Cooking resolutions update

So last week, I tried to follow my breakfast plan and I was pretty successful:

Sunday - I made the sprouted grain pancakes with Arrowhead Mill flour. They were a hit for almost everybody except Sean. But Rick, Josh and Becky really loved them. I made them with coconut oil. The coconut oil I got from Trader Joe's is too strong, I think. That was the one caveat. I got another kind from Whole Foods which I think is a little milder in flavor. Instead of frying up the pancakes in canola oil or some other vegetable oil, I used bacon grease and they turned out well, but I have to be careful of burning. Also, the recipe on the back of the sprouted grain isn't accurate. I add a cup of whole milk (I double the recipe) but then I have to add at least a 1/2 cup of water to get the batter to the right consistency for pancakes.

I've been buying the organic, fake nitrate/nitrite free bacon and saving the grease in an old water bottle that we lost the lid to. It's been working really well.

Monday - slow cooker oatmeal Excellent! I'm eating a bowl right now! I think I'm starting to get in the habit of remembering to soak the oatmeal before starting it in the slow cooker right before I go to bed.

Tuesday - I made eggs and bacon again. But I didn't have time to cook up and freeze for Thursday's breakfast. That made me feel out of sorts.

Wednesday - I made smoothies and everybody liked them (except Becky who thought I'd put too much yogurt in. She can't stand the sour taste of yogurt). I'm just buying organic Greek plain yogurt. Haven't gotten into yogurt making yet! Also, everybody wanted more than just a smoothie for breakfast. They don't want to drink a big milkshake of it. They tended to pour it into our teacups and drink it that way and then want something else. I need a uberhealthy/tasty muffin perhaps to go along with it?

Thursday - I managed to get up early and make Becky a breakfast sandwich before we left for Adler. I didn't bother with the others but I did leave food out for them to eat, just not in breakfast sandwich form. The kids are getting sick of bacon. I need to find sausage they like. Also, Sean misses turkey bacon. Is there healthy turkey bacon out there?

Friday - made a huge vat of the oatmeal and fed the teens (about 20 plus a couple of adults) after the 6:15 a.m. Mass. Wildly successful! Everybody loved it!

Saturday - we did the same old, same old with bagels and cream cheese.

I'm starting the whole cycle over again. Yesterday did the pancakes, eggs and bacon, today the oatmeal. So I think I'm getting in the groove.

For other meals: reading Kelly the Kitchen Kop's blog I saw a suggestion for alternative hot dogs. We always do Hebrew National but even they've got bad stuff in them. Somebody mentioned Trader Joe's uncured hot dogs, so we tried them. The kids LOVED them! Really good hot dogs! Hurrah! A success.

Still haven't gotten around to cheesemaking yet. Hopefully this week at some point!

I signed up on line to join a community farm. They were supposed to send me a contract. I've been checking the mail every day and no contract so far. No mail today because it is MLK day, but if I don't get one tomorrow I'm going to e-mail again. They are just up in Lancaster, PA. I thought it would get here in three or four days. Hope I didn't inadvertently throw it out!

Tomorrow - Tuesday - I'm supposed to bring a meal to a mom who is expecting her 7th child and is having all sorts of health and other issues. Really hard time for her. Anyway, I'm going to try a pot roast recipe from Nourished Kitchen. It calls for parsnips and turnips. I think I've cooked turnips once in my life before (and they were delicious) and I don't think I've ever cooked parsnips. But both those vegetables make me feel all Beatrix Potter-ish. LOL! So we'll see how that works out.

I can't take the time to link things right now. Must finish Latin homework and then go to Latin class. We don't get these holiday Mondays off.