Sept.28th working on the diet. Winter meals

It's getting too cold (50 degrees with wind chill of 43)for this. LOL. The husky in her is showing. I stayed out with her about 30 minutes. Long enough for me.

Since I am recovering from getting my bivalent booster (mild, really mild but the fatigue is strong and a sore arm) and Hubby is hauling across the state. I decided to finish dealing with the "eating" issues.

 Sunday was a nice day to be outside. So we sat on the kitchen porch with Charlotte and talked about the biggest problem we have in our life right now... eating healthy. 

Doc has been on us about some low numbers in our blood work. Mostly for Hubby. 

Hubby is one that was raised on big servings of meat and corn, was not made to eat their veggies as his dad hates veggies and most fruit, and potatoes was seldom on the table. They were farmers and raised beef and pork. Sunday's meals was popcorn. Cereal was their breakfast, lunch was the big meal of the day and usually a roast of some kind. Supper was leftovers.

I was raised on very little meat, potatoes are every meal (Grandpa grew them) and half the plate of veggies. Eggs, potatoes, bacon and canned biscuits (or toast) for breakfast every single day. Mother never fixed lunch for her or us two kids. Daddy got a bologna sandwich every day (just like his Daddy). Supper was a small piece of meat, half a plate of fried potatoes and a little bit of corn or green beans that Mother canned

We had fruit in season and Hubby had applesauce during winter. I didn't.

Our eating habits SUCK. 

We decide to do what Hubby's former employer had us do one time (got insurance for free if we did it , boy those were the days). 

Eating a rainbow diet. You can google it to get all of it but general guidelines of eating veggies/ fruit for each color group a day.

White/tan

Green

Red

Yellow/orange

Blue/black/purple

Since I am in process of inventorying the pantry/freezers. I set the spreadsheet up to list under the colors.

We also decide to rotate through what the main dish would be each day

Beef

Poultry

Pork

Seafood

Eggs

Cheese/dairy

Beans/lentils

Soups

Pasta/polenta

Neither one of us is much into eating bread daily but need grains to stay healthy. I struggle with grains flaring my Crohn's. BUT we need grains daily so I need to get that in.

Farro

Bulgur

Quinoa

Rice (over a half dozen different ones)

Cornmeal: yellow, white masa and polenta

Wheat: white, whole wheat, speltz, cream of wheat

I do have rice flour, semolina, and almond flour.

Barley: flakes and pearl, cream of bulgur

Oats: steel cut, regular and instant

Grits 

Millet 

Grapenuts... I use it more in desserts as a layer in parfaits than a cereal 

Hubby's calcium is low... So we have cheese, yogurt, sour cream, heavy cream, half and half and milk (plus dried beans will help also). 

We decided to list main dishes, then figure out which colors of veggies and fruit, grains and dairy to add by day. Hubby thought the color blue/black/ purple would be hard to keep in the diet. Some sites say beets and cabbage fall in this. I think beets are red but I have raised purple radishes. My "red" cabbage is more purple that red. Depends on variety I think. 

Here is the list we made sitting there. I went back through the inventory and added a few things we had like pizza burgers and breaded tenderloin.

Green beans, potatoes and ham one pot with corn bread (my favorite but it was the first thing Hubby thought of)

Ham steak, scalloped (or au gratin) potatoes 

Sausage gravy and biscuits

Potato soup (I have purple, yellow, and red potatoes I can leave the skin on)

Baked pasta (lasagna, manicotti, stuffed shells)

Pasta with salad 

Aunt Dolly's oven meal casserole (1lbs cooked ground or shredded meat. carrots and potatoes with condense soup of choice for "sauce" bake.

Hamburger pie (or Chinese pie or shepherds pie depending on which child I am talking to)

Frittata aka big egg to Hubby

Roasted chicken

Roasted beef roast

Prime rib roast (Christmas only unless he finds one cheap)

Loaded Omelet

Cuban black beans and rice

Red beans and rice

Jambalaya

Dried beef and gravy

Scrambled egg with potato O Brien

Shrimp stir fry

Shrimp pasta  

Salmon patty and mashed potato cake

Mackerel patty and boiled potatoes with peas

Mac and cheese with smoke sausage and peas

Grilled cheese sandwiches with carrot salad

Grilled lunch meat sandwiches canned cole slaw 

Cheese quesadilla with refried beans and salsa

Apple rarebit with salad

Country boil 

Reuben casserole

Baked beans with ground meat

Chicken and noodles with mashed potatoes, canned cole slaw

Beef and noodles with mashed potatoes, canned cole slaw

Bean soup (white bean mostly) fried potatoes with onions 

Pork loin roast (leftovers go to BBQ sandwiches)

Pork butt roast (leftovers go to mock Brunswick stew)

London Broil flank steak (leftovers go to stir fry)

Smoke or oven brisket (leftovers go to ragu over polenta or beef and barley soup)

Baked round steak

Pork ribs

Beef ribs

Uncle Ed's cube steak sandwiches

Bratwurst 

Brat patties

Philly steak subs

Philly steak pizza

Taco pizza

Nonna's pizza *bread dough for crust and deep dish... LOADED

Calzones

Eggrolls and pot stickers

Fish and chips (potato wedges deep fried)

Fried cabbage, fried potatoes and onions

Meatloaf and mashed potatoes with green beans and corn

Home chef recipe Autumn stew

Sweet potato soup (use leftover sweet potatoes)

Pumpkin soup (good with leftover turkey sandwiches after Tday)

Meatball subs

Sloppy joes

Mushroom joes

Pork chops with red cabbage and apples

Beef stew (leftovers as pot pies)

Chicken (turkey) stew (leftovers as pot pies)

Pizza burger

Tacos

Taco casserole

Ground pork /mild sausage/hot sausage  some as patties and some as loose ground meat.

Chicken wings

Fried chicken 

Bread tenderloin

Appetizers (what ever we decide on but about half the time loaded French fries)

I have canned beef stew, chili and veggie soup. I have a package of dried broccoli cheddar soup and tortilla soup. I can quickly make taco soup as I have taco meat in freezer. I have store bought soup of chicken noodle, tomato, cheddar and fiesta nacho that I can use as soup or sauces. 

Leftovers that are not enough to make a 2nd meal will go into 123 pasta, casseroles ,stew, soups,chowders and stir fries. I have added liquid to casseroles to make soups. 

Amish elderly lady told me she will grab 2 jars of veggies and 1 jar of protein and calls it pantry soup on a regular bases through the winter. Serves it with pie or a cake with fruit instead of frosting and of course homemade bread

I still need turkey for the freezer and Hubby wants Fritos which he forgot to buy yesterday while we were at the store. I sighed as they were on sale and it was the last day of the sale.  We each had a cart and our own list as I got the perishables.

I will get fresh cabbage and brussels sprouts off and on through winter. Not often on the cabbage as we are making kraut (fingers crossed it's good as it's in the crock).  I put buy 3 on Hubby's list for brussels sprouts... he only got one as he had his finger on the number. I'll have to pick up my pepperoni in 2 wks. Hubby forgot to order the bologna (special made) from a restaurant we grew up around so we might not be able to get it. 

Blessed Be

Prayers for peace and common sense and GOOD MANNERS