Posts filed under 'Philosophy'
Last time I posted, I wrote about my broken oven. Ironically, it broke on Thanksgiving. We were all thankful that the turkey was done! For several weeks following this oven failure, I waited on that mystical oven part that would restore my baking abilities. Of course, it never came. Eventually I called repairman #2, who told me the part is no longer available, aka - your oven cannot be fixed.
It spiraled downward even further from there. Short version: Bought a used oven on Craig’s List. Didn’t work. Made plans to return it. Broke the door. Unworking Craig’s list oven ended up on our curb. About this time we realized that one burner on our stove wasn’t working either.
After that, we redirected our attention. Lots of things were bothering us about our kitchen. The sink was stained and yucky. The garbage disposer had been fixed with JB Weld several months prior. My faucet was outdated. The cabinets were low-grade things made of press wood. The counters were tile and I never liked the uneven grout lines.
The result? After a gazillion trips to Lowe’s, we now have (almost) a new kitchen! New cabinets, drywall, extra electrical, and to top it off (literally and figuratively) granite counter tops! Pictures to come — there is still some work to do.
So, after exactly 135 days with no oven, what does one make? Here’s what we’ve done so far:
Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies
Lemon Raspberry Pie
Lasagna
Toasted Philly Cheese steak Sandwiches
Sweet Potato Fries
Snickerdoodles (made by my son Sam)
and coming up…
Shake And Bake Pork Chops (hubby’s favorite)
Please note that this is just what has been cooked in the last 3 days! More to come… Chicken Pot Pie, Roasted Redskin Potatoes, Cherry Pie, and Crumb-topped Apple Pie, Mint Chocolate Chip cookies.
The only of the above items which is a new creation was the Lemon-Raspberry Pie. The filling is a little complicated, with lots of steps, but not hard to do at all, so stick with me…
Pastry for a double crust 10-inch pie
Filling:
1 1/3 c. sugar
3 T. quick tapioca
dash of salt
1/4 c. butter
3 eggs
one lemon
2/3 c. frozen raspberries
1/3 c. water
Roll out the bottom crust, then prepare filling as follows:
Combine the sugar, tapioca, and salt - Set this aside. Next, separate one of the eggs into two bowls. (Yolk in one bowl, white in the other obviously) Now set the white aside (this will be used for the top crust) and crack both of the other eggs into the bowl with the lonely yolk and beat them all together. Sorry, eggs, for the unjust treatment. Next, melt the butter and add it to these eggs.
Now, turn your attention to the lemon. Zest it, scraping just the brightest yellow off of the peel. Add the lemon zest to your egg yolk mixture. Then, cut all the peel and white pith off of the lemon. Slice it very thinly, remove the seeds, and add the lemon slices to the buttery egg mixture. Toss the raspberries in there, too. Now combine all of this with the sugar mixture that you started with, plus the water. Say “phew” - the worst part is done. This is your pie filling.
Pour the filling into the bottom shell and add the top crust as you would for any normal pie. Crimp the edges to make the crust. Then brush that egg white generously onto the top. Sprinkle with a little sugar.
Bake this lovely masterpiece for an hour at 400 degrees. Cool thoroughly before serving.
This is a delicious summertime pie.
April 13th, 2011
Now I will add my 2 cents to the vast sea of information about saving money that’s going around….
Some of my friends call me their “Practical Friend,” — so I will stick with that and try to offer some practical tips:
First of all, make things from scratch! It is not that hard — yes, it takes a few extra minutes, but there is a cost difference and I believe, a nutritional/health difference when you make things yourself instead of buying all that packaged, preservative-laden crap.
I noticed recently when I was looking for pudding mix that the pudding aisle at the grocery has changed. I can no longer buy store-brand instant pudding mix. I can buy store-brand ready-made pudding packs in every flavor imaginable, but no boxed mixes. (I consider even a boxed mix to be convenient. People used to make pudding my stirring ingredients together on the stove.) Anyway, the boxed-mix portion of the shelves is shrinking and the pudding-pack portion is expanding…. This makes me wonder…. When did people get so lazy/stupid that they can’t whisk pudding mix into milk??!!
So, my first hint is to buy real ingredients instead of pre-packaged food. You are paying for someone else to prepare your food for you. Buy tomato paste and herbs instead of spaghetti sauce.
Second, adjust your diet to fit your budget. In the last couple of years, we’ve begun eating less meat and more beans. At least 2 or 3 days a week, we don’t eat meat at all. Pasta, eggs, and beans are all good main-dish alternatives to meat.
Third, try to cook things that make good leftovers — you’ll stretch your dollars by “recycling” that leftover pork loin into stir-fry or bean soup.
Buy store-brand when you can. Most of the time, there is very little difference in the taste or quality. I understand that with some things, you prefer spending the extra pennies (My husband absolutely has to have Vlasic pickles). As a rule, however, you will save more when you buy store-brand items, than if you clip your coupon and buy the name-brand stuff.
Buy cheap snacks. (Or how ’bout this — no snacks) We eat lots of popcorn. The real stuff that you have to pop all by yourself, not the microwave junk - I’m scared of what they put in that. I buy 50 lb. of popcorn at the wholesale club and pop it with coconut oil (ok, that’s kinda expensive, but better for you than veg. shortening) and then drizzle butter on top. Even with the coconut oil and butter, this is less costly than buying potato chips and cheesy snack crackers. We are off potato chips entirely and I only buy snack crackers occasionally. Heck, you can always make a PBJ if you get hungry in the middle of the day.
Sometimes, buying bulk gets you a real deal, other times - not so much. Check out places you can buy bulk. I go to a warehouse club, but hit the regular grocery pretty hard, too. Things I buy at the warehouse? — Olive oil, butter, lunchmeat, cheese, lettuce and other vegetables, nuts, toilet paper and paper towels, chocolate chips, most meats (I think the quality is better, but the price is about the same).
Things I don’t do to save money at the grocery:
Go around to different groceries and gather the sale items. This is actually a good money-saving technique, but it is a huge consumption of time and gasoline.
Clip coupons. Most coupons are for convenience foods that I don’t buy or for overpriced name-brand items. Shampoo and other hygiene items are the only coupons I ever clip.
Buy cheap meat. Yuck. I was raised on a farm and am a bit particular about meat quality.
Eat out more often. Yes, this will save your grocery bill, but it’s a pretty expensive way to go about it!!
March 4th, 2009
Jumping on the bandwagon here with ways to save money around the house. Usually this is a cooking blog, but I’m expanding for the next several posts to include all the small ways I pinch pennies at home and while shopping.
Right now, we are all recession-minded and many of us are even bracing for a depression. Even if you never lose your income, a recession or depression can halt pay raises, make you hesitant to change jobs, and can just make you more conservative in your spending. Remember, also, that during hard times, charity is even more necessary than during good times and if you are fortunate enough to have a good income, you should consider being extra-charitable during hard economic times.
So, folks, starting today, I will challenge you to reduce your spending, consumption, and usage in small ways. Every little bit counts! A penny saved is a penny earned, and all that jazz…
We’ll start in the laundry room…
First off, reduce the amount of laundry soap you use. A dermatologist told me a long time ago that we don’t need to use the recommended amount of soap, you know… the amount that All or Tide suggests you use. When measuring laundry soap, cut it with a little water, even up to 50/50 water and soap. Keep your eyes on the sales and try your darndest to only buy laundry soap when it is on sale. Soon I am planning to try making my own laundry soap, check out the Duggar’s website for the recipe.
This just in from my sister Sue: “if you have a Sears hardware around, buy their laundry soap in the eight million ton bucket. If you get it on sale it is $20, and it lasts forever…I bet the Duggar’s isn’t even cheaper to make.”
Secondly, if you use dryer sheets, try tearing them in half or even into thirds. You might be surprised that they are just as effective this way. In the summertime, when the air is more humid, you can skip the dryer sheet altogether. Towels never need dryer sheets - in fact I have read that fabric softeners make towels less absorbent.
Thirdly, and you may have some trouble with this one…. wash your clothes less often. Seriously, jeans do not need to be washed after every single wearing. Nor do your shirts, much of the time. Try wearing them a couple of days before tossing clothes into the laundry, and train your family to do the same thing.
In addition, don’t forget that clothes can be dried in the sunshine and fresh air. Hang a clothesline if space and conditions allow. You’ll save on your electric bill and save wear and tear on your dryer. Besides, nothing smells so good as sheets that have been dried in the sun!
Now for a couple of don’ts:
Don’t use the dry cleaner for every day washable items. Dry cleaners are just for things you actually cannot clean at home, like leather and suede. A few extra minutes of pressing may save only pennies, but a penny is still a penny.
Don’t go buy a front-loading washing machine because it saves water. I’ve done the research - If there is a front-loader on the market that will last long enough to save enough on your water bill to pay for itself, I am not aware of it. Stick with the top-loaders, they are effective and ever-so-much less expensive.
In my next post, I will try to help you spot ways in which you can save money at the grocery.
January 12th, 2009
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