Baked Bean Recipe

Baked Bean Recipe

Now this is more of a little bit of this and a little bit of that kind of recipe. Also if it doesn't look right add a bit more of something. We like our baked beans very dark so I am always adding more molasses (I think in the UK it would be treacle???).

1 lb navy beans

Now put the beans in a large pot and cover with water. As the beans swell you will have to add more water. Leave to soak overnight. 

Parboil the beans for at least one hour in the morning. Skim off the foam that comes to the top.

Pour off the water and put the beans in the slow cooker and cover with fresh water. 

To this add diced bacon (I used thick cut bacon this time around and only used 10 slices) if using thin bacon you might have to use an entire pound. Stir this into the beans.

Add a good squirt of mustard, approximately 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, and about 1/4 cup of molasses. You can add a bit of ketchup here if you want as well. Mix well and set the slow cooker on high for about 2 hours and then turn to low for at least 6 hours. Test your beans to see if they are done to your liking. 

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Tuesday Tidbits

 

I thought that today I would share a few pictures of our holiday. Only the ones we took while we were at Kurt's and on the way home as if I shared them all you would be pretty bored.

Kurt lives in Drumheller, Alberta, the home of dinosaurs and in the heart of the badlands. In fact his backyard opens up into the hills surrounding the valley. 

Have I said I love his yard cause I really do.

It is so relaxing and private with no homes behind him.

We spend a great deal of time on his deck enjoying our visit.

Since he went to the gym one day while we were there, we decided to go shopping. 

Now of course we needed to take a picture of one of the many dinosaur statues downtown (really they are scattered throughout the city).

Harvey decided he needed to sit with this one.

They look kind of mad at each other.

On the way home we had a surprise.

This is a blade for a windmill traveling down the Trans Canada Highway. They are huge and I couldn't get the whole blade in the picture. We actually passed two of them on our way home. All I can say is thank heavens for double lane highways. 

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.

Menu Monday

 

I am posting this a bit late as I needed to make up September's menu plans and make sure I was using up items from the freezer and the garden.

Monday

Eggplant Parmigiana using up eggplant from the garden. I still have one left but I plan on making a few more trays for the freezer to add to the three that once cool will be put in the big chest freezer.

Tuesday

Leftover ham and scalloped potato casserole. Served with the leftover salad.

Wednesday

Hamburgers done on the BBQ along with fries made in the air fryer and fresh veggies and dip for a side.

Thursday

Leftover ham and scalloped potato casserole served with green beans from the garden.

Friday

Salmon fillets, rice made in the IP and frozen peas.

Saturday

Smoked sausages and pasta. I will more than likely serve cucumber salad with this.

Sunday

Steak done on the smoker along with tinfoil potatoes and carrots.

More bits and bobs gone from the fridge freezer, and still more to be used up the following week.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Sunday Ramblings

 

I went out early today to pick herbs and garden produce and I am glad that I did. The rain arrived at around noon and has been coming down ever since. Not too hard just a gentle drizzle most times. 

I thought I would answer a few questions today that for some reason I missed over the past week or two.

Yes, Sandy I have always frozen my homemade baked beans. They taste wonderful. 

Now I kind of forget (forgive me please) who asked about the eggplant meal I made. It is kind of an eggplant chickpea stew. Here is the recipe.

Greek-Style Eggplant Recipe

1.5 lb eggplant cut into cubes (you don't need to peel)

Kosher salt

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 large onion chopped

1 green bell pepper chopped

1 carrot chopped (I used two)

6 cloves garlic minced

2 bay leaves

1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp ground coriander (didn't have so left out)

1 tsp oregano

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp black pepper

28 oz can of chopped tomatoes (I used diced)

2 15 oz cans of chickpeas, reserve the liquid

Heat oven to 400 F. Place eggplant cubes in a colander over a large bowl or in the sink, and sprinkle with the salt. Let set for about 30 minutes or an hour to allow eggplant to sweat out bitterness. Rinse well and pat dry.

In your casserole (I used an enamel coated cast iron one), heat 1/4 cup olive oil until shimmering but not smoking. Add the onions, peppers, and chopped carrot. Cook for 2-3 minutes stirring regularly, then add the spices and a dash of salt. Cook until fragrant.

Now add the eggplant, chickpeas and liquid as well as the tomatoes. Stir to combine. 

Bring to a roiling boil for about 10 minutes. Stir often. Remove from stove top. Cover and transfer to the oven.

Cook for about 45 min or until eggplant is cooked to very tender. Check to make sure there is enough liquid. If more needed you can add 1/2 cup of water. 

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.

Frugal Journey Continued

 

I just love this definition of frugal. It really says what I feel frugal living is. 

As I said before our (or should I say my) frugal journey did not really start until Harvey was laid off and I found out I was expecting our second child. I actually cried on the way home from the doctors as at that moment I did not know how we would manage. Not that I wasn't happy to be having another child, more the idea of stretching very little in order to keep this baby and Kurt happy clothed and well fed.

Yes, at that time we lived in the small village that Harvey grew up in and people were awesome. Many hired him to do odd jobs around their homes. One friend hired him to help build a pig barn, and his brothers and father hired him to help on the farm. 

Those jobs kept us able to pay bills and the mortgage on the mobile home we lived in but didn't give much extra. 

We had a garden for veggies, and when his parents butchered there was always a package of meat for us to take. Things were tight and bound to get tighter yet. 

By saving the money my parents gave me for birthday and Christmas as well as just small gifts throughout the year I was able to purchase my first sewing machine. That machine got a lot of use mending, and making clothing for me and the children. Fabric was much cheaper then, and our Woolworths had a lovely selection. My first frugal purchase really.

I then had my Mom show me how to darn socks, another frugal move as we weren't replacing them as often and those that were darned too many times to darn once more were turned into dust cloths or ties to use in the garden.

Entertainment became playing pong (does anyone remember that game which was attached to your television) that was a gift from one of Harvey's brothers for Christmas that year. 

During harvest that fall Harvey got a call to report to work with an oil company. His first job was as a maintenance man with Suncor and he worked his way up to an Operator 6 which at that time (and I believe still is) the highest level before becoming a foreman which was his next step up.

Still because of the debt incurred while he was out of work it took awhile to become able to afford a few extras, and after black belt frugality for so long, it was difficult to let the purse strings out a bit. 

I am afraid we both went a bit spend crazy for awhile, but once we bought the house, I realized that a frugal life was the best way for us to pay off the house and put money in the bank for our retirement. 

So each month I added a new frugal move to our life. Some were much easier to do. 

I lowered the heat a degree or two, made some draft dodgers for the doors and before we got our new windows I got Harvey to use the plastic on them. That was our first winter in the house. Then I would turn the heat down a bit lower yet at night, and turn it up when I got up in the morning. Still doing this only now we have an energy efficient furnace and a thermostat that will do those things for us.

In the spring I got Harvey to fix the clothesline (a very old one) and used it spring, summer and fall. I was lucky in that for some reason we didn't get rain on my Monday wash days. I then had him put up lines in the basement to use in the winter (they get used on rainy days as well). 

After doing some reading I started the dilute or add water to wash out the last bits of shampoo, conditioner, laundry spot remover, dish soap, and items of this nature. When that went over well, I started to cut open tubes of toothpaste and hand/body lotion. That didn't go over as well with Harvey, he began to think I was being too cheap. Took me taking a rolling pin to the toothpaste to show him how much was left before he let me go on with cutting things open.

I collected the bits of soap and put them in an old knee high stocking and we used that outside to wash our hands when working in the garden. Still do this as I have lots of old knee highs from when I worked still. 

There were many more little things added to our lives some have become so ingrained I can't even remember life before. 

Still there is always something to learn and add to our lifestyle. 

I had never thought of saving the spoonful of veggies that could be leftover in a container in the freezer and be used to make soup until someone on a forum I visit mentioned it. 

Never made bread until I realized how much we could save. I did make buns, not as often as I could have though.

A price book was something that took me awhile to understand, I honestly could not grasp why one would need one. In a way I am very lucky as I can remember regular prices and what is a good sale price (right now that is not really working as the sale price is in many cases the old regular price). I can see how that would work wonderfully though. 

I still sew, but am known to take clothes apart and refashion them, or in some cases take apart and cut up to use in quilts, or rugs. 

I also take apart sweaters and reuse the yarn once washed and straightened. 

Now most of my gifts are handmade and something one of the family has mentioned they would like and in many cases are made from recycled fabric, leftover yarn, or sale fabrics. 

Life is good and we do not feel like we are missing anything at all. Our home is comfortable, if we really need something our frugal lifestyle enables us to purchase it with cash and traveling around Canada seeing our great and amazing country keeps us well entertained.

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.

Frugal Friday

 

This has been a fairly short week since we have been back on the old homestead. Still there were a few frugal wins.

1.  Purchased on sale items when shopping. I even found a couple of shirts that had been marked down 75%. I couldn't make them at that price so I picked them up. 

2.  All laundry (including the drapes I washed) were hung on the line. Many of the loads were washed in cold as well as rinsed in cold.

3.  Since we were gone my menu has gone out the window, so I am using up leftovers from the freezer and will continue to do so until things are under control. 

4.  Tried a new meatless meal that used up an eggplant from the garden. Harvey really enjoyed it.

5.  Worked on my second knitted blanket for the month and have used up lots of the bits and bobs as well as orphan balls of yarn doing so. 

6.  Picked beans in the garden and processed them (and had a couple of side dishes at meal time). I am slowly getting a handle on the bounty.

Thanks for the lovely comments on my last post. Probably will do a few more on that line in upcoming weeks.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Thrifty Thursday

 

In reality the last week was not really thrifty, mind you by staying with Kurt and Kris we did save money on hotel bills and most meals. I even packed snacks for our trip up to Drumheller, and back to Kris's in Regina. So I guess that was thrifty. 

I thought that perhaps today I would share the joys and perhaps some of the frustrations of living a thrifty and frugal lifestyle. One which we now enjoy and will continue to live.

By taking a thrifty lifestyle on (since I pay the bills and look after most spending) took control of spending and other resources so as not to be wasteful.

It didn't happen overnight, nothing ever does. Instead it took Harvey being laid off when we were first married and looking for ways to cut expenses. Some ideas were much easier to introduce into our lives, they seemed to fit so easily. Others were just not the right fit. I slowly learned that what works in one case will never work in another. In some cases sacrifices were made in order to spend in others.

We found that gradually the stresses of every day life no longer seemed to affect us much. I think learning that we did not have to "keep up with the Jones's" was our first real step on this path.

Paying off debt was another wonderful step on this thrifty and frugal path. It took awhile, but once all the credit cards were paid off we could manage to pay off what we charged monthly. No more carrying charges. Now our cards are still used but they are used and paid off immediately and we have cards that give us a percentage of our expenditures back.

Once that was completed I started to put money away so we could pay off our home. Once that was finished (15 years before it was supposed to) it was time to use that to put away for our retirement and save for special trips and a new vehicle. 

Over the years we learned that purchasing the least expensive item was not thrifty. Buying the best that you can afford is. One does not need to purchase the best, but somewhere in the middle is great. Things last longer and work better. Shopping the sales, garage sales, and secondhand stores gave us many excellent items that we still own today (or the boys own in their homes). Since we planned where we were spending our hard earned cash no one could call us cheap.

Using everything up to the very last drop saves us and saves the environment. Back when we were first married I am pretty sure that did not happen. I now scrape out the last bits from a jar of peanut butter, cheese whiz, or jam and put it into the new one for example. We also no longer throw out clothing that is no longer fit to be worn or no longer "fits". Instead they are cut into usable squares for quilts, refashioned (those that don't fit) or cut into rags to be used for cleaning. 

I learned to cook more from scratch and Harvey planted a garden which enables us to have fresh veggies each day, and allows me to process the excess for winter usage. There are items we don't grow due to lack of space, but it is amazing how much can be grown in a city lot. 

This year I started to forage for fruit and have been learning how to make various personal items like scrubs and oils. I may try my hand at flavoured vinegars and oils later on. 

I have also started to use substitutions instead of running out and purchasing that item. There is almost always a substitution that can be found online. 

So those are all joys and just a few of them as I could write for hours on all I have learned and enjoyed for the last 43 years of our marriage.

Really there was only one great frustration.... I tried a thrifty move I had found in a newspaper article. I save toilet paper rolls for about a month and then sat in the middle of my living room floor and proceeded to take apart 2 ply toilet tissue to make 2 rolls instead of one. Harvey came home to a tearful wife and mounds of white all over the floor. He helped me roll them up (was not an easy task like the article stated it was) and made me swear not to do anything like that again. I learned from this that not all thrifty moves are a good fit and even now I consider all the ramifications before trying something new.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Home

 We are home now and tonight I will try and catch up with all the posts others have made. 

Hopefully tomorrow I will put up a post of my own.

Needless to say we had a wonderful time and really enjoyed staying with both our sons.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Frugal Friday

 

The usual frugal habits are on going. I am not too sure if anything new or interesting took place. I am sure it is pretty boring for all my readers to see the same things over and over again.

I am going to transform a few items from the fridge into frozen meals. Last night it was baked beans. I managed to get 9 containers into the freezer. Cost wise each container was probably about $0.50, 7 of them were at the 2 servings mark, the other two could be used when the boys are home.

Then I pulled the frozen raspberries from last year out of the freezer and made some jam. Should be enough to see us through the year.

I have 5 bags of blueberries frozen from last year and will make those into jam come Sunday.

Tonight I plan on making Cream of Mushroom soup and freezing it, and tomorrow at some point I will make Cream of Celery soup and do the same thing. 

Meals already prepared from on sale items is always frugal. 

I am spending some time looking up other ways to live frugally and use everything up I possibly can. It is only the best thing to do when prices keep rising and we want to be able to travel or help out our sons.

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.

Thrifty Thursday

 

My thrifty practices this week are much the same as always. Saving small plastic bags and their twist ties, using up leftovers, making the most of garden produce, and turning one of the collars on a shirt belonging to Harvey. I notice that I need to replace the elastic in one of the sleeves of the shirt I am wearing...that will be done after the trip when I have more time.

I have also added to the refashion pile in the sewing/craft room and have been busy using up small bits and orphan balls of yarn. The odd colours of embroidery thread (or rather the less expensive than DMC threads) are slowly being used up some on this embroidered tablecloth and some will be used making more cloth napkins later on (plans for those coming to mind). 

Today I used up the last of the raspberries from the previous summer's harvest and made jam. I am also making baked beans in my slow cooker. I get lots of containers of those beans in the freezer and when the cost is divided out it is half the cost of buying the same amount of already canned in the stores.

I have also been watching free television or at least free series by using the Netflix subscription that Kris shares with me and my android box. I am loving the fact that old series actually go at least 26 episodes if not more in a year. Now why can't today's series be the same, lately you are really lucky if there are 13 or 14 episodes. 

I am loving the ways that some are using to save water and just might have to try a few of those ideas out. That is perhaps the only one of the cities utility charges that we can control.

Pictures of projects, garden processing, and perhaps a few surprises coming on Saturday.

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.

Midweek

 A quick post just to let you know I am surviving the rush to try and get ready.

Today I picked in the garden, washed and froze the blueberries, dehydrated some parsley and got the beans soaking for baked beans. 

Tomorrow I will do more dehydrating, make the beans in the slow cooker, make raspberry jam with last years frozen raspberries, make some cookies, water the plants, weed and do the usual household tasks. 

I will also have to re-trace the final corner design on my tablecloth. Seems like the tracings do not last as long as I had hoped.

Off to get some knitting done, then jump in the tub.

Everybody have a wonderful day.

God bless.

Tuesday Tidbits

I managed to get the shopping done today in record time. However now I just have to work on getting the fridge and freezer cleared out and some jam made, baked beans made and ask my friend if she can drop by and water my plants. Seems like Harvey wants to get away for a few days so we will head to Kurt's on the 16th, leave on the 19th and stop at Kris's for a couple of days. 

I have talked to Kurt and he is fine with those dates, tried to get ahold of Kris but no answer so I will try later or sent a text to see if us staying the 19th and 20th is good with him. Keeping my fingers crossed that it is. We can also do a bit of shopping at Michael's and Costco while there. Perhaps even a stop at Body Works so I can use my gift card. 

We went and picked a phone for Harvey today. I think he will like this one as it is a Samsung foldable and fits in a pocket much easier.

This is the one he chose. I finished setting it up for him just a bit ago. 

This will be a spendy month what with new phones, and we should probably try and get the car in for an oil change before we go (though Harvey will probably say it can wait). Then there is the gas cost for our visits, and probably we will have a meal out at each place. Since this will be our vacation this year I am fine with it. 

Off to work on projects, or perhaps take a bit of a walk before doing so. The weather is lovely and I need to move a bit more.

Everybody have a wonderful day.

God bless.

Menu Monday

 

Good evening all. It is time for the next weekly menu.

Monday

Soup and egg salad sandwiches.

Tuesday

Leftover ham (one of the 5 packages residing in the fridge freezer) made into scalloped potatoes and ham casserole. Served with sliced raw veggies and dip.

Wednesday

Hamburgers, pasta and baked beans.

Thursday

Stuffed chicken, salad, and corn.

Friday

Breakfast for supper, we will have pancakes.

Saturday

BBQ smoked sausages, air fried onion rings, mushrooms, and cut up veggies and dip.

Sunday

Roast beef, mashed potatoes, and green beans from the garden.

Hoping that clears a bit of room in the fridge freezer. Things are beginning to add up in there once again.

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.

Sunday Ramblings

 A whole week gone in this month already. I can tell that the garden is pretty far behind other years as by this time I had canned relish, froze tomatoes, made apple pie filling, dehydrated some apples, and was starting to make salsa and eggplant parma for the freezer. This year I am lucky to have made a couple of containers of cherry pie filling and three quarts of dills. I think I just might have a very busy September.

Our home is heated by natural gas and since we got our new energy efficient furnace a few years ago our bills have been much lower than previous years. This year however our provincial gas company is raising their rates and so I have been trying to figure out how to save even more, or at least keep our costs from increasing. 

So far I have come up with turning the thermostat down a degree or two during the day, and turning it down lower when we go to bed (I can always turn it up in the morning as I get up first). Now we won't sit and freeze like we are in the ice age, but wearing layers would be okay.

I think I will get Harvey to check the seals around the furnace and air conditioner pipes to make sure they are still good. If they need it we will add some insulation around them.

Checking into the costs of an energy efficient water heater. Our old one is almost 12 years old so it is probably time to replace it. Cost could be high, but the savings could in fact pay for it over a couple of years.

Check again for leaks around windows and doors and fix if necessary. I will still use draft stoppers and plan on making some for Kris as well. 

I will continue to think about other ways and hopefully keep our bills at least where they are now.... Considering what they want to raise rates to any little change will be a big help.

While we were sitting around the deck propane firepit last night Harvey mentioned that while we aren't there yet, pretty soon we will need to look into moving into a condo (he stated no way does he want to live in a nursing home). So today I have been looking at condos for sale in the city Kris lives in. Wow, the costs are pretty high right now for something with a fairly large balcony and an elevator. I will continue looking and perhaps things will go down in price.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Saturday Roundup

 

It has been a fairly busy week but not so busy that I didn't have time to work on my projects. I really didn't make a list of projects for this month as I want to get my carry over completed and that seems to be working right now.

I finished the knitted blanket, have done a couple of corners on the tablecloth and started the third corner. Just one more after that and I can set up the center portion with the pattern, then just a few more days work and it will be done.

I cast on another knitted blanket last evening and am midway through using up another small ball of leftover yarn. My goodness do I have lots, never in my wildest dreams did I think I had that much.

Slowly going through my closet and drawers. I have a few things to drop off at the Salvation Army thrift store, and some that I might refashion (if I don't do that I will probably cut them down to usable fabric). 

I am finding meatless meals to add to our menu. Meat will slowly become a smaller portion of our meals. Also looking up new ways to use leftovers in order to get the most from them.

The garden is producing and I now have three quarts of dills made (one done today). I may be doing these one at a time as I am not getting many cucumbers when I pick. Still every quart I make means I will not have to purchase a jar. I plan on processing all that I possibly can and eventually will be asking my neighbour if I can pick her apples and crab apples. 

Looking at using some of the larger pots from my replanting to bring in plants to overwinter. Buying potting soil will be much less expensive than buying both pots and soil.

I really feel that most countries will be entering a recession if they haven't already. That means interest on savings and investments will not be as good as they have been. Scary for us seniors that saved for our retirement and now see those savings dwindling. 

Rising costs means finding new ways of doing things. Here, perhaps one of the few places we can save is on groceries. I am well stocked on pretty much everything (well not sandwich meat, but we can work around that) but I do not want to eat down absolutely everything. That would just mean replacing all with more expensive items. So I will continue to buy on sale meats, and stretch them as far as possible. 

I don't know about other countries or provinces here in my own country, but our electrical costs are set to rise. So I am thinking of new ways to cook. Over the past few years we have been slowly moving from CFL (still have some bulbs to use up) to LED saving a bit that way. Eventually I hope to have all switched to LED. They last longer and use less power.

This winter I plan on using my toaster oven and other appliances to cook. Might even purchase a plug in burner to use (or one of the double ones). 

This is another area that we could save a bit. Working on that.

I will continue this for another day....Don't want to scare too many people.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Frugal Friday

 

So what frugal things have we been up to on the old homestead this week.

1.  Harvey made a stand for his trail camera so he could position it to get pictures of the birds and actually get some good photos.

2.  He also made me some hangers for my fairy lights which I made with the lights I got from Amazon and some old mason jars that were getting to the upper limits of their use (mine kind of crack when they get beyond 15 or so years of use).

3.  We finished all the leftovers in the fridge and I froze enough of the curry and pork noodle casserole for Kris to have a couple of meals.

4.  Windows have been open most evenings to take advantage of the cool breezes. Keeps the air conditioner from turning on.

5.  Entertainment has been watching Star Trek Discovery on my android box for free. 

6. Lights have been turned off in rooms not in use.

Now yesterday we had a couple of ouches happen. 

Harvey went for a drive and thought to walk down to Rafferty Dam to look at the water a bit closer and to check for the turtles. It is a rocky walk down to the shore, but he managed it. However on the way back up a rock shifted under his foot and he fell. Both knees have a bit of damage (mostly scrapes), but one shin has a very nasty scrape from the ankle up to the knee. He also had his cell phone in his pocket which slipped out and into a hole between the rocks.... He reached into the hole and found it pretty much full of water. Couldn't find his phone so now we will be probably having to purchase another phone for him. Sighs.... Things always seem to happen in threes around here. 

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Thrifty Thursday

 

Perhaps the most thrifty thing I have done this week is replace my cell phone. The old one was expanding and I couldn't get the back on it any longer. I taped it closed so I could still use it, but Kris figured there was something going on with the battery and whatever it was could become a fire hazard very soon. Replacing seemed to be the most thrifty way to behave. After all that cost was way less than perhaps replacing our home. 

I was under our grocery budget by quite a bit. Shopping sales, working on using things up in the freezer and pantry seems to be working in my favour. As well as only shopping every two weeks as shopping every week seemed like I was adding things to the cart all the time. However I will be replacing a few things and purchasing a few items in order to have more meatless meals (trying to add at least two more a month). I have added purchases of dried beans, lentils and peas to this next grocery shop. 

The garden is starting to produce cukes, beans, and peppers. Today I made my first two quarts of dill pickles. I always have to do this in bits as our garden while fairly large isn't large enough that I can do 12 or 14 quarts at once. Hopefully I reach my quota for this year very quickly. It actually works out to be less expensive than purchasing and I know exactly what is in them.

I am slowly but surely decluttering my closet and drawers. It is not thrifty or frugal to have things that I am not happy wearing or that do not fit my lifestyle. While I would love to sell them and get some cash, there are those out there that can not afford to clothe and feed themselves so donating what I no longer wear or find suitable is thrifty to me. Those items too worn are being made into rags and any usable fabric will be saved and used to make quilts in the future. 

Using our money wisely is what enables us to help Kurt and Kris when they need the help, and take some lovely trips.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Midweek

 

Wow, once again the week is almost gone. 

Today I will share my Lentil Curry recipe and the leftover pork recipe I discovered yesterday and both of us loved.

Red Lentil Curry

1 cup red lentils (I used brown as they cook in the same length of time and that is what I had)

2 tbsp coconut oil

3/4 cup diced onion (about 1/2 medium)

3 cloves garlic minced

1 tbsp minced ginger (I used approximately 3/4 tsp ground)

14 oz can crushed tomatoes

2-3 tsp brown sugar (I used 2)

1 tbsp curry powder

1/4 to 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

3 1/2 cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth if you wish and don't require vegan)

1/2 cup full fat coconut milk

Rinse the lentils and pick out any dark or discoloured pieces. Drain and set aside.

In large skillet or small pot heat the coconut oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook about 5 minutes, stirring often so they do not burn. Next add the garlic and ginger and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the crushed tomatoes, sugar, curry powder, cayenne pepper and salt. Stir to mix the spices into the tomatoes. Add the lentils and if they have hardened into a chunk break them up in the tomato sauce.

Then add the broth. Cover the pot and bring everything to a boil. Reduce the heat and let simmer for another 17 to 20 minutes or until the lentils are fully cooked and tender. After 10 minutes stir the lentils to make sure they are not sticking to the pot. If it looks to solid add another 1/2 cup of added water. If it looks too thin/runny let it simmer uncovered for another 5 to 10 minutes. It will thicken as it cools as well.

Stir in the coconut milk and turn off the heat.

Serve over rice. Makes 4 very generous servings.

Pork Noodle Casserole

2cups egg noodles

cooking spray

3 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup chopped celery

1/4 cup chopped carrots

1/4 cup chopped red or green sweet bell pepper

2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup (I subbed in 1 can cream of mushroom soup)

1/2 sour cream

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 can whole kernel corn (I used 1 cup frozen corn niblets)

3 cups cubed cooked pork

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 cup dry bread crumbs (optional)

Cook egg noodles as directed about 5 minutes. Drain well.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 C). Spray a 9 x 13 pan with the cooking spray.

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium. Stir in the onion, celery, carrots, and peppers. Cook until the onion has softened and turned translucent about 5 minutes. Stir in the noodles, soup, sour cream, cheese, corn and cooked pork. Season with salt and pepper. Put in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle bread crumbs on top if you wish.

Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until bubbly.

Serves 6 generously.

I hope you enjoy these as much as we do.

Everybody have a wonderful day or evening.

God bless.

Tuesday Tidbits

 

I am feeling a bit better today. Still a bit on the sluggish side with a few stomach pains, but nothing at all like yesterday afternoon and evening.

While I did get a bit done today, it wasn't as much as I had hoped. I picked and dehydrated some herbs, found a few beans ready to be picked so grabbed those. Oh, and watered a few plants that were protected under the eaves. 

I got the ironing completed, brought in the garbage bin after the truck came by, and got all the pictures moved from my old phone to the computer. Also managed to get the papers shredded between the movement of pictures. 

Then I went phone shopping. After that it was downloading the apps I use, getting them set up, putting in all the contacts once again, and learning a bit more about how this new one works. I also factory defaulted the old phone, wiped it clean. That took most if not all the afternoon. 

I did not get any of my projects worked on or even gather any of the items I will need for the new projects I am adding this month. Oh well there is always tomorrow when I won't be out and about getting a phone set up. 

I have two recipes to share with you tomorrow. The lentil curry and a new leftover pork recipe I made for supper tonight. Harvey loved both of them, and when I told him we might be having more lentils and meatless meals using beans, he was all for it. 

Off to visit and then work on my knitting.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

I did not get the floors mopped

Menu Monday

 

It has been a busy weekend. Kris came home Saturday and was working on trying to get my laptop working a bit quicker, as well as helping me move all the pictures onto a thumb drive. Removing the pictures from the hard drive, did help speed it up and with a few more tweaks it is almost back to normal.

Kris left today and I have managed to get most of the household tasks completed. As I pulled the garbage bin to the curb for pick up tomorrow I started to feel queasy, and started to develop a headache. All this to say once I post my weekly menu, I am hitting the bath and going to bed. Hopefully I will be feeling more like myself tomorrow and be able to visit you all.

Monday

Lentil Curry on rice.

Tuesday

Leftover pork roast made into a stove top casserole. Fresh veggies and dip.

Wednesday

Soup and egg salad sandwiches. 

Thursday

Leftover lentil curry with the leftover rice.

Friday

Tinned salmon made into meatballs using rice as part of the binder with a mushroom sauce.

Saturday

Stuffed Chicken breasts, noodles, and peas.

Sunday

Roast Ham, mashed potatoes, coleslaw, pickles/cheese. 

Everybody have a wonderful evening. See you all tomorrow.

God bless.