cornmeal-fried onion rings

Posted at 02:21 AM, Friday, June 19, 2009

I made these on Memorial Day, and oh my gosh, they were SOOOO good!  There weren't any leftovers.  The recipe came from Barefoot Contessa at home by Ina Garten.

Cornmeal-Fried onion Rings

2 large Spanish onions (or 3 yellow onions)

2 cups buttermilk

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup (medium) yellow cornmeal

1 quart vegetable oil

     Peel the onions, slice them 1/2- to 3/4-inch thick, and separate them into rings.  Combine the buttermilk, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl.  Add the onion rings, toss well, and allow to marinate for at least 15 minutes.  (The onion rings can sit in the buttermilk for a few hours.)  In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.  Set aside.

     When you're ready to fry the onion rings, preheat the oven to 200 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with paper towels.

     Heat the oil to 350 degrees in a large pot or Dutch oven.  (A candy thermometer attached to the side of the pot will help you maintain the proper temperature.)  Working in batches, lift some onions out of the buttermilk and dredge them in the flour mixture.  Drop into the hot oil and fry for 2 minutes, until golden brown, turning them once with tongs.  Don't crowd them!  Place the finished onions on the baking sheet, sprinkle liberally with salt, and keep them warm in the oven while you fry the next batches.  Continue frying the onion rings and placing them in the warm oven until all the onions are fried.  They will remain crisp in the oven for up to 30 minutes.  Serve hot.

banana-sour cream loaf

Posted at 12:33 AM, Friday, June 19, 2009

I got this recipe from a Gooseberry patch cookbook called Made From Scratch.  It turned out pretty good...

Banana-Sour Cream Loaf

2/3 c. butter

1 1/3 c. sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 c. bananas, mashed

2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour

1 t. baking powder

1 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

1/2 c. sour cream

1 c. chopped nuts

     Cream butter and sugar together; add eggs and bananas, beat until smooth.  In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together.  Add dry mixture alternately with sour cream to banana mixt, blend well.  Fold in nuts and pour into a gread 9"x5" loaf pan; bake at 350 degrees for 55-65 minutes.  Makes 8 servings.

garden update

Posted at 12:48 AM, Monday, May 25, 2009

I got my garden all planted!  I am SO excited!  Here are the plants before I put them in the garden...

I am starting to get some strawberries in my little strawberry patch!

My tomatoes and a few of the squash plants...

Some views of my garden:

going for a ride

Posted at 12:47 AM, Monday, May 25, 2009

Dave got a new cart for on the back of his lawn mower.  Now the kids are constantly asking him to drive them around in it...

preschool graduation

Posted at 12:44 AM, Monday, May 25, 2009

Emily graduated from preschool on Thursday...The time has flown by!  They asked each child what they wanted to be when they grew up, and Emily decided that she wants to be a clown, LOL.  She will be very good at it.  Last year she wanted to be an elephant...

country fair white bread

Posted at 12:42 AM, Sunday, May 17, 2009

This is the first homemade bread I have ever made!!  It turned out pretty good!  Next time I'll add a bit more flour, I think...  It is from The Bread Breakthrough by Nancy Baggett, which was a giveaway on www.breadworld.com  I am not sure if they are still giving them away, but there are still lots of great recipes on that website!

Country Fair White Bread

3 cups (15 ounces) unbleached white bread flour, plus 2/3 cup ( 3.33 ounces) or as needed

2 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons table salt

3/4 teaspoon Fleischmann's RapidRise Yeast

1 3/4 cups ice water, plus more if needed

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled, plus extra for coating dough top and baking pan

1/4 cup good-quality instant nonfat dry milk ( don't use a generic brand)

1 large egg, at room temperature and beaten with a fork

     FIRST RISE:  In a large bowl, thoroughly stir together 3 cups of the flour, the sugar, salt, and yeast.  Thoroughly stir the water into the bowl, scraping down the sides and mixing just until the ingredients are thoroughly blended.  If the mixture is too dry to incorporate all the flour, a bit at a time, stir in enough more water to blend the ingredients and produce a fairly soft dough.  Brush the top with butter.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.  If desired, for best flavor or for convenience, you can refrigerate the dough for 3 to 10 hours.  Then, let rise at cool room temperature for 16 to 20 hours; if convenient, vigorously stir the dough about halfway through the rise.

     SECOND RISE:  In a medium bowl, stir together the butter, milk powder and 2 tablespoons of the beaten egg until thoroughly blended; reserve the remaining egg for glazing the loaf top.  Vigorously stir (or beat on low speed with a heavy-duty mixer with a dough hook) the butter mixture into the dough until smoothly and evenly incorporated; this may take several minutes.  Gradually mix in 2/3 cup or enough more flour to yield a very hard-to-stir dough.  Using a well-oiled rubber spatula, fold the dough in towards the center, working all the way around the bowl; this helps organize the gluten for shaping into a loaf.

     Invert the dough into a well-greased 9x5-inch loaf pan.  Smooth out the top and press evenly into the pan using a well-buttered rubber spatula or fingertips.  Evenly brush the loaf top with the reserved beaten egg; don't allow the egg to pool around the pan edges, as it will cause sticking.  Using well-buttered kitchen shears or a serrated knife, make a 1/2-inch-deep slash lengthwise down the center of the loaf.  Cover the pan with nonstick spray-coated plastic wrap.

     LET RISE USING ANY OF THESE METHODS:  For a 1 1/2- to 2 1/2- hour regular rise, let stand warm at room temperature; for a 1- to 2-hour accelerated rise, let stand in a turned-off microwave along with 1 cup of boiling-hot water; or for an extended rise, refrigerate for 4 to 48 hours, then set out at room temperature.  Continue the rise until the dough nears the plastic.  Remove it and continue until the dough extends slightly above the pan rim.

     BAKING PRELIMINARIES:  15 minutes before baking time, place a rack in the lower third of the oven; preheat to 375 degrees.

     BAKING:  Bake on the lower rack for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the top is nicely browned.  Cover the top with foil and continue baking for 10 to 15 minutes longer, until a skewer inserted in the thickest part comes out with just a few particles clinging to the bottom ( or until the center registers 208 degrees to 210 degrees on an instant-read thermometer).  Then bake for 5 to 10 minutes more to be sure the center is done.  Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.  Turn out the loaf onto the rack; cool thoroughly.

     SERVING AND STORING:  Cool thoroughly before slicing or storing.  Store airtight in plastic or aluminum foil.  The bread will keep at room temperature for 2 to 3 days, and may be frozen, airtight, for up to 2 months.

my garden

Posted at 12:36 AM, Sunday, May 17, 2009

My mother-in-law was nice enough to give me some seed potatoes to plant in my garden...They took up a lot more room than I had intended, but I will find room for everything.  My garden is pretty big...

Here are the potatoes all cut and ready to be planted...

And here are some pictures of me digging the first row...

yard sale finds

Posted at 12:31 AM, Sunday, May 17, 2009

I didn't get much this week as far as yard sales go, but I did get a French bread pan for 50 cents, and I got a Pampered Chef cookie mold for my collection...

cookie cutters

Posted at 03:54 PM, Saturday, May 9, 2009

I collect cookie cutters, and I literally have thousands of them.  There is an old set by Loma that is Mickey Mouse, minnie Mouse, Pluto and Donald Duck.  They are hard to come by, especially at what I call a reasonable price...  I think I paid $5 each for the Mickey and Minnie of the set, and the other day my mom found Pluto and Donald for 15 cents each!!!  How awesome is that?!?  I am SO excited!

 

garden

Posted at 03:49 PM, Saturday, May 9, 2009

It is too early to plant a lot of the vegetables here in PA yet, and this week has been too wet to plant any potatoes, but I did plant a few things, and took pictures of the other things that are doing well in my little garden...

My strawberry patch--yes, there are a few weeds, but I am getting some blossoms!

 

 

The start of my garden...

 

One of my broccoli plants...

 

One of my cabbage plants...

 

And the horseradish I planted a few years ago.  It keep spreading and I can't get rid of it!

a few pics

Posted at 10:41 AM, Thursday, May 7, 2009

I thought I would share a few randome pictures today.  This is my kids and me on Easter morning...

 

The sunflower cookies I made my friend Crystal for her birthday...

 

 

And the baker's rack I got at a yard sale for $2!

best-ever banana bars

Posted at 11:45 PM, Monday, May 4, 2009

These are from a Gooseberry Patch cookbook called Made From Scratch.  They were awesome!  I put homemade cream cheese icing on them, but they would have been just as good plain...

Best-Ever Banana Bars

2 c. all-purpose flour

1 1/3 c. sugar

2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

2 very ripe bananas. mashed

3/4 c. shortening, melted

4 eggs

2 t. vanilla extract

     Combine flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in large mixing bowl; set aside.  Mix bananas, shortening, eggs and vanilla in another mixing bowl; blend well.  Add banana mixture to flour mixture; stir until just moistened.  Pour into a greased 15"x10" baking sheet; bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until center springs back when touched.  Cut into bars.

puffed pancake

Posted at 11:36 PM, Monday, May 4, 2009

I made this for breakfast one day last week.  It was pretty good.  It is from a Gooseberry Patch cookbook called Hometown Favorites.

Puffed Pancake

6 eggs, beaten

1/4 c. orange juice

1 c. milk

1 c. all-purpose flour

1/4 t. salt

1/2 c. sugar

1/3 stick butter, melted

     In a large bowl, combine eggs, juice, milk, flour, salt and sugar; beat well.  Place butter into a 13"x9" baking dish, pour egg mixture into dish.  Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until pancake is puffed and golden.  Remove from oven, pancake will deflate slightly as it cools.

     Serve hot with jam or cinnamon sugar.

buttermilk mashed potatoes

Posted at 11:11 PM, Monday, May 4, 2009

I got this recipe from Barefoot Contessa at Home by Ina Garten.  They were a big hit here!  Even Emily loved them, and she doesn't usually eat many potatoes...

Buttermilk Mashed potatoes

Kosher salt

3 pounds boiling potatoes, such as Yukon Gold

1/2 cup whole milk

1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter

3/4 to 1 cup buttermilk, shaken

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

     In a large pot, bring 4 quarts water and 2 tablespoons salt to a boil.  Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and cut them into 1 1/2-inch cubes.  Add them to the boiling water and bring the water back to a boil.  Lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 10-15 minutes, until the potatoes fall apart easily when pierced with a fork.

     Meanwhile, heat the whole milk and butter in a small saucepan, making sure it doesn't boil.  Set aside until the potatoes are done.

     As soon as the potatoes are tender, drain them in a colander.  Place a food mill fitted with a small disk or blade over a heat-proof bowl.  Pass the potatoes through the food mill, turning the handle back and forth.  As soon as the potatoes are mashed, stir in the hot milk-and-butter mixture with a rubber spatula.  Add enough buttermilk to make the potatoes creamy.  Add 2 teaspoons of salt and the pepper, or more to taste, and serve hot.  To keep the potatoes warm, place the bowl over a pan of simmering water for up to 30 minutes.  You can add a little extra hot milk to keep them creamy.

     Choose potatoes that are firm and have no sprouts.

     Don't be tempted to heat the buttermilk with the whole milk, it will curdle.

Old-Time Beef Stew

Posted at 10:56 PM, Monday, May 4, 2009

This is another recipe from Soups from Amish and Mennonite Kitchens by Pennsylvania Dutch Cookbooks.  I used half tomato juice and half water, but the next time I make it, I will use all water, because Dave doesn't care much for tomato. 

Old Time Beef Stew

2 lbs. beef cubes

2 Tbsp shortening

1 large onion, sliced

4 cups boiling water or tomato juice

1 Tbsp. salt

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 Tbsp. sugar

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1/2 Tbsp. pepper

1/2 Tbsp. paprika

Dash of allspice or ground cloves

6 carrots cut in quarters

6 potatoes cut in chunks

1/2 cup cold water

1/4 cup flour

     Brown beef cubes in shortening for about 20 minutes.  Add onion, water, salt, lemon juice, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, paprika and allspice or cloves.  Cover and simmer 2 hours.  Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.

     Add vegetables.  Simmer 30 minutes longer.

     Combine water and flour.  Stir until smooth.  Pull vegetables and meat to 1 side of pan.  Add flour mixture and stir until gravy is thickened.

     Variation:  Add 1 1/2 cups green beans with vegetables.

menu planning with no budget

Posted at 10:41 PM, Monday, May 4, 2009

Menu Planning with No Budget
by Leanne Ely, C.N.C

I’ve had a few emails asking me how to plan menus when you have no money. Well, this is a subject that is near and dear to my heart. Been there/done that! It isn’t a lot of fun when you have $25 in your pocket to feed your family for a week! That’s what happened to me in the mid-90’s. My budget was $100 a month to feed my family!

I want to preface what I’m saying with it was an emergency and I had no choice. It wasn’t easy—but it was necessary. So instead of whining, I did something and I got real creative. Now keep in mind: we’re not talking diapers, detergent or any other non-food items—just food, and food alone.

Okay, so here’s what I did.

First off, I utilized the loss leaders the stores advertise each week. I shopped at about 2-3 stores a week and made my menus according to what was on sale (after awhile, you don’t even need to do that much—you will have quite a stocked pantry and freezer if you shop via this method).

I also availed myself of the scratch and dent section of the grocery store. Not all grocery stores have this, but be on the look out for a big cart at the end of an aisle filled to overflowing with bread or another like item (I once bought whole wheat bread for .25 a loaf. I bought 10 loaves because I had the freezer space and made my (now ex) husband’s lunch every day—and saved a fortune). Look in places you don’t normally look—toward the back of the store or a shelf over by the restrooms.

I also went early in the morning and took full advantage of the markdown meats. Yeah, it was a hassle and at the time, I had two little kids. But I got huge markdowns and sometimes, I even asked for markdowns of stuff (that maybe they missed) and cleaned house (I bought a HUGE fresh turkey right after Thanksgiving for $4 that way). There’s a good lesson there—always ASK when you don’t see something that should be marked down (ask the dairy manager, meat manager, etc.) Check the dates on everything and ask for markdowns when appropriate.

I bought my milk this way too. Milk freezes well after you pour a little out, or it pops and leaks all over your freezer! Simply thaw it overnight in the fridge or in a sink full of cold water during the day, add a pinch of salt—it is a preservative, shake it up and it’ll last a week. I bought whole gallons of milk for 50 cents a piece. Other times, I mixed dried milk with fresh and my troops never knew the difference.

I also bought most of my produce marked down. You can always cut off a bad spot and make due. I made applesauce out of the apples that didn’t make good eating apples. If I didn’t buy it marked down, I bought it on sale and in season. I avoided imported produce as that it was almost always more expensive, even when it was on sale.

I also found out about grocery outlets. These stores are usually listed in the yellow pages under surplus food or salvage food. They’re usually not in the best neighborhoods and there are even a few undesirables in these types of stores (not always, but sometimes). However, it was survival time and I bought stuff there that was way seriously marked down.

And last—I bought cheap food! We ate a TON of dried beans. We ate cheap cuts of meat cooked in the crockpot, we ate homemade everything (that convenience stuff costs a fortune).

Breakfast was a biggie. I made homemade pancakes, waffles, oatmeal. When you make it yourself, it doesn’t cost much. Good filling food and infinitely cheaper than cold cereal.

Speaking of breakfast, we had Breakfast for Dinner a few times a month. Breakfast foods are cheap and if you add a little ambience (light a few candles and put the OJ--made yourself from frozen concentrate--in wineglasses) everyone will enjoy your cheap trick!

Our beverage of choice was (and still is) water. Water costs nothing. I had a water filter that enabled me to skip the expensive bottled water and that helped a lot. We had OJ for breakfast (and breakfast only was the rule) and that’s it. We had milk too, but it was only allowed with the meal and even then, only one glass. One glass is adequate…no one in my house was deprived or starved.

Nothing went to waste in my house—I mean NOTHING. If there was any leftover anything, I froze it and made it into soup later that week (no, I didn’t scrape the food off my kids plates, but honestly? There wasn’t any usually). My famous Rubber Chicken recipe was born out of that period of time (on my website!).

That’s it in a nutshell. It took extra time that I had back then. I figured the way I slashed my grocery bill so dramatically, it was like having a part time job without the taxes, pantyhose and rush hour! I got to stay home with my kids and we made it through that very rough time and ate quite well.

I hope some of these tips will help any of you who are wondering how to make a menu with no budget. You sometimes just have to do what you have to do! I did it and so can you!

the generous wife

Posted at 10:34 PM, Monday, May 4, 2009

Whisper something.  It can be as simple as "I love you" (or perhaps something a bit more daring), but the whisper will make it more intimate and a little fun.

     The whisper of a pretty girl can be heard further than the roar of a lion.  Arabian Proverb

the generous wife

Posted at 10:27 PM, Monday, May 4, 2009

Find a moment to slip up behind your husband and give him a little shoulder and neck rub.

     ... love is kind ...  1 Corinthians 13:4  NAS

UPS Airlines

Posted at 10:12 PM, Monday, May 4, 2009

UPS Airlines

Just in case you need a laugh:

Remember it takes a college degree to fly a plane, but only a high school diploma to fix one...a reassurance to those of us who fly routinely in our jobs. After every flight, UPS pilots fill out a form, called a 'gripe sheet,' which tells mechanics about problems with the aircraft. The mechanics correct the problems, document their repairs on the form, and then pilots review the gripe sheets before the next flight.

Never let it be said that ground crews lack a sense of humor. Here are some actual maintenance complaints submitted by UPS ' pilots (marked with a P) and the solutions recorded (marked with an S) by maintenance
engineers.

By the way, UPS is the only major airline that has never, ever, had an accident.

P: Left inside main tire almost needs replacement.
S: Almost replaced left inside main tire.
*
P: Test flight OK, except auto-land very rough.
S: Auto-land not installed on this aircraft.
*
P: Something loose in cockpit
S: Something tightened in cockpit
*
P: Dead bugs on windshield.
S: Live bugs on back-order.
*
P: Auto pilot in altitude-hold mode produces a 200 feet per minute descent
S: Cannot reproduce problem on ground.
*
P: Evidence of leak on right main landing gear.
S: Evidence removed.
*
P: DME volume unbelievably loud.
S: DME volume set to more believable
level.
*
P: Friction locks cause throttle levers to stick.
S: That's what friction locks are for.
*
P: IFF inoperative in OFF mode.
S: IFF always inoperative in OFF mode.
*
P: Suspected crack in windshield.
S: Suspect you're right.
*
P: Number 3 engine missing.
S: Engine found on right wing after brief search
*
P: Aircraft handles funny.
(I love this one!):
S: Aircraft warned to straighten up, fly right and be serious.
*
P: Target radar hums.
S: Reprogrammed target radar with lyrics.
*
P: Mouse in cockpit.
S: Cat installed.
*
And the best one for last
*
P: Noise coming from under instrument panel. Sounds like a midget pounding on something with a hammer.
S: Took hammer away from midget

frugal graduation gift ideas

Posted at 08:59 PM, Monday, May 4, 2009

Frugal Graduation Gift Ideas
by Tamara Wilhite
For the new grads in your life

Another round of graduations, another load of questions of
what to get them (aside from a new car and apartment, as
they've quietly said they wanted). Here are a few more frugal
graduation gift ideas for the new grads in your life:

1. Your starving student may have been living off of pizza and
Ramen noodles. When moving into their own place, cooking for
themselves becomes more of an option. Gifts for new graduates
starting off include canned fruit and vegetables, canned chow
mein, and boxes of stuffing and broth. To make all-in-one
dinners for those that can cook, give them spice baskets
(single basket loaded with a dollar per container spices from
the dollar store).

2. Starting adult life can mean starting a new job. Skip
giving ties and scarves; those are an individual's means for
expression in their wardrobe. Give white undershirts or polo
shirts to a young man and panty hose or basic make up to a
young woman.

3. ET went to great lengths to phone home. Don't let it be
that great a challenge for the new graduate. Help your new
graduate do the same with a pre-paid phone card or TRAC phone.

4. Small flash memories cost around $20 to $40, but they are
easily lost and more often needed in today's business world.
Pick up one as a gift for your grad.

5. Help them write out a resume or even business cards. The
investment in their future job hunt will more than pay off in
the future.

6. The greatest gift will be any financial advice you imparted
throughout their lives. Minimizing debt in school can't be
changed at graduation, but advice on how to pay off any school
debt as fast as possible or avoiding the rush of grown up
purchases will be priceless as they grow up. Give them copies
of financial advice books from Suze Orman and Dave Ramsey.
________________________

Tamara Wilhite is the author of "Humanity's Edge" and "Sirat:
Through the Fires of Hell," which are available on Amazon.com

Take the Next Step:
- Have a graduation celebration to attend this spring? Try one
of these great frugal graduation gifts for the new grad in
your life.