Time to fill the pantry with some of our favourite’s Or Once a month cooking (OAMC)

Well with running two home, (Emma and I in Melbourne, and Baz in Seaspray). Barry is in the RAAF and is based in Sale Victoria at the moment. About 3 1/2 hours from us by car. We are very luck to have the use of a small beach house at Seaspray, which is about 1/2 hour form Sale. Baz lives there from Sunday night till Friday afternoon, and comes home to us most weekends. Emma and I spent most of the school holiday and some weekends up at Seaspray with Baz when we can.  We all enjoy the time we have there. Some times you can not be together as a family, but you make the most of what you have, and we are a lot luckier then most in the RAAF, Army or Navy. Some do not see there love ones for months on end.
So in saying this the family budget is pushed at times like most of us. I am cooking and buying for two homes. Baz can cook, but he works long hours some times and by the time he get back to the house, cooking is the last thing he is thinking of. When I am cooking for Emma and me, I will quite often do double and freezer what is left over in zip lock bags for later use or for Baz to take back with him.
I also find the dry pre-mixes are good to have on hand, but can get pricey. So here are some of my stand by favourite's, and some links that I have found and use as well. At times I make these for friends as gifts. I will be add adding more recipes and links as time goes buy. Here is a link to my pre-mixed pancakes. It is the last recipe on that page.
My pancake mix is also the perfect to take along on camping trips as there isn't a bunch of separate ingredients to mix up. Simply put the powder in a bowl and add your wet ingredients until the consistency is right.
I really have enjoyed this recipe and the ease of preparation. Also it is very economical to have on hand. Those small packets of pre-flavoured oatmeal do get pricey, and if you use a rice cooker it will cook it self. :)
I have this in Winter and use the rice cooker so I can walk away and have a shower and breakfast is done buy the time I get out, no rushing so you can enjoy have a good warm breakfast.
Dry Oatmeal Mix  OAMC

2 kg quick-cooking oats
4 cup dried fruit cut small. E.g. Dates, Apricots, Cranberries, Apples. 
4 tablespoon ground cinnamon
4 cup Water, 1/2 cup per serving to use when cooking
4 teaspoon Nutmeg
2 teaspoon ground cloves
1. In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients
2. Store in an airtight container in a cool dry place for up to 6 months.
3. To prepare oatmeal: Shake mix well and measure out oatmeal into bowl, add water, and microwave for 3 minutes.
4. Or on a stove top, in a saucepan, bring water to a boil; slowly stir in 1/2 cup mix.
5. Cook and stir over medium heat for 1 minute.
6. Remove from the heat.
7. Cover and let stand for 1 minute or until oatmeal reaches desired consistency.
8. For Rice cooker:
9. Before going to bed  put 1 part  oats mix and 3 parts water in the rice cooker. (A full cup of oats will make three medium or two large servings.) Soaking overnight makes the oats cook more quickly and it also minimizes the risk of boiling over. In the morning, turn on the rice cooker and forget. Come back in approx 30 minutes later for a yummy, warm breakfast.
10. Some times I will use Milk or apple juice instead of water.
11. When serving add more milk to likening and honey if you like as well.

This is my Oat mix and the smaller one is my Cheat’s Spice Couscous mix
Servings: 50
Yield: A bloody lot
Cooking Times Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Recipe Type: Breakfast, Kid Friendly, Low Carb, Low Fat, Make ahead, OAMC, Rice cooker, Vegetarian
Tips
I have long had an on/off/warm rice cooker. I soak the oats overnight then pop it on in the morning, 30 minutes later a nice hot breakfast yip yar. Sometimes I will put in a grated apple when it putting together to cook
Nice to add cinnamon or grated apple, Add cinnamon to taste. I like a lot of cinnamon. I don't ever measure, so I can't tell you how much. But it's probably several tablespoons of cinnamon when I make it up as a dry mix.  You can use apple juice instead of milk, I mix all dry ingredients and store in an airtight container in a cool dry place for up to 6 months. I make this up at a 2-3kg at a  time. :) Hope this helps
Source
Author: Jan Plater
Source: My cooking note book

Copyright: Jan Plater
A little side note. Look at what I just found with Google. Rainbow Pancakes, yes that is right rainbow ones. I think the next time we are at Seaspray and friends are staying for breakfast, I am going to give these a try.

This is Tina’s photo of them. The Arty Farty in me has fallen in love. What can I say colour, colour, colour. I will have to spend some time reading her blog, as tonight I popped in and had a look at just the pancakes. They say cooking is a lot about colour. Well these little babies top the list. Thank you Tina for the fab idea

And now I have found something else with lots of colour Rainbow cake This is by Lorie Cooks - or tries to... Go and have a look

Hey Mom What's For Dinner

Mom what’s for dinner? I remember when I used to ask my mom that question. I could never understand why she got so annoyed when I would say this to her. Well now I get it. With a child of my own, I now know the stress of putting something on the table each night that doesn't elicit groans from my daughter.

And this week has more meaning to what’s for dinner. As Emma was home for over a week from school with a bad cold.   

                                                                                                                        Remember when Grandma told you to eat your chicken soup when you were sick? She was right! Chicken soup has been soothing the sick since at least the 12th century. Today, scientific studies show that chicken soup actually helps relieve congestion and coughing. To make it even more effective, add garlic and pepper to your recipe. So for me, out comes the big guns. Jewish penicillin Akk Home made chicken soup. Before I started this page I thought I would have a look to see if chicken soup did have any therapeutic merit. Well  I found this sight. JewishPenicillin.com And this is what they have come up with. 

“But what can chicken soup accomplish?

Dr. Stephen Rennard, a specialist in pulmonary medicine, put his wife's grandmother's chicken soup recipe to the test. He concluded that chicken soup actually has a mild medicinal effect, inhibiting inflammation of the cells in the nasal passage, reducing the symptoms of a cold.

So chicken soup really can help you get better!

It should be added that to benefit from Jewish Penicillin,
one need not be Jewish.”

Well Mum and Nanna where right!!! And this now makes me feel better, because this is the first thing I make when it looks like there is a cold coming on.

Making soup takes practice, but it is not rocket science. Follow a good recipe and you will get a good pot of soup. Even if you cheat a little and use store brought stock, (Hell I do when I run out of my home made stock) you can still enjoy the soothing goodness of a good bowl of chicken soup.

When I have be sick myself I have used frozen veg, store brought chicken stock and BBQ chicken, there is nothing wrong with it. And no one else home to make it for me. So suck it up girl and make your soup quick and easy, so I can go back to bed. It is not about who can make the best soup from scratch, but making something good for you and yours

It's true! Chicken soup would not still be on the menu after all these years if it did not taste good. Think about it: you have a nice bowl of golden chicken broth filled with vegetables, chunks of chicken meat and lots of herbs and spices. What's not to love?

When you search for a new recipe for chicken soup, you will be amazed at the mass quantity of different recipes. Since chicken soup is enjoyed in many forms all over the world, you can eat chicken soup every night of the week for a year and still not repeat a recipe. And here is one more to pick from.

Chicken Noodle Soup Jewish penicillin Akk

1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium carrots, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices
2 celery ribs, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
4 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 Tablespoon of FRESH rosemary, minced
1/2 tsp cumin
101/2 liters chicken stock or broth (I make my own)
1 package of wide egg noodles
1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Fresh parsley

1. Place a soup pot over medium heat and coat with the oil. ;

2. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, thyme and bay lea,  red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper,  rosemary,  cumin.

3. Cook and stir for about 6 minutes, until the vegetables are softened but not browned.

4. Pour in the chicken stock and bring the liquid to a boil.

5. Add the noodles and simmer for 5 minutes until tender.

6. Fold in the chicken, and continue to simmer for another couple of minutes to heat through

7. season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.

Cooking Times
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

Recipe Type: Budget cooking, Favourite, Kid Friendly, Low Fat, Lunch box, Main Dish, Make ahead, OAMC, Soups

Author: Jan Plater
Source: My cooking note book
Copyright: Jan Plater

Day three felling better mum, have move camp from bed to lounge room. True love is when your dog will stay with you, no matter how grumpy you get with the cold!!!! And of course a warm blanket helps.

And now we are over Jewish penicillin Akk Home made chicken soup Well maybe Emma is, I can eat soup till the cows come home.