Vinaigrette Vigniette

HI all,

 

After my post on the “Cheaper and Better” book,  the thought hit me that giving you the French Dressing recipe as it was in the book and my modification on it might be something that would be of interest.  As I stated before, my husband is a bit more fond of the vinegar than the oil, so in my version you will see a different ratio in those ingredients and in the sugar.  Which ever one suits your taste I hope you enjoy it, but feel free to experiment and make it your own. It took me a few tries to get the right balance for us I have also used this as a marinade.  My changes are in red, have fun with this recipe!

 

Classic French Salad Dressing

 

1/2 cup olive oil  ( 1/4 cup, I use canola oil)     

1 Tablespoon red or white wine vinegar  ( 1 cup, I use cider vinegar )

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1/2 teaspoon sugar ( 1 tablespoon )

1/2 teaspoon salt   ( none )

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon parsley

1/2 teaspoon basil

 

Place oil, vinegar, mustard, sugar salt and pepper in blender. Blend at high speed for 30 seconds, add herbs and blend for 15 seconds. Store in sterilized jar, thightly covered, in refrigerator. Dressing tastes best if used within one week, but will keep up to 4 weeks. ( I use a lidded container, put in vinegar then dry ingredients, shake to distribute, then add oil and shake vigorously.  Remember to tighten lid securely!!  If you use the blender method it may?? help with separation issues.)

 

 

Enjoy!!  

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You Made That???

HI all,

 

With Summer in full swing we are eating more salads and lighter foods.  I was mixing up my husband’s favorite salad dressing (after Bleu Cheese, that is) and thought about a book I came into possession of quite a few years ago.  The title is ‘Cheaper and Better’ by Nancy Birnes.  It came out in 1987 and newest version  was released in 2017, available on Amazon.  It contains recipes for things from pantry supplies, personal care items, to help with garden pests and more.  Even a recipe for Baker’s Craft Dough (salt dough for those of a certain age)  for making ornaments with kids for the Christmas tree, that key dish for Father’s Day(beats another tie), etc. 

 

The  French Dressing recipe is the one I use, with my own tweaks.  My guy likes it more vinegary and less oily, so over the years we found a balance that works for us.  If you prefer to do things yourself it is worth checking out and you won’t have as many additives in your finished product.  Store bought is sometimes the way to go for busy times, but fresh from the kitchen or a bit more nature friendly is not a bad thing.  If you check online you might find an old version on some of the used book websites.  Either way it’s a fun read, I personally like to sit down and just look through my cookbooks for fun.  For those of you who like to do things yourself you may find some of the recipes and other ideas a nice alterative to store bought.

 

In future post I will be sharing my experience with homemade English muffins and some tips on vacuum sealing small portions of spices and other grocery items.

 

Enjoy!   

This Bugs Me

Hi all,

 

Spring is coming and so are those pesky little gnats and flies.  Not that they completely disappear over the winter, but warm weather seems to stimulate the little buggers.  I mentioned in a past post that I use snack chip bags and the like to get rid of the meat and veggie waste. Well these little pests seem to like dive-bombing my beverages! Well in looking around the kitchen I noticed that the lids from cream cheese, cottage cheese and icing tubs fit over some of my most frequently used cups and mugs.  Not all of them are exact fits but they are a quick way to thwart the bug bombers from messing-up my liquid refreshments. The same trick can be used for side dishes on your outdoor picnics.  Whipped topping, coffee or oatmeal lids will keep the insect squads a little more under control and keep your pickles, tomatoes, etc. from too much added and unwanted protein.   Some of the lids will have printing, but In the long run I can put-up with that better than something doing the back-stroke in my coffee. The lids are also something that can be used instead of thrown out and for those of you in the snowier areas, I have been known to use some of these lids to remove thin ice on my windshield.  The plastic doesn’t scratch the glass and I always have some in the kitchen drawer,  Just lay the lid flat and hold it down with your open hand, moving in a circular motion.

 

That’s it for now, hope so of these ideas are helpful to you!

 

Enjoy!   

Net Effect

Hi all,

 

The other day I decided that the laundry closet needed to be straightened up.  There are a lot of cleaning clothes and mop pads that were all jumbled into some plastic buckets. The buckets are from ice cream and rectangular shaped so they sit well on the shelf over the machines.  As I sorted the contents I knew something had to be done because there were too many different things in each bucket.  I had kept some of the net bags from some 5 pound orange purchases, so I folded the clothes and stacked them in one and put my mop pads in another. I am talking about the netting that almost feels like thread, not the plastic ones the tear easily. These bags will hang nicely from hooks on the wall and freed the buckets to hold other laundry items .  I’m sure this idea can be used in the pantry, closets or other areas .  Use your imagination and utilized under used wall space.

 

Until next time.

 

Enjoy!   

This Should Cover It

 

Hi all!

 

These cake savers are great for cake, but the other day I needed something to cover a round dough loaf I was setting to raise.  It fit right over the loaf and sat fine on the round pan I was using.  You can see through it , so keeping an eye on progress is easy.  Also you don’t need to worry about it sticking to the dough like plastic wrap.  It is re-usable, so not as much waste.  You can use them for covering plates of food outdoors for BBQ’s or inside for buffet style, etc.  Those little net tents tend to blow away and don’t stay down flat on the table, letting bugs in anyway.  If you put the plates in the base you can lock the food in, but be careful of leaving them in the sun , as condensation could dampen the food inside.  You can pick these up at the dollar stores so keeping a couple on hand is affordable.

 

Enjoy! 

 

One More Thing…

Hi all,

 

Had a couple thoughts on two of my previous posts, thought I’d share.

I mentioned that I used 1/2 cup more oats in the Oat-rageous cookies.  Well, as my husband likes oats, I tried putting in 2 cups total of the oats and they came out heartier, but still yummy! I would not go any further as it would probably dry out the dough, but you can experiment. I also use mini chips, they seem to distribute better through the dough.

As far as the cheese cutter, I found it works really well on canned jellied cranberry sauce.  Changing the angle also varies the slice thickness to your taste.

 

Have fun and enjoy!   

A Cut Above

Hi all,

 

Have you ever tried to cut SPAM into mostly even slices?  Well, I found that my cheese slicer ( similar to pictures below) does a pretty good job of doing that task. II f you hold the handle straight up toward ceiling and rest the roller on the loaf you can get about 1/4 inch slices.  The slicer is still good for cheese! 

 

                     

 

Have a great day!

 

Enjoy!   

In the Bag

Hi all,

 

Do you have trouble with gnats and smelly trash cans? I have been saving my potato chip bags and other plastic type freezer bags, (like french fry and frozen meat patties) to put my veggie waste into before throwing it in the trash can.  It doesn’t completely get rid of all the problems, but the odor is less and the flying pests seem to be kept at bay. I keep the bags rolled up and stashed in an old coffee-type can. If you put the plastic lid on the bottom, it acts as a scratch barrier. Hope this helps.

 

Enjoy!    

Something Corny

Hi all,

 

Found this in a magazine I get from my Kroger store.  Thought it might be interesting.

 

In the Kitchen

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Cut Corn off the Cob without the Mess

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1. Cook corn using desired method and remove husks, if necessary. If using uncooked corn, shuck and rinse cob.

2. Place corn upright in the center of bundt pan. Apply light pressure to make sure it’s secured.

3. While holding the corn at the top, use a sharp knife and gently cut downward. The bowl of the pan should collect all the fallen kernels. Rotate cob until all sides are cut.

4. Repeat process with as many ears of corn as you need!

Four Ways to Cook Corn on the Cob

Boiled

The trick? After boiling corn for 10 minutes, turn heat off — letting corn cook an additional 5–10 minutes in covered pot.

Foil Packet

When grilling seasoned corn, wrap buttered and salted or herbed cobs in aluminum foil 15 minutes before grilling the entire packet.

Grilled in Husk

Place corn in husk directly on top of heated grill grate. Cook, turning occasionally, until it’s steamed through, about 15 minutes.

Oven Roasted

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place corn in husks directly on oven rack and roast about 30 minutes, turning halfway through, until corn is tender.

 

Enjoy