Ingredient of the Week - Potatoes

Last night I made Crash Potatoes and it turned out pretty good.  I think I boiled the potatoes too long, though.  And, they kind of fell apart when I mashed them on the cookie sheet.  But, I found that if I used a spatula to take them off then all of the potato stayed together.  I made some gravy that went wonderful over the potatoes.  They were a little dry without it.

Tonight I made potato gnocchi.  This was my inspiration for making it.  Boy do I not want to make that again.  Well, it wasn't so bad.  I guess I just need more practice.  It came out too big and so tasted like we were just eating big dumplings.  I don't know if I will make it again.  Maybe when I'm in a creati ve mood and we're not in too much of a hurry to eat.

I was planning on making potato lasagna (just like lasagna, but with sliced potatoes instead of lasagna noodles) tomorrow night, but we would need to go to the grocery store and neither Jarrod or I are feeling up to that.

Ingredient of the Week?

So, as I posted yesterday, the Ingredient of the Week is potatoes.  I found the first recipe I wanted to do.  Actually, I've already decided on three, but will let the other two remain a secret for now.  The first one I was going to make is here.  I decided to make this with some chicken and I would make a sauce to go over the top.  But, there's a big hitch in those plans.  I have all of three potatoes!  How can I make something that's supposed to have potatoes in it when I don't have enough potatoes!?  So, tomorrow I will be sending Jarrod to the store.

Ingredient of the Week - Week 1

Potatoes!

The potato contains vitamins and minerals that have been identified as vital to human nutrition, as well as an assortment of phytochemicals, such as carotenoids and polyphenols. A medium-sized (5.3 oz) potato with the skin provides 27 mg of vitamin C (45% of the Daily Value (DV)), 620 mg of potassium (18% of DV), 0.2 mg vitamin B6 (10% of DV) and trace amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, folate, niacin, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, and zinc. The fiber content of a potato with skin (2 g) is equivalent to that of many whole grain breads, pastas, and cereals.


Nutritionally, the potato is best known for its carbohydrate content (approximately 26 grams in a medium potato). The predominant form of this carbohydrate is starch. A small but significant portion of this starch is resistant to digestion by enzymes in the stomach and small intestine, and so reaches the large intestine essentially intact. This resistant starch is considered to have similar physiological effects and health benefits as fiber: it provides bulk, offers protection against colon cancer, improves glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity, lowers plasma cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations, increases satiety, and possibly even reduces fat storage. The amount of resistant starch in potatoes depends much on preparation methods. Cooking and then cooling potatoes significantly increased resistant starch. For example, cooked potato starch contains about 7% resistant starch, which increases to about 13% upon cooling.

The nutrients of the potato seem to be fairly evenly distributed between the flesh and the skin. For a medium potato, with and without the skin, nutritiondata.com gives the following:

Almost all the protein content of a potato is contained in a thin layer just under its skin.

The cooking method used can significantly impact the nutrient availability of the potato.

Potatoes are often broadly classified as high on the glycemic index (GI) and so are often excluded from the diets of individuals trying to follow a low GI diet. In fact, the GI of potatoes can vary considerably depending on type (such as red, russet, white, or Prince Edward), origin (where it was grown), preparation methods (i.e., cooking method, whether it is eaten hot or cold, whether it is mashed or cubed or consumed whole, etc), and with what it is consumed (i.e., the addition of various high fat or high protein toppings).

Something New

I'm going to start something new.  A new section/part/hobby of my blog.  I'm going to call it Ingredient of the Week.  Every week I'm going to let Jarrod, my husband, choose an ingredient.  I will then find 3-4 recipes that incorporate that ingredient in a, hopefully, major way and make them that week.  Jarrod suggests I begin the week with a simple recipe and end with a more difficult.  I'll see what I can do.  I will begin this endeavor/hobby on Monday.  Jarrod has already chosen the first ingredient and I have agreed to let him choose whatever he wants with no questions asked.  You will see what I mean on Monday.

Homeschooling

This is why we homeschool.

http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/144135.aspx

The Beginnings of a Garden

Here are the litle pods newly watered and awaiting seeds.

Here they are all ready to grow.

There are two rows of grape tomatoes and the rest are green beans.

A bag of potatoes!

Here's another tray.

I had just put the seeds in need to cover them up before putting the lid on.

This a picture of the green beans I planted.

I planted them on Tuesday and this picture was taken Saturday.

Simeon says, "They're round like do-nuts."

I didn't take pictures, but we have some green showing through with the strawberries outside.

Everything is looking good!

Are You Prepared?

Every time there is a disaster somewhere in the world this question is raised.  Can you answer it honestly?  Are you prepared for a disaster? 
A disaster can be anything.  You or your spouse lose a job.  Your child becomes very sick and you don't have health insurance.  Your house catches on fire.  A tornado is coming towards your neighborhood.  You are in danger of a flash flood.  You live on a fault line and are in danger of an earthquake.  You are in the path of a hurricane.  These are the ones that most people think of.  But, most people are not prepared for. 

What can you do to be prepared?  You can have money saved for when/if you or your spouse loses a job.  Or, if your child becomes very ill.  You can have your important documents, and copies, in a firesafe box.  These are very basic and "common sense".  But, there are other ways you can be prepared.  You can pack a BOB (bug out bag).  A bug out bag is a backpack for each person in the family.  In that bag are things that you will need to survive for 48 hours.

Say your house catches on fire while you are asleep.  You wake up.  Wake up your spouse and children.  Do you have time to get dressed?  Do you want to take the time to get dressed?  Grab your family and BOBs (which should be in a very accesible place for such emergencies).  Get outside and to a safe place.  You can run to the neighbors to warn them and to call the authorities.  There you are outside and cold.  Your child is crying and worried.  They don't know what is going on, but know that it's not good.  Mommy and Daddy seem worried.  At this point you can pull out of their BOB a small toy that will hopefully distract them.  You may have packed in there an extra Lovey.  You can give them a snack or bottle of water that you packed in their BOB.  If you didn't get dressed before leaving you are probably going to start feeling a little uncomfortable right now as you watch your house burn down.  You can reach into your BOB and pull out a pair of pants or extra shirt.  Maybe just a blanket will do.  A little while later you are going to want to start thinking about where you are going to go.  What are you going to do?  Hopefully you or your spouse put some extra cash and important papers in their BOB.  Maybe an extra set of car keys.  Because you have your BOBs you will be ok for the next 48 hours.  Now think about that same scenario without the BOBs.  Your child is crying and you are trying to console them.  You maybe be able to console them, but you probably don't have anything to distract them from the ghastly sight of their home burning down right in front of their eyes.  If you didn't get dressed before leaving then you are standing there in your pajamas for the whole neighborhood to see.  Your car keys and cash are burning up inside your home.  You hope someone will open their home to you, because you can't pay for a hotel right now.

That's just one scenario where a BOB will come in handy.

Another way you can be prepared is to always have plenty of food, water, medicine... basic supplies to survive for at least three months in your home. 

Let's talk about a scenario where this would be good to have.  The major breadwinner in your family has just been laid off.  They can get unemployment, but you know that won't take care of every bill.  But, you know you will be alright, because you've been saving up enough supplies that you won't have to buy any for at least three months.  You have food.  You can cut down on water usage to lower your water bill by taking fewer/shorter baths and drinking some of the bottled water you've saved up.  Your baby drinks formula.  That stuff is expensive!  But, you've been stocking up whenever you had some extra money.  You stockpiled some gas so you don't have to worry about being able to put gas in your car in an emergency.  You can use the oil lamps and candles you bought to cut down on your electricity bill.  So because you've stocked up on all of your daily supplies you don't have to worry too much right now.  The money that you would be spending on food and household supplies can go towards other bills.  And, because you have these supplies you are able to cut your bills down.

What about after this situation is over?  You've realized the logic in cutting down on your water bill, gas for you car, and electricity.  It was nice not having to go to the grocery store as much.  Well, you can continue to not use as much water.  You can also save rain water, if it's legal in your state.  Ran water is great for your hair.  When you do leave the house you can do all your errands at the same time to cut down on the gas you use and wear and tear on your car.  You can eat by candlelight to save electricity.  You can also grow a garden.  Don't have the yard space to do it?  Use containers.  You can keep chickens, if allowed in your neighborhood, for meat and eggs. 

It's good to be prepared.  You need to keep your future in mind.  Worry about the things of today, but plan for the things of tomorrow. 

Garden Time!

Today I have a headache.  And, I didn't want to go to church.  But, it's when you don't want to go that you really need to go.  I really just wanted to stay home and sleep.  But, I'm glad I went.

I started our garden.  Did I tell you about the accidental potatoes?  Well, (just in case), Jarrod, out of curiosity, threw a potato into our front yard.  The other day we noticed that it started sprouting green leaves.  So, we now have that potato plant and two others (in trash bags) growing in the front yard.  I'll, hopefully, post pictures tomorrow.

We, also, bought a greenhouse tray thingy to start plants in and then we can transfer them to a bigger pot or the outside.  It holds 72 plants.  I did two rows of grape tomatoes and the rest pole beans.  I had too many pole bean seeds so I gave them away tonight.  I'm so excited to be doing this!  Jarrod and I have talked about it for years, but we are finally really doing it.  I can't wait to see some green growing!

I'm Tired

All I ever want to do anymore is sleep.  It has nothing to do with Eliana not sleeping through the night, because she is.  I'm just so tired every day.  I wake up, we get dressed, eat breakfast, do schoolwork, and then I sigh.  I sigh and think, "Ok, what do I need to accomplish today?  What needs my immediate attention and can not wait until the girls go down for a nap?"  And then I trudge along trying to get things done amid cries of hunger, dirtiness, tiredness, another mess to clean, cries for another drink...  The list seriously goes on forever.  Sometimes I tell myself to suck it up.  So and so has three kids and look at them.  Yeah, well so and so has like four years between their kids.  I'm telling you that makes a difference.  Especially when you think of having one preschooler that you are trying to encourage out of "night-night underwear", one toddler you are trying to teach what a potty is for, (It's not a place for your toys to sleep, Sweety), and a very active infant that wants to be in the room with someone all the time.  You've got all that on your plate and I'll say you have the right to hide in the shower when your husband comes home.  Ok, not hide... relax.  I love my kids.  I really do.  When I'm not with them I miss them.  Right now my world revolves around them.  They are my world.  Actually, my whole family is.  My world involves teaching them manners (Stop burping, Simeon!  I know you're doing it on purpose, I used to do it.),  their letters, colors, shapes, numbers... (Yes, your poo poo does look just like a C.  Yes, that bathroom tile is a triangle.  When the light turns green then we can go.), teaching them modesty (Crimson put your dress down.  Simeon, please pull your pants up before you leave the bathroom.  No, you can't answer the door.  You still have your pajamas on.), and teaching them safety (Look for cars or they will run you over.  Stay with me or someone will snatch you.  See, that's why we don't jump on the bed). 
Oh, I love being a mom.  It has it's really frustrating parts.  It seems like I've finally gotten it through Simeon's head that we don't get water on the floor when taking a bath.  Now I have to teach Crimson.  That's when I realized that we either get sliding glass doors or stop having kids.  Just kidding.  But, I hate cleaning up that mess. 
But, it also has so many joys.  Simeon will hug me and tell me he loves me.  Ten minutes later he will tell me he doesn't and ask me to cry.  He is his father's son.  Crimson will hug me real tight then ask for a kiss.  We got her a baby that pees and poops to help her potty train.  It also cries tears if you squeeze it's elbow.  I tried it.  When she saw the "tears" she wouldn't let go of that doll for at least an hour.  Eliana is little Miss Curious.  Everything must be investigated!  That includes tasting it.  Thankfully our cat doesn't mind being slobbered on.  She loves for you to talk to her or sing to her.  Her favorite song simply consists of her name being song over and over.  That makes me wonder about her future.
I said all that to say that I'm tired.  I'm always tired.  I wake up tired.  I continue about my daying praying the coffee helps and then I go to bed tired.  I'm tired.  And then I stay up with Jarrod so that I can have a few minutes to talk to him.  Or just share funny youtube videos.  And when I get too tired I start to slur my words, like I'm drunk.  I can't help but laugh at myself.  And then go to bed.  Because, I'm tired.