A Few Tricks for Healthy & Delicious Waffles

We love waffles. It's one of the few things that everyone here eats and doesn't bother my breast-feeding infant with reflux, plus it's a quick, easy and low-cost meal. Here are a few tips that I have found to make them healthier and tastier.

• Add a heaping tablespoon of ground flax seed to the batter. It help you get your Omega-3's, some extra fiber and protein and you can't taste it. I also throw a tablespoon of wheat germ into the batter for extra Vitamin E and fiber and no one can taste that either.
• Substituting almond milk for regular milk adds a slightly nutty flavor and decreases calories.
• If you use a professional waffle iron it will improve your waffles regardless of your batter recipe. The flipping motion introduces more air into the waffle. I was surprised that they only cost about $10 more than a good quality standard waffle iron.
• Putting a couple tablespoons of applesauce on your waffle moistens them without a ton of syrup, reducing sugar without sacrificing taste. (I got this idea from a friend. When she was growing up her grandparents didn't keep sugar or syrup in the house, so they put applesauce on their waffles so they weren't dry and tasteless.)
• Recently I tried some of my homemade applesauce (it's brown from the cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg) with just a little bit of real maple syrup drizzled on top. It was so yummy.

Food Storage Friday: Reuben Pinto Burgers

I found this recipe in the newspaper last Sunday. My burgers don't look as pretty, but they were very tasty, and really that's all that matters. (Ok, they are healthier than a standard burger, and I suppose that matters for something too.) If you are not fan of sauerkraut, you can easily change the toppings to make it whatever burger tickles your fancy.

Reuben Pinto Burgers
Food Storage Ingredients:
2 cans (15.5 oz)  pinto beans, liquid drained, 1 can mashed with a fork
1 can (14.5) sauerkraut, drained
1/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon ground pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup light mayonaise or Miracle Whip
2 Tablespoons of chili sauce

Fresh Ingredients:
1 & 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
2 eggs, lightly beaten
6 thin slices Swiss cheese
6 whole wheat hamburger buns

1. Mix beans, bread crumbs, eggs, pepper, and garlic in a bowl. Form into six patties (Roughly 4"). 2.Mix chili sauce and mayo, set aside. 3. Place a slice of cheese on each half bun. Toast at 300 degrees F for about 5 minutes. 4. While toasting buns, heat oil in a large skillet. 5. Cook patties in hot oil until crisp on both sides (8-10 minutes total). 6. Assemble burgers with sauce on each side of bun and sauerkraut on top of patty.

Notes: The recipe I read said to drain and reserve liquid from canned beans, then add it to patty mixture for moisture. I found them to be plenty moist without it. I'll have to try this recipe with cooked dry pinto beans and with various burger toppings. I made my bread crumbs by toasting a couple of smashed freezer burnt Kaiser rolls that I found buried in my freezer and added a dash of Kirkland's organic no-salt seasoning. I highly recommend. I also used Monterrey Jack instead of Swiss, because that is what I had in my fridge. Still good.

Green Chiles

So last week, a few hours after delivering Miss Cindy Lou-Who, I got online to order a Bountiful Basket (which btw was an awesome basket). One of the extras they had available was a 30 lb bag of Hatch green chiles. I love green chiles and my in-laws really love green chiles so I thought I would split a bag with them. My husband got up early Saturday morning to fetch our produce and I mumbled  "Don't forget our 30 lb bag of green chiles". He thought I said 3 lb bag of green chiles because there is no way I could have bought a 30 lb bag of green chiles. Oh, I did.

So Saturday morning I opened the bag and looked at a few of the beautiful chiles within. Fantastic. Sunday morning I noticed a small puddle next to the bag. By Sunday afternoon a good part of my house was permeated by a rotten earthy smell. My ox was in a mire of rotting chiles. The original plan was to bag and freeze the top half of the sack and give the bottom half (or more) to my in-laws when I see them later this week. I'm sure that's exactly what they want to deal with on the day of the wedding reception. Not to mention that I am not really keen on having my house smell like rot until we leave, or having it in my car. Gross.

 So to my in-laws "Happy-your-baby-is-getting-married-and-I-know-that-you-don't-want-a-smelly-bag-of-rotting-peppers"

  To everyone else I recommend that when cutting large quantities of peppers that you wear gloves, because even mild peppers have oils that can cause burning and skin irritation.

 I was disappointed that so many of the chiles had gone bad and that it caused such a mess. I would say about a third of them were rotten. Even so $19 for 20 lbs of green chiles is a great deal. In the future I will post multiple recipes showing how I go through my half of the peppers. But for now here is one of my father-in-law's favorites (he's from New Mexico and happens to know his chiles)

 New Mexico Chile Verde
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 lb pork loin (remove visible fat and cut into 1/2" chunks)
3 small garlic cloves, finely minced
1 red onion, finely chopped (optional)

8 T flour
4 T cornstarch
4 T water

28 oz Hatch green chiles (roasted, peeled, seeded and finely chopped)*
1-2 T chopped fresh jalapeno
2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
4 chicken bullion cubes
1  14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes

1. Saute pork in olive oil until pink is gone. Move pork aside in skillet. 2. Add garlic (and onion) and saute until sizzling. Put in crockpot on high. 3. In a small bowl make thickener of flour, cornstarch and water. After mixed thoroughly add to crockpot. 4. Add chiles and spices to crockpot. Bring to a low boil, then turn to low and add tomatoes. Simmer for at least an hour or preferably all day. Serve plain over rice, burritos, chile rellenos, chimichangas, etc. Freezes well. Serves 4-6

*His notes say 1 bag, which is about a quart ziplock bag, roasted.
For those of the vegetarian persuasion I haven't tried making this without the pork before, but the pork is such a small part of it I think that it would still taste great without the meat. I know my other chile verde recipe worked just fine when I left out the pork.

And when I wasn't washing, sorting and chopping chiles, this is how I spent my weekend:

I'm in love.

Smoothies & Frozen Fruit

Last night when my husband came to pick me up from work my daughter had unexpectedly thrown up in the car, and he was looking worse than I have ever seen him. The job of mommy/nurse never ends. After passing out the Zofran, I made smoothies for dinner. Here is my basic ad lib recipe:

Smoothies
2 cups frozen fruit
1 cup fresh fruit
1/2-1 cup juice (depending on how thick you want it)
1/4 cup yogurt (plain, vanilla, flavored, whatever)
As much fresh or frozen spinach as you can get away with (I usually do about 1/8 cup)

1. Blend until smooth. Vary as desired.

Notes: I'm pregnant and I live in the desert, these are pretty much a staple at my house. I find them to be a good way to use over-ripe fruits. Last night's smoothies were a mixture of papaya, mango, cantaloupe, pineapple, blackberry, honey dew, banana, spinach, strawberry and lime. (I read once that papayas are good for indigestion.) I also threw in about 1/4 cup of prepared strawberry jello because we had it in the fridge and it is an easy-to-digest source of added protein. I have found that if you use fruits like mango or papaya, you need to add a little bit of citrus for best flavor. So if you're using one of these and don't have any citrus handy, just add a teaspoon of lemon juice. I have also used canned pineapple in place of the fresh fruit and the juice.

To cut down on the cost of fruit I freeze my own. If I have a bunch of  fruit that's going to turn before we eat it, I chop and freeze it. A couple of months ago Bountiful Baskets was offering a case of 9 pineapples for $14. I bought one and chopped and froze half of them. I've done the same with cases of mangoes, peaches and blackberries. Ok, I didn't chop the blackberries, I just put them in a bag. To freeze fruit I line a cookie sheet with wax paper. Then I chop my fruit into chunks and spread them onto the cookie sheet. Freeze for two hours and then transfer to a plastic freezer bag. This makes it so that fruit isn't frozen into one big clump.

Food Storage Friday: Chicken and Easy Fresh Pesto

Last Saturday when I got my fresh herb pack from Bountiful Baskets, I knew that I needed to make some fresh pesto, and as I was eating it I thought 'Why haven't I blogged about this before?' It's so easy and delicious. Enjoy.

Chicken, Pasta and Pesto
Food Storage Ingredients:
10 oz pasta, prepared al dente
1/2 cup olive oil
2 Tablespoons almonds, toasted
1/2 cup Italian dressing

Fresh Ingredients:
2 lbs of chicken
2 loosely packed cups fresh basil
2 cloves fresh garlic
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
dash of lemon juice
additional Parmesan for garnish (optional)

1. Marinate chicken overnight in Italian dressing. Or to make life easier follow these instructions. 2. Cook chicken as desired. Grill it, bake it, whatever pleases you. My favorite is to throw it in my medium-sized crock pot frozen and cook on low for 8-10 hours. 3. When you are almost ready to eat, puree almonds, cheese, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and basil in a food processor to desired coarseness. 4. Spread over chicken and pasta.

Notes: The recipe that I originally based my pesto on called for salt. I feel like the cheese makes it salty enough, but if you like it saltier, by all means. Pesto traditionally calls for pine nuts or sometimes walnuts. I use almonds for two reasons. a) I do not like pine nuts or walnuts. b)Almonds are significantly less than pine nuts or walnuts. Once when I was a girl my grandpa took me up in the mountains to hunt for pine nuts. I decided that it was way too much work for something that just didn't taste that great. (The last time I was at Costco, a 3 lb bag of pine nuts was about $28. I'll stick with almonds, thank you.) I also keep a jar of pesto in my pantry, just in case. Since this is a meal my family is familiar with, we could get by on a meal of jarred pesto and pasta, but the fresh is much better.
 If you happen to have a large quantity of fresh basil (whether from your garden or your Bountiful Basket), you can make this and freeze it. Just leave out the oil and cheese and add those when you are ready to serve. Usually I make my pesto as I have spelled out above. This time I added a touch of fresh oregano, thyme and rosemary because I had them. Very delicious.

Mexican Party At My House

I just have to say that 'I Heart the Bountiful Baskets Mexican Pack'. Nothing inspires a fiesta like fresh Mexican food, even if it's just for me and the fam. I considered saving these for a guests and having more of an actual fiesta, but to be honest this meal is a little too labor intensive to do on a large scale, unless you're ready to start your own Mexican restaurant. I love getting my surprise bag of Mexican produce.  I was super excited to discover that last weekend's pack included these beautiful babies:

For those of you who have not had the pleasure, these are poblanos and they make terrific chile relleno. (Anaheims and Cubanos also make great chile relleno, but the flavor is slightly different.) One of my very first blog posts was on how to make chile relleno, but I didn't post pictures. This time I decided to do things the harder and more time consuming way, more or less following the instructions from the video.
First you broil the peppers until they blister. Then you flip them over and broil the other side. Then throw them in a plastic bag to sweat for 20 minutes or so. Peel off the skin and remove as many of the seeds as you have patience for. Afterward it should look something like this.

Next I made up some refried beans and mixed in a little bit of sour cream. (Actually it was plain yogurt because I got to this step and discovered that I had no sour cream. It still tastes great and is probably better for me.) And of course we have to work food storage into the meal somehow. :)

Next I cut Monterrey Jack cheese into wedges and inserted those into the chiles. (You need wedges so you have something to stab.) I filled the remaining space with some bean mixture and sealed them together with some toothpicks. Ok, they're becoming less pretty, but tastier.

 Put the peppers in the freezer for five minutes, so things solidify a bit. While I was blistering the peppers I started the chile relleno sauce.

Chile Relleno Sauce
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 large clove of garlic
1 onion, cut in half
2 jalapenos, de-seeded
1 chipotle pepper
juice of one lime
handful of cilantro
1 & 1/2 cups homemade chicken broth/stock (or the canned variety if you don't have the other stuff handy)
Mexican spices to taste
Simmer all ingredients until onion is soft. Puree in the blender and return to pot to simmer some more.

Then I separated three eggs. I beat the whites until stiff,  beat the yolks a few strokes and then folded them together with a dash of salt.

Then I covered three sides of the peppers with the egg, and put them in a pan with one quarter inch of heated oil, a batter side down. It was then easier to cover the un-battered side. I have also discovered that it is easier to smear the batter on with a spoon than to try to dip the peppers in it. Cook until egg is thoroughly cooked. Drain oil off chiles on a paper towel. I also recommend that you not start your paper towels on fire like I did.

I also made some fresh salsa while waiting for my chiles to blister. (It's a process.)

Fresh Salsa
3 tomatoes
4 green onions
1 clove of garlic
handful of cilantro
juice of one lime
2 jalapenos
salt and pepper to taste
1. Chop everything up, mix and let it marinate.

Once the chiles are adequately drained of oil, put them in the pot of sauce, so the batter can soak it up. I served them just like that with salsa and half a mango on the side. (And for size comparison, that is an extremely large mango.) But you can also top them with sour cream, salsa and or guacamole.

Review: Everything part of this meal except the beans, eggs, canned tomatoes, cheese, chicken broth, spices and oil came from my Bountiful Basket (or BB extras), reducing the cost of this meal by a lot. :D  I do not make this often. I can't handle much fried food  and this is also pretty labor intensive. My husband loved it. He inhaled three of these plus a large quantity of chips and salsa. He said he really liked them, but said they don't taste quite like the ones that you get at restaurants that are basically a plate full of greasy melted cheese with a pepper floating in it. (No kidding, hon. I don't cook that way.) My kids turned their nose up at it and had chips and mango chunks. Whatever. If you want 6 peppers to serve more than 2-3 people a good way to stretch it is with Cafe Rio Style Beans and Rice. (But by the time I was done with this I was not motivated to whip up two more side dishes.)

Food Storage Friday: Healthy substitutions from your pantry.

Using your food storage can improve your diet and make your life easier. Here is a list of ways you use ordinary food storage items in place of other ingredients and make your meals healthier at the same time. Now these substitutions don't work every time, but often enough to improve your diet. (This is similar to a post that I put up awhile ago, but I'm putting it up because it was requested.)

1. Wheatberries for ground beef- Less saturated fat, more folic acid and fiber. This works well in Tacos and Enchiladas. I generally use a portion of half ground beef to half wheatberries
2. Wheatberries for lettuce- Why do we eat lettuce anyway? For folic acid and fiber. Wheat has both of those and a much longer shelf life. Not that I am opposed to lettuce by anymeans, but I do really enjoy a couple of salads that use wheatberries instead.
3. Beans for butter- No, you can't fry anything in mashed beans, but it works well in cakes and cookies.
4. Beans for shortening- Same idea. I make cookies with beans, and I promise you can't taste them. My friend calls them my "crazy good cookies", because they taste really good, but have a few surprising ingredients.
5. Beans for sour cream- I tried this for half the sour cream in my chicken enchilada recipe and my family liked it just as much. The texture is a little different, but they were ok with it. I also found another recipe this week that it worked pretty well in, but I want to experiment with it one more time before I put it up here on the blog.
6. Evaporated milk for cream or half and half- Still gives you a thick creaminess in soups and sauces, with much less saturated fat and calories.
7. Chicken broth for white wine- I have yet to find a recipe that this doesn't work in (cocktails excluded.)
8. Oat flour for white flour- To make oat flour, just toss some oats in the blender and press puree. Oats have a lower glycemic index than white flour, plus the soluable fiber can lower your cholesterol and your blood sugar. I don't use it for everything, but when baking I usually use half oat flour every time that it calls for white flour.
9. Applesauce for oil- I find that when I use this in cakes and muffins they come out more moist.
10. Nonfat powdered milk for regular milk- I use this whenever I have a soup recipe that calls for more than 2 cups of milk. When you cook it with other things you can't taste the difference.
11. Wheatberries for wild rice- No, it doesn't taste exactly the same, but the texture is similar enough that you can get away with substituting it, if you are looking for different ways to use your wheat. There are a few good examples in I Dare You To Eat It.

Tips on Freezing Meats

 Properly freezing meats can make the difference between a  delicious convenient meal that saved you time and money or a meal that is dry, tough and something to be endured.  Marinade is your friend. Yesterday I bought some boneless skinless chicken breasts on sale, divided them into plastic freezer bags, added some Italian dressing and lemon pepper (which is also my favorite marinade for fish), and popped them in the freezer for use at a later date. I use this method any time I find meat that I like on sale. Prepared salad dressings make great marinades, as do the packets of dry marinade mix when you can get a good deal on them. ;) Learn from my experience, do not just put a value pack of meat in the freezer. It will make meal preparation very inconvenient when you have to defrost it. Trust me.
Recently I came across this video from Kraft about buying, storing and freezing meats. I thought it was useful and informative, so here you go. Some of the info I learned from taking cooking classes, but there were a few tips that were totally new to me. Also, Kraft is having a giveaway of $2,500 towards a kitchen remodel that is worth checking out.

Food Storage Friday: Chicken Vegetable Chowder

There are six basic staples of long term food storage: rice, wheat, oats, pasta, beans, and potatoes. Potatoes are pretty darn easy to incorporate into your diet. To quote my friend Liesa "Mashed potatoes are the fast food of food storage." Anyone can add them as a side to a meal with very little effort. Mashed potato flakes can be stored for approximately 30 years. I am not a big potato person, however growing up my mom made this chicken vegetable chowder that I loved. Getting the recipe out of her is easier said than done, because she doesn't cook by recipe, more by taste and eyeballing it. So here is my version. To me, this is comfort food. :) If you wanted to, you could use fresh baked potatoes or even just mashed potato flakes. The point is to get your family used to eating these staples on a fairly regular basis.

Chicken Vegetable Chowder
Food Storage Ingredients:
1 (15oz) can of potatoes, drained
1/4 cup mashed potato flakes (or more if you need them)
3 cups chicken broth
1 (12 oz) can of evaporated milk

Fresh Ingredients:
6 cups of finely chopped vegetables
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon prepared honey mustard
1 cup cooked chopped chicken (I've done this many times with canned chicken too)
1 cup shredded cheddar
pepper to taste

1. Put vegetables, canned potatoes, onion, garlic and chicken broth in crock pot. Simmer for 2-4 hours on low. 2. Mash everything with a potato masher until potato chunks pea sized or smaller. 3. Add evaporated milk. 4. Add potato flakes to thicken to desired consistency. 5. Add remaining ingredients and cook on low until heated through (30 minutes or so)

Notes: I served these in soup rolls, but you can do as you please. For vegetables I generally use carrots, broccoli and cauliflower, but this time I used parsnips instead of cauliflower because I had them from my Bountiful Basket and didn't have a clue what else to do with them. My mom always used half and half for this recipe. I don't like purchasing half and half. The remainder of the container always expires before I get around to using, besides you can get the same creaminess from evaporated milk with fewer calories and less saturated fat. She also uses bacon grease mixed with flour to thicken her soup instead of potato flakes. Yes, I know it taste better, but I detest working with bacon. Period. Yesterday when my husband heated some of these leftovers for lunch he accidentally put a dash of balsamic vinegar in it. It made it better. When I got home from work he fixed some for me that I way and I agreed. Give it a try.

Food Storage Friday: Wheatberry Salsa

I think that one of the biggest hurdles that people have with using their food storage is wheat. I know that when I was growing up we ate many forms of food storage on a regular basis, except the wheat. We never touched the wheat.Yet wheat is so good for you! It gives you fiber, folic acid and protein. Not to mention that it is cheap, versatile and retains its nutrients for decades! If you grind it into flour the possibilities are endless, but there are many options even without grinding it into flour.

I was first introduced to this salsa/salad by my mother-in-law. She calls it Confetti Salad. Since then I have also seen it called Cowboy Caviar. A little over a year ago I went to a class taught by Liesa Card, where she served Fiesta Wheat and Bean Salad. It was similar to the other two, but added wheat. (Which is really an inspired idea.) Mine is mixture of the three. I have made and shared this many times with a bag of tortilla chips. At first people are skeptical, but they don’t stop eating until it’s all gone. I brought it to work once and a nursing student that I was mentoring insisted that I give her the recipe so she could serve it at her wedding reception.True story. It is one of our favorite ways to use wheat and it doesn't even require a wheat grinder. It's delicious and very healthy too.

Wheatberry Salsa

Food storage ingredients
3 cups of cooked wheatberries
1 can of diced tomatoes /c green chiles, drained
1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup Italian salad dressing (or a packet of dry Italian dressing mix and the ingredients to prepare it)
1 teaspoon of white sugar

Fresh ingredients
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
6 small green onions, diced
1 bunch fresh cilantro, leaves chopped
1 small jalapeno pepper, cored and diced
1 Anaheim pepper, cored and diced
1 Tablespoon lime juice

1. Mix it all together and keep refrigerated.  Serve with chips.

A few notes: Let refrigerate for at least 3 hours before eating to allow the wheat to absorb the other flavors, otherwise it will taste strongly of wheat. My mother-in-law uses shoe-peg corn in hers. The day I see a good price on that stuff by the case I will probably start using that instead. Leisa makes her own dressing for the salad, I use Italian because its faster. If you want to mix it up you can add an extra jalapeno or use different colored bell peppers.This salad makes A LOT. I always mix in my big Halloween candy bowl. If you have been my neighbor, visiting teacher, visiting teachee, co-worker, or relative in the past year, you have probably had this stuff. When I make a batch, it's almost impossible for my small family to eat it all before it loses it's freshness, so I share and let it be known that 'yes, I am that crazy lady who uses her food storage'.

One batch

  My husband discovered another great use for the stuff- Wheatberry Salsa Chicken
1. Take four boneless skinless chicken breast. 2. Rub chicken with enchilada seasoning. 3. Smother with wheatberry salsa. 4. Sprinkle with pepperjack cheese and bake until chicken is cooked through. Enjoy!

Food Storage Friday: Homemade Salsa

When I think of food storage I think oats, beans, wheat, rice, potatoes and pasta. These are staples. Staples are important, they are your base. But it is also important to store things that help the staples go down a little easier. (Because no one wants to live off only the staples.) This week I invited a friend over and we made salsa. Salsa is almost a staple in our house. And I have a reputation for making good salsa. (A few friends were upset when I announced that I would be quitting my last job because I would no longer be bringing chips and salsa into work.) So here is the secret of my great salsa, which I learned how to make from my mom. I believe she learned how to make it from a friend when we lived in San Antonio.

Salsa

Fresh ingredients
18 tomatoes (give or take)
3 bell peppers (red & green)
6 Anaheim peppers
5 jalapenos
6 cloves of garlic
1 yellow onion
8 green onions
1 & 1/2 large bunches of fresh cilantro
2 Tablespoons of lime juice

Food storage ingredients
1 Tablespoon of white sugar
1 (6 oz) can of tomato paste
1 teaspoon of salt

1. Rinse and chop produce. 2. Combine all ingredients in a pot and simmer uncovered until contents has gone down about an inch. (About an hour and a half.) 3. Taste frequently and add more ingredients as necessary. 4. Can according to canner instructions. Makes between 5-6 pints.

Now this is roughly the recipe that I use, but I never follow it exactly. Sometimes I'll throw in a yellow pepper or half a red onion or more hot peppers or more garlic. It depends on the potency and flavor of the produce that you have. Peppers vary in heat. Keeping the seeds in the mix gives it more kick. I always leave the seeds from at least a few of the peppers in. Once I decided to make "hot" salsa and put in 12 jalapenos with seeds. I tasted it before canning it and it had a fair amount of kick, so I labeled that batch "hot". I gave some to my in-laws who are big salsa lovers. When they opened a jar it was not hot, not even remotely. It was still good, but not hot. I don't know what happened, or why the canning process made that one batch weak, but it did. Years later, my in-laws still tease me about it. Whatever proportions of ingredients you use I believe that the secrets to a good traditional salsa are green onions, Anaheim peppers and lots of fresh cilantro.

The sugar is to neutralize some of the acidity of the tomatoes and the tomato paste is help give it the right consistency. If you don't have tomato paste you can achieve the same effect by just cooking it longer, but I'm all about cooking hacks to reduce my time in front of the stove. If you don't want to be hugging your stove for an hour or two, I have also thrown all of the ingredients in my crock-pot, left it overnight and canned the batch in the morning. It turned out ok, but not as good as batches that I have tasted and adjusted throughout the process.

My friend asked me if the flavor decreases over time. Honestly I don't really know. 30-40 jars of salsa lasts us a max of 6 months. Does it lose it's potency over time? Sure, maybe. We never wait long enough to see.

My friend and I were discussing whether or not making your own salsa is cost efficient. I figured that if you add my hourly wage x 4 (for chopping, cooking, canning & clean-up) + jars, rings and lids (which have to bought in packs of 12) + a new canner and canning tools (as it's not convenient to borrow my mom's anymore) +  the cost of ingredients (I find that fresh produce is more expensive in St George than anywhere else I have lived) ÷ 6  ≈ $31 per jar of salsa. Dang, that's expensive salsa. However, I will continue to make it for the following reasons. 1. I like making salsa. It's more fun to chat with a friend while working in the kitchen than it is to purchase mediocre salsa from the grocery store. 2. The cost will decrease as I won't have to purchase a canner, jars or rings again. 3. Although my garden was a failure this year, I have family and friends who have more tomatoes than they know what to do with and also know that I like making salsa. So the tomatoes were free, which are the most costly ingredient. 4. While I'm at work I also have to pay a descent amount for daycare, whereas while making salsa I can be productive and listen to them squeal in the backyard. 5. And of course, I make really good salsa. So, although I may do other canning projects in the future, I now no longer have any illusions that canning my own food is saving me money.

Food Storage Friday: Breakfast Cookies

Using your food storage at dinner time is great and all, but if you were to be living off your food storage, I certainly hope that you would be eating more than once a day. You need to plan for breakfast and lunch as well. So let's do a few breakfast recipes, shall we?
Today's recipe comes from my very own mom. The smell of these cookies brings back memories. My mom used to make a big batch of these, freeze them and send a few with me on field trips. And they're certainly healthier than many other quick breakfast options. (The original recipe calls for 1 cup of Crisco, and although the characters in The Help raved about it's greatness, I find the stuff revolting. They still taste great with mashed beans and applesauce instead.)

Breakfast Cookies

Food Storage Ingredients

1 cup extra crunchy peanut butter
3/4 cup cooked and mashed white beans

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup wheat flour

1/2 cup oat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 3/4 cups oats

1 cup raisins

1/3 cup dried grated carrot
3/4 cup dried apple pieces (broken up)

1/4 cup flaked coconut
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup apple sauce

(1/4 cup apple juice)
(1/4 cup water)

Fresh ingredients

(grated carrot and apple if you don't have the dried variety)
 2 eggs

1.If using dried carrots and apples put in a bowl with apple juice and water. Heat oven 350 degrees. 2. Mix peanut butter, bean puree, apple sauce, vanilla, and sugars with eggs. 3 Mix powder ingredients and gradually add to wet. 4. Mix in apples, carrots, raisins and coconut. 5. Bake 9-11 minutes or until brown around the edges.

They taste even better than they look.

 A few notes:  When I made this I added an extra 1/4 cup of apple juice to the apples and carrots because I put my raisins in the mix and they were really hard. The original recipe calls for only all-purpose white flour. I used the different kinds of flour to make it healthier, but if you don't want to bother, that's cool. The original also called for fresh carrots and apples. I used dried because I had them and it meant that I didn't have to grate anything and I hate using my grater. For the mashed beans I previously took a can of cooked white beans, rinsed them, mashed them, measured them into 1/4 cup blocks, and froze them in some Tupperware. It made things a lot quicker. I was inspired by this recipe.  I promise that you can't taste the beans. But if you would rather use Crisco instead of mashed beans, go ahead ;).

Food Storage Friday: Hawaiian Haystacks

Food storage can make your life easier. One way to start out is to pick a recipe that your family enjoys that incorporates food storage and buy enough ingredients to make that meal 3 times. Once you have 30 recipes, multiplied by three, you will have a 3 month supply of food. Keep these ingredients where you will use them. Case in point: My family loves Hawaiian Haystacks so I purchased all the ingredients to make at least 3 meals worth (It's one of the few meals that everyone is willing to eat, anytime). One Sunday when I was at work my husband decided to make dinner and looked in the pantry. 'Ah-hah! Everything to make Hawaiian Haystacks in plain view.'  I came home to the pleasant surprise of finding not only that dinner was on the table, but that my husband had used food storage to make it. And this works not only for coaxing husbands to cook, but for helping you on those evenings when you're feeling uninspired in the kitchen. If you have a recipe that you're familiar with and you keep the ingredients on hand, you can get dinner on the table quickly without resorting to fast or instant food.

Hawaiian Haystacks

Food storage ingredients minus coconut

Food Storage Ingredients
3 cups of prepared rice
canned pineapple chunks or tidbits, drained
chicken gravy, prepared as directed
slivered almonds
chow mien noodles
shredded coconut
canned mandarin oranges,drained

Fresh Ingredients
2 cups cooked chicken, chopped (canned chicken can be substituted in a pinch)
shredded cheddar
1 green onion, sliced

Optional Ingredients
golden raisins
sliced water chestnuts
shredded carrots
diced bell peppers

1. Prepare ingredients (gravy, chicken, etc.) 2. Assemble as desired.

For me, this is comfort food.

For my family, 2 cups of chicken & 3 cups of rice is sufficient for the four of us and even yields some leftovers. One package each of chow mien noodles, almonds and coconut is more than enough for three meals, but we always use an entire can each of the fruit.

Dutch Oven Peach Cobbler and a Giveaway

Right now we are planning a extended family camping trip. Camping means cooking in a Dutch oven. :) And I thought I would share my favorite super easy dutch oven dessert recipe. I believed I learned this back at girl's camp...awhile ago.

Dutch Oven Peach Cobbler
1 large (20 oz) can of peaches (don't drain)
1  (12 oz) can of Sprite/ 7-Up/ Sierra Mist (just make sure it isn't diet.)
1 box yellow cake mix
1/4 lb butter (1 stick)
1/2 tsp cinnamon

1. Prepare charcoals (10 for the bottom and 14 for the top). 2. Spray inside of dutch oven with non-stick cooking spray. 3. Dump peaches with juice into dutch oven. 4. Sprinkle cake mix over peaches. 5. Cut butter into small chunks and distribute over cake mix. 6. Pour lemon-lime carbonated beverage of choice over cake mix. Don't stir! 7. Sprinkle with cinnamon. 8. Place lid over cake, cover with coals and allow to cook until cake is lightly browned on top and the sides pull away from oven (About 30-35 minutes) Test center with a toothpick. Cold leftovers make a great breakfast, if there are any.

And it's giveaway time! This month's giveaway is another $40 CSN gift certificate that you can use towards anything you please from one of their more than two hundred stores! Here's how to enter: 1. You must follow SecretsofMom and leave a comment telling me how (RSS, blogger, etc). For additional entries you can 2. Share your favorite dutch oven recipe in a comment below. 3. Share a great camping tip that you have. 4. Follow me on twitter. 5. Follow me on Facebook. This giveaway is open until August 31st, 2010. The winner will be announced Sept 1st. The winner will be selected using a random number generator. Only open to residents of the US and Canada. Canadian residents must pay international shipping rates at CSN stores.

Book Review: Family Funbook

I came across this book when browsing on Amazon and bought it because I remember my mother enjoying several books written by this author when I was growing up. Family Funbook: More than 400 Amazing, Amusing and All-Around Awesome Activities for the Entire Family! by Joni Hilton is full of fun and creative ideas to do with your kids. I love this book (even though I probably wouldn't pick it up if I were basing my purchase just on the cover). I am definitely going to refer to this book the next time my kids are bored and I need a new idea. This book has many, many inexpensive ways to keep the kids entertained and learning year round.  Some of them I have heard of before, but there are many that I haven't and had never occurred to me. I highly recommend it. Here are some of my favorites:

• Take a week long trip at home. Pick a destination and have an activity each day that relates to that place. Some suggestions she gives are Asia, Africa, South America and Polynesia. Each day do something related to your destination. Find books related to your vacation spot. Make crafts related to the area.Try foods and activities that are typical of the region. Her book offers dozens of ideas. There is a lot of fun and learning that could be had here.
• Make an alphabet video. Have your child point to things that start with each letter of the alphabet or make letters out of sticks or stones. Then have them pose in the shape of each letter at the end as a review. Your child will love to watch it when you're done and s/he will love that they are the star.
• Go on a nature walk. Find different kinds of spider webs. Make up stories about animals that you might find. Have a scavenger hunt. Bring crayons and paper to make rubbings.
• Play hose soccer. Give each team a hose and have them try to spray and kick a beach ball the opposing side of a given line. Good summer time fun.
• Watch falling stars- Mid-August is a good time for this.
• Record the things the funny things that your children say- I do this on my personal blog and it's the grandparents favorite part. It also reveals more of their personalities than photographs often do.
• Have a treasure hunt- Have one child hide a treasure and make a map for the others to find it. This can be repeated many times with a variety of "treasures".
• Make a sundial. Teach your children about time using a stick and 12 stones
• Ice cream muffins- Easiest muffin recipe ever. Equal parts softened ice cream and self-rising flour. Bake at 375 for 12 minutes. (Give or take depending on how many muffins you make.) These were perfect. Quick, easy, delicious and my picky children even loved them.We made peach ice cream muffins and topped them with raspberry jam. 2 cups of ice cream & 2 cups of flour made nine muffins
• Draw with your toes.- See if you are right-footed or left-footed.
• Declare a Whipped Cream War- Have everyone dress in their swimsuits and equip them with a can of whipped cream.
• Ease Separation Anxiety- School is starting and to make it a little easier for you child, laminate a family picture and tape it to the inside of their lunch box to remind them that they are loved when they are away.

Butter-Free Breakfast Buckle

Recently I saw my friend Lisa make some blueberry buckle with beans instead of butter and I had to give it a try. Except I used strawberries because I prefer them. I found the recipe on Recipezaar, but made a few changes. As I was putting it in the oven the first time I had a great idea that I could use orange juice concentrate in the topping instead of butter. It seemed appropriate for breakfast. My family loved this. I had extended family visiting and they loved it too, and no one could tell that there were beans instead of butter.

Strawberry Buckle

1/4 cup cooked and mashed white beans
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup milk
1 cup oat flour
1/2 cup wheat flour
1/2 cup white flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced

Topping
1/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup oat flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
dash of nutmeg

1. "Cream" beans and sugar. (Just like you would butter.) 2. Mix dry cake ingredients in a separate bowl. 3. Blend egg and vanilla into bean and sugar mixture. 4. Add milk to wet ingredients. 5. Mix dry and wet mixtures together. 6. Gently fold in strawberries. 7. Pour into a greased 9x9 or round cake pan. 8. "Cream" oj concentrate and brown sugar. 9. Mix in remaining topping ingredients. 10. Drizzle topping over cake. (Using the orange juice concentrate, the topping doesn't crumble as well, but it's delicious, cheaper and better for you too.) 11. Bake @ 375 for 50 minutes.

Book Review: 101 Things to Do With Chicken

Recently when I was looking for a gift for my dad I came across several of the "101Things" books at 60% off. I have a few of them and have been pleased thus far, so I bought four more. This weekend I read through all of them and I'm so excited to try several of the recipes. 101 Things to Do With Chicken by Donna Kelly and Stephanie Ashcraft had several recipes that look really great, but there were also some that made me think "You don't really need a recipe for that. There are also a few that are repeats from other books in the series. Having said that I still think that it was worth it. At the beginning of the book is a list of helpful hints which I'll share, plus my version of the recipe that I tried yesterday.

1. Always make sure that chicken is thoroughly cooked. Juices should run clear and there shouldn't be any pink present. Chicken thighs should reach 175 degrees. Chicken and eggs are frequent carriers of salmonella.
2. Chicken stored in the fridge should be used within 1-2 days.
3. A whole chicken takes 36 hours to defrost. Chicken pieces usually take 12-24 hours to defrost.
4. All cut chicken on a non-pourus plastic or glass cutting board. And never cross-contaminate by using the knife you used to cut chicken to cut something else.
5. Bringing chicken to room temperature before cookin will help it to remain moist and cook evenly.
6. Soaking in brine with add moistness and flavor to baked or roasted chicken. Add 1/4 cup salt to 1 quart water. Place chicken and brine in ziplock bag. For a carmelized flavor, also add 1/4 cup sugar to brine. Soak chicken in brine for at least an hour per pound or overnight. Drain before cooking.
7. For crispy skin on roasted or fried chicken,  leave chicken uncovered in the fridge for a few hours before cooking.
8. When roasting or grilling a chicken, allow to set at room temperature for ten minutes before slicing so that the juices can be reabsorbed into the meat.
9. 1 lb bonless skinless chicken yields about 3 cups of cubed or sliced chicken.

Tangy Strawberry Chicken Bites
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken tenders or breasts cut into small chunks
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 cup strawberry preserves
1 cup chili sauce
1 can (20oz) pineapple chunks, drained
2 large carrots, sliced
1 red bell pepper cut into small chunks
3 cups of prepared brown rice

1. Cook chicken in oil over medium heat until browned on all sides. Meanwhile steam carrot slices in microwave with 1/8 cup water for 3 minutes. 2. Drain carrots and add to chicken with preserves, pepper and chili sauce. Cook and stir until preserves are melted. 4. Add pineapple chunks, simmer for one minute and serve over rice.

The Verdict: This recipe was actually in the appetizer section, but I decided to increase the pineapple, add some veggies and serve it over rice to make it a meal. I liked this, my husband loved it, my son who isn't feeling well wouldn't try it and neither would my daughter. I thought perhaps if I served it with toothpicks they might be willing to try it. No such luck. I apologize that there isn't picture, the batteries in my camera died, again. :S

Pink: The Easiest Jello Salad EVER

This great recipe comes from my mother-in-law. It's not exactly healthy, but it is very delicious and easy. It has become a tradition for all summer gatherings.

Pink

1 (24 oz) container of cottage cheese
1 (8 oz) container of whipped topping
1 (3 oz) container of red gelatin

1. Dump all ingredients into a bowl and stir until evenly pink.  Let set for 15 minutes.
That's it. It's so simple a child can do it. In fact below is my 4-year-old making it. For a twist, when making a double batch use one package of raspberry or strawberry and one package of lemon gelatin. So good, I think I am going to go and eat some right now.

Book Review: Book of Secrets

I bought Book of Secrets by Thomas Eaton  for my husband as a stocking stuffer last year. It's a fun little book. It's small enough that I can fit it in the pocket of my scrubs and when I'm on hold trying to get a hold of the pharmacy or a physician I can pull it out and read a page or two. It's somewhat of a random conglomeration of secrets, much like my blog. It's full of quotes and mini articles on all kinds of subjects. There are articles about cooking, bargain-hunting, weight loss and travel. There are also many articles about the secrets of famous people in history, politics and abandoned subway stations in New York City. (Really the author spends more time on this topic than any other.) It was definitely worth the read and possibly something that I'll reference in the future.The egg post that I wrote earlier this week was based on info that I learned from this book. Here's a list of a few of the random secrets that I learned in my reading.

• Overheating non-stick frying pans can cause them to release potential carcinogens, tiny particles and toxic gases that can get into the lungs.
• Pre-packaged salad is most often washed in a strong chlorine solution, so even though the package says that it's been washed, it's best to wash it again anyway.
• To re-bake a cold potato without it drying out, dip it in water before baking it in a very hot oven for 15 minutes.
• Only shop for clothes on Thursday, that's when most store get their new stock.
• You can greatly reduce the cooking time of wild rice by soaking it overnight.
• Taking your daily vitamins with tea or coffee prevents them from being absorbed.
• Research has shown that shiitake mushrooms lower LDL cholesterol and can halt advanced cancers.
• A high-protein meal can immediately boost your memory.
• If you're looking for a husband move to the country. Research shows that there are more single women in the city and more single men in rural areas.
• Applying a thin line of concealer around the outside edge of lips can give them more definition.

The Many Secrets of Eggs

Lately I've been reading Book of Secrets, which I'll tell you more about when I finish. One mini-article that I found to be helpful was The Many Secrets of Eggs. Here they are:

• Fresh eggs will have a rough chalky texture to the outside of the shell; the older the eggs, the smoother the shell
• To see how fresh an egg is put it in a glass of water. If it lays down horizontally it is 1-2 days old. 45 degree angle=7-10 days old. If it stands up vertically it is much older than that.
• If you shake an egg and you feel movement inside it is old. As the moisture content of the egg diminishes over time the air pocket inside grows bigger.
• Slightly older eggs are better for hard boiling. Shells of very fresh eggs are harder to remove and fresh eggs also take longer to boil.
• When cracked into a pan a fresh egg's yolk will be almost spherical, the older the egg, the flatter it will be.
• Fresh eggs are best for separating yolks from whites, because the membrane surrounding the yolk disintegrates with age.
• Never beat egg white in an aluminium bowl, it will turn them gray.
• If you have leftover egg whites it is fine to freeze them.
• Eggshells are very porous. Storing them near anything with a very strong aroma can taint their taste. But the paper mache cartons will absorb most odours.
• Once you have taken hardboiled eggs off the stove, place them under a running tap until the water is cold. This stops the eggs from cooking in theoir own heat and prevents the yolk from getting that greenish grey coating.
• If you cook eggs fresh straight from the fridge they will be much tougher than if you let them get to room temperature first.
• When boiled, eggs straight from the fridge are less likely to crack. Use a small pan allowing for less room for them to bump around.
• Adding a spoonful of vinegar to the water you boil the eggs in protects the shells and prevents them from cracking.
• If you have a hot liquid that you are thickening with eggs, make sure that you let it cool before adding them, otherwise they will cook before they can be whisked in.
• A pinch of cream of tartar added to eggs before whisking will make them much fluffier.
• Cooking eggs at a high heat makes for tough eggs.
• For perfect scrambled eggs always slightly under-cook them. They will continue to cook in their own heat as you serve them.