Paradox

My problem is that until recently, I never used beans. Never learned to cook with them... Slowly learning. Kids don't like them. they'll get over it. On the rice.... i've tried cooking it in broth instead of just water, and it doesn't seem to do as well... though that could be that the rice cooker is starting to break.

Oh, when I am feeling energetic, I make some yogurt to go with breakfast, to give them some additional protein. or a small slab of cheese. some applesauce or canned fruit, too, at times.

I've been making up batches of waffles and pancakes in advance and then freezing them. I don't like to spend the time making them for first thing in the morning. Everybody can grab 2 and pop them into the toaster oven for a few minutes. Mmmmm...Instant hot breakfast and mom isn't having a breakdown in the kitchen at 6am! 6AM and I aren't on speaking terms. I don't know how well the GF pancakes will freeze and thaw, but will probably have to try it. We also do a couple different hot cereal mixes that we make in our house. One GF made of brown rice (cracked), buckwheat (cracked), corn meal, amaranth, millet, quinoa, flax seed, chia seeds (sometimes). Regular version adds in cracked wheat, spelt, barley, kamut and oats. We also sometimes do hot farina (for those not GF), or creamy buckwheat (for the GF). but..... those are more winter breakfasts. We tend to go for cold cereal in the summer, just to keep the heat down some. Got the chex (which is GF for most flavors, yippee!), and some other cereals for 1.00-1.50/box, or some even under $1/box.

Oh, let's see.... today we had leftovers. When I made spaghetti the other day I did a two lb box of regular and one lb of gluten-free (in separate pots, of course). One lb of ground meat, one large-ish jar of ragu sauce. Two meals for 7. The other leftovers were mushroom chicken & rice. two cups of brown rice cooked up. Three pint jars of de-boned chicken thighs that didn't seal in the canner, one quart of mushroom soup thickened with cornstarch. For sides, I add to my salads and cooked greens by browsing in the yard, or bringing home 'weeds' from the farm--purslane, lamb's quarters, wood sorrel, dandelion at times. The veges we get from the farm we try to use all of--- beets get cooked as beets, the tops go in the greens, the stem parts go to the bunnies. some nights, PB&J is about all I can muster, but one jar of PB covers several meals for us. A loaf or two of homemade GF bread, and some homemade jam/jelly, often with wild gathered or discarded fruits. Protein from the PB, some carrot sticks or something on the side for veggies, bread for the carbs.. I don't use powdered milk, myself. I worry a great deal about the hormones that were probably used in the production thereof, and the affect they could have on my beautiful little girl. We stick with raw milk, which, at 3.50/gallon, is my biggest grocery splurge most of the time. Pudding for dessert, or jello. We've been using up old pudding mixes, the newest of which expired in 2010, but once those are done, I'll make from scratch. Breakfasts... usually cold cereal because i'm not a morning person, but I've been known to do pancakes, which are cheap to make, with homemade blueberry or cinnamon apple or vanilla peach syrups all homemade.

Well, heck... I just noticed that you're in West Allis. I'm up in Menomonee Falls. We aren't allowed chickens, but I think they do allow bees. Perhaps we'll have to get together and trade eggs for honey. (Soon as I get me a hive set up, at least...)

Only works if the powder stays in the inside jar. if it gets pulled out, chances are high that the seal will fail due to the powder being between the lid and the jar. You can cut a coffee filter or papertowel to put on top of the powder in the jar before sealing. Press it down pretty firmly and it should help keep the powdery stuff where it belongs. PS> If you ever vac-seal Mac & cheese, the powder kind, be really careful if you put the cheese packet inside the mason jar to vac-seal. I've had one or two pop their seams in the process. the vacuum in the jar makes the pouch puff out (because it has normal atmospheric pressure inside the pouch, though not a huge quantity of air), and the pressure exerted by the pouch expanding can cause a sideseam to fail, spilling the cheese sauce into the main part of the jar. If storing Mac & cheese, better to go the route of packing it into buckets with O2 absorbers. (I'm not doing Mac & cheese either way anymore since the celiac diagnosis, but you can fit 4-5 boxes worth in one half-gallon mason jar if you're careful.) PPS> If you ever want a quick fun thing to amuse the kids, get some marshmallows and vac-seal them. makes them puff up HUGE. Then release the pressure all at once and watch them shrivel in an instant. Great for a giggle with younger children.

Black Raspberry Jam... I'll have to add up the quantity, but somewhere in the vicinity of 24 half pints. Looks like one pint didn't seal. Oh darn, we'll have to eat it right away.... What a crushing tragedy!

I feel so totally inadequate now, reading all your posts.... sigh. So, if/when you aren't up to working hard, what do you do while you're not working hard? I knit when I'm watching the tube, divvy up snacks into serving portions using my trusty scale, sometimes sharpen/clean my tools... but with this heat, it's just so hard to get going...

liquid or powder?

Can I have your black raspberry jam recipe? I just picked a bunch! Will be making jam probably on Monday...

I think... do you plant fruit trees in the fall or the spring? I'm thinking fall, but I'm not sure. We've started caretaking a small orchard that's been rather neglected for a few years, and some of the trees have not survived. Gotta talk to the owners, but I suspect we'll end up replacing them... But when... ?