Want to See My Rack?

I was tagged by RTK for the Show Me Your Rack meme. I just couldn’t resist. I really like showing off my rack.

I have three places I keep my spices. All the bulk spices go in the plastic basket. It is usually in the pantry but I figured it would OK to pull it out and show you. The second is an actual rack in the cabinet beside the stove. That is where all my spices are supposed to be. But, when I use a spice I put it on top of the stove. Every few months I put them all back and start over. You can see the leftover spices from my fall baking. Judging by the orange sugar in the middle, the last time I cleaned up was when I made Halloween cookies.

My most unusual spice? I don’t know. I think the usual spices change depending on where you live and what you cook. I have a lot of different curries. Maybe the vaious bags of mustard seeds? I also like it hot. I have a variety of dried peppers. Would fennel seeds be considered unusual? I use them for fennel seed cookies.

Here’s how you play:

1) Take a picture of your rack. (You get to decide which one)

2) Post it on your blog.

2b) (optional) Answer the (2-part) question: what is the most obscure spice you have, and why do you have it?

3) “Tag” several other people whose racks you’d like to see

I want to see everyones rack. You’re all tagged! And if I don’t know yet, what better way to introduce yourself?

Anyone Want to Try My Cookies?

Potato Recipes

Since I am not the type of person to deny an expectant mother  a potato recipe, I am posting potato recipes. These are my top three potato recipes based on compliments received over the last 10-12 years. Enjoy.

Potato Casserole

Serves 2-4 people depending on how hungry they are

• 4 Boiled, peeled and diced potatoes
• ½ Cup American Cheese (Cheddar works well also)
• ½ Cup Mayonnaise
• ¼ Cup Chopped Onion (optional)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ¼ lb. Partially fried bacon, chopped
• 1/8 Cup sliced chopped olives

Mix 1^st four ingredients. Place in a 9X9-casserole pan. Top with bacon and olives. Bake 1 hour at 325.

(Notes: I boil the potatoes until they fall off a fork when I poke them. Then I drain and mix them with the other ingredients. They break up fine and you don’t have to burn your fingers chopping them. This recipe can be doubled, tripled, halved, whatever and it it’ll turn out fine. Leftovers re-heat well.)

Potatoes Anna

Serves 4-8 people depending on how much they want

• 2 T Butter
• 1 T Kosher Salt
• 3 Large Potatoes (About 4 Cups)

Melt butter with salt. Slice raw potatoes about ¼ inch thick. In greased 8-inch pie plate, arrange potatoes so they look nice, overlapping them; Drizzle butter/salt over the top. Cover with foil and bake for 20 mins. At 450. Uncover and bake 55 mins. or more until potatoes are tender and top is crispy. Let stand five minutes. Then you are supposed to remove the pie from the pan and cut into wedges. This has never worked for me so I serve it from the pie plate. It still tastes good.

Potato Soooprize

Serves however many you want to serve and the rest of them too.

• Chop one good-sized potato for each person into 1″ cubes.
• Melt 1T butter or Olive Oil per potato.
• Add a little salt and pepper and whatever seasoning you feel like adding to the oil.

Toss potato cubes in the expertly seasoned oil and spread into single layer on a baking sheet or casserole dish. The Casserole dish is less messy. Cover loosely with foil and bake at 350 until they are tender. Turn oven up to 450; remove foil and quickly brown outside.

My First Taste of Internet Porn

Early in our relationship my husband told me he didn’t like vegetables. Being young and naive I thought that meant he didn’t like the way I fixed vegetables. To solve the problem, I decided to do a Veronica/Gopher search with the search phrase “Vegetable Recipes”.   If you enter that into Google in 2007 you’ll get almost a million results. I’m guessing most of them are links to on-line cookbooks. In 1992 I got about 12. One of them was titled “Debbie Does Vegetables”

How about that, I thought. Here is a woman that created a file about vegetables and various tasty ways to prepare them. She must be a very dedicated woman. I clicked on the title to download the file.

My 2400-baud modem downloaded the file in lightening fast time. Well, lightening fast considering I had just upgraded from a 1200-baud modem. A modem I literally got out of a trash dumpster. I watched as the images started to open up on my screen.

It started out innocent enough. The head of a smiling and somewhat attractive woman appeared on the screen. As the lines of the jpg started to fill in, my eyes popped wide open.

“Oh my God! MyHusband, you gotta get in here and see this!” I screeched in a high pitched voice.

He came in quickly thinking I had found a new version of Lemmings to play. We spent way too much time running Lemming off a cliff back then. Or maybe he was worried that I had found his “secret” stash of naked boobie pictures. Either way he got there quickly.

He was shocked to find me sitting in front of the monitor with images of Debbie “doing” vegetables. I’m not talking about your run of the mill cucumber or zucchini. That woman had a whole tossed salad going on in there.

“Is there something you want to tell me?” he cautiously asked.

“I was searching for vegetable recipes and found this”, I said incredulously. He looked relieved. We had a good laugh.

It was almost six weeks before I stopped blushing every time I entered the produce department at the local grocery. Maybe a bit longer before I could hold a cucumber and look the produce manager in the eye. Vegetables aren’t something I’m into. They did make me curious about what else was out there. Since then I’ve found a few things I did want tell my husband. He hasn’t had any complaints.

So, there you have it. My first taste of Internet porn. Anyone else dare to tell about yours? 

Links:

Porn-Bread

10 Uses for Sticky Notes and a Wall

I’ve been thinking about my blog and blogging. I decided I needed to post a few things that might actually be useful. Occasionally I will be posting lists of 10 whatevers for whatever. I could only think of 7 uses for sticky notes and a wall (You think I’m kidding!) so I’ll kick it off with

10 Fun Recipes for Kids

Peanut Butter Dough – For each child mix about ¼ a cup of peanut butter (we use soy nut butter because of a peanut allergy) with a Tablespoon or so of honey. Mix together then add about ¼ cup powdered milk a little at a time. When the dough starts to form a ball sprinkle a little more milk and let the kids knead the dough until it is smooth. They can use it like play dough but it tastes better when they eat it.

Pigs in a Blanket – All you need some bread dough and those little cocktail wieners. I usually make my own dough but the breadstick dough works great with these. Just dry the baby hotdogs and wrap them in a small piece of the dough. Bake until they start to brown. We usually bake half for a snack and freeze the other half for later. You don’t have to thaw the unbaked half before baking. Just put them in the oven and turn it to 350 degrees. Once it pre-heats give them a few more minutes to brown and there done.

Drop Danishes – Here’s the recipe. I’ve been making these since I was teenager. The kids like picking their own jelly for these. Here’s a recipe for homemade baking mix.

English Muffin Pizza – Lightly toast a split English muffin and place them on a cookie sheet. Let the kids add sauce, cheese, and whatever finely chopped leftovers they want from the fridge.(Anything goes) Broil until the cheese is melted and hopefully enjoy. If not make another.

Quesadillas – Put a flour tortilla in a small pan. Sprinkle with cheese and anything else they want to add. Cover with another tortilla and heat at medium heat until the cheese melts and sticks the two sides together. Flip over and lightly brown the other side. You can cut these into triangles and serve as a quick afternoon snack.

Shape Cinnamon toast – Cut bread with cookie cutters. Spread a little butter on the bread and have kids sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top. Broil in the oven for a few minutes until the toast just starts to brown. Don’t worry about wasting the bread. You can put the leftovers in the oven (turned off) when you’re done and dry them for breadcrumbs.

Mini Cobbler – Cut piecrust into circles, or squares, or triangles that are larger than a muffin tin cup. Press into the bottom of the cups and fill with there favorite pie filling, or fresh fruit, or chocolate pudding. Sprinkle with bits of leftover piecrust. Bake as directed for piecrust.

Painted Cookies – You need a batch of your favorite sugar cookie dough. Store bought works fine. Spread it flat on a greased jellyroll pan. Bake as directed. Allow to cool completely. Mix powder sugar with a little water to make a glaze and add some food coloring. Put into squeeze containers. Let them paint a masterpiece on their cookie canvas. Just remember, if you make very dark colors, food color stains everything. Use an old tablecloth. Children tend to go all Jackson Pollock with this. Embrace the creative process. :)

Cereal Granola – Give each child a zipper top bag. Write their name on it with a permanent marker. Make it fancy. Fill about 1/3 full with a favorite cereal. Let them add a few favorite treats. (Chocolate chips, marshmallows, raisins) Toss in a few handfuls of a new food you’d like them to try. (Dried blueberries, pineapple, banana chips, soybeans, sunflower seeds, etc) shake and enjoy. If they complain about the new food, tell them to just eat what they like.

Fruit Smoothies – This is easy. You take the fruit the kids didn’t eat at dinner. Put it in a blender with a scoop of ice cream and some milk. Blend.

I hope you enjoy these. They have all been fully tested over the years with my family. I’ve only included the ones voted least likely to give a parent a headache.  If you have any others let me know.

Also, if you think of any non-conventional uses for sticky notes let me know. I would really like to finish that list.

recipes cooking kids+cook fun+recipes

My Dream, Someone Else’s Nightmare?

Here’s my entry for:  Blogging For Books - Dream a Little Dream. 

I have always had the ability to remember my dreams. I remember dreams dating back to my early childhood. They are usually very realistic, very boring, and in HiDef clarity. I once dreamed that I was searching the web for a chicken corn soup recipe. I woke up and wanted a bowl of soup. Later that day, I found myself searching the Internet for a chicken corn soup recipe. Prophetic? Ok, maybe not. That’s just my dream life.

Every once in a while I will have a really strange dream. I usually log those as soon as I wake up. I like to recreate the images and feelings in my sketchbook. I had one of those dreams not too long ago. The date on the computer file is January 24th. Here it is:

I was in a movie theatre. I was watching myself watch my dream. It was up on the big screen and had the appearance of a movie trailer - very fast and choppy.

There are lights all about me. They remind me of fairies and they dance in circles. Sometimes they are close to me, sometimes far away. I have to watch them. They make me feel safe and protected.

Then the darkness closes in. It was a deep powerful darkness. It’s all around me. I run from it. So much noise and confusion. I realize I’m not alone.

It surrounds me. I do not know what it is. I’m sinking into a pool of water. It feels safe and warm. I want to sink further, deeper under the water. I’m never going to leave. I’m happy here in the warm silence. Suddenly I realize I’m empty. Something has been taken from me. I want it back. I struggle with a monster. He holds on tight and pulls. It’s gone. I don’t know what it is, but I want it back.

I’m standing in dim light, dripping wet and screaming, “You took it. You took it.”

The wind blows through the leaves of a maple tree. I’m lying in the cool grass. I’ve replaced what was taken. I’m full. I’m content. I’m happy. You want to steal this as well.

I point my finger. You will leave now. You can’t have it.  It’s mine. I’m extremely sad it had to be that way. I had wanted to share but  you were not worthy. 

I woke up and wondered, was I watching myself watch MY dream? Or was I watching someone else’s nightmare? 

Mary Ball Washington’s Gingerbread

If you are looking for a good, make that great, gingerbread recipe for the holidays. I have it right here. This is a dense, moist, flavorful gingerbread. Not a fluffy cake like gingerbread. I’m not including a recipe for lemon sauce because you do not need it.

I got this from a teacher at George Washington’s Ferry Farm after my children took a class. It was supposedly a favorite of Mary Ball Washington - George Washington’s mother. I couldn’t wait to try it. I double the recipe and bake it in small loaf pans for gifts. There are a lot of ingredients but don’t leave any out. There is no reason to mess with perfection.

Mary Ball Washington’s Gingerbread

½ cup butter
½ cup dark brown sugar
½ cup molasses
½ cup honey
¼ cup of sherry
½ cup warm milk
3 cups flour
2 tsp ginger
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
1 ½ tsp mace
1 ½ tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cream of tarter
3 eggs, beaten
1 tsp soda
2 tbsp warm water
2 tbsp orange rind, grated
¼ cup orange juice
1 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 9×13 inch pan. Cream butter; add sugar and next four ingredients; beat. Add dry ingredients to sugar mixture then add eggs. Dissolve soda in water. Add it with rind, juice, and raisins. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until firm in the center.

All about Turkey

I’m just getting ready for the holidays. Hope everyone in the USA has a great Thanksgiving.Here’s some information about Turkey. A little outdated as it’s from 1993.

And here is a site about eating turkey for the more gastronomically inclined.

Now, where did I put my Pumpkin Cheesecake recipe?

Cupcake Recipe

Here’s the recipe for the best ever cupcakes. They are perfect for snacks, freeze perfectly, and don’t need cupcake papers. I got this recipe from the Penzey’s Spice Catalogue. These little cakes are delicious.

I made 48 for a homeschool class. Froze the first batch in gallon sized freezer bags and made the second batch the day before. You couldn’t tell which was frozen was which wasn’t. The kids loved them even without any icing. Hardly any crumbs and no leftover cup cake papers. A mothers dream :) I use to make these and keep them in the freezer for quick snacks. Then I lost the recipe. I found it today! Will probably make some tomorrow. Yummy!

Cinnamon Crumb Cupcakes

1 Cup of Butter, room temperature
1 Cup of Sugar
1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract
4 Eggs
2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
2 Tsp. Baking Soda

Streusel Topping:
1 Cup All-Purpose Flour
2/3 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Tsp. Cinnamon
½ Cup cold Butter, cut into TB. size pieces

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. You will need two muffin pans that hold 12 muffins each. Lightly spray with cooking spray.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar. Add the vanilla and the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. (or you can just dump them all in at once like I do) Combine Flour and baking powder in a bowl and add to the rest of the ingredients. Mix on low speed until well blended – the batter will be very thick. Divide the batter evenly among the 24 cups. This will fill them half way.

For the topping, mix together the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl. Add the hard butter and cut it in to the dry ingredients until it resembles course crumbs – you can use your hands for this, rubbing it between your fingertips. Don’t make it too fine, you want to have some body to the streusel. Pour about 1 Tablespoon of the topping over each cake using up all of the topping; you will not see much of the batter.

Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 18 minutes, switching shelves after the first 10 minutes. (or not, I don’t)

They are done when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Do not overbake; start checking at about 16 minutes. (very important or the sugar burns, Yuck!) Cool 5 minutes in pans then remove to cooling rack.