Monday, planing ahead tips

Today, I have a lot of hopes.
Making crafts with Atticus is a big one.  I would also love to swim with the kids at the health-club, and do some yoga.  Atticus wants to do some baking.

And, I want to head back to Walney park with the kids,  to gather myself in the quiet woods.  I feel so so so so so peaceful when I am there, and for a long time after I leave.   I would like to take stock of the pantry items we can use up before the move.  I would also like to read the books I got from the library, and get the house in order.  That is a lot of fun stuff I want to do, and there is no mention of the yucky stuff, like make dentist appointments, fill out papers for the "new" school,  oil changes and packing.  I would rather not think about the yucky stuff.  Not just yet.

I am working on developing some tricks to squeeze more into a day.  A lot of my time is spent in the kitchen preparing food, because I believe in making healthy food for my family.  And, because I love to bake and cook.  I am focusing now on making sure I don't spend our grocery money on snack foods, but  on whole foods, which means I have little to eat that is "grab and go".   I have to plan ahead, and have food cooked and ready for that moment when the children all come in to the kitchen and are starving and roaming around like monsters.  I have to have something I can pull out and whip up when I haven't planned dinner, but it is dinner time.  One new trick I love is homemade biscuit mix.

home-made sweet potato biscuit mix

home made biscuit mix

And, even though there are still steps to complete the biscuits when making them from the mix, it is easier than making them completely from scratch.  I have also heard you can freeze biscuits before you bake them, and just pull them out and bake them when you are ready.  That is next in the process of learning short-cuts.  

Hot biscuits, ready in less than 20 minutes, waiting for gravy, jelly, or honey.  These always get me extra hugs from the boys.  Especially when I make them for dinner (not just breakfast!)

Biscuit recipe taken from "How to cook the Perfect Day" by Nikki McClure.

of fish cakes and bread.

Cheap eats; fish cakes...

sweet little potatoes waiting...hum dee dum dum

Boiling pot of carrots, celery, potatoes, parsley, fish

toasted breadcrumbs from homemade sourdough bread

mash up the potatoes and fish

form the mashed mix into cakes and bread

cook in a little oil (coconut or what-not) until golden.

 AND, homemade sourdough bread! I am so happy about this!

the mama (starter) and the baby (bread dough)

waiting 8 hours 

second rise, 2 hours

golden brown, smells heavenly

add lots of butter, and eat immediately. 

Little hands helped through out, but mine were too covered in dough and mess to take pictures! alas, next time.