Simple Baked Potato Lunches

      Baked potatoes have become a frequent lunch option in our home. They are nutritious, budget-friendly and quite simple to prepare. The fun of baked potatoes is that they are a blank canvases that can be made to taste differently each time depending on the toppings. Varying the toppings keeps them from becoming boring. 

      Potatoes can be cooked in the slow-cooker, microwave and oven. I personally prefer using the oven. This method also has the added benefit of aiding in heating our downstairs in the colder months. In warmer months, I find it better to  use the slow-cooker to keep down energy costs. 

      The versatility and cost-effective nature of these meals also make them great for serving guests. Have some fun with the creation of a baked potato bar. You cook the potatoes and provide the basics of salt, pepper and butter. Ask your guests to bring their favorite toppings. It's a fun little way to mix and match the different topping offerings, and perhaps try something new! :)

Baked Potato (oven)
1. Preheat oven to 350 degree. 
2. Wash potatoes thoroughly.
3. Using a fork, poke holes all around the potato to allow steam to escape.
4. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with coarse sea salt.
5. Wrap in aluminum foil.
6. Bake for about an hour or until soft. Note this time is for one to two potatoes. If you're cooking more, then you may have to increase your time.
7. Remove from the oven and allow to cool enough to handle.
8. Cut in half and add your desired toppings!

Toppings We've Enjoyed:
- salt, pepper, butter
- sour cream and chives
- cheddar cheese and bacon
- red onion, bell pepper, black olives (all finely diced) and monterrey jack cheese 
- shredded chicken, diced tomato, mozzarella cheese
- finely chopped broccoli and cheddar cheese
- chili and cheddar cheese
- eggs (as in an "Idaho Sunrise")

 What are some of your favorite toppings for a baked potato?

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Homemade Applesauce

     Applesauce is so simple to make that it has dropped off my grocery list completely. Homemade applesauce is also much healthier than the store bought variety which contains high levels of sugars, including high fructose corn syrup. This post will focus on making homemade applesauce for serving, and a second post later will provide instructions for canning it for enjoyment during the off-season. 

While applesauce can be made with some spice like ginger or cinnamon, I prefer to keep mine fairly basic by letting the apples be the predominant flavor. Certain apples are naturally sweet, and so by selecting these varieties I can reduce the amount of sugar I need to add. A great chart for selecting apples can be found at Pick Your Own. When we have apples in the pantry, it's usually Galas which work well for sauce as well as eating. For my husband and I, I will use about 2-3 apples to make sauce. (The following instructions are for two servings, and so you may need to make adjustments to the quantity if you're serving more people). 

Peel and cut the apples into small pieces. The smaller the pieces the faster they will cook. 

Place in a pot and add about 1/4 c. of water. (The amount doesn't have to be precise. You're not boiling the apples like you would potatoes. The water is just to get the pieces cooking.)

Continue cooking until the pieces easily mash with a fork. For chunky applesauce, use a potato masher to blend. For smoother sauce, a Stick Hand Blender  is wonderful. (I rather like the chunks of apples, so I just get it mostly smooth.)

If you wanted to add sugar, cinnamon or any other flavors then add them now. Whether you add additional flavors or not, the final step is to simply chill and then serve. Enjoy!

Up Next: Canning Homemade Applesauce

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*Note: Some of the products listed above contain affiliate links to Amazon.com. Reviving Homemaking is an affiliate of Amazon.com, and as such receives compensation for each purchase made through the links. 

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3 Ways to Use a Whole Chicken & Homemaking Link-up #4

     Purchasing a whole chicken is the most economical way to meet the need for the majority of our uses . I can get three different purposes out of the one purchase. Furthermore, I can spend a few hours preparing and packaging the products for future use. When I'm short on time, the ability to simply pull out of the freezer the baggie of what I need is fabulous! Did I mention that it also saves us money? I'm all about saving time and money without compromising homemaking or wholesome foods. 

   

      I spent a few days recently preparing two chickens. From these two chickens I was able to put in the freezer: 4 uncooked chicken breasts and tenderloins, 5 quarts of stock, and 7 cups of cooked chicken shred. I can use the chicken breasts for whatever meal necessary. The stock will be great to have for soups and such as that this winter. Finally, the shred is great to have on hand for chicken enchiladas, chicken pot pie, pizza, soups, etc.

1) Chicken Stock

Ingredients:

*Note: The ingredients listed below are estimates. I rarely measure stock ingredients. Making stock is essentially tossing in whatever I happen to have on hand. 
1 whole chicken
3 carrots
3 celery stalks (I have used dried celery seed if I'm out of celery)
1 onion
2 garlic cloves
about 8-10 whole peppercorns 
couple of teaspoons to tablespoon each of dried thyme, parsley

Directions
1) I prefer to cut the breast and tenderloin meat off and freeze it separately. 
2) Roughly chop the carrots, celery, onion and garlic and add to 7 quart pot. Add remaining ingredients.
3) Add enough water to cover the chicken plus an inch or so more. 
4) Simmer until meat pulls away from leg bones or chicken falls apart when lifted from pot. 
5) Allow to cool. Remove chicken from pot to cool some more. 
6) Strain stock and pour into labeled baggies or freezer containers. 

2) Uncooked Breast Meat

     While the stock is simmering, I wrap each piece of breast meat in aluminum foil. Then, I simply place all in a gallon size freezer bag. Whenever I have a meal requiring chicken breast, I simply take the appropriate amount out of the freezer to thaw the night before or morning of use. This would be the equivalent to those big bags of chicken breasts sold in the grocery at a higher price and lower quality. 

3) Chicken Shred

      Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, I pick all the meat off the bones. I then portion about a cup of meat per baggie. I prefer to do a cup at a time because many meals like chicken pot pie, enchiladas and others only require a small amount of chicken. If I need more I can always pull out more than one bag. It's easier to do it this way than to thaw two cups or more of meat and not need that much. 

 The result:

One chicken produced 2.5 quarts stock, 2 uncooked breasts, and four cups of shred. 

 From two chickens I was able to put in the freezer: 5 pints & 2 quarts of stock, 4 uncooked breasts, and 6 cups shred. That should give me a good start to preparing future meals!

Linked up at: A Mama's Story, The Modest Mom Blog, What Joy Is Mine, The Better Mom, An Original Belle, Mom's the Word, Far Above Rubies, Growing Home, Time-Warp Wife, Deep Roots at Home, Raising Homemakers, Serving Joyfully

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      Welcome to the Weekly Homemaking Link-up!   

     Each Wednesday will feature an opportunity to link-up your posts, as well as read through many others linked-up here. Connecting and sharing with others is a wonderful way to preserve and grow in the art of homemaking! Topics to consider include, but are not limited to:

• ·         Simple and economical living (one-income living, frugal ways, simplifying etc.)
• ·         Food (selecting and preparing various types, recipes, menu planning etc).
• ·         Kitchen skills/tips (essential tools, knife skills, cooking techniques etc.)
• ·         Home Organization (small space living, storage solutions, function + style etc)
• ·         Personal Organization (routines, planning etc)
• ·         Clothing (sewing, modesty, outfit ideas etc)
• ·         Sewing (needlework, pattern construction etc)
• ·         Marriage and family (tips for building strong home, family, and marriage)
• ·         Cleaning (homemade products, management etc)
• ·         Christian faith

To enter:

     - Enter the direct link to your post (not your blog)

     - Please reserve links to product sales, Etsy shops, consultant sales or other business 

          related links for the Small Business Saturday Link-up. Links of such content may be 

          referred to this second link-up instead of published here. 

     - When you leave a link, visit the link before and after yours. Let's encourage the 

          homemaking community! 

     - Note: You will be required to enter a back link. (In other words, you must have 

          somewhere on your post that it is linked-up here)The back link will be the 

          web address for this specific post. . Thanks!

*Note: I reserve the right to accept or reject link submissions. I maintain a priority of protecting the interest of the blog and readers by displaying only information and links that are appropriate for the audience (ie obscene or otherwise disrespectful content will not be published). 

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Homemade Yogurt

       Yogurt is a staple in our home. We use it in snacks, smoothies, breakfast parfaits, and as an ingredient substitution. There are many nutritional benefits to eating yogurt. When comprised of only the two basic components of milk and yogurt starter, you’re getting the nutritional offering of the milk plus the good bacteria found in the yogurt. Yogurt purchased in the stores is often times loaded with preservatives and sugars. There is also the issue of purchasing and throwing away all those plastic cups. My husband and I have since learned how to make a large batch of yogurt for a fraction of the cost. We initially used a slow-cooker method. My slow-cooker tended to get hotter in certain places and would scorch the milk leaving a mess of the milk and pot. So, we moved on from this method to the stovetop method. It does take some time to make yogurt at home. It probably takes me an hour from start to putting it away to culture, but I’m not standing over the pot the entire time. Now, let me show you why it may be worth finding an hour each week:

Cost to Purchase Ingredients: $4.73

Milk: $3.39/gallon & Yogurt starter: $1.34/6oz

Per Batch Cost: $1.07

Milk: $0.85/quart

Yogurt starter: $0.22/oz/2T

Purchased Yogurt: $1.34/6oz container

Unit cost

Homemade: $0.03/oz

Purchased: $0.22/oz

     In summary, we make one quart of yogurt for $1.07! If we purchased the near equivalent in 6oz cups we would need to buy 5-6 packages (@$1.34 each) which would total $6.70-8.04! I don’t know about you, but that’s a big difference for my grocery budget!

     I've found that the key to regularly including certain homemade foods is to make them part of your weekly routine. Pick a day of the week and make a particular food item that day. Keeping granola, breads, and yogurt on hand is much easier when I make making those items a part of life instead of setting aside life to make them. For instance, my hubby makes all our breads for the week on Sundays (he is amazing  at making breads). Finding time to do yogurt is similar. 

Steps:
(Keep in mind we're making only a quart for just my husband and I for a week. If you have a larger family, then adjust the amounts to fit your needs)

You will need: quart jar with lid, thermometer, whisk, 2 pots, 1 qt. milk (whole milk works best), and 2 T plain yogurt with active cultures (we like Chobani brand best). 

The first order of business is to sterilize your jar and lid. Simply place your jar and lid in the larger pot with water and heat to a boil. Allow to boil for a bit and then remove to a towel to cool. 

Next, heat your milk. This step is essentially re-pasteurizing the milk to make sure the only bacteria present to culture are those found in the yogurt starter. Heat the milk to 185˚F, and then hold it here for about 5 minutes. Then, cool the milk to 115˚F.

Add 2 tablespoons of yogurt to your jar. Add 1/2 c. of milk to the jar. Gently shake or stir to combine.  Then, add the remaining milk. This two step process allows your yogurt cultures to slowly rise in temperature to be able to safely tolerate the high temperature of the milk, so don't skip on this step. 

Replace the water in the large pot with as much cold water necessary to bring the temperature of the water to between  

90-100˚F. Place the filled quart jar in the water until submerged.  Leave the pot in the oven with the oven light on overnight to culture, approximately 8-10 hours. 

The next day, you have a quart of cultured yogurt! If you would like you can strain the yogurt at this point to have thicker, Greek-style yogurt with leftover whey or you can leave it as is. Sometimes I strain mine and sometimes I don't. If I'm going to be making a batch of granola then I might strain it to have whey to soak the oats. 

Uses:

     We currently use yogurt in making breakfast parfaits, smoothies (freeze the yogurt in cubes for a better smoothie result), snacks (add a spoonful of fruit preserves or fresh fruit for flavors), and as a partial mayonnaise substitution. My husband detests mayo. so I use half mayo and half yogurt in any recipe that calls for mayo. 

     Using yogurt as a substitution is also a good way to make the grocery budget stretch as it's cost is usually much less than the ingredient it's replacing. You can actually use yogurt in specific proportions in place of butter, oil, sour cream, mayonnaise, cream cheese, and buttermilk! Chobani's website has a lovely infograph conversion table of these substitutions.

*Note: Reviving Homemaking is not an affiliate of Chobani and has not been asked or persuaded in anyway to promote this brand. It's simply a brand that I have been pleased with in my own experience, and therefore wish to share with others. 

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Maximizing Freezer Space

       One of the most aggravatingly disorganized spaces has been my freezer. It's a small, open freezer in which foods can quickly get piled up and lost. I love utilizing the convenience and savings offered by a well-stocked freezer, but digging through the mass was not helping me in either regard. I needed some kind of an organization system that allowed me to maximize the small space while still providing me access to everything. My solution has involved the addition of a tiered sliding basket unit, cabinet shelf and Freezer Inventory Sheet. 

     Now, everything has a place so I know where to look for what I need. The breakdown is as follows:

     (1) Ice Cube Trays- Ice cube trays take up about half the room of the automatic ice cube maker's bin. In such a small area, that space is too valuable to lose. Ice cube trays are more versatile in that I can freeze several different foods instead of just ice.

     (2) Chicken Stock- Chicken stock is easily made by tossing in some celery, carrots seasonings when boiling a whole chicken. I flat freeze my stock in one cup portions so that I thaw about what I need per use and they stack up nicely when stored.

     (3) Meats & Pre-made Meals- Most of the meats I store regularly are ground beef/turkey (flat frozen in per use bags), shredded cooked chicken (also flat frozen in per use bags), pork chops (after cutting a whole loin into portions). Pre-made meals are typically anything that we didn't quite finish the week it was cooked. For instance, we currently have leftover mackerel patties, meatballs for pasta, and Norwegian meatballs ready to go whenever we need a quick meal option.

     (4) Fruits- We make a couple of trips during the spring & summer to pick our own blueberries, apples, and strawberries. Some of gets used immediately in baked goods or canned, while the rest gets tray frozen. I particularly love putting these frozen berries into smoothies

     (5) Dairy, Sauces, Soups and Breads- If we have any cheeses leftover by the week's end then I'll cut some of it into slices and the rest will get shredded. This way, we can continue to have a variety of cheeses without worries of it going bad. Soups and sauces get frozen flat in bags in per use portions to allow them to stack nicely. The exception is with pesto and salsa which I freeze in ice cube trays because we only use a smaller amount at a time than can be frozen in a bag. I typically don't keep too many finished breads in the freezer. However, I do love keeping bags of tortilla dough balls. 

     (6) Vegetables- I like to have a variety of frozen vegetables and will typically purchase in the best value size, which is perhaps the main culprit to the piles that tend to arise. I've found that it is easiest on me to actually divide the larger bag into per use portions and store them clustered. When I need it I simply grab the pre-measured bag and add it to whatever I'm cooking. It also keeps the rest of the vegetables in the bag fresher by not being opened and exposed each time that particular vegetable is needed. Along this same line, I dice fresh onion and bell peppers, tray freeze them and then store them in bags. When needed, I just scoop out the portion the dish calls for, which saves me time and dirty dishes from prepping them on the spot. As you can see from the picture, I'm able to get quite a bit of vegetables in that single bin! 
 
    Last but not least is the Freezer Inventory Sheet that keeps me informed as to what we have and what needs to be purchased before we make our weekly grocery trip. Simply jot down what item is stored under each category when it goes in the freezer. When it's used, then it get's marked down or off and you thereby know if you need to replace it. I currently keep mine on the side of the freezer and use a pencil to record on it. To make it even easier, slip it in a sheet protector and then using a fine tip dry erase marker each time. I've provided the sheet I created and use in the link under the photo. 

Freezer Inventory Sheet

     There are a few different methods of freezing food, some of which have been mentioned above. We'll discuss those further in an upcoming post. 

Linked up at: A Mama's Story, The Alabaster Jar, Homestead Revival, The Better Mom, What Joy is Mine, Covered in Grace, Raising Arrows, Organize Your Stuff Now, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Thankful Homemaker, Time-Warp Wife, Growing Home, Far Above Rubies, Women Living Well

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