One plate at a time.......

I wanted to lose weight, and I figured the best way was to change how and what I eat. That, for me, meant to cut out refined or processed everything. Hard to fathom? Yeah....my hubby doesn't get it either. Then again he's Mr. Eat-all-the-junk-in-the-world-and-not-gain-an-ounce. Me, I'm one of those people that look at a candy bar and gain 10 pounds. I also developed a sudden fear of preservatives and anything I can't pronounce on an ingredient list. My only option: get really friendly with the staff at 14 Carrot whole foods (the only store like it in my county), and PROCESS MY OWN FOOD. Crazy I know, right? But get this: When you buy a Rice pilaf mix you spend $1-2, right? In there are spices and rice and usually noodles and all you have to do is add water and heat it up. Easy right? What you also get is a mound of salt and preservatives, not to mention any chemicals that may be left over from pesticides or fertilizer. And it's a waste of money! You're spending $1-2 on something that cost the company maybe 15cents to throw together. And you have no control over what's in this product. Where as if you make it yourself, you not only save the money, but you also have COMPLETE CONTROL over what goes into your food. Decision made, problem solved. Now to figure out how to make everything I can buy in a box.........

The internet is full of recipes for anything you can type into a search engine. But I like to create my own recipes. Just ask anyone who was living at my house when I perfected my chocolate chip cookie recipe back in 2000 (it took over a month of tweaking). I still have requests for those cookies, though. And anyone who's had them say they're VERY good! My latest inventions have created quite a stir on Facebook, and at the prompting of my cousin (You know who you are!!!) I've created "The Golden Plates". This is where I'll post my latest creations, my trials and errors, and maybe even some complete flops. Wanna know where the name came from? Well that's for another post.

To get us started, how about I begin with the recipe that initiated my "Hey! I can make that!" craze:

Salmon Fish Sticks

These tender and delicious sticks came from the concern I had for what not only what I eat, but what my kids eat. This is a variation of a family recipe, that I watched my mom make a million times while I was growing up. It's made with salmon, which of course is very good for you. I get mine canned. Yes I know what you're thinking! It is technically processed. However..... If you have seen a homemade canning process, and have a reputable company providing this canning, then you can use your best judgement to decide if you want to use fresh (which is an option) or can your own (also another option), or just buy it from the store. Everything else in this recipe I either made myself, or bought organic, free-range, whatever.

1-14.75 oz canned salmon in water
3 slices of bread
1/2 cup plain cereal O's (cascadian farms makes some, i think)
1/4 cup milk
2 eggs
lemon juice
seasonings (as desired, I just use salt and pepper)
*you will need a food processor for this!*
*in processor, blend bread until soft fine crumbs
*remove crumbs and blend cereal until a fine powder
*drain juice from salmon, but save juice in separate container
*blend crumbs, fish, milk, eggs and seasonings gently (do not overmix!)
*add cereal powder, then add just enough lemon juice and saved fish juice until everything comes together.
*cereal powder is VERY absorbent, so I generally give it a minute or two and then add more liquid as needed.
*shape dough into sticks (get your hands dirty!) I usually give mine flat sides
*fry on lightly oiled griddle or pan until just slightly dry in the middle.

These can be made in a big batch and once cooked can be frozen to be reheated later. I
 always make a double batch and keep a gallon sized freezer bag full of these for a quick lunch for the kiddos!

Enjoy!