Peanut Butter

Deb asked me about the frugality of making peanut butter a while back, so I bought some roasted, salted peanuts the next time I was at Sprouts so that we could check it out.

That was at least a few weeks ago, so I have no idea how much they cost. Oh, and I forgot to weigh them before starting, so as for the frugality of it, I have no idea. But Pickle thought it was fun and she loved the surprise of tasting it and realizing she'd made peanut butter!



About 3 1/2 cups of roasted, salted peanuts
Kosher salt to taste

We like chunky peanut butter, so we held out about 1/2 cup peanuts.

Place peanuts in food processor. Pulse until peanuts are very small. Turn processor on and process until it looks like peanut butter. Add salt and process until well mixed. When it tastes right, add back reserved peanuts and pulse until they're as chunky as you'd like.

We had processed the peanuts a bit before I remembered to pull some out for the chunks, so ours wasn't as chunky as I'd have liked.

This yielded right at 2 cups of peanut butter, which is exactly the amount in the jar of peanut butter we normally buy. Now I just need to remember to check the price of peanuts & jarred peanut butter. :o)



All pictures taken w/point & shoot, no flash. The close-up is courtesy of the Pickle.

Snapshots :: Interrupted

I read this post a few weeks ago and decided to try making my own brown sugar the next time I made cookies.

That would be today. (Oatmeal chocolate chip with toffee bits and coconut. Mmmm. One of my favorites.)

The best thing: my hands still smell faintly of molasses. One of my favorite autumn-y, wintry smells.

Today is the Autumnal Equinox. Did you know?

So, I suppose, something deep inside of me was wanting to celebrate today by digging my hands into a bowl of molasses and sugar.

What did you do to celebrate?

Homemade Crackers!

We ran out of wheat crackers on Tuesday.

I know.

What a nightmare.

So, rather than drive all the way to the grocery store, I decided to look up a recipe I remember seeing here. Holy cow--a stick of butter! Not that I don't usually applaud the use of an entire stick (or even two) of butter in a recipe, but I've been eating crackers with hummus as my lunch a few days a week, and didn't want to totally negate the health benefits of hummus. So I went on an Internet quest to find an easy cracker recipe that didn't require a stick of butter or any ingredients that would require a trip to the store.

I came across this one and thought it sounded easy and tasty (two of my favorite adjectives).


The dough. Super smooth, but it did require about seven minutes of hand kneading. If I make these often enough, I should have lovely looking arms.


I did several different toppers, and one mix-in. I tried a blend of sea salt, fine ground pepper and garlic powder on a few. That was OK, but not my favorite. I tried Lawry's coarse ground garlic salt on some; again good, but not my favorite.

For the mix-in, I took two balls of the dough and slightly flattened them. I added finely minced sun-dried tomato, garlic powder and dried Italian seasoning to the top of one disc of dough and topped it with the other. Then I kneaded it for a minute or two to distribute the mix-ins. I let the dough rest for about fifteen minutes while I made the rest of the crackers. When I rolled the dough out, the tomatoes stuck out everywhere--which is why they burned! I am sure I will try this mix-in combination again with a different recipe--maybe one that is light and flaky. And buttery.


These were my second favorite--lightly sprinkled with Kosher salt before baking. Light and crispy; a perfect vehicle to deliver my roasted garlic hummus to my belly. Yum.


But these, oh these, they are my most favorite of all. Lawry's coarse ground garlic salt with shredded Parmesan on top. Oh they're delightful. Good with the hummus, but can certainly stand on their own as a muncher.

Chicken Noodle Salad

First, I must apologize for the odd looking noodles. It was completely overcast and even rained a bit as I was taking photos! I'll take lousy light if it means I get a slightly cooler (91 degree) day and a few sprinkles!

This is one of the happiest 'throw together' meals I've ever made!

Last summer, we were running low on food (I hate strongly dislike grocery shopping), and rather than go to the store, I searched for whatever I could find that might masquerade as dinner without requiring me to really cook.

Here's what I came up with:

Chicken Noodle Salad

2 c. cooked, cubed chicken breast
1 lb. pasta, cooked and drained
2 apples, diced fine (I use gala and granny)
2 stalks celery, diced fine
a couple of handfuls of sunflower seeds
a couple of large handfuls of shredded cheese

dressing
1 c. mayo
2 T. acid (red wine vinegar is our favorite, but lemon juice works too)
large pinch kosher salt
lots-a fresh ground black pepper

Mix dressing in a small bowl then add to other ingredients; mix well. Chill at least two hours before serving.

That's it--a complete meal. You get meat, pasta, fruits and veggies all wrapped up in a happy mayo blanket!

I keep cooked, diced chicken breast in 2 c. portions in the freezer, so outside of boiling noodles for five or six minutes, this is a cooking-free meal which, when it's climbing towards 110 outdoors, is a very good thing.

Hello Fall. Welcome Home.

Although our days are still reaching the low 90's, our nights are cool. As in, the grass is actually cool under your feet and you don't immediately start to sweat if you go outside after the sun goes down.

That's the biggest blessing of the desert. Even when the days are still hot, the nights can be downright chilly.

In celebration of our third cool night in a row, I made our first fall/winter meal. This is one of our family favorites and is also a Pantry Pleaser! It took me less than ten minutes to have this ready, including toasting some wheat buns to serve as a side. The key for me is to keep browned hamburger in the freezer in one pound portions.

Posse Stew (Although it is actually a soup.)

1 lb. ground beef, browned (Seasoned to taste; I use garlic, onion, S&P)
1 can pinto beans
1 can hominy (I buy the big can)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can corn (or 1 c. frozen kernels)
1 small can green chilies
1-2 c. water or chicken stock

Put browned, drained burger in a large pot along with contents of listed cans (including juices). Heat on medium high until hot.

This can also be done in the crock pot by heating all ingredients on low for 2-3 hours.

This stew/soup is super yummy with just a hint of spicy from the chilies and is very filling thanks to the beans and beef.

Enjoy!

Yum, Yum & Yum!

I made granola on Tuesday. I have one word. YUM!

Pickle and I have been eating this for breakfast with yogurt or milk. YUM.

My sweet Man even likes it! YUM.

I think this would be fabulous served warm from the oven over fresh, vanilla ice cream.

I found inspiration in blog land (but can't find my bookmark-will add if I do), but 'tweaked' it to my taste and what I had on hand.

Mamma's Granola

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line two baking pans with foil or parchment.

Mix in a large bowl: 6 c. oats, 2 c. crisp brown rice cereal, 2/3 c. wheat
germ, 2/3 c. ground flax, 2/3 c. pepitas, 2 1/3 c. dried fruit (pineapple,
papaya, apples, cranberries, apricots), 1 t. cinnamon, 2 t. salt

Bring to boil in a sauce pan over medium heat: 1/2 c. brown sugar, 1 c. raw
honey, 3/4 c. olive oil. Remove from heat; add 1 t. vanilla.

Pour sauce over dry mixture and stir until evenly coated. Pour half of
granola onto each baking pan, spread evenly.

Bake until crispy, about 20 minutes total; stir halfway through baking.

Cool on baking pans, then break apart.

YUM!

PANCAKE?

Who wants a pancake,
Sweet and piping hot?
Good little Grace looks up and says,
"I'll take the one on top."
Who else wants a pancake,
Fresh off the griddle?
Terrible Theresa smiles and says,
"I'll take the one in the middle."
~Shel Silverstein

Whole Wheat, Banana, Chocolate Chip Pancakes

I'm re-posting this for Works for Me Wednesday over at Rocks In My Dryer--head on over for more great tips!

YUM! These are so delicious (and really quite healthy) that they don't even need syrup!

Here's what you need:

1/2 c. whole wheat flour (I like King Arthur--it is ground super fine)
1 t. baking powder
healthy pinch of salt

1/2 c. milk
1 egg
1/3 frozen, then thawed banana
1 1/2 t. honey
1 1/2 t. oil

mini chocolate chips

1. Mix flour, baking powder and salt in a medium sized bowl.
2. Measure 1/2 c. milk in a glass measuring cup.
3. Add the egg, oil and the thawed banana to the milk.
4. Using a fork, mix the egg, banana & oil; pour into dry ingredients.
5. Mix the wet into the dry until just combined.
6. Add the honey to the batter, stir.
7. Ladle batter onto hot, greased griddle.
8. Sprinkle 1 t. mini chocolate chips onto top of pancake.
9. Cook 1-2 minutes, until bubbles form on top.
10. Flip each pancake and cook for another 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until second side is golden.
11. Butter each pancake as it comes off the griddle.

Serves two, but is quite easy to double, triple or even quadruple! (Even for a non-mathematician like me!)

Zucchini Quiche

Sarah at Real Life is hosting a Zucchini Recipe Carnival. I believe it will be up all week, so check often for new recipes! If you'd like to include your favorite recipe, she has all the instructions you need to add your post to Mr. Linky. If you don't have a blog, or don't feel like posting a recipe you can always leave one in the comments!

This recipe is courtesy of my mom.

Zucchini Quiche

4 c. sliced zucchini
1/4 t. garlic powder
1 c. chopped onion
1/4 t. basil
1/2 c. margarine or butter
1/4 t. oregano
2 T. parsley
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 t. salt
2 c. shredded mozzarella
1/2 t. pepper
1 can crescent rolls
spicy mustard

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Melt margarine/butter--saute onion, zucchini and spices.
Beat eggs, add mozzarella cheese.
Line 8x10 pan with crescent rolls. Brush w/spicy mustard.
Turn hot veggie mixture into egg/cheese mixture.
Spread into crust.

Bake 15-18 minutes.

Unfortunately, My Man doesn't like this particular zucchini application, so I
only get it if I'm willing to make it for myself. This is an issue as I can
easily polish off most of this in one sitting. It is SO good and SO easy!

Cheesy Squash & Rice (or Quinoa) Casserole

Here's another:I went on a Quinoa kick last summer and this was one of our favorite Quinoa recipes. Unfortunately, I'd forgotten about it this summer when I had zucchini and yellow squash coming out my ears. Hopefully, those of you who still have zucchini producing plants (as opposed to dry, brittle, brown masses) will enjoy this as much as we did last year.

I love giving proper credit for the things I post here, but unfortunately, I found and copied this recipe off the web before I ever thought of posting things for all blogland to see. I never noted where I'd found it. So, if it's yours and you'd like proper credit, shoot me an email and I'll make it happen!

Cheesy Squash & Rice (or Quinoa) Casserole

2 T. oil 2 cloves garlic,
chopped 1 c. chopped onion
½ c. skim milk 2-4 oz. mozzarella (1.2 c.) ¾ oz.
Parmesan (3T)
¼ t. pepper 3 c. cooked brown rice or Quinoa 3 T. wheat germ
salt to taste
2 c. (3/4 lb.) zucchini, unpeeled, sliced in ¼ in. rounds
2 c. (3/4 lb.) yellow squash, unpeeled, sliced in ¼ in. rounds

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Lightly oil an 8 inch square baking
dish or spray with cooking spray.

Heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic
and onions. Cook 5 minutes. Add squash. Cook 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Remove from heat and stir in remaining ingredients—except for the wheat germ. Mix well.

Spoon mixture into the pre-oiled dish and press firmly. Sprinkle with wheat germ. Cover and bake for 25 minutes.

My 100th Post, a Giveaway & a Recipe

100 posts and nothing profound to say. I do have something to give away, though, so I guess that's some consolation.

I received quite a few complements on the matching Gathering Aprons I made for Pickle and myself, so I thought it would be fun to give one away! Even if you don't have anything that needs gathering, this is a long, heavy apron perfect for flower gardening or just puttering in your kitchen. The best part is when I choose the winner, I'll let the lucky duck choose a color scheme and custom make their apron to suit their preference!



Here's how it will work:

1. Leave a comment on this post between now and Friday. (One comment per person, please)
2. Tell your friends to come leave a comment (or don't if you want a better chance of winning!).
3. Some time on Friday, I will close the comments on this post and choose a winning comment using Random.org.
4. I'll post the winner as soon as I know who you are! I'll then contact you via email to work out the details.

Now, for the recipe . . . I found a link to this article and recipe for no knead bread in the NY Times a couple of days ago and decided to try it yesterday afternoon. The bread rises for 12-18 hours and then has a second rise of two hours before baking in a covered dish. Oh, and it only uses 1/4 t. yeast. My loaf is on it's second rise as I type and I'll be baking it off in about an hour and a half. I'll update with the verdict as soon as I know if it lives up to all the rave reviews I've read.

Till then . . .

Bread Update:

My loaf came out well--the crust is AMAZING!

The interior isn't as open and airy as I'd hoped, but I think two things influenced this:

1. I used 2/3 whole wheat & 1/3 unbleached AP instead of all AP flour.

2. My first rise was nearly 20 hours thanks to spending almost two hours at the grocery store waiting on the pharmacy.

I'm going to try again later this week with the same ratio of WW to AP flour and the correct rise times to see if that improves the interior texture.

I would have a photo, but I can't find my card reader so the photo is trapped on the SD card. In consolation, here's a link to an absolutely beautiful loaf from this recipe!

Mmmmm . . . Fried Zucchini

Oh, is this not what you expected? Were you thinking of those little rounds dipped in batter and deep fried? Sorry, but this is MUCH better!

This is how my Daddy's mom fixed zucchini, and boy is it good.

Here's what you'll need to get started . . .

Garden-fresh zucchini (or zucchini from your favorite grocer), olive oil, black pepper, salt, flour and sugar. That's it!

Start by slicing your zucchini into rounds. I aim for about 1/8 inch slices, but I'm not an expert with the knife, so I range from paper thin to about 1/4 inch. It all works.

Pour in just enough oil to cover the bottom of your cast iron skillet. It must be cast iron. If not, this just doesn't work. I don't have any idea why, but I've tried non-stick and stainless and both failed miserably. Heat on Medium--once the cast iron is hot, it will retain the heat. If you get the skillet too hot to start with, it's hard to bring the temperature back down without burning the zucchini.

Spread a layer of zucchini in the bottom of the skillet.

Add a layer of flour (2-3 tablespoons--just a light layer)

and a layer of sugar (again a couple of tablespoons)

then sprinkle in some salt (I like the way kosher salt sprinkles evenly and sticks to the food)

add some fresh ground pepper (I like a lot of pepper to offset the sweetness).

Repeat the layers until your skillet is full or you run out of zucchini.

Place a lid on top to allow the zucchini to steam and the flour/sugar mixture to get gooey from all the moisture. I use a glass lid so I can see when the zucchini begins to cook through. At this point, begin carefully turning the zucchini up from the bottom. Replace the lid and cook a few minutes more, then turn again. (This may take a few times to get all the zucchini cooked and the flour/sugar moist. It depends on how full your skillet is.)

You'll know it's time to leave the lid off when most all of the flour is gooey and the zucchini is translucent and soft. Now, leave the zucchini at least 3-4 minutes between each time that you turn it so the gooey flour/sugar mixture has a chance to brown. Once it's browned, it's called 'goody' and looks like this:

In all honesty, I could have let this brown a bit longer, but I was hungry!

Here you have it, my Grandma's famous (well, not really, but it should be) Fried Zucchini.

Enjoy!

P.S. Thanks Grandma. I know Heaven is all the sweeter with Grandaddy by your side.

Five Ingredients or Less

This is one of my favorite 'go-to' meals, or as I like to call them, Pantry Pleasers. I generally have all the ingredients on hand in my dry, frozen & fresh pantries.

I realize there are probably hundreds of versions of this out there, but here's mine.

Baked Penne

1 lb. penne rigate pasta
1 lb. loose chicken sausage
1 jar pasta sauce
1 small tub (1/2 large tub) ricotta cheese
2-3 c. mozzarella cheese

optional:
Parmesan cheese
pats of butter for the top

1. Boil four quarts water. Salt heavily. Add pasta & cook according to package directions.
2. While water is coming to a boil/pasta is cooking, heat a heavy skillet over medium heat and add sausage. Cook 'til evenly browned.
3. Add jar of pasta to sausage, bring to simmer.
4. When draining pasta, reserve a cup of pasta water in case sauce is too thick for your taste. When pasta is drained, return to pot and cover. (Don't return this to the hot burner though, or your pasta will stick to the bottom!)
5. Add ricotta cheese and 1 c. mozzarella to chicken/sauce mixture. Stir to combine.
6. Add chicken/sauce/cheese mixture to pasta. Mix well.
7. Dump pasta/sauce mixture into a 9x13 inch baking dish (I spray mine with cooking spray, but this step is not necessary).
8. Cover with remaining cheese. Add Parmesan & pats of butter if desired.
9. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes, or until bubbly and browned on top.

This freezes well and also makes fabulous lunch left-overs!

For a more descriptive, photo laden version of this recipe (with a cute recipe card), click here.

Pantry Pleasers: Baked Penne

Mmmmm . . . I love pasta. I love cheese. I love pasta sauce. I love this dish! The best part is, everything I need to make it is usually in my pantry.

What you'll need:

Penne pasta (preferably rigate-with the lines), chicken sausage, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, pasta sauce-any flavor, butter/cooking spray, S&P and any other add-ins you may have on hand. We usually add canned mushrooms and roasted red peppers. Not today. Today, I just felt like being basic and boring and well, basic.

Oh, you noticed there's no Ricotta in the photo? Good for you. I plum forgot. No butter? Again, I forgot.

Did you notice the unmentioned spice bottles? Again, good for you. You see, I haven't been to Sprouts in ages. Sprouts is where I buy lots of wonderful things like fresh ground chicken sausage and sea salt in bulk. I used all the chicken sausage from the freezer, so I bought a pound of ground chicken at the grocery (the one that's only 11 miles from my house as opposed to 25) and added diced onion, minced garlic, dried thyme, basil & oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, salt & pepper. It wasn't as good as the fresh sausage, but it worked in a pinch.

Finally (I promise we'll get to the recipe soon!), did you notice the lovely blurry photo? I took it without the use of my trusty tripod. I tend to shake, which is why it is blurry. Well, the ridiculously poor lighting in my little 1950's kitchen doesn't help much either.

Here we go!

First, put on a large stock pot of water to boil. You'll need four quarts of water per pound of pasta. When the water comes to a boil, add a good handful of salt. The water needs to be salty-like sea water. Watch out, when the salt hits the boiling water, it has a tendency to boil up and sometimes over. Add the pasta and stir until the pot returns to a boil. Cook as long as the package directs, stirring occasionally. When al-dente, drain off the water, return to the pot and cover. I usually reserve a cup or so of the pasta water in case I need it later. (I LOVE how the red elements on my stove show up purple. Now, if LG had really made them purple, I might just forgive them for making a stove top that's so hard to keep clean!)

While the pasta is cooking, brown the sausage (or the chicken & spices) and drain the fat, if any.

Add in the jar of sauce and mix the chicken in. This is where I usually add mushrooms and roasted red peppers. On days when I'm not lazy feeling basic.

Now add one small container or half a large container of ricotta cheese. (In a dish like this, you can use frozen ricotta. It needs to come to room temperature and be mixed well before adding--it separates some when thawed and the texture is a bit different than fresh ricotta.)

Now add about a cup of shredded mozzarella. Warm through. I like to add fresh ground pepper to the sauce, but if you're not a fan of the pepper, well, just skip it!

When the sauce begins to simmer, transfer it to the pot with the cooked pasta. Mix well. Here's where I add the reserved pasta water if I think it's looking to dry . . .

Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray (or smear it well with butter) and add the pasta/sauce mixture.

Cover the pasta with 1/2 to 1 cup mozzarella cheese and sprinkle on the Parmesan! I like to add a few pats of butter on top too. Only I forgot. So, I left it in the oven a little longer than I usually would so that the cheese would be extra brown on top for My Man.

Finally, you can bake this at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes or so (until it's all bubbly and browned on top) OR you can pop it under the broiler for about five minutes if you're starving and just can't wait!

Either way, you'll end up with an absolutely delicious meal straight from your pantry that didn't take much time at all!

Pantry Pleasers: What's That?

I have learned to love, and I mean love, having a well-stocked pantry. I keep a dry pantry and a frozen pantry. I belong to a coupon website that helps me keep track of the coupons/weekly & monthly ads and identifies the best deals of the week. I also receive three Sunday papers in order to get multiple coupons. This has helped me stock our pantry for a lot less by buying multiples of things when they are on sale with a coupon.

My dry pantry contains anything that comes in a jar, bottle or box that doesn't need to be refrigerated.

My frozen pantry contains frozen dairy products, meal-portioned raw meats, meal-portioned cooked meats, frozen veggies and (of course) chocolate chips! I also keep all things that could potentially collect bugs like dry pasta, cereal, cake/cookie mixes, grains and pre-ground flour in the freezer to preserve freshness.

I have a stash of recipes that use all pantry items, or pantry items + one or two fresh items that I thought would be fun to share over the coming months.

If you have a Pantry Pleasers recipe that you love, please email it to me and I'll try it out. If it's something we like, I'll post the recipe along with photos-giving you all the credit, of course.

Update 6/4/08: As I was making/photographing the first Pantry Pleasers recipe last night, I realized that a lot of the "one or two fresh ingredients" that I add to Pantry Recipes are ones that I always keep on hand--like a Fresh Pantry. Now, I realize there isn't a terribly long shelf life for these items, but since I always keep them around, I use them just like a regular pantry item. Things like sweet onions, small red and Yukon Gold potatoes, garlic, fresh tomatoes, carrots and apples. Basically, when I run out of one of these items, I know it's time to go to the grocery.

Mmmm . . . Tortillas

Here it is, folks. An extremely easy, very tasty whole wheat tortilla recipe. I found this on a 2004 Titus2 message board. It was posted by leighmom.

Thanks, leighmom, wherever you are . . .

Here's what you'll need:

Wow, my walls look really yellow in this photo. They're not. I promise. They're called Lion Mane, which is not yellow. Really.

4 c. whole wheat flour (I like King Arthur--it's ground much finer than most whole wheat flours)
1 heaping teaspoon salt (the salt is in the little white bottle)
1/2 cup oil (I used olive oil, but coconut oil was also recommended)
1 1/3 cup hot water (hot tap water is fine)

That's it! Four simple ingredients that make one of the most smooth, easy to work with doughs I've ever made!

First step, add in the salt.

Next, pour in the oil.

Mix the oil in with a fork until the flour resembles a coarse meal.

Add the hot tap water and mix it with the fork (or your hands) until it forms a nice ball.

Now, plop it out onto a floured board and knead it until it is smooth and no longer sticky.

Divide the dough into equal sized pieces. I made 24 which made very thin tortillas that were about 8 inches across. Even though they were thin, they stayed soft until we'd eaten them all (which took all of six days . . . ). You could divide the dough into fewer pieces for a thicker, more bread like tortilla or for larger, thin tortillas. The sky's the limit when you make things at home!

Once the dough is divided, spray a pan with cooking spray, plunk the little dough balls in and cover tightly.

Now, this is my favorite part: you need to let the dough to sit for at least a few hours! That means I can forget all about it and not ruin it! Here's what mine looked like:

When you're ready, take a dough ball out, flour a clean cutting board and pat the ball into a little round disc. Please forgive me for not covering that yummy looking cut on the top of my finger. My band aid got soggy, and I was just too excited about these tortillas to stop to get another one!

Now use a floured rolling pin or other cylindrical object and roll out the dough to the desired size. See that little white shaker? I think it's for powdered sugar or something, but I use it to sprinkle flour when I'm baking. It's my favorite gadget.

I used my tortilla press instead of heating a skillet or griddle on the stove. I didn't actually press the tortillas, though. I tried and wasn't happy with the result, so I just used it as a griddle.


When you see little bubbles all over, it's time to flip. I gave each tortilla about 30 seconds on the other side (or however long it took me to roll out another tortilla).


Finally, leighmom had the fabulous idea to put the cooked tortillas on a cooling rack. I don't know why I never thought of this before. I always placed them between two towels. I definitely like the cooling rack method better.


There you have it! Yummy, easy, nearly impossible to mess up tortillas. Go try it out. Then come back and let me know how things went.