Cool website I found somehow, don’t remember how I got there:
http://www.organickingdom.com/
<<<
Interesting site, but I will stick with walton feed.com, I know which of their products I want to reorder....
I did note that they wheat free products, or so it appears at a fast glance.
http://creaturecomforts.typepad.com/my_weblog/for_free/
With the dinner table in mind I fashioned these simple little Printable Napkin Bands as well as some little doily inspired extras that can be printed and then hung like a mobile, strung in a row to create a garland, or even used as gift tags.
The napkin bands print 6 to a sheet in two different variations (one with a blank oval for writing a name and another with only the doily pattern). They can be trimmed to fit your napkins and sealed in the back with double-sided tape. The doily mobile/garland prints one large and one small doily per sheet.
I like to use premium quality heavy-weight paper for projects like these, but standard card stock would would also work.
Download Free-doily-napkin-bands
Download Free-doily-mobile-garland
Please feel free to pass these along to friends and family. All my freebies are intended for non-commercial use. Enjoy!
{cloth napkin image from flag and banner}
[Dig around, she has other freebies and for sale items....granny]
Cute ginger bread house, with video on how to make it.
http://pancake-meow.livejournal.com/
[I did not find any cats, did find her dog in his new P.J’s, that she went to Pets Smart and bought....LOL, granny]
Quick question for you... I want to buy garden seeds for this coming Spring at my new Mn digs!) and want to know if I can get them at this time of year. I want to get ahead of the coming crush for seeds, and I want the non hybrid "Heritage" types for future plantings (and YOU know why!)...
I know you have a section here on the thread but I can't locate this information yet. Your thoughts?
http://desertcandy.blogspot.com/
That taught me a good lesson about brussels sprouts, pick out the small ones and halve or quarter the larger ones so that they cook quickly without being bitter or over-cooked. My favorite way to cook brussels is to pan roast them: start on the stove-top and then finish them in the oven. These will be on our Thanksgiving table and if they aren’t on yours, you’ve got a long season left to find a time for them.
Pan-Roasted Brussel Sprouts
By all means, saute a little bacon along with the shallot if you want to gild the lily. The brussels sprouts should be just tender in their centers when done (check with a knife tip), and I actually like it when some of the outer edges are crispy deep-brown-black crunchy savory perfection (the above picture, while they were delicious, weren’t quite brown enough for my taste).
1 shallot, chopped
2 tablespoons vinegar or lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon (a sprinkling) of sugar
a medium bag of brussels sprouts, larger ones halved or quartered
salt and pepper to taste
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a large oven-proof skillet, heat a splash of olive oil. Add the shallot and cook until soft and translucent. Add the brussels sprouts and saute until the begin to brown on the edges - golden brown is good, but not completely done. Deglaze the pan with the vinegar, scraping up any brown bits, and sprinkle the sugar over, stirring so it melts. Season with salt
2. Transfer the pan to the oven to finish cooking. Check after 5-7 minutes, shaking the pan. Continue roasting, stirring every five minutes, until the brussels sprouts are cooked through and the edges are well browned (some of the stray leaves may blacken, that’s totally fine). Check for seasoning, serve.
Posted by Mercedes
http://desertcandy.blogspot.com/2008/01/olive-and-walnut-stuffed-potato-bites.html
The recipe is for olive and walnut stuffed potato bites, and is very loosely inspired by a Saudi recipe I found in Maria Khalife’s The Middle Eastern Cookbook (a new little book written by the founder of the Arab version of the Food Network). I ended up baking the potato balls because sometimes, especially in January, deep-frying just isn’t in the cards. Though I’m sure they’d be amazing fried, I really can’t imagine anything better than a warm ball of mashed potato with a bright burst of olive in the middle. My goodness, I think I’d forgotten how marvelous potatoes are, just the smell of them cooking was intoxicating, and that filling: slightly sweet with raisins, the finely ground walnuts are almost unnoticeable except for the hint of nutty flavor, and finally the big salty olive pop. They tend to get a bit soft when you bake them, so it’s almost better to do them ahead of time, as the cooling off helps solidify them, then gently reheat them.
These would be perfect appetizers, but they make a great end to a long day, slowly popping one after another into your mouth, savoring each and every bite. I guarantee that no matter how many you make, they’ll be gone before you know it. Although, if you find people on the bus wondering what that French fry smell is, don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Olive-Walnut Stuffed Potato Bites
Makes about 24 potato balls.
2 lbs russet potatoes (about 3 large)
3/4 cup flour
salt and pepper
1/3 cup walnuts
2 tablespoons golden raisins
1 cup green olives (pimento-stuffed ones work nicely), rinsed
1/2 teaspoon sumac or substitute lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon fresh oregano, optional
1. Put a large pot of water to boil. Peel the potatoes and roughly chop. Cook the potatoes in bloiling salted water until tender. Drain the potatoes and place in a large bowl. Shake the bowl to allow some of the steam to escape from the potatoes so that they dry out slightly. Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes until very smooth. Sprinkle in the flour and season with salt and pepper. Mash the mixture to form a smooth combined dough. Set aside.
2. Place the walnuts and raisins in a food processor or spice grinder. Pulse the mixture until it forms a coarse meal (some chunks are fine). Add the olives and sumac and spices and pulse just so the olives are chopped and you have a chunky mixture.
3. Working with damp hands, take a golf-ball sized piece of potato, flatten in your palm, fill with a small spoonful of olive mixture, then close up and roll into a ball. Continue forming balls, placing them on a baking sheet, until mixture is used up. Refrigerate potato balls 1/2 hour before frying (if you have the time).
4. To fry: Heat a pot of oil to very hot. Fry balls in batches until golden brown, remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Serve hot.
To bake: preheat oven to 450 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and add a generous amount of olive oil to the pan. Roll potato balls around to coat with oil, then space evenly on the baking sheet. Bake in the lower third of the oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the bottoms are golden brown (the balls will flatten slightly). Flip over and bake another 5-10 minutes, so that the second side is browned. Keep an eye on the balls so that they don’t melt or brown too much. Let cool at least ten minutes before serving (this helps firm the balls so that they don’t fall apart). Can be done ahead and reheated.
Posted by Mercedes
http://desertcandy.blogspot.com/2007/09/its-that-time-of-year-again.html
13 September 2007
It’s That Time of Year Again...
It’s fresh date season once again, and I happily plopped a large yellow bunch into my basket the other day. A French lady at the market asked me what they were, and I explained they were fresh dates (balah), that they were dates that are picked early before they’ve ripened into the wrinkly brown state we’re familiar with.
Fresh dates are also a reminder that Ramadan is emminent. Although Islam follows a lunar calendar (meaning seasonal foods don’t associate with holidays), dates are an important symbol of breaking the Ramadan fast. During the holiday stores stock up on the most lush juicy dates, as well as dates in various stages of ripeness, date pastes and date molasses. When the fast is broken at sunset, the loudspeakers boom out from the mosques with the call to prayer and a steaming feast is set out on the table before a hungry family gathered together. Traditionally, dates are passed around the table first, as a gentle way of breaking the daily fast. This is usually followed by lentil soup, and then the rest of the meal which will contain a variety of dishes and special juices like a popular tamarind drink. Even though one may be quite hungry after fasting all day, the meal goes at a slow pace, and most people aim to eat modest portions.
Just-picked dates hanging in Palmyra, Syria.
As a foreigner and non-Muslim, I have often found myself anticipating Ramadan with a certain amount of foreboding. Like any holiday, it can also be a hectic time, and the traffic gets absolutely crazy as people rush to get home to break the fast, and hungry people mob the markets to buy last minute groceries. Just try shopping at four o’clock with a market full of people who haven’t eaten all day and are eyeing the special pastries in the display windows, let me tell you. There’s the added issue that at the office, any time we’d try to schedule meetings or conferences, it was always that Ramadan was coming or happening or ending, and it seemed like we’d lose two months of work to the holidays.
However, having experienced Ramadan in a Muslim country (it’s different in places where the population is more mixed, like Beirut or parts of Cairo), I can tell you it’s a truly amazing experience. When everyone is fasting together, there is an amazing sense of community, of shared experience, and it is also a time for reflection, family togetherness, and charity (alms-giving is an important part of Ramadan).
I was thinking about all these things when I bought my fresh dates the other day, even though the holiday had not yet begun. Fresh dates are tart and crunchy and quite similar to apples. In a culinary sense, they don’t have much to offer, they make a nice snack on their own. One afternoon, I decided to slice them up and use them in a salad, along with some fresh walnuts I got at a farm recently and some crumbly cheese. This is one of the best salads I’ve had in a long time, it’s one of those salads you have for lunch and then come home and say to your partner/boyfriend/spouse, I had the best lunch today! And then you make it every day for the rest of the week, which is exactly what I did.
If you spy fresh dates at your local market, I urge you to try this salad, or if not you could always substitute some slivers of tart apple. I hope to do some more posts about Ramadan as the holy month gets under way, and if you’re observing Ramadan (or any other holiday), I wish you all a happy and joyous year to come.
Fresh Date, Walnut, and Cheese Salad
8-10 fresh dates (the yellow crunchy kind) or substitute a small Granny Smith apple
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup crumbly goat cheese or feta
6 cups mixed greens
olive oil, salt
1. Place the greens in a serving bowl and drizzle the olive oil over top and sprinkly with salt. Toss to coat.
2. Pit the dates and slice. Lightly toast the walnuts. Place the dates, walnuts, and cheese over the greens. Serve.
Posted by Mercedes
http://desertcandy.blogspot.com/2007/12/maryas-date-tart.html
Marya’s Date Tart
1 sleeve (6 oz, 175 grams) tea biscuits
8 tablespoons (4 oz) butter, melted
1 tsp cinnamon
24 medium-sized dates (or 18 medjool dates)
7 oz (200 grams, about 1/2 a can) sweetened condensed milk
6 oz (170 grams, 3/4 cup) creme fraiche*
1. Preheat the oven 350 F. Pit the dates and place them in bowl. Add very hot water just to cover them and let sit 20-30 minutes to soften.
2. Meanwhile, pulse the biscuits in a food processor to form a coarse meal (alternately, place in a heavy duty bag and bash with a rolling pin). Add the cinnamon and drizzle in the butter, pulsing to mix. Press the crumb mixture into a 9” round tart pan. Place the pan in the oven and par-bake the crust for 7 minutes.
3. Drain the dates and place them in a blender or food processor. Add the condensed milk and the creme fraiche and blend until the mixture is smooth. Pour the mixture into the tart crust. Bake in the center of the oven for 20 minutes, until the filling no longer jiggles. Remove from the oven, then place the tart under the broiler for 2-3 minutes to brown the top, watching carefully the edges don’t burn. Let cool completely before serving, dusted with powdered sugar if desired.
*Make your own creme fraiche or substitute half sour cream and half heavy cream. Also, I imagine you could make a lower fat version using yogurt or low-fat sour cream but I haven’t tried it yet.
Posted by Mercedes
It says ‘cake’, but has no flour, photos on page at link]
http://desertcandy.blogspot.com/2007/10/overnight-apple-cake.html
Pat had told us the apples were quite tart, and indeed they were inedibly astringent, only for use in cooking. I increased the amount of sugar in the recipe accordingly and slipped the apples into that oven that evening. By the time I had gone to bed the kitchen was wafting wonderful smells. The next morning when I opened the oven it was like I had stuck my nose in a dozen apple pies, an intoxicating complex scent. Drizzling the reduced juices over the cake, I was pleased to see it really was looking like the photo. But the real surprise was the taste: as outstanding as the lovely layered appearance. My mom, who has waxed rhapsodic about tarte tatin, called it “the best apple dessert I’ve ever had,” and that’s saying a lot. I’m inclined to agree. Because this is ready in the morning, it could be nice for breakfast with some sweetened yogurt, but if you can wait it’s truly outstanding with vanilla ice cream. All it takes is a little overnight magic.
Overnight Apple Cake
4 pounds tart cooking apples, like Granny Smith
1 orange
3/4 to 1 cup sugar, depending on your apples
2 tbl butter
1. Preheat the oven to 175 F. Choose a 6-cup souffle dish, generously grease it with one tablespoon of butter. Cut a round of parchment to fit inside the dish, generously grease it on one side with the remaining tablespoon butter.
2. Place the sugar in a bowl. Zest about 1 tablespoon of the orange zest into the sugar bowl, rub the zest into the sugar with your fingertips. Halve the orange and squeeze its juice into another bowl. Peel the apples, core them, and thinly slice them into rings (if you don’t want to bother coring, simply halve them and thinly slice). Add the apple slices to the bowl with the orange juice as you work to prevent discoloring, tossing them to coat.
2. Layer the apple slices, overlapping them, in the prepared dish, sprinkling each layer with a little of the sugar. Place the parchment round, buttered-side down, over the apples. Place in the oven for 12 hours.
3. Remove the apple dish from the oven, there should be a good amount of bubbling juice. Pressing down on the parchment with an oven mitt, pour off the juice into a sauce pan. Bring the juice to a simmer and boil until brightly colored and thickened. Meanwhile, invert the apple cake onto a serving plate. Drizzle with the juices.
I should note dear Molly had some trouble with the original recipe. I believe because she used less sugar, not only was the cake too tart, but the apples didn’t render enough juices. The pectin in the reduced juices holds the cake together and gives the pretty shiny top.
___________________
Posted by Mercedes
http://desertcandy.blogspot.com/2007/02/on-eating-cabbage-alone.html
On Eating Cabbage Alone
I like to be alone when eating cabbage. Not because eating cabbage is shameful or embarrassing or messy, but because that is all I want. A big bowl of braised red cabbage, all for me.
Mr. Cabbage, I will thinly slice you and saute you with some apple and bacon. A hint of vinegar and maple syrup will add just the right sweet and sour notes as you begin to soften. I will cover you and slip you into the oven, like a child blanketed to bed, and leave you for an hour or so. When I return, I will find you miraculously melted into something transcendant- silky, smooth, tender. And I will have you all to myself, in a big bowl with only perhaps a hunk of good bread on the side. No one to ask me where th protein is, or quibble about so called ‘main courses’ and ‘proper balanced meals.’ Just you and me, with a fork in one hand and hopefully a good book in the other.
And in case I haven’t quite had my fill of you, you will be just as good, if not better, the next day, cold, straight from the fridge. By then, your dark ruby hue will have turned almost black in the chill, eliciting contempt from any passers-by or finicky small children. But pay them no mind, for I know the sweetness you hide, and I will keep you a closely guarded secret, snatched in snippets by the cool door of the open refrigerator.
Braised Red Cabbage with Apple and Maple Syrup
This is a winter staple in our house, for everyday eaing I make it without the bacon, but it’s also a regular on our holiday table, where the bacon shows up for the occaision. If you’re short on oven space, you can do the braise on the stove top over very low heat. Adapted from Molly Stevens.
2 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger (optional)
1 large head red cabbage (a scant 2 pounds), quartered, cored, and thinly sliced
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
2. Add the bacon to a large deep ovenproof skillet (12- to 13-inch) over medium heat, and fry the bacon until it renders its fat and begins to crisp, 5 minutes. Scoop out the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside on paper towels to drain.
3. Keep the the bacon fat in the pan and stir in the sliced onion. Season with salt and pepper and sauté, stirring a few times, until the onion turns limp, about 2 minutes. Add the apple and ginger and stir to combine. (If the pan gets dry add a bit of butter,lard or shmaltz to it) Increase the heat to medium-high and begin adding the cabbage a few handfuls at a time. Once all the cabbage is in the skillet, sauté, stirring frequently, until the strands begin to wilt and have a moist gleam, about 6 minutes. Add the vinegar and syrup, and return the bacon to the pan. Stir to incorporate, and let the liquid come to a boil.
4. Cover the pan and slide into the middle of the oven. Braise at a gentle simmer, stirring every 20 minutes, until the cabbage is tender and deeply fragrant, about 1 hour. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Posted by Mercedes
http://desertcandy.blogspot.com/2008/03/molasses-braised-turnips-with-pepper.html
Molasses Braised Turnips with Pepper
When I was staying with my mom just before moving to D.C. I warned her: I’m in a phase where I’m cooking primarily Iraqi food now. My mother raised the expected skeptical eyebrow. “But don’t worry mom,” I said, “Iraqis love turnips.” You see, my mother loves turnips, she likes to say she lost fifty pounds eating turnips, which she buys from a quirky bearded farmer at the market each week. They’re a rather overlooked vegetable, a healthy alternative to potatoes with a slightly bitter edge. And funnily enough, Iraqis, whose cuisine tends to be meat and rice heavy, also love turnips.
In Iraq, turnips are cooked whole in a sticky molasses mixture and served as a popular street food. When I first heard about this in Nawal Nasrallah’s Delights from the Garden of Eden (the go-to reference for anyone interested in Iraqi cuisine) I’ll admit I was skeptical: both turnips and molasses can have a bitter edge, and I wasn’t sure they could balance each other. But having made this dish three times now, I can tell you they sure do! I like to thickly slice the turnips and slow cook them in a molasses and lemon mixture until they turn translucent and almost caramelized. In Iraq, this would be made with date molasses, but good old plain molasses works perfectly, and my aunt gave me some sorghum molasses recently that I’ve also used with great results. We top the turnips with a sprinkling of black pepper for spice, or perhaps a few grains of paradise (a neat alternative to pepper). Since I recieved both the cookbook, sorghum molasses, and grains of paradise as Christmas gifts, think of this as a virtual thank you note. Yes mom, I know it’s only three months too late.
Molasses Braised Turnips with Black Pepper
At the edge of spring, when I’m still reaching in the root vegetable bin, this is the recipe I reach for. The name in Arabic (maye’ al-shalgham) means melting, a fitting name for this slighly sweet side dish.
2 lbs turnips
1/3 cup mild molasses
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
fresh black pepper or grains of paradise, for serving
1. Peel the turnips and slice thickly (about 1/2 and inch thick).
2. Place turnips in a wide pot with the molassses, lemon, and salt. Add enough water so that the turnips are covered by 1 inch. Bring the mixture to a boil, then turn the heat very low and simmer for 30-35 minutes, stirring fairly frequently so that the turnips cook evenly. The turnips should be meltingly tender and the liquid should be reduced to a glaze. Serve immediately with fresh cracked pepper.
Posted by Mercedes
A Guide to Syrian Kitchens and a Maple Tart
mapletart3
I had just moved into my flat in Damascus, excited over its wonderful views of the city, its wide kitchen, the nice furnishings, and most importantly the amount of space a transplanted New Yorker could only ever dream of at a fraction of the rent. (a patio, a washing machine, $200/month!) Relieved to be done with the hours of negotiations and the headache of trying to read through and sign a 5 page contract in Arabic, I surveyed my surroundings. The beautiful kitchen, my kitchen, with that gleaming 6-burner range induced dreams of home-cooked aromas. However, it turns out that stoves, or more specifically ovens, in Syrian kitchens are more like nightmares to any well-intentioned cook. Should you ever find yourself in this predicament, I offer A Guide To Your Syrian Stove:
1. The stove runs on gas, the tank for which is tucked somewhere underneath or behind the range. The tank will run out about every 1-2 months, at which point you have to go through the adventure of replacing it (that will have to explained another day). Just hope it doesn’t happen when you’re giving a dinner party or on a Friday, or you’ll be eating yogurt and raw carrots. Now, the burners don’t light automatically, so you’ll need matches or a lighter which should sit by the stove. And since there’s no pilot light, that means your oven doesn’t light automatically either.
2. Perhaps you are realizing with trepidation that you are going to have to light the oven by hand. Yes. Now, there are two dials on the range, one for the top of the oven and one for the bottom. The best way to do this is with a long candle, or find one of those lighters with a very long handle, rolled up newspaper will do in a pinch. Light your candle, open the oven, turn on the burner for the top of the oven, and light with the candle. Poof! There, have you successfully done that without catching yourself or your clothing on fire? Good. Now you have to light the bottom of the stove by pulling out the broiler tray. This can be a bit harder to reach, but you’ll get the hang of it.
3. And just when you thought your oven adventure was over, well, you may have noticed that your oven has no temperature markings. That’s right, you are the temperature regulator. You can adjust the top and bottom parts to high and low, which is precisely what you will be doing the whole time you are baking. Standing by the stove, peering through the little window, adjusting the flames in a desperate attempt to maintain at least a consistent temperature, whether it’s 300 or 400 degrees you’ll never know. At some point, you’ll turn the flames down too low and they’ll go out, so you’ll have to open the oven and go through that lighting process again. At another point, they’ll get too high and you might end up with a very blackened top or a crusty bottom.
It is at this point that I offer you my most salient advice. Bake casseroles, bake small cookies, things that you can leave in the oven at a low flame for a little while. Do not attempt delicate cakes. Abandon all hopes of soufflés. Trust me, you’ll be happier, and keep your sanity, which in this situation can be a precious thing.
Of course, upon moving into my kitchen, no one had warned me. I decided that I could use some of that lovely maple syrup a fellow expat had given me by making a maple tart. I pressed the tart dough, soft with freshly made butter, into its round pan. I stirred up the batter, the syrup like liquid gold, into the pan. And then I encountered the oven.
I fiddled with the oven’s knobs, I crouched and peered through the glass. At one point, the filling bubbled up into a huge dome, then immediately collapsed again. My stomach made a similar turn thinking I had wasted all that wonderful syrup. By the time I had taken it out of the oven, I had to be careful not to let the sweat that was literally dripping from my brow drop onto the tart.
However, my spirits were revived as the tart cooled and looked pleasingly unharmed. The kitchen was filled with the aromas of sugar and pastry. And when I could wait no longer, I took a bite. The sweet dark taste of maple recalled deep forest and snow, the tart crust redolent of French patisseries. In short, all the things missing from my life in Damascus. I looked over at my stove, sitting quietly in the corner. A battle, and a tart well won.
Maple Tart
Use good quality maple syrup, it makes a difference in the flavor and texture of the tart. This tart is very sweet, so it is best enjoyed in a small slivers with a nice dollop of whipped cream or creme fraiche.
paté brisée for a 9” pan
1/2 cup buttermilk
2/3 cup maple syrup
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tbl butter
3 tbl flour
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp lemon juice
- Prepare the paté brisée and press into a 9” tart pan, refrigerate.
- Preheat the oven to 375. Place the maple syrup and butter in a saucepan and simmer so that the butter is melted. In a medium bowl, stir together the brown sugar and the eggs until light and thickened. Stir in the buttermilk, maple syrup, flour, vanilla, and lemon. Stir until well combined, the batter will be thin. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and place in the oven. Bake the tart 30-35 minutes, until the filling is just set. Remove and cool on a rack. If desired, dust the top with confectioners sugar, serve slightly warm or at room temperature with whipped cream.
Posted by Mercedes
http://desertcandy.blogspot.com/2007/02/guide-to-syrian-kitchens-and-maple-tart.html
http://desertcandy.blogspot.com/
When you cook in a certain cuisine for a long time, as I have with Middle Eastern food, you become comfortable enough with the repertoire of ingredients to sort of wing it in the kitchen. Which is why I come up with a lot of pseudo-Middle Eastern based on what I have in my pantry and a little bit of inspiration. The problem you confront then is the authenticity police. You know them- the ones that tell you your beans have to be cooked in a clay pot made by Berbers in the southeast corner of Morocco? They come after you in the night with their AOC labels and argan oils and recipes on papyrus?
Me, I think if it tastes good I’m all for it. I’m all about putting the proper labels on things (please don’t call it hummus if it’s not made with chickpeas), but really, experimentation in the pursuit of good food is what makes cooking fun. I am however, a little trepidatious when sharing recipes here that are of the pseudo-variety. I don’t want to confront the authenticity police.
But then there are recipes so good that (1) it would be a shame not share them and (2) if they’re that good, someone’s probably done this before, which means it must be traditional somewhere. Like these lamb meatballs stewed in a prune apricot sauce (inspired by many a Moroccan tagine recipe)- it’s so good I really shouldn’t be keeping it from you. The lamb meatballs are richly flavorful and light at the same time and the sauce, with cinnamon and pepper and fruit, is a smoky-sweet-tart delight. Which means you should be writing down these ingredients and heading out to the store right now. Now, before the authenticity police come my way.
Lamb Meatballs in Prune and Apricot Sauce
For the vinegar I used white wine vinegar but I think any vinegar could work here- from apple cider to balsamic, you could even try white wine, lemon juice, or diluted tamarind paste to get different riffs on that tart effect. To soften the dried apricots I put them in a bowl and add very hot tap water over them to cover, prunes are usually very soft and moist already, but if yours are hard you can soften them along with the apricots. Drain before adding to the sauce.
for the lamb meatballs:
1 lb ground lamb
1/4 cups breadcrumbs
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon each cinnamon, cumin, and salt
1/8 teaspoon each allspice and Aleppo pepper
1/4 cup minced parsley
for the sauce:
2 medium-size onions, finely diced
2 tomatoes, diced
3 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
10 dried apricots, cut into quarters and softened in hot water for 15-30 mins
about 16 prunes, halved or quartered
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon each cumin, cloves, and allspice
1. For the meatballs: Preheat oven to 350 F. Knead together ll the ingredients until just combined. Don’t overwork the mixture- you want the meatballs to stay light. Using damp hands, form into balls and place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake in the oven until cooked through and lightly browned, about minutes.
2. For the sauce: Heat a splash of oil in a wide skillet. Add the onions and saute over medium heat until they begin to soften and caramelize slowly and turn golden in color, about 20 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the vinegar, stirring up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the tomatoes, honey, and season with the spices and salt to taste. Allow the mixture the simmer until the tomatoes are broken down and most of their liquid is evaporated. Add the apricots and prunes and simmer for another five minutes or so, until everything is soft and combined. Taste for seasoning.
3. Add the meatballs to the sauce and allow to warm through. Serve, perhaps over rice or with good crusty bread.
Posted by Mercedes
Fast forward several years, I was living and working in Damascus, and as much as I love Middle Eastern food, I was craving something different. I missed all the different ethnic eateries New York has to offer. I missed those puffy Chinese-style buns, and with no Dynasty supermarket nearby, I decided to try and make my own. With little access to pork in a Muslim country, I made a simple spinach filling, and I was happy to find that since the buns are steamed I didn’t have to fiddle with my troublesome (fear-of-death inducing) oven.
Since that first time I’ve made many batches of Chinese-style buns, and though my bun-shaping skills have improved, they never look like the gorgeous ones of Chinatown (maybe if I got a proper bamboo steamer). It doesn’t matter, because we love the supremely light texture of the bread that comes from their long rise, they’re the perfect partner to soup or something saucy to dip them in. I actually prefer the spinach filling, but you can use any mixed vegtables or shredded meat, I once saw a version that used whole-wheat flour and mushroom-cashew filling. Though these are a bit of a time investment to make, they freeze beautifully, I often keep a bunch in the freezer for those nights when you get home late and want something quick. I had to go half-way around the world more than once to discover these homemade buns, hopefully you’ll discover their joys right at home.
Chinese-Style Spinach Buns
for the dough:
1 cup warm water
1 package dry yeast
3 tbl sugar
3 cups cake flour, plus more for kneading
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
for the filling:
12 oz fresh spinach (can substitute frozen)
2 tbl vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, sliced
red pepper, to taste
3 tbl soy sauce
1. Make filling: Wash the spinach and leave some of the water clinging to it. Roughly chop the spinach. Heat the oil in a saute pan and saute the garlic until beginning to soften, about a minute. Add the spinach and toss over moderate heat (you may have to add the spinach in batches to get it all to fit in the pan). Toss the spinach until wilted and dark green, but not completely collapsed, several minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the soy sauce and season with red pepper. Set aside.
2.Make dough: Place the warm water in a large bowl, add the sugar and yeast and set aside until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the 3 cups of flour and knead in the bowl until the flour is incorporated (if it is very sticky you can add 1/4 cup more flour). Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes, until elastic and smooth but still soft. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, turning the dough to coat, cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.
3. Punch down the dough and flatten it into a disk. Sprinkle the baking powder over the dough, then fold the dough over and knead to incorporate the baking powder. Let rest covered 30 minutes (meanwhile, cut 12 squares of parchment paper).
4. Form buns: Form the dough into a log and pinch off 12 equal pieces. Roll the dough pieces into a circle, using the rolling pin to make the edges of the circle thinner than the middle. Fill the dough with a spoonful of spinach. Gather up the edges of the dough, pleating them as you gather, then form a circle with your thumb and forefinger and squeeze the pleats closed. Place on a parchment square. Repeat to form remaining buns. Let the buns rest, covered, for 20 minutes, until puffed. Meanwhile, prepare a vegetable steamer.
5. Place the buns (on their parchment squares) in a steamer. Cover and steam 10-15 minutes, until puffed and heated through. Serve immediately.
________________________________
Posted by Mercedes
http://desertcandy.blogspot.com/2007/10/to-chinatown-and-back.html
[I have not looked at the many recipes here, a large variety of them, and I will return...granny]
http://kansasa.blogspot.com/2007/08/worth-repeating.html
Worth Repeating
I know I’ve blogged about this before but I think it deserves repeating, besides “’tis the season.” :) It’s my apricot brandy recipe but you can use fruit of any kind. I’ve done it with crab apples, blackberries, and cherries as well as apricots. My favourite is apricot, with crab apple running a close second. I wasn’t too keen on blackberries but I had some neighbours who cleaned it right up! Gee I wonder if I could use up zucchini this way?? LOL
Here’s what ya do:[can use other fruits]
[Excellent recipe, easy and fun, you will want all the tips in the comments section....one being the use of a Brita water pitcher to filter it the final time..........that must be a good hint to know, LOL, don’t know what I want to filter, must be something....granny]
http://kansasa.blogspot.com/search/label/Frugal
You might have a Magic Bullet and not even know it!
You just may have a Magic Bullet in your cupboard and not even know it! If you’re regular readers you know how much I enjoy Tipnut.com, and it’s not just because she’s featured my blog three times, really! Tipnut.com is full of tips and hints and not just “fluff” stuff either but seriously you can use in your life stuff.
Her tip of making bigger cakes from mixes I use ALL the time, I’ve even printed it out and keep it right in with my cake mix container.
But with this tip she has topped the cake (so to speak). She found the tip at Simply Recipes and I’m so happy she posted it.
Use the blender you already have and see if a mason jar fits... lucky me one of mine does! Oh the possibilities! Grind flax seeds right in it’s own storage container, coffee beans, whipped cream, spices. I can then use my vacuum sealer and seal a canning lid on the jar, or use an old mayonnaise lid which fits perfectly on a mason jar and pop in the fridge. No scraping out the blender container, no washing, an unlimited supply of “containers.” I’m giddy :) LOL
Here’s my blender in action with a 1 1/2 quart jar but any size wide mouth mason jar would work :) My KitchenAid uses wide mouth but some people are saying standard mouth works with their blenders.
So if you haven’t checked out Tipnut.com, it’s time!
By Kansas A at 4:41 PM
http://tipnut.com/quick-tips-for-the-kitchen/
50 Quick Tips For The Kitchen
Posted By TipNut On July 14, 2008 @ 10:03 am In Baking Tips, Cooking Tips, Food Tips, Kitchen Tips, Popular Tips | 29 Comments
Picture of Whisk - Tipnut.com
1. Strawberry Tip: Wash freshly picked strawberries & then take a wide plastic straw and insert it at the bottom of a strawberry–then push the stem out. This was previously published as a feature tip on Tipnut for [1] Ask Your Neighbor - Helpful Household Tips.
2. Measuring Tip: Rinse measuring cup in hot water before using syrup, oil, etc. Will pour out clean and not stick to cup. This was also mentioned in the [2] 45 Cooking & Baking Tips - A Collection Of Timeless Wisdom tip list.
3. Sugar In Fruit Pies: When making pie, sprinkle the sugar under the fruit instead of on top. This prevents pie from boiling over.
4. Baking Fruit Pies: Cut four small slits into top pie crust and stand one piece of tubed pasta into each slit (choose pasta at least 2 or 3 inches long–cannelloni and cut ziti work well). The juices will bubble up the pasta ‘pipe’ and back down into the pie–instead of running all over your oven. Once pie has finished baking, remove pasta.
5. Pie Dough Rolling: Try rolling pie dough between two sheets of waxed paper, the dough is easier to manage and doesn’t stick to the table or your rolling pin. Once the dough is in the desired shape and thickness, peel off the waxed paper and place directly in the pie plate. Cut off the excess. This was also included on the [2] 45 Cooking & Baking Tips - A Collection Of Timeless Wisdom page of tips.
6. Bigger Cakes From Mixes: To make a bigger cake from a mix, add 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 egg, 1 tsp. baking powder. *Found on loose page from an old cookbook. This was also included on the [3] 43 Cake Baking Tips & Tricks page.
7. Icing Cakes: For one layer cakes, turn the cake upside down before icing so that the top is perfectly flat and even. When icing two cake rounds or squares, place a layer of frosting on the top of one round, then place the other round upside down on top for a perfectly flat top. If the cake rose high and uneven in the middle when baking, you may need to slice a bit off across the top to lay it flat. This was also included on the [3] 43 Cake Baking Tips & Tricks page.
8. Neatly Cut Fudge: Use a pizza cutter to easily slice through flats of fudge and candy squares. Make sure the baking has been chilled or thoroughly set before cutting. The process is fast and easy and the result is nice, neat squares.
9. Freeze Cookie Dough: Try preparing a few batches of cookie dough at once and freezing the extra that you won’t be baking that day. You can roll the dough in logs first before freezing (wrap the dough really well) and then just slice off and bake what you need whenever you crave freshly baked cookies.
10. Soften Butter: A few different methods for speeding up the process of getting soft butter right from the fridge (without melting it): Grate the butter into a bowl–comes down to room temperature faster; Microwave for a few seconds at a time–watch closely because you don’t want to zap it too long; Cut butter into squares and put them into a bowl, insert bowl in a pan of warm–not hot–water.
11. Remove Dough Quickly From Hands: Keep a small bowl of cornmeal nearby while kneading and working with dough. If you need to quickly answer the phone, the door, or rescue a runaway toddler while your hands are full of sticky dough, rub dry cornmeal on your hands. This removes dough faster than washing your hands in soap and water.
12. Mashed Potato Warmer: Is there ever enough stove top space when preparing large meals (like at Christmas or Thanksgiving)? Here’s a way to get the mashed potatoes done early and out of the way: Prepare your mashed potatoes an hour or two before serving the meal and store them in the slow cooker (on low heat). Serve with the rest of the meal and they’re still hot and tasty :).
13. Fluff Up Mashed Potatoes: Try adding a healthy pinch of baking powder to the potatoes when mashing them. For fluffier mashed potatoes, use an electric mixer to whip air into them. Any other additions? Me, I’m a real butter and splash of milk potato masher-er ;).
14. Mixing Raw Hamburger: If you can’t stand mixing raw hamburger by hand and the wooden spoon just won’t do, try covering each of your hands in a clean plastic bag (or baggy) and dig in. The plastic bags will still give your hands and fingers free movement, yet keep them free from raw meat contamination. Did you know: Meatloaf aficionados declare that the ingredients must be mixed by hand or the meatloaf is doomed? Check out these favorite tasty meatloaf tips.
15. Grilled Cheese Sandwiches: Try slathering mayonnaise on the outer sides of the bread instead of butter when making grilled cheese sandwiches. Makes a nice and crispy sandwich as well as tastes delicious. Another favorite addition of mine is chopped green onions melted in the sandwich with the cheese. Sweet, at least the green onions are healthy! If you have a favorite twist to Grilled Cheese sandwiches, please share and add them below. I’m officially hungry now ;).
16. Cabbage Salad Kicker: To take a cabbage salad “out of this world” add chunks of banana just before serving. *Found on a loose page from an old cookbook. Cabbage Salad would be Coleslaw I believe. My mother-in-law always made hers with slivers of apple mixed in with the coleslaw (delish!). Bananas? I’m hesitant to try this lol. If you do, please let me know how it turns out.
17. Greaseless Griddle Cake: When making griddle cake grease the pan for the first cake. After that rub a piece of raw potato over hot griddle instead of greasing. The cakes brown nicely and there will be no smoke. *Found on loose page of from an old cookbook.
18. Slicing Meat Thin: If you need really thin sliced meat when cooking stir-fry recipes or other dishes, try partially freezing the meat before making your cuts. This will make the meat easier to slice very thin since it will hold firm while slicing, no more uneven cuts from the raw meat mushing underneath the knife blade.
19. Stop Meat Edges From Curling: When grilling steaks or frying up pork chops, sometimes the edges can curl and the meat no longer sits flat in the pan or on the grill. To help prevent that, just cut a slit in the fat along the edge of the meat every inch or so before cooking.
20. Baking Soda Meat Tenderizer: You can use baking soda as a meat tenderizer. Two different ways to do this: Sprinkle baking soda all over the meat, rub it in a bit and then let sit (refrigerated) for several hours. You could also make a baking soda/water paste and slather it over the meat. Let it marinate for several hours. Rinse meat before cooking to remove all the baking soda.
21. Baking Soda Test: Do you have an old box of baking soda in the pantry and you’re not sure whether or not it’s still good? Fill a small cup half full with vinegar and drop a teaspoon of baking soda in it. If things start fizzing, the baking soda is active.
22. Fresh Fruit & Veggies Washing Tip: Sprinkle wet fruit and veggies with baking soda then gently scrub and rinse. This cleaning method safely removes dirt and residue off produce. This was part of Tipnut’s [4] Arm & Hammer week.
23. Prevent Bacon Spatters: Bacon can be quite a messy item to prepare, try lightly dusting the bacon with flour before frying. This helps prevent the spatters and meat shrinkage.
24. Veggie Roasting Racks: Try roasting a chicken or roast on top of long slices of celery or carrot sticks. The vegetables act like a roasting rack plus add flavor to the meat. You can eat the vegetables too, yum! Not only do the veggies work well as a roasting rack, there’s one less item to wash ;).
25. Potato Flakes Thickener: Add dried instant potato flakes to homemade soups and sauces to thicken the consistency. This won’t change the flavor at all and is a sure trick when a dish sauce turns out too watery or thin.
26. Natural Peanut Butter Storage: Here’s a tip sent in by reader Beth: Regarding natural peanut butter, the type that separates after it sits for a while. Store the unopened jars in the cabinet upside down. The oil will want to rise to the top again and will pass through the solid part to do so, basically stirring itself! Great tip! Thanks for sharing that Beth :)!
27. Flour Bugs: Keep a couple bay leaves in the flour canister to help deter the bugs (flour Weevils) congregating in their favorite hangout. You can toss the leaves loose in the flour or make a rough pouch out of one layer of cheesecloth to keep the leaves separated from the flour. Another tip is to tape the bay leaves to the inside of the lid. Always try to keep flour and other grains in air tight containers, this will help keep pantry pests out.
28. Squeezing Lemons For Juice: For those who suffer from arthritis or hand pain, use a nutcracker to mangle and squeeze wedges of lemons to juice them. Otherwise jab a fork into the fruit flesh, squeeze both ends of the wedge together (towards the fork) and then twist the fork every which way. Lots of juice!
29. Herb & Spice Storage: To help preserve flavor, herbs and spices are best stored in airtight containers, out of sunlight and away from heat sources. Store the jars and containers in the pantry or a cupboard. Keeping spices and dried herbs in cute glass jars over top of the stove is a popular practice, but it does negatively affect the flavor of your spice collection.
30. Make Your Own Celery Flakes: Instead of cutting off the leafy tops of celery and tossing away, try making your own celery flakes. Simply wash and dry the leaves well, place in oven at 180° F. until crispy dried (a few hours), crumble and store in an air tight container. Use the celery flakes in cooking dishes such as soups, stews, stuffing and anything else you’d like to add a little flavor.
31. Crystalized Honey Fix: If your honey has crystalized, place the bottle or container in a pot full of hot water and let it sit for about 1/2 hour or until the honey is melted. Stir the honey well and the crystals will be gone.
32. Soften Marshmallows: Slice open the top of a marshmallow bag then place in a large ziploc freezer bag. Freeze. Remove the amount of frozen marshmallows you need as you need them. Thaw and they’re soft and ready to use. If you have hard marshmallows in the pantry, try tossing a piece or two of sliced bread in the bag. Seal, then check after a few days. The marshmallows should be soft again.
33. How to Keep Cookies Soft: Keep cookies moist and chewy by throwing a few slices of apple in your cookie jar to keep cookies soft. Don’t do this if you like crispy or crunchy cookies ;).
34. Lunch Box Notes: When packing lunch for your child, include a little note just for them to brighten their day while they’re at school. I learned this tip from my son, when he was younger he let me know his friend had nice notes from her mom in her lunch every day–I’d say kids look forward to getting them ;).
35. Use A Pastry Brush To Butter Baking Pans: Use soft butter and a pastry brush to grease decorative cake pans, bundt pans and muffin tins. The brush makes it much easier to get into all the grooves. Martha’s Good Things for the Kitchen booklet also suggests to butter the top of muffin pans between the cups as it helps remove the baked muffins easier. This was also included on the [3] 43 Cake Baking Tips & Tricks
36. Reuse Butter Paper Wrapping: Save the paper or foil wrap from blocks or squares of butter and use them to grease baking pans. Keep the paper refrigerated in a separate baggy. Not only do they do an effective job buttering the pans, it also puts to good use something we often toss freely.
37. Muffin Tin Use: After stuffing peppers and tomatoes, arrange in a muffin tin before sticking them in the oven. They’ll stay upright and keep their shape perfectly! You could also do this with baked apples or other round or stuffed items.
38. Fill Empty Muffin Tins With Water: If your muffin or cupcake recipe doesn’t fill all the spots in your muffin pan, fill the empty places 3/4 full with water. This will help protect those slots from darkening or getting scorched.
39. Easily Color Shredded Coconut: If you’d like to color shredded coconut for toppings on cakes and desserts, simply put the coconut in a clean jar (only one half jar full at a time), add a few drops of food coloring in your choice of color, then cap the jar and shake it until all the coconut is evenly tinted. This was also mentioned on the [2] 45 Cooking & Baking Tips - A Collection Of Timeless Wisdom page.
40. Add Flavor To Cooked Vegetables: Toss in a bouillon cube or two to the boiling water instead of salt when cooking vegetables. Adds a delicious flavor to the veggies. Another alternative is to add a couple roughly halved cloves of garlic to the boiling water, then lightly tossing veggies in butter once cooked. This was also mentioned in the [2] 45 Cooking & Baking Tips - A Collection Of Timeless Wisdom page of tips.
41. DIY Non-Slip Bowls: No need to buy expensive mixing bowls with rubber bottoms–just set a bowl on top of a damp cloth and no more worries about it sliding around while you’re mixing something.
42. Cheesecloth In A Pinch: If you’re out of cheesecloth you can use a sheet of paper towel or a coffee filter to line a colander or strainer and then strain liquid. Single use only and you may have to do in batches.
43. Open Tight Lid Jars: If tapping around the lid with a knife won’t loosen a jar lid, try putting on a pair of latex gloves then twisting the lid off. This gives a good grip that won’t slip. Another helper: cut a square of leftover nonslip shelf liner and keep that on hand to unscrew lids.
44. Separate Eggs With A Funnel: If you don’t have an egg separator and need just an egg white or yolk for a recipe, you can use a small kitchen funnel. Crack the egg gently then break into the funnel. The white of the egg will flow through the funnel leaving the yolk behind. No funnel? You could also clip a corner off a ziploc bag and use that as a funnel. Make sure to place the funnel inside a glass so the egg white is contained ;).
45. Reuse Nylon Mesh Bags: If you buy veggies that are bagged in nylon mesh, you can use that mesh for various cleaning jobs around the house and yard. Just wad up the bag and use it as a scrubber.
46. Finding Broken Glass Under Soapy Water: If you break glass in soapy water while doing dishes, to prevent cutting yourself while looking for it you can use a tall clear drinking glass or a wide clear glass bowl–keeping the top part above the bubbles, push the glass into the water and use it as a lens to look around and find the broken pieces.
47. Protect Cookbooks & Recipes: Recipe cards and cookbooks getting a little grungy and marked with goop? To prevent this from happening or the damage from getting worse, place the cards and cookbooks in a clear plastic bag first before using them to prepare a dish. This will keep them from getting smudged up with gooey fingers, yet still be perfectly readable when doing a quick check on a measurement or instruction.
48. Extra Oven Rack: Take out the extra oven rack when baking and you can use it for the cooling rack. Works for cakes, cookies, hors douvres, whatever you like. If you’re baking smaller items that might fall through, simply cover the rack with tinfoil first (fold foil tightly over the edges). Works like a charm!
49. Put Out A Stove Top Grease Fire: Douse the fire heavily with salt or baking soda. Turn off the heat as soon as it’s safe to do so without being burned. This is a great way to use expired baking soda or the boxes you just replaced in the fridge, keep those in the cupboard beside your stove. Teach children how to do this as soon as they’re old enough to start cooking.
50. Repair Rusty Dishwasher Racks: A co-worker found a way to fix up her dishwasher rack by using vinyl caps. You can buy repair kits that contain both liquid vinyl repair paint and vinyl tine caps or ends. They come in a few different colors too so you can match with what you have. Search Amazon for Dishwasher Rack Repair and you’ll find a few options. Prices range from $10 to $30 so it’s not expensive at all to get your dishwasher rack fixed up.
Don’t miss last week’s [5] quick tips for baking substitutes, you’ll have info at your finger tips for making things like your own buttermilk, a baking powder substitute, a recipe to make your own cake flour and more. I also just moved the previously published tip for homemade sweetened condensed milk recipe to the list.
More Kitchen Hacks & Goodies:
* [6] Tip: Use Mason Jars With Your Blender
* [7] How To Turn One Stick Of Butter Into Two
* [8] Smart Tip: Bulk Freezing With Individual Portions
* [9] Homemade Non-Stick Spray Recipes
* [10] How To Tell If An Egg Is Fresh
* [11] Kitchen Measurements Equivalent Conversion Chart
* [12] Recipe Ingredient Substitutions & Equivalents Chart
* [13] 10 ReaLemon Juice Household Hacks Plus Bonus Recipe
* [14] 10 Ways To Soften Hard Brown Sugar
* [15] Hidden Feature On Foil & Plastic Wrap Boxes?
* [16] Why a Cake Fails
* [17] Easy Jello Mold Release
More Kitchen Tip Lists:
* [18] 35 Kitchen Tips - A Collection Of Timeless Wisdom
* [2] 45 Cooking & Baking Tips - A Collection Of Timeless Wisdom
* [3] 43 Cake Baking Tips & Tricks
These quick tips were previously published on Tipnut as single tips, they’ve been moved to this page for better organization and convenience. Any bookmarks you may have had will automatically forward to this page.
The comments below are timestamped earlier than the post date since they have been moved from the original tip post to here so they won’t be lost.
Article printed from TipNut.com: http://tipnut.com
URL to article: http://tipnut.com/quick-tips-for-the-kitchen/
URLs in this post:
[1] Ask Your Neighbor - Helpful Household Tips: http://www.askyourneighbor.com/hhints.htm
[2] 45 Cooking & Baking Tips - A Collection Of Timeless Wisdom: http://tipnut.com/45-cooking-baking-tips-a-collection-of-timeless-wisdom/
[3] 43 Cake Baking Tips & Tricks: http://tipnut.com/cake-baking-tips/
[4] Arm & Hammer week: http://tipnut.com/blog-note-this-week-is-arm-hammer-week/
[5] quick tips for baking substitutes: http://tipnut.com/handy-substitute-recipes-for-baking/
[6] Tip: Use Mason Jars With Your Blender: http://tipnut.com/use-mason-jars-with-your-blender-tip/
[7] How To Turn One Stick Of Butter Into Two: http://tipnut.com/how-to-turn-one-stick-of-butter-into-two/
[8] Smart Tip: Bulk Freezing With Individual Portions: http://tipnut.com/smart-tip-bulk-freezing-with-individual-portions/
[9] Homemade Non-Stick Spray Recipes: http://tipnut.com/homemade-non-stick-spray-recipes/
[10] How To Tell If An Egg Is Fresh: http://tipnut.com/how-to-tell-if-an-egg-is-fresh/
[11] Kitchen Measurements Equivalent Conversion Chart: http://tipnut.com/kitchen-measurements-equivalent-conversion-chart/
[12] Recipe Ingredient Substitutions & Equivalents Chart: http://tipnut.com/recipe-ingredient-substitutions-equivalents-chart/
[13] 10 ReaLemon Juice Household Hacks Plus Bonus Recipe: http://tipnut.com/10-realemon-juice-household-hacks-plus-bonus-recipe/
[14] 10 Ways To Soften Hard Brown Sugar: http://tipnut.com/10-ways-to-soften-hard-brown-sugar/
[15] Hidden Feature On Foil & Plastic Wrap Boxes?: http://tipnut.com/hidden-feature-on-foil-plastic-wrap-boxes/
[16] Why a Cake Fails: http://tipnut.com/why-a-cake-fails/
[17] Easy Jello Mold Release: http://tipnut.com/quick-tip-easy-jello-mold-release/
[18] 35 Kitchen Tips - A Collection Of Timeless Wisdom: http://tipnut.com/35-kitchen-tips-a-collection-of-timeless-wisdom/
http://kansasa.blogspot.com/search/label/Frugal
Stretch your Coffee Dollars
Okay a frugal tip. I love drinking those fancy coffees, especially if they are calorie-wise, but the price is out of this world.
What I do is buy one (on sale) dump the whole works into my blender, add skim milk powder (about 2 cups), and about 1/2 cup of instant coffee (usually hazelnut flavour but any instant coffee will do). If you like yours a bit sweeter add 1/2 cup of Splenda or sugar if you don’t care about calories. If you like, for a different flavour, add cocoa. Want it creamier? Add coffeemate instead of skim milk powder (I don’t like the calories so I use the skim milk powder.) Depending on what I add I usually double the amount I started with and sometimes get three tins out of it! I made these for my Christmas baskets, but I stripped the label off, labeled the tin with Christmas wrap, and added a sticker indicating how much to use and let them know it was sugar-free. I also bought fancy coffee cups to add to the baskets (bought at the dollar store of course).
I love whipping cream on top...but darn those calories! Instead I use liquid skim milk (ice cold) and use my hand mixer, it’s a Bamix and it works great. After adding a dollop of whipped skim milk, I sprinkle a bit of Splenda and a teeny bit of cinnamon, it tastes great! I do this for the kid’s hot chocolate too, they have no idea it’s not “real” whipping cream :)
By Kansas A
http://kansasa.blogspot.com/search/label/Frugal
What a site!
Thank you Nancy for sharing the “Hillbilly Housewife” site with me!
http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/index1.htm
The owner and creator of the site is “Miss Maggie.” I whipped up her Magic Milkshake recipe tonight and I have to say it is an excellent recipe. No milk, no ice cream, the recipe makes quite a lot at one time, and I used Splenda, a cup for cup sugar substitute instead of real sugar. Not only did the kids love it but after they had their share I put in about a 1/4 teaspoon of instant coffee granules in a glass for me, and I swear I was drinking a Tim Horton’s Iced Mocha! Very delicious, low calorie, and other than the corn oil (I used canola) it was pretty healthy, well more healthy than a real mocha from a fast food joint. Miss Maggie gives some other variations you could use such as banana, peanut butter, or mint and she compares her milkshakes to Wendy’s Frosties, (although I’ve never tried one so I wouldn’t know).
http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/yogurt.htm
Right now I am trying out her Homemade yogurt recipe. I made a different one off the net tonight too and it called for starter (plain yogurt), milk (I use skim) and powdered milk but Miss Maggie’s recipe is starter, water and powdered milk, no fluid milk at all. It’s going in my large dehydrator in about ten minutes so we shall see in the morning which one is better. I’m hoping it’s Miss Maggie’s because, although it’s rare, I don’t always have milk on hand and it’s a long drive to the store.
Anyway this post has nothing to do with looming...but if you can save a few bucks by being frugal you can buy more wool, looms, etc :) LOL
UPDATE: Well both yogurts were okay, except Miss Maggie’s wasn’t as thick or as creamy as I like it. Yet the other one calls for just too much milk sooooo; I am making it using both recipes combined and it’s turning out great. My ingredients and measurements are: 2 1/2 cups milk, 1 cup water, about 2 cups instant milk powder, 4 tablespoons of plain yogurt with live cultures for starter.
The recipe is as follows:
Pour skim milk into a 4 cup measuring cup and add enough water to bring it to 3 1/2 cups. Add the milk powder. Stir well. Microwave for 8-10 minutes until boiling. Let cool, do not put in your thermometer until it’s slightly cooled as it will boil over. When the temp is around 115-118 degrees add the plain yogurt, stir well.
I poured it very carefully over a dollop of blackberry jam in a half pint jar and it set beautifully, (I wasn’t sure if it was going to set) so I only tried the one small jar and put the rest into a quart jar. Place into dehydrator, leave undisturbed, keep the temperature between 110-115 degrees and in roughly 6-8 hours you should have a very thick and creamy yogurt. I had some this afternoon with the carrot-cake jam I canned last year and it was delicious!
Check out “Hillbilly Housewife” or “Fias Co Farm/Dairy” for other ways to incubate your yogurt if you don’t have a dehydrator or yogurt maker.
By Kansas A
http://kansasa.blogspot.com/search/label/Frugal
Cheap alternatives to loom essentials
Did I say cheap? I meant to say “frugal.” Because I live in a very small town, which offers nothing for loomers, knitters, or crafters, or they have a very limited and/or costly selection, I must seek other alternatives. And that may be just what I have on hand.
To keep my yarn clean I use a plastic coffee can with a snip cut out of the side of the lid. I tried the centre hole but have you ever had a tangle and tried to undo it with a coffee lid between your work and the ball? Not fun. Yesterday I wasn’t using it, I know bad, bad, and a coffee was spilled, all over my very light blue, baby wool sock still on the loom as well as all over the ball. At the table I had one of those “magic cloths” I grabbed it and I couldn’t believe it, it took that coffee and sucked it right off, barely leaving a mark, I didn’t rub, just blotted. Of course I had just finished my last row so I figured I’d have to let it sit for a day to dry before I could remove it from the loom, nope, I was able to get it off in less than half an hour. I think I’ll be tucking one of those into my knitting bag.
For my fine gauge looms I found no stitch marker that would fit...so I used a coloured band from extras off my Oral-B toothbrushes, that tip came from my sister Biffy.
I also tape the side of the loom with masking tape so I can mark my purls or special stitches without permanently marking my looms. I’ve tried scotch tape and it’s hell to get off, I’m hoping the masking tape is better. In cases where I do want to mark permanently, such as my blue Knifty Knitter, I use a Sharpie metallic silver pen I picked up at Michaels, a double pack; now if I could just get my husband to leave them alone.
I just discovered this one; I needed another yarn guide and had only one, which was in use, so I grabbed a bic pen and it works great. The tapered end fits nicely between the pegs...watch out all the bic pens in the house!
I have a row counter I really like, but it’s usually in use on another project...so I use my knitting needle counters. I tie it to my tail in case I put the project down for a long time, it always stays put, and I know what row I’m on whether I pick it up in an hour or a week later (sometimes more).
By the way my fav counter came from my Dad who got it when he was loading gravel trucks, my husband says you can pick them up for next to nothing in a...well I really don’t know what to call it...we have a store where they sell logging/forestry supplies, lawnmowers, propane, etc. Anyway this one-handed click, metal counter is much cheaper than the counter I saw at a craft store and it was all plastic. It’s sitting on one of those cloths I talked about earlier :)
So you see it didn’t cost me much for any of these items, except for the Sharpie pens, which should last for quite awhile as long as I hide them :)
If you have any tips leave them in the comment section, and if you don’t want to leave your tip in the comment section you can email it to me: jal@writeme.com Thanks. I’ll make a list in a later post if I get enough.
UPDATE:
*Purchase teeny hair elastics at the Dollar Store, great stitch markers.
*Scour second-hand stores or sales at Wal-Mart, etc. for cheapy purses, cut off the handles and use them on your bags.
*Quoted from a faithful reader: When I am knitting I get distracted and forget which stitch I am supposed to be doing. I am working on a poncho that has purl 4 stitches, knit 20, purl 4. Next row knit all, then repeat. So to remind me I place 2 ribbons with holes cut in them on a peg wrong sides together one on top of the other. One color I write Purl on and the other Knit on and it reminds me ok this row is all knit and this row I have to purl (partly). As soon as I finish a row I turn over the ribbons and then if I get pulled from my loom I come back and know exactly what to do next :)
*From “celticdragonlady2002” To remove residue from Scotch tape: try peanut butter on the residue...smear some on the area, let it set for a few minutes, then wipe off. The sticky residue SHOULD wipe right off as well. The peanut butter oil has solvent properties that breakdown the residue.
By Kansas A
[An excellent blog, a little of everything and a glimpse at life on a ranch....granny]
What to do with those leftover Xmas Cards
“Think outside the box.” Or just think “of a box.” It’s pretty simple to make small boxes from old Christmas cards.
Take one used Christmas card. (Thank you Isolde for the card, and a Merry Christmas to you too!)
[photos - how to]
http://kansasa.blogspot.com/search/label/Christmas
Lunch bag CD holder:
http://kansasa.blogspot.com/search/label/Crafting
An entire page of gardening info:
http://kansasa.blogspot.com/search/label/Garden
Homegrown Luffa
I did it! After months of wondering if I was going to have luffa, and even thinking it had failed a few times, it turned out great! It sure has been a learning experience I have to say. Next year I will do a few things differently.
I have no idea what “zone” I live in and I’m sure most people would say that my area is cold, but here in Lillooet we have very hot summers with very little rain (usually) :) If you were to look on a map I live about four hours north of Vancouver BC Canada. Growing luffa in my area you will have to do things a bit differently than if you lived down south with heat year ‘round. Here’s my mistakes and what I will do differently next year.
Germination: I tried two different ways and found soaking them in a plate of water for two days, with no paper towels, and then planting them worked the best. After planting I placed them on a germination box set near a very hot woodstove. Four days later they spouted. (I have read that sprouting can take as long as 3 weeks!)
I started them way too early: March 3rd. My house is HOT, I had sprouts in four days, and full grown plants when it came time to take them outside. Next year I will time it so they are only in the house for roughly 3 weeks so a good time to start for me would be May 1st. If it’s a bit chilly at the end of May at least they will be small enough to place covers over them. This year when I was able to plant them they were well over five feet long with numerous vines already growing, impossible to cover. I planted them at different times and first lost quite a few to transplant shock, then we had a freak snowstorm and I lost the second batch, and finally when I planted the last three I still had in the house, they lost all their leaves and I thought for sure they were dead. I kept watering them and eventually saw small green growing from the bottom, essentially they had started over from scratch.
I did have a few cool days when I threw an old wool blanket over them on the fence and I’m not sure if it helped, but they continued to grow. You might want to pick a spot where it’s not too close to your house because the number of wasps and bees were crazy. Luffa seems to flower the whole season so the insects were constant.
Harvesting: I picked a few long before they were ready, thinking they were ready. I peeled them with a carrot peeler like I had seen at one site. This did NOT work. The flesh inside was still very fleshy and the seeds were impossible to get out without pretty much destroying the luffa. The seeds were white and very small. The fiber was not out to the edge of the peel and I lost a lot of the luffa. They more resembled a zucchini inside and I would not do it this way again. Lufa has to be dry, such as at this site, but in my area the luffa is still growing and hasn’t got to that dry stage when our cold weather hits. I waited until the first frost killed the vines, after a few days I cut the luffa at the stems, leaving enough stem to tie a string on them. I hung them by our woodstove and let them dry completely. They became very light and the peel cracked when you squeezed them. I cut both ends off with a serrated knife and could see the flesh inside was now like cotton. I then tried to peel it, this was very difficult. I started running water over it and the peel came off much easier, the flesh washed out really well, and the seeds coming out were black and most of them washed out with the running water. I’m sure the black seeds will be good for planting next year, unlike the under developed white ones.
After getting all the seeds out I soaked the luffa in bleach water and here’s my finished product:
I still have many hanging by my woodstove that haven’t completely dried but this smaller one was pretty much ready.
By Kansas A at 11:59 AM