Good for you, Jenni! We need more people with courage like yours to turn this foolishness of super-expensive weddings around. Sometimes it seems as if more time and effort goes into The day than goes into the subsequent marriage. Would that it were the reverse - we'd have fewer broken homes. You have wisdom beyond your years and your groom is a fortunate man indeed. God Bless! ... View related article.
Excellent ideas here! Another way to use up leftover spaghetti sauce is to dilute it with a bit of stock or water, and use as a sauce over cabbage rolls or stuffed peppers. My "house soup" (made with fried onions, stock and compatible leftovers), also benefits from a bit of added tomato. ... View related article.
Substituting mayo for the oil in a cake works because the main ingredient in mayo IS oil (plus egg, spices and lemon juice &/or vinegar).As long as the flavoring in the cake over-rides the spices in the mayo you should be ok. A little extra flour plus some baking powder could substitute for eggs in a pinch. Good for you for being resourceful! ... View related article.
There is more and more evidence coming out that plastics are not as benign as we all thought they were. Apparently plastics have an estrogen - mimicking property in the body that is linked to a whole host of ills. Toxins are leached into our food and drink during storage and especially during heating. Stainless steel or glass is recommended for water and glass or corning bowls with a plate to cover works well for other foods. You can freeze things in jars as long as you leave enough headspace for expansion of liquids. Jars also work well in the fridge since science-project potential can be easily identified! For most of us this is a real paradigm shift, having come from the Tupperware-is-everything era. ... View related article.
Good for you, Deanna! When you totally utilize a big bird like that it sure goes a long way. I recently read of a practice in fine French kitchens where the bones are cooked a second time for stock along with the usual onion, carrot, celery, bay leaf and peppercorns. The second stock is strained and then reduced or boiled down to 1/2 to concentrate the flavor. Great idea and so deliciously cheap - I mean frugal! ... View related article.
I don't live alone and am therefore not in your position, but I think I would lean toward making a BIG batch of one or two things every week and freezing single portions, so that over time you would accumulate quite the variety. Things that freeze very well include soups, chiles, spaghetti sauce, unbaked pizza, stews, goulash, roast in gravy, hash-brown casserole, rice casseroles, lasagna - cooked or uncooked, pizza buns, baked meatballs, meat loaves - baked and sliced into portions, wraps, brown rice, baked beans, and I'm sure there is more! Of course you would have to devise a dating system so that nothing gets too old. You could always cook up something fresh on days you feel inclined that way, but this way your main part of the meal is ready for the defrosting. You might want to invest in square containers to maximize your freezer space if that is an issue. Baking and freezing portions also saves a lot of money and anything home-made is better quality because it avoids many unpronounceable and unhealthy ingredients. Cooking once a week with a friend who is in a similar position might be more enjoyable. Have fun and God Bless! ... View related article.
I often make changes like that, primarily because you get a better-quality product when you do. Try using 1/2 water (or stock if you have any) and 1/2 tomato paste. Add a little Italian seasoning, i.e. basil, oregano, garlic, parsley and a bit of sugar. Start with 1/4 tsp. of each, taste your concoction and go from there. Most recipes are not so finicky that they would suffer from such a change, and the bonus is that there are no unpronounceable ingredients in your sauce. Good luck! ... View related article.
