Posted on 07/24/2009 3:37:21 AM PDT by nw_arizona_granny
Weekly Roundup - Living On Nothing Edition Category: Roundups | Comments(15)
Did you hear about the guy that lives on nothing? No seriously, he lives on zero dollars a day. Meet Daniel Suelo, who lives in a cave outside Moab, Utah. Suelo has no mortgage, no car payment, no debt of any kind. He also has no home, no car, no television, and absolutely no “creature comforts.” But he does have a lot of creatures, as in the mice and bugs that scurry about the cave floor he’s called home for the last three years.
To us, Suelo probably sounds a little extreme. Actually, he probably sounds very extreme. After all, I suspect most of you reading this are doing so under the protection of some sort of man-made shelter, and with some amount of money on your person, and probably a few needs for money, too. And who doesn’t need money unless they have completely unplugged from the grid? Still, it’s an amusing story about a guy who rejects all forms of consumerism as we know it.
The Frugal Roundup
How to Brew Your Own Beer and Maybe Save Some Money. A fantastic introduction to home brewing, something I’ve never done myself, but always been interested in trying. (@Generation X Finance)
Contentment: A Great Financial Principle. If I had to name one required emotion for living a frugal lifestyle it would be contentment. Once you are content with your belongings and your lot in life you can ignore forces attempting to separate you from your money. (@Personal Finance by the Book)
Use Energy Star Appliances to Save On Utility Costs. I enjoyed this post because it included actual numbers, and actual total savings, from someone who upgraded to new, energy star appliances. (@The Digerati Life)
Over-Saving for Retirement? Is it possible to “over-save” for retirement? Yes, I think so. At some point I like the idea of putting some money aside in taxable investments outside of retirement funds, to be accessed prior to traditional retirement age. (@The Simple Dollar)
40 Things to Teach My Kids Before They Leave Home. A great list of both practical and philosophical lessons to teach your kids before they reach the age where they know everything. I think that now happens around 13 years-old. (@My Supercharged Life)
Index Fund Investing Overview. If you are looking for a place to invest with high diversification and relatively low fees (for broader index funds with low turnover), index funds are a great place to start. (@Money Smart Life)
5 Reasons To Line Dry Your Laundry. My wife and I may soon be installing a clothesline in our backyard. In many neighborhoods they are frowned upon - one of the reasons I don’t like living in a neighborhood. I digress. One of our neighbors recently put up a clothesline, and we might just follow his lead. (@Simple Mom)
A Few Others I Enjoyed
* 4 Quick Tips for Getting Out of a Rut * Young and Cash Rich * Embracing Simple Style * First Trading Experience With OptionsHouse * The Exponential Power of Delayed Consumption * How Much Emergency Fund is Enough? * 50 Questions that Will Free Your Mind * Save Money On Car Insurance
US-CERT Current Activity
Microsoft Releases Security Advisory 977981
Original release date: November 23, 2009 at 8:51 pm
Last revised: November 23, 2009 at 8:51 pm
Microsoft has released security advisory 977981 to address a
vulnerability in Microsoft Internet Explorer. This vulnerability may
allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code.
US-CERT encourages users and administrators to review Microsoft
Security Advisory 977981 and implement the suggested workarounds
listed in the advisory to help mitigate the risks.
Relevant Url(s):
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/advisory/977981.mspx
http://search.news.yahoo.com/search/news/?fr=yalerts-keyword&c=&p=gun+at+school&ei=utf-8
Georgia Third Grader Suspended for Pointing Toy Gun
Fox News Sun, 22 Nov 2009 11:07 AM PST
A Macon area third-grader was suspended from school after he pointed a toy gun at a parent while walking home from school Thursday.
Toy Gun Lands 3rd Grader In Cuffs At Ga. School
WSB-TV 2 Atlanta Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:01 AM PST
A Macon area third-grader was suspended from school after he pointed a toy gun at a parent while walking home from school Thursday, school officials say.
Todd County Sheriff’s Report
Melrose Beacon Sun, 22 Nov 2009 07:13 AM PST
Nov 9 - Shots fired into school. On the weekend of Nov. 7 an unknown individual fired several shots from a 22 caliber gun into an Amish Schoolhouse at the address of 18719 211th Ave. Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact the Todd County Sheriff’s office at 320-732-2157.
Cops drive gun toters to school
The Lake Wales News Sat, 21 Nov 2009 20:58 PM PST
Two Lake Wales High School students were arrested Thursday after arriving at the school carrying a pistol and ammunition. They were brought there by police who had picked them up as truants and failed to search them before delivery into the waiting arms of school officials â who did search the teens as they exited the patrol car and found the gun and ammo immediately.
See more news stories that match my keyword
#
1st Grader Brought a Gun & Ammo on School Bus
A 6-year-old boy gets on school bus with a gun in his backpack.
Eyewitness News Memphis - Nov 23 4:00 PM
#
Toronto police search high school after caller claims to have gun; no injuries
TORONTO - A Toronto high school is under lockdown after police received a call from a male who said he was inside the building with a gun.
The Canadian Press via Yahoo! Canada News - Nov 23 4:31 PM
Helping Out Our Feathered Friends
Posted: 23 Nov 2009 04:15 AM PST
Silent gratitude isn’t much use to anyone. ~G.B. Stern
Many of us feed the birds during the cold weather, but they also need water in the winter despite the snow around them. Always provide clean water with no additives. Place it in a shallow container that is less than 3 inches deep. You can add small pebbles to the bottom of the container to give it texture and keep the surface from getting slippery. If you have a deck or a windowsill that you can access easily in the winter, you can add fresh water daily. Consider the location of the water so it’s not accessible to cats or other predators. As with feeders, it helps to place the water about 10-12 foot from a shrub or bush.
You can buy a special heater that will warm the water and keep it from freezing. Be sure it’s a UL listed heater made for this purpose and it should be plugged into a outdoor socket. It should have a safety feature or an automatic shut off in case the water goes dry and use grounded plugs.
The sound of dripping or running water will help attract birds and a simple way to do this is to drill or punch a hole in the side of a bucket near the bottom (but not on the bottom) so the water drips into the birdbath. You can hang it from a shepherd’s hook over the birdbath.
Birdbaths can be made out of many things including trash can lids, ceramic, clay or terra cotta saucers, pie plates etc. If the surface is smooth then be sure to add a layer of pebbles or sand. Wash your birdbaths on a regular basis as they become soiled.
On OFL we have more tidbits on backyard birds:
http://www.oldfashionedliving.com/stations.html
Crazy Cake Mix in a Jar
Posted by: “violet
Crazy Cake Mix in a Jar
2 cups flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/3 cups sugar
In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, cocoa powder & baking powder. Layer ingredients in jar in order given in a 1 quart canning jar. It is helpful to tap jar lightly on a padded surface (towel on counter) as you layer the ingredients to make all ingredients fit neatly. Use scissors to cut a 9 inch-diameter circle from fabric of your choice. Center fabric circle over lid and secure with a rubber band. Tie on a raffia or ribbon bow to cover the rubber band. Attach a card with the following directions:
Crazy Cake
3/4 cup Vegetable Oil
2 tsp. Vinegar
1 tsp. Vanilla
2 cups Water
Stir cake ingredients together using a wire whisk or fork, making certain that all ingredients are completely mixed together.
Bake at 350F for 35 minutes. Frost as desired or serve sprinkled with powdered sugar, with fresh fruit on the side.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cookingandbakingmixes/
How is PurrBaby handling TT being gone?<<<
From the time she realized he was gone, she has not left my side.
She also does not eat as much, double whammy for her, she ate, because he was and then she ate all the cheese too.
Scott goofed and got me ‘mild’ cheddar cheese and I hate it, so of course Purr Baby does too.
I discovered that cutting a hunk of it and letting it set on the counter for a couple days helps it, and so did the baby, she lets hers set for two days, before she will eat it........today she decided it made a better football than food.
Scott was all set to take Purr Baby, but I haven’t decided to let her go now that TT is gone.
The odds of catching any of the babies is slim, for they are too wild already for me to deal with.
LOL, once I would not have given it a second thought, not so today.
Zucchini Boats FoodReference.com
Makes 4 servings
2 medium zucchini
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/4 cup chopped onion
Vegetable cooking spray
1 cup corn bread stuffing mix
3 Tbsp water
1/4 cup shredded reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese
Halve zucchini lengthwise. Scoop out pulp, leaving 1/4-inch thick shells.
Discard pulp.
Place zucchini halves, cut side down, in a large skillet.
Add 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat.
Cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
Drain zucchini on paper towels.
Meanwhile prepare stuffing.
Lightly spray a medium saucepan with vegetable spray
Add carrot and onion and cook over medium heat until onion is tender.
Stir in stuffing mix and water.
Next, spoon stuffing into prepared zucchini.
Sprinkle cheese on top of the stuffing in each zucchini then place them in a
shallow baking dish.
Bake in a 350 oven for about 20 minutes or until zucchini are tender and
stuffing is heated through.
*~Sandy~*
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2a. Crockpot recipes
Posted by: “Sandy
http://www.50plusfriends.com/cookbook/crockpot/index-5b.html
*~Sandy~*
~~~~~
Sweet Potato Pie
Prep Time:
30 Min
Cook Time:
1 Hr 50 Min
Ready In:
2 Hrs 20 Min
Ingredients
* 1 (1 pound) sweet potato
* 1/2 cup butter, softened
* 1 cup white sugar
* 1/2 cup milk
* 2 eggs
* 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust
Directions
1. Boil sweet potato whole in skin for 40 to 50 minutes, or until done. Run cold water over the sweet potato, and remove the skin.
2. Break apart sweet potato in a bowl. Add butter, and mix well with mixer. Stir in sugar, milk, eggs, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until mixture is smooth. Pour filling into an unbaked pie crust.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 55 to 60 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Pie will puff up like a souffle, and then will sink down as it cools.
Makes 8 servings.
~~~~~
Rhonda
Rocky Road Cookie Pizza
1 (20 ounce) package pillsbury refrigerated cookie dough
1/2 cup salted peanuts (chopped)
1 cup miniature marshmallow
1 (6 ounce) package semi-sweet chocolate chips (1 c)
1/3 cup caramel ice cream topping
Preheat oven at 350 degrees.
Press or roll (using powder sugar) cookie dough to a lightly buttered 12 inch pizza pan. Bake 15- 20 minutes till lightly brown. Remove from oven.
Sprinkle evenly with peanuts, chocolate chips, and marshmallows.
Drizzle with caramel topping.
Bake addition 5-10 till marshmallows are lightly brown. Let cool for 10 minutes. Cut into slices or squares.
Icebox Fruit Cake
1 box vanilla wafers, crushed
2 cups chopped pecans
2 cups chopped walnuts
1/2 pound raisins, chopped
1 medium bottles red cherries drained and chopped (reserve 8 halves for garnishing cake)
3 tbsp. cherry juice
1 can sweetened condensed milk
Combine dry ingredients. Mix cherry juice with milk and pour over dry ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Form into ring. This can be done easily by pacing a medium tumbler in the center of a plate and pressing mixture around tumbler. Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate with tumbler until firm. Remove tumbler and recover in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 48 hours before serving. Refrigerate leftovers
Maple Pecan Oatmeal Cookies
1 cup ap flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 egg
1 cup rolled oats (regular or quick cooking)
1/2cup coarsely chopped cinnamon glazed pecans
Preheat oven to 375F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
Cream butter and brown sugar together in a large bowl. Beat in maple syrup and egg. Stir in flour mixture and oats, adding pecans at the last minute. Stir only until just combined.
Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake at 375 for 9-12 minutes, until set and golden brown around the edges.
Makes about 2 dozen.
Spicy Vanilla Pecans
1 lb. pecan halves
6 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
3 T. butter, melted
1 T. corn syrup
1 T. vanilla extract
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. nutmeg
1/4 t. allspice
1/8 t. pepper
Boil pecans in water for one minute; drain. Immediately toss pecans in a large bowl with sugar, butter, corn syrup and vanilla; mix well. Cover bowl and let sit 12 to 24 hours. Place pecans on an ungreased jelly roll pan. Bake at 325 for 30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. While pecans are baking, mix remaining ingredients in a large bowl. After baking pecans, immediately toss them with spices until well coated. Spread pecans on jelly roll pan in a single layer to allow to cool. Makes 5 1/2 cups.
Source: Unknown
Festive Cranberry Honey
3 cans whole berry cranberry sauce, 16 oz
12 oz. jar orange marmalade
1 1/2 cups honey
Place cranberry sauce and marmalade in large microwaveable bowl. Microwave on high 2 minutes or until melted. Stir in honey until well blended. Spoon into jars with lids. Store in refrigerator. Serve with breads or use as a glaze for meat. Makes about 8 cups.
Source: Unknown
Holiday Apple and Cranberry Casserole
3 cups apples, unpeeled and diced, hard or tart varieties
2 cups cranberries
1 cup sugar
1 cup quick cooking oats, uncooked
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
Butter
Place apples, cranberries and sugar in bottom of a 13 x 9 inch well buttered casserole dish. Mix together oats, pecans and brown sugar and sprinkle over the top of fruit. Dot entire top with butter. Bake at 325 for one hour. Makes about 8 servings. Source: Unknown
Chocolate Caramel Sheet Cake
1 cup butter
1 cup water
1/4 cup baking cocoa
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 t. baking soda
1 t. vanilla extract
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans, toasted
Cook first 3 ingredients in a small pan over low , stirring constantly, until butter melts and mixture is smooth; remove from heat; beat buttermilk and next 3 ingredients at medium speed with mixer until smooth; add cocoa mixture, beating until blended. Mix sugar, flour and salt; gradually add to buttermilk mixture, beating just until blended. Batter will be thin. Line a 15 x 10 inch jelly roll pan with foil, allowing several inches to extend over sides. Grease and flour foil. Pour batter into pan. Bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cake completely in pan on wire rack. Pour warm Quick Caramel Frosting (recipe follows) over cake, spreading evenly to edges of pan. Sprinkle evenly with pecans. Makes 15 servings.
Quick Caramel Frosting:
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup milk
2 cups powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla extract
Bring first 3 ingredients to a boil in a large pan over medium heat, whisking constantly, about 2 minutes. Stir in milk and bring to a boil; remove from heat. Add powdered sugar and vanilla, stirring with a wooden spoon until smooth. Use at once. Makes 3 cups.
to store, after freezing several hours, lift frosted cake form pan using foil. Cut into serving pieces or cut cake in half and wrap pieces in foil. Freeze up to one month. To serve, thaw at room temperature.
Source: Unknown
Chocolate Pecan Fondue (Slow Cooker)
1/2 cup half and half
2 T. honey
9 oz. semisweet chocolate, broken into small pieces
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
1 t. vanilla extract
Fresh fruit and shortbread cookies
In pan over low heat, mix cream and honey; heat until warm. Add chocolate; stir until melted. Stir in pecans and vanilla. Transfer to a small slow cooker land keep warm. Serve with fruit and cookies.
Makes 1 1/3 cups
Source: Taste of Home
Colossal Batch Of Oatmeal Cookies
2 C. butter softened
3/4 C. butter flavored shortening
3 1/4 C. packed brown sugar
1 1/4 C. sugar
5 eggs
2/3 C. buttermilk
4 t. vanilla extract
6 C. quick cooking oats
5 3/4 C. all purpose flour
1 T. baking soda
2 1/2 t. salt
1 (10 oz) pkg. butterscotch chips
1 C. chopped pecans
In a very large bowl, cream the butter, shortening and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in buttermilk and vanilla.
Combine the oats, flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in chips and pecans. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 3” apart onto ungreased baking sheets.
Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks.
Dorie
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DoriesRecipeBox/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SimpleMeals/
New Secret Recipe
Starbuck’s Low Fat Blueberry Muffins
We all know that Starbucks coffee and baked goods are amazing, but
who can afford it in today’s economy? Make these delicious muffins
at home for a fraction of the price.
3 cups unbleached flour
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup skim milk
2 egg whites
2/3 cup applesauce
1 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
non-stick cooking spray
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a bowl, blend together the
flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
In another bowl, combine the milk, applesauce and egg whites; mix
well. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and blend
together. Fold in the blueberries.
Spray some muffin tins with cooking oil. Spoon the muffin batter
equally among the cups. Bake until muffins are golden brown, about
25 minutes.
Test with a long toothpick or a fork to make sure the center of the
muffins are done.
Set on wire rack to cool for 5 minutes.
Makes 12 muffins
Source: The Secret Recipe Blog- http://www.recipesecrets.net/blog
Posted By: Chef Tom
IHOP HARVEST GRAIN AND NUT PANCAKES
3/4 cup Quaker Oats
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons finely chopped blanched almonds
3 tablespoons chopped walnuts
Lightly oil a skillet or griddle, and preheat it to medium heat.
Grind the oats in a blender or food processor until fine, like flour.
Combine ground oats, whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder and
salt in a medium bowl.
In another bowl combine buttermilk, oil, egg and sugar with an electric
mixer until smooth.
Combine dry ingredients with wet ingredients, add nuts and mix well with
mixer.
Ladle 1/3 cup of the batter onto the hot skillet and cook the pancakes
for 2 to 4 minutes per side or until brown.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FoodPreservationDryingCanningAndMore/
Posted by: “carolsrecipes
Sweet-and-Spicy Garbanzo Stew
1 cup Garbanzo beans
7 cups Water
1 Onion — coarsely chopped
2 Yams or sweet potatoes — chunked
1 Carrot — sliced
1 Celery stalk — sliced
1 Leek — sliced
2 cups Broccoli pieces
1 tablespoon Lemon juice
1 tablespoon Soy sauce
1 teaspoon Ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon Ground cumin
2 teaspoons Pure prepared horseradish
1/8 teaspoon Hot pepper sauce
dash Cayenne pepper (opt)
Place beans and water in a large pot. Soak overnight.
Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and cook until tender,
about 2 to 3 hours.
Add onion, yams, carrot, celery, and leek. Cook for 30
minutes.
Add remaining ingredients. Cook an additional 30 minutes.
Serving Suggestions: Pour into individual bowls or over any
whole grain. Also good as a topping for potatoes or
whole-wheat bread.
Helpful Hint: This dish can easily be made in a slow cooker.
Add all ingredients at once and cook on the high heat
setting for 8 to 10 hours.
Be sure to soak the beans overnight before you begin.
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________________________________________________________________________
2. OT: Recipe Requests
Posted by: “*~Tamara~*”
It seems as though there have been a lot of recipe requests on some groups that do not belong on that group. I am not fussing.... :o) I just wanted to pass on Beth’s and my groups for those of you that may be looking for something specific.
The holidays are coming and some of these groups just may be what you are looking for!
Tamara
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Rice-Cooker-Fiesta/
For all rice cooker recipes
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Chocolate-Express/
For anything & everything chocolate
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Ground-Beef-Recipes/
All ground beef or ground turkey recipes for those of us on a budget
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Martha-Stewart-Recipes-n-More/
Do you love Martha Stewart?
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Recipe-Rampage/
Ideal group for lurkers who like to just read and receive recipes!
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Theme-Park-Recipes/
All theme parks & fun foods included but mostly Walt Disney World
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Frugal-Recipes-n-More/
Everything from frugal recipes to budgeting tips
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Snacks-n-Sandwiches/
Snacks, Sandwiches, Finger Foods & appetizers only
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Christmas-Express/
For Christmas all year round!
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Amish-Recipes/
Amish recipes only....Mennonite recipes allowed
http://ph.groups.yahoo.com/group/Magazine-Recipes/
Recipes from all of your favorite magazines
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Campbells-KitchenNLeftoverRecipes/
Recipes from Campbell’s Kitchen & for using soups and/or leftovers
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Potluck-n-PicnicRecipes/
Recipes for potlucks, picnics or a larger crowd...more servings per recipe
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ClassicCookbookRecipes/
All cookbook recipes....from the greats like Betty Crocker
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SaucesGravies-nMarinades
Sauces, gravies, marinades and flavored vinegars
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LowFat-Desserts/
For all kinds of delicious low fat or low sugar desserts
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Vintage-Recipes/
For all those inherited, older recipes
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Cookie_Recipes/
Do you love cookies? Nothing but cookies!
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Cheesecake-Fiesta/
All cheesecakes....all the time
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Non-Edible-Recipes/
Recipes for everything from dog biscuits to homemade bath and body supplies and anything in between.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FreezingCanning-n-recipes/
For ideas on freezing, canning, once a month cooking, and recipes for all of the above.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HomemadeMixes-n-recipes/
Homemade mixes and recipes using them
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Weekend-Recipes/
Theme based recipes sent out every weekend...participation mandatory by sending at least one recipe a month.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Candy-Recipes/
Any and all kinds of candy recipes for your enjoyment
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Fruit-n-Veggie-recipes/
Need to eat more fruit and veggies? Then come join me here!
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/breakfast-n-brunch/
All breakfast and brunch recipe and ideas
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/world-recipe-fiesta/
Recipes from all over the world....
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/simply-side-dishes/
Need something new to go with that special meal?
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Recipes-for-2/
Need some recipes with only 2-3 servings?
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CopycatsClones-n-BrandNames/
Copycats, clones, brand names which include back of the box recipes!
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Simply-Spicy/
Like your food with a lil kick?
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/tamaras_sweet_treats/
For desserts and sweets of all kinds
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Recipes_for_Health
For anyone who needs dieting support and healthier recipes
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/tamaras_recipe_haven/
For all kinds of wonderful recipes
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Holiday_Express/
From recipes to crafts....all holidays and parties
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/casseroles_and_crockpots/
For all those wonderful one-dish meals
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TNT_Recipes/
Tried and True recipes from Grandma to Taste of Home
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Fabulous_TVChefs/
Food Network Chefs to Martha Stewart, Mr. Food
and of course, Beth’s wonderful groups:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/just-potatoes/
All potato recipes...all the time!
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Blue_Ribbon_Recipes/
All award winning recipes
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/soups-salads-and-salad-dressings/
Soups, stews, salads and dressings....Mmmm!
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Beef-Lamb-Pork/
All recipes containing beef, lamb or pork
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/breadsanddoughs/
All types of bread and dough recipes
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/allpoultryrecipes
Like chicken? Turkey? Duck? All poultry
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/all-simple-recipes/
All 8 ingredients or less...easy!
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/pasta-noodle-ricerecipes/
The ultimate comfort food...who doesn’t love it?
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/recipe-oasis
For any and all wonderful recipes
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/fish-and-seafoodrecipes/
Fish and seafood recipes....any and all accepted here
Messages in this topic (1)
This is another great group owned by *~Tamara~*
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Simply-Spicy/
Valley Farms Baked Oatmeal (Make Ahead)
5 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup raisins
3/4 cup chopped walnuts, optional
2 apples, peeled and cored, and grated
1 T. baking powder
1 t. ground cinnamon
1 t. pure vanilla extract
Dash of salt
2 1/2 cups milk, plus more for serving
4 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup honey
Half and half for serving
Maple syrup for serving
In large bowl, mix together oats, raisins, walnuts, if using, and apples. Add baking powder, cinnamon, vanilla, salt, 2 1/2 cups milk, eggs and honey. Mix well and pour into an ungreased 9 x 13 inch glass baking pan. Cover and refrigerate overnight. The next day, Remove pan from refrigerator and allow to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350. Bake the oatmeal until lightly golden, about 30 to 40 minutes. Do not overbake. Portion into individual bowls and serve with milk or half land half land warm maple syrup.
Source: Inn at Valley Farms Bed and Breakfast, Walpole, New Hampshire, and Sleep On It Cookbook
Lynnda
Apple or Pear Fruit Tarts
From: Campbell’s Kitchen
Thaw Time: 30 minutes
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Bake Time: 25 minutes
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
1 pkg. Pepperidge Farm® Frozen Puff Pastry Shells
6 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
3 apples OR pears, peeled, cored and thinly sliced (about 4 cups)
2/3 cup caramel sauce, warmed (optional)
Vanilla ice cream
Directions:
THAW pastry shells at room temperature 30 min. Preheat oven to 375°F. Mix sugar, cinnamon and ginger.
ROLL pastry shells into 5” circles on lightly floured surface. Place on 2 baking sheets. Divide apple slices among pastry circles, overlapping slices. Sprinkle each with 1 tbsp. sugar mixture..
BAKE 25 min. or until pastry is golden and apples are tender. Drizzle caramel sauce over tarts. Serve with ice cream.
~~~~~~~~~~
Rhonda
Apple Glazed Sausage and Bacon
Apple juice, apple jelly, and maple syrup form a glaze that coats
pork sausage and Canadian bacon for a delightful brunch recipe.
INGREDIENTS:
10 pork sausage breakfast links
1 lb. cooked kielbasa sausage, cut into 12 slices
1/4 cup apple juice
1/4 cup apple jelly
1/4 cup maple syrup
6-oz. pkg. sliced Canadian bacon
PREPARATION:
In large skillet, combine sausage links, kielbasa slices and apple juice. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove cover and reduce heat to medium low. Continue cooking for 15 minutes, turning sausages frequently. Remove kielbasa slices from skillet. Continue cooking sausage links until browned, about 2 minutes longer. Remove links from skillet and drain off fat, reserving 2 Tbsp. drippings. In reserved drippings, stir apple jelly and syrup. Add Canadian bacon and cook over medium heat until thoroughly heated. Return kielbasa slices and sausage links to skillet, turning to coat with glaze. Serves 8-10
.
Rhonda
Banana Split Trifle
3 cups cold milk
1 (5.1 oz.) box vanilla or cheesecake flavored instant pudding mix
1 (8 oz.) can crushed pineapple, drained
1 prepared angel food cake, cut into cubes
1 cup strawberries, sliced
1 (8 oz.) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 medium firm banana
1/4 cup pecans, chopped
12 ounces Hot Fudge Microwaveable Ice Cream Topping
Whisk milk and pudding for 2 minutes in large bowl. Stir in pineapple. Place half of the angel food cake cubes on the bottom of a separate large, clear, glass bowl. Spread 1/3 of pudding mixture on top. Cover with sliced strawberries. Spread layer of whipped topping over strawberries.
Remove lid from hot fudge topping and heat in microwave on HIGH for
approximately 30 seconds. Pour half of the topping over the previous layer and then layer with remaining cake cubes.
Spread another 1/3 of pudding mixture on top. Cover with sliced bananas. Cover with remaining 1/3 pudding mixture. Spread whipped topping over all.
Drizzle with hot fudge topping and sprinkle with pecans(optional).
Chill until serving. Garnish with strawberries and bananas when served, if desired.
NY
Mexican Stuffed Pizza
1 (15-ounce) can chili with beans
1 (4-ounce) can Diced Green Chiles
2 (8-ounce) packages refrigerated crescent roll dough
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
Toppings: shredded lettuce, chopped tomato, sliced ripe olives, and shredded cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
Combine chili with beans and chiles in medium bowl. Slightly overlap crescent dough triangles around edge of 10 to 12-inch-round pizza pan, positioning top half of each triangle so that it is hanging over the edge of the pan.
Spoon chili mixture in center of each crescent roll triangle; bring top half of each triangle over chili and tuck under pointed end. Sprinkle with cheese.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown. Fill center of pizza pan with toppings
Great as an Appetizer, Snack Or Dinner
NY
TAFFY APPLE CHEESECAKE
INGREDIENTS:
1 (21 ounce) can apple pie filling
1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping
12 pecan halves
2/3 cup chopped pecans
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Set aside 3/4 cup of apple
pie filling. Spoon remaining pie filling into crust. In
a large bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla.
Beat until smooth then add eggs and mix well. Pour over
apple filling in crust. Bake for 35 minutes, or until
center is set. Remove from oven and cool to room
temperature. Mix reserved apple filling and caramel
topping in a small saucepan. Heat for about 1 minute.
Arrange apple slices around outside edge of cheesecake.
Spread caramel sauce evenly over. Decorate with pecan
halves around edge. Sprinkle with chopped pecans. Chill
until ready to serve.
YIELD: 1 9-inch pie
*~Sandy~*
The Parrot
A young man named John received a parrot as a gift. The parrot had a bad
attitude and an even worse vocabulary. Every word out of the bird’s’
mouth was rude, obnoxious and laced with profanity. John tried and tried to
change the bird’s attitude by consistently saying only polite words, playing
soft music and anything else he could think of to “clean up” the bird’s
vocabulary.
Finally, John was fed up and he yelled at the parrot. The parrot yelled
back. John shook the parrot and the parrot got angrier and even ruder.
John, in desperation, threw up his hand, grabbed the bird and put him in the
freezer. For a few minutes the parrot squawked and kicked and screamed.
Then suddenly there was total quiet. Not a peep was heard for over a
minute.
Fearing that he’d hurt the parrot, John quickly opened the door to the
freezer. The parrot calmly stepped out onto John’s outstretched arms and said
“I believe I may have offended you with my rude language and actions.
I’m sincerely remorseful for my inappropriate transgressions and I fully
intend to do everything I can to correct my rude and unforgivable behavior.”
John was stunned at the change in the bird’s attitude. As he was about to
ask the parrot what had made such a dramatic change in his behavior, the
bird continued, “May I ask what the turkey did?”
Whipping Cream Pound Cake
1 box pound cake mix, 16 oz
3/4 cup whipping cream
1/2 t. ground nutmeg
1 cup white chocolate morsels
1/4 cup flour
1 cup sour cream
1 cup powdered sugar
1 T. heavy cream
Preheat oven to 350. Spray 4 loaf pans with nonstick baking spray with flour. (6 x 3 inch loaf pans). Prepare pound cake as pkg. directs, substituting whipping cream for water or milk. Add nutmeg to batter, blending well. In a small bowl, toss together white chocolate morsels and flour. Remove morsels from flour, leaving excess flour in bowl. Fold morsels into batter. Spoon into prepared pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove form pans; cool completely on a wire rack. In a large bowl, mix sour cream, powdered sugar, and cream, whisking well. Spoon over cooled pound cakes. Let stand until glaze is set.
Makes 4 miniature pound cakes.
Source: Sandra Lee
Lynnda
Creamy Citrus Cheesecake
1 roll refrigerated sugar cookie dough, 18 oz
3 pkg. cream cheese, softened, 8 oz. each
1 can evaporated milk, 5 oz
2 T. orange zest
1 t. vanilla extract
3 cups powdered sugar
1 block white chocolate, 6 to 8 oz
Preheat oven to 350. Press sugar cookie dough into bottom of a 19 inch springform pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Press center of dough down while still warm, leaving edges high. Cool completely in pan. In large bowl, mix cream cheese, evaporated milk, orange zest and vanilla. Beat at medium high speed with mixer for 2 to 3 minutes. Add powdered sugar,1/2 cup at a time. Beat well after each addition. Spoon into prepared crust. Wrap tightly in foil and freeze overnight. Using a vegetable peeler, start at top of white chocolate block, and shave off thin slices from entire width. You’ll need 2 cups to cover cheesecake. arrange white chocolate curls on top of cheesecake before serving.
Makes 1 large cheesecake (10 inch)
Source: Sandra Lee
Lynnda
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SimpleMeals/
Russian Cold String Beans Or Asparagus with Vodka Vinaigrette
1 lb. string beans trimmed or 1 lb. asparagus, peeled and trimmed
1/2 cup olive oil
1 large shallot finely minced
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard or a hot spicy mustard
1/4 cup Georgian or balsamic vinegar
2 tbsps vodka
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
Optional:
2 hard-boiled eggs finely chopped
1 red bell pepper finely diced
Blanch and refresh string beans in salted water.
In 1 tablespoon olive oil taken from the 1/2 cup, caramelize the minced shallot.
Put shallot, mustard, vinegar, and vodka in a blender. Slowly drizzle in the remaining oil. Mix in salt, and pepper. Serve over string beans or asparagus.
Optional: Garnish with a little chopped hard boiled egg and/or finely diced red bell pepper. Yields 4 servings.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/world-recipe-fiesta/
Beautiful, yummy, and good for you too, cranberries are not just for Thanksgiving any more!
By Carrie Lamont (carrielamont)
November 23, 2009
The humble northern cranberry has been associated with Thanksgiving and
turkey since 1620. It is said that Native Americans first taught the
hungry Pilgrims how to eat this acidic berry. Now cranberry sauce is a
important part of Christmas in English-speaking countries everywhere,
as well as a necessary part of Canadian and American Thanksgivings.
Cranberries have been touted recently with having innumerable health
benefits. To me, cranberries are a local industry and a delicious
easy-to-make side dish.
(Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on December 15, 2007.)
I
live in Massachusetts, not 20 miles from Plymouth Rock. All I heard
about growing up were Pilgrims and Pocahantas, wild turkeys and how the
English settlers learned to plant corn, beans and squash together. Once I grew up and had my own kitchen, I learned that
cranberry sauce didn’t just come out of a can and that there are tons
of delicious ways to use cranberries (Vaccinium oxycoccos) in recipes.
Everyone knows how to string cranberries to make a garland for the
Christmas tree. (If little ones are helping, use a darning needle and waxed dental floss or colored yarn. If speed is of the essence,use a long, sharp needle, like a beading needle, or thread straight
onto narrow guage wire. In either case, you may intersperse with
popcorn, cinnamon sticks, pine cones, acorns with a tiny hole drilled
into them, or beads, or just use cranberries. Hang inside on the tree
or outside for birds and critters to enjoy. Use shellac or varnish if
you want them not to turn into dried cranberries, but not if you’re
planning for ANY living thing to eat them.) Cranberries can
also be used in other crafty ways, particularly when fully red and
ripe. For instance, if you’re having a party, impress your guests by
freezing a whole cranberry inside each ice cube. As each one melts it
will release a tangy burst of flavor!
In my experience, however, color does not affect flavor. (White cranberry juice is made from cranberries that are
not fully ripe, and hence, not as tart.) Since cranberries ripen for
real sometime between September and November, by the time they’re for
sale around here as fresh berries, they usually don’t all
have the characteristic bright red color. They are paler, and don’t
look as robust as one might expect. (The ones in the picture above,
courtesy of The Cranberry Institute, look cooked to me. The ones in my
pot below are what they normally look like out of the package in
November.) But they still taste just as good. Use cranberries fresh or
frozen; no need to defrost them first. Unlike blueberries or apples,
cranberries don’t get mushy when you add them to muffins or breads.
I’ll give actual recipes later on. In fact, they’re a little bit like
that other New England specialty, lobster; cranberries turn bright red
when they are cooked, just like lobster.
Important facts about cranberries:
* Cranberries
grow on vines in a bog - a marshy, acidic area, often near wetlands.
The visual in the TV commercials of floating cranberries reflects the
current method of harvesting cranberries - the bog is flooded so the
floating berries can be harvested more easily. Interestingly, according
to www.oceanspray.org, the cranberries we buy in the supermarket as fresh produce are harvested by hand.
* Cranberries
DO possess magic substances that somehow render even a glass test tube
less hospitable to bacteria; the bacteria seem to have a hard time
sticking. These anti-sticky compounds have been identified as
proanthocyanidins, or PCAs. PCAs seem to prevent bacteria from sticking
- or taking up residence and starting a family - on your teeth or in
your stomach lining as well the lining of your bladder.
* To clarify, cranberrieshelp prevent Urinary Tract Infections! The reports are still just starting to come in about how they can help
prevent cavities (which we know are caused by bacteria) or ulcers
(which may be, as well). People who drank cranberry juice (sweetened or
unsweetened) or took cranberry supplements (any type containing PCAs)
had a signifigantly lower rate of urinary tract infection. If you’ve
ever had a UTI, you know that they are to be avoided!
* Even
among berries, cranberries are the leading sorce of anti-oxidants,
which we all know fight free radicals and help fight aging, maybe even
hardening of the arteries and cancer! They’re also extraordinarilarily
high in vitamin C.
Growing
up in Massachusetts, I thought I knew for sure that all cranberries
came from the southeastern parts of my state, particularly the areas
near Cape Cod. Imagine my surprise and chagrin to learn that in 1995
Wisconsin overtook Massachusetts in total cranberry production. And
that’s not likely to change - Cape Cod and Plymouth County are prime
areas for real estate development. Why devote the necessary acreage to
a cranberry bog when you can build houses? Cranberry growers have also
learned to artificially create suitable conditions for cranberry
growing - acidic, sandy, damp soil. While Wisconsin continues to lead
in cranberry production, with Massachusetts (and New Jersey) still
close behind, Canada and the Pacific Northwest are now in the mix as
well.
Like most fruits,
cranberries are a perennial crop; the initial large investment does not
begin to be returned for two or more years down the road. The return,
if slow, is steady - there are cranberry bogs over 100 years old which
are still producing. There are only eight weeks to harvest all the
cranberries. When those eight weeks happen depends on local weather
conditions.
Over
the last 150 years, the prices for barrels of cranberries have been as
volatile as prices for barrels of oil! (A barrel of cranberries is one
hundred pounds.) Ocean Spray, which is actually a grower’s cooperative
(not a company), weathered a cancer scare in1959 when one of the pesticides some of their growers used caused
cancer in laboratory rats, and they were unable to distinguish the
potentially tainted cranberries from the ones that were just fine.In
the early days all the retail cranberry sales were of fresh
cranberries, but then methods of preserving cranberries were developed
and the demand for first cranberry sauce and later, cranberry juice was
created.Exuberant growers planted too many cranberries,
resulting in a glut on the market. Enter even more cranberry products,
like sweetened dried cranberries, new juice blends, reduced calorie
juice blends, and even single serving packages of cranberry sauce. Now fresh cranberries, sold to nutty people like me, account for only a small percentage of total retail sales.
Once
you have your fresh cranberries, you want to know what to do with them.
My favorite recipe is whole berry sauce. Cranberries are very high in
pectin, and if you do any other jam or jelly making, you know that
pectin is that critical ingredient that makes jams, jellies, preserves,
compotes, and conserves ‘jell’. With cranberry sauce, which is really
another name for cranberry jam or cranberry jelly, unless you use way
too much sugar, it will be thick enough every time. I tend to use about
half the recommended amount of sugar, so mine is rather tart and very
solid! Ocean Spray recommends two cups of sugar and two of water for
one 12 ouncepackage of cranberries.
I used only one cup of sugar this year and had a tangy, tart sauce in no time. I don’t measure the water; I just add
enough to cover the berries. I cook everything (the berries, sugar and
water) over medium heat for maybe ten minutes. You’ll hear a popping
sound, almost like the sound of popcorn popping. This is normal! It
means the berries are hot enough so that the insides are swelling and
bursting the skins. I can’t resist stirring it, so I do. Soon, the
whole mess will get thicker and redder. Then it’s probably done. You
can taste it - carefully! Hot syrup is very hot!
If it’s not sweet enough for you, add more sugar a little at a time
until you like it. If it gets too runny, cook it down more - evaporate
more of the moisture. And finally, you can refrigerate it. That should
help it jell. Some people add cinnamon or cloves while the sauce is cooking; some add chopped nuts after it’s cooked.
I’ve
never made jellied cranberry sauce but I’m sure it’s just like any
other jelly, except you probably don’t care quite so much that it be
sparklingly clear. After cooking your sugar, water and cranberries,
strain them through cheesecloth, a ricer or a strainer. Ocean Spray
recommends that you mash through every bit of cooked fruit that you
possibly can.
Then there’s un-cooked cranberry-orange relish, which I love! This is easy to make in a blender or food processor. The Joy of Cooking recommends that you let it age a day or two in your refrigerator, but
I’ve also eaten it fresh and it’s great. Chop a whole seedless orange
(or take the seeds out of one that has seeds) into quarters or eighths,
peel and all. Have ready two cups of sugar and the package of
cranberries. Add the sections of orange alternating with the
cranberries and sugar. I have a report from a friend in California
that this is especially good when the oranges are from your own tree. I
wouldn’t know about that. I like to add chopped nuts to this, too, but
then, I like to add chopped nuts to just about everything.
One
of my favorite foods to make with fresh or frozen cranberries is
orange-cranberry bread. This is nice to make in mini-loaves and give as
holiday gifts. Use any muffin or quick-bread recipe, adding cranberries
toward the end when you would add nuts (or, heh, heh, with nuts!). Or even add fresh cranberries to mixes, boosting their health
value, their flavor, and their eye appeal. I, er, I always used to make
cranberry-orange- walnut bread.
The classic recipe for cranberry-walnut bread calls for orange juice
and orange peel. One day, in love with my new food processor, I just
added a whole orange and omitted the middleman. I don’t have this
recipe at hand because I no longer make this type of bread - my
daughter was diagnosed with celiac disease early last year and we no
longer cook with wheat flour. We still use nuts, though!!!
Cranberries weren’t always called cranberries,
of course. Indigenous populations each had different names for this
sour berry growing on long vines that seemed to help with so many
illnesses. Dutch and German settlers called it “crane-berry” because
the flowers looked like a crane, say some. Others say it’s because the
cranes gobbled up the berries so quickly. Whatever the reason, the name
stuck. I don’t say “I’ll bring the sassamanesh sauce this year” because nobody would know what I was talking about. I mean, I am the nutty one in the family, but not that nutty!
Cranberries, apples and ‘Concord’ grapes are the three fruits that are native to our continent. From the earliest recorded use of Native Americans pounding cranberries with dried venison and other ingredients to make pemmicana,
or pemmican, a dried survival food, to Cape Cod resident and
Revolutionary War veteran Henry Hall, who fed cranberries to his
sailors to prevent scurvy, to Wisconsin overtaking Massachusetts as the
#1 cranberry growing state, cranberries are right up there with
baseball, hot dogs and apple pie in my book. Around here, you can even
go to visit the Ocean Spray bogs. (It’s kind of like visiting Hershey
Park when you’re in Hershey, Pennsylvania, but without the rides.) And there you have it, the cranberry: beautiful, delicious, and probably even healthier than you knew.
References
http://www.cranberryinstitute.org A non-profit institute devoted to studying, of course, the cranberry,
this institute-sponsored site concentrates on health benefits.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cranberry Wikipedia is perhaps the davesgarden of online reference works.Their article on cranberries is comprehensive but not conclusive.
Wisc.EDU [PDF]This
scholarly work examines pricing and management practices at Ocean Spray
from 1930s through to the present day complete with many, many graphs.
http://www.oceanspray.org Ocean Spray would like you to think they tell you everything you need to know about cranberries at this site.They tell you a lot – but not everything, and of course everything they say is pro-Ocean Spray.
http://www.wiscran.org/07HarvestBrochure.pdf An online brochure put out by the Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers Association.
Virginia
Sweet Potatoes or Yams - Which is Which?
By Lois Tilton (LTilton)
November 22, 2009
While sweet potatoes and yams are both edible tubers, they otherwise have very little in common.
(Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on November 13, 2008.)
When Americans sit down at the holiday dinner table, they are likely to see a dish called “candied yams”.But this is a misnomer.While sweet potatoes and yams are both edible tubers, they otherwise have very little in common.Biologically, the two crops are entirelyunrelated.Yams are an Old World crop, while sweet potatoes are native to the Americas.
The yam is a member of the familyDioscoreaceae, distantly related to lilies and grasses.There
are hundreds of different yam cultivars, differing in size, color,
texture and taste, but the most important varieties are grown in
tropical West Africa, where the yam has always been a staple food crop.Its importance can be seen in the fact that the name derives from the word “to eat” in several West African languages:nyam or nyama.
The
African yam requires a very long growing season, usually at least 250
days, which makes it unsuitable for a temperate climate.Most varieties can only be grown in the warmest zones of the U.S. Yams are large, vining plants, and the tubers, usually yellow or white, can weigh over a hundred pounds.Both the cultivation and preparation are labor-intensive.As
most varieties are toxic when raw, the typical preparation involves
hours of pounding in a mortar, resulting in a bland, starchy paste.
As
opposed to yams, all real potatoes have their origin in the Americas.
Columbus encountered the sweet potato being cultivated in the
Caribbean, while the white potato, a cool climate crop, originated in
the Andes.The sweet potato, Ipomoea batatas, is only distantly related to the white potato, Solanum tuberosa (a member of the nightshade family, which also includes tomatoes.) “Batatas” was the Arawak word for the sweet potato, from which the word “potato” is derived.”Potato”
originally referred to the sweet potato, which was more widely grown in
the USA than the white potato until it was re-introduced from Ireland
in the 19th century.Since WWII, the production of sweet potatoes in this country has declined to about one-third of its former level.
Sweet
potatoes belong to the morning glory family, and gardeners should be
able to see the resemblance in the shape of the leaves and flowers,
although sweet potato plants do not always flower.However, some varieties of sweet potato are grown as ornamentals.
Sweet potatoes are vining plants which, like African yams, are usually sprouted from root or vine cuttings, rather than from seed.Sweet
potato plants are tender annuals and also require a long growing
season, at least 120 days, so that traditionally this crop is grown in
the southern United States, although earlier-maturing varieties have
now been developed.It is relatively easy to grow, although susceptible to drought and some pests.
Most of the sweet potatoes originally grown in the U.S. were not the deep orange-fleshed varieties more common today.Those earlier potatoes were firmer, more mealy and less sweet, often with white flesh – more like today’s baking potato.The “white sweet potatoes” are no longer grown commercially in large
quantities, although several varieties are available to the gardener. The
word “yam” was first used to distinguish the sweeeter, orange-fleshed
varieties from the more common white sweet potatoes. It is supposed
that this word was introduced by slaves, who thought that the tubers
resembled the African yams with which they were familiar.While
the USDA allows the orange variety to be labeled as “yams,” it requires
that “sweet potato” also be used, for the sake of accuracy.Confusion between the two terms still exists, however.
Sweet
potatoes are particularly compatible with traditional holiday foods
such as turkey and ham, and most commercial crops are now grown for
this market. Sweet potatoes are usually held in storage to “cure”
before being sold.Unfortunately, all too often, they
appear on the table in the form of a casserole made from canned
“candied yams,” topped with marshmallows.
The sweet potato deserves better.You deserve better.Here
are a couple of festive holiday recipes suggesting different ways to
cook and serve this nutritious vegetable, using the real thing.
Orange Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes
Bake 6 medium-sized sweet potatoes in a 375 F degree oven for at least an hour, or until they are soft.The baking caramelizes the sugar in the potatoes and intensifies the flavor.Scoop out the flesh into a mixing bowl and add ¼ cup each of butter and orange juice, and the grated zest of ½ an orange.Beat until smoothly pureed, then turn into a buttered casserole.Return to the oven for another 20 - 30 minutes, or until the top begins to brown.Avoid the temptation to add marshmallows, sprinkle with sugared pecans, instead.
Honey Sweet Potatoes
Boil 4 large sweet potatoes until they are just cooked through, then let them cool.[This can be done the night before the feast.]Peel and slice the cooled potatoes, then cut into slices ½ thick.Melt ½ cup butter in a large pan, add the slices and sauté over low heat until they are lightly browned, turning the slices.Pour
6 ounces of honey over the slices in the pan, sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon
nutmeg, and continue to cook the sweet potatoes in the honey for
another ten minutes.It wouldn’t hurt to add 1 tablespoon dark rum with the honey. For that matter, the sugared pecans wouldn’t hurt, either.
Virginia
The elusive hickory syrup
By Sally G. Miller (sallyg)
November 18, 2009
Truly elusive, or surprisingly easy? What’s the truth behind hickory
syrup, and just what IS hickory syrup anyway? A lucky break gave me a
head start on this topic, and now I can tell you about a recent food
sensation — hickory syrup.
You’re
probably thinking hickory syrup is analogous to maple syrup: tree sap
collected and boiled to concentrate the sweetness. But hickory syrup is
made in an entirely different fashion, and its flavor is said to be in
a whole different league from “simple” maple syrup. Fans of this
traditional American concoction, and there are now many, claim it has
an incredible, unique taste. Food writer Ronni Lundy first sampled
hickory syrup in 2001 and told readers of Gourmet Magazine that the flavor is “sharp and buttery”, slightly smoky, and in the right setting, even flowery.
The
average, non-”foodie” reader (and I include myself in that group) has
never heard of hickory syrup. Don’t feel left out; the existence of
this substance, and even the recipe for its creation, seemed to have
eluded almost the whole of 20th century civilization until 1991. That’s
when a lucky meeting between an Indiana country gentleman and some
recently transplanted entrepreneurs brought hickory syrup into
commercial production. Thanks to Hickoryworks Inc.,
hickory syrup is now just an Internet server and a credit card away.
The Hickoryworks “crew” (husband and wife) brews up about a thousand
gallons of the artisanal product each year.
Hickory syrup created
the Hickoryworks way is made from the loose bark that peels from the
shagbark hickory tree. A video on the company’s home page shows bark
being collected, washed, boiled and sweetened in the syrup making
process. However, Gordon Brown of Hickoryworks prudently keeps certain
details of the process a secret. Wouldn’t you, if you knew how to turn
tree bark waste into a sixty dollar (or more) per gallon commodity?
Ironically,
while a commercial source of hickory syrup now exists, the product
itself remains hard to come by. So many creative chefs, both
professional and amateur, are devotees of hickory syrup that it is once
again elusive; Hickoryworks website states at this writing that new
orders are not being accepted due to high demand. What is the curious
consumer to do?
Can you make your own, as self reliant Native Americans and 19th century Midwesterners used to?
Got
hickory trees? Several species are quite common across eastern North
America. Perhaps with some guidance, you can make your own hickory
syrup. After my research, I would technically describe hickory syrup
as “a sweetened extract of flavor derived by boiling something, other
than sap, from a hickory tree”. I have seen evidence that the
Hickoryworks folks are not the only ones in the world actually making
hickory syrup, though they are the only commercial vendor that I found.
If you visit the Hickoryworks site and look at their prices, I think
you’ll agree that home-brewing of hickory syrup is worth a try. And lucky for both of us, I had my own chance encounter with a hickory syrup crafter.
Ah, the Dave’s Garden community, font of garden wisdom and diverse information.
When
the editor suggested this topic (the elusive hickory syrup) I recalled
having seen some mention of the syrup while browsing in Dave’s Gardens
forums. In short order, I relocated the posts that I remembered. A DG
member had said that hickory syrup was easily made using cracked shells
of various hickory nuts, as well as by boiling shed hickory bark. He
was kind enough to email me a copy of his writing on the subject of
hickory syrup making.
Self-described hickory “nut” Dr. Lucky
Pittman tells about his experience with homemade hickory syrup in a
paper submitted to the Northern Nut Growers Association newsletter.
With his permission, I present the following instructions for making
your own hickory syrup from bark or nutshells.
Ingredients:
a
large pot full of cracked shell and husk, or cracked whole nuts from
shagbark or mockernut hickory, or of exfoliating bark scraps collected
from shagbark, shellbark or pignut hickory trees.
Sugar
Water
Wash
and drain the nuts, nutshells or bark pieces to remove loose dirt. Put
the bark or shell into a large pot and cover with water. Boil the
mixture all day. (Makes the house smell good!) Strain out the solids
and measure the liquid. Return the now brown, aromatic hickory “liquor”
to the pot and add sugar in a proportion of one and a half times the
amount of sugar as you have of liquid, for example four cups of liquid
needs six cups of sugar. Boil this for thirty minutes. Pour the syrup
into canning jars and seal them. (Not specified, but I would suggest
you may want to store in the refrigerator) You may adjust the amount of
sugar a bit but too much sugar will simply crystallize in the jar.
That
sounds simple enough. I will give certainly give the Hickoryworks folks
due credit; I’m sure they’ve been diligent in standardizing their
recipe to turn out a consistently high-quality product. A video on
their home page will give you a little more insight into the technical
aspects, such as Brix testing,
of their process. Between hints from Hickoryworks, and the experience
shared by Dr. Pittman, I think we have the makings of some fun
experiments in hickory home brewing to warm up the rest of autumn. Good
luck, and let me know how it turns out. I’m off to identify some local
hickories.
~~@~~ ~~@~~ ~~@~~
Thanks to Dr. Lucky Pittman for generously sharing his knowledge. Thanks to DG Uber melody for the thumbnail photo.
Need
help identifying your hickories? Shagbark hickory has a distinctive,
crazily shaggy outer bark. Other hickories may be difficult to pin
down; the Virginia Department of Forestry states that wild hickories
hybridize easily, making identification tricky.
Click these links to read about certain hickories; each source also has entries for other species.
Shagbark hickory, Carya ovata
Mockernut hickory, Carya alba
Pignut hickory, Carya glabra
Shellbark hickory, Carya laciniosa
Virginia
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/home_canning/
You MUST get involved immediately in local county/precinct politics!
Not just attending, but volunteering and actively participating and bringing others of like minds.
NOW!!!
You can't sit back and wish a candidate into office!
Fwd of email:
THE ANT AND THE GRASSHOPPER
This one is a little different.... Two Different Versions...
......... ....
Two Different Morals
OLD VERSION
The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his
house and laying up supplies for the winter.
The grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and dances and plays
the summer away..
Come winter, the ant is warm and well fed.
The grasshopper has no food or shelter, so he dies out in the cold.
MORAL OF THE STORY: Be responsible for yourself!
MODERN VERSION
The ant works hard in the withering heat and the rain all summer long,
building his house and laying up supplies for the winter.
The grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and dances and plays
the summer away.
Come winter, the shivering grasshopper calls a press conference and
demands to know why the ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed
while he is cold and starving.
CBS, NBC , PBS, CNN, and ABC show up to provide pictures of the shivering
grasshopper next to a video of the ant in his comfortable home with a
table filled with food.
America is stunned by the sharp contrast.
How can this be, that in a country of such wealth, this poor grasshopper
is allowed to suffer so?
Kermit the Frog appears on Oprah with the grasshopper and everybody cries
when they sing, ‘It’s Not Easy Being Green.’
ACORN stages a demonstration in front of the ant’s house where the news
stations film the group singing, “We shall overcome “ . Then Rev.
Jeremiah Wright has the group kneel down to pray to God for the
grasshopper’s sake.
President Obama condemns the ant and blames President Bush, President
Reagan, Christopher Columbus, and the Pope for the grasshopper’s plight.
Nancy Pelosi & Harry Reid exclaim in an interview with Larry King that the
ant has gotten rich off the back of the grasshopper, and both call for an
immediate tax hike on the ant to make him pay his fair share..
Finally, the EEOC drafts the Economic Equity & Anti-Grasshopper Act
retroactive to the beginning of the summer.
The ant is fined for failing to hire a proportionate number of green bugs
and, having nothing left to pay his retroactive taxes, his home is
confiscated by the Government Green Czar and given to the grasshopper.
The story ends as we see the grasshopper and his free-loading friends
finishing up the last bits of the ant’s food while the government house he
is in, which, as you recall, just happens to be the ant’s old house,
crumbles around them because the grasshopper do esn’t maintain it.
The ant has disappeared in the snow, never to be seen again.
The grasshopper is found dead in a drug related incident, and the house,
now abandoned, is taken over by a gang of spiders who terrorize the
ramshackle, once prosperous and once peaceful, neighborhood.
The entire Nation collapses bringing the rest of the free world with it.
MORAL OF THE STORY: Be careful how you vote in 2010.
I’ve sent this to you because I believe that you are an ant and not a
grasshopper! Make sure that you pass this on to other ants. Don ‘t
bother sending it on to any grasshoppers because they wouldn’t understand
it, anyway.
3438 reminder to myself.
= = =
RE:
http://springfield.craigslist.org/for/1416126594.html
“These are brand new Photovoltaic panels putting out 210 watts per
panel. They are made by REC in Norway ...
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hillbillyherbalism/
Awww, PurrBaby is such a doll. It’s so cute how she copies you. I’ve seen quite a few cats do that. Hence, the term copy-cat, I guess.
Cotton, my smart one, learned a trick from watching her brother. Corduroy likes to eat food from his paws, so it was pretty easy to teach him ‘Paw Out’, where he puts his paw out, pad side up, for me to put a treat on it - and he gets to eat it. Cotton learned from seeing him do it. But she has teeny paws, so the treat kept falling. She quickly figured out how to curl her paw to hold the treat.
http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm191836.htm
Timco Worldwide Inc. issuance of a voluntary recall of Large Seedless Watermelons because of possible health risk
Company Contact:
Rex Lawrence
Tel: 530-757-1000 ext. 8262
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Davis, CA - November 22, 2009 – Timco Worldwide Inc. is recalling a limited number of its Large Seedless Watermelons because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this occurrence.
Salmonella is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.
The Large Seedless Watermelons included in this voluntary recall were distributed to select grocers, wholesalers and processors in California and Texas.
The Large Seedless Watermelons are stickered with the “MelonUp!” label with the PLU (Price Look Up) # 4032 and UPC # 0 33383 40240 6.
The potential for contamination was noted after routine testing, by a distribution company, which revealed the presence of Salmonella on the outside rind of a melon randomly selected for testing.
Timco Worldwide Inc. elected to exercise an abundance of caution and initiate the recall in the interest of public health. No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this occurrence.
Consumers who have purchased Large Seedless Watermelons in the markets noted above (with the MelonUp! label) are urged to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact the company at 1-530-757-1000 press “4” for Food Safety. (Hours of business: Monday through Friday 8AM to 5PM PST).
As with all fresh fruits and vegetables, Timco Worldwide Inc recommends that fresh melons are washed before cutting and/or consuming them.
###
RSS Feed for FDA Recalls Information [what’s this?]
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-
Page Last Updated: 11/24/2009
http://www.who.int/csr/resources/publications/swineflu/clinical_management/en/index.html
Clinical management of human infection with pandemic (H1N1) 2009: revised guidance
Publication date: November 2009
Download the full document [pdf 237kb]
Summary
This guidance provides updated information for health care providers managing patients with suspected or confirmed pandemic (H1N1) 2009. It incorporates knowledge gained about clinical features of pandemic influenza through international consultations.
Key topics:
* risk factors for severe disease
* signs and symptoms of progressive disease
* diagnosis
* treatment, both outpatient and in hospitals, and
* clinical care for resource-poor settings.
Highlights
Diagnosis
Uncomplicated influenza can be diagnosed based on signs and symptoms presented by patients when influenza is known to be circulating in a community.
All patients should be advised to return to their health care provider for follow-up if they develop signs or symptoms of progressive disease.
Signs of progressive illness can include:
* persistent high fever beyond 3 days
* shortness of breath or difficulty in breathing, or turning blue
* bloody or coloured sputum, chest pain or low blood pressure
* in children, fast or laboured breathing
* drowsiness, confusion or severe weakness
* dehydration, which can cause dizziness, decreased urine output or lethargy.
Diagnostic testing to confirm the pandemic virus should be prioritized for patients at higher risk for severe illness.
However, clinicians who should not delay treatment of a patient with symptoms of an influenza-like illness to wait for laboratory confirmation of H1N1 virus infection.
Treatment
Mild illness continues to characterize most cases, and basic supportive care (to relieve aches or fever) is sufficient for most people. However, health care providers should give all of their patients guidance on how to recognize signs of progressive illness, and when to seek medical attention.
For pregnant women, WHO advises early antiviral treatment for suspected or confirmed pandemic influenza illness.
Infants and very young children (those under 2 years of age), especially those with underlying conditions, should also be treated with antiviral medication if warning symptoms arise.
In general, antiviral treatment recommendations are:
* Patients who have severe or progressive illness should be treated with antiviral medication as soon as possible.
* People with mild symptoms but who are at higher risk for severe illness (e.g. pregnant women, infants and young children, and those with chronic lung problems) should start antiviral treatment as soon as possible.
* Antiviral treatment is not necessary for people have uncomplicated, or mild, illness and are not in a high risk group for severe illness.
Mothers who are breastfeeding can continue breastfeeding while ill and receiving antiviral treatment.
In hospital settings, health providers should monitor oxygen levels closely and supplement oxygen as needed, following guidelines. When pneumonia is present patients should be treated with both antiviral medication and antibiotics as early as possible.
Advice for how to evaluate and care for severely ill patients in hospital settings is explained.
Resource-poor settings
In health care settings where resources are limited, clinical care should focus on early use of primary health care (by the family doctor or at health clinics, for example) to determine what type of care or treatment is necessary for a patient, and to set priorities for who needs hospital care most urgently. Health care decisions should be based on signs and symptoms of illness, and the level of influenza activity in the local area.
Decentralizing stocks of antiviral medications, even if supplies are limited, is important to reach at-risk groups and disadvantaged populations.
Related links
Clinical features of severe cases of pandemic influenza
US-CERT Current Activity
Malicious Code Circulating via Social Security Administration Phishing Messages
Original release date: November 24, 2009 at 2:42 pm
Last revised: November 24, 2009 at 2:42 pm
US-CERT is aware of public reports of malicious code circulating via
phishing email messages that appear to come from the Social Security
Administration. The messages indicate that the users’ annual Social
Security statements may contain errors and instruct users to follow a
link to review their Social Security statement. If users click this
link, they will be redirected to a seemingly legitimate website that
prompts them for their Social Security number. If users enter their
Social Security number and continue to the next page, they will be
given an option to generate a statement. If users attempt to generate
a statement, malicious code may be installed on their systems. This
malicious code attempts to collect online banking traffic to gain
access to the users’ bank accounts.
US-CERT encourages users and administrators to take the following
preventative measures to help mitigate the security risks:
* Install antivirus software, and keep the virus signatures up to
date.
* Do not follow unsolicited links and do not open unsolicited email
messages.
* Use caution when visiting untrusted websites.
* Use caution when entering personal information online.
* Refer to the Recognizing and Avoiding Email Scams (pdf) document
for more information on avoiding email scams.
* Refer to the Avoiding Social Engineering and Phishing Attacks
document for more information on social engineering attacks.
Users are encouraged to contact the Social Security Administration to
verify the authenticity of any messages. Additional information will
be provided as it becomes available.
Relevant Url(s):
http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/tips/ST04-014.html
http://www.us-cert.gov/reading_room/emailscams_0905.pdf
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