by BlondieWrites on December 16, 2009
The last thing any holiday cooks want to do is walk around the kitchen and find out that they are missing a vital item they need to finish a meal in fantastic fashion. Undoubtedly it has happened to you at least once. Be sure it doesn’t happen again with this pantry staple list for the holidays.
Each holiday, most of us prepare the same things. There are favorite family dishes that must be prepared or Aunt Minnie will have a fit. That goes for desserts as well. Since you know this in advance, let’s make sure that the kitchen cupboards are stocked with the items you use the most.
The pantry list includes items for the fridge, cupboard and the freezer. Let’s begin with the cupboard:
• Flour (all purpose, cake)
• Baking soda
• Dry yeast (for breads)
• Sugar (white, brown, confectioners’)
• Chocolate (bricks, squares, morsels, cocoa powder)
• Nuts (pecans, English walnuts, almonds)
• Spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, pepper)
• Baking powder
• Honey, oil, vinegar
• Broth
• Dried fruits
• Vegetables (sweet potatoes, white potatoes, onions, garlic)
• Rice
• Dried pasta
This is just a short list. Depending on your tastes, you’ll add or detract from it depending on your tastes. Now we move on to the fridge. Some items just need to stay in there to stay fresh. To know your refrigerated pantry staples, think of things that you are always sending someone to the store for.
• Milk
• Butter (not margarine)
• Sour cream
• Eggs
• Lemon juice
• Half and half
This list is shorter because you use these items more when you cook and bake around the holidays than any other time. The broth from the other list will end up in the fridge after you open it.
Don’t forget the freezer. Most of the freezer staples come into play with baking but they can pertain to cooking the meal if you make fruit relishes, cranberry sauce from scratch and other condiment additions to your holiday table.
• Frozen fruit (berry mix, peaches)
• Frozen vegetables (to make up for any shortfall with fresh veggie side dishes)
• Fruit juices from concentrate
As you can see, there are a lot of staples that you’ll need when cooking and baking for the holidays. You don’t necessarily have to account for every family member who darkens your door. If your list includes at least these items you are well on your way to a well-stocked holiday pantry.
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by BlondieWrites on December 3, 2009
Hawaiian Sausage Casserole Recipe
1 (20 oz) can pineapple chunks in juice — drained
1 (16 oz) can whole sweet potatoes; drained and cut into 1/2″ slices
3/4 pound smoked sausage — sliced
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
Drain the pineapple chunks, reserving the juice. Add enough water to the juice to measure 1-1/4 cups. Set aside. Place pineapple chunks, sweet potatoes, and sausage in a 10- x 6- x 2-inch baking dish. Set aside. Combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a saucepan. Gradually add pineapple juice mixture, stirring until blended. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and comes to a boil; boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add butter, stirring to melt. Pour over sausage mixture. Cover and bake at 350 degrees F. for 35 to 40 minutes. Yield: 6 servings..
Popularity: 2% [?]
by BlondieWrites on December 3, 2009
Pizza Omelet Recipe
8 eggs
1/2 pound bulk sausage, browned and drained
3/4 bell pepper, chopped fine
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1/2 cup chopped green onion tops
1 (4 1/2 ounce) jar chopped mushrooms, drained
2 cups grated Cheddar cheese
Over very low heat, in a 12-inch black-iron skillet coated with nonstick cooking spray, break in the eggs (not beaten). Sprinkle browned sausage to cover all eggs lightly. Sprinkle bell pepper, onions and mushrooms over eggs. Cover entire skillet with grated cheese. Let cook very slowly until the egg yolks and vegetables are done. Slice into one-egg portions to serve.
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by BlondieWrites on October 6, 2009
During the summer months, I like to make my own homemade spaghetti sauce. Once I have it made, I will freeze or can it for future use. This particular sauce is great for spaghetti, lasagna, rigatoni, ravioli and manicotti.
Italian Spaghetti Sauce Recipe
6 lbs. lean ground beef
2 (8 ounce) packages of pepperoni
2 (12 ounce) cans tomato paste
2 (15 ounce) cans Italian tomato sauce
5 (29 ounce) cans tomato puree
2 1/2 teaspoons seasoning salt
1 teaspoon onion salt
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons table salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
2 tablespoons oregano leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons red pepper
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 tablespoons dried onion
1/2 teaspoon rosemary
1/2 teaspoon thyme
Brown the lean ground beef in a large frying pan, drain off burger grease. In a large stock pot, combine cooked beef, pepperoni, tomato paste, tomato sauce and tomato puree. Cook for 10 minutes on medium heat. Turn heat down to simmer and stir in all of the spices. Simmer the sauce for 45 to 60 minutes to allow all of the spices to infuse into the sauce mixture.
How to can your spaghetti sauce:
Sterilize and clean your canning jars. (I prefer using quart-sized wide mouth jars). Ladle hot mixture into hot jars. Clean the rims of jars with a clean cotton towel. Seal jars and then process in a water bath canner for 30 minutes. Remove jars from canner and allow them to cool down in a non-drafty area of your kitchen.
Note: You can also freeze the spaghetti sauce in freezer safe airtight containers.
Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com
Shelly Hill has been working from home in Direct Sales since 1989 and is a Manager with Tupperware. Shelly enjoys canning, cooking and baking for her family and friends. You can visit Shelly online at: my.tupperware.com/Ravish30 or her Shakin ‘N Bakin Recipe Blog at: wahmshelly.blogspot.com
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by BlondieWrites on September 20, 2009
Convenience foods such as premade pizzas, frozen dinners, or refrigerated mashed potatoes make life easier. The question is: are they easier on our food budgets? You might be surprised to learn that convenience foods are actually more expensive. Here’s how cooking from scratch can save you money.
Yes, it’s true that many people have given up cooking and baking from scratch in favor of store-bought convenience foods. And while they may help you get dinner on the table quickly after a day out and about, they pale in comparison when you look at nutritive value and bang for your buck. The truth is cooking for scratch is better for your health and your pocket book.
* Plan your meals ahead of time and you can save time and money. You’ll be able to make a grocery list based on your meal plan which will enable you to get everything you need for the week. This will keep you from running back to the store when you don’t know what to fix or run out of something.
* Buy in bulk. Items bought in bulk always come out cheaper per unit than buying them pre-packaged. Most stores have identification cards showing the cost-per-unit price. Take a look and you’ll see it costs less to buy the big bag of rice rather than boxes with just enough for a few servings.
* Prepare for more than one meal at a time. Here’s an example: You plan on making spaghetti with meat sauce for dinner. You have five pounds of ground beef. Instead of taking out just what you need for the meal, go ahead and cook all of it at once. You can freeze what you don’t need for use at a later date. Remember to mark on the freezer container what the item is, when it was frozen, and a suggested use-by date. This can be done with many foods – casseroles, meats with or without sauce, and desserts.
* Use fresh when possible. You’ve probably seen the little bags of pre-chopped vegetables. They make it easier when you need them, but there’s no reason you can’t make your own rather than spending a good bit to have the chopping done for you. Buy the vegetables when they’re cheaper, chop them up all at once, and then freeze what you don’t need.
* Don’t forget your crock pot. If you know you’re going to be rushed one day, there’s no need to head for the nearest drive through. Planning ahead and cooking from scratch can easily be accomplished in your crock pot. Chop needed vegetables, pre-season meat, and get as much done the night before if you know you’ll be rushed in the morning. Put everything in the crock pot before you leave for the day and you’ll return home to a hot, home cooked meal your family will love.
* Use what you have. Be sure to look through your pantry, refrigerator, and freezer to see what you already have on-hand. This will help you to use items before they expire, let you know what you need to purchase, and allow you to save money on your grocery bill on those weeks money is tight.
It’s not hard to learn how cooking from scratch can save you money. The more meals you cook from scratch, the more money you can save on your food budget. Cooking from scratch also enables you to know exactly what went into the meal so you don’t have to be concerned about additives and preservatives.
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by BlondieWrites on July 16, 2009
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by BlondieWrites on December 19, 2008
How many times have we opted for fast food for lunch or dinner instead of cooking? There’s no telling how much money we’ve spent on that one meal that easily becomes a few (or more) meals a week. Instead of picking up that telephone and calling for delivery pizza, get the family together and make one at home.
Making homemade pizza can become a great new family tradition. Choose a day of the week when everyone can get together and enjoy the experience. You can even pretend that you are in a real Italian eatery and go all out by decorating the dining room table to resemble a pizzeria.
The best thing about homemade pizza is picking the toppings. Since it is your personal pizza, you can have as many different toppings as your heart desires. It’s a chance to raid the cabinets and the fridge to find good stuff to top your creation.
How will you prepare the crust? Now, this step can be easy or an adventure. If you wimp out and go easy, you can use an already prepared crust from the store like Pillsbury pizza crust in the pop open can or a Boboli pizza crust.
It you want to treat the family to a high time of flour and dough, choose to make your own crusts. With your own, the size of the pizza can be customized for each person in the family. Making your own dough crusts will also make use of those handy pantry staples. You can find a classic pizza dough recipe on the Internet and in just about any cookbook, so find one that you like and go to it.
When the dough is ready, shape it into a circle of appropriate size. Create a rim on the dough so that the sauce won’t bubble over onto the oven rack. Now comes the fun part. The dough is ready to be dressed to the hilt.
For the sauce, we’ll let you slide and use the store bought kind if you wish. Spread the sauce over the dough and be sure to cover it to the rim. Next, top the pizza sauce with your favorite cheeses. It’s more economical to purchase a block of cheese and use a grater to slice it for pizza toppings. Those already shredded bags have only two or three cups in each which is not going to go the distance for an entire family. Besides, fresh cheese melts better.
Want to have even more fun with your family pizza creations? See who can make the wackiest pizza. Throw a little leftover chicken or hamburger on top. How about jalapenos? They are good for those who like it hot. Don’t forget the spices. It wouldn’t be a pizza without oregano, basil, and some thyme.
If you have at least two baking stones or pizza trays, you can make more than one at a time. Everyone can help to clean up while you wait for dinner to be ready. When the timer goes off, Bon ApetÍt!
If there are leftovers of your pizza, enjoy them tomorrow morning for breakfast!
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by BlondieWrites on December 19, 2008
What do you do when a meal is finished? Most of us wash the dishes and wrap up the leftovers, but what happens to the leftover portions not eaten? Do they get consumed later or do they sit in the refrigerator until they start to smell and you finally throw them out? If you tend to do the latter, how about saving some time and money by learning how to use those leftovers in new ways to surprise your family at dinner time.
Some people like leftovers and some do not. Still then, many will eat them one day out, but quickly get tired of eating the same thing over and over. Here’s a way to fix the problem if you or someone in your family is the same way. Let’s start with an example.
You prepare a roasted pork loin and rice for dinner one night. The family wants something else for dinner the following night so the pork loin gets pushed to the back of the refrigerator. Normally, that’s where it will stay until you clean out the fridge, right? Not anymore. Let’s do something to keep that pork loin from going to waste.
Eating leftovers the way they were originally served, is probably what’s turning family members off from wanting it again the next night. Your family doesn’t have to eat the pork loin as is. So, chop that pork loin up into bite size pieces.
Now you’re probably thinking, ok that’s great, but what do I do with it now? In a large skillet or wok, stir fry the leftover rice with a bag of frozen veggies, an egg, and some of the chopped pork loin to make pork fried rice. Add a little soy sauce and you’ve got a whole new dinner for your hungry family.
This is just one way that leftovers can be turned into a new dish with a new flavor. The same can also be done using chicken, seafood, or beef. Let’s take a look at beef.
If you have hamburgers left from dinner, chop them up until they resemble ground beef again. The meat can be combined with chili powder and taco sauce to make beef tacos. Or, add some beans, chopped peppers and tomatoes, and sauce to create a pot of chili. If you have the imagination, there are an unlimited number of possibilities of what you can do with meats and side dishes from a previous night’s dinner.
Using a little leftover magic can make one meal last for two, three, or even four more days. But, you don’t have to eat it all in the same week. Fix a new meal with the leftovers and freeze it until you are ready to have that particular meat again. On that day, dinner will already be made, all you’ll need to do is heat it up. Yes, it really can be just that simple.
Your family will be amazed at your ability to transform any meal into a new creation they will enjoy. Besides that, you will save money on your grocery bill and won’t be throwing it away in the trash can as spoiled leftovers. Try these and similar ideas to expand your family’s palate.
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