Fiddledeedee

My husband is not what you would call subtle.  Recently he iChatted me a website that he wanted me to book mark for use whenever I step foot in the kitchen.

With 3 children, working at home, homeschooling, and all the insanity that combo brings, we often communicate best through technology.  That way we’re not left staring at each other and yelling over the din, “WHAT WAS IT THAT I WAS SUPPOSE TO REMEMBER TO TELL YOU?” So we send each other messages willy nilly.  “The toilet paper? It goes ON THE TOILET PAPER HOLDER.” Etcetera.

Anyhoo. I married a man who has certain ideas about cleanliness.  Especially in the kitchen.  It’s not that he’s a clean freak himself.  HOOOBOY. NOT EVEN. But he has issues with germs, mold, bacteria, and general nastiness.

The first time he ever witnessed me licking a cake batter bowl, his eyes rolled to the back of his head just before he hit the floor.  He didn’t know where to start.  The raw eggs?  The licking of the fingers?  The licking of the beaters?  His wife sticking her entire head into the bowl declaring that it no longer needed to be washed?

I attempted to explain to him that I come from a long line of southern women.  And in the south, we eat raw cookie dough, cake batter, and would never dream of leaving any of those delicacies behind on a spoon, bowl, or whathaveyou.

He shuddered.  And even after all these years of wedded bliss, I still don’t think he gets it.  Or approves.

Therefore, a link to a website appeared in my in-box this week.  Oh boy.  Here we go again.  Another interesting article about the perils of e-coli, or salmonella poisoning.  I clicked, because never let it be said that I don’t listen to my husband.  The link went to a website called StillTasty.  It is a Shelf Life Guide about everything Food related.  And unbeknownst to me, I HAD QUESTIONS.

Not only did I get the questions answered, but I learned things that I never even thought about asking.

One habit that I got into after marrying my food-cautious husband, was that I label all leftovers before they go into the fridge.  I keep a roll of masking tape and a permanent marker in my kitchen drawer, and I label what the item is, and the date it was cooked.

This works well as long as we either eat the leftovers in question, or throw them out before they turn green and fuzzy.  And sport wings.  But how long is too long?

I learned some interesting facts when perusing this website.  For example, I’ve been in the habit of tossing yogurt and other dairy products the day after the expiration date.  DON’T NEED TO.  According to StillTasty, the expiration date is a selling guide, and the dairy products are still good up to a week after the expiration date, as long as you follow safe storage procedures. Like keeping the temperature in the refrigerator at or below 40 degrees.  Also, the FDA has a handy consumer tip guide on their website.

I thought this was an interesting fact.  I’ve always heard that it’s unsafe to store food still in an opened can. According to StillTasty, while from a safety standpoint, it is okay, the USDA still doesn’t advise it.  The reason is that “canned foods retain their flavor and appearance if you transfer them to glass or plastic storage containers after opening.”

There is also a guide to freezing foods.  Did you know that you can freeze eggs? Me neither!  You just need to do a little prep work, according to StillTasty.  Always remove the eggs from their shells, because when a raw egg freezes, it expands.  And you don’t need a science lesson to know what would happen to the shell.

After you crack open the eggs, pierce the yolks, and mix them to blend with the whites.  Then you add in either of the following: 1) 1/2 teaspoon of salt for every cup of raw eggs, if you’re planning to use the eggs for a regular dish, or 2) 1 tablespoon of sugar for each cup of eggs, if you’re using them for baking or desserts.  The salt and the sugar both prevent the eggs’ yolks from getting too gelatinous when frozen.

Then you simply place the egg mixture in airtight containers or heavy duty freezer bags and place in the freezer.

Who knew?  What a great way to save money when eggs go on sale!

I’m able to search this sight by individual food as well, to get the information I seek.  LOVE THIS SITE.  Now my husband can no longer accuse me of trying to poison him.  HE CAN LOOK IT UP if he doesn’t believe me.

Now that I’m armed with all this culinary information, I actually think of myself as “going green.”  No more second guessing and food wasting for me.

And no unnecessary food-related trips to the emergency room for my spouse.

Win-win.

Fiddledaddy was out of town all week on business. Which meant that I could get away with meals like Hot Dogs, Frozen Pizza, OH YES, YOU CAN EAT CEREAL FOR DINNER.  It also meant that I didn’t have to fight over the remote with anyone once the children were mercifully asleep.

A hollow victory, because I had to watch Lost all alone.  And Lost, especially 3 hours of it, is likely to lead to restless sleep and nightmares about smoke monsters and VW buses.

Thankfully, he returned bearing gifts.  The children acquired some video games, but I am the one who SCORED.  Fiddledaddy brought me a German Chocolate Cake.  Because nothing says “I love you and I’m sorry that I left you all alone with our insane children” like a German Chocolate Cake.

This is where I would like to tell you that I employed all of my will power and said “it’s the thought that counts” and fed the cake to my family.  Thusly saving my fragile metabolism. But that would be a lie from the pit of hell.  I scarfed that cake down before the dinner dishes were even cleared from the table.  And yes, reluctantly, I shared with the children.  But they did ask in unison, HEY, WHAT HAPPENED TO THE CHERRY ON TOP?

Anyhoo.  When Fiddledaddy is home for dinner, I like to cook a well rounded meal.  And by well rounded, I mean that there is a protein, a complex carb, and some vegetables.  BUT IT HAS TO BE SIMPLE.  I have no time, patience, or fortitude to whip up fancy meals anymore.  (As if I ever did.)

Swedish Meatballs are a favorite with my children.  I got this recipe from my e-mealz membership.  I can’t say enough good things about e-mealz.  They have saved me COUNTLESS hours and headaches by putting together meal plans and grocery lists for me.  (The button is on my left sidebar, and pssst, if you order a membership using the coupon code “Dave”, you get a 3 month membership for $12.50, instead of $15.00.) This is an extremely easy recipe, and you can make extra and freeze some for later.

Swedish Meatballs

Meatballs

• 2 lb.. Lean Ground Beef
• 1 Onion, finely chopped
• 1 Cup Fine Bread Crumbs *
• 2 Eggs, beaten
• 1/2 Cup Milk (recipe called for 1 C., I use 1/2 C.)
• 1 t. Salt **
• 1/4 t. Ground Pepper
• 1/2 t. Garlic Powder (or you could use Allspice)

Gravy

• 1 Envelope Dry Onion Soup Mix ***
• 1 Cup Water
• 1 T. Flour
• 1 C. Milk
• Salt & Pepper to season

* In lieu of bread crumbs, I use Rothbury Farms Seasoned Croutons.  They are with whole wheat flour and THEY ARE TASTY.  Gives the meatballs extra flavor.  Just beat them into submission bread crumbs with a kitchen mallet.

*** Also, it’s hard to find envelopes of Dry Onion Soup Mix that do not contain MSG.  I find them at the health food store.  I’ll buy several at a time, and then just stick them in the freezer until I need them.

Meatballs: Mix all meatball ingredients together.  I wear those handy medical gloves so that I can use my hands WITHOUT EVER HAVING TO ACTUALLY TOUCH RAW MEAT.  Form into 1″ meatballs.  Place in a 13 x 9 glass baking dish.  Bake @ 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Drain off any grease.

Personally, I love the fact that these are made in the oven, and not in a skillet.  But I reckon you could if you felt the urge.

Gravy: In a large skillet, combine gravy ingredients.  Stir well.  Add cooked meatballs and simmer for 20 minutes.

I love to serve this over whole wheat wide noodles with a side of green beans.

Come to think of it, a slab of German Chocolate Cake might just complete this meal.  Followed by a brisk 20 mile walk.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Thank you, thank you for all your recipes last weekend when I was in dire need of cold weather comfort food.  And thank you MelissaB. for your Taco Soup recipe in the comments section.  I made it this week, the kids LOVED it, and I just 5 minutes ago enjoyed the leftovers.

So, I’ll be working my way through those YUMMY recipes.

This week I received my long awaited new and improved Vita-Mix Recipe Book.  And I tried one of the recipes under the “breakfast” section and couldn’t wait to share it with you all.

Dutch Apple Baby

(I did not name this)

Apples

• 2 T. Trans Fat Free Margarine
• 3 Large Apples, cored, sliced (with skin on)
• 1/4 Cup Granulated Sugar (I used Splenda)
• 1/2 t. Ground Cinnamon
• 1/4 t. Nutmeg

Pancake

• 3 Eggs
• 1/2 Cup All-Purpose Flour
• 1/2 Cup Low Fat Milk
• 1 T. Low Fat Sour Cream, or Low Fat Plain Yogurt
• 1/2 t. Salt
• 1 t. Vanilla Extract

Apples

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a 9-inch pie plate with a shot of cooking spray.
2. Sauté sliced apples in butter with sugar and cinnamon until slightly soft.
3. Transfer to pie plate.

Pancake

1. Add all pancake ingredients into the Vita-Mix container in the order listed and secure lid. ***
2. Blend on high for 30 seconds, or until well mixed.
3. Pour over apples.  Bake for 20 minutes.
4. Garnish with powdered sugar.  (I used sugar free cool whip)

***(please note: you can absolutely use a regular blender, or hand mixer for this recipe)

After my family devoured this dish, Fiddledaddy asked me if I had taken a picture of it.  Ooops.  It went awfully fast.  A photograph of the empty dish would not have been as effective.

So I did what any self respecting cook would do.  I scanned the picture from the recipe book.  Because IT REALLY DID LOOK LIKE THAT!  Not even kidding.  And I’m just guessing that those sticks in the middle of it are cinnamon sticks.  I omitted those.

And while it made for a spectacular breakfast dish, I would totally make this for dessert.  For company even.  It was very simple, and extremely good.

If you have a recipe to post for Saturday Stirrings, link up with Mr. Linky below.  Be sure to link with you specific blog post URL.  And then in your post, link back here to Saturday Stirrings, because that’s the polite thing to do.

Have an awesome weekend!

And don’t forget, the giveaway for the DVD Guitar Class ends Saturday night!

Oh, and I’m going to leave the links open for my Twitter Party all weekend.  Because THAT WAS FUN!

My mother had a rather southern tradition of always cooking black eyed peas, ham, and fried okra on New Years day.  To my understanding, the black eyed peas were for luck.

The fried okra was simply a homage to her love of bacon fat.

I haven’t decided what New Years meal tradition to begin with my family yet.  But after our recent stomach flu, I’m pretty sure that we’re not ready for bacon fat yet.

And that saddens me.

However.  When we were under siege, I spent a good deal of time scouring the internet for a potato soup recipe that didn’t include a bunch of contraband ingredients that would be contrary to a bland diet.  I love making quick soup using my Vita-Mix, but I wanted something that would simmer on the stove and make the house smell nice.  Because at that point, the house wasn’t smelling so nice.  Just sayin’.

I found the following recipe at Cooks.com and tweaked it just a little.  It was a hit during our colonary affliction.  And I loved it so much that I made up a batch just today.  And the title of it is “Grandma’s Potato Soup.”  I don’t know whose grandma, but somebodies.

Grandma’s Potato Soup

• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 celery stalks, sliced
• 1 cup baby carrots, sliced
• 4 potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 4 – 4 1/2 cups boiled water
• 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon
• potato flakes for thickening
• salt & pepper to taste

Sauté onions and celery in oil until soft.  Add the water and bring to a boil.  Then add the carrots, potatoes, and chicken bouillon.  Add salt & pepper to taste.  Reduce heat to a simmer, and let the whole thing cook for 1 hour.  Towards the end of the cooking time, add some potato flakes to thicken the broth.  I think I used the equivalent of 4 tablespoons.

Tonight I served the soup with seasoned croutons and shredded mild cheddar cheese on top.  Perfect for cooler weather.

And yes, when Fiddledaddy was out slaving over the stricken mailbox, we were having a warm spell.  Some of you living in the northern states noticed that.  And I’m sure you’re not bitter.   But now our weather has taken a turn for the colder.  I couldn’t be happier.

And btw, the brackets that Fiddledaddy used to fix the post worked beautifully.  SO I WAS WRONG, HONEY.  I CAN ADMIT THAT PUBLICLY.

(I’m still going to paint it, though.  BRIGHT RED, so it may be more easily avoided when operating a 2 ton vehicle.)

I’m not going to add Mr. Linky for this post, because I didn’t tell anyone I was actually going to post a Saturday Stirrings.  I didn’t even know myself until I sat down to type.

Happy New Year, my friends!

Our Disney vacation officially ended Friday morning at 4:30 when Jensen began a day filled with vomit.  We suspect food poisoning, and we’ll just stick with that because anything contagious is simply out of the question.

Because remember, the 3 weeks prior to our vacation were spent in seclusion with sick children.

And frankly, I’m all done with that.

It is difficult for me to think about food at this moment, but yet I press on.  Because of this:

(Photo taken with Fiddledaddy’s camera, as mine is still vacationing at the bottom of the Disney World Lake)

I have 3 LARGE Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bars burning a hole in my fridge.  I bought 2 for the pending campfire smores, and my girlfriend Lisa and her family brought 2 more since they were joining us.

None of the children wanted anything to do with marshmallows that had been set ablaze, so Lisa and I were pretty much the only folks in our party that ate the smores.  And then I let Lisa talk me into keeping custody of the remainder of the chocolate bars, just in case there should occur a hormonal meltdown.  While on vacation.

And really, I hesitate to call that a vacation.  Enjoyable as it was (save for the vomit), I’ve never been more exhausted.

What am I going to do with these remaining 3 large bars of chocolate?  I was hoping you all might have some wonderful ideas.  And I also went online and found the following recipe, which I will be trying in the next week.

Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Cake

• 1 Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar, (8 oz.), broken into pieces
• 1/4  cup  butter or margarine
• 1 2/3  cups  boiling water
• 2 1/3  cups  unsifted all-purpose flour
• 2  cups  packed light brown sugar
• 2  teaspoons  baking soda
• 1  teaspoon  salt
• 2    Eggs
• 1/2  cup  sour cream
• 1  teaspoon  vanilla

Directions:
Combine chocolate bar, butter and boiling water in medium mixing bowl; stir until chocolate is melted. Combine flour, brown sugar, baking soda and salt in large mixer bowl; gradually add chocolate mixture, beating until thoroughly blended. Blend in eggs, sour cream and vanilla; beat 1 minute on medium speed. Pour into greased and floured 13×9 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. Cool completely; frost as desired. 10 – 12 servings.

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What caught my attention about this recipe, was that it came from The Possum Kingdom Lake Cookbook. Possum Kingdom Lake is very close to where my mom grew up in Texas.  And I have it on very good authority that she got into a great deal of trouble at Possum Kingdom Lake.

Anyhoo, if y’all have any other ideas for my Hershey’s Milk Chocolate bars, let me know.

And by happy coincidence, my Hershey’s Kisses Review is over at Fiddledeedee Reviews.  AND you could win a $100 Visa Gift Card.  (You have until December 31st.)

I’ll put up Mr. Linky if you have a recipe you’d like to share for Saturday Stirrings.  Remember to link to your specific post, and then link up back here.

Since next Friday is Christmas (oh dear Lord in heaven, I am so not ready), I’m going to take the whole weekend off, and Saturday Stirrings will resume after the first of the year.

Have a great weekend!