Thursday, July 28, 2011

~TT~ Summer Picnics

Hey there! Another conversation concerning our ~TT~ Hope you enjoy and then go and check out the other lists at http://thursday-13.com/

Charity: Okay ~TT~ Time.
Sharon: hmm well how about best foods for a picnic or summer outing?
Charity: Chicken salad with cut up grapes, celery (I like mine diced up small), sweet onion and a little bit of mayo. I know mayo goes bad but most beach trips have coolers right?
Sharon: sure.. or strap a fridge on your back works
Charity: Gotta have a cold place for the beer.
Charity: Not everyone is a husky Canadian.
Sharon: well i was just bringing a 12 pack of beer. Plus your chicken salad we're all good.
Sharon: done :)
Charity: Next.
Sharon: sighs.
Sharon: good o'l fashioned vinaigrette coleslaw
Charity: I have always wanted to do one of those lobster clam bake things. Ya know with the small potatoes, clams, corn on the cob, shrimp....lobster if you really like your friends and family enough to share... Dump it out on a table covered with newspaper and dig in. How fun would that be!
Sharon: well I'm still thinking 12 beer would be more fun, but I'll go with it
Charity: You can use some of the beer to steam the clams. Infuse the flavor ya know.
Sharon: jelly beans. Can't go to the beach without jelly beans
Charity: Oh I saw a recipe for a cucumber watermelon salad in a magazine yesterday, It has feta in and looked really good. I am so over macaroni and potato salad.
Sharon: oh I have a faboosh recipe for Caribbean pasta salad with oranges, cilantro, carrots, peppers, mango.. uber yum
Sharon: fried chicken. oldie but a goodie
Sharon: 7 layer nacho dip... can't go wrong with cream cheese, salsa, mangoes, blue cheese, chicken and a few other surprises
Charity: I have never had a 7 layer dip like that.
Sharon: oh.. its yum.
Charity: Okay I will add to the list a 7 layer bean dip. With refried beans, cheese, tomatoes, guac, lettuce, olives and onion.
Sharon: ohh
Sharon: nice
Sharon: smoked salmon and cream cheese on crackers.. nice and simple
Charity: Oh that is a classic.
Sharon: mhm
Charity: one more
Sharon: banana splits.. make 'm at the beach
Charity: Store the ice cream in the freezer strapped to your back? Not such an easy picnic food like you promised.
Sharon: hmm true
Sharon: cause all the beer taking up space
Charity nods.
Sharon: stuff for smores?
Charity: Perfect!

Thursday, July 21, 2011

~TT~ Tips and Tricks X2

With Sharon out of town enjoying her summer you are all stuck with just me for yet another week! I know, it could be so much more fun censoring Sharon but perhaps next week we will return to our naked cooking banter. For now? More tricks and tips.

Find other really great blogs and their lists right here -----> http://thursday-13.com/

1. When buying mushrooms at the grocery store don't be afraid to buy them in bulk. They are usually cheaper than the prepackaged ones and you also have control over size and such if you bag them yourself. Try to see if they have a paper bag to put them in and if not when you get home store them in a lunch sack or leftover paper bags you get when you buy wine. The plastic bags will encourage condensation and will make your mushrooms slimy.

2. Making premade lemonade or the powdered kind special is easy. Grab a lemon and slice it thin removing the seeds if you want to and put the slices into the pitcher. When you see the lemons in there it is crazy how your brain automatically decides that the lemonade is all the more refreshing. I like to use good 'ol Country Time and add lemon slices and mint leaves. If I have strawberries I slice some and crush others to make strawberry lemonade.

3. Another brown bag trick....got some avocados that were not all that ripe and you wanna make some Guac tomorrow? Put them into a brown bag and leave them on the counter. They will ripen faster that way for you. It works best if you have a couple days but avocados that are just not quite ripe yet will get closer in the bag at room temperature.

4. Don't put your tomatoes in the fridge. Yes this means you cannot buy two weeks worth of tomatoes at once. Lame I realize but the tomato loses a lot of flavor when it is put in the cooler.

5. If you don't have a meat mallet, you know that hammer looking thing? Well if you don't have one but want to pound the crap out of a piece of meat there is another way! For example....place a piece of boneless chicken into a gallon size Ziploc bag and using a small saute pan like a hammer go to town flattening the chicken. The bag stops any meat particles from flying all over your kitchen and the pan makes quick work of flattening evenly.

6. Have picky eaters? My little sister was a terribly picky eater. My mom let her have three times that she would never have to eat. She picked spaghetti sauce and a couple others I don't remember. She could change them up but it couldn't be the day of some meal she just didn't want to eat. It stopped all arguments out of her for the most part as she was allowed to choose some things and other she just had to deal with.

7. Don't be afraid to roast! Asparagus, cauliflower, potatoes, onions and peppers....Veggies love to be roasted in the oven with a bit of olive oil and seasonings. It takes very little time really and the amount of flavor you get from veggies you would normally steam is amazing.

8. My new favorite bread....whole wheat pita bread! Throw a round on the grill for a moment and the bread gets a nutty flavor that is very satisfying. Cut the bread into wedges and have toppings. I like to have a protein, and then a sauce. Some caramelized onion or sauteed mushrooms. It is like a build your own mini pizza slice. Who doesn't like to play with their food? Mix and match different combinations. I love to use shrimp, the onions and mushrooms with that Japanese White Sauce that they have at the hibachi style restaurants. Or steak with a balsamic drizzle!

9. Okay let's talk about coupons for a moment....yes coupons can save you money. However if you are buying things you normally wouldn't have bought or you are buying things that you will never use or too much of an item? Then you are wasting money! That is like being an anti-couponer. I don't clip coupons for things I don't buy. It is too tempting to see those cookies on sale and get them cause I have a coupon. Don't get sucked into "Extreme Coupon" shows either. Notice how they never have cold items in the carts. They don't have veggies, or milk, or eggs. It is all dry goods. Plan your meals around the sales papers. Some stores price match and so you can get a lot of things on sale. Also check to make sure that the sale price in on store is better than the regular price. I have found coupons that will make items more expensive.

10. Twice a week have dessert. Everyday of the week is a little much, especially if you are one of the millions that want to lose weight. But a couple times a week? Give yourself and/or your family a treat. And yes a fresh fruit salad does count as dessert, but then make sure the other dessert that week is all about decadence.

11. Make something at least once a month that you remember loving as a child. Does it taste as good as you remember? Maybe not but you can always try it. My mom would split a hot dog down the center and fill it with mashed potatoes, cover it with cheese and then bake it til the cheese melted. Does it taste as good as I remember? Not so much. But I had a nice laugh over it.

12. A box of macaroni and cheese can make tuna casserole! One box of prepared Mac-n-Cheese, a can of drained tuna, some canned peas....maybe some sauteed mushrooms (yes I am loving mushrooms right now.) Makes the Mac-N-Cheese with extra sauce so add a couple of extra table spoons of butter and an extra glug of milk. It is insanely fast for a quick dinner, cheap and it tastes good.

13. Check your labels! Not for the ingredients or calorie counts but for the school benefits. Even if you do not have school age children or children at all you can help local schools. Campbell's product labels have a part you cut off and turn into schools. Box Tops are good as well and Ziploc gives schools money for recycled bags. Just rinse them out well.

*Leave a comment and beg Sharon to come back!*

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Thursday 13 ~Random tips and treasures!

http://thursday-13.com/

Check out other ~TT~ Lists!

Here are some things that I have come to learn over the years...

1. If you want to know a recipe bad enough the internet will give you an abundant of sources but you will still need to tweak it to taste. I recently found a recipe for the Japanese Steak House White Sauce which isn't really Japanese at all it is an American sauce used to addict you....and it works. Anyway back to the sauce. The one I found was pretty close to the stuff I was craving however not quite what I wanted to I added stuff until it tasted how I wanted it to.

2. An easy way to jazz up some steak without ketchup or steak sauce and something that is rather impressive to serve is a Balsamic Reduction. It can be called a Balsamic drizzle or syrup if you like. How I make mine is fairly simple. I happen to like the balsamic vinegar from Costco. It has a wonderful deep sweet flavor and reduces wonderfully. I put about a cup depending on how much I need, in a sauce pan and set it on med-med high. I add a couple splashes of red wine but that is optional and when I haven't used wine the sauce is still amazing. I like to cut up a couple of shallots and dump those into the pot but again optional. Reduce the Balsamic Vinegar until it is nearly a syrup that you can drizzle. It will take a little while so go slow and easy letting the flavor come out. Use this on steak. You will thank me. Not only does it taste amazing but you will look like you know what you are doing and went all out for your guests/family whatever.

3. When dinning out and they tack on that 18% gratuity? You can challenge it quietly if the service was terrible. I still give some and I am generous but I don't like being taken just because their policy states that they can. Also check to make sure that they are not calculating the tip using the tax as part of the total. That is naughty.

4. To add instant flavor to boiled potatoes or rice you can always add stock to the water or in place of water. The grocery stores these days have a lot of stocks to choose from and use whichever is closest to the dish you are making. Or you can make an easy stock at home if you have a few hours to let it simmer.

5. At least once a month try something different and have an idea of where to get take out if it doesn't go well. Use a new ingredient or perhaps an entirely new dish to liven things up.

6. Feeling blah about the way dinner looks on the table? Get a new serving platter or bowl. You would be surprised at how that can boost your excitement to show off your meal. I still smile when I use my new plates. Pier One is one of my favorite places to get serving platters as well as Fred Meyer. That is where I got my dinner set recently. I bought only one plate to use as a serving plate but then I went back and replaced my dishes...now I need more serving platters. Yes it creates more dishes to not eat out of the pots and pans, but it really brings a meal together if you make it just as much about the eyes as anything else.

7. Savor your food. With so many options out there today why not enjoy every bite you put into your mouth. Yeah I know all about dieting and how that can suck the taste right out of food....but lets consider this a moment. For hundreds of years people did well without low fat this non fat that. They ate a healthy portion and was active. Instead of just eating, instead of scarfing down a burger from the drive thru, savor it. If you are going to put that into your mouth take time in eating it. Each bit on its own and enjoy the flavor. If you suddenly realize it isn't as good as you thought? Stop eating it. LOL. Enjoy food. Life is too short to not enjoy things.

8. Please take a moment to go look over our previous ~TT~ about what not to cook while naked. It is important.

9. You can use cheaper ingredients in many dishes. A lot of cooks will tell you that you can't use bargain this or that to make things but really? You can. Sometimes....and yes I know this is sacrilege but sometimes I use the cheap green canister parm cheese in my alfredo! I KNOW I should be shot but sometimes I did not plan ahead and you know what? It still tastes damn good. Don't make TV chefs or cookbooks queens make you feel like you cannot put an affordable knock off on the table and enjoy it.

10. Never ever never put an old family recipe into a church cookbook without checking with the rest of the family first. It is rude as you never know if some might see it as a pass it down recipe not a pass it out one. And if you do put the recipe in the cookbook? Get it right. (no I have not been guilty of this.)

11. Perfect five dishes. Have an appetizer, main dish, dessert whatever. But have five things that you can claim to have perfected and so those are your fall backs. Have company coming? Old faithful can be pulled out and handled. However old faithful should not take more than an hour to prepare.

12. Observe and never offer up excuses. Don't announce that you forgot an ingredient before anyone has time to take a bite. So what you forgot it, it happens and you can always recover but if you sell yourself out then everyone will suddenly notice that it doesn't taste quite right. Most often they won't miss it and will be happy as they take seconds.

13. Be easy on yourself. Cooking isn't easy and even the pros have off days. It would surprise you how good things taste when you let the ingredients speak for themselves. If not? If the food is having a bad day? Dial out!