Month: January 2018

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Potpourri

Hello! We had an unseasonably warm few days and some sunshine in my neck of the woods but Winter has returned.

We had our monster birthday bash on Sunday. My oldest daughter’s birthday was January 3 and my twin sons had their special day on January 25. My compadre in crime, Linda, celebrated on January 26. We rolled all those birthdays into one and had a party.

As I mentioned in a previous post,  each celebrant picks their own treat. Therefore, it was a busy day for me in the kitchen. Melanie picked angel food cakes, as she always does, with the fluffy cooked frosting. I say cakes because she always expects at least 2 cakes. One year she request three!! She likes the leftovers. Josh selected baked New York style cheesecake. I chose an easier recipe than the one I usually use. He liked it but told me he likes the old recipe better. Although everyone enjoyed the cheesecake. Jacob wanted an ice cream cake. Linda wanted Rick Krispie treats. I will share recipes below. Well, except for the angel food cake. I buy mixes for those. I’m not nuts enough to make those homemade. Well, at least not yet! Oh, and everyone knows how to make Rice Krispie treats. The only thing I did differently was to cut the treats up and stack them like a layer cake.

Money Savers

  1. Save your wrappers from butter and margarine in a container in the frig. Whenever you need to grease a pan just use the wrapper. Rub it around the pan using the side that was next to the butter or margarine. My Mom always did this and I started right off the bat when I had my own home!
  2. I get many things in the mail that have an envelope enclosed that I don’t use. I save those envelopes and use them rather than purchasing envelopes.I use them to do night deposits at the bank and pay the in town bills that I just drop off. Basically anytime I need an envelope for something and it doesn’t matter what kind of envelope I use.
  3. When you are making something that only requires egg whites save the yolks. Put them into a pan of boiling water and cook them until they are no longer runny. Cool. Crumble them for salads.
  4. If you need a knife or pair of scissors sharpened and don’t own a knife sharpener you can still get the job done. Turn a ceramic mug upside down. There is almost always an un-glazed ring around the bottom. Hold your knife blade at a 45 degree angle against the ring and pull it firmly along the ceramic edge from base to tip a few times on each side.
  5. Here’s another tip for eggs. You can freeze them! Of course you have to take them out of the shell first. Crack 2 eggs at a time in a bowl. Beat them until well blended. Freeze them in muffin tins. Once frozen, remove them from the tin and store in a freezer bag in the freezer. Each time a recipe calls for 2 eggs get your bag out and you will be able to select a perfect portion. If you have a recipe you use frequently for say 3 eggs, you can do those too.
  6. Muffin tins can be used for many things. If you turn a muffin pan upside down you can use it to bake tortillas for tacos or edible bowls for salads.

 

     

Have you ever had or do you currently have a cupboard that is difficult to get to? I do! It is right beside my stove and I keep spices and other related things in there. It is just a little too high for me to be able to see things in it. I have tried those spice shelves made out of bamboo that have steps and that didn’t work for me to see into the cupboard. I tried long skinny plastic containers that would hold a row of spice jars. That didn’t work that well either. The other day I had an epiphany! I needed a tray or container that would hold many things from the cupboard so that I could simply pull it out and see everything. Luckily I collect tins from various products. My daughter gave me two Moon Pie tins filled with, what else?, Moon Pies! The Moon Pies are long gone but the tins were here.

My friend Linda decided she needed to make a lighted fabric garland for Valentine’s Day. She shared the thought with me and we were both off and running! I am a little obsessive so I must have one for each holiday that I am decorating my antique Hoosier cabinet with.

We cut fabric strips in the colors of whatever holiday we were working on. The strips of fabric were roughly 5 to 6 inches long and about and inch to an inch and a half wide. We both were able to find or collect fabric scraps that we could use for the project. However, when we did need certain colors we bought quilting squares for 94 cents at Walmart in the colors we needed.  I used pinking shearers for mine. Linda simply tore some of her strips. You can also use regular shearers. It is all up to you and the look you want to have. Then you simply tie the strips onto the a light cord. We used discounted 20 light strings that we bought after Christmas for 47 cents each!

Valentine’s Day    

St. Patty’s               

Easter                       

Summer                  

I will be doing one for Fall and of course Christmas. Also, I just realized I need one for Cinco de Mayo! I told you I was a little obsessive! That’s with the emphasis on obsessive, not on little!

Recipes

Cooked Frosting

 

  • 5 Tablespoons flour
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup butter (2 sticks), room temperature 
  • 1 cup granulated white sugar

 

  • In a small saucepan, whisk flour into milk and heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens. This might take 5 minutes, give or take.  Keep stirring so as not to burn the mixture.  Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature. Add the vanilla.
  • While the mixture is cooling, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Then add the cooled mixture from step 1 and beat until it all combines and looks like whipped cream. Scrape the sides of the bowl so that you are sure to incorporate everything.

 

Easy Baked Cheesecake

  • 2 (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 3 large eggs, whisked
  • 2 tsp. vanilla
  • graham cracker crust
  1. Beat cream cheese, sugar, eggs, and vanilla with mixer until smooth.
  2. Pour into a ready graham cracker pie crust.
  3. Bake 20 to 25 minutes at 350F.
  4. Remove cheesecake and cool for 5 minutes.
  5. Cool and refrigerate.
  6. Serve cold!

This recipe was saved from simple.net.

Notes: I had to leave it in the oven the full 25 minutes. I then turned the oven off and allowed it to cool in the oven and then refrigerated it. Allowing a cheesecake to cool in the oven is a normal practice. I used a spring form pan for the cheesecake and made my own grahan cracker crust using graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter.

Ice Cream Cake

1 brownie mix baked as directed

1 half gallon of ice cream (softened)

1 tub of pre-made frosting

8 oz. container of whipped topping

sprinkles

I baked the brownies in a 9 X 11 pan as per directions. Once the brownies cooled I spread the frosting on top. The next layer is the softened ice cream. To top it off you spread the whipped topping on and decorate with sprinkles. The ice cream and frosting flavor are up to you. I used chocolate frosting and fudge ripple ice cream. Cover with plastic wrap (I always use Press and Seal. It is the best!) and store in freezer until serving.

Have a great week! Hope you enjoyed this post. I love to hear from you!

 

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My Winter Top Ten

Top ten ways I know it is the Dead of Winter in Western New York!

  1. I have set up the card table with a puzzle.
  2. Starlings are coming down my chimney and ending up in the basement flying frantically around trying to get out.
  3. I am drinking even more coffee than usual.
  4. I may or may not have more than 1 pajama day a week.
  5. Hot soup is on the menu on most days.
  6. Baking to warm up the house is a real thing.
  7. I feel sorry for my dogs because they have to go outside to go to the bathroom.
  8. The county highway plows deliberately pack a mound of ice and snow at the end of my driveway.
  9. How did I ever live without heated seats in my car?!!
  10. I have a comforter and two blankets on my bed and have the fan on!

Such is the life here by Lake Erie, in the  snow belt, by Chautauqua Ridge!

I taught computers for 17 years. I love technology which includes my Google Home,  tablet, smart phone and laptop. However, I have resisted a couple of things that I have now decided to commit to. The first one is the calendar on my smart phone. Holding a hard copy in my hand and entering my appointments was such a secure feeling! I kept one on my phone too but just couldn’t let my appointment book go! Now, I have finally done it! I am free!

Do you want to know what made me give up the hard copy and go with the calendar on my phone only? I have hurt my shoulder in some way and I wanted to cut the weight down of my purse. Anyone who knows me, knows that I carry everything I think I might need if I should go on “Let’s Make A Deal” in my purse. The calendar was one item I let go.

The second technological thing that I have been resisting is getting rid of, as many as possible, the paper copies of recipes that I have saved over the years. I have been heading toward keeping all of my recipes on boards in Pinterest for quite some time. Every time I would find a recipe in a magazine or someone would tell me about one, I would check to see if it was on Pinterest and save it to the appropriate board. So, that meant I wasn’t adding to the stock of paper recipes I had filed but I still had two vintage, metal, picnic, baskets full of recipes.

For the past 3 or 4 weeks I have been slowly going through a folder at a time and finding the recipes on Pinterest. Once found I throw my paper copy in the recycle bin. It is amazing that even vintage recipes like the feather nutmeg cake and the tomato soup cake can be found online! I am about to finish the first vintage picnic basket of recipes today. This basket included cakes, casseroles, breakfast, bread, appetizers, cookies, candy, and miscellaneous desserts. (The first part of the alphabet!) It hasn’t seemed like work either. I just do a few when I pass by my computer and have the time. One thing I discovered was that I saved the same recipe multiple times! I guess when I like something, I really like it!

Tips

There are secrets to making a really good cookie! Some of them include:

Don’t overload your oven. If you try to cram too many cookie sheets in there you aren’t getting the air circulation you need to properly bake your cookies.

Always use parchment paper. A roll might seem expensive but you can buy 10 sheets in a package at Dollar Tree and that’s a deal! As I mentioned in a previous post, sheets of parchment paper lay on a cookie sheet better than a sheet you rip off a roll.

The first time you try a recipe, set your oven timer for 5 minutes earlier than the time the recipe gives. Each oven is a little different. After you check them you can always let them bake longer but you can’t undo it if they burn! (If the baking time is different from the recipe states, remember to mark it on the recipe for the next time.)

Never put cookie dough on a hot/warm cookie sheet. For a cookie baking marathon you need one cookie sheet baking, one cooling off and one ready to go in the oven.

Preheat your oven! I used to never do this but I have learned that your baked goods come out so much better when you do pre-heat.

If you are rolling out dough for cutouts or some other cookie, roll the dough out between sheets of waxed paper, This is to prevent sticking and the need for flouring your counter or board. Getting too much flour into the dough changes the texture of the cookie. They can become dry and crumbly with the addition of just a little extra flour.

Recipe

Orange Cream Cheese Bread

1-8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. shortening
1 2/3 c. granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 c. milk
1/2 c. chopped walnuts
2 Tbsp. grated orange peel
1/4 c. orange juice
1. Combine cream cheese and shortening, creaming well.
2. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy.
3. Add eggs, beating well after each addition.
4. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix well after each addition.
5. Stir in walnuts and orange peel.
6. Pour batter into 2 greased and floured 8-1/2 x 4-1/2 x 3 inch loaf pans.
7. Bake at 375 degrees F for 55 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
8. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Then sprinkle orange juice over loaves. Remove to wire rack to finish cooling.
Notes: Following my own advice, I set my oven timer for 50 minutes instead of the 55 recommended in the recipe. It was still a tad too done on the bottom of the loaves for my liking. I made note to set the timer for 45 minutes the next time I bake the bread. The bread is moist and really soft. It has a nice orange flavor. Also, instead of sprinkling orange juice on top of the loaves I think I will make a glaze with orange juice and powdered sugar next time. Although just the orange juice on top was okay, I think that a glaze would just make the bread much better.
Have a fantastic week! Be sure to let me know if you try any of the recipes that I post. I would love to know.

 

 

 

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SOS and All That Jazz

In my family January is a BIG birthday month. My oldest daughter’s birthday is January 3 and my twins’ birthday is January 25. That’s 3 right there but I have 3 friends who have birthdays in this month as well. PARTY!!!

Now, this always means plenty of cakes or the birthday person’s chosen dessert. Sometimes the celebrant doesn’t choose to have a cake. Some of the other desserts have been Boston Creme Pie, Slush Pie, Cheesecake, and well, you get the idea.

We also have the birthday person choose their  special dinner if their schedule allows a dinner. Melanie, my oldest always picks Dried Beef Gravy (aka SOS) over toast for her dinner. This year she told me she only gets it once a year. I asked her why because she could just make it. Her answer was that when she makes it that it never turns out the same. That’s a nice complement to me but I suspect that it is just that it always tastes better if someone else makes it. Any person who cooks for a family will agree with that!

I make Dried Beef Gravy the way my Mom always did and I think of it as comfort food and serve it on toast (although mashed potatoes are good with it too) and peas as the veggie.

Mom’s Dried Beef Gravy (SOS = military men called it this in the mess hall. I am assuming you know what it stands for.)

1/2 gallon of milk

1 stick of margarine or butter (your preference)

salt and pepper to taste

1 large jar of dried beef (tore or cut into smallish pieces)

flour

Prepare a roux to make the gravy by putting about a cup of flour into about 1 cup and a half of water and shaking (if using a jar) or whisking until smooth in a bowl. Pour the milk into a sauce pan and add the margarine/butter and the salt and pepper. Heat until it just begins to come to a boil stirring frequently. Using a whisk slowly add the roux until the gravy is the thickness you desire. Add your dried beef and turn burner to its lowest setting until beef is warmed. This doesn’t take long. Serve over toast.

Variations:

Hamburg Gravy (best served over mashed potatoes)

For this version you just brown a pound of hamburg and saute one onion. Drain. You use water instead of the milk as the base. We always darken the gravy with Gravy Master and a cup of coffee. You will use salt and pepper but also garlic powder and any other spice you would like until it tastes good to you.

Sausage Gravy (best served over biscuits)

Brown a pound of pork breakfast sausage. You’re back to using milk as the base for this gravy. The only addition in spice that I do is adding some paprika but you may want to add onion and garlic powder too. It just depends on your taste.

Organization

How many of you cut recipes out of magazines and save them? I have two vintage metal picnic baskets filled with them! I am in the process of going through them. I find that I have liked a recipe I’ve seen so much that I have cut it out 2, 3 and sometimes 4 times! Geesh! As I am going through them I am looking on Pinterest to see if they are there. If they are, I then save them on one of my boards and get rid of the recipe I clipped. The only exceptions to this are when I was given a handwritten recipe from a friend or an old family recipe. Those I save in hard copy! If you would like to check out my Pinterest boards here is the link: https://www.pinterest.com/rhuberross/

I have boards for holidays, certain food groups or meals (breakfast, etc.), craft projects, repurposing ideas, and just things I want to remember. If you haven’t explored Pinterest you just have to!

Things You Should Know

So, this may seem like a personal question but I am going to ask anyway. How often do you get rid of your underwear and buy new? It turns out that you should do it once a year. Even though you wash your underwear there are bacteria that remain in them even after the washer and the dryer! These bacteria are not nice and can cause disease. As a matter of fact, the bacteria can number in the 10,000 range. There are many articles and much research on this topic. If you would like to read more about it here is a link to the Good Housekeeping article on the subject:

http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/throw-out-your-underwear-every-year-for-health-reasons-experts-say/news-story/ec81620a19bad5155c5889992c2064ab

The article is from Australia but still Good Housekeeping and there are many other articles including one from Essence magazine. Consider yourself informed!

Cleaning

I am sure I didn’t invent my cleaning system which is “a room a day” system and that it is out there on the Internet somewhere. However, I thought of it and I put it into practice as much as is possible. I am retired now but especially when I was working some system for cleaning the house had to be in place because I just didn’t have the time. Actually, I am pretty busy in retirement too so it still comes in handy.

The system is very simple. I just do a roughly a room a day. That way each room gets cleaned once a week (it never gets bad because it is cleaned regularly) and the house doesn’t take too much sprucing up if company is coming or something like that. Here is the method that has worked for me. You can set up a system that suits your lifestyle and your time constraints too.

Monday – clean the bathroom and upstairs hallway

Tuesday – craft room and guest room (I lump the two together because neither are used daily and therefore don’t get as dirty)

Wednesday – my bedroom and the stairs

Thursday – foyer and livingroom

Friday – diningroom

Saturday – kitchen

Sunday – day of relaxation

Notes:

Since each room is getting done once a week it never takes long to clean it. I spend not even an hour a day with this system. Also, there are things I add to it occasionally such as going through a closet or a drawer, etc. so that those things get done too.

On Saturdays I also add in doing my wash, changing my bed and watering the plants so that each of those items get done once a week as well. When I was working and my kids were home it was slightly different. I did a load of wash a day and then on Saturday did what was left. I also changed all beds when I did that room.

If you have a system or trick that works for you please share in the comments. I know I don’t have the only answers to the cleaning of the house. I just do what works for me.

See you next week! Set aside some time to be good to you this week! Read, take a nap, whatever makes your life delicious!!!

 

 

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Happy 2018

I took a holiday break for a bit but I’m back! I am sure we all had a busy couple of weeks with baking, cooking, visiting with friends, wrapping and giving gifts, etc. The funny thing that has always struck me is how much time and preparation go into the holidays and how quickly they fly by. Are you picking up what I’m laying down? LOL

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, I have some tips for you and a recipe and an assortment of other finds, observations and “check this out!” things.

Handy Tips

  1. You know how sometimes wooden furniture gets a dent in it when something is dropped on it? There is a way to bring it back where it should be or near there if the ding is deep. Take out your steam iron and get to work! Put a piece of cloth ( I use something without any nap so that fibers don’t leave little indents) on the dent. With your steam iron onto a hotter setting and filled with water iron the spot where the dent is. You can’t just leave the iron sit on there since you don’t want to do more damage to the furniture. The moisture from the steam iron will put moisture into the wood and the result is that the dent lifts up. I have done this countless times. It works!
  2. Sticking with the furniture theme, I have a fix for the white water rings that you get from cups and glasses. This works best when the ring is fresh and to varying degrees if it is not. Put some mayonnaise on the ring and let it set for a good while. Then take a soft cloth and wipe the area. Presto!  Chango! Water ring has left the building!
  3. I put my Christmas cards and some decorations up with a ring of masking tape. A handy trick is to take a little piece of painter’s tape and put it up before you put your masking tape ring up. Painter’s tape is meant to come off without damaging the surface it is on. Your decorations, or other items you may put up, come off without a hitch and the painter’s tape saves the day.
  4. This year I finally did something that I had seen long ago but never remembered. All of my rolls of wrapping paper that I had opened are now safely tucked away with an empty toilet paper roll or empty paper towel roll keeping them from coming open and getting messed up. There also is no damage done from scotch tape if that is what you used to use to keep your wrapping paper in line like I did. Just take an empty roll and using scissors cut a slit the length of the tube. You then slip it on your roll of wrapping paper like a cuff. It works like a charm to keep those pesky rolls from unwinding and ruining the paper.

Is anyone suffering from dry and/or cracked fingers due to the cold weather? I know I am. My son, who is a UPS driver and handles cardboard packages all day, taught me a trick. Put some oatmeal in an old foot from the pair of panty hose or a knee high. Then you tie it shut and rub your hands or any other dry area. He swears by this method.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              This Makes Sense 

You know how eggs or really egg yolks had a really bad reputation for years, like decades? Now, current thinking is they are good for you and Healthline website says that up to 3 whole eggs a day is fine and they have studies that have been done to prove this.  It turns out that eggs do have a lot of cholesterol in them but the more you consume, the less your liver makes. Anyway, eggs have protein and B vitamins in them. You absorb protein slowly so it keeps you fuller, longer and B vitamins are used by your body to make energy. One egg has 6 grams of protein in it and about 15% of your daily requirement of B vitamins.  I call that a WIN/WIN!

Attention All Cat and Dog Owners!   

My Mom used to put on a classical radio station for her dog when she left the house. The rest of the family and I called it BOW WOW music. Well, as with most things, Mom was right! The doggies and even your fine feline friends enjoy and are calmed by music. You can find a classical music station or there are other more specifically targeted sources for music. There are at least 2 volumes of Canine Lullabies available for purchase on Amazon. I am sure they would be great for cats too. Turns out that shelters, boarding kennels and vet offices use this music to “calm the savage beast” too! If you want to spend more money there is something called, iCalmDog for about $90. These are mini speakers with pre-loaded music which feature, and I quote from a techy article in the latest AARP magazine, “psychoacoutstically designed” sounds for dogs. The music is called Through A Dog’s Ear and features classical piano in versions that are slower, simplified and in a lower key just for Fido.   Not to be out done by the dogs, cats have the iCalmCats for $70 which has the feline version of the piano music. If you would like to learn more the website is; https://icalmpet.com/

 

Recipe

Cinnamon and Spice Sweet Potato Bread

YIELD: 1-9X5 LOAF, 2-8X4 LOAVES OR BUNDT

TOTAL TIME: ABOUT 80 MINUTES

PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES

COOK TIME: 60 MINUTES

Sweet potatoes do a wonderful job of keeping the bread extremely soft and moist. It’s almost like cake it’s so soft, springy, and bouncey. The interior is tender with a dense, moist crumb, and the crust is firmer and slightly chewy. The sweet potatoes are complimented by a variety of comforting and warming spices including, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and cloves. The bread is robustly spiced and full of hearty flavor. If you like sweet potatoes, carrot cake, or pumpkin-based recipes, you’ll love this bread.

INGREDIENTS:

about 1 1/2 cups mashed sweet potatoes (2 medium or 1 very large)
3 tablespoons water
2 large eggs
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
1/4 cup buttermilk (or yogurt, Greek yogurt, sour cream, or buttermilk powder)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
pinch salt, optional and to taste

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray one 9-by-5-inch loaf pan (what I used), or two 8-by-4-inch loaf pans, or a 10-cup Bundt pan, or a muffin pan with floured cooking spray or grease and flour the pan(s); set aside.
  2. Peel the sweet potatoes and chop them into 1-inch sized chunks. Place chunks in a large, shallow microwave-safe bowl. Add 3 tablespoons water, cover with plastic wrap, and cook on high power for 15 to 17 minutes, or until potatoes are very fork-tender. Pour off any water. Mash sweet potatoes with a fork. Allow them to cool momentarily so you don’t scramble the eggs.
  3. To the sweet potatoes, add the eggs, oil, buttermilk, vanilla and whisk until combined; set aside. (I used buttermilk powder and added 1 tablespoon powder to the dry ingredients and 1/4 cup water to this wet mixture)
  4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients – flour, sugars, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, optional salt, and whisk to combine. Pour the wet sweet potato mixture over the dry ingredients, and stir to incorporate. Take your time stirring until no stray bits of dry ingredients are visible, folding and scraping the bottom of the bowl with a spatula as necessary because it’s very easy to miss dry ingredients hiding at the bottom of the bowl in this batter. Stir and fold with a gentle hand as to not over-mix and over-develop the gluten, which results in tougher bread.
  5. Turn batter out into prepared pan(s), smoothing the top lightly with a spatula. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes for a 9×5 pan, or until top is domed, golden, loaf is springy to the touch, and cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Tent pan with foil in the last 15 minutes of cooking if top is browning a bit fast before interior has cooked through. I estimate that 8×4 loaves will take about 40 to 45 minutes, a Bundt about 1 hour, muffins about 18-20 minutes, but I haven’t tried those versions and they are just guesstimates.
  6. Allow bread to cool in pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Bread will keep at room temperature for up to 1 week. I store my bread by wrapping the completely cooled loaf in plastic wrap, and then placing loaf inside a gallon-sized Ziplock.

  

* This recipe turned out fantastic! It was super moist and delicious! I doubled the recipe because I knew one loaf would never do for my family. I wasn’t mistaken!

*This recipe is courtesy of averiecooks.com .

 

One last thing I wanted to share with you is my cookie board from our Christmas Eve celebration. I could have made it prettier with some candy canes and other accoutrements but my troops are interested in easy access to the goodies. With that in mind I used my chartcuterie board and set up a cookie board. If you remember from an earlier post, I made this board last year.

Thanks for reading my blog! Have a wonderful week! See you next Sunday.

 

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