Bread and Water Diet LOL

I complain about bread and now I seem to be on a bread diet. I tore my achilles tendon and can barely walk so I loaded up on lunch meat, burger patties, hot dogs and lots of rolls. Each day I hobble outside to walk the dogs, check the mail, etc twice a day and stop off in the kitchen long enough to grab ice water and a sandwich. I am using styrofoam plates and paper towels for dishes but I may run out of silverware soon and have to break down and wash dishes *sigh*

The ankle is massively swollen and I am supposed to keep it immobile and elevated so I will be on the sandwich diet for another week or so. I did pick up some Bisquick to try the pudding cookies but I am waiting until I feel a little better.

Fried Cornbread and Fried Biscuits

I seldom eat bread. I love fresh baked bread, the smell of it, the taste of it, the feel of it. Every now and then I crank up my bread machine and bake a loaf of bread just for the joy of hot fresh hot bread and butter.

However I grew up in coastal SC on the GA border and it is extremely humid there. In the old days before central heat & air, bread after two days was already moldy. Anything you baked or bought had to go into the fridge within about 24 hours. To me refrigerated bread is good for only one thing - toast. (Yes, I know but I can only eat so many croutons and I'm not all that crazy about stuffing. So much work when all I originally wanted was a good sandwich LOL.) So I just got out of the habit of eating bread.

My son didn't much care. I would buy one loaf every two weeks on shopping day and we would have great sandwiches that night and maybe PB&J's the next. Later I would use up the rest for our Saturday morning breakfasts and for grilled cheese sandwiches.

I tried adding cornbread and biscuits to the menu but my son never developed a liking for either. As a single mother with an eye on the electric meter I could not see warming up and electric oven for 15 min and running it for another 20-30 minutes to bake biscuits or cornbread just for me.

I still enjoyed both at times when I made greens or pole beans so I found a way to make them cheaper. I would mix the batter and make a few "griddle cakes" or pancakes. There would be extra if my son decided he wanted some and leftover batter was fine saved in the fridge for a day or two. I still eat cornbread and biscuits this way.

Bulk Cooking

When my son was small I always tried to be super Mom so I learned to do a lot of bulk cooking on the weekends. I would do large pots of potato salad, a roast and some fried chicken, or get out the grill and do hot dogs, burgers and chops. Things we could make meals off of Sat - Wed night. Thurs night my son got a treat at the all you can eat pizza place and Fri night we went grocery shopping and usually picked out something from the deli or did a fast food stop on the way home. Isn't it always ironic, a car full of groceries and you stop for dinner LOL. I know, I know but it wears me out and then I still have to go home and put it all away. If there is anytime when a woman deserves to be treated it is grocery night.

In this vein, I never make pasta or potatoes for one dish. First I start with eggs. After all, pasta and potatoes make great salads so I boil eggs. When they are almost done I add the pasta or potatoes.

For pasta, I drain them and divide into at least 3 of the following dishes:
Pasta salad with fresh tomatoes, diced onion and diced bell peppers tossed with Italian dressing
Pasta & egg salad - mayo, eggs and pasta although many would want to add pickles and possible mustard
Pasta & Crab meat salad - mayo, pasto, diced crab meat, diced peppers/onions/celery
Pasta & Italian sausage salad - I cook a seperate bag of mixed veg (pick any Chinese or other blend - I like them all), mix the veggies, pasta and Ital sausages diced into 1/4 to 1/2 inch cubes, toss with Ranch dressing
Sphagetti - if you tossed a few Ital sausages in with the noodles you are set or you can do a saucepan of hamburger, drain and add pasta and sauce (I prefer Del Monte or Prego green peppers and mushrooms).

For potatoes, I drain them but save the liquid.
Potato salad - for me mayo and eggs is all I want but flavor with all the goodies you like
Mashed potatoes - I grew up on mash made with evaporated milk and still prefer that and I like them with a little bit of substance
Potato Soup - I toss a cup or two of cooked potatoes into the drained liquid and put it in the fridge. The next day I drain off most of the clear liquid from the top and keep the milky liquid in the bottom. I add one can evaporated milk and one can chicken broth to make potato soup. Sometimes I will add some finely diced onion which mean simmering a little longer. Or drain and rinse a can of oysters and add just before serving. This is not a runny soup but if you like it really thick you should add a pinch or two of corn starch.

Happy Cooking :)

Quickie - Pistachio Cookies

I am a big fan of quick cooking. I like recipes that call for 4 or less ingredients. I don't fool around with baking & desserts, but most other recipes I will drop a lot of the ingredients because who needs all that LOL.

Pistachio Cookies

1 1/2 c. Bisquick
2 sm. pkgs. instant pudding mix (pistachio)
1/2 c. cooking oil
2 eggs

Combine ingredients and mix until dough forms a ball. Shape into balls and roll each one in sugar. Place on ungreased baking sheet and flatten slightly with a fork.
Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes.

I will have to experiment with these. I am wondering if you could substitute choc pudding mix or banana or lemon, etc. I am out of Bisquick right now but will test as soon as I can get some groceries.