Posted on 03/23/2008 11:36:40 PM PDT by nw_arizona_granny
Americans finding soaring food prices hard to stomach can battle back by growing their own food. [Click image for a larger version] Dean Fosdick Dean Fosdick
Home vegetable gardens appear to be booming as a result of the twin movements to eat local and pinch pennies.
At the Southeastern Flower Show in Atlanta this winter, D. Landreth Seed Co. of New Freedom, Pa., sold three to four times more seed packets than last year, says Barb Melera, president. "This is the first time I've ever heard people say, 'I can grow this more cheaply than I can buy it in the supermarket.' That's a 180-degree turn from the norm."
Roger Doiron, a gardener and fresh-food advocate from Scarborough, Maine, said he turned $85 worth of seeds into more than six months of vegetables for his family of five.
A year later, he says, the family still had "several quarts of tomato sauce, bags of mixed vegetables and ice-cube trays of pesto in the freezer; 20 heads of garlic, a five-gallon crock of sauerkraut, more homegrown hot-pepper sauce than one family could comfortably eat in a year and three sorts of squash, which we make into soups, stews and bread."
[snipped]
She compares the current period of market uncertainty with that of the early- to mid-20th century when the concept of victory gardens became popular.
"A lot of companies during the world wars and the Great Depression era encouraged vegetable gardening as a way of addressing layoffs, reduced wages and such," she says. "Some companies, like U.S. Steel, made gardens available at the workplace. Railroads provided easements they'd rent to employees and others for gardening."
(Excerpt) Read more at dallasnews.com ...
Creative, Economical Cooking
by Nikki Willhite
www.allthingsfrugal.com
Achieving Savings with Substitutions that are safe!
Many people think when they follow a recipe from a cookbook they must follow it exactly. This is not true, and it is not cost effective.
This is especially true when it comes to casseroles. Some recipes have numerous ingredient, many which can be discarded without any significant loss of flavor.
You need only to look up the recipe for something like Beef Stroganoff in several different cookbooks to see the many variations of this basic dish.
If you are trying to save money in the kitchen, you will want to make your food as delicious as possible, using the fewest amount of ingredients possible. A lot of recipes call for things we don’t normally stock in our cupboards. If we buy them, we may only use a portion of them, and the rest may go to waste.
Sometimes a recipe calls us to purchase just too many ingredients. We don’t make it because we calculate that the cost per servicing is too expensive.
Sometimes we can get the flavor we want by using substitutes for items we don’t want to buy. There are many commercial substitutes already...such as IMO for sour cream, and margarine for butter. I use IMO both in dip and when I make beef stroganoff. I almost always use margarine.
Here are a few substitutes that may help you. You can decide if there is a noticeable difference in quality.
-If a recipe calls for cake flour, just remove 2 Tablespoons of flour for every Cup of Flour.
-For self rising flour add 1 teaspoon of baking powder and ¼ teaspoon of salt to every Cup of Flour.
- If out of milk, use 1/2 Cup evaporated milk mixed with 1/2 Cup water.
-A Buttermilk substitute can be make from yogurt. Add 2 Tablespoons milk, and 1 Tablespoon Vinegar or Lemon Juice to 1 Cup Milk. Let it set 10 minutes and then stir.
-To make whole milk out of 1 Cup of skim milk, add 3 Tablespoons of cream.
-A cream cheese substitute is 1 Cup of cottage chess mixed with 1/4 Cup of butter/margarine.
-For sour cream use 1 Cup of yogurt mixed with 3 Tablespoons melted butter.
-For baking powder use 1/4 teaspoon baking soda mixed with 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar.
-When baking with chocolate, 3 Tablespoons Cocoa with 2 ½ teaspoons butter is equal to one unsweetened chocolate baking square.
-For lemon juice, use 1/2 teaspoon of white vinegar.
-All canned tomato products may be interchanged. Add water to tomato paste to make tomato sauce.
Olives, mushrooms, green peppers, onions...and such can usually be left out of recipes. Think of a casserole like a pizza. You can eat a plain cheese pizza, or you can eat one that is fully loaded!
Help in the Kitchen—20 Useful Tips!
by Cyndi Roberts
Here are a few tried-and-true easy ideas for saving time and your energy (and maybe even your sanity!)in the kitchen!
1. When a bottle of corn syrup or pancake syrup is almost empty and that last bit is taking forever to come out— just warm it in the microwave for a few seconds. It will be thinner and it will run right out!
2. When a recipe says to cover with aluminum foil while baking, just turn a cookie sheet upside down over the dish. Saves time and foil!
4. To make uniform sized muffins in a hurry, use an ice cream scoop to fill the cups. It is also lots neater!
5. To get that onion smell out of your hands after you’ve been peeling and chopping onions, sprinkle table salt on your hands and rub them together. Wash with soap and water and the smell will be gone!
6. Did you know that any brand of bottled Italian Salad Dressing makes a good marinade for meat?
7. When browning ground beef, try using a pastry blender to break the meat into smaller pieces. It works much better than a fork.
8. Canned chicken broth is a very tasty addition to any canned vegetable, instead of water. You might want to use the fat-free version.
9. Hate to spend the time it takes to clean that crockpot with the baked-on food? Line your slow-cooker with foil before adding recipe ingredients and clean up is a snap!
10. To make all your pancakes the same size, use your gravy ladle to pour the batter!
11. Your potato masher will mash bananas for banana bread or avocadoes for guacamole in a hurry!
12. Buy several oranges and lemons when they are on sale. Put them in the freezer in zip-top bags. When a recipe calls for juice, just defrost in the microwave. When a recipe calls for grated peel, it’s easy to grate while frozen.
13. Add a dash of vinegar to the water when boiling cabbage. You won’t taste it, but it will cut down on the strong aroma.
14. For easier, faster grating, store fresh ginger in the fridge.
15. Use your bottle brush or a clean old toothbrush to clean the grater after grating onions or cheese. Much faster and no more scraped hands!
16. To easily remove marshmallow creme from the jar, dip your spoon or knife in hot water first.
17. For easy-to-peel baked sweet potatoes, rub the skin with vegetable oil before baking. The skins will come right off.
18. Peel your vegetables over a half sheet of newspaper. When you’re finished, just fold up and throw it all away!
19. To keep your graham cracker pie crust from getting soggy, be sure to use only butter or regular margarine. Don’t use the new low-fat spreads. You can also bake it to keep it crisp. Just let it cool before adding filling.
20. When broiling meat, put 1/2 cup of water in the drip pan. There will be no smoke and cleanup is a snap!
Cyndi Roberts is the editor of “1 Frugal Friend 2 Another” bi-weekly newsletter, bringing you creative, practical tips to help you with budgeting, cooking, shopping, parenting and much more as you strive to “live the Good Life... on a budget”. To subscribe visit the “1 Frugal Friend 2 Another” website at http://www.cynroberts.com
http://www.allthingsfrugal.com/l_pasta.htm
Ten Steps to Perfect Pasta
by Skip Lombardi
I’m amazed at how often I get e-mail from a disgruntled home cook, lamenting the fact that, once again, a dish of pasta has turned into a culinary disaster. I hear stories of overcooked, undercooked, tasteless pasta that may also be stuck together, or otherwise inedible. In fact, I recently had the experience where I was shopping with a friend and I suggested that she buy some pasta. Her response was that it was too unpredictable to cook.
It needn’t be that way. First of all, 90% of cooking is being there. That is, letting the telephone ring through to voice-mail; perhaps leaving guests in the living room sipping their Chardonnay and simply keeping your focus on the task at hand. And by being there-that is, tending the pasta-you’ll be able to do the only test available to judge its doneness: to taste.
Those two tips alone will improve your pasta-cooking skills, but I offer here, ten little steps that, taken together, will guarantee a perfect dish of pasta every time. Follow these steps, and you’ll prepare pasta that will consistently impress your family, your friends, and your harshest critic; you.
1. All pasta is not created equal. Choose a brand with a solid reputation in the marketplace. De Cecco and Barilla are two fine brands readily available in supermarkets.
2. Use a pot that’s large enough to accommodate the pasta without crowding. For one pound of pasta, an eight-quart pot is good; a ten- quart pot is better. Pasta needs room to move freely as it cooks. At a minimum, use nothing smaller than a six-quart pot.
3. Use plenty of water. For one pound of pasta, you should use at least six quarts of water.
4. Add salt to the water. About 1 Tbs. per gallon. Salt adds flavor to the pasta that helps to create a well-seasoned dish. Often, a perfectly seasoned sauce will still taste like it needs “something” because the pasta is unseasoned.
5. Bring the water to a full, rolling boil before adding the pasta. One of the prime causes for pasta sticking together is that the water had not yet come to a full boil. When you add pasta to water that has not yet reached the boiling point, it releases natural starches, which act like glue. Since the pasta is simply sitting in the water at the time, the strands stick together.
6. Bring the water back to the boil as quickly as possible after adding the pasta. In the case of pasta strands, like spaghetti or linguine, stir the pasta until it has wilted and become submerged in the cooking water, then cover the pot until the water returns to the boil. When the water has boiled, though, uncover the pot, and finish cooking uncovered.
7. Stir the pasta two or three times throughout the cooking process. Pasta cooks in eight to ten minutes. The brief time you spend attending to it away from family or guests will reap huge rewards at the dinner table.
8. Never add olive oil to the pasta cooking water. The olive oil coats the pasta, and prevents sauce from adhering to it when you’ve put the entire dish together.
9. Cook the pasta to the ‘al dente’ state. The only way to judge this is by tasting. Manufacturer’s cooking times are mere guidelines. Begin tasting the pasta about two minutes before the manufacturer says it should be done. Also, there will be a small amount of carryover cooking between the time you remove the pasta from the stove, drain in the sink, and combine with the sauce.
10. Never rinse pasta. When you rinse pasta, you’re washing away most of the starches and nutrients that you were seeking to enjoy in the first place.
So be there. Be attentive. Taste, and learn when pasta has cooked to the consistency that you like. Follow these ten little steps, and you’ll develop a reputation as a miracle worker with pasta. And with the myriad of sauces in the Italian and Italian-American cuisines, you will have expanded your cooking repertoire beyond your wildest dreams.
Skip Lombardi is the author of two cookbooks: “La Cucina dei Poveri: Recipes from my Sicilian Grandparents,” and “Almost Italian: Recipes from America’s Little Italys.” He has been a Broadway musician, high- school math teacher, software engineer, and a fledgeling blogger. But he has never let any of those pursuits get in the way of his passion for cooking and eating. Visit his Web site to learn more about his cookbooks. http://www.skiplombardi.com or mailto:info@skiplombardi.com
Making Pasta Salads for a Rest Easy Summer
by Monica Resinger
With the warmer months coming soon, or for some of us, already here, salad making can be a valuable asset. Why? because when it’s warm, most of us would rather be doing something other than cooking like relaxing in the sun, visiting with family and friends, or gardening. Pasta salads can be made ahead and when served with grilled meat, dinnertime can be hassle free which will allow for more sleeping in the sun or doing what YOU want to do.
I happen to be very fond of pasta salads not only because they taste good, but because they are so versatile. They can also be a complete meal by themselves. But even though they can be a complete meal, I usually serve them with grilled meats. Here are some ideas for making pasta salads.
Make a unique pasta salad by using ingredients from each of the following categories:
Pasta: your choice; macaroni, spaghetti, bow ties, spiral, or whatever you want; prepare according to package directions.
Dressing: your choice of purchased salad dressing, homemade dressing, or a dry mix. Tip: if you want low-cal, use a dry mix with nonfat sour cream, plain yogurt and/or reduced fat mayonnaise.
Vegetables: your choice of chopped vegetables; peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, snap peas, celery, onion, cucumber, zucchini or whatever you have on hand. Sometimes the vegetables (green beans and carrots are examples) taste better if you cook them for a minute or two in boiling water.
Meat (optional): pepperoni, chopped roast beef, chopped bologna, tuna, salmon, bacon, leftover meat or any meat you may have on hand.
Cheese (optional): cubed or shredded mozzarella, cheddar, Monterey jack, colby or whatever you have on hand.
Other (optional): chopped dill or sweet pickles, chopped fresh herbs, or chopped olives.
By using this method, you get a different salad every time you make one!
My favorite pasta salad is spaghetti salad. My mom first served this at a Fourth of July gathering and we have been hooked on it since. All you do is cook spaghetti noodles, drain, run them under cold water to cool them down and drain again. Add the drained noodles to a bowl, add purchased Italian Salad dressing (to taste), your choice of chopped vegetables and, if you want, chopped meat. Chill.
Be sure to make pasta salads ahead of time and refrigerate them to let the flavors blend and to save preparation work at dinnertime. If for some reason you don’t get to make it ahead of time, don’t worry about it, the salad will still taste good.
You can garnish your pasta salads with fresh herbs, or, if you don’t have any fresh, sprinkle some dried herb on top.
I hope you’ll be making more pasta salads than ever this summer so you can spend more of your time enjoying the summer the way you want.
Get Monica’s FREE e-zine for homemakers 3 times per week; just send a blank e-mail to: HomemakersJournal-subscribe@yahoogroups.com Get FREE home and garden e-books at Monica’s website, ‘Homemaker’s Journal E-publications’; Click here: http://homemakersjournal.com
Save Time in the Kitchen. Cook Pasta the way Restaurant Chefs Do
by Skip Lombardi
Have you ever wondered how a restaurant can get a dish of pasta to your table in about four minutes when you know it takes ten minutes just to cook the pasta? Does the water on their stoves boil at a higher temperature than the water on yours? Do they know a trick that you don’t? As a matter of fact, they do.
They parboil, or partially pre-cook their pasta; so when an order comes in to the kitchen, a cook can turn out a dish of perfectly ‘al dente’ pasta in a minute or two. Pre-cooking is a worthwhile technique for home cooks, because it enables them to pull together a great sit-down meal in practically no time, no matter how busy their day may have been.
It’s also a great method to use when you plan to serve pasta for a crowd. I once catered a party for fifty, where I had a “pasta bar.” With the assistance of one helper, and two propane burners, I served fifty portions of freshly cooked pasta (al dente) without holding anyone up in the buffet line.
To parboil pasta at home, bring a large pot of salted water (at least six quarts) to the boil. Add one pound of pasta and stir until the pasta wilts (in the case of spaghetti or linguine) and becomes submerged. When the water returns to a full, rolling boil, cook the pasta for exactly two minutes, then drain, shock in ice water, and drain again. Note: Strand pasta like spaghetti or linguine will be brittle, so handle them with care.
Place the pasta in a container large enough to hold it, then add enough olive oil to just coat each strand. Cover and refrigerate until needed. Parboiled pasta will keep, refrigerated, for four to six hours.
Note: Coating pasta with olive oil flies in the face of conventional wisdom that says, “Never coat pasta with olive oil. The sauce won’t adhere to the pasta.” Well, conventional wisdom aside, sauce sticks to parboiled pasta like glue. What else can I say?
When it’s time to cook dinner, bring a large pot of salted water to the boil, add the pasta (You’ll note that the pasta has softened over the time you’ve had it refrigerated. This is perfectly fine.), cook for one or two minutes, then drain in a colander. Be sure to taste after a minute or so. The pasta cooks quickly. Serve as you would any pasta that you had cooked for eight to ten minutes.
Again, this is a great, worthwhile technique to use at home, because you can parboil the pasta at a time of day when you’re not juggling three or four other tasks, like preparing a sauce, or a salad. And when it’s time to prepare the rest of dinner, you’ll feel more confident in the outcome, because you can focus more of your attention on the other parts of the meal.
Try this technique once, and you could be hooked. You may not be serving fifty or sixty people per night, but you’ll be cooking just like a chef in a neighborhood Italian restaurant.
Skip Lombardi is the author of two cookbooks: “La Cucina dei Poveri: Recipes from my Sicilian Grandparents,” and “Almost Italian: Recipes from America’s Little Italys.” He has been a Broadway musician, high- school math teacher, software engineer, and a fledgeling blogger. But he has never let any of those pursuits get in the way of his passion for cooking and eating. Visit his Web site to learn more about his cookbooks. http://www.skiplombardi.com or mailto:info@skiplombardi.com
http://www.allthingsfrugal.com/p_spaghetti.htm
Easy Spaghetti Recipes
by Rachel Paxton
Spaghetti has always been a favorite family meal. My teenage daughter will eat leftover spaghetti for breakfast, lunch, and as a mid-afternoon snack. Not everyone loves spaghetti so much that they will go to that extreme, however, and the same meals can getting boring after awhile. Here are some ways to jazz up this old favorite:
Italian Sausage Spaghetti
2 lbs. Italian sausage
48 oz. spaghetti sauce
1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
Green pepper, sliced thin
1 lg. onion, sliced thin
1 tbsp. Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. parsley flakes
1 c. water
Place sausage in skillet and cover in water. Simmer 10 minutes; drain. Meanwhile, place remaining ingredients in crock pot. Add drained sausage and cover; cook on low 4 hours. Increase to high; cook 1 hour more. Cut sausage in bite-size slices and serve over cooked spaghetti. Sprinkle with more Parmesan, if desired.
Irish Italian Spaghetti
1 onion, chopped
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 lb. ground beef
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
Dash of red pepper
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. tabasco sauce
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can condensed tomato soup
1 (8 oz.) package spaghetti
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
Brown onion in oil. Add meat and seasonings. Brown lightly, cover. Simmer 10 minutes. Add soups, cover and simmer 45 minutes. Cook spaghetti. Cover with sauce and Parmesan cheese.
Baked Spaghetti
1 c. chopped onion
1 c. chopped green pepper
1 tbsp. butter or margarine
1 (28 oz.) can tomatoes with liquid, cut up
1 (4 oz.) can mushroom stems and pieces, drained
1 (2 ¼ oz.) can sliced ripe olives, drained
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 lb. hamburger, browned
12 oz. spaghetti, cooked and drained
2 c. shredded Cheddar cheese
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 c. water
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
In a large skillet, saute onion and green pepper in butter until tender. Add tomatoes, mushrooms, olives, and oregano. Add
ground beef. Simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes. Place half of the spaghetti in a greased 13x9x2-inch baking dish. Top with
half of the vegetable mixture. Sprinkle with 1 c. cheddar cheese. Repeat layers. Mix soup and water until smooth; pour over casserole. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes. Six to 8 servings.
Chicken Spaghetti Casserole
1/2 c. margarine
1 c. chopped red bell pepper
1 (4 oz.) can sliced mushrooms, chopped
1/4 c. chopped hot pepper rings
2 c. chicken broth
1/4 c. flour
2 c. cooked chicken, chopped
1 (4 oz.) can diced pimento
1 tsp. salt
1 oz. chopped slivered almonds
1/2 lb. spaghetti, broken
4 slices American cheese
Melt margarine and cook peppers and mushrooms until tender; add flour and blend well. Add chicken broth. Cook and stir until thickened. Add chicken, pimento, and seasonings; heat and add almonds.
Cook spaghetti in boiling water for about 9 minutes. Drain and mix with previous ingredients. Place in casserole dish and cover with slices of American cheese. Heat at 325 degrees until cheese is melted (approx. 30 to 45 minutes). Serve.
Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom who is the author of What’s for Dinner?, an e-cookbook containing more than 250 quick easy dinner ideas. For more recipes, organizing tips, home decorating, crafts, holiday hints, and more, visit Creative Homemaking at http://www.creativehomemaking.com.
Easy Plum Jello
by Nikki Willhite
www.allthingsfrugal.com
Why did we ever plant so many fruit trees? What am I going to do with all that fruit? Even my family of 5 can’t eat it all. I don’t want to waste food.
Seattle does not have a long growing season. However, one thing that seems to flourish is the plum tree. What to do with all those plums?
It would be nice if we ate jelly, but no one around here likes it. I am happy to say that I finally came up with a delicious solution to our plum problem.
Take out your canning jars, and your canner. Following the directions in your canning manual carefully; boil the skin off those plums, and then just put them in your mason jars and boil them the allotted time until they are done. Canning is not my favorite thing to do- but as canning goes, this is one of the easier projects.
Now- this recipe is so simple I’m almost embarrased to write it. But it is delicious. Next time you make jello, take out one of those jars you put up with the canned plums. Put the plums in your blender and puree them. After you get your jello in your pan, just add the liquid plum mixture, and chill.
You will be amazed at the delicious taste this gives your jello. The plum mixture goes with every flavor of jello. For the truly ambitious, you can always add things like cream cheese, marshmellows, coconut, nuts, etc. For the truly frugal, you need nothing- it’s great.
[Granny would like this better than cranberry sauce...]
Stove Top Budget Meal
By Nikki Willhite
www.allthingsfrugal.com
Here is another economical recipe to feed your family. You don’t have to heat up your oven, and it has lots of nutrition for the money.
Ingredients:
1 Pound Hamburger cooked
1 Onion, sliced
4-5 potatoes, sliced
1/4 Cup minced celery
1 Can Tomato Soup
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
Salt and Pepper to taste
Fry your hamburger first. Then add your sliced onions, potatoes and celery. Top this with the can of tomato soup. Fill up the empty tomato soup can with water, and add. Add the rest of the seasonings.
Cover and boil for about 40 minutes or until done. Keep an eye on the water so it doesn’t dry out until the very end.
Add leftovers to save even more money, and spice it up with the seasonings you family enjoys. For instance, I don’t make anything without adding Cumin and green peppers. It’s just our personal preference. Some people can’t tolerate onions. Just don’t use them. Fresh garlic is always great.
Some people put bread crumbs on or into everything. It’s another way to use bread that’s gotten old. I admire people that never waste a drop of food.
http://www.allthingsfrugal.com/breadmaker.recipes.htm
Breadmaker Recipes
By Lynne Birch
When bread makers first came out years back people felt that all you could use them for was plain white bread. Well that is not even close to being true any more. There are now dozens of fantastic recipes available for all kinds of bread. What you will find is that the ingredients you use in a bread machine will be a little different than if you were baking bread normally. The results are just as good however.
Below is a selection of recipes that are very simple to make, very affordable, and most of all, deliciously healthy. They only take a few minutes to prepare and the results will make everyone happy. So go ahead and try them out. Crack open your breadmaker and give one of these yummy recipes a try.
Basic White Bread
1 1/4 cups water
2 tablespoons powdered milk
2 TBSP oil (l usually use canola)
1 tsp salt
3 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp yeast
Just use the standard wet on the bottom dry on top mixing process. This is delicious with butter and honey while it is still hot.
3/4 cup warm water
2 TBSP honey (liquid or melted)
2 TBSP olive oil
1 tsp salt
2 TBSP lemon juice
3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (mixed grain flower is OK too)
1/2 cup rolled oats
2 tsps granulated yeast
Put the salt in the breadmaker first, then add all other ingredients except the yeast, oats and flour. Add the oats and flour. Make a small hole at the top of the dry ingredients for the yeast. Bake as usual.
This yields a moist and tasty loaf. It also stores very well, but you’ll probably finish it before that even matters!
1 and 1/8 cups buttermilk
1 tsp salt
2 TBSP sugar
.75 cup extra sharp chedder (grated)
3 cups bread flour
1.5 tsps bread machine yeast
Prepare as usual. All wet ingredients first, then the cheese, then dry ingredients, and the yeast on top.
Use natural rolled oats. Just put them in a pot with boiling water, and then let them soak until they cool off. Then add the other ingredients and proceed as usual.
1 cup rolled oats
11 fl.oz. water
1/2 tsp salt
3 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 cups flour
1 tsp yeast
Baking bread is a wonderfully delicious way to add great nutrition to you family’s diet. Give the recipes a try and add some flavour to your meals.
About the Author: Lynne Birch writes on home decor and home improvement. Our selection of articles and reviews of kitchen appliances that is growing daily. Bread Machine updates.
2 Ingredient Muffins
Ingredients
2 cups self-rising flour
2 pint vanilla ice cream, softened
Beat until smooth. Spoon mixture into greased muffin tins (approx 3/4 full).
Bake at 425 degrees for 20 – 25 minutes.
[this is frugal?...granny]
Basic Quick Mix and Recipes
by Rachel Paxton
With an easy basic quick mix, you can make a wide variety of inexpensive homemade biscuits, breads, and other baked goods. This mix is easy to make and store and great for any family on a tight budget.
Basic Quick Mix Recipe
10 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/4 c nonfat dry milk
1/3 c. baking powder
1 tbsp. salt
2 c vegetable shortening (room temperature)
Measure flour into a large bowl. Stir in baking powder, dry milk, and salt, mixing well. Use an electric mixer on medium speed to mix shortening into other ingredients until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.
Storing mix:
Store basic quick mix in a ziploc bag or container with a tight lid. This mix can be stored at room temperature about 2 weeks. Will keep a couple of months in refrigerator or freezer. Bring mix to room temperature before using.
Using mix:
Do not sift mix for recipes. Stir lightly before measuring mix. When measuring mix into a bowl, level off measuring cup with the straight edge of a knife.
Basic Biscuits
2 c. basic quick mix
1/2 c. water
Stir together quick mix and water. Turn dough onto a lightly floured board, kneading lightly. Roll 1/2 inch thick. Cut with biscuit cutter and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes.
Note: For drop biscuits, increase water to 2/3 cup. After mixing flour and water together, drop by spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. 1/3 c. grated cheese can be added to dough before dropping onto cookie sheet.
Basic Muffins
2 c. basic quick mix
4 tsp. sugar
1 egg, beaten
2/3 c. water
Stir sugar into quick mix. Add water and egg. Fill greased muffin tins 2/3 c. full and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Variation: Add 1/2 c. of favorite chopped fruit.
Basic Pancakes
2 c. basic quick mix
1 tsp. sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 c. water
Stir sugar into quick mix. Add water and egg. Pour pancakes onto heated griddle, turning pancakes when bubbles appear on the pancake surface.
The Internet is a great source for more quick mix recipes. Just type “quick mix recipes” into your favorite search engine!
Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom who is the author of What’s for Dinner?, an e-cookbook containing more than 250 quick easy dinner ideas. For more recipes, organizing tips, home decorating, crafts, holiday hints, and more, visit Creative Homemaking at http://www.creativehomemaking.com.
Four Easy Zucchini Bread Recipes
by Rachel Paxton
Tired of the same old zucchini bread recipe and want to try something new? Here is a standard zucchini bread recipe in addition to three variations your family is sure to love.
Zucchini Bread
3 eggs
1 cup oil
2 cups sugar
2 cups peeled and grated zucchini
3 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup nuts
3 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
Stir together eggs, oil, sugar, zucchini. Sift together flour, soda, salt, cinnamon, and baking powder. Add to zucchini mixture. Stir in vanilla and nuts. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour. May need 15 minutes more. Cool completely before freezing. Makes 2 loaves.
Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread
2 cups grated zucchini
3 eggs
1 cup applesauce
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 1/4 cups flour
6 ounces chocolate chips
1/2 cup cocoa
Grease and flour two loaf pans. Stir together zucchini, eggs, applesauce, sugar, and vegetable oil. Add the rest of the ingredients. Divide batter between the loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Reduce temperature to 300 degrees and bake an additional 15 minutes. Makes 2 loaves.
Pineapple Zucchini Bread
3 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups flour
2 cups zucchini, grated
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts (optional)
1 8-ounce can pineapple, drained
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, beat eggs until frothy. Stir in oil, sugar, vanilla, and zucchini. Add baking soda, baking powder, salt, and flour. Add nuts and pineapple. Pour into two greased and floured loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour.
Zucchini Cheddar Bread
1 c. chopped onions
1/4 c. butter
2 1/2 c. Bisquick
1 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. basil
3 eggs
1/4 c. milk
1 c. grated cheese
1 1/2 c. to 2 c. shredded zucchini
Saute onions in butter. Cool a little and then add remaining ingredients. Pour into an 8x8-in. baking pan and bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes.
Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom of four. Download her free booklet of zucchini recipes from http://www.creativehomemaking.com/download.shtml. For recipes, tips to organize your home, home decorating, crafts, holiday hints, and more, visit Creative Homemaking at http://www.creativehomemaking.com.
Homemade Peanut Butter
by Nikki Willhite
www.allthingsfrugal.com
There are some foods that are more economical to buy at the store rather than make at home. Dried pasta products are one example.
Peanut butter is also probably more economical to buy at the store also. However, there are several reasons you may want to try making it on your own.
It doesn’t require many ingredients, and making it yourself can be a fun activity for your family. You can also use your creativity and make it special.
While this newsletter does not get into health issues, it is worth mentioning that peanut butter made at home will be healthier, as it will lack many of the preservatives of the store bought variety.
As with all food made without preservatives, it will have a short shelf life. You will definitely have to keep it in the refrigerator and use up within a couple weeks. Or you may can it. (To can it, fill clean, mason canning jars full of the peanut butter, leaving about an inch of space at the top. Simmer at 180 degrees for one hour in a water bath container.
If the oil starts to separate and rise to the top, just turn the jar upside down.
For those of you who want to give it a try, here is how to make homemade peanut butter.
Ingredients
Peanuts
Oil
Use approximately 2 Tablespoons of Oil for every Cup of Peanuts. You can also add 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
Peanuts do have a lot of oil already in them. If you use a peanut with a lot of oil, like Spanish peanuts, you do not have to add as much additional oil.
A good blend that requires no additional oil is 1 Cup of Spanish peanuts and 1 Cup of Virginia Peanuts.
Procedure
To make the peanut butter, all you have to do is put your peanuts and oil in the blender and whip them together.
If you want your peanut butter chunky, remove about 1/4 Cup of the peanuts before your begin blending the peanuts and oil. When the mixture is almost blended, add the nuts. Puree it a few more times, to break up the nuts and finish the blending.
Here is your chance to be creative! The above recipe is very plain. If you are going to the effort of doing it yourself, make it special. Use some delicious macadamia nuts for the chunks, or add some honey for the oil.
You can also add pecans, sunflower seeds, and other nuts, some honey for the oil, or even some chocolate or butterscotch chips.
Peanut butter doesn’t have to be plain. Have some fun with it! Think of the cookies you can make!
http://digital.lib.msu.edu/projects/cookbooks/html/books/book_22.cfm
[read book on line]
Dr. Chase’s Recipes, or Information for Everybody
Previous Book Next Book
By Alvin Wood Chase, M.D.
Ann Arbor, MI: Chase, 1864
Interest: Encyclopedic Works
View Page Images Read Transcript (html or xml) View PDF
Introduction
Dr. Chase’s Recipes, or, Information for Everybody. Tenth Edition. Ann Arbor, MI: Chase, 1864.
It is surprising that this book and the others by Dr. Chase are not better known to most culinary historians. Dr. Chase’s books were among the most popular publications of the 19th century, often touted as being second only to the Bible in total sales. They went through dozens of editions, in at least two languages (English and German), with publishers in three countries (United States, Canada and England).
This book, in a variety of editions, was carried across the prairies with the pioneers. It almost certainly sold more than 4 million copies - all of this before modern reprints and facsimiles. In some copies of his works, the publicity indicated that “Chase’s book had the largest sale of any book printed in America.”
Why was this book so popular? Partially it was the historical times. When Dr. Chase began writing, America was still young, a rural, pioneering country. Tens of thousands of citizens were homesteading, making their way west, trying to tame this broad country of ours. Most people still lived on farms. There was no place to easily find information on human health, diet and cooking; animal health and care; household helps and “how tos” - furniture polish; varnish for removing stains, spots and mildew; tooth powder; boot, shoe and harness edge color; waterproof oil blacking; crockery cement; shampoo; cologne; washing fluid; dentrifice; hair dye; rat exterminator; grease remover; mustache wax; ink; or oil to make hair grow and curl (olive oil, oils of rosemary and origanmun-mixed and applied rather freely).
Another reason was Dr. Chase’s personal notes - warm, chatty, professional, folksy, authoritative. Although almanacs offering medical advice were ubiquitous, Dr. Chase, at least, did earn an M.D. degree, unlike the thousands of other patent medicine salesman peddling their wares in all parts of America. A third explanation lies in Chase’s salesmanship, merchandising and public relations genius. He was ahead of his time in what we might now call consumer marketing; his abilities in this area deserve a book of their own!
And lastly, the breadth and scope of the book. In many editions, the index requires fourteen pages of small type. These include Departments of and for Merchants and Grocers, Saloon-Keepers, Medical, Tanners Shoe and Harness Makers, Painters, Blacksmiths, Gunsmiths, Jewelers, Farriers, Cabinet-Makers, Barbers and Toilet, Bakers and Cooks, Domestic Dishes, Miscellaneous, Whitewash and Cheap Paints, Coloring, Interest, and a Glossarial and Explanatory section.
It literally was an indispensable guide for how to live in America in the last half of ther 19th century.
Cookery and baking recipes can be found in a number of the chapters. An ingenious chart for making fifteen kinds of cakes can be found in the baking section. A few of the more interesting recipes include: Buckwheat Short-Cake, Steamboat Style Baked Apples (”better than preserves”), the Michigan Farmer’s Method of Preserving Meat, and Smoked Meat-To Preserve for Years, or for Sea Voyages.
This volume requires serious attention; it is an important American artifact.
Apple Chicken Sausage
A real crowd pleaser and tasty alternative to pork or beef-based
sausages.
3/4 cup apple cider
1 1/2 tsp dried sage
2 lb ground chicken
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
2 oz dried apples (finely chopped)
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 cube chicken bouillon dissolved in 2 tablespoons boiling water
In a small non stick saucepan, boil down the cider almost to a syrup,
about 1 to 2 tablespoon. Cool and reserve.
If using chicken thighs, coarsely grind the boned chicken and skin or
chop coarsely in small portions in an electric food processor.
Place the ground chicken in the mixing bowl and add the reduced apple
cider and the remaining ingredients. Mix until thoroughly blended.
Extrude the mixture into the casings and twist off into four inch
links.
Refrigerate and use within three days, or freeze, dry or smoke.
Hot or Sweet Italian Sausage
This variety is easy to make and is really delicious when roasted or
used to flavor tomato sauce.
2 lb ground lean pork
3 Tbsp fennel seed
1oz fat replacer
1 large clove garlic, finely minced
1 tsp salt, or to taste
1 tsp crushed red pepper, or to taste
1 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Add meat and remaining ingredients to the mixing bin and mix until
thoroughly blended. Extrude the mixture into the casings and twist off
into four-inch links. Refrigerate and use within three days, or freeze,
or smoke.
Salt Free Chili Powder
2 tablespoons paprika
2 teaspoons oregano
1 1/4 teaspoons cumin
1 1/4 teaspoons garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon red pepper
3/4 teaspoon onion powder
Mix all ingredients together. Store in airtight container. Use as
desired.
Makes 4 tablespoons.
http://www.epa.gov/reg5rcra/ptb/news/
EPA orders Scotts to stop selling certain pesticides
One of the unregistered
Miracle-Gro Products
Scotts has agreed to recall these products from all retail locations
across the United States and to set up a process for consumers to safely
return any unregistered products they may have purchased.
a.. What happened?
b.. What should you do?
c.. What is EPA doing?
d.. EPA requirements
e.. Enforcement
f.. Background on the company
g.. National Pesticide Information Center - County Extension Offices
Question and Answer Fact Sheet on Scotts Stop Order (PDF) (2pp,
New Release April 23, 2008
Stop Sale, Use or Removal Order
The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company (PDF) (10pp,300Kb)
What happened?
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
EPA is ordering Scotts Miracle-Gro Co., located in Marysville, Ohio, to
stop selling and distributing two pesticide products that have not
been registered with the EPA. The pesticides are “Garden Weed Preventer +
Plant Food” and “SLS Fertilizer With .28 Halts” and are commonly used
on lawns by homeowners.
These products have not been registered with the EPA and are labeled
with invalid EPA registration numbers. EPA has not reviewed any
information about the safety of these products. Pesticide products must be
registered with the EPA to protect public health and the environment.
continued.
http://www.10tv.com/live/content/consumer10/stories/2008/04/24/scotts.html?sid=102
Popular Plant Food Recalled
Thursday, April 24, 2008 12:23 AM
MARYSVILLE, Ohio — Scotts Miracle-Gro Co. was ordered Wednesday to stop
selling a popular fertilizer because it contains an unregistered
chemical to control weeds.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said the mystery herbicide was
used in Miracle-Gro Shake ‘n’ Feed With Weed Preventer All Purpose
Plant Food, 10TV’s Kevin Landers reported. The product is widely available
at home-improvement and lawn-and-garden stores and is sold in yellow
jugs in 4.5 and 8 pound containers.
continued.
Summer Drink Recipes
Cherry Water
Pound the cherries with the stones to obtain the flavor of the kernel,
and
press out the juice through a hair sieve, add a little water to it,
and give
it a boil; then filter it through a flannel bag; [add] some syrup, a
little
lemon juice and water, to make it palatable, but rich, although not
too sweet,
which is often the fault with these; ice as wine, and serve. Apricot
and
peach water made as cherry water.
Gooseberry, Currant, Raspberry, and Strawberry Waters
Mash either of these fruits when ripe, and press out the juice through
a
hair sieve, add a little water to it, and give it a boil; then filter
it through
a flannel bag, [add] some syrup, a little lemon juice, and water, to
make it
palatable, but rich, although not too sweet, which is often the fault
with
these; ice them the same as wine, and serve.
Ginger Beer, Unfermented
Lump sugar, 1 pound; first-class unbleached Jamaica ginger (bruised),
1
ounce; cream of tartar, 3/4 ounce or tartaric acid, 1/2 ounce; 2 or 3
lemons
(sliced); boiling water of sufficient quantity. Allow to cool.
Jelly Water
Put in a tumbler a tablespoonful of current jelly, and a tablespoonful
of
wine; mix them well together, then fill the glass with ice water. If
feverish,
leave out the wine.
Pineapple Water
One large ripe pineapple, 1 pint of boiling syrup, juice of 1 lemon.
Peel
the pineapple, slice, and mash it well in a basin, then pour on the
syrup and
lemon juice; stir well and cover. Let it stand 2 hours, then filter
through a
fine silk sieve, and add a quart of spring water.
Toast Water
Toast a slice of bread very brown, break it into pieces, and pour over
it a
cupful of boiling water. When cold and sweetened it becomes a
nourishing
drink.
Strawberry Water Recipe
Take one cupful of ripe, hulled berries; crush with a wooden spoon,
mixing
with the mass a quarter of a pound of pulverized sugar and half a pint
of cold
water. Pour the mixture into a fine sieve, rub through and filter till
clear; add the strained juice of one lemon and one and a half pints of
cold water,
mix thoroughly and set in ice chest till wanted. This makes a nice,
cool
drink on a warm day and is easily made in strawberry season.
Summer Beverage Recipe
A refreshing summer beverage, which brings an involuntary grace to
one’s
lips as it is quaffed, is a fruit punch in which the pineapple plays an
important part. Put into a bowl the juice of three lemons, two oranges
sliced and
seeded, one grated pineapple and one cup sugar. Let stand for one hour
to
extract the juice, then press and strain. Add to this juice two quarts
of iced
water and two slices of shredded pineapple, and serve.
Summer Drink Recipes
Summer Currant Drink
Mash a few currants, and pour on them a little water, strain, sweeten,
and
add sufficient cold water to suit the taste, though it is best to use
the
currants pretty freely, and sugar, accordingly, as the acid of the
currant makes
this drink peculiarly grateful to the sick as well as those in health,
satisfying the thirst of either. Currant jelly in cold water makes a
good
substitute for currants, and is next to that of tamarinds, which is
undoubtedly the
best to allay the thirst of fever patients of anything known. Lemons
do very
well also.
Summer Oatmeal Drink
For the field or workshop, nourishing as well as allaying thirst. Make
oatmeal into a thin gruel; then add a little salt, and sugar to taste,
with a
little grated nutmeg, well stirred in while yet warm. This
[non-alcoholic drink
recipe] was first suggested by the Church of England leaflets put out
among
the farmers and others to discourage them from carrying whiskey into
the field.
Remarks. —If the above plan is too much trouble, although it is,
indeed,
very nourishing and satisfactory, take the Scotch plan of stirring raw
oatmeal
into the bucket of cold water and stir when dipped up to drink. As
near as I
could judge, 1/2 to 1 pint was stirred into a common 12-quart pail.
Peach Water
A small cupful of dried peaches washed carefully; put them into a pint
pitcher, and pour on one pint of boiling water; cover tightly, and
when quite cold
strain.
Interesting blog on gardening for food and eating wild plants, in New York City, [I think].
http://ledameredith.net/wordpress/
Carrot Raisin Applesauce
Serves 2
4 apples
2 carrots
2 Tbs. honey
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup apple juice
First puree apples, then add carrots and honey. Mix
raisins, and eat hot or cold.
We got our tax rebate and yesterday went to Costco.
There was no big bags of rice.
None.
I live in Oregon. Not Portland.
No big city, just an average city.
No rice.
Food prices are rising noticeably.
And largely.
I got my pressure canner/cooker and can’t wait to try it out.
Ordered 2 Cansolidators from Costco. $59.99 for 2.
Will be ordering op seeds next.
[I found the above post a sample of todays going on’s.
granny]
We found rice yesterday in Vegas.. we didnt buy any because I have loads stored.. but while it IS being limited and the shelves were light, we were able to buy it if we wanted to.
Bananas
A professor at CCNY for a physiological psych class told his class
about bananas. He said the expression ‘going bananas’ is from the
effects of bananas on the brain. Read on:
Never, put your banana in the refrigerator!!!
This is interesting.
After reading this, you’ll never look at a banana in the same way
again.
Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose
combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial
boost of energy.
Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a
strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one
fruit with the world’s leading athletes.
But energy isn’t the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can
also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and
conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.
Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst
people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a
banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that
the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve
your mood and generally make you feel happier.
PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains
regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.
Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of
hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.
Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in
potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much
so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana
industry to make official claims for the fruit’s ability to reduce the risk
of blood pressure and stroke.
Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school ( England
) were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at
breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has
shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making
pupils more alert.
Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help
restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without
resorting to laxatives.
Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a
banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach
and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels,
while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.
Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you
suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.
Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood
sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.
Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing
the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it
amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.
Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous
system.
Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in
Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like
chocolate and chips. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found
the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report
concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to
control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every
two hours to keep levels steady.
Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal
disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw
fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also
neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining
of the stomach.
Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a ‘cooling’
fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of
expectant mothers. In Thailand , for example, pregnant women eat bananas to
ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help
SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer
tryptophan.
Smoking &Tobacco Use: Bananas can also help people trying to give up
smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium
found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine
withdrawal.
Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the
heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body’s water balance.
When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our
potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a
high-potassium banana snack.
Strokes: According to research in The New Engl and Journal of Medicine,
eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by
strokes by as much as 40%!
Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to
kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart,
with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster
or surgical tape!
So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you
compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the
carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and
twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and
is one of the best value foods around So maybe its time to change that
well-known phrase so that we say, ‘A banana a day keeps the doctor
away!’
PASS IT ON TO YOUR FRIENDS
PS: Bananas must be the reason monkeys are so happy all the time! I
will add one here; want a quick shine on our shoes?? Take the INSIDE of
the banana skin, and rub directly on the shoe...polish with dry cloth.
Amazing fruit.
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