I was going to post yesterday, but I was just way too busy. My cousin invited my son and me to a Kinder-Sing party--a bunch of mommies singing to their babies. It was really weird at first to be in a group of mostly-older women and singing silly songs to a bunch of wriggly babies, but it was fun anyway. Then I got to meet up with one of my old roommates and good friends who just got back from serving an LDS mission in Argentina. It was so great to see her again! I also got to give my grandma the 30-page transcription of her life history that I'd been working on. There's still lots more to do, but she was really grateful for what I've done so far.
Anyway, back to the cake. I've got to figure out a way to make chocolate cake from my food storage. It's one of those comfort foods, y'know? I found this recipe for Milk Chocolate Bundt Cake in an old Taste of Home magazine, so I can't take the credit. You don't need cake flour for this recipe--the cake is light and moist enough with regular all-purpose flour. Without further ado, here's the recipe:
Milk Chocolate Bundt Cake
7 oz. milk chocolate
1/2 c. chocolate syrup
1 c. butter or margarine (softened)
1-1/2 c. sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2-3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 c. buttermilk
powdered sugar, optional
Prepare Bundt pan by greasing and flouring it. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a saucepan, melt the milk chocolate with the chocolate syrup over low heat, stirring frequently; set aside to cool. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter with the sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Stir in chocolate mixture and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to cake batter. Pour into prepared Bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 60-65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then remove cake from pan and cool completely. You can then dust it with the powdered sugar as a garnish. This cake doesn't really need icing, but you can make a glaze for it if you want.
I'm going to try to can some tomatoes this weekend between sessions of the LDS General Conference, so check back later for a how-to guide on canning tomatoes. I'll also be making cinnamon rolls, so if you want a recipe for those, let me know and I'll blog about the one I use.
Thursday, September 29
Friday, September 23
Delicious Cottage Cheese
Hello out there!
Well, I tried out a new recipe yesterday--I made cottage cheese out of my food storage. It was so great!! The recipe I had said it would take 6-12 hours to set up, but mine was set and finished in about 3, so it went way faster than I thought it would. I was really surprised by how easy it was! Later that evening, I took it up to my in-laws house, and the entire batch was gone in minutes. With this recipe, the cheese turns out light and fluffy, with curds as large or small as you want them. It's not at all slimy like the stuff from the grocery store.
Cottage Cheese:
2 c. warm water
1/4 rennet tablet (By Jell-O in the stores--the brand is called Junket. Store extras in the freezer for up to 18 months.)
2 c. warm water
2 2/3 c. instant powdered milk (1 1/2 c. non-instant)
1/4 c. buttermilk
1/2 tsp. salt (optional)
milk/cream (optional)
In a medium-large bowl, dissolve rennet in the 2 c. warm water, and set aside. Combine the remaining water, the powdered milk, and the buttermilk. Add the milk mixture to the rennet and stir well. If you want your cheese to set faster, place the bowl with the mixture inside a larger bowl of warm water; if you don't care, just leave it on a counter in a warm room. The cottage cheese is set when it slides around in the bowl but retains its shape. It should have a touch of whey (yellowish-watery stuff) on the edges. When it's set, cut the curd into 1/2 inch squares and set the bowl into a sink (or a bigger bowl) of hot water. Gently stir the curds, breaking them into your desired size, until they are warmed all the way through and have broken into curds and whey. Pour entire mixture into a strainer lined with cheesecloth. Drain and rinse with cold water until it is cool and well washed. Add salt (if desired) and milk or cream to make it creamier.
For serving ideas, it tastes great with fruit or crackers. Also, you can blend 2 cups of it with 1/4-1/2 c. of yogurt and 2-3 tbsp. seasoning (soup mix is great) for a yummy chip dip.
Well, I tried out a new recipe yesterday--I made cottage cheese out of my food storage. It was so great!! The recipe I had said it would take 6-12 hours to set up, but mine was set and finished in about 3, so it went way faster than I thought it would. I was really surprised by how easy it was! Later that evening, I took it up to my in-laws house, and the entire batch was gone in minutes. With this recipe, the cheese turns out light and fluffy, with curds as large or small as you want them. It's not at all slimy like the stuff from the grocery store.
Cottage Cheese:
2 c. warm water
1/4 rennet tablet (By Jell-O in the stores--the brand is called Junket. Store extras in the freezer for up to 18 months.)
2 c. warm water
2 2/3 c. instant powdered milk (1 1/2 c. non-instant)
1/4 c. buttermilk
1/2 tsp. salt (optional)
milk/cream (optional)
In a medium-large bowl, dissolve rennet in the 2 c. warm water, and set aside. Combine the remaining water, the powdered milk, and the buttermilk. Add the milk mixture to the rennet and stir well. If you want your cheese to set faster, place the bowl with the mixture inside a larger bowl of warm water; if you don't care, just leave it on a counter in a warm room. The cottage cheese is set when it slides around in the bowl but retains its shape. It should have a touch of whey (yellowish-watery stuff) on the edges. When it's set, cut the curd into 1/2 inch squares and set the bowl into a sink (or a bigger bowl) of hot water. Gently stir the curds, breaking them into your desired size, until they are warmed all the way through and have broken into curds and whey. Pour entire mixture into a strainer lined with cheesecloth. Drain and rinse with cold water until it is cool and well washed. Add salt (if desired) and milk or cream to make it creamier.
For serving ideas, it tastes great with fruit or crackers. Also, you can blend 2 cups of it with 1/4-1/2 c. of yogurt and 2-3 tbsp. seasoning (soup mix is great) for a yummy chip dip.
Monday, September 19
Italian Chicken a la Me
Hey out there!
I don't know about you guys, but chicken is one of my favorite foods to experiment with. It has such a neutral flavor that you can play around with all sorts of spices and learn about all kinds of flavors and combinations. I was feeling creative last night, and I came up with a new chicken dish that my husband and I both loved.
One good way to use up stuff you have a lot of is to experiment. That way, if it turns out poorly, no big deal! You have tons more anyway, so no harm done. On the flip side, if it turns out really well, you can make lots more. As you can tell from my previous post, we have TONS of tomatoes. We also had a lot of garlic, so I experimented with chicken, garlic, and tomatoes. Mmmmmm!
There are only two of us in my family, so you can easily double or triple it depending on how many people you need to serve.
Italian Chicken:
2 large-ish chicken breasts
2-3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 big clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. ground parsley, 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh
1/2 onion, sliced in rings
1 tomato, sliced in discs
In a 3 qt. sauce pan, combine olive oil and minced garlic while chicken is defrosting. Heat oil and garlic, then add parsley and onion. Saute until onion is tender. Add chicken, then cover the pot and cook for a while on low, until chicken appears mostly cooked. Then, remove lid and add tomato slices. Cook chicken with tomato slices on medium high heat until the chicken is golden brown on both sides.
I served this chicken with a simple rice pilaf (basically it's sauteed rice cooked in chicken broth), but I bet it would taste good with just about any carbohydrate-rich side dish.
If any of you out there have any other good recipes to share, feel free to leave them in the comments section!
I don't know about you guys, but chicken is one of my favorite foods to experiment with. It has such a neutral flavor that you can play around with all sorts of spices and learn about all kinds of flavors and combinations. I was feeling creative last night, and I came up with a new chicken dish that my husband and I both loved.
One good way to use up stuff you have a lot of is to experiment. That way, if it turns out poorly, no big deal! You have tons more anyway, so no harm done. On the flip side, if it turns out really well, you can make lots more. As you can tell from my previous post, we have TONS of tomatoes. We also had a lot of garlic, so I experimented with chicken, garlic, and tomatoes. Mmmmmm!
There are only two of us in my family, so you can easily double or triple it depending on how many people you need to serve.
Italian Chicken:
2 large-ish chicken breasts
2-3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 big clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. ground parsley, 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh
1/2 onion, sliced in rings
1 tomato, sliced in discs
In a 3 qt. sauce pan, combine olive oil and minced garlic while chicken is defrosting. Heat oil and garlic, then add parsley and onion. Saute until onion is tender. Add chicken, then cover the pot and cook for a while on low, until chicken appears mostly cooked. Then, remove lid and add tomato slices. Cook chicken with tomato slices on medium high heat until the chicken is golden brown on both sides.
I served this chicken with a simple rice pilaf (basically it's sauteed rice cooked in chicken broth), but I bet it would taste good with just about any carbohydrate-rich side dish.
If any of you out there have any other good recipes to share, feel free to leave them in the comments section!
Friday, September 16
Too Many Tomatoes--Salsa & Salad!
We live in a little rental in the back of someone's house, and the owners have a garden out back. They grow a green beans, squash, chard, and TONS OF TOMATOES. They have so many tomatoes that they can't give them all away! Anyway, they gave us 2 huge sacks of tomatoes, and it became my job to figure out what to do with them before they went bad.
For those of you who haven't tasted a home-grown tomato, you're really missing out. I tried my first one last year from my in-laws' garden, and oh man was it good. It's crazy how much different they taste when they're picked ripe instead of being picked green and ripening in a box.
Anyway, I have a couple of ideas for people with too many garden tomatoes.
Number one is a Russian favorite that my husband picked up during his 2 years in Russia:
Tomato and Cucumber Salad
3 large-ish tomatoes
1 cucumber
vinegar and salt to taste
Cut up the tomatoes and cucumbers into small, bite-sized pieces, and toss in medium mixing bowl. Add enough vinegar to coat vegetables, and about half a teaspoon salt (more if you're a big sodium fan). Toss and enjoy!
So Good Salsa
Word of warning--be careful with the chilies--they'll burn your fingers if you don't wear gloves.
3 cups chopped tomato (about 3 really big ones)
1/2 cup bell pepper (one small one)
1/2 cup sliced green onions (or white, or red, or whatever you like best!)
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
1 tbsp. finely chopped jalapeno chilies (be sure to remove the seeds!)
2-3 tbsp. lime juice (about 1 1/2 limes)
1/2 tsp. salt
Mix everything up in a big glass or plastic bowl (don't use aluminum--the acid could corrode the metal, and you'd wind up eating dangerous aluminum chemicals). Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hr. to blend flavors. To preserve, simply pour the salsa into pint jars and place in steam canner. Process for about 5 minutes, according to the directions with your canner. The salsa and the water will separate and look nasty, but you can shake the jar and mix everything up again.
For variety, you can add a can of drained/rinsed black beans, or be creative and see what works for you.
For those of you who haven't tasted a home-grown tomato, you're really missing out. I tried my first one last year from my in-laws' garden, and oh man was it good. It's crazy how much different they taste when they're picked ripe instead of being picked green and ripening in a box.
Anyway, I have a couple of ideas for people with too many garden tomatoes.
Number one is a Russian favorite that my husband picked up during his 2 years in Russia:
Tomato and Cucumber Salad
3 large-ish tomatoes
1 cucumber
vinegar and salt to taste
Cut up the tomatoes and cucumbers into small, bite-sized pieces, and toss in medium mixing bowl. Add enough vinegar to coat vegetables, and about half a teaspoon salt (more if you're a big sodium fan). Toss and enjoy!
So Good Salsa
Word of warning--be careful with the chilies--they'll burn your fingers if you don't wear gloves.
3 cups chopped tomato (about 3 really big ones)
1/2 cup bell pepper (one small one)
1/2 cup sliced green onions (or white, or red, or whatever you like best!)
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
1 tbsp. finely chopped jalapeno chilies (be sure to remove the seeds!)
2-3 tbsp. lime juice (about 1 1/2 limes)
1/2 tsp. salt
Mix everything up in a big glass or plastic bowl (don't use aluminum--the acid could corrode the metal, and you'd wind up eating dangerous aluminum chemicals). Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hr. to blend flavors. To preserve, simply pour the salsa into pint jars and place in steam canner. Process for about 5 minutes, according to the directions with your canner. The salsa and the water will separate and look nasty, but you can shake the jar and mix everything up again.
For variety, you can add a can of drained/rinsed black beans, or be creative and see what works for you.
Thursday, September 8
Making Yogurt
Have you ever even heard of making yogurt at home? Up until two weeks ago, the idea never even occurred to me. I always thought yogurt came from a store and that was the end of it.
I have a really cool mother-in-law. She's the type who gets really passionate about food storage and emergency preparedness (she can do incredible things with beans), so when she found a class on how to use powdered milk to do all sorts of crazy recipes (cream cheese, cheesecake, mozzarella... yogurt....) she reserved spots for the whole family. I was completely fascinated by the number of things the teacher could do with powdered milk (which I'd always thought was nasty), and the fact that most of the stuff tasted really good.
So the other day I decided to try making yogurt, and it turned out really well. Here's the recipe I used:
1 1/2 c. warm water
2 1/3 c. instant powdered milk
1/4-1/2 c. plain yogurt (the fresher the better--the cultures die after a while, and your yogurt won't set as well if they're dead. Start can be unflavored yogurt from your last batch!)
2 c. warm water
Blend the 1 1/2 c. warm water and the powdered milk. Add the yogurt and blend again. Add the mixture to 2 c. warm water and pour into small jars. (The yogurt tastes really bitter if you don't add sugar, so I added 1 tbsp. sugar and 1/2 tsp. vanilla per 1 1/2 c. jar. You can add other flavors later.) Set the jars in a cooler or pan full of warm water (between 100 and 120 degrees) and set in a warm place. The yogurt needs to be in that temperature range for about 6 hours (up to 24) in order to set. I put mine in a cooler, and it was ready in a little over 6 hours.
Later I added a little bit of mashed banana and some apricots, and it was incredible. My husband's favorite is applesauce, and we like cherries too. So good! The flavor possibilities are endless--canned or fresh fruits, freezer jams, syrups, etc. Be creative!
Bon appetit!
I have a really cool mother-in-law. She's the type who gets really passionate about food storage and emergency preparedness (she can do incredible things with beans), so when she found a class on how to use powdered milk to do all sorts of crazy recipes (cream cheese, cheesecake, mozzarella... yogurt....) she reserved spots for the whole family. I was completely fascinated by the number of things the teacher could do with powdered milk (which I'd always thought was nasty), and the fact that most of the stuff tasted really good.
So the other day I decided to try making yogurt, and it turned out really well. Here's the recipe I used:
1 1/2 c. warm water
2 1/3 c. instant powdered milk
1/4-1/2 c. plain yogurt (the fresher the better--the cultures die after a while, and your yogurt won't set as well if they're dead. Start can be unflavored yogurt from your last batch!)
2 c. warm water
Blend the 1 1/2 c. warm water and the powdered milk. Add the yogurt and blend again. Add the mixture to 2 c. warm water and pour into small jars. (The yogurt tastes really bitter if you don't add sugar, so I added 1 tbsp. sugar and 1/2 tsp. vanilla per 1 1/2 c. jar. You can add other flavors later.) Set the jars in a cooler or pan full of warm water (between 100 and 120 degrees) and set in a warm place. The yogurt needs to be in that temperature range for about 6 hours (up to 24) in order to set. I put mine in a cooler, and it was ready in a little over 6 hours.
Later I added a little bit of mashed banana and some apricots, and it was incredible. My husband's favorite is applesauce, and we like cherries too. So good! The flavor possibilities are endless--canned or fresh fruits, freezer jams, syrups, etc. Be creative!
Bon appetit!
Wednesday, September 7
Introduction to Me
I asked my husband last night what the difference was between writing a blog and writing in my journal. He said it was that other people could read it and make comments--just what I always wanted! I wonder what all those poor little brothers are going to do now that their sisters don't care when they read their diaries.
Anyway, now that I've finally caught up to the blogging age, I thought I'd start my own blog. I'm a twenty-something housewife with a bachelor's in English, a 6-month-old son, and a lot of spare time. Lately I've been using my kitchen as more of a lab, where I've been experimenting with weird new recipes. I decided to start a blog because I love cooking, and it's always fun to share good recipes and disaster stories. And since it's my blog, I'll also post about whatever else I deem important--political rants, religious/moral views, what my kid's been doing, or what Mike and I do for fun on a Friday night in Spanish Fork.
Anyway, now that I've finally caught up to the blogging age, I thought I'd start my own blog. I'm a twenty-something housewife with a bachelor's in English, a 6-month-old son, and a lot of spare time. Lately I've been using my kitchen as more of a lab, where I've been experimenting with weird new recipes. I decided to start a blog because I love cooking, and it's always fun to share good recipes and disaster stories. And since it's my blog, I'll also post about whatever else I deem important--political rants, religious/moral views, what my kid's been doing, or what Mike and I do for fun on a Friday night in Spanish Fork.
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