Out With the Old...

Just a quick note on food safety...

This is a time of year when we use some spices we haven't used in a while. After all, not that many recipes call for ground anise, right? Plus, we're making hot chocolate and all sorts of pies with cinnamon, nutmeg and more. Yummy. Make sure your spices are fresh. If you haven't used a spice in a few months, chances are it's no longer at its' best. Plus, there is potential for great harm in using old spices, especially cardamom, fennel, anise, curry powder, and basically everything middle eastern in flavor. Why? Well, we can thank Aflatoxin, a toxin produced by mold that grows on things like these spices, corn food stuffs, nuts, dried fruits and more. The toxin can be deadly in high doses but Aflatoxosis is only common in third world countries. However, long-term exposure can lead to certain types of cancer. If you really want to learn about Aflatoxin, read this article from Cornell University: http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/toxicagents/aflatoxin/aflatoxin.html

Most of the risk of exposure happens before it gets into our cabinets, but it's still a good idea to throw out old spices and opt for fresher ones. Happy Christmas baking everyone!

Soup Days

I am cooking too much these days to be writing about cooking - but here's the gist. Soup is good. It not only feeds the body, but it nourishes the soul as well. I mentioned the soup swap in my last post and have since finished off the soups my friends prepared. Here are the rave reviews:

• Jen's Chowder: rich and full of flavor. The kids loved it and so did the grown-ups!! Came in handy when mommy had strep throat - thanks!
• Jenni's Lentil Soup: Hearty and sustaining. Added some hot sauce and ate it with bread slathered in butter - very good!!
• Kara's Tomato Soup: Loved the garlic. Baxter proclaimed it to be the best he had ever had. Also came in handy when we had nothing else to eat!
• Jennifer's Vegetable Soup: Some of the best I've ever tried and I cannot copy it - although I have tried twice since.

I love my freezer and I love my friends!!

Today is another soup day but I had none left so I had to make my own. I made a beef-vegetable soup and a fresh cake of cornbread. I love it when my kids hum while they eat - it means they're very happy.

Food For the Soul

I recently took part in a soup-swap with my girls from my bible study. It was such a great idea. you basically make your favorite recipe in proportions enough for each family to eat for dinner and everyone else does the same. So, I took a tub of Coconut Chicken Corn Chowder for each of my 4 girl friends and kept one for myself. That night, I came home with four different soups to try! My freezer is going to come in handy during soccer season! We already ate one dinner - Jennifer's vegetable soup. I have had a lot of vetegable soups before and I always enjoy it to a degree but this was hands down the BEST vegetable soup I have ever had in my entire life. I do not give out complements where they are undeserved - I am not one to flatter - this was so entirely good that I could have eated bowl-full after bowl-full until I threw up. It was full of black eyed peas, okra, tomatoes and plenty of other veggie goodness. But it was the flavor that had me. Baxter couldn't get over it either. The flavor was unbelievable. It was so nicely melded, not one flavor overpowered another. Perfect soup. I can't wait to try all of my others but I am going to make myself wait until I have no other dinner options. Otherwise, I will eat them all in one rainy day!

I am looking forward to walking up to the Smyrna Farmer's Market tomorrow for the first time. I hope to come back beaming with arms loaded down with goodies.

Been THAT Long??

Wow. I'm still alive - I promise! I have been in the midst of a very busy summer and an even busier fall looms ahead. What happened to the cooking blog? I have totally but it on the back-burner and am a little disappointed in myself. I considered trashing it; but now I'm thinking that it was just a slump. In fact, last week, the slump was really revealed to me in an unexpected way.



Last Tuesday, I hosted my bible study here in our home. It was the first time I have entertained for anyone besides our next door neighbors and it was really fun! I was a little unsure about how the set-up would be. I worried that there wasn't enough room here for 4 other adults to eat and talk comfortably. In the end, things worked out just perfectly and I was very pleased.



How much do I need to entertain? Well, apparently, I need it a lot! For a couple of months, I have been the reluctant cook. I have felt a little bit like a Waffle House short-order cook lately and not very happy with my job. I had lost a bit of my spunk. Then came the day for me to cook for my friends. I had to plan, I had to clean and I had to think about presentation, beverages, and everything else that goes along with it. With the exception of music, I really planned everything well. I made lots of make ahead dishes that simply needed plating or heating right before arrival so things were easy for me. I also opted to eat in the living room and spare everyone the awkwardness of serving in our tiny kitchen. We had tapas and conversation and it was really everything I had hoped for. I had such a nice time hosting and cooking for my friends that it has completely reawakened my culinary sense of adventure. I had no idea how much entertaining had meant to me until this. So, I'm back on my food blog. Here is my menu from Tuesday, and I promise to do better with posts in the *near* future!

• Bruschetta
• Curry Chicken Salad
• Hummus (2 kinds)
• Panchetta Wrapped Broiled Asparagus
• Cut Veggies, Pita Chips, Bagel Chips
• Coconut Cream Pie
• Raspberry Lemonade, Diet Green Tea, Agua

I was pleased with the menu I chose, especially the bruschetta and coconut cream pie. I used Mrs. Rombauer's recipe for the pie (aka, The Joy of Cooking) and used a store bought crust. Sometimes those are just better than what I can make. Bruschetta is one of my favorite things and the recipe is my own, adapted from the menu at East-West Bistro in Athens, GA circa 1999. Enjoy the last of summer's bounty of tomatoes and home grown basil if you have it.

Bruschetta

Begin by dicing 2-3 ripe on-the-vine tomatoes and 1 small onion, place in bowl with 2-3 cloves fresh minced garlic, 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until ready to use.

For the croustades, begin by preheating oven to 450 degrees. I use 1 baguette, sliced about 1/2 to 3/4" thick. Brush both sides of each piece with extra virgin olive oil and place side-by-side on a sheet pan. Bake about 5-10 minutes and turn to brown on 2nd side. Bake another 5-10 minutes, remove from oven and set aside to cool.

Wash and dry one large piece of basil for each croustade. If your basil isn't large enough to cover the entire surface of the bread, use more. Once the crustades have cooled to room temperature or only slightly warm, they are ready to assemble.

Place a large basil leaf on each croustade. Next, spoon your tomato mixture on each piece. Then, crumble a good-quality brand feta cheese over the top of this. Serve with lemon wedges and fresh cracked black pepper.

To Veggies, With Love

Summer is upon us and vegetables are coming in from all over. I know I'll be taking advantage of fresh seasonal offerings. I want to post a few recipes from my coffers that are among my best. Some veggies are quite versatile and one can prepare them in a plethora of ways. There are others that offer more of a challenge. I have one recipe for brussel sprouts - it's excellent and I never diverge from it. So, here is my recipe for brussel sprouts. If you're not a fan, I beg you to try them this way just once and see if it changes your mind.

BROWNED BRUSSEL SPROUTS

16-20 brussel sprouts, washed, dried and halved lengthwise

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon olive oil, maybe more

2 cloves garlic, peeled

melt the butter in a medium iron skillet over medium-low heat. add your garlic and slowly brown (careful not to burn it). remove garlic and reserve. place brussel sprouts cut side down in pan and cook slowly until golden-brown. remove from pan. chop toasted garlic, sprinkle over the top and serve immediately.

Sugar Alternatives

Having Type 1 Diabetes can be tricky. High blood sugar can cause symptoms like these in the short term and much more serious complications for me long-term. I do what I can to keep my blood sugar at a happy number. Sometimes, this means saying no to dessert. Sometimes, this means taking a HUGE shot or bolus before I indulge. Sometimes, I look for other ways to satisfy my sweet tooth. Even if you aren't watching your blood sugars like a hawk, sugar intake is important to consider. If you aspire to live a healthy lifestyle but also like to bake, sugar can really pose a problem for you. I do not advocate using man-made sugar substitutes, especially when you are baking for your kids. However, there are several natural sugar alternatives you can try in your recipes.

Barley Malt and Brown Rice Syrup are both excellent, natural substitutes. Use 1 to 1 1/2 cups per cup of sugar and reduce your liquids by 1/4 cup. If there are no liquids in your particular recipe, you may add 3/5 tablespoons of flour for each 3/4 cup of the sweetener.)

Other alternatives you may want to try:

-Pureed Dates - simply chop and blend with hot water to puree
-Overripe Bananas, mashed
-Fruit Juice Concentrates
- Stevia

These last few may require experimentation. Stevia is especially potent so handle with care!

Some Like It Hot

Well, my fickle self is already sitting slumped over and panting after a few days of 80 degree weather. I do like it warm - but I need to change a few habits - and quickly! We do not have central HVAC here in the new digs. One window unit and ceiling fans are all that stands between us and the sizzling Georgia heat. As much as I romanticized living without air conditioning in the book Eat Pray Love, it will take some getting used to. Problem one: I love to cook. I now have a gas range. I'm loving the instant heat on the cook top but BOY does it get hot in there! So that part about "Kissin'''' don't last, cookin' do?" Well, if we don't get another A/C unit, we may all go on a raw foods diet this summer! So much for cookin' around here (and kissin' too, if you get my drift). The other day, I decided to boil peanuts and bake banana muffins. After emerging from my sauna, I needed a cold glass of wine and a pool to plunge in. I don't think I'll be boiling peanuts all day again any time soon. Looks like my kitchen may need to move outside a good bit too. I guess Baxter will be the grill master and I the lovely lass, sipping on the porch. Well, the peanuts are good so I guess I'll share my method:

Hot Boiled Peanuts

1 pound green (raw) peanuts

1/4 cup kosher salt

2 tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning

8 cups water

Place all ingredients in a large pot on the stove and bring it to a boil. Cover and simmer for about 8 hours! It's a cheap and authentic southern offering for your guests to enjoy at cookouts, dinner parties or as a snack any time.

Money Saving Tips

I'm a busy gal this week but I wanted to get one post in before the move this weekend. I like having this blog to refer to for recipes and other ideas that my aging brain is sure to forget in the blink of an eye. I have decided to brainstorm some ways to save money on groceries. Here's a list of things you can do to save a little cash. If you're not on a tight budget and money's not foremost in your mind, consider sticking to a budget for a period of time as a way to discipline your spending habits. If you know roughly how much you spend on groceries, consider trimming it slightly and use what you've "saved" to pay for a vacation, a special occasion, or perhaps give the difference to a charitable organization that feeds hungry families. There are plenty of people struggling to put food on the table and donations are needed more now than ever! One charity close to my heart is The Sparrow's Nest. Check it out if you are looking for a worthy cause.

Budget-Trimming Ideas

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  Clip coupons - it's like free money! Many stores double the smaller ones so clip them too. I clip everything and buy it if it's a really good deal. Sometimes, we don't eat the canned foods or boxed items but they end up at a food bank. There's nothing wrong with saving money and donating food at the same time.


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  Use your crock pot and casseroles and prepare other easy "one-dish" meals. They are often lower in cost.


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  Call your mom, grandma, aunts, sisters and friends and beg for their easiest and cheapest recipes. Everyone has at least one thing that is dirt-cheap to make and delicious. Of course, if they give you their recipe for fried spam and grits, you can graciously thank them and toss that one away. However, chances are you will get some great alternatives to your own routine.


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  Shop at the discount stores. I love WalMart. I admit that several of my friends will probably disown me for saying that. It is difficult to love a place where I have actually seen someone shopping while their home-perm-kit did its thing under a little disposable plastic cap. Still, they have great prices and I'm a bottom line kind of gal.


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  Shop at the big box retailers. I have a Sam's Club membership and I will probably get one to Costco when we move. Buying in bulk can save you big bucks over time. We pay $20 for like 1,000 dishwashing tabs. I stick them under the sink and forget about them. I love not having to buy paper towels, toilet paper and pet food every week. Storage can become an issue, but I think finding room is worth it.


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  Partner up. I heard this idea a while back and my mother-in-law have applied it occasionally. Basically, you find someone with similar grocery interests and buy in bulk together. Not sure what you will do with that huge package of organic lettuce? Cut it in half and you get the discount and no spoilage. I really like this concept and I'm thinking about joining Meetup.com to find a shopping partner.


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  Take advantage of good deals when you see them. Ground beef is 25 cents a pound? Get a whole bunch of it, make patties and freeze them. Baxter bought me 12 boxes of herbal tea in the fall and I thought, "what am I going to do with all of this tea?" Well, now I'm down to 4 boxes and I'm freaking out! I need my tea! They were such a great deal and they have lasted a nice long while.

Got any more money saving ideas? Feel free to share! I'll be posting again in April after the big move.

Leftover Ideas

Okay, so it took me a little while to get back to this topic. Things around here have been hectic to say the least. In my last post I mentioned turkey leftovers. November is the usual time you might think to discuss such a thing, but truth be known, we love a good roasted turkey breast most any time of the year. If purchased on sale, they are very economical and lend themselves to an enormous number of leftover dinner ideas.

Every family has a different strategy when dealing with leftovers. I know at least one family that just throws everything away because they "don't do leftovers." Well, that's all fine and good as long as there aren't any starving children in Africa - but that's not the way I was brought up. Wasting good food is just sinful but the trick is to make something as delicious the second time as it was the first. I know some who wrap it all up and stick it in the refrigerator and once a week heat everything up and serve a family-style hodge-podge with them. We tried this once and my children fought over the one thing they both wanted, we picked at the rest, and it all ended up in the trash. If this strategy works for you, by all means continue. If not, here are some practical suggestions:

1. Leftover steak was meant to be eaten the next day with fried eggs for breakfast. Throw some buttered texas toast or homemade hash browns on the plate and your husband will follow you around like a puppy dog for the rest of the day.

2. Always freeze leftover meats like pork, chicken or turkey. If it was a dish served with a sauce or gravy, you can freeze that separately if you want. Leaving it plain lends the meat to more versatility later on.

3. Bread freezes very well! With the exception of foccacia bread and a few others, most breads taste very close to their fresher states once pulled out of the freezer. We learned this when we owned a restaurant that was constantly throwing out old bread. If you know you need to prolong it's life a little longer, place it in a labeled heavy freezer bag and wait until you need it again. It also defrosts very quickly, in about 30 minutes.

4. Save your leftover mashed potatoes!! I know they are terrible re-heated the next day; but add an egg and a little milk, shape into small patties and fry in butter and voila! you have potato pancakes that your children will beg for.

5. Never, never, never serve something the same way twice! Inevitably, the re-heated version will not even come close to the fresh version of the day before. A better solution is to find a way to recreate your leftover items and make something entirely new. You can also incorporate some fresh ingredients into the meal and it becomes a regular meal - not the leftovers your loved ones may secretly dread.

Finally, I want to share a great recipe that I use for leftovers. Every time Baxter makes Boston-Butt, we end up freezing a portion of the pulled pork. I am also in the habit of freezing the dark meat from chickens that I've roasted or poached. Once I have between 4-6 cups of meat, I make Brunswick Stew. The last time I made it was during the snow. Here's my recipe:

Brunswick Stew

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 whole green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

4-6 cups cooked and chopped pulled pork, chicken, turkey, or a combination

3 (14.5oz) cans whole peeled tomatoes with liquid, chopped

1 cup ketchup

1/2 cup hickory flavored BBQ sauce

salt and pepper to taste

hot sauce to taste

2 cans creamed style corn (the best that you can find)

Heat oil in a large pot, add onions, celery and green bell peppers and saute until onions are translucent. Pull off the heat and add meat, tomatoes and liquid, ketchup, and BBQ sauce. Season with salt, pepper and hot sauce. Return to med-low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour. During this process, if your stew is short on liquid, you can dilute with water as needed. Stir in creamed corn and cook an additional 30 minutes or until desired consistency. Taste and adjust your seasonings.

It looks like we're going to have one more chilly weekend and I plan on serving up some brunswick stew. I'd love to hear your leftover ideas and recipes!

Recipe Search

Just to let you know, I actually use the search box to the right of your screen. It took me a while to remember to try it out after I installed it; but now I regularly go to it when I need a little help. This week alone, I have used it three times.



On Thursday night, we had Rachael Ray's Sloppy Joes and they were terrific! I don't do MSG, so the powder crap is out. Despite the fact that my kids have very sophisticated tastes when compared to my own palette at their age, they still like sloppy joes. If you want to prepare this classic dish, I highly recommend her version. Use very lean, all-natural, hormone-free ground beef and bakery made whole wheat rolls to make them healthier. Even with the meat and bun upgrades, this dish also passes the "recession test."



Tonight, rather than spending two hours looking through cookbooks, I typed in "roasted turkey breast" and decided to try Ina Garten's version, using rosemary and white wine. I also needed to refresh my memory on how to make butter beans (lima, to those of you not raised in the south) and ham-hocks for my side dish. I rounded off the meal with my very own creamed potatoes and we had an elegant, southern-style dinner. Everything was DE-lish!! The turkey breast was purchased on sale, as were the potatoes and the frozen beans. All-in-all, the whole thing cost around $10 to prepare. For a family of four, that's just plain cheap. Plus, the turkey breast is ample enough for plenty of leftovers. Just wait until you read about what I do with those!

Recession Strategies: Part I

In the spirit of wishing to pass on some great ways to save money while still providing your family with delicious and nutritious meals, I have decided to devote a weekly post to the idea. Now, more than ever, it is imperative that families from my generation get familiar with their kitchens. Even if you still have a well-paying job and decent benefits, you have no doubt felt the economic pinch somewhere in your life. One of the easiest ways to save money is to prepare your meals at home. I have friends who own restaurants and I believe in supporting locally owned businesses when we can, however, eating out gets expensive real fast. If you are looking to make the transition from take-out to homemade, there are a few tips that can make it easier. I want to focus on time-saving strategies and quick meal ideas as well as recipes using few and commonly found ingredients. I discovered a web site today where the sole purpose is to share recipes that are inexpensive to prepare - cheapcooking.com is a great place to get meal ideas that are guaranteed not to break your bank. Please share your own "recession minded" cooking strategies here as we try not to sacrifice taste, nutrition or family time.

The Best Pasta Salad Ever

It may seem a little arrogant for me to say that this recipe is "the best pasta salad ever," but that is a direct quote from my husband. He likes pasta salad about as much as the next guy but he actually got up and got my camera to take a picture of it and made me write down the recipe. Like many great ideas, it was birthed from a lack of ingredients and a little ingenuity. I knew what I had to work with and I used it! I have repeated the recipe now with great success and would like to share it with you. I am including brand names here because any variation may change the recipe to, like, the second best pasta salad in the world (and we wouldn't want that, now, would we?) I'll post pictures for this later.

Tuna Pasta Salad

Cook 8-10 oz of mostaccioli pasta (small penne - or other small noodle) according to package directions. Drain and rinse in cold running water until cooled.

For the dressing, in large bowl, whisk together:

1/3 cup Blue Plate mayonnaise

1/3 cup Daisy light sour cream

1/4 cup Nakano rice wine vinegar

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning

salt and pepper to taste

Add to the dressing:

1/2 green bell pepper, minced

1/4 cup minced Italian flat leaf parsley

cooked noodles

Then, gently fold in:

1 pouch Star Kist Garlic and Herb Tuna

Cover tightly and refrigerate until ready to serve. This goes great on top of a simple mixed-green salad with vinaigrette dressing.

Time She Started Pullin' Her Weight Around Here!

I have started Abby on the road of true personal satisfaction - I have allowed her into my kitchen. Now, don't get me wrong, she has practically been there since birth. She has "helped" me plenty up til now but never has she really prepared anything before. When I started looking over her curriculum for the 2nd semester of our little Crane Family Homeschool, I realized that she was really interested in the "Domestic Arts" and that I was more than able to teach her these things as part of our larger lesson plan. We started a unit on sewing right away and I also started allowing her to help plan, purchase ingredients for, and prepare one home-cooked meal per week. We didn't start off with cereal or anything, but with a real dinner (and one she should be proud of). I left out the meat since that invites a whole new aspect to the cooking process (germs and bacteria and all) and helped her pick out a meal that any vegetarian would devour. She chose Cooking Light's Spagattini with Olive Oil and Garlic. She was able to follow all of the steps and it was a delicious success! She even practiced her hostessing skills by serving up sensible portions to everyone else first and herself last. I am so proud of my budding chef!

Feelin' Better

Well, cold and flu season is in full-swing out there and even while homeschooling, we have had our share of little sneezes, sniffles and fevers. Last year, we all had the flu - the real flu. Abby and Ford got Tamiflu and thankfully, Ford never really came down with it because he started taking the Tamiflu before his symptoms started. He would have had to put off his surgery otherwise so that was a huge blessing. Abby, however, had a fever one night over 105. That's scary stuff, let me tell you. I also fared pretty poorly, with secondary infections all over and a total length of illness over one month. Anyway, we're fairly home-bound right now but we still pick up little germs here and there. This past Sunday, Ford got suddenly hit by something and had a fever of 103.6. He slept and slept all afternoon and when he awoke, fever considerably down, I administered the best medicine I know of: chicken soup.

Now, there is chicken soup and there is chicken soup! Whether canned or restaurant prepared, nothing else compares to what you can make in your own kitchen. The medical establishment used to down-play this long touted home remedy but recently have began to identify a mysterious "property" that chicken soup contains that actually does help the immune system. I think what they're looking for is nothing less than a good ole dose of TLC - but it may have more to do with bone marrow and spices. Every batch of my soup seems to improve and come closer to perfection as I discover a new flavor to add or an even better noodle. Here is my latest version which perked Ford up in time to attend Yoga Sprouts on Tuesday.

CHICKEN SOUP

2-4 Bone-In Chicken Breasts

1 Medium Onion, quartered

2 Cloves of garlic, crushed

2 Stalks of Celery, quartered

1-2 Stalks of Rosemary

Place these five ingredients in a large pot and cover with water. Poach chicken breasts about 45 minutes, or until flesh is cooked and no longer pink.

Remove chicken from pot and place on cutting board to cool.

Strain broth into a second large pot and cool slightly. Skim off as much fat as possible, either using a spoon, the end of a rolled-up paper towel, or other method.

Place broth pot on stove and heat to boiling. Add to stock:

1 Cup Carrots, peeled and chopped

8 Oz Noodles (use something small like the new Piccolini bow tie pasta that stays very small when cooked) Cook 8 minutes, or until pasta is al dente

While pasta is cooking, discard skin from chicken breasts and tear chicken off the bone. Add torn chicken to the soup along with

1 tsp Cumin

a few dashes of Turmeric

a few dashes of Coriander

Salt, to taste

Ladle into bowls and allow to cool slightly before serving to your little ones with Saltine Crackers. There really is something to chicken soup. It may be a miracle drug or it just may be that the comfort it lends helps the body to heal. Whatever the case, don't take any shortcuts here and serve Chicken and Stars - NO! In just a little while, with a few ingredients you probably already have on hand, you can make a delicious bowl of soup that would make your grandmother proud. Stay well out there!

Enjoyin' Birthdays - Crane Family Style

We do birthdays right around here. Abby just had her 6th birthday and it includes a full day of delicious fare, all chosen by her.

Birthday Breakfast in Bed: everyone gets breakfast in bed on your birthday, even the kids. Of course, they don't really want to eat in their own beds, so ours (complete with TV) does very nicely. On the menu for Abby's birthday? Ricotta Cheese Blueberry Pancakes, tropical fruit salad, tropical blend of juices.

Birthday Lunch Out: a la Brett's Casual American! Great menu - great prices - and great people own it. This is fast becoming my favorite restaurant in town!

Birthday Dinner: Don't ask me where this one came from, except that it is one of her favorite meals. I promise, there's nothing pretentious about it! On the menu: Croque Monseiurs, .... and a "cake" actually consisting of Krispy Kreme Donughts stacked into a tower. Oh la la! I highly reccommend the Krispy Kreme idea if you need a cake fast or your kid just really likes doughnuts. It was super-easy, super-fast and super-delicious! We finished them all in the bat of an eye!!