One Bad Apple?

If the fruit in your fruit bowl is a little past it's prime, don't throw it out- make something delicious with it! (If you have other tips for using up fruit-feel free to share it!)

Cut apples into thick slices. Saute with pork chops or chicken breasts.

Puree pears and stir into butternut squash soup.

Slice peaches and nectarines, top with crumbled oatmeal cookies and microwave for instant fruit crisp.

Freeze bananas in their skins and use in banana bread, muffins, and smoothies.

Chop kiwis and add to marinades. They are a natural meat tenderizer.

Tip of the day - Mount Sink Helen

Today's tip is by far one of my favorites for "green clean".

To clean a smelly garbage disposal, pour in 1/2 cup baking soda and 1/2 cup white vinegar.After it's done fizzing, pour a teapot of boiling water down the drain.

This tip also works great for dishwashers! Sprinkle a cup of baking soda all around and inside the drain. Pour in a cup or two of white vinegar. Close the door and let sit for about an hour then run the "light clean" cycle without dishes or soap. This completely eliminated the nasty smell that was coming out of my dishwasher.

Also use this trick on all your household drains once a month to remove smells and clear clogs. The bathtub drain too!

I've Been Published...again!

I love submitting my original recipes to magazines and cookbooks. I especially like Taste of Home, because when they publish one of your recipes, they send you a free copy of cookbook. I had a pleasant surprise today when I got home from work and found a gorgeous copy of Taste Of Home Christmas 2009 in my mailbox and even happier when there was a note inside stating that my recipe for Apricot Chicken Wings was on page 81. I wanted to share the recipe with my followers. These are a great holiday appetizer and the parties are upon us!

APRICOT CHICKEN WINGS

2 pounds chicken wings
1 cup apricot preserves
2 tbsp cider vinegar
2 tsp hot pepper sauce
1 tsp chili powder
1 garlic clove, minced

Cut chicken wings into sections; discard wing tips. Combine the remaining ingredients; pour 1/2 cup into a large resealable plastic bag. Add chicken; seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate for 4 hours to overnight. Cover and refrigerate remaining marinade.
Drain and discard marinade from chicken. Place wings in a greased foil-lined 15"x10"x2" baking pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until juices run clear turning and basting occassionally with reserved marinade.

Editors note: Uncooked chicken wing sections (wingettes) ,amay be substituted for whole wings.

Easy "Fried" Bacon

Frying bacon in a skillet is time consuming and MESSY, especially if you are cooking a large amount. I never fry bacon on the stovetop. The easiest way to cook it is to lay strips of bacon on cookie sheets. Leave a tiny space between each slice or they can be very slightly overlapping. Bake the sheets at 350 degrees to desired crispness. You will have perfectly browned, crispy, flat bacon slices.If baking multiple sheets, rotate them half way through the cooking time. Imagine how much time you will save at your next holiday breakfast! Once you've cooked bacon this way, you'll never go back to the skillet.
After cooking, drain bacon on several layers of paper towel and blot the tops with another paper towel. Be sure to reserve the drippings from the cookie sheets in a small jar in the fridge. They add a great flavor to vegetables if a teaspoon or so is added during cooking.
Cook extra slices of bacon and store in the fridge for crumbling on top of baked potatoes or salads and adding to sandwiches and soups. They are also convenient to have on hand for a quick week-day B.L.T. simply heat for a few seconds in the microwave

Summer Squash Soup

(picture property of Country Woman Magazine)
I ran across this recipe in an old issue of Country Woman. It looks really good..and healthy! Great way to use up that end of summer yellow squash.

Summer Squash Soup

2 large sweet onions, chopped
1 medium leek (white portion only), chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 TBSP vegetable oil
6 medium yellow squash, seeded and cubed
4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
4 fresh thyme springs
1/4 tsp salt
2 TBSP lemon juice
1/8 tsp hot pepper sauce
1 TBSP shredded Parmesan cheese
2 tsps grated lemon peel

In a large saucepan, sute the onions,leek, and garlic in oil until tender. Add squash; saute 5 minutes longer. Stir in broth, thyme, and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes until squash is tender.
Discard thyme sprigs. Cool slightly. In blender, process soup in batches until smooth. Return all to pan. Stir in lemon juice and hot pepper sauce; heat through. Sprinkle each with cheese and lemon peel. Yield: 8 servings (2 quarts)

Testing the potency of baking powder

To test the vitality of your baking powder, add a teaspoon of it to a third of a cup of hot water. If it foams and bubbles, it has enough oomph left. If it just sits there, it's time to run to the store or — here's a thought — you can make your own. Combine a tablespoon of baking soda with 2 tablespoons of cream of tartar and 1-1/2 tablespoons of cornstarch. It may not have the same potency as a good store-bought double-acting baking powder, but it will serve in a pinch.

Clean Your Plate!

Some shocking information that I ran across on huffingtonpost.com:

In the home, Americans waste 14 percent of their food purchases, including leftovers and stale dated products. It is estimated that the average family of four tosses out close to $600 per year in fruit, meat, vegetables, and other unidentifiable substances at the bottom of the crisper drawer.

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/31/stop-wasting-food-4-easy-_n_272487.html

Peanut Butter Topped Toffee Bars

This is one of the top 10 requested recipes from Domino Sugar. They look pretty good. I'm going to try the recipe today. If you try it out, let me know how you like them!

2 cups - butter, softened
2 cups - Domino Light Brown Sugar, firmly packed
1 - egg
1 tbsp. - vanilla extract
4 cups - all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. - salt
2 cups - chopped pecans
2 1/2 cups - semi-sweet chocolate chips (about 1 1/2 - 12 oz packages)
1/2 cup - peanut butter chips
1 tsp. - vegetable shortening

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and arrange rack to the center position. Beat butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat well. Blend in vanilla. Whisk flour with salt and gradually stir into batter. Fold in pecans and spread mixture in a lightly greased 15 x 11 x 2 inch baking pan.

Bake 25-30 minutes or until lightly golden on edges. Remove from oven and immediately top evenly with chocolate chips. Allow chips to stand 2-3 minutes to soften, then spread and swirl evenly over top of toffee with the back of a large spoon. Set aside.

Melt peanut butter chips with vegetable shortening and stir to blend smoothly. Drizzle randomly over the top of chocolate. Cool thoroughly, then cut into squares.

Holiday Spinach and Oyster Dressing

This is an original recipe that I created. It has been published in the cookbook "American Profile's Hometown Recipes for the Holidays" and also won America's Best Holiday Recipe Contest and was published in American Profile Magazine (the magazine that you find in Sunday newspapers nationwide). I always get requests for this recipe and everyone always loves it (even those who don't like oysters) it's a gourmet twist on holiday stuffing.
Here's the recipe. Hope you enjoy it and make it a part of your holiday meal!

Holiday Spinach and Oyster Dressing

Ingredients:

12 cups French or Italian bread, cut into ½ - inch cubes
½ pound Pancetta (Italian bacon) , chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cups onion, finely chopped
½ cup leeks, well washed and thinly sliced (white part only)
1 ½ cups celery, thinly sliced
1- 10 ounce box frozen spinach, thawed, well drained, and coarsely chopped
1 tbsp fresh sage, finely chopped
1 tbsp fresh garlic, minced
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
½ cup butter, melted
1 cup freshly shucked oysters
2 ½ - 3 cups chicken or turkey stock

The day before, spread bread cubes onto cookie sheets and allow to dry overnight on counter. To save time, bread can also be dried in a 325-degree oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a heavy skillet, brown Pancetta until crisp. Remove from skillet to paper towels to drain, reserving the oil in the pan. Add olive oil and sauté the onions, leeks, and celery until just tender. Remove from heat.

In a large bowl, combine bread, pancetta, vegetables, spinach, sage, garlic, salt, pepper, and butter. Toss to combine well. Fold in the oysters. Moisten mixture with stock. The bread will absorb quite a bit of the liquid during cooking, so mixture should be very moist.

Transfer dressing to a buttered 9x13 glass baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 30-45 minutes or until hot all the way through. Remove foil the last 5 minutes of cooking so the top can brown lightly.

Serves 8-10

Oysters

Nothing makes my mouth water like the mention of the word oysters. I love them. I love them raw on the half shell (with a little fresh lemon and salt), baked with a little parmesean and spinach, steamed, cooked into a thick a satisfying stew, any way I can get them. Oysters are by far my favorite food.
In fact, my next vacation will be to the Acme Oyster House in New Orleans, LA to join the 15 dozen club. (this involves consuming 15 dozen oysters in two hours-a breeze!).
Is the "R" rule a myth? Yes it is. Eating oysters only in months with a "R" is a tradition that began before refrigeration enabled oyster lovers to indulge during warm weather months. As water temperatures rise, oysters spawn, which makes them less appetizing to purists but still perfectly safe to eat as long as the water quality is healthy.
I will be sharing some of my favorite oyster recipes shortly.

Kitchen Tip Of The Day!

Hate soggy rice? Here's a tip to keep the extra water away from your fluffy grains!

When cooking rice, put a folded towel between the lid and the pot. When the rice steams, the condensation doesn't drip back into the rice, but is absorbed by the towel. No need to change cooking times or water levels in your rice recipe.

Unraveling the mysteries of bottled water

Americans drinks tons of bottled water, but with all the different types out there, it can sometimes get a little confusing trying to tell the difference between them and knowing exactly what you are paying for. This primer will help alleviate some of the mystery.

Artesian water: This is water that comes from a confined, underground water source.
Spring water: This is water that come from an underground source that naturally flows to the surface.
Distilled water: This is water that has been evaporated and allowed to condense. This removes any minerals and contaminates. (This water is good for canning and fish tanks!)
Natural mineral water: contains only the minerals that were present in the water as it came from the ground. Check the label. If it does not say "natural mineral water", minerals may have been added or removed before bottling.
Drinking water: This is simply tap water that has been filtered and disinfected prior to bottling. This water may come from any municipal water supply.

Even thought there are positive reasons for purchasing bottled water, you have no guarantee of the purity of the water you are drinking. Bottled water is often high in sodium and low in flouride. Most times, you are better off (financially and healthwise) in purchasing a filter for your faucet and a reusable water bottle. You'll also keep the 1,500 plastic bottles that are thrown away every SECOND in this country out of the landfills.

Panko

Panko is used in many fried food recipes to give a light, crunchy coating, but what IS panko?
Derived from the japanese word pan, meaning bread, and ko, a term used to describe pulverized grain, panko is the japanese version of bread crumbs. It is roughly shaped so that the crumbs lie unevenly on top of each other, creating a light, crispy coating on fried foods. But this isn't the only use for panko. Mix it into meatloaf mixture and other dishes requiring a filler. It can be used anywhere regular bread crumbs are called for.
There are two different varities of panko. White panko is made from bread that has had the crusts removed and golden panko still has some of the crusts left on. Panko is available at most large grocery store chains in the Asian food aisle or from Asian markets

Update - Chewy Peanut Butter Cookie Trial #1

OK, I tested recipe #1 tonight and it's just not cutting it. I think with some tweeks, I can possibly "help" this one out a little bit. The problems were they were very heavy on flour and it gave them a dry, brittle texture. I think maybe decreasing the flour by up to 1/2 cup will help a lot. I like the addition of the corn syrup, but I think I may increase this by an additional tablespoon. I'm also going to do a little research on the leavening and tweek the baking powder/baking soda combination to see if I can reach the texture I am looking for. Will work on this one a bit and let you know how it turns out.

The Chewy Peanut Butter Cookie Challenge

I have been searching for years to find the PERFECT peanut butter cookie recipe. In my opinion, the perfect peanut butter cookie is soft and really chewy on the inside and slightly crisp on the outside. I'm going to try an experiment over the next few weeks and bake and rate several peanut butter cookie recipes. Here is the first recipe that I am going to try. It shows some promise. High moisture content in a cookie batter helps with "chewiness".I like the addition of the corn syrup. I'll let you know how this one turns out.

Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies (Trial Recipe #1)

* 2 3/4 cup(s) all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon(s) baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon(s) baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon(s) salt
* 1 cup(s) (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
* 1 cup(s) creamy peanut butter
* 1 cup(s) packed brown sugar
* 1/2 cup(s) granulated sugar
* 2 tablespoon(s) dark corn syrup
* 2 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
* 2 large eggs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. On waxed paper, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat butter, peanut butter, and sugars until creamy, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula. Beat in corn syrup, vanilla, then eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. At low speed, gradually add flour mixture; beat just until blended, occasionally scraping bowl. Cover and refrigerate dough 30 minutes for easier shaping.
4. Shape dough by rounded measuring tablespoons into 1 1/2-inch balls. Place balls, 2 inches apart, on ungreased large cookie sheet. With floured tines of fork, press and flatten each ball, making a crisscross pattern. Bake cookies 12 to 13 minutes or until pale golden. Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining dough.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Mini Muffins

I tried this recipe recently and ended up making 3 batches in two days because they were such a hit. Is there really any better combination than chocolate and peanut butter?

Chocolate Peanut Butter Mini Muffins

1-3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2-1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
2/3 cup peanut butter (smooth or chunky)
1/4 cup canola oil
1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup miniature chocolate chips

In a large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, combine the egg,milk,peanut butter,oil, and vanilla. Beat wet mixture with an electric mixer until well combined and smooth. Stir in dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in chocolate chips.
Fill greased or paper-lined miniature muffin cups two thirds full. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-17 minutes. Do not over bake. Check muffins about half way through baking time by inserting a toothpick in the center of one. If it comes out clean, they are done. Remove from pans and cool on a wire rack.
You can also make 12 regular size muffins with this recipe. Bake 22-25 minutes. remember, over-baking causes dry muffins. Better to take them out of the oven when they are very slightly under-baked and let the residual heat from the pan finish them.

How To Make Iced Tea

For someone I know who has had some difficulty with making iced tea, these are the basics. I guess it works...I hate tea, so I couldn't tell you if it's right or not :-)

How To Make Iced Tea:

Pour 4 cups of tap water in a small pot, and bring to a rolling boil on your stove. Turn off the heat.

Choose the type of tea that you will use for your iced tea. There are many specialty teas, flavored teas, imported teas and other types of tea available for purchase. Gourmet teas are certainly a treat for true iced tea lovers. The quality and type of tea will have a tremendous effect on the flavor of the tea that you are brewing, so choose your tea carefully.

Add 3-5 tea bags to the hot water in the pot, depending on how strong you want your iced tea to be. Allow to steep. Remove tea bags after 5 minutes and allow to cool. This is your tea concentrate.

Fill a large pitcher with plenty of ice and fill 1/2 full with cold water. Add your tea concentrate, and add enough water to fill to the top of the pitcher. Stir and Refrigerate.

Are these eggs fresh??

Nothing can ruin an expensive recipe like finding out after you added the eggs that they were spoiled. There is a sure-fire way of testing the freshness of eggs in your fridge. (Did I buy these last week or last month??)

To determine whether an egg is fresh, immerse it in a pan of cool water. If it sinks, it is fresh-if it rises to the surface, throw it away.If the egg stands on it's end, it's still ok to use, but it is not as fresh as it could be.

Bonus tip: Whenever you are cracking eggs into a recipe, always crack them into a separate small bowl. This will allow you examine the eggs for pieces of shell, determine if the egg is good to use, or (worse yet) Weed out any with blood spots inside. The first time you have to throw away a cake or cookie batter, you'll know the value of this tip! You know what they say...one bag egg...

Kitchen Tips! - Grease and Flour

When a cake recipe calls for flouring the baking pan, use a bit of the dry cake mix. This will prevent a white coating on the outside of your baked cake.

A discussion about clarified butter

Clarified butter...the delicious, golden butter most often served with lobster,it is also known as Ghee in Indian cooking. It's delicate yet complex and it's usefulness is vast. It is also simple to make and easy to store.


To make clarified butter:


Slowly melt unsalted butter over low heat.
Don't let the butter come to a boil, and don't stir it. This
allows the milk solids to separate from the liquid butter.
Once the butter has separated into three layers--foamy milk
solids on top, clarified butter in the middle, and milk solids on
the bottom--turn off the heat. Skim the foamy white solids from the
top. Then ladle off the clarified butter. Be careful not to disturb
the milk solids at the bottom of the pan.
Clarified butter can be used immediately.


When making clarified butter, it's a good idea to make some extra. It is wonderful to have on hand for sauteing and melting on top of hot vegetables or mashed potatoes.


Since the butter is susceptible to absorbing odors in the fridge, it is best stored in a glass jar with a tight fitting lid.


You can keep it in the refrigerator for a couple months at least or freeze it for six months or more.

Carnival Cruise Lines Rumalicious Rum Runner

Yum! I love Rum Runners. Here is a copy of the recipe from Carnival Cruise Lines for Rumalicious Rum Runners! Enjoy!


1/4 oz. Dark Rum
7/8 oz. Blackberry Brandy
7/8 oz. Banana Liquor
5/8 oz. Grenadine
1/2 oz. Lime Juice

Blend all ingredients with ice. Serve with a swirl of dark rum on top.

Kitchen tip of the day!

Whether you are frying chicken, french fries, chicken fingers, whatever, on the stovetop in a skillet, it can be tricky to know exactly when the oil is hot enough to add the food (and not too hot!-yikes) Here's a simple way to tell when the oil is at a perfect 350 degrees. Place an unpopped popcorn kernel in the oil as you place it on the burner. When the oil reaches 350 degrees, the kernel will pop and you are ready to add the food. Works every time!

Hamburger Cookies

(picture property of Taste Of Home Magazine)
Are these not the cutest things? These are great for classroom parties. They are simple to put together and the kids will love you for them!

Hamburger Cookies

Ingredients:

* 1/2 cup vanilla frosting
* Red and yellow paste or gel food coloring
* 40 vanilla wafers
* 20 peppermint patties
* 1 teaspoon corn syrup
* 1 teaspoon sesame seeds

Directions:
Place 1/4 cup frosting in each of two small bowls. Tint one red and the other yellow. Frost the bottoms of 20 vanilla wafers yellow; top with a peppermint patty. Spread with red frosting. Brush tops of the remaining vanilla wafers with corn syrup; sprinkle with sesame seeds. Place over red frosting. Yield: 20 cookies.

Million Dollar Carrot Cake

I have never entered this cake in a contest when it didn't bring home a ribbon. It just wouldn't be fall without a great, moist carrot cake recipe!

Million Dollar Carrot Cake

Ingredients:

1-1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1-1/2 tsps baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

¾ cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

2 tsps vanilla

1 cup grated carrots

1 cup chopped walnuts

3 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 tbsp milk

1 tsp vanilla

3 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Grease and flour an 8-inch square cake pan and set aside.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Blend on low speed with an electric mixer for one minute. Fold in carrots and nuts. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean . Cool cake in pan, on a rack for 20 minutes. Remove cake to the rack and cool completely.

To prepare frosting: Beat cream cheese, milk, and vanilla with an electric mixer until well combined. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until smooth. If frosting is too stiff, add a few additional drops of milk. Frost top and sides of cake. Sprinkle chopped walnuts on top of wet icing and allow to set.

Authentic Buckeyes Candy

Being from Ohio, I have been eating and loving these candies for a LONG time. Can you really beat peanut butter and chocolate?

I have won several ribbons for these at state fairs.

These make a great christmas gift for friends and are always a hit on a holiday cookie tray.

Lowfat or generic brand peanut butter is not recommended for this recipe. It really makes a difference in the peanut butter taste. Go high quality. You'll be glad you did.

BUCKEYE CANDY

CANDY: 1 stick softened butter 1 3/4 c. (1 18 oz. jar) creamy peanut butter 1 tsp. vanilla About 1 lb. confectioners' sugar CHOCOLATE COATING: 1 (12 oz.) pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips 1 tbsp. vegetable shortening Cream butter, peanut butter, and vanilla together, adding confectioners' sugar until proper consistency is reached. Roll candy into 1-inch balls and place on wax paper-lined cookie sheet. Melt chips and shortening together in top of double boiler. Keep chocolate mixture in double boiler over low heat while you dip each candy. Using a toothpick, dip each ball, covering about 3/4 of candy. Place candy on sheet to cool. Makes 8 dozen.