We have been terrible ~TT~ participants but are trying to be better. We were going to do 13 comfort foods for fall however this morning Sharon was inspired it seems to be naked with chocolate. We have tried to keep it pretty PG and so some very naughty and enticing things were left off the list...it could have been so very much worse.
After you check out our list go on over and visit the other ~TT~ people at http://thursday-13.com/
Charity: Uh why arent you home? Cause this is your day off woman!
Sharon: Lol yeah never a full day off
Charity: You had to go in??
Sharon: No just run to a print shop
Charity: Okay I'm good with that.
Sharon: While I wait you wanna do TT? I'm thinking chocolate. And nakedness makes chocolate better
Sharon: Start off easy... Salted caramel chocolates
Charity: Okay I do need to ask though....doesn't chocolate taste amazing without being naked?
Sharon: Sure but being naked just assures you don't eat too much. It's like being passive aggressive with yourself.
Charity: I buy that....moving on. Let's list a classic cliche for romantical moments. Chocolate dipped strawberries. Now I prefer to dip them in warm chocolate not the hard kind. When the strawberry is cold and the warm chocolate....yeah it is just....yeah.
Sharon: God you're a classy bish. Good call.
Charity: Yeah I know I got it like that.
Sharon: Ok well keeping with the theme, can't go wrong with a chocolate fountain. Just be careful you don't get forked.
Charity: I thought the point of naked chocolate eating was to get....Nevermind. I think chocolate fountain is okay but normal people don't have those laying around.
Sharon: What!
Sharon: Well ok moving on.
Charity: Chocolate cheesecake bites. So little squares of amazing.
Charity: Easy enough to pop in your own mouth or someone else's AND no fork.
Sharon: Omg yeah. Sounds good
Sharon: I'm not above a little forking
Charity: Then you need to get with that. Just sayin.
Sharon: Wahaha!!!! Ok ok. Next!
Sharon: I'm thinking Oreo truffle balls
Charity: I have never had an oreo truffle ball.
Sharon: They're great.. Super duper easy.
Sharon: Good with milk
Charity: Chocolate chip pancakes for the morning after breakfast.
Sharon: I add bananas.
Charity: lol of course you do.
Sharon: Extra moisture. Good god. Bananas, forking, balls... This is gonna be an NC 17 TT
Charity: Okay I once saw a recipe for tenderloin that they rubbed with cocoa powder for seasoning.
Sharon: No way! Using chocolate on your meat? Niiiice
Charity: I know!
Sharon: And while we're discussing meat..... Chocolate covered bacon
Charity: Okay I tried to do the candied bacon thing and it turned out bad. I didn't like it at all. I'm not sure I can jump on the chocolate covered bacon train.
Sharon: Omg bish trust me. I'm Canadian I know my bacon capabilities
Sharon: Gotta use dark chocolate though
Charity: Okay okay I defer to your brilliance. I'm not a fan of dark chocolate either. This one you are going to have to make for me. So I am going to suspend belief until future proof is provided.
Sharon: Lol deal.
Sharon: Your turn
Charity: hot fudge sundae.
Sharon: Oldie but a goodie
Sharon: Ok this is a showstopper. ... Chocolate "omg I wet my pants" cake. Cadbury chocolate, fudge gooey centre, whipped cream.
Charity: and you just talked yourself into sharing that recipe!
Charity: speaking of chocolate cake though...how about Better Than Sex Cake. I'm not lying that is the name and my MOTHER is the one that shared the recipe with me.
Sharon: Whoa. Quite the family Char. I gotta party with your mom
Charity: Yeah I know
Sharon: How many is that?
Charity: Let me count
Charity: 11
Sharon: Oh wow. Time flies when it's chocolate
Sharon: Rocky road bars! We haven't mentioned nuts yet
Charity: We have mentioned everything else but nuts.
Charity: Okay warm nut filled brownie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.
Sharon: Damn... I um... Oopsies. Was it good for you?
Charity: Did you lick chocolate off your wallet again?
Sharon: Well that was a one time show. The poor guy that saw it is still recovering
Charity: Hand him our naked chocolate menu to help him out.
Sharon: Lol yeah. That'd kill him
Charity: Dare ya.
Sharon: Damn you!!
Charity: I know.
**Yes we realize that two grown women that dare each other to do things are a bit stuck in their childhood. However...I have to suggest that you go up to a coworker one day and dare them to dance around the office or something silly and fun and it will make both of have a brighter day.**
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Monday, September 19, 2011
Back to School Snacking
So my two sons, 9 & 11, went back to school... I'm trying to be the good mom and follow the guidelines of what I can send in their lunches. Yes.. I said lunches as in plural... the new school system where I live has two "nutrition' breaks .. or two opportunities to eat instead of one. So in between packing healthy snacks that won't get sent back home or worse, traded away for a peak of little Eleanor's new booblets she developed over the summer, I'm left scratching my head as what to give them when they get home. I'm not always home when they bound in the door and if I'm not they quickly get their hands around the school lunch taboos.. namely anything that contains peanut butter, chocolate or resembles a bag of chips. Fruit.. veggies.. applesauce, basically anything I've rammed into their lunchbags so teachers can see what a fabulous mother they have, are overlooked for more junky and, lets face it, yummy gooey goodness.
SO ... I found this today. I'm not going to tell my boys what it is.. just make it (sight unseen) and toss it in a bowl for them to munch on. The recipe says its crunchy and the spices sound something my kids would gravitate to, so I'll give it a whirl. But yeah.. its healthy and my kids seem to have a built in radar for that. But we'll see.. I'll let you know tomorrow. If they like it? my boys will have more fibre, iron and folate.. if they don't? I'll have more fibre, iron and folate... and be searching for the next recipe.
Roasted Chickpeas in 3 Varieties
*makes 2 cups*
1 can (19 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tbs olive oil
Variety 1: Pizza Crunch Spices:
2 tsp parmesean cheese
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
Variety 2: Sweet Cinnamon:
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp sugar
Variety 3: Southwestern Spice:
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp black pepper
dash cayenne pepper (or several dashes if you need to mute them for a bit)
Directions:
1. Preheat Oven to 350
2 Drain and rinse chickpeas and dry them REALLY well in paper towel. Place in large bowl, toss 'em up with olive oil. Set aside.
3. Mix the spices of your chosen variety together. .. toss that in with teh chickpeas. Place them on an ungreased baking sheet
4 Bake for 50 minutes until crunchy (seriously.. crunchy is the deal breaker for kids to like 'em).. Store in an airtight container for 3 days.
**recipe from the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Ontario*.. I so did NOT make this crap up.
Happy Crunching.... thank god the bastards are back in classs, non?
Sharon
So my two sons, 9 & 11, went back to school... I'm trying to be the good mom and follow the guidelines of what I can send in their lunches. Yes.. I said lunches as in plural... the new school system where I live has two "nutrition' breaks .. or two opportunities to eat instead of one. So in between packing healthy snacks that won't get sent back home or worse, traded away for a peak of little Eleanor's new booblets she developed over the summer, I'm left scratching my head as what to give them when they get home. I'm not always home when they bound in the door and if I'm not they quickly get their hands around the school lunch taboos.. namely anything that contains peanut butter, chocolate or resembles a bag of chips. Fruit.. veggies.. applesauce, basically anything I've rammed into their lunchbags so teachers can see what a fabulous mother they have, are overlooked for more junky and, lets face it, yummy gooey goodness.
SO ... I found this today. I'm not going to tell my boys what it is.. just make it (sight unseen) and toss it in a bowl for them to munch on. The recipe says its crunchy and the spices sound something my kids would gravitate to, so I'll give it a whirl. But yeah.. its healthy and my kids seem to have a built in radar for that. But we'll see.. I'll let you know tomorrow. If they like it? my boys will have more fibre, iron and folate.. if they don't? I'll have more fibre, iron and folate... and be searching for the next recipe.
Roasted Chickpeas in 3 Varieties
*makes 2 cups*
1 can (19 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tbs olive oil
Variety 1: Pizza Crunch Spices:
2 tsp parmesean cheese
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
Variety 2: Sweet Cinnamon:
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp sugar
Variety 3: Southwestern Spice:
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp black pepper
dash cayenne pepper (or several dashes if you need to mute them for a bit)
Directions:
1. Preheat Oven to 350
2 Drain and rinse chickpeas and dry them REALLY well in paper towel. Place in large bowl, toss 'em up with olive oil. Set aside.
3. Mix the spices of your chosen variety together. .. toss that in with teh chickpeas. Place them on an ungreased baking sheet
4 Bake for 50 minutes until crunchy (seriously.. crunchy is the deal breaker for kids to like 'em).. Store in an airtight container for 3 days.
**recipe from the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Ontario*.. I so did NOT make this crap up.
Happy Crunching.... thank god the bastards are back in classs, non?
Sharon
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
We're baaaaaaaack!
First I have to give a shout out to Anthony Bourdain...after the rant I posted he did something commendable (no doubtingly because I believe he is a secret fan of The Accidental Cooks and he took my words to heart...). A restaurant that he used to own in New York City had plans on selling a wine made for the 9-11 anniversary. The sale price per bottle would be $19.11 and less than 10% of the sales would be donated to the memorial...Okay...I have to give props to Anthony for calling up the restaurant and going WTF??? He actually said "That's vomit inducing. What kind of piece of sh*t would create such a product?" Shrugs, he said she said...whatever. The point is he came through and stopped the sale from that restaurant and that I applaud him for.
That said....if 100% of the profits went towards the memorial? I would be slightly better with it. No, I am not an idiot and I see the entire thing was created with hope to cash in on the grief of others, and to line the pockets of the winery as well as the merchants selling the bottles, however there needs to be a line people and Anthony? Today you are good in my book (again I know he was waiting for my approval...pins and needles!)
Now onto our regularly scheduled programming....
Now that school is back in session and I am being forced to get up at 5:30am...five days a week I can assure you that I will be posting a lot of breakfast and lunch type recipes. If I am awake for dinners then you might just get some of those thrown in for good measure. My hints and tricks might be jibberish depending on what time of the day I decide to post, I know though that if your child has to be out the door by 6:40am you will most likely will be able to understand....
Topic of today...set your cooking goals.
I have decided to make my life a little easier I will do as much in advance for one week as I can. This includes making menus. Following the menus...unless I claim the alarm did not go off and a banana handed out at the door will be acceptable.
My goal is to make the kids a hot breakfast 3 times a week. Also I have to be able to make breakfast and pack lunch within a 40 minute span as I refuse to get up any earlier than 5:30am no matter how much I love the little buggers.
An easy morning breakfast that you can actually squeeze two days out of is banana pancakes. I confess that during the week I use a mix for the pancake batter...Don't judge its before 6am! Before I mix the batter I mash up one banana for every 1 cup of mix you use. RANDOM TIP***if your bananas are not on the overly ripe side slice them up into a bowl and sprinkle about a tablespoon of sugar over them. The sugar helps break the banana down and make it easier to mash. It works with all types of fruit.
Make double what you are going to need. Why? Because the next morning you can microwave them in no time. The good thing about banana pancakes is that the bananas give the pancakes a good texture even after microwaving. My kids love them and I have witness them...eating them straight out of the fridge! It takes a little longer to continue to flip the cakes but I promise the next morning that is extra time you get to sit in your Eeyore pajamas in the recliner.
20 minutes is all you need to make crispy oven bacon. Line a cookie sheet with foil to make clean up much easier and put the bacon slices in the oven at 400. Do not preheat. Let the oven and bacon come up to temperature together. It might take a little longer than 20 minutes. I average about 24 minutes to get it as crispy as I want it to be. I flip the slices about half way through and I am tellin ya, there is not that all day lingering fried bacon smell in the house and the bacon cooks perfectly. And? I don't sit there saying bad words while I get splattered. Another tip....make extra bacon too. Not only can you warm it up the next breakfast but for their lunches that you are about to make......
For lunch! I am getting excited about wraps. Lunches are not all about sandwiches anymore and there are so many recipes out there for different fillings. My kids love BLTA sandwiches/wraps/salads...you name it. The 'A' is for avocado and I use it in place of mayo, mashing it up and spreading it. If you go the sandwich route I encourage you to toast the bread to help against the sandwich mushies and put the tomatoes in the middle. Layer the lettuce and bacon as barriers. I promise if your kids like BLTs they are going to love them in their school lunches. And with a little breakfast preplanning the day before you won't be cussing at 6am over bacon splatter.
I like those little cheap Ziploc containers, the smallest set. I make jello and put fruit in it and then use those little containers to put into their lunches as a dessert. Yes I know you can get them premade but at added expense. I can make an entire week worth of jello for a fraction of the cost of a four pack of the premade stuff. It takes about 10 minutes to make and the rest of the time it is setting in the fridge already in the containers. I will do make it Sunday night and I am good to go the entire week.
Okay folks...coming up this week...I am going to make crunchy fish taco wraps. And I am going to try homemade graham cracker cookie thingies with chocolate on the bottom. I will let ya know how it goes.
Also we are going to have a ~TT~ this week!
Cheers to school being back in session!
~Charity
That said....if 100% of the profits went towards the memorial? I would be slightly better with it. No, I am not an idiot and I see the entire thing was created with hope to cash in on the grief of others, and to line the pockets of the winery as well as the merchants selling the bottles, however there needs to be a line people and Anthony? Today you are good in my book (again I know he was waiting for my approval...pins and needles!)
Now onto our regularly scheduled programming....
Now that school is back in session and I am being forced to get up at 5:30am...five days a week I can assure you that I will be posting a lot of breakfast and lunch type recipes. If I am awake for dinners then you might just get some of those thrown in for good measure. My hints and tricks might be jibberish depending on what time of the day I decide to post, I know though that if your child has to be out the door by 6:40am you will most likely will be able to understand....
Topic of today...set your cooking goals.
I have decided to make my life a little easier I will do as much in advance for one week as I can. This includes making menus. Following the menus...unless I claim the alarm did not go off and a banana handed out at the door will be acceptable.
My goal is to make the kids a hot breakfast 3 times a week. Also I have to be able to make breakfast and pack lunch within a 40 minute span as I refuse to get up any earlier than 5:30am no matter how much I love the little buggers.
An easy morning breakfast that you can actually squeeze two days out of is banana pancakes. I confess that during the week I use a mix for the pancake batter...Don't judge its before 6am! Before I mix the batter I mash up one banana for every 1 cup of mix you use. RANDOM TIP***if your bananas are not on the overly ripe side slice them up into a bowl and sprinkle about a tablespoon of sugar over them. The sugar helps break the banana down and make it easier to mash. It works with all types of fruit.
Make double what you are going to need. Why? Because the next morning you can microwave them in no time. The good thing about banana pancakes is that the bananas give the pancakes a good texture even after microwaving. My kids love them and I have witness them...eating them straight out of the fridge! It takes a little longer to continue to flip the cakes but I promise the next morning that is extra time you get to sit in your Eeyore pajamas in the recliner.
20 minutes is all you need to make crispy oven bacon. Line a cookie sheet with foil to make clean up much easier and put the bacon slices in the oven at 400. Do not preheat. Let the oven and bacon come up to temperature together. It might take a little longer than 20 minutes. I average about 24 minutes to get it as crispy as I want it to be. I flip the slices about half way through and I am tellin ya, there is not that all day lingering fried bacon smell in the house and the bacon cooks perfectly. And? I don't sit there saying bad words while I get splattered. Another tip....make extra bacon too. Not only can you warm it up the next breakfast but for their lunches that you are about to make......
For lunch! I am getting excited about wraps. Lunches are not all about sandwiches anymore and there are so many recipes out there for different fillings. My kids love BLTA sandwiches/wraps/salads...you name it. The 'A' is for avocado and I use it in place of mayo, mashing it up and spreading it. If you go the sandwich route I encourage you to toast the bread to help against the sandwich mushies and put the tomatoes in the middle. Layer the lettuce and bacon as barriers. I promise if your kids like BLTs they are going to love them in their school lunches. And with a little breakfast preplanning the day before you won't be cussing at 6am over bacon splatter.
I like those little cheap Ziploc containers, the smallest set. I make jello and put fruit in it and then use those little containers to put into their lunches as a dessert. Yes I know you can get them premade but at added expense. I can make an entire week worth of jello for a fraction of the cost of a four pack of the premade stuff. It takes about 10 minutes to make and the rest of the time it is setting in the fridge already in the containers. I will do make it Sunday night and I am good to go the entire week.
Okay folks...coming up this week...I am going to make crunchy fish taco wraps. And I am going to try homemade graham cracker cookie thingies with chocolate on the bottom. I will let ya know how it goes.
Also we are going to have a ~TT~ this week!
Cheers to school being back in session!
~Charity
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Paula vs. Anthony
I am taking a break from unpacking to comment on something I saw in the news yesterday. Is it ground breaking? No. However it did make me wonder where some people get off....
For those of you that haven't heard Anthony Bourdain the guy from "No Reservations" on the travel channel decided to attack some of the food network stars. This in itself isn't all that terrible everyone is entitled to their opinion after all but to publicly call out certain people he has never met?
Paula Deen the goddess of down home southern cookin, was accused by Anthony of encouraging people to eat food that is killing America. So perhaps he wants to see her use her influance as a good example. Maybe he feels that she should promote healthy foods so people won't have to worry about portion control cause they think without butter or oil they can eat all they want....cause that is what that translates too. Just ask.
What confuses me is in "No Reservations" what I get from him is a brooding man looking out to the sunset smoking and drinking, eating, brooding more smoking, rinse repeat. So is that a better example? Obviously Anthony must be of the same opinion as some that McDonalds is causing people to get fat and it isn't the fault of the people that can't seem to get their enlarged rears off the couch and go for a walk. Instead they sit there watching him encourage his own lung cancer and those around him that have to inhale his second hand. What a great guy!
Yes I watch his show every so often and find him at times to be witty and on the rare occasion to be profound. The every so often rare occasion part comes if there is nothing else on. I apologize if this offends fans of Anthony but he is less bad boy with a deep meaningful light in his soul, and more middle aged man that offends people everywhere he goes. Don't know what I am talking about? Instead of watching him on the show, look at the facial expressions of those around him and see how often his demeanor causes their eyes to twitch and strained smiles to tug at the corner of their lips.
And one more point to be made. He wonders if Rachel Ray ever cooks anymore and I have to wonder, does he? Have I ever seen a show that he made anything? Nope.
Come on man. Get off your high horse and get a clue.
To those people that find butter and oil to be offensive...Even the "bad" foods in moderation is really okay I promise. Food does not always have to be without fats or without proteins, carbs or whatever it is you are taking out to be healthy. Life is about balance people. You want to have fried chicken? Serve a salad and some roasted veggies on the side. Use pop as a treat not a daily habit. Having The Pioneer Woman's mashed potatoes? Let that be the only starch on the plate. After you are done? Put the dishes in the sink and take your family for a walk. Encourage healthy eating in your children by promoting balance of all the food groups and that they need to get out and play, ride their bikes and run around instead of so many video games and cartoons.
Okay soap box moment is over for today I need to get back to unpacking my house.
~Charity
You can read more about the feud at the OMG now site. Yeah I read gossip articles as a guiltless pleasure.
http://omg.yahoo.com/blogs/thefamous/fight-fight-paula-deen-tells-anthony-bourdain-to-get-a-life/1912
For those of you that haven't heard Anthony Bourdain the guy from "No Reservations" on the travel channel decided to attack some of the food network stars. This in itself isn't all that terrible everyone is entitled to their opinion after all but to publicly call out certain people he has never met?
Paula Deen the goddess of down home southern cookin, was accused by Anthony of encouraging people to eat food that is killing America. So perhaps he wants to see her use her influance as a good example. Maybe he feels that she should promote healthy foods so people won't have to worry about portion control cause they think without butter or oil they can eat all they want....cause that is what that translates too. Just ask.
What confuses me is in "No Reservations" what I get from him is a brooding man looking out to the sunset smoking and drinking, eating, brooding more smoking, rinse repeat. So is that a better example? Obviously Anthony must be of the same opinion as some that McDonalds is causing people to get fat and it isn't the fault of the people that can't seem to get their enlarged rears off the couch and go for a walk. Instead they sit there watching him encourage his own lung cancer and those around him that have to inhale his second hand. What a great guy!
Yes I watch his show every so often and find him at times to be witty and on the rare occasion to be profound. The every so often rare occasion part comes if there is nothing else on. I apologize if this offends fans of Anthony but he is less bad boy with a deep meaningful light in his soul, and more middle aged man that offends people everywhere he goes. Don't know what I am talking about? Instead of watching him on the show, look at the facial expressions of those around him and see how often his demeanor causes their eyes to twitch and strained smiles to tug at the corner of their lips.
And one more point to be made. He wonders if Rachel Ray ever cooks anymore and I have to wonder, does he? Have I ever seen a show that he made anything? Nope.
Come on man. Get off your high horse and get a clue.
To those people that find butter and oil to be offensive...Even the "bad" foods in moderation is really okay I promise. Food does not always have to be without fats or without proteins, carbs or whatever it is you are taking out to be healthy. Life is about balance people. You want to have fried chicken? Serve a salad and some roasted veggies on the side. Use pop as a treat not a daily habit. Having The Pioneer Woman's mashed potatoes? Let that be the only starch on the plate. After you are done? Put the dishes in the sink and take your family for a walk. Encourage healthy eating in your children by promoting balance of all the food groups and that they need to get out and play, ride their bikes and run around instead of so many video games and cartoons.
Okay soap box moment is over for today I need to get back to unpacking my house.
~Charity
You can read more about the feud at the OMG now site. Yeah I read gossip articles as a guiltless pleasure.
http://omg.yahoo.com/blogs/thefamous/fight-fight-paula-deen-tells-anthony-bourdain-to-get-a-life/1912
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Not Forgotten
I promise that we haven't forgotten about the blog. It has been crazy for us both as summer time is still in full swing and kids want to go and do things during the summer....go figure.
I decided as well that I just did not have enough to do and decided to move into a bigger house. Yeah why not right? Sharon and I hope to have another ~TT~ up this coming week and she owes you all a couple of recipes now so I will have to beat her again...
On a side note....did you all know that The Pioneer Woman is getting her own show on Food Network? She like Paula Dean is an inspiration to home cooks everywhere and her recipe for mashed potatoes? I am telling you that once you try it you will never make mash any other way. Yeah it is just THAT good. Her blog about life on the cattle ranch is almost as good as her recipes. http://thepioneerwoman.com/
Check it out. Talk amongst yourselves....and yeah the ~TT~ might be 13 things to make while you are in the middle of a move or 13 alcoholic beverages that will be gettin me through the move...don't judge!
~Charity
I decided as well that I just did not have enough to do and decided to move into a bigger house. Yeah why not right? Sharon and I hope to have another ~TT~ up this coming week and she owes you all a couple of recipes now so I will have to beat her again...
On a side note....did you all know that The Pioneer Woman is getting her own show on Food Network? She like Paula Dean is an inspiration to home cooks everywhere and her recipe for mashed potatoes? I am telling you that once you try it you will never make mash any other way. Yeah it is just THAT good. Her blog about life on the cattle ranch is almost as good as her recipes. http://thepioneerwoman.com/
Check it out. Talk amongst yourselves....and yeah the ~TT~ might be 13 things to make while you are in the middle of a move or 13 alcoholic beverages that will be gettin me through the move...don't judge!
~Charity
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!
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!*
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!*
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