Thursday, June 28, 2012

Ground Beef Pie


BOY is this a good one!  I decided to make it in 2 layers using a regular pie shell for the base.  It's not only good but it's also one that you can easily change to fit your own taste.  But...you'll have to wait until Think With Your Taste Buds - Beef comes out this winter.  As always, don't forget to order your copy of Think With Your Taste Buds - Desserts which can be ordered through Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Books A Million.

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

The High School Foodie


I want to encourage ALL of my food friends and those who aren't really foodies too, to visit a site called 'The High School Foodie.'  This site is owned and operated by a young man in Texas.  He's 14 years old and loves to cook and experiment with food.  Not that is impressing!  I can't say that I've ever known a 14 year old that loves cooking as much as this young man.  For that matter, I don't know ANY teenager that's this much into food.  Check out his site to see what this young man is cooking.

http://highschoolfoodie.wordpress.com/

Broccoli Slaw


Broccoli
Carrot
Onion
Mayo
Sugar
Vinegar

In a food processor chop finely broccoli, carrot and onion.  Add mayo and equal parts of sugar and vinegar to taste.  I used 1 large broccoli head/crown, no stalk, 1 large carrot and 1/2 med. onion.  The mayo, sugar and vinegar are added to suite your own taste.  I ended up with enough slaw for 4.  This has to be one of the best slaws I've had in a long time.  I came up with this while wanting slaw to go with my fish but found I was out of cabbage and it was a real hit.  It's also good on hot dogs.

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Cube Steak Potato Casserole


This is a dish you won't want to miss when Think With Your Taste Buds - Beef comes out this winter.  It's 6 ingredients and so simple to make.  Taste!  Wonderful!  Until then, don't forget your copy of Think With Your Taste Buds - Desserts.

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Chili Wraps


My recipe for Chili Wraps has just been pulled.  If you didn't get your copy earlier, you'll be able to get it this winter when Think With Your Taste Buds - Beef becomes available.  And as before, Don't forget to order your copy of Think With Your Taste Buds - Desserts which is available in either paper back and e-book.

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Slow Cook London Broil


Another one for the cookbook.  I've just added my version of Slow Cook London Broil with onions, peppers, chili sauce, beer and some wonderful seasonings.  This dish can be prepared the night before it's to be cooked with you only having to place everything in your slow cooker the next morning.  When you get home that evening you come in to a wonderful smell and a delicious dish of meat.  So make a note to be sure you give this one a try when Think With Your Taste Buds - Beef comes out this winter.  But until then, get your copy of Think With Your Taste Buds - Desserts in either paperback or e-book.

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Beef & Rice with Broccoli


A great dish has been added to the manuscript of Think With Your Taste Buds - Beef.  It's a recipe that originally came from Kraft foods but I made a couple of adjustments that really picked up up!  Look for this dish when you order your copy of Think With Your Taste Buds - Beef this winter.  Until then, don't forget to order your copy of Think WithYour Taste Buds - Desserts in e-book or paperback.

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Cucumbers!!!!


Some of these I've seen and even tried but some are new to me.  Thought I would share just in case you haven't seen all of them either.

1. Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need.  Every day, just one cucumber contains Vitamin

B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc.

2. Feeling tired in the afternoon?  Put down the caffeinated soda and pick up a cucumber. Cucumbers are a good source of B Vitamins and carbohydrates that can provide that quick pick-me-up that can last for hours.

3. Tired of your bathroom mirror fogging up after a shower? Try rubbing a cucumber slice along the mirror, it will eliminate the fog and provide a soothing, Ssa-like fragrance.

4. Are grubs and slugs ruining your planting beds? Place a few slices in a small pie tin and your garden will be free of pests all season long. The chemicals In the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off a scent undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy and make them flee the area.

5. Looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite before going out or to the pool? Try rubbing a slice or two of cucumbers along your problem area for a few minutes, the phyto chemicals in the cucumber cause the collagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing the visibility of cellulite works great on wrinkles Too!!!

6.. Want to avoid a hangover or Terrible headache? Eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed and wake up refreshed and headache free. Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B Vitamins and electrolytes to replenish essential Nutrients the body lost, keeping everything in equilibrium, avoiding both a hangover and headache!!

7. Looking to fight off that Afternoon or evening snacking binge? Cucumbers have been used for centuries and often used by European trappers, traders and explores for quick meals to thwart off starvation.

8. Have an important meeting or job interview and you realize that you don't have enough time to polish your shoes? Rub a freshly cut cucumber over the shoe, its chemicals will provide a quick and durable shine that not only looks great but also repels Water.

9. Out of WD 40 and need to fix a squeaky hinge? Take a Cucumber slice and rub it along the problematic hinge, and voila, the squeak is gone!

10. Stressed out and don't have time for massage, facial or visit to the spa? Cut up an entire
Cucumber and place it in a boiling pot of water. The chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber will react with the boiling water and be released in the steam, creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that has been shown to reduce stress in new mothers and college students during final exams.

11. Just finish a Business lunch and realize you don't have gum or Mints? Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 Seconds to eliminate bad breath, the
Phytochemicals will kill the bacteria in your Mouth responsible for causing bad Breath.

12. Looking for a 'green' way to Clean your faucets, sinks or stainless steel? Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the Surface you want to clean, not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back the Shine, but is won't leave streaks and won't harm You fingers or fingernails while you Clean.

13. Using a Pen and made a mistake? Take the outside of the Cucumber and slowly use it to erase the pen Writing, also works great on crayons and markers that the kids have used to decorate the Walls!!

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Cooking Tips


These tips were sent to me by a friend and found them as a must share! 

Bacon- Minimize bacon shrinkage by running bacon under water before frying.

Beans- A tablespoon of bicarbonate of soda in a large pot of beans while soaking them, the 'flatulence' caused by the beans is kept to a minimum

Boiling eggs- Add a little salt or vinegar to your boiling water when cooking eggs; a cracked egg will stay in its shell this way.

Boiling Over- Rub butter or margarine on the rim of a pot in which you cook rice or macaroni and it won't boil over.

Cakes-A cake will keep longer if you place half an apple in the cake tin when storing.

Chocolate cake- Make a better chocolate cake by adding a teaspoon of vinegar to your cake mix.

Corn- Don't boil corn for more than 3 minutes. Place the corn directly into boiling water, and do not  add salt. You will find the flavor is much better than cooking for 10 minutes or more. Corn will never get soft, no matter how long you cook it-it will only lose its taste

Descaling fish- Soak fish in salt water before descaling and the scales will come off easier.

Frozen Vegetables- A quick way to separate frozen vegetables is to pour boiling water over them through a colander and then add them to your casserole or pot to finish cooking.

Grating Cheese- To easily shred cheese, let sit in freezer for 30 minutes. Icing Tips- Add a pinch of bicarbonate of soda to your icing and the icing will stay moist and prevent cracking.

Jelly Mold- To easily remove a jelly from the mold, lightly brush mold with oil before pouring in the mixture.

Meatballs- When making a lot of meatballs a fast and simple method is to shape the meat mixture into a log and cut off slices. The slices roll easily into balls.

Pancakes- Adding a little sugar to the batter of pancakes and waffles will make them brown more quickly.

Pie pastry- For flakier pastry, substitute 1 teaspoon vinegar for 1 teaspoon of the cold water called for in the recipe.

Sunday, June 3, 2012

Ground Beef/Hashbrown Casserole


1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can corn, drained (optional)
1 cup shredded cheese
Tater Tots

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Brown beef and onions together and drain.  Spray a 9 x 13 dish with non-stick spray.  Spread beef mixture in bottom of dish.  Spoon soup over meat mixture.  Sprinkle evenly with corn and cheese.  Place a layer of tater tots over cheese.  Bake 45 minutes or until tater tots are golden brown. 

Comments:  I've seen this recipe by many names.  When I decided to give it a try I made changes tofit my own taste.  I used a blend of onions and green bell peppers, Tater Tot 'tops' instead of full size tater tots and a blend of cheese combining white and colby.  It was delicious!


Nutritional Info for recipe above.
·         Servings Per Recipe: 6
·         Amount Per Serving
·         Calories: 452.1
·         Total Fat: 28.9 g
·         Cholesterol: 74.4 mg
·         Sodium: 898.8 mg
·         Total Carbs: 25.9 g
·         Dietary Fiber: 1.9 g
·         Protein: 20.9 g

Nutritional Info using ground turkey & low fat cheese
·         Servings Per Recipe: 6
·         Amount Per Serving
·         Calories: 321.1
·         Total Fat: 14.0 g
·         Cholesterol: 57.3 mg
·         Sodium: 749.2 mg
·         Total Carbs: 25.9 g
·         Dietary Fiber: 1.9 g
·         Protein: 22.6 g

Nutritional Info using ground beef, lowfat cheese and shredded potatoes instead of tater tots
·         Servings Per Recipe: 6 ·         Amount Per Serving ·         Calories: 290.0·         Total Fat: 13.3 g·         Cholesterol: 57.3 mg·         Sodium: 664.8 mg ·         Total Carbs: 21.7 g ·         Dietary Fiber: 2.0 g·         Protein: 22.1 g

This is the perfect example in the nutritional changes that are made simply by just changing a couple of ingredients.  Changing from the ground beef to ground turkey, using the lowfat cheese and shredded potatoes instead of tater tots doesn't damage the taste of this dish at all.



Saturday, June 2, 2012

Instant Oatmeal


1/3 cup quick oats
2 tsp. light brown sugar

Place in zip type sandwich bags.  When ready to use pour into a cup or bowl.  Add 2/3 cup water.  Microwave 40 seconds.  Stir and microwave another 15 seconds.  If you like the taste of butter, give it a few squirts.  You can also add 1/4 tsp. cinnamon and 1 - 2 Tbsp. dried apples diced small or 1 - 2 Tbsp. raisins.  These can be added to each packet and stored.  Below is the nutritional values without the raisins and apples.

This idea originally came from a post I found on Pinterest from A Season for all Things  This is not only a great way to create your own oatmeal flavors but it's also economical.  1 18 oz. box of instant oats, store brand, cost less than $2.00 and made 15 packets.  Add the brown sugar costing, maybe, $.50 to give you 15 oatmeal packets for $2.50.  I added cinnamon to 10 packs and raisins to 5 and dried apples to 5.  This was an added cost of $1.00 since I went to the health food store that sold these in bulk.  Grand total for my 15 bowls of oatmeal = $3.50 or about $.25 each. 




Nutritional Info
  • Servings Per Recipe: 1
  • Amount Per Serving
  • Calories: 107.3
  • Total Fat: 1.5 g
  • Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
  • Sodium: 2.8 mg
  • Total Carbs: 37.2 g
  • Dietary Fiber: 5.0 g
  • Protein: 3.0 g