The Perfectionist Kitchen...Grace Under Fire

I wish this was my kitchen, but it's from
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Do you struggle with perfectionism? I always believed perfectionists live in those House Beautiful centerfolds, have perfectly behaved families, and never have a hair out of place. Then I discovered that I was one. And believe me, House Beautiful couldn't be paid enough to photograph my home, my family is not perfectly behaved, and I often have hairs out of place...in fact, it's almost noon as I type this on a cloudy Saturday morning, I'm still in my PJ's, and my hair is stylishly coiffed in a frightful Why-Yes-I-DID-Just-Roll-Out-Of-Bed 'do.

And yet, I'm busy working in my kitchen...the room that currently looks like a scale model of a nuclear testing ground. I've made sourdough pancakes, fed my starter, mixed up some healthy(ish..it's not soaked) granola that is currently infusing my home with the most delightful aroma of oats, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, honey, butter and coconut ( you can find the recipe here, at Kitchen Stewardship!), and I just started some dough in my breadmaker to make the bratwurst buns we need for tomorrow's outing to a local park to hunt for mushrooms and just enjoy spending the day together. I'm very happy that my 16 year old stepson will be joining us...it will help make for a wonderful Mother's Day!

I'm taking a coffee break...enjoying some freshly ground Starbucks House Blend, sweetened slightly with sucanat and lavishly lightened with some raw cream from local, happy, organically grass-fed cows. Mmmmm...

So, back to the perfectionist kitchen oxymoron...I've learned that "perfectionist" doesn't always mean one does things perfectly and always "has it together". In fact, it can mean just the opposite, because the inability to do something perfectly paralyzes the perfectionist, and nothing gets done. 

I had a long day yesterday...not enough sleep, I've started babysitting for a three year old girl so I toted two three year olds around with me on grocery/errand day (wow...that's a challenge!), came home, made homemade pizza (thank God for 5-Minute pizza crust...), tried to make some sourdough English muffins (emphasis on TRIED. I don't want to talk about that one.), had a daughter who chose to lose out on allowance rather than do her dishes...and I just didn't have the energy to do them, even though starting the day off with a clean kitchen is so much more inviting and efficient. So, I went to bed. And got some rest, which I really, really needed. I wasn't too worried about the dishes running off in the middle of the night, or someone breaking in and stealing them....or washing them for me (now that would be wonderful, though...)

I did neaten the mess up before bed...sounds kind of odd but you know what I mean...stack the dishes, wipe up some crumbs, little things that only took a few seconds and not much energy. 

So, I find myself facing the day, and the mess, early this morning after taking my daughter to a Girl Scout function for the day ("I'll do the dishes tomorrow, mom..."). I know that I want to get these things accomplished today:

• make granola
• make granola bars
• make buns for our picnic lunch Sunday
• move Little Mister's toys up into his new room
• catch up on laundry
• clean up the kitchen, including mopping the floor

A To-Do list is always a little like shopping for clothes for me...I take a big pile of garments into the dressing room, spend forever in there trying them on, then come out with one or two that I like. I know I will not, realistically, be able to get all that done today. So, I have to decide...do I clean the kitchen first? It's tempting, since it is usually easier to work on clean, uncluttered surfaces...but then I'll have to clean the kitchen twice. I don't like to do it once, why make myself do it twice? Do I do laundry first? Well, I could start some, but my stepson beat me to the washer and honestly, I feel a bit ADD today, I'm not sure I could remember to stay on top of it! 

My choices then, are, get the kitchen in Perfect Order and then start cooking....or do nothing. Yep, that's how my mind works...all or nothing, most of the time. If I can't do it perfectly, then I just don't do it. It's something I've struggled to overcome for years. So, today, I decided to do something completely different and allow myself to consider a third option: start cooking anyway, in spite of the less-than-perfect conditions. And to remember to give myself some grace...I'm a very real person, I don't have it all together, I can't actually be perfect.

It was a stretch...I had to keep stopping myself from switching over to Clean Up The Kitchen Perfectly First mode, but I was able to get some things going...now my kitchen looks really bad! See, you won't find this in an issue of Better Homes and Gardens, I'm sure...

...kind of looks like squirrels were cooking in there. Highly distractable squirrels who have had one too many cups of coffee...

But, I can take some comfort in knowing I will only be cleaning it once today. And if I can get myself away from this computer, I just might be able to get more than I thought accomplished. 

Beating perfectionism, one baby step at a time...and making some darned good granola in the process...that's my day today...what habits or tendencies do you have that hinder you in the kitchen? How are you overcoming them?

Blueberry Bliss: Whole Wheat Pancakes with Blueberry Compote

I woke up  wanting pancakes, and after perusing my latest copy of Woman’s Day this morning, I had a plan – pancakes with blueberry compote (pg 182 of the May 2011 issue or you can click here for a slide show presentation of the article “How to Make Pancakes”).  Of course, since I’ve basically eschewed White Death Flour, I make 100% whole wheat pancakes now. I decided to look for a new recipe since I’d just been adapting my normal pancake recipe by substituting whole wheat flour. I found this delicious recipe at AllRecipes.com and made a couple adaptations to suit our real-food lifestyle…

Whole Wheat (Blueberry) Pancakes

I left the blueberries out of the pancakes and made Blueberry Compote instead…recipe follows the pancake recipe

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/4 c whole wheat flour
• 2 tsp baking powder (aluminum-free)
• 1 egg (pastured)
• 1 c milk (raw)(+ up to 1/4 cup more if needed)
• 1/2 tsp salt (sea)
• 1 tbs artificial sweetner raw sugar
• 1 tbs melted coconut oil (no oil called for in original recipe)
• 1/2 c blueberries

METHOD:

Sift together the flour and baking powder (I’m too “efficient” for that…just mix them together well!), set aside. Beat together the egg, milk, salt and sugar in a bowl. Stir in flour until just moistened, add coconut oil and blueberries and stir to incorporate.

Cook pancakes on a hot griddle or cast iron skillet. The most important part of making great pancakes is PATIENCE! You simply MUST wait until it’s the right time to flip them…when the top is bubbly and the edges look dry, then it’s time to flip. It’s hard, I know…I’m still guilty of premature pancake flipping from time to time…I don’t like to wait…

Serve with your favorite pancake toppings…might I suggest:

Organic, pastured butter made from raw cream and this fabulously easy and delicious Blueberry Compote recipe with a drizzle of fresh, raw cream…

BLUEBERRY COMPOTE

The link above will take you to Woman’s Day magazine’s website, where you’ll find a slideshow showing how to make perfect pancakes. This recipe is on step 4 of the slide show, or on pg 182 of the May 2011 issue of Woman’s Day

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 c frozen (or ideally, fresh organic) blueberries
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbs raw sugar (I actually used less and it was still delicious…adjust for your taste)

METHOD:

In a small saucepan, combine all ingredients and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and syrupy, 5 to 6 minutes

Bon appetit!

Oh Sweet Mercy…Loose Meat Sandwiches!

Growing up in the 80’s, I watched Roseanne a lot. One thing I was always curious about was the mysterious “Loose Meat” Sandwich. Several months ago, I searched for the recipe and found one. It was pretty tasty. Last night, I couldn’t think of anything that sounded good for supper. Then all of a sudden, Loose Meat dropped into my head and set my saliva glands into overdrive. I searched again for a recipe, this time finding a different one – and boy am I glad I did! This recipe blows the other one away…(Click on the picture to get a nice close-up view of this amazing sandwich!)

I have completely fallen in love with the Loose Meat Sandwich. Totally. Utterly. Head-over-heels, even. I’m eating them for breakfast right now as a matter of fact. And yes, I said ‘them’. I won’t elaborate on how many that entails…

It’s a fairly simple sandwich, although there is a technique involved and it does take a bit of time. But it is worth every second slaving over that hot stove to create this amazing little Midwestern delicacy.

They are known by several names. Maid Rite. Nu Way. Tavern Sandwiches. Apparently, they originated in  1924 at the Ye Olde Tavern in Sioux City, Iowa. I’ve never heard of them in my neck of the Midwestern woods, but I tell you…after making The Blue Mill Tavern Loosemeat Sandwich recipe I found last night on food.com, well, let’s just say I wouldn’t be opposed to spontaneously jumping in the van and driving to Iowa for lunch. Seriously, they’re THAT good! Only, I won't have to because I can make them at home.

There are a few other recipes floating around out there, but plantfreek, who posted the recipe, says:

“If you see a recipe for loosemeats that contains tomato juice-run! A loosemeat is a sloppy joe without the slop-so stay away from anything tomato-ey please!” (Be sure to check out the original recipe here and read the "About This Recipe" on the right...very informative and a great read!)

The first recipe I tried contained ground beef, onion, salt and pepper. That’s it. It was really good! Sounds kind of plain, but really, the way it’s cooked (especially if you use a cast iron skillet) and the toppings make it taste amazing.

And then…there’s The Blue Mill Tavern Loosemeat. With just a slight twist on the first recipe I found, it moved from an amazing sandwich to Sweet-Mercy-I-Have-Lived-Come-Take-Me-Now-Lord-delicious. My taste buds nearly leaped off my tongue in anticipation of delving into this sandwich...it was all I could do to keep from rushing the process and derailing perfection. Yeah, I love them that much!

Ok…I’ve extolled the virtuous taste of these sandwiches long enough. Let’s get to the meat of the matter…

The Blue Mill Tavern Loosemeat Sandwich

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound good quality ground chuck, round or sirloin
• (if using round or sirloin) 1 Tb lard
• 2 tsp salt, just enough to lightly coat the bottom of your skillet
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 Tb yellow prepared mustard
• 1 Tb white vinegar
• 1 Tb sugar
• water, enough to cover
• salt and pepper to taste
• hamburger buns
• dill pickle slices
• yellow prepared mustard

METHOD:

Get out a cast iron skillet. They absolutely are the best...if you don't have one, borrow one! Pre-heat skillet over medium heat. When skillet is heated thoroughly, sprinkle salt in the skillet and add ground beef.

**IMPORTANT** Using the back of a wooden spoon, crumble the meat as it cooks. It's essential that the meat is cooked in little crumbles. I don't have a wooden spoon...odd as that sounds (I'm waiting until I can get a good set of olive wood utensils)...so I used a metal spatula and kind of chopped it as it cooked, and that worked just fine. Add the onion and cook while browning the meat. Keep using the spoon or spatula to crumble the meat as it cooks.

When the meat is cooked, drain off any fat and return to the skillet. One of the comments left on this recipe said when you think the meat is done, cook it for five more minutes. Then cook it for one to two minutes more. This gives it a crispy crunchiness and tavern flavor. 

Next, add the mustard, vinegar, sugar, and enough water to barely cover the meat. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until ALL the water has disappeared...about 15 to 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Loosemeats are traditionally served on steamed buns, some like them toasted. I've made them both ways and they're both delicious. I think steaming them is quicker...toss them in a steamer basket for about 20 seconds and that's it.

Put some of the meat on the bottom bun, generously top with pickles and mustard. Top off with the top of the bun. Cast off all restraint and dig in!

 CHEF'S NOTES:

Two comments that helped the most in the original posting of the recipe are what I noted above about cooking the meat until it's kind of crispy and crunchy. I'm not talking about cooking it until it's hard little pellets, but you'll start to notice the crumbles getting brown and crispy on the edges. The other comment that was helpful was regarding the simmering. The commenter stated to simmer, simmer, simmer and simmer some more...it's essential that ALL the water is cooked out. This kind of leaves a carmelized coating on the crumbles. I tasted the meat at several stages during the cooking process and truly, the flavor you're after doesn't fully develop until the last few minutes. Be patient. If you can...it's worth it!

Plantfreek also said don't mess with the recipe...at least not the first time you make it. It's a very authentic rendition of the actual Blue Mill Tavern recipe, so make it like this first to experience it then tweak it if you think it needs it. Honestly, as a habitual recipe-tweaker, it was hard not to start adding things like garlic or whatever, but after making this, I wouldn't change a thing. It's perfect as is!

Of course, if you don't like pickles or mustard, you won't like the traditional way these are served: with plenty of both. I, however, love both and the slightly sweet taste of the meat balanced out with the salty, vinegary pickles and mustard are an absolute delight to my taste buds!

This wasn't as nourishing as I aim for because I used commercially-prepared hamburger buns made with white-death flour. But, I used good-quality locally raised ground chuck, sea salt, and home-canned pickles. So, it was mostly nourishing...and sometimes, that's the best that can come out of my kitchen. If I had planned ahead, I would have made my own hamburger buns and used grass-fed beef. There's always  next time...and this is one recipe I will make as often as I can get away with! I'm hoping that  means I can make them a lot since my husband said, in response to my comment about if we ever find ourselves in Iowa I want to eat the real deal there, "we could always move to Iowa..." 

Seriously, they really are that good!

Homemade Hamburger Buns (Bread Machine)

Why make homemade buns when you can buy them so inexpensively at the store? If you read labels at all, and are put-off by ingredients that you can’t pronounce and would be hard-pressed to locate in your local grocery store, then making them yourself with ingredients that you recognize is a healthy, and satisfying option.

 

I love Money Saving Mom’s website. She recently posted a D-I-Y Experiment  list to work on this year and one of those items on her list was making homemade hamburger buns. She used a recipe a reader posted from Food.com, Homemade Hamburger Buns (Bread Machine). I had to make some adjustments in the ingredients, as my bread machine is apparently on the small size, and I used part whole wheat flour, natural sugar, and coconut oil instead of butter.

I was especially intrigued by her technique, which involves rolling the dough out and cutting it with a glass, like to make biscuits. She wasn’t especially thrilled with the shape of them after they rose, and I suggested in a comment to use a sharp biscuit cutter. I’d learned a while back that when making biscuits, you should use a very sharp cutter or knife to get maximum rise – using a dull edge presses down the dough, hindering its ability to rise.  I thought the same might work for the buns.

I conveniently needed hamburger buns for supper tonight so I thought what the heck…why not play around a bit while preparing for tonight’s meal?  I discovered that I do not, in fact, have a biscuit cutter, sharp or otherwise. I’ve always just cut them into squares. So, I rolled the dough out into a rectangle, instead of a circle and used a nice, sharp Cutco bread knife to cut them into squares. They stretched out a bit in the transfer from counter to baking stone, so I smushed them back into a more squarish shape and let them rise.  I was quite pleased with how they looked, kind of like the fancy rolls you can buy at the grocery store.  

 I was afraid they’d get monstrously big in the oven, but they didn’t. They were light and fluffy, overall, I’m very happy with these. I just need to figure out a way to make them round!


HOMEMADE HAMBURGER BUNS (BREAD MACHINE) 
INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/4 c milk, slightly warmed
• 1 beaten egg
• 2 Tb butter (or coconut oil)
• 1/4 c sugar
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 3 3/4 c bread flour
• 1 1/4 tsp active dry yeast

METHOD:

Place ingredients in bread machine according to manufacturer’s directions, set on dough cycle. When cycle is complete, remove dough and place on floured surface. Roll dough out and cut with sharp knife or biscuit cutter. Or use a floured drinking glass for a round shape. Bake at 350, checking after 9 minutes, until golden brown and baked through.

CHEF’S NOTES:

 

I used baking stones to bake these, one a rectangular bar pan with sides and one a round pizza stone. The pan with sides took longer to bake, about 15 minutes, where the round pan only took 12.

I adjusted the recipe using the tool on the food.com recipe site, had to play around a bit to get it to a flour amount that wouldn’t exceed my bread machine’s capacity. I ended up with some weird measurements, which were quickly figured out using the conversion table I downloaded from Carolina Clipper’s site.

These buns turned out great, light and fluffy and delicious. We had them with Mexicali Chicken and Cheese Sandwiches. I think I will cut back on the sugar by about half next time, though, they were just a bit too sweet for my taste. Definitely a keeper recipe and one I look forward to making more often!

Crockpot Love: Mexicali Chicken and Cheese Sandwiches

The switch to DST (Dumb Stupid Time in my book) always leaves me off-kilter for basically the entire 8 months of this ridiculous practice. So, my crockpot and I continue our love affair…only changing things up a bit from chili, soups and stews. Tonight, it’s an adaptation of a recipe I found on Food.com called by the same name…Mexicali Chicken and Cheese Sandwiches. My DST stupor has left me too uninspired to change the name…really, I’m just happy I got it in the crockpot in time to be done for supper…

MEXICALI CHICKEN AND CHEESE SANDWICHES

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/4 c water
• several generous shakes of your favorite pepper sauce, I used LaBelle No. 5 Pepper Clear, a mild sauce with vinegar and garlic
• appx 1 Tbs Miss Tink’s House Seasoning, more or less to taste
• 3/4 c home-canned salsa
• 1/4 c no HFCS ketchup
• 1/4 c water
• 3/4 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• shredded Monterey Jack cheese, or other shredded cheese
• Hamburger buns or Kaiser rolls

METHOD:

Place chicken breasts, water, and pepper sauce in crockpot. Sprinkle seasoning over chicken. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low 6-8 hours, or until chicken is cooked through and shreds easily with a fork. Drain liquid and shred chicken, add remaining ingredients except for buns and cheese and cook in crockpot until heated through or cook in a pan on the stove. Put on buns and top with cheese. You can then broil if you like. I don’t know what happened to the broiler innards in our oven so I didn’t broil them. Just let them sit until the cheese melts or pop them in the oven for a few minutes.

GIVEAWAY ALERT: Nutrimill Grain Mill Via Kitchen Stewardship

If you've ever wanted your very own grain mill, here's your chance to win one! I bought a big ole bag of wheat berries several months ago, and I can tell you that there is nothing like freshly milled whole wheat flour! I don't currently own a grain mill, so I'm reallllyy hoping to win this one! They're a little salty. But, definitely worth the investment if you can shell out the dough for one. But, until I get one of my own, I'm ever so grateful to my dear friend, Heather the Hippy Homesteader, for letting me stop by and grinding my grain for me in her grain mill. She is a super friend, let me tell you! She also needs to get her hippy butt back home...but, I digress...

Want to try and win this awesome Nutrimill Grain Mill from Pleasant Hill Grain? Head on over to Kitchen Stewardship by clicking the link below and enter the giveaway. There's multiple entries available for a few moments of your time. While you're there, be sure to look around and check out the terrific information and recipes available there! It's one of my favorite places on the web. Good luck!

KITCHEN STEWARDSHIP

Low GI Cooking Adventure: Grassfed Beef and Italian Vegetable Skillet with Buttery Herbed Brown Rice

Ever get some news that just throws a big old wrench in your works? Chaps your khakis? And generally just makes your life a big pain in the derriere?  Yeah, 2011's just turning out to be that kind of year so far...

HELLO, I'VE GOT BAD NEWS FOR YOU

I got the wonderful news this week that my blood sugar is out of whack. Super. Just what I need...one more thing to have to manage. I'm having flashbacks to my pregnancy with my son, where I ended up having to use insulin. By the end of my pregnancy I hated food. If it weren't for the fact that I had a precious Li'l Man depending on me to keep him healthy, I think I would have just quit eating. Every waking moment of every day revolved around what went in my  mouth:  wake up, prick my finger, check my blood, write it down, figure out what I CAN eat, try to find something I WANT to eat out of that, measure this and measure that, write it down,  then two hours later it started all over again, only then I often needed to give myself a shot.  It was horrible. And now...the finger-pricker and glucose meter have returned. At least there's no insulin this time, I guess.

THERE'S NOTHING IN THIS HOUSE TO EAT, FOR REAL

Today, I spent most of the day starving hungry because there's just not much in the house that's low GI...some almonds, celery and frozen veggies. And eggs...but I have to be in the mood to eat eggs. I was so hungry nothing sounded good. I had a headache. I was very crabby. I'm still mad about all of this anyway.

So, I had to go to the grocery store and find something to make for supper that wouldn't send my blood sugar to the moon. It had to have a low Glycemic Index. It had to sound appetizing. It also had to be cheap. And, I went hungry and crabby and with both kids in tow. Not really the best idea, now that I look back on that.

COOKING ON THE FLY

Earlier in the day I had hoofed it down to the best little butcher shop I know and picked up some of that delicious grassfed beef. I know there's venison in the freezer, but I have been craving some of that wonderful beefy goodness for some time...and darn it, if I have to mess around with all this blood sugar nonsense I'm going to eat at least some of the foods I love. That marvelous meat was the basis of the meal I was trying to formulate, and I decided some brown rice would be good as it is full of fiber and doesn't have a huge impact on blood sugar.  But what else? It's hard to think when you're hungry, your head hurts, you're completely irritated, and your kids apparently don't notice that fact...or they do...

I found some red peppers marked down for 50 cents for two, grabbed a cucumber and some frozen veggies and a few other things just to have around. When I got home, this is what I came up with:

Grassfed Beef and Italian Vegetable Skillet

INGREDIENTS

1 lb ground grassfed beef

16 oz package frozen Italian Blend vegetables (zucchini squash, cauliflower, carrots, Italian style green beans, baby lima beans and red bell peppers)

1 c broth (I used organic, free range chicken broth)

1 clove garlic, minced or pressed; or garlic powder to taste

sea salt, to taste

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 Tbs cornstarch + a small amount of water for thickening (optional)

METHOD:

Brown ground beef until no pink remains, season with salt and pepper while cooking; about half way through add fresh garlic. Add broth and bring to a low boil, add vegetables, stirring well. Return to a low boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are done to your liking, about 7-10 min. Combine cornstarch and water and stir into mixture to thicken, if desired. Serve with Buttery Herbed Brown Rice (recipe follows)

This is not overly seasoned in order to allow the wonderful flavor of the grassfed beef to take center stage. You could, of course, add whatever seasonings you like to it. I found that the lightly seasoned brown rice complimented this very well without overpowering that lovely meat.

BUTTERY HERBED BROWN RICE

INGREDIENTS:

2 c water

1-2 Tb butter, divided

3/4 - 1 c brown rice

sea salt, to taste

1/2 - 1 Tbs Italian Seasoning

METHOD:

In a 2 quart sauce pan, bring water, a pinch of sea salt, and half the butter to a boil. Add rice, stir well, return to boil then reduce heat and cover. Cook for 20 minutes or until most of the water has been absorbed. Add the rest of the butter and all of the Italian Seasoning, stirring well. Add more sea salt if desired.

THE VERDICT

It really turned out to be quite delicious. Our locally-raised (as in just a couple miles away) grassfed beef has the most exquisite flavor...helped also by a well-seasoned cast iron skillet. I almost hate to even put salt on it! But I try to get a little sea salt into everything to increase our mineral intake. If I were to use regular ground beef from the grocery store, I'd have added all kinds of things from my spice cabinet.  Sliced fresh red and green bell peppers and cucumbers were served along with this as well.

GLYCEMIC INDEX

As far as the GI of this meal, I don't really know exactly. The lists I've found for foods and their GI values don't say what the serving size is so until I can find that information I'll just have to take a stab at it:

• meat, of course, has zero carbs...that's a good start
• green beans, cauliflower, 15
• carrots, 16
• red peppers, 10
• baby lima beans, 32
• cucumbers, green peppers, 0
• brown rice, 50

All of these foods are considered "low GI". To me, 50 sounds kind of high, but compared to glutinous rice (my most favorite Asian food ever...Sticky Rice!) that runs from 86-98 depending on the list you look at, well, that's not so bad.  Do I add all these numbers up and average them? What does all this mean? How will this meal impact my blood sugar level? I have no idea! I have a book on the way about low GI dieting so hopefully it will clear up all these nagging little questions.

It's been about half an hour or so since I ate. I feel reasonably satisfied, although there is this underlying, nagging feeling of some little monster wanting to be fed. Sugar withdrawal I guess....it's reminiscent of when I did the Atkin's diet years ago. Which, by the way, I hated but lost 40 pounds while doing. I don't eat much sugar anymore...that's the real kicker!  And I use as much whole grains as I possibly can. I hope I don't have to do a "no carb" diet...that would not really work for me. At all.

Thanks, 2011. You stink.