Weekly Roundup - Living On Nothing Edition [Survival Today

>>> And if Sears Roebuck still made a good catalog, wouldn’t need the t.p. <<<

LOL, I don’t feel as alone now,..

BTW , Sears was much better than Spiegel or Look - Life..

.....

http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/permaculture

Subject: [SANET-MG] Tell the Senate HELP Committee to Protect
Sustainable and Organic Family Farms in the Senate Food Safety Bill
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:26:32 -0800
From: Tracy Lerman
Reply-To: Sustainable Agriculture Network Discussion Group

Friends,

Please find OFRF’s most recent OFAN alert below and at this link:
http://ofrf.org/action/ofan/091112_alert.html

If you would like to join the Organic Farmers Action Network,
you can do so here: https://ofrf.org/subscribe/ofan.html.

Organically yours,

Tracy Lerman
OFRF Policy Organizer

November 12, 2009

Tell the Senator HELP Committee:
Food Safety Bill Must Protect Sustainable and Organic Family Farms

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension (HELP) Committee will take
up the Senate’s version of major food safety legislation (S. 510) on
Wednesday, November 18th, 2009. While this bill would strengthen the safety
of the food supply, it also contains several provisions that could seriously
harm small scale and organic farmers, local and regional food systems, and
conservation and wildlife habitat. The National Sustainable Agriculture
Coalition (NSAC) and the National Organic Coalition (NOC) have put forth a
set of proposed amendments to address some of these concerns.

Your Senators, Kay Hagan and Richard Burr, sit on the Senate HELP Committee.
Please contact them TODAY and ask them to support the amendments to S. 510
proposed by the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition and the National
Organic Coalition. Specific talking points and Senate HELP Committee members
and their contact info are below.

Specific Talking Points

The bill should provide small and mid-sized family farms that market
value-added farm products
with training and technical assistance in developing food safety plans
for their farms.

The bill should narrow the kinds of farm activities subject to FDA
control and to base any regulation
of farms on sound risk analysis. (Current FDA rules assume, without
specific scientific evidence or
risk analysis, that all farms which undertake any one of a long list of
processing, labeling or packaging
activities should be regulated.)

The bill should integrate the FDA standards with the organic
certification rules. FDA compliance should
not jeopardize a farmer’s ability to be organically certified under
USDA’s National Organic Program.

The bill should require that FDA food safety standards and guidance will
not contradict federal
conservation, environmental, and wildlife standards and practices.
Farmer should not have to choose
which federal agency to obey and which to reject.

Farmers who sell directly to consumers should not be required to keep
extra records and be part of a
federal “traceback” system. All other farms should not be required to
maintain records electronically
or records beyond the first point of sale.

Senate HELP Committee Contact Info

Senator Phone Fax

Democrats

Tom Harkin (IA) 202-224-3254 No fax
Chris Dodd (CT) 202-224-2823 202-224-1083
Barbara Mikulski (MD) 202-224-4654 202-224-8858
Jeff Bingaman (NM) 202-224-5521 No fax
Patty Murray (WA) 202-224-2621 202-224-0238
Jack Reed (RI) 202-224-4642 202-224-4680
Bernie Sanders (VT) 202-224-5141 202-228-0776
Sherrod Brown (OH) 202-224-2315 202-228-6321
Bob Casey (PA) 202-224-6324 202-228-0604
Kay Hagan (NC) 202-224-6342 202-228-2563
Jeff Merkley (OR) 202-224-3753 202-228-3997
Al Franken (MN) 202-224-5641 No fax
Michael Bennet (CO) 202-224-5852 202-228-5036

Senator Phone Fax

Republicans

Mike Enzi (WY) 202-224-3424 202-228-0359
Judd Gregg (NH) 202-224-3324 No fax
Lamar Alexander (TN) 202-224-4944 202-228-3398
Richard Burr (NC) 202-224-3154 202-228-2981
Johnny Isakson (GA) 202-224-3643 202-228-0724
Orrin Hatch (UT) 202-224-5251 202-224-6331
Pat Roberts (KS) 202-224-4774 202-224-3514
Tom Coburn (OK) 202-224-5754 202-224-6008
Lisa Murkowski (AK) 202-224-6665 202-224-5301

Let us know if you contact Senators Hagan and Burr.
Email Tracy Lerman, OFRF Policy Organizer at tracy@ofrf.org.

Background

The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee will mark
up S. 510, the Senate version of major food safety legislation next
Wednesday, November 18. The House of Representatives passed similar
legislation, HR 2749, last July. Both bills focus on foods regulated by the
Food and Drug Administration, not meat and poultry which is regulated by
USDA.

S. 510 includes several key reforms that would put real teeth into federal
regulation of large-scale food processing corporations to better protect
consumers. However, the bill as written could also do serious harm to
organic and family farming, local and regional food systems, and
conservation and wildlife protection. The good news is the HELP committee
can fix those problems with the adoption of some common sense provisions.

The proposed amendments from NSAC and NOC would retain the crack-down on
corporate bad actors without erecting dangerous new barriers to the growing
healthy food movement. Safer food systems have small and mid-sized family
farms, sustainable and organic production methods, and more local and
regional food sourcing.

More Information

NSAC’s talking points on S. 510

NSAC’s Policy Brief Food Safety on the Farm

OFAN Policy Alert for the House of Representatives’ Food Safety Bill, HR
2749, which passed the House last July

Join the Organic Farmers Action Network today:
https://ofrf.org/subscribe/ofan.html

[ Privacy Policy] | [ unsubscribe here]
Organic Farming Research Foundation, 303 Potrero St. #29-203, Santa
Cruz, CA 95060
tel. 831-426-6606, action@ofrf.org, www.ofrf.org.

Tracy Lerman
Policy Organizer
Organic Farming Research Foundation
PO Box 440 * Santa Cruz, CA 95061
p: (831) 426-6606 x 108 * f: (831) 426-6670
www.ofrf.org * tracy@ofrf.org

“Whether we and our politicians know it or not, Nature is party to all our
deals and decisions, and she has more votes, a longer memory, and a sterner
sense of justice than we do.” - Wendell Berry

Join the Organic Farmers Action Network today! For more info, visit http://
http://ofrf.org/subscribe/ofan.html> ofrf.org/subscribe/ofan.html

Subject: A Weekly Update Special Alert

http://sustainableagriculture.net/take-action/

Weekly Update

FOOD SAFETY ACTION ALERT!
November 12, 2009

FOOD SAFETY PROPOSALS MUST PROTECT FAMILY FARMS, SUSTAINABLE & ORGANIC
AGRICULTURE
CALL MEMBERS OF THE “HELP” COMMITTEE
BEFORE NOVEMBER 18!

The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee will mark
up S. 510, the Senate version of major food safety legislation already
approved by the House of Representatives, next Wednesday, November 18.

The bill focuses on foods regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, not
meat and poultry which is regulated by USDA.

continued......

1a. Layered Enchilada Bake
Posted by: “Rhonda G”

This was posted by MARY thecrafter40 on Rhondas_Recipe_Exchange (group is closed)

~~~~~

Layered Enchilada Bake

Makes: 8 servings

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
2 cups TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Thick ‘N Chunky Salsa
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, drained, rinsed
1/4 cup KRAFT Zesty Italian Dressing
2 Tbsp. TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Taco Seasoning Mix
6 flour tortillas (8 inch)
1 cup BREAKSTONE’S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream
1 pkg. (8 oz.) KRAFT Mexican Style Shredded Four Cheese

PREHEAT oven to 400ºF. Brown meat with onions in large skillet on
medium-high heat; drain. Add salsa, beans, dressing and seasoning mix;
mix well.
ARRANGE 3 of the tortillas in single layer on bottom of 13x9-inch
baking dish; cover with layers of half each of the meat mixture, sour
cream and cheese. Repeat all layers. Cover with foil.
BAKE, covered, 30 min. Remove foil. Bake an additional 10 min. or
until casserole is heated through and cheese is melted. Let stand 5
min. before cutting to serve.

KRAFT KITCHENS TIPS

Healthy Living
Save 70 calories and 9 grams of fat per serving by preparing with
extra lean ground beef, KRAFT Light Zesty Italian Reduced Fat
Dressing, BREAKSTONE’S Reduced Fat or KNUDSEN Light Sour Cream and
KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Reduced Fat Four Cheese Mexican Style Cheese.

Make Ahead
Line 13x9-inch baking dish with foil, with ends of foil extending over
sides of dish. Assemble recipe in prepared dish as directed. Cover
with foil. Freeze up to 3 months. When ready to serve, preheat oven to
400ºF. Bake, covered, 1 hour. Remove foil. Bake an additional 15 to 20
min. or until casserole is heated through and cheese is melted. Let
stand 5 min. before cutting to serve. To decrease the baking time,
thaw casserole in refrigerator overnight, then bake, uncovered, 45
min. or until casserole is heated through and cheese is melted.

NUTRITION INFORMATION

Nutrition (per serving)
Calories 470 Total fat 24g Saturated fat 12g Cholesterol 80mg Sodium
1110mg Carbohydrate 39g Dietary fiber 6g Sugars 5g Protein 25g Vitamin
A 25%DV Vitamin C 10%DV Calcium 30%DV Iron 20%DV
.

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2. Yummy Beef Barley Lentil Soup
Posted by: “Sonja”

Yummy Beef Barley Lentil Soup

1 pound lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cups cubed red potatoes (1/4-inch pieces)
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrot
1 cup dried lentils, rinsed
1/2 cup medium pearl barley
8 cups water
2 teaspoons beef bouillon granules
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) stewed tomatoes

In a nonstick skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat
is no longer pink; drain.
Transfer to a 5-qt. slow cooker. Layer with the potatoes, celery,
carrots, lentils and barley. Combine the water, bouillon, salt and
lemon-pepper; pour over vegetables. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or
until vegetables and barley are tender.
Add the tomatoes; cook 2 hours longer.

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
3. Pork Chops and Stuffing
Posted by: “Michele

I’m not sure this counts as a casserole - what I do know is that it’s
good!

Pork Chops and Stuffing
Yield: 4 servings

4 boneless pork chops (about 1 pound)
3 cups soft bread cubes
2 tablespoons chopped onion
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1/4 cup melted butter or margarine
1/4 cup water or broth (beef or chicken)
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
10 1/2 oz cream of mushroom soup
1/3 cup water or broth

Brown chops on both sides; place in shallow baking dish. Saute celery
and onion in butter until transparent; lightly mix with the bread
cubes, 1/4 cup water (beef broth) and poultry seasoning. Place a
mound of stuffing on each chop. Blend soup and 1/3 cup water (beef
broth); pour over. Bake in a 350 oven uncovered for 1 to 1+1/2 hours
or until tender.

Great served with mashed potatoes. I also like to make sauteed apple
slices. Recipe can easily be doubled. I also generally increase the
amount of onions and celery - we like lots of veggies.

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
4a. Re: Save A Penny Casserole
Posted by: “samanthajosmom_12”

sounds really good. sue

-— In casseroles_and_crockpots@yahoogroups.com, Beth
>
> Save A Penny Casserole
> Reminisce
>
> At the office where I worked years ago, we women often shared our favorite recipes at lunchtime. This casserole came from a co-worker, and my family has enjoyed it for some 30 years. Besides being easy and quick to prepare, it’s very economical. It serves well for church suppers and potlucks, and it’s a real time-saver on washdays!
> SERVINGS: 4-6
> CATEGORY: Main Dish
> METHOD: Baked
> TIME: Prep: 10 min. Bake: 30 min.
> Ingredients:
> 1 pound ground beef
> 1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
> 1 can (14-3/4 ounces) spaghetti in tomato sauce with cheese
> 1 can (15 ounces) mixed vegetables, drained
> 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese, optional
> Directions:
> In a large skillet, cook beef until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the soup, spaghetti and vegetables. Transfer to an ungreased 11-in. x 7-in. baking dish.
> Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with cheese if desired; bake 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Yield: 4-6 servings.
>
>
>
>
> http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Save-A-Penny-Casserole
>
>

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
5. Taco Cheesecake
Posted by: “~*Piper*~”

Taco Cheesecake

3 tea. cornmeal
3 pkgs. (8 oz. ea.) cream cheese, softened
1 envelope taco seasoning
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 c. salsa
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 c. (4 oz.) shredded Pepper Jack cheese
1 can (4 oz.) chopped green chilies, drained
1/2 c. chopped ripe olives

TOPPING:
1 c. (8 oz.) sour cream
1/4 c. sliced ripe olives
1/4 c. sliced green onions
1/4 c. sliced cherry tomatoes
1 jalapeno pepper, sliced*

Sprinkle bottom of greased 9” springform pan with cornmeal; set aside. In mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add the taco seasoning, sour cream and salsa. Stir in the eggs, pepper Jack cheese and chilies. Fold in olives. Pour over cornmeal. Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool for 1 hour. (top of cheesecake may crack). Refrigerate overnight.

Remove sides of pan. Spread sour cream over top and sides of cheesecake. Arrange olives, onions, tomato slices and jalapeno slices on top. Serve with crackers

When cutting or seeding hot peppers, use rubber gloves or plastic gloves to protect hands. Avoid touching your face. Use Baggies as gloves if you don’t have anything else.

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
6a. Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff
Posted by: “angelchef.tamara”

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

3 pounds beef round steak, 1/2 inch thick
1/2 cup flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
2 medium onions, thinly sliced, separated into rings
2 (4-ounce) cans sliced mushrooms, drained (or 1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced)
1 (10 1/2-ounce) can condensed beef broth
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1/4 cup flour

Trim excess fat from steak; cut meat into strips 1/2 inch wide and 3 inches long. Combine 1/2 cup flour, salt, pepper, and dry mustard; add steak strips and toss to coat thoroughly. Place coated steak strips in crock pot. Stir in onion rings and mushrooms. Add beef broth and stir well. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours. Before serving, combine 1/4 cup flour with sour cream; stir into crock pot. Serve stroganoff over noodles or rice.

Serves 4-6

Source: Farmer’s Almanac

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
7. Hello, I’m new.
Posted by: “Julie”

Hello, My name is Julie and I’m new to the group. I wanted to post a quick and simple crockpot recipe.

1 package of boneless, skinless chicken breasts (apx 1.5 pounds)
1 jar of your favorite salsa

Directions:
Place the chicken in the crockpot, can be frozen
Pour the salsa on top
Cook on low 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.
Shred the chicken with 2 forks and let it cook for 15 more minutes to absorb the liquid.

This is great filler for sandwiches, burritos, tacos, chicken taco salad, etc.

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
8. Slow Cooker Apple Pie Casserole
Posted by: “*~Tamara~*”

Slow Cooker Apple Pie Casserole

1 1/2 cups cinnamon and sugar graham crackers, crushed
1 1/2 cups rolled or quick oats, uncooked
2 cups fresh apple (any kind), chopped into bite-sized pieces
2 cups unsweetened apple sauce
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground clove

Mix graham cracker crumbs and oats in mixing bowl. Set aside 1/3 cup of the mixture to use as topping. Pour half the remaining mixture into a large crock pot. Add half the apples, followed by the remaining crumb mixture, then the rest of the apples. Mix apple sauce, maple syrup, water, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove together, then pour evenly over ingredients in crock pot. Sprinkle the reserved 1/3 cup crumb mixture over top of casserole. Place lid on crock pot. Cook on LOW for 6 hours. (For a thicker casserole, turn heat to MEDIUM and remove lid during the last 30 minutes.) Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Makes 6 servings.

Source: Farmer’s Almanac

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
9. Pumpkin Soup - not TNT
Posted by: “*~Tamara~*”

Pumpkin Soup - not TNT

1 ounce butter
2 pounds pumpkin, peeled and cut into one-inch square pieces
1 medium onion, whole
2 cloves, inserted into the onion
2 teaspoons sugar
Salt to taste
2 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1 cup milk
Nutmeg
Sour Cream

Place butter and pumpkin in crock pot. Turn on HIGH and allow butter to melt; stir to coat pumpkin. Continue cooking on HIGH for 1 hour. Add the whole onion (with cloves), sugar, salt, and stock. Cook on LOW for 8 to 9 hours or on HIGH 4 to 5 hours. Before serving, remove the onion and puree soup in a blender or food processor. Add milk gradually until desired consistency. Serve with a dollop of sour cream sprinkled with nutmeg.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: Farmer’s Almanac

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
10. LENTIL SOUP WITH KNOCKWURST
Posted by: “*~Tamara~*”

LENTIL SOUP WITH KNOCKWURST

1 pound lentils, rinsed and drained
2 medium onions, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small dried hot red chili, crush
1 teaspoon dry rosemary
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cans beef broth
3 cups water
8 ounces can tomato sauce
1 pound knockwurst
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

In large crock-pot, combine all ingredients except tomato sauce, meat and vinegar. Cover and cook at low setting until lentils are very tender when mashed with a fork (7 1/2-8 hours. Remove 2 cups of the mixture and whirl in a blender or food processor until pureed. Return to crock-pot. Increase heat setting to high and add tomato sauce and meat. Cover and heat about 30 minutes more until meat is heated through. Stir in vinegar.

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
11. Slow-Cooked Italian Chicken and Mushrooms
Posted by: “*~Tamara~*”

Slow-Cooked Italian Chicken and Mushrooms

2 pounds chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
4 TBLS olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 red pepper, sliced
1 onion, sliced thin
1/2 cup Marsala wine (or chicken stock)
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, in juices
2 TBLS capers, drained
1/2 cup currants
2 TBLS chopped fresh basil (or 2 teaspoons dried)
2 TBLS chopped fresh parsley (or 2 teaspoons dried)

In large sauté pan, warm 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Add chicken to pan and sauté until browned, about 5 minutes. Remove chicken to slow cooker and turn pot on low. In same sauté pan, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Add garlic, mushrooms, pepper slices and onion. Saute until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 - 7 minutes. Add vegetables to slow cooker. Add wine to same pan and deglaze about one minute, stirring up brown bits. Pour wine into slow cooker.

Add to slow cooker the tomatoes and juices, capers, currents, basil and parsley. Cook for 6 or 7 hours on low (or 3 hours on high), until chicken and vegetables are very tender and sauce has thickened slightly.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition Information, Per Serving:
600 calories; 31 g fat; 7 g saturated fat; 29 g carbohydrate; 45 g protein

________________________________________________________________________
12b. Re: crock pot recipes??
Posted by: “Larry & Terri

Just this morning I threw chicken breasts in the crockpot, poured over a
Barilla tomato sauce - one with herbs in it - and added some wine - that’s
it - cooked on low until evening - very tender and delicious!

Terri

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
13. EGG RECIPES
Posted by: “angelkisses51

http://www.virtualcities.com/ons/0rec/04eggs.htm

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
14. Italian Smothered Steak
Posted by: “angelchef.tamara”

Italian Smothered Steak

Prep Time: 10 min
Start to Finish Time: 9 hr 30 min
Serves: 6

2 lbs. beef boneless round steak
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 medium onion, sliced
1 jar (26 oz) tomato pasta sauce (any variety)
1 package (9 oz) refrigerated cheese-filled tortellini
1 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise in half, then cut crosswise into slices (about 1 cup)

Cut beef into 6 serving size pieces; sprinkle with seasoned salt and pepper. Layer beef and onion in 3 to 4 quart slow cooker. Pour pasta sauce over top. Cover and cook on low heat setting 8 to 9 hours. About 20 minutes before serving, stir in tortellini and zucchini. Increase heat setting to high. Cover and cook 15 to 20 minutes or until tortellini are tender.

From Betty Crocker Simple Slow Cooker September 2004

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
15. Pork Chops with Cheesy Corn Bread Stuffing
Posted by: “angelchef.tamara”

Pork Chops with Cheesy Corn Bread Stuffing

Prep Time: 15 min
Start to Finish Time: 6 hr 15 min
Serves: 6

6 pork boneless loin chops, about 1/4 inch thick (2 pounds)
1 teaspoon peppered seasoned salt
1 bag (16 oz) corn bread stuffing mix (6 cups)
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup chopped red or green bell pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
2 1/2 cups water
1 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese (4 oz)

Spray 12 inch nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Sprinkle pork chops with peppered seasoned salt. Cook pork in skillet over medium heat 5 to 6 minutes, turning occasionally, until brown on both sides. Spray 5 to 6 quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Mix remaining ingredients except cheese in cooker. Arrange pork on stuffing, layering as necessary. Cover and cook on low heat setting 5 to 6 hours. Remove pork from cooker. Stir cheese into stuffing in cooker until melted. Serve pork with stuffing.

From Betty Crocker Simple Slow Cooker September 2004

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
16. Barbecue Beans and Polish Sausage
Posted by: “angelchef.tamara”

Barbecue Beans and Polish Sausage

Prep Time: 10 min
Start to Finish Time: 6 hr 10 min
Serves: 6 servings

2 cans (15 to 16 oz each) great northern beans, rinsed and drained
2 cans (15 oz each) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
1 cup barbecue sauce
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 ring (1 to 1 1/4 lbs.) fully cooked smoked Polish sausage

Spray 3 to 4 quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Mix all ingredients except sausage in cooker. Place sausage ring on bean mixture. Cover and cook on low heat setting 5 to 6 hours.

From Betty Crocker Simple Slow Cooker September 2004

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
17. Chile-Chicken Tacos
Posted by: “angelchef.tamara”

Chile-Chicken Tacos

Prep Time: 15 min
Start to Finish Time: 7 hr 30 min
Serves: 12 tacos

1 1/4 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 envelope (1.25 oz) Old El Paso(c) taco seasoning mix
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1 can (4.5 oz) Old El Paso(c) chopped green chiles
1 cup Green Giant(c) Niblets frozen corn, thawed
1 can (10 oz) Old El Paso(c) enchilada sauce
4 medium green onions, sliced (1/4 cup)
1 package (4.6 oz) Old El Paso(c) taco shells, warmed if desired
3 cups shredded lettuce
1 medium tomato, chopped (3/4 cup)

Spray 3 to 4 quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Place chicken thighs in cooker. Sprinkle with taco seasoning mix and brown sugar; toss to coat. Mix in green chiles, corn and 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce. Refrigerate remaining enchilada sauce. Cover and cook on low setting 6 to 7 hours. Place chicken on cutting board; use 2 forks to pull chicken into shreds. Return chicken to cooker. Stir in green onions. Cover and cook on low heat setting 15 minutes. Heat remaining enchilada sauce. Serve chicken mixture in taco shells with lettuce, tomatoes and warm enchilada sauce.

From Betty Crocker Simple Slow Cooker September 2004

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
18. Turkey-Butternut Squash Ragout
Posted by: “angelchef.tamara”

Turkey-Butternut Squash Ragout

Prep Time: 15 min
Start to Finish Time: 8 hr 15 min
Serves: 4

2 turkey thighs (about 1 1/2 lbs), skin removed
1 small butternut squash (about 2 lbs.) peeled, seeded and cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces (3 cups)
1 medium onion, cut in half and sliced
1 can (16 oz) baked beans, undrained
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with Italian seasonings, undrained
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Spray 3 to 4 quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Mix all ingredients except parsley in cooker. Cover and cook on low heat setting 7 to 8 hours. Place turkey on cutting board. Remove meat from bones; discard bones. Return turkey to cooker. Just before serving, sprinkle with parsley.

From Betty Crocker Simple Slow Cooker September 2004

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
19. BROCCOLI SOUFFLE FROM RDJ
Posted by: “angelkisses51@webtv.net“

Broccoli Soufflé
3/4 pound finely chopped broccoli
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups 1% low-fat milk
1/3 cup fat-free sour cream
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 large egg yolks
1 garlic clove, minced
6 large egg whites
Cooking spray
Preheat oven to 325F. Cook broccoli in boiling water 4 minutes or until
tender. Drain. Cool to room temperature on paper towels.
Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife.
Combine flour and milk in a saucepan; stir well. Bring to a boil over
medium heat; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to
medium-low. Stir in sour cream, rind, salt, yolks, and garlic; cook for
1 minute or until thick, stirring constantly. Pour mixture into a large
bowl, and stir in broccoli.
Beat the egg whites with a mixer at high speed until stiff peaks form.
Gently stir one-third of egg whites into broccoli mixture; fold
remaining egg whites into broccoli mixture. Spoon mixture into a 2-quart
souffle dish coated with cooking spray. Place on middle rack of oven.
Bake at 325F for 40 minutes. Serve immediately. Yield: 6 servings.
CALORIES 117 (27% from fat); FAT 3.5g (sat 1.3g,mono 1.2g,poly 0.4g);
IRON 0.8mg; CHOLESTEROL 110mg; CALCIUM 121mg; CARBOHYDRATE 12.2g; SODIUM
398mg;

This is another great group owned by *~Tamara~*

Yahoo! Groups Links

To visit group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/casseroles_and_crockpots/

It’s fresh, it’s organic, and it’s free - workshop on how to use
roadkill This is also a good class for learning home butchering skills.

If you are looking for some creative ways to feed your family on a
budget, yet want quality, wholesome food, consider attending this
workshop. We will be teaching how to judge the edibility of a dead
animal on the road and guide you through the experience of skinning and
cleaning. Techniques for cooking and drying the meat also presented.

Discussion and demonstration of using all parts of a deer (and other
animals) including the skins, antlers, sinews, etc. Class will be 2 - 4
hours depending on what everyone brings in on their way to class. Get
up early that morning and see what you can find. Class will be held
outdoors (a covered barn) and is a hands-on experience so dress
appropriately and bring a sharp knife (hopefully at least one of us will
find something that morning). Cost is $35 per student.

Size will be
limited. Starts at 9 am on Sunday Dec. 6, 2009. Location is about an
hour drive SE of Austin. To register, look under the ‘workshops’ tab of
www.backyardfoodproduction.com.

The workshop will be led by Red Louvish who is a professional brain
tanner living in the Austin, TX area. A strong interest in free food
led to a specialization in roadkill processing, and a growing supply of
deer hides got him interested in brain tanning. His other work as a
courier provides a natural compatibility with finding and using animals
on the road. Red teaches roadkill processing and advanced brain tanning
techniques at the Rabbitstick and Wintercount primitive skills gatherings.

www.backyardfoodproduction.com

_______________________________________________
permaculture mailing list
permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/permaculture

Low-Sugar, Flourless Apple Crisp made with Olive Oil
(Makes 4-5 servings, adapted from recipes in Olive Oil Baking and The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook.)

Apple mixture:
6 medium-sized apples (about 5 cups sliced apples, I used a mixture of Granny Smith and Jonathan apples)
1/4 cup Splenda
1 tsp. Cinnamon (I used Saigon Cassia cinnamon from The Spice House)

Crumb topping:
1/2 cup + 2 T rolled oats
6 T almond flour or almond meal
6 T Splenda
2 T olive oil
3/4 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional, next time I’m not sure I would add the nuts)

Preheat oven to 400F/200C. Spray a glass or crockery baking dish with olive oil or non-stick spray. (I used a 9x9 inch baking dish.)

If desired, use a food processor to process the rolled oats about 2-3 minutes, until they’re a finer grind. (This is optional.) Use food processor to mix almond flour and Splenda into the oats mixture, or put oats in bowl and mix with a spoon. (If you’re adding nuts, measure 1/3 cup walnuts or pecans, then chop coarsely with chef’s knife and add to the mixture.) Make a well in the center, then pour olive oil and vanilla into the well. Wash hands if needed, then use your fingers to blend the oil and vanilla into the oat mixture.

Peel apples, cut out cores, and thinly slice. (I used an apple corer, then peeled the slices and cut each one in half.) Put apple slices in a bowl, sprinkle Splenda and cinnamon over apples, then stir until all the apples are well coated with the Splenda and cinnamon.

Put apples in baking dish and top with the crumb topping, spreading it out so the surface of apples is completely covered with the crumb mixture. Bake 45-50 minutes, until the topping is slightly browned and apples are cooked through and slightly bubbling. Serve hot or cold. This will keep in the fridge for a few days, but it probably won’t last that long.

http://kalynskitchen.blogspot.com/2009/11/recipe-for-low-sugar-flourless-apple.html

Has links to other low sugar, flour-less recipes on page.

100% White Whole Wheat Bread with Olive Oil
(This is half of original recipe for 100% Whole Wheat Bread with Olive Oil from Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day and makes enough dough for 2 loaves of bread. Recipe very slightly adapted by Kalyn to due to lack of correct equipment and no kosher salt!)

3 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour (or use whole wheat flour)
3/4 T yeast
3/4 T fine sea salt (original recipe used kosher salt, which I didn’t have. I increased the salt a little.)
2 T vital wheat gluten
1 3/4 cups water
1/4 cup olive oil

In a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer if you have one) mix together the flour, yeast, salt, and vital wheat gluten. Then, using the low speed of mixer with the paddle attachment (or a large spoon) mix in the olive oil and water, until all the dry ingredients are incorporated. (The book says use wet hands to mix in all the flour if necessary if you don’t have a stand mixer.)

Cover the dough (not air tight) and let sit at room temperature until the dough rises and collapses or flattens out on top (about two hours.) Then you can use the dough right away, or for easier handling, refrigerate for a few hours or as long as ten days.

To prepare dough to bake, sprinkle the surface of the dough with flour, then remove a grapefruit sized piece of dough. Sprinkle with flour again, shape the dough into a ball by folding the sides under and stretching the top to a smooth surface. You can leave it as a ball or make more of a loaf shape like I did. Put dough on a pizza peel, parchment paper, or cookie sheet to rest. (I was supposed to cover it loosely, but I missed that part of the instructions!)

To bake the bread you need a pizza stone or baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat, plus another metal baking dish to pour the water used to make steam. (The steam crisps the surface of the bread. You can put the metal dish anywhere that it won’t interfere with the bread rising, and in a regular oven I’d put it on a rack under the bread.) The dough needs to rest for 90 minutes, but after 60 minutes, begin preheating the oven to 450F/230C (and heat pizza stone if you have one. I didn’t have one so I heated the baking sheet.)

After dough has rested for almost 90 minutes, use a pastry brush to brush the surface with water, then using a serrated knife, cut parallel slashes into the surface of the bread. Then slide the bread (and parchment paper if using) on to the hot pizza stone or baking sheet, and immediately pour 1 cup hot water into the other baking dish and shut the oven door. (My baking dish would only hold 3/4 cup water, but it seemed to work.) Bake bread for 30-35 minutes, or until firm and nicely browned. If you’re baking on parchment paper or silicone mat, remove them after 20 minutes so the bottom of the bread will brown. (I baked the loaf in the photos for exactly 30 minutes and it was perfectly done and even a tiny bit overly brown.)

Try to force yourself to let the bread cool before slicing and eating it!

Has lots of photos...

http://kalynskitchen.blogspot.com/2009/11/recipe-for-100-white-whole-wheat-bread.html

a whole slew of recipes for your rice cooker
Posted by: “denny

Have made these in my Sanyo 10 cup fuzzy logic rice cooker - they were great but I am not sure how they would work in a basic on/off rice cooker.

Chocolate Bread Pudding

1-lb. day-old bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 quart (4 cups) chocolate milk
3 large eggs
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
1 cup mini chocolate chips

In a large mixing bowl, pour the chocolate milk over the bread cubes and let stand for 20 minutes
In a separate bowl whisk together the eggs, sugar, vanilla and almond extract.
Stir the mixture into the soaked bread and fold in the chocolate chips.

Pour the mixture, with all of the liquid and hit start. Worked well in a ten cup fuzzy logic rice cooker.

Japanese Rice w. Shrimp & Vegetables

2 1/2 cups dashi stock (or substitute miso soup)
3 Tbls soy sauce
2 Tbls mirin
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 Tbls canola oil
2 spring onions, finely sliceded
2 tsp finely grated ginger
1 cup japanese short-grain rice, uncooked
1/2 red pepper
12 snow peas, halved on the diagonal
16 large shrimp, uncook

This is a delicious rice recipe with such a wonderful flavor to it. And if you don’t want to use fresh shrimp you can use precooked peeled shrimp. Just add them in the last minute of cooking to heat through.

1. Mix together the stock, soy sauce, mirin and sesame oil in a small bowl.
2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium hear and cool the spring onion for 1 minute.
3. Add the ginger and rice and cook for a minute, stirring to coat the rice with oil.
4. Add the stock and sauce mix, red pepper and snow peas, bring to the boil then cover with a lid and reduce the heat to low.
5. Simmer gently for 15 minutes without lifting the lid.
6. Remove the lid and quickly place the shrimp on top of the rice, then cover and cook for 5 minutes.
7. Stir to combine and serve garnished with the reserved spring onion.

Nasi Lamek

1 1/2 cups long grain rice
2 shallots
2 slices ginger
1/8 tsp fenugreek seeds ( halba )
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 - 2 cups coconut milk or (from 1/2 a grated coconut)

Wash rice until clean then drain. Put rice, shallots, ginger, fenugreek and salt in a rice cooker. Pour coconut milk over the rice. (The level of the coconut milk should be 2cm above the level of the rice.) Cook rice until dry then use a wooden ladle to loosen the grains.
Sprinkle the rest of the coconut milk over the rice. Give it a stir with a pair of chopsticks to distribute the milk evenly. Stand for 10 to 15 minutes to allow the rice to absorb the coconut milk. Keep rice warm before serving with other condiments.

Rice Cooker Caramel Apple Bread Pudding

3 cup bread cubes
3 cup apples; peeled, sliced
4 eggs; beaten
1 1/2 c milk
3 Tbls sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
nutmeg
1 dash salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
cup prepared caramel topping
Place bread cubes in buttered rice bowl. Top with apples. Beat together eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, salt and cinnamon. Pour over apples. Drizzle with caramel topping. Sprinkle with nutmeg. Cover rice bowl with foil. Add 3 cups water to reservoir, cover and steam 45 to 50 minutes. Knife inserted into center of custard should come out clean. If not, add additional 1 cup water to reservoir, cover and continue to steam for 19 to 22 minutes.

Rice Cooker Frittata

this is one of my favorites!

1 tsp oil
5 large eggs
3/4 cup 1% low-fat milk (or disregard your heart and use half and half!)
1 pinch salt
1/4 cup chopped onions
2 pinches freshly ground black pepper
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
2 cups southwest style hash browns (you can find some brand in the frozen food section)

1. In large bowl whip eggs and milk with an immersion blender or by hand. But whisk the daylights out of it. No way can you over whisk eggs!

2. Blend in some freshly ground black pepper and salt.

3. Add shredded cheese and the shredded hash browns. Stir. You can also add mushrooms, onions, sausage, green peppers, bacon, ham, red peppers - get creative!

4. Oil rice cooker. Add egg mixture. Stir so cheese and potatoes are not sitting in one spot in the pot. Close cover and cook on white rice setting until done about 30 to 45 minutes. Leave it alone. Do not stir while its cooking.

5. Pull the rice cooker pot out of the cooker. Flip it over and plop the frittata onto your serving plate. It should slide out easily. Slice into 4 wedges. I serve it with a couple different varieties of salsa, shaved pepper jack and sour cream. It’s also great served on a corn tostada.

Barley With Mushrooms & Vegetables ~ SERVES 6 145 Calories

If you own a rice cooker this is a unique way to prepare a main dish or use this as a side dish. If you want it to be a heartier dish, cut up a cube steak or ground chuck and saute until done, can do this right in the Rice Cooker with the fresh mushrooms and onions, and then add the remaining ingredients.

1 cup barley
2 cups broth of your choice
1 large onion, chopped
2 ripe tomatoes, diced
1 (8 ounce) can mushrooms, drained (I perfer fresh sliced mushrooms, sauteed.)
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce

The recipe suggests these seasonings.. .
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon dried parsley
salt and pepper

I l prefer to use Lawry’s Seasoning Salt, fresh parsley, and fresh ground pepper and a touch of cayenne or red pepper flakes.

Put all in a rice cooker, stir and press Cook.
I often add additional veggies such as frozen peas, celery, zucchini, thin sliced carrot etc.

Beef, Barley, and Mushrooms make an excellent mix! Last time I made this, I hollowed out a small pie pumpkin, wrapped it in foil, baked it until it was soft, then put the barley mixture inside (all cooked) and reheated and served it with a scoop of pumpkin with each spoonful of barley mix. YUM! (hoping I didn’t already send this in, if I did, ignore, I have now marked it as sent in my recipe file... Eve

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Rice-Cooker-Fiesta/

>>>BTW , Sears was much better than Spiegel or Look - Life..<<<

And Monkey Wards(Montgomery Wards) was even better (softer paper)... LOL

>>>make a tape of it>>.

granny, granny, granny, you give me way too much credit. I can barely get my computer logged on. I have lost my tool bar and if I had it, my attempts to copy and paste are successful only sporatically. Making a tape is way beyond my simple mind.

A grandson will be here for Thanksgiving who earns a living setting up and maintaining computer systems for businesses in the Boston area. I’ll bet he can find my tool bar!! I hear of all the interesting things one can do with a computer and am so envious but at my age and with so much going on in my life, I guess I will have to be satisfied to have the ability to read FR and converse with my Freeper friends.

http://www.advair.com/copd/coupons-and-special-offers/copd-registration.jsp?banner_s=218391295&rotation_s=41543743

If you are using Advair, sign up for the discount coupons here.

Yahoo has a banner for the coupons and the above is the page that I went to, it works, for I have gotten a couple of coupons from them in the past ....

granny

http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm190605.htm

Cardiac Science Notifies AED Customers of Nationwide Voluntary Medical Device Correction

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — Bothell, WA – November 13, 2009 – Cardiac Science Corporation [NASDAQ: CSCX] is initiating a voluntary field correction after it was determined certain automated external defibrillators (AEDs) may experience a rare product issue in which the AED may not be able to deliver therapy during a resuscitation attempt. Device failure may affect resuscitation of the patient, which could lead to serious adverse events or death. These AEDs have electronic components which may fail and the failure may not be detected by the device’s periodic self-tests. The affected models include the Powerheart 9300A, 9300C, 9300D, 9300E, 9300P, 9390A, 9390E, and CardioVive 92531, 92532, and 92533 devices.

Cardiac Science has received a total of 64 complaints concerning four resistors within certain AEDs. Two of these complaints were associated with a failure to deliver therapy. This issue is predicted to occur in approximately one in 75,000 AEDs manufactured between August 2003 and August 2009. The company has also received 114 complaints regarding “Service Required” messages resulting from a specific relay switch failure. There have been no reported instances where this issue has resulted in an inability to deliver therapy.

Until a correction is available in May, 2010, the company strongly advises customers to check the status indicator on the front of the AED and follow the procedures documented in the materials accompanying the AED. The company advises that customers leave their AEDs in service.

“When customers choose a product from Cardiac Science, they expect outstanding reliability,” said Dave Marver, president and chief executive officer. “We understand the role our products play in public health and are taking appropriate measures to further improve the performance of our products.”

The company has implemented more stringent testing of the components and all AEDs produced since August, 2009 are unaffected. Customers in possession of an AED that may exhibit either of these issues will be notified immediately. A software update to address the resistor issue will be available by May, 2010. This software update will enhance the AED’s self-test capabilities and improve detection of the issue. In the interim, the company advises customers to keep their AEDs in service and follow the normal testing and maintenance procedures found in the Operator and Service Manual. A copy of these procedures is available at www.cardiacscience.com/AED175. At this site, customers may confirm if their AED is affected and register for automatic e-mail reminders to conduct scheduled maintenance.

If the AED is not rescue ready (the indicator is red) customers should contact the company immediately at 425.402.2000 (option 1) within the United States. Outside the US contact +44.161.926.0011 or the local Cardiac Science representative. Customers can also email the company at AED175@cardiacscience.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements. The word “believe,” “expect,” “intend,” “anticipate,” variations of such words, and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements, but their absence does not mean that the statement is not forward-looking. Forward looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, predictions of AED component failure rates, the availability of software updates to improve detection of the component issue, and the effectiveness of the planned software update. These are forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results and performance may vary significantly from those expressed or implied in such statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such varying results and other risks are more fully described in the Annual Report on Form 10-K filed by Cardiac Science Corporation for the year ended December 31, 2008, as updated by subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. Cardiac Science Corporation undertakes no duty or obligation to update the information provided herein.

For more information,
Company Contact: Investor Contact: Media Contact:

Mike Matysik

Cardiac Science Corporation

Senior Vice President and CFO

425.402.2009

Matt Clawson

Allen & Caron

949.474.4300

matt@allencaron.com

Christopher Gale

EVC Group Inc.

646.201.5431

203.570.4681

cgale@evcgroup.com

LOGO: http://www.cardiacscience.com/images/main_logo.gif

CSCX-F

###

Will we see a run on t.p., ala Johnny Carson, before the taxes go up?

granny, granny, granny, you give me way too much credit. I can barely get my computer logged on. I have lost my tool bar and if I had it, my attempts to copy and paste are successful only sporatically.<<<

I see we are about the same level on computers.

If you click on “View” at the top of your screen, you will see a line for toolbars.

Click on that and put the check mark by all the lines and it may give you back your toolbar............

Good luck, I loose mine at times and have to shut down the machine, to get it back.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2387164/posts

My T.V. Debut on CBS Early Show Monday Nov.16th
November 15th | Trigirl

Posted on Sunday, November 15, 2009 7:00:41 PM by TriGirl

This is my first attempt at a post so everyone be nice:)

Earlier this week I was interviewed for a segment on the CBS Early Show. It will air tomorrow morning (Monday the 16th) at about 7:40am Eastern time.

They invited me to do it because of my deal, coupon, frugal living blog, www.mylitter.com. I teach classes and help people learn how to coupon and save money in all areas of their lives. Kelly Wallace, the reporter, asked some questions about the economy and I tried to mention FreeRepublic! It will be interesting to see how it was edited, what they put in and what was left out!

Wish me luck and say a prayer that I didn’t say anything stupid!

We do wish you good luck and invite you to check out our thread on Free Republic....there are also 2 larger threads before this one, note the first page of this thread for links or use the one in my sig line to reach #2.

All things frugal and survival/existing in today’s world.

http://thespicedlife.blogspot.com/2009/11/extra-creamy-peppermint-marshmallows.html

[Lots of photos]

Extra Creamy Peppermint Marshmallows

This post has been a verrrry long time coming. Who doesn’t think homemade marshmallows would make a great blog post? I was somewhat derailed by the chaos last holiday season of moving into a new home, but really that was just a convenient excuse: in actuality I was trying to convince myself that one day I would wake up and be able to cleanly and beautifully slice marshmallows— like Smitten Kitchen might. Or use real butter.

But alas these hands are going nowhere, my patience is not improving, and these marshmallows kick ass, so I should just get you the recipe in time for the holidays.

I used to think I disliked marshmallows—except in S’Mores of course. I never understood the attraction to 2 industrially created confections sitting like lumps in my hot chocolate. Actually, I never understood the attraction to hot chocolate either, if you want to know the truth. I find hot cocoa sickeningly sweet (there! I said it!!). Hot cocoa time after playing the snow was always a lonely moment for me growing up (cue the violins).

Enter Williams & Sonoma and their very extravagantly priced but oh so delicious holiday hot chocolate and marshmallows (the link to the marshmallows is at the bottom of that link). Who knew marshmallows could melt like that? Who knew they could make your hot chocolate so creamy? And why, for goodness’ sake, did I not realize you could make hot chocolate from chocolate, not cocoa?!?!?

An obsession was born.

For a while I still did not believe *I* could make marshmallows. I figured they needed some fancy equipment. Then I found some recipes in Lisa Yockelson’s ChocolateChocolate and decided to try and make some for John’s birthday. It was quite the process, that first time. I was very intimidated by the recipe, certain I would pour scalding boiled sugar all over my 4 mos old and 19 mos old getting under my feet (well the elder anyway). I asked my mother in law to please come and stay with us (I was making John an entire birthday feast) to keep the kids out of my hair. The recipe was also stressful because it really gives your professional grade mixer a workout—and my mom had just had hers blow out, so I spent the entire time panicking it would kill the most important appliance in my kitchen.

But it did not; it was a rousing success—far superior even to Williams & Sonoma’s. I now make marshmallows frequently during the cold months, with barely any forethought. It turns out it is quite easy, and as long as you have a professional grade mixer it is, knock on wood, not a problem (do NOT try this with a hand mixer!!). They make excellent gifts and are likewise excellent treats to have around when company is coming. And I am always certain to also have on hand lots of real chocolate suitable for hot chocolate. I finally get to appreciate that iconic American pastime—hot chocolate after playing in the snow!

I have made several different flavors of marshmallows, but in the end I always return to peppermint. I make them extra strong because we do not eat them plain much, but rather let them flavor our hot chocolate. After candy canes come onto the market, I like to smash them up really fine and add them with the extracts—that is especially good.

I like to swirl some color into my marshmallows at the end. I have never achieved a truly gorgeous swirl—I know some recipes advocate using a wooden spoon but I tried that once with this recipe and what a joke. Do not waste your time, sanity, and hard work (because a lot of marshmallow goo will be lost to the spoon) attempting to swirl that way. If you have kids, or, like me, just like some color in the holidays, do it at the end with the mixer on low and accept they will not be perfect. As I get closer to the holidays I will use red. I should also add that I have yet to try to swirl the color in after the marshmallows are in the pan, which I have heard works better but I keep forgetting to try!

Extra Creamy Peppermint Marshmallows
Adapted from Lisa Yockelson, ChocolateChocolate

2 envelopes gelatin (I always use Knox)
1/3 cup + 3 T cold water
1 1/3 cups + 2 T granulated sugar
1 cup + 3 T light corn syrup
large pinch salt
9 T cold water (separate from water above)
2 t vanilla extract
2 t peppermint extract
several drops peppermint oil or approx. 2-3 full size candy canes, crushed
approx. 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Choose a 7 or 8 inch square nonstick pan (I have only tried nonstick—may work fine with others, I cannot confirm; Yockelson prefers thick marshmallows with a 7 inch square pan but I like smaller marshmallows plus I already owned an 8 inch square pan). Dump a heaping 1/3 cup of powdered sugar into the pan. Shake it from side to side and use your fingers to “coat” the sides of the pan. The powdered sugar will stick in patches, which is fine. Leave it in the pan; it may be uneven (see my picture).

I have heard some people say they could make marshmallows on a mid strength mixer (eg, the Kitchen Aid Artisan); I personally would only be willing to try in a professional grade/heavy duty mixer unless I knew I had the cash to replace the mixer! DO NOT USE A HAND HELD MIXER!!!

Place the gelatin in the bottom of the mixer bowl. Prepare the water measurements and set aside the larger water (1/3 cup + 3 T) beside it.

Find a heavy bottomed, preferably copper or stainless steel, 2-3 quart saucepan and place inside it the 9 tablespoons of water, light corn syrup, sugar and salt. Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan—do not let the actual thermometer touch the bottom of the pot. Place the pot on low heat and cover it.

Dump the other water over the gelatin—it should sit for 15 minutes.

While the gelatin is soaking, stir the sugar mixture 2-3 times, very gently each time. When the sugar has dissolved, remove the lid and turn the heat up to high. From here on out do not stir or otherwise bother the sugar. Keep an eye on the thermometer; you want to boil the sugar to 248-250 degrees F.

When the sugar mixture reaches 248-250 F, slowly pour it in to the mixer bowl with the whip attachment mixing on the lowest speed. Be very careful to not let any of the boiled sugar touch your bare skin. After the sugar is all in the bowl, slowly increase the speed to medium low and beat for 1 minute. When the mixture is totally blended, increase the speed to high and beat for 2 minutes. Reduce the speed back down to low and add the extracts and oil/crushed peppermint. Increase back to the highest speed again and beat for 8 minutes.

During this time the mixture will becomes more opaque and whiter. It will also become much, much thicker. I have included a series of pictures that I took—you cannot see the whip attachment it is moving so fast, so the pictures are a little blurred, but it gives you the basic idea. I check the back of my mixer every so often during the 8 minute beating—if it should ever get dangerously hot, well, I guess either quit or cross your fingers.

If you want to color the marshmallows, reduce the heat to medium low, grab the color you want, reduce the heat to low, and squirt some in. For a more swirled effect, like what I have, only let it run a few seconds. Let it run longer to completely color the marshmallows. See my notes above for more comments on coloring marshmallows.

Here comes the exasperating part—but with practice it will become less tricky. Quickly undo the whip attachment and set it aside—accept that you will lose some fluff sticking to it. Using a very sturdy spatula that has preferably been dredged in powdered sugar, quickly and firmly scrape the marshmallow fluff into the prepared baking pan. It will astound you how fast it sticks to everything! When I first started making marshmallows I saved that sticky fluff like it was gold and spent long minutes scraping it into a cup of hot chocolate. Nowadays either the kids lick it off or I just throw it in the sink and accept it as lost.

Take a few tablespoons of powdered sugar and sprinkle it around the edges of the pan, right up against where the marshmallow meets the sides of the pan (see picture).

The marshmallows now need to cure by sitting out at room temperature for 6-8 hours. If it is particularly humid, it may take longer. At the end of the time, take a narrow spatula and run it along the sides of the pan to loosen the marshmallows. You will be astounded at how it all lifts out in one gigantic marshmallow cake—quite easily. Place the marshmallow on a wooden cutting board and have a bowl of (yet more) powdered sugar sitting at the ready. Slice the marshmallows with a large chef’s knife, dredged in powdered sugar. Use a swift, decisive, downward slicing motion, kind of like mincing an herb but more time between slices. Do not try to saw at the marshmallows. The marshmallow center will stick to the knife—just pull it off and keep going. As you slice each individual marshmallow, dredge it in the powder sugar and set it aside in a single layer.

Store in a single layer in an airtight container. Marshmallows for plain eating are good for at least a week. Marshmallows for dipping and melting in hot chocolate will last far longer, since a little drying out is not noticeable.

2 notes from Yockelson: Do not double this recipe, it won’t work. Just make it twice (I, Laura, have been known to use a round pan to make a second batch—leaving the rounded edge pieces for our family). Also, make sure there is no grease or film of any kind on your pan—it’s never happened to me but apparently can mess it up.

1. Chocolate Cherry Cookies
Posted by: “*~Tamara~*”

Chocolate Cherry Cookies

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
48 maraschino cherries (about one 10-ounce jar), undrained
1 6-ounce package semisweet chocolate pieces (1 c.)
1/2 c. sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated milk)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine flour and cocoa
powder, set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Beat until well combined. Add egg and vanilla; beat well.
Gradually beat in flour mixture. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place about 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Press down center of each ball with your thumb. Drain maraschino cherries, reserving juice. Place a cherry in the center of each cookie. In a small saucepan, combine the chocolate pieces and sweetened condensed milk. Heat and stir until chocolate is melted. Stir in 4 tsp. of the reserved cherry juice. Spoon about 1 tsp. over each cherry, spreading to cover cherry (if necessary, thin frosting with additional cherry juice). Bake about 10 minutes or until edges are firm.
Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute and then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

To store, place in layers separated by waxed paper in an
airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Makes 48 cookies.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Cookie_Recipes/
Need some new cookie recipes for the holidays?

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2. Baked Chicken with Rosemary and Lemon
Posted by: “*~Tamara~*”

Baked Chicken with Rosemary and Lemon

2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into large chunks
6 cloves garlic, crushed
3 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves stripped from stems
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 lemon, zested and juiced
coarse salt and black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup dry white wine or chicken broth

Preheat oven to 450F. Arrange chicken in a 9 X 13 baking dish. Add garlic, rosemary, extra-virgin olive oil, lemon zest, and salt and pepper to the dish. Toss and coat the chicken with all ingredients, then place in oven. Roast 20 minutes. Add wine and lemon juice to the dish and combine with pan juices. Return to oven and turn oven off. Let stand 5 minutes longer then remove chicken from the oven. Place baking dish on trivet and serve, spooning pan juices over the chicken pieces.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Recipe-Rampage/
Ideal group for lurkers who like to just read and receive recipes!

http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2009/11/drop-in-and-decorate-cookies-for.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+AYearOfCrockPotting+(A+Year+of+Slow+Cooking)&utm_content=Yahoo!+Mail

Sunday, November 15, 2009
Drop In and Decorate-—Cookies for Donation
I first heard of this fantastic organization about a year ago. I was smack dab in the end-of-the-year craziness in the slow cooking challenge, and instead of jumping in to help, I merely bookmarked the website.

This year is different. This year I look forward to making a bunch of plain cookies, and working with our Girl Scout Troop to decorate them for a good cause. I used to run a child care center that served homeless families, and I’m looking forward to bundling our cookies up to bring to some very deserving children and families.

There are very few rules, which is why I really, really like this project. You don’t need to bake (unless you want to). You don’t need to make your own icing (unless you want to). All you need is a few of your favorite friends, and an open and giving heart.

My friend, Lydia, started Drop in and Decorate in 2007. It has grown phenomenally. Here’s a bit of background on this not-for-profit organization:Collapse
Drop In & Decorate is a tax-exempt nonprofit organization.
Founded by food writer Lydia Walshin of The Perfect Pantry. The idea behind Drop In & Decorate is simple: bake some cookies; gather a group of family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, your worship group or book group to decorate the cookies together; donate the cookies to a nonprofit agency serving basic human needs in your own community.
It’s a simple idea in a complicated world, and something anyone can do.
If you’d like to host your own Drop In & Decorate® event, Pillsbury and Wilton would like to help.
Pillsbury has donated 50 VIP coupons, worth $3.00 each, off any Pillsbury product — including sugar cookie mix and icing — to be distributed, first come, first served, while supply lasts, to anyone who plans to host a Drop In & Decorate event (max. 5 coupons per person). And we’ll include a Comfort Grip cookie cutter, donated by Wilton, to people who plan to host cookies-for-donation events.
Write to lydia AT ninecooks DOT com for more info on how to get your free coupons and cookie cutters.

My girls are quite excited to participate in this event. While I type this, they’re looking over my shoulder and would like to do it twice-—once with the girl scouts, and again with friends and family.

Thank you to Lydia for this fantastic way to give back to the local community, and for providing a beautiful opportunity to make a difference while creating family memories.

BellyGlad: Raising chickens in the city with Novella Carpenter and ...
By Andrea
Now she calls chickens the “gateway urban farm animal” that led her to
rabbits, pigs, and eventually goats. Because feeding these critters
(especially the pigs) could be expensive, Novella and her boyfriend took to
scavenging for feed ...
http://www.bellyglad.com/2009/11/raising-chickens-in-city-with-novella.html
BellyGlad
http://www.bellyglad.com/

Posted by: “Vicky”

TINA’S GOOD OLD FASHIONED CHIP DIP

1(8 oz). package of cream cheese

2 tsp. ketchup

2 tsp. mustard

6 tsp. of milk (more if needed)

¾ tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 Tbsp. salad dressing

Diced onion (season to taste)

Blend all ingredients until creamy.

Chuck Wagon Dinner

1 pound extra lean ground beef

1 small onion, chopped

1 chili seasoning packet

2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce

1 (5 ounce) can evaporated milk

1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles

1 (10 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup

1 (15 ounce) can ranch style beans

1 cup grated Cheddar cheese

1 (15 ounce) bag Fritos Corn Chips

In large skillet, brown ground beef and onion.

Pour meat and onion into colander, rinse under hot tap water to remove excess grease, and return to skillet.

Add chili seasoning packet and tomato sauce.

Bring to boil.

Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 5 minutes.

Add milk, green chiles, soup and beans to chili mixture; bring to boil.

Reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

Sprinkle desired amount of Fritos into bottom of bowl, cover with Chuck wagon mixture and sprinkle

with extra cheese, as desired.

Cooking for a Crowd Series

PINEAPPLE SALAD

3 envelopes knox gelatine

1 cup cold water

3 (no. 2 size) cans crushed pineapple and juice

2 cups sugar

2 cups American cheese, grated

1 pint heavy cream, whipped

Soak gelatine in 1 cup of cold water.

Heat the pineapple and sugar to a boiling point and add to gelatine. Stir until dissolved.

Set aside to cool and when it is almost set, fold in cheese and cream.

Pour into a pan or plastic container.

Refrigerate until set.

Scoop into individual serving size dishes.

For an extra touch serve with cottage cheese.

Serves 24.

26. I’m adding this one,
Great natural and cheap air freshener:
Small pot of water on stove top, add 6 whole cloves (or so), and some orange peel, and 1 cinnamon stick, boil...the put on low, and turn off. Your house will smell wonderful. Leave mixture on back burner, and when you need some air freshener- just turn on the burner! Just remember to add water as needed. And don’t forget to turn off your burner before leaving your home!

27. Distilled white vinegar is our hero! Use instead of fabric softener. I fill up one of those ‘downey balls’ about half-way with white vinegar, then toss in laundry. Wow! Clothes are brighter, colors renewed, and so SoFT in the dryer! yes, even towels are softened without the negative type of effects of chemical softeners- in other words, they’re still absorbent!

Gardenbabe1

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SimplfyMeWithTipsAndHints/

Previous Post: Paying Others to Provide a Service: When Is It Frugal?

Next Post: Review: The Myth of Multitasking

The Readers Speak Out: Their 25 Best Actions for Saving Money 48comments

November 9, 2008 @ 8:00 am - Written by Trent

My colorful library by library_mistress on Flickr!A few days ago, I mentioned my single best action for saving money in my own life – utilizing the library. I also encouraged readers to submit their own best actions – and did they ever! The post has already received almost 250 comments and several dozen more readers emailed me their single best action.

As promised, I’ve compiled a list of all of these actions. Here are the top twenty five – basically, these are the ones that were repeated more than twice. These aren’t in any particular order. If you want some direct personal finance actions that have actually worked for people, here’s your list.

1. Utilize the library. Many readers agreed with my statement about how valuable the library is for those who read avidly. Not only can it save you on the cost of buying books, it can also provide DVDs for viewing, CDs for listening, and many other interesting cultural experiences if you pay attention to the schedule of events.

2. Use online bill pay. Not only does online bill pay save you the expense of envelopes and stamps (roughly fifty cents per bill paid online), it also provides you the convenience of auto-calculating your bills and comparing them immediately to your checking and savings account balances. No more checkbook math necessary.

3. Get your paycheck direct deposited. Instead of receiving a paper paycheck, have your paycheck directly deposited into your checking account. This spares you the need to have to go to the bank to cash your check, plus relieves you of the temptation to have some cash taken out of the check when you deposit it.

4. Make your own lunch and take it to work with you. Instead of eating out every day, brown bag it! Prepare a lunch the night before and take that lunch with you to work the next day. It can be leftovers, it can be a fresh meal (like a sandwich), but either way, it can cut into your costs tremendously.

5. Stay home. Instead of going out on the town for entertainment, stay at home and enjoy the activities available in your domicile. Most of the activities you can do at home – reading, watching television, exercising, playing games with friends, meditating, listening to music, cooking, etc. – are far cheaper than similar activities you might do out of the home.

6. Set up an automatic savings plan. If you’re getting your paycheck automatically deposited, consider setting up an automatic savings plan to have some of that money routed into retirement or into a savings account for an emergency fund. It’s far, far easier to start saving if the actual transfer of money happens automatically without your intervention.

7. Build an emergency fund. Alongside that advice comes the idea of building an emergency fund, a cash reserve that can help you in the event of a crisis such as a job loss or an automobile breakdown. It’s easy to build one – just sweep a small amount of money on a regular basis into a savings account, watch it build, and utilize that cash when the time comes.

8. Stop smoking or drinking. Expensive consumables can be a huge drain on your financial situation. Eliminating a consumable habit, such as tobacco or alcohol, can quickly improve your financial situation while also improving your health (which can also improve your financial situation by reducing health care costs).

9. Use the “envelope” system. Many people swear by this method, in which one actually budgets their money for a month using “envelopes.” Whenever you need money for, say, groceries, you take money out of the groceries envelope – when that envelope is empty, you’re out for the month. This forces you to be careful with your spending in all respects.

10. Stop looking at ads. Advertisements of all kinds – from television commercials to flyers from the Sunday paper – simply serve to coerce you into spending money on things you don’t actually need. Minimizing your exposure to advertisement minimizes the temptation to spend that money, keeping it at home in your wallet where it belongs.

11. Ditch cable television. Cable television is often a pricy monthly bill and all it does is provide you with more channels that repeat variations on the same content. Get a digital converter box instead and watch the channels that come in over the air – ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, Fox, and often others. And they’re free – no monthly bill!

12. Drink more tap water. Tap water makes you healthier (most people are somewhat dehydrated, even if they don’t realize it), fills you up (keeping you from overeating expensive food at meals), and is incredibly cheap compared to any other beverage out there. Take advantage of the tap – it can save you a ton of money on beverages and on food.

13. Eat out less (esp. fast food) and cook at home instead. Every time you purchase prepared food outside the home, you’re spending more than you would making a similar meal at home. So why not adopt that as a platform instead? Learn how to cook at home, make your own meals, and save a lot of money.

14. Stop shopping for fun. Shopping is a very expensive form of entertainment. Instead of shopping with your free time, find other fun things to do – almost anything is cheaper – and leave the shopping trips for the times when you actually need an item.

15. Use the “ten second rule” (or some close variation of it). Whenever you are tempted to spend your money on something frivolous, stop for a few seconds and ask yourself whether you really need this item. Ten seconds is usually enough – many people also recommend putting the item down and leaving the store, only returning if you’ve decided you actually want it after some serious consideration.

16. Accept help from others. It’s easy to let pride get in the way of accepting help from others. Don’t let that happen. Be willing to accept help if others offer it, and be thankful for it. Later on, when your situation improves, you can pay it forward and help someone who needs it.

17. Plan ahead for meals. At the start of a week, make a careful plan of what meals you’re going to eat during the week, then make a grocery shopping list based solely on those meals. When you go grocery shopping, stick to that list. This is a great way to keep your food shopping bill low while keeping the food you want and need on the table.

18. Go on a diet. Many people recommended healthy dieting as a tactic for saving money. If you make a conscious choice to eat less, not only will you save money on your food bill, you’ll also reduce your health care bill and perhaps your clothing bill as well (since it’ll be easier to find consignment clothes).

19. Eliminate expensive hobbies. Are you engaged in a hobby that requires a lot of financial upkeep, like golf or collecting? Instead of continuing that expensive hobby and watching it drain all your money, choose a different path entirely – find a new hobby to focus your energy on that doesn’t require so much upkeep cost.

20. Stop reading women’s magazines. This is perhaps the biggest surprise on this list for me, but several readers swear by it. They argue that women’s magazines are extremely effective at convincing you to shop for things you don’t necessarily need, convincing you that you need some item in order to keep up with the crowd. Spare yourself the guilt – skip those magazines.

21. Make a budget/spending plan. If you can’t seem to get a grip on your spending, try assembling a budget/spending plan so that you can clearly see where your money is going. Spend a month or two keeping careful track of what you actually do spend on certain items, then set a spending goal for that type of item. This can simultaneously serve as a wake-up call and as “training wheels” for good financial habits.

22. Set strong goals. Don’t fleetingly think about how you wish things were. Instead, sketch out exactly how you want your life to be in, say, five years, then focus all of your actions toward that goal. Not only can this cut out frivolous spending, it can also help you to make strong choices to improve every aspect of your life.

23. Stop worrying about what other people think. Don’t let the opinion of others rule the choices you make in your personal life. It’s not their life to live – it’s your life. Instead, make choices that you think are strong – and don’t worry about the neighbors or the naysayers.

24. Sell your car. A car is perhaps the worst investment you can make. It depreciates rapidly, breaks down regularly, and requires constant upkeep. Instead of dealing with this, sell the car and make do with the other transportation options available to you – a bicycle, buses, trains, and so forth.

25. Be accountable to what you spend. Finally, try having a weekly or monthly review of all of your spending. Make yourself face the mistakes you’ve made – don’t let a bad spending move lie in the dust and be forgotten. Use it as a tool to make sure it never happens again.

Hopefully, these tactics spur you on to great things.

http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/11/09/the-readers-speak-out-their-25-best-actions-for-saving-money/

http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2009/11/13/giving-experiences-not-things-this-holiday-season/

Previous Post: The Five Whys and the Power of Analyzing Your Life

Next Post: The Second Life of Food

Giving Experiences, Not Things, This Holiday Season 31comments

November 13, 2009 @ 8:00 am - Written by Trent

The holiday gift-giving season is upon us once again. For many of us, that means stress. What gift can we give to the people we care about that actually means something? Why do the holidays have to be so expensive after we buy gifts for everyone on our Christmas list? Then, on Christmas Day, we have to find polite things to say about the unwanted gifts we get and we find ourselves with a bunch of additional stuff to take care of whether we like it or not.

All of these problems can be solved by one simple change in your perspective about gift-giving this year: give experiences instead of things.

What do I mean by this? Instead of giving a material gift that would require you to spend money on something you’re unsure they’ll like and them receiving something that they’ll have to now take responsiblity for, give them something that isn’t material.

Six Ideas for “Experience” Gifts
Here are six quick ideas to get you started, but there are hundreds more just like it if you let your creativity go.

For a child, give a field trip. This could be a trip to a zoo, to a kid-friendly science center (like the wonderful one in Des Moines, Iowa), a wilderness hike, or to a baseball game. You’ll handle all the logistics of the trip for them.

For a food lover, offer a home-cooked version of a meal they’ve longed for. Try making them something challenging like coq au vin or beef bourguignon. Get out your fine china and linens for this dinner, too – make it something special. It could be a romantic gift for a food-loving couple.

For an art lover, plan a trip with them to the art museum of their choice later in the year. Buy the ticket and handle the transportation yourself.

For a spouse, pledge to do the dishes for a year – or give them a few weekends where they can do whatever they want (with or without you).

For a gamer, give them some invitations that allow them to choose a game to play with you. This is a great way to understand someone’s hobby better (and perhaps find it interesting and exciting yourself).

For a parent, give a free night of babysitting. To them, this means an evening doing whatever they’d most enjoy doing without having to worry at all about their children.

Barter for Services
If you have some good ideas for experiences but don’t have the cash, look into a barter with the person that could provide that service. For example, you might be willing to work 40 hours at a museum or a zoo for a certain number of tickets. Perhaps you could provide IT services at a spa in exchange for some gift certificates there. Many businesses are quite willing to offer credit in exchange for your skills and/or your time. Take advantage of that.

The Presentation
Many people balk at such gifts because they’re unsure how to present it. With a home printer and some time, you can create an elegant presentation of any gift.

First, spend a little on a decent stationery set that you can use for many such gifts over the long haul. Look for something tasteful and simple that doesn’t necessarily have to be holiday-oriented.

Second, use a straightforward layout in your word processing program of choice. There are thousands of templates for Word, most of which are compatible with most word processing programs out there.

Fill out the document with the details of the gift, print it on the best printer you have access to, and also print the envelope with the recipient’s name on it in an elegant font.

Here’s the kicker: include some visuals within the envelope. A brochure that shows what the event is all about is perfect, as is a photograph that provides a visual reminder of what you’re going to do. It can even be something as interesting as snapshots from a past event you’ve enjoyed together.

Why This Works
Aside from the fact that it’s less expensive than giving traditional material gifts, giving experiences works for three reasons.

First, it doesn’t give a material item that the other person will have to deal with. It’s not going to wind up needing maintenance or taking up storage space in their home or requiring a trip to customer service.

Second, it will stand out in a positive way in comparison to the items they receive. When you receive several items for Christmas, something distinct like this will definitely stand out from the crowd. Most of the “experience” gifts I’ve ever received still stand out for me.

Third, it often allows you to experience the gift together. If the gift is an event you can both participate in, it becomes a shared memory, something far beyond what a material gift can offer.

For us, unfortunately, “experience” gifts are a bit of a challenge since we don’t live near many of the people we exchange gifts with. Of course, we have another solution for many of those folks for frugal, unique Christmas gifts… but that will have to wait until next week.