Archive for the 'Homemaking' Category

Cutting A Cantaloupe

Published
by
Cara
on April 7, 2009
in Cooking, Homemaking, Shopping and freebies
. 4 Comments

I learned how to cut a cantaloupe when I was a teenager working at Old Country Buffet. I didn’t know how valuable a skill the Lord allowed me to learn way back then. I hardly knew how to cook at all, and could really care less about it at the time. Now, I love cooking! And have a growing family who actually likes to eat my cooking. And now, I am able to share this skill of cutting cantaloupes with you today.

Here we go!

First, slice off the ends. This makes it easy to slice the cantaloupe without is sliding around your counter top:

img_1868

Next, stand up your cantaloupe on the flat side we just cut. We are going to slice the rind off all the way around. Like in the picture:

img_1869

It should look like this when you are finished going all the way around:

img_1871

Now, slice the cantaloupe in half ( long wise) and scoop out the seeds with a spoon (or your hand):

img_1872

After scooping out the seeds, place the cantaloupe “hollowed” side down and slice into thin pieces. See picture:

img_1873

You can leave it like this for eating:

img_1874

Or, cut the slices one more time in the opposite direction for chunks or wedges:

img_1875

That’s it! It’s as simple as that.

Happy slicing, cutting and eating!

For more kitchen tips, stop by Tammy’s Kitchen Tip Tuesdays!

Napkin Folding I

Published
by
Cara
on April 2, 2009
in Homemaking
. 3 Comments

I recently checked out a book from the library called, The Simple Art of Napkin Folding, by Linda Hetzer. Let me tell you; I have been having so much fun playing around with my napkins! The funny thing is, if the kids were playing with the napkins they would probably get scolded for it, but when Mommy does it, it is now called being creative and constructive. There are so many double standards in the world. :)

I actually caught onto the idea of folding our cloth napkins from one of my daughters. She has checked this book out before and had a really good time folding the napkins into different styles for our meals. It was a nice added touch and brought a bit of elegance to our simple meals.

I thought I would share a few of the more simple folds with you and see if I can get you addicted to folding your napkins all “fancy” like for your meals too.

This fold is called the Buffet Server II. I think several of these napkins would be really cute set up on a buffet table. It makes a nice little bundle that is easy to pick up for your guests. I could even picture this with a paper napkin and plastic cutlery. I think this would work well for a casual meal as well by placing the folded napkin on the middle of the plate.

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First you will want to start with your napkin open:

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Next you will fold your napkin in quarters, placing the free (or loose) points at the upper left:

img_1862

Now fold the upper left corner of the top layer down to the lower right corner:

img_1863

Fold under the top right and bottom left corners:

img_1865

Ta dah! We did it. Now all we need is something to tuck into the little pocket we made. I thought it would be cute to put a little place card, flower or maybe even a sucker (for after dinner, of course) into the pocket. You could really change it up for whatever the occasion.

Stay tuned:  next time I hope to show you the Fan fold.

How about you? Do you have a favorite way to fold your napkins? Or any other simple way to “jazzy” up your meals? I would love to hear about them!

What’s For Lunch?

Published
by
Cara
on February 23, 2009
in Homemaking and Menu Plans
. 0 Comments

Views: 1,618 Downloads: 532 Added: 29.05.06 2400x1600 (255.6 KB)

I did it! I finally got my menu plan posted on a Monday! We will see how long this lasts. I am still going to do my grocery shopping on Tuesdays, but I am trying to get my menu plan worked out by Saturday. We will see how long this system works for me.

I have only listed our breakfast and lunch menu. Lunch is our largest meal of the day, since my husband is home to eat with us. We usually eat leftovers or something very easy for dinner.

Sunday
B:  Apple Breakfast Roll, sausage, orange, milk
L:  Ham slices, baked sweet potato, green beans, apple and orange slices

Monday
B:  Banana Muffins, apples w/peanut butter, milk
L:  Hamburgers, roasted potatoes, onion rings

Tuesday (Today is my husband’s birthday, I let him decide the menu for the day)
B:  Pancakes, scrambled eggs w/green pepper, onions, cheese, bacon, grits
L:  Hamburger Helper (I cringe on this one, but he loves the stuff), and I will probably add some king of vegetable, and of course, cake!

Wednesday
B:  Sourdough biscuits, scrambled eggs w/cheese, milk
L:  Garlic Spaghetti w/ham, broccoli, homemade jello

Thursday
B:  Applesauce Bread w/cream cheese, banana, milk
L:  Tuna Sandwiches, carrot sticks, some kind of dessert (any suggestions?)

Friday
B:  Oatmeal Hotcakes, bacon, milk
L:  Cheeseburger Pie, peas, warm cinnamon applesauce

Saturday
B:  Oatmeal, milk
L:  lunch at a friend’s house

I am linking with Organizing Junkie this week with Menu Plan Monday. Take a look and see what everyone else around the world is eating this week!

Absent…

Published
by
Cara
on February 5, 2009
in Homemaking
. 2 Comments

Sorry for the unexplained absence…my son has been in the hospital since Tuesday morning with respiratory issues. We got home this afternoon, but it will take me a little while to get back into things. I appreciate your patience, especially in regards to the Apple Market ad.

Looking forward to being back soon…Cara

Skoy…My New Love

Published
by
Cara
on January 27, 2009
in Homemaking
. 2 Comments

First of all, I would like to thank Tammy at Tammy’s Recipes for the Skoy Give-a-away! I was one of the winners! Yeah!

Until that give-a-way I had never heard of a Skoy Cloth before. Let me tell you, I am in love. I have only had mine for 4 days now, and the poor thing has been put through a whole lot. I love this cloth!

It is the weirdest thing. When it comes in the mail, it feels like a piece of cardboard, but as soon as you run it under water it instantly becomes a nice, soft spongy cloth! I normally use a sponge to do my dishes, not anymore. I will be using the Skoy Cloth. (Boy, this is starting to sound like an infomercial!)

A few highlights that I think are great:

  • The first is, it was free…this time anyway.
  • The Skoy company claims that one cloth will replace 15 rolls of paper towels.
  • It is 100% biodegradable and natural.
  • These are reusable!  You can put them in the washing machine or even your dishwasher to clean them.
  • They are kind of cute.
  • It fits perfectly in my hand and is very flexible.
  • It washes your dishes wonderfully, getting into all those hard to reach crevices that a sponge just can get into.
  • They are very reasonable in price.
  • These would make great gifts.
  • They don’t take up too much storage space.

Dislikes:

  • I stained mine already!
  • It is just a sponge after all, so don’t get carried away with washing your knives or your cheese grater.

After I got all excited about using mine, I decided I better go take a look to see how much they cost. Of course I was thinking these things are going to be way too pricey. And I better enjoy my two freebies while they last. But to my shock, they are actually quite reasonable in price. You can get a package of 4 for $5.99. After shipping, that comes to just under $2 a cloth. Not too bad, considering these cloths last, and last, and last. You can get them a little cheaper (about $1.50) if you subscribe to have 8 cloths sent to your house every 3 months.

Okay, I am a little excited about these cloths. Can you tell?! Take a look at The Skoy Cloth site and see what you think for yourself!

Got to go…I think I hear some dishes calling my name.  ;)

Stop by Tammy’s Recipes for Kitchen Tip Tuesday!

Baking Day-Part 2

Published
by
Cara
on January 23, 2009
in Cooking, Homemaking and Recipes
. 1 Comment

I am done!!! I made it! Well, I did cheat a little. I ran out of molasses so I wasn’t able to bake the bread I had planned on baking. I will have to improvise with something else for breakfast, probably some of the left over pancakes…with sausage. Or maybe pigs-in-the blanket!

First off, pancakes!

This was my first time making them with this recipe. The batter is mostly quick oats and buttermilk, with a few more additions. They were delicious. It seemed to me that it took them a little longer to cook than regular wheat pancakes, but the end result was worth waiting.

Here is my “secret” to getting uniformed sized pancakes…a 1/4 measuring cup. The saucer is a must to catch all the little drips. I almost had enough drips on the plate to make a whole pancake by the end of the batch.

Then I moved onto making my tortillas. But this was only after we finished school and lunch—that is a pretty big gap from the pancake making time.  :)

I think it is so much fun to make your own tortillas, and they taste so good. The recipe I used called for butter instead of shortening, it makes a big difference taste wise. They smell so good while they are cooking that I just want to eat them all up before I even get to being done making them. Don’t worry, I practiced some self control…they are all still there…until tomorrow.

Tortilla dough rolled out to a 6 inch circle.

You know it is time to flip your tortilla when you see some air bubbles start to form.

Fisnish product! I am using these to make Chicken and Black Bean Quesedillas tomorrow for dinner.

My girls got into the mix and baked these goodies, Peppermint Crunch Chunkies, for a get together we are suppose to attend tomorrow while I was cooking the tortillas. The recipe came from the back of the Andes Peppermint baking chips bag.

They cooked up half of the batch and then we rolled the rest up to put in the freezer for another day.

And last, but certainly not least, because they are so very good, Chocolate Shortbread Cookies. I am so glad that these are going to the party too, because I am afraid to be in the house with them too long…they are that good. I know that this picture does not do justice to all the buttery goodness of these, but here it is anyway, and the recipe to follow, so you can try them too.

  • 1c. unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened
  • 3/4c. sugar
  • 1/2t. pure vanilla extract
  • 1 3/4c. plus 2T. flour (I used 1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 white)
  • 1/2c. cocoa powder, the original recipe calls for Dutch-processed, I don’t have it
  • 1/4 t. salt
  1. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Beat butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy.
  3. Add vanilla, flour, cocoa, and salt, mix until just blended.
  4. Knead dough five to ten times on a lightly floured surface.
  5. Roll dough out into a 1/4 inch thick square on the prepared cookie sheet. Roll over it one more time making it slightly thinner.
  6. Prick the entire surface of dough with a fork.
  7. Put pan in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.
  8. Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.
  9. Bake shortbread until firm, 20 to 25 minutes.
  10. Remove from the oven and immediately cut the shortbread into 24 rectangles.
  11. Let cool completely on pan. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
  12. Enjoy!

Well, that’s it! I am done. The end.  :)

Baking Day–Part 1

Published
by
Cara
on January 23, 2009
in Cooking, Homemaking and Recipes
. 0 Comments

I usually spend one evening a week cooking up a bunch of goodies to use throughout the week. This typically tends to be Thursday or Friday night. This helps me to save time (and money) in the kitchen the rest of the week.

On the list this week:

  • muffins X2
  • soak oats for pancakes
  • make buttermilk
  • make pancakes
  • bake bread
  • make tortillas
  • make and bake cookies

I decided to split this up into two days this time and got a few things done yesterday and will work on the rest throughout today…I will keep you posted. But for now, this is what I have already accomplished.

Making buttermilk is soooo very easy! I originally learned about making this yourself through The Heavenly Homemaker’s site. It really does take about a whole 30 seconds to get it going. The hardest part about making it is the time you have to wait for it to do its thing, and that is it. You can also read more about it in the book, Nourishing Traditions, our library carries a copy of it, maybe yours does too.

Next up, I made what I am calling Surprise Carrot Cake Muffins. I got this idea from Making Home Food, out of her Embarrassingly Easy Recipes section. You really should check these recipes out. They all sound so yummy, and look incredibly easy, and inexpensive too. I did improvise a little though. I used a box of the FREE Carrot Cake mix I got a few weeks back.

  • 1 box Decadent Carrot Cake mix
  • 1 1/4 c. hot water
  • 1 can pumpkin 16 oz. or 2 c. of pumpkin
  • 1 c. chocolate chips
  1. Soak the contents of the carrot and raisin package in hot water for 10 minutes; drain liquid, discard.
  2. Mix the cake mix, pumpkin, softened carrots and raisins, and chocolate chips all together in a bowl.
  3. Fill greased muffin cups almost full and bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
  4. You can use any kind of cake mix for this recipe, just leave out the water, you don’t need it.
  5. Enjoy!

These were so good! Even my children liked them, despite all the vegetables in them. They are a dense, moist muffin; not a light, fluffy one. And if you didn’t know there was pumpkin in them, you wouldn’t know, you can’t taste it at all, it just adds a yummy moistness.

Okay, now something more wholesome. Pineapple Cornbread Mini Muffins. These are basically cornmeal muffins with a touch of honey and crushed pineapple to give them a light, sweet taste. I had some pineapple I needed to use up and these were perfect for that.

Then I got the oats (for pancakes) and tortilla flour soaking for the morning.

Whew! I am all done, well, except for the dishes! And I will do it all again, as soon as, I get off of this computer. See you then!

Pizza, Pizza!

Published
by
Cara
on January 20, 2009
in Cooking, Homemaking and Recipes
. 2 Comments

Last week in my children’s history lesson we were learning about Italy becoming a country. One of the hands-on assignments after our reading was to make a real Italian pizza. So we did, and now you get to see the results. If you are interested in making one yourself I will list the recipe too. And for all of us Americans that like a “real” pizza pie, I am listing a recipe for that too!

Happy pizza eating!

Pizza Margherita

In honor of the then King Umberto I and Queen Margherita. The toppings used were suppose to symbolize the Italian flag.

  • 1 pkg active dry yeast
  • 1c. warm water
  • 2 1/2 c flour, more if necessary
  • 1 1/2 t. salt
  • 1 T. olive oil
  • 4-6 medium tomatoes, sliced
  • 2 c. sliced or shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/2 c. fresh basil, chopped or 1/3 c. dried basil
  1. Combine yeast, water, olive oil, and salt in a large mixing bowl; stir well. Let sit 5 minutes.
  2. Add 1/2 of the flour and mix well. Add the rest of the flour, minus 1/2c. Mix well, again.
  3. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface for 5 to 7 minutes, adding reserved flour as needed.
  4. Roll your ball of dough in a large bowl, coated with oil, cover with damp cloth, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hr.
  5. Pre-heat your oven to 500 degrees. Divide dough into two balls (we did mini pizzas and divided it into 6 balls), let rest another 15 minutes, covered.
  6. Roll out the dough to about 1/4 in. thick on a cookie sheet. Lightly cover the dough with a little olive oil. Top with the tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil. We also sprinkled a little salt and pepper on top.
  7. Bake in the oven for approximately 8 to 12 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the crust is golden.
  8. Enjoy! This was really good, but we all agreed that we really like the pizza that we are accustomed to here in America. This reminded me more of an appetizer.

American style pizza (crust taken from Hodgson Mill bag of flour)

  • 1 pkg active dry yeast
  • 1 c. warm water
  • 1 1/2 c whole wheat flour
  • 2 t. sugar
  • 1/2 t. salt
  • 2 T. olive oil
  • 1 1/2 c. unbleached flour
  • 1 8 oz can tomato sauce, mixed with 1/2 T. Italian seasoning and 1/2 t. garlic powder (or your favorite pizza spices)
  • 2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
  • favorite pizza toppings
  1. Dissolve yeast in warm water; let rest 5 minutes.
  2. Stir in whole wheat flour, sugar, salt , olive oil, and 1 c white flour.
  3. Knead in remaining white flour by hand for 5 minutes.
  4. Coat a bowl with oil and put dough in, turning to coat it with oil. Cover and let rise for 15 minutes.
  5. Grease one 14 in pizza pan or two 10 inch pizza pans. Stretch dough to fit pan, flute outer edges of dough to hold fillings–don’t put fillings on yet.
  6. Bake in 425 degree oven for 10 min. I do this for a more crisp crust.
  7. Pull crust out and top with pizza sauce, cheese and your favorite toppings. Optional:  I like to shake a little bit of dried parsley on top.
  8. Bake again until cheese is melted and crust is browned.
  9. Enjoy!

A Yummy Gift Idea-Chocolate Treasure Box!

Published
by
Cara
on January 8, 2009
in Homemaking and Just For Fun
. 1 Comment

I stumbled across this cute and quick gift idea and just knew I had to share it with you all! This is an especially good gift for the person in your life that is hard to buy for. Or if you just need something fun to brighten up someone’s day. It is pretty fit for any occasion. And it involves chocolate so almost everyone you know would love to receive this kind of gift. :)

You will need the following items to make this:

  • 5 Hersheys bars, any size (6 if you need one to munch on while you do this project)
  • card board
  • plastic wrap
  • ribbon, yarn, string
  • cookie sheet
  • oven
  • filler of some sort
  1. Place cookie sheet into a hot oven. Temperature is not important, 350 degrees will do.
  2. Place a chocolate bar onto your cardboard and trace around it. Cut this piece out. This will be the base for your chocolate box. Wrap the cardboard with plastic wrap.
  3. Cut two lengths of ribbon and lay them on the card board. Unwrap all your chocolate bars. Place one chocolate bar on top of the ribbon.
  4. Now you will have to work fast. Use an oven mitt and pull the hot cookie sheet out. Lay one long side (the edge) of a chocolate bar onto the cookie sheet until it starts to melt (this will be your glue…I think you can make this out in the picture to give you a better idea). Place this side of the melted bar onto the bar that is sitting on your cardboard base and hold in place until they are stuck together–this only takes a couple of minutes. Repeat the process all the way around, until you have a box. For the sides you will break one bar in half.
  5. Fill your box with your choice of goodies when completely cooled.
  6. Place a chocolate bar on top for a lid and tie the ribbons together like in the picture above.
  7. Ta-da! Your very own Chocolate Treasure Box…to give away, as a gift, remember?

Useful Vinegar

Published
by
Cara
on January 6, 2009
in Homemaking
. 3 Comments

Since we all have been sick around here all week, it is now time to do some serious cleaning!

Have you ever had to clean throw-up out of a kid’s hair on New Years Eve when you should be celebrating in the New Year? I have. I can now add that to my list of successful things done in my life. Check!

Anyhow, I pulled out some of my vinegar and on the box (I bought a double pack at Sam’s) there is a list of 20 quick uses of vinegar. I was intrigued by them, so I thought I would share.

  1. Glassware:  1/2c. of vinegar added to a gallon of rinse water will remove soap film from glassware and make it shine.
  2. Toilet Bowl:  clean and deodorize your toilet bowl by pouring undiluted vinegar into it. Let it stand for about five minutes then flush. Stubborn stains may require scrubbing.
  3. Bathtub:  wipe down bathtub with vinegar and soda to remove film buildup. Rinse clean with water.
  4. Ants:  invasions can be deterred by washing countertops, cabinets and floors with vinegar. (This one is new to me!)
  5. Grass or Weeds:  kill unwanted grass on sidewalks and driveways by pouring on vinegar.
  6. Chrome:  polish chrome and stainless steel, moisten a cloth with white vinegar and wipe clean.
  7. Grease:  filmy dirt and greasy residue can be removed from your stove and refrigerator by wiping with vinegar.
  8. Shower curtain:  rub a cloth dampened with vinegar to remove soapy, steamed-in film and mildew from your plastic shower curtain. Then rinse clean.
  9. Coffee maker:  remove stale coffee residue, fill the reservoir with vinegar and run it through a brewing cycle. When cycle is finished, run two cycles of water to rinse.
  10. Irons:  remove burn stains from your electric iron by mixing one part salt with one part vinegar in a heated small aluminum pan. Use this mix to polish the iron as you would silver.
  11. Vegetables:  liven up slightly wilted vegetables by soaking them in cold water and vinegar.
  12. Flowers:  add 2T. of vinegar plus 3T. of sugar to a quart of warm water to keep fresh cut flowers blooming longer.
  13. Cabbage:  add vinegar to the cooking water of boiling cabbage to prevent the odor from permeating the house.
  14. Meat:  a marinade of 1/2c. of your favorite vinegar and a cup of liquid bouillon makes an effective meat tenderizer.
  15. Rice:  a t. of vinegar added to the water of boiling rice makes it white and fluffy.
  16. Fish:  reduce fishy odors by rubbing fish down with white distilled vinegar before scaling it.
  17. Cheese: keep cheese moist and fresh by wrapping it in a cloth that has been dampened with vinegar and sealed in an jar-tight wrap or container.
  18. Eggs:  to produce better-formed egg whites, add a tsp. of vinegar to the water.
  19. Onion odors:  quickly remove the odor of onions from your hands by rubbing them with distilled vinegar.
  20. Pickling :  Cider, Red Wine, Balsamic and other dark vinegars are good for pickling, but may discolor lighter colored pickles such as pears, onions or cauliflowers. In the case, a distilled or white vinegar may be preferred.

Got any more ideas for vinegar? Please share!

You can also stop by Tammy’s Recipes for more new kitchen tips for the week.