My children like to remind me on occasion about my mishaps, and of course giggle. It usually goes something like this. "Mom, remember when you got glass in your eye?". "Hee hee!". These conversations are usually preceded by some new klutzy thing I have done to injure myself. There is a tremendous resource of life experiences for my children to draw on in my little and big emergencies. I suppose now that I have brought it up, you are wondering about the glass in my eye? Alright, I will share.
In our old home, old meaning previous but also very ancient, we had windows that were comprised of many small panes to create the one large window. The window panes were single pane glass and provided little protection from the outside world. They were also held in by something called glazing. Glazing is a putty type product that you roll between your hands and make long snake like pieces. It is like working with play dough. The glazing is then pressed and smoothed into the frame on top of the glass and molded into the corners to hold the glass in place. When it dries it becomes very hard and becomes airtight, if done correctly. This hardness makes it difficult to get a pane of glass out that has been cracked or broken and needs to be replaced. Real window pane experts will also use very small tacks to help keep the glass secured to the frame which makes freeing the broken glass even more difficult.
I was in our bathroom moving something long and skinny around and I hear a pop! I had broken the window. This really wasn't that big a deal because there were several broken windows at all times in our house. If the wind blew too hard a window would crack. I decided I would save my husband an addition to his "honey do" list and fix the window myself. It couldn't be that hard, right?
I pulled the larger pieces of the broken glass out and started scraping the glass that was bonded to the frame by the glaze. In order to do this the only effective tool to use was a Flathead screwdriver. I am feeling pretty good about myself at this point. I am replacing a window pane. I am sooo cool! There is a reason safety glasses are recommended equipment when doing home projects. You just never know how your enthusiasm is going to get the better of you when you start really going at something. Well, I was getting frustrated with getting this glass cleaned out of the frame and really went at it, without any eye protection. I was scraping like a crazy person and all of sudden, I feel something ping/stab me in the eye. My first reaction was to freak out but I didn't. I just stood there holding my eye open waiting for inspiration to come as to what to do next. I was probably making a bit of a commotion because my oldest son ran into the bathroom and screamed, "I'll call 911 Mom!". He looked like Kramer from the "Seinfeld Show" entering the room. His eyes were a bit crazed and his voice cracked. I thought he was going to have an accident himself. He had the phone in his hand and started to dial, because he has had to do it for me before, while I am yelling at him, "No! No!, I don't need an ambulance!". It was then the idea hit me to flush my eye with water. I ran into the other bathroom, because the one I was in was under construction, and began throwing water into my eye. If you have ever had to not blink for a while, it is really hard. Those muscles work independent of regular brain commands and I had to hold my eye lid up so it wouldn't come down and move the glass shard around on my eyeball and cut it up. Happily, a cool head prevailed again and the glass washed right out. It was pretty big for an eye ball and I was relieved no medical personnel had to be involved. My eye wasn't even sore because it came out pretty quickly. I then had to calm my son down and reassure him no damage had been done.
So what are the lessons here? Stay calm and listen to that voice that God sends to tell us how to handle things beyond our abilities. Teach your children how to dial 911 and how to check if you are unconscious. This saves them from calling if you are taking a nap. Wear protective eye wear when doing household repair jobs or anything where something could fly into your eye. Also, Try to evaluate whether what your are attempting is going to help or cause more work for the person that actually knows how to do the job right.
By the time my husband had come home from work, I had picked up all of the broken glass and taped a file folder into the window for him to repair. And yes, I apoligized for "helping" him.
I am happy to report, I have had no lasting effects of the glass in my eye and that I learned how to properly replace the broken windows in our house just in time to fix the five other broken panes before we moved. I wore protective eye wear this time.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Food Bar Codes
Want to buy US made products? BUY USA by watching for "0" at the beginning of the number.
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Friday, October 2, 2009
Grandma Ada's Pie Crust
My Grandma could cook. Here is her fabulous pie crust.
Makes enough for 4 double crust pies.
4 C unsifted flour
1 3/4 C butter flavored Crisco
2 T Sugar
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 C water
1 T distilled white vinegar
Recipe makes 4 double pie crusts. I usually roll all of it out and put rolled dough into a pie shell, then into a large plastic bag and put it in the freezer until I need it. I also roll out the top crust and just roll it up in some plastic wrap and put it in the freezer too.
Combine flour, sugar, and salt.
Cut in shortening and then add in beaten egg and vinegar.
Add water as needed. Dough should not be too sticky. It should be slightly tacky to the touch.
Do not knead this dough too much. In order for pie crusts to be flaky, they need to be handled as little as possible. Kneading the dough will activate the gluten and make for a tough dough. Mold dough into a ball, flatten it and refrigerate for at least an hour before trying to roll it out. Keep dough that isn't being rolled out into a pie crust refrigerated.
Roll dough out onto a floured surface.
I usually roll all of it out and put rolled dough into a pie shell, then into a large plastic bag and put it in the freezer until I need it. I also roll out the top crust and just roll it up in some plastic wrap and put it in the freezer too. This way I have extra pie crusts and pie shells ready to go when I need them.
Makes enough for 4 double crust pies.
4 C unsifted flour
1 3/4 C butter flavored Crisco
2 T Sugar
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 C water
1 T distilled white vinegar
Recipe makes 4 double pie crusts. I usually roll all of it out and put rolled dough into a pie shell, then into a large plastic bag and put it in the freezer until I need it. I also roll out the top crust and just roll it up in some plastic wrap and put it in the freezer too.
Combine flour, sugar, and salt.
Cut in shortening and then add in beaten egg and vinegar.
Add water as needed. Dough should not be too sticky. It should be slightly tacky to the touch.
Do not knead this dough too much. In order for pie crusts to be flaky, they need to be handled as little as possible. Kneading the dough will activate the gluten and make for a tough dough. Mold dough into a ball, flatten it and refrigerate for at least an hour before trying to roll it out. Keep dough that isn't being rolled out into a pie crust refrigerated.
Roll dough out onto a floured surface.
I usually roll all of it out and put rolled dough into a pie shell, then into a large plastic bag and put it in the freezer until I need it. I also roll out the top crust and just roll it up in some plastic wrap and put it in the freezer too. This way I have extra pie crusts and pie shells ready to go when I need them.
Homemade Playdough
This is a great activity when the kids are bored. They can make it and add whatever colors they like. It is also a fun way to teach kids about color combinations. I don't know that it saves a whole lot of money, it is cheaper but Playdough is pretty cheap!
1 Cup Flour
1/2 Cup salt
2 tsp cream of tarter
1 T oil
1 Cup Water
Put all of the ingredients in a pot and cook over LOW heat. Don't try to hurry this up, it is science. Stir till it all comes together. Add coloring of your choice. You can do it before, during or after you cook it. Just remember if you add it after, your hands will likely turn the color until it really gets mixed in to the playdough. I recommend mixing the ingredients in a bowl really well and then cooking smaller portions at a time and making the colors you want that way. Once they are the right colors and the dough has cooked then cooled off, the kids can combine the playdough together to make the other colors they may want.
1 Cup Flour
1/2 Cup salt
2 tsp cream of tarter
1 T oil
1 Cup Water
Put all of the ingredients in a pot and cook over LOW heat. Don't try to hurry this up, it is science. Stir till it all comes together. Add coloring of your choice. You can do it before, during or after you cook it. Just remember if you add it after, your hands will likely turn the color until it really gets mixed in to the playdough. I recommend mixing the ingredients in a bowl really well and then cooking smaller portions at a time and making the colors you want that way. Once they are the right colors and the dough has cooked then cooled off, the kids can combine the playdough together to make the other colors they may want.
Make Your Own Oatmeal Packets
This recipe is one I developed to help off-set the cost of microwave oatmeal packets from the grocery store. My kids love them but I needed to find a way to tighten our food budget. I was shocked at how inexpensive it is to simply make your own.
Powdered milk is part of the microwave packets you buy from the store. It can be substituted for regular milk or cream if you like. You simply leave the powdered milk out of the recipe and pour on whatever "milk" you want after it has cooked. If you want to make a large quantity of oatmeal packets for your kids to microwave up themselves then add the powdered milk.
For storage purposes, just make up the recipe below without any extra add ins. The fruit and nuts need to be freeze dried to be shelf stable. If you simply add dried fruit it will absorb the moisture in the sugar and the oats and make the packet stale after a few days on the shelf. Freeze dried foods are devoid of moisture and can be added to the packets for storage. There are many food storage companies that sell freeze dried foods and you can use those if you like. I like to make sure when I am doing my own stored foods at home that use the best ingredients I can find. I look for organic and non-gmo foods to be sure there aren't added chemicals or additives so that I know my family is getting something healthy.
Grocery List
Whole Oats
-make sure they are whole oats and not the instant or quick oats. Azure Standard is a bulk purchase website devoted to healthier living. You can find organic whole oats and even oat groats here. Groats are oats that haven't been rolled flat. They look a bit like a wheat kernel. I purchase a lot of what I use and store from this site now because I can get high quality organic foods at bulk prices. www.azurestandard.com
Powdered Milk
Optional Sweeteners
White Sugar
Brown Sugar
Honey
Molasses
1 Serving
1/3 C Whole Oats
2 T Powdered Milk
1 tsp White Sugar or 1 T Honey for a restricted sugar diet-use powdered honey if you are making packets.
1 tsp Brown Sugar or 1/4 to 1/2 tsp molasses for a restricted sugar diet-add just before cooking.
1 Cup Cold Water
1. Combine the cold water and the powdered milk. Whisk it together until completely combined. If you try to heat the powdered milk before it is mixed into the water it will clump and harden.
2. Add all the other ingredients and microwave for approximately 2 minutes on high. WATCH this while it is cooking to figure out the appropriate time for your microwave. Cleaning up exploded oatmeal is no fun.
3. Remove it from the microwave and let it sit for 2-3 minutes to thicken and cool off.
Multiple Servings
To make more than one serving at a time I like to use a rice cooker. I have cooked the oatmeal on the stove but find I have to stand over it a bit more and stir it. The rice cooker is brilliant! Simply double or triple-up to whatever your portions will be-the recipe and add everything into the cooker. If you are adding the powdered milk, be sure to mix that with the cold water first then add everything else. Set it for a moderate temperature and let the oatmeal cook. You will want to stir it a couple of times but it cooks itself for the most part. I haven't tried it in my crock pot yet but that is on my list.
If you have a bunch of packets you are cooking, just add however many cups of water you need to match the quantity of packets. I like this method over the microwave even because I don't have to watch it.
Flavor Variations: You may need to add more water if you add a lot of dried fruit to the mix.
Craisins and dried apples with 1/4 tsp of cinnamon and 1/8 tsp of ground cloves
Diced dried apricots and pecans with some nutmeg-just a pinch
Strawberries-dried. If you add fresh or frozen they will give off some water. You can adjust this by adding 1 T more of whole oats to absorb the extra liquid. Omit the powdered milk and add heavy cream after it has cooked.
Blueberries-dried, fresh, or frozen. If you use frozen, run them under some hot water to rinse and thaw them before adding them to the bowl. Omit the powdered milk and add heavy cream after it has cooked.
1 tsp cinnamon and 2 T Raisins
Bananas-dried with 1 tsp cinnamon. If you want to use fresh bananas then add slices after the oatmeal has cooked. The texture gets slimy if you cook them with the oatmeal. Add some pecans or walnuts for banana bread oatmeal.
Peaches with a pinch of nutmeg-omit the powdered milk and add heavy cream after it has cooked.
Anything else that sounds good to you!
Powdered milk is part of the microwave packets you buy from the store. It can be substituted for regular milk or cream if you like. You simply leave the powdered milk out of the recipe and pour on whatever "milk" you want after it has cooked. If you want to make a large quantity of oatmeal packets for your kids to microwave up themselves then add the powdered milk.
For storage purposes, just make up the recipe below without any extra add ins. The fruit and nuts need to be freeze dried to be shelf stable. If you simply add dried fruit it will absorb the moisture in the sugar and the oats and make the packet stale after a few days on the shelf. Freeze dried foods are devoid of moisture and can be added to the packets for storage. There are many food storage companies that sell freeze dried foods and you can use those if you like. I like to make sure when I am doing my own stored foods at home that use the best ingredients I can find. I look for organic and non-gmo foods to be sure there aren't added chemicals or additives so that I know my family is getting something healthy.
Grocery List
Whole Oats
-make sure they are whole oats and not the instant or quick oats. Azure Standard is a bulk purchase website devoted to healthier living. You can find organic whole oats and even oat groats here. Groats are oats that haven't been rolled flat. They look a bit like a wheat kernel. I purchase a lot of what I use and store from this site now because I can get high quality organic foods at bulk prices. www.azurestandard.com
Powdered Milk
Optional Sweeteners
White Sugar
Brown Sugar
Honey
Molasses
1 Serving
1/3 C Whole Oats
2 T Powdered Milk
1 tsp White Sugar or 1 T Honey for a restricted sugar diet-use powdered honey if you are making packets.
1 tsp Brown Sugar or 1/4 to 1/2 tsp molasses for a restricted sugar diet-add just before cooking.
1 Cup Cold Water
1. Combine the cold water and the powdered milk. Whisk it together until completely combined. If you try to heat the powdered milk before it is mixed into the water it will clump and harden.
2. Add all the other ingredients and microwave for approximately 2 minutes on high. WATCH this while it is cooking to figure out the appropriate time for your microwave. Cleaning up exploded oatmeal is no fun.
3. Remove it from the microwave and let it sit for 2-3 minutes to thicken and cool off.
Multiple Servings
To make more than one serving at a time I like to use a rice cooker. I have cooked the oatmeal on the stove but find I have to stand over it a bit more and stir it. The rice cooker is brilliant! Simply double or triple-up to whatever your portions will be-the recipe and add everything into the cooker. If you are adding the powdered milk, be sure to mix that with the cold water first then add everything else. Set it for a moderate temperature and let the oatmeal cook. You will want to stir it a couple of times but it cooks itself for the most part. I haven't tried it in my crock pot yet but that is on my list.
If you have a bunch of packets you are cooking, just add however many cups of water you need to match the quantity of packets. I like this method over the microwave even because I don't have to watch it.
Flavor Variations: You may need to add more water if you add a lot of dried fruit to the mix.
Craisins and dried apples with 1/4 tsp of cinnamon and 1/8 tsp of ground cloves
Diced dried apricots and pecans with some nutmeg-just a pinch
Strawberries-dried. If you add fresh or frozen they will give off some water. You can adjust this by adding 1 T more of whole oats to absorb the extra liquid. Omit the powdered milk and add heavy cream after it has cooked.
Blueberries-dried, fresh, or frozen. If you use frozen, run them under some hot water to rinse and thaw them before adding them to the bowl. Omit the powdered milk and add heavy cream after it has cooked.
1 tsp cinnamon and 2 T Raisins
Bananas-dried with 1 tsp cinnamon. If you want to use fresh bananas then add slices after the oatmeal has cooked. The texture gets slimy if you cook them with the oatmeal. Add some pecans or walnuts for banana bread oatmeal.
Peaches with a pinch of nutmeg-omit the powdered milk and add heavy cream after it has cooked.
Anything else that sounds good to you!
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Bacon
Instead of microwaving bacon or putting it a skillet on the stove, bake it in the oven. It is awesome! This is one of those tips that is really worth assimilating into your cooking life. Take the bacon and put it on a cookie sheet or broiler pan. I like the broiler pan because the grease cooks into the bottom pan leaving nice crispy bacon on the top pan. If you don't have a broiler pan then place a piece of parchment paper on your 1/2 sheet baking pan.
Lay the bacon out and then bake in a 350 degree oven for about 20-30 minutes. It actually takes the same amount of time to do it in the oven as it does to cook it anywhere else and it is less mess and you don't have to stand over it. I like to flip my bacon half way through cooking just to ensure even cooking. Try it, love will bloom! The bacon comes out perfectly cooked. It is nice and flat, not curled up and the grease cooks into the bottom as mentioned before.
Tip courtesy of the Rachel Ray Show
Lay the bacon out and then bake in a 350 degree oven for about 20-30 minutes. It actually takes the same amount of time to do it in the oven as it does to cook it anywhere else and it is less mess and you don't have to stand over it. I like to flip my bacon half way through cooking just to ensure even cooking. Try it, love will bloom! The bacon comes out perfectly cooked. It is nice and flat, not curled up and the grease cooks into the bottom as mentioned before.
Tip courtesy of the Rachel Ray Show
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Grace is Not My Name
I am left handed and therefore always hurting myself. You may wonder what being left handed has to do with it? Well, nothing really. It is just how I make myself feel better about the fact that I am not terribly graceful. I have always aspired to be graceful, but it just comes out as a kerthunk! most of the time.
I am usually healing from a would of some sort, and I try really hard to stay out of the ER. My husband appreciates it when I do too. My lifetime of experience in the area of pain has given me a certain perspective and I rarely get upset about the ouches anymore.
My 12 year old son told me the other day that he has really gotten klutzy. I just apologized and told him it is all my fault. He thought I was joking and laughed and then saw my face and knew that life was going to require good health coverage so he better do well.
My latest injury involved tomatoes. It is rather funny now that I think about it, but I am pretty sure it is the closest my husband has come to a heart attack in a while. It do cause his ticker to beat rapidly from time to time. And not because I am a super model. I am laughing as I type. It isn't nice to laugh but wow, you should have seen the look on his face. This accident was a perfect foray into the Halloween Season!
I had been canning tomatoes all day and they had finally cooled off enough that I wanted to rinse the jars before putting them on the shelf. I picked up two jars and headed to the sink. It sounds like a long distance but really it is only about 3 or 4 steps. I should have just held them in my hands, but no, I had them resting in my arms like a baby. Just as I get to the sink to put them down, I realized it was stupid to carry them this way. The larger jar clipped the sink and shattered in my hands as I was trying to set it down. Tomatoes went everywhere. It was like the jar exploded on impact. There were tomatoes running down the counter and pooling on the floor. I made a mess.
After getting upset that I had just broken a beloved canning jar, I realized I was bleeding on both of my hands. Uh oh! My 10 year son was sitting at the table and I calmly asked him to get his dad. My kids don't mess around when they see I have hurt myself, it happens way too much. He immediately ran upstairs and ordered his Dad downstairs, "Mom needs you Dad, now!".
I was nursing my wounds at this point and discovered I had little slices all over both hands. The paper towel was covered in blood, not because of volume but all the tiny cuts everywhere. My husband came downstairs with the what did you do now look on his face and then he went white. I was starting to explain what happened when I noticed him turning white at what he thought was a puddle of blood on the floor at my feet. Then he starts yelling. "What did you do?!" I, of course didn't know what he was so upset about. I just had a few little cuts on my hands. He starts working on me like I had hit an artery and then asked rather angrily, "Are those tomatoes!?". He had noticed I just wasn't bleeding enough to justify that big of a puddle at my feet. "Of course they are", I say. Then it all came together for me. I smiled at him and reassured him I was fine.
I had to apologize a lot that night for scaring him. Next time I'll make sure I am carrying pickles!
I suppose I need to add a post about how to can tomatoes now! It will have to wait until August when my tomatoes are ready.
I am usually healing from a would of some sort, and I try really hard to stay out of the ER. My husband appreciates it when I do too. My lifetime of experience in the area of pain has given me a certain perspective and I rarely get upset about the ouches anymore.
My 12 year old son told me the other day that he has really gotten klutzy. I just apologized and told him it is all my fault. He thought I was joking and laughed and then saw my face and knew that life was going to require good health coverage so he better do well.
My latest injury involved tomatoes. It is rather funny now that I think about it, but I am pretty sure it is the closest my husband has come to a heart attack in a while. It do cause his ticker to beat rapidly from time to time. And not because I am a super model. I am laughing as I type. It isn't nice to laugh but wow, you should have seen the look on his face. This accident was a perfect foray into the Halloween Season!
I had been canning tomatoes all day and they had finally cooled off enough that I wanted to rinse the jars before putting them on the shelf. I picked up two jars and headed to the sink. It sounds like a long distance but really it is only about 3 or 4 steps. I should have just held them in my hands, but no, I had them resting in my arms like a baby. Just as I get to the sink to put them down, I realized it was stupid to carry them this way. The larger jar clipped the sink and shattered in my hands as I was trying to set it down. Tomatoes went everywhere. It was like the jar exploded on impact. There were tomatoes running down the counter and pooling on the floor. I made a mess.
After getting upset that I had just broken a beloved canning jar, I realized I was bleeding on both of my hands. Uh oh! My 10 year son was sitting at the table and I calmly asked him to get his dad. My kids don't mess around when they see I have hurt myself, it happens way too much. He immediately ran upstairs and ordered his Dad downstairs, "Mom needs you Dad, now!".
I was nursing my wounds at this point and discovered I had little slices all over both hands. The paper towel was covered in blood, not because of volume but all the tiny cuts everywhere. My husband came downstairs with the what did you do now look on his face and then he went white. I was starting to explain what happened when I noticed him turning white at what he thought was a puddle of blood on the floor at my feet. Then he starts yelling. "What did you do?!" I, of course didn't know what he was so upset about. I just had a few little cuts on my hands. He starts working on me like I had hit an artery and then asked rather angrily, "Are those tomatoes!?". He had noticed I just wasn't bleeding enough to justify that big of a puddle at my feet. "Of course they are", I say. Then it all came together for me. I smiled at him and reassured him I was fine.
I had to apologize a lot that night for scaring him. Next time I'll make sure I am carrying pickles!
I suppose I need to add a post about how to can tomatoes now! It will have to wait until August when my tomatoes are ready.
Condiments
Condiments are an essential part of a functioning kitchen. They provide the base for many dishes and without them, recipes just don't taste as good. Here is a list of basics that everyone should have in their kitchen.
Balsamic Vinegar
Barbecue Sauce
Cooking Wines-Red, White, Sherry, Burgundy
Fresh Garlic
Lemon Juice
Ketchup
Mayonnaise-http://expandingfrosting.blogspot.com/2010/05/mayonnaise.html
Mustard-Yellow
Mustard-Dijon
Olive Oil
Orange Marmalade
Parmesan Cheese
Red Wine Vinegar
Salad Dressings-Ranch http://expandingfrosting.blogspot.com/2010/04/ranch-dressing-way-nature-intended.html, Italian, Asian
Salsa
Soy Sauce
Steak Sauce
Worcestershire Sauce
Balsamic Vinegar
Barbecue Sauce
Cooking Wines-Red, White, Sherry, Burgundy
Fresh Garlic
Lemon Juice
Ketchup
Mayonnaise-http://expandingfrosting.blogspot.com/2010/05/mayonnaise.html
Mustard-Yellow
Mustard-Dijon
Olive Oil
Orange Marmalade
Parmesan Cheese
Red Wine Vinegar
Salad Dressings-Ranch http://expandingfrosting.blogspot.com/2010/04/ranch-dressing-way-nature-intended.html, Italian, Asian
Salsa
Soy Sauce
Steak Sauce
Worcestershire Sauce
Cleaning up Fall Leaves
We have 13 trees at our house. We have a tremendous leaf problem. We rake and rake and rake for months. We fill up the truck and haul them off to the dump. We fill trash bags and put them in our cans. They just never end. We have found that mowing over them is an easy way to get them up. The mower chops the leaves up and throws them into the grass catcher which makes cleaning them up easier.
If there are too many, the only thing to do is invite all the kids on the block to come over with their rakes and make the biggest pile of leaves they have ever seen. It usually works and the kids are entertained for hours! Take lots of pictures. The cuteness factor goes way up on this activity!
If there are too many, the only thing to do is invite all the kids on the block to come over with their rakes and make the biggest pile of leaves they have ever seen. It usually works and the kids are entertained for hours! Take lots of pictures. The cuteness factor goes way up on this activity!
Ingredients for Baking
Having basic ingredients stocked in your kitchen are important too. Even if you aren't an avid baker, we all have occasions where we need to make something quick. The following is a list of basic ingredients you should keep stocked. I have found that the easiest way to store these things are in large plastic storage containers you can find at your local kitchen supply center. And, depending on the kind of volume you purchase, they have containers that will hold a 25lb bag of flour or sugar. If you are limited on space, the containers are all sizes, you can find what you need.
All Purpose Flour-unbleached
Apple Cider Vinegar
Baking Powder
Baking Soda
Brown Sugar
Chocolate Chips
Cocoa Powder
Cooking Oil-Vegetable, Canola, whatever you like
Cooking Spray
Honey
Molasses
Peanut Butter
Powdered Sugar-also called confectioner's sugar
Raisins
Regular Rolled Oats
Salt
Shortening
2 Cans of Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 Cans of Evaporated Milk
White Sugar
Vanilla Extract-I recommend getting real vanilla. The immitation stuff just isn't as good. I get my vanilla from Costco. It is a good price and is Bourbon Vanilla. Most vanilla you can find in grocery stores are Vodka Vanilla.
All Purpose Flour-unbleached
Apple Cider Vinegar
Baking Powder
Baking Soda
Brown Sugar
Chocolate Chips
Cocoa Powder
Cooking Oil-Vegetable, Canola, whatever you like
Cooking Spray
Honey
Molasses
Peanut Butter
Powdered Sugar-also called confectioner's sugar
Raisins
Regular Rolled Oats
Salt
Shortening
2 Cans of Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 Cans of Evaporated Milk
White Sugar
Vanilla Extract-I recommend getting real vanilla. The immitation stuff just isn't as good. I get my vanilla from Costco. It is a good price and is Bourbon Vanilla. Most vanilla you can find in grocery stores are Vodka Vanilla.
Spices and Seasonings
The following are a list of basic spices and seasonings you should keep stocked in your pantry at all times. Most recipes will utilize these ingredients and running to the store to pick one or two up is a hassel. Let me know if you think of some others.
Herbs
Basil
Bay Leaves
Celery Seed
Chives
Dill Weed
Oregano
Parsley
Sage
Savory
Tarragon
Thyme
Spices
All Spice
Beef Bouillon
Chicken Bouillon
Chili Powder
Cinnamon
Curry
Garlic Powder
Ground Cloves
Ground Ginger
Ground Mustard
Ground Nutmeg
Onion Flakes
Onion Powder
Salt
Paprika
Pepper
Spice Blends
All Purpose Seasoning-I recommend Spike.
Garlic Salt
Lemon Pepper
Onion Powder
Seafood/Chicken Rub
Steak Seasoning
Taco Seasoning
Tobasco Sauce
Herbs
Basil
Bay Leaves
Celery Seed
Chives
Dill Weed
Oregano
Parsley
Sage
Savory
Tarragon
Thyme
Spices
All Spice
Beef Bouillon
Chicken Bouillon
Chili Powder
Cinnamon
Curry
Garlic Powder
Ground Cloves
Ground Ginger
Ground Mustard
Ground Nutmeg
Onion Flakes
Onion Powder
Salt
Paprika
Pepper
Spice Blends
All Purpose Seasoning-I recommend Spike.
Garlic Salt
Lemon Pepper
Onion Powder
Seafood/Chicken Rub
Steak Seasoning
Taco Seasoning
Tobasco Sauce
Cleaning Burnt Food Off a Pot
To easily remove burnt food from your skillet, simply add a drop or two of dish soap and enough water to cover the bottom of the pan. Bring it to a boil on the stove top. Once it is cool enough for your hands. Wash out the inside.
Martha Stewart Tips Email
I recently burned apple butter to the bottom of an aluminum pan. It was charcoal it was so burned. The above suggestion wasn't nearly enough to get the pan clean. I added 3 parts vinegar to 1 part lemon juice and let it sit overnight. The burned food came off mostly with some scrubbing after the soaking. Simply using soap didn't work in this situation.
I am not sure if bringing it to a boil on the stove would expedite the cleaning process.
Martha Stewart Tips Email
I recently burned apple butter to the bottom of an aluminum pan. It was charcoal it was so burned. The above suggestion wasn't nearly enough to get the pan clean. I added 3 parts vinegar to 1 part lemon juice and let it sit overnight. The burned food came off mostly with some scrubbing after the soaking. Simply using soap didn't work in this situation.
I am not sure if bringing it to a boil on the stove would expedite the cleaning process.
Corn on the Cob
When boiling corn on the cob, add a pinch of sugar to help bring out the corn's natural sweetness.
Martha Stewart Tips Email
Martha Stewart Tips Email
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