Bookmarked Recipe

I really need to get back into menu planning. It makes dinner SO much easier on me/us when I do. I never make a real strict meal plan. I just have a listing of meals. The meals are not tied to any specific day and that way I have some leeway. I hope to get back into that. As I do I will share the sheet I use and on the days I write up the list of meals I will share the list.

Tonight I had no idea what I was going to cook so I got some hamburger out of the freezer, placed it in a pan with a little bit of water to help it cook faster then I grabbed my handy dandy laptop and started searching through my bookmarks for a recipe I had all (or most) of the ingredients for. After hum hawing between three or four different recipes I finally settled on Taco Mac (recipe below). It turned out quite well. We all enjoyed it and there are leftovers for PE to take to work tomorrow.

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Taco Mac
from Cooking During Stolen Moments
Print Recipe

1 lb ground beef
1/2 onion, diced
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp coriander
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 lb elbow macaroni
1 1/2 cups beef stock or broth
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
2 cups frozen corn
1 cup shredded cheese

Brown ground beef and onion. Drain. Stir in seasonings. Add noodles, stock, tomato sauce and crushed tomatoes to the skillet. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low. Cover skillet and simmer, stirring occasionally, until noodles are tender, about 15 – 20 minutes. Stir in corn until heated through. Top with cheese and serve.

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Since I mentioned searching through my bookmarks, I am going to tell you how I organize my bookmarks. Most importantly I use Xmarks. I LOVE Xmarks. I have it installed on all of the computers I use which allows me to have the same bookmarks on each computer. In addition to synchronizing bookmarks it will also synchronize login information if you so choose. I have a Recipes folder on my bookmark toolbar. In the Recipes folder I have subfolders with the names of the categories I use for my cookbook and for the dividers I use for the 6x6 recipe cards. When I come across a recipe in my reader or email I open the link in a new tab then I bookmark the page. Easy.

Have a great evening!

Detailed Instructions and Tips & Tricks

Below are detailed instructions for making cake flour and making beans in the slow cooker (from previous posts). I have also listed some links for substitutions, tips & tricks, and some frugal cleaning agents.

Cake Flour
From Joy the Baker
Click here to visit her blog.

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Dried Beans

Beans in the Slow Cooker
from Stephanie at A year of Slow Cooking
Click here to get the directions.

Additional Tip for Dried Beans
Being Frugal is Fabulous has a good write up about using beans in place of meat as a source of protein in order to save money. Click here to go read more and to see how to make your own refried beans.

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Tips & Tricks
Tanya, from Sunday Baker, along with her readers has compiled a great list of tips & tricks. Click here to see all the great tips.

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Substitutions
Barry Farm Foods has a great list of substitutions. Click here to go to their website.

Kate from Our Best Bites has also provided a list of substitutions. Click here to go see her list.

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Using Vinegar as a Cleaner
I keep a spray bottle of vinegar water in my kitchen at all times. I use a 8:1 (water:vinegar) ratio. This works great for cleaning windows. Used with a microfiber cloth, you can't go wrong. Additionally, if you use the tip of wiping one side of the window horizontally and the other side vertically, you can more easily tell which side has the streaks, if any. We also use it on the wood floor, we sweep, use a microfiber mop to wipe the floor with water, then spray the floor with the vinegar water and dry with a microfiber cloth--it has a nice shine after we do this. I use it for many other things. Below are several sites you can visit to get ideas.

I have a post of
Vinegar . . . Quick Tips.

The New Homemaker has an extensive list of cleaning uses for vinegar. I have used many of them and plan on using more. Click here to go read the tips.

Another site, Vinegar Tips (go figure) has 1001 Tips for Using Distilled White Vinegar. Click here to go peruse the site and read all the many uses for vinegar.

Yet another site, The Vinegar Institute, has tips all. Click here to go see what they have to offer.

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Using Baking Soda in Cleaning
I use baking soda for many things. I use it to clean my glass top stove by sprinkling some on the cooked on stain then rubbing with with a a cloth. I use it to scrub the marks out of the porcelain sink. I used it to scrub the build up off of Moo's flat iron. I clean my diamond jewelry with baking soda, water, and a soft toothbrush. I use it in more ways as well.

Baking Soda Book provides many more ideas. Click here to view the book.

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Have a fabulous Sunday!

100 Days to Christmas

With the title of this post I just shocked the pants off of many people.

Those who knows me (us) are aware that we (PE and I) do not like holidays. It isn't full on hatred but we really despise them. I think if I could exclude the religious and no birthday part of the religion, I could be a Jehovah's Witness (I don't know PE's take on this). I am sure there is more to the religion than that, but I know they don't celebrate holidays--that is the part I like.

The coolest thing about most holidays is that we get a day away from work and since we are away from WORK on that day why on earth would we want to spend the whole day cooking and cleaning aka working(Thanksgiving) and filling up the garbage can/cleaning up messes in the house aka working (Christmas)? Okay, okay, I know there is more to it than that and possibly if all of my family didn't live within a 20 minute drive I would value more the family togetherness that the holidays foster. I don't mind the gift giving. I especially enjoy making the calendars for my family and friends and I enjoy baking/cooking goodies and giving them to neighbors and people we work with--I actually do that periodically through the year anyway--so it isn't any of that, I really just don't like holidays.

One of my biggest issues with anything holiday related is retailers. Halloween stuff in the stores before school starts, not okay. Christmas stuff out before November. . .definitely NOT okay--that store is now boycotted. Is there really nothing they can fill the shelves with for those extra weeks? Evidently not.

Now before anyone goes on some tirade about, "What about your children!?!?" STOP. We celebrate. . .just in our own unique way in some instances. Halloween is one of those instances. We do not take our children Trick or Treating (or Trunk or Treating for that matter). We purchase each of them a Halloween/scaryish movie and their favorite bag of candy then we have an evening (either Halloween or the weekend before or after) of movies, treats, and we serve Corn Chowder in pumpkin shaped bread bowls for dinner. All in all that is a pretty fun night for the children. They don't seem to mind. Not to mention that now that Bug and Moo will be 15 and 14 this year, they don't really need to go trick or treating. We have friends and family that offer to take the children to their local Trunk or Treat and we most times let them go; however, I do not purchase costumes. I have purchased shirts that are Halloween themed for the kids but that is the extent to which I can support Halloween.

We accept invitations from family for Thanksgiving dinner and we attend. The one year we had Thanksgiving at our house it wasn't too bad, but my family felt a little shirked. Oh well, can't please everyone and as we already discussed I can't handle a lot of people at my house so we just go to other's houses.

So, while we dislike holidays, we still accommodate those around us by being present for most occasions even if it is for as short amount of time as possible. This is nothing against family or friends more to do with a mild phobia (dr. diagnosed) I have that deals with crowds (yes, as few as 10 people feels like a crowd to me). Not to mention that together, PE and I, feed off one another's ability to be antisocial.

I bring all of this up because this year I am trying to embrace the holidays (even if it is vicariously through someone else). As I type this I am just cringing at all that embracing the holidays means. Ick. I really don't know that I can do it. Anyway, I am going to help some of you get it together more for the holidays or just give you a resource that will hopefully help you holiday lovers to enjoy it even more (if that is possible). Today marks 100 days to Christmas. There is a website dedicated to this, http://100daystochristmas.com/ (I bet you never would have guessed). It is brought to us by the maker of List PlanIt--a great resource for various lists (I signed up for the trial membership and was able to get the lists I wanted). Go visit the 100 Days to Christmas site and subscribe so you can "...get your daily dose of holiday inspiration delivered straight to your inbox". What could possibly be better than that? (Truthfully, in my opinion, a lot of stuff, such as baking middle-sinking cupcakes, attempting to make uniform baked goods, and even the dentist are better than hearing about Christmas every.stinking.day. for the next 99 days.)

So, there you have it. A helpful, holiday-related tip from me to you. After all it is never too early to start giving!

Preparation Makes Light Work Later

Below are the recipes I made today.

Magic Mix
from Everyday Food Storage
Print Recipe

2 1/3 cups powdered milk
1 cup all purpose flour (Yes, use All Purpose)
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature

Combine dry milk, flour and margarine/butter into the large bowl of a mixer (Bosch or Kitchen Aid highly recommended). Mix on low so powder doesn't spray everywhere (unless of course you have a Bosch or the attachment for the Kitchen Aid that prevents powder spray). Turn on high and mix until it looks like corn meal. Store tightly covered in refrigerator.

Visit Everyday Food Storage for other ways to use the Magic Mix. Enter "magic mix" in the search box at the top of the page. Some examples are condensed cream soups, pudding, and various sauces. I will be using it to make the Yellow Squash Puree Macaroni and Cheese mentioned yesterday.

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Okay so Moo wanted to make something sweet and I wanted to use the Magic Mix so I found this recipe and she made it.

Magic Mix Chocolate Pudding
from Everyday Food Storage
Print Recipe

1/2 cup sugar
1 cup Magic Mix
2-3 Tbsp cocoa
2 cups water
1 tsp vanilla

Combine Magic Mix, sugar, and cocoa in saucepan and mix well. Add water, stir over medium heat until pudding bubbles. Add vanilla and beat. Cover and Cool.

Tasty! I am guessing it will taste even better tomorrow when it is completely chilled.

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Yellow Squash and/or Zucchini Puree
1 lb yellow squash and/or zucchini
1 lemon wedge

Bring water to boil in a pan with a steamer basket. Wash the squash. (DO NOT peel your zucchini or squash when cooking or baking with it. That is where all the nutrients come from.) Slice squash into one-inch rounds. Once water is boiling place squash in steamer basket and squeeze the lemon wedge over the squash--this will help enliven the flavor. Cover and steam for five minutes or until tender. Uncover and let squash cool for a bit. In batches, puree in blender or food processor. Squash tends to release quite a bit of liquid so there shouldn't be a need for additional water. Pour the squash into freezer storage containers or ice cube trays (great idea if you are making homemade baby food). Let cool completely before freezing or refrigerating.

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When Bob was younger I made a lot of his baby food by steaming vegetables. If anyone has thought about doing that and has any questions, I would be happy to share my experience. Besides you have not seen such an awesome shade of green as you get from homemade peas.

TIP - When steaming vegetables, let the remaining water cool and then use it to water your houseplants. The nutrients from the vegetables is great for the plants.

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I had a thought that I would make my own mayonnaise and truth be told I executed that thought. Executed but did not do so successfully. I will post a recipe once I have successfully made mayonnaise.

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Potato Gnocchi (Potato Dumplings)
from Simply Recipe
Print Recipe

2 lbs potatoes (the older the better)
3 Tbsp Kosher salt
1 egg
1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups flour

Place the potatoes into a large pot and fill the pot with water to just above the potatoes. Place on high heat and add salt. Leave to boil for 20 minutes or until fork tender. Drain. One at a time hold the potatoes and peal them with a knife or vegetable peeler. Work quickly. Using a potato ricer or a food mill 'mash' the hot potatoes. Add the egg and stir quickly--this will cook the egg. Add one or two handfuls of flour and stir until it all sticks together in a ball of dough. Remove from bowl and knead on a floured surface or Silpat. Knead for a couple minutes adding the remaining flour until the dough does not stick to hands and is pliable. Cut the dough into four or five sections and roll out each into a 1.5 inch roll. Slice the roll into 1 inch rectangular pieces. Add an indent to each rectangle by pressing your finger into the center of each rectangle--this helps hold sauce. Repeat with all sections and place gnocchi on on a floured platter or dish to prevent sticking. At this point the gnocchi can be placed in freezer until hard then placed in baggies for use at a later time. To cook - bring a pot of water to boil. Add a few gnocchi at a time. When they rise to the surface, wait half a minute to one minute then remove gnocchi with slotted spoon. Drizzle with olive oil to prevent them from sticking to one another. Serve with your favorite sauce.

I am going to use the gnocchi later this week for Gnocchi with Summer Vegetables.

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I believe that is everything I made today. If I left anything off I will write about it tomorrow. Good night.

Vinegar . . . Quick Tips

Glassware 1/2 cup of distilled vinegar added to a gallon of rinse water will remove soap film from glassware and make it shine.

Toilet Bowl Clean and deodorize your toilet bowl by pouring undiluted white distilled vinegar into it. Let it stand for about five minutesthen flush. Stubborn stains may require scrubbing.

Bathtub Wipe down bathtub with vinegar and soda to remove film buildup. Rinse clean with water.

Ants Ant invasions can be deterred by washing countertops, cabinets, and floors with distilled vinegar.

Grease Filmy dirt and greasy residue can be removed from stove and refrigerator by wiping with vinegar.

Grass and Weeds Kill unwanted grass on sidewalks and driveways by pouring on vinegar.

Chrome To polish chrome and stainless steel, moisten a cloth with white vinegar and wipe clean.

Shower Curtain Rub a cloth dampened with vinegar to remove soapy, steamed in film and mildew from your plastic shower curtain. Then rinse clean.

Coffee Maker To remove stale coffee residue, fill the reservoir with vinegar and run it through a brewing cycle. When cycle is finished, run two cycles of water to rinse.

Irons Remove burn stains from your electric iron by mixing one part salt with one part vinegar in a heated small aluminum pan. Use this mix to polish the iron as you would silver.

Vegetables Liven up slightly wilted vegetables by soaking them in cold water and vinegar.

Flowers Add two Tbsp of vinegar plus three Tbsp of sugar to a quart of warm water (100 degrees F) to keep fresh cut flowers blooming longer.

Cabbage Add vinegar to the cookign water of boiling cabbage to prvent the odor from permeating the house.

Meat  A marinade of 1/2 cup of your favorite vinegar and a cup of liquid bouillon makes an effective meat tenderizer.

Rice  A tsp of vinegar added to the water of boiling rice makes it white and fluffy.

Fish Reduce fishy odors by rubbing fish down with white distilled vinegar before scaling it.

Cheese Keep cheese moist and fresh by wrapping it in a cloth that has been dampened with vinegar and sealed in an air-tight wrap or container.

Eggs To produce better-formed egg whites, add a tsp of vinegar to the water.

Onion Odors Quickly remove the odor of onions from your hands by rubbing them with distilled vinegar.

Pickling Cider, Red Wine, Balsamic and other dark vinegars are good for pickling, but may discolor lighter colored pickles such as beans, cauliflower, or onions. In this case, a distilled or white vinegar may be preferred.