Tips & Technique

I was scheduled to have some blood drawn today. Just a routine test, no worries – but this is the one with the dreaded 14 hour fast The plan: get it over with first thing. Mother Nature had other ideas – the snow wasn't that bad, at least I didn't think so, but with all the delays and now transportation headaches, I decided to wait and go for the bloodwork after my 10am appointment. Weather wasn't the only thing that went wrong today – I'll spare you the painful details – I'll just say that my fast was extended to closer to 20 hours?!?!? I had some V8 and other healthy nibbles with me for when the blood sucking vampires were through with me (my mood turned rather sour as the delays compounded), but now that the dreaded cholesterol test was finally over and I eventually returned home after a too long day... I made bacon, home fries, and eggs for dinner! And just to be extra naughty, I melted some cheese on top of the eggs – but I didn't want you to see me being such a heathen I've explained my favorite technique for these tators before, but it's basically cube, nuke, fry, and season. Salt, pepper, smoked paprika, cumin and parsley are my favorite combo... As tempted as I was, I did NOT eat all those potatoes and all that bacon... So I've got a quick lunch for tomorrow. After a rotten day, I finally feel content!

The BEST way to cook dried beans!!! While canned beans are fine in a pinch and easier when you are using several varieties at once, buying them dried is less expensive, YOU get to control the sodium and other content, no 'slimy stuff' to deal with, and your house smells wonderful. The problem is, they can be finicky. Age and method of storage (neither of which you can be sure of) can both play a role in whether you will create a creamy deliciousness or a slightly crunchy bean, no matter how long you soak or cook. My experience has been hit or miss – I've tried the overnight soak, the 'quick' soak, no soak at all – and each only worked sometimes . I knew better than to add salt or acids (tomato?) to the beans until they were fully cooked – but sometimes they just didn't ever GET there! So when I went to make this Kale and Roasted Vegetable soup that uses the common partner to kale, white beans, I did some more searching. I found my answer in Cooks Illustrated's soak method, which is to soak a pound of dried beans with 3 Tablespoons of salt in 4 quarts cold water for at least 8 hrs. Here's the science, for those of you so inclined: ". . . the sodium ions in salt interact with the cells of the bean skins. As the beans soak, the sodium ions replace some of the calcium and magnesium ions in the skins. Because sodium ions are weaker than mineral ions, they allow more water to penetrate into the skins, leading to a softer texture." Got all that? In a nutshell, SOAKING in salted water, GOOD; COOKING in salted water, BAD. After your 8 or so hours, drain and rinse your beans, then cook with fresh, cold, UNsalted water. It works!!! Don't take just my word for it – every forum I read had someone singing the praises of this method, and several others endorsing it... I added a few whole cloves of garlic (peeled), and a couple bay leaves – that's it – and after cooking for about 90 minutes found myself munching on them as they cooled, they were that good . I cooked the entire pound, even though I only needed about 2 cups – I stored 2 cups in a sealable bag in the fridge, and then spread the remainder evenly on a parchment covered tray, and froze (for individual beans/measuring); once solid, they were poured into another bag for the freezer. Don't fear the bean! Loaded with protein, fiber, and a whole bunch of other good stuff, they are an inexpensive way to add nutrition as well as flavor to your meals. And trust 'us' – this method WORKS!! p.s. The soup is pretty awesome!

Christmas dinner created the usual overabundance of 'chefs' in a narrow 'galley' type kitchen. Dishes got moved around, tools 'borrowed', pots shifted from one burner to another...

This one big pot kept getting noticed – both Jeff & I thought it was something with apples, as it was thinly sliced rings. We later realized it was the potatoes, that ultimately became mashed?

Papa did it again – in an effort to minimize labor, he had used his APPLE peeler/corer/slicer thingy to peel and slice the potatoes. He ended up with a long 'core' piece from each potato – they were going to be mashed, anyways – just cut them down a tad and boil with the rest.

Now – think about Scalloped Potatoes or Potatoes Au Gratin – how much time could you save if you could peel and slice each potato in a matter of seconds?!? All the slices would be uniform as well. So what if they have a hole? More room for the sauce and/or cheese to penetrate

Great idea, Papa! So glad genius runs in the family...

Remember that Tandoori Chicken I made a while back? Well, I tried their 'second meal', using my guava jelly – WAY TOO SWEET!!! Maybe the original suggestion of Mango Chutney would have been better, but I found a healthy dose of garlic powder and a touch of salt made it quite enjoyable... So, since I still had a couple skewers worth left (I made the entire batch to serve moi, and froze some?), next time I tried a different slant. I made a White, or Bechamel sauce to which I added garlic and grated moz... No pictures, well, because I didn't preheat my pizza stone long enough and the dough kinda stuck and was a challenge to remove... but yeah! THAT was the correct flavor combination for me And that chicken, rice, shrooms, and pumpkin dish? Great 'calzones', or probably more accurately, pocket meals! Think outside of the box, folks! Leftovers can be fun.

I like to play!

Just unwrap candy on parchment paper, on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350F for 7 minutes.

I was melting cough drops for my pond/windows. And I said, “I wonder if the hard candies would melt” and they did.

Linda asked me for Sources???? I usually think of things on my own. Making 4 gingerbread houses today. House smells heavenly...

I'm going to use this for my roof. I think. Lighter than gingerbread. I think it will work. I will piece it together if it breaks.


It is beautiful. And we're not done yet

[Submitted by Salyab]

But I've been swamped this week, and have had very little time or energy to cook. Good thing my freezer has plenty to offer So here's a cute one from Just for Laughs... Strawberry Elves 1 lb large strawberries 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened 3-4 Tablespoons powdered sugar (or sugar substitute - to taste) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Instructions: 1. Rinse strawberries and cut around the top of the strawberry. Remove the top, (enough for a hat). Clean out the whole strawberry with a paring knife, if necessary (some of them are hollow already. Prep all of the strawberries and set aside. 2. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until creamy. Add cream cheese mix to a piping bag or Ziploc with the corner snipped off. Fill the strawberries with cheesecake mixture. 3. Once strawberries are filled, top with the 'hats.' Decorate according to photo. 4. If not serving immediately, refrigerate until serving. See, I thought you'd be bored if I just gave you a couple shopping tips. This may not apply to you, but in my area it is very difficult to find canned pumpkin any other time of the year. Pumpkin pie filling (already seasoned) can be found, but simple pureed pumpkin has so many other uses! Right now it can usually be found just about anywhere, and often on sale. Stock up on a few cans! Cranberry sauce – either whole berry or the jellied is usually around, but once again the BERRIES themselves are only available for a limited season. They freeze incredibly well!!! There is no reason not to serve cranberry salsa or cranberry and onion glazed spareribs throughout the year. I'm not in the least bit interested in rushing into the holidays, if for no other reason than my birthday falls in the midst of them! So do some smart shopping now, and you'll thank me down the road.

I've made BLT's using bacon cooked this way a couple times - really cool!

I slice the bacon into shorter and narrower strips - each slice made 4 weaveable pieces? Make sure you use foil or parchment paper for easy cleanup!


Bake the squares (I start with a cold oven, put the tray in, then turn to 400F and wait for 20 minutes. As soon as it is browned, remove, 'cause it will keep on cooking!)


Make sure you serve your BLT open - that's the best part!


It looks like so much more - but it's actually only 2 slices of bacon per square - which is about what you'd use anyway, right? Have fun

[Submitted by Salyab]

I own two - not one, but TWO pastry brushes. I don't use them all the time, but they are wonderful for basting, spreading butter on freshly baked items, even prepping an intricate pan, such as in elegant bundt cakes... but could I FIND either of them the other day?!?!!? The drawer where they both should have resided got ransacked twice – no luck. In my defense, I DO have a housemate who occasionally puts things in the oddest of places... But my problem was that I needed to do an egg wash on delicate dough pretty darn soon – so I needed an alternative. Remembering the 'baker's secret' spread (same link - which I've tried and LOVE!!) where they suggested using coffee filters for 'lint-free applications', I grabbed one. I folded it into eighths, and then snipped 'fringe' at the wide end – much like you might do with ribbon for a package? I folded it over one more time for use, and 'fluffed' the edges... For my immediate purpose, it worked like a dream!!! And guess what – no washing whatsoever – just toss in the trash when you're done Cheap, quick, easy, readily available? Hey, you elegant brushes in hiding – you just MAY have been replaced!

I don't get involved with this much fuss very often - but some very kewl tips here... Click here for a link to her preferred frosting for this technique - YUM!!!

No, not the actual tasty treat - though tempting… I’m talking about the SITE that keeps posting all these wonderful ideas! Again, it never occurred to me – I LOVE caramel apples – but you don’t have to dip an ENTIRE apple to make a great treat. And if you add a layer of chocolate, well… no woman would EVER argue with that combination. That was the suggestion that accompanied this post by my newest favoritest inspiration… ENJOY!!!