Two Kid Schoolhouse
Unhelpful labeling Sep. 2, 2006
This afternoon I opened a new bag of flour and dumped it into the flour canister. After all 5 pounds were in there, I realized that it was self-rising flour. I don't even remember buying self-rising flour. But now I had a canister full of it. So I look on the label for help in how to use it in a "regular" recipe. And I find this:
How to substitute flour
All purpose flour can be used in recipe calling for self-rising flour. For each cup of flour in the recipe add 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Gee, thanks, but you know, if I've got the bag here, I've got the self-rising flour! I don't need to know how to make it!
Yeah, yeah, I can do the math...
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The blessing of blackberry syrup... Aug. 27, 2006
on our pancakes and waffles this morning... Oohh la la!
One more item in the "love" column for the wild blackberries!
What a blessing to be able to get up in the morning, walk out in the yard, pick fresh fruit and turn it into something delicious. (Not that they need to be turned into something to be delicious.)
Not everyone has the blessing of fruit in their yards. Some have beautiful wild birds perching in their trees, some have wonderful neighbors close by, and some live in town so are able to enjoy a walk to church and other places.
What is a special blessing of your home this morning?
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Skip that sugar! Aug. 8, 2006
Today the kids and I made peach cobbler for dessert. While they put together the dough, I prepped the peaches. The recipe called for 1/3 - 2/3 cup sugar for 4 cups of peaches! That seemed like a lot of sugar. Then I was supposed to cook the peaches first. Well, that seemed like too much work. So I just cut up the peaches, tossed them with flour and threw them raw into the baking pan. But the cobbler dough on top, and baked.
Oh man was it good! No one missed the sugar! I believe that it tasted better than a full-sugar version - the fruit taste wasn't obscured by the extra sweetness. I didn't miss the extra step of cooking down the peaches, either....
OK, if my math is right I only reduced the sugar calories by 85 per serving (based on the 2/3 cup option). But those calories add up fast! Plus we know sugar is not so great for other reasons.
I routinely skip or cut down the sugar when making fruit desserts, like apple crisps and such. Try it! You may be pleasantly surprised at the results.
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When you are cooking with turmeric... Jul. 22, 2006
Beautiful Cabbage Feb. 2, 2006
Cabbage
is one of those healthful veggies that so many people dislike, but I
think that's because they've never had it cooked right. Here is a
recipe I made last night that is so good. It takes a long time to
cook, but it was worth it. I had a hunk o'beef in the
crockpot and baked some red potatoes in the oven with the
cabbage.
World's Best Braised Green Cabbage Tuesday, January 31, 2006 (Portland Oregonian Foodday section) Makes 6 to 8 servings
Once
you read through this recipe, you'll see that there's not much to it at
all. Indeed, after you make the dish once, you won't need a recipe --
it's that simple. Serve as a wintertime side dish or as an appealing
vegetarian supper with beans or mashed potatoes. - 1 medium head green cabbage (about 2 pounds)
- 1 large yellow onion (about 8 ounces), thickly sliced
- 1 large carrot, cut into 1/4-inch rounds
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil (I did not use this much, maybe 1/2)
- 1/4 cup homemade chicken stock, canned broth or water
- Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
- Fleur de sel or coarse sea salt
1. Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Lightly oil a large gratin dish or baking dish (9-by-13-inch works well).
2.
Peel off and discard any ragged outer leaves from the cabbage. Cut the
cabbage into 8 wedges. Arrange the wedges in the baking dish in a
single layer; they may overlap some, but not too much. If all the
cabbage doesn't fit (if the cabbage weighs more than 2 pounds, it
probably won't), remove a wedge and use for something else.
3.
Scatter in the onion and carrot. Drizzle over the oil and stock or
water. Season with salt, pepper and the pepper flakes. Cover tightly
with foil, and slide into the middle of the oven to braise until the
vegetables are completely tender, about 2 hours. Turn the cabbage
wedges with tongs after an hour. Don't worry if the wedges want to fall
apart as you turn them; just do your best to keep them intact. If the
dish is drying out at all, add a few tablespoons of water.
4.
Once the cabbage is completely tender, remove the foil, increase the
oven heat to 400 degrees, and roast until the vegetables begin to
brown, another 15 minutes or so. Serve warm or at room temperature,
sprinkled with fleur de sel or other coarse salt. (The cabbage is
excellent the next day, too, either at room temperature or warmed in a
moderate oven for about 20 minutes.)
-- From "All About Braising: The Art of Uncomplicated Cooking," by Molly Stevens
PER
SERVING: calories: 99 (63% from fat); protein: 2 grams; total fat: 6.9
grams; saturated fat: 0.9 gram; cholesterol: 0; sodium: 160 mg;
carbohydrate: 9.3 grams; dietary fiber: 3.2 grams
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Preparing For Sunday Jan. 28, 2006
So
many people have blogged recently on preparing for Sabbath that I've
been inspired to spend my evening getting things ready so I don't have
to cook much tomorrow. I just finished putting together a
"marinate, dump, and bake" chicken recipe that I found in our local
paper. You can find it here.
I'm making the "Chicken Ali Bab" variation that's on the bottom.
We've never had it before. But I made the main recipe once for friends
and it turned out very well. I like dinners that don't have a lot
of last-minute work. My kids won't like the looks of it but they
can have some drumsticks with most of the sauce knocked off. I'll
probably have couscous and a salad or some other vegetable with
it.
I like recipes that offer variations because it gives me ideas for
changing things around. Most of the things in this recipe are usually
in my pantry, except for shallots. I happened to have some
today. But if I didn't, I would just use some other onions.
It took me a long time to learn that I don't have to prepare a recipe
exactly as it's published. Now it's easy to look at a recipe and
think how it could be changed around. Makes cooking more fun and
easier too.
The
dishes are done and I'm about the clear off the counter and set things
up so C can make pancakes in the morning. That is our Sunday
tradition: pancakes and bacon. Since lunch will be leftovers
(broccoli potato soup) and dinner requires almost no work, I will
be able to enjoy a true Sabbath tomorrow!
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Catered by Costco Dec. 10, 2005
Last
night was our annual "big" Christmas party. My family likes to
have one big get-together each year and we invite just about everyone
we know. This seems to be a very busy year because a lot of
people couldn't come. Or, maybe they just didn't want to.
There were a few people I didn't get around to inviting; next year for
sure. One family was missing because they just moved; they were
sorely missed, and not just for the good snacks they usually
contribute.
Usually I go crazy making everything but this year I bought a lot at
Costco and made just a few things myself. Mini-quiches are fun
party food, and people love them even if they don't want to admit
it. And though the parents may sneer at the Bagel Bite pizzas,
the kids love them and they are easy. A new (to me) find is soup
in aseptic containers; better than canned, but still
shelf-stable. Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato is really good, and
just goes into the crockpot with no work at all. I did make some
homemade clam chowder and Greek Avgolemono soup, and another friend
brought corn chowder. So we had 4 pots of soup lined up on or
near the stove, ladles and bowls, and people helped themselves as they
wanted to.
Some
friends brought cheese spreads and crackers, and one brought a plate of
homemade samosas. A selection of salamis, cheeses, olives, and breads,
and shrimp (cooked, frozen, from Costco) with cocktail sauce, and some
puff pastry breadsticks completed the savory offerings.
Costco also contributed to the desserts. I bought a baklava tray
there - $10 for 50 pieces. This was a huge hit and if you've ever
made baklava, you know it is a lot of work! So to me, this was
well worth the price. I made a few kinds of cookies.
Someone brought some cherry cobbler that brought raves and requests for
the recipe; it was made by Marie Callender and bought in the frozen
section of the grocery store! A few people brought cookies too.
People often shy away from a big party because of the time involved to
get ready, and the expense. With so many good frozen and prepared
foods available, it doesn't have to be time-consuming. Now that
doesn't help with the expense part because prepared food does cost
more. Having people bring food - which everyone is usually happy
to do - helps with both cost and time. I didn't list here all the
things people brought, but I don't think anyone came
empty-handed. Someone usually brings something to drink.
One woman brought a nice bottle of olive oil as a gift, but we poured
some into a shallow bowl for dipping bread into. Yum!
I follow my mother's example on having a party. She also had only one
big party each year, and she allowed herself to go over her food budget
for that one night. She didn't like to part with a nickel
unnecessarily, but she felt when she entertained it is important to
give her best. She always had shrimp cocktail. I remember
helping her clean raw shrimp till our hands were as wet and pink as the
shrimp! She might frown at my buying it already cooked and
frozen. But then again, maybe she'd be glad for it. She
didn't shy away from convenience if it didn't detract from the taste of
food.
Someone told me that she thinks it's wrong to
serve prepared or packaged food to guests; that we should make
everything ourselves. This shows care for our guests, she says.
But then I wonder: what is the focus? Is it to bring friends
together or is it to show off our culinary skills? This
particular woman is a fantastic cook and does like to show off her
skills; clearly she enjoys the compliments (especially from the men,
but that's a whole 'nother post someday). We love to see old
acquaintances get together again, perhaps for the first time since our
last party. And we love to bring new people together. Something
interesting always happens when we mingle different groups of friends.
Of course good-tasting food enhances an occasion. People come
together over a plate of baklava and a cup of coffee. If you
hesitate to do this because it's too much work to cook, I say head to
Costco and get some mini-quiches and a box of frozen cream puffs and
get those invitations going!
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The Best - Truly - Thanksgiving Leftover Recipe Nov. 26, 2005
Tonight
we made turkey enchiladas verdes for our almost-last night of
leftovers. This is the best leftover turkey recipe ever. I
cut it out of the San Francisco Chronicle years ago. Their
description: "Quick, simple, mindless. The perfect antidote
to the hustle-bustle of Thanksgiving." Perfect it is!
Ingredients:
Corn Oil
8 Corn Tortillas
3 Cups Chopped Roasted Turkey Meat
2 Cups Purchased Green Salsa With Tomatillos
1/3 Cup Sour Cream
3/4 Cup Grated Monterey Jack Cheese (or Pepper Jack if you like it a little hotter)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Brush a nonstick
frying pan with a light film of oil and place over medium heat.
When hot, fry the tortillas, one at a time, until just speckled with
brown and softened on both sides (do not let them get crisp); transfer
to a plate. Brush the pan with more oil as needed.
Stir together
the turkey, 1 1/2 cups of salsa, and the sour cream. Spoon equal
amounts of this mixture down the center of the prepared tortillas, fold
the sides of the tortillas over the filling, then place seam side down
in a baking dish. Spoon the remaining salsa in a band across the
enchiladas. Sprinkle with the cheese. Cover tightly with
foil.
Bake for 15 - 20
minutres, until the enchiladas are heated through and the cheese is
melted. (I usually let them cook uncovered for a couple minutes
to let the cheese get a little brown.) Serves 3 or 4.
Anyone else posting their best leftover recipes?
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Thanksgiving Feast Nov. 22, 2005
So
many people are posting their Thanksgiving menus so I thought I'd put
up mine. I like reading what other people are having! Even if
noone reads it, I can refer to it myself when I lose my handwritten
list. It's sure to happen.
Maple-glazed
roast turkey - a recipe I found in a Williams-Sonoma catalog a few
years ago. Wonderful, but the broth doesn't make such good soup
because of the strong maple flavor.
Three Corn Casserole - an old favorite found in a cooking newsgroup years ago.
Sweet Potato and Apple Scallop - a "Fanny Farmer" recipe I found in the newspaper last week.
Dressing with Italian Sausage, Fennel, and Fresh Herbs - also from the paper.
Cranberry sauce - the canned kind (J called it "pipe cranberry sauce"
as a little guy) for the kids and a homemade version with port wine for
the grownups. (I don't worry about the small amount of alcohol in
it, but the kids just don't like it. Not quite sweet enough to
make their teeth hurt. )
Wild Rice
Mashed Potatoes
Gravy - I hate gravy and have never successfully made it. This
year I'm trying some make-ahead gravy from the newspaper. The
turkey parts are simmering right now!
Green beans Sauteed with Shallots and Hazelnuts
Bread or rolls - C is picking these up tomorrow; I won't bake them this year.
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Apple Pie
Sparkly juice
Wine
Last night at Costco I picked up a roaster oven. I'd been hearing
about how good they are for extra oven space. Right now there's a
pumpkin bread baking in it. I have two ovens, but they are small
and the turkey takes up the entire "big" one. It's so small I
have to take out the racks to fit my roasting pan. So maybe this
will help streamline the cooking.
We're having 20 people, 12
of them kids. I finished sewing the dinner napkins this
afternoon. Later on I'll write up the timeline to have dinner
ready at 2 pm. Tomorrow I'll make the cran sauce, corn casserole
and sweet potato dishes so they just have to rewarm on Thursday.
I love Thanksgiving! Even if there are inaccuracies in our
traditions and we don't know the whole true story of the Pilgrims and
Indians... it is a blessed day around here.
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You Know Your Kids Are Eating Too Much Cheese Toast When... Nov. 18, 2005
flames
erupting in the toaster oven no longer elicit screams of terror but
instead a calm "Mom, get the baking soda, there's flaming cheese
again..."
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About Me |
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Musings of a slacker homeschool Mom
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