Classic Homemaking With A Modern Flair

Chocolate Banana Muffins

2012-01-09T13:05:00.000-08:00

In case you can't tell, I like Banana Muffins. I'm not a huge fan of bananas on their own, but I do enjoy Banana Bread and Banana Muffins. This latest recipe was adapted from Crystal at Money Saving Mom.

Chocolate Banana Muffins - makes 22-24 regular muffins

3 1/2 cups (17.5 oz) soft whole wheat flour (aka whole wheat pastry flour)
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 cups turbinado (raw) sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
4 eggs
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 cups bananas, mashed well
1 T. vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips

Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In the Bosch (with the cookie paddles), mix together the banana, eggs, butter, applesauce, and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and the chocolate chips. Mix on low speed just until combined.

Using a large, spring-loaded ice cream scoop (filled and leveled), portion batter into muffin tins that are lined with cupcake papers. Bake at 350° for 23-25 minutes.

These freeze very well.

**Today, I accidentally forgot the applesauce, but they turned out okay anyways because I had added and extra half-cup of banana because it was available. However, it only made 22 muffins. Also, you can totally use brown sugar instead of the raw sugar, but I am liking turbinado sugar more and more because they are really large crystals, so you end up using less, and because they don't fully dissolve in your batter, they give everything a nice crunch.

Another Awesome Free eBook

2012-01-05T09:14:00.000-08:00

Crystal from Money Saving Mom is doing another awesome free eBook giveaway for those that blog, tweet, or post on facebook about her new book! I'm excited to read it, as I have read Crystal's blog for a couple of years. You can order it off of Amazon, or you can get it from the library. I know the Maricopa Library District has several copies on order because I am one of the patrons on the waiting list for it. I would love to get my own copy, but when you are trying to save money, the library is a great resource!
(note: the Amazon link is Crystal's affiliate link, since I don't have an affiliate account with them.)

Amazing Fruit Dip

2011-10-19T16:21:00.000-07:00

My friend, Jenny, brought us dinner after I had Elle, and while the whole thing was delicious, this was our favorite part. When she told me how easy it was, I was amazed. It is especially good with apples, pineapple, and strawberries.

Amazing Fruit Dip

1 (8oz) package Cream Cheese
1 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 to Full bag English Toffee Bits

Mix together cream cheese and brown sugar until creamy and well combined. (A hand mixer makes this a lot easier than using just a whisk.) Stir in the toffee bits. That's it - very easy, and very good!

Amazing and Super Easy Chocolate Mousse...and Truffles!

2011-10-06T21:01:00.000-07:00

(Maybe I'll actually get pictures this weekend if Elle cooperates...)

My sister emailed me a link containing a recipe for chocolate mousse that is only chocolate, water, and sugar. I couldn't believe it would actually work, since mixing melted chocolate and water is a major no-no because it causes the chocolate to seize. Well, not only did it work amazingly well, but it even worked while I was trying to juggle a crying baby who had woken up right as I was starting to melt everything, a 6-year-old who really, really wanted to help stir things, and a husband who walked in from a church meeting only to grab his stuff and run out the door because he had just gotten a call-out for work. (Anne isn't feeling well so she slept through all of this.) So not only is it a great recipe, but it's mom-friendly, too.

I called my sister, and she came by to sample it. As we were reveling in its very, very rich goodness, inspiration struck. Because I was trying to manage so many things, I had let the bowl of mousse sit in the ice bath for a few minutes after it reached the perfect consistency. This cause it to get more stiff, and we realized that if we turned the stiff mouse into truffles, it would be even better. Well, I happened to have a truffle-size cookie scoop, and some pretty pricey Peter's Milk Chocolate (the same milk chocolate used by See's Candy Co.). A few minutes later, our hunch was confirmed, and glorious truffles were born. We did learn two things from our quick experiment tonight: 1) freeze the inner (mousse) balls before trying to dip them or they will melt, and 2) put them on a waxed paper lined cookie sheet to set because they stick to a regular plate.

So here is the recipe, and a link to the YouTube video about it.

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE (CHOCOLATE CHANTILLY)
Recipe by Herve This & Heston Blumenthal

Ingredients

9.35 ounces (265 grams) bittersweet (%70 cocoa solids) chocolate, chopped (I used Trader Joe's Belgian Bittersweet, and it was great!)
1 cup (240 ml) water
4 tbsp sugar, optional (unless you love really strong dark chocolate flavor, definitely add the sugar)

Method

Place a large mixing bowl on top of another slightly smaller one, filled with ice and cold water (the bottom of the large bowl should touch the ice). Set aside.*
Put chocolate and water (also sugar if you’re using) in a medium-sized pan and melt the chocolate over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Pour the melted chocolate into the mixing bowl sitting on top of ice and water, and start whisking with a wire whisk (or an electrical hand-held mixer) until thick**. Watch the texture as you whip and make sure not to over-whip as it will make the mousse grainy. If the mousse becomes grainy (which is possible at your first try), transfer it back into the pan, reheat until half of it is melted, pour it back to the mixing bowl and whisk again briefly.
Divide into four serving cups and serve immediately.***

Notes:
*About half-way through whipping, I realize that my chocolate wasn't cooling very fast, so I quickly dumped the ice water into a larger bowl, and then nestled the bowl of chocolate down into it. This worked great, and I will definitely do it again.
**I wouldn't even bother trying to whisk the mousse unless you want your arm to feel like it's going to fall off. Just go straight for the hand mixer on low speed. Beware, though, that it splatters, especially at the beginning. I started with the whisk but quickly realized that I would never get anywhere, especially while trying to keep Elle happy.
***To make truffles, let the bowl of mousse sit in the ice bath for about 5 minutes after you finish whipping, or refrigerate for about 10 minutes, until it becomes stiffer and easy to scoop. Be sure to freeze the scooped mousse completely before trying to dip in the melted milk chocolate.

Happy Birthday Anne and the Best-Tasting Princess Cake Ever!

2011-09-14T11:37:00.001-07:00

Strawberry Cake (adapted from here)

3/4 cup pureed strawberries
1/4 cup milk
6 egg whites
1 Tbsp. vanilla
*whisk together, and let sit until room temperature, about 30 minutes. Whisk again before adding to dry ingredients*

2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cup white sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
12 Tbsp. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

Preheat oven to 350°, and prepare cake pans. In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add butter, and mix until it resembles coarse crumbs. Add the liquid ingredients, and beat until smooth. Divide batter evenly between pans, and smooth tops. Bake 25-30 minutes, then check for doneness. Do not underbake, or the centers will collapse. Do not jiggle pans as you are checking them, or centers will collapse. (I learned this one the hard way!) Cool for 10 minutes, then remove from pans to wire rack to finish cooling completely.

Strawberry Buttercream

1 pound (2 cups) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup strawberry puree
1 Tbsp. vanilla (clear works great, so your frosting doesn't turn brownish)
Powdered Sugar, enough to make it the desired consistency (approx. 1 4-pound bag from Sam's Club)

Beat everything together, adding more sugar as needed to achieve your desired consistency.

To pipe ruffles, use a #104 petal tip, with the skinny side towards you. Go back and forth, gradually working upward.

Helpful tips:
Swiss Meringue is stupid! I have tried twice to make it, and I can never even get the stiff peaks to form. Instead I made a simple strawberry buttercream that was amazing! The only thing is that it gets soft fast, so about 1/3 of the way through the ruffling, the cake and pastry bag of frosting both need to go back into the refrigerator for about 30 minutes (maybe only 20 minutes for the pastry bag...) so that the ruffles won't collapse. Do the same thing 2/3 of the way through.

Banana Cake Muffins - Third Time's a Charm

2011-08-16T16:07:00.000-07:00

I am really pleased with the end results. I finally have something I don't feel (too) guilty about eating for breakfast. Anne really likes these, too. They freeze amazingly well. Just defrost for a few seconds in the microwave, and enjoy! (I put them on their side for about 10 seconds, and then turn them onto their other side for another 10 seconds. That way the top doesn't stick to the paper towel.)

Banana Cake Muffins - for the third, and (most likely) final, time

1 C. Unsalted Butter, softened*
1 1/2 C. Turbinado Sugar
4 Eggs**
2 tsp. Vanilla
3 1/2 C. Soft Whole Wheat Flour (aka Whole Wheat Pastry Flour)
1 Tbsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Sea Salt
1 tsp. Ginger
1 C. Buttermilk
5 large Bananas, pureed or very well mashed (approx 2 1/2 - 3 cups)
1 bag Cinnamon Chips, chopped***

Line two regular size muffin tins with cupcake papers. Grease a mini loaf pan as well for any left over batter.

Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Cream the butter and sugar. Add eggs, mixing after each addition. Add dry ingredients, and pour buttermilk over the top. Mix until well combined. Mash the bananas and add them, mixing well. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out nearly clean with only a few little crumbs attached

Alternately, this can be made into 5 mini loaves. Bake for 45 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out nearly clean with only a few little crumbs attached.

*I am contemplating replacing half the butter with a 1/2 cup of applesauce to increase the nutrition value, but I haven't done it yet. I may or may not try it, because I really like these just they way they are. If you try it, let me know how it turns out.

**I found Omega-3 fortified eggs marked down at Fry's, and used those.

***Albertson's is the only grocery store that I have found that carries Cinnamon Chips. They are right next to the regular chocolate chips. I would highly recommend chopping them into smaller pieces, otherwise they sink to the bottom of each muffin. If you find Mini Cinnamon Chips, they would probably work better, but I am not willing to pay the exorbitant amount to special order them.

Applesauce - in the Crockpot

2011-05-10T08:43:00.000-07:00

After getting free, organic apples on two separate occasions over the last two weeks, I decided to make applesauce.

Applesauce in the Crockpot

Apples
Brown Sugar
Cinnamon
Water - just a little bit

Peel and core apples. Fill the Crockpot half way, and add some brown sugar and cinnamon. Finish adding apples until the Crockpot is nearly full, and add a little more cinnamon and brown sugar depending on your tastes. Toss everything together as much as you can (easier said than done), and add just a little bit of water to get things started. Cook on LOW for 5-6 hours. Puree the apples in either the blender of food processor. You can can the applesauce, but I just froze it after refrigerating it to get cold because we go through it really fast, and it wasn't worth the effort of canning for only 4 quarts.

Mother's Day and Teacher Gifts

2011-05-04T09:20:00.000-07:00

Update: I made up some more of these to send to the office ladies at Spencer's school for Teacher Appreciation week. They were a hit!

I have been racking my brain (what's left of it!) for the last several weeks over what to do for Mother's Day. Late one night, I had a brilliant idea that would have been perfect - but I neglected to write it down, figuring that it was so spectacular that there was no way I would forget it...Well, I did forget it. C'est la vie.

So, in case you find yourself in a similar boat, I thought I would post what I finally decided upon: Sugar Scrubs! These are so easy, and come together quickly. Most recipes on the web call for using Sweet Almond Oil, but say that you can substitute a myriad of different oils. Since I couldn't find Sweet Almond, I decided to go with alternative Grapeseed Oil, found at Trader Joe's. It was also a lot cheaper than the Almond Oil would have been. (Side note: I love Trader Joe's! Not as much as I love Target or Amazon, but it's definitely close. And the fact that it is right by my house totally helps.) I did come across Coconut Oil at Walmart Marketplace when I ran in to have them price match milk before it went off sale tomorrow, but after having used both, I would just stick to the Grapeseed Oil. A light Olive Oil without much of an aroma would also work well.

Note: You can totally swap out any of the essential oils for different ones. These are just the three I picked.

Peppermint Delight Sugar Scrub
1 C. Granulated White Sugar
1/4 C. finely crushed (ie: more or less totally powdered) Peppermint Candies
1/2 C. Coconut Oil
1/2 tsp. Vitamin E Oil (not totally necessary, but acts as a natural preservative)
4 drops Peppermint Essential Oil

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl, and mix well.

Directions for use: rub onto skin, focusing on heels, feet, elbows, and hands. Rinse well.

Lavender Brown Sugar Scrub
1 C. Brown Sugar
1/3 C. Grapeseed Oil
1/2 tsp. Vitamin E Oil
10 drops Lavender Essential Oil

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl, and mix well.

Directions for use: rub onto skin, focusing on heels, feet, elbows, and hands. Rinse well.

Orange Blossom Sugar Scrub
1 C. Granulated White Sugar
7 Tbsp. Grapeseed Oil
1/2 tsp Vitamin E Oil
8 drops Orange Essential Oil
4 drops Vanilla Extract

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl, and mix well.

Directions for use: rub onto skin, focusing on heels, feet, elbows, and hands. Rinse well.

Crockpot Chicken Enchiladas

2011-02-22T16:52:00.000-08:00

Crockpot Chicken Enchiladas

Corn Tortillas
1 bottle chicken, drained (or about 2 cups cooked chicken)
2 1/2 - 3 cups green enchilada sauce
shredded cheese

Layer everything in a 4-quart crockpot, making three or four layers. Top with remaining sauce and more shredded cheese. Cook on HIGH 1 hour, then turn to low for 4-5 hours. Vent lid with a wooden skewer for the last hour. Turn off crockpot, remove lid, and let set for 5-10 minutes. Serve with chips, salsa, and sour cream.

This is the same process you use with red enchiladas. Just substitute beef or pork if you want.

Crockpot Chicken Fajitas

2011-02-15T09:16:00.001-08:00

Crockpot Chicken Fajitas
This fed the four of us, with left overs for Johnny's lunch tomorrow. If you need more, use more chicken and peppers.

4 small, frozen chicken breasts (mine were actually giant chicken breasts that I had cut in half before freezing them)
Bell Peppers, cut into strips (I have no idea how many I used. Probably 4 or 5 total because like I said, I have an abundance at the moment)
Italian Salad Dressing
Poultry Seasoning, Garlic Powder, and Salt

Put your chicken and a few pepper strips (probably one pepper's worth) in the Crockpot. Pour on some Italian dressing (like 1/3 of a bottle. Don't use anything strong - just a plain old Italian dressing. I used Wishbone light because it's what I had.) and add the rest of the seasonings to taste. Cover and cook on HIGH for 1 Hour, then switch it to LOW for 3-4 hours. Once your chicken is cooked through, about an hour to an hour and a half before serving, (the chicken should no longer pink inside - 165° if you want to be technical...which I am when it comes to temperatures...) slice it or shred it depending on your preferences. I felt like sliced tonight, and I liked how it turned out. Add half of the remaining peppers to the slow cooker, and then put the chicken in. Add the rest of the peppers. Sprinkle with a little bit of salt (not too much). Turn the Crockpot to HIGH, and cook for another hour or so, until the peppers are softened the way you like. Mine were perfect right at an hour and 15 minutes.

So, here is your basic synopsis:
HIGH - 1 Hour
LOW - 3-4 Hours (this will kind of depend on your slow cooker and the size of your chicken. Mine only took 3 hours.)
HIGH - 1-1.5 Hours

I hope you like it!

Project

2010-12-14T09:16:00.000-08:00

One of many projects I've been up to. Thankfully, I had help.

Green Bean Casserole

2010-11-29T13:46:00.000-08:00

Johnny likes Green Bean Casserole. In the nearly eight years we have been married, I never knew this until a week ago. I don't like Green Bean Casserole, and I guess I just assumed he didn't either since he's never mentioned it before. However, since I was making an entire Thanksgiving dinner for our little family, I had to find a recipe for Green Bean Casserole, but there were certain standards and conditions that needed to be met. First, it had to use fresh green beans. It just did. It's a principles thing - I just couldn't bring myself to make a casserole (even one that I don't care for) using frozen, or even worse, canned green beans. I don't think frozen would be too bad, but since you have to thaw them anyways, fresh green beans are actually less work and better quality, in my opinion. Secondly, Johnny insisted that it had to use the French's Fried Onions that come in a can. Simple enough. First, I turned to All Recipes, and struck out finding one that called for fresh green beans. A quick internet search led me to a recipe from Alton Brown on the Food Network Website, called Best Ever Green Bean Casserole. Now, Alton Brown is my kind of perfectionist cook, akin to America's Test Kitchen, so I figured if he labeled it as "Best Ever", then it must be pretty good. The following recipe has been adapted from that original one. Alton Brown includes a recipe for making your own fried onion topping, but I chose instead to use Johnny's old favorite, French's Fried Onions. Maybe next year, I'll make the homemade ones and see what he thinks. For the main recipe, I left out the mushrooms, and added some bacon bits. I also blanched the green beans the night before, and refrigerated them to make the prep on Thanksgiving Day a little bit faster (and to free up the burners).

Johnny's Green Bean Casserole
(adapted from Alton Brown's Best Ever Green Bean Casserole)

Preheat oven to 375° (which is the same temperature I cook my Stuffing at because they need to be cooking at the same time).

For the Beans and Sauce:
1 lb fresh green beans, trimmed, halved, and blanched*
2 Tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp AP flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup half & half
Salt & Pepper, to taste
French's Fried Onions
Bacon Bits (approx. 3 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled)

*To blanch the green beans, fill a pot 2/3's of the way with water, and add 2 Tbsp. salt. Bring to a boil, and then add the beans. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle boil for 5 minutes. Immediately drain beans and put them into ice cold water to stop the cooking. Let sit for a few minutes, and then drain. At this point, you can either refrigerate the beans (which is what I did because I did this step the night before), or you can continue with the recipe.

Melt the butter in a 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, and cook until it's lightly browned, being careful not to burn it. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute. Add the chicken broth, and simmer for 1 minute. Decrease the heat to medium-law, and add the half and half, and salt and pepper. Cook until the mixture thickens, stirring occasionally, approximately 6-8 minutes.

Remove from heat, and stir in the green beans, bacon bits, and 1/4-1/2 cup French's Fried Onions. Top with more French's Onions. Bake until bubbly, about 20 minutes.

**Optional homemade "fried" onions:
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup AP flour
2 Tbsp. Panko bread crumbs
1/2 tsp. salt
Nonstick cooking spray

Preheat oven to 475°. Combine the flour, panko, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the onions, and toss to combine. Coat a sheet pan with nonstick cooking spray and evenly spread the onions on the pan. Bake on the middle rack, until the onions are golden brown, approximately 30 minutes. Toss and shake the pan 2 or 3 times during cooking. When the onions are done, set them aside until you are ready for them.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding

2010-11-04T10:14:00.000-07:00

Johnny got the recipe from someone at work who brought the bread pudding in. He has been talking about how great it is for a week. I was skeptical, I must admit, because I don't like bread pudding at all. This, however, is more akin to a great pumpkin pie filling with a super sauce on top. It was my breakfast this morning.

Johnny made the whole entire thing himself! I only supplied a little bit of basic cooking knowledge, but he did all of the work. We will definitely be making this again.

Note: The original recipe calls for 1 cup of toasted pecans to be added to the caramel sauce. We left these out. Also, it called for the pudding to be baked in 11 6-oz ramakins. This is totally not practical for our family, though would be great if I were hosting a holiday dinner and wanted individual portions. Instead, we baked it in a 9x13 dish.

Carmel Pumpkin Bread Pudding
adapted from Southern Living, via My Recipes

Bread Pudding
4 eggs
1 29 oz can pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup half & half
1 cup white sugar
1-2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 (approx 12 oz) loaf french bread, cut into 1-inch cubes

Caramel Sauce
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 T light corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla

To make the bread pudding: Whisk together the first eight ingredients in a large bowl until well combined. Add the bread, stirring thoroughly to coat. Cover, and refrigerate overnight (8 hours) or up to 24 hours.

Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease a 9x13 dish, and spoon bread pudding into it. Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove foil, and bake 15 minutes longer.

During the last 10 minutes of baking, make the Caramel Sauce by cooking the sugar, butter, and corn syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring often, until sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla (and pecans if you are including them).

Remove the Bread Pudding from the oven, and pour the Caramel Sauce evenly over the top. Return it to the oven for 5 minutes more, until the sauce begins to bubble.

Serve warm, or refrigerate and serve cold. It's even better with Cool Whip, but then again, what isn't?

Pomegranate Jelly

2010-10-12T08:45:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I had a dead car battery. I had planned to go to the Fruit Store, but instead I made bread. When it was finished, I put a little pomegranate jelly on a slice and thought it was simply perfect! The pomegranates at my parents' house are starting to turn red. In another month - by Thanksgiving for sure - they will be ready, and I will spend countless hours getting the seeds out just so I can extract the beautiful juice and make pomegranate jelly once again. It is a lot of work, but the result is amazing! It is also kind of fun because Johnny ususally helps me get the seeds out and you get to hit the pomegranates with a large spoon. Just don't miss and hit your hand...it hurts!

This is the link to the Martha Stewart video I discovered last year that made it so much easier to get the seeds out.

Pomegranate Jelly - adapted from Simply Recipes and Kraft
-note: I have a large enough canner that I make a double batch of jelly. If you don't, then I would recommend using the original recipe from Simply Recipes.

8 C. clear Pomegranate Juice*
2 1/4 boxes of pectin**
10 C. Sugar
2 tsp butter to reduce foaming, if desired

Stir together the juice and the pectin. Stir constantly to avoid burning. Heat to a rolling boil that can't be stirred down. Add the sugar all at once, stirring to dissolve. (Add butter if using.) Stir constantly, and bring the mixture to a full boil. Boil hard for 2 minutes, and then shut off the heat. Skim any foam, and ladle into your prepared jars. Process in a boiling water canner according to your altitude. (For me, it's 15 minutes because we are at 1250 feet.)

*To make the juice, remove the seeds from the pomegranates, and puree them in a blender. Line a colander with a double layer of wet cheesecloth, and allow the juice to drip into a container undisturbed for several hours. If you have the time, it is also good to refrigerate the juice so that any sediment settles to the bottom, and you can just ladle off the top clear juice.

**After having jams fail to set, I read a tip somewhere recommending you add an extra 1/4 package of pectin or so to ensure that your jams and jellies will set properly. It has made a world of difference!

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Waffles

2010-09-01T17:58:00.000-07:00

I had buttermilk that I picked up at Fresh & Easy on clearance that needed to be used, and soft white wheat flour in the freezer. I picked up some wheat germ yesterday at Sprouts after seeing a few recipes for it. And Johnny called saying he was going to be about an hour late getting home. Thus, I made this recipe up on the fly, and dinner was born. I didn't measure anything when I was making it, so feel free to do the same.

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Waffles (makes about 8 waffles)

3 1/2 C. Soft Whole Wheat Flour (aka Whole Wheat Pastry Flour)
1/4 C. Wheat Germ
1/4 C. Ground Flax Seed
2 tsp. Cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. Ginger
pinch of Sea Salt
1 T. Baking Powder

Whisk together dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together:

2 C. Buttermilk
2 Eggs
1/4 C. Canola Oil
2 tsp. Vanilla
1 1/2 T. Honey
1 T. Maple Syrup (the real stuff)

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and whisk together. Add water a little at a time until batter reaches the right consistency for pouring. Cook in your waffle iron.

Serve with real maple syrup for a real treat!

Croutons

2010-08-30T13:57:00.000-07:00

I made a bunch of bread sticks for our family dinner yesterday. This is what I did with the leftovers.

Croutons

Toss bread or soft bread sticks that have been cut into cubes with a little bit of olive oil and a sprinkling of sea salt. (Start with just a little oil - you don't want too much, and you can always add more. Also, my bread sticks were already well seasoned, and didn't need any other herbs, but if you're using plain bread, feel free to add other stuff.) Spread in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet (don't over crowd the baking sheet), and bake for about 45 minutes at 315°. Turn off oven, and leave the croutons in there for another hour to an hour and a half, until thoroughly dried and crunchy. (In other words, I had to take Spencer to school, and then ran a couple of errands.) Let cool to room temperature, then spread on a couple of paper towels to remove any excess oil, then store in a plastic bag. I have no idea how long they will store, and because my kids prefer croutons to potato chips, popcorn, or anything like that, I don't think they will last more than a day or two around here. (And I made three baking sheets worth!)

Note: If you are cooking two batches at a time, turn the baking sheets length-wise, and stagger them (ie: put one all the way to the left on one rack, and the other all the way to the right on the rack right below it) so that the rack on top doesn't trap any of the moisture coming off the bottom sheet. Also, rotate them halfway through baking.

My New Toys

2010-08-22T19:02:00.000-07:00

Aren't they pretty? The skillet is a Calphalon 1392 12" Fry Pan, and the measuring spoons are actually two sets combined from All Clad. Johnny picked the measuring spoons out for me at Williams-Sonoma while he was in Florida for work last week. He bought both the traditional sizes set, as well as the odd sizes set (which includes 1 1/2 tsp, 2 tsp, and 2 T.!!) which are quite useful. I have wanted metal measuring spoons for a long time, and was so happy! I found a screaming deal on the pan yesterday. I have been looking for a new 12" fry pan since I retired my old one a couple of weeks ago due to flaking Teflon. I really want one without a non-stick coating, (I have my eye on one from All Clad, but All Clad so expensive!) but having a pan that is non-stick is quite useful, too. I'm so excited to try both things out!

Wonderful, Chewy, Hot Fudge Sauce

2010-08-14T19:23:00.000-07:00

Last night, I told Johnny and the kids that I would make hot fudge for them to put on some ice cream. I looked for the recipe my sister had given me, and couldn't find it. I later remembered it was here, but by then I had already made a batch adapted from a recipe I found on All Recipes. It had 121 reviews, and a full 5 stars. It also only had 4 ingredients, and didn't call for added sugar. Instead it called for Sweetened Condensed Milk instead of Evaporated Milk. Intrigued, I made it, and I'm so glad I did - it was wonderful! I really, really like when hot fudge gets a little bit chewy when it comes in contact with the ice cream and starts to cool. This recipe did exactly that! It calls for semisweet chocolate, but I had some wonderful Peter's milk chocolate (that costs a small fortune, but is so good!) that I wanted to use, too. I was worried that using all milk chocolate would be too sweet, so I used half Peter's milk chocolate and half semisweet chocolate from Trader Joe's. Because there are only 4 ingredients in the recipe, the quality of your chocolate really matters, so use something you like. I forgot the vanilla, and didn't even miss it.

Wonderful, Chewy Hot Fudge Sauce
(adapted from All Recipes)

1 14 oz can Sweetened Condensed Milk
5 oz good quality chocolate, finely chopped (half semisweet, half milk chocolate worked really well)
2 Tbsp. butter, cut into 4 cubes
1 tsp. vanilla (optional)

Pour the condensed milk into a small, thick bottomed sauce pan. Stir in chocolate, add butter and heat over medium heat, stirring often until chocolate and butter are completely melted.

Serve hot over ice cream. Refrigerate leftovers, reheating in the microwave only the amount that you need.

Banana Cake, Revisited

2010-08-12T11:12:00.000-07:00

I got bananas a few days ago at Superstition Ranch Market for $0.15/lb. The catch was that you had to buy them in a 10 lb. box. So naturally I made banana bread this morning. And I'll probably make another batch tonight.

This recipe has been adapted from an old family recipe titled "Banana Cake". Truthfully, I have never made it as a cake. I always make it in loaf pans, but it's the best banana bread recipe out there. In this round of experimentation, I once again tried to make it more healthy, and I'm pleased with how it turned out.

Banana Cake II
(This is for a double batch, which makes 5 loaves)

1 C. Unsalted Butter, softened
2 1/2 C. Sugar (I used Zulka Natural Sugar and really liked it)
1 C. Applesauce
8 Eggs
2 T. Vanilla
6 C. Soft Whole Wheat Flour (aka Whole Wheat Pastry Flour)
2 T. Baking Powder
2 tsp. Baking Soda
2 tsp. Sea Salt (a little less if you are using regular, salted butter)
1/2 T. Cinnamon
1/2 T. Ginger
2 C. Buttermilk
3 C. Mashed Bananas (I used 7 medium to large bananas, and didn't measure)

Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the applesauce, eggs, and vanilla. Add half of the dry ingredients, mix until just combined, and then with the mixer running, slowly add half of the buttermilk. Add the bananas, and then the rest of the dry ingredients. With the mixer running, add the rest of the buttermilk.

Pour into 5 well-greased loaf pans, filling about 3/4 full. Bake at 350° for 47-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with only a few crumbs attached. Cool about 5 minutes in the pan, and then turn out onto a cooling rack to finish cooling.

Sunday Afternoon Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-08-09T11:03:00.001-07:00

These got their name because my mom used to make them almost every Sunday afternoon for my dad and the grandkids. She always used AP flour instead of the soft white wheat flour, and you can do the same. (The original recipe called for AP flour - I'm the one that changed it.) Although, I must say, I LOVE using soft white wheat flour. It is wonderful, and works very similar to AP flour. It does not make things heavy or dry like traditional hard whole wheat flour. If you don't have a wheat grinder and want to buy it at the store already ground, then look for "Whole Wheat Pastry Flour" at Sprouts, Trader Joes, or Whole Foods. It's the same thing.

Sunday Afternoon Chocolate Chip Cookies

1¾ C. Brown Sugar

¼ C. White Sugar

1 C. Butter, softened

2 Eggs

1 tsp. Vanilla

3 C. Soft Whole Wheat Flour

1 tsp. Baking Soda

½ tsp. Salt

1 C. Oats

1 C. Toasted Pecans (optional)

1-2 C. Chocolate Chips

Cream together the butter and sugars. Add the eggs and vanilla. Mix to combine. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix until combined. Add the oats, nuts, & chocolate chips, mixing briefly. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes.

Great Giveaway at MomAdvice

2010-08-02T12:25:00.000-07:00

Amy has been one of my blogging heroes for a long time now. I check her MomAdvice blog everyday, and today I found the most wonderful giveaway that she is having.

I totally need one of these! I very rarely (meaning this is the first time) blog about a giveaway just to get an extra entry, but that is how excited I am about this, and how much I hope to win!!!

Herb Marinated Panko Crusted Chicken

2010-07-14T19:18:00.000-07:00

This was so good!

Herb Marinaded, Panko Crusted Chicken

1 1/2 T powdered mustard
1-2 tsp dried oregano
1 T fresh rosemary, finely minced
1 shallot, pressed with a garlic press
1 clove garlic, pressed with a garlic press
3 T white wine vinegar
2 T red wine vinegar
2 T extra virgin olive oil

3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half (or 4-6 small ones)

In a large container that has a lid, whisk together all of the ingredients, except for the olive oil, until the mustard is dissolved. Whisk in the olive oil. Add chicken, tossing until fully coated. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator about 4 hours.

1 C AP Flour
3 eggs, well combined
2 C Panko Crumbs
salt and pepper, to taste

Combine the salt and pepper with the panko. Put each ingredient in its own container. (Pie plates are my favorite to use when doing a double dredge.)

To make the chicken, remove each piece from the marinade, and dredge in flour. Next, coat in the egg. Dredge in panko crumbs, pressing gently to make the crumbs adhere. Place each piece on a greased cooling rack set over a cookie sheet (this makes the bottoms crispy, too), and spray lightly with a canola or olive oil non-stick cooking spray (this helps the panko to get golden brown).

Bake at 400°, 35-40 minutes, until the internal temperature registers 160°.

And if you really want to kick this up a notch, remove the chicken from the oven about 5 minutes before the baking time is up, and put a little finely shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano on top of each piece of chicken. Return to the oven to finish baking.

Tuul's Thai Curry

2010-07-13T18:07:00.000-07:00

My sister-in-law made this for all of us while we were at the beach last week, and it was wonderful! She got the recipe from a very good friend of hers, named Janet, who is an amazing cook.

Thai Curry

5 medium potatoes, cubed
2 large carrots, sliced

Chop vegetables, and cook in salted water until nearly tender. Drain, and set aside. (If you want to extend the recipe to make more servings, you can use more vegetables.)

1 cup shallots, cut in large chunks
2 chicken breasts, cut in small strips
2 (13 oz) cans coconut milk
3 T yellow curry paste or masman curry paste (Masman is less spicy)
2 T pure fresh tamarind concentrate
2 T palm sugar or brown sugar
2 T whole cashews

Lightly brown shallots and chicken strips in 2T oil. Add curry paste and cook until fragrant, about 30-60 seconds. Slowly, stir in the coconut milk, until smooth and consistent. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer until chicken is fully cooked, six to seven minutes. Add cooked carrots and potatoes simmer until heated through. Serve over rice. (It's even better the next day when all of the flavors have had a change to blend together.)

Father's Day Steak

2010-06-22T11:29:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure I'll every go back to actually marinating steak again. Sunday, we got together with family over at my dad's house for Father's Day. I had remembered to get a couple of steaks out of the freezer on Friday Night, so that they could defrost, but Sunday, I forgot to put them in a marinade before leaving for church. When we got to my dad's, I realized the mistake, and since there was nothing I could do about it, I got out the Canadian Steak Seasoning (my favorite!), applied it to both sides of the steaks, smashed it in, and then I let the steaks rest for 10 or 15 minutes (because truthfully, the grill was full). They turned out so good! It probably had to do with the fact that they were really great steaks, too (from a cow that my sister-in-law's brother had had on their farm), and also the fact that they were cooked to a perfect "medium" doneness, but I was really impressed at just how easy and delicious they were. So the moral of the story is, next time you forget to marinate your beef, try rubbing it with Canadian Steak Seasoning.

PS - Mollie: I'm still waiting for the cheesecake recipe! It was so good!

Super Simple Spaghetti

2010-06-09T17:50:00.000-07:00

It's hot. Like really hot. And I made bread today, so I was in no mood to heat up the oven (again) to make dinner. I also happen to have an abundance of cherry tomatoes at the moment. I know that it won't last long, so I am trying to enjoy them while I can. So I came up with this super simple spaghetti dish. I know there are recipes all over the internet for it, but truly, it's very intuitive. If the dish turns out too dry, add a little more oil. If you want a ton of tomatoes, use a ton of tomatoes. If you don't, then don't. It's really fast, really easy, and doesn't heat up my kitchen - a home run!

Spaghetti with Tomatoes & Olive Oil

Quarter cherry tomatoes, and dress with olive oil, a bit of sea salt, a splash of red wine vinegar, fresh basil and rosemary (chopped). Allow to stand and marinate while spaghetti cooks. When spaghetti is very nearly done (but definitely not mushy or over cooked), drain it, and toss with the tomatoes and their juice. Serve immediately, topping individual servings with parmesano reggiano if desired.

I rounded out the meal with watermelon, and fresh bread, and it was great!

Aunt Norma's Waffle Mix

2010-06-09T10:32:00.000-07:00

My great-aunt Norma was one of my most favorite people. She was amazing at so many things. She always said that these waffles should be served when "there is just a nip of Fall in the air". Though Fall is a long way off from our 110° Arizona Summer days, my dad is getting a fancy waffle iron for Father's Day (his request) from my sisters and I, and I'm also making up a batch of this mix to go with it.

Aunt Norma's Whole Wheat Waffle Mix

Combine the following, and store in an airtight container in the freezer:
10 C. Whole Wheat Flour
4 C. AP White Flour
1/2 C. Sugar
1/2 C. Baking Powder
2 C. Powdered Milk
4 tsp. Salt

To make waffles for 6-8 people, mix:
4 C. Dry Waffle Mix
4 Eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 C. Oil
3 1/2 C. Water

Whisk together well, and bake in a ready waffle iron.

Cage-Free Eggs for $0.69

2010-06-02T13:56:00.000-07:00

Every so often, you luck into a deal. Such was the case for me this afternoon. I took the kids to the $0.99 Only Store for something to do, and before going in, we stopped at Fresh & Easy. A very nice lady was just marking down a whole bunch of stuff, including some eggs. Unfortunately, the Organic Omega-3 eggs were a few days out of date, so they couldn't sell them, but they did have 4 dozen Cage-Free eggs with tomorrow's date which were originally $2.38 that she was marking down to $1.18. (In my opinion, and according to all of the research I have done on the topic, the date on eggs is more of a general guideline, and you can safely go a few weeks past the date coded on them.) Well, Basha's has eggs for $0.88 this week, and Albertson's has 18 ct. egg cartons for $1, so $1.18 for a dozen wasn't that great...until I noticed a sign advertising a deal for this week: "Save $1 when you buy 2 dozen organic, Omega-3, or Cage-Free eggs." I took two dozen to the register, prepared to tell them I didn't want them if the extra $1 didn't come off, but it did, making them $0.69 a dozen! Not as great a deal as when a friend of mine brings me fresh eggs from her chickens, but still pretty great nonetheless.

I still have plenty of lemon juice in my freezer, so I will definitely be making more lemon curd! Now if only I could find a screaming deal on butter...

Closet Remodel on the Cheap

2010-05-27T16:23:00.001-07:00

All of the bedroom closets in our house are not very functional. There is plenty of hanging space, which equates to a lot of wasted space, especially in Spencer and Anne's closets. Fortunately, a couple of months ago, Lowe's decided to change vendors for their closet organizing systems. I happened to be there (for Build and Grow with the kids) on the day that they put them about 75% off because they desperately needed the shelf space. I bought 4 (one for each closet plus an extra for spare parts) for about $100. Johnny installed the first one in Anne's closet last weekend since her closet needed help the most. My deal was further sweetened when a few weeks ago, I discovered the tubs and baskets pictured at Walmart marked down to $0.75! (And the baskets even came in a 2-pack. At the Dollar Store, they are $1 each.) I still need to make up some cute labels for each of the tubs, and eventually paint her closet. Now if anyone has any tricks for getting Anne to re-hang up her "reject" clothes each morning as she is deciding what to wear, please let me know!

Next week will mark the sixth anniversary of moving into this house. Just because I find it interesting, here is a list of the major projects we have tackled in that time. This doesn't include any "little" projects (like taking out the bushes all along the front of the house, which Johnny did two weeks ago or painting the walls and doors).

New dining room light fixture and other electrical work
New AC Unit and major duct work (by far, the most expensive thing we have done, and so very worth it!)
New Dishwasher and Range, followed by new tile counter tops, a new sink & faucet, and painting the cabinets
New wood blinds for all of the windows (I got such a great deal, and it was totally worth it!)
Block wall
New water heater
New laminate wood floors and beautiful baseboards (another really super deal!)
Built-in shelves in the laundry room and garage
Remodeling the closets

Barbecue Beans for 100

2010-05-22T09:15:00.000-07:00

This recipe is adapted from one given to me by my sister's mother-in-law. I made it for my brother's wedding dinner and it turned out great.

Barbecue Beans For a Whole Lot of People

3 pounds bacon (thick sliced works well)
2 medium (or 1 large) yellow or white onions
2 pounds ground beef
2 heads (20-ish cloves) garlic, peeled and minced

Dice the onions and bacon. Begin browning the bacon in a very large skillet. When it is partially cooked, add the rest of the ingredients. Cook until everything is nicely browned and the volume is reduced. Drain well. (Note: You are not wanting these to be chunks in the beans - it is simply for flavor, so don't be afraid to really break up the beef and chop the bacon and onion finely. I use a garlic press anytime I mince my garlic, and can't imagine doing it any other way. Be sure to drain it very well. It took much longer for everything to totally brown and reduce than I had anticipated. I'm glad I had started early and budgeted extra time!)

While the above is cooking, put the following in the roaster oven:

4 #10 cans of baked beans or ranch style beans*
3 cups brown sugar
1 cup molasses
2 bottles (18-21 oz each) barbecue sauce
1/2 cup mustard**
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
Dash (1/8 - 1/4 tsp.) cayanne pepper
1 Tbsp. Salt***

Stir everything together, including the browned ingredients. Heat in the roaster oven at 300° for about an hour and a half. Stir often, and turn down the heat if necessary. You just want to thoroughly warm the beans, not cook them. Recipe feeds approximately 100.

*I used ranch style beans. Be sure to drain the beans of the excess "sauce", but don't rinse them. I also found it easiest to add two cans, and then all of the other ingredients, and stir well. Then add the other two cans on top, and stir well again.

**I totally didn't even realize that this was in the recipe until I just now started typing it and looked at the original. So, obviously, I didn't put it in the batch I made. However, I did think to myself when I was eating them at the dinner that just a little bit of mustard would be pretty good in these beans. I guess someone else thought so, too!

***Depending on which variety of beans and what type of barbecue sauce you use, you may need more salt. I actually used 2 Tablespoon (ish - I didn't measure) in the batch I made.

Mom's Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

2010-05-19T10:23:00.000-07:00

This is one of my mom's Black Book recipes. It is kind of a pain to make, but the cookies are really good. The recipe was adapted from one of my mom's favorite cookbooks The Lion House Cookbook. She worked on it for years until she finally got it perfect. The other name of this recipe is "Going to Work With Dad Cookies" because when I was little, she would make these cookies for me to take when I would go to work on Saturday mornings with my dad. Dad is a contractor, and growing up, I would "help" him on Saturdays, though I think it was more helpful to my mom to have me out of the house for a few house while she cleaned. I have one memory in particular of being about five years old and standing next to a newly planted tree with a watering hose in one hand and a chocolate cookie in the other. Another memory is of getting in my dad's blue pickup truck, and my mom hurrying out of the carport door to hand us our cookies that we had forgotten.

These cookie are filled with memories and love. I only make them for special occasions, such as my brother's wedding this week. I personally think they taste best frozen. Just let them sit on the counter for a couple of minutes to soften, and they are fabulous!

Mom's Chocolate Crinkles - makes about 5 dozen cookies

1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup butter
3 2/3 cup sugar
6 eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla
1 cup cocoa powder
4 1/4 cup flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/3 cup milk

Cream together the butter, oil, and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla. Mix well and add the cocoa powder. Mix well. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Put the dry ingredients in with the wet ingredients, and pour the milk over the top. Mix just until everything is well combined. Refrigerate the batter a minimum of 1 hour. Scoop out dough with a cookie scoop (a must - it's way too sticky to roll), and drop into a bowl of powdered sugar. Coat each ball in the powdered sugar, and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Put each baking sheet in the freezer for 30-45 minutes. Remove from freezer, and bake at 350° for 14-15 minutes. Cool on a cooling rack until room temperature before putting them in bags.

Notes:

Even if you use parchment paper on your cookie sheets, you still need to lightly grease the paper.
You can bake the cookie right after putting them on the cookie sheet, but they will spread and be flat. Bake for 12 minutes if you choose not to freeze them.
I fit 15 cookies on a cookie sheet. Put them exactly where you want them because they stick and can't be moved very well.
I store these cookies in the freezer because I love them cold, and they last longer, too.

Storage Container Options

2010-05-11T09:54:00.000-07:00

This is a guest-post I wrote on storage container options for food.

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Common Weights and Temperatures

2010-05-03T18:31:00.000-07:00

This is a list of weights and temperatures for common ingredients and items:

Common Ingredient Weights

Butter - 8oz/cup

Corn Meal – 5oz/cup

Flour - All Purpose – 4.5oz/cup

(Cook’s Illustrated recipes use 5oz/cup)

Flour - Bread – 5oz/cup

Flour - Cake – 4.25oz/cup

Flour - Whole Wheat – 5oz/cup

Honey; Molasses – 12oz/cup

Milk; Buttermilk – 8.5oz/cup

Oil - Vegetable – 7.5oz/cup

Peanut Butter – 9oz/cup

Salt - Kosher – 5oz/cup

Salt - Table – 10oz/cup

Shortening – 6.75oz/cup

Sour Cream; Yogurt – 8.5oz/cup

Sugar - Brown – 7.5oz/cup

Sugar - Granulated – 7oz/cup

Sugar - Powdered – 4.25oz/cup

Common Baking Temperatures

Bread – minimum 190°

Cinnamon Rolls – minimum 190°

Rustic Breads – minimum 200°

Pumpkin Pie – 185°

New York Cheesecake – 150°

Lemon Curd - 175° (no more, no less)

Enchiladas and Casseroles (with pre-fully cooked ingredients) – 145°

Enchiladas and casseroles (with raw ingredients) - 160°

Chicken: White Meat – 160°

Chicken: Dark Meat – 175°

Pork - 160°

Beef: Rare – 125°

Beef: Medium Rare – 130°

Beef: Medium – 140°

Beef: Well Done – 160°

Butter to Oil Conversion Ratio

2010-04-26T13:18:00.000-07:00

Last week, I decided I wanted to use olive oil in my bread instead of butter. Well, truthfully, I realized after I started mixing the dough that I didn't have any butter in the refrigerator, and I didn't want to get any out of the freezer and have to wait for it to defrost. So, I used 1 cup of oil instead of 1 1/2 cups butter. I figured that was a good conversion ratio. It wasn't until that evening that I looked on the internet and was surprised by exactly how close I was to the proper ratio! Here is a chart I found. Basically, it is a 4 to 3 conversion, meaning that for 4 parts of butter, you only need to use 3 parts of oil, ie: 1/4 cup butter (which is 4 tablespoons) is equal to 3 Tbsp. oil, 1 cup of butter is equal to 3/4 cup of oil; 1 1/2 cups of butter is equal to 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. oil.

Remember, though, that this is for things like breads and muffins that are not dependent on the butter for texture. Cookie recipes wouldn't work with this substitution because you have to cream together the butter and sugar in order to achieve the proper lift and texture in the final product.

2010-04-23T09:44:00.000-07:00

Squash
Blossoms

Cilantro
& Shallots

Tomatoes

Customer Service Exists!

2010-04-20T10:37:00.000-07:00

It is great to know that customer service does exist! It can be so aggravating when something breaks, but getting it fixed or replaced can be even worse, often requiring outrageous shipping and "handling" charges. However, every so often you find a company that not only stands behind their products, but their customer service is awesome to work with. I am very happy to say that as of today, I have found Taylor Precision Products to be just such a company. They are the makers of awesome kitchen equipment including a great digital instant read thermometer and the best kitchen scale on the market! Why is it so great? Because it is totally flat, meaning that it is super easy to clean. It has a tare function, as well as being incredibly precise. Unfortunately, last week, my scale quit working while I was making a batch of bread. I changed the batteries, but to no avail. When I talked to customer service, the gal was so helpful and so pleasant to talk to. My old scale is on its way to their return center, and a new one should arrive shortly - no gimmicks or hoops to jump through. So often, on the internet, all you read are complaints about how bad things are, so I wanted to write this today to show that there are great companies and great people out there!

Lemon Curd, Revisited

2010-04-19T13:49:00.000-07:00

I made the most amazingly wonderful batch of lemon curd Friday. This is my go-to recipe that I have make quite often, but Friday's batch took the cake. I always use fresh lemon juice from my own lemons and really good quality butter, but yesterday, I had the added bonus of fresh eggs with the most vibrant yellow-orange yolks ever. One of my friends has chickens, and every so often, she'll surprise me with a dozen eggs. Well, last week was one of those weeks, and immediately I began to think how I could best use those eggs. One night, it came to me - make lemon curd. Just look at that color! Isn't it amazing?! There is not one drop of food coloring in there. All of the color came from those amazing eggs. And the flavor - to die for! So rich and smooth, especially paired with angel food cake and fresh strawberries! I guess that's what you get when you take the best recipe for something and use the very best ingredients...

The Very Best Lemon Curd Recipe

12 Tbsp. unsalted butter (1 1/2 cubes)
2 C. Sugar
1/8 tsp. Salt
4 large Eggs
4 large Egg Yolks
1 1/3 C. fresh Lemon Juice

Cut the butter into pieces and set aside. Measure sugar and salt into a medium stainless steel saucepan. Whisk together the eggs and yolks in a small bowl. Whisk eggs into sugar until very well combined. Add lemon juice. Whisk until smooth and combined, then stir constantly. Heat over medium heat until it reaches 175 degrees. Strain into a bowl through a fine mesh strainer. Stir in the butter. Cover, laying a sheet of greased plastic wrap right on top of the curd so that a skin doesn't form. Refrigerate.

(Whisking the eggs and sugar together before adding the lemon juice helps the eggs not to curdle as much. Even so, you still want to strain it through a double mesh strainer - that is the key to a smooth lemon curd. Also, if you must use salted butter, then don't add any salt.)

My Latest Creations

2010-04-16T17:15:00.000-07:00

My kids love the chewy granola bars from the store, and I must confess that I do, too. However, with as expensive as they are, and so full of unnecessary ingredients, I figured that if I really tried, I could probably make them on my own. Well, not long ago, Amy posted this recipe, and it re-inspired me to try making homemade chewy granola bars. I also found a recipe online from the Kansas City Star that inspired me to add both powdered milk and Rice Krispies. After many modifications, I ended up with the recipe below, and am very happy with it! I used my Bosch to mix this up, making it even easier.

I also picked up strawberries at Superstition Ranch Market for $0.33 for a 1 lb box last week. They were perfect - fresh, flavorful, and not at all mushy. I bought 3 flats (24 boxes), and put most of them in the freezer for smoothies, but I did leave out enough to put over cake, and to make a double batch of strawberry freezer jam. Freezer jam is the easiest thing in the world to make; just make sure you use the No-Cook packet of pectin from Ball. I buy it in a two-pack from Walmart. The recipe is on the back of the package.

And, yes, the cute tiered serving plate is my creation. Isn't it cute! It comes apart to make 3 serving plates. My sister came up with the original idea.

Chewy Granola Bars

4 C. Old Fashioned Rolled Oats
3/4 C. Brown Sugar
1 C. Powdered Dry Milk
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. Salt
1/2 C. Canola Oil
1/2 C. Honey
2 Eggs
2 tsp. Vanilla
1/2 C. Sunflower Seeds, or Almonds chopped (optional)
2 C. Rice Krispies cereal
1/2 bag (6 oz) Mini Chocolate Chips

Add the first five dry ingredients to the bowl of the mixer, and mix until well combined. In a 4 quart measuring cup, whisk together the oil, honey, egg, and vanilla. With the mixer running, pour wet ingredients over the top of the dry ingredients. Mix until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the rest of the ingredients. Pulse the mixer just until everything is combined. Spread into a greased cookie sheet, and bake at 325° for 20 minutes, just until it starts to brown. Cut with a plastic knife while still warm, and store in the refrigerator or freezer. Let them sit out for a bit to come to room temperature, and they are fabulous!

Pork Carnitas

2010-04-15T18:39:00.000-07:00

These were so easy and very good. I also made rice to go with it, but we didn't really need it.

Pork Carnitas

1 bottle pork chunks
1 bottle pinto beans
12 corn tortillas
Salsa
Cheese
Sour Cream

Make your salsa, and refrigerate. (It tastes best made several hours ahead, but I didn't plan that far ahead today.) Preheat oven to 425°.

Shred the pork into a skillet, along with it's juice. Add whatever spices and seasonings you like. I used a bit of fresh lemon juice and quite liked it. Cover the top with foil or a lid, and let simmer while the tortillas bake.

Lightly spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray, and place the tortillas on it, overlapping them as necessary. Lightly spray the tortillas with the cooking spray, and bake for 4-5 minutes until soft. Meanwhile, microwave pinto beans with whatever seasonings you like, covered with a paper towel, for 4 minutes, stirring halfway.

Serve everything, letting everyone make their carnitas just they way they like.

Quick Salsa

5 cloves garlic, peeled
1 bunch green onion, green parts and roots cut off and discarded
a few tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 14 oz cans diced tomatoes
salt, to taste
sugar, to taste
21 Season Salute (from Trader Joe's)

Add the garlic and onions to the bowl of a food processor. Process until chopped to your liking. Add, lemon juice, cilantro, and juice from the tomatoes, 1/2 of one can of tomatoes, salt, sugar, and 21 Season Salute. Pulse until everything is well blended. Pour into a bowl, and stir in tomatoes. Chill.

Laundry Soap

2010-04-10T15:23:00.000-07:00

This was originally posted on my other blog, but I moved it here so I wouldn't lose it.

Several months ago, I came across a post by Trent at Simple Dollar about his experiment of making homemade laundry detergent. It is one of his most popular posts ever, with over 500 comments, and he has written a follow-up post with 240 comments that is complete with pictures and detailed instructions.

I decided I didn't want to make a 5 gallon bucket's worth of laundry detergent because I don't have a place to store it. Also, I was curious as to how well it would work. So, I read all of the comments (yes, all 520 of them), and came up with a powdered version that I store in a 6 qt. container that I already had on hand. I was so please with the results that this morning I made a double batch that fits in the container just perfectly.

Having gone through a whole batch, I can tell you that I really like it. Not only is it cheaper than store bought detergent (even with a sale and coupon), but there are specific things I like such as a) my clothes don't smell like anything! This is great, especially with our allergies. I don't have this need to smell like a Mountain Meadow or a Lilac Breeze. And to me, not smelling like anything smells clean. Now, if I really wanted a scent, then I could easily add a drop - two at the most - of an essential oil to the water right after I add the detergent and before I add the clothes. b) it works well, just as well in my opinion as any store bought detergent. For typical loads, I use 2 heaping tablespoons, but if I am washing anything muddy or unusually dirty, I use 3 heaping tablespoons. That's it! c) I know exactly what is in it. This isn't a huge deal to me, but I do take comfort in knowing that I know the ingredients. It does bug me just a little bit that manufacturers don't tell you want is in there cleaning products. d) Price: so here's the break down. I can't get an exact estimate on how much it costs me to make because I already had the Zote bar soap on hand, as well as a HUGE tub of baking soda. However, since neither of these ingredient are necessary (you can use just about any bar of soap. Trent at Simple Dollar uses whatever cheap soap he has on hand. Lots of people recommend Ivory, especially if sensitive skin is an issue, and you can leave out the baking soda if you want, though I do like it), I didn't worry too much about them. I figure it is about $5 for a double batch, which is enough to wash 120 large loads of laundry. This makes it about $0.042 per load. I can usually get a 32 load container of Purex for $1.99 with a sale and coupon. This makes it $0.0625 per load. However, that is for regular loads of laundry. The last time I did a regular sized load of laundry was probably when I was away at college. In my experience, I only get about 25 loads out of the 32 load bottle. That makes Purex $0.08 per load.

A couple of notes: According to what I have read, the soaps that seem to work best are any type of "laundry bar soap" such as Zote (which you can get at the $0.99 Store - I bought mine at Target a few years ago because it is awesome for getting stains out) or Ivory. Also, you don't have to include the baking soda, but I do because it deodorizes the clothes, and also seems to help with our very, very hard Arizona water. Because we do have such hard water, I use vinegar in a Downy ball. This helps all of the soap rinse out of the clothes so that your whites don't get dingy. Also, it acts as a fabric softer so I don't have to use a dryer sheet. I was skeptical when I first read this tip, but it really works that there is no lingering vinegar smell at all. I use my Grater attachment for my Bosch to grate the soap. You can do it on the small holes of a box grater, but it's kind of hard.

I get the Borax at Target, and the Washing Soda at Fry's Marketplace (though I have heard that Basha's may also carry it).

Laundry Detergent
(powdered version - about 60 large loads)

3 C. Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (exactly half of a 55 oz. box)
3 C. Mule Team Borax
1 1/2 C. Baking Soda
1 (14 oz.) Bar Zote Laundry Bar Soap, finely grated

Mix everything well in a large container with a lid.

Use 2 heaping tablespoons for a large load - 3 tablespoons if the clothes are really soiled. Start the washer on hot, add the detergent, and let it dissolve for 2 or 3 seconds. Change water temperature to cold (or desired setting). Fill a Downy Ball to the top line (x-large line) with vinegar and add it to the wash on top of the clothes.

You can add a drop or two of essential oil to the water after adding the soap, before adding the clothes if you want a light scent.

The Good Things About Summer

2010-04-07T14:41:00.000-07:00

I am not ready for Summer. I am rather enjoying this weather, and know that all too soon, it will be 115°. However, there are a few benefits to Summer, and fresh fruits and vegetables at their peak is definitely one of them. I have a few baby zucchini on my plants, and my tomato plants are getting big. Today, I hurried into Sam's Club, not even stopping to get a cart. I needed corn tortillas for dinner tomorrow and only tortillas. But I couldn't pass us these strawberries! They were beautiful, and not even too expensive! I know they are cheaper at Superstition Ranch, but I refuse to use my good chocolate to dip the ones from there. Not so for these beauties. I got out my Peter's amazingly wonderful Milk Chocolate from Shar's Kitchen that I have been saving. It is a pain to work with because you have to temper it before using it, but it is so creamy and good - perfect for these strawberries! And let me tell you, they turned out fabulous!

Quick and Easy Chowder

2010-03-02T18:54:00.000-08:00

This morning, a friend brought me some delicious bread bowls that she had left over from a party. I made up this recipe to go in them for dinner tonight. I didn't measure the seasonings - I just know how much my family likes. In the past, I have found clam juice at the $0.99 store of all places! And I get my instant mashed potatoes for free or nearly free using a coupon when they are on sale for $1 a box. Each box has two packages inside.

I know it's not really conventional to add pasta to a chowder, but it did add some substance, and my kids liked it. It would also be great to finely chop a slice of bacon or two, and cook it in the pot along with some minced onion (instead of using dry onion) before adding the clam juice and water, but I didn't have any available.

Quick & Easy Chowder - serves 6-8

2 cans Clams
1 bottle (8 oz) Clam Juice
4 cups Water
Italian Herb Blend seasoning
21 Season Salute (from Trader Joe's)
Dry, minced Onion
Salt
12 oz package Orzo (or other small pasta)
1 bottle Corn (or one can if you don't have any home-canned corn)
1 can Evaporated Milk
1 package Instant Mashed Potatoes

Drain the juice from the canned clams into a large pot. Add the bottled clam juice, water, and seasonings. Bring to a boil.

Add the pasta, cooking until slightly al dente. Add the corn, and bring it back to a boil.

Add the clams and stir. Add the evaporated milk, and stir in the potatoes. Stir well, and serve immediately.

Lemon Butter Sauce

2010-03-01T17:47:00.000-08:00

This is a great vegetarian recipe, adapted from Cook's Illustrated. Start heating the pasta water before beginning the sauce.

Lemon Butter Sauce - makes about 3/4 cup, enough to dress 1 pound of pasta

2 tsp. olive oil
2 shallots, finely minced
1 1/2 C. chicken broth
2 Tbsp. minced parsley, cilantro, basil, or spinach
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add shallots and cook until beginning to soften, about 1 minute. Add broth and increase heat to high; simmer rapidly until liquid is reduced to 3/4 cup, about 8 minutes. Off heat, whisk in butter, lemon juice, herbs or spinach, and salt, pepper to taste. Pour sauce over hot angel hair pasta that has been cooked al dente. Serve immediately topped with sea salt, fresh ground black pepper, and grated parmigiano-reggiano.

Banana Cake Muffins

2010-03-01T12:12:00.000-08:00

This recipe is loosely adapted from an old family favorite. Being who I am, I couldn't just leave it alone (though I have made the original more times than I can count, and will probably make it a bunch more), and I wanted to make it more healthy. My first change (which I do even when I make these according to the original recipe) was to nix the shortening. It calls for 1 cup, and I use 1 cup of unsalted butter instead. If you want to use regular, salted butter, that's just fine, but make sure you reduce the amount of salt you add to the recipe. Next, soft white wheat flour (aka whole wheat pastry flour) got substituted for the AP flour (and more of it because I was monkeying with the hydration ratio), brown sugar and honey for the white sugar, and an increase in the amount of banana. I also added cinnamon because I add cinnamon to anything that I possibly can.

Banana Cake Muffins - Makes 24 muffins

1 C. unsalted butter
1 C. brown sugar
4 Eggs
1/2 C. honey
2 tsp. vanilla
3 1/2 C. soft whole wheat flour (aka whole wheat pastry flour)
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 C. buttermilk
2 C. mashed bananas

Spray two regular sized muffin tins liberally with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Cream the butter and sugar. Add eggs, mixing after each addition. Add honey and mix well. Add dry ingredients, and pour buttermilk over the top. Mix until well combined. Mash the bananas and add them, mixing well. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out nearly clean with only a few little crumbs attached

Alternately, this can be made into 5 mini loaves. Bake for 45 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out nearly clean with only a few little crumbs attached

Peanut Butter Bears

2010-02-04T12:48:00.000-08:00

Before

After

Several months ago, I saw a really cute book at Sam's Club called Sesame Street Yummy Cookies. A few weeks later, when I was at Barnes & Noble, I saw it marked down to $5.99 with an additional 50% off. I knew the kids would like it, so Johnny & I got it. I showed it to Spencer, and he's looked at a few times, but hasn't been that interested. Yesterday, he got it off his book shelf, and looked through the whole book. He asked if we could make the cookies that he saw the pictures of. I told him "sure", and he diligently studied each picture looking for just the right recipe to make first. He finally settled on "Peanut Butter Bears". It's a pretty basic oatmeal cookie with peanut butter. I couldn't believe the the recipe didn't call for salt, however. I added salt, especially because I bake with unsalted butter, and cinnamon because I love cinnamon in anything that has oats. (Well, truthfully, I love cinnamon in anything!) I also swapped all of the all-purpose flour for soft whole wheat flour (aka whole wheat pastry flour) just to see what would happen. It turned out great. Unfortunately, the dough does have to rest in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours, but other than that, it's pretty easy.

Peanut Butter Bears
(adapted from Sesame Street Yummy Cookies)
(double batch - made 16 bears, just barely!)

2 C. soft whole wheat flour (or AP flour)
2 C. uncooked quick oats
1 T. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 T. cinnamon
1 C. white sugar
1/2 C. brown sugar
3/4 C. butter, softened (1 1/2 sticks)
1/2 C. creamy peanut butter
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
mini chocolate chips or mini M&M's for garnish

Mix together the flour, oats, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Set aside.

Cream together the sugars, butter, and peanut butter. Add the eggs and vanilla. Mix until light and fluffy. Add the flour, mixing just until well incorporated. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate 1-2 hours until firm.

Preheat oven to 375°. Shape each bear my making a large ball for the body, a medium ball for the head, and 5 small balls for the arms, legs, and ears (split the last ball in half to make two ears). (Note: I used my "truffle" scoop that I got from Shar's to make the appendages, and I can't image making these with out it. It was perfect! I used my regular cookie scoop for the bodies and heads, filling it a little less for the heads.)

Place all of the pieces together on an ungreased cookie sheet (I lined mine with parchment paper like I always do, and didn't have any sticking problems), and flatten slightly. Use the mini chocolate chips or M&M's for the eyes, nose, and belly button.

Bake about 12 minutes, until the edges are slightly browned. Cool on the cookie sheet for a few minutes, and then transfer to a cooling rack.

Spencer really liked putting the bears together, smashing them, putting on their eyes, and making sure all of them were "alive" (ie: had all of their body parts). Anne liked smashing them, and eating the M&M's.

Wheat & Oat Waffles

2010-01-23T18:04:00.000-08:00

Wheat & Oat Waffles - makes 6 medium, round waffles

2 Eggs
1 1/4 C. Milk
3 T. Canola Oil
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 1/2 C. Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
1/2 C. Oat Flour
1 T. Baking Powder
1 T. Sugar
1/4 tsp. Salt

1. Whisk together the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla.
2. Mix in flours, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Whisk until smooth.
3. Cook in preheated waffle iron that has been coated with non-stick spray.

_________________________________________

Wheat & Oat Waffles - makes 8 medium, round waffles

2 Eggs
1 3/4 C. Milk
1/4 C. Canola Oil
1 tsp. Vanilla
2 C. Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
1/2 C. Oat Flour
4 tsp. Baking Powder
1 T. Sugar

1. Whisk together the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla.
2. Mix in flours, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Whisk until smooth.
3. Cook in preheated waffle iron that has been coated with non-stick spray.

Freezable Cream Biscuits

2010-01-07T19:29:00.000-08:00

I made these to go with dinner tonight, and they were great. I thought they needed just a little more salt, so I increased it by 1/2 tsp. when I typed it. Next, I want to try them with half whole wheat flour.

Freezable Cream Biscuits - from Cook's Illustrated
(makes about 24 biscuits)
6 C. all purpose flour (30 oz), plus extra for the counter
2 T. sugar
2 T. baking powder (aluminum free)
2 tsp. salt
4 1/2 C. heavy cream

Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Stir in the cream until a dough forms, about 30 seconds. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter, and gather into a ball. Knead the dough briefly until smooth, about 60 seconds, adding extra flour as needed if the dough is too sticky. (This brief kneading will help the biscuits rise better.)

Pat the dough into a 3/4 inch thick circle. Cut out the biscuits using a 2 1/2 inch round biscuit cutter. Lay the biscuits on a parchment lined baking sheet. Gather the scraps of dough, briefly knead to recombine, and press out to 3/4 inch again. Repeat a third time, patting any remaining scraps into a hand-formed biscuit.

Wrap the baking sheet with greased plastic, and freeze until the biscuits are solid, about 6 hours. Store in a ziploc bag.

Do not thaw before baking - bake 8 biscuits at a time at 450° for 20-25 minutes on a parchment lined baking sheet. (To bake before freezing, bake at 450° for 15-20 minutes.)

Success!

2009-12-07T14:24:00.000-08:00

Today is a very cold, rainy December day. I decided to make Chili. Last night, I soaked my beans with 3 tablespoons of salt per 1 gallon of water - a recommendation I got from America's Test Kitchen since my water is so hard. I drained them this morning, and put them in the Crock-Pot. I added hot water to cover them by and inch or two, and added nothing else. I cooked them on high for 6 hours. When I just now checked them, they were perfectly tender and wonderful. I added the rest of my ingredients - spices, meat, and fire roasted tomatoes, and am now letting it finish cooking together. I am so excited that I think I might have figured it out. In a couple of weeks, I'll try White Chicken Chili again, and see if I can find success with that recipe!

Stuffing

2009-11-28T10:48:00.000-08:00

The stuffing turned out pretty good this year. This is the first time I have made it mostly from scratch (as opposed to mostly from a box).

Stuffing
1/2 loaf of Homemade White Bread, cubed and toasted
1 box Mrs. Cubbison's Stuffing
1 yellow onion, finely diced
1 bunch celery, finely diced
4 Tbsp. Butter
Salt, Pepper
21 Season Salute
Garlic Powder
Fresh Basil, minced
Fresh Rosemary, minced
1 - 32 oz carton plus 1 - 14 oz can chicken broth

In a large skillet, melt the butter. Add the onion and celery, and saute until wilted and onion is translucent. Meanwhile, put all remaining ingredients except chicken broth in a very large bowl. Mix thoroughly. Add onions and celery, and gently stir to combine. Add chicken broth, and mix gently, reserving half of the 14 oz can. Add more broth as needed to create the desired consistency, being very gentle in your mixing so you don't create a sticky mess. I used all except a few tablespoons of the chicken broth.

Bake in a greased 9x13 glass dish for 1 hour. Remove foil and bake 10 minutes longer.

A Great Book

2009-11-02T18:33:00.000-08:00

I started reading "What Einstein Told His Cook" by Robert L. Wolke a week ago, and I am so sad that I am almost done with it! It is great! After reading the first chapter or two, I turned to the back flap of the jacket, and was not surprised to learn that the author works with Cook's Illustrated (America's Test Kitchen) as "consulting science editor". He is a Chemistry professor, and is very knowledgeable, but his writing style if witty and entertaining. He explains what you want to know ("why can't I put metal in a microwave?") without being overly technical. In fact, I really enjoyed his "tech-speak" remarks where he explains something in layman's terms, and then tells you what it is really called in chemistry because I have taken chemistry, and knew the terms, so it was really cool to finally learn what they meant if a real-world application. For example, a Triglyceride is a fat. That's it. It is called a triglyceride because a fat is made up of 3 glyceride molecules that are connected, and they have 3 fatty acids (either saturated, monounsaturated, or polyunsaturated...or a combination of the 3) attached to them. So simple, yet so amazing!

Anyways, I highly recommend it - and as an added bonus, his wife is a food critic, and has included some amazing recipes that I can't wait to try. I checked the book out from the library, but I think I am going to request it for my birthday. I can totally see myself re-reading it in a year and saying "I didn't remember that!" I love books like this! I can't wait to check out his other books from the library. And I just now discovered through Amazon that there is a "What Einstein Told His Cook 2"! I'm going to have to check that one out, as well!

Day 31: Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T08:34:00.000-07:00

Ta-da! That is 30 simple, delicious recipes that are very 3 Month Supply friendly. Exciting isn't it? Enjoy!

And as a bonus, my cousin Natalie posted these last Halloween - I think I am making them for lunch for my kids!

Day 30: BLT's

2009-10-30T08:33:00.000-07:00

BLT’s

1 pound bacon

bread

lettuce

tomatoes

cheese

condiments

Bake the bacon in the oven. Make the sandwiches. Serve.

Day 29: Beef Fajitas

2009-10-29T08:32:00.000-07:00

Beef Fajitas

1 pound steak
2 sweet bell peppers
1 sweet onion
garlic, salt, seasonings

tortillas
cheese
salsa
sour cream

Slice steak into 1-inch strips. Slice bell peppers and onions. Heat a few tablespoons oil in a skillet, and cook steak strips. Transfer to a bowl, and cover to keep warm. Saute peppers and onions until softened. Add steak back to skillet. Serve immediately.

Day 28: Chili

2009-10-28T08:27:00.000-07:00

Chili

1 ½ C. Pinto Beans

1 C. Black Beans

1 ½ C. Kidney Beans

1 small can tomato sauce

1 can diced tomatoes

1 jar salsa

1 pound beef

1 package onion soup mix

2 packages Chili-O mix

Chili Powder

Sort and pick through beans. Soak with a little bit of baking soda overnight (like 2 tsp). Drain and rinse well in the morning. Put beans in a large Crock-Pot. Add enough water to cover, and let cook all day. When tender, ladle off excess liquid if necessary, and add seasonings and tomatoes. Brown beef before adding to chili, and stir in. Let simmer another 30-60 minutes, then thicken if needed using Ultra-gel or a flour slurry. Serve with sour cream, cheese, and cornbread or tortillas.

Day 27: Tacos

2009-10-27T08:19:00.000-07:00

Tacos

12 corn tortillas, softened in the microwave or hot oil

1 pound ground beef or turkey, browned and seasoned

lettuce

salsa

cheese

sour cream

Serve everything, letting everyone make it just how they want.

Day 26: French Dip Sandwiches

2009-10-26T08:15:00.000-07:00

Meal Plan:

French Dip Sandwiches
Steamed Broccoli
Pear Sauce

French Dip Sandwiches

1 pint bottle of beef, shredded

Au Jus mix

Rolls

Combine beef broth and 2-3 cups water. Bring to a boil, then wisk in Au Jus mix. Serve meat on the rolls, with the Au Jus to dip the sandwiches in.

Day 25: Noodles & Chicken Gravy

2009-10-25T08:10:00.000-07:00

Anne LOVES this meal. And I love it because it is quick and easy to prepare.

Meal Plan:

Noodles
Chicken Gravy
Peaches
Roasted Vegetables

Chicken Gravy - adapted from a recipe by Picky Palate

1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
2 cups Milk (or 1 12oz can Evaporated Milk and ½ cup 1% milk)
1 bottle of Chicken Chunks (or 2 cans of chicken from Costco)
1/2 package (1 1/2 C.) frozen, mixed vegetables
Poultry Seasoning
Garlic Powder
Fresh Rosemary and Basil, chopped fine
Salt & Pepper

In a large (4 qt.) pot, whisk together the juice from the chicken, the cream soup, the milk, and the gravy mix over medium heat. Bring to a low boil, stirring often. Add the chicken (shred it as you're adding it), vegetables, and seasonings. Return to a low boil, and stir frequently until sufficiently thick.

Serve over noodles or rice.

Day 24: Pork Green Chili Burros

2009-10-24T08:08:00.000-07:00

Pork Burritos

1 pint jar pork, drained and shredded

1 small can diced green chilies (optional)

1 jar salsa

tortillas

salsa

cheese

tomatoes

lettuce

In a large skillet, combine the pork and salsa. Heat, uncovered, until hot through. Serve immediately.

Day 23: Broccoli & Beef

2009-10-23T08:06:00.000-07:00

Quick Beef with Broccoli (from epicuious.com)

1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 pound sirloin beef tips, sliced against the grain 1/8 inch thick
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
10 ounces frozen broccoli florets, thawed
3 garlic cloves, chopped

1-2 teaspoons fresh ginger, peeled & minced
3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

1/3 cup water

2 cups rice, for serving

Toss together cornstarch, salt, pepper, and beef in a bowl until meat is coated.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then stir-fry beef until just cooked through, about 1 minute. Transfer with a slotted spoon to another bowl and keep warm, loosely covered with foil.

Add remaining tablespoon oil to wok along with broccoli and garlic and stir-fry over moderately high heat until broccoli is just tender and garlic is pale golden, about 2 minutes.

Add ginger, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and water and bring to a boil. Return meat to skillet and cook, stirring, until sauce is thickened, about 2 minutes.

Cooks' note:
Thaw broccoli, covered, in a microwave-safe container in a microwave oven 2 to 3 minutes.

Day 22: Lasagna

2009-10-22T08:22:00.000-07:00

Lasagna is a hearty meal that makes great leftovers. Also, you can assemble more than one at a time, and freeze them.

Meal Plan:

Lasagna
Apple Sauce
Fresh Bread
Salad

Lasagna

2 jars spaghetti sauce
1 pound ground beef
1 box no-boil lasagna noodles
1 bag shredded cheese

Brown beef. Drain, and add spaghetti sauce. Layer sauce, noodles, and cheese in 9x13 baking dish. Cover and bake 50 minutes (or whatever the package directions state). Remove foil, and bake 10 minutes longer. Let stand for a few minutes, then serve.

**If you like ricotta, go ahead and use it. My family and I don't care for it, so I don't put it in lasagna.

An Exciting New Resource

2009-10-21T09:32:00.000-07:00

I just discovered an exciting new resource! It is the Food Storage Analyzer from Emergency Essentials, and it is wonderful! You can try it out for free, too, and if you do so, and submit a review of it on your blog and email them a link to it (through Wednesday, October 28th), Emergency Essentials will send you a $10 gift card. You can find complete instructions here.

It didn't take me too terribly long to input all of my data (I did a food storage inventory just a couple of weeks ago, so I knew exactly what I had). And it was really, really easy to use. They even had a spot where you could input grocery store items, such as canned beans. So that is where I entered all of the food I have that I have canned myself.

So, the calculator estimates that my family of four - two adults, two kids - need 7400 calories per day. We have approximately 452 days worth of food. I am excited by that because I have been working very hard on food storage for the last 6 years. But, you have to keep in mind that most of this is long-term storage, such as whole wheat. It is much more important to first get 3 months worth of easy to cook food that your family loves. Then you can tackle the big stuff.

All in all, I highly recommend the Food Storage Analyzer. It gives you a nutritional break-down of the information you have entered that makes it pretty easy to see where you are lacking from a nutritional standpoint. For instance, I need to get some more oil, but my family will be getting more than enough fiber (whole wheat). It is a great resource, and a valuable tool for putting everything into chart form. And it's a whole lot easier than doing it yourself in a spreadsheet!

You can click on the link below to be taken to all of the information about the analyzer. I highly recommend you check it out.

Day 21: Red Enchiladas

2009-10-21T08:15:00.000-07:00

This is a family favorite. The Enchilada Sauce is a "quick" and "small" version of the Enchilada Sauce that my grandma and all of her sisters and sister-in-laws make each Christmas. Their recipe takes a long time to make, and it makes a ton!

This recipe makes enough sauce for about 3 batches of Enchiladas, and freezes really well. I also use this Enchilada Sauce in my tamales.

Red Enchilada Sauce

1 28oz can Las Palmas mild Enchilada Sauce (this brand doesn't have MSG in it)

2 14oz cans Chicken Broth

2 Tbsp. Au Jus Beef Broth Powder

1 6oz can Tomato Paste

1 11 oz can V8 Vegetable Juice

2 10.75oz cans Tomato Soup

1 10.75oz can Cream of Chicken Soup

Seasonings (sea salt, garlic, 21 Season Salute, etc.)

Wisk together in large pot. Simmer over medium heat 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Portion into 3-Cup containers and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Freeze.

**If the sauce tastes too acidic, you can add 2 Tbsp of brown sugar.

Beef Enchiladas

12 Corn Tortillas

3 C. Red Enchilada Sauce (1/3 batch)

½ bottle Beef, shredded

½ bottle Pork, shredded

1 bag shredded Cheese

Warm the Enchilada Sauce in a pan on the stove, wisking to recombine. (It sometimes separates during freezing.) Heat tortillas in microwave for 1 minute until they are softened. Combine the two meats in a small bowl. Spread a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of a baking dish. Dip a tortilla into the sauce on the stove, and then fill with meat and cheese. Roll it, and put it in the baking dish. Repeat. Pour the rest of the Enchilada Sauce over the Enchiladas, and top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350°, covered for 30 minutes. Remove foil, and bake another 10 minutes.

Day 20: Summer Pizzas

2009-10-20T08:21:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite recipes, especially now that I have home-canned black beans or pinto beans to use in it!

I have posted it before - here is the link. I it wonderful!!!

Day 19: Stew

2009-10-19T08:35:00.000-07:00

Stew

2 C. dry Potatoes

2 C. dry Carrots

1 pound beef

1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup

Brown Gravy Mix

Salt, Pepper, & other seasonings

Pour 8 C. boiling water over the dry potatoes and carrots. Let stand 5-10 minutes, until softened. Pour 4 cups of the water from carrots and potatoes into a large pot. Wisk in brown gravy mix and the Mushroom Soup until smooth. Gently stir in the rehydrated potatoes, carrots, and the beef. Simmer uncovered over medium heat until heated through, and the gravy is thickened. Season to taste.

Day 18: Grilled Chicken

2009-10-18T18:27:00.001-07:00

Sorry this is late going up - I've been working on getting the new computer set up and arranged just the way I like it. I am loving how fast it runs - this amazing!

For today's recipe, feel free to use any meat that you have in the freezer. I happen to have boneless, skinless chicken breasts. And, chicken is on sale this week at Sprouts (just about the only place I will buy my chicken) for $1.88/lb.

Menu Plan

Grilled Chicken
Rice
Grilled Vegetable Packets (I make up my Roasted Vegetables recipe, but to cook them, I put them in aluminum foil packets, and have Johnny grill them)

Grilled Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (defrosted in the refrigerator first if frozen)

Marinate chicken for a few hours. Grill.

Day 17: Mini Meatloaves

2009-10-17T08:14:00.000-07:00

My family loves these! With the exception of the eggs, I have all of the ingredients in my freezer. And I been reading up on freezing eggs - apparently, it's totally doable!

Mini Meatloaf
Makes 12 meatloaves using a regular size muffin tin, plus 8-10 meatballs in a tiny muffin tin.

1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. ground pork
1/2 lb. fresh pork sausage
2 Eggs
1/2 cup Oat Flour (Make the flour by running some oats through the food processor or blender.)
1/2 cup Bread Crumbs
Some dehydrated onion, garlic, Italian herb blend, 21 Season Salute, and any other seasonings you want

Mix everything together in a large (and I do mean large) bowl. It's easiest to just use your hands. Once it's well combined, portion in to a regular muffin tin for mini meatloaves, or a mini muffin tin for meatballs.

For the meatloaves: Cover with foil, and bake at 350° for 20 minutes, remove foil and bake for 5 minutes longer, until a thermometer in the center of each meatloaf registers 160°.

For the meatballs: Bake covered at 350 for 10 minutes, and 2-3 minutes uncovered. Internal temperature needs to be 160 degrees.

Day 16: Black Beans and Fry Bread

2009-10-16T08:18:00.000-07:00

**I can't tell you how these turned out for me because I didn't actually make them last night. I had a migraine, and wasn't able to do a whole lot. Thank goodness for modern medicines! I'm fine this morning, and plan to make these soon to try out all of the new tips I found.

So, I am attempting beans in the Crock-Pot again. I have done some research since making the White Chicken Chili, and have come up with a few things.

Add boiling water - when starting the beans or adding more water, make sure it is boiling.
Salt - my grandma says she never adds salt until after the beans are tender. Many cookbooks recommend the same. However, Cook's Illustrated released a whole article about dried beans, and they said that using salt in the water used when soaking the beans overnight will help to keep the beans tender since the minerals in hard water can toughen the beans. Their ratio is 3 Tbsp salt to 1 Gallon of water.
Water - we have really, really hard water around here. In combination with beans that are on the older side of the spectrum, the natural outcome is that it takes forever for beans to cook! A little bit of baking soda can help to soften the water, but it does destroy some of the nutrients in the beans. I am of the opinion that it is better to destroy some of the nutrients and have my family eat the beans, than to not add the baking soda and my family won't eat them because they are still crunchy.
Acidic Ingredients - this I did know: Don't add anything acidic (tomatoes, lime juice, etc.) until after the beans are fully cooked.

Black Beans
4 C. Black Beans
3 Tbsp. Salt/gallon of soaking water
Water
1 Tbsp. Baking Soda
2-3 Tbsp. Dehydrated Onion
1-2 Tbsp. Minced Dehydrated Garlic
1-2 C. Beef Chunks (8-16oz)
1 – 16oz Jar Salsa (divided)
Salt & Pepper to Taste

Sort and rinse beans. Pour into a large pot or bowl. Fill with water until beans are covered by a few inches. Add salt and stir. Allow to soak overnight.

In the morning, drain the beans, and rinse well. Put beans in your slow cooker, and add the seasonings and baking soda, excluding the salt. Stir together, and add enough water to cover the beans by about 2 inches. Cook on low for 6-7 hours (until beans are almost completely tender). Add more boiling water if necessary to keep the beans covered. Shred the Beef Chunks, and add them and the salsa to the beans. Continue cooking on low until the meat is hot, and the beans are all of the way tender (about 30-60 minutes longer). Serve with the remaining sour cream, cheese, and salsa, accompanied by rice, fresh tortillas, fry bread, or as a soup.

Mom's Fry Bread
2 c. flour
5 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
about 3/4 c. warm water

Mix together adding flour until not sticky. Form into balls and roll out thinly. Fry in oil until brown and delicious. Serve with beans, cheese, salsa, powdered sugar, honey, cinnamon sugar, lettuce, tomatoes, etc.

Day 15: Pizza

2009-10-15T08:09:00.000-07:00

We are halfway through our 30 days!

There are about as many pizza dough recipes as there are ways to top a pizza. Use your favorite, or try the one I have here.

Pizza

1 recipe pizza dough

1 can tomato sauce

pizza seasoning (a friend gave me some seasoning that is called "Pizza Seasoning" - she bought it in bulk at a spice place in Phoenix. The guy there said it's the same seasoning used by Barro's Pizza. I don't know if that's true or not, but I really like it.)

1 bag mozzarella cheese

toppings

Heat pizza stone at 500° for 30 minute. Roll out crust, and bake on a parchment paper 5 minutes. While crust is baking, combine tomato sauce and pizza seasoning. Quickly spread over crust, top with cheese and toppings, and return to the oven. Bake 10-15 minutes.

Let cool a few minutes, and serve.

Shar’s Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

2 C. Warm Water

1 C. Whole Wheat Flour

1 C. High Gluten Bread Flour

1 C. Semolina Flour

1 Tbsp. Honey

¼ C. Olive Oil

1 Tbsp. Sea Salt

2 Tbsp. Dough Relaxer

2 Tbsp. Instant Yeast

2 Tbsp. Pizza Seasoning

Combine ingredients in Bosch with dough hook, and mix thouroughly. Contine to add whole wheat flour until mixture cleans the sides of the bowl. It should be soft, but not sticky. Knead 8 minutes, until gluten is developed.

Dough can be made ahead and kept in a plastic bag in the refrigerator up to 2 days, or freezer for 2 months.

Day 14: Barbecue Beef Sandwiches

2009-10-14T08:20:00.000-07:00

A wonderfully quick meal. I really like the whole wheat hamburger buns from Trader Joe's, but they are kind of expensive. My mom worked and worked on coming up with a whole wheat hamburger bun recipe - it can be found after the Barbecue Beef Recipe.

Meal Plan:

BBQ Beef Sandwiches
Peaches
Corn
Broccoli

Barbecue Beef Sandwiches

1 bottle beef, shredded and drained (Pork is also really good!)

½ bottle barbeque sauce

Hamburger Buns

In a skillet, combine beef and barbeque sauce over medium heat, until heated through. Spread onto buns, and serve immediately.

Mom’s Hamburger Buns

½ C. warm Water

2 T. Yeast

¾ C. warm Milk

¼ C. Sugar

3 T. Butter

2 tsp. Salt

5 C. Flour

2 Eggs

In a large bowl, add warm water and yeast. Add warm milk, sugar, butter, salt, and 2 cups flour to make a soft dough. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 4-6 minutes. Let rise until doubled in size, about 30-45 minutes. Divide dough into 10 equal pieces. Form each piece into smooth ball. Place on large, greased baking sheet. Flatten balls to 4-inch rounds; cover. Let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 20 to 40 minutes.

Beat 1 egg, and brush tops of rolls. Bake at 375° for about 15 minutes.

Note: the bottoms burn easily, so bake on the middle or top rack.

Day 13: Quesodillas

2009-10-13T08:43:00.000-07:00

Quesodillas are a simple meal that my kids love! You can use any leftover meat, beans, or vegetables in the filling.

Chicken Quesodillas

1 bottle chicken, drained and shredded (or any leftover meat, beans, or vegetables you want)

1 jar salsa

cheese

tortillas

salsa

tomatoes

lettuce

In a large skillet, combine the shredded chicken and salsa. Heat, uncovered, until hot through. In a second skillet, layer a tortilla, some cheese, some chicken, and another tortilla. Cook until tortillas are crispy and the cheese is melted, flipping over half way.

Day 12: Soup & Fresh Bread

2009-10-12T08:34:00.000-07:00

This is a very basic recipe for soup. This winter, I hope to try out some different soup recipes, and collect some really good ones. Unfortunately, that will probably have to wait until November, seeing as we are still supposed to be in the 90's this week...

Unless this happened to fall on my regular baking day (Tuesdays), then I would make up a loaf of bread in the bread machine.

Basic Chicken Noodle Soup

2 cans chicken broth

4 cups water

1 box shaped noodles

½ cup dry carrots

1 pint bottle chicken, shredded

1 bag frozen vegetables

Seasonings

Bring chicken broth and water to a boil. Add the noodles and carrots. Cook until noodles are al dente. Add chicken and its broth, and frozen vegetables. Bring back to a boil. Season and serve.

*If you have a package of Bear Creek Soup Mix available, definitely use it!

Day 11: Tamales

2009-10-11T13:51:00.000-07:00

Tamales can be a pain to make because they are time consuming. But, wow, they are good! And they freeze so well. There are various tutorials online on how to make tamales. It is actually very simple. However, there is no real way to speed up the process - that's what takes so long. It does go much faster if you make them with some other people, and have more than one steamer. When I was learning to make them a couple of years ago, there were 5 or 6 of us being taught by my friend Sheri, and we make 10 dozen in about 3 hours, not including steaming time.

I have heard that you can steam them in your crock-pot, but I haven't ever been able to make it work. If you know how to do that, please enlighten me!!! For my steamer, I use a large pot with a round rack that fits in the bottom. It's imperative that you do not let your steamer go dry! Check the water level often, every 15-20 minutes or so.

If you have never seen tamales made before, you just smear a large spoonful of masa onto your soaked corn husk. Make it into kind of rectangle, put your meat in, and fold it up. I like to tie mine with some cotton crochet thread so that they stay folded up. It's just that easy. Because the corn husks are wet, the masa likes to slide around a bit, but after the first few, you'll get it figured out. Also, I have learned that you can use parchment paper instead of corn husks, but I haven't ever tried it.

I am lucky here in the Southwest to find Fresh Masa year-round. I have have included a recipe for masa from Masa Harina, but I haven't ever tried it.

Meal Plan:

Tamales
Refried Beans
Salsa

Tamales – makes 4-5 dozen
1 batch Masa
2 bottles beef, shredded (broth added to Masa)
2 bottles pork, shredded (broth added to Masa)
2 bags shredded cheese
dried corn husks, soaked in hot water

Pull a husk out of the water, and shake of the excess water. Spread a large spoonful of masa on a husk, add two small spoonfuls of meat and some cheese.Wrap up, folding in the side, and folding up the bottom. Use a second husk if needed, and tie with string to keep it folded, if you want.Steam for 1 hour (up to 3 layers in the steamer at a time).Can be frozen after being cooked.

Masa

5 lbs. fresh masa

1 C. Shortening

1 stick butter

½ C. Enchilada Sauce

½ C. Water or Broth from your meat

1 tsp. Baking Powder

Beat shortening & butter until fluffy. Alternately add masa and enchilada sauce and water. Add baking powder and mix well. Enough for 5 dozen tamales.

Masa from Dry Masa Harina

8-10 C. Masa Harina Flour (made only from corn and “lime”/calcium hydroxide - it should say it is for Tamales. MaSeCa is a very trusted brand)

1 C. Vegetable Shortening

1 stick Butter

1 tsp. baking powder

2 C. Chicken Broth

1-2 C. Water

½ C. Enchilada Sauce

Masa: in large bowl beat shortening and butter until fluffy. Add Enchilada Sauce. Combine masa harina and baking powder; alternately add masa harina mixture and broth/water to shortening, mixing well after each addition. Add more water or flour as necessary, mixing to consistency of very soft cookie dough.

Day 10: Fettuccine Alfredo

2009-10-10T09:17:00.000-07:00

Fettuccine Alfredo
1 jar Alfredo Sauce (my favorite is the Classico Brand)
1 pint bottle of Chicken
plenty of herbs (basil & rosemary), garlic, salt, & pepper
Noodles

Cook whatever kind of noodles you want according to package directions. While they are cooking, whisk together the alfredo sauce and the juice from the chicken over medium heat. Stir in the chicken, shredding it as you add it, and the herbs and other seasonings. Reduce heat to low, and stir occasionally. Serve over noodles.

Day 9: Noodles & Beef Gravy

2009-10-09T08:26:00.000-07:00

Another quick and simple meal.

Meal Plan:

Noodles
Beef Gravy
Peaches
Homemade Bread

Beef Gravy
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 pint bottle of beef
2 cups water (approx. 1 soup can full)
2-3 Tbsp. Beef Gravy mix
Seasonings

Over medium heat, whisk together the cream soup, water, and broth from the beef. Whisk in the brown gravy mix and seasonings. Shred the beef as you stir it in. Heat until hot through, and sufficiently thick. If it gets too thick, stir in a little more water.

Day 8: White Chicken Chili

2009-10-08T07:50:00.000-07:00

I had actually never made this recipe before, and I was definitely impressed. It has lots of flavor, isn't overly spicy, and is less "heavy" than regular beef chili.

My only problem with it is not the fault of the recipe - it's my own problem: I have the hardest time cooking dried beans! I don't know why, but they always take FOREVER to get soft. I presoak them. I have cooked them without salt. I have cooked them with salt. I have cooked them in the water they soaked in. I have cooked them in fresh, cool water. I have added baking soda to the presoak water because supposedly hard water can make them tough and baking soda will counteract that. I have soaked them without baking soda because supposedly too much alkalinity can make them tough. You name it, I have tried it, and now when I cook beans, I plan on cooking them on High for 10 hours. Even then, they may or may not be done by dinner time. And it's all beans, not just beans from my Food Storage. I thought maybe it was, so I tried some freshly bought beans - same results.

One of these days, I will be victorious...I just hope that day comes sooner rather than later. If you have any tips, I am all ears! I am going to see my grandma later, and I'll ask what her secret is. If she has anything earth-shattering to share, I'll be sure to let you in on it.

Meal Plan:

White Chicken Chili
Corn Bread

Chicken and White Bean Chili (adapted from epicurious.com)

1 pound dried small white beans, soaked overnight, rinsed, and drained
8 roasted green chilies, very finely chopped (or pureed in blender)
2 large onions, chopped
2 (14 oz) cans chicken broth plus broth from bottled chicken
2 tablespoons dry minced garlic
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/3 cup all purpose flour
2 (12 oz) cans evaporated milk
2 bottles cooked chicken, shredded
Salt
Juice from 2 large limes
½ bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

Put beans, green chilies, onions (sauteed, first, if desired) and seasonings (excluding salt) in Crock Pot. Add chicken broth (including broth from the bottles of chicken – store chicken in the fridge until needed), and enough cold water to cover beans by 3 inches. Cook on low for 8 hours. (These are the directions for how it is supposed to work. I cook all my beans on high for a very long time because I apparently am bean challenged...)

When beans are almost tender (about 30 minutes prior to them being completely done cooking), whisk the flour and salt into the evaporated milk, and stir into the beans. Add the shredded chicken. Simmer gently to blend flavors, about 30 minutes. Thicken with additional flour or Ultra-gel thickener, if needed.

Add lime juice and cilantro. Ladle chili into bowls and serve immediately.

Garnish with:

fresh Lime Juice
fresh Cilantro, chopped
Shredded Mexican Blend cheese
Sour Cream
Tomatillo Salsa

You can find my favorite corn bread recipe here.

Day 7: Beef Burritos

2009-10-07T08:20:00.000-07:00

This is quintessential quick meal. Last night was the perfect night for it. I hate it when I run out of "day" before I run out of things that really need to get done. Yesterday was one of those days. Before I knew it, it was 5:30 and time to make dinner. I should have served some sort of side with these, like tortilla chips and fresh salsa, but I didn't get there.

Meal Plan:

Beef Burritos
Chips & fresh Salsa

Beef Burritos

1 bottle beef, shredded – DO NOT DRAIN (or 2 cans of beef chunks from Sam's Club/Costco)
1 jar salsa
1 cup dried refried beans
tortillas
cheese
tomatoes
lettuce

In a large skillet, combine the shredded beef, its juice, and the salsa. Stir in the refried beans. Heat, covered lightly with foil, until beans have absorbed the liquid. (I cook all of my tortillas while the meat is cooking.) Serve immediately.

Notes - I love the Uncooked Flour Tortillas from Sam's Club. They taste so much better than the ones from the grocery store, and they freeze really well. In fact, having these burritos reminded me that I need another package. You can make your own tortillas, and I am trying to learn how to do that, but these are just so fabulous!

Salsa - my mom's recipe

2 14oz cans of diced tomatoes
2 small bunches of green onions
1 bunch of cilantro (or only a 1/2 bunch if you aren't crazy about cilantro - I love the stuff!)
a few cloves of garlic (or garlic powder)
Juice from 1-2 limes
a little bit of sugar (like 1/2 tsp.)
salt
pepper

Open both cans of tomatoes, and pour the juice into the food processor. (I actually go ahead and put in the tomatoes from one of the cans, too, but Mom never did. My dad likes salsa more chunky, and I like it more smooth.) Trim the roots off the green onions, and then slice the white parts. Add them in. Chop your cilantro, and press your garlic. Add those to the food processor. (If you don't have a garlic press, you totally need one! You can mince it by hand, but if you use as much garlic as I do when cooking, it's the best $6 investment you can make.) Add in your lime juice, and pulse a few times. Pour into a bowl, and stir in your tomatoes. This is where you start tasting it. If it needs sugar, add some. If it needs salt, add that. Work with it until you like it. Remember that after it sits in the refrigerator for a few hours, the flavors will blend and change a little bit. You can always add more salt, garlic powder, sugar, lime juice, or whatever after it has been refrigerated - just a helpful hint. I have to remind myself of this every time I make salsa because I usually add too much salt while it is still at room temperature in an effort to make it taste "right". There is just no way it will taste the way I like it until it is chilled.

Day 6: Hawaiian Haystacks

2009-10-06T08:16:00.000-07:00

Spencer decided that these were called "Lion Haystacks". I don't know if the name made him like them better or not, but he cleaned his plate, and asked for more rice! That is a rare occurrence from him.

Menu Plan

Rice
Chicken Gravy
Salad

Chicken Gravy (original recipe from Picky Palate)

1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
2 cups Milk*
1 bottle of Chicken Chunks (or 2 cans of chicken from Costco/Sam's Club)
1/2 package (1 1/2 C.) frozen, mixed vegetables**
Seasonings, such as Salt & Pepper, Garlic Powder, Rosemary, Basil, etc.

Whisk together the juice from the chicken, the cream soup, and the milk, over medium heat. Bring to a low boil, stirring often. Add the chicken (shred it as you're adding it), vegetables, and seasonings. Return to a low boil, and stir frequently until sufficiently thick.

Serve over noodles or rice.

*Notes on the Milk: Usually I just use 2 cups of 1% milk, but I have a bunch of Evaporated Milk that really needed to get used (it was free last November). So, last night, I used 1 can of Evaporated Milk (12 oz) and about a 1/2 cup or so of 1% milk. I really, really liked it, and will probably make it this way more often. The Evaporated Milk also makes it more Food Storage friendly.

**Notes on the Vegetables: These are totally optional, depending on what you want to do with the gravy. Last night, I left them out. If I am serving the gravy over noodles or crescent rolls, then I include the vegetables.

Hawaiian Haystacks

1 recipe Chicken Gravy

3 cups rice

Chinese noodles

tomatoes, chopped

shredded cheese

canned pineapple

Serve everything, letting each person make their haystack just the way they like.

To make white rice (which is a treat at our house - usually, I make brown rice), the ratio of rice to water is 1 to 2. ie: 1 cup rice simmered with 2 cups water, until the water is absorbed and the rice is soft. To make three cups (enough for dinner, and for Johnny's lunch the next day), I make 1 1/2 C. Rice and 3 C. Water.

Day 5: Crock-Pot Pork Roast

2009-10-05T08:36:00.000-07:00

I love my big chest freezer! It allows me to store so many things that I couldn't otherwise include in my 3 Month Supply. And I do have some back-up plans in place in the event of power failure, but I'll wait to discuss all of those in an upcoming post that is all about the freezer.

Today's recipe is very easy, and the leftovers will be great for including in recipes in the next couple of days. It is a classic Sunday meal - and I just happened to have it scheduled for yesterday for my family. But it is great to make anytime!

Menu Plan

Pork Loin Roast
Mashed Potatoes (real or instant)
Gravy from the roast drippings
Broccoli (frozen)

This recipe is so easy! Now, I have read that you aren't supposed to put frozen meat in your Crock-Pot because it doesn't come up in temperature to the "safe zone" quickly enough. So, if you are nervous about that, then definitely thaw your roast in the refrigerator overnight. I usually don't remember to get it out in time, so here's how I usually make my pork roast:

Crock-Pot Pork Roast

Get your pork roast out of the freezer. (I usually buy a couple of them when they are on sale for $1.57/lb, and freeze them. If they are particularly large, or you have a small Crock-Pot, then cut them in half BEFORE you freeze them! It is not fun trying to make frozen meat fit in a Crock-Pot that is too small...) Put it in your Crock-Pot (I use my 6 qt. oval) with about 2 or 3 cups of water. Sprinkle with seasonings, such as minced garlic, 21 Season Salute from Trader Joe's, or a poultry rub blend. Cook on high about 6 hours or on low about 8. Serve.

It's just that easy! And shred the leftovers before you freeze them so that you can use the meat in a few days to make Green Chili Burros, or Tamales. (That's a preview of what recipes you have to look forward this week!) If you or your family doesn't care for pork, by all means, substitute a beef roast.

Chicken Enchiladas with Salsa Verde

2009-10-04T08:24:00.000-07:00

Why am I posting all of these recipes? You can find my explanation here.

One of the things I have tried to do in planning my 30-day long menu for my 3 Month's Supply is put meals near each other that use some of the same ingredients. That's why last night was Tostadas, and tonight is Chicken Enchiladas with Salsa Verde (Green Sauce). If I were making the corn tortillas from scratch, (or getting them out of the freezer to defrost which, is the far more likely senario) I would go ahead and make enough for both meals at the same time.

These seem like a lot of work, but the sauce recipe makes enough for three batches of enchiladas, and is very freezer friendly. You could even go so far as to make up three batches of the enchiladas at once, and then freeze them. If you really wanted, you could skip making the sauce, and just use straight green enchilada sauce from the grocery store. However, once you "doctor" it up, it's hard to go back to just the plain ol' canned stuff. Another option to speed things up is to make this an Enchilada Casserole instead of traditional enchiladas. What's the difference? Nothing in terms of taste, and very little in visual. I do this quite often, especially if I am using corn tortillas that have been frozen and then thawed, as they are more likely to crack when I try to roll them. I'll provide directions for making it up both ways.

Meal Plan:

Chicken Enchiladas
Green Salad
Applesauce

Green Enchilada Sauce

1 28oz cans Macayo's brand Green Enchilada Sauce*

2 14oz cans Chicken Broth

1 11oz can V8 Vegetable Juice

2 10.75oz cans Cream of Chicken Soup

1 10.75oz cans Cream of Mushroom Soup

2 Tbsp. Brown Sugar

1 Tbsp. Garlic Powder

3 Tbsp. Lime Juice

2 small cans of Diced Green Chilies

1 12oz jar Trader Joe’s Salsa Verde (or 1 12oz can Tomatillos)**

Wisk all ingredients together in a large pot. Simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Do not boil. This sauce is very mild. It makes enough for approximately 3 batches of enchiladas, and freezes well.

*Notes on the Macayo's Green Enchilada Sauce: Like I said at the beginning, if you want, you can just use this as your enchilada sauce, but it tastes so much better if you add everything else. I use Macayo's brand because it is the one I have found without Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) in it. I also use Campbell's Healthy Request Cream of Chicken and Cream of Mushroom soups for this same reason.

**Notes on Salsa Verde: Being an Arizona native, I have a definite opinion about Salsa Verde also known as Green Sauce. The only jarred salsa I have found that even remotely compares to fresh salsa is Trader Joe's brand. It is on the pricey side (around $2 a jar), and I only buy it for this recipe. But it makes a big difference in the final enchilada sauce. If you can find canned tomatillos, feel free to use them instead. Just run them through the blender before adding them to the rest of your ingredients. If you've never had fresh salsa verde, then use whichever brand you like best. What is Salsa Verde? In Mexican Food, it is a tomatillo-based salsa. In Italian food, it is an herb-based sauce, like pesto.

Chicken Enchiladas

12 Corn Tortillas

3 C. Green Enchilada Sauce

1 pint bottled chicken, shredded (or two cans of Chicken - I recommend the Member's Mark or Kirkland brands from either Sam's Club or Costco)

1 bag shredded Cheese

Warm the Enchilada Sauce in a pan on the stove, wisking to recombine. (It sometimes separates during freezing. If you can remember to get it out of the freezer the day before, that would be ideal, but I usually end up defrosting mine at 50% power for a few minutes.) Heat tortillas in microwave for 1 minute until they are warm and softened. Spread a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Dip a tortilla into the sauce on the stove, and then fill with meat and cheese. Roll it, and put it in the baking dish. Repeat. I have found 6 to fit running across the short side. Pour the rest of the Enchilada Sauce over the Enchiladas, and top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350°, covered for 30 minutes. Remove foil, and bake another 10 minutes.

To make Enchilada Casserole, spread a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Spread part of the tortillas in a single layer (I think it takes 4 tortillas), tearing them in half or quarters as necessary to fill in empty spaces. Cover with a thin layer of sauce. Spread half of the chicken over the tortillas, and cover with 1/4 of the cheese. Continue layering with another thin layer of sauce, tortillas, more sauce, the rest of the chicken, 1/4 of the cheese, more sauce, the rest of the tortillas, the rest of the sauce, and the rest of the cheese. Bake at 350°, covered for 30 minutes. Remove foil, and bake another 10 minutes.

Day 3: Tostadas

2009-10-03T08:26:00.000-07:00

Did you know you can freeze cheese once it has been shredded? You can, and it works out great! You can also freeze corn tortillas. So here is the recipe for tonight:

Tostadas

8 tostadas, or corn tortillas, fried until crispy*

1 pint beef chunks**

1/2 pint salsa

1 pint pinto beans***

Toppings:

lettuce

salsa

cheese

sour cream

Combine the beef, it's broth, and a half jar of salsa in a skillet. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally. While it is simmering, heat pinto beans in the microwave, and prepare the tostadas, either by frying them until golden brown and crispy, or heating store-bought tostadas. Heat the meat mixture until most of the liquid has evaporated. Serve, letting everyone add the toppings just the way they like.

*Notes on Tostadas or Corn Tortillas: You can buy ready-made tostada shells at the store, but I prefer to make my own from corn tortillas for two reasons. First, corn tortillas are pretty versatile, and I use them in many recipes. And you can freeze them. Here in Arizona, you can get a HUGE bag (like 100 count) at Sam's club for pretty cheap, or you can get a 30 count bag at the $0.99 Store. They get a delivery of them once or twice a week, so you can usually find them pretty fresh. Also, you can make your own corn tortillas, and then fry them. I am hoping to eventually come up with a recipe where you can bake them to crispy perfection, but I haven't struck gold yet. Frying is the most reliable way - and let's be honest: they are really good fried! (I use canola oil.) The second reason I like to make my own tostada shells is that they taste better, and I don't have to worry about the store bought shells expiring before I use them. Instead, I can just get the tortillas out of the freezer the day before, thaw them in the fridge, DRY THEM off if necessary with paper towels (PLEASE DON'T EVER TRY TO FRY ANYTHING THAT IS EVEN SLIGHTLY WET!!!), and cook them.

**Notes on Beef: Feel free to use ground beef, without mixing it with the salsa, if you like. I really like using my bottled beef, mixing it with salsa, and letting it reduce. This concentrates the flavors, and allows me to work on the tostada shells while it cooks. You can also use two cans of beef chunks from Sam's Club or Costco.

***Notes on Beans: I, again, use beans that I have bottled. Feel free to use canned beans (pinto or refried), or freshly cooked beans.

Where do I get all of my recipes for things I can? I've taken three classes about canning, specifically pressure canning, and find recipes at The National Center for Home Food Preservation. You always need to use a recipe that has been tested, and is from a trusted source like the NCHFP or the Ball corp.

Day 2: Spaghetti

2009-10-02T08:31:00.000-07:00

There are three recipes for today. I typically use dry Angel Hair style noodles from the grocery store, and stock up when it's on sale, but every so often, I will make homemade whole wheat noodles. The bread recipe is just a fabulous recipe. My mom worked on it for my brother so that he could store the "basic packets" in his freezer, add water, butter, and yeast to the basic packet in the bread machine, and in three hours have fresh bread. I got my bread machine at Goodwill on Half-off day for $5 a while back, and I love it. Sometimes, you just don't need to make 6 loaves of bread! The final recipe is for Spaghetti. If you are adventurous enough to make your own spaghetti sauce, more power to you! I haven't branched out that far yet. I can usually stock up on jarred sauce for $0.99, so there's really not much incentive for me to make it. Maybe next summer I will if I have a bumper crop of tomatoes.

Meal Plan

Spaghetti
Fresh Bread
Salad

Basic Whole Wheat Egg Pasta - original recipe from Shar's Kitchen

2-2 ½ C. Whole Wheat Flour

4 large Eggs

1 Tbsp. Olive Oil

2 tsp. Salt other seasonings, such as garlic, if desired

Mix in food processor until dough mixture forms ball. Remove and work in more flour as needed until smooth and easy to handle. Wrap the dough in plastic and let rest for 30 minutes at room temperature. Cut into pieces and run through pasta machine, dusting with flour as needed to keep from sticking. Start at 1 and work up to 5 before running through the spaghetti or fettuccine settings. Toss each set of noodles with flour to keep them from sticking together after being cut.

Bread Packets - recipe from my mom

(can be used to make bread in a baggie)

Basic Dry Mix:

1½ C. Whole Wheat Flour

1½ C. White Bread Flour

1½ tsp. Salt

2 Tbsp. Sugar

¼ C. Potato Flakes

To the basic mix, add:

1½ tsp (or ½ envelope) yeast

1 1/8 C. warm Water

¼ C. Butter

In bread machine, use the “Basic” setting.

For bread in a baggie, use oil instead of butter. Combine dry ingredients, minus ½ C. of the white bread flour in a large Ziploc, and mix. Add wet ingredients. Mix, and add the other ½ C. flour gradually until a workable dough forms. Turn out onto a floured surface, and knead until no longer sticky. Cover, and let rest 10 minutes. Make into 1 loaf. Put in a lightly greased pan, and let rise until double in size. Bake at 375° for 25 min.

The “basic mix” can be stored in individual, large Ziplocs in the freezer.

Spaghetti

1 pound spaghetti noodles

1 pound ground beef

1 jar spaghetti sauce

¼ bag shredded cheese

Put water on to boil, and brown the beef. Cook the noodles. While they are cooking, mix the spaghetti sauce and ground beef together and heat through. Serve over the cooked, drained noodles. Sprinkle individual servings with cheese.

Day 1: Chicken & Rice Casserole

2009-10-01T09:02:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited to be doing this grand experiment! And this is a great first recipe - I got the original idea from a few different places, but spent several months try to make the recipes work. Call me crazy, but I didn't want a casserole where the rice was still crunchy, and it took an extra 45 minutes for the chicken to cook through. The first change I made after that disastrous first attempt, was using pre-cooked chicken. This accomplished two things. First, I didn't have to worry about getting chicken breasts to cook through (nor dice raw chicken in to small pieces.) Second, it made it Food Storage friendly. So I made various versions of this casserole (a lot!) until I was able to get consistently great results.

MEAL PLAN:

Chicken & Rice Casserole
Biscuits (I used refrigerated Pillsbury biscuits that were almost free from Fry's a few weeks ago. You could do the same, make them from scratch, or substitute something else.)
Peaches

Chicken & Rice Casserole

1 can (10 ¾ ounces) Cream of Chicken Soup
2 ½ cups water 1 cup uncooked, regular white rice (do not substitute Minute rice)
1 pint Bottled Chicken and its juice, shredded into chunks*
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables or chopped, frozen broccoli**
Seasonings (Salt, Pepper, garlic powder, dehydrated onions, etc.)
¼ C. shredded cheese (about 1/4 of an 8 oz bag)

Wisk together the water and cream of chicken soup. Stir in everything else, except the cheese. Pour into a baking dish, and cover. (I use a 3qt, 11.5 x 7.5 ", oval casserole dish with a glass lid, and it works really, really well.)

Bake at 400°F for 65-70 minutes, or until the rice is tender. (It helps the rice cook much more evenly if you stir everything about halfway through baking.) Top with cheese. Let casserole stand covered for 10 minutes.

Serves 6-8.

*Chicken Notes: I developed this recipe specifically for the chicken I bottle in my pressure canner that is part of my 3 Month Supply. One pound (raw weight) fits in a pint jar. Feel free to substitute two cans of the canned chicken from Costco or Sam's Club. Make sure you include the water that it is packed in. Don't shred the chicken finely, just kind of break it up into chunks as you add it to the mixing bowl.

**Vegetable Notes: I specify "frozen" in the recipe because I keep my freezer well-stocked with frozen vegetables since my family doesn't care for canned vegetables. (I always wait for a sale on them, and then stock up. The Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers usually have a coupon available that makes them $0.50 or less when combined with a sale. I also buy plenty of vegetables when they are in season and inexpensive, and then freeze them myself.) I am not sure how canned vegetables would do, but I can't think of any reason they wouldn't work. Fresh vegetables also work well, particularly broccoli. I was able to get the most beautiful purple cauliflower yesterday for $0.99 for a huge head, so that is what I used last night. Anne thought it was awesome to get to eat "purple, princess vegetables".

A New Food Experiment

2009-09-29T13:35:00.000-07:00

I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Also known more commonly as "Mormons" because of our belief in the Book of Mormon being additional scripture from God - another testament of Jesus Christ in addition to the Bible. I don't know that I have ever specifically mentioned this before, and thought it was important to understanding the rest of this blog post.

As a part of our religious beliefs, our leaders have counseled us to have a minimum of 3 Months worth of food on hand. This should be food that is easy to prepare, and that your family likes and is used to eating. I have been working on this, and have also been working on coming up with recipes for each of the meals. Some of the recipes, like the one for BLT's, are very simple. Some are more complex. It actually was this collection of recipes that I finished the day before my computer died. I was very, very blessed to be able to recover them!

So, I am starting a new experiment for October. I have created a 30 day meal plan, and the recipes to go with it. I have been working on it for over a year! However, all of these recipes need to be tested out, and I need to make sure that I have all of the ingredients on hand to make each meal at least three times (3 months). The easiest way to accomplish all of these goals is to make one recipe each day. I can focus on adjusting the recipe, and make a note of what ingredients I need to stock up on next time I find them on sale.

I will post all of the recipes here. All I ask is that you give me credit for them, and include a link to this blog. I've worked hard on them, and I'm excited to share them. I will be a day behind in posting the recipes so that I can also post how it turned out the night before and make any adjustments necessary. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to ask away. I do reserve the right to moderate comments, and anything negative will be deleted.

As a bonus, today, while processing a load of 20 pints of beans in the pressure canner, I came across a wonderful website called The Prudent Homemaker! Brandy is amazing, and a living testament to the importance of Provident Living. Her story, and the information on her website, were just the boosts I needed while preparing to start this project.

2009-09-25T15:57:00.001-07:00

Chicken Fettucini Alfredo

2009-09-24T15:55:00.000-07:00

Crock-Pot Fajitas

2009-09-23T15:54:00.000-07:00

Roasted Chicken
Roasted Zucchini
Watermelon
Pineapple

2009-09-22T15:56:00.000-07:00

Summer Pizzas

2009-09-20T21:26:00.001-07:00

Tacos & Tostadas

2009-09-18T21:21:00.000-07:00

Red Enchiladas, and they turned out so good!

2009-09-17T18:04:00.001-07:00

BLT's on homemade bread

2009-09-16T18:03:00.000-07:00

Waffles
Peaches

Whole Wheat Honey Bread

2009-09-16T12:14:00.000-07:00

My sister found this recipe, and it is amazing. I make it quite often. I always use White Wheat that I grind fresh in my Nutrimill.

3 1/2 C. Warm Water (I aim for 105 degrees - absolutely no higher than 110 degrees or you'll kill your yeast. Yes, I do have an instant read thermometer that I use to check.)
1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
3 T. Instant Yeast
2/3 C. Oil (yesterday, I replaced this with 2 sticks softened butter, and I really liked it.)
1 C. Honey
3 T. vital wheat gluten (absolutely necessary - I get mine at Shar's, but I also found it once at Sprout's, so maybe they can special order it)
2 T. dough enhancer (optional, but I really recommend it. Again, I get mine at Shar's)
12 C. whole wheat flour
2 T. Salt (I prefer Sea Salt, so I use 3 T.)

In the Bosch, add the water, milk, yeast, oil (butter), and honey. Then add the vital wheat gluten, dough enhancer, and 6 C. flour. Mix together for 2-3 minutes. Add the remaining flour, and the salt. Mix for 8 minutes, until the gluten is well developed. Let rest for 30 minutes. Shape into 4 loaves. Let rise. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes (190 degrees internal temperature).

2009-09-15T12:13:00.000-07:00

Chicken Noodle Soup
Fresh Whole Wheat Bread

2009-09-14T12:11:00.000-07:00

Johnny normally has Monday's off, but he needed to work today, and then he ended up having to stay late. So dinner was pretty casual.

Beef Brown Gravy
Quinoa

2009-09-13T18:12:00.001-07:00

Spaghetti
French Bread

2009-09-12T18:08:00.000-07:00

Anne's birthday dinner

Grilled Chicken & Fish
Brown Rice
Steamed Broccoli
Lemon & Garlic Roasted Green Beans
Fettucini Alfredo (aka Chicken Gravy - Anne's Favorite)
French Bread
Salad

It was so much fun to have Grandpa, Uncle Will, and Grandpa John over to celebrate.

2009-09-11T18:07:00.000-07:00

pizza

2009-09-10T16:06:00.000-07:00

Roast Chicken
Roasted green beans, zucchini, & yellow squash
Apple Sauce
Corn
Biscuts

2009-09-09T15:59:00.000-07:00

Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo
and nothing else - not very balanced, but Johnny was working late.

2009-09-08T16:01:00.000-07:00

Anne's Birthday

Joe's BBQ, and boy was it good!

2009-09-07T16:02:00.000-07:00

Grandpa Chapman's Birthday/Labor Day Swim Party

Hot Dogs & Hamburgers
Salads
The highlight was definitely Uncle Steve's grilled fresh yellow-fin tuna