So, today's recap. Breakfast was oatmeal, just the way I like it - swimming in a pool of milk with a pad of butter and drizzle of maple syrup on top.
Lunch was leftover chicken cacciatore, which the baby grommet enjoyed every bit as much as he did last night.
Speaking of the baby grommet, he slept much better last night. I was even mildly confused when I woke up at 7, on my own, and didn't need to hop right into action. I'm not used to having time to myself in the mornings, so I laid in bed reading quality literature until duty called. He also stuck to his normal napping schedule so I'm hoping this means we are now back on track.
The normal napping schedule meant I had some time in the afternoon to prep dinner. I still had two chicken leg quarters left that I needed to use, so I decided to start off by browning them in some bacon grease so that they'd be ready to pop in the oven. Meanwhile, I also peeled and cut some carrots in thirds so that I could steam and puree them.
After some research, I found a recipe for low fat chicken and gravy that sounded good. As usual, I had to modify the recipes quite a bit but I had most of the basics and I liked the idea of cooking the flour-dredged chicken in some milk so that the gravy made itself as it mixed with the chicken juices. I probably shouldn't have browned the chicken first, or at least I certainly didn't need to, but in any case I combined some whole wheat flour with salt and dried thyme, then dredged the chicken in it and emptied the extra flour mixture into the bottom of the casserole dish. I put the chicken pieces on top and then added milk until it was about a third of the way up the chicken. I baked it all at 300 for 1 hr 25 minutes, basting the chicken with the gravy/milk three times while cooking, and whisking up the gravy and drippings each time.
While the chicken baked, I sauteed some swiss chard with garlic, then added a bit of cider and water and let it simmer. I served up my portion of carrot puree, covered with swiss chard and topped with a chicken quarter and gravy. It was tasty!
So, is this the end? Am I saying goodbye and signing off for good? Well that would be pretty boring and anticlimactic I think. There are a few epilogues I want to get together, which maybe I'll have some time for once I don't feel so guilty about cooking pasta as a meal anymore. For one, I want to think about the overall pro's and con's, and write about which parts of this challenge we plan on continuing with in our diet. For another, I am going to break down the costs of this challenge to compare with our normal shopping.
But for now, here's the final breakdown:
Breakfasts:
Fried eggs, bacon, and cornbread
Jonnycakes with maple syrup
Scrambled eggs with ham and roasted potatoes
Jonnycakes with blueberry syrup and bacon
Leftover apple crisp (2 mornings in a row - mmmmmm!)
Oatmeal
Lunches:
Cream of vegetable soup with salad
Ratatouille with grits
Jonnycakes with tomatillo salsa
Spicy chicken soup with corn muffins
Leftover chicken soup and ratatouille
Jonnycakes with goat's cheese and smoked bluefish, side salad
Leftover chicken cacciatore
Dinners:
Roasted chicken with root vegetables, cornbread stuffing, and sweet corn salad
Clam chowder, sweet corn salad, and oat flour biscuits
Shepherd's Pie (not 100% local, since we were guests at my in-laws, but mostly local, and definitely could have been done 100% local)
Quiche! (1: Ham, brie, shallots, and tomatoes, 2: Bacon, goat's cheese, leaks, spinach, and tomatoes) served with beet salad and steamed green beans
Seared scallops with roasted potatoes and salad
Chicken cacciatore and spaghetti squash
Baked chicken and gravy with carrot puree and swiss chard
Snacks:
Steamers
Melon with ham
Apple slices with brie
Corn muffins
Yogurt
Mint tea
Smoked bluefish with goat cheese
Homemade applesauce
Desserts:
Apple crisp with maple custard
Maple Ice Cream
Honey Ice Cream
Not bad, if I do say so myself.
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