Archive for the 'Cooking' 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!

Tackling a Pineapple

Published
by
Cara
on March 13, 2009
in Cooking
. 8 Comments

****Update: I found a printable coupon here for 55¢ off of a Del Monte pineapple. Aldi does not take coupons, but this may be helpful at another store. Produce coupons are rare!

Would you like to join me? I am trying something new.

I picked up a pineapple for $1.99 at Aldi the other day, which seemed like a really good price to me at the time. Normally, I just walk past a pineapple; they seem so intimidating. It is just so much easier to open up a can to enjoy some pineapple. You know? Or at least that is what I thought before I challenged myself to try to cut my own pineapple, just this once. I really came to this decision when I noticed that the pineapple had a tag hanging from it that told you exactly how to cut it (with pictures even). It looked easy enough.

And guess what? It really was easy and fast. It probably took me about 10 whole minutes to do this. And the taste! So much better than any canned pineapple I have ever had.

Are you ready? Here we go!

Here is the beauty, my tools and trusty instructions.

Here is the beauty, my tools and trusty instructions.

Make sure your knives are sharp before you start!

First, slice off the top. Or my technical name:  the poky part. :)

Now, slice the whole pineapple in half, and then into fourths the long ways. Or like the pictures below.

Now you’ll want to cut the core away on all four pieces, like this:

You may want to switch to a paring knife for this next part. We are going to cut around the “peel” of the pineapple; kind of like making a boat.

Pry the flesh out with your fingers. And now you are ready to slice and dice to your preference. I left some in large slices to eat out of hand, and then wedged the rest to freeze on a cookie sheet to use in smoothies.

Here are the final results:

If you have never tasted a fresh slice of pineapple before, I have to tell you, you are really missing out! This pineapple was so juicy and sweet with just the right tartness to it. I won’t be walking by cheap pineapples anymore. And now, I am thinking I need to make another trip to the store and pick up one, or two, or three more!

What do you think? Does it look easy enough, or still too difficult to try one for yourself?

I also wanted to add how frugal this idea of cutting your own pineapple can be. One 20 oz. can of Chunk Pineapple at Aldi costs around 99¢. You get about 2 cups of pineapple after you pour off the juice. That equates to 49¢ a cup.

I got about seven cups of chunked and sliced pineapple for $1.99. Which ends up being about 28¢ a cup.

Until I did the math, I always thought a fresh pineapple was too expensive. Even if it is $3.00 for a pineapple you are still getting a better deal buy cutting it up yourself.

For more kitchen tips, stop by Tammy’s Recipes for Kitchen Tip Tuesday!

Something Sweet For My Sweets–Apple Pie

Published
by
Cara
on February 20, 2009
in Cooking and Recipes
. 0 Comments

There were still a few apples lurking in my fridge from this past fall’s bounty that needed to be dealt with. And I am going to be out of town all day tomorrow with out my husband and children. I felt a treat was in order for them while I am away. And what better to use than these apples?! Here is one of my own versions of an apple pie. It is kind of like apple pie and apple crisp all mixed into one dish.

P.S. I cheated on the pie crust this time and used a store bought that I had got on sale for 49¢! And to top it off, I didn’t get fancy with the edging. I just left it the way it laid when I put the crust in to the pie dish. I think it still turned out pretty.

Apple Crumb Pie

  • one pie crust, use your favorite
  • 1/3 to 1/2 c. sugar, depending on how sweet the apples are that you use
  • 1/4 c. flour (used whole wheat)
  • 1 t. cinnamon
  • dash of salt
  • 8 c. of peeled and sliced apples
  • 3/4 c. rolled oats
  • 1/4 c. flour (used whole wheat)
  • 1/4 c. brown sugar
  • 1/3 c. butter
  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  2. Put pie crust into a 9″ pie pan.
  3. Mix sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl.
  4. Stir in apples, until well coated.
  5. Pour apple mixture into pie pan.
  6. Using the same bowl mix the oats, flour, and sugar together. Cut in butter, until the mixture is crumbly. I like to use my hands, but a pastry cutter works great.
  7. Sprinkle the crumb mixture on top of the apples in the pie plate.
  8. Bake for 50 minutes. You may need to cover your pie with aluminum foil for the last 10 to 15 minutes to prevent your topping from getting too brown.
  9. Cool in pie plate on wire rack.
  10. Eat and enjoy!

Fried Peanut Butter Wontons

Published
by
Cara
on February 12, 2009
in Cooking and Recipes
. 2 Comments

Peanut butter wontons?

Never heard of them myself, until I spotted them at Kate’s blog, A Simple Walk.

I really enjoy peanut butter and knew right away that I was going to give these a try. At this writing I have made these twice now, and know I will make them again, and again.

These are a really fun and extremely tasty snack, that is, if you like peanut butter.

You don’t need a recipe to make them either. Take as many wonton wrappers as you desire to fry up and put a dab (1 teaspoonful) of peanut butter in the middle. Dip your finger in water, run it around the edges of the wonton and fold over pressing firmly to close securely. Slip them into some hot oil. They only take a few seconds to fry up, turning once.

Take a peek at the gooey yumminess found in the middle. I used crunchy peanut butter in this batch. These are great dipped in your favorite fruit jelly.

If you don’t like peanut butter, Kate has another recipe for Cream Cheese Wontons. I hope to try that one sometime too!

What about you? Do you think you are going to give them a try? Or have you had something like this before?

Homemade “Jello”

Published
by
Cara
on February 10, 2009
in Cooking and Recipes
. 7 Comments

If making your own “Jello” sounds intimidating, it did to me too. Not anymore! It is one of the easiest things to do. This recipe is very simple to follow and I think you will really like it. Warning though, this is not Jello, the taste is just not the same if you are use to that. But, try it anyway and experiment with different flavors and see if it will become a new family favorite at your home.

This is just a very basic recipe:

  • 1 12oz. frozen unsweetened fruit juice concentrate can
  • 2 1/2c. water
  • 2 envelopes of unflavored gelatin (If you want to make the squares, like Jello Jigglers, add 4 envelopes total)
  1. Dissolve the juice concentrate in the water.
  2. Measure out 1 cup of the juice and sprinkle the unflavored gelatin over it. Let sit for 5 minutes.
  3. Bring the remaining juice to a boil and pour into the gelatin mixture. Stir until dissolved.
  4. Pour into a glass dish of your choosing and refrigerate until firm.
  5. If you just want to use already made unsweetened juice: use 3c of juice and 1/2c of water instead of the above measurements. This won’t be as sweet, so add some fruit.

Use your imagination. You can add any fruit you would like to this too. Try matching the fruit to the juice flavor. For example, White Grape Juice with green grapes or Orange-Pineapple Juice with canned pineapple. Or not, we also like grape juice with sliced bananas.

Here is one variety that I like:

Cranberry Gelatin Salad

  • 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
  • 1 1/2 c. water
  • 1 T. lemon juice
  • 1 12oz. frozen unsweetened apple-cranberry concentrate can (I like to use apple-raspberry too)
  • 1/2 c. cranberries, chopped
  • 2 small red apples, chopped (do not peel)
  • 1/2 c. celery, chopped fine
  • 1/4 c. chopped walnuts, optional (I don’t put these in, my husband doesn’t like them)
  1. Soften gelatin in water and let sit for 5 minutes. Bring to a boil until gelatin is dissolved.
  2. Add lemon juice and frozen juice concentrate.
  3. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir. Pour into a glass dish and refrigerate until firm.
  4. Eat and enjoy!

For more kitchen tips and ideas swing by Tammy’s Recipes for Kitchen Tips Tuesday!

Cabbage Stew

Published
by
Cara
on January 31, 2009
in Cooking and Recipes
. 0 Comments

This is one of my most favorite dishes! This will remind you of Cabbage Rolls, but without all of the work. If you don’t like cabbage you will probably want to pass up trying this recipe, or maybe you might want to try it…you just might like it. I got this recipe originally from a Quick Cooking magazine. I’ve made a couple of changes to suit our tastes. So, here you go.

  • 1 lb. ground turkey (I really like it with turkey, but you could use ground beef, in fact, that is what is pictured above)
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced (if you buy the kind already chopped in the jar it makes this part really easy)
  • 4 c. chopped cabbage (this ends up being about 1/2 of a head of cabbage)
  • 2 carrots, sliced
  • 1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained (I ran out of this in the picture above, I just replaced it with an equal amount of tomato sauce…it was still delicious in my book)
  • 1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
  • 1 T. brown sugar
  • 1 T. vinegar
  • 1/2 t. salt
  • 1 t. oregano
  • 1/4 t. thyme
  • 1/4 t. pepper
  1. Cook turkey (or beef), onion and garlic until meat is no longer pink; drain.
  2. Add the rest of the ingredients.
  3. Bring to a boil; cover and simmer until vegetables are tender (about 10 minutes or so).
  4. Eat and enjoy! Serves 6

I love to serve this with bread and some kind of apple dessert. In my mind it all seems to go together perfect. So, what do you think?

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!

Garlic Spaghetti

Published
by
Cara
on January 8, 2009
in Cooking and Recipes
. 3 Comments

Garlic lovers this recipe is calling your name! I know it does not look too exciting in the picture, but trust me, it is GOOD. I had some left over noodles that needed to be dealt with and stumbled upon this recipe at Cooking During Stolen Moments. And I can tell you, I am not sorry. This was soooo very garlicky, and soooo very buttery, and sooooo very yummy (Get my point yet?). I do have a caution though, if you see me tomorrow please stand a couple of feet back from me while talking to me, I have a feeling my breath will not be too pretty! ;)

This dish is actually taken from a whole meal called, Chicken Parmesan Fingers over Garlic Spaghetti. Please visit her site for the rest of her recipe! We just ate the spaghetti for dinner tonight.

Here is part of the recipe taken from Kate’s site:

For Garlic Spaghetti
*I sometimes like to serve just this dish as a main course with a big salad. When I do, I double the recipe and add about 6 extra cloves of garlic. For something so simple, it is insanely delicious!

1. Heat butter or margarine and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and seasonings and cook for about 5 minutes, until garlic is tender, stirring often. Add a few splashes of reserved cooking water and bring to a slow boil. Let boil about 3 minutes. Add spaghetti, combine well, and heat through. If needed, add a few more splashes of reserved water. You don’t want it soupy, but you do want to be sure you get sauce all over the noodles. Sometimes a little extra cooking water is necessary for that.

So, what do you think?