Thursday, November 10, 2011
One of my Favorite Quilts . . .
Yam, Sweet Potatoes . . . whatever you call those orange potatoes!
Sweet potatoes/yams have always been my favorite and something I look forward to at Thanksgiving along with the turkey and dressing. For some reason, we seldom indulge at other times of the year probably because we don't like the canned version as much and the 'fresh' are not all that fresh and very expensive.
Perhaps, we are just getting over, finally, our older son's first adventures into solid food when he was a baby. He was born with an attitude and an extreme sense of independence. We always had the feeling that the only reason he let us hold him was because he hadn't figured out walking yet. Well, we hit the eight or nine-month mark and he wants more than rice cereal. We purchase a variety of the jarred food and happily gave him his first sample. He forcefully spit it out. After about six tries, with six different fruits and vegetables, he accepted tiny spoonfuls of sweet potatoes. Although we eventually got him to sample other items, he would fill up on the sweet potatoes . . . until we noticed he was starting to look a bit 'sun tanned' . . . from the sweet potatoes. We continued to have adventures with his eating until the day he went off to college! Now, he lives in a foreign country and thinks nothing of trying odd items.
Anyway, only three of us are at home now and, happily, we all love sweet potatoes. The warehouse store has been selling them in boxes and we have been thinking of ways to have them a couple of times a week. It is almost a feeling of guilt that something so good for you could also taste so excellent.
We have had sweet potatoe fries, baked sweet potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, and are experimenting in having sweet potatoes braised in with the pot roast for dinner this evening. So far, we haven't turned 'sun tanned' so we aren't overdoing it . . . yet!
Perhaps, we are just getting over, finally, our older son's first adventures into solid food when he was a baby. He was born with an attitude and an extreme sense of independence. We always had the feeling that the only reason he let us hold him was because he hadn't figured out walking yet. Well, we hit the eight or nine-month mark and he wants more than rice cereal. We purchase a variety of the jarred food and happily gave him his first sample. He forcefully spit it out. After about six tries, with six different fruits and vegetables, he accepted tiny spoonfuls of sweet potatoes. Although we eventually got him to sample other items, he would fill up on the sweet potatoes . . . until we noticed he was starting to look a bit 'sun tanned' . . . from the sweet potatoes. We continued to have adventures with his eating until the day he went off to college! Now, he lives in a foreign country and thinks nothing of trying odd items.
Anyway, only three of us are at home now and, happily, we all love sweet potatoes. The warehouse store has been selling them in boxes and we have been thinking of ways to have them a couple of times a week. It is almost a feeling of guilt that something so good for you could also taste so excellent.
We have had sweet potatoe fries, baked sweet potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, and are experimenting in having sweet potatoes braised in with the pot roast for dinner this evening. So far, we haven't turned 'sun tanned' so we aren't overdoing it . . . yet!
Happiness is Homemade . . .
Researched a few 'cooking/baking' quotes for the upcoming holiday! Naturally, one should start with the most famous one from Cookie Monster - my hero!
"C is for cookie. That's good enough for me."
"C is for cookie. That's good enough for me."
Author: Cookie Monster, Sesame Street
"Families are like fudge, mostly sweet with a few nuts."
Author: Unknown
"You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands: you shall be happy, and it shall be well with you."
Author: Psalms 128:2
"Many people have eaten my cooking and gone on to lead normal lives."
Author: Unknown
"When Fall arrives, I want to bake bread and pies, the smell of it wafting through the air brings critters and kids from everywhere!"
Author: Kirbyquotes
"I figured if I was going to make the world a better place, I'd do it with cookies."
Author: Ana Pascal, "Stranger than Fiction"
Can't have a day without pumpkin . . .
As great as chocolate mousse tastes, a change is often nice, especially if it is in line with the season. I am, however, thinking about making both chocolate and pumpkin mousse and layering them for a fantastically flavorful dessert.
Pumpkin Mousse
1 1/2 cups milk
1 small package of instant vanilla pudding mix
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Homemade whipped cream - receipe follows
In a mixing bowl combine the milk and pudding mix until well blended. Let it thicken up a bit and then stir in the pumpking, spices, and vanilla extract. Fold in half of the prepared whipped cream. Scoop into individual serving dishes and refrigerate.
Now, you can use the refrigerated whipped topping stuff but why go to the trouble of making a great dessert and stopping short. This is a great way to whip cream and it doesn't break down or separate.
Whipped Cream
1 pint of heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup granulated sugar.
Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and whip until it forms soft peaks and holds it's shape. Use half of it in the above mousse and top the desserts with the other half. A sprinkle of toasted, chopped pecans on each serving sounds good.
What happened to self-respect and self-control?
According to the Human Decency Foundation, the popular teenage show, Glee, featured an episode in which a young girl voluntarily loses her virginity. She is the only one in her group that has abstained and, unfortunately, listens to the advice of her peer group. In fact, according to the on-line article:
"In this episode one student, shocked to find out two of his classmates are still virgins, convinces them that losing their virginity will make them better performers in the school musical, stating: "How do you expect to convey the human experience to an audience when you haven’t even opened yourself up to (the) most basic and primal one?"
While eating my lunch, earlier this week, I was surfing the television channels and came across one about brides selecting their wedding dresses for the big day. One bride is there for her first fitting and confides to her friends that she hopes the next four months won’t make a big difference in her figure . . . because she is pregnant. The show later shows the bride and groom making the announcement at the wedding reception. Everyone is thrilled.
The subject of our overly sexual world came up at one of our pastor’s classes on Faith and Religion. He sadly said that sex is now something people give to their friends rather than saving it for someone they truly love.
The public school sector and the government are always looking to stem the increase in sexually transmitted diseases and teen pregnancy. I think that if these factions promoted morality in the name of human self-respect, those numbers might go down. Instead, too many high schools provide child care for teen moms. There is a popular show on television that actually makes being a teen mom not quite that bad. And, Planned Parenthood is always there to dispose of unwanted babies that are the result of ‘friendship’.
"In this episode one student, shocked to find out two of his classmates are still virgins, convinces them that losing their virginity will make them better performers in the school musical, stating: "How do you expect to convey the human experience to an audience when you haven’t even opened yourself up to (the) most basic and primal one?"
While eating my lunch, earlier this week, I was surfing the television channels and came across one about brides selecting their wedding dresses for the big day. One bride is there for her first fitting and confides to her friends that she hopes the next four months won’t make a big difference in her figure . . . because she is pregnant. The show later shows the bride and groom making the announcement at the wedding reception. Everyone is thrilled.
The subject of our overly sexual world came up at one of our pastor’s classes on Faith and Religion. He sadly said that sex is now something people give to their friends rather than saving it for someone they truly love.
The public school sector and the government are always looking to stem the increase in sexually transmitted diseases and teen pregnancy. I think that if these factions promoted morality in the name of human self-respect, those numbers might go down. Instead, too many high schools provide child care for teen moms. There is a popular show on television that actually makes being a teen mom not quite that bad. And, Planned Parenthood is always there to dispose of unwanted babies that are the result of ‘friendship’.
Sounds about right!
What is the difference between a taxidermist and a tax collector? The
taxidermist takes only your skin.
Basic Pie Crust Reminder
This is my husband's favorite pie crust. He likes is especially with pumpkin pie as it crisps up nicely and goes well with the pumpkin custard filling. I like it because it is easy to do and always turns out well.
All crusts need a maximum of attention and a minimum of handling. Knowledge of a basic pie crust will open up many recipe ideas for you.
Easy Oil Pie Pastry
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup cold milk
½ cup vegetable oil
Combine flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Make a small well in the middle and pour in milk and oil. Stir lightly with a fork until well-mixed. If the pastry is too wet, add minute amounts of flour. If it is a dry day, you may have to add dabs of milk and oil - heavier on the oil than the milk. You can chill the dough at this point for later or go ahead and line a pie pan. This recipe makes one double crust or two single pie crusts.
All crusts need a maximum of attention and a minimum of handling. Knowledge of a basic pie crust will open up many recipe ideas for you.
Easy Oil Pie Pastry
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup cold milk
½ cup vegetable oil
Combine flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Make a small well in the middle and pour in milk and oil. Stir lightly with a fork until well-mixed. If the pastry is too wet, add minute amounts of flour. If it is a dry day, you may have to add dabs of milk and oil - heavier on the oil than the milk. You can chill the dough at this point for later or go ahead and line a pie pan. This recipe makes one double crust or two single pie crusts.
Can't Live on Cookies alone . . .
Although we are busy every day of the year, it seems that no matter how we plan our day, we end up with a hectic one and still have dinner to prepare for our family. I've found that no matter how I time my Christmas shopping, it always takes longer than anticipated and the cold kitchen mocks me for not getting the scent of cooking dinner going promptly! This is an easy way to get dinner going with not too much stress. While the chicken is baking, you can put some potatoes or rice to boil, and steam some frozen vegetables. This is a family favorite although not a weekly one given the calories!
Fried Chicken in the Oven takes the grease splatters out of your life! You will need two or more sticks of butter or margarine, melted. And one or more cut up chickens, depending on the size of your family. Cutting it up yourself saves money especially when you hit those under eighty cents a pound sales. Mix approximately two cups all-purpose flour blended with the following: salt and pepper to tastes, garlic salt, half-sharp paprika and any other seasoning in your cupboard you like or that sounds interesting. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Dip each piece of chicken into the melted butter or margarine, coat with seasoned flour and arrange the pieces on a baking pan or sheet (with sides!). Bake for approximately 35 minutes or until chicken is golden, crispy and fork tender. Drain excess fat, arrange on platter and serve. It takes about ten minutes to prepare, tastes like fried and avoids the mess of frying.
If you have room on the baking pan, you can scrub, quarter, and dip some potatoes in the same chicken mixture and bake them along with the chicken thus taking yet another chore out of your hands!
Fried Chicken in the Oven takes the grease splatters out of your life! You will need two or more sticks of butter or margarine, melted. And one or more cut up chickens, depending on the size of your family. Cutting it up yourself saves money especially when you hit those under eighty cents a pound sales. Mix approximately two cups all-purpose flour blended with the following: salt and pepper to tastes, garlic salt, half-sharp paprika and any other seasoning in your cupboard you like or that sounds interesting. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Dip each piece of chicken into the melted butter or margarine, coat with seasoned flour and arrange the pieces on a baking pan or sheet (with sides!). Bake for approximately 35 minutes or until chicken is golden, crispy and fork tender. Drain excess fat, arrange on platter and serve. It takes about ten minutes to prepare, tastes like fried and avoids the mess of frying.
If you have room on the baking pan, you can scrub, quarter, and dip some potatoes in the same chicken mixture and bake them along with the chicken thus taking yet another chore out of your hands!
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