The Frugal Kitchen: Quinoa and Eggs

My great grandma was a farm wife.  She woke at 4:00 in the morning to fix breakfast for her family and the farm hands, cleaned up and immediately began cooking dinner for everyone.  These two meals were served outside on picnic tables, under the trees.  After cleaning up once again, she took a nap, then cleaned her house.

Farm wives were not responsible for feeding the hands supper.  Only family was served and it was done informally in the kitchen.  Needless to say, after a hard day of work, supper was not an elaborate meal.  Exhausted people don't feel like eating big meals.

Supper consisted of leftovers from the earlier meals.  Cornbread crumbled in a bowl with buttermilk.  Cold meat and bread.  Or everything thrown into a pot with water to make a soup.

In keeping with this tradition I am trying to serve my family simple, light meals during the summer.  This evening I served Tru Roots Sprouted Rice and Quinoa steamed with carrots, with a fried egg on top.  I put a dollop of an olive relish on top, but it would be good with just soy sauce.  We also enjoy just a fried egg on top of plain rice.

I am trying to get away from serving white rice.  My brother and sis in law serve quinoa on a regular basis.  After reading that it provides more protein than most grains and since it has a nice, nutty flavor I have decided to substitute quinoa for the rice.

Keep it simple, keep it plain.  It will be healthier and your family will be happy with supper as long as it is tasty and filling.

God bless,
Pam

Good Reads: Secrets Of The Apple

I don't often recommend books, but Secrets Of The Apple is being offered as an ebook on Amazon for 99 cents and it is a lovely read.

This is a touching romance in which two people from different cultures fall in love and overcome their culture based fears.  It is intelligently written and one of those books that leaves you feeling good about people.

It is also a rarity in today's world: a romance without graphic sex scenes.  The couple exchanges a few kisses, but Secrets Of The Apple is more about emotional love rather than physical love.

So, get a cup of tea, cuddle up on the couch and enjoy a good read.

God bless,
Pam

Out Of Grandma's Kitchen: Granny Fork

I don't remember either of my grandmas having much in the way of specialized cooking utensils.  A couple of stirring spoons, a spatula and a fork.

The three tined granny fork was used to turn meat, bacon and flip anything that wouldn't easily fall apart.  It was about the size of an everyday dinner fork, but had three, sharp tines.

Grandma alway had her fork nearby when she was cooking.  And mine is never far away from my stove top.  I've tried using tongs, but they just don't feel right in my hands.  I always go back the my granny fork.

You can get granny forks at Lehman's Hardware and Rada makes a nice, all metal one.  Isn't it fun how holding a granny fork in my hand brings back childhood memories of warm, soft grandma hugs and good food.

God bless,
Pam

Vacation's Over

We had a lovely time in California visiting my DB and SIL.  They have a great new (for them) house on 2 1/2 acres in the hills of Atascadero.  California is a great place and I would definitely like to put it on my list of places to retire to, but the cost of living is considerably higher than it is here in the southeastern United States.

Sunset View From Back Deck

But back to real life; I am resuming my writing this week, so you should be seeing more on Grandma's Kitchen and it's time for me to start some summer canning.  If anyone has subjects they are interested in please comment below.  I always appreciate input from my readers.

God bless,
Pam

Going On Vacation and Happy Fourth of July

We are heading out to visit my brother in California for a couple of weeks.  I may not be posting during this time, but if anything super interesting happens I'll be sure to let you know.

Foothills In Atascadero, California

Be safe and happy this Fourth of July.  Better to go view a public fireworks display rather than setting them off at home.  People also get hurt every year by falling bullets.  DO NOT fire weapons into the air to celebrate.  What goes up must come down.

God bless,
Pam

Out Of Grandma's Kitchen: Cast Iron

Cast iron was a standard material for cookware during the 19th century and early 20th century.  It was practically indestructible and held up when cooking with wood, whether a wood stove or open fire.  The only drawbacks are that it can be brittle, rusts, and must be kept seasoned.

Ignore Dirty Stove Top

My pans were handed down in my family and acquired at thrift stores.  Some of the pieces actually came from my great-grandma's farm.  I do have one extremely large pan that I bought for fried chicken.  It only gets used a few times a year, but I consider it a wise purchase.

Cast iron is the original non- stick cookware.  A well seasoned pan is almost as good as teflon and quite a bit healthier.  Caste iron actually adds iron to your diet, instead of dangerous chemicals and off gases.

Keep your pans in good shape by hand washing them with minimal soap, and keep a layer of oil on them.  Dry the pans in a hot oven or stove top rather than air drying.  You can search this blog for instructions on refurbishing dirty or old caste iron.

There is nothing better than corn bread cooked in a cast iron pan.  It develops a caramelized crust that tastes fantastic and has a wonderful crunch.  Our old folks knew about food and how it is supposed to taste.  Their cooking methods are worth emulating to get the same delicious results.

God bless,
Pam

Out Of Grandma's Kitchen: Egg Pot

I love my little white, graniteware pot for boiling eggs.  Graniteware heats up quickly and is perfect for boiling water.  Graniteware was a common sight in my grandmas' kitchens because it was common, and inexpensive.

One problem with graniteware is that it chips easily.  You can see one chip in the photo and there is another on the other side.  Doesn't affect the usefulness of the pot though.

You can still buy white graniteware today.  I have two pots that I bought from Lehman's Hardware several years ago.  I chose white because I use them for plant dyeing wool.  The white allows me to see the intensity of the dye bath.  If I were buying graniteware for cooking I would probably buy the navy blue.

I look for graniteware at thrift shops and yard sales.  It is a hard working material, has a classic and modern look about it and it reminds me of good times in grandma's kitchen.

God bless,

Pam