When I saw that my little neighborhood grocery store had fresh cabbage, I was instantly inspired to make cabbage rolls.  I grabbed a head and started to fill my basket with the other items I needed, and then stopped.

Normally, I use a mix of ground beef and ground pork for the filling, along with a mixture of spices.  This time, I decided to take a shortcut AND get a ton of flavor at the same time.  I decided to use Jimmy Dean Hot Sausage.  Of course, you can use any kind of meat you want, but this little trick added a lot of flavor, texture, and eliminated the need to use any spices.  It turned out to be a useful, and tasty little shortcut, indeed.

So, here is my homage to my Mom’s huge cabbage rolls.  I hope you get a chance to try them.

Hungry Family Cabbage Bundles

• 1 head cabbage
• 1 lb. Jimmy Dean Hot Sausage
• 1/2 med. size onion, diced
• 1 garlic clove, minced or grated
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (8 oz) can tomato paste
• sprinkle of white wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
• 4 cups chopped cabbage
• olive oil to cook cabbage
• 1/2 cup cooked quinoa (or rice)

Prepare the cabbage:

1. Peel off the loose unedible leaves (if any) from the solid head and discard.
2. Wash the head of cabbage under running water, then gently peel off six to eight of the nice outside cabbage layers and set aside. (I cut out the stem portion from each leaf because I think they stay tough.)
3. Cut the remaining cabbage in half, cut out the core, and cut into thin wedges, then chop until you have a coleslaw looking pile of cabbage; set aside.

Blanch the cabbage leaves:

1. Put the six to eight cabbage leaves in a metal colander strainer that fits in a large pot; set strainer in pot.
2. Fill the pot with water making sure the cabbage leaves are covered.
3. Put pot on burner on high and bring to a boil.
4. Boil for 4 to 7 minutes or until the cabbage leaves are softened, but not mushy.
5. Lift the strainer out of the water and set aside to drain and cool the cabbage leaves.

Prepare the filling:

1. In a large skillet, put the sausage over medium-high heat, breaking up with a spatula.
2. Cook until sausage is browned slightly, then add onion and continue cooking until sausage is cooked all the way through and onions are soft; stir in garlic and sprinkle lightly with vinegar, taste and add more vinegar as desired to reach a nice flavor.
3. Turn heat down and simmer slowly while you prepare the cabbage.
4. Put 4 cups of the chopped cabbage in a separate skillet over medium-high heat with a generous drizzle of olive oil; cook, stirring often, until cabbage is softened.
5. When cabbage is soft, add it to the skillet with sausage/tomato sauce, then stir in the quinoa, mixing until sauce is combined well; remove from heat.

Fill the cabbage leaves:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and get out a casserole dish with a cover and spray or butter it a little.
2. Spoon about 1 to 2 cups (depending on how big your casserole dish is) into the bottom of the casserole dish forming an even layer for the cabbage rolls to sit on.
3. On a cutting board or baking sheet, lay out a cabbage leaf.
4. Spoon a good portion of the filling into the middle of the cabbage leaf and roll up lengthwise, then lay in your casserole dish, seam side down.
5. Continue with each leaf using up as much of the filling as you wish and tucking each one in the casserole with the seam side down.  Remember, any filling that you don’t use up will be a welcome leftover! You’ll see only four cabbage bundles in my picture.  I made two small casseroles with four in each.

Bake:

1. Cover and put in preheated oven at 350 degrees for about 35 to 40 minutes or until hot, bubbly, and the leaves get nice and soft and the sauce starts to brown around the edges of the casserole.  Remove and let sit for a few minutes, then serve hot.
2. I scooped a little of the filling from the bottom of the casserole alongside the cabbage bundles just for fun and a bit of color. Enjoy!

In terms of cost for this filling meal, we’re looking at a very frugal dish.  The sausage was the most expensive at about $5 for the pound.  But considering it takes no further spices, herbs, or seasonings, the price is pretty reasonable.  Then I had about $2.50 in tomatoes, and I paid less than $1 for the cabbage.  The other ingredients, the onion, garlic, vinegar, and the 1/2 cup of cooked quinoa add up to less than $1.  You can stretch this meal to feed more by adding more quinoa or rice, but it’s a very filling dish and feeds 6 to 8 people as-is.  Adding chopped cooked cabbage to the filling as I did actually does more to stretch the meal than anything.  So, for about $10 you can easily feed a hungry family!

p.s.  Does old fashioned cooking appeal to you?  Do you have a hungry family that likes to sit down to hearty meals?  If you’re ready for more recipes like this one, you will appreciate my ebook Memory Lane Meals.  I’ve been collecting recipes for decades and now have put them together in one delightfully nostalgic cookbook.  Not only do you get recipes that are reminiscent of the good ol’ days, but you get a few glimpses into my life growing up in a big family during the 50s and 60s.  Click on and order your copy today and start cooking the good old fashioned meals I know your family will enjoy!

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BigOven

Ditch the cookbook. After all, there’s no need to lug that heavy thing around when the BigOven app keeps more than 170,000 recipes at your fingertips.

Search new recipes from anywhere by keyword, course, or ingredient, find ways to use up leftovers, and view recent raves and random recipes with the touch of a screen.

Upgrading the app unlocks even more features, including the ability to add your own recipes, review recipes you’ve tried, build an in-app grocery list, and get nutrition facts on all 170,000 recipes. Happy cooking!

Fooducate

Making healthier meals doesn’t have to be a bummer. Keep Fooducate handy when grocery shopping and simply scan a product, see what’s inside, and choose the healthiest option! Created by dieticians and concerned parents, Fooducate breaks through complicated ingredient lists, nutrition labels, health claims, and marketing hype and gives you the highlights – good and bad. Just pick up a product from the shelf, scan it, and let Fooducate do the rest.

Hello Vino

Prepared the perfect dinner? Don’t ruin it with the wrong wine choice! Let Hello Vino recommend the perfect wine to complement your meal.

Hello Vino gives you wine recommendations when you need them most – in the store or at a restaurant. This app helps you pick the perfect wine for dinner, special occasions, gifts, and even takes into account your personal taste preference.

With thousands of wine and food pairings, holiday gift ideas, and wine reviews and ratings, how can you go wrong?

Epicurious

For foodies craving something delicious, presenting the Epicurious app. This kitchen companion is brought to you by award-winning food site Epicurious.com and includes over 30,000 delicious, professionally tested and created food and drink recipes from popular cookbooks, top chefs, leading restaurants, and renowned magazines such as Gourmet and Bon Appétit. The app also allows you to select recipes by skill level and theme, make interactive shopping lists, and follow step-by-step stove-side instructions. It’s truly one of those all-in-one must-have apps for the kitchen-inclined.

OurGroceries

Gone are the days of keeping a grocery list on the fridge. OurGroceries lives in the cloud and automatically keeps your family’s grocery list in sync by downloading the latest version to each family member’s phone.

Every change to your shared shopping list is visible in seconds.

So, for example, if you happen to be at work and a coworker tells you about a new recipe you want to try, just add the ingredients to the list.

If your spouse ends up at the store later in the day, they’ll see the new items and can pick them up in time for dinner. You can even see items being checked off as your spouse shops.

Seasonal Harvest

Buying locally grown produce is one of the best ways to eat fresh, and the Seasonal Harvest app makes it easy. Select a state or use the GPS feature and Seasonal Harvest helps you determine what produce is in season in your area. Even better? Seasonal Harvest will also direct you to nearby farmers markets and allow you to search for recipes using the fresh ingredients you find.

Knowledgebook: Cooking

This app leaves recipes to the cookbooks (and cooking apps, of course). Instead, Knowledgebook: Cooking is loaded with little bits of information and rules of thumb to help you really understand and use your recipes. What can be substituted for buttermilk or baking soda in a pinch? How many apples does it take to make a cup of slices? How many cups are in a pint? What temperature is a “moderately hot” oven? Knowledgebook: Cooking compiles all this information (and much more) in one place, making it the perfect one-stop reference for all the “extra” information to take you from recipe follower to chef extraordinaire.

Joe Pawlikowski is the editor of Prepaid Reviews a site that provides news, commentary, and over 20,000 consumer reviews of prepaid cell phone services like Tracfone.

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Besides your basic appliances – refrigerator, stove, microwave – there are a few items which should be in every kitchen.  Whether you are a gourmet cook or a from-the-box cook, you will need the right tools and equipment to perform basic food preparation and serving tasks.

About a year and a half ago my cousin became a Pampered Chef consultant and in order to help her out I had done a show and quickly fell in love with so many Pampered Chef products.  So a lot of my recommendations are going to be either Pampered Chef things I already have or things I wish I had because really they have so many must have things.

Here is a Top Ten List of Things Every Kitchen Needs:

1. Stand Mixer. I have a Kitchen Aid stand mixer and as a mom who LOVES to bake this is a must have in my kitchen.  Aside from baking I also use mine for making mashed potatoes.  I can throw the potatoes in and let it do its work while I do other things.  I find it makes mashed potatoes creamier than hand mixers do.

And with the Kitchen Aid you can get so many attachments to add to it.  Things like a pasta maker or a sausage maker.  You can also make homemade ice cream with it.  So it really can be the workhorse of any kitchen, even if you aren’t much of a baker.

2. Stoneware.  Pampered Chef is known for their stones.  I started out with a rectangle pizza stone and eventually added the large bar pan.  And most recently I got the Deep Covered Baker.  I usually only use the pizza stone for pizza and maybe cookies.  The large bar pan I use to make bacon in the oven (which is a great way to cook bacon), oven fried chicken, pizza, cookies, and any other meat I have to cook in the oven.   If you are able to get just one stone, then I definitely recommend the large bar pan (or small depending on your family size).  But really host a party and get yourself the Deep Covered Baker too.

3. Knife set.  A good knife set is a must have for any kitchen.  Or at least a utility knife, a carving knife, and a trimmer if you can’t afford a whole set.

One summer while I was in college I sold Cutco knives.  Being a college student I thought I had no need for knives so I ended up selling my mom my demo set.  That was 15 years ago and now when I go over my mom’s house and I see that set of knives that I let slip through my fingers I long for it back.  If only I knew then what I know now.

4. A Good Pot and Pan Set.  When it comes to pots and pans you have a few options.  Non stick like Calphalon or All-Clad like what professional chefs use.

Here’s another wish list item of mine from Pampered Chef, the Executive set from Pampered Chef.

My cousin (aka my Pampered Chef rep) has a sister in law who is a professional chef.  She used my cousin’s stainless fry pan from Pampered Chef and was very impressed with it.  So impressed that the next time she needs to replace a pot or pan she’ll be purchasing a stainless from my cousin.  If you can’t get a whole set again I would recommend at least getting a 3 qt saucepan, 12″ fry pan, and a stock pot or Dutch Oven.

5. Crockpot.  This is great to have for those nights when you know you are going to be short on time.  Put everything in the crockpot in the morning before you leave for the day and come home to a house filled with the beautiful aroma of whatever you made.

6. Spoons and Spatulas.  You need to have big spoons and spatulas.  Not metal as these ruin pots and pans.  I prefer plastic and my husband likes wooden spoons.  So we actually have a mixture of both of those kinds.

7. Colander.  Colanders can be used for more than just draining pasta.  It’s also great for cleaning fruits and vegetables or straining things.  I have 3 different sized colanders to meet all the differing needs.  I prefer mesh metal because I find them easier to clean than the plastic ones.  Plastic are fine too though and they are inexpensive.  You can usually pick one up at the dollar store.

8. Can Opener.  I hate opening cans!  Must be because I’m left handed.  I prefer electric can openers because usually manual can openers are made for right handed people.  And I know all of you righties are thinking what’s the difference.  There’s a huge difference.  Try opening a can with your left hand sometime. I literally have to completely change my train of thought to use most manual can openers.  Yes, they do make lefty manual can openers, but they are hard to come by.

I still don’t care much for my electric can opener, but if I want to open cans then I need it.  Sometimes I have a hard time getting it to catch the can though.  Still, it is an important tool to have in the kitchen until they start putting pull tabs on all cans.  A lefty can dream, can’t she?

9.  Food Processor.  It doesn’t have to be a large food processor.   I have small ones that are easy to store and get out when needed.  It’s an invaluable tool for chopping and mincing things.   Erin from Small Town Mom Living in a BIG City uses both, but for most jobs she likes her Black and Decker one touch chopper.  I have one of these too, but I find the manual one to work better.  Erin says she can control the fineness better on her electric chopper than her manual one though.

10.  Cutting Board.  To save your counters and your table you have got to have a cutting board.  I recommend plastic cutting boards over wooden or glass ones.  Wooden ones can trap bacteria.  Glass cutting boards will dull knives faster.   If you have a dishwasher the plastic cutting boards can be cleaned in there to get rid of any bacteria that might have been left behind.  You can also easily bleach them without ruining them to kill any germs.  So plastic is the way to go for cutting boards.  It’s what’s recommended for commercial use.  If it’s good enough for a restaurant, then it’s good enough for me!

Is there something not mentioned here that you find to be invaluable in your kitchen?  That you could not do without?  Leave a comment and share your most needed kitchen item!

photo credit: e skene photo credit: allaboutgeorge

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They’re soft and delicious – not at all like most prepacked brownies I’ve tried.  If you haven’t given them a shot yet, I recommend them – and wouldn’t you know it – you can order them in bulk from Amazon

Fiber One 90 Calorie Brownies 38 Ct

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But what are we actually filling those little bellies with?

We are bombarded with commercials on TV showcasing the healthier and more balanced options that restaurants like McDonald’s, Burger King and Wendy’s are featuring. But despite the over-use of buzzwords like “all-natural,” “new and improved” and “healthier options,” are these the things our kids are choosing?

And are those “healthier options” as healthy as we think?

Most Common Offenders

Most popular options for pre-schoolers include french fries, soda, chicken nuggets, cheeseburgers and hamburgers. While there are alternatives for both fries and sodas on many menus, when researchers from a Yale University study went into 250 fast-food restaurants across the country, they found that “over 80% of the time, fries were served with kids’ meals and over half of the time soft drinks were served over healthier options.”

Mass produced, processed and filled with preservatives, artificial flavorings, colorings and other additives, most of these options also present an awfully long list of ingredients.

At McDonald’s, where the Chicken McNuggets are “new and improved” and a common choice for kids, the meat alone contains over seven ingredients. Add another 20 for the breading, including scary additives and chemical preservatives that are also used in silly putty, and you have a very unnatural chicken product that millions of kids consume every single day.

If you’re feeling queasy already, the tertiary butylhydroquinone (TBHQ), also found in the McNugget, is a chemical preservative and a form of butane, or, in other words, lighter fluid. Shilo Urban, in an article titled “What’s in Fast Food Chicken? (Hint: It’s NOT Chicken)”, stated that one gram of this can cause a whole host of negative symptoms, while just five grams can kill you.

Author of Eat This, Not That!, David Zinczenko, informs us that McDonald’s isn’t even the guiltiest culprit of multi-ingredient “chicken” nuggets. Wendy’s nuggets have over 30 ingredients while Burger King chicken fries top out at 35.

And while the burgers at McDonald’s appear to be made with 100% ground beef, the buns and processed cheese add a whole host of healthy eating don’ts such as high fructose corn syrup and preservatives.

Wendy’s Frosty, a restaurant staple and a common treat for kids at the fast food chain, has a whopping 14 ingredients in it, despite the common association with a traditional milkshake, which consist of milk and ice cream.

Deli Sandwiches Triumph

Fortunately for us busy moms, while they aren’t plentiful, there are healthier fast food options out there.

According to the Yale Study, the healthiest options are dominated by Subway and Burger King and include menu items such as a veggie delite sandwich, roast beef sandwich, grilled chicken, macaroni and cheese. A junior burger from Sonic with apple slices and unsweet tea even made the list and comes in at 350-calories.

These meals all come with a side of fruit and are absent of sugary soft drinks. They don’t blow our kid’s daily calorie allotments and won’t fill their bodies with excess sodium and saturated fat.

Taking Action

In the interest of full disclosure, I am a recovering Chicken NcNugget addict. Thinking I was making the healthier selection in a sea of greasy burgers and high-calorie salad options, I was nauseous as I read the gory details. Having previously ignored the onslaught of fast food related info, raising a child has forced me to re-examine the nutritional facts and what I have fed him on my most hectic afternoons.

Moving forward, I will certainly be choosing more wisely.

How has this information forced you to re-examine the fast food decisions you have made? What are some of your healthier alternatives for a busy afternoon or evening?

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Jambalaya

Really, you don’t need a special occasion to enjoy jambalaya. It’s a great meal for any time. The best part about jambalaya, aside from the name, is that you can do almost anything with it. Really, the only staples of the dish are rice, tomatoes, and bell peppers. After that you can add almost anything you can imagine. While a traditional New Orleans jambalaya will traditionally contain andouille sausage and shrimp, there are dozens upon dozens of other options. You can also add your own blend of seasonings, spices, and vegetables to get it just how you want it. If you need a guide, and we all do at first, here are a couple of popular recipes:

Emeril’s Mardi Gras Jambalaya
Eula Mae’s chicken and ham jambalaya

Gumbo

Another simple dish you’ll see on many non-New Orleans restaurant menus is gumbo. As with jambalaya it’s a versatile dish, so you can create many variations for your own home. It’s in many ways akin to chili, though in many cases it’s a bit soupier and lighter. Still, it’s a great dish to really experiment and find your own sweet spot. As in most cases, it’s best to search around for a basic recipe and an exotic recipe, and then compare them. That should give you an idea of what you can do with your own gumbo. But if you’re looking for some traditional New Orleans gumbo, here’s a good one.

Good New Orleans Creole Gumbo

And if you want something a little heartier:

Chicken Andouille Gumbo

Crawfish Etouffee

This is something I’ve only had at restaurants, but it’s easy to imagine making it at home. It, like so many other New Orleans dishes, is normally served over a bed of rice. I always love this, because the rice absorbs some of the sauces, giving it its own flavor. The only problem with making this at home is that it might not be easy to find crawfish in your area. You might have to place an order online, at an outlet such as Louisiana Crawfish Company. Once you get those suckers, though, you’re in for a hearty and delicious meal.

Crawfish Etouffee

King Cake

We finish off with a rich and filling dessert, King Cake. It might not seem like much, but this dough-based recipe is one of the most delicious desserts you’ll ever taste. It will definitely take some special shopping, but once you find the ingredients, at your supermarket or online, you’ll be able to finish off a traditional New Orleans meal with one of its stealthily decadent desserts.

Sandra Lee’s King Cake
Suzan Jackson’s King Cake

I don’t know about you guys, but I’m finding myself scouring the web for cheap flights and New Orleans hotels. Mardi Gras is, after all, just a little over a month away.

Joe Pawlikowski is the editor of Prepaid Reviews a site that provides news, commentary, and reviews of prepaid wireless services, such as Tracfone.

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The problem is that it can be difficult, if not impossible, to travel at certain points in life. Kids, bundles of joy that they are, mostly prevent extravagant travel. Even if they don’t, they probably won’t want to try the array of foods you want. If they’re anything like my siblings and I growing up, they want McDonald’s for as many meals as possible. Thankfully, there are simple ways to enjoy authentic cuisines right from our homes. It just takes some ingenuity and elbow grease.

Culturally themed restaurants

You might think this is a section detailing how you can find restaurants in your area that serve cuisines foreign to your region. I’m sorry, but that’s just not the case. It’s actually pretty difficult to find authentic cuisine at a random restaurant. Too often it’s a watered-down, lowest common denominator form of the cuisine. What’s the fun in that?

This isn’t even addressing Chinese food, which really isn’t what they eat in China. It’s about any kind of themed restaurant. That restaurant that offers New Orleans flavors? Chances are it’s not quite. Since it’s new and different to the people outside of New Orleans, it’s often tweaked as to make the natives comfortable. And that takes away from its authenticity.

Maybe you’re lucky and have a restaurant or two in your area that do serve authentic cuisines from other regions of the country and world. If so, count yourself lucky. They’re not common, so you’ve stumbled upon a gem.

Cooking yourself

This blog is mostly about cooking, so you probably guessed by this point that cooking yourself is the best way to experience foods from other cultures. It’s not exactly easy, though. There are a few steps you’ll need to take before you can dig into these recipes.

1. Research, research, research. If you don’t know the type of cuisine served in a region, how will you know whether a recipe is authentic or not? It takes plenty of research before you know exactly what kinds of dishes you’d eat in a certain region, and which are hybrids made for diners with less sophisticated palates. Thankfully, a little googling can go a long way in this case. Be sure to look for articles and videos that deal with cultural elements as well as food. The more knowledge, the better.

2. Find recipes. Now we get to a more fun step. Here we can take our research further, looking into what specific restaurants in our favored regions serve. Even better, we can find articles and videos — Food Network is great for this — wherein restauranteurs talk about what goes into their dishes. Having a knowledge of what works with what, along with a few simple recipes, can help greatly. With the knowledge and recipes in hand, we can be sure of creating something reasonably authentic.

3. Shopping for ingredients. More and more grocery stores now have international aisles that carry items you might need for your recipes. If, for instance, you want to cook something Thai, you’ll find plenty of sauces and ingredients that you won’t find in an American-only grocery store. Even better, look for specialty supermarkets. You might not have one in your area, but make sure to search Yelp just to make sure. You’re much more likely to find key ingredients there than you are even at a supermarket with a robust international section.

Bite the bullet and travel

While you can have tons of fun researching cuisines, hunting down ingredients, and cooking authentic meals for yourself, there is always a little joy in traveling to these regions. Not only do you get the food, but you get the whole experience. That’s not something you can recreate in your kitchen. Of course, it’s a whole lot more expensive than finding the ingredients yourself.

Say you want to visit Dallas to try some of their world-famous barbecue. You can scour the web for cheap flights and even find a reasonably priced Dallas hotel. It’s still going to cost you plenty, though. And no, the kids won’t magically disappear for the weekend. So there are still plenty of obstacles in the way. But it’s still possible if you have the freedom and are willing to pay up.

For those of us who don’t and can’t, cooking at home is certainly a better alternative to finding a local restaurant. Chances are it’s not authentic cuisine, anyway. Even better, learning to cook new cuisines can bring new skills. And who doesn’t want to add a few new tricks to their culinary arsenals?

Joe Pawlikowski is the editor of Prepaid Reviews a site that provides news, commentary, and reviews of prepaid wireless services, such as Tracfone.

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Check out the free coaching group that she has going on right now.  Register and you can ask her questions about anything.

Sign up here: Free Group Coaching

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The first on the list is the Cuisinart Elite Die-Cast Food Processor. This machine is one of Cuisinart’s newer designs. Packing a punch at a hefty $250-$300 price tag, the Elite Die-Cast Food Processor is not for the scrupulous. This machine comes with enough features to keep any chef satiated for want of more blending kung-fu power (especially good for crushing up ice). The Elite comes with two bowls, with locking blades and spouts. The lid mechanism includes a rubber seal, to reduce splatter and leakage. In addition, Cuisinart offers a ten-year motor warranty. Considering the warranty and new design features, this super food processor is a hard deal to pass-by.

The Cuisinart DLC-2011 Food Processor with the 11-Cup PowerPrep Plus addition, takes the cake at number two on our list. This machine will have you blending entrees and crafting delectable desserts in no-time. The 11-cup model is capable of blending almost anything from garlic bulbs, to hearty seeds and nuts, and up to 2.5 pounds of dough. The DLC-2011 features an extra wide-mouth ingredient tube, which allows for less pre-chopping, and faster prep times. The bowl of the DLC-2011 is heat-resistant and shatter proof, which allows for higher volumes output. This machine can be purchased for about $230.

The last super food processor on review is the Braun 600 Watt K650 CombiMax Food Processor. This machine comes with a hefty motor and enough power to tackle almost any culinary obstacle. The price tag runs at about $150. Compared to the Cuisinart machines, this processor saves money and offers near equivalent food production capabilities. The CombiMax runs silent, is completely dishwasher safe (making cleaning after a party a little worse for wear that bit easier) and comes with nearly all the same features as the Cuisinart machines, minus a dough blade and heat resistant bowls. This food processor offers a bargain deal for anyone looking to purchase a high quality machine.

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This is a guest post

It seems that everyone, from specialty markets to your popular chain grocery store, is going organic these days. An ever-increasing number of people are interested in purchasing natural, whole foods created without the aid of pesticides or harmful chemicals. This is a wonderful attitude to adopt and many organic foods can, indeed, give you a respite from hormone-fed meat or chemical-laden produce. However, it’s also important to know what going organic isn’t. Going organic is not a food, environment, or lifestyle miracle. Below are the most common myths about going organic:

Myth #1: Organic food contains fewer pesticides than traditional produce

This is perhaps most often the first fact proponents of the organic movement cite. However, organic farmers use pesticides, too; they simply use different pesticides— some of which are even less regulated than their traditional counterparts. Additionally, all produce, organic or not, is susceptible to bacteria in soil runoff, like e. coli. So, don’t think you can take a pass on washing your produce just because it’s organic!

Myth #2: Purchasing organic food will help the environment

“Organic” does not equal “local.” In fact, only 16% of Whole Foods’ organic goods are locally grown or manufactured, and the rest require a great dose of Co2 emissions to reach your table. Additionally, organic farming is less productive than traditional farming, which means it uses more land and resources to get the job done. It also takes more energy to grow fruit or vegetables in a climate where they don’t typically grow—often much more, requiring special heating, bigger equipment, and more.

Myth #3: Purchasing organic meat and produce will support small, local businesses

Nearly every major corporation, from Kellogg’s to Kraft, has jumped on the organic bandwagon; and don’t expect to see their names on the packaging. Most major food companies call their organic affiliate by another name (Kraft, for example, uses the moniker Back to Nature). To make sure you’re actually supporting a local business or farm, and not just another major conglomerate, you may have to do a little more research or choose a smaller, more local grocery store.

Myth #4: Organic food is healthier and tastier

The true secret to finding produce that is nutrient-rich and delicious is making sure it’s in season. Raspberries are most likely to taste their richest during the warm

summer months, while pear or squash hit their peak during the fall. Familiarize yourself with seasonal produce; it is the only true indicator of taste and nutritional value.

None of these items are meant to completely discourage you from going organic; there can be and often are major benefits to purchasing organic products, especially from farms or hyper-local grocery stores where you know exactly where your food is coming from. The organic versions of meat and eggs, in particular, are quite often much more humane than their regular counterparts.

The bottom line? Do your research. Purchasing whole, sustainable, environmentally-friendly meat and produce is a noble and important goal. Don’t let an organic label trick you into doing anything less than that.

Meg King is a blogger and health food nut who writes for Clearly Fresh Bags.

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These snowman cupcakes could not be cuter.

You’ll need to start with plain cupcakes. You could make them yourself or purchase them. The blog has a recipe for buttercream frosting. I think to get the full effect, it is probably best to pipe the frosting on, so you will need a pipe bag. The other thing that she uses that make these things so stinking cute, are the candy eyes. You could use chocolate chips, but the candy eyes really give it that “Frosty” touch.

She uses an Oreo, a marshmallow for the hat and then dips the whole thing in melted black candy melts. She sprinkles some white non-pareils on top to create the snow effect. You could also have some fun with some orange fondant or a Starburst and make a carrot nose, but I think the sour cherry candy looks perfect. Kids of all ages will love these precious treats! Click Snowman Cupcakes for this darling recipe.

Looking for more inspiration? Don’t forget to grab you free copy of Christmas Goodies for Your Inspiration

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Homemade candy is one of those things that has the ability to fool everyone into thinking that you bought it at a high end department store, especially if you do a nice job wrapping it up.

Peppermint bark is something that everyone loves.

What this Mom did with her recipe to make it extra special was to use cookie cutters. You can use any type of chocolate that is made for melting. She melted the chocolate right into cookie cutters. She froze each layer to make sure that it had set properly. Adding the crushed candy canes to the top was the piste de resistance

Make sure that the chocolate has set before removing the cookie cutters. You could put a cookie cutter with the candy, wrap it up individually in cellaphane and tie it with cute holiday ribbon. Viola! Instant gift.

Click Christmas Tree Peppermint Bark to find this adorable recipe.

Looking for more holiday treat recipes?

Don’t forget to grab Christmas Cookies and Goodies Guide.

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Cooking can be a chore for a lot of mothers. You try to vary the menus for dinner every now and again, but you’ve read through all the various cookbooks you own time and time again… Sometimes, it’s good to get inspiration from another source. Technology is so available in our day and age, if you have a Iphone or Ipod Touch handy, you might want to check out these 4 free culinary applications that will help get your creative juices flowing in the kitchen.

Cook’s Illustrated

So you’ve tried every single recipe in your cookbook and you can honestly say you are out of ideas for dinner tonight. Well, how does “Pan –Seared Thick Cut Strip Steaks” or “Crisp Roast Chicken” sound? Is your mouth watering? Cook’s Illustrated is a handy little app that packs 50 of the best recipes provided by the magazine of the same name. Each recipe comes with a little video that will provide you with more information on how to prepare the dish. Reviews and taste tests are also provided with each recipe so you will know if the recipe you pick is fit to please the palates of your family.

How to Cook Everything

Even if you think the app’s is a great example of hyperbole, you will find most of the answers to your questions with this application. From bestselling New York Times columnist Mark Bittman’s, this app is packed with more than 2000 recipes and 400 illustrations that will teach you step by step methods to prepare food. Each recipe comes with a handy built-in timer that is placed throughout each step of the recipe, so nothing will be over or undercooked.

Classic Camping Cookbook & Meal Planner

Camping season may be over, but that doesn’t mean you can’t think of fresh cooking ideas to bring along to your next camping trip. Brought to by the camping pros over at Coleman, this application can help you whip out a meal while you’re camping by using filters like what type of cooking methods will be used, what type of meal you are looking for and what type of ingredients will be used during the preparation. It also allows you to plan meals for an entire camping trip based on the number of campers that will be coming along.

These free apps are a few amongst the many that are available for IOS devices. I only scratched the surface for you!

Valerie Gravel is a guest blogger for Cutting Boards USA. Cutting Boards USA offers a variety of high end cutting boards that are made from the finest Vermont walnut and maple. For more information on Cutting Boards USA and their products, visit their website today.

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First of all, do not be discouraged. You don’t necessarily have to have a smoker to get smoked meats. The same cooking process can be created in a regular charcoal grill pushing the hot coals to one side while the meat cooks on the other. You may have to occasionally add more charcoal during the cooking process so working on a larger grill may render easier results. If you’re using a smoker, however, you will be adding more wood. Each grill or smoker has their own manufacturer’s references, so make sure you read the directions on how to get the optimum cooking performance of your equipment.

Now, let’s talk about the meat, and in this case, the bird.

A fresh, 3 to 4 pound chicken would be ideal in this situation.

Make sure while the charcoal or wood is heating up, you wash the chicken and pat completely dry after removing the gizzards from the inside of the bird. Now, things could go a few different ways.

Some people like to smoke the whole bird, others prefer to cut it down the backbone and lay butterflied on the grill, or simply chop into pieces.

Obviously, the later techniques would take less time to cook. Brining is the next step most people follow, and it involves soaking the bird in a salty water mixture for a few hours before cooking.

After brining, make sure you rinse the bird again. You can also put a rub of your preference on the chicken or mop with sauce during the cooking process. No matter how you choose to cook and flavor chicken, always make sure the temperature of the breast reaches 165F.

Cooking time can usually be estimated (if cooking a whole bird) to 1 hour for every pound.

Always turn the meat with tongs and not a fork. You don’t want to puncture the meat; juices will escape and your meat will turn out dry. Before carving, let rest for at least 10 minutes.

There are so many recipes that can use your moist and juicy smoked chicken. Most of the time, you can substitute smoked chicken for regular chicken; it will provide more of a robust flavor in your food. Chicken salad, chicken gumbo, and chicken soup are all great ideas to use shredded smoked chicken, or eat it as is when it comes off the grill with some barbecue sauce on the side.  Below is a great recipe for smoked chicken quesadillas.

Smoked Chicken Quesadillas

Kids especially love this recipe because it is so versatile and can contain as much or as little of whatever filling you prefer. You can either use all or one (cheese) of the following ingredients along with your smoked chicken:

• cheese
• black beans
• refried beans
• tomato
• avocado
• onions
• peppers
• spinach

Preheat a flat, nonstick skillet on medium. Fill one half of your tortilla with the shredded, smoked chicken, cheese and add any or all of the ingredients above. As long as the tortilla can be folded in half,
then you are at liberty to put as little or as much as you or your kids would like. Place folder tortilla (now a quesadilla) in the skillet and cook until lightly brown on both sides or until cheese is melted. Cut into fourths and serve with salsa, sour cream, scallions or nothing at all. Enjoy!

This guest post was written exclusively for Family Foodies by LowCountry Barbecue, proud to be a leading Atlanta caterer, serving families during the holidays for over 25 years. LowCountry specializes in events, big or small, across the country; no location is too far and no party is too much.

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If you’re looking for a frugal gift idea, this is a great one.  I spent a total of $75 on:

• 12 Plastic Goodie Containers.
• 40 Pretzel Rod Bags.
• 10 Goodie Bags.
• 1 Box of Graham Crackers
• 2 Boxes of Shortbread Cookies
• 3 Boxes of Chocolate Chip Cookies
• 3 boxes of Pecan Sandies
• 2 Bags of Pretzel Rods
• 1 Bag of Regular Marshmallows
• 1 Bag of Peppermint Marshmallows
• 1 Bag of Mini M&Ms
• 1 Bag of Peppermint Candy Crumbles
• 1 Bag of Mini Chocolate Chips
• 1 Box of Cheerios
• 5 Packages of Dipping Chocolate
• 2 Packages of Vanilla Dipping Chocolate

*Whew!*  Yes, I got a ton for the amount of money I spent (I bought all store brand/off brand items) and we got a TON of goodies from all of this.  The ‘Chocolate Factory’ was open for over five hours LOL!

I started out by putting two large pans on the stove top with three inches of water in the bottom.  I placed two large metal mixing bowls on top of that for a double boiler effect.  I turned the heat on low and dropped my dipping chocolate chunks into the mixing bowls – starting with one package of white and two packages of dark.  It took about 20 minutes to melt it down.  (Don’t rush this step – you don’t want the water boiling.  Be very careful to not get any drops of water in your melted chocolate, it will harden it.)

I worked with each child one at a time.  Because we were working with heat I explained where they could and couldn’t touch our work surface – and helped them steady their hands when necessary.

It was lots of fun – especially the sprinkling part!

Here are some of the goodies we made:

For more fun Christmas Goodie ideas check out our free Inspiration Guide!

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It used to be the death of my waistline during the holidays. Year after year I would devour peppermint bark, chocolate-peppermint fudge, peppermint hot chocolate and more.

Then a couple years ago I discovered a non-fat brownie mix that is surprisingly divine. I wiped my peppermint-chocolate slate clean, and made my own concoction from this mix to satisfy the craving during the holidays.

To verify I wasn’t fooling myself, I brought them in to my office one year to see if others would notice that these heavenly bites were low in fat. Within five minutes flat the two-dozen batch had vanished and people were asking for more!

At only 150 calories and 2 grams of fat – these are a holiday treat you can have without feeling like a lump of coal.

Tip: If you’re in a rush to get these to the table and don’t have 20 minutes, divide the batter into individual microwave dishes and microwave on high for 50 seconds. Remove and allow to cool 5 minutes.

Courtesy of Margot Harris / www.whitehotoven.com

Candy Cane Brownies

Prep Time: 5 min. Total Time: 20 min. Serves: 12

Ingredients:

• Cooking spray
• 1/3 cup skim milk
• 1/3 cup 0% fat plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 18 Hershey’s Candy Cane Kisses
• 1 (13.7 oz) box No Pudge! Original Fudge Brownie Mix

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper or tinfoil liners. Lightly coat with cooking spray. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the milk, yogurt and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth, about 30 sec.

Unwrap the candy cane kisses and set 12 aside. Chop the remaining six into very small pieces. Add to a large mixing bowl with the brownie mix.

Pour the yogurt mixture into the brownie mix and stir thoroughly until batter is smooth and uniform. Divide batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups.

Bake for 17 to 18 minutes rotating pan halfway through baking. Remove from oven and place one candy cane kiss on top of each brownie pressing down gently. Allow to cool slightly before consuming.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 153, Total Fat: 2g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 1mg, Sodium: 115mg, Total Carbohydrates: 33g, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 26g, Protein: 3g

Protein/Fat/Carb Ratio: 9% / 5% / 86%

See more recipes like this one on Healthy Holiday Recipes by visiting Fit Foodist: Healthy Recipes for Runners

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During the coldest months of the year, so many of us flock towards meals that are heavy, meaty, and hearty. We all tend to rely on foods that warm us up and warm us through, but sometimes forget to get enough fruits and vegetables onto our plates.

Eating “in season” is one of the most simple and cost effective ways to get more fruits and vegetables to your plate any time of year. When you eat fruits and vegetables that are in season, the flavors will jump out at you, the nutrients found in them shoots through the roof, and the price you’ll pay is significantly cheaper than buying these same ingredients in their off-season.

Some of the produce picks that will soon be making their way to your local market in the next few weeks are: citrus fruits, dark leafy greens, and root vegetables. Here are three recipes that will have you saving money this winter and keeping your nutritional levels high.

Spinach Salad with Clementines, Feta, and Walnuts

Serves four

• 1-10 oz. bag fresh baby spinach leaves
• 2 clementine oranges, peeled and segmented
• ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
• ¼ cup walnuts
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• Juice of 1 clementine orange
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper

1. In a large bowl, create the dressing by adding olive oil, vinegar, juice of one clementine orange, salt, and pepper. Whisk together to combine.
2. Next, add fresh baby spinach leaves and toss to evenly coat the leaves with the dressing. Sprinkle on feta cheese and walnuts.
3. Divide evenly among four plates and serve.

Curried Sweet Potato Soup

Serves four

• 2 lbs sweet potatoes
• 1 onion
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp curry powder
• 3 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into cubes. Spread into an even layer on a roasting pan or 9 x 13” glass baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then place into the oven to roast for 60 minutes.
2. Within the last few minutes of the sweet potatoes, prepare an onion, by cutting into cubes. Preheat a soup pot over medium high heat and add butter. Sauté onions until translucent, about ten minutes.
3. Once the sweet potatoes are done being roasted, transfer to the soup pot along with the onions. Add the curry powder and stock and bring to a boil. When the soup has reached a boil, lower the heat to medium low and simmer for 15 minutes. Puree with an immersion blender or work in batches to create a smooth velvety texture. Adjust the seasonings, then divide among four bowls and serve.

Kale and Tomato Pasta

Serves four

• 1 lb whole wheat pasta
• 1 bunch fresh kale, rinsed
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
• 1 ½ cups crushed tomatoes
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper

1. Heat a large pot of water over medium high heat to prepare for boiling noodles.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the kale by slicing the leafy parts away from the hearty stalk. Tear the leaves into two-inch pieces. Heat a pan over medium high heat with olive oil. Add minced garlic and kale. Sauté the kale leaves, adding one tablespoon water to help steam them. Once the kale has cooked for a few minutes, it will appear bright green and wilted.
3. Drop the pasta into the boiling water and add a pinch of salt to the water to season it. Cook according to package directions. Strain.
4. In the same pan that was used to prepare the kale, add the tomatoes and pasta and heat over medium heat. Add the crushed tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine and allow the flavors to mingle about ten minutes.
5. Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper. Divide among four plates and serve.

Eating fresh seasonal produce will benefit you any time of year and these winter recipes will be sure to get you through the cold spell with a full stomach and wallet.

How do you make the most of winter produce?

Rachael is the blogger behind KitchenCourses.com and is the author of How to Cook For Yourself: A Complete Beginner’s Guide. She writes about her passion for food, eating well while saving money, and inspires people to get familiar with their kitchens and cook for themselves.

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In a big bowl sift/mix together:

• 10 cups dry milk powder
• 4 3/4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
• 1 3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 3/4 cups powdered non-dairy creamer

Makes 15 cups of mix which makes about 30 mug servings of Hot Cocoa.

Portion it out into airtight containers and let the kids decorate them.

You could portion just enough mix for one mug in a small plastic baggie and stuff that into a gift mug.  Pop a bow on top and you’ve got a great quickie gift for co-workers, bus drivers, teachers, etc.

Be sure to provide these instructions with your gift…

To Make Hot Cocoa:  Use 1/2 cup of mix with one cup of hot water.

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The holidays can be a huge source of stress for families, what is one way that families can work on cutting down that stress when it comes to the Christmas meal?

1. Have a pot luck and eat buffet style. Seriously, gather family & friends together assign a dish or item to bring (paper plates, cups & plasticwear mean no dishes and easy clean up). With everyone pitching in, there is more time for fun. Our family does this every year for each big occasion and it makes the day so much more enjoyable for everyone involved.

2. Have things available that will keep the little ones busy. Set up a cookie decorating station and let them join in the fun. Or, if you live in a warm weather state like I do, put a table outside and let them have at it. Sidewalk chalk & bubbles are great to get kids busy, too. Remind older children that they are part of the family and their task for the day is to help mom & dad keep an eye on the younger children.

Many think of just their holiday gifts when budgeting but what are some hidden but should-be-expected items to factor in?

We all remember to budget for the gifts but things that we might not typically think about as part of the Christmas budget include things like gift wrap, tape, Christmas Card, decorations that might need replacing or updating, postage for packages that are mailed, groceries for the meals you’ll be making or the cookies you’ll be baking and supplies for any crafts or handmade gifts you might be making. The better you plan in advance the better prepared you’ll be.

In your new book you talk about Cookie Exchanges as a good way to add variety to your cookie trays without all the work. How do these work?

Here’s how we describe it in 30 Days to Stress Free Holidays.

Cookie Exchange Party:
I am sure you are not the only one you know who is overwhelmed by the holidays but loves a good variety of cookies and a chance to spend some time with friends. A great idea to add to your cookie tray and enjoy your friends is to have a Cookie Exchange Party. Each person who is invited makes an assigned number of cookies and brings them to the party. Serve up some wasail and hot chocolate, put on the holiday music and gather together to swap cookies. Everyone will leave with a nice assortment of cookies and enjoyed an evening with friends.

I have a friend that has written an ebook called The Cookie Swap, if y’all are interested in doing more on Cookie Exchanges.

I myself have young children as do many of our readers, how can I get them more involved in the Christmas kitchen without losing my sanity?

They key is to realize that they will only be young so long and let go of the perfection you have shining brightly in your head. It ain’t gonna happen without stress so just don’t put yourself through it.

Let the kids help you make cookies & other yummy desserts and if your kitchen has a fine dusting of flour when you’re finished pull out the camera and take pictures of the kiddos making “snow-flour angels”. Heck, it even kinda sounds fun to do it on purpose! Again, if it can be fixed, there are no broken bones or blood then count it good and put it in the memory banks to be shared year after year.

What would you rather have your kids remember ~ a messy kitchen full of laughter or the fact that they were cleaning their rooms while you had all the fun of baking? What lesson do you want to teach them?

Yes, there is a line to tread. You don’t want a complete disaster area but neither do you want to worry so much about things that everything is less than a complete joy.

Leave a comment on this post! Easy as pie

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Fine Details

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Eat Nuts, in a Nutshell

Nuts, red meat, eggs – it’s all part of a healthy diet. Unless you want your family to act sluggish from sun up to sun down, every meal should incorporate 1/3 protein, combined with healthy fats and carbohydrates. The size and age of your family members will constitute how much protein they need. A child who is between 2-6 years old and adult women will need two servings each day of five ounces of protein. Teenage boys and grown adult males should strive for three servings of seven ounces of protein. Not quite sure how to get your entire family to bulk up on their daily protein intake? Here are some suggestions to get the ‘creative cook’ mentality going.

• Drizzle mushrooms and a favorite shredded cheese on top of a lean chicken breast. Serve with rice pilaf, whole grain rice or a small helping of mashed potatoes.
• Start everyone’s busy morning with a delicious protein shake. Mix up the flavors – chocolate, vanilla, peanut butter, strawberry. Cater it to what the kids like, and what tastes good to you and/or your spouse.
• Breakfast burritos loaded with scrambled eggs, cheese, home fries, salsa and tomatoes is a great start to the morning. It will not only give your kids energy, but fuel the brain, too.
• Serve quiche for dinner. The eggs supply a great way to get their protein fix, and when stuffed with cheese, broccoli, ham (or whatever else you like), the meal is filling and delicious.
• Treat your family to a steak or lobster dinner. Not only will they think they’ve all done something right (after all, steak and lobster is an indulgent treat) but it’s a great way to serve up protein in a delicious way.

How to Sneak in Protein for Picky Toddlers

If your pediatrician has told you that the secret to your child making the soccer team this year or getting better grades in math really does have a lot to do with his diet, then it’s time to reconsider what’s going into his/her mouth. Are they getting enough protein or filling up on chocolate chip cookies instead? Spread peanut butter on slices of apples or celery sticks, serve scrambled eggs for dinner, or serve chicken, beef or fish with their favorite seasoning and butter.

Jason S. writes for Iron Science, a manufacturer of quality nutrition supplements ranging from whey protein to creatine.

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I’m not sure which was more traumatic, saying goodbye to my college friends or my meal plan when I graduated from college this past May. That precious swipe card gave me access to every type of cuisine and thus, prevented me from ever really learning how to cook. So when I moved into my apartment and realized I now had to provide my own food, I immediately ran to my Betty Crocker-esque grandmother to ask for simple recipes and directions.

In true grandma form, she sent me a handful of basic snacks and meals – complete with rhymes. So, recent college grads, cooking-newbies, or hurried mothers, listen up for a few simple recipes from my rhyming grandma.

“Really hungry—must be quick! A couple ideas to do the trick.”

Cottage Cheese and Fruit

Top 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese with ½ cup of your favorite fruit. Grandma suggests grapes, pears or peaches.

Microwave Sweet Potato

Microwave a sweet potato, scoop out the potato and mash. Add a slice of butter and sprinkle with cinnamon.

“This is what I’m going to do! Make myself a pot of stew.”

Place a small chuck roast in a heavy pan and cover with water. Add two beef bouillon cubes and simmer on medium heat for two hours. Stir occasionally. In the meantime, cut up potatoes, celery, carrots, green beans and onions to add to the pot. Add salt and pepper and simmer for another hour. Check meat and veggies for tenderness. Add two tablespoons of flour to thicken the stew and enjoy!

If you have a crock pot—just throw everything in at once and forget it!

“Hamburger seems to have a way of saying, eat me anyway!”

Chili

Brown one pound of ground beef and one onion in a saucepan over medium heat. Add one beef bouillon cube, 1 ½ cups of water, 1 can (14.5 oz) of stewed tomatoes, and 1 can (15 oz) of kidney beans. Season with salt and pepper, a pinch of cumin, chili powder and garlic powder. Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Sloppy Jo

Brown one pound of hamburger. Add 1 cup of ketchup, 1 cup of water and a squirt of mustard. Add salt, pepper, and a dash of sugar. Bring to boil than simmer on low heat for 15 minutes.
Enjoy on a bun!

“Chickens really beat the test, be it a leg or a breast!”

Marinate a chicken breast in barbeque sauce or your favorite salad dressing while you’re at work. Grill the chicken breast on the George Forman or sautee in a lightly oiled skillet on high
heat for 5 minutes on each side. Check to see that there is no pink in the center and that the juices run clear.

Cook a few chicken breasts at a time and chop up the left overs for a salad. Add mayo and pickle relish to leftover chicken and have a chicken salad sandwich.

“I hope this helps and is a winner when you ask tonight, ‘What’s for dinner?’”

Enjoy grandma’s simple meals—I know I did!

Maggie Voelker graduated this past May and is now working as a writer in Indianapolis for a discount socks provider. In addition to developing a new found love of thermal socks and learning to cook, Maggie enjoys being active, traveling and spending time with family and friends.

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Senseo

Several years ago I was given a free Senseo coffee maker to review.  The whole idea of a single serve pod coffee maker new to me and became a natural fit for my kitchen.  I liked the coffee it brewed and appreciated that I could choose between a small cup and a large mug.

Keurig

Last year I learned about the new Kuerig pod coffee makers.  Instead of little paper pods, Kuerigs use K-cups, little plastic cups with a foil seal on them.  I was intrigued by all of the different flavors and hot beverages you could make with the Kuerig so I put it on my wish list and eventually brought one home this past winter.  I bought the ‘personal’ version which cost $89.

I expected to like the Kuerig as much as the Senseo – but from the first cup – I wasn’t impressed.  My K-cup brewed coffee didn’t taste very good.  It tasted kind of ‘chemical-y’ – for lack of a better description.

Thinking it might just be the K-cup flavor, I ordered a big variety pack of K-cups from the company.  Cup after cup, flavor after flavor, my opinion of the Kuerig didn’t change much.  It just wasn’t making yummy coffee for me – so I packed it up and sold it on Craigslist.

Hamilton Beach

I figured that I’d buy another Senseo but one night I was walking through Walmart and noticed this little Hamilton Beach pod coffee maker on sale for just $9.  I thought the chances of such a cheap little coffee maker making good coffee would be slim but for $9, it was worth giving it a shot.

This brews Senseo style pods and the box even had a bag of Senso pods inside. (What a deal, right?)

I brewed up a cup of coffee the next morning and took my first sip.  Ahhh… it was good.  I was so pleased to find that my cheap little deal turned out to be a great buy.  I’ve been using it steady for a couple of months now.

My kitchen is small, so one thing I really appreciate is that it doesn’t take up much counter space.

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I’m sure we can trust that Jack used the product right – but I still want to give Eggies a try myself, how about you?

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Angel Hair A La Natural

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 12 minutes

Total time: 22 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 box of angel hair pasta
• ½ cup of extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup dried basil leaves in flakes
• teaspoon of salt
• teaspoon of black pepper
• pinch of oregano
• grated parmesan cheese

Preparation:

In a small bowl mix with a whisk the olive oil, salt, pepper, oregano and basil flakes. Then get a large pot put 5 quarts of water bring to a boil, add a pinch of salt, and a teaspoon of olive oil in the water. Once water has begun to boil, add the angel hair pasta and let it boil for approximately 9 minutes. This is if you like your pasta al dente, a couple of minutes longer if you prefer tender pasta.

Once pasta is done, strain well and place pasta in large bowl or plate. Pour olive oil mix over the angel hair and toss well. Add grated parmesan cheese on top of the pasta and serve. Pasta typically tastes best when served immediately after being cooked. You can pair pasta with a good bottle of white wine such as Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay wine.

This recipe was contributed by Cris Hawk, owner of eFoodProcessorReviews, an excellent resource for food processor reviews, helping you to find the best food processor according to
your needs.

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Start by getting a basic cookbook on the recipes that you like and make your first meals the simpler ones. You’d be surprised how many people don’t even know how to boil an egg, so begin with the simple recipes. It’s also a good idea to watch the cooking channel on TV and learn by watching the techniques utilized by chefs.

Cooking is somewhat of an art form and with practice we all become better at it. At the beginning it is highly recommended that you stick to recipes. Do not get discouraged if at first the recipes don’t turn out well. You can’t expect to become a gourmet cook overnight.

The Basics

You should begin by learning the cooking basics first. As you are looking through your recipe book or going online for recipes, get familiarized with the cooking terminologies. Look at pictures of the finished meals. When deciding on a recipe it is best to cook something that you like to eat.

Once you have learned the basic cooking techniques you will be able to enhance your skills with additional training. The basics being, learning how to boil, fry, bake and grill. Advanced techniques in cooking are learning how to sauté, glaze, poach, and creating sauces on your own.

When you first start out cooking you’ll need to become familiar with some cooking terminology. You will also need to familiarize yourself with kitchen utensils, gadgets and appliances. This will help you organize and prepare the kitchen for cooking.

Here are some cooking techniques and terminologies that you should get familiar with:

• Al dente, flambé, sauté, poach, ice bath, deglaze, smoke, sauté, cream, temper, brown, stir fry, and zest.
• Bake, grill, boil, steam, fry, broil, braise, open fire, stone bake, blanch

Here are some kitchen utensils, gadgets and appliances that you should get familiarized with:

• Whisk, grater, steamer, colander, pastry brush, zester, wok, slotted spoon, strainer, mortar pestle, paella pan, Dutch oven
• Food processor, blender, electric hand mixer, meat slicer, toaster oven, rice cooker, microwave, juicer

Improving Your Skills

If you want to begin improving your cooking skills start with a weekly menu. Go to the grocery store and purchase all of the ingredients that you need for your recipes. Print out the recipes or have your cookbook handy. I have always found pasta recipes very easy to prepare and they are also tasty. You can learn the techniques for cooking pasta, and the simple sauces are easy to make on your own.

Here is a simple pasta recipe for beginners that serves 4.

Once you have mastered one recipe, you can begin to get creative with different and more complex techniques. Breakfast recipes are also very easy to prepare and are recommended for beginning cooks. Think of all of the different methods that you can cook an egg, and master each of these methods. Learn to fry, poach, scramble, & sunny side up an egg. This is how chefs start out their professional training.

The Art of Cooking

Cooking is like everything else in life, if you like it you tend to become good at it. If you don’t like cooking, then you will probably never be a very good cook. For those of us who love cooking it is a pleasant and stress relieving chore.

Student chefs first learn the basics and then get trained on the finer techniques to enhance flavor and create a beautiful presentation. They initially learn how to prepare the food for cooking with knives and utensils. Then they learn how to season and marinate to maximize flavor. These are all techniques and methods that you can learn with time and practice in your kitchen.

It certainly is impressive to watch a chef handling a knife, like when you see him or her slicing an onion quickly and expertly without missing a beat. This is mastered with plenty of practice. Also, the art of cooking is picked up quickly by some people, however this is not so for others. There are home cooks that have an extensive knowledge of cooking, and it’s become like second nature to them. While others might only learn to do a handful of recipes that they are good at.

Cooking can be a social activity and in many families it is a binding tie that unifies generations
and the extended family members. Think of the dinner parties that you have attended and how everyone loves to socialize around the kitchen especially if someone is cooking. Stick to what you and your family like to eat. Get everyone involved. Have someone prep the food, get someone else to season the meat, another one to cook it, and finally decorate the cooked meal on the plate. What better way to spend family time!

This article was contributed by Cris Hawk, owner of eFoodProcessorReviews, an excellent resource for food processor reviews, helping you to find the best food processor according to your needs.

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