My Recipe Cheat Sheets

My Recipe Cheat Sheets

I use some of the same recipes over and over and although I don't always follow recipes, except when I bake, although I tweak it.

I like to tweak recipes and make them my own. My family loves them so much so I want them to be able to make it, should anything happen to me. I keep them in my files, in a yahoo group all my own just for storage purposes.

The recipes that I make often, I have printed out and taped inside of my kitchen cabinets. This makes them available to me immediately, without me needing to get my recipe basket, or go on my computer to get the recipe again. For right now, they are just taped lazily inside the cabinet and I open the cabinet when I need to see the recipe. I do plan to put them in page protectors so they are wipeable, if I would mess on them.

I am working on recipe books for my kids (I got cute blank recipe books from the gooseberry patch) so that they have their favorite recipes when they are older and move out, they will be able to make the recipes "Mom" made that they love. I wish my mom and grandmother had done this for us. Although my mom is still alive, and I get recipes from her, my grandmother passed on in the early 80s and I don't have many of her recipes. I remember cooking with her all the time, as she lived across the street from us and we spent a lot of time with her.

I am not much a recipe follower, so I have to sometimes figure out how I make things to include in their books, so they can make them. I do not measure EXCEPT WHEN I BAKE, I just judge, little of this, little of that. When I bake, the flours, sugars, baking soda/powders matter, but I do tweak the spices to my liking.

I feel when you like ingredients, you will like the end result, so if there is something I am not fond of in a recipe, or something missing that I like, I add/omit whatever I want.

Getting children to eat Healthy!

Getting kids to love healthy foods

When my boys were little, I did not want to make special foods for each of them, so I figured out ways to get them to like foods we liked.

I always used to grind up the foods I cooked for them as baby food, so they were used to real food all along.

They love broccoli and when they went to school in early elem school years, I packed broccoli and carrots in their lunch box. A mom of one of my son's friends came up to me and said, "what is the secret to getting your son to eat broccoli. My son came home and said, Alex eats yukky broccoli everyday." I always made food fun...they could play with their food, as long as they ate it. We would pretend the broccoli was trees and they were dinosaurs and would bite the top off the tree. I also used their liking of broccoli to get them to eat spinach. I always use fresh and frozen spinach, never ever ever ever canned, that is just gross mush. I told them the spinach was broccoli chopped up, they liked it.


I would put smiley faces on hard boiled eggs and we called them Happy Eggs. This made it fun for them (we would make funny faces, etc) and I could also distinguish the cooked eggs from the raw ones.

When I made "meatloaf" I made meat muffins. I would make the meat loaf and sometimes chop veggies and put them in the mixture, and make them in muffin tins...you can put a slice in cheese in the middle for a fun dairy surprise...my kids loved them. I still do this occasionally, as not only are they fun to eat, but they cook faster than a loaf pan of meat loaf.




If you get kids to try things over and over, they develop a liking for it eventually. If my kids say they don't like something, such as sauerkraut, which we here in PA Dutch Country eat every year on New Years Day, I make them eat one spoonful. I did this with Brussels sprouts, and they eat them.
My children have very grown up tastes buds, but even as babies, I just ground up what we ate.

I always chopped veggies up and put it in my kids foods, long before Seinfeld's wife did this. I think all moms did this. She just happened to have the connections to make money on the old idea.

Any food, cooked properly is good food. My kids love zucchini, but we make it into mock crab cakes, or we grill it on the grill with some seasonings. If you make it bland, they will not eat it. You have to find spices they like and use them on veggies to make them taste good.

Pantry Challenged

I joined a great group called, Pantry Challenged. It's a yahoo group with some great gals (and maybe guys) where they talk about kitchen issues, using the foods in the pantry, how to stock the pantry, ideas etc.

Its a fun group. Nice members.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PantryChallenged/

Here is the homepage description

This list was the original Pantry Challenged list that became Pantrychallengedandfrugal at one point. We've decided to "reclaim" this list and make it active again. All topics related to homemaking, budgeting, shopping, cooking cheaply, living frugally, menuplanning, eating out of our pantries, decluttering, couponing, and just trying to save and get by are all welcome. "Whats for Dinner?" topics are welcome as well as recipes and even a little off topic chat! This list has a "Closed Membership" setting so the only way to join is by invite or direct add if you allow it. If you would like an invite or would like to be added directly please email the list owner and mods and request so. Be sure to include where/how you heard of us in your request along with a brief introduction as we are a private list and not listed in Yahoogroups directory.

Chicken burgers from scratch

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Wow these were so good, I could eat one now.

My friend Kelly does not eat beef or pork and now my sister doesn't either...

I am always searching for creative things to cook, and we love to cook out even in winter. We have fish a lot and chicken breasts etc....even veggie burgers, which we really do like....just want variety.

I made these the morning of the wine festival and froze them ...and we had them when we got back....I bought a family pack of Chicken breasts.

I chopped them up in the chopper bowl with the immersion blender into a ground chicken. I added....garlic, chopped onion, chopped green peppers (actually red and yellow)....chopped mushrooms, about 2 T avocado oil (coconut oil,canola or grapeseed will do , anything that has high heat point) a bit of celery seed and ground pepper (I add that to everything lol)....

I think that is it..again, "me no follow recipe, little this little that" lol....I mixed it with my best kitchen tool, my hands and then made big meatballs, placing them on wax paper on a baking pan....then, cover with wax paper and put another baking pan on top and smush the meatballs into burgers.

Freeze for a few hours (or longer but at least a few hours).Grill and add cheese if desired and serve on a bun, or for you guys who are Atkins followers, no bun....

(bleu cheese and hot sauce is what we added, once it was cooked, with lettuce and had celery sticks on the side, well, Brian had Barbq sauce on his, he isn't a hot sauce kid)....Yummo! I used a family pack of chicken breasts (about 10 or so) and made about 16 burgers, so we have more for next time! I am going to grind my own burgers from now on, both beef and chicken, it was soo good and quick and easy to do.

I have also done this with chicken thighs too. Super good.

My favorite storage jars

I don't like to use plastic containers for food so I buy Ball (Atlas, Kerr, Mason) canning jars and use them for everything. They are freezer safe, microwave safe and dishwasher safe.

I use them for food leftovers, they store in the freezer and refrigerator nicely. I use them for dry goods, like flour, chocolate chips, rice, etc.

I use them for candy jars, and have one or two in my living room with candy, almonds, or snacks in them for guests to munch on.

I make home made iced tea and simple syrup and have pre-sweetened iced tea in my refrigerator for guests to drink, in pint jars in the frige. When I use one, I just take off the lid, they can be drank out of and put right in the dishwasher.

When guests come for food, I send him leftovers in the jars, and don't mind, they are cheaper than those other brand containers and can be reused by the person who gets it. I think people are more inclined to reuse something glass than a plastic container, which get throw away more often.

I also save glass pickle jars etc, to give away leftovers too.

Amish friendship bread, make the starter and bread with the starter

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I have made the bread twice now.....It is so good. starter recipe at bottom if you lose your starter or have no one to get it from.Yes I know the Amish do not use instant pudding...this is a variation recipe, if you google, you will find recipes that do not use it....I like mine with banana pudding and walnuts.Amish Friendship Bread
Important: Do NOT use any type of metal spoon or bowl for mixing. Do NOT refrigerate. If air gets in the bad, let it out. It IS normal for the batter to rise and ferment. The date lines below can be used to help keep track of the date or day you are at in the process.
Day 1- Do nothing, this is the day you receive the bag, unless told otherwise.
Day 2- Mush the bag
Day 3- Mush the bag
Day 4- Mush the bag
Day 5- Mush the bag
Day 6-Add to the bag: 1 c flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk and mush the bag
Day 7- Mush the bag
Day 8- Mush the bag
Day 9- Mush the bag
Day 10- Mix and divide the starter.
Directions below.
Dividing directions: Pour the entire contents of the bag into a non-meal bowl. Add 1½ cups flour, 1½ cups sugar and 1½ cups milk. Mix. Then measure 1 cup of the batter into each of four Ziploc bags. Keep one for yourself and give the other 3 starter bags away with a copy of the recipe instructions.Note: Starter should be passed to a friend on the 10th day. Be certain to tell the recipient what day the bag is at when you present it to her. If you keep one starter yourself, you will be baking every 10 days.

This bread makes a great gift.

Baking Directions: To the remaining batter in the bowl add:3 eggs 1 cup sugar ½ tsp salt1 c oil 2 tsp cinnamon 2 c flour½ c milk 1½ tsp baking powder 1 large or 2 small boxes instant vanilla pudding½ tsp vanilla ½ tsp baking soda
Preheat oven to 325°. Grease two large loaf pans. Mix together and additional ½ c sugar and 1½ tsp cinnamon. Dust greased pans with half of this mixture. Pour the batter evenly into the pans and sprinkle remaining sugar on top of the batter. Bake for 1 hour. Cool until bread loosens from the pan evenly (about 10 min). Turn over onto serving dish. Serve warm or fool.Options: Add 1 cup chopped nuts, raisins or chocolate chips. You can also use chocolate pudding instead of vanilla if you prefer. ( Its really good with banana and walnuts)If the starter turns green or gets an awful smell discard and start over.It should have a beer like smell, that is normal.

Amish Friendship Bread Starter

AMISH FRIENDSHIP BREAD (STARTER)1 pkg. active dry yeast1/4 c. warm water1 c. flour1 c. sugar1 c. warm milk (110 degrees)Mix all and divide into one cup portions in Ziploc bags.Follow the directions for the amish friendship bread as it needs to be fed and tended to or it will die. If it turns green discard.

Tequila and Salt

My mom sent me this great motivational email today.

I especially love the one about if someone hates you, its because they want to be just like you. lol.

TEQUILA AND SALT

This should probably be taped to your bathroom mirror where one could read it every day.

You may not realize it,but it's 100% true.
1. There are at least two people in this world that you would die for.
2. At least 15 people in this world love you in some way.
3. The only reason anyone would ever hate you is because they want to Be just like you.
4. A smile from you can bring happiness to anyone,even if they don't like you.
5. Every night,SOMEONE thinks about you before they go to sleep.
6. You mean the world to someone.
7. You are special and unique.
8.. Someone that you don't even know exists loves you.
9. When you make the biggest mistake ever, something good comes from it.
10. When you think the world has turned its back on you, take another look.
11. Always remember the compliments you received..Forget about the rude remarks.
So.....If you are a loving friend, send this to everyone, including the one that sent it to you.If you get it back, then they really do love you.
And always remember.....When life hands you lemons,Ask for Gin and Ginger beer and call me over!! Good friends are like stars.....
You don't always see them,But you know they are always there.'Whenever God Closes One Door He Always Opens Another, Even Though Sometimes It's Hell in the Hallway.'I would rather have one rose and a kind word from a friend while I'm here than a whole truck load when I'm gone.