Thursday: Homesick Texan Carnitas, slaw

Friday: Turkey burgers, corn on the cob, peach-raspberry pie (following this recipe)

Now if I can just manage to clean off my desk before falling in to bed! Are you as ready for September as I am?

 

Last week on Home Baked

Monday Menu

The Week in Review

 

The week in review

Posted by Melissa in Baking, Cleaning, Food, Garden, Recipe and tagged with ,

How is it Friday already? This week flew by in a whirlwind of gardening, doctor’s appointments, buying school supplies, and watching the Olympics. And playdates. Lots of playdates. So here it is Friday (I swear I thought it was Thursday when I woke up this morning), and the blog posts in my head are as yet unwritten, unpublished.

So here’s a quick summer-is-winding-down summary of my week for you:

Garden:

As a result of the drought this summer (and our neglect while away on vacation), we are now performing triage on our ragged lawn and garden. Our efforts to water the front lawn seem to be making a difference (let’s just agree not to talk about the weeds or the layer of pine needles). I have been hacking away at the wilted brown daylilies and miles of weeds that have overtaken the flower beds. My doctor told me I need to do more cardio, but I think my daily hour (or three) swinging a hoe is going to count this week. I planted some mums, spread some mulch, and have created many piles of yard waste to bag for pickup next week. And in a feat of superhuman strength, my husband single-handedly chopped down two-thirds of our overgrown hedge. Next week: more weeding, more mulch.

 

Do you have any great hints for maintaining your lawn and garden in the worst of the summer heat?

Cooking:

In the kitchen, I’ve been keeping things simple. Sunday night we were so wiped out, we ate popcorn for dinner. I jazzed up the popped kernels with a generous handful of grated cheese, leftover bacon, melted butter and salt. Mix it up and bake on a rimmed cookie sheet at 250 degrees for 5-10 minutes, until the cheese melts. Serve with Chocolate Banana Milk Shakes (from Mollie Katzen’s kid’s cookbook Pretend Soup).

Cheddar Bacon Popcorn

I also tried one new recipe from Kim Boyce’s Good to the Grain. With the illicit stash of cheap quinoa flour that I brought from Ecuador in my suitcase, I made the Banana-Walnut cake. My kids often say they don’t like nuts, but they sure liked the cake. It was lovely with a tall glass of iced coffee while catching up with a good friend. (It’s a super moist cake and keeps really well for a few days–two, at least!) I’ve got some amaranth flour to try next. Next week I’ll share a recipe for a cool Avocado Shrimp Roll–wonderful for a summer lunch or light supper. I need to make it one more time to get it just right…

Cleaning:

HAHAHA!!! By that I mean that things are getting pretty dusty–possibly even sticky–around here. The daily laundry routine has helped me keep on top of the dirty clothes, and I’ve managed to make the bed and do the dishes every day. I even broke out the vacuum and attacked the family room rug (and then issued one of my frequent bans of food in the family room–frequently broken by everyone, including me). But any serious cleaning is going to wait until next week. We’re expecting houseguests again next weekend, so I’ve divvied up my cleaning tasks throughout the week on my list at TeuxDeux.com. I love TeuxDeux because I can’t misplace my list! It automatically moves any items you haven’t crossed off onto the next day’s list–so easy.

How do you prepare for houseguests? Mints on the pillow?