Spaghetti Sauce my whole family loved!

Last night, I was doing my usual--getting ready for dinner with less time than I needed.  Pasta and sauce were on the menu.  I've been searching for a good tomato basil sauce for a long time and last night's turned out to be a hit with my family.  I started with a recipe from a cookbook, but I altered it so much that it didn't end up at all like what I made, so I feel comfortable posting this recipe as my own.  So, here it is:

1/2 cup olive oil
15 fresh bail leaves
1- 28 oz can diced tomatoes with juice
2- 8 oz cans of tomato sauce
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 Tbsp butter
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 1/2 tsp sugar

Microwave the olive oil in a pyrex dish for 1 minute (1 1/2 minutes if you have a mini microwave like mine).  Add the basil leaves and microwave for 15-30 seconds.

Dump in blender with tomatoes and tomato sauce and garlic.  If you have a Vitamix, I turned mine to 7 for about 1 or 2 minutes.  I would do the same with a regular blender on the low setting.  Not all of the tomato sauce may fit in a regular blender, so if it doesn't just add it after you've blended when you pour the blended mixture into a saucepan.

Pour the blended mixture into the saucepan and add everything else.  Cook uncovered for 10-15 minutes to help it thicken a little.  Add more pepper or salt to taste.  If you don't like things salty, start with only 1/4 tsp instead of 1/3 tsp.

Serve!

My kids all ate it up--even Sami who wanted 3rds!!  My husband who is the pickiest person about pasta sauces in our family since he's the most Italian one gave it a big thumbs up.

And I'm happy that my family was happy with my cooking =)
 

Books That Save Us Money

If you only have a few cookbooks, you choose them wisely.  At least that's what I've noticed from my friends who have about 5-10 cookbooks.  My mother in law has about 10 and she uses every one of them regularly.  I'm one of those funny people that loves cookbooks, so I pick them up at book sales for 50 cents and garage sales for a quarter.  I'll try a few recipes and if they're good then I'll keep the cookbook.  If my family doesn't like them, I donate the cookbook and pass it on.  There are a handful of cookbooks, though, that I love and recommend hands down!  

One of them is a little book that I found in a used bookstore in Durango, Colorado, 14 years ago.  It was titled Substituting Ingredients: An A to Z Kitchen Reference by Becky Sue Epstein and Hilary Dole Klein.  I've used it a lot over the years.  Particularly, the substitutions for unsweetened chocolate (1 sq = 3 Tbsp. cocoa plus 1 Tbsp butter) and for milk and cream.  When I need to know how much lemon juice to substitute for a medium lemon, I open up this book (since the bottle doesn't say anymore!).  Over the years, I've added other substitutions that I've found in magazines to my old copy of this book.  The cover is falling off and needs a new layer of packing tape.  It has been well used and loved.

I ran across this book on Amazon a few weeks ago and discovered that an updated edition was published in June of this year.  I just received a copy of it today!  So, I pulled my old copy out and sat for an hour with them comparing them.  The biggest question I pondered as a book buyer is:  is it worth it to buy a new updated edition or should I save money and buy the older edition for $5 less?  In the case of this book, my recommendation is "yes."  

There were some minor complaints I had with the old edition.  Often spices were listed as substitutions, but not with an amount.  There also wasn't much explanation on substituting different types of ingredients.  But, I still loved the little book because I had never seen anything else like it.

My complaints with old edition have been fixed!  There is a lot more information, but don't be deceived by the number of pages.  It may have 191 pages, but it is a small book.  The font, though, is easy to read--it isn't too small.  It is a black and white cookbook with the font bolded and italicized in ways that make it very easy to see the information you want quickly--which is important in a pinch!  Many herb substitutions now have amount equivalencies which will be very helpful.  The old information that I found worked is still there, but a few have been deleted.  Single Acting Baking Powder was deleted--because it essentially isn't sold anymore.  The baking powder you buy in the store is double-acting.  But, products that aren't used as much as they were in the past like self-rising flour are still included.  There is also now a quick reference list at the back that you could put a post-it tab on and turn to quickly when you need to pull it out.  

Do these substitutions work?  Yes, I know they do because I've used them before.  Epstein has added a few new ones, but I have no doubt that they will work because the old ones did and her new ones agree with what I've tried on my own.

Can this book save you money?  Yes.  One of the first substitutions that saved me money (besides not having to buy any more squares of expensive baking chocolate) was for tomato paste.  So many recipes call for 1 Tbsp of tomato paste.  What do you do with the rest of the can that you just opened?  There is a substitution in this cookbook that I've used for years, but I won't ruin it by giving away all the books secrets.  It is nice not to waste a whole can of paste anymore!

Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this book for review from Sourcebooks.

Shopping for Cars

A few months ago, a facebook friend posted that she and her husband were looking for a new car and hoping that they didn't kill each other in the process.  I thought her comment was quite appropriate.  Buying a new car--whether new or used is stressful.

Last week, our car began to have multiple issues.  We had the choice to try and fix everything or trade it in.  We opted to trade it in and get a new/used car.  But, big purchases always scare me.  I get nervous about taking on debt.  I've shared on this blog how much debt we had 3 years ago and how much we had to take on when we got water in our basement.  This past week we tried to take a vacation.  Sadly, so many things went wrong!  We tried to go to Williamsburg for 4 nights/5 days.  On the way down, we got a star crack in our windshield--it even took a small chunk out.  Then we got lost in Richmond and found ourselves in unbearable heat for our kids.  When we finally made it to the hotel, we had to switch rooms twice.  The kids wouldn't sleep and then Sami threw up in the night without realizing it.  We decided to cut it short and simply come home.  A mile from home the back tail light cover fell off the driver's side and when we stopped we realized our car was making a strange high pitched noise.

God was gracious.  We made it home in one piece.  The other two didn't get sick and I am thankful for that.  We realized that we needed to replace my car sooner than we had hoped.  We were trying to wait until February and our tax return.  So began the search.

Minivan or SUV?

Mileage? How high is too high?

Cost?  What's our range?  What can we afford?  5 or 6 year loan?

Bank or dealer financing?

New or Used?

In the end, I test drove a Cadillac SRX, a Toyota Sienna, and a Toyota Highlander.  I had a certain number in my head that felt right for the size of our loan.  It scared me, but it didn't feel overwhelming.  It scared me because I simply hate loans and debt.  But, I was trusting that God would help us find the right car.  One tricky thing for my husband and I is that I'm the shop around kind of person and he's the let's find it now kind of person.  God has been so merciful to us in our purchases and in giving me peace and helping me to trust Him.

On Thursday, I felt the Sienna was the wise car for us to purchase.  A friend on facebook shared with me about how SUV doors are heavier and so it's harder for little kids to push them and keep them from banging into other cars.  But, my husband didn't have peace, so we went home.  I took care of dinner and getting the kids to bed.  I crawled onto the bed and read Choosing to SEE while my husband surfed the internet downstairs.  After a while he called me downstairs and asked me what I really wanted in a car.  I had realized that I wanted a car that would make my life easier not harder.  Then, my husband said he thought we should get the minivan.  I was very glad for that.

We went in the next morning and bought the car.  God was gracious.  It is just what we wanted without the extra bells and whistles that we didn't want.  It does make my life easier amidst all that life has going on to deal with!

I am thankful for how God works in the big things and the little things to work everything out!

Saving Money

This weekend I went to the Basic Rider Course to learn how to ride a motorcycle.  I sat at the "girls table".  There were 4 of us.  The gal who sat next to me was single and in her late 40s.  The gal across from her was married and about the same age.  At one point, I mentioned my blogs and reading a lot of books.  I mentioned that I write posts about saving money.  The gal next to me looked at me like I had two horns on my head and a big red nose.  She said to me, "What's there to say about saving money?  You just pay yourself first."  She essentially meant that before you spend anything, you should make sure you save some money and set it aside.  She was a bit more hard core about it, I think than the way I've phrased it, though.

When I was a teenager, a friend of my dad's gave me similar advice.  "First, give 10% to God.  Then, give to yourself and save 10%".  Though my dad wasn't a Christian, his friend was.  I always thought his advice was good advice.

I don't think the gal I spoke with on Saturday was a Christian.  I say that because of the general gist of our conversations and when I asked her if she went to a particular church--she simply said no.  She didn't say that she went to another one instead.  Her priorities with her finances were different from mine as they also were different in her whole life which was reflected to me in many things she said.  I want to share some vagaries about her life.  She is a single mom who was married for over 10 years.  She has several children.  I asked at one point if she had ever stayed home with her kids while she was married or if she had always worked.  She responded with a quick "I've always worked" in a tone that said "of course".  I responded by saying that I post about little ways I find to save money since I stay home and homeschool while my husband works.  So, we're a single income family.

There are many ways for families to approach money and finances.  One way is for both parents to work so that you have enough money to purchase whatever you want and need.  Another way is for parents to choose to live more frugally on one income so that one parent can stay home with their children--whether for homeschooling or to take care of their children and get them where they need to go.  I appreciated the book, Miserly Moms, because Jonni McCoy and her husband went from being a 2 income family to 1 so that she could stay home with their kids.  When you choose the second route, sometimes the one income earner does make a lot of money and there isn't a great deal of need to be very frugal.  But, I think that more often than not, living on one income requires all involved to be frugal and fiscally responsible.

I don't think that "saving money" is as simple as giving to yourself and making sure you save.  We all have habits that guide how we live and how we spend every day.  It is those habits and daily choices that we make that determine whether we are really saving money and being good stewards of what our families have.

One of the things I love actually about saving money is the good feeling that I get from it--the satisfaction that comes from the feeling I am honoring my husband's hard work at his job and that I am making the most of what my family has by shopping and using/consuming things wisely.

Quote

I posted a quote on the sidebar by Spurgeon that a friend posted this morning on Facebook.  I thought it was a very good quote relating to finances and being a good steward.  There are many times when I'll see something on sale or want something that costs a little more.  What I'm realizing is that it's better to have just enough and not more than I need.  It's wiser for a lot of reasons, but if I (or my children) have too much, then we do not feel as grateful for what we have.  It is so easy for pride to sneak in and for us to take things for granted that are truly blessings from the Lord--we have not been given these things because God thought we deserved them, but because He wanted to bless us out of love.

Thoughts about Pizza

It's funny, but for many years now, I've thought that the most economical way to feed a family pizza is to order cheese and not opt for the extra toppings.  But, this week, I really wanted pizza that wasn't plain.  So, I ordered one large cheese for the kids and one large that was half chicken and pineapple and half meatball.  Usually, I eat 4 pieces of pizza.  I have realized that I eat a lot--I think it's all the running around after my kids that I do each day.  But, the other night I only ate two pieces!  One chicken and pineapple and the other was cheese.  The piece with chicken and pineapple filled me up.

Here's the conclusion I came to:  maybe I was wrong.  Maybe cheese is the best option for kids--since that's what they love.  But, for adults, it's wiser to get one or two toppings on the pizza--particularly if one is a meat or chicken topping.  It will make the pizza a lot more filling for adults.  I suppose it's not probably healthier to eat two pieces with sausage than 3 pieces with plain cheese.  But, I think two pieces (health and money wise) with chicken is better than 3 pieces with plain cheese.

I know it probably sounds silly that I think about things like this, but I do. =)

Inexpensive eBooks

http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/DirtCheapEBooks/?ref=news_WaterBrook_BookendsNewsletter_July2010

I got an email with the link above today from Waterbrook/Multnomah.  They've listed the books (and the prices) that they're going to sell for cheap prices for the next 6 months.  One of the readers is Amazon Kindle.  You can download a program to read Kindle books from Amazon on your PC for free here:  http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=sa_menu_karl3?ie=UTF8&docId=1000493771

Last spring friend asked me about one of the books that's on sale now (Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World).  I haven't read it, but I know friends that have enjoyed that book and Bad Girls of the Bible.

Just thought I'd pass it along... =)

Stoplight Salad Recipe

I talk about Simply In Season alot.  There is a weekly newsletter that you can suscribe to and they will send you one recipe a week.  For some reason, most of the recipes they've sent are not the ones I'd first recommend to try.  But, this week, the recipe is for Stoplight Salad.  We really liked this salad.

The recipe is here:  http://www.worldcommunitycookbook.org/season/recipe.html

It's a great recipe to make and then serve with warm tortillas for a main dish.  We eat a lot of tortillas--it's one of the ways my roots in Southern California have never left me.  But, this is a great salad that's a cool salad for when you don't want to heat up the house.  Warm the tortillas on a cast iron pan on the stove or between a few paper towels in the microwave for 30 seconds.  Put 3 tortillas in the micro at a time probably.

Budgets

Budgets are tricky things to me.  On one hand, they can be stressful to have, but not having one is also stressful.  My husband and I had another conversation about our budget today.  Not necessarily fun, but it was good.  In the end, we cancelled our date and the expensive dinner we had planned out.  It's a little sad, but the right thing to do.

The sentence from Growing Grateful Kids by Susie Larson is ringing in my head.  "Just because we can afford something doesn't mean we should."

Could we have done dinner tonight?  Yes.   But was it the wise choice?  No.

I've been considering putting the girls in gymnastics this year.  I had already settled on only ballet instead of ballet and jazz.  I think that I'm going to tell Sami that we'll do gymnastics next summer.  I know she and Autumn would love it, but it comes back to our budget.  Homeschooling isn't cheap =)  There are ways to save money, but there are always ways to spend it, too!

Making good choices and saying no to ourselves and our kids isn't easy, but it is being good stewards.  I know I'm not the only one to have to make these choices.  And if you're making choices like these, please know that you're not alone--I'm right there with you!

Fruit Crisp Alteration

Simply in Season really is one of my most favorite cookbooks.  After berry picking yesterday, I made an apple/blackberry/blueberry crisp.  At first, I thought the recipe must be mistaken, but it wasn't.  The baking time was cut in half from a typical crisp.  What they did was this:  the recipe used a deep dish pie pan instead of an 8x8 pan.  It was baked at 375 for 30 minutes instead of an hour or a little more for a regular crisp recipe.  This is a great tip for saving energy and for heating the house less on a summer day when all the wonderful summer fruits are in season!

Eating Healthy is Expensive!

It is cheaper to buy chicken nuggets or a hamburger than a sub sandwich.

It is cheaper to get a frozen dinner than the ingredients to make pasta and sauce.

It is cheaper to eat canned vegetables than make a salad.

It is cheaper to buy white sandwich bread than make wheat bread at home.

It is cheaper to eat at Taco Bell than to make tacos at home.

It is cheaper to make Kraft Mac and Cheese than to make macaroni and cheese from scratch.

One big reason I think we eat so many convenience foods is that they are cheaper.  It costs more to cook from scratch--for just about anything.  The one exception I can think of is comparing eating at home to eating at a sit down restaurant.

A few years ago a friend of mine started doing weight watchers.  She was floored by how much she had to adjust their food budget, since both she and her husband were doing it.  The increase in fruits and vegetables that she needed to buy shocked her.  She had been (and still is) a huge coupon shopper.  She saved a lot of money cutting coupons every week.

I was updating our budget this week.  It floors me how much we spend on food every month.  It has doubled in the last 5 years.  We did also add 2 children to our family of 3 five years ago.  Even so, food costs have gone up a lot.

So, is it worth it to budget more for food?  Or should we eat more convenience foods?

I think it's worth it.  I think you can cut back on splurges and spend that money on eating healthier instead.  In the long run, it's so much healthier for you and your family.  And food made from scratch does taste better, I think.  There's so much salt (a ton!!) in prepared foods along with artificial sweeteners and preservatives.  None of which seem very good for us.

I know there are extras in our food budget.  I like to chew gum.  I like to make cookies for us and to share.  We like fish and shellfish (more expensive items).  And my husband just told me that he likes to have sandwiches with deli cold cuts (not the least expensive item).  Knowing those are my splurges, I try to be careful about them.  I clip coupons for gum.  I watch for fish and shellfish to go on sale.  And I go to the deli counter at BJs--which is far cheaper than anywhere else.  I like to get the Kretschmar Honey Ham thinly sliced for $4 a pound.  And sliced American cheese there is only $3.49 a pound (I think it was $6.49/pound the last time I checked at Giant).

I see so many kids overweight today and it worries me.  I think we need to be careful about what we feed our kids and what tastes/penchants we are encouraging in them about food.  In my last post, I wrote about high fructose corn syrup.  It's expensive to get away from it.  It means a lot more cooking from scratch.  And it's often hard.  But, I think it's worth it.  I believe it's worth it.

One of the ways to get more fresh fruits and vegetables is to find affordable farm stands or farmer's markets.  Another is to do pick your own and freeze the fruits of your labor or make jam.  Another is to get good cookbooks with easy recipes that make you want to cook from scratch.  Good cookbooks really can make life easier and help you know how to use more fruits and vegetables in your cooking.  It's a good investment.  Another way is to avoid temptations.  Find a few quick items that don't have all the artificial stuff in them that you can feel good about eating when you need them.  It will stave off the temptation to eat out when you don't feel like cooking.

The final way that's coming to my mind is to have a plan.  This is one that I'm always working on.  I'm organized, but not regimented.  I am continually trying to be good about sticking to my plan and my goals.  It's so easy for me to get mired down in my day to day life that sometimes I forget why I'm doing what I'm doing. And when I forget--it's easier for me to slide.

I hope this entry makes sense.  I'm afraid my mind is beginning to ramble--which is a clue to me that I better scoot and go drink my coffee!

High Fructose Corn Syrup

Recently, I mentioned to my mother in law about how we try not to eat anything with corn syrup--or at least minimize our consumption of it as much as possible.  She asked why.  At the time, I couldn't remember the answer.  Then I was reminded in my Simply in Season cookbook yesterday.

Basically, high fructose corn syrup is not processed by our bodies as well as sugar.  Over the years, the increased percentage of high fructose corn syrup in our foods has correlated to an increase in the obesity rate in our country.  Basically, since high fructose corn syrup isn't processed as well, it sets off a series of reactions in our body (the liver releases enzymes) that tell our body to store fat.

The correlation is disputed by some.  But, high fructose corn syrup is highly refined and so much sweeter than sugar.  What I remember from so long ago about sugar is that the more sugar you eat, the more sugar you crave.  So, it is very logical that high fructose corn syrup would make you crave more.  Something less sweet just isn't going to satisfy the craving.

My logic has always been that it isn't just high fructose corn syrup's fault.  I think as a society we started eating more when we craved more.  As a culture, we are taught to question everything and everybody and essentially to be cynical.  One of the downsides of cynicism (thinking you can see the truth when everyone else is bamboozled) is that you feel more right and it feeds into the feeling of being justified to have the freedom to do whatever you want--and that also means eating whatever you want.  That may sound like a strange line of thinking, but as adults we don't want to be told no and we don't want to tell our bodies no.  And if we really want to do something we (as a society) are good at being cynical and not believing the other person who tries to warn us that it isn't a good idea.

High fructose Corn Syrup makes things taste good--really good actually.  Super sweet.  But, that doesn't mean that it's good for us or that we should eat a lot of it.

It's very interesting to me that studies are now coming out saying that diet soda won't help you lose weight.  The artificial sweeteners change your metabolism and your body so that you gain weight actually.  http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/OnCall/story?id=4271246&page=1

So, I think that's the long or the short of it =)

Berry Picking

If you're in Maryland, here's some helpful info about berry picking.  We went blueberry, blackberry, and peach picking today.  It was far easier than I expected!  Honestly, it was a lot easier than strawberry picking.  I have been a bit intimidated to do it before, but I'm glad I finally did it this year.  It went well.  I picked 4 1/2 pounds of blackberries, 5 pounds of blueberries, and a bucketful of white and yellow peaches.  The kids picked a few, but they enjoyed themselves.

We went to Spring Valley Farm on Rte 1.  The website is here:  www.springvalleyfarm.com  If you go north on rte 1 and go over Conowingo Dam.  Pass Rte 222, and then it's just a little bit farther up on your right.  There is a good sign, but start watching for it once you pas rte 222.

The prices for this season are:
$2.65/lb for blueberries
$2.50/lb for blackberries (and they were sweet, not tart)
$1.00/lb for peaches (white and yellow cling varieties)

Easy Chai from scratch

I was reviewing a cookbook this week on microwave cooking.  In the cookbook was a recipe called Chai for One. I googled it to see if I could find it online.  I did, or at least one very similar.
Here's the recipe link:  http://splendidtable.publicradio.org/recipes/drink_chai.html
The spices in the recipe in the cookbook were halved.  So, I would start with them halved and then try them doubled and see which you like better.  The cookbook also used evaporated milk instead of sweetened condensed.  I think that's why the spices were doubled in the recipe online.  I have a cup in front of me (made with have the spices and evaporated milk) and I added 3 Tbsp of the mix to a cup of tea plus two spoonfuls of sugar since I like it sweet.  Keep the mix in a jar and it should keep for up to a month according to the cookbook I read.  I think next time I'm going to try the recipe I linked to online with the sweetened condensed milk.

I'm so glad to find a good recipe to make chai from scratch!  I like decaf chai and it's been hard to find a good decaf mix.  The powdered mixes have extra stuff in them and are usually caffeinated.  I think it will also end up saving me a lot of money =)

Flower Girl Dresses

My brother is getting married in September and their wedding is straight out of a bridal magazine.  The challenge I recently faced was finding (more) affordable flower girl dresses and shoes.  The dresses my future sister in law first suggested were $150 each--which times two is $300!  Plus shoes, shawls, tights, etc....

So, I emailed the two homeschool networks I'm a part of and one person emailed back a great website to me.  I  found two dresses that I thought would look good on the girls and emailed a picture to my future sister in law.  She liked the more expensive of the two ($55 vs. $45), but $55 is still so much better than $150!  I am very thankful for this.  I ordered the dresses and they arrived a few days later.

This is the dress I found:
http://www.girlsdressline.com/ivory-flower-girl-dresses/ivory-flower-girl-dress-with-waffle-shaped-bodice.html
The website is:
www.girlsdressline.com

I did google and look for a coupon code for the website and found one at the time for 5% off.  It saved me $5 so I was thankful for every little bit.

The one downside if you have questions is that if you try to call them by phone, they won't answer.  They will however return your email, if you email them.  At first, this made me anxious, but the dresses arrived just fine and they fit the girls perfectly!  The girls are thrilled (and so am I) for God's provision!

I also found white glittery shoes at Target (that are really ivory) on clearance for $6.50 a pair.  I bought 2 sizes for each of the girls since the wedding is 3 months away.  Even so, the total for the shoes was $26 instead of $30 for one pair of ivory dress shoes online.

The other little blessing the Lord helped me find was 4 rolls of ivory ribbon and a yard of ivory fleece for $2.  I plan on making shawls for the girls.

I was very apprehensive about how much it would all cost and though it is still expensive, it is far better than it could have been!  My estimate is that if the dresses were $150 and the shoes $30, the total would have been  about $400 instead of the $132 that we spent. =)  Thank you Lord for your provision!

Applesauce Muffins

Yesterday, I made Applesauce Muffins for breakfast.  I've been using a cookbook called The Ultimate Muffin Book by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough.  So far, we've had the carrot, banana, and applesauce muffins and have loved them all.

I altered the recipe quite a bit yesterday so I'm going to write it here =)

Applesauce Muffins

1 lg. egg
1/2 cup packed brown sugar

Cream egg and sugar for 3 minutes till mixed well.  Then add:

1 1/4 c. applesauce (preferably unsweetened)
6 tbsp. butter melted
1/4 cup milk

Mix well. Then add:

2 1/4 cups fresh ground whole wheat flour (or 2 cups white flour)--if using store bought wheat flour I'd use 1 cup wheat and 1 cup white since storebought is hard red wheat which is very wheaty =)
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp bkg powder
1 tsp. bkg soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Mix well.

I place the muffin papers in the muffin pan and then spray them with Pam to help them come off easier.

Fill the muffin cups to your liking.  I usually fill them 1/2 to 2/3 full eventhough it's recommended in most recipes to fill them 3/4 full.  I think it's a better size muffin for my kids =)

Topping (I use this on a lot of muffins now):

1/4 cup white sugar

1 Tbsp flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1 Tbsp melted butter

Mix thoroughly and then sprinkle on the muffins

Bake at 400 degrees for 20-22 minutes.  They may have a few crumbs on the toothpick when you pull them out, so just let them sit for 10 minutes in the pan to finish up cooking.

My girls and Eli gobbled up 3 each (though we're not sure how they all fit in Eli's small tummy!).  So, I think they were a big hit in our house!

Fish and Chips without the Chips =)

Two weeks ago, my husband made some incredible fried chicken.  A couple he met at a wedding showed him how.  He dipped the chicken strips in milk, then flour, then milk again, and then flour again.  The flour was salt and peppered.  Then he fried up the chicken.  It was the best I'd ever had =)


The other day I found a similar recipe in Better Homes and Gardens.  I tried to find it online so I could link to it, but I couldn't.  So, here's the gist of it...


Dip the strips of white fish in 3/4 c. butter milk and 1 egg mixture, then dip in flour (w/whatever seasoning you want or just salt and pepper).  Then REPEAT!  Egg once more and flour again.  Heat oil in deep skillet and fry.  The coating sticks =)  Yahoo!  And it's awesome.   Cook 3-5 minutes on a side.  It's similar to how my husband did chicken two weeks ago.   


I did fry it in the cast iron chicken fryer pan that I bought at a garage sale last week and it was great.  It was like a deep dish skillet.  


Serve with lemon wedges and tartar sauce (mayonaise, pickle relish, and lemon juice all mixed to taste).


I was a little skeptical of how well it would fry before I did it, but the flour on the outside keeps it from sticking to the skillet or the other pieces.  It was amazing!  I've friend a lot of things over the past 10 years and I've had a horrible time with sticking.  I do suspect the nonstick cast iron skillet chicken fryer pan helped too =)

Different way to fill tacos

In my house growing up, we had tacos once a week for dinner.  Tacos were ground beef, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, and sour cream.  Tacos are also my husband's favorite meal, but in his house, tacos were:  shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sour cream, shredded cheese, sour cream, salsa, peppers, red or green bell peppers diced, green and red onions, and even olives.

In my house, tacos were either eaten in corn tortillas that my mom had fried or flour tortillas.  In my husband's house, tacos were served in the corn shells that you buy at the store.  My husband just discovered that Trader Joe's is now selling the shells (which is wonderful since Sami will eat them!).

So, we ate them for the first time tonight.  First, I put in the beans and then the other stuff in the taco in layers.  My husband, on the other hand, put all the stuffings on his plate, mixed it up together with his fork and then scooped it into the shell.  Wow!  I'd honestly never seen anyone do this before (it's not the way we eat tacos in LA), but it makes a lot of sense and then you really get to taste everything together!

Interesting explanation

I received notice of a book today available for review.  Although I don't think I'm going to review it, it was very interesting to me what the author had to say about why he writes about crime and evil in the world...
http://stvjames.blogspot.com/2009/11/why-i-write-about-evil.html

Trying the sandal trick

So, I'm trying the sandal trick today.  I'll let you know if it works!  (a few days ago I posted a suggestion that someone gave me in the store about how to shrink leather sandals when they dry out).