Alright, I admit it, I´ve been neglecting this blog dreadfully while focusing on getting At Home Mom off the ground. Now that it is going well, I have decided that I really need to get back into the loop with my other blogs. For now, they will stay here on WordPress, with the option of moving them over to a hosted domain in the future!
So, go ahead and check back here often because I will be posting regularily again. Sorry for the delay!
There are certain tasks in the kitchen that just take up too much time. To eliminate them is impossible, but you can certainly speed things up by using the tips below!
1. When you have a recipe that calls for mincing garlic, smash it instead. Use a mortar and pestle if you have it, or the side of a wide knife blade that you can bang with a fist. Then do a fast chopping motion from side to side and you automatically have minced garlic!
2. If you plan to bake cookies or a cake, speed up the creaming process of butter and sugar by rinsing the bowl with boiling water first!
3. Instead of taking forever to mash up your hard boiled eggs for your egg salad with a fork, try using a pastry blender. It works much faster and is just as efficient at breaking the eggs up, you’ll have your egg salad in minutes.
4. Bake more than one thing at once. That way you don’t have to wait twice for the oven to preheat. Bake some cookies while you are mixing the biscuits and you kill two birds with one stone. You could also double the batch and freeze half for a day when you just don’t have time to bake!
5. To save time making a salad, fill a bowl with ice water and add two drops of bleach. Add all your veggies and let them sit while you prepare the rest of the dinner. The vegetables will be crisp and disinfected when you finish, all ready to be quickly rinsed and chopped, no scrubbing needed!
6. To “boil” eggs quickly for egg salads and the like, try over-poaching the eggs in water in the microwave. Just cook a few seconds extra until the yolk is cooked through, then drain and mash! Works well for salad enhancements as well or anywhere else that the hard boiled egg doesn’t need to be round!
7. To get your ice to freeze faster, fill the ice cube trays with hot water. Supposedly, the fast moving molecules in the water carry the cold through the water faster. Not sure if that is true, but at any rate, it works!
8. Get in the habit of filling pots and pans with water immediately after use. Even if you don’t wash them right away, the food won’t get a chance to harden and you will be able to wipe away the grime in seconds instead of spending ages scrubbing.
9. Use baby wipes to quickly clean up spills and leave your countertop or stove sparkling. Scented ones are great for cleaning out the fridge as well and getting rid of some pretty nasty smells!
10. Make a double batch of pasta for supper. Mix half with three tablespoons of oil or mayonnaise and put in the fridge to make pasta salad for the next day’s lunch while you add pasta sauce to tonight’s dish. The next day, just toss the cold pasta with chopped tomatoes, cucumber and fresh parsley for a fast, delicious lunch.
The microwave can be a valuable helper in the kitchen when you need to get something hot on the table fast, but most of the time, we don´t really know how to use it. Here are some tips for taking full advantage of your microwave oven.
- If you are heating something like sour cream that tends to curdle in the microwave, reduce the power level to 50% and you shouldn´t have a problem.
- You can separate stuck together frozen meat and meat patties by microwaving in just 30 second spurts on the defrost setting. This is perfect for separating slabs of meat or fish for cooking in a pan.
- Save your fresh herbs by drying them in the microwave, just lay them on a layer of paper towel, cover with another paper towel and zap on high for about 3 minutes, depending on the thickness of the herb. Then microwave for 30 second spurts until they are dry and can easily be crumbled.
- Got a bag of stale chips or a packet of not-so-appetizing crackers? You can restore them to crispiness by microwaving on high for about 10 seconds. Just make sure you spread them on a microwavable plate first.
- Zap garlic cloves for about 10 seconds after chopping off the ends. The skin will fall right off. The same thing works for onions, too.
- You can soften butter without melting it completely by lowering the power to 50% before microwaving it for about 20-30 seconds.
- Reheat cold coffee that has been kept in the fridge by microwaving on high for 2 or 3 minutes in a microwave-safe cup. Add your milk afterwards.
These are just a few tips to get you started using your microwave more often and for more things. You will probably discover other uses for your microwave, so please feel free to share.
Leftovers can be a pain in the neck. Over the coming weeks, I will be writing about how to get rid of different kinds of leftovers. Today, we will look at mashed potatoes. These can be especially difficult to reincorporate into meals the next day.
Here are a few ideas to get your mashed potatoes out of the fridge and into your family´s stomaches!
1. Use the mashed potatoes as a topping for a casserole. Use any regular casserole recipe and spread the potatoes on top. Bake as instructed, or until the mashed potatoes are golden brown.
2. Mix with a bit of flour and an egg to make a thick paste. Season with parsley and garlic powder. Form into balls, roll in flour and fry in hot oil.
3. Mix with freshly mashed potatoes to hide the fact that they are leftovers!
4. Add a cup of grated cheddar cheese and heat in the microwave. This is especially good if you have kids, since they will happily eat most things with cheese on them.
5. Add a bit of flour to stiffen the mixture and take a handful. Form it around a hot dog and lay on a greased baking sheet. Bake in a 350º oven for 10-15 minutes, or until the potato mixture is golden and forms a crust. Serve with ketchup.
Please feel free to add your own methods for using up your day-old mashed potatoes.
You know and love the baked apple, but what about baked bananas? Or pears for that matter! Here are a few recipes for turning fruit into more than just a snack.
Baked Bananas – serves 2
2 firm bananas
sugar
cinnamon
Slice the banana skin open and spread slightly before placing the bananas on a baking sheet. Sprinkle the flesh with sugar and a bit of cinnamon, then bake for 15 minutes at 350º. Be careful when they come out of the oven as the flesh will be piping hot. Simply peel open the skin and serve with a spoon. Absolutely delicious!
Basic Baked Apple – serves 1
1 apple
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 c. raisins
1 T. sugar
juice of one lemon
Peel the top third of the apple and scoop out the core, leaving the bottom intact. Toss raisins, cinnamon and sugar together in a bowl and use to fill the center of the apple. Drizzle lemon juice over the whole thing and bake 15-20 minutes or until tender at 350º.
Wine-baked Pears - serves 4-6
3 pears, cored and sliced thinly
2 T. brown sugar
1 c. red wine
dash of cinnamon and a dash of clove powder
Lay the slices of pair in an 8″ square baking pan, sprinkling with a little brown sugar each layer. When the pears are all in the pan, pour the wine over the whole thing and season with cinnamon and cloves. Bake for 25 min. at 350º. Serve hot or cold.
Fruit Cobbler - serves 6
3 cups of any fruit, sliced (peaches, pears, apples, rhubarb, etc.)
2 T. sugar, add more if you are using a sour fruit
1 T. lemon juice
2 tsp. butter or margarine
Biscuit mix – enough to make six biscuits
2 c. whipping cream, sweetened with a T. sugar
Toss the fruit with lemon juice, butter and sugar in a casserole dish. Mix up the biscuit dough and press over the top of the fruit. Stab with a fork to make vents. Bake at 350º for 40 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Serve hot with cream poured over top.
My mother always had several cookbooks in the kitchen, but her favorite and mine was a battered old hardcover with a dusty blue fabric covering. It had belonged to her mother and she used it constantly. You could literally open it and see instantly which recipes were a hit . . . the pages were smeared with flour and chocolate, stained with butter and oil. The dirtiest pages were the ones with the best recipes!
When I left home, I went travelling and finally settled in Guatemala. In need of an English language cookbook, I went to the bookstore. There was a selection of cookbooks, but only one caught my eye, a gleaming white one in the middle that read “The Joy of Cooking”. It was the same cookbook, but cleaner! I bought it right then and there.
That book has not been as hardy as my mother´s ancient edition. My son ripped out a few pages, mice ate the edges of the cover, but I still have it and true to form, the dirtiest pages are where you will find the best recipes!
The great thing about this cookbook is that it offers elegant recipes alongside the simple ones. It is packed with information on every aspect of cooking, from how to set the table and plan a banquet, to making your own pickles and jams. You can read about nearly every common ingredient that could possibly be in your kitchen, from vegetables and fruits to meats and flours. This book explains the different kinds, how to buy, what to watch out for and then proceeds to give recipes for each food item.
There is also a very handy conversion page in case you aren´t sure how many tablespoons are in a packet of yeast (one), and for substituting ingredients, like cocoa powder and margarine for chocolate. All in all, this book takes you from being a beginner cook, right up to chef-level. It is money well-spent and I highly recommend it.
You can buy your own copy here:
Need a filling dinner fast? Pasta fits the bill, it cooks up in a hurry and you don´t have to be stirring and watching it. That means you have time to get the kids into the tub, do a lightening cleanup of the house before your husband gets home, or just sit down for a minute to rest.
The great thing about pasta is that you can make dozens of different sauces for it, meaning that you can create several completely different dishes with similar ingredients. And pasta can be as down-to-earth as mac and cheese, or as high-brow as lemon seafood fettucine. So here are five ways to toss out an amazing pasta dish in minutes.
1. Seafood Fettucine. This is very easy, just mix a packet of creamy seafood instant soup into half the amount of water called for and heat according to the directions. When it comes to a boil, drop in about a cup of mini frozen shrimp and stir until it thickens. This should take about five minutes. Toss with cooked fettucine.
2. Sauteed Mushroom Pasta. For this you will need to slice a half pound of mushrooms and chop one medium onion while heating some butter in a saucepan. Drop both ingredients in at the same time and saute for about one minute or until the mushrooms absorb the butter. Add a can of cream of mushroom soup, along with half a can of milk and stir until smooth. Serve over pasta.
3. Pasta Primavera. Microwave diced veggies like onions, carrots, green beans and whatever else you have on hand, for 5-10 minutes. They should be cooked, but still crunchy. Meanwhile, make up a quick basic White Sauce and add the vegetables. Serve over pasta.
4. Creamy Avocado Pasta. Just mash one ripe avocado with enough milk to make it a little runny and season to taste with garlic powder and salt. Add some chopped parsley and serve on pasta.
5. Leftover Spagetti. Raid the fridge for vegetables, leftover cooked meat, etc. Chop an onion and fry it in a bit of oil until translucent. Add a can of tomato paste, plus one and a half cans of water and stir until smooth. Add leftovers and heat through before serving over spagetti (which could also be leftover!).
I love going to a restaurant and receiving my plate with neatly cut lime wedges on the side, along with a sprig of parsley. It just adds so much to the plate. For at home cooks, adding a garnish or decorating the plate makes it that much more appealing and takes virtually no time at all. Here are a few ideas for quick garnishes.
- Slice a lemon into thin rounds. Cut once from the outer edge to the center and give the cut ends a little twist. You could also just cut little lime or lemon wedges.
- Add a sprig of a fresh herb. make sure it has three or more leaves. Odd numbered leaves look more appealing.
- No fresh herbs? Sprinkle dried parsley or thyme around the plate for a bit of color.
- If you have a few minutes, try blending equal parts olive oil with fresh parsley or chives until a green oil is formed. Put this into a squirt bottle and use to decorate the plates with dots, squiggles or a fast zig-zag.
- Carrot curls are super easy to make. Just use a potato peeler to shave off long strips and drop into ice water while you make the rest of the meal. The strips of carrot will curl up and look very elegant.
- Celery can be curled as well. Cut three inch pieces and split them lengthwise, leaving about a half inch intact at one end. Put in ice water for a few minutes and the cut end will curl outwards.
These are all super easy, super fast ways to add interest to your plates. Your family will be more inclined to eat the meals you prepare if they look nice, an added bonus!
Have you ever started a recipe and then realized that you don´t have some of the ingredients that you need? Obviously, we should read the recipe ahead of time, but sometimes it just slips the mind.
Having some basic ingredients in your pantry will ensure that this doesn´t happen often. The items in the pantry are considered to be “stock” ingredients. While you need other special foods to add to them, the stock ingredients form the basis of most of our meals.
Stock items will vary from household to household, but the general idea is the same. You want to have a way to whip up a simple meal, even if you have 0 fresh ingredients. Stock ingredients include the following:
Baking supplies: Flour, baking powder, baking soda, cornmeal, etc.
Seasonings: Salt, pepper, dried herbs, garlic and onion powders, etc.
Basic ingredients: Rice, pasta, tomato paste, beans, etc.
Canned goods: Baked beans, chicken soup, tomatoes, etc.
Dry goods: soup mixes, pancake mix, etc.
Condiments: ketchup, maple syrup, mustard, mayonaise, etc.
If you have these sorts of ingredients at all times and make sure you never run too low, you will never face a dinner of nothing again!
Ok, you´re probably thinking, “Chicken Cordon Bleu? That`s not a last minute meal!”
Oh, but it is! You just have to know how to do it! Skip all the prep time by simply layering the ingredients one on top of the other! I invented this super easy version one anniversary when I arrived late from work and had to whip up something elegant in minutes.
Chicken Cordon Bleu – serves 2
Prep Time: less than 5 minutes
Cooking Time: approx. 15 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
1 boneless chicken breast, cut in half
2 slices deli ham
2 slices mozzerella cheese
small amount of oil
salt and pepper to taste
In a large, non-stick skillet, heat the oil. When hot, add the chicken breast pieces and cook for about 5 minutes, or until golden on the underside. Flip over and cook until a knife stuck into the middle releases clear juices.
Lay a piece of ham on top of each breast half and top with cheese slice. Cover skillet and let cook for about 2 minutes more or until the cheese is melted. Serve with a sprinkle of pepper and a sprig of parsley.
See, that wasn´t hard!
