Chad’s Bagel Recipe

Chad's Bagel

One of Chad’s famous bagels

I love my bagels.  My wife loves my bagels.  People love my bagels.  I’ve often been asked for the recipe for them.  So I’ll share here. Continue reading

2017 Week 13 – Week of 27 March

It’s spring break!

It won’t be too be much of a break for me, though.  Due to my series of illnesses (see the Why? page), I’m way behind on everything.  So, my “break” will be largely comprised of a mad rush to get caught up on the farm and on the class I was taking towards a masters’ degree (theory and practice of oral history).  That said, I should also be able to work ahead on meals.  Insanity characterizes the months of May and June, so I will work ahead on meals.

MondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturdaySunday
BreakfastZucchini BreadZucchini BreadZucchini BreadBagels w/ Pesto SchmearLemon Poppyseed BreadLemon Poppyseed BreadLemon Poppyseed Bread
LunchOn the roadSalad: Spring Mix & spinach w/ smoked gouda, apples, toasted walnuts, and dried cherriesBagels w/ Pesto SchmearMovie Day @ Lew’sSaladleftoversSalad
DinnerOn the roadRoast Chicken

Wild Rice

Green Beans
Chicken Breasts w/ tarragon cream sauce (use leftovers from roast chicken)

Wild Rice

Corn
Hamburger Stew*Chicken Tetrazini (use leftovers from roast chicken)*Homemade Frozen PizzaSausage Spaghetti Pie*
NotesSpring Break! (all week!)

X surgery & trip to several Amish stores for farm supplies
Make Chicken StockMake Pizza Sauce

The items with an * come from the Taste of Home: Freezer Pleasers Cookbook. They make both the meal we eat and another (or several) to freeze and cook later.  The doc says I can’t have anything processed, but that doesn’t mean I can’t create my own convenience foods!  I’ll probably do a review of the book later, but for what it’s worth, I’m not too impressed.  I’ve had it for a couple of years and not made anything from it because nothing is very inspiring, and many recipes reuse a lot of processed meals (hamburger helper, canned cream of mushroom soup, etc.) and ingredients.  But, it may help me learn strategies to adapt to this change.

The trick to making your own frozen pizza is the crust.  Use any pizza crust recipe you like, but only bake it most of the way: until the yeast has done its work and it has set as bread but not golden brown and crispy.  Let cool, then top, wrap and freeze.  Then you can go right from freezer to oven like a store-bought frozen pizza, only better.

Groceries: Kroger – $107.41, Whole Foods – $72.47 (mostly dairy products from Traders Point Creamery. I really miss living/working near them…)

New from the farm: Not much this week.  Still harvesting lemons.  Kind of surprised we don’t have asparagus yet.

Pesto Schmear

A schmear is a bit of cultural appropriation, and probably shouldn’t be used.  But it’s also a yummy topping for bagels.  Schmears are simple and perfect for improvisation, so you can use this same process for different ingredients.  They can be very seasonal: basil-sun dried tomato-seranno pepper is a favorite summer schmear.  They can be savory: oregano-sundried tomato.  They can be sweet: toasted walnut-honey.  You get the idea.

My most frequent schmear, especially in winter when I need a reminder that summer will be back someday, is pesto schmear.

Continue reading

2017 Week 12 – Week of 20 March

Here’s my first menu plan.  I’m also going to try tracking what I spend at the grocery store (for human food, anyway), just to see  how close we might actually come to being able to fulfill our whole diet from the farm and bartering with other area farmers and gardeners.  We’ll call food from our farm freeish, as we largely eat the things weren’t pretty enough for someone to buy…

MondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturdaySunday
BreakfastLemon Ginger Muffins
Lemon Ginger MuffinsLemon Poppyseed BreadLemon Poppyseed BreadLemon Poppyseed BreadBiscuits & Sausage GravyYogurt
LunchDining HallLeftover pasta w/ Peperjack Gouda SauceCoffee Shop (meeting)Beef Veggie Soup
Biscuits
On the RoadSalad w/ leftover lamb
DinnerSalad: spring mix, red onion, toasted walnuts, Gouda, Mandarin Oranges, sautéed chicken, Homemade Vinaigrette
Ancient Grains Pene w/ Peperjack Gouda sauce
Pot Roast
Potatoes
Corn
Biscuits
Beef Vegetable Soup
Biscuits
Beef Vegetable Soup
Biscuits
Salad
On the RoadGrilled Lamb Chops
Roasted Herbed Potatoes
Salad
Roast Whole Chicken
Potatoes
Green Beans & Yellow Wax Beans
NotesHematology Appt.
Harvest Lemons!
Thaw roast
Rifle Season “ends”Last day on the range for shooters going to Junior Olympic NationalsGrades & Comments due
Spring Break Begins!
Thaw chicken

Groceries: Kroger – $21.92

New from the farm: Meyer Lemons!