Jennifer Lambert

A Sacred Balance

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Plank Grilled Salmon

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We are super impressed with the quality – flavor, smell, and texture – of Sitka Salmon Shares.

It’s better than any storebought salmon we’ve ever had.

We all were delighted by the ocean smell of this flash frozen fresh sustainably caught wild coho salmon!

The color is bright and flesh is firm.

Soak a cedar plank in cold water for at least an hour. I cover the plank with water in the sink and place a heavy bowl on top to keep it covered. Otherwise, it will burn on the grill!

Season and marinate the salmon.

Heat up the charcoal or gas grill. Grill indirectly for about 20 minutes or until 145*.

You can also bake the plank on a cookie sheet in the oven at 325* for about 30-40 minutes.

It’s gorgeous!

We like to serve our salmon with rice pilaf and stir fried veggies.

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Plank Grilled Salmon

Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  • 1 tsp ginger
  • 3 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 T honey
  • 2 T soy sauce
  • 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
  • 1/2 tsp lemon peel
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 T olive oil

Instructions

  1. Combine seasoning and spread on fish.

    Grill with indirect heat on top on plank, skin side down for about 20 minutes or until temperature to 145*

Sitka Salmon Shares delivers premium, sustainable, wild Alaskan seafood from the fishermen directly to members’ doorsteps! Shop Sitka Salmon Shares.

Linking up: Blogghetti,

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Fried Rice

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Fried rice is a super easy frugal dish to use up leftovers.

My family loves it and it only takes minutes.

The base is onion, carrot, and peas.

I like to use radishes too.

Leftover meat chopped finely and any other veggies are great.

Saute onions and carrots and add the meat to warm it up.

Crumble in the cold dry rice.

If I don’t have leftover rice, popping it in the freezer gets it cool and dry quickly.

Add sauces and Chinese Five Spice. Also extra garlic and ginger is great.

The rice steams and the whole house smells delicious.

Toss the frozen peas in and top with sesame oil.

My kids don’t really like the scrambled eggs on top and we were out of green onions this time.

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Fried Rice

Course Main Course
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 T butter or oil for frying
  • 3 cups cold dry rice
  • 1/2 cup chopped cooked meat
  • 1/4 cup chopped onion
  • 1/4 cup peeled chopped carrot
  • 1/4 cup chopped radish or daikon
  • 1/2 cup frozen peas
  • 1 T minced garlic
  • 1-2 T Chinese Five Spice Powder
  • 4 T soy sauce
  • 3-4 T dry sherry
  • 1-2 T Mirin
  • 1 T sesame oil at the end
  • 1-2 scrambled eggs for topping
  • 2-3 chopped green onions for topping

Instructions

  1. Melt butter or heat up oil in large frying pan or wok.

  2. Add chopped onion, carrots, radish and saute until onion is translucent. Add chopped meat.

  3. Crumble cold rice on top. Add soy, sherry, and mirin to steam the rice. Sprinkle with 5 Spice. Mix well.

  4. Add scrambled egg if using. Drizzle with sesame oil and sprinkle chopped green.

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Tritip Steak

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One of our favorite family meals is tritip steak.

It’s a simple and frugal cut of beef. Everyone likes it. It doesn’t take very long on the gas grill. We seldom have leftovers.

I rub spices and olive oil into the meat and let it marinate for at least an hour.

It takes about 20-30 minutes on the grill for medium rare.

Gorgeous thin slices against the grain for tenderness.

We serve tritip with rice or potatoes, salad, fried broccoli or grilled asparagus.

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Tritip Steak

Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Servings 6 people

Ingredients

  • 1 tsp coarse black pepper
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp sea or kosher salt
  • 1 tsp ground coffee
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp raw sugar
  • 1/2 tsp cocoa powder
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/4 cup olive oil

Instructions

  1. Mix rub ingredients together in a bowl or jar.

  2. Massage rub into tritip steak on all sides.

  3. Pour olive oil over steak, turning to coat. Let sit for at least an hour in the fridge.

  4. Grill steak over medium heat on gas grill for about 20-30 minutes, or until thermometer reads about 120*

  5. Let rest for 5-10 minutes. Slice thinly against the grain and serve with reserved juices.

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Creative Leftovers

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As the kids get bigger and older, we don’t often have as many leftovers as we used to have, but occasionally, there is a serving or two left that gets shoved to the back of the fridge shelf.

I try to do a fridge cleanout a couple times a week for lunches and maybe a dinner if there’s a lot.

Using up leftovers is a necessity for a frugal waste-free lifestyle.

Having a good pantry and freezer system is key to using up leftovers. I have to plan to have certain items to make this successful and tasty.

I keep chicken and beef stock in the freezer and have some boxes of storebought organic stock in the pantry.

I have a huge assortment of spices and sauces.

I stock up on canned beans when they’re on sale. I just don’t have the freezer room to batch them from dried. Bags of frozen veggies when they go on sale for $1 or less.

We can our own marinara sauce.

I occasionally buy rotisserie chickens if I have a coupon or they’re on a really great sale. They’re awesome to use in many different recipes and I make stock from the bones.

I try to keep potatoes and onions on hand at all times. Also fresh carrots and celery.

These are our favorite ways to use up leftovers creatively:

Soup

I love making soups with various leftovers. This is a great way to clean out the fridge after a busy week!

Creamed vegetable is a favorite at our house to use up old veggies in the drawer.

I can always make soup with leftover chicken like this lovely lemony dill chicken soup.

Vegetable soup is my go-to to throw everything together, especially with leftover beef. I like to add beans and noodles to make it like minestrone.

Beans, lentils, or split peas are great in soup with a ham bone or smoked turkey.

Leftover ham is great for soup like ham and bean soup.

We like to make stock from turkey, chicken, and beef bones. Nothing goes to waste!

Split pea soup with leftover ham and poultry stock is a winner.

Casseroles

Noodles and rice with a cheesy sauce and leftover meat with some veggies makes a great casserole.

Turkey Divan is a great way to use up poultry leftovers.

Pot pie is another favorite with gravy, meat, and vegetables. Refrigerated or frozen dough, or drop herb biscuits on top make it quick and easy!

Salad

Leftover grilled meats and all sorts of veggies can be served cold over lettuce greens. I sometimes sneak a bit of bacon to save for later in a salad. This is a great lunch idea.

See our favorite salads.

Remix

I love making fried rice for my family. It’s a simple, frugal, easy way to use up leftovers. I often make extra rice just to have leftover for this meal.

My girls like ramen, and I love making it healthier with an egg, leftover meats and veggies, and homemade teriyaki sauce.

Stuffing canned biscuits or crescent rolls with cheese and chopped meats is a fun instant snack or lunch.

What’s your favorite way to use up leftovers?

Linking up: Anita Ojeda, Create with Joy, Kippi at Home, Flour me with Love, April Harris, LouLou Girls, Anchored Abode, InstaEncouragements, Our Three Peas, Marilyn’s Treats, Sarah Frazer, OMHGW, Miz Helen’s, Girlish Whims, Fluster Buster, Gingersnap Crafts, Life Beyond the Kitchen, Create with Joy, Answer is Choco, Welcome Heart,

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Organizing Recipes

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We have a lot of cookbooks.

I have a bin full of handwritten recipes from my husband’s two grandmothers. I plan to scan those in to my computer so they’re never lost. I’m working to organize them in page protectors or even a printed scrapbook cookbook.

All recipes tell a story.

I have two BHG cookbooks. My mom’s with handwritten notes and a newer one. I prefer my mom’s where she jotted down when I made wheat bread for a colonial class project. She also added the years she made which Christmas cookies or cakes.

We also collect a lot of recipes – from magazines and online sites.

How to Organize Recipes

Recipe Binders

Super easy to make a recipe binder and fun for gifts for the cook or foodie.

I have started compiling recipe binders for my kids as keepsakes of our favorite family recipes for them.

What you need for a recipe binder:

  • Big 3 ring binder or several small binders for various cooking styles (desserts, main dishes, grilling, baking)
  • Pretty cover for binder
  • Dividers
  • Clear page protectors
  • Clear small pockets for small recipe cards and/or recipes clipped from magazines

Cooking Journals

I have a couple recipe journals to make notes when I try new recipes.

I seldom follow a recipe exactly, and it’s a huge joke with my kids that no recipe is perfect for me. I always want more of something, add a little of this or that, or don’t measure.

My grandmother never measured anything.

We measure garlic with our hearts.

My husband is often irritated that I don’t make the same dish twice because I often don’t measure or follow the recipe the same way or I don’t remember how I tweaked it last time and everyone loved it. I’m trying to remember to make notes in the journal!

Computer and/or Software

Apps

Many cooks prefer to declutter and have recipes digitized.

This makes recipes searchable by several criteria, saving time and space. You can easily pull up a recipe on a tablet or laptop on the counter or table while you cook.

Pinterest

I have pin boards for lots of our family interests, and several for various cooking genres.

This helps me to find the recipes easily again and also share my faves with you!

Organizing recipes is a huge task to undertake, but I may digitize most of our recipes this summer to clear up space and get them all in one place.

Linking up: Welcome Heart, Modest Mom, Little Cottage, Mostly Blogging, Kippi at Home, Flour Me with Love, Create with Joy, LouLou Girls, Confessions of a New Mummy, Home Stories, April Harris, Mary Geisen, InstaEncouragements, Purposeful Faith, MaryAndering Creatively, Dedicated House, Yesterday on Tuesday, Our Home, Grandmas Ideas, Sarah Frazer, Anchored Abode, Worth Beyond Rubies, Soaring With Him, Anita Ojeda, Wise Woman, Abounding Grace, Ridge Haven Homestead, Miz Helen, Gingersnap Crafts, Fluster Buster, Girlish Whims, Ducks in a Row, Welcome Heart, Penny’s Passion, TFT, Over the Moon, Apron Strings, Crystal Storms, Mommynificent, Debbie Kitterman, Life Beyond the Kitchen, CKK, OMHGW, Chic on a Shoestring, Anna Nuttall, Answer is Choco, Simply Sweet Home, Della Devoted, Susan Mead, Lyli Dunbar, Counting My Blessings, Pieced Pastimes, Fireman’s Wife, Create with Joy, OMHGF, Life with Lorelai, Sew Can Do,

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Vegetable Soup

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Aaron’s mom had this famous busy day soup.

I first had it the weekend I met his parents.

Our kids beg for it – even in summer!

Sometimes, I deviate from the original recipe, but it’s really perfect the way it is.

Directions:

Sometimes, I saute fresh veggies like mirepoix or mushrooms in butter and make my own cream sauces as a base.

Check out our veggie-packed cream soup recipe.

But I’ve found great canned cream soups that are healthier and organic so I just buy those now.

I usually use ground beef, the cheapest I can find.

Then I literally dump everything in and simmer for about 30 minutes. You could use a slow cooker too.

This soup is just perfect for a busy day. You can fix it and forget it and throw it together last minute.

I really like Lima beans, so I usually add those also. You can do just peas and carrots or the medley. It’s up to you!

I sometimes use barley, but I don’t really like it.

I’ve done little noodles before too, but you don’t want those left in the broth or they get soggy for leftovers.

We like to serve it with toast.

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Vegetable Soup

Course Soup

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground meat
  • 1 pack dry onion soup mix
  • 48 oz V8
  • 1 can cream of celery
  • 1 can cream of mushroom
  • 1 bag frozen mixed vegetables
  • 1 cup cooked barley
  • 2 peeled and diced potatoes
  • 1 can kidney beans
  • salt, pepper, garlic to taste

Instructions

  1. Brown the meat and drain the fat.

  2. Boil and drain the barley.

  3. Peel and dice the potatoes.

  4. Combine all ingredients and simmer for about 30 minutes.

  5. Serve with toast!

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The Best Gravy

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I want my kids to know how to make the Five Mother Sauces.

We make a pretty good marinara. We do a nice blender Hollandaise.

Gravy is a necessity to learn how to make well.

It’s very versatile. It goes with meats, starches, even a soup/stew base.

Our basic easy recipe is a great starter for a flavorful gravy.

You can add herbs, wine, beer, or other ingredients to make it unique to your tastes.

I do use pan drippings from a roast meat with a fat separator, but otherwise I use good quality stock in a neat little box.

Directions:

Begin with a roux of melted fat and flour until dry and almost crispy.

Add ketchup, mustard (preferably Dijon), Worcestershire. Trust me.

Quickly add stock and whisk – or beer, wine, whatever liquid you’re making that goes with your meal. You really don’t need more than a total of 2 cups.

For a nice brown gravy, I use 1 cup beef stock and 1/2 cup chicken stock.

For poultry gravy, I use all chicken or turkey stock. I usually add some half and half to this one.

Add more liquid if it gets too thick too quickly.

The key to shiny gorgeous gravy is whisking well over low heat until thick then straining out solids and adding just a pat of butter to melt before serving.

As you become more confident, you can experiment with what works and tastes good to you.

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Gravy

Ingredients

  • 4 T unsalted butter or fat of choice
  • 1/4 c AP flour
  • 1 1/2 c stock beef, chicken, turkey, veal, veggie
  • 1 T ketchup
  • 2 t Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 t Dijon mustard
  • garlic powder to taste
  • salt to taste
  • pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Melt butter or fat in pan.

  2. Whisk in flour until browned a bit.

  3. Whisk in stock.

  4. Whisk in ketchup, Worcestershire, mustard, and spice.

  5. Bring to boil until thickened.

  6. Add cream, milk, more stock if it becomes too thick.

  7. Strain with fine mesh sieve to remove lumps. Press with spatula to get the good stuff.

  8. Add a pat of butter for a nice shine.

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KaTom Cooking Thermometer Review

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We love the features on this cooking thermometer from KaTom.

It has an on/off switch and handy dandy case so the therm stick doesn’t get bent or upset. It’s become our favorite!

We tested out the thermometer on this tasty Caribbean Chicken Recipe.

I used boneless skinless chicken breasts, but thighs would work well too.

Fun spice combos

Mix with oil and honey. I added seeded chopped jalapenos later so it’s not too spicy.

I marinated the chicken almost all day.

Alex did great grilling the checking the temperature!

Easy to read!

I grilled jalapenos from the marinade and they turned all sweet and delicious.

I served the chicken with yellow rice and black beans.

We’re really happy with the thermometer and chicken recipe!

Get the KaTom thermometer and the Caribbean chicken recipe.

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Homemade Pasta

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Homemade pasta is really the best. There’s just nothing like it.

It’s super fun and easy for kids.

It is a little more time consuming than throwing a box of spaghetti into boiling water, but it’s oh so worth it.

It starts out kind of messy, with eggs and flour.

We really love our KitchenAid mixer and all the attachments.

Katie is really a pro when it comes to making pasta.

She folds and rolls, folds and rolls.

Everybody likes to cut the pasta into wide and thin noodles.

We also make our own sauces like marinara and alfredo and pesto.

We hardly ever have any leftover noodles!

5 from 3 votes
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Egg Noodles

Ingredients

  • 2 cups AP flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1 t salt

Instructions

  1. To Make the Dough: Pour flour in a mound. Make a well in the center of flour. Pour whole eggs, egg yolks, and salt into well. Use a fork to mix. Knead dough with hands until all is incorporated into a dough ball.

  2. Wrap ball of dough tightly in plastic wrap and rest on countertop for 30 minutes.

  3. To Roll the Pasta: Put down a sheet of parchment paper and dust lightly with flour. Cut dough into quarters. Set one quarter on work surface and re-wrap remaining dough. Flatten the quarter of dough into an oblong shape about 1/2 inch thick.

  4. Set pasta maker to widest setting and pass dough 3 times through the machine at this setting.

  5. Place dough on a lightly floured work surface. Fold both ends in so that they meet at the center of the dough, and then fold the dough in half where the end points meet, trying not to incorporate too much air into the folds. Flatten dough to 1/2-inch thick. Pass through the rollers 3 additional times.

  6. Reduce the setting by 1 notch and repeat. Continue passing the dough through the rollers, reducing the thickness by 1 setting each time until it reaches the desired thickness. It should now be very delicate and elastic to the touch and slightly translucent.

  7. Place rolled dough onto a work surface or baking sheet lightly dusted with flour or on parchment paper. Sprinkle with flour or line with parchment between folds to prevent sticking.

    Cover dough with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel to prevent drying, then repeat steps with remaining dough quarters. 

  8. To Cut Noodles: Adjust pasta machine to noodle setting of your choice. Working one dough segment at a time, feed dough through the pasta cutter. 

  9. Divide the cut noodles into individual portions, dust lightly with flour, and curl into a nest. Place on parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet and gently cover with kitchen towel until ready to cook. Pasta can be frozen directly on the baking sheet, transferred to a zipper-lock freezer bag, and stored in the freezer for up to three weeks before cooking. Cook frozen pasta directly from the freezer.

  10. To Cook: Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add pasta, stir gently with a wooden spoon, chopsticks, or a cooking fork, and cook, tasting at regular intervals until noodles are just set with a definite bite, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Drain, toss with sauce, and serve.


Linking up: Modest Mom, Our Holiday Journey, Create with Joy, Our Three Peas, Lou Lou Girls, April Harris, Confessions of a Mother Runner, Uncommon Suburbia, Gingersnap Crafts, Inspo for Moms, Heartsie Girl, Holley Gerth, Sarah Frazer, Miz Helen’s Country Cottage, Being a Wordsmith, Debbie Kitterman, Lyli Dunbar, Try It Like It, Momfessionals, Fireman’s Wife, CWJ, Simply Sweet Home, Faithful Pursuit, Easy peasy pleasy, Back to my Southern Roots, Anna Nuttall, Answer is Choco, Counting My Blessings, Bright on a Budget, Coffee With Us3, Our Mini Family, Chicken Chick, CKK,

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Canning Applesauce

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Our neighbor across the street offered us as many apples as we could pick!

I think we got enough.

We made applesauce!

We cored and sliced apples and boiled them down with some water. This can also be done in a slow cooker.

You can add spices like cinnamon or nutmeg, sugars, or leave it plain.

We love our KitchenAid mixer and attachments!

Look at that lovely golden applesauce.

The grinder spits out the peels and gives us smooth applesauce. So much less work!

We boil it down a little more. You can adjust any seasonings at this point.

We poured it into jars and did a water bath canning. They all popped!

This will last us a long time!

Check out our super simple applesauce recipe:

5 from 1 vote
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Applesauce

Ingredients

  • 12 lbs apples, peeled, cored, quartered (about 30-35)
  • 1-2 cups water
  • 4 T lemon juice
  • 1-3 cups sugar optional
  • 1/4 cup cinnamon optional

Instructions

  1. Combine apples with just enough water to prevent sticking in a large stainless steel saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 20 minutes, until apples are tender. Remove from heat and let cool slightly, about 5 minutes.

  2. Transfer apples, working in batches, to a food mill or a food processor fitted with a metal blade and purée until smooth.

  3. Return apple purée to saucepan. Add sugar, if using, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Maintain a gentle boil over low heat while filling jars.

  4. Ladle hot applesauce into hot, clean jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Apply band until fit is fingertip tight.

  5. Process jars in a boiling water canner for 20 minutes. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed.

 


Linking up: The Chicken Chick, Blogghetti, Squishable Baby, Life of Faith, Create with Joy, Our Holiday Journey, Modest Mom, Timeless Mama, LouLou Girls, April Harris, My Pinventures, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Orgjunkie, Home Stories A to Z, Mostly Blogging,  Inspo for Moms, Meghan Weyerbacher, Darling Downs Diaries, MaryAndering Creatively, Trekking Thru, Bountiful Love, Wise Woman, Our Three Peas, Organized 31, Wonderful Wednesday, Thursday Favorite Things, Over the Moon, Mississippi Mom, Life Beyond the Kitchen, Being a Wordsmith, Coffee with Us3, Our Mimi Family,

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