Hello folks! Hope all is well with everyone. I am currently in the game of “how long can I not use my furnace”. I do it every year and try to last as long as I can. So far, it has been easy. We have had one or two chilly days but a little baking cures that. Baking warms up the house and you get extra benefits like freshly baked goods and delightful smells.
Last night my friend, Linda, and I went to a Taste of Home live cooking show. It was called “Taste of Home Happiest Holiday Tour”. The chef was Kari Karch. She was funny and ever so knowledgeable! We bought the best tickets and had preferred seating, a catered dinner and a bag of swag! We had a blast, learned a lot and gathered some new recipes. This week and in coming posts I will share with you what we learned.
Here are your Kari Karch tips for this week:
Did you know that there are boy and girl sweet peppers (whether they be green, red, orange or yellow)? The ones with 3 bumps on the bottom are boys and four bumps means the pepper is a girl. The boy peppers are sweeter. (Go figure!) So if you need the peppers for sweetness in a dish get the one with 3 bumps on the bottom.
You should make your pancake batter 24 hours ahead of time and place it in the refrigerator. This allows the proteins in the flour to do their thing. You will end up with fluffier, high pancakes! Also, it is super easy to dispense your pancake batter from a squirt bottle found at all dollar stores. You will just need to cut the tip back a little so that you can use it for the thicker batter of pancakes.
Money Savers!
As you probably know by now, I have a smart phone. I use an app called
“Free Prints” which you can download from the Google Play Store or from iTunes. Using this app you receive 85 free prints a month. All you pay is shipping and that is $10.70, approximately. It is convenient because even though I have a nice Fuji camera, I take most of my pics with my phone which has an excellent camera. It makes ordering prints soooooo easy! Also, you can create one free 5″x7″ photobook each month! Win! Win! If you would like to check it out you can use the following link.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.photoaffections.freeprints&hl=en
Lately, I have been ordering some items from Wal-Mart and having them delivered directly to my home. The main reason I started this was so I didn’t have to do so much lifting and hauling. I buy a lot of birdseed for my feeders, food and treats for my 3 dogs and 1 cat and cat litter. Particularly, the birdseed is heavy. If you buy it at the store you are first, lifting it from shelf to cart, then cart to cashier belt. Next you are putting it back into the cart, going to your vehicle, lifting it from cart to trunk and you aren’t even home yet. Once you get home you must unload your purchases. For me it is first to the porch, then inside and finally to the back deck or the kitchen. That’s a lot of handling of the same items! May I just say that I really hate that?!
If I order online the drudgery and heavy lifting is cut dramatically! On most items you get free 2 day shipping for orders over $35. Items that are not eligible for 2 day shipping will be delivered free in 3 to 5 days. If you would like to read more about this please follow the link below.
https://help.walmart.com/app/answers/d. etail/a_id/1544/kw/free%20shipping
The also price match other retailers (online or brick and mortar) and their own prices in the store if they differ from the online prices. See below.
Another big saver for me is Amazon Prime. I absolutely love it! The prices are reasonable. The shipping is fast (two-day). If you need a gift pronto or you are out of something and need more as soon as possible this is the way to go. One of the items I buy is a Redken product for beachy waves. In the Wal-Mart beauty salon it is over $22 with tax. Amazon has it for $14 plus tax! In addition to your purchases there are videos, music, books and more available to Prime members! If you would like to learn more about Amazon Prime see below.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=200444160
Recipe
I am going to leave you with a recipe that I have been using for over 30 years. It is my Fall staple!
Pumpkin Bread
2/3 c. shortening 2 t. soda
2 & 2/3 c. sugar 1 & 1/2 t. salt
1 -16oz can of pumpkin 1/2 t. baking powder
2/3 c. water 1 t. cinnamon
3 & 1/3 c. flour 1 t. cloves
2 eggs 2/3 c. raisins or
2/3 c. nuts (optional)
Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Grease 2 loaf pans. Cream shortening, sugar, eggs, pumpkin and water. Mix all dry ingredients in a separate bowl and then add to wet ingredients. Add nuts and/or raisins if desired. Bake for 75 minutes. Test with a toothpick in center of loaf to check for doneness. Viola’
Have a wonderful week! In my next post you have things to look forward to (more Taste of Home tips from Kari Karch)! Hey, be real out there! Oh, and be kind!!!
