The Last of the Summer and a Bread Recipe

Summer is winding down and the kids in my neighborhood have gone back to school. Mornings are getting cooler, too.  Every morning I open a couple of windows so that Bella can enjoy whatever is going on outside in the yard, although it is still dark when I am getting up for work now.

My zinnias are doing well and always bring the butterflies. They are just about the easiest thing to grow. I bought the seeds at the Dollar Tree for 25 cents for each envelope back in the Spring.

We have so many tomatoes and jalapenos right now. We have frozen some, given some away, and eaten so many tomato sandwiches that Papa has actually said that he has almost had enough (we pretty much grow tomatoes just for the sandwiches).

I am making another tomato pie today. It was so delicious last time that we want another one.

I also tried a No-Knead Whole Wheat Bread. There were a lot of steps but  I worked them into whatever I did throughout the day easily. Next time I will add vital wheat gluten to add more texture and absorb more of the moisture. I had some toast made with the bread this morning and it was very good.

I hope your day is a good one!

Weekend Cooking

Classic Southern Tomato Pie

I love to spend time in the kitchen. It's relaxing and a creative outlet for me. Since I work during the week, I will do most of my cooking and baking on the weekends.

This is is what I cooked this past weekend:

I made the Tomato Pie I had planned earlier. It was such a bit hit at our house that I will be making another one next weekend. Here's the link to the recipe I used:  Classic Southern Tomato Pie

I made two kinds of bread: white with a little rye flour to up the fiber content and Cinnamon Raisin. I just started making our bread again and I am thoroughly enjoying it. Since there is only the two of us I will be putting about half of each loaf in the freezer.

Roasted cherry tomatoes. I added basil, garlic, salt, and olive oil. I roasted them at 300 degrees for an hour. They are delish! I will add these to soups, sauces, or wherever.

Tuna Salad for our lunches.

Today Papa will be putting 2 whole chickens on the grill. We will have lots of chicken, but we will use it for chicken and noodles, chicken salad, chicken soup, and chicken broth. Whatever is left over will be tucked into the freezer for future easy meals.

Last weekend we had a picnic with the family and we had a lot of leftover hamburger and hot dog buns. We didn't have the room in the freezer for all of them so I toasted some in the oven and made bread crumbs. I keep them in the freezer and pull them out whenever we need them.

What is on your calendar for future meals?

Pictures to Share

As you may have noticed I have a new profile picture. It is a photo of my own "Nana" when she was 16 years old and right around the time she met my Grandpa at the rolling skating rink!

This week we have collected many bowls of cherry tomatoes. The orange ones are the sweetest but the red ones are the biggest! And basil. Always basil. I use it fresh or I dry it and use it throughout the winter months.

I made a loaf of bread. I usually use my bread machine to make the dough and then bake it in the oven. We like it better that way. I put some garlic and Italian herbs in this one for more flavor. Papa made many tomato sandwiches with this loaf. Yum!

This picture is of our four grands from the Fourth of July parade❤

We visited Papa's sister and brother-in-law. These flowers were in their front garden and we didn't know what kind they were, so if anyone has a clue what kind they are, please let me know! They are so pretty.

The next 2 pictures are cross-stitched quilts my own Grandma made in the 1980's. They are light-weight and perfect for summer sleeping.

It's hard to believe that we are already in August and summer is winding down in our part of the world. Before we know it we will be pulling out our sweaters and jackets again! Have a wonderful weekend!

Keeping My Pantry Stocked-Canned Tomatoes

Boy, was it hot today! It was a real blessing to come home after a long day and have a simple meal of ham that I had taken from the freezer leftover from Easter and fry some eggs with some toast for our dinner.

I needed dinner for the next night so after preparing our lunches for the following day, I made spaghetti sauce. This is where the pantry part comes in. I always keep cans of crushed, diced, and whole tomatoes, tomato sauce and tomato paste along with seasonings in my pantry. I sauteed half an onion with a little sausage, although I have made it with just onion powder and no meat or ground beef or turkey. I then added my seasonings: garlic powder, oregano, basil, and a pinch of cayenne. I then put in a large can of crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and just because it was in the refrigerator, a little homemade chicken broth. At some point I taste it and will tweak my flavorings and may even add a little sweetener. I let it simmer for a couple of hours.

This will feed the two of us for a least a couple of meals. We like it over pasta, of course, but I have also had it over spaghetti squash, if I am feeling a little low-carbish. I also use it for pizza sauce. I store any sauce that is left over in the freezer for future meals.

We also use our canned tomatoes for chili, tomato and vegetable soups, and Spanish rice.

I love having ready ingredients in my pantry. It has saved us lots of money over the years.

My Frugal Kitchen This Week

Since my husband is semi-retired and works four days a week, he will often stop at the grocery store on Friday morning and pick up any loss leaders that we can use. This week he found watermelon and Italian sausage. 

On Saturday morning we went to Aldi and Food 4 Less. I usually go to Aldi for the produce that have on special and I found cherries. They are a little over my price point on produce but they come around only once a year and it will be a treat for us. 

At Food 4 Less we found chuck roasts on sale for $2.99 per pound and we bought two. I always check their clearance and found brownie mixes for 59 cents each.

On Sundays I will usually meal prep for the week. 

Our Meal Plan for this week:

Pot Roast in the Crock Pot with mashed potatoes, carrots, and green beans.

Shepherd's Pie made from leftover pot roast.

Italian sausage, potatoes, cabbage, and beets sheet pan roast.

Hamburgers and potato salad.

Leftovers

For the 4th of July we will be going to our oldest daughter's house for a cook-out and swimming. I will bring pasta salad and brownies. 

What's cooking in your kitchen this week?