My sister in law gave me this recipe. We like it a lot
1/2 cup melted butter
3 TB oil
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
Blend that well.
Add one egg and
2 tsp vanilla
Blend
1 cup oats
1 cup white flour
1 cup brown flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
Blend
Add a teeny bit of water if the dough seems crumbly
1-2 cups chocolate chips
form balls and bake at 350 for about 8-9 minutes.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Creamy Black Bean Soup - my version
We made this last week and wow, we LOVED it. I modified it a bit. So first I'll post the original recipe from America's Test Kitchen with my modifications noted. I'm not including all the instructions for soaking the beans and cooking them with the ham chunks. My way is much faster and it was so so good.
Beans
1 pound (2 cups) dried black beans, rinsed and picked over
(I used 4 jars of home pressure canned black beans. I pureed two of them with a stick blender)
4 ounces ham steak, trimmed of rind
(I went to Costco and bought a pack of 3 very large ham steaks. I used only one half of a steak for this recipe and it was plenty!)
2 Bay leaves
5 Cups of water (not necessary if you're using canned beans)
1 tsp. salt (ommit if using canned beans)
Soup
3 Tb. Olive oil
2 Large Onions (I only used about 3/4 of one onion)
3 celery ribs (I was out of celery, but I think it would be very good with)
1 large carrot (I love carrots so I added 2 carrots, plus a handful of food storage carrots)
1/2 tsp salt
5-6 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 1/2 TB ground cumin
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (I used just a small pinch)
6 cups low sodium chicken broth (I used 2 cans)
2 TB cornstarch mixed with 2 TB water for thickening at the end. I did this and it helps.
Juice from one lime, about 2 TB
GArnishes
These make the soup extra special and so so yummy, so don't skip them
Lime wedges
Minched fresh cilantro
finely chopped red onion
Avocado diced
sour cream
Heat oil in large dutch oven until shimmering and add the onions, celery, fresh carrot, and salt. Cook till soft and lightly brown. Add garlic, cumin,red pepper flakes. Cook till fragrant, about 3 mins. Stir in your 2 jars of beans, then your 2 jars of pureed beans. Add the chicken broth. increase the heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer. Add your food storage carrots if you wish. Add the ham at this point ifusing canned beans. If not, wait. Simmer uncovered for about 30 mins.
If you use dry beans to start, then at this point you ladel out about 1.5 cups of the soup and puree it in the blender.
Next, add your mixture of cornstarch and water to theicken the soup. Return to boil to let it fully thicken. Off heat, stir in lime juice. Serve immediatley with separate garnishes. YUM.
Beans
1 pound (2 cups) dried black beans, rinsed and picked over
(I used 4 jars of home pressure canned black beans. I pureed two of them with a stick blender)
4 ounces ham steak, trimmed of rind
(I went to Costco and bought a pack of 3 very large ham steaks. I used only one half of a steak for this recipe and it was plenty!)
2 Bay leaves
5 Cups of water (not necessary if you're using canned beans)
1 tsp. salt (ommit if using canned beans)
Soup
3 Tb. Olive oil
2 Large Onions (I only used about 3/4 of one onion)
3 celery ribs (I was out of celery, but I think it would be very good with)
1 large carrot (I love carrots so I added 2 carrots, plus a handful of food storage carrots)
1/2 tsp salt
5-6 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 1/2 TB ground cumin
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (I used just a small pinch)
6 cups low sodium chicken broth (I used 2 cans)
2 TB cornstarch mixed with 2 TB water for thickening at the end. I did this and it helps.
Juice from one lime, about 2 TB
GArnishes
These make the soup extra special and so so yummy, so don't skip them
Lime wedges
Minched fresh cilantro
finely chopped red onion
Avocado diced
sour cream
Heat oil in large dutch oven until shimmering and add the onions, celery, fresh carrot, and salt. Cook till soft and lightly brown. Add garlic, cumin,red pepper flakes. Cook till fragrant, about 3 mins. Stir in your 2 jars of beans, then your 2 jars of pureed beans. Add the chicken broth. increase the heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer. Add your food storage carrots if you wish. Add the ham at this point ifusing canned beans. If not, wait. Simmer uncovered for about 30 mins.
If you use dry beans to start, then at this point you ladel out about 1.5 cups of the soup and puree it in the blender.
Next, add your mixture of cornstarch and water to theicken the soup. Return to boil to let it fully thicken. Off heat, stir in lime juice. Serve immediatley with separate garnishes. YUM.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Lemon Parmesean Pasta
Everybody LOVED this one, even my three year old.
1 pound dry fettuccini
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 TB butter
1 TB lemon zest
Juice of one lemon
1 cup grated Parmesean cheese
salt and pepper to taste
prepare pasta. Heat cream, add butter and stir. add zest and juice. boil. reduce to low and stir in cheese till melted. and salt and pepper. drain pasta. add sauce to pasta. stir well to coat. voila.
This is from a book I have called 52 weeks of Proven Recipes for Picky kids by Jill McKenzie. I've tried a handful of recipes from the book, but so far this is the only one my kids would eat.
1 pound dry fettuccini
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 TB butter
1 TB lemon zest
Juice of one lemon
1 cup grated Parmesean cheese
salt and pepper to taste
prepare pasta. Heat cream, add butter and stir. add zest and juice. boil. reduce to low and stir in cheese till melted. and salt and pepper. drain pasta. add sauce to pasta. stir well to coat. voila.
This is from a book I have called 52 weeks of Proven Recipes for Picky kids by Jill McKenzie. I've tried a handful of recipes from the book, but so far this is the only one my kids would eat.
Real Hummus from Allrecipes.com
Best EVER Granola bars
I can't say enough bout these. I took a bunch of these with me to the hospital when my fourth was born and I'm so glad! We ended up having to stay for 4 days and I was so glad to have these with me. They're great for taking in the car, packing in lunches or just munching on at home. They are filling and nutritious. THey don't last long at our house!
http://www.joyfulabode.com/2008/04/11/homemade-granola-bar-recipe-no-high-fructose-corn-syrup-in-these-bars/
http://www.joyfulabode.com/2008/04/11/homemade-granola-bar-recipe-no-high-fructose-corn-syrup-in-these-bars/
Golden Barley Fruit Salad
Every Spring and Fall our food coop does a "stock your pantry" order. Last spring I ordered 25 lb of barley. I love barley. But I didn't know what else to do withit besides put it in my beef stew. So I started hunting for barley recipes and this one was really good!
http://www.barleyfoods.org/recipes/goldenbarley_salad.html
Yum!
http://www.barleyfoods.org/recipes/goldenbarley_salad.html
Yum!
homemade laundry soap
I've made this laundry soap recipy several times and I like using it. It works well and is very cost effective!
Here's the link:
http://www.theideadoor.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=239
Be aware that the smell is much stronger when you're making it, but the smell will eas up when it cools. It will congeal after it cools. That's normal. It's very gloopy. And ther will be some watery parts after you start using it, like whey. I just scoop it out with the plastic lid of one of my old commercial laundry soaps. I keep the 5 gallon bucket under my laundry room sink when I'm not using it. Highly recommend this. Super cheap and it's easy to keep the supplies in your family storage. You can find the ingredients for this recipe at Fred Meyer in the laundry isle. They're all next to eachother on the shelf.
Here's the link:
http://www.theideadoor.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=239
Be aware that the smell is much stronger when you're making it, but the smell will eas up when it cools. It will congeal after it cools. That's normal. It's very gloopy. And ther will be some watery parts after you start using it, like whey. I just scoop it out with the plastic lid of one of my old commercial laundry soaps. I keep the 5 gallon bucket under my laundry room sink when I'm not using it. Highly recommend this. Super cheap and it's easy to keep the supplies in your family storage. You can find the ingredients for this recipe at Fred Meyer in the laundry isle. They're all next to eachother on the shelf.
Homemade Toothpaste
I know, you need your toothpaste to foam up and suds in your mouth. Me too. But as part of my effort to be more self reliant, I wanted to learn how to make my own toothpaste and keep the ingredients on hand for that "what if" situation. IT was fun too.
Here's the best recipe I found
http://thriftysoaper.blogspot.com/2009/03/best-homemade-toothpaste.html
My kids didn't like it very much, but in a pinch, I'm sure they could get used to it. It's really not that bad. It grows on you for sure!
Update:
So, several years later: I've tried several different toothpaste recipes. I really liked one that I found and modified from Doug and Stacy on YT. However, recently I switched to a holistic dentist who recommended the following toothpaste recipe to me. I haven't tried it yet because I need to order a few of the ingredients. I'm adding it here for reference:
2-3 TB organic cacao powder OR bentonite clay or a combination.
3 TB Organic coconut oil
1TB granulated xylitol
10 drops magnesium oil or trace minerals
1/2 tsp. calcium phosphate powder. add 1 full teaspoon if not using the clay
3 drops clove essential oil
2 drops vanilla or peppermint essential oils
Directions:
measure the dry ingredients in a small glass or stainless bowl
add oil(liquid) and stir
add liquid ingredients, it's ok if xylitol is still visible.
store in a small glass jar with lid
use a clean utensil when taking out, do not dip your toothbrush into the jar
Home Cleaners
This is not for eating!
I got these home cleaner ideas from a TJed class I took last Spring on the Home Mini Factory, based on the DeMille book called The Coming Aristocracy. I've used these and they work pretty well!!
All Purpose Cleaner1 Tb.white vinegar
1 Tb. lemon juice
1 Tb. liquid castile soap (Like Dr. Bronners)
1 cup distilled water
Tub Scrub (works well on glass stove tops too!)
1 cup baking soda
1/4 cup salt
10 drops citrus oil
5 drops tea tree oil
Soft Scrub
1/4 cup baking soda
2-3 Tb. liquid castile soap
Handwash
Make this in a foaming pump dispenser. You can buy an empty one at the healthfood store, or just buy some foaming soap at the store, use it up, and keep the dispenser.
1/3 part castile soap
2/3 part water
I actually use more like 1/4 liquid soap and 3/4 water.
This can be trying to your hands. Keep some lotion around. But it sure can be economical if you buy the big jugs of castile soap. It lasts forever!
I got these home cleaner ideas from a TJed class I took last Spring on the Home Mini Factory, based on the DeMille book called The Coming Aristocracy. I've used these and they work pretty well!!
All Purpose Cleaner1 Tb.white vinegar
1 Tb. lemon juice
1 Tb. liquid castile soap (Like Dr. Bronners)
1 cup distilled water
Tub Scrub (works well on glass stove tops too!)
1 cup baking soda
1/4 cup salt
10 drops citrus oil
5 drops tea tree oil
Soft Scrub
1/4 cup baking soda
2-3 Tb. liquid castile soap
Handwash
Make this in a foaming pump dispenser. You can buy an empty one at the healthfood store, or just buy some foaming soap at the store, use it up, and keep the dispenser.
1/3 part castile soap
2/3 part water
I actually use more like 1/4 liquid soap and 3/4 water.
This can be trying to your hands. Keep some lotion around. But it sure can be economical if you buy the big jugs of castile soap. It lasts forever!
Potato Pan
I don't know the real name of this recipe. I saw it on TV while nursing my newborn a few months ago and decided to give it a try. It was a big hit!
Peel about 8 medium potatoes. Use a mandolin to slice them in uniform chips, or use a knife and just be very precise and patient. Place the slices in a large bowl of cold water to prevent browning.
In a medium saucepan melt about 3 TB of butter and add some olive oil, maybe 4 TB. ?? Brush the sides and bottom of a cast iron skillet with this mixture. Arrange your potato slices in an upright spiral starting at the outside edge and working inward. So, don't lay them flat. Keep them standing.
Slice 2-3 shallots and wedge them in throughout the potato spiral. Pour the remaining butter/oil mixture evenly over the top of your sprial. Top with salt and pepper. Lay fresh sprigs of thyme over top. Bake in a very hot oven, maybe 400 or 425, till it smells really good and they look golden brown here and there.
Peel about 8 medium potatoes. Use a mandolin to slice them in uniform chips, or use a knife and just be very precise and patient. Place the slices in a large bowl of cold water to prevent browning.
In a medium saucepan melt about 3 TB of butter and add some olive oil, maybe 4 TB. ?? Brush the sides and bottom of a cast iron skillet with this mixture. Arrange your potato slices in an upright spiral starting at the outside edge and working inward. So, don't lay them flat. Keep them standing.
Slice 2-3 shallots and wedge them in throughout the potato spiral. Pour the remaining butter/oil mixture evenly over the top of your sprial. Top with salt and pepper. Lay fresh sprigs of thyme over top. Bake in a very hot oven, maybe 400 or 425, till it smells really good and they look golden brown here and there.
Peanut Butter Balls
I like to make these for my kids and keep a bowl of them in the feezer for quick, easy, not-too-bad-for-you snacks that they love.
I don't measure the ingredients. Just find a good mix that looks right to you. I'm listing them in order of Most to Least in terms of quanitity.
Rice Crispy Cereal
Peanut Butter
Honey
Powdered Milk (for some added nutrition)
Dump it all in a big bowl, mix it up and form balls. It's a sticky, icky job. If you have room in your freezer, lay the balls out on a cookie tray to freeze before putting them in a ziplock. Store in your feezer. Or, you can do what I do and just stick them in a freezer safe bowl to freeze and knock them off one at a time as you eat them. It's not hard.
I don't measure the ingredients. Just find a good mix that looks right to you. I'm listing them in order of Most to Least in terms of quanitity.
Rice Crispy Cereal
Peanut Butter
Honey
Powdered Milk (for some added nutrition)
Dump it all in a big bowl, mix it up and form balls. It's a sticky, icky job. If you have room in your freezer, lay the balls out on a cookie tray to freeze before putting them in a ziplock. Store in your feezer. Or, you can do what I do and just stick them in a freezer safe bowl to freeze and knock them off one at a time as you eat them. It's not hard.
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