Spice of Life (taco seasoning mix)

I am all about the spices. When you are cooking basic inexpensive food spices can fool your mouth into thinking you are dining at a fine restaurant on a mac and cheese budget. My children get spices from the time they can eat table food.

 A sprinkle of cinnamon, a dusting of chili powder, or a pinch of pepper can remake the bland into the gourmet.

Here's a basic taco seasoning that you can use on chicken, beef, or even sprinkled over potatoes before you roast them for a smoky flavor.

What spice mix can you not live without?

Chili Taco Mix

1/3 cup cumin
1/4 cup chili powder
1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup pepper
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
 1 tsp dried oregano


Mix all together and store in an airtight container. I use canning jars for my spices.

2 Tablespoons is enough to flavor 1 pound of ground beef.

Enjoy!

Microwave Baked Potatoes

Every now and again I get on a baked potato kick. They rank up there with pizza and sandwiches for being customizable. Healthy, cheap, and fast, what's not to love?

Fast? Fast? What is she thinking? Some of you may not be familiar with the potato bag. My best friend thought I was nuts when I said I would have baked potatoes on the table in less than 10 minutes.  For a wee tiny bit of fabric and batting you can make one of these bags in just a few minutes with very basic sewing skills. Here's a tutorial HERE and HERE.

Toppings can be as varied as your imagination. Here's some ideas to get you started.

• Ham and Cheese
• Chili ( with or without cheese)
• Salsa and sour cream
• Broccoli and cheese
• Tomato sauce and parm cheese
• Bacon bits, cheese, and sour cream
• Black beans, salsa, and cheese
• Chopped chicken and cheese
• Pesto 

Yummy dinner! Excellent way to use up leftover bits from supper the night before too.
And by the way, I am sure you could whip up a few extra potato bags for gifts now couldn't you?

Fruit Leather (AKA fruit rollups)

Fruit snacks, must be healthy right? Especially with the labels proclaiming fat free! gluten free! made with real juice! Wrong. Those little packets are basically fruit flavored sugar and preservatives. Don't get me wrong, there is a few brands that are a bit better. But why spend that much money on something you can make yourself that is less expensive, healthier, and only actually has fruit in it?

I have made these since I was a wee sprite and they taste great and hold up well to backpacks and gymbags alike.

Fruit Leather

4  c strawberries or whatever fruit is in season

Preheat your oven to 150°F (or as low as your oven will go). Line an 11-by-17 cookie sheet with a Silpat baking mat. If you don't have one, use parchment paper, although a Silpat will offer better results.

Wash, dry, and cut up four cups of strawberries (or other in-season fruit of your choice, such as peaches, bananas, or raspberries; frozen fruit works, too). Place in a food processor or blender.
Puree the fruit until completely smooth, about 30 seconds.

Pour the pureed fruit onto the prepared pan. Use the back of a spoon or spatula to spread it out evenly. Carefully slide the pan into the oven, and bake for eight hours (or six to seven hours if your oven is at a slightly higher temperature).

Remove the pan once the fruit is set and still slightly tacky. Be careful not to overcook, as you'll end up with fruit chips instead of fruit leather.

Once the fruit has cooled to room temperature, slowly peel it off the mat or parchment paper. Lay it on a cutting board, and use a knife to cut out 12 portions; store in an airtight container

I have used a dehydrator for these too, especially if you have the solid tray for wet foods. Times vary depending on season and humidity where you are but you will get the hang of it quickly.

I think they taste much much better and are packed with energy and vitamins. 

Pizza Night

Pizza night is a mainstay in our house. I make dough and I can customize everyone's pizza to their needs. No cheese on one, no sauce on another, all veggies on one is a snap this way. The kids make their own pizzas and we all eat together.


Gluten free came along and threw a wrench in the works though. How do you make a pizza crust without flour?  Thank God for the internet and Jeanne at 'The Art of Gluten Free Baking'.  She has a great recipe for pizza crust that actually tastes like pizza. I throw the ingredients in the food processor for 20ish seconds and use the parchment for that pizza.I have tried a few premade mixes but darn it they are so expensive. I make up Jeanne's baking mix and make pancakes regularly too from it.

You can find an easy crust recipe here that does have gluten but is dairy free. I will share a secret to make this go very fast. I have been making the dough in the food processor. Put all the ingredients in and process for about 20 to 30 seconds until it's a smooth dough. That's it. Let it rest and use as you would dough you spent 10 minutes kneading. The first time you may have to experiment with time and a drop or two of water to get a smooth dough but after that its easy peasy. If it still looks crumbly add water a teaspoon at a time until the dough comes together, pulsing a few seconds after each admission. I can crank out four crusts in no time this way.

My regular dough recipe makes some wonderful bread sticks as well.  Divide each recipe into 8 pieces and roll out thin with your fingers into pretzel rod shapes. Lay flat on cookie sheet. Sprinkle lightly with garlic salt. Let rise for 20 minutes. Bake at 425 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes.
 If you aren't dairy free you can smear butter on them and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese for some very similar to the pizza stores. We have them with pizza sauce. Yum!

BBQ Chicken

Barbecue Season is here!

Even though I am a vegetarian a lot of my friends and family are not. A girlfriend asked me to make this for her and I was happy to oblige. Its a grill recipe but I use it in the crockpot more often than not and it comes out melt in your mouth fabulous. I dont have to watch it and the kids and it doesnt heat up my kitchen on hot days.
This is the time of year to stock up on chicken for your freezer too  for all your summer cookouts when you see those barbecue weekend specials. Depending on where you live, pork and beef can be inexpensive now as well.

A quick word about barbecue sauces and rubs.......
Do you really know what goes in those sauces? High fructose corn syrup and artificial flavors? Yikes, no thank you. Barbecue sauce is insanely easy to make and very forgiving. My next post will be some of my favorites.

Barbecue Chicken

4 pounds chicken thighs, drumsticks, and breast halves (Whatevers on sale or in the freezer)
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1(15 oz) can tomato paste
6 garlic cloves minced
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon salt
pinch black pepper
pinch cayenne pepper


To make sauce, in a saucepan combine tomato puree, garlic, onion, honey, maple syrup, salt and peppers. Stir in apple cider vinegar and bring to boiling. Simmer uncovered about 30 minutes. It should be nice and thick.

GRILL: Brush sauce generously on chicken on a medium hot grill. Grill about 50 minutes until chicken is no longer pink adding more sauce the last 10 minutes.

CROCKPOT: Remove skin and extra fat from chicken. Layer sauce and chicken in crockpot. Cook on low for 7 hours.

Serve extra heated up sauce with the chicken for those who like to dip.

Homemade ketchup? Who knew?

So we have always tried to eat whole foods as much as possible but who really thinks about condiments? I think if I stopped to think about it I assumed ketchup was something you needed a science degree to make at home to get the same consistency and taste as Heinz!  This high fructose corn syrup controversy has me reading labels though and Ive been looking for inexpensive ways to get it out of our diets. I don't know if Heinz( don't sue me huge corporation!) has it or not but most of those cheaper house brands do. Not to mention preservatives and other things I'd rather control myself.

Imagine my surprise to have a friend give me this little gem. My kids love it and I like not having high fructose corn syrup in their ketchup. I mean really, chemically altered molecules? Yuck. Artificial sweeteners were all safe too until they yanked some of those off the market.

So anyhoo enough griping. This recipe is great and easy and inexpensive to make.


12 oz can tomato paste
1 cup water
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
pinch ground cloves
pinch cayenne

Blend and let chill in the refrigerator overnight. Store in the refrigerator as well since there are no preservatives. My kids dont notice the cayenne but I like it, you could certainly leave it out. Tweak it anyway you like but try the base recipe first.

Enjoy!

Delicious Glazed Carrots

Yummy and delicious, Easy and low cost. What more can you ask?


Glazed Carrots

1 lb carrot pieces or baby carrots
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon lemon juice
black pepper to taste



In a medium saucepan bring  enough water to cook carrots to  a boil. Add carrots and boil 5-6 minutes until tender. Drain carrots and return to pan. Add butter, honey, and lemon juice, cooking over medium heat until a glaze forms, about 5 minutes. season with pepper as desired.

Enjoy!

Perfect Fudge Frosting

Over the years I have tried every glaze and frosting you can imagine, from the chocolate buttercream to chocolate ganache.

I have finally found a fabulous fudge frosting that has a consistency that makes it easy to work with, sets up nicely, and has the texture of a fine chocolate fudge.

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate,chopped
2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
1/4 cup butter
3 tablespoons light cream
1 tablespoon real vanilla extract

Put everything in a saucepan over very low heat on the stove. Whisk until the chocolate and butter melt.

Remove from heat and stir until smooth.

Beat until it reaches a workable consistency. You can pour it over a cake, bag and pipe, or use it as a nice filling.

Use immediately and work quickly. It will set into a firm fudge consistency.

 I have used this on cupcakes that I ship and it travels well!

I cannot stress enough the importance of using real butter, vanilla, chocolate, etc. Not only do you sacrifice taste, in some cases the recipes just don't come out right. Cooking, after all, is chemistry. If you make substitutions you will not get the same product. It may be acceptable to you, it may not. Try the real stuff first. your taste buds will thank you.