Meal planning

Three books that can help in meal planning.

The New Year is just a few short days away. Many will be making New Year’s resolutions. They may include weight loss, better nutrition, getting more organized and sticking to a budget.

To help keep these resolutions we propose planning and making meals in advance. This will help achieve all the above goals and also will save time and make meal time something to look forward to.

With busy schedules families often run out of time to plan nutritional meals much less do it on a budget. There are cookbooks that have suggestions, recipes, menus, shopping lists and more that make this doable.

Cookbooks are tools to be used to make the job easier. There are three that we have used to help us come up with our own style that is a combination of methods they suggest.

“Once-a-Month Cooking” by Mimi Wilson and Mary Beth Lagerborg gives menus, shopping lists, recipes and instructions on how to prepare meals for two weeks or a month at a time. This method is best if there are two or more people working together. We have used this method and it is a lot of work up front but the reward comes when all we had to do was defrost and heat meals that were already assembled.

“Don’t Panic-Dinner’s in the Freezer” by Susie Martinez, Vanda Howell and Bonnie Garcia focuses on preparing one or two meals at one time in multiples of two, four or six. Each recipe in the book has the ingredients listed to make two, four or six meals at a time. Then after it is cooked it can be divided that many times and frozen. That way one meal can be used that day and the others will be ready when needed.

“The Cook It and Freeze It Book” by Margaret Deeds Murphy has information on how to package different types of food for freezer storage as well as recipes that can be made and frozen. It also gives suggested length each item can be stored in the freezer.

Most of the time we make double or triple the amount we need for a meal and freeze the extra meals. We also do things like make a big pot of beans or a big roast that can then be used to make several different recipes.

About a month before our walnut harvest time we push to do more of a once-a-month type plan where we can have enough meals to last us through harvest. That way when we come in from the orchard at night tired from the day’s work all we have to do is heat up dinner and eat.

This year we ran a little short of our desired goal. There was another alternative we decided to use. In Red Bluff there is now a business called “Dinner My Way.” They have all the ingredients needed for 14 different recipes all ready to be assembled. We ordered online the meals we wanted and made reservations to go in and assemble them. In about an hour we had the additional meal we needed put together and ready to freeze. Information about all they offer is available at dinnermyway.com.

Many families have children in sports and other after school activities. That along with both parents working can make it hard to prepare meals that are nutritional as well as meet the budget. Getting the entire family to participate in a meal preparation plan will make it possible to have meals that meat the nutrition and budget goals.

When one person of the family is to be the main one responsible for making the meals, the easiest way is to make multiple batches on one meal and then divide it to be frozen for later meals. A good plan is to work up to cooking only one meal a week and use previously made meals the rest of the week.

Do not be afraid to try different methods. After trying the different ones you will be able to customize a plan that works for your family. The goal should be to make meal planning less stressful.

Handmade Snowmen

Small and large handmade snowmen.

Christmas is almost here. Some are still scurrying around to find that last minute gift or decoration. We like to use homemade snowmen as decorations as well as gifts.

They are fast and easy to make. All are different and unique. They can be made in any size. The body is white fabric. Knit or stretchy fabrics are easier to work with.

Buttons, beads, pom-poms, fabric paint and fabric can be used to make the face. A strip of fabric can be used for the scarf. The hat can be made out of fabric that matches the scarf or even from the leg part of a wooly-winter sock.

Twigs or small branches from a tree can be added for arms. To finish add a few buttons on the front.

All items used to make the snowmen can be recycled from discarded clothing. For the snowman’s body a leg can be cut from an old pair of white pants. Or an old white t-shirt or sweat shirt will work as well. Besides fabric or an old sock for the hat, a sleeve from an old sweater will work just as well. The scarf can be cut from an old sweater or flannel shirt.

For the large snowmen pictured above we started with a 13 by 17-inch piece of stretchy fabric. Putting the right sides together we sewed the 13-inch side together forming a tube. Then we attached a six-inch circle for the bottom. After stuffing we ran a gathering stitch at the top and pulled it together to close the top.

The small snowman pictured above is made with a nine by 12-inch piece of white fake fur fabric and a four-inch circle at the bottom. It also has twigs for arms.

To make the hats we used knit fabric. We just measured around the head for width and estimated the amount needed for the height plus about an inch to fold at the bottom edge. The top of the hats are gathered together with a running stitch.

We stuffed our snowmen with polyester fiberfill but other things can be used for stuffing as well. Even dried beans or rice can be added at the bottom to make them stand up better.

Creativity comes from just trying different things. There is no right or wrong way to make a snowman.

These snowmen also make good last minute gifts. We have used them as exchange gifts, house warming gifts and as a hostess gift. To us a handmade gift is extra special.

Besides fabric snowmen we have ones made from wood and ceramic that we set out for the Christmas season. They are also a decoration that can be left out through January. We like to leave them out after other Christmas decorations are put away. That way the house doesn’t look so bare after Christmas.

Another gift idea is to give some of those jams, jellies and apple butter canned during the summer. It is still not too late to make apple butter for the holidays. We looked at easy crock pot recipes on the internet and found many. The following is one of 68 from cooks.com:

Put three quarts of apples, sliced thin, in a crock pot and cook overnight on high. Next morning add 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 3 cups sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cloves. Cook all day on low. Tastes like old-fashioned apple butter that is cooked in copper kettle.

You can use applesauce if you do not have time to prepare the apples. The crock pot makes it possible for apples to cook a long time without being stirred.

We welcome readers to share their homemade gift ideas.

Bread making

Animal shaped bread loaves.

During the winter we make almost all our bread. For one thing, it’s something productive to do when it is raining outside, and it serves to warm up the kitchen. Often we like to experiment with different kinds of bread. The same old kind every day gets to be boring for us.

Basic white is OK if you want something to make a sandwich with. But usually we like something with a little more pizzazz. There are books and books on making bread of which we own our fair share. They are interesting to read even if we do not use many recipes from them.

But this is the Neighbors column after all so we would like to share one of our favorite bread recipes. It is called Colonial Bread.

Ingredients for bread:

1 package yeast

3 1/2 cups flour, unbleached

1/3 cup yellow cornmeal

1 1/2 cups boiling water

1/3 cup molasses

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon butter or margarine

Directions:

Place cornmeal into a bowl. Stir in boiling water, making sure there are no lumps. Let stand to cool for about 30 minutes. Stir in molasses, salt and butter. Place in mixer bowl and add yeast. Add flour until dough cleans the sides of the bowl. Let rise until double, then shape into loaf and let rise again. When doubled, bake in a 390 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Bread is done when brown and sounds hollow if tapped. Recipe may be doubled to make two loaves.

Making bread is a great way to involve the children in household activities, cooking in particular. Sometimes we make the bread into animal shapes or other fun things, like braiding or tube loaves. Shaping bread to match a party theme is also fun. Children love anything out of the ordinary.

Making hamburger buns was a challenge until we ran across this tip a few years ago. Our problem was that the buns would rise so much they looked more like a tennis ball than a hamburger bun. The solution is to put a cookie sheet on top of them after shaping the buns and placing them on the baking pan. This helps to prevent them from rising too much. Remove the cookie sheet just before placing them in the oven to bake. That way when they bake, they raise some but not too much.

Once we were talking to some friends a few days after Thanksgiving. The discussion was regarding the use of turkey leftovers. Someone said that sourdough bread makes a great turkey sandwich. Our comment was that sourdough is great but is rather complicated to make compared to regular yeast bread. They looked at us like we were from another planet or something. But in reality, bread making is not very hard at all and the rewards of eating fresh-baked bread with melted butter make it all worth it.

Other favorites we make often are rye and French bread. Variety is the spice of life so try a different flavor of bread than the normal choice this week. We welcome everyone to share a favorite recipe.

Give encouragement

Presents for Christmas.

Are you ready for Christmas? That is the question we hear all the time these days – in line at the store, talking to friends on the phone, just about anywhere. What they mean, of course, is do we have the house decorated for the holidays, have we got Christmas dinner planned, and especially, do we have all our gift shopping done. For many people the gifts they give and hope to get on Christmas is what is important.

We try to focus on the real spirit of the season and give to those who are in need. Local service organizations, churches and the like all need our donations to be able to keep providing the help and services that they offer. They may utilize volunteer workers, but fuel, food and supplies are expensive. And it seems like things are always going up. In that light monetary donations are greatly needed as well as the workers who volunteer their time.

Volunteering is the gift of time. There are many ways to volunteer right here in Tehama County. One could be involved in a service club. There are several to choose from, all with their different focuses. There are youth organizations, after-school clubs, sports teams, a child’s or grandchild’s school classroom and other school functions, all which need volunteer help.

Nearly all churches function in a large part through the efforts of volunteers. They may have a paid pastor and one or two paid staff positions, but it’s the volunteer workers that make the difference. There are a number of local programs that work with the homeless and others less fortunate. These programs are almost entirely run by volunteers.

There are senior citizen services that are always looking for people to help. The activities range from taking seniors shopping, to the doctor or providing free services such as tax preparation or legal advice.

And we don’t necessarily have to formally volunteer or donate to an established cause. It’s just as important to help our neighbor in need. Take a casserole or some cookies to someone who could use a little help in food preparation. Visit a disabled person who has trouble getting out but would like some company. Offer to do childcare for a single parent.

A husband and wife working together to help others brings an increased sense of togetherness as a side benefit. It is also good to involve children in volunteer activities. This gives them an awareness of others and the ability to emphasize with those in need. The experience can be life-changing for those who receive the help as well as those providing the help.

There was even a time when all the neighbors worked together to get the harvest in. It was too big a job for any one person to do, but by working together they could get everyone’s land harvested in time. It’s the same thing today. There are a lot of needs in Tehama County, and working together we can meet them.

Whether it is time, money, a few kind words or a helping hand, the gift of encouragement is something that will mean a lot to the one receiving it. Make a difference today by having a giving attitude, not a getting attitude.