Wed-8-Oct-2008 - Recipe for Baked Oatmeal
My youngest is snarfing it down as I type. 
Have I ever mentioned how much I LOVE to sit at the feet of women who have bunches of children? Because for one thing, they wouldn't think I was crazy to be day-dreaming about a *gasp* 4th child, and they have so much wisdom that they have collected over the years. Frugal ideas, too. And I love frugal!
I have this theory, see, that if you take care of what God has already given you, it shows graditude and appreciation. While we are all recipents of undeserved blessings at times, I feel like it would be really inappropriate to mis-use what I've been given now and expect more.
So, I try to take care of the money God has blessed us with, and to make my household budget go as far as possible, even as we add people to the family.
I got my baked oatmeal recipe from a mom of fourteen. Who can't use a money saving menu idea?
Baked Oatmeal
1 & 1/2 cup oats
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup melted butter or cooking oil
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
I put this in a greased 8x8 pan, but if you want it thinner you can cook it in a 9x13. Place in a oven heated to 350 for 25-30 minutes.
Now, I know my Jonathan would like this in milk, but I ate it "strait" and so did Elijah. I might mix up Samuel's with a bit of milk so he can eat it with a spoon. It also tastes like it would go great with yogurt, if you're into that kind of thing. It resembles, in a chewier form, the packaged granolas that my second mama buys at the store.
Samuel is awake now and has given his stamp of approval as well.
I know what I'm making Saturday morning! 
~Ashley~
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Thu-18-Sep-2008 - Adventures w/ Grass Fed Beef
Last night, I thought I met with certain culinary disaster!
I had whipped up mashed potatoes and corn because we needed to eat quickly and then head off to church and to pick up more grout for the dining room area.
I went to “scoop” the chuck roast out of the pan. I stabbed it first with a fork . . . .
. . . AND LIFTED IT COMPLETELY OUT OF THE PAN!!!!
I just about fell over right there in the kitchen. I served up supper with dire warnings. I ran around briefly looking for my pamphlet on cooking grass-fed beef in hopes it would explain this strange phenomenon, but there just wasn’t time to find it.
What happened? Does grass fed roasts cook 12 hours instead of 8? What on earth did I do wrong???
I’ve never, ever had a roast that didn’t completely fall apart when poked. Or even prior to being poked!
On the platter, it looked strangely lean. There weren’t any big blobs of fat clinging to it. Strange – but much more appealing and appetizing looking!
With some trepidation, I tried the roast. It was strangely moist and tender … although it didn’t crumble into “strings” like a “normal” roast.
Even Elijah enjoyed the succulent meat!
Jonathan said it “acted” different, but it was just fine and didn’t taste funny at all.
Our first grass-fed chuck roast was just fine. I’m so pleased! We have half a freezer full of it.
Just before we left, I looked into the pan I cooked the roast in. There wasn’t hardly any fat in the cooking pan, either?!? Maybe it needed more time to solidify? Oddly, I could see the bottom of the pan. I can’t remember seeing the bottom of the pan before … usually the water I cook a roast in is brown and murky.
This morning I washed out the pan. There was a tiny collection of pea-size and smaller fat particles. Maybe a dozen in all. Nothing changed from last night. There was no layer of white fat across the entire top of the pan.
Eating and cooking roasts for my family just became a whole lot more enjoyable and appetizing for me!
I am very, very, very happy to have my freezer of grass-fed beef. I can’t wait to try steaks next!
~Ashley~
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Wed-17-Sep-2008 - Menu Planning...
....aka, I've been won over into the Land of Planned Meals.
I never, ever thought this would happen. Eeee - Ver!
It's taken so much stress out of cooking. My meals are more "complete". I've always enjoyed cooking, but this is a whole new level!
If only I really enjoyed the planning part more. LOL I guess you can't have everything. It just requires so much focus. I don't feel like focusing enough to plan meals ahead. Honestly, it feels alot like homework used to!
But the rewards are great . . . .
Written out on paper, I was able to see that if I made rice on Monday, I could incorporate it three times in a row; in a casserole, in another dish, and as Spanish rice.
And that was just waaaaaay cool.
Right now, as a newbie menu planner, I'm not even attempting to think about desserts. One week at a time, I hope to build up to that. I'm starting to realize how beautiful it really is that some people even have snacks planned out!
I'm not sure if that's an aspiration I will/could ever achieve -to plan out even snacks - or if it's something I'll build up to someday. Who knows?
Anything is possible, the future is bright . . . . 
~Ashley~
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