Posted by Krista | Under Breakfast, Recipes, bread
Wednesday May 14, 2008
This recipe is decadently good, yet so simple I was able to make it on impulse, with no special trip to the grocery store. It is not a “diet” recipe by any stretch, but I can justify it on a Saturday morning when everyone will be working hard around the house burning energy all day. This also uses less sugar and butter than the original recipe.
Notice the only time consuming step is thawing frozen bread dough. Make it yourself from scratch early in the morning, for a little more love (and sugar) and a little less forethought. “From Scratch” instructions follow the recipe below.
This recipe got me thinking about making my own nutrient-boosted dough from scratch, and freezing it until I am ready to use it. Like many things I do in the kitchen, I don’t think it would be difficult. It just requires a little planning. I will post the results of any research I dig up!
Thawing time: overnight
Morning prep time: 75 minutes
ROLLS:
1 loaf frozen white bread dough
6 Tbsp butter (3/4 stick), softened
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)
ICING:
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp cream cheese
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
dash salt
Set frozen bread loaf in a 13″ x 9″ baking dish. Spray a piece of plastic wrap with cooking spray, cover loaf, and set in refrigerator. Allow to rise overnight. HINT: Set your butter out on the counter now, so it will be soft by morning.
75 minutes before breakfast time, stir together 6 Tbsp softened butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
Remove loaf from refrigerator; save your piece of plastic wrap. Place loaf on a floured surface and roll to 12″ x 9″. Spread sugar mixture on dough, leaving 1″ empty along one long edge. Sprinkle raisins and nuts over sugar mixture. Then, starting along the other long edge, roll the dough into a 12″ log. Sprinkle a few drops of water on the last 1″, and pinch the edge onto the log.
Using dental floss or a sharp knife, carefully cut the log in half, then in half again. Cut each quarter into three equal parts. Set the twelve pieces on end into lightly greased muffin cups. Cover with the saved piece of sprayed plastic wrap, and allow to rise for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375.
Bake in preheated oven 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool in muffin cups for a few moments while making the icing.
Melt 2 Tbsp butter and cream cheese together in microwave. Mix in powdered sugar, vanilla and salt.
Remove rolls to a serving platter, and drizzle with the icing. Serve warm.
Makes 12.
OPTION: Place all rolls in a 13″x 9″ dish, and bake for 30-35 minutes. Serve warm, directly from the dish.
DOUGH FROM SCRATCH:
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 (.25 ounce) package instant yeast
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup water
1 egg
Heat the milk in a small saucepan until it bubbles, then remove from heat. Mix in margarine; stir until melted. Let cool until lukewarm.
In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 1/4 cup flour, yeast, sugar and salt; mix well. Add water, egg and the milk mixture; beat well. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the dough has just pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 5 minutes.
Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let rest for 10 minutes. Proceed with rolling and spreading processes above.
Posted by Krista | Under Food Fun
Wednesday May 14, 2008
OK, this one is for my local friends. I may make a Kroger one too, sometime, but I happen to know that one special friend most in need of shopping inspiration only shops at this store. So this list is for her, and you get to read it!
I came up with a few simple meal ideas that make good use of the sales for this week. Items with a * are on sale this week through the end of next Tuesday. You have to spend at least $10 in addition to all those that are 5 for $5 mix-n-match. This list is especially for a pregnant mommy needing to restrict her salt intake , but the last one is one of the HEB special deals of the week that could keep for a few weeks, or feed the hubs for a few days when you’re not hungry.
Greek Salad:
Romaine Lettuce
Red Onion
*Greenhouse tomatoes (5/$5 mix-n-match)
*Cucumber (2/$1)
*Athenos Feta cheese ($3.29)
*split chicken breasts (5 lbs/$5 m-n-m)
can of black olives or a few from the olive bar
Spaghetti Night:
*Francesco Rinaldo spaghetti Sauce (5/$5 m-n-m)
*Central Market organic pasta ($1.69/lb)
*Central Market Italian Sausage Links ($1.99/lb)
*Broccoli crowns steamed ($1.29/lb)
Panini!
1/2 lb HEB ham (comes w/ coupons for:)
*1/4 lb artisan cheddar (free!)
*loaf french bread (free!)
Texas food:
Kiolbassa Smoked Sausage (comes w/ coupons for:)
*Guerrero tortillas (free!)
*Bush’s Best Grillin’ Beans (free!)
Special mommy snacks:
*Mangoes ($.89)
*Blackberries, 5.6 oz (5/$5 m-n-m)
*Fuji Apples (5 lbs/$5 m-n-m)
Posted by Krista | Under Adventures, Go Green
Monday May 12, 2008
Let me start by sharing that for me, going green is about fulfilling the original mandate entrusted to all of mankind: Rule over the earth, and take care of it. Essentially, we were given the role of stewards of this planet. Someday, there will be an accounting for how well we used the resources contained here.
So, whenever I speak of going green, I am referring to my personal understanding that the earth is a resource, and I will someday be asked to account for my use of it. I use the word green because it seems to convey a universal meaning. In this instance, I think people can have many different underlying reasons for their conviction, yet we can all agree on the importance of intelligently occupying this planet on which we live.
I am sure many of my readers have already embraced the green lifestyle. I salute you. For whatever reason, I became environmentally conscious when I lived in California, where the dense population brings a constant awareness of consumption. And I was a recycling maniac when I lived in Salt Lake City, and had curbside pickup and city-owned bins for all recyclables as well as green waste. Not only that, I was given the option to purchase wind energy credits, and I did.
Living in the country in my my new home state of Texas has challenged my private activism, and somewhat cramped my sense of civic pride. I suppose it is easier to participate in any activity when the community around you supports that activity. Of course, the city itself does offer curbside recycling, but we are outside the city limits.
So, my “greenification,” if you will, has had to start over from the inside. Recycling is no longer just a matter of sorting the trash into two different piles. I did some research and found that there are a dozen places all over town that will each receive one or two types of recyclables. And they seem to all have different hours of operation. You do the math, but if I make several trips into town to recycle items, but use extra fossil fuel to do it, have I really made a step forward?
I decided to choose the one location that takes the best selection of items. I can take newspapers, plastic bottles, brown or clear glass, and any kind of metal food cans. In this new paradigm, I have to clean and sort each type of item, even down to the brown glass from the clear. It’s a bit more work, and also leaves me with multiple sorting bins.
Call me a complainer, but that’s actually a lot of work! And now that I know exactly what this valley has facilities to process, I am realizing that the plastics and glass I used to throw indiscriminately into the recycle bin probably never actually got recycled after all.
I still struggle with our country recycling program. When I get a carload, I can drive it all a half hour away to the facility. But the bins don’t fit well in the house, so I don’t get many carloads recently. I find it difficult to commit to all the sorting and storing when each item requires a separate trip outside to the garage.
I realize I need to recommit myself to going green. Just because it has become inconvenient, or because we live in a low population area, does not give me permission to abdicate the sense of environmental responsibility I feel comes from an authority higher than myself.
More than just a list of “100 ways to go green,” I will try to share practical ways each week that I am actually incorporating green ideas into my daily life. I think there probably are about a hundred ways that come first before I start considering high-cost ways such as building a windmill or installing solar panels. It seems to me that many food topics are related to green, or stewardship, issues. Some of the ways are small, some are large.
This week I present the first two ways I am making better stewardship decisions, to contribute to a greener planet:
1. I bought local lettuce at the farmers market, that did not need to be imported or trucked across the country.
2. We have started replacing incandescent light bulbs with compact florescent bulbs. We discovered that our local energy company is offering a $3.50 credit per year on a compact florescent 4-pack! Seems pretty paltry, but after laughing about it we decided that at least it is a step in the right direction.
This week’s goal: get back in the groove of sorting and storing recyclables.
Posted by Krista | Under Food News, Go Green, Nutrition
Thursday May 8, 2008
While many people have been buying and consuming organic foods for ten to twenty years, organic produce and organic dairy products have only recently entered the mainstream marketplace, thus becoming available to a wider section of the population. As more people purchase these foods produced by sustainable means, generally without the use of pesticides, the markets offer more choices. As more people are exposed to the opportunity, more markets make it part of their standard lineup, and the positive cycle continues.
But there are still some, maybe even quite a few, who don’t quite get what the big deal is with organics. I am likewise a recent convert, and would like to share a few insights I have gained that helped push me over the line, despite our rising food prices.
There are multiple reasons why consumers are choosing organic produce over commercially produced varieties; primary motivators are environmental, economic, nutrition and health concerns.
ENVIRONMENTAL
Speaking from a conservationist standpoint, organic farming attempts to responsibly harvest from the earth in a way that is sustainable; that is to say, it is conscious of the environmental impact of its methods, and is concerned with quality of life of workers and animals. All around us we are seeing a push toward greater environmental responsibility in our choices; and organic produce, dairy, and meat are all items we can choose as we seek ways to be responsible.
Additionally, organic products often come from local farmers, especially when one shops at a local farmers’ market. Not all farmers market vendors are certified organic, but many are still practicing sustainable methods, and the fact that they are local means that fewer global resources (i.e. fuel) have been expended to get them to market.
ECONOMIC
When all food prices seem to be rising at rapid rates, financially making the switch to organics sounds particularly painful. But the truth is that many organic products are grown and produced locally, leaving them less susceptible to price hikes due to higher fuel and transportation costs. Additionally, the farmers markets bring produce directly to the consumer, cutting out a middleman that would raise costs. Produce purchased directly from the grower also has the advantage of being fresher, meaning the consumer has a longer period in which to prepare and eat it, leading to less waste.
NUTRITION
Aside from global concerns and attempts to support the local economy, buying organics provides greater nutritional punch. Organics are better for what they HAVE. The Organic Trade Association reports that more than three dozen studies have found increased levels of various nutrients in organic produce and grain, vs. conventionally grown crops. This includes at least 25% more vitamin C and magnesium, 20% more iron, and 10% more phosphorus. This supports the logic that growing crops in actual soil with animal fertilizers—as opposed to recycled paper or water with chemical fertilizers or whatever conventional methods use—is better for the end result. Organic products also tend to contain about 15% less nitrates than traditional crops. Nitrates are one of those bad boy ingredients that should optimally be kept to a minimum.
HEALTH
Another reason to choose organic is for what it DOES NOT HAVE. Foods vary in the amount of pesticides they contain. There is a diversity of opinion about how much those pesticides really are dangerous to humans, but if one is working toward consuming all-natural foods, then organic foods are closer to that goal than traditional commercial ones. While organic farmers are held to a certain standard in production that still allows use of some chemical pesticides and fertilizers, their produce is undeniably exposed to many fewer chemicals overall by the time it reaches the consumer.
The Environmental Working Group has found that different fruits and vegetables retain different amounts of pesticides. The group has identified what they call the “Dirty Dozen”: these should be chosen organic whenever possible. The group has also identified a list of those fruits and vegetables that seem to retain none or almost none of the pesticides used in growing them, and thus can be purchased commercially without worry about possible contamination.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Krista | Under Adventures, Cooking Tips, Go Green, Nutrition, Recipes
Monday May 5, 2008
In light of my recent recommendations to spend smart, I am trying to put my own words into action. I have a responsibility to be a good manager of my household budget, and to provide a nourishing menu for my family at the same time. But I have got to tell you, as I try to become more conscientious about both nutrition and cost, I am encountering a bit of a pinch. Actually, quite a serious pinch. Nutritious, “real” food just costs more.
My first foray into nutritious cooking came about the time my first child began solid food. At first it was simple enough to buy a bag of dry peas, cook them, freeze them, and feed them to her. What you could buy in a jar for 60 cents, I could feed her for 10 cents.
At this point I was not even into organics. I began to spend more time around the edges of the grocery buying produce, dairy and meat, and less time in the center buying box mixes and prepared food. When I do shop in the main aisles, I conscientiously check the labels of crackers, cereals and the like, for protein, fiber, whole grain, and other nutritious features. I try to limit sugars, eliminate certain fats, and the like. In so doing, I now just buy known brands instead of whatever is on sale. But do you know what happened? Food began to cost more.
This past year I finally got on the bandwagon with organics. For those of you that still don’t get the big deal about organic food, see my thoughts on the matter. Now that I have added organic milk, butter, eggs, flour and apples to the lineup, I have increased my bottom line by about another $60 a month. All this in a time when food prices are rising at a faster rate than they have in 18 years, so all the other things I buy are now taking a bigger chunk of change than even a year ago. Yikes!
I have come to the point that I am ready to take back my grocery money. I need that money for other things! So I am developing a plan. Time will tell if it is a good plan, but you may come along with me on my journey.
Step One: Coupons
Yes, I am joining the ranks of coupon clippers. Don’t know exactly how well it will pay off for me, but I am going to give it a try for at least four weeks. Maybe another 8 after that, depending if I get any momentum built in the first four weeks.
Today was my first day of using coupons. I spent probably about three hours over the course of the past week, between collecting four weeks of papers from the local newspaper office, clipping, sorting, cross checking with the weekly circulars, and making my shopping list. I visited three stores: the two local groceries, and CVS. I could have visited two other stores, but had a toddler with me so I decided to limit myself.
I tried to purchase only things I would need within the next four weeks, that were on sale, and for which I had coupons. I purchased my organic milk at the further grocery, in full gallons instead of the half-gallons I usually get at the closer store. Saved almost a dollar a gallon. Got four boxes of name brand cereal for $1.25 each; that was great, too.
I used a couple of coupons at each grocery, but did better just buying things on sale with my shopper card. By the time I was finished I had saved 50% at one store. My usual average is 10%. But at the three stores combined, I spent an amount equal to my biggest stock-up shopping weeks. So I may have gotten a lot for my money, but saving money? Not this week yet.
So far I have a few conclusions. First, toiletries are the best item for coupons, and CVS is a great place to use them. CVS rotates pretty much all toiletries on sale sooner or later, so you can get what you want if you are patient. Plus they will have items for sale that give you credit back for spending in the store on a future visit. It is a self-perpetuating cycle. How cool is that? So I will definitely keep that in mind when it’s time to stock up. I believe some of the other major drugstores have this same program.
Second, I can do pretty well just by making my list from the sales circular. I am going to have to do that more often, coupons or no. I did very well today with focusing on sales. I bought 9 pounds of chuck roast for $18, it regularly would have been almost twice that. Convenient, since I am having a barbecue tomorrow.
My third conclusion is that coupons and sales are part of the answer, and it is worth my time to go through the coupons and make a plan to shop from the sales flyer. But they are not the whole answer. My organic and other quality brand choices are still important to me. This leads me to the second part of my strategy.
Step Two: Farmers’ Market
I am fortunate to live in the southern part of the US, where there is a Farmers’ Market year round. I have yet to make it to one, but I have been told that the prices are at least fair, and produce lasts much longer than grocery store produce.
I was unable to attend our local farmers’ market last Saturday, so I am eagerly awaiting this week’s occurrence. I also discovered that there is a store called “The Farm Patch” in the next town, that sells local produce and whatnot. I’ll get up there as soon as I can to check that out, but there is a limiting factor that frames both parts of this strategy.
Step Three: Go Green
All of this smart shopping means more driving. We live out in the country, and driving is a huge part of shopping. At the moment I do not have the option of switching out my vehicle for another that would hold my family and also be more fuel efficient. But with the rising awareness of my environmental responsibility, I have to evaluate both the cost and the impact of my intended course of action (save money and give my family better nutritional value).
I calculated that I spend $2.50 in gasoline every day when I go pick up my daughter from school, six miles away. The closest grocery is another four miles, with the above mentioned Farm Patch another 7 miles beyond that. I believe the gas cost would work out to about $6 for that trip. I really have to have a strategic plan in order to inclusively a. save money; b. buy fresh; and c. be environmentally responsible.
Can I do it? I hope so. It almost seems easier, with such a limiting set of parameters. I know I have lots of room for improvement in all three areas. Wish me luck. Any suggestions would be welcome as well.
Posted by Krista | Under Adventures
Friday May 2, 2008
Sunday I was initiated into another southern tradition, as we attended a crawfish boil. Had never heard of such a thing, but I was open to learn.
Let me insert parenthetically here that I grew up in the heartland, hundreds of miles from the nearest coast. I have lived in several states since childhood, but our move to Texas a year ago marked the beginning of my life in the South. Over the course of this year I have learned about brisket, kolaches, and fried everything, but I had not yet experienced the regional Cajun influence until this past weekend.
My years in California gave me a taste for seafood, so I figured I could handle this. Crawfish look like mini lobsters, and they are eaten by cracking them open and pulling out the meat. A crawfish the size of my hand yields a tiny piece of flesh about the size of the first knuckle on my pinkie. Seems like a lot of work for a little payoff, but it sure was entertaining.
These crawfish were cooked along with a bowl full of smoked sausage, potatoes, and 3” ears of corn. There were also mushrooms, onion, lemons and a bag full of spices.
I am not sure how I felt about the crawfish; it was cool as a novelty at first, but I only managed one piece of crustacean. I did, however, like the rest of the choices. Sausage is comfortably familiar to me.
I think the moment I lost my stomach for the whole business came about the time my children discovered the kiddie pool full of live ones around the side of the house. They played with the condemned creatures for over an hour, holding them, racing them across the lawn, holding them so they would fight one another. They were enthusiastically on hand for scooping them into the bucket to be carried over to the boiling pot. And to finish it off, they each requested and were granted permission to personally put one in the pot.
This actually reminds me of an incident from my own childhood. My family was in New Jersey one summer, along the coast somewhere. We stopped at a vendor and purchased a bag full of crabs. This idealistic nine-year-old was so excited that her parents had mysteriously decided these leggy friends would make an aquarium full of terrific pets. You can possibly imagine the horror I felt a few hours later, when, back at the campsite, my mom put them in a pot and turned the water on. I could hear their little claws scraping the inside of the lid, and then it stopped. I cried the rest of the evening, and to this day the smell of the ocean reminds me of that scraping sound.
So I am not sure if my problem was more with the seafood, or the casual attitude of my children for the lives being sacrificed in front of their eyes. To their credit, they also requested and received one each to bring home. I named those two Grace and Redemption, in honor of their second chance at life. We have not seen them since their release into the fish pond.
I hope that as I live here in the South, I continue to develop my taste for southern cooking. After several tries, I still prefer KC barbecue over smoky Texas-style; and I still prefer shrimp for my crustacean consumption. But after last Sunday, I feel much more well rounded, and am comfortable with my progress. At least my children are being exposed to cultural cooking!
Posted by Krista | Under Italian, Kid Friendly, One-Dish, Recipes, Side Dishes, Vegetarian
Thursday May 1, 2008
When I first tried this, I thought I had died and gone to heaven. It could easily serve as a main dish, but also makes a great choice for a potluck.
2 Tbsp butter
3 cups elbow macaroni
2 12 oz cans evaporated milk
1/3 cup milk
2 eggs
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 lb (4 cups) shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 lb (2 cups) shredded jack cheese
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 375. In a large pot, cook macaroni to al dente (barely done). Drain, and return to pot; toss with butter.
In a medium bowl, stir together milks and eggs. Add seasoned salt, garlic powder, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. In another medium bowl, combine cheeses.
Layer 1/3 of the noodles in a 13″ x 9″ baking dish, cover with 1/3 of the cheese. Repeat two more times with remaining noodles and cheese. Pour milk mixture over all. Sprinkle with paprika.
Bake 35-45 minutes until top is lightly browned. Let sit 10-15 minutes before serving. Serves
