Pioneer Woman at Heart

One Flourishing, Frugal and Fun Family!

One family learning to live off the land, cut back on expenses, and to live a simpler and a more self-sufficient lifestyle.

Adopted Motto

"Eat it up,
Wear it out,
Make it do,
Or go without."
~A Pioneer Sampler, by Barbara Greenwood~

Wednesday, August 17, 2016

Alfredo Sauce the Healthy Way

I have been in my kitchen for 3-4 days straight now, and well, that's normal for this time of year.  Pretty much all summer and fall.

I had been baking one last zucchini/blueberry cake (hoping not to pack any pounds on), and decided I needed to try a new healthy dinner recipe.

I quickly took a photo before I finished my dinner.  I made an alfredo sauce using cannellini beans, garlic, lemon juice and vegetable broth.  The recipe comes from Clean Eating.  I used some Amish made noodles we were gifted last Christmas.  I really should be rotating out my homemade noodles.  I guess that will be my next project.


The alfredo was pretty good.  Light and very filling.  I added peas, but next time will add spinach too.  I made the entire pot vegetarian, took out some for them, then added some diced leftover chicken I roasted the day before.  Mmmmm!  A great way to use up our chicken.  I was so full, I could not even think if eating a piece of that lemon butter cream frosted cake I made.  However, everyone else in the house did.  

I added a slight amount of Parmesan cheese to the sauce as well.  I had to double it for us, and used 4 cloves of garlic.  I tasted it before I heated it, and it tasted just like hummus.  After heating it, I tasted it again, and it just needed something else.  I was waiting for Hubby to say, "it needs jalapenos" but he didn't.  He ate it all and said it was "very good."

The rain finally stopped. I guess that means I'm back outside again, and the humidity is terrible.  The sweat bees are miserably thick for some odd reason.  I can't remember a year here where I even saw more than a few.  They are everywhere.  Everything is soaked to the gills so I'm not even sure yet if I will succeed at weeding anything. 

The herb garden is bursting with weeds.  Not the good kind of weeds either.  I have a table full of oh so many tomatoes to freeze, and a few yellow squash to slice and freeze.  Maybe I can figure a way to utilize them in dinner tonight.  I was so tired and exhausted last night, I forgot to strain my tea infusion.  I am doing that as I post this, and hope it's not over the top strong. 

Since we are down to only a few meat eaters, we are able to stretch out a roasted chicken into three meals.  Tonight dinner is chicken burritos.  Chicken layered with black beans, and then zucchini salsa mixed with an avocado. 

Update on the rat situation.  I haven't seen it, but I have seen the droppings.  We set two traps in the loft in the goat/chicken barn.  I'll be checking them in a day or so.  We haven't had rats for about 4 years, so I hope it's just one and then we are done.

 

2 comments:

RB said...

The Alfredo sauce made with Canellini beans sounds good. I wonder if that "something missing" might've been cream which could be substituted with just a tiny bit of evaporated milk or coconut milk.
After 10 straight days of exceedingly hot and dry, we're expecting rain, blessed rain, for the next 3-4 days which we're welcoming with open arms. I pray there won't be anything dangerous though.
Prayers everyone has a great, and safe, weekend.
God bless.
RB
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Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

RB, evaporated milk sounds like it might be what it needed. Thanks.