Homemade Sloppy Joes

Quite a number of years ago, I wanted to make sloppy joes but didn't have a can of sauce. I posted a question on a board somewhere (can't remember where) asking for a recipe to make from scratch and someone replied very quickly. And I haven't bought the canned sauce again since!

Every time I make it, I change it a little depending on what I have on hand and what I feel like (spicy, mild, etc.), but here is a general idea of my recipe:
2 lbs. ground turkey or lean beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
Optional: chopped green or red pepper, jalapeno
1 can tomato sauce
2 T worcestershire sauce
2 T dijon mustard
2 T honey
2 T cider vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Brown the ground meat and onion. Mix in all the other ingredients. Allow to simmer for at least 15 minutes to thicken sauce. Serve on homemade whole grain buns with a slice of cheese.
My family just loves these! And they are healthy and wholesome, too!

If you would like more kitchen tips, check out Kitchen Tip Tuesdays over at Tammy's Recipes.
For more great ideas, check out Make It From Scratch where creativity and frugality meet!

An Incredible Kitchen Resource Tool

A couple days ago, I came across this wonderful list of equivalent measurements for use in the kitchen and just had to share it with all of you! I found this at TipNut (a great resource for so many tips!!) and it is 34 Handy Kitchen Measurement Hacks and Tidbits. Check it out and then print it out to keep in your kitchen for handy reference. And to keep it from getting destroyed when you are using it, just place it into one of those sheet protectors (I have all my recipes in those and it has saved MANY from spills) and keep it handy.

It is really helpful when doing recipes from Alton Brown on Good Eats because he insists that measuring by weight is much more accurate.

Kitchen Tip - Subsitute for Evaporated Milk

Yesterday, I was making a recipe for macaroni and cheese (using whole grain macaroni, of course) that called for evaporated milk. I didn't happen to have any and it is too expensive to buy here in Mexico. I knew there had to be a substitute for it. I did a search online and sure enough, you can used dry milk with only 40% of the water called for in order to make the equivalent of evaporated milk. So there you go! I DO happen to keep dry milk on hand for making hot chocolate in the winter, so it was a very easy substitute.

And FYI, you could also use cream, but evaporated milk has much less fat and calories and does a great job of thickening as well. Just though I would share that Kitchen Tip for Tuesday. For more tips, go over to Tammy's Recipes.

Mixing Fruit in Your Cobbler is Great!

This week, I had some peaches that were about to go bad, so I decided to make another cobbler. However, there weren't quite enough peaches, so I decided to add some blackberries. I didn't know exactly how that would work out, but it was REALLY scrumptious! The sweet peaches and the tangy blackberries made a great combination! I have been using a very basic cobbler recipe that I really like. And I use freshly ground whole grain flour and honey, which makes it even better!
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar (or 1/2 up honey)
1 stick melted butter
1 Tbsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
Mix together and spread over berries. Bake at 350 degrees until crust turns golden brown. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

So don't be afraid to experiment by combining different fruit in your cobbler. You may come up with something great! For more great Kitchen Tip Tuesdays, visit Tammy's Recipes.

Kitchen Tip - Don't Throw Away the Paper Separaters

When you buy a package of foil baking cups (I mostly use mine when I make meatloaf cupcakes), don't throw out the paper cups that separate the foil ones. You can use those for regular paper baking cups, so you actually get twice the number of baking cups in one package.

I didn't hear this anywhere that I can remember. I just remember one time when I was using those foil cups (probably April Fool's Day:-) that I thought, why can't I just use these other paper ones for cupcakes? And I did and they worked just fine. So get double duty out of your foil baking cups by using the paper ones, too.

For more Kitchen Tips Tuesday, go on over to Tammy's Recipes, where you can find lots of great recipes, too!

Crunchy Waffles

I have recently acquired a waffle iron, so I have been trying out different recipes for whole grain waffles. The first batch had cornmeal and got mixed reviews because they tasted a little like cornbread. Not a bad taste, just strange. The second batch was good, but not very crunchy. The third batch, I came across a recipe on Food Network that I liked and an article about what makes waffles crunchy (by Pamela Anderson over on Fine Cooking.com) and adapted the recipe a little. They were CERTAINLY CRUNCHY! Ok, maybe a little too crunchy, but at least now I know how to solve the dilemma. Next I am going to try the second recipe with some alterations to increase crunchiness. So here are the things I learned about making waffles crunchy:
1. Add cornstarch to the batter (as much as 1/4 cup to 3/4 cups flour to equal 1 cup flour)
2. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees when you preheat your waffle iron, then put the finished waffles right onto the oven rack to keep warm and crisp up a little more.
3. Use oil instead of melted butter - makes for crunchier waffles.

You may want to try one or two of these at a time so as not to have waffles that are TOO crunchy. But the tricks definitely work!

For more Kitchen Tips, go over to Tammy's Recipes.

Freezing Bananas - A Great Tip From a Great Friend!

A week and a half ago, a great new friend of mine told me about popping whole, not-peeled bananas into the freezer when they are starting to get too dark and mushy to just eat. And especially if you are not ready to use them in banana bread, muffins or smoothies right that day.

So, I took her advice and put four into the freezer. Just like that - no plastic wrap or anything. I have to admit I was a little skeptical and a couple days ago I decided it was time to make banana muffins. So I got the bananas out of the freezer a few minutes before I was going to need them. When I was ready for them, I just peeled off the peel and the bananas inside were beautiful! I was very pleased and they mashed up very easily for in the batter. I had to fight off my son - he wanted to use them for smoothies - because I needed them all for my muffins.

So next time your bananas are starting to go bad, just pop them in the freezer and you will have bananas ready and waiting for those baked goods and smoothies whenever YOU are ready for them.

For more Kitchen Tips, go over to Tammy's Recipes.

Have Some Fun in the Kitchen Today!

Today is April 1st, that day of all days in the year where you can pull silly pranks and everyone thinks it is hilarious! Well, a few years ago, I began to mark this day of the year by having some fun in the kitchen. The first year I made meatloaf cupcakes. The startled and unbelieving look on my kids' faces when I told them I decided they could just have cupcakes for dinner was priceless! Then last year, I made grilled cheese sandwiches (my son's favorite), but with pound cake and icing colored to look like melted cheese. When my son bit into his, he nearly spit it across the table since he was expecting a different taste. After he realized what it was, he loved it! Well, I have pulled a few pranks this morning (blue creamer for my husband and vaseline on my kids' doorknobs) and still have a few up my sleeve. But my favorites are the food ones! Take some time to have a little fun in your kitchen today. There are lots of great ideas over on Family Fun's website. Enjoy!

For more Kitchen Tips, go on over to Tammy's Recipes!

Successfully Cutting Homemade Granola Bars?

Today on Kitchen Tip Tuesday, it is a backwards edition where you ask a question. So here is my question - I love to make homemade granola bars, but I have not yet been successful in cutting them. I use the recipe from Alton Brown (Good Eats) because I like them crunchy, but if I wait until they are cool to cut them, they break all apart and the bottoms stick a little (even though I butter the pan). Any ideas or advice? Please? I would like to have BARS, not CRUMBS!!

For more kitchen questions, go to Tammy's Recipes.

Whole Chicken vs. Boneless, Skinless Breasts - Is It Really More Frugal?

I have heard and believed for quite a while that it is more economical to buy a whole chicken, cook it, and debone it to use in casseroles or other things. This week, after cooking two whole chickens, deboning them and bagging up the meat, I have begun to think differently. Right now, a whole chicken costs between $5.00 and $6.00. I can purchase 3 lbs. of boneless, skinless chicken breasts for $6.00 at WalMart.When all was said and done, I ended up with 2 lbs. of chicken meat and 2 quarts of chicken broth for $10.00. I could have had 3 lbs. of chicken meat and some broth (if I cooked them that way) for $6.00. Hmmmm.... seems to me that with all the time and energy involved in deboning chicken, I could have saved money by buying the chicken breasts.What is your experience? Have you found whole chickens a savings or just more work?

Stop over at Tammy's Recipes to find lots more tips!

"Customizing" Recipes...Write it Down as You Go!

How many times have you substituted something in a recipe because you either didn't have the ingredient or wanted to use something healthier, then the recipe came out better than ever and the next time you can't remember what you did? I used to do that all the time. But now, I just write in pencil on the recipe what I am doing. If it is great, keep it! If it isn't so great, just erase for the next time. I have done this right in my cookbooks or on my printed out recipes and it sure saves the headaches when I am trying to duplicate that wonderful "experiment"!

So I say, don't be afraid to write in your books - at least your cookbooks! They can still be passed on, but now with personalization from you. And if you regularly double a recipe, write down the measurements doubled so that you can easily follow the recipe without having to constantly calculate measurements in your head - AND remember to double everything:-) I have forgotten to double just one ingredient in the past and ruined the whole thing!

Hope this helps someone, especially some of you who are just beginning to cook from scratch and use recipes.

Preserving Citrus

For us here in the Southwest, citrus is in season. Yes, I know this seems weird for any of you on the East coast, but that's how it is out here in the Southwest. Everything is in season at different times than I am used to, being from the Northeast.

Anyway, we receive alot of lemons and oranges that we cannot possibly eat before they begin to dry out. So I needed to find a way to preserve it. Here is what I found. You can squeeze the juice from the lemons or oranges and put it in ice cube trays to freeze. After it is frozen solid, just pop them out and put in a ziploc bag and back in the freezer. Then when you need some lemon or orange juice for a recipe or lemonade, just take them out, pop them into the microwave for a few seconds and you have wonderfully fresh juice!

You can also freeze the peels in a ziploc bag for future use as zest. No need to thaw first, just use your citrus zester or fine grater.

For more great Kitchen Tips, visit Tammy's Recipes.

Isn't Vinegar Amazing?

Isn't Vinegar Amazing? My friend, Jaye, emailed me yesterday with her tip about using vinegar to wash fruits and vegetables. She said, "You just mix 3 parts water to 1 part vinegar. It kills 99% of the bacteria and removes traces of pesticides, etc... and it’s super cheap!" Thanks, Jaye!

Here are some uses from the Vinegar Institute:

Garbage disposal cleaner:
Garbage disposals may be kept clean and odor free with vinegar cubes. Vinegar cubes are made by filling an ice tray with a mixture of 1 cup of vinegar and enough water to fill the ice tray and then freezing it. Run the mixture through the disposal, and then flush it with cold water for a minute or so.

Coffee maker cleaner (automatic):
White distilled vinegar can help to dissolve mineral deposits that collect in automatic drip coffee makers from hard water. Fill the reservoir with white distilled vinegar and run it through a brewing cycle. Rinse thoroughly with water when the cycle is finished. (Be sure to check the owner’s manual for specific instructions.)

Clean the microwave:
Boil a solution of 1/4 cup of white distilled vinegar and 1 cup of water in the microwave. Will loosen splattered on food and deodorize.

Deodorize the kitchen drain:
Pour a cup of white distilled vinegar down the drain once a week. Let stand 30 minutes and then flush with cold water.

Clean the refrigerator:
Wash with a solution of equal parts water and white distilled vinegar.

Clean and disinfect wood cutting boards:
Wipe with full strength white distilled vinegar.

Brass polish:
Brass, copper and pewter will shine if cleaned with the following mixture. Dissolve 1 teaspoon of salt in 1 cup of white distilled vinegar and stir in flour until it becomes a paste. Apply paste to the metals and let it stand for about 15 minutes. Rinse with clean warm water and polish until dry.

Ant deterrent:
Ant invasions can sometimes be deterred by washing counter tops, cabinets and floors with white distilled vinegar.

Cleaning Stainless Steel Appliances
Apply vinegar with a soft cloth to remove streaks from stainless steel appliances. Try in an inconspicuous place first.

Cleaner Dishes and Glasses
Pour 1 ½ cup to 2 cups white distilled vinegar in the bottom of dishwasher, along with regular dishwasher soap. Wash full cycle.

Remove Refrigerator Smells
Place 1 cup apple cider vinegar in a glass and set in refrigerator. Within 2 days, any smell is gone!

Check out Tammy's Recipes Kitchen Tip Tuesday for alot more tips that are very useful!