Cheap & Cheerful Suppers With an Easy Pumpkin Recipe

Friday

homemade pepperoni pizza
kale*, cabbage*, tomato* salad in homemade vinaigrette
steamed carrots

trick-or-treat cookies (Circus Animal Cookies)

Saturday

spaghetti in meat and tomato sauce
sautéed kale* in beef fat
no egg, no milk apple* cake (applesauce* snack cake with chunks of apples* baked in), this recipe, no nuts but with apple chunks added

Sunday

vegetable*-beef soup, with garden celery*, potatoes*, herbs*, and store carrots plus beef
leftover apple* cake

Monday

tuna-macaroni salad with celery*, carrot leaves*, mayo, sweet relish*, tuna, cooked pasta over shredded cabbage* in vinaigrette
avocado wedges
pumpkin*-applesauce*

leftover Halloween cookies

Tuesday

carne asada over brown rice
topped with chopped fresh tomato*, cilantro*, and avocado
sauteed beet leaves* cooked in bacon fat
steamed baby carrots*
stewed prunes*

applesauce*-raisin bar cookies (these ones)

Wednesday (needed an easy dinner, as my husband and I had to leave the house early for the evening)

meatloaf, which included a slice of homemade bread, celery*, onions, herbs*, and seasonings along with ground beef

gravy made with drippings, ketchup, remaining sauce from Tuesday's carne asada
oven fries roasted in beef fat
canned green beans
pumpkin*-applesauce*

applesauce* bar cookies

Thursday

scrambled eggs in ham fat

sautéed Brussel sprout leaves* with garlic*

carrot-raisin salad with peanut dressing

smashed purple potatoes*

applesauce* bar cookies

*denotes from home garden/orchard

Notes

The garden harvest continues to wind down. I go outside, dodging raindrops, to get leafy greens several days per week. Daughter picked a bunch of kale and washed and wrapped in a towel to add to our lunch greens this week. We still haven't had a freeze, so everything remaining in the garden is still okay. What remains is the same as last week, just less of it -- kale, Brussel sprout leaves, Swiss chard, beets, turnips, cilantro, and radish. Here's an odd thing, we still have a couple of blueberries ripening on bare branches, branches that have already lost their leaves. I picked the ripest ones the other day to nibble on while raking leaves.

In an exciting bit of news, there's a mother on my homemade crabapple cider vinegar! The other exciting thing tonight, I caught brief views of the Beaver Moon (November's full supermoon) as the clouds would occasionally part. Last night the moon was at its peak, but tonight 's showing was no slouch either.

No grocery shopping this week. I do need to pick up bananas for smoothies and will do that in the next day or two.

Recipe

Pumpkin-Applesauce

for 1 pint

Stir together 1 cup of applesauce and 1 cup of pureed pumpkin (canned or home-processed, could also be made with pureed winter squash). Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of sweetening, such as maple syrup, honey, brown or white sugar, plus a sprinkling of cinnamon (1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon). Mix well. This is a mildly sweet and mildly flavored fruit sauce, not as sweet as applesauce and adds a bonus of vitamin A and fiber.

Two new ways for me to use some of our crabapple abundance

Crabapples are the overlooked fruit of the orchard, like stepchildren in the family of cultivated apples. They're usually too small to be considered for fresh-eating. Many varieties are quite tart and require the addition of sweetening to make them palatable. And small fruit size means the harvesting is a lot more work than their larger cousins. 

However, they do well where cultivated apples sometimes struggle. They're loaded with vitamins and antioxidants. And they're often quite prolific. You know me, I try to make the most of what we've been given.

It looks like there are more crabapples than I had thought. So far I've done 4 major pickings and there are still many more on the tree. Today I did a little pruning of this tree, as I had with the fig tree. I figure it can take a little pruning, if it's producing so well. I thinned out some crossing branches and areas where branches were building up moss, a sign the tree is too dense. As I pruned, one daughter and I plucked the crabapples off those branches. My daughter had about a half-hour before she needed to get herself ready to leave, and I really, really appreciated the help and companionship while I worked. Having help does more than just save time. It makes tedious tasks more enjoyable.

So far I've made crabapple sauce, crabapple juice, and crabapple jelly. I'm eager to find new uses for all of these crabapples.

In order to motivate myself to do another batch of these beauties, I decided to do something different with what we  would harvest today. 

I made a batch of crabapple cider vinegar followed by a batch of crabapple and applesauce fruit leather. I won't know for a few weeks if the crabapple cider vinegar turned out. And I won't know until tomorrow if we like the fruit leather. I'll make another batch of fruit leather if we like the taste of this one.

From what I read, making apple cider vinegar is a two-step process -- ferment the apples in a water/sugar/apple cider vinegar with mother (the clump of living organisms that works like a starter for batches of vinegar) solution to an alcohol stage, then strain out the apples and continue the fermentation process until the alcohol turns to vinegar. 

If this really works, I'll have a new supply of apple cider vinegar for pennies each year. I had a bottle of vinegar with the mother already, so no cost there. And the sugar was just a couple of tablespoons. Crabapples are free for me. 

I don't have a way to test the percentage of acidity, which means that homemade vinegar would not be a safe choice for making canned pickles. But it certainly can be used in refrigerator pickles (the overnight kind), salad dressings, marinades, ketchup and BBQ sauces, to add flavor to soups and stews, as well as for household cleaning and hair rinses.

After using a couple of cups of the crabapples in the vinegar, I cooked the rest as crabapple sauce. I blended the sweetened crabapple sauce with unsweetened homemade regular applesauce. It's a combo that we find pleasing. Some crabapples are actually on the sweet side. Not ours. Ours are quite tart and astringent. To eat as sauce, I blend it half and half with regular applesauce. The full-strength crabapple sauce (once sweetened) is, however, fine in applesauce-raisin bar cookies and applesauce cake, where the other flavors in the baked goods mute the astringency of the crabapples.

This evening, I have 6 trays of fruit leather drying in the dehydrator. If we like it, I have several new quarts of crabapple sauce, made today, to turn into additional fruit leather. Fruit leather will take up less storage space in the freezer, doesn't require additional freezer containers or canning jars, and will provide fruit servings when our fresh apples and pears are gone.

The rest of the harvest

I picked, washed, and wrapped the last cabbage head today. The carrots and their greens are now tucked away. I would like to do one more harvest of unripe figs and one more harvest of crabapples. And that just leaves one more meal of Swiss chard, the turnips and beets, and fresh radish greens, kale, and Brussel sprouts to use as we want this fall. And then I can dust the 2025 dirt off my hands for good.

"What on Earth Do They Eat?"

I made a grocery order just now, and I was wondering if the people who shop my order for me ever wonder how we're surviving on what looks like an imbalance of foods. Then I thought that you friends may also wonder how we're eating (and what we're eating), based on seeing what groceries I bought in January. Given what I posted, it would be reasonable to assume we ate nothing but produce, frozen French fries, ketchup and whipping cream for the whole month.

So, I thought I'd give you a rundown for all of our meals last month.

Breakfasts

• oatmeal (scratch, not instant)
• toast (homemade bread)
• Great Value brand of Cheerios
• semi-homemade donuts (canned biscuit dough formed into donuts and fried)
• homemade yogurt
• applesauce
• fresh fruit (apples, oranges, tangerines, bananas)
• frozen fruit (foraged blackberries, blueberries)
• juice
• dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, prunes)
• scratch muffins, coffeecake, cornbread
• eggs

Lunches

• sandwiches (using homemade bread, eggs, cheese, peanut butter, homemade hummus)
• salads and other raw veggies
• homemade soups
• eggs
• cooked dried beans
• any homemade bread product (leftover cornbread, muffins, flour tortillas, loaf bread)
• pasta and homemade sauce
  
• leftovers from previous night's dinner

Snacks

• pretzels, crackers
• nuts
• raisins
• fruit
• cookies, breads

Desserts

• cookies
• homemade pie
• scratch cupcakes
• coffeecake and snack cake
• ice cream (leftover from December)
• holiday candy
• rice pudding
• homemade milk and cornstarch pudding
• homemade cheesecake

Beverages

• milk
• juice
• coffee
• tea
• cocoa from homemade mix
• water
• sparkling cider (on New Years' day)

Dinners

• Hot Dogs, Buns, Sauerkraut, Hoppin' John, French Fries, Brussel Sprouts in Cheese Sauce, Scratch Cheesecake (using hot dogs, homemade buns, canned sauerkraut, dried black-eyed peas, rice, frozen peppers, seasonings, frozen French fries, frozen Brussel sprouts, scratch cheese sauce, homemade cheesecake)
• Chicken and Dumplings (using canned chicken and canned vegetables, scratch dumplings)
• Tuna Casserole, canned carrots, and applesauce (using canned tuna, canned soup, frozen and fresh veggies, cheese and onion powder, pasta, jarred applesauce, canned carrots)
• Chicken Nachos and Canned Corn (using canned chicken, corn tortillas, avocados, cheese, homemade salsa, lettuce, olives)
• Stir Fry (using rice, canned chicken, TVP, eggs, cabbage, canned carrots, frozen peas, nuts, soy sauce, sesame oil)
• Pigs in Blankets and carrot sticks, apple wedges, canned corn (using canned biscuit dough, hot dogs, carrots, apples, canned corn)
• Pizza (homemade crust or homemade French bread as crust, homemade pizza sauce, pepperoni, green pepper, frozen mushrooms, olives, canned pineapple, frozen ham from Christmas, cheese)
• TVP Meatballs and Marinara over Pasta (using TVP, eggs, tomato paste, canned tomatoes, herbs, seasonings, pasta)
• Spaghetti and Meat Sauce (using tomato paste, canned tomatoes, herbs, seasonings, onions, celery, ground beef, pasta)
• Vegetarian Lasagna (using tomato paste, canned tomatoes, herbs, onions, celery, frozen broccoli, TVP, pasta, mozzarella and Parmesan)
• Chicken Noodle Soup and Italian Bread (using canned chicken, canned and fresh veggies, pasta, herbs)
• Chicken, Vegetable, and Potato Soup  with Scratch Biscuits (using canned chicken, canned and fresh vegetables, garden potatoes, seasonings)
• Vegetarian Chili and Cornbread (using several types of beans, green pepper, onions, canned tomatoes, herbs/spices, avocados, cheese, homemade cornbread)
• Lentil-Vegetable Soup and Homemade Bread (using lentils, canned tomatoes, fresh and frozen vegetables, spices, herbs, Parmesan, homemade bread)
• Hummus and Italian Bread w/ Raw Veggies, Homemade Apple Cobbler (using dried beans, sesame seeds, olive oil, seasonings, homemade bread, carrots, celery)
• Tomato Soup and Toasted Cheese Sandwiches (using tomato paste, seasonings, homemade bread, cheese)
• Spinach Frittata, Muffins, Canned Fruit and Vegetables (using eggs, canned and frozen spinach, cheese, homemade pizza sauce, scratch muffins, canned fruits and vegetables)
• Burrito Bowls (using pinto beans, seasonings, rice, canned corn, homemade salsa, cheese, olives, avocados)
• Scrambled Eggs, Hash Browns, Canned Vegetables, Bacon (using eggs, cheese, garden potatoes, canned vegetables, bacon)

Many of these meals we did twice, either as leftovers or just repeated in the month. For side dishes, we used various canned and frozen vegetables, as well as fresh cabbage, lettuce, avocados, celery, carrots, oranges, tangerines, bananas, and apples.

January is a month when I take it easy on myself and don't expect anything spectacular. I used a lot of canned chicken this past month, as it's easy. We also ate eggs for several dinners and used dried beans a few times per week.  These are all easy foods, in my mind. I'll likely make more of an effort this next month, now that I've had a month of easier cooking as a break.

We ate every meal cooked from home, with exception to a single meal that my husband's office provided for him for a meeting one evening. One afternoon, a meal in a bag showed up on our doorstep. My husband's work seemed to feel they had to bribe their employees to all attend a Zoom meeting. Otherwise, all from home. 

Sometimes, it feels a bit boring to only eat our own cooking. But, for the most part, it's working, and no one is going hungry.

No Egg, No Milk Applesauce Cake With Apple Cider Sauce

This cake is one of those great dessert recipes for when supplies are limited. As the weeks pass, I am relying more and more on what is on the pantry for baking, for instance the applesauce that is in this cake. There's a delicious apple cider (or juice) sauce for topping this cake. I used frozen apple juice concentrate. I'll note, my recipe card says that you can also use orange juice for the sauce and then it becomes an applesauce cake with orange sauce. I made a couple of substitutions and will note those in parentheses.

Applesauce Cake

1  2/3 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup brown sugar (or white sugar with a spoonful of molasses added to the liquids)
1  1/2 teaspoons ground allspice (or cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg or any combination)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vinegar
1/3 cup chopped walnuts (optional, pecans would also be tasty)

Mix flour, sugar, spices, baking soda, salt, and nuts with a fork in an ungreased 8 X 8 X 2-inch baker. Stir together the liquid ingredients and incorporate with the dry in the pan.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes at 350 degrees F, or until the top springs back when pressed lightly.

Cool.

Meanwhile, make the sauce in a stainless steel saucepan.

Apple Cider Sauce

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup margarine or butter (I used 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons vegetable oil)
1/4 cup apple cider, apple juice, or orange juice
2 tablespoons heavy cream (I used milk)

--the recipe calls for cream. I found if I use milk, the particles separate. The following starch and water slurry mixed in helps pull the sauce back together.

1/2 teaspoon corn starch
1 tablespoon water

In a saucepan, heat the first four ingredients to  rolling boil, stirring constantly. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. If using milk and the solids separate, stir in a slurry of the starch and water and cook until slightly thickened. Note -- this is still a thin sauce.

Spoon the sauce over individual servings of the cake.

The cake recipe is one of those Depression Era recipes that assumed some folks may have had access to cheap apples (orchard drops or seconds) and foraged nuts, but little milk or eggs. The sauce would make this fancier than an everyday cake. In any case, my family thinks this is a very delicious cake and would never feel they are deprived or living through a Depression eating it.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Cheap & Cheerful suppers for the last 10 (oops, make that 11) days

noodle bowls from Friday

Tuesday
Tuna casserole (I used 2 parts cooked brown rice to 1 part cooked noodles, as I had leftover rice to use)

Wednesday
overnight French toast casserole (I used the last of a bunch of fry bread, the last of the jam-flavored cream cheese, some jam, and instead of syrup I melted some jelly for a topping -- very delicious. The bread was hard so allowing to stand in the egg/milk overnight really helped.)
turkey bacon
tangerines

Thursday
baked beans (from the freezer) topped with hot dogs
corn bread stuffing (using a leftover piece of cornbread combined with some packaged cornbread stuffing mix, along with onions and celery sauteed in the fat from Wednesday's bacon. I kept the sauteed veggies in a container in the fridge overnight.)
sliced cucumber topped with ranch dressing
assortment of pickles

Friday
chicken and vegetable soup (from the freezer) to which I added leftover cooked rice, tofu, garlic, chives and sesame oil
oyster crackers

Saturday (birthday celebration dinner at home)
fajitas
tortilla chips and guacamole/salsa
carrot and celery sticks and 1000 Island dip
birthday cake and ice cream
sparkling apple cider

Sunday
sausage and vegetable soup
biscuits
leftover cake

Monday
leftover soup
cheese and crackers

Tuesday
tuna sandwiches
leftover soup

Wednesday
toast
boiled eggs
applesauce

Thursday
chicken and dumplings (from the freezer)
sliced cucumber salad

Friday
meatball noodle bowls

Easy all the way this past week and a half. Do you make noodle bowls? These are so easy, take about 15 minutes tops, and rather cheap. They require a skillet and a small saucepan. For 2 servings, I used 1 package of ramen soup, 8 frozen cooked meatballs, some cabbage, onion, and green peppers. I seasoned the noodles with about 1/4 of the seasoning packet that came with the ramen, and the veggies with some garlic powder, ginger powder, splash of soy sauce, and 2 teaspoons of plum jam (going for the plum sauce taste).

I used the frozen meatballs because I had them, and they're quick to cook. But you could also use potstickers, chunks of rope sausage, any leftover meat, or tofu added to the veggies, or a fresh egg topping each bowl or sandwiched between the noodles and veggies. Any veggies that you would normally use in a stir-fry will work. I used the cabbage, green pepper, and onion because that is what I had.

Here's how it all went down.

In the saucepan, I used just a portion of the water called for with the noodles, about 3/4 cup of water (a packet of ramen soup calls for 2 cups of water). I brought the water to a boil, then added the package of noodles and 1/4 packet of the seasoning.

While the water was coming to a boil, I sauteed the onion, pepper, and meatballs in a little bit of oil in the skillet. When the meatballs were heated through (these were previously cooked and frozen) I added the garlic and ginger powders, splashes of soy sauce, and plum jam, stirring all together. When mixed in, I added the sliced cabbage, and cooked until just tender.

When the noodles were cooked (about 3 minutes of boiling), I scooped them and their liquid into  individual bowls. I topped the bowls of noodles with the cooked veggies and meatballs. I like a noodle bowl that is not so soupy. If you prefer more liquid, then use 1 to 1 1/2 cups of water, and about 1/2 of the seasoning packet.

I had made one of these for my late lunch on Friday. I thought it was good enough to make for my husband and one daughter for dinner that night. Both of them thought it was delicious, too. Something that is cheap and easy, using supplies from an end-of-the-month pantry and fridge.

Cheap & Cheerful Suppers for the first week of the new year

Friday

• leftover baked potatoes, topped with cheddar and butter
• leftover baked squash
• leftover applesauce
• leftover black bean and corn tortilla bake
• tangerines

Saturday

• leftover roll-up sandwiches from lunch with my father-in-law's birthday luncheon
• leftover smoked turkey soup
• tangerines
• Christmas cookies
• eggnog and juice

Sunday -- New Year's dinner

• ham
• mustard-glazed carrots
• au gratin potatoes
• dinner rolls
• olives and watermelon pickles
• a chicken wing and mushroom dish (brought by guests)
• a sticky rice dish (brought by guests -- my favorite, so yummy!)
• sausage and pineapple (brought by guests)
• a crab and vegetable dish (brought by guests)
• pumpkin cake roll w/ whipping cream
• ice cream (brought by my son's girlfriend)
• sparkling apple cider and tea

Monday

• leftover ham
• leftover au gratin potatoes
• leftover carrots
• blackberry cobbler with leftover whipped cream

Tuesday

• ham-fried rice, with cabbage, onions, carrots and peas
• leftover blackberry cobbler and whipped cream

Wednesday

• pumpkin-ham soup
• homemade whole wheat bread, butter and vanilla-rhubarb jam
• carrot sticks, pickles and olives
• leftover cobbler

Thursday

• potato and ham casserole au gratin
• canned pineapple chunks
• cole slaw
• cranberry-mustard

A lot of ham for the week, eh? And potatoes a few times in the week, as well. the potatoes that I had in the pantry were beginning to sprout. So, I've moved all of them to the fridge (along with 20 lbs of potatoes that I put in the fridge, immediately after buying in November). we're also now moving on to the frozen wild blackberries. I have about 15 quarts of frozen blackberries to use this winter. I made a double blackberry cobbler early in the week that used 2 quarts of the berries. The flavor and aroma is reminiscent of late summer.

While our garden produce is gone for several months, the dead of winter has its perks, too. I've been opening the jars of homemade jams and pickles, recently. I finished off one jar of raspberry jam earlier this week, and opened a new jar of vanilla-rhubarb jam. If you grow rhubarb, you might want to try making some vanilla-rhubarb jam this coming spring or summer. The flavor tastes like pie. Do you have any preserves from last summer? What are your favorites?

In addition to the spritely flavors from some home-canned preserves and pickles, I'm also just enjoying simple foods, once again. Whole wheat bread, cooked carrots, pumpkin soup -- just some very humble foods after a month of feasting. I'm guessing that many of us will agree on the welcomeness of humble meals, following the prolonged holiday period of gorging.

What was on your menu this past week? I hope your new year is off to a grand beginning!

Cheap & Cheerful Suppers for the first week of October

Friday
Most of the garden beet roots are a good size for salad, right now. And the greens are usable for a leafy green vegetable. I love that about beets.

• Leftover turkey, gravy and mashed potatoes
• Cucumbers marinated in olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and oregano
• Beet salad
• Apple wedges
• Leftover pumpkin cake

Saturday
I was out running errands and winter squash was calling  my name. I was so extremely hungry for butternut squash that I was willing to spend 79 cents per pound, even though I know I could get it in another part of town for about 59 cents per pound.

• More leftover turkey and gravy
• Brown rice
• Butternut squash
• Apple wedges

Sunday
I was pulling apart the turkey, after it simmered all afternoon, while deciding on dinner. Turkey soup of some sort was a natural. I had some canned green beans and tomatoes, plus onions, garlic, pasta, cooked beans and herbs to add to the turkey and stock. In addition to the pot of soup for supper, I froze enough turkey and stock for several more meals. The garlic bread was half of a loaf of French bread, split and spread with some take-out garlic spread from this summer's freebie pizza. And the applesauce was made the night before, with some shriveling apples. Some of the earlier picked apples are now going soft, so I'll be making lots of applesauce over the next couple of weeks.

• Turkey minestrone
• Garlic bread
• Applesauce

Monday
I got another deal on ground beef last week, 10 lbs for $18.80. With some of it, I decided to make a huge pot of chili, to last for a few evenings.

• Big pot chili
• Apple wedges
• Fresh-baked whole wheat bread

Tuesday
I bought unfiltered apple cider at the store today. I was feeling very autumnal and wanting hot, spiced apple cider. I knew my family would love it, too. Here, in Washington state, we're awfully proud of our apples.

• More chili
• Corn tortillas with melted cheese
• Spiced apple cider

Wednesday
I am loving my new cooking style. I have so much more time for other things, and I can pace myself and my energy better for the afternoon. I think I'll make a batch of banana bread.

• More chili
• Banana bread
• Tomato and cucumber salad

Thursday
I have to actually make a full dinner, tonight. It's Thursday morning, and I'm brainstorming what might sound good, be easy, can be done ahead, and is re-heatable by those in the family who come home late. Preferably an egg-based entree. I think I'll do an oven-baked frittata. Those don't require as much watching, and reheat well enough. We're running over with ripe tomatoes this week. I eat them for lunch everyday, and then add a few to dinner some nights, too.

• Tomato and onion frittata
• Butternut squash
• Oven-roasted potatoes with rosemary and garlic
• Applesauce

Thoughts about the week -- I made so much chili that I had to freeze 2 night's worth. I completely overestimated how much we could eat. But that's a good problem.

When I went shopping on Tuesday, I was pulled towards the autumnal foods, like butternut squash, apple cider, pumpkin, and nuts. It all sounded so comforting, the squash, especially. I bought 3 butternut squash on Tuesday, to use in the next couple of weeks. I'm eating the leftover squash in my lunches, daily. My appetite disappeared during the summer. but it seems to be back, and is letting itself be known! 

What was on your menu this past week? Anything particularly autumnal?

Have a wonderful weekend! Those of you in Canada -- Happy Thanksgiving!