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Quick and Easy Meal Ideas: “Nights Off” at Home with Less Stress and Less Mess

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Freezer Meals for Nights Off

I love cooking. I mean… LOVE LOVE cooking. Everything about it. In fact, most of the time I don’t even mind the time and effort it takes to clean everything up. I figure it’s a great opportunity to use up a few of the calories I just consumed.

Yesterday, my husband and I were out of town most of the day and went to a local restaurant for supper (more about restaurants in a minute!) when we got back in town. Last night, it hit me… I missed my kitchen time!

Having said all of that, however, I find that some nights (usually once… sometimes twice a week), I just want everything to be as simple and easy as possible. I don’t want to be in the kitchen for 30 minutes to an hour making the meal, followed by another 30 cleaning it up. I want food on the table fast and dishes that can either be tossed or washed in record time. Basically, my comfortable chair in the den is calling me and I want as few obstacles as possible before I answer the call!

I call these my “nights off” because instead of the normal, full-fledge, photo-worthy meals I make, I either pull something out of the freezer I had made and frozen previously or I pull out something ready to roll, pretty much as is.

Everyone needs nights or days off, right? Can anyone who works 5 days a week imagine not having a day off?! No way. Having days or nights off keeps you sane, keeps you rested, and most definitely keeps you from burning out.

Reasons for Eating Home More and Eating Out Less

I have nothing against eating out on occasion. I mean, let’s face it, it can be fun. Letting someone else do all the work while you sit and let them bring it to you… sweet luxury!

However, eating at home is almost always healthier – especially if you have food allergies, are on a special diet, or have any of the many diseases that can be greatly effected by the wrong food. Even trace amounts of the enemy foods build up and can be very bad for you.

Add to this the fact that we are in a pandemic AND coming up on cold and flu season (not to mention all the bugs that show up as soon as the weather cools) – even the biggest fan of dining out has to admit – you are safer at home.

I honestly hate to say  it, but my experience lately is that many restaurants are “going down.” I don’t know if they’re having trouble getting or keeping good help or if cooking is a dying art but, just in the last year, four of my five favorite restaurants (two locally-owned and two chain restaurants) have gotten so bad I don’t care if I ever go back. The one of the five that’s still as good as ever is a local authentic Mexican restaurant.

Stay strong, guys, stay strong!

Another reason to keep your pantry, refrigerator, and even freezer stocked is that (as this global pandemic has taught us) you just never know what lies ahead. It’s always better to be able to take care of yourself and your family without having to count on others. You never know when their doors will close.

(Continued Below…)

 

Tips for Nights Off Meals (As Many Times a Week as You Want Them!)Frozen Meals

You may be like me and actually love to cook, but simply are human and want a night off every now and then. Or, you may be like one of my daughters who had (literally, y’all) rather go to the dentist than cook! Whichever group you fall into, the following tips and ideas will, hopefully, help you as much as they do me.

  • When you make soup, chili, or casseroles, make a little extra to freeze for a future meal. I have perfected this routine to where I always have at least two soups and one chili in the freezer and ready to go at a moment’s notice. Amazon has countless sizes and shapes of freezing containers (link to Amazon) – you’ll want to find a set with different sizes. This has been such a wonderful system for me. Soups and chili, in particular, taste like they were made that day.
  • Don’t think the freezer has to have just food you’ve made! As you can see from the sample pictures here, I’m a huge fan of Amy’s frozen meals, as well as her burritos. While I keep them on hand, primarily, for my lunches while my husband is at work, I have often fixed them for both of us on one of my luxurious “nights off.” The burritos are excellent with rice, a salad, eggs, or (simpler, still) tortilla chips and salsa. The frozen meals are even easier because the only dishes you mess up are your forks and glasses! Frozen pizzas, corndogs, fries (top with a can of heated canned chili and cheese and call it a meal)… the choices are limitless. Just be sure to always have your “night off” section of your freezer locked and loaded.
  • My favorite night off meal is actually one of my husband’s favorite meals – bacon, eggs, and a few vegetables cooked in the same pan (broccoli, zucchini, cauliflower, mushrooms, onions, bell peppers… whatever combo you like). The one pan strategy helps with clean up considerably and, let’s face it, it doesn’t get any simpler than bacon and eggs.
  •  Oatmeal or grits is another filling, warm, comforting, and delicious meal. I could eat either of these all by themselves, but my husband loves a couple of fried eggs with his.
  • Never, ever underestimate soup and sandwiches – they’re filling, healthy, and most definitely perfect for your night off.
  • When possible, keep salad makings on hand and your favorite salad dressing ready to pour. Simply adding chicken, beef, boiled eggs, or bacon to a great salad makes a healthy meal.
  • Have you seen those little packets of instant potatoes? They cook in less time than it takes to brush your teeth and, frankly, taste darn good. They come in lots of flavors and varieties and are outstanding. Keep plenty of these on hands for accompanying deli chicken or soup or chili from the freezer. Soup and chili, both are great served over these guys.

Some people think certain foods are only “acceptable” for breakfast or lunch and wouldn’t consider them for supper. They’re nuts! Breakfast suppers are downright addictive and traditional “lunch” suppers are right there with them.

I have seen some people schedule these types of nights and call them things like “cheat nights” or “lazy nights” – and scheduling them is certainly an option. For me, personally, however – I never know quite when the “My chair is calling me and I don’t want to be on my feet another minute!” mood is going to hit until it does… so, I simply have my options on stand by.

One final word about restaurants…

I actually put this post together because of something that I experienced last night at what was once a favorite chain restaurant. I ordered the grilled catfish as I normally do (along with greens and pinto beans). I took a bite of the catfish from the end… all seemed normal… ate some of the greens and beans… then picked up my fork and knife and tried to cut into the catfish. It would not cut… it was completely undercooked. I literally could not cut through it.

Undercooked meats can host a whole world of trouble for a person – salmonella, food poisoning… and if you’ve ever been on the receiving end of either of these, you know how horribly sick they make you. I am very, very lucky that I only took a small bite of this fish that was all but flopping around on my plate.

Now I know for certain that, in the future, whenever I order meat, I will never again assume that restaurant cooks use food thermometers as I do in my own kitchen. I’ll also cut into the middle of the meat before even thinking about taking a bite.

As I said before, I don’t know why it is but a lot of restaurants are, collectively, getting worse. You just can’t be too careful – certainly not when it comes to your health!

Stay safe and stay well!

~ Joi (“Joy”)

Amy's Burritos

Chili Tips of the Trade and a Kitchen Tool You Absolutely MUST Have

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Chili with Fixings

Chili with the Fixin’s!

It’s that time of year again… Chili season!… and personally I couldn’t be happier. I love cool weather, crock-pot meals, homemade soup, and chili.

The more chili, the better.

The only problem one can run into, though, when you frequently make, serve, and eat chili is (if you aren’t careful) it’s easy to fall into a rut. I guess that’s true with any meal you make frequently, but in my experience, chili is the trickiest rut trap.

Below are some ideas I’ve accumulated over the years of being a raging chili fanatic. They’ll keep thing lively, tasty, and colorful while keeping you (and your chili bowl) out of a dreaded rut.

Meat Chopper Tool

Meat Chopper Tool Getting the Meat Chili-Ready

Chili Tips and Ideas

  1.  If you have chili as often as I do (especially during chili season), consider mixing up your recipe and/or ingredients fairly regularly – even if it’s ingredients you’ve ALWAYS used, try replacing it with something new OR simply add a new ingredient. Celery, bell peppers, onions, jalapenos, red pepper flakes, finely shredded carrot… mix and match. Basically, have fun and get creative.
  2. Change up your seasoning mix or spices. My personal favorite chili seasoning mix (and the one I use probably 75 percent of the time) is Carroll Shelby’s (link to the mix on Amazon, but they’re in most all stores) but ever so often, I’ll simply use a combination of my own spices or I’ll use a gluten-free packet of seasoning I find in the store. Each gives its own unique flavor to your chili.
  3. When browning your ground beef (I prefer using ground angus or chuck but will basically use whatever I have on hand!), use an inexpensive meat chopper (link to the one I use on Amazon). The one pictured above the Chili Tips is the one I use for soups and chilis and wouldn’t take anything for it! What makes this tool so perfect for chili (and soup for that matter)? My cooking philosophy has always been, “The more flavor combinations that fit on a spoon or fork, the better.” The smaller the meat…. and the smaller the vegetables… the more flavors will fit on your spoon. Simple as that.
  4. Don’t use water… use beef broth! Another one of my cooking philosophies is, “Water dilutes flavor… broths add flavor.” I use chicken broth (chicken chili, rice, boiling vegetables..) and beef broth almost daily, so we pretty much keep them stockpiled in the pantry. When making your chili, beef broth (or veggie broth when making vegetarian chili) is much better to use than plain old, flavor-diluting water.
  5. Have you ever set up a “taco bar” – complete with little dishes of tomatoes, cheese, onions, etc? Setting up a “Chili Bar” is every bit as fun and helpful. This way, everyone gets to add whatever floats their particular chili boat. Some ideas I love are: Fritos, freshly shredded cheddar (freshly shredded looks better than store bought, which looks like toy food), onions, green onion, scallions, sautéed onion, jalapenos, pickled jalapenos, rice, pasta noodles, diced chiles, red pepper flakes, sour cream, cornbread croutons (more about them in a minute)…. the options are almost endless. Corn dogs are also a fun, often unexpected item to include on a chili bar.
  6. Speaking of sour cream – I love it on chili all the time, but especially if it’s a little too spicy for my overly sensitive taste buds. Sour cream cools it down. A lot of people swear by adding a little peanut butter to their chili but, frankly…. well, I’d rather swear at it than by it!
  7. Using leftover chili for chili dogs is one of our favorite things to do. While warming the leftover chili, I use the meat chopper (link to the one I use on Amazon) mentioned above to give it more of a chili dog topping look. Sounds nuts, but, trust me, it’s darn good. Just be sure not to overdo it – you don’t want it looking like cat food pate.
  8. Using leftover chili is also perfect for chili burgers – simply top your burger with the chili (using the same technique for the chili dogs).
  9. Chili freezes very well – just warm it up with a little beef broth and it tastes freshly made.
  10. Cornbread croutons: Making cornbread, then cutting it into small squares is excellent on chili (especially if you add jalapenos to the cornbread). I also like to make fried cornbread (in the shapes of pancakes) and simply put them into the bottom of the bowl before adding the chili. Of course, you could always simply use regular cornbread to dip into your chili. The combination of chili and cornbread is outstanding – which is another reason corndogs are a perfect dinner guest for chili night.


Avoiding the Food Rut: Tasteful Ways to Keep Your Meals as Colorful as You Are

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One of my favorite “secrets” of great cooking isn’t really much of a secret… it’s far too simple to qualify as a secret. It’s simply this – Keep things interesting and keep things flavorful.

I know how easy it is to fall into a cooking rut but food and meals are far too important to slip into such a rut. You want your loved ones to both enjoy your meals and to remember them – after they’ve walked away from the table.  Which is why it’s a shame that any of us (and, let’s be honest, we’ve all been in the rut before – whether we set up camp or crawled immediately back out, none of us can say we haven’t laid eyes on the tasteless food rut!)

Below are just a few quick ideas to help you avoid the culinary pit of misery (nothing dilly dilly about it):

  1. Try new international cuisines. You could make one night of the week the one where you try new recipes – they might just become your favorites. When I home-schooled our three daughters, We’d “eat” our way through whatever country we were studying at the time. Friday nights were chosen to try different favorite ingredients and recipes from the region of the moment.  We often, understandably “Americanize” many cuisines of the world – but if you delve into the ingredients used IN these countries and the favorite foods of their people, you’ll uncover a whole new world of flavor. Literally. Find recipes online or check Amazon for regional cookbooks. Mark Bittman has a wonderful cookbook appropriately titled “The Best Recipes in the World” and it would be an IDEAL place to start.
  2. Try new sauces and seasonings. When my husband and I visited a favorite restaurant, I tried a sauce they had on the table (it’s the Cajun Power Garlic Sauce pictured to the left). It was so wonderful I checked Amazon then and there for it. Fortunately I found it right off the bat, tossed it into my cart, and had my own bottle on its way to my house before we even left the restaurant. Ahhh, technology.  I also recently came across a new favorite seasoning (Cavender’s Greek Seasoning) and I’ve been putting it on everything from Greek Fries to pork. Spend a little more time in the grocery store than usual – really look around (yes, beyond the salt, pepper, and garlic powder!). Try new seasonings, spices, herbs, produce, sauces, etc. It’s delicious fun AND it’ll make you a better cook.
  3. Watch the Food Network and Cooking Channel for inspiration. Okay, before going any further, I have to get this off of my chest: I miss the Food Network of old! I miss Emeril, Rachael Ray’s 30 Minute Meals, Good Eats, and Mexican Made Easy. Thank goodness for Farmhouse Rules and The Pioneer Woman – they’re two of the only actual “cooking shows” left. Everything these days is some sort of a competition or contest… and every contestant seems to speak in questions! Yes, I am the sort of nut that notices things like that – but, check them out. They do. “I’m going to make a roast? And it will have onions? And carrots? I love carrots?”  I honestly can’t even watch these shows, I spend more time arguing with them (Stop ending everything as a question! You either know or you don’t!) than is healthy. Sigh. Anyway, I miss actual cooking shows that are entertaining. However, if you can find Pioneer Woman and Farmhouse Rules (or elusive reruns of others), watch them for entertainment and inspiration. You can also find endless cooking videos online, of course. You can get a lot of ideas as well as good old-fashioned know how from watching others.

Quick and Easy Greek Fries

Greek Fries

Infographic: 15 Easy Ways to Make Food Taste Better

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The infographic below (from British friends of the food blog… hence yoghurt instead of yogurt!) includes some great tips for making your food taste even better. I love these tips – several of which I personally swear by.

Below are a few quick tips from my own kitchen:

  1. When making a dish with multiple food components (stew, soup, salad…), chop the individual foods as small as possible. Sure, it’s more work (unless you use a food processor) but each bite will provide more flavor. After all, the more foods that can fit on a spoon or fork at once, the greater the flavor punch.
  2.  Ground Chuck simply tastes better than ground beef. There is no getting around it.
  3. In addition to Kosher salt and black pepper, a few seasonings I keep on hand at all times (as in I’m apt to run out of just about anything before I ever run out of them) are: Cumin, Montana Mex Chile Salt (as well as their Sweet Seasoning Blend), Garlic Powder, Cayenne Pepper, Red Pepper Flakes, Pink Himalayan Salt, Seasoned Salt, and McCormick’s Montreal Steak Seasoning. Experiment with seasonings – go bold! Just do so a little at a time, because you can always add more, you can’t add less.
  4. Use herbs often and use herbs generously. I love growing my own herbs – even though there is a Battle Royale between me and raccoons – and they’re winning. Good thing they’re so darn cute! Rosemary, chives, parsley, and cilantro are my favorites but Basil and Oregano are fast-becoming members of the “in crowd.” Add parsley to scrambled eggs, cilantro to any and all Mexican-inspired dishes, rosemary to soups, and chives to everything else. Well, almost. Chives snipped onto fresh from the oven baked potatoes make all the cares of the world slip away.
Courtesy of: Quid Corner


Be a Better Cook Tip: Have “Focus Foods” Throughout the Year

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Grilled Cheeseburger Pizza

Grilled Cheeseburger Pizza

Apologies to the wonderful and legendary phrase, “Practice makes perfect,” but I have a similar phrase that I’m pretty fond of. While my phrase is only a legend in its own mind, “Focus makes perfect” will serve you well in or out of the kitchen.

Five years ago, I came up with a new type of New Year’s Resolution – a culinary one, if you will.   Each New Year’s Eve, I’d sit down and make a short list of foods or ingredients that I wanted to experiment with, learn about, and try to “perfect” in as many recipes and meals as possible.

Over the years, the following foods and ingredients have had the spotlight….

  • eggs
  • chili
  • potatoes
  • homemade bread
  • peppers
  • soup
  • salad
  • onion rings
  • omelets
  • bacon
  • pizza
  • grits
  • sweet potatoes
  • squash
  • pies
  • cookies
  • pasta
  • kale
  • meatloaf
  • fish
  • cheese

Last year, my focus foods/ingredients were salads, cheese, hamburgers, gluten free pies, and grits. I researched cheeses to the ends of the earth and back again and made a wonderful new friend that I don’t know how I ever lived without, Gouda. In experimenting with recipes for grits, I found that this Gouda character brought out the best in grits and they’ve been happy ever since.

Like all great couples, they bring out the best in one another. Awww…

I also tried different approaches with hamburgers over the past year and have determined that:

  1. Like most things, an Iron Skillet (capitalized out of respect) makes magic happen with burgers.
  2. A sprinkle of garlic powder along with the salt and pepper is also highly recommended.
  3. Sauteing onions with a lot of black pepper, removing the onions, then frying your hamburgers where the onions just hung out is amazing.
  4. A hamburger wrapped in a big leaf of Romaine or Leaf lettuce actually beats bread, in my opinion. You taste the burger more this way.

This year, my focus foods are a mix of “oldies” that have to be re-done (more on that in a minute) and a few new obsessions.

Since my body decided a few years back that gluten/wheat were poison (it’s melodramatic, that way), I have to now go back to a few foods I’d perfected with wheat flour and re-perfect them with gluten free flour blends. Talk about a challenge.

Gluten free flours have their own temperaments and everything I learned before has to be un-learned in order to learn a whole new approach to baking.  I’m not complaining, mind you. In the grand scheme of things, this is a tiny blip on the radar. Besides, I love a good challenge. Keeps me on my toes.

So, on my tiptoes, I’m going to revisit and refocus on…

  • doughnuts
  • cornbread
  • bread
  • pizza and strombolis
  • meatloaf

I’ve also added the following new obsessions to the mix…

  • salmon (I have suddenly become ALL about the taste of salmon)
  • sushi (the recent discovery of gluten free imitation crab meat has opened a whole new world)
  • sauces, dressings, and dips – the more of my own sauces and dressings I make, the more I vow never to buy pre-made again.
  • lemon, limes, oranges – I want to experiment with as many recipes calling for citrus juice and peel as possible. The flavor is so bright and vibrant, I’m excited to see where it takes me.

Finally, a few recurring favorites (old standbys) will also be focus foods because they’re like family…

  • eggs (if you love eggs, too, you’ll want to check out my next post – some very brilliant minds have made poached eggs as easy as frying an egg)
  • cheese
  • candy (fudge is a lifeline)
  • catfish

If you’re like me, you’ll enjoy some of your focus foods so much that you’ll carry them right over into the following year… and maybe the year after that. That’s my relationship with kale, soups, and salads. It seems that each year – whether I even write the words on my focus list or not, I find myself consistently looking for more ways to jazz up salads and soups and more ways to sneak kale into them and everything else for that matter.

You may look at my list and wonder, “Why so many?!”  Well, there are several reasons. First of all, having quite a few will prevent you from burning yourself or your family out on the same foods over and over again. Second of all, the more the merrier – it keeps things fun. I like fun.

Before we get much further into January, think of some foods that intrigue you – whether they’re new to you or even foods you’re already familiar with.

Remember, focus makes perfect – and perfect tastes darn good.

Lemons

21 Cooking and Baking Tips from a Gal Who’s Been Doing This for Some Time

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Vegetable Beef Soup and Homemade Sourdough Bread

If I’ve learned anything from years of cooking and baking  it’s this: You never stop learning. Ever.

When you spend a great deal of time in the kitchen, you’re always learning new techniques, recipes, tips, and downright cool new ways to make things happen.  I guess this is true with all things in life, when you think about it, but that’s a little too deep for a Thursday, so I won’t get into that.

Below are 10 of my favorite cooking tips, baking ideas, and general “tricks” that I use again and again. I  hope new cooks and old cooks, alike, will find them to be useful and inspirational.  Most of all, I hope you’ll share your own cooking tips in the comments!

  1. I love to bake homemade bread. Whether it’s buttermilk biscuits, sourdough bread, French bread, or cornbread, I’m a bread making fool. A lot of bread recipes call for the dough to rise in a bowl before you place it in pans or shape it into rolls.  The absolute best bowl in the world for this your good old-fashioned, woefully under-used glass punch bowl.  The shape of the bowl and the slick inner surface lend themselves perfectly to rising dough.
  2. Plastic squeeze bottles with lids (like the kitchen squeeze bottles shown on the right ) are too cool. I’m not sure how I ever lived without mine. Not only are they perfect for vinaigrette, homemade salad dressings, homemade honey mustard, and blended oils, you’ll find they have a gazillion and one other uses.  You’ll always want quite a few of these bottles around.  Trim the tip about halfway down to create a wider “exit point” and you’ll always have one that’s ideal for filling deviled eggs, jalapeno peppers, cherry tomatoes or anything else that needs a precision touch. These are also great for piping certain icings on cakes, cupcakes, pies, muffins, and cookies.
  3. Get creative with leftovers. No matter how small and insignificant the leftovers look, you can find ways to give them new life.  I’ve listed a few of my favorite ways to get creative with leftovers below.
  4. Use Boca Crumbles in place of ground beef in tacos, spaghetti, and chili.  After seasoning and adding the other ingredients, you’ll  never miss the ground beef. You wont’ miss the extra fat and calories either. I also love heated Boca Crumbles in taco salad, on pizza,  and with Sloppy Joes (or Manwich Sloppy Joes). Speaking of Manwich (a favorite product, by the way), you should check out the Manwich Recipes on their website. Recipes include Chili, Tacos, Meatloaf, Meatballs, Casseroles, Chuckwagon Beef and Bean Skillet (looks and sounds like something I need to make SOON!), and more. A lot more.
  5. This tip goes along with the one above, actually. Check your favorite product’s (and restaurants, for that matter) website for recipes and coupons.  Also, if they have an e-mail newsletter, sign up for it. You’ll often receive recipes and coupons and you’ll be among the first to know about new products.  O’Charley’s restaurant, for example, sends out amazing coupons regularly.
  6. Keep low-calorie (extra points if it’s healthy!) snacks in reach in the kitchen.  Seriously, how easy is it to just grab a snack when you pass through the kitchen?! If you happen to be in the food mecca of the home often, these “harmless” little snacks can really add up.  I have it EXTRA tough because not only am I in my kitchen often, cooking and cleaning, my home office is right next to the kitchen and my feet know the way by heart.  On the end of the counter, I’ve started keeping a basket of a variety of healthier, lower calorie snacks: Homemade granola bars, South Beach Diet bars (the peanut butter ones are great), fruit, etc.  For those with a sweet tooth (I have a couple hundred, myself), Skinny Cow candies have fewer calories than a lot of other candies but they’re just as delicious.
  7. Watch Food Network and the Cooking Channel for inspiration and ideas. It’s been my experience that the best shows are on during the day – the ones with actual cooking, that is. When I look at the lineup, I always wish I had a tv near my desk. I would LOVE to watch Paula, Rachael, Sunny, the Barefoot Contessa, and Alton while working!  Not only are these tv chefs a great source for recipes and ideas, the tips they throw your way are golden. You can also find inspiration and ideas from shows like Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives.  Recipes from all the shows can be found on Food Network’s website and Cooking Channel’s website.
  8. Always, always, always have at least one signature dish. If you’re a frequent flyer in the kitchen, you’ll probably have more than one – but make certain you have at least one. The dish everyone wants YOU to bring to get-togethers, the dish your family requests often, etc. YOUR signature dish.
  9. Unless you’re a seasoned cooking pro, when trying a new recipe, try it the way it’s given the first time through.  Make adjustments and alterations on subsequent attempts. This is especially true when it comes to things like baking bread and pastries or making candy.  Monkeying around with ingredients or measurements can doom you from the start.  Having said that…
  10. When you’re familiar with a recipe (or if you’re an old pro), never be afraid to make a recipe your OWN by customizing it to your specifications. I love to experiment with recipes – sometimes turning them on their heads so far that they don’t resemble the original recipe whatsoever. Making recipes your own is one of the funnest things to do in the kitchen. However…
  11. When cooking a meal for a holiday, birthday, or other special occasion, it’s best to stick with what you know best.  I learned this the hard way one Christmas when I tried a new technique with the ham.  I might or might not have ended up in tears sobbing, “It wasn’t the Grinch, it was me! I’ve ruined Christmas!”  Who overreacts in the kitchen???  Me??? If you want to try a new recipe for a particular holiday, take it for a test drive weeks ahead of time. If you don’t want anyone in your family to taste it before the big day, make it, taste it yourself, then give it to a friend, co-worker, or neighbor. Trust me.. whatever you do… just don’t whip out anything major on a holiday.  Especially not the turkey, main casserole, or bread. Or ham. Ouch, it still hurts.
  12. Soaking chicken in buttermilk for at least an hour before baking or frying it does wonders for the flavor. Buttermilk does something magical to chicken and you can taste it in every single bite.
  13. What’s more, buttermilk makes everything better. Period.  Buttermilk pancakes are better than regular pancakes. Buttermilk cornbread is better than regular cornbread. Buttermilk biscuits are better than regular biscuits…
  14. If you’ve never made sourdough bread, make this the year you fall in love with the funnest bread to work with and possibly the most delicious to eat. Not only is sourdough bread amazing simply sliced and eaten, it kicks up any meal it comes in contact with.  The picture at the top of the post is just one example.  I toasted some of my sourdough bread in a skillet (with real butter, of course), then floated the slices on bowls of homemade vegetable beef soup and threw a little sliced mozzarella cheese on top for good measure.  By just taking a few extra little steps, a great bowl of soup went up to notches soup seldom reaches.  The sourdough flavor, the buttery crispiness achieved with the skillet… oh, man, is it delicious. I’ll add my favorite sourdough bread recipe to the food blog this week.
  15. Do not.. I repeat… Do not just save your best dishes for “special occasions.”  Any meal you’re able to enjoy with your loved ones is a special occasion.  Break out the beautiful dishes and if anyone asks, “What’s the special occasion?” tell them, “YOU ARE!”
  16. If you need “work” with a certain dish, practice! Practice makes perfect and this is never more true than in the kitchen.  Gravy, biscuits, omelettes, and fried chicken are just a few things that few (if any) get perfect the first time. Or second. Or third.  When you find yourself alone in the kitchen, practice on at least one of these “tricky” foods. Never get discouraged – just get more determined.
  17. Never underestimate the importance of a great cookbook library. I write a lot of cookbook reviews on Get Cooking because I’m a cookbook junkie. I’ve collected them since I was a teenager (and, no, I don’t care to count the years). I value my cookbooks like gold. Each one tells a story. I have cookbooks handed down from loved ones, cookbooks given to me from my husband (lots and lots of these and I can remember the occasion for each as well as the first recipe I tried from each), and cookbooks I saw and simply HAD to have. I totally recommend reading these reviews and trying out the ones I rave about.  Also, don’t forget about your good old library – you can find some of the coolest vintage cookbooks in libraries. Often they’ll feature a lot of regional cookbooks that are amazing. When you find ones you love, search for them on Amazon or Alibris and add to your own cookbook collection.
  18. You’re only going to be as good as the tools and ingredients you use. Even the best cook in the world couldn’t make a 5 star meal out of cheap, poor quality ingredients and old, scratched up pans.  Invest in good cookware, pots and pans, small appliances, and kitchen gadgets.  Some cooks just don’t know what they’re missing out on when they keep saying things like, “Eh, this knife is good enough” or “I don’t guess I really need that…”  You’ll be amazed at the difference a great set of knives make, for example.  As for kitchen gadgets, many are incredibly useful (garlic presses, kitchen shears, hand juicers…) – what’s more, they keep things fun and interesting!
  19. When frying green tomatoes, squash, or okra, either use cornmeal for the coating or a mixture of cornbread with flour.  In my opinion, cornmeal simply tastes (and even looks) a lot better.
  20. Write down your favorite recipes and cooking notes for your sons, daughters, grandchildren, etc. My mom and grandmother (on my dad’s side) were EXCELLENT about writing down their favorite recipes and I have my hands on each one. I also cherish the notations each left in their cookbooks. I find myself doing the same thing with mine. I write down the first time I made a recipe, the occasion, and many times even who enjoyed it the most. I also make notes about any substitutions I’ve made. I also write down several copies of my own favorite recipes and cooking tips (in addition to leaving them here on Get Cooking). Long after I’ve moved to Heaven (hoping for a mansion with a huge kitchen and praying there’s lots of coffee and chocolate in Heaven), my daughters will be able to see my notes and recipes and make the food that they’ve enjoyed since they were shorter than our kitchen counters. While I’m not planning on going anywhere anytime soon, I love the fact that I’ll leave behind something that is so important to me.  It’s cool to know they’ll think of me every time they make my favorite foods. And I’ll be watching – hoping Emily doesn’t leave the room while something’s in the oven, Brittany doesn’t get too jiggy with the pepper and garlic,  and Stephany remembers to do the dishes. Oh, who am I kidding – I’ll be hoping she FINDS someone to do the dishes because it darn sure won’t be her! The girl loves to cook, but washing dishes? Not her thing.
  21. I don’t want to end with a tip involving me anywhere but right where I am, thank you very much, so I’m going to end with something I recently discovered.  Stone Ground Mustard is the bee’s knees! Not only does it jazz up hamburgers and hot dogs, it’s also amazing in potato salad as well as deviled eggs (pictured at the bottom of this post).  It’s like mustard’s stronger, older brother and the intensity of the flavor is something I’m loving.

Cornbread with Buttermilk

Get Creative with Leftovers

  • Use leftover French bread for French toast the next morning.
  • Leftover bread can be brushed with olive oil, seasoned, toasted, and chopped into croutons for salads that’ll blow you away.
  • Don’t throw out leftover hamburgers or steaks. Throw them into homemade soup, chili, or stew.
  • Save leftover veggies for omelettes the next morning. If omelettes are a little intimidating first thing in the morning, throw them into scrambled eggs.
  • If you have quite a bit of leftover veggies, freeze them for use in soups at a later time.
  • If you have leftover cornbread, here’s a treat that’s much more delicious than it may sound. My grandmother LOVED this – in fact, I got the idea from watching her as a little girl. Cut up leftover cornbread, or slice into wedges (as pictured above) and put it into a bowl – pour a little buttermilk over the top, just to moisten it (or add more, if you’re so inclined).  Take your bowl and a spoon and enjoy a delicacy that’ll knock your socks off. It’s so much better than you’d expect it to be.  I usually hit it with a little pepper because I’m a pepper fanatic. Throw a little crumbled bacon on top for good measure if you have any lying around.

Deviled Eggs With Stone Ground Mustard

Chica Tips From Ingrid Hoffmann

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Ingrid Hoffman is, of course, the food and decor expert who hosts her own show on Food Network, Simply Delicioso. Her fans love to see the flair she throws around the kitchen and we can’t wait to see what she’s going to cook up next.

A favorite part of each show is what Ingrid calls “Chica Tips.” These tips are golden advice about shopping, cooking, time savers, fashion savvy, and entertaining.

Below are some of our favorite “Chica Tips!”

  • Extra sauce?  Pour into ice cube trays and freeze for easy single portions to add into sauces or as stock in soups.
  • Marinade wisely:  For best results, marinade in a plastic zipper top bag with the air squeezed out.  Why? Marinating is a chemical process – the lower the temperature, the more slowly the reaction occurs.  The degree to which food is covered by the marinade also influences its effectiveness – the greater the coverage, the faster the reaction because liquid is superior to air.
  • Extend the life of herbs and greens by loosely wrapping a damp paper towel around them and storing in a plastic bag.
  • Stock up!  A well-stocked pantry and freezer is one of the best secrets to easy and fast home-cooked meals.
  • Save burned rice… Transfer the scorched grains into a clean container with a lid and place a whole peeled onion in the center.  Cover with more rice, allowing the onion to absorb the burned flavor and odor.  Let stand for 15 – 20 minutes. Remove onion and serve.
  • Fruit saver:  Freeze fruit that is about to spoil and use in the future for making juice or sauce.
  • Outfit saver:  Do not add salt to food that will be fried as it will extract moisture and make the oil splatter.
  • Don’t cry over onions:  Light a candle and place in front of the cutting board to prevent tears.
  • Scarf Decor:  Put this accessory to work as unique centerpieces and tablecloths, chic tops with jeans or tied around your handbag a la Grace Kelly.
  • Garlic Powder:  Crush a clove of garlic and slip it into your clear nail polish as a natural nail hardener.
  • Olive Oil Beauty:  Mix olive oil and egg yolks and apply to hair for a deep conditioning masque.
  • Simple entertaining:  One-dish meals and semi-homemade tapas are becoming popular choices for easy and delicious dinner party menus.

I’d be willing to bet you’d never heard of the garlic in nail polish!  I love the tip about olive oil and egg yolks as a hair conditioner.  If you (like me) frequently use egg whites as part of a facial – Ingrid Hoffmann’s tip will give you a way to use the whole egg, instead of being wasteful and throwing the yolk out – now we can use it to make our hair as snazzy as our faces!

And if you happen to feed birds, you can crush up the egg shells and throw them in with their birdseed.  The birds at our feeders love egg shells and I read that they’re good for them.

For more about Ingrid Hoffmann, visit her website Simply Delicioso.  You can also find videos and recipes on Food Network’s Simply Delicioso with Ingrid Hoffmann.