Even zombies have a sweet tooth!

This is my latest cake creation!

The brain is red velvet with a home made butter cream icing and covered in a home made marshmallow fondant.  The blood is seedless raspberry jelly.  The bottom is a yellow cake with more butter cream and then royal icing for the decorations.

I only hope that it tastes as good (or gross) as it looks.

Challenge!

I don't know how many read this blog but I'm putting forward a challenge to every single one of you.  If you dare, post as a comment on your best ideas for saving money on food. 
Today food is one of the most expensive necessities that we cannot live without.  Obvious, huh?  Thanks to the fact that this country actually pays our farmers NOT to grow food and encourages them to ship whatever food they do grow to other countries, our cost for food keeps increasing with no end in sight.  I don't know about you but I love food.  I love my country.  This doesn't mean that I like what both of them do to my bottom line.  (You can take that figuratively and literally.)  
Here is my tip: Quality has a price and its worth it!  For the past few years we have had a vegetable garden.  This was the worst year ever.  I didn't reap even though I sewed.  I learned the hard way that quality of seeds and transplants is really important.  I will never buy from 'big box' sources again.  It costs a little more but Seed Savers Exchange (www.seedsavers.org) will be the only place I ever buy from. 

Definately NOT Kosher...

How do you make six servings of a meal for under $5 TOTAL?  I know most of you are saying that it is impossible but take my word for it- it is not only possible but delicious.
Ham and Beans
1 lb ham trimmings/ends/assorted pieces (I found this at our Super Walmart for $2.99 and was really surprised that it was good quality meat)
1 lb dry navy beans ($0.59)
2 cans chicken broth ($0.59 each)
1 T sage
Big handful of salt
1 T corn starch, optional
The night before add dry beans and salt to a really big bowl.  Cover the beans and an additional 3 inches above with heavily salted water.  I've found that this way the beans soak up the salt with the water and have better flavor than salting them afterward.
In the morning drain the beans and add to a large crock pot.  Trim any fat off the ham and chop into bite size pieces.  Add these along with the chicken broth and sage to the crock pot and add enough water to raise the water about 2 inches above.  Stir and cover set pot on low all day, about 8-10 hours.  Occasionally check to see if water is running low, if so add just enough water to come to the top of the beans and ham.  If you like a really thick Ham & Beans like I do, add a T of corn starch to cold water to dissolve and add this in about the last 15-20 minutes of cooking.

An Oldie But A Goodie!

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Mmm, (almost) year old bread.

Yes folks, the date on the jar is correct. This bread was made in October of last year.
I've never know anyone I've given my 'canned' bread to to wait more than a few days before cracking it open so I just had to make sure for myself that it would last this long.
I hid the jar way in the back of my pantry so I would forget, which worked pretty well until this morning when I was craving something sweet but filling for breakfast. I had my doubts, I mean 10 month old bread, yuk. I unscrewed the ring and was happy to have to pry the lid off. That meant that it was sealed up tight this whole time. I just couldn't believe it, it was as moist as the day I made them and tasted just as fresh!
Any kind of quick bread can be baked right in the jar like this, just make sure to spray the inside with nonstick spray and when they come out immediately place the lid and ring on. When the middle of the lids are completely depressed they are sealed air tight, this is accomplished by the hot air in the jar vacuum sealing the lid on. You should hear a little pop when it seals. When the jars are completely cooled label them. Don't forget to label! No one wants to eat mystery bread that's who knows how old.
I don't know the true shelf life of these but I would have to assume they aren't the infinite lifespan of a Twinkie. Especially since they taste a whole hell of a lot better.

Sloppy Joe, sloppy, sloppy Joe

Manwich, schmanwich. I want real food!

Yesterday was a day that screamed for something warm, hearty and comforting for lunch.  I had cooked, crumbled ground beef, hamburger buns and peppers.  Hm, Sloppy Joe's!
A while back after reading the ingredients on a Manwich can I was surprised.

INGREDIENTS:
Tomato puree (water, tomato paste), high fructose corn syrup, distilled vinegar, corn syrup, less than 2% of: salt, sugar, dehydrated onions, dehydrated red and green bell peppers, chile pepper, tomato fiber, spices, guar gum, xanthan gum, dehydrated garlic, carob bean gum, natural flavors.

 Yes, the 2nd, 4th and 6th ingredients are sugar!  And exactly what are guar gum, xanthan gum and carob bean gum?  I want a sandwich not candy!  

The first couple of recipes I tried were OK, but around here OK isn't good enough to get a second try.  The one I tried last night was THE ONE!  http://www.recipezaar.com/Manwich-Copycat-198485 

I did make some changes, so here is my version:

1 lb ground beef, cooked, drained and crumbled

1 cup ketchup

1 T mustard (I used Jack Daniel's mustard because I don't like the neon yellow stuff)

1 8 oz can tomato sauce

1 T chili powder

1 T paprika

1 small chopped onion

1 chopped green pepper

1 T chopped garic

Saute the onion, pepper and garlic until softened but not mushy.  Mix everything else in and heat through.  

Yesterday I made six pounds of this stuff, that is how good it was.  No, we didn't eat it all.  We had a little less than a pound for lunch, another pound in the fridge and the rest was put into freezer bags and well, frozen.  In the time it took me to make lunch, I made another 5 meals!

Saving by making- bread, baby!

Give us this day...

I jumped in head first and landed in flour.  I was at Satan's (aka Sam's Club) a quite a while ago and saw they had 25 lb bag of bread flour for $7.  A loaf of bread at the grocery costs, when on sale, $2.50.  Stand back, I'm about to do math.  That's 2.5 divided, no multiplied, carry the zero, that's not right.  My brain hurts, let's just say that if I waste (shame) most of the flour I will still have saved a frillion pennies.  And with Gryffin eating PB&J's like crazy and toast with breakfasts, we go through a lot of bread.  Plus with Fall Soup season on the brink, what's better than some fresh bread with soup?
For years I've struggled with bread machines.  When they first came out I wanted one so bad.  Mike and his Mom bought me one for my birthday one year. I used the hell out it until it gave up the ghost.  Got another one used and ran it into the ground too.  

I used to think mixing, kneading, proofing, waiting made for a whole day to make one loaf of bread.  And sometimes it does, depending on the recipe.  However, I've found a recipe that in less than 1 hour, most of it resting time, I can have a loaf of bread in the oven.
This recipe is from breadworld.com and is so quick, easy and delicious it's unbelievable that it requires so little work.

Rich White Bread (Food Processor recipe) Makes 1 loaf. 3 cups all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons sugar 1 envelope FLEISCHMANN'S RapidRise Yeast (or 2 1/4 teaspoons) 1-1/4 teaspoons salt 3 tablespoons butter or margarine, cut into pieces 1 egg 3/4 cup warm water (120° to 130°F) Directions Insert metal blade in food processor bowl. Add flour, sugar, undissolved yeast, and salt; process 5 to 10 seconds to combine. Add butter and egg. Begin processing, then slowly pour warm water through feed tube just until dough forms a ball, about 10 to 15 seconds (all water may not be needed). Continue processing for 60 seconds to knead dough. Carefully remove dough from processor bowl to lightly floured surface. Cover; let rest on floured surface 10 minutes. Roll dough to 12 x 7-inch rectangle. Beginning at short end, roll up tightly as for jelly roll. Pinch seam and ends to seal. Place, seam side down, in greased 8-1/2 x 4-1/2-inch loaf pan. Cover; let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 30 to 45 minutes. Bake at 375°F for 30 minutes or until done. Remove from pan; let cool on wire rack. Nutritional Information: Per serving: Serving size: 1 slice (1/12 of recipe) calories 159; total fat 4g; saturated fat 2g; cholesterol 25mg; sodium 280mg; total carbohydrate 27g; dietary fiber 1g; protein 4g.

Just as an example, the other day I had the ingredients out, mixed and covered for the first rise in 5 minutes.  That gave me a 10 minute break to put on some eggs to hard boil, clean up the mess, empty and refill the dishwasher.  Then it was roll, put in the pan and cover for another 30.  During that time I put on my makeup, did my hair, brushed my teeth and ruined them with a cup of coffee.  Then the bake time was spent playing with Gryffin.
Fresh, home made bread with only about a 15 minute investment of time. It took me longer than that to wrestle the behemoth bread machine to the counter, plug it in and program it!  Not to mention all the time saved by not having to curse at it, clean it and figure out why the crust was nasty.

Another exciting installment of...

Menu Monday!

Monday- Skips (skipped the meal), we ate lunch at an Italian buffet and went a little crazy knowing that it would be the last time we eat out for a long while.
Tuesday- Bourbon Chicken with rice, broccoli and carrots
Wednesday- Sloppy Joe's, BBQ beans and Mom Sherry's cole slaw
Thursday- Keil Basa and cabbage
Friday- Broiled Tilapia with macaroni and cheese and lima beans
Saturday- Ham and beans with cornbread