Crossing Over

OH MY GOODNESS....

I have officially crossed over....

crossed over to the dark side....the side that is often misunderstood...the side that I thought was kooky...

the side my husband and family call....

wait for it......tree huggers...

the side that talks and thinks in terms of food...that side that I wished I had studied earlier....the side that is making daughter #1 call me a food nerd...which is better then a food nazi....which my husband has referred me too...remember soup nazi...yep....that long ago...

The side that believes in the sanctity of pure food... not processed cardboard junk...the side that sometimes looks a little wild eyed as they watch the latest government move to control food....

but I can't help it......I was already on the path to a better pattern of eating,  and thought I was making better choices.....then I watched this...

Food, Inc 

has altered my view of food, the big corporations that run these food monopolies and the government. I already questioned the government being my over all guardian...but this stamped it closed for me.

After feeling frustrated and helpless as I felt like my hands were tied because of the prohibitive cost of trying to feed a family of ten not only nutritiously but on Real Food and because...don't forget...I live in a town home  that plowed under our community garden so that they could build some ugly box homes (another story for another time)...but I picked up myself....and realized that even small changes are a start.

So here are a few....

• Create a garden...even a small one...and work on starting another community garden.

• Buy local and only in season, no more buying tomatoes in the winter because we are longing for that warm sunshine sweetness that is only an illusion in tomatoes form Mexico...or even California.
• Purchase meat and eggs....even if it is only small quantities...from local resources....not from a grocery store, on a side note....I had felt better about myself for buying chicken that said minimally processed, nothing added, go me...and then my #3 suggested we go to their website...um...yeah....the chicken may be minimally processed but they are still bred in the same horrific conditions that have made farmers allergic to antibiotics and produced chickens that are nothing more then walking breasts...
• Add a lot more veggies to our diet.
• Sign up and support Farm to Legal Defense Fund.....even five bucks a month will make a difference.
• Start writing letters on the school lunch program....I already hear my kids complain about it...but I am sure it is even worse then they or I imagine.
• Continue to educate myself on food....and anyone else that will listen...or I can pin against a wall!!

Do you hear that groaning in the background?  That is the hubs at work thinking about his wife that has drank the koolaid...metaphorically.....I really don't drink that stuff.... and wondering what is next?  First the plastic is going and now the meat? NO, NO...I still believe in meat....I love a big ole steak, lamb chops...(yes even lamb chomps), almost any kind of fish or seafood, pork, venison.....and you name a couple of other meats and I have probably tried it....but they will be Real Food...meat that is grass fed, chicken that scratch for bugs and worms...and on and on...and yes, honey dear.....I will still have you eat less meat, and more veggies......

Please bear with me, yes, dear, I am talking to you and to you out there in blogosphere..as we continue our journey back to the farm...it may be longer then it like, I may be taking more detours then I want, but maybe that is all for the good, maybe, most definitely I will appreciate and be ever so grateful, when and if I make it to my goal...my dream.

To live on our own farm, to feed my family with pure God given materials because we work hard and we work together to make it work.  We don't go to the grocery store to just pick up a cellophaned Styrofoam package of grain and soybean fed meat product...but yet again..that is  story for another day...

Start small, but start somewhere....love ya are what ya eat guts....

Veggie Lasagna

12 whole wheat/whole grain lasagna noodles (I want the machine to start making my own...aaahem...hint hint)
1 carton whole ricotta cheese
1 cup whole cottage cheese
3 cups marinara sauce (I use my own bottled...or you could make it from scratch ..or you could buy a healthy one in a bottle..whatever works for you!)
1 egg
1 cup of mushrooms (I used canned)
1/2 onion
1 red or green pepper
1 small package of spinach
1 lb of colby cheese (and yes..I need a cow..because I know how these poor dairy cows are treated)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

and any other veggies you want to throw in there.  Cook noodles according to instructions. Lightly saute onions, peppers and mushrooms (I threw garlic in there too), thaw, rinse and then squeeze water out of spinach. Mix veggies with ricotta, cottage cheese, 2 cups of sauce and egg. (I did it all in the pan to dirty less dishes.) Pour a little sauce on bottom of 9 x 13 pan, layer 3 noodles, then veggie mixture and cheese, repeat three times. After laying the last of the noodles, cover with marinara sauce, remaining amount of colby cheese and sprinkle with Parmesan. Cover and Bake at 350 for 60 minutes. Serve with warm french bread......

the hubs said it was restaurant quality....not anything that he would order....but restaurant quality...thank you I think....

Reasons for Lasagna in the Morning.....

Yesterday was a day that was busy...but not much got done....two of my 10 reasons......you can't argue with these....

You know those days?  No..you are always productive...your knitting leprosy bandages as we speak....

Well at least there is one of us...

As for me.....I got dinner ready at ten in the morning.....because well.....I knew it was going to be one of those days....it was....my bread rose....and then fell...because I took to long at VT.....still edible, just not pretty.

.....but even after that dinner was a success..........My mackdaddy loved it....that is ALWAYS a good thing.


The old saying if momma aint happy......well in our house....

If daddy aint fed right........jk...my lover...who does read this.....

I made Chicken Veggie Lasagna....I have heard it called white lasagna and tuscan lasagna.....any way you call it.....just get into my belly....

Can you name that movie...there will be a prize at the end if you can....HA....


Here is the recipe as I made it, but I am sure there are many good ones out there......but you know this one was a keeper if the kids ate it...and it had mushrooms and spinach in it!!!!

9 to 12 lasagna noodles
1 c. cooked chicken, chopped (you can use more chicken, but I wanted to concentrate on the veggies)
2 c. water (you can use chicken broth, but again I was avoiding the sodium)
2 c. milk (I used powdered milk)
1/2 c. flour
2 c. (16 oz.) Mozzarella cheese or whatever cheese you have on hand
1 c. grated Parmesan cheese
2 c. (16 oz.) cottage cheese
1 (10 oz.) pkg. chopped spinach, thawed and drained and excess water squeezed out

1 (10 oz) can of mushrooms
1 med. onion, chopped (approximately 1/2 c.)
2 cloves garlic,or garlic powder
1/2 c. butter
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. oregano

 

Cook noodles...the best way I have found.  Bring water to a boil, put noodles in, bring back to a boil, boil 3 minutes, turn off stove, cover pot and let set for ten minutes.  Perfect pasta! 

 

Using left over chicken for this recipe would be perfect, or open a can or if you are like me, grab a couple of tenderloin pieces and boil in a small amount of water.  Pull out, cool and then dice.  Smaller is better...it goes further.

 

Melt butter in saucepan, add flour, garlic, salt. Smells wonderful! If you are using your food storage powdered milk, stir the powder into the flour and then into the butter, then pour in the water when it call for milk. It will make the white sauce a little thick, but it will come out just fine once the water is added. 

 

Cook, stirring constantly until bubbly. Remove from heat. Add milk and Water/chicken broth a little at a time, beating to a smooth consistency each time. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. 

 

Add onion, basil, oregano, pepper, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese,  cheese, chicken and mushrooms, stirring until cheese melts. Use 9x13 inch rectangular pan.

 

In ungreased 9x13x2 inch rectangular pan, pour in a thin layer of sauce, I strained out all the veggies and chicken and put it back in the sauce. Layer 3 or 4 lasagna noodles, overlapping if necessary. Spread 1 cup of cottage cheese over noodles, 1/4 of cheese sauce, 3 or 4 noodles, 1 cup cottage cheese, chopped spinach,  Layer 3 or 4 noodles,1/2 of the remaining cheese sauce, slayer generously with cheese. (Com'on this is lasagna...don't be stingy with the cheese!) 3 or 4 more noodles, remaining sauce, sprinkle with parmesan.

I let this set for a good 7 hours before I cooked it (I think that is the trick to a good lasagna!) I cooked for an hour and a half at 325...which was perfect...I was gone.  But I think most people would cook it at 350 for 35 to 45 minutes, then take out of oven, layer generously with mozzarella....I had the real nice gooey stuff today...so all was right with the world!  But any cheese would be good too!  Put back in oven until top melts!!

I have to say, this lasagna was almost better then the "regular" lasagna.....it just melted in your mouth!!!

Let me know how you like it!

Mackdaddy said it was a keeper.....so you know it was good...in his eyes....

 

...and it was a good thing I had such a yummy dinner to hold me through the night......we (I...mackdaddy was awake but laying there listening and rooting me on to my motherly duties, while he laid cozily in our blankets) were up with one of the twins about every hour....fun times...I hate teething!  I was ready to pop some leftovers in the microwave last night...but only one eye it would focus...I just went back to bed....

it might work for breakfast though....

Love yer guts all you!  

 

Thank you for you comments, your emails, posts and calls......thank you for being such wonderful examples of superheros!