Posted on 03/23/2008 11:36:40 PM PDT by nw_arizona_granny
Americans finding soaring food prices hard to stomach can battle back by growing their own food. [Click image for a larger version] Dean Fosdick Dean Fosdick
Home vegetable gardens appear to be booming as a result of the twin movements to eat local and pinch pennies.
At the Southeastern Flower Show in Atlanta this winter, D. Landreth Seed Co. of New Freedom, Pa., sold three to four times more seed packets than last year, says Barb Melera, president. "This is the first time I've ever heard people say, 'I can grow this more cheaply than I can buy it in the supermarket.' That's a 180-degree turn from the norm."
Roger Doiron, a gardener and fresh-food advocate from Scarborough, Maine, said he turned $85 worth of seeds into more than six months of vegetables for his family of five.
A year later, he says, the family still had "several quarts of tomato sauce, bags of mixed vegetables and ice-cube trays of pesto in the freezer; 20 heads of garlic, a five-gallon crock of sauerkraut, more homegrown hot-pepper sauce than one family could comfortably eat in a year and three sorts of squash, which we make into soups, stews and bread."
[snipped]
She compares the current period of market uncertainty with that of the early- to mid-20th century when the concept of victory gardens became popular.
"A lot of companies during the world wars and the Great Depression era encouraged vegetable gardening as a way of addressing layoffs, reduced wages and such," she says. "Some companies, like U.S. Steel, made gardens available at the workplace. Railroads provided easements they'd rent to employees and others for gardening."
(Excerpt) Read more at dallasnews.com ...
http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/print/lazy-day-peanut-noodle-salad-recipe.html
Lazy Day Peanut Noodle Salad Recipe
I used asparagus in this version, but you can use any of your favorite in-season vegetables. This time of year peas, asparagus, and carrots all make great additions to the noodles and peanut sauce.
1 8 ounce package soba noodles
1 bunch asparagus spears, ends trimmed then cut into 1/2-inch segements
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup (brown) rice vinegar
2 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
drizzle of toasted sesame oil
big pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
1/4-1/2 cup hot water
1 small bunch of spring onions or scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup peanuts
12 ounces extra-firm (organic) tofu, cut into small cubes (feel free to heat the tofu in a skillet if you like, but cold is good too)
Big a large pot of water to a boil. Boil the soba noodles per package instructions.In the last minute or so of cooking toss in the asparagus. Drain noodles and asparagus, run under cold water for about a minute to stop cooking, and set aside.
Make the peanut dressing by combining the peanut butter, rice vinegar, garlic, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, and a big pinch of salt in a medium bowl. Thin with hot water - the amount you’ll need depends on the original consistency of your peanut butter. I like it the consistency of a thin (non-Greek) yogurt. Taste and season with a bit more salt if needed.
Gently toss the noodles, asparagus, spring onions, peanuts, and tofu with a big splash of the dressing. I reserve a bit of each ingredient to sprinkle on top of the serving platter to make it look nice. Add more dressing a bit at a time, until the salad is dressed to your liking, reserving any extra for another use. Taste, sprinkle with more salt if needed, and enjoy!
Serves 6 - 8.
http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/print/spring-tabbouleh-recipe.html
Spring Tabbouleh Recipe
Bulgur comes in different sizes - look for fine or medium bulgur for this recipe. Larger coarse bulgur takes longer to soften up, and you might need to boil it. As you can see in the photo - I stumbled on a single bunch of stunning purple asparagus and used a bit of it alongside the more readily available green asparagus. The interesting thing about the purple asparagus is that it tasted sweeter and was more tender in its raw form than much of the green asparagus I’ve tasted. The purple asparagus will also lose its vibrant purple flair when cooked so keep that in mind if you ever encounter it. I sliced it extra thin and used it raw here.
1 cup fine bulgur
1 bunch of asparagus, cut into 1/2-inch segments
1 cup peas, freshly shelled or frozen
1 garlic clove, crushed to a paste with 2 big pinches of salt
1 lemon, juice only
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 bunch chives, finely chopped
1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped*
Fill a medium sauce pan with water and bring to a boil. You are going to use some of this water over the bulgur (to cook it), and the rest to blanch (quick-boil) the peas and asparagus.
Put the bulgur in a medium bowl, add boiling water to the surface of the grains and let it stand for about 15 minutes, just until tender. Drain and press out any remaining water and toss with a couple pinches of salt. Set aside.
Return the saucepan to the heat and bring the remainder of the water back up to a boil. Salt the water and cook the asparagus and peas for just about 20 seconds, just long enough for them to brighten up and lose a bit of their bite. Drain, run under colder water to stop the cooking, and add to the bulger.
For the dressing, whisk the garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil together and season with more salt if needed.
To the bulgur, asparagus, and peas add 1/2 the chives and 1/2 the walnuts. Toss with a big splash of the dressing. Taste and add more dressing if needed. Adjust the seasoning as well at this point. Garnish with the remaining chives, walnuts, and chopped egg and serve.
Serves 4 - 6.
*For great hard-boiled eggs place the eggs in a pot and cover with cold water by a 1/2-inch or so. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Now turn off the heat, cover, and let sit for exactly seven minutes. Have a big bowl of ice water ready. When the eggs are done cooking place them in the ice bath for three minutes or so - long enough to stop the cooking. Crack the shells, peel and enjoy.
http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/print/strawberry-panzanella-recipe.html
Strawberry Panzanella Recipe
When shopping for strawberries I prefer ones that are on the smaller side, fragrant, and a deep red in color. The bread you see in the above photo is a loaf of Acme Bread’s walnut levain. I suspect their whole wheat seeded loaf would be perfect as well. Use a serrated bread knife to cut the bread into cubes. To veganize the recipe toss the bread cubes with olive oil / brown sugar (but don’t heat it) before baking, and skip the yogurt.
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (raw) brown sugar*
couple pinches of fine grain salt
1 pound loaf of hearty, substantial day-old bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
1+ pint basket of ripe strawberries, trimmed and cut into matchsticks
a 7 or 8 ounce container of plain (Greek) yogurt
poppy seeds for garnish
Preheat oven to 350F degrees. In a large pot melt the butter. Stir in the sugar and salt. Stir until the sugar dissolves and remove from the heat. Add bread cubes and toss, coating the bread cubes. Toss for a minute or so to get decent coverage. Pour the bread out onto a baking sheet and arrange them in a single layer. Toast for about 15 minutes or until bread is well toasted, tossing every 5 minutes to make sure all bread surface areas get golden and crunchy.
In the meantime, place half the chopped strawberries in a small bowl and mash them with the remaining 2 tablespoons of brown sugar. I found a potato masher works well for this. Keep mashing until berries are super juicy and appetizingly chunky - this is your dressing.
When the bread cubes are done toasting (and have had a few minutes to cool and crisp up), toss them in a big bowl with the mashed berries. Add the remaining chopped strawberries and toss a bit more. Give the yogurt a good stir, and serve on the side garnished with poppy seeds (feel free to sweeten it a bit to your liking).
Serves 6 or so.
*I use one of my favorite raw brown sugars in this recipe to get the best brown sugar flavor (alternately, seek out a great muscavado sugar), but for those of you who want to swap in honey or agave nectar - I suspect it would be equally tasty.
http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/plump-pea-dumplings-recipe.html
Plump Pea Dumplings Recipe
April 21, 2008 | by Heidi | Filed under Appetizer Recipes, Basic Techniques, Vegetarian Recipes
Back in the late 1990s, my friend Beatrice had a tradition of hosting dumpling parties. She’d make a few fillings ahead of time and then a bunch of us would spend the afternoon sitting around stuffing, folding, sealing, pinching, steaming, chatting and eventually eating. If you’ve never tried making your own dumplings you might consider the whole process a bit fussy, but the next time you have a bit of extra time on your hands, and/or a few nimble-fingered helpers, consider giving it a try. The filling for these particular dumplings is bright and light, focusing on the peas as the central flavor. That being said, the lemon zest is the magic ingredient that sets everything off. It permeates the pea and ricotta puree punctuating each bite like a bolt of sunshine. Dumplings are often served with a dipping sauce, but I found that all these needed were a thin drizzle of olive oil and a few grains of salt.
I’ll warn you in advance, some people are natural dumpling darlings - able to crank out row after row of identical pillows. Others? Not so much. You’ll quickly discover which camp you fall into. Either way, here are a few tips (I’ve learned the hard way) that might be helpful:
- Keep wrappers covered, they dry out quickly becoming brittle and impossible to work with.
- Exercise restraint when filling your dumplings - they key is to avoid overfilling. Also, ease out any air pockets before sealing - they expand when heated and will cause problems.
- When stuffing and folding dumplings use an assembly line method. Line counter with a dozen wrappers, drop filling onto each, seal and fold each. Instead of doing one at a time.
Vegetarian Dumpling Recipe
I cooked these two ways. You can see how the pan-fried version looks in the above shot, and they were de-licious. That being said, the steamed version were even more exceptional. The recipe below includes techniques for both.
- There are various ways cooks keep dumplings from sticking to a steamer. You might line the steamer with banana leaf, tamale leaf, or a large leaf of lettuce. I didn’t have any of those on hand this time around so I kissed the back of each dumpling with a touch of olive oil (where the dumpling would touch the steamer), and hand no problem with sticking.
- You might not want to immediately steam every dumpling you make. That’s ok, they freeze perfectly. To keep them from freezing together in a big clump, freeze dumplings for an hour flat on a parchment-lined baking sheet or plate. Now place them in a freezer bag. You can go straight from freezer to steamer.
Plump Pea Dumpling Recipe
Scan the notes in the original entry for more dumpling making tips, I’ve outlined 4 or 5 important ones there. Also, the instructions here are for steaming the dumplings, but I also had success pan-frying them in just enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the skillet. Cover and cook in a single layer until the bottoms are deeply golden, flip using a metal spatula, cover and cook until the other side is browned.
2 cups (about 10 ounces) cups peas (freshly shelled or frozen)
2/3 cup ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil
scant 1/2 tea spoon fine grain sea salt
1 small shallot, minced
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
zest of one large lemon
1 package of wonton wrappers, or round wrappers
special equipment: bamboo steamer (or see head notes for alternative cooking method)
Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Salt the water (as you would pasta water) and add the peas. Cook until bright green in color and puffy, about a minute if the peas were frozen, less if you started with fresh ones.
Drain the peas and run under cold water for one minute to stop the cooking.
With a food processor (or hand blender) blend the peas, ricotta cheese, olive oil, and salt into a puree. I like a bit of texture, so I don’t go too far. Return the mixture to a big bowl and stir in the shallots, Parmesan, and lemon zest. Taste. Add more salt if needed.
Fill the dumplings using an assembly line technique - a dozen at a time (for the most part following the instructions on the wrapper packaging). Place twelve wrappers out on the counter, drop a very scant teaspoon of filling onto each wrapper, rub the perimeter of each wrapper with a wet finger seal, fold (most packages have diagrams), and set aside on a plate. Do the next dozen and repeat until all the filling is used up.
Set up your steamer, rub each dumpling with a bit of olive oil, arrange the dumplings in a single layer (being careful not to overlap), and steam for about three minutes - until the dumplings are tender and transluscent. Sprinkle with a touch of salt and enjoy.
Makes about 4 dozen dumplings.
http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/spicy-polentacheese-crackers-recipe.html
Spicy Polenta-Cheese Crackers
Heidi notes: Don’t burn them, cooking time will vary depending on how thin you’ve actually rolled them - they can burn in no time. I started watching these in the oven at 6 minutes, mine were really on the thing side, so I pulled them out after eight minutes.
Equipment: A food processor or a blender; 2 nonstick baking sheets; a 1 3/4-inch round biscuit cutter or a glass.
1 cup bread flour (hs note: white whole wheat flour works as well)
1 cup instant polenta
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 1/2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
3/4 cup buttermilk, shaken to blend
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
In a food processor or a blender, combine the flour, polenta, sea salt, baking soda, cayenne pepper, and cheese. Process to blend. Add the butter and process just until the mixture resemble coarse meal. Add the buttermilk and process until the dough just forms a ball. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for a few seconds. Wrap in plastic and set aside at room temperature for 15 minutes.
Cut the dough into quarters. Set one quarter on a lightly floured surface; cover the remaining pieces with plastic. Roll out the dough 1/16 inch thick. Using a 1 3/4-inch biscuit cutter or a glass, cut out rounds of dough and arrange them on a nonstick baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough. Place the baking sheets in the oven and bake until the crackers are golden and crisp, 12 to 15 minutes. Once cool, transfer to airtight containers. The crackers can be stored in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
Makes 75 crackers.
http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/000131.html
Herbed Buttermilk Popcorn Recipe
1 tablespoon powdered buttermilk
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon lemon pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/2 teaspoon powdered chicken bouillon or kosher salt
1 tablespoon corn oil
1/3 cup popcorn kernals
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Combine the buttermilk, garlic powder, onion powder, lemon pepper, dill weed, and chicken bouillon in a small bowl.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the popcorn and cover with a lid (hs note: I leave a little crack in the lid to let a bit of hot air out and prevent condensation in the pot). Shake the pan frequently. Remove from the heat when the poppin subsides. Pour the popcorn into a bowl. Wipe the pan clean with a paper towel. Melt the butter in the pan. Pour the butter over the popcorn, tossing to distribute evenly. Sprinkle with the flavoring mixture and toss to coat.
Makes 8 cups; serves 4.
From Bride & Groom First and Forever Cookbook (Chronicle Books, 2003) - reprinted with permission
http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/000143.html
Herb Jam with Olives and Lemon Recipe
4 large cloves garlic, halved
1 pound baby spinach leaves
1 large bunch flat-leaf parsley, stems discarded
1/2 cup celery leaves, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup cilantro leaves , stemmed
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
12 oil-cured black olives, pitted, rinsed, coarsely chopped
1 1/4 teaspoons Spanish sweet smoked paprika (pimenton de la Vera)
Pinch of cayenne
Pinch of ground cumin
1 tablespoon lemon juice, or more to taste
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Serve with crackers or semolina bread (I made the delicious, and simple! semolina griddle breads to go with the herb jam) —The recipe can be found on page 41 of The Slow Mediterranean Kitchen.
Put the garlic in a large steamer basket set over a pan of simmering
water and top with spinach, parsley, celery, and cilantro. Cover and steam until the garlic is soft and the greens very tender, about 15 minutes. Let cool, then squeeze the greens dry, finely chop, and set aside. Using the back of a fork, mash the garlic cloves.
In a medium cazuela set over a flame-tamer or in a heavy-bottomed skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil until shimmering. Add the mashed garlic, olives, paprika, cayenne, and cumin and stir over moderately high heat for 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Add the greens and cook, mashing and stirring, until soft and dry and somewhat smooth, about 15 minutes.
Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Mash in the remaining olive oil. Refrigerate, closely covered, for at least 1 day and up to 4 days.
To serve, return to room temperature. Stir in the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Pack in a serving dish and serve with crackers of semolina bread.
Serves 6; Makes about 1 1/2 cups
From The Slow Mediterranean Kitchen by Paula Wolfert (Wiley, 2003) - reprinted with permission
http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives.html#Gluten%20Free%20Recipes
Gluten Free Recipes
* In a Hurry Green Curry
* Ottolenghi Red Rice and Quinoa
* Cumin-spiked Tofu
* Sunburst Carrot Salad
* Spring Wild Rice Salad
* Amazing Black Bean Brownies
* Yellow Split Pea Soup
* Garam Masala Tofu Scramble
* Vegetarian Split Pea Soup
* Curried Egg Salad
* Video: Big Sur Power Bars
* Caramelized Tofu
* Baked Artichoke Dip
* Rustic Cabbage Soup
* Poached Eggs Over Rice
* Butter-toasted Hazelnuts
* Lori’s Skillet Smashed Potatoes
* Golden-Crusted Brussels Sprouts
* Tapioca Pudding
* Grown-up Fig Cookies
* Cottage Cheese Muffins
* Espresso Caramels
* Spinach and Zucchini Soup
* Rosewater Plum Compote
* Fourth of July Roasted Tomato Salsa
* Skinny Omelette
* White Bean Salad
* Moroccan Baby Carrot Salad
* Baked Peas with Tarragon, Yogurt, and Pistachios
* A Frozen Yogurt Recipe to Rival Pinkberry’s
* Ten Minute Tasty Asparagus and Brown Rice
* Maranui Surf Club Salad
* Delicious Big Bowl - Quinoa
* Black Pepper and Lime Oven Fries
* Cranberry Jam
* Baked Carrot Oven Fries
* Vanilla Mashed Sweet Potatoes
* Thai-spiced Pumpkin Soup
* Toasted Pumpkin Seeds: Three Ways
* Purple Jasmine Coconut Rice
* Lemon-scented Quinoa Salad
* What to do with Halloumi Cheese
* A Good Soup for the Sick
* Whipped Chickpea Hummus
* Edamame Salad with Shiso + Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette
* Homemade Ricotta
* Chocolate and Green Tea Pudding
* Maison du Miel’s Heather Honey Ice Cream
http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/001566.html
a few other directions you could take this recipe.
* Use mashed white beans in place of the mashed potatoes.
* Add stock until you have a potato soup with kale.
* Add some sauteed or baked mushrooms (chopped) and use as an empanada filling.
Kale and Olive Oil Mashed Potatoe Recipe
For this recipe, be sure to wash the kale well (or spinach, or chard) - dirt and grit hides in the leaves. I don’t like floppy leafiness in my potatoes, so I chop the kale quite finely. If you stir the kale in too much it can lend a slight green cast to your potatoes, so i just barely stir it in right before serving. Also, on the potato front - feel free to use unpeeled potatoes if you like something a bit more rustic (and nutritious). I picked up some yellow-fleshed German Butterball potatoes at the market last week and they added the visual illusion that the mashed potatoes were packed with butter. Didn’t miss the real thing a bit.
3 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
sea salt
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch kale, large stems stripped and discarded, leaves chopped
1/2+ cup warm milk or cream
freshly ground black pepper
5 scallions, white and tender green parts, chopped
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, for garnish (opt)
fried shallots, for garnish (optional)
Put the potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Add a pinch of salt. Bring the water to a boil and continue boiling for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, chopped kale, a big pinch of salt, and saute just until tender - about a minute. Set aside.
Mash the potatoes with a potato masher or fork. Slowly stir in the milk a few big splashes at a time. You are after a thick, creamy texture, so if your potatoes are on the dry side keep adding milk until the texture is right. Season with salt and pepper.
Dump the kale on top of the potatoes and give a quick stir. Transfer to a serving bowl, make a well in the center of the potatoes and pour the remaining olive oil. Sprinkle with the scallions, Parmesan cheese, and shallots.
Serves 6.
http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/amazing-black-bean-brownies-recipe.html
Amazing Black Bean Brownies Recipe
March 17, 2008 | by Heidi | Filed under Baked Goods Recipes, Chocolate Recipes, Dessert Recipes, Gluten Free Recipes
Baking with Agave Nectar, Page 38
It kills me that I can’t take credit for today’s black bean brownie recipe. As strange as it sounds (we’re talking about brownies packed with pureed black beans), this recipe from a new book by Ania Catalano delivers deliciously dense, bite-sized squares of melt-in-your-mouth fudge-textured brownies. Keep in mind I’m someone who comes across hundreds of brownie recipes a year, it wasn’t high on my to-do list to feature yet another brownie recipe. But the quirky ingredient list piqued my curiosity, and in the end the proof was in the pan. Ania mentions that this flourless brownie was the most sought-after recipe at her restaurant and bakery.
Ania’s new book is called Baking with Agave Nectar. I was lucky enough to spend some time with a preview copy of it, and even wrote a blurb for the back cover. There are many reasons people are looking to alternative sweeteners. I wrote (and used) agave nectar in Super Natural Cooking because it is one of the most natural, least refined sweeteners available. People looking for sweeteners lower on the glycemic index explore agave nectar, as do many hypoglycemics, diabetics, and people with certain allergies. That being said, don’t make the mistake of dismissing it as some sort of “health” or “diet” ingredient. The real reason for chef and home cooks alike to try it (if you haven’t already) is because it tastes amazing - it really has its own thing going on. I won’t get into all the specifics here, but I encourage you to give it a try. Ania’s book is a great starting point for those of you who want to learn to bake with agave nectar in place of the typical white refined sugar called for in so many baking recipes. I also get into many of the specific characteristics of it in the “Use Natural Sweeteners” chapter of SNC with a few recipes that highlight it.
Amazing Black Bean Brownies Recipe
So, like I said - there are some quirky facets to this particular brownie recipe. But I’m now totally enamored with the use of the black beans batter, it really worked, not even a hint of beany flavor. Consequently, my head is now spinning with all sorts of thoughts about how I might use other pulses in future baking adventures. Wayne’s comment....”eat your heart out Jessica Seinfeld.”
Related link:
- Sugar-free, brown rice syrup brownies on Mighty Foods
Amazing Black Bean Brownie Recipe
For those of you who have a hard time tracking down agave nectar (which is becoming much more readily available) substitute honey 1:1 for the agave nectar. Ania’s head notes encourage you to keep these brownies in the refrigerator, they will slice much better if refrigerated several hours or preferably overnight. I used instant coffee this time around, but you can find natural coffee substitute at many natural food stores.
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 cup unsalted butter
2 cups soft-cooked black beans, drained well (hs: canned is fine)
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
¼ cup (granulated) natural coffee substitute (or instant coffee, for gluten-sensitive)
¼ teaspoon sea salt
4 large eggs
1½ cups light agave nectar
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line an 11- by 18-inch (rimmed) baking pan (hs note: or jellyroll pan) with parchment paper and lightly oil with canola oil spray.
Melt the chocolate and butter in a glass bowl in the microwave for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on high. Stir with a spoon to melt the chocolate completely. Place the beans, 1/2 cup of the walnuts, the vanilla extract, and a couple of spoonfuls of the melted chocolate mixture into the bowl of a food processor. Blend about 2 minutes, or until smooth. The batter should be thick and the beans smooth. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix together the remaining 1/2 cup walnuts, remaining melted chocolate mixture, coffee substitute, and salt. Mix well and set aside.
In a separate bowl, with an electric mixer beat the eggs until light and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the agave nectar and beat well. Set aside.
Add the bean/chocolate mixture to the coffee/chocolate mixture. Stir until blended well.
Add the egg mixture, reserving about 1/2 cup. Mix well. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Using an electric mixer, beat the remaining 1/2 cup egg mixture until light and fluffy. Drizzle over the brownie batter. Use a wooden toothpick to pull the egg mixture through the batter, creating a marbled effect. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the brownies are set. Let cool in the pan completely before cutting into squares. (They will be soft until refrigerated.)
Makes 45 (2-inch) brownies.
Reprinted with permission from Baking With Agave Nectar: Over 100 Recipes Using Nature’s Ultimate Sweetener by Ania Catalano. (Ten Speed Press 2008)
http://www.crispywaffle.com/index.htm
Oatmeal pancakes
When we’re not having waffles on the weekend, we’re usually having pancakes. With Mothers Day around the corner, I started thinking about one of my favorites: oatmeal pancakes. My mom really likes pancakes, and she really likes oatmeal for breakfast. I came across a recipe for oatmeal pancakes in Debra Madison’s Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. It turns out they are in fact two great things that taste great together. And you get fiber in your weekend breakfast to boot.
My kids are big fans of these. I serve them with a sweetened yogurt banana topping. (Bananas and oatmeal: another great combo.) They are really nice with basically any fruit topping, or just maple syrup. If you’re feeling really saucy you can try a Nutella chocolate sauce— it is really delish with the yogurt-banana topping. Don’t make this on a weekday or you’ll be in trouble (unless whipping up pancakes before work is your idea of fun!).
Oatmeal pancakes
adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone
makes about a dozen small pancakes
Ingredients
1-1/2 cup oatmeal
2 cups buttermilk
2 tablespoons brown sugar
4 tablespoons melted butter
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1. Combine the oatmeal and buttermilk in a large bowl. Let stand for 20 minutes.
2. In a smaller bowl, combine the sugar, melted butter, eggs and vanilla and whisk until combined. Add to the oatmeal mixture.
3. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. Add to the oatmeal mixture and whisk until just combined.
4. Heat a lightly greased pan or griddle over medium heat. Drop batter in 1/4 cup portions and cook until bubbles form on the surface, then flip and cook on the other side for a bit longer. Serve immediately, or keep warm in a 200 F (90 C) oven.
Yogurt banana topping
3/4 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup sour cream or creme fraiche
3 tablespoons brown sugar (more or less for sweetness)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ripe banana, sliced
1. Combine the yogurt, sour cream, brown sugar and vanilla and stir until combined. Taste for sweetness, adding more brown sugar if necessary.
2. Add the banana and serve immediately.
Nutella topping
1/4 cup Nutella spread
3 tablespoons boiling water
1. In a medium bowl, combine the Nutella with the water. Whisk quickly until smooth— the chocolate will seize and will initially look kind of lumpy, but it will smooth out with whisking.
2. Enjoy!
Labels: recipes, the chocolatey, the sweet
http://www.crispywaffle.com/index.htm
Raspberry almond clafoutis
A couple weeks ago, The Minimalist in the NYT had a recipe for clementine clafoutis. Clafoutis is a classic French dessert, basically fresh fruit baked in a batter, not unlike pancake batter. I thought that it was a great idea because now we have tons of mandarins in the house at any given time (it is the season, after all), and I always have the batter ingredients on hand (flour, sugar, eggs), so it’s about the easiest dessert you can make in a pinch.
I had my doubts, however, about the oranges. I discovered, of course, that yes, there is a reason you don’t usually hear of baked fruit desserts containing fresh oranges (I’m not talking about orange zest or juice). The batter was delish, but the mandarins were, well, basically just hot oranges. Which is exactly as appetizing as it sounds: ick.
The next night, I found a better use for that great easy batter recipe: berries and nuts. Now, it’s not the season for raspberries at all, but frozen berries are, obviously, quite abundant. I used toasted sliced almonds because raspberries and almonds are so happy together.
You can totally pop this dessert in the oven as you are eating dinner, and it’ll be ready when you’re ready for dessert. And with creme fraiche and powdered sugar, it beats warm oranges any day.
Oh, by the way, eat this for breakfast or brunch sometime. I won’t tell anyone.
Raspberry Almond Clafoutis
adapted from The Minimalist
makes 1 9-inch clafoutis
Ingredients
1 pint fresh or frozen raspberries
1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds
3 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup flour
sweetened creme fraiche and powdered sugar for serving
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9-inch pie pan, and tap out the excess flour.
2. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl until frothy. Add the sugar and whisk. Add the cream, milk and vanilla. Add the flour and whisk until combined.
3. Arrange the raspberries in the pie pan and pour the batter over it. Sprinkle the almonds over the batter.
4. Bake for 40 minutes, or until puffed. It’ll be a little custardy inside, but it’s good that way. Serve with creme fraich and powdered sugar.
I have been blessed to have 3 older ladies in my world.
All tried to teach me, all they had spent a lifetime learning.
And there was never enough time, I did not learn all they had to share.
Eloise taught me antiques and crafts and ‘life’, I would get in a bind and she would help me figure out what I should do.....
With the most awful solutions.
When I told her “ YOU know I could never do that!!!”
Her come back would be “Well, ok, now you know what you are not going to do, so work on what you will do!!!”.
Laura, saw that I got in real day to day touch with God, not the, by rote ways of some, but the “Thank you God for the smallest blessings”.
And how the midwest cooked.
Mary taught me more than I can tell at one time, she once said that she owed me for giving her 10 years of life, as that is what we had for teaching/learning.
But, I often swear she is here, wanting me to click one more link and see what is on the next page.
How she would have loved a computer.
Mary attempted to teach me, to be patient. A difficult job.
We once heard a juicy bit of gossip, seems a local wife had taken a knife to her husband and removed a couple of inches, after she caught him with a woman.......
But we could not find out who it was, we were sure the story was true, only who? was missing.........Mary said wait, she had lived in Wellton about 60 years then.
5 years later, I had moved up here and was back to spend a few days with Mary, and we went to visit a mutual friend, Reba, who had called a couple other ladies that we both knew, as Mary rarely went out.
The ladies were talking, and some one said do you remember when _______ took the knife to her husband.......I looked at Mary and she was saying to me “I told you to wait, you would learn the rest of the story”.
The lady with the knife, only did what many women have wanted to do over the years, and she was little more than a name to us, but we needed the name for the rest of the story.
When you live in a town of 200 people, it is difficult to not know all the story.
Another local story that I never knew the ladies name, but know the story is true, is about the [then] local Sheriff Deputy Sargent, who in my opinion was a not all that bright small town sheriff.
He went to a house and knocked on the door, he heard a muffled “come on in”, repeated over and over and decided some one was in trouble, so went in.
Went looking for the person calling to him as it was muffled in sound and met the Wife of the home, as she stepped out of her shower and screamed............at him.
She was not aware that her parrot was yelling “Come in”, to all who knocked on the door.
I lived 25 years with a small parrot who would, so have no doubt that hers did.
My Dink always yelled “Howdy, Howdy, come on in”, the lady that raised him from 3 days old was married to a Texan, and when Dink wanted, he was pure Texas.
Or if Dink talked to Mary, he was a pure Victorian Lady, as she was.
Dink never tried to bite Mary, never yelled at her, and then would attack me, when she left.
No, he did not have a cage, just the whole house.
God did give me enough blessings to make it past the unblessed spots.
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Sabrina’s Mom’s Blonde Brownie Recipe
November 21, 2007 at 3:21 pm (Heritage Recipes)
Original recipe was cut out and tried by Mama Fobes on January 1, 1963. Must be good if they’ve hung on to it all this time, huh?
2 2/3 cup sifted flour, 2 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 1/2 tsp baking powder, 3 eggs, 2/3 cup butter or margarine, 1 cup chopped nuts (optional), 1 16-ounce package of chocolate bits, 1 tsp salt.
Grease cookie sheet. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. In large saucepan melt the butter, stirring in brown sugar. Let cool 10 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in flour mixture and chocolate bits until well blended. Spread in pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until center springs back when lightly touched. Cool and cut into squares.
June 27, 2007 at 12:18 pm (Heritage Recipes)
1 cup shortening, 2 cups brown sugar, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup warm water with 1 1/2 tsp baking soda dissolved into it, 1 tsp vanilla, 1/2 tsp salt, 4 cups flour (should make a stiff dough).
Filling (if desired): 1 cup chopped dates, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 tbsp flour, 1 cup water, pinch of salt, 1/4 tsp vanilla. Simmer and stir on medium heat until fairly smooth.
Mix dough ingredients together and drop by spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. Make a dent in each with the back of a spoon. Put a dollop of filling in and top off with another bit of cookie dough. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. You do not have to use the filling in this cookie recipe. You could instead choose 1/2 cup each of nuts, raisins, coconut, etc. Other filling options would include mince meat or your favorite flavor of jam.
My mother has made these for years, and got the original recipe from one of the neighborhood ladies, Margaret Putnam of Cary Plantation, Maine.
1 Comments
Recipe: Corn Fritters
June 14, 2007 at 10:57 am (Heritage Recipes)
Had this one kicking around in my recipe box from my Mom.
1 cup all purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup milk, 1 tsp salad or vegetable oil, appropriate amount of whole kernel corn or other appropriate food, such as apple pieces.
Mix batter ingredients well and stir in corn or apples. Drop by tablespoonfuls into hot oil for about 5 minutes. Serve with syrup.
2 Comments
Recipes: My Mom’s Molasses Drop Cookies
June 13, 2007 at 2:32 pm (Heritage Recipes)
1/2 cup margarine, 1/2 cup shortening, 1 cup of molasses, 1 cup white sugar, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup milk (or water or coffee), 4 cups flour, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp ginger, 1 tsp ground cloves, 2 tsp cinnamon, 2 tsp baking soda.
Mix all ingredients and drop by spoonfuls on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
These make a thick, cake style cookie. My mother always made these for my Dad to take to work in his lunch bucket.
3 Comments
Recipes: Sugar Pie
June 13, 2007 at 12:31 pm (Heritage Recipes)
This is a recipe from my father’s days as a lumberjack. For a while, he worked away during the week at a remote camp in the Allagash wilderness. The camp’s cook was a former pastry chef. My Dad liked this particular pie so much, the man sent him home with the recipe.
1/2 cup butter, 2/3 cup flour, 2 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 cups milk, 1 tbsp vanilla. Melt butter in a pan and add flour, cooking for 2 minutes. Add sugar and mix well. Add milk and cook until thick. Add vanilla and pour into a pie shell. Bake until the edges are done, about 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
This pie is so rich that having too large a piece gives me the jitters. Not exactly low calorie, but for a holiday it can be worth the decadence. It tastes a bit like butterscotch. Very yummy.
Recipes: Maureen’s Chicken Nuggets
June 11, 2007 at 10:17 am (Heritage Recipes)
My Mom used to make these on appetizer and board game nights and serve them with different dipping sauces.
Four whole boneless / skinless breasts cut into nugget sized pieces, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, 1 cup bread crumbs, 1/2 tsp powdered thyme, 2 tsp dried basil leaf, 4 tsp accent, 2 tsp salt, melted butter.
Mix dry ingredients together and set aside. Roll chicken pieces in melted butter and then in bread crumb mixture. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
Recipes: Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
June 11, 2007 at 9:53 am (Heritage Recipes)
This is from my maternal grandfather’s great grandmother Sisson. Obviously, it’s been in the family for a few generations now.
2 cups rhubarb, 1 cup strawberries, 1 cup sugar, 2 eggs, dash each of salt and nutmeg, 3 tbsp flour. Pour berries and chopped rhubarb into the bottom crust. Then mix everything else together and pour over the top. Dot with pads of butter and place the second crust on top. Slit crust to let steam escape. Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour.
I use this same pour over technique with all of my fruit pies, including apple. It helps the filling gel up and not be too runny.
Recipes: Maureen’s Shortbread Cookies
June 11, 2007 at 9:51 am (Heritage Recipes)
My mother and I have each made these cookies for special occasions for years. When I was little, my cousin used to come up every year after Thanksgiving for a Christmas cookie decorating afternoon.
1 pound butter (sprinkle salt into it), 1 tsp vanilla, 1 cup confectioner’s sugar, 1 cup corn starch, 3 1/2 cups flour (or more). Cream / mix together and DO NOT ROLL OUT. Take about half the mixture and pat down to about 1/2 inch thickness and cut out cookies. Repeat. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until bottom of cookies is a light golden brown. Frost and decorate as you like. These are rich buttery cookies that you can make in a variety of theme shapes for different events.
Tip: You definitely do NOT want to roll out this cookie dough. The recipe will fail miserably if you do, and these are not inexpensive to make. Trust me, I’ve forgotten the “no rolling” part and been sorry. Otherwise, this recipe has never failed me.
1 Comments
Recipes: Laura McGary’s Chocolate Chip Cookies
June 11, 2007 at 9:50 am (Heritage Recipes)
1/2 cup butter, 3/4 cup white sugar, 1/2 cup shortening, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 2 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla, 2 1/4 cup flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp salt, chocolate bits to taste.
Beat together butter, shortening, and sugars. Add the eggs and vanilla and continue to mix well. Sift together flour, soda and salt, then add slowly to the wet mixture, mixing well. Add chocolate bits (at least one small package) and mix in. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.
This was the cookie recipe of a dear friend of our family who passed away not too long ago. It was one of the very first recipes I learned how to make without supervision and made it for friends and ball teams all through high school.
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Cholesterol Lowering Breakfast Smoothie
June 15, 2007 at 11:31 am (Healing Recipes)
My Dad uses this one that was doctor recommended as a nutritional method for reducing cholesterol. He drinks it every morning and has had great results.
1 handful of walnuts and a heavy pinch of shaved almonds pulverized in a blender. In the same blender, add a teaspoon of cinnamon, 1 pkg of Splenda (optional), 1/4 dry oats, 1 small container of yogurt (vanilla or plain), and a handful of berries (blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, or a mix of all). Add milk to desired level of thickness. Blend away!
2 Comments
Recipes: Anti-Cancer Marinade
June 11, 2007 at 9:55 am (Healing Recipes)
I came across this somewhere when researching ideas to use with my husband’s parents, who both were undergoing cancer treatment at the same time. It’s a simple little marinade made with ingredients most of us have around our homes. It looks to me to be healthy enough to use any time.
6 tbsp olive oil, 4 tbsp cider vinegar, 4 tbsp lemon juice, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 3 tbsp grainy mustard, 3 medium cloves of crushed garlic, 1 1/2 tsp salt.
I would be happy to receive any information on this recipe, or any other anti-cancer recipes.
Making it Happen: A Cajun Healing Soup
June 10, 2007 at 12:51 pm (Healing Recipes)
This one is affordable way to “Make it Happen” when it comes to budgeting for the option to stay home and care for a family member.
Large can of vegetable juice
Garlic
Cayenne pepper
Olive oil
Heat together and add additional seasonings to taste. This broth for when solid food is not an option, is packed with nutrition, and simple to prepare. If the retail version of the vegetable juice is too expensive for your budget, try homemade vegetable stock (made from the saved ends of vegetables prepared throughout the week and saved in the overhead freezer) with a few frozen cubes of tomato paste. Thicken with corn starch if necessary, then add the rest of the above ingredients. Affordable and healing, this recipe really helps “Make It Happen”.
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Cinnamon Oatmeal Pancake Mix
November 21, 2007 at 3:19 pm (Bulk and OAMC Recipes)
4 cups quick cooking oats, 4 cups whole wheat flour (or 2 cups wheat and 2 cups all purpose), 1 cup nonfat powdered milk, 2 tbsp cinnamon, 5 tsp salt, 3 tbsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp cream of tarter. Combine all ingredients, mix well and store in an airtight container. This yields about 8 cups of mix.
To make: beat 2 eggs and 1/3 cup vegetable oil. Alternately beat in 2 cups of mix and 1 cup of water. Heat a lightly greased skillet over medium heat. Pour batter by heaping spoonfuls onto the surface. Cook until bubbles form and break. Flip and continue to cook for 2-3 more minutes or until golden brown.
I would think this recipe would be easily doubled and also adapted by adding in a bit of oat bran, flax seed, etc.
Recipes: Wheat Flour Baking Mix
July 4, 2007 at 3:50 pm (Bulk and OAMC Recipes)
I’ve been looking for a more whole grain version of this baking mix, and I finally found it. As soon as I get an extra small food storage bucket, I’m going to whip up a batch.
4 cups wheat flour, 1/3 cup baking powder, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 cups shortening, 4 cups white flour, 4 tsp salt, 1 1/4 cups powdered milk.
Mix all ingredients and cut in shortening. Store in an airtight container. I got this recipe from the web site http://www.kitchenmixes.com . After I try this recipe once as-is, I’m going to attempt a couple of modifications. First, I want to see if the shortening can be reduced to 1 cup as with the low fat regular baking mix. Second, I want to try this recipe out with other whole grain flours for variety, for example rye flour. Will keep you posted on what I find out.
Recipe: Cabbage - Ramen Salad (Asian Cole Slaw)
June 8, 2007 at 8:33 pm (Bulk and OAMC Recipes)
One of my fellow teachers on Guam used to make this recipe for all of our large BBQ / pot luck gatherings. Before I left, I asked her for the recipe. I’ve taken to a bunch of gatherings myself, as well as used it as a staple summer recipe in our home. It gets rave reviews and is very inexpensive to make.
Dressing: couple of pinches of sugar, oil, rice or regular vinegar, the seasoning packet from a package of chicken ramen (or other desired seasoning).
Salad: toasted chopped or slivered almonds (I buy the whole ones, then chop and toast myself to save on cost.), sesame seeds, broken and uncooked ramen noodles (if you use the chicken kind you’ll already have the seasoning packet - or you can use another kind of ramen and a bit of chicken bouillon from the pantry), chopped cabbage as the main ingredient.
Adjust ingredient amounts to desired amount of servings. I also use this recipe as the basis for a once a month or bulk cooking recipe. Here’s how i do it: I chop and toast a large bag of almonds from the warehouse store (350 for about 10 minutes on a large cookie sheet should do it). While that’s happening, I fill a bunch of quart sized resealable freezer bags with the following: a package of chicken ramen crushed and uncooked (you can do this inside the package and then dump it in), the seasoning packet from the ramen package, a handful of sesame seeds. Once the almonds cool, you can add a handful of those too. Then, you seal up the freezer bags, labeling and dating them. I put all of these smaller ones into a large gallon zip-up plastic bag. If you do a dozen of these, you have enough to serve this once a week as a side dish for three months. Just chop the cabbage and whip up the dressing. This is a great side dish with baked beans, sliced cooked ham, baked chicken, etc.
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Extreme Budget Recipe: Make Your Own Soup Stock
June 7, 2007 at 12:50 pm (Bulk and OAMC Recipes)
Not only does the cost of the store bought version nearly cause me to go into cardiac arrest, the level of salt and Lord knows what else cannot possibly be good for you. Besides, homemade stock is very easy to make on your own, and if you have a convenient system set up for doing so, it can be even easier. Here’s how I make a few of the basic kinds of stocks.
Vegetable Stock: Basically, after scrubbing any vegetables I use for meal prep and cutting off the ends, I put them all in a gallon freezer bag or other airtight container until I have enough for use. Usually, a gallon bag or so of vegetable ends does it. Good items to include: onion pieces, celery leaves, carrot ends and tomato pieces. I don’t usually include the turnips and squash pieces because that’s not the flavor you will normally want when making stock. When you are ready to make a batch, simply put them in a stock pot with some water over the top and simmer until the water turns a mixed vegetable color and the flavor and nutrition have been removed. Strain, cool, and store. You can store your stock however you want. I normally freeze it in ice cube trays and then pop all of the cubes in a gallon freezer bag. Then, when you need a small amount for soups, just grab a couple of cubes and toss them in.
Chicken Stock: Usually, there are large sections of the roast chicken that people did not eat from at dinner, particularly if you slice off sections and serve guests on plates. After de-boning the bird, save the clean carcass in an empty container. Once you have three or four of them, implement the same strategy listed above for vegetable stock. Also, if you are using those affordable 10 pound bags of chicken leg quarters to break down for soups and chicken tacos, you can make stock from these as well. I’ve done it a few different ways. I’ve baked off the whole ten pounds at once and taken the meat and skin off using rubber gloves, setting the meat aside to be bagged and frozen. Then, I put the leg bones with meat pieces into a stock pot with water and simmer until the stock is formed. If you have the energy to take the skin off the legs first, you can put them in the stock pot with water as the first step, and boil the chicken to cook, rather than baking. After taking the meat off, toss the bones back in for a bit more stock flavor. The cool thing about making your own chicken stock is that you can control the fat content as well as the salt. Simply wait until the fat rises to the top and cools a bit. Then skim it off and store to freeze.
Meat Stock: I usually just save the juices from a pot roast for this. It works fine.
Fish Stock: Normally, I bake or pan sear my fish. But if you have left over tales and other end pieces when you prep your fresh fish, set them aside in the freezer until you have enough to make a fish stock using the same technique listed above for chicken. I also save the juice from canned clams for chowders, dips, clam-based pasta sauces and clamato cocktails.
These stocks are really the healthier option, and can shave several dollars off the cost of a particular meal, depending on the amount of stock that you need. The one I use the most is the chicken stock. Your family’s menu preferences will most likely drive the stock that you prepare the most often.
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Budget Recipe: Bulk Homemade Pie Crust
June 3, 2007 at 8:08 pm (Bulk and OAMC Recipes)
This stuff keeps for at least a year in the freezer. Although, if you do a lot of chicken pot pies, quiches and Sunday dinner dessert pies, they may not last that long. When you are finished making the pastry dough, keep dividing into halves until you have 24 equally (more or less) sized patties. Place each patty into an el cheap fold over sandwich bag and then place all 24 patty bags into one or two larger gallon sized freezer bags with a resealable top. Whenever you need a quick pie crust or two, you’re all set.
1 3-poun can of shortening, 1 pound melted margarine, 20 cups flour, 4 cups cold water, 1 tbsp salt, 3 tbsp sugar. Using a very large mixing bowl (my largest stainless steel one just fits this ingredient list inside of it), mix shortening, margarine and flour until well blended. Add cold water, salt and sugar. Use your hands to blend this together, but don’t over mix or you may end up with a tough crust. The dough will be slightly sticky when you are ready to stop.
When you are ready to use one, take it out to thaw and roll it out to the desired size. This bulk batch is also great to make just before the winter holiday season gets on a roll. You will be all set for any last minute pot luck invites, as well as holiday dessert prep.
Recipe: Frozen Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
June 3, 2007 at 8:00 pm (Bulk and OAMC Recipes)
This is the best recipe I’ve ever found for these. And they can be used just like the ones from the store where you break them apart and slap them on the baking sheet.
3 cups plus 6 tbsp flour, 1 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1 1/2 tsp salt, 1 1/2 cup butter, 1 cup plus 2 tbsp brown sugar, 1 cup plus 2 tbsp white sugar, 1 1/2 tsp vanilla, 3 eggs, 3 cups chocolate chips, 1 1/2 cup nuts (optional).
Mix flour, soda and salt and set aside. Beat butter, vanilla and sugars until creamy. Then beat in eggs. Gradually add flour mixture, along with chocolate chips and nuts, mixing well. The place where I got this recommended rolling the dough into logs, covering with plastic wrap and freezing, so you could slice and bake them later. Here’s what I do, and I think it’s ton easier. I use the equivalent of this finished recipe to fill 3 quart sized freezer bags. I seal them and press them flat on their sides. When it’s time to bake them off, I slice the square into thirds one way, then in fourths the other way. It’s easier if you do this when the dough has only had a chance to thaw for a couple of minutes. This leaves you with twelve little squares of dough, just like the brand name store bought packages. The cool thing about this dough (I have other slice and bake recipes where you are forced to either reshape them or go with the slice and bake round log option) is that these little squares bake automatically into little round cookie shapes. Pretty neat. It takes just a minute or two to get a fresh batch in the oven if you have some freezer bags set aside.
Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes. This recipe is also easily doubled or tripled. This is a good idea if there’s a chance you’ll get hit with an unexpected spouse potluck at work or a “mom I forgot to tell you” bake sale sometime during the next couple of months. The dough keeps for a fairly long time in the freezer.
2 Comments
Budget Recipes: Multipurpose Marinara
June 1, 2007 at 8:59 pm (Bulk and OAMC Recipes)
Those of you who know me know that in addition to this recipe, I also usually make spaghetti sauce by the kiloton and freeze bulk cans of basic tomato sauce and paste into ice cube trays to be stored in gallon freezer bags in the space over my fridge. This recipe however, is one that I use for a number of recipes and can be easily frozen flat in pint or quart sized freezer bags, which are generally the sizes I need it for. Here’s what you do to make it:
One number 10 can of plain tomato puree (this has no salt, which is great if you are watching that) and Italian seasoning to taste. That’s it. Double it as many times as you need to. In my ultra big stainless steel pot, I usually put in at least two number ten cans of the puree to about half of one of those large jars of Italian seasoning they carry at Costco.
In addition to the obvious pasta marinara, here are some of the things I use this sauce for: pizza sauce, Italian soup base, chicken/veal/eggplant Parmesan, and meatball sandwich sauce. In the past, I’ve always frozen this flat in freezer bags. However, now that our larger freezer is stored with the movers while we renovate at the lake, I may have to explore canning this sauce to maximize space.
Dry Mix Recipes: Fat Free Cream Soup Mix
June 1, 2007 at 8:45 pm (Bulk and OAMC Recipes)
Dirt cheap with tons of possibilities . . . this is my kind of recipe. Personally, I multiply this recipe by at least 4 when I make it. We honestly use it that often. Also, after searching around and trying additional recipes for cream of chicken, cream of vegetable, and whatever else, I found I could scale back to this recipe and add in chicken bouillon, chopped veggies w/ seasoning, beef bouillon with dried onion pieces, etc. Here it is:
2 cups powdered milk, 3/4 cup corn starch, dried parsley flakes and ground black pepper to taste. Combine dry ingredients and store in an airtight container.
To substitute for 1 can of condensed soup, combine 1/3 cup dry mix with 1 1/4 cups cold water in sauce pan. Cook and stir / whisk until thickened. Add to casseroles as you would any canned product. The variations on this are quite extensive. Potato soup, asparagus soup, broccoli and cheese soup, chowder or cream soup base, Alfredo or creamy clam pasta sauce base. . . these are just a few. It’s fat free, dirt cheap and flexible. If you have a better recipe for this out there, I would love to know about it. Personally, I spent a great deal of time searching, and this was the cheapest and most flexible I could find.
1 Comments
Dry Mix Recipes: Bulk Low Fat Baking Mix
June 1, 2007 at 8:33 pm (Bulk and OAMC Recipes)
I believe I found this one on http://www.ChefMom.com. I prefer this to the other baking mix recipes I’ve found online, because it uses half the fat with no noticeable taste and quality difference. Use this recipe with any of the baking mix or “Bisquick” recipes I’ve listed or linked to here on our family blog. It costs pennies to make, is a huge time saver, and provides tons of flexibility with the ways you can use it.
8 cups flour, 2/3 cup dry milk, 1/3 cup baking powder, 2 tsp salt, 1 cup shortening. Mix dry ingredients and cut in shortening. Store in an airtight container. (If you double this recipe, you’ll need a five pound sack of flour.)
I use this most often for dinner and breakfast pies, drop biscuits and dumplings. David uses it to make up waffle and pancake batter, as when we do a big breakfast on the weekends, he’s usually in charge. It’s also great to make a quick coffee cake for unexpected company. No matter how you use it, it’s a serious help to the household budget.
Dry Mix Recipes: Bulk Brownie Mix
June 1, 2007 at 8:23 pm (Bulk and OAMC Recipes)
This works really well for last minute company, or if your teen brings by friends after school and you want to offer a quick snack or brownie sundae. It occasionally comes out a bit dry, so I usually add an extra spoonful or two of mayo for extra moisture. You can decide on your own if you think the recipe needs that.
6 cups flour, 4 tsp baking powder, 4 tsp salt, 8 cups sugar, 8 ounces unsweetened cocoa, 2 cups shortening. Mix dry ingredients together and cut in shortening. Store in an airtight container.
To make a small quick batch of brownies, add 2 beaten eggs, 1 tsp vanilla and a 1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional) to 2 1/2 cups of the bulk brownie mix. Pour into a greased 8 inch square pan and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 30 minutes, or until done. With this mix made up ahead of time, you can always be prepared with at least a simple home made dessert. Personally, I’m a brownie sundae fan, but these treats on their own also make a great lunch addition if you have anyone at home taking bag lunches to work or school.
1 Comments
ping ping ping
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Keeping String, Twine and Ribbon Organized
October 7, 2007 at 11:27 am (Helpful Hints)
A couple of ways to keep things from getting tangled when working on craft projects with string, twine or ribbon is to put the ball of yarn (or whatever) into a saucepan or bowl . . . or even an empty restaurant style sugar dispenser. The kind with the stainless steel top and a hole in the center work great. Just feed the string out through the top. Got a helpful hint? Post away!
A Great Way to Re-heat Pizza!
September 1, 2007 at 3:28 pm (Helpful Hints)
My mother-in-law shared this with me recently. Instead of putting pizza in the microwave to reheat it (makes it kind of rubbery) or heating an entire oven for a slice (who can afford that), she adds a little cooking spray to her frying pan, adds a slice or two of pizza, and puts a lid on top. Then she heats it on low for a bit and removes it with a spatula. It makes the bottom slightly crispy again, and nicely remelts the cheese on top to make the pizza taste more like it’s freshly made. I suppose if you have a toaster oven, you would not need this strategy. But if you don’t, this might work for you to.
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Make Your Own Mixture for Greased and Floured Pans
July 16, 2007 at 12:24 pm (Helpful Hints)
I’m not sure which web site I found this on, but it was posted by the lady at http://www.thefrugalshopper.com . This mixture is really helpful at holiday time when you are cranking out a ton of recipes calling for “greased and floured pans”.
1 cup vegetable oil, 1 cup shortening, 1 cup flour. Mix these ingredients together with a mixer until smooth, and store in an airtight container in your refrigerator. Apply to cake, muffin or pie tins with a piece of waxed paper when called for in a recipe.
This sure beats the heck out of greasing a pan, getting out the flour and shaking it around the pan until it’s coated, dumping out the extra and wiping it up. . . you remember the drill. This stuff is a huge time saver!
Helpful Hints: A Great List of Hints from My Mother-In-Law
July 4, 2007 at 10:59 am (Helpful Hints)
These just came in an email from my husband’s mother. She knows I’ve been posting a bunch of hints on the blog, and these are from a friend of hers in Mars Hill. I basically just cut and pasted them in from her email. There are some really neat ones here that I’ve never heard before. I particularly like the tip about expanding the frosting. It will come in really handy over the holidays. Enjoy!
Reheat Pizza.
Heat up leftover pizza in a non-stick skillet on top of the stove, set heat to med-low and heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy micro pizza. I saw this on the cooking channel and it really works.
Easy Deviled Eggs.
Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal, mash till they are all broken up. Add remainder of ingredients, reseal, keep mashing it up mixing thoroughly, cut the corner tip of the baggy, squeeze mixture into egg. Just throw bag away when done easy clean up.
Expanding Frosting.
When you buy a container of cake frosting from the store, whip it with your mixer for a few minutes. You can double it in size. You get to frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount. You also eat less sugar/calories per serving.
Reheating refrigerated bread.
To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in a microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food moist and help it reheat faster.
Newspaper weeds away.
Start putting in your plants; work the nutrients in your soil. Wet newspapers put layers around the plants overlapping as you go cover with mulch and forget about weeds. Weeds will get through some gardening plastic they will not get through wet newspapers.
Broken Glass.
Use a dry cotton ball to pick up little broken pieces of glass - the fibers catch ones you can’t see!
No More Mosquitoes.
Place a dryer sheet in your pocket. It will keep the mosquitoes away.
Squirrel Away!
To keep squirrels from eating your plants sprinkle your plants with cayenne pepper. The cayenne pepper doesn’t hurt the plant and the squirrels won’t come near it.
Flexible vacuum.
To get something out of a heat register or under the fridge add an empty paper towel roll or empty gif wrap roll to your vacuum hose. It can be bent or flattened to get in narrow openings.
Reducing Static Cling.
Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing panty hose. Place pin in seam of slacks and - voila - static is gone.
Measuring Cups.
Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill it with hot water. Dump out the hot water, but don’t dry the cup. Next, add your ingredient, such as peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes right out.
Foggy Windshield?
Hate foggy windshields? Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the glove box of your car. When the windows fog, rub with the eraser! Works better than a cloth!
Reopening envelope.
If you seal an envelope and then realize you forgot to include something inside, just place your sealed envelope in the freezer for an hour or two. Voila! It unseals easily.
Conditioner.
Use your hair conditioner to shave your legs. It’s a lot cheaper than shaving cream and leaves your legs really smooth. It’s also a great way to use up the conditioner you bought but didn’t like when you tried it in your hair…
Goodbye Fruit Flies.
To get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass fill it 1/2 with Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dish washing liquid, mix well. You will find those flies drawn to the cup and gone forever!
Get Rid of Ants.
Put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants. They eat it, take it “home,” & can’t digest it so it kills them. It may take a week or so, especially if it rains, but it works & you don’t have the worry about pets or small children being harmed!
Take baby powder to the beach.
Keep a small bottle of baby powder in your beach bag. When you’re ready to leave the beach sprinkle yourself and kids with the powder and the sand will slide right off your skin.
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Helpful Hints: Using O.A.M.C. and Bulk Strategies Without a Freezer
July 3, 2007 at 4:39 pm (Helpful Hints)
I know when I first started using the once a month cooking and bulk buying strategies, I relied heavily on my large upright freezer to implement the process. Why? Let’s face it, most of the ideas on the internet relate to the freezer when implementing once a month cooking and bulk preparation as well as bulk buying. Now that we are living remotely for a time, and with the only freezer being the small one over the top of our also very small refrigerator, I am having to really put some serious effort into new strategies to keep us on track with our savings and investment goals. Here are a few things I’m implementing now, or have tried in Arizona (particularly after the movers took our freezer) before we left.
* The once a month preparation of cabbage-ramen salad packets. This is posted under the bulk / o.a.m.c. recipe section of this blog. Basically, I chop and toast a bunch of almonds at once and set up several quart sized bags of the dry ingredients necessary to make the salad (including the seasoning packet for the dressing). Getting a couple dozen of these packets together and storing them all in an extra large resealable bag keeps us ready for the summer. Cabbage also keeps a while, and since we are remote, it’s an important part of my bulk shopping list (along with cases of chicken ramen, as you can imagine). This recipe can be accomplished ahead of time without a freezer, and is very economical.
* Incorporating more canned goods into our menu selection. This strategy includes many areas. First, there are a few items I used to buy frozen that we just don’t any more. Corn is one of them. I really don’t see a difference in quality between frozen and canned. Since we are in dire need of all the freezer space we can get over the fridge, this was sort of a no-brainer. Also, when our larger freezer was available, I used a lot of savings ideas involving ice cube trays. For example, I would buy the larger cans of tomato sauce and paste at the warehouse store and break them down into frozen cubes which would then be stored in a larger freezer bag. Now, I’m having to just get comfortable with buying cases of the smaller cans of puree, sauce and paste when it comes to my tomato products.
Since I don’t have room to do bulk spaghetti sauce for the freezer anyway, that’s two major reasons to make the switch. It’s still saving money to do it this way, and if it’s not the cheapest all time way to do it, it’s the cheapest I can come up with given our current situation.
I’m also implementing more canned meats and fish. For example, the large double packs of canned clams available at the warehouse store are becoming a major staple in our house.
Creamy clam Alfredo, red clam spaghetti sauce, clam and corn chowder and other types of recipes involving this product are becoming more a regular part of our diet. Feeling like you have no way to cook with style can get pretty boring when living in a bush-type situation. These large cans of clams have been really helpful.
Canned salmon is another item that can be used for chowder, casserole, fish cakes and yummy appetizer spreads. Tuna can give you lunch sandwich fillings and casserole options. Other canned meats may also be helpful. I just haven’t found a way to justify the huge cost difference in my mind, yet. If you have, or know of a more affordable source for them, please let us know!
* Getting comfortable with powdered milk. Seriously, this will save you more money and space than several other ideas combined.
* Putting a larger focus on the once a month bulk preparation of dry mix recipes that can be used for numerous meal. There’s nothing wrong with bulk cake mix either ladies, but I’m talking about things that you can use for actual nutritionally based meal preparation for your family. Here’s an example. In Arizona, I had a bread machine that a good friend gave to me. I used the recipe book to pick out healthy and affordable bread recipes that fit our lifestyle and budget. Then, I assembled large resealable bags and mixed several batches of the dry ingredients for each type of bread I had chosen and sealed and labeled each bag. These were stored in a bin in my cupboard and could be easily grabbed and tossed in after the wet ingredients into the bread maker whenever I put a batch of soup or beans into the crock pot.
The use of these bagged bread mixes required absolutely no freezer or refrigerator space (other than the bulk yeast). We felt they really added to the “wow factor” for our evening meals and saved a ton of cash. These breads are also great to rip apart and serve with homemade fondue, another affordable yet stylish meal option.
Need more ideas? The fat free dry cream soup mix recipe in our bulk section can be used to make a ground turkey sausage biscuits and gravy topper (to be used with the bulk baking mix, of course), a base for cream of chicken / brocolli / celery soup, chowder, white sauce base, creamy clam or alfredo sauce base, etc.
It also requires no refrigerator or freezer space. The bulk low fat baking mix can be used for breakfast pies, dinner casseroles, desserts, etc. The bulk corn bread mix?
Breakfast bread with butter and honey / jam, corn dog muffins for grab and take lunches, and an old fashioned dinner side with beans or Mexican dishes. Bulk pizza dough mix can be used for pizzas, calzones, or breakfast hot pockets, and the tortillas you can make with the bulk dry mix can be used in a variety of ways as well. I used all of these items fairly extensively in Arizona, but not as much as I’m probably going to be using them now that they will be playing such a large role in our savings plan.
They should also help offset the increased cost of not being able to buy the larger cans of tomato products and being too far away from town to be able to rely on weekly access to major loss leaders in the grocery store. (A price book will also likely be jumping to the top of my priority list because of this.)
* Another thing I’m doing is starting to explore recipes that use few ingredients and can be put together relatively quickly using bulk ingredients we can store here outside of the fridge.
For example, medium sized cans of tomato puree with a little olive oil, Italian seasoning, a dash of brown sugar and some canned clams can go in the crock pot for a nice sauce that I don’t have to make ahead of time for the freezer and has no need for me to pre-cook the meat.
The baking mix dinner casseroles will be more of a regular item, as will biscuits to go with the all of the soups we’ve been eating. We are way to far from the bread store and far too short on freezer space to be setting it aside for bread. When we have it, great. Otherwise, crackers for simulated “lunch-ables” and other homemade options are what more easily fit into our situation.
* Getting creative with storage space. As I’ve been tripping over numerous cases of things in the less than 600 square feet we are living in at the lake this summer, the spaces underneath both beds and the couch are calling my name as an acceptable place to store cases of vegetables, tomato products, beans, toilet paper, bins of dollar store toiletry items, and beverages. So are walls where no shelves or artwork are currently residing.
* Downsizing. For non-consumable items such as bedding, I cleaned out the enormous back up supply that had been left here by generous family members. Three sets per bed are all I kept, and for the twin couch option people will just need to bring a sleeping bag for that. This cleared up an enormous amount of closet and shelf space, as well as floor space for things I now had room to store, like toilet paper.
* Considering the use of smaller packaging for items that don’t need to be refrigerated until opening. This one just came to me as something I made need to get comfortable with. With the cost of gas and our distance away from things, we really do need to stock up in advance on as many things as possible. It has always gone against my grain to buy the smaller items because of the cost differential. However, because we are adjusting to a smaller fridge as well, perhaps multiple small jars of mayo and other condiments may be how we have to go. It will allow for more flex space in the fridge when we make large batches of soup or other party foods when company stops by because the containers will be smaller. But we can still store more of them in unused spaces. I’m thinking pickles, sandwich pepper rings, mustard, mayo, ketchup, etc. This may or not work out, but I’m willing to test drive it. Maybe it will work for you, at any rate, and if you are closer to stores and can utilize the sale and coupon factors more extensively, you may be able to find a way to save more by doing it this way.
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Helpful Hints: What You Can Do with Rubbing Alcohol
June 24, 2007 at 12:59 pm (Helpful Hints)
There are a ton of things you can do with rubbing alcohol. I love to use it as a bathroom cleaner by mixing it half and half with water and maybe a drop or two of scented oil. Just save an empty spray bottle. You can also use it full strength in a spray bottle around cold season to wipe down light switches, telephone receivers, door handles, etc. It’s good if you can leave a little bit of moisture on the surface, as apparently (or so I’ve been told) the evaporation process helps with the disinfecting process. I usually spray the alcohol on a cloth and wipe down the surfaces for cold season with that. Then there’s time for some evaporation to occur. The half and half mixture also makes a great glass and chrome fixture cleaner.
Some other ideas I picked up from my favorite e-zine, the Dollar Stretcher newsletter? Dry erase board cleaner (who knew?), making your own ice pack by filling and clearly labeling a freezer bag with one part alcohol and two parts water and storing in your freezer, dusty candle cleaner, and ink stain remover. (By the way, I looked for the original article on their site, but was unable to find. If anyone knows where it is, please let me know and I will provide the direct link. )
Of course, we all know rubbing alcohol is also great to have on hand for your home’s first aid kit. Any other ideas for rubbing alcohol? Feel free to post.
Household Tip: Saving Money on Food Storage Buckets
June 5, 2007 at 5:09 pm (Helpful Hints)
White plastic food storage buckets go for big bucks on web sites that sell bulk dry goods. But here’s a tip a friend of mine got when picking apples at a family farm in Arizona. The buckets people were putting their produce in were white plastic and my friend asked the owner if she could buy some of the buckets to take home. While the woman had to say no due to the fact the buckets were needed on the farm, she did share an interesting little tip.
This establishment had to submit to health code inspections periodically. The code officer had told her that rather than paying major bucks for storage buckets that were labeled “food grade”, that any bucket made of white plastic was fine. The farm was buying their white plastic food storage buckets at Home Depot. They sell them in small and large sizes and have the snap on lids to match. The great news? They are dirt cheap.
The smaller sizes are great for storing bulk dry mixes you make at home, or smaller amounts of dry goods. The larger buckets exactly hold a 25 pound bag of flour from a warehouse store. I just had to buy more, because our others are stored with the movers until we decide where we are going to be permanently. We brought them home and washed them out with hot soapy water mixed with a little bleach for sanitizing. Once they were thoroughly dried, they were fine for storing bulk rice, flour and other dry goods. Slap on a label and date with a permanent marker and masking tape. Done!
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