Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day one and all.

Perhaps you enjoyed breakfast in bed, a few extra minutes without an alarm and maybe even someone gave you a flower or has promised to take you out to lunch after church. Or maybe you are lounging in your comfy jammies without an alarm for the first time since last year.



However you spend your special day, I hope you enjoy it. Your day is well-earned.

Poised between new career beginnings and the first payout, it has been an interesting exercise in frugal living. Surprisingly, I've learned that 2 people can eat very well without spending very much cash, especially if someone enjoys cooking as much as I. When there were 2 incomes in the house I often overbought and the refrigerator was so full of food that often things were forgotten in the far recesses and unpleasant surprises were found during the quarterly refrigerator clean-out.

A couple of weeks ago I did the Spring Refrigerator purge and vowed to keep it clean and organized. Instead of ambling into the kitchen and cooking something because I just felt like it, I would first look in the refrigerator, quickly spy ingredients that might be aging a bit, and come up with something creative. It has been really fun and surprisingly, I haven't thrown out any vegetables in the last two weeks.

Saturdays are my favorite day for ambling into the kitchen and cooking a breakfast that might take a little longer than a weekday warrants. Yesterday, I remembered a 10 pound bag of potatoes (99cents at Valley Produce) which had never been opened, so I began washing potatoes to bake in advance. I like keeping a bowl full in the refrigerator and at the ready to make Aunt Melissa's breakfast potatoes. Or sometimes the husband is hungry when I don't want to cook, so a stuffed baked potato is at the ready. Hmm.... but I make those all the time. Kartoshka (Latkes) came to mind.

Aunt Melissa's version of Natalie's Kartoshka

2 Medium-size Russet Potatoes
1 egg
milk
flour
oil for frying
salt and pepper to taste

Honestly, I grate potatoes until I'm just sick of grating potatoes. (Yesterday that meant 2.) Add the oil to the skillet and heat. Add the egg and stir to combine and coat potatoes. Add a splash of milk (maybe 1/4 cup?) and throw a little flour on top (again about 1/4 cup), stirring to combine. The potatoes should hold together and there shouldn't be a lot of liquid standing in the bowl. You just want to coat the potatoes so that they stick together well.



Drop large spoonfuls into the heated oil and fry until crispy brown on both sides. Here's the thing about Kartoshka... the same problem arises from making Vareniki... no matter how many you cook, there are never enough. Believe me! Perhaps they are not all consumed at the original meal, but at my house if left unattended I often find later in the day that every last one has disappeared. Quite the mystery! =)

Aunt Melissa's Amazing Fruit Turnovers

1 Package frozen puff pastry squares
1 Cup frozen Trader Joe's frozen Very Cherry Berry Blend
1 Large Heaping Tablespoon full of Trader Joe's Organic Cranberry Sauce
1 Heaping Teaspoon of Trader Joe's Ginger Spread (the secret ingredient)
3 Large Heaping Tablespoons Brown Sugar
1 heaping teaspoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons Canola Harvest butter spread (butter or margarine)

Place the puff pastry in a safe place on top of the over to thaw from the warmth, turning occasionally so that the top and bottom pieces will both be warm enough to work with quickly. The pastry is easiest to work with when the center pieces are still frozen and work from the top and bottom of stack, turning as you go so that the outside piece is slightly warmed and malleable.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, add the frozen fruit and stir a few times to begin thaw. Add cranberry sauce, ginger spread and combine well. Add sugar, cornstarch and margarine and stir until thickened. Remove from heat.

Dust flour onto your work surface and begin filling turnovers. Take first thawed pastry and with a flowered rolling pin, roll to flatten slightly. Place 1 to 1-1/2 teaspoon of fruit mixture in the center, fold over and crimp the edges. I enjoy using a variety of crimping wheels, but the tines of a fork work just fine. Transfer filled turnovers to ungreased baking sheets as filled and bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes.

Serve Warm and drizzle with remaining fruit sauce. These were great paired with the Kartoshka and applesauce. (Kartoshka are great served with sour cream or ketchup).











For Dinner:


Aunt Melissa's Easy Black Beans

1/2 pound dried black beans
2 cubes Beef Bouillon
2 teaspoons crushed garlic
salt to taste

Cover beans below 2-3 inches of water in a large saucepan and allow to soak overnight.

Change water with fresh, covering 2 -3 inches above beans. Place over medium-high heat. Add crushed garlic and bouillon. Once pot comes to a rolling boil, cover and reduce heat to medium. Very important to set timer and check periodically (oops, I didn't and they boiled dry and almost burned. Luckily I caught them just in time, added more water and they were perfect!) The garlic/bouillon combination was just perfect. After eating these over rice, I've vowed to never use canned black beans again unless it is an absolute emergency! The flavor was SO much better than those purchased in a can. Also, 1.87 pounds of dried black beans at the local Mexican market were only $1.66. Cooking less than half the bag is enough to feed 2 people 3 to four meals shown in the photo below.


Black Beans, Fried Eggplant and Seedless Watermelon.


Yummy, healthy, nutritious and probably less than $1 per meal??





Oops! I'm late for church!!! Love you all and Happy Mother's Day!