White Whole Wheat Flour

When I say "white whole wheat flour" in my recipes, I'm not referring to the white flour/whole wheat flour blends.... King Arthur Flour produces a 100% whole wheat flour that they call "white whole wheat" because it's lighter in taste and texture than regular whole wheat flour. I highly recommend it--you can find it in most bigger grocery stores (and for cheaper than their website). We use it in muffins, breads, even cookies!

Compromise Cookies

These hearty cookies doesn't stick around long in our house, so I have no idea if they're good "keepers." But, they do represent a lot of compromise: my husband's favorite cookie is chocolate chip and mine is oatmeal. I sometimes need to give my kids breakfast (or other meal) on the go and don't want to buy Nutrigrain bars (too much corn syrup, not whole grain, expensive, etc.); these cookies are better for them and so much tastier!! They're also a hybrid of two VERY similar recipes from my two most-used cookbooks (Better Homes and Gardens and More-with-Less). I've made a few substitutions as well. Try them today!

1/2 cup butter (softened)
1/2 cup natural creamy peanut butter (neither recipe specifies that you use all-natural; I just did)
1/2-1 cup sugar*
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour
2 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (bittersweet or semi-sweet)

*More-with-Less recommends 1/2 cup; Better Homes and Gardens says 1 cup; I've done either and in between.... doesn't make a huge difference!

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cream butter and peanut butter together with an electric mixer. Add sugars, baking powder and baking soda; beat until combined. Beat in applesauce, eggs, and vanilla until combined. Beat in flour (as much as you can with mixer). Stir in oats. Stir in chocolate chips.
3. Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 10 minutes or until slightly brown around the edges. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool.

Makes 60 small cookies or, if you drop by big spoonfuls, 30 larger cookies.

Fun Food Blogs

These are all blogs related to food in some way that I find interesting and helpful (or just downright amusing). Enjoy! I'll add to it as I find more fun stuff out there.

A Year of Crockpotting
Cheap Healthy Good
Jill's Crazy Life
Menu Maker Mom
The Grocery Cart Challenge

Homemade Convenience

These are homemade versions of convenience products people generally only think of buying (as opposed to making). Try these out! They'll save you money, are usually healthier than their store bought counterparts, and nearly always taste better. Most of them are not very time-consuming and are made ahead of time. (Freezer meals are not listed here; they provide homemade convenience as well.)

• Homemade Ketchup
• Green Ketchup
• Green Tomato Relish
• Homemade Jam/Jelly
• Jalapeno Jelly
  
• Pancake Mix
• Crackers (like Wheat Thins)
• Dry Beans (as opposed to canned beans)
• Homemade Hot Pockets
• Jell-O
• Homemade Microwave Popcorn
• Homemade Yogurt
• Microwave Cream Sauce (aka Bechamel Sauce)
  
• Basic (Cooked) Salsa for canning
• Honey-Herb Vinaigrette

Website Review: Allrecipes.com

If you haven't checked out allrecipes.com, what are you waiting for? This, to me, is the premiere recipe search database. Recipes are submitted by ordinary cooks and then are rated by cooks all over the world; when I say "rated," I don't just mean a few people gave some recipe 5 stars. Some recipes, like our all-time favorite Butternut Squash Soup, have received an average of 4.5 stars from 587 people/cooks!!! Many other websites have jumped on the bandwagon, but allrecipes still seems to be number 1.

Allrecipes is very easy to use, is free, and provides the option to customize your own "recipe box" (including the addition of "personal recipes"). It also provides the ability to create a shopping list for any particular recipes (and allows you to add further ingredients for general use); it provides a built-in converter if you need more or less servings than a given recipe lists; it provides detailed nutrition information for most recipes; it provides the ability to list your favorites as well as create "meal ideas" for recipes.

The search feature allows you to browse in a general category or search for specific ingredients/cuisines/courses. This is a nice feature for those of us who often search for recipes which will help us use up random leftover ingredients.

In some ways, allrecipes has too many choices for someone like me. I could spend all day looking up random recipes and ideas, reading all the reviews, and then deliberating over which variation I will end up making. But it is an invaluable tool--allowing a "More-with-Less" attitude with the internet since you can customize the number of servings and/or use up your ingredients so as to not waste food. It's also provided us with some definite family favorites that we make repeatedly. Check out Catherine's Spicy Chicken Soup, After-Thanksgiving Turkey Soup, Asian Coleslaw, and Refried Beans without the Refry for some great food.

Mexican Rice Skillet

A great alternative to Spanish rice (which I don't much care for). Directions sound weird, but they work. Have all ingredients ready to go.... I used a 12-inch skillet.

Recipe from Extending the Table (recipe reworded slightly)

2 T. oil
1 c. uncooked rice
1 small onion, minced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c. water
1/2 t. salt
1 c. boiling water or broth/stock
2 medium green peppers, cut in strips
1 c. canned or frozen corn
8 oz. sour cream or plain yogurt
shredded sharp cheese to cover

1. Heat oil in skillet. Add rice. Saute 1-2 minutes, stirring gently.
2. Add onion, garlic, 1/2 c. water, and salt. Cook, stirring constantly, until water is absorbed (approximately 5 minutes).
3. Add boiling water/broth, peppers, and corn. Cover and simmer about 20 minutes without stirring until liquid is absorbed (it will look slightly underdone). Remove from heat.
4. Spread sour cream over top and sprinkle with cheese. Cover and let stand 5-10 minutes until cheese melts.

Serves 4-6

Mock Ravioli

This is a standard dish of our mother's and grandmother's--it makes a lot, freezes well (before baking), is inexpensive, and a crowd pleaser (even kids like it). Enjoy!

• 3-4 ounces olive oil
• 3 medium onions, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
  
• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1 can tomato paste
• 1 can tomato sauce (8 oz.)
• 1 medium can mushrooms
• 2 t. salt
• 1 t. pepper
• 1 t. Italian seasoning
• 1 1/2 cups water
  
• 1/4 cup dried parsley
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded (~2 oz.)
  
• 1 package frozen chopped spinach, cooked and drained
  
• 16 ounces shell macaroni, cooked and drained
  

1. Brown onions and garlic in olive oil. Add meat and brown.
2. Add tomato paste, sauce, mushrooms, salt, pepper, water, and Italian seasoning; simmer 15 minutes.
3. Add Parmesan cheese and parsley.
4. Combine sauce, noodles, spinach, and water. Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Cookbook Review: More-with-Less

My well-used copy of this interesting little cookbook looks a little bit different; some of the updated versions have a darker yellow cover (same picture) and/or spiral rings (the older ones all have spiral rings).

More-with-Less was published by the Mennonites in the 70's. It issued a well-needed and rather revolutionary (for its time) challenge to North American cooks: consume less of the world's resources. North Americans consume vast quantities of world food resources, particularly because we eat so much meat (and grain supplies go to feed those cattle!). In a time period when most people in North America were eating the classic "meat and three" meals for dinner every night, More-with-Less appeared with recipes for stir-fry dishes, Indian curries, and soups which all used much less meat than was typically consumed in American homes. In addition, as more and more women went back to work, people (partly out of necessity and the increasing number of products available) bought more and more pre-packaged and processed foods (think Mac-n-cheese!). More-with-Less offers recipes for making your own pancake mix, Jello, and many, many other things typically considered convenience foods. The reality is, many of these homemade alternatives are not only cheaper and healthier, but really no more trouble than their store bought counterparts.

This cookbook is worth checking out from your local library for an initial trial run. The opening chapters give some fascinating information (much of it updated for the 2000 edition) on consumption of resources, protein sources, and challenges to live with less (and get more in return). There are some really great recipes for things like homemade granola, healthy desserts (ones that provide nutrition as well as a sweet finish to the meal--see Refrigerator Cheesecake for an example), and breakfast foods like the pancake mix mentioned above.

One of the book's greatest strengths is the number of variations for each recipe. For the thrifty and/or creative cook, these are infinitely valuable. They allow you to adapt your ingredients to the recipe at hand, whipping up dishes at a moment's notice, so to speak. In addition to the variations given for many individual recipes, each chapter has a section titled "Gathering up the Fragments" which simply lists ways to use up leftovers in that category. For instance, one chapter might have a list of recipes that use leftover cooked rice. It's a great resource and has inspired me to create my own similar lists using favorite recipes from various cookbooks.

I think more mainstream/modern cookbooks now provide many similar entree/vegetable dishes as More-with-Less due to our current national fixation with whole grains and fruits/vegetables as well as our familiarity now with Mexican and Asian cuisine in particular (some of the recipes in More-with-Less were probably pretty strange looking in the 70's, but people now eat tortillas all the time). Recipes in modern cookbooks are a little more strongly flavored, and therefore, probably more pleasing to modern palates. There are also more vegetables widely available to us now than in the 70's (for instance, I don't believe broccoli or red peppers make much of an appearance in the book). If you're willing to adapt and use your ingenuity, though, this cookbook can serve you as well it might have served your mother!

Cookbook Review: Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook

I have to concur with my friend, Rinnie (see her comment on the Joy of Cooking review). Apparently she and I both use this cookbook (and More-with-Less) more than the cooking "bible" Joy of Cooking. So, I thought a review of another of my top five cookbooks was in order.

I own the 11th edition of the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook, 1996. This is actually a noteworthy point; my sister has the 10th edition and my mother the 12th. They are different! I think I like mine the best, so that edition is what I'm reviewing.

This cookbook is the one I have used the most across the board. The recipes are tried-and-true, classics and some new favorites. There is a nice amount of photographs, both of techniques and finished products. The recipes are designed for people with "real" schedules who also work with budget and health concerns: they contain time-savers such as condensed soups, but include lots of fresh ingredients as well. You will find some of our all-time favorite recipes from BHG on this blog as I get time to add them.

When I want some new weird vegetable dish or obscure ethnic variety, I still turn to something more comprehensive like Joy of Cooking, but this BHG edition has such a terrific combination of recipes that I would be content with only it on my shelf (and that is saying a LOT from someone who has lots of cookbooks and reads them for fun). Everything from pot roast, to homemade bread, to recipes featuring beans and tofu as main ingredients--we could truly use this cookbook only if we had to. In addition, the vast majority of recipes in this cookbook are very kid-friendly--even the tofu ones! (See one of our favorites: Cheese-and-Tofu Stuffed Shells)

Homemade Jello

Homemade jello is easy!!! You can customize the sugar content and flavors endlessly, and it has nothing artificial in it (unless you add it). You also aren't stuck with a million little boxes in your pantry. If you want to make it with juice saved from canned fruit (aren't we thrifty?!), you should know that most canned fruit (even mandarin oranges) can be found canned in juice as opposed to syrup (often, it's pear juice), and, save for mandarin orange juice, is pretty mild. Pair it with a stronger juice (such as grape or cranberry) or add the optional lemon juice and/or orange juice concentrate. Mandarin orange juice adds a distinctive flavor on its own and is also good with cranberry juice and apple juice (and all three together). 1 medium can of fruit yields approximately 2/3 cup juice; 1 regular-sized can mandarin oranges yields approximately 1/2 cup.

Recipe from More-with-Less (including variations at the end; notes in parentheses are mine)

Combine in saucepan:

• 1 c. fruit juice, drained from canned fruit (or 1 c. regular juice)
• 1 enveloped unflavored gelatin

Stir to begin dissolving gelatin. Then heat almost to boiling point until liquid is clear. Remove from heat and add:

• 1 c. cold fruit juice or water
• 1 T. lemon juice (optional; can omit if using strong juices such as grape or cranberry)
• 1 T. frozen orange juice concentrate (optional; can omit if using strong juices such as grape or cranberry)

Chill until set.

Serves 4-6

Variations

1. When partially set, fold in fresh or drained canned fruits as desired. If using fresh unsweetened fruits and tart juice, add 2-4 T. sugar to hot gelatin mixture.
2. When partially set, fold in 1 c. whipped cream or cottage cheese.
3. Replace second cup fruit juice with 1 c. chilled yogurt (this is good, but different).

Website Review: Mealtime.org

Mealtime.org is a great resource for busy cooks. It's got connections to the Canned Food Alliance and the Food Pyramid, so you'll find a nice combination of recipes and tips that use convenience products with nutrition in mind. In fact, their slogan is, "Canned food--the easy way to eat right." Granted, canned foods are often higher in sodium than made from scratch, but they certainly help out on busy nights! Mealtime.org has a recipe collection, tips for eating with kids/different ages, ideas for holidays and different ethnic meals, and a customizable "recipe box." We're trying the 3-Cheese Chicken Florentine this week, so we'll let you know how it goes!

Frozen Yogurt Blueberry Pops

Simple and refreshing in the hot weather!

Recipe from Superfoods Rx

12 paper or foil baking cups, 2 1/2-inch size (or Popsicle molds)

zest and juices of 1 small lemon
2 c. plain nonfat yogurt
1/4-1/2 c. sugar
1 pint blueberries

12 Popsicle sticks

Line 12 (2.5-inch) muffin pan cups with fluted paper baking cups (or just use a Popsicle mold). In a bowl, blend the lemon zest, lemon juice, yogurt, and sugar until smooth. Stir in the blueberries. Divide the mixture among the paper-lined muffins pan cups (or mold). Freeze for 1 1/2 hours, or until almost firm; insert a Popsicle stick in the middle of each pop. Freeze until firm, about 2 hours. For longer storage in the freezer, cover with plastic wrap. To serve, peel off the paper liners from the pops; let stand at room temperature 4 to 6 minutes to soften slightly for easier eating.

Blueberry Yogurt Shake

This is my favorite smoothie recipe--simple, healthy, and refreshing! It makes a great "snack" for kids mid-afternoon. It's also a great breakfast drink.

Recipe comes from Superfoods Rx

1 c. nonfat plain yogurt
1/4 c. freshly squeezed orange juice (or bottled, from concentrate, whatever)
1/2 c. fresh or frozen blueberries
1/2 very ripe banana

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend on medium speed until smooth and frothy. Pour into glasses and serve.

Serves 2

Homemade Pancake Mix

Another gem from More-With-Less--this recipe is infinitely customizable and the pancakes it produces (or, at least, my current variation* of them) are light, fluffy, and yummy! (and much healthier and cheaper than their store bought counterpart mix makes) *I used 1 c. soy flour, 1 c. wheat germ, and 5 c. white whole wheat

For 2 pounds mix; makes approximately 4 batches of 12-15 pancakes each. (Amounts in parentheses are for 4 pounds mix.)
Combine in large bowl:
6 c. flour* (12 c.)
1 T. salt (2 T.)
6 T. baking powder (3/4 c.)
6 T. sugar (3/4 c.)
2 c. powdered milk (4 c.)

Mix well and store in airtight container.

To make pancakes:
Combine in bowl (let sit a few minutes after mixing; lumps are okay; add more milk if you like your pancakes thinner):
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 c. water
2 T. oil
1 1/2 c. pancake mix

Cook on greased skillet or griddle.

*Options:

• replace one third of flour with whole wheat flour, buckwheat flour, oatmeal, or rye flour and cornmeal
• replace part or all of flour with white whole wheat (King Arthur makes a good one)
• replace one sixth of flour with soy flour (adds extra protein)
• add 1 c. wheat germ to 2 pounds recipe or 2 c. to 4 pounds recipe
  

Cream Cheese Balls

Cream Cheese Balls are a favorite with my three kids. My toddler loves to help me make them, so they work as an activity as well!

Divide one block of cream cheese into small squares (I cut the block in a grid with a knife, getting approximately 40 squares or so). Then, roll the squares into balls. Roll the balls into some sort of crumb mixture (wheat germ, Cheerio crumbs, etc.).

You can serve them immediately or freeze them for later use. I've found it helpful to freeze them even before first serving them since the warmth of your hands makes them very soft at first. Simply pull from the freezer 10 minutes or so before serving.

Cookbook Review: Joy of Cooking

If I had to reduce my 45-50 cookbooks to just one, this would be it. Cliche perhaps, but true. I have the 1997 edition (pictured here); it was the first major update in decades of this cooking "bible." There were a number of international and vegetarian dishes added. Unfortunately, the editors took out some of the old-fashioned information and recipes, such as a chapter on canning, but I've heard that the 2006 edition puts those items back in--the best of both worlds. I don't know whether I'll take the plunge and get the newer one or not since my current one is all "ripply" on certain pages where various ingredients have jumped onto the page while I've been diligently following a favorite recipe from the same page.

Joy of Cooking is a classic for good reason. It's the place to go when you have a strange ingredient and want to find recipes to use it. It's also the place to go when someone wants a traditional pound cake, an Indian samosa, chicken pot pie, or stuffed grape leaves. Truly, there's a little bit of everything in it! It can be a bit labor-intensive at times, but everything "works"--a cookbook you can trust. If you're trying to reduce food costs at home, consider an all-purpose cookbook like this since it also includes recipes for making your own bread, white sauces (think, condensed soups), cookies, granola, etc.

I think every cook should have one of these, at least for reference! You can probably find them easily in a used book store since they're fairly ubiquitous.

Lunches on the Go

Well, as summer looms and nice weather beckons, kids and parents generally rush for the great outdoors--so ready for some freedom from classrooms and homes after winter's cold and spring's rain. So, what do you take for lunch on those glorious park days? What about snacks to keep handy in the car in case the spirit moves and you happen to spend two extra hours at the zoo than you had planned? Sure you can stop by Chick-Fil-A once in a while, but those fast food stops add up in your budget and on your waistline. Below are some suggestions of portable food that is reasonably healthy and kid-friendly (and also requires little to no refrigeration or prep):

• milk boxes (did you know you can now buy milk boxes in the aisle with the juice boxes? no refrigeration needed!)
• 100% juice boxes
• whole grain Goldfish
• other whole grain crackers: Triscuits, whole grain Wheat-Thins, whole grain Melba Toast, etc.
• fruit such as grapes or bananas (no need to cut up when you arrive at your destination)
• string cheese (you can also find Cheddar cheese sticks and other varieties packaged like string cheese)
• raisins and other boxed dried fruit (Disney makes small boxes of mixed dried fruit)
• 100 calorie packages of cookies and other "sweet" snacks
• veggies and dip: you can buy Ranch dressing in small lunch-size cups; they come packaged together 4 (or 6) to a box. Carrots hold up well for lunches.
• Pita bread or tortillas don't get crushed as easily as bread
• put peanut butter or hummus in small containers and use as dip or spreads
• nuts
• muffins (you can freeze the night before and they will hold their shape better)
• tuna salad and crackers kits
  

Chicken Pilau

This is another tasty, inexpensive, easy, nutritious recipe! It's basically an easy chicken curry; note that the finished recipe has honey added to it--the texture of the dish is appropriate for older infants, but you might replace the honey with sugar if you'll be serving this to children under 1 year.

Original recipe comes from More With Less (name in cookbook is Chicken Pilau II)

Combine in large stockpot:

• 3-4 pounds chicken pieces (bone-in, skinned)
• 2 qts. water
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 1 t. salt

Saute in small skillet:

• 3 T. oil (heat before adding onions)
• 2 onions, minced

Add onions to chicken mixture and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 20 minutes. Add:

• 2 1/2 cups brown rice

Cover and simmer 40 minutes, or until chicken and rice are done. Remove chicken to a platter or large plate. Stir into rice:

• 1 1/2 cups raisins
• 1 1/2 T. curry powder (use less if your curry is spicy and you're feeding this to young children)
• 1 t. salt
• 1 T. honey
• 2 T. lime or lemon juice

Mound rice around chicken and garnish with:

• 1/2 c. slivered almonds (optional)
• 1/4 c. chopped parsley

(You may also simply chop up the chicken and mix it into the rice instead of presenting it on a large platter.)

Serves 8

Coca-Cola Ham

This is an intuitive recipe, with no specific times or temperatures. That being said, since hams are already cooked, the times/temps don't matter too much.

Cured (bone-in) ham butt portion
3-L Coke (enough to half cover ham)

Place ham in deep pot with lid. Pour coke over ham. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and boil until tender (or bake in oven, basting occasionally). If liquid boils out, add more coke.

Test by sticking the long tines of a fork into meat to see if it's tender.

This ham may be sprinkled with bread crumbs, brown sugar, or any desired glaze, but it will already be sweet.

"Poor Man's BBQ"

I think this is the week Betsy wanted to post some coke/soda related recipes. This one is super easy and quick. It is a sweeter BBQ taste, and pretty mild for those who don't like the spicy ones.

1 12oz can Coke
1 cup ketchup
2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts*

*When I made this, I usually did just 2 peices of chicken--you may need to double the coke and ketchup if doing more.

Cut chicken into bite size peices. Cook/saute in large skillet till near done. Add Coke and ketchup. Stir to combine and let simmer till chicken is done and all is heated through well.