Yep. Eleven and a half years of marriage, and I COOKED all of them...withOUT a food processor. I grated lots o' stuff by hand and made many a pie crust with a pastry cutter and a not-in-the-best-of-shape arm. (Whew!) Of course, I often skipped over recipes requiring one. Or just used a little mini-chopper, which meant loading and reloading and making a big mess in the process. It wasn't always easy.
So, the day I shredded my first apple and then later cheese...was the day I fell head over heels in love with a bright, shiny kitchen appliance! Whoa. And I haven't even touched the grain mill yet!
Sometimes in life when we get a gift, along with that gift comes a challenge. So, what will my family's meals be like? NOW that I have these handy tools??? Well, I think it's time to set a few new goals.
Food Goals for 2011:
1. Develop a reasonable schedule for sprouting, drying, and grinding grain for homemade bread and other baked goods. And stay on top of things, so the sprouting process will be a successful one. (I tend to be a might forgetful...)
2. Actually BAKE the bread. Preferably NOT in the middle of the night. (I already don't get enough sleep.)
3. Make homemade stock on a regular basis. And always have some on hand for last-minute meals or sickly children. (Let's be realistic here: there WILL be a need for last-minute meals...)
4. Treat myself as well as I do my children. Saving all the fruit and/or vegetables for the children won't do them any good in the long run if I never eat them myself. (Vitamins aren't just for kids these days. Duh.)
5. Develop a flavor for kombucha that the pickier palates in my household will come to appreciate. Blueberry seems to be the overwhelming favorite so far, but I have yet to win over two family members.
6. Mostly, it seems, I need to be a better food planner. The need for planning increases exponentially with every extra "homemade" thing I add to the repertoire. That's not a bad thing. Just a necessary thing. NOT having a plan usually leads to panic and/or compromise...and, honestly, more work, which is the last thing I need. Kefir, kombucha, sourdough, creamed soups, etc., etc. And have you noticed???? There are at LEAST three meals EveRy. sInGLe. DAY!! It can get overwhelming. And I'm already THAT most of the time just raising and schooling my children. As with most things, the quickest way to give up on eating a real food diet is to allow it to become overwhelming. So. A plan is a very good, very wise idea.
I also tend to be a little unorganized (which leads to being overwhelmed), so I've resolved to attempt a weekly menu plan, based on ingredients I HAVE (or have plans to obtain). With the understanding that, in reality, it may not all pan out. (Breathe, Lori, breathe.) Mostly, I need to remind myself about what needs to be soaked and when. Want beans on Tuesday? Start soaking on Monday. Want crackers on Thursday? Soak Tuesday, bake Wednesday. Brew/bottle kombucha on Friday. That sort of thing. If you, too, need to resolve to being a better food planner, visit Organizing Junkie's Menu Plan Monday for tips, printables, inspiration, ideas, whatever you may need to help you get started.
Lori
PS - Click here to read what baby steps my family has taken to get this far.
PPS - This post was a part of Nourishing Resolutions at The Nourishing Gourmet.
I have an old whisper mill, same design as your new one just manufactured by another company (out of business now) I love it and hope you enjoy it. I went 20 years without a food processor....how did I ever do it! Kitchen tools make it possible to create our own foods from whole food and still do all the other stuff that needs doing.
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