Single Purpose Items?

Within the last week I have come across three blogs where the writers advocated eschewing single function kitchen items. The examples which were given were an ice cream scoop, garlic press, and popcorn popper.

Although I agree in theory that it is a waste of space and money to have something that doesn't multi-task, when I start thinking about the practical application of this I realized that it's not such a good idea after all.

The two biggest reasons to have those sort of items would be that they are helpful because one uses it a lot based on ones lifestyle, or because by not having it one would have to buy the product already made. Examples of the first would be a coffee maker for most Americans or a rice cooker for most Asians, while examples of the second would be a waffle iron or an ice cream maker.

I love waffles and my husband loves ice cream and so we have a waffle iron and an ice cream maker. Since we try to be careful how often we eat out, going out to breakfast rarely happens. Having a waffle iron gives us the opportunity to have a favorite meal without it being costly. Even if we only use it once a month (we actually use it more), the space it takes up is worth the cost savings it affords us. An ice cream maker is handy because my husband goes through a lot of ice cream. It is much more affordable than buying ice cream and it also gives us the opportunity to make sure that there aren't artificial ingredients in it.

There are also other random reasons why single use items are handy:

My mother hammered into us never to use table spoons to scoop ice cream. Our freezer was very cold and she hated seeing all of her spoons bent. So we used an ice cream scoop because the alternative was having all our spoons look like they were doing the limbo.

Someone else might use a garlic press because she hates the smell of garlic on her hands. (They do make stainless steel "soap" bars to rid oneself of that smell, but those too are single purpose items.)

Another person might use a rice cooker to make sushi because he can't get sushi rice the proper consistency on the stove.

After reflecting on all of this, I realized that I have no problem with the kitchen items I have. The people promoting this are probably trying to avoid the rampant materialism so common in our country. If materialism is the reason they argue this, then it seems to be paradoxical: either one has material items to make or do things at home, or one buys things at the store because one hasn't the means to make them at home.

At least I don't have a coffee pot, microwave* or toaster. Those are items I have no problem doing without.


*It could be argued that this is not a single use item because it can cook, reheat, or thaw. I say, suit yourself. That is what I use the stove and refrigerator for.

Applesauce Muffins

These are our family's new favorite muffin. I found the recipe somewhere and tweaked it a little by adding raisins and reducing the sugar and salt. The following is the "tweaked" version. The texture of the batter is a little funny, but they taste wonderful.

½ C. Oil

½ C. Applesauce (preferably unsweetened)

½ C. Sugar

1 ½ C. Whole wheat flour

½ t. Allspice

Scant ½ t. Salt

½ t. Baking soda

½ t. Baking powder

½ t. Cinnamon

½ t. Nutmeg

½C. Raisins

Combine all the dry ingredients thoroughly. Combine all the wet ingredients. Mix gently together and then add the raisins. Fill muffin tin. Cook at 400 for 15-20 minutes.

Garlic Bread with a Kick

My family loves garlic bread. I usually mix a couple cloves with some softened butter, split a small loaf of sourdough bread lengthwise, spread the butter and then sprinkle a little bit of paprika. Then I wrap it in foil, and bake it for 15 minutes at 425 or 450.

This time I was in a hurry, but thought I had done everything properly. However, when it came time to eat it, my son refused because he said it was too spicy. After I tasted it, I realized that I added cayenne instead of paprika! I liked it and would do it again, except that I don't want to be the only person to eat it.

This is not the Platonic Form of Shortbread

When making shortbread one should never use this recipe:

1 Cup butter
2 C + 3T flour
1/2 C. sugar
1 egg

Yes, I know that shortbread does not have egg in it. Nevertheless, due to inattention, it found its way in. I don't think the cookies would have tasted any better without the egg though. They had a general lack of flavor which probably would have been remedied with a little salt and more sugar. Oh, well. Happy Boy loved them and gobbled about five of them down when I was distracted on the phone.

Thai Pesto

A friend came over for lunch today and we had Thai Pesto. It was very good and very easy with a food processor. I didn't put as much chili sauce in it in case it was too spicy, but I think that next time I will add it all because I think it could have had more kick. This isn't summertime (although it feels like it today) but this would be a great summer meal or side dish.

For those of you who don't like Asian food, here is a tip: fix yourself a grilled cheese sandwich. That is what my husband did and he said his lunch was better than ours. :)

Cranberry Jello

Here is the recipe my husband uses for his Thanksgiving cranberry dish.

1 lb Cranberries
2 C. Orange juice
1/2 C. honey
2 Tb. plain gelatin
Grated rind of one orange (optional)
1 20 oz. can of crushed pineapple
1/2 Pint Whipping cream
1 C chopped walnuts

Boil cranberries in orange juice until berries pop. Add honey and gelatin; let mixture cool. Add orange rind, pineapple, and nuts. Whip cream and fold it into the jello. Pour mixture into a mold and refrigerate to set.

My comments:

Since cranberries now come in 12 ounce packages instead of 16 ounce ones, my husband sometimes takes extra from a second bag and sometimes he does the math to reduce everything by25%.

In all the times we have made this since we've been married about half the time we have had trouble with the gelatin. If we just dump in the gelatin part of it turns into inedible globs and is hard to remove before eating. Dissolving it in water didn't work very well, either, and if you do that you need to reduce the orange juice by the amount of water that is used. What has worked best is me constantly stirring the pot while he sprinkles the gelatin over the sauce. Also, since the gelatin we have comes in packages it is hard to measure in tablespoons. Last time he used 2.5 packages for 12 ounces of berries* and it worked out well.

When I said something to my mother-in-law about this recipe she said that she didn't like it because it was too greasy with the cream and that she only makes it because her children all like it so much. Neither my husband or I have ever noticed any greasiness, but if that sort of fat bothers you, you probably could use Cool Whip. What I have noticed, however, is that it is very acidic. I didn't notice that this year but, unlike most other Christmases, I am not pregnant and when I am pregnant I am very sensitive to acid.

Finally, we have never used a mold for this. A glass bowl works fine, and if you don't have that then I guess use plastic. For some reason I am under the impression that stainless steel wouldn't work very well.

Enjoy!

* He just told me that this time he used 12 ounces of berries but kept all the other ingredients the same just to see if it would work this way. I guess it did.

Thanksgiving Questions

In the combox of my other blog, Mrs. Bear asks some questions about Thanksgiving so I thought I would answer them here instead. (This being a food blog and all.)

Hey, do you bake pies?

Yes! I rarely have made a pie that requires two crusts, but I do make pies. The first year I was married I made my own crusts. Then I read a statement by someone who called herself a chef who said that the taste difference between store bought crusts and homemade is barely perceptible. I started buying the crusts and last year realized that they just do not taste good. So if I make a pie this year I will make it 100% and not just the filling.

And what are your views on cranberry sauce?

My views on cranberry sauce are Will Rogers-esque: I have never met a cranberry sauce I didn't like. To my shame, that even includes the canned stuff. The year I celebrated Thanksgiving with Flannery she made a fantastic cranberry relish where the berries didn't even need to be cooked. I asked her for the recipe but am still waiting. . . My mother always made the cranberry sauce recipe on the back of the bag and my husband's family made a cranberry sauce jello with fresh cranberries, whipped cream, and several other yummy ingredients. He has made that each year since we got married, so I haven't bothered to make anything else.

And what kind of bread do you like for Thanksgiving? I am wondering if I should bake biscuits.

When I was a child I loved rolls with my Thanksgiving dinner. However, since I reached adulthood I have realized rolls with my dinner are one more starch in a heavily-starched meal so I have never had any sort of bread product. I think a lot of people serve it as a filler so that their guests won't eat as much of the other stuff. If I were making dinner for lots of people I would serve it (or have someone else bring it), but as long as we are just having small Thanksgivings I will do without bread or rolls. So I guess you need to think of whether the people you are serving will eat the biscuits, will they like them, will they be disappointed not to have them, or will they not even notice if they aren't there. Just my two cents. ;)

This One's for You, Mrs. Bear!

I recently discovered a wonderful food blog called Organic Kitchen written by an Orthodox homeschooling mother of five. What I find so amazing about her blog is that most of the recipes she posts are things that my family actually eat.

Today's post is on her thoughts regarding the fast before Christmas and is accompanied by her menu for the fast. If you (read "Mrs. Bear") fast during this season it might be a great resource. I am looking forward to referencing it quite a bit when Lent rolls along.

Exploring the Kitchen

For a while now Happy Boy has been randomly saying "I like sugar." I think it comes from him wanting something sweet and my husband or I telling him, "No I don't want you having sugar." Then he would tell us that he liked it.

Today I found him with a teaspoon eating sugar out of the sugar container. Later I found him doing the same thing with the flour, which sits right next to the sugar in a similar container. He said, "This sugar no taste good." To top it off, just now I found him with a children's knife cutting and eating a stick of butter. Butter, sugar and flour go into lots of good things, I just never thought of eating them on their own.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate

Why is that combination just so good? My husband loves peanut butter M&Ms and I have mentioned how I like this dessert. Matilda has repeatedly posted links to Puppy Chow and every time I click on it I think, "Yum! I need to try that." Peanut butter and chocolate make such a great couple, someone should right a cookbook devoted to them. Maybe someone already has, but I haven't been able to find it.

Tea Meme

Thank you, Mrs. Bear, for this meme!

Your first cup, when do you drink it? Either while breakfast is cooking or with breakfast.

How many cups a day do you drink? During warmer months I don't drink any, but during the coldest months I probably have had up to five. Right now in October I drink two.

Teabag or leaf? I like both, but usually buy teabags because they seem to be cheaper.

Milk or sugar? None for herbal teas, milk for a couple black teas and both for most black teas.

Your favourite way of brewing? Pour a boiling kettle of water over the tea and set the timer for four minutes.

With whom do you prefer to enjoy your tea? Family or friends, but normally I am by myself.

Your favourite tea? At home either English Breakfast or Blackberry Sage. At a coffee shop it is chai. I just can't seem to make good chai at home.

Where do you prefer to drink your tea? At the computer or on the couch watching my children.

What does your favourite cup look like? Like this only red instead of green.

English Breakfast or Earl Grey? English Breakfast - I love it!

Favourite occupation while drinking tea? Talking with friends or reading blogs.

Formative tea experience? After my mom started homeschooling us, we would always have a tea break in the late morning in the winter. It was usually chamomile or raspberry. I have loved tea ever since, but didn't discover black tea until I was in college.

Incidentally, I have had to declare a moratorium on buying tea. I have so many different types that it will take a long, long time to use up. My poor husband has been very patient with my vice, but I know he would like to see my tea taking up only one shelf in the kitchen.

Homemade Taco Seasoning

Every time I used to use a recipe that called for taco seasoning I would grumble. I don't buy that because it almost always has MSG in it. I would just add a little cumin and chili powder and be a little dissatisfied with the recipe. Not anymore. Now I have a taco seasoning recipe that I am very happy with so I thought I would share it.

Taco Seasoning

Place in blender or food processor:

¼ C. Flour
2 T. Chili powder
¼ C. Onion powder (I use onion flakes)
2 t. Garlic powder
2 t. Salt (I use less)
4 t. Paprika
½ t. Cayenne pepper (more if your family likes things HOT)
2 t. Cumin (I use more because I love cumin)
2 t. Oregano

Blend until mixed and powdery.

Store in airtight container. Three tablespoons equals one packet of commercial taco seasoning.

The Loveliness of Comfort Drinks

The first weekend in autumn it starts to cool down my husband always says, "I'm cold. Let's have some cocoa." Then he gets out the saucepan and makes a scrumptious batch of hot chocolate. The recipe comes from his favorite cookbook. It is a wonderful treat he makes for us during the winter and my cleaning the pan is a small price to pay for it. :)

Hot Chocolate

4 C. Milk
¼ C. Powdered cocoa such as Hershey's (or use 2 squares of unsweetened baking cocoa, chopped)
¼ C. Sugar, or to taste
A pinch of salt
A dash of vanilla

Blend the dry ingredients with about ½ C milk over very low heat in a small saucepan, stirring until smooth. Stir in the rest of the milk, beating with a fork or wire whisk.

Heat the mixture over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until hot. Add the vanilla, pour into cups and serve.

A Man's Cookbook

When we got married a friend gave us How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman. The friend's mother was a chef and highly recommended the book. Since both my husband and I enjoy cooking, we looked forward to trying the book out.

I like the book but my husband loves this book. It is always the first book he goes to when he is hunting down a new recipe. I have since found a couple other men who really enjoy this cookbook, and yet I have never heard a woman praise it as highly.

The only reason I can think of for this is that because Mark Bittman taught himself to cook, he knows and explains the basics in a way that men find appealing. He doesn't bog the book down in culinary profundity, but tells it like it is with a cut-and-dry-no-frills kind of way. This is pure speculation, so if there are any other theories I would love to hear them.

The Healthiest Cookies in the World

Or so my husband bills them. He calls them such because they have no sugar, only ¼ cup of honey, and the only fat is from the peanut butter and the oats. Of course, the raisins and concentrate also raise the fructose level of the cookies.

No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

Mix these ingredients and bring to a boil:
¼ C. Honey
¼ C. Cocoa powder
¼ C. Orange juice concentrate
¾ C. Water
⅓-½ C. Raisins

Turn off stove and mix in:
⅓ -½ C. Peanut butter
½ tsp. Vanilla
2 ¾ C. Oats

Pat the mixture into a large pie pan, slice and enjoy.

Corn on the Cob

I love corn on the cob, but always felt guilty lathering it with butter and salt. Not something my body needs.

Last summer we were invited over to dinner a some friends' home and they served us corn on the cob. They had recently gotten back from a honeymoon in Mexico where they were served corn on the cob with lime juice and sprinkled with chili powder. They loved that so much they served that to us.

Salt and butter step aside! That combination was so good that I have done it every time we have had corn this summer. In my opinion it tastes far better than the traditional salt and butter, and opinion aside, limes and chilis are far, far better for me than salt and butter.

In full disclosure though, my husband didn't care for it and will stick with the usual.

Rocky Road

I found this recipe online a long time ago and liked it because it was so quick and easy. It is extremely sweet and rich so don't eat too much at once!

Rocky Road

2 C. chocolate chips
1 C. peanut butter
4 C. marshmallows

Heat chocolate chips and peanut butter in pan over a low heat until melted. Place chocolate chips in 9x9 inch pan and pour chocolate mixture over them. Stir thoroughly and enjoy.

N.B. This will be a very gooey dessert. If you would prefer it firmer, refrigerate for a couple hours before eating.

What's for Dinner: Chicken Ziti Casserole

I was supposed to make dinner for a friend who recently had a baby, so today I went looking for a chicken casserole recipe that did not include any form of condensed soup. Those types of recipes always taste the same and aren't very healthy. I found this on Recipe Goldmine and we all enjoyed it.

Chicken Ziti Casserole

• 1 Jar spaghetti sauce
• 4 C. Cooked ziti (about 6 oz. uncooked)
• 1 ½ C. Cooked cubed chicken
• 1 C. Shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

Stir together spaghetti sauce, cooked ziti, chicken and ½ cup mozzarella. Pour into a 2-quart casserole dish. Sprinkle with the rest of the cheese.

Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbling.

Makes 6 servings.

My comments:

Although I don't normally buy canned pasta sauce, this was the step that made the recipe super easy. The chicken and the pasta cooked at the same time and while they were cooking I shredded the cheese. My two-year old even asked for thirds! Definitely a hit.

What's for Dinner: Quick Fiesta Casserole

This recipe came from one of the sample menus from Saving Dinner. It was the first time I tried it and we all liked it.

Quick Fiesta Casserole

•1 lb prepared black beans
• 1 8oz. jar salsa
• 2 tbs. taco sauce
• 2 tsp. each cumin, garlic powder, and chili powder
• 2 C. baked tortilla chips
• 1 C. low fat sour cream
• ½ C. sliced green onions
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 4 oz. cheddar cheese, low fat
• Shredded lettuce and taco sauce, if desired

Heat oven to 350°. In a skillet, stir in beans, salsa, 2 tbs. taco sauce, cumin, chili powder and garlic powder. Heat to a simmer; stirring occasionally. Place tortilla chips in un-greased 2 quart casserole. Top with bean mixture. Spread with sour cream. Sprinkle with onions, tomatoes and cheese. Bake uncovered until hot and bubbly, 20-30 minutes. Serve on bed of lettuce with extra chips and taco sauce if desired. Serves six.

My comments:

I started by cutting the recipe in half, but somewhere along the line forgot to halve the ingredients so ended up with more than I intended. I used canned beans instead of dried because I can never cook dried beans long enough for some reason. Instead of taco sauce I put in two tablespoons of my homemade taco seasoning along with a little water. I didn't have much hope of finding baked tortilla chips, but discovered a company that is advertising "New! Baked tortilla chips!" so I was able to used baked after all. I also broke the chips up slightly so that they wouldn't take up as much room in the pan. Finally, I only put sour cream on half because not all of us like it. Despite all these changes, my husband and I both agreed that it is something that we should try again sometime.

Easter Food

Traditionally during Lent people gave up meat, sugar, dairy, eggs, and fat. When Easter rolled around people were able to use those ingredients for tasty, rich dishes.

Pascha is one of those dishes. It is a traditional Easter dish has everything "forbidden" in it (except meat), which is probably why it is called "Pascha" in the first place. It is a food that my husband's family has always had on the Easter table and wouldn't dream of omitting from the Paschal feast. They normally have it as a spread on Russian Kulich bread.

Pascha

1 whole egg
4 egg yolks
2 1/3 cups sugar
1 cup heavy cream
2 pounds ricotta cheese
1/2 pound sweet butter, at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups golden raisins
1 cup blanched almonds, chopped
2 tablespoons grated orange rind

Beat the egg and the yolks until thick and lemon-colored.
Gradually add the sugar, and beat until the mixture is thick and
creamy.

Pour into a saucepan and add 1/2 cup of the cream.
Heat over medium-low heat, beating constantly, until the mixture begins
to thicken. Do not boil. Remove the pan from the heat and continue
beating until the mixture has cooled to lukewarm.

In a mixing bowl, combine the ricotta, butter, the other 1/2 cup of
cream and the vanilla. Cream until the mixture is smooth.

Add the egg mixture, then the fruits, almonds, and orange rind. Blend
thoroughly.

Chill overnight.