Weekly Tip: No Boil-Over Potatoes

When boiling potatoes for mashed potatoes, adding a couple of tablespoons of cooking oil will keep them from boiling over and making a mess!

I also season my potatoes with salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder when I boil them. When I drain them, I leave a bit of that water in the potatoes for when I mash them. Add butter, milk and, if you're feeling adventurous, a little cream cheese for flavor and to make them creamy.

Have you entered my Perfect Recipe Basket Giveaway yet? You have until December 2nd! Three lucky commenters will win!!!

Get more tips at Rocks In My Dryer!

Good Stuff

Today I am having my Cookie Dough Day! Its a day where I make all of my cookie dough for the holidays to save me some time later. If you want some tips on how to have your own Cookie Dough Day, visit Its All for the Best!

I am also posting at Make It From Scratch today. Don't miss out on my handmade Christmas Gift Totes! They are versatile, cute and will ave you a lot of wrapping paper!

I am also going to be having another yummy giveaway at Its All for the Best soon, so keep your eyes peeled! Have a great weekend!!!

Weekly Tip: Make Ahead Holiday Cookies

(Don't forget to enter my SAVORY GIVEAWAY by Thursday night!)

Cookies are a holiday essential that can be made for eating or for giving. Get a jump on your holiday cookie baking by following some simple tips:

Write down each type of cookie and how many of each you want to make this year. Figure out how much flour, sugar, butter, eggs, etc you will need. Add one or two ingredients to your usual shopping list starting this week and you will spread out the cost over several trips.

When making dough for drop cookies, use a small stainless steel scoop to save tons of time. Make your dough up, scoop out onto a tray lined with wax paper and freeze for two hours. Remove from wax paper and place in zip-top gallon freezer bags. Place in freezer and all you have to do is thaw them slightly on a cookie sheet and bake them!

When freezing dough for rolled cookies, make up the dough and flatten it out in a circle between two sheets of wax paper. Place in a freezer safe zip-top bag and freeze flat. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before kneading dough slightly and rolling out to cut.

To freeze baked cookies, cool cookies completely on a cooling rack or clean towel. Line disposable aluminum pans or other freezer-safe container with wax paper. Layer cooled cookies with wax paper until the container is full. Cover tightly with heavy duty foil or freezer safe lid. Thaw at room temperature.

When those crazy December days are here, you will be so glad you took the time early in the season to make your dough or cookies ahead! Make one recipe each weekend and you'll be ready to whip up cookies at any given moment!

Weekly Tip: Perfect Pudding

The skin that forms on the top of pudding can put a big damper on the finished product. To avoid this problem, place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the pudding before you chill it. Once chilled, the plastic will peel right off of the top and you'll have nice, creamy pudding left behind!

This also works very well for pudding pies!

Get more great tips at Rocks In My Dryer!

Weekly Tip: Pickle Chip Tip

We are huge pickle lovers in this house. We especially love dill pickle chips on our hamburgers, but they aren't exactly easy for kids to get out of a jar. My boys would stab and stab in that jar with a fork just to have the pickles slide off as they tried to lift them out.

My solutuion? Use a slotted serving spoon! It drains the juice as you lift them out and you get more pickle chips than with a fork!

Enjoy more tips at Rocks in My Dryer!

Weekly Tip: Creamier Salads

To make your salads creamier- such as chicken salad, potato salad, macaroni salad and more- add milk to them rather than more dressing or mayo. This will give you a smoother and more moist salad without making it gloopy (if that's even a word) or too heavy. :o)

Get more tips at Rocks in my Dryer!

Chicken Salad from Leftovers

I love to make Chicken Salad from leftover barbecued chicken. The flavor from the grilling and B-B-Q Sauce can't be beat! Here's how I make mine:

Chicken Salad

3-4 pieces leftover b-b-q Chicken

1 stalk Celery, minced

2 T. minced Onion

Salt and Pepper to taste

Salad dressing or Mayo

Remove chicken from bones if necessary. Chop chicken to desired size (I prefer a small chop). Mix in celery, onion and salad dressing to your liking. Season with salt and pepper. Store in refrigerator. Serve on rolls, bread, tortillas, flat bread or on a bed of lettuce.

TIPS:

~ I like to make this at least a couple of hours before serving to let the flavors come together a little bit. Refrigerate overnight for the best results.

Weekly Tip: Longer Lasting Greens

When you are storing lettuce or other greens in your refrigerator, place a couple of paper towels in with them. The paper towels will absorb the extra moisture without removing it from the container or bag and will keep your greens from getting slimy.

Works for me Wednesday

Weekly Tip: Backwards Edition

This week, Works for me Wednesday is working backwards and we are to ask a question of our readers. Here is mine:

What veggies/fruits/herbs do you grow in your garden and how do you preserve them?

We're getting ready to put in a garden (I'll explain the strange timing at another time) and I have some ideas of what I want to grow, but I'm looking for new ideas to get my thinking 'out of the box'.

Lay it on me, internets! :o)

Weekly Tip: Double Duty Grilling

When you are grilling- whether its burgers, steaks or chicken- consider what else you might be able to cook while you have the grill lit. More than likely, you will only be using about 1/2 of the space on your grill to cook for one meal. Why not use that extra space to save yourself time later in the week?

For example, if you are grilling steaks on a Saturday night, throw some chicken for chicken salad, chicken wraps or fajitas on the other side of the grill and for about the same amount of gas or charcoal, you'll have the meat for two meals!

Other great things to cook on the side include: thick-sliced potatoes, tomato halves, veggie kabobs, meat or veggies in a foil packet.

Works for Me Wednesday

Homemade Pancakes

Homemade pancakes are one of this family's favorite comfort foods. Steven particularly loves pancakes. Of course, I always say he'll eat anything that's covered in syrup. Like Buddy the Elf, he thinks syrup is one of the basic food groups.

Pancakes are easy to make. I always make twice as much and freeze the rest. The kids can just warm them up in the toaster or in the microwave!

HOMEMADE PANCAKES

1 Cup Flour

3 Tablespoons Melted Butter (cooled)

1 Egg

1 Tablespoon Baking Powder

Pinch of Salt

3/4 Cup Milk

1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar

Mix all ingredients together (use my mixing tip for easier clean up). Pour 1/4 cup batter on a hot, lightly-oiled griddle or skillet. Cook until bubbles rise out of batter and edges start to look dry. You can also check underside for doneness by lifting slightly with a spatula. Turn and cook until browned on both sides. Serve hot with butter and syrup.

Weekly Tip: Pancake Batter Tip

Sorry for the blurry picture, but the details of it aren't important. This week's tip is about cutting out some steps-- and dishes-- when you make pancakes. A little trick I use is to make your pancake batter in your blender. This allows you to mix the batter up and pour it out of the same container. You won't have to use a separate ladle or measuring cup to dip the batter out!

Canning- Before and After

Before...

After...
22 Quart jars and 1 pint of tomato sauce. We also had about 1.5 cups left over that we just refrigerated. This was the first batch from my In-laws' garden.

Weekly Tip: Marinating

Many people will marinate meats and vegetables in dressing before cooking on the grill. Marinating adds a ton of flavor with minimum effort and since it is an established flavor, you don't have to mess with measuring anything.

If you are going to use a salad dressing to marinate your food, choose a light or fat free version. The oil in most dressings provides no flavor and can burn on the grill, but the fat free and light versions often omit the oil.

Sweet Corn

Its the time of year that sweet corn is ready to devour- in this part of the world, anyway. I love corn. There are people in our family who will make a meal out of just fresh corn. We also freeze it (off the cob) to enjoy all year long. There is nothing like home grown sweet corn with your Thanksgiving turkey or Christmas ham!

To cook your sweet corn for eating right away:

Remove the husks and silk from the corn. Bring 5 to 6 quarts of water to a boil; add 1 cup of sugar to the water. Gently place corn in water and let boil for 8-10 minutes. Remove and serve with butter and salt.

Alternately, you can roast your corn on the grill. Stephanie gives great directions on this at Stop the Ride.

To cook corn for freezing:

You only want to par-boil corn for freezing because you will be cooking it fully later on. Clean your corn and prepare water as listed above. If you are freezing large amounts, you'll want to boil much more water and sugar. Fill one side of your sink or another large container with ice water. Gently place corn in boiling water and boil for 3 minutes. Remove and immediately place into ice water for 3-5 minutes; drain. From here you have two options:

~Place whole cobs of corn in freezer bags (you can even place a pat of butter on each cob) and freeze.

~Remove corn from the cob and place in freezer-safe bags. Freeze flat.

TIPS:

~To make cutting corn off the cob easier, place a cereal bowl upside down inside a larger bowl. Place corn cob standing up on its stem end on top of cereal bowl. Using large knife, cut from the top down. When all corn is removed, you can take the back of the knife and "milk" the cob. This adds a lot of juiciness and flavor to your corn. There are also many gadgets available to help with this.

Weekly Tip: Trash Box Tip

Like many Moms, when I am making a cake, mac & cheese or anything else from a box, I use the box as my tiny trash can for any wrappers or egg shells I use to finish making the food. The problem I run into is that these boxes are so skinny that it makes a mess trying to shove something like egg shells into a box half the width of the shell.

To fix the problem, simply pinch the narrow ends together (begin at the top and pinch half-way down) and the box will be open wide for whatever your little heart desires to throw in there!

Link-a-dink-a-doo 8/5/08

Here are your Tuesday Links! Have a good one!



Visit a list of product expiration dates, including household goods and beauty products, from Real Simple. You'll be shocked at how long some thigns last and even more so at how quickly others expire.



In a cooking slump? Check out CookingByNumbers.com for meal suggestions determined by what you have on hand. Many other cool things and how-to's on this site as well!

Savory Pork Roast

I made this recipe up after tasting a delicious pre-packaged, no doubt sodium-laden, pork roast at a wedding shower. It took a few tries to get it right, but tasting the results was fun!

I am still amazed at how simple and delicious this comes out!


Savory Pork Roast
3-4 Lb. Boneless Pork Roast
Honey
Onion Powder
Salt
Pepper


Drizzle honey over the pork roast to make a nice, even coat. Sprinkle on salt, pepper and onion powder to your liking ( I like a lot of onion powder and pepper on mine). Pierce the roast all over with a small knife to allow the honey and seasonings to seep in. Let roast sit at room temperature for one hour, turning every 15 minutes or so to roll the roast in the honey that drips down.





Preheat oven to 325 degrees.





Brown all sides of the roast in a skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Place roast in a shallow roasting pan on a rack. Place in oven and roast for about 28 minutes per pound. Check doneness with meat thermometer beginning about 3/4 of the way through the roasting process. Internal temp should be 160 degrees when done roasting. Let roast rest on platter tented loosely with foil for about 20 minutes to allow juices to redistribute. Thermometer should read about 165 degrees after resting.

Slice and serve warm.

TIPS:
~Wonderful served with green beans and Au Gratin potatoes or peas with mashed potatoes and gravy.

Bloggy Giveaways Carnival Winners

And the winners are:

From my personal blog, Its All for the Best...
Cocoa Puffs Combos Cereal
Each of the following winners will receive a certificate for a FREE box of NEW Cocoa Puffs Combos Cereal:
1. jnmacdonald
2. Teri
3. donna444444
4. christene

As a consolation prize, you may click on the link below and print a $.55 coupon for Cinnamon Toast Crunch!!!
http://bricks.coupons.com/bstart.asp?o=53431&ci=1&c=GM&p=8asJ7XWi

From my food blog, The Fat Bottomed Girl:

~Stephanie (dsmoore1 at centurytel dot net) won the Gifts from a Jar: Cookies & Muffins!
~momo3 won the Gifts from a Jar: Soups, Chilis & More!

And also from Its All for the Best, the winner of the $25 Visa Gift Card is.........
~Amy!!!

Congratulations to all of the winners and thank you to everyone who took the time to visit, enter, stay and read and/or subscribe to my feed! Hope you'll come back everyday to visit!

Baking Equivalents

Baking Equivalents
1 lb. brown sugar = 3 1/2 cups
1 lb. packed brown sugar = 2 3/4 cups
1 lb. granulated sugar = 2 1/4 cups
1 lb. powdered sugar = 3 3/4 cups
1 lb. butter = 2 cups
1 lb. shortening = 2 cups
1 lb. flour = 3 3/4 cups
3 Tbsp. dried yeast = 1 cake
1 cup egg whites = 8 to 10 eggs
1 cup egg yolks = 12 to 14 eggs
1 cup heavy cream = 2 cups whipped
4 cups chopped nuts = 1 lb. shelled
14 graham crackers = 1 cup crumbs
1 cup chocolate chips = 6 ounces
1 1/3 cups flaked coconut = 4 ounces
1 lb. raisins = 3 cups
1 lb. dates, pitted = 2 2/3 cups

Have you commented on my giveaway posts for the Bloggy Giveaways Quarterly Carnival yet? You have until Friday, August 1 at Noon EST. Leave your email address in your comment on the individual giveaway post!

$25 Visa Gift Card Giveaway

Cocoa Puffs Giveaway

Cookbooks Giveaway

Weekly Tip: Make a Roasting Rack

If you've ever made a roast or a chicken in the oven, you know that if you let it sit in the juices, the bottom will turn out mushy. To get your meats really nice and get that great crispy outside, you need to place your meat on a rack.

Don't have a rack? Never fear, The Fat Bottomed Girl is here! That's right, you can make your very own roasting rack with plain old aluminum foil! Best part is that its disposable! If you use an aluminum pan, the entire thing can be pitched after the meal, too!

Here's how to make a roasting rack:

~Pull out about 12 inches of foil and tear it off. No need to measure, just eyeball it.

~Crumble the foil piece up into a ball- just tight enough to hold it's shape.

~Repeat until the bottom of your roasting pan is covered with a little bit of space between the foil balls (see photo).

Ta da! You now have your own disposable roasting rack! This is also great for draining fried foods, although I'd recommend making smaller balls of foil for draining.

Link-a-dink-a-doo 7/29/08

Here are your Tuesday links:

The latest edition of the Make It From Scratch Carnival is up over at Novel Experiences! Check it out! If you want to join in for next week's carnival at I've Got a Little Space to Fill, use the carnival submission page.

I'm not one to yuck someone else's yum, but this article got my attention. What is the food you hate the most? Check out AOL's Most Hated Foods Poll Results to see what Americans hate most. I will eat most of the things on the list and some I have never tried. My favorite comment has to be the one where a lady calls mayo "salmonella pudding".

I stayed up late last night (Almost till 11! Aren't I daring!) entering a bunch of the awesome giveaways at the Bloggy Giveaways Quarterly Carnival. There is some cool stuff to be won and more will be added all week.


Have you commented on my giveaway posts for the Bloggy Giveaways Quarterly Carnival yet? You have until Friday, August 1 at Noon EST. Leave your email address in your comment on the individual giveaway post!
$25 Visa Gift Card Giveaway
Cocoa Puffs Giveaway
Cookbooks Giveaway

Have a great Tuesday!

Cookbooks Giveaway!

Today, I'm taking part in the Bloggy Giveaways Quarterly Carnival. This giveaway will be open all week. Enter before Friday at Noon (EST) by leaving one comment on this post before then. You do not have to be a blogger to win. Just make sure I am able to contact you! That means leave an email address in your comment or a link to your blog. Winners will be drawn randomly and will be announced in a separate post here at 1 PM (EST) on Friday, August 1st, 2008. If any winner does not reply to me within seven days, a new winner will be drawn from the original comments.

Okay, now for the giveaway!

I have in my hot little hands, TWO cookbooks to give away. They will be separate, so two winners will be drawn and each will win one. You may name your preference in your comment and if you win, I'll do my best to make everyone happy, but the ultimate decision is mine.

The books are: Gifts from a Jar: Soups Chilis & More and Gifts from a Jar: Cookies & Muffins.

Each book comes with instructions for each gift in a jar, tear-out recipe cards to attach to your jars and the fabric and raffia to dress your jars up for gift-giving!

Be sure to enter my other giveaways at Its All for the Best here and here.

Visit Bloggy Giveaways for many, many more!

"Fried Ice Cream" Bon Bons

Have you ever eaten Fried Ice Cream at a Mexican restaurant? Its one of those surprising desserts that you never forget the taste of. These little treats are a little sample of the fried ice cream flavor that you and/or the kids can make at home for a quick frozen treat or for a dinner party dessert.

FRIED ICE CREAM BON BONS

Pint Vanilla Ice Cream

1 pack Graham Crackers, crushed

1/4 C. Brown Sugar

1 T. Cinnamon

1/4 C. Granulated Sugar

Chocolate Syrup (optional)

Chocolate Wafers

Line a tray or baking sheet with wax paper. Mix graham crackers, cinnamon and sugars together in a shallow dish. Using a scoop (small for bon bons, large for dessert), scoop a ball of vanilla ice cream and place it in the sugar mixture. Cover ice cream ball completely and place on lined tray. Work quickly to keep ice cream from melting. Repeat with rest of ice cream and coating or until the number of bon bons desired is reached. Place tray in freezer for about 1 hour or until bon bons are frozen. Store them in an air-tight container in the freezer. Serve cold with chocolate syrup for dipping or drizzled on top and a chocolate wafer for garnish.

TIPS:

~These can be made the day before for a party!

~If making a large batch, line two smaller trays so you can fill one and place it in the freezer while you fill the other one.

~Kids can help by crushing graham crackers and coating the bon bons.

Weekly Tip: No More Clumps

Moisture and humidity can make your salt and sugar clump in their shakers. Frustrating, but easily corrected. I use this tip that my Mom passed on to me: place a saltine cracker in your sugar and place some rice in your salt.

They will absorb the extra moisture without changing the flavor of either and they won't clog your shakers. The rice can be used over and over, but the cracker might need replaced every couple of weeks or so. I had to use a club cracker to fit inside the opening of my sugar shaker.

Works For Me Wednesday

Link-a-dink-a-doo 7/22/08

Linking it up for your Tuesday:



A FABULOUS recipe for the tastiest muffins can be found at FoodNetwork.com! They're called Sunny Morning Muffins and I made them last week. They'll appear here just as soon as I make some worth photographing. I think I overmixed them and they didn't 'fluff" enough, but they still tasted great!



The Make It From Scratch Carnival is back home this week at Stop The Ride! It always gets my creative juices flowing!

Add some pizzaz to your summer salads by following the tips at Perfect Entertaining!

Have a great Tuesday!

Homemade Noodles

Making your own noodles is so easy and a great way to save money (they are cheap to make) and to make sure your family is getting what you want them to have. Simply substitute a whole wheat flour for the all-purpose flour to increase the fiber or substitute two egg whites for the egg to lower the cholesterol. This recipe uses the same dough that I use to make Pirogees.




HOMEMADE NOODLES
1 C. All-Purpose Flour
1 Egg
1 t. Salt
4 T. Water



You will also need two tall boxes (I used cereal boxes) or containers and several wooden skewers or a large floured cloth laid out on a flat surface.



Mix dough ingredients by hand or in mixer with dough hooks until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out on floured surface. Adding more water or flour if needed. Dough should be smooth, but not sticky. Knead for about 2 minutes. Place on a floured surface under an overturned soup bowl to rest. Let rest for at least 30 minutes.



Meanwhile, stand boxes side-by-side on counter top and set one skewer across the tops like a bridge so the noodles can be hung on them to dry. If using the floured cloth, lay it out on a flat counter top or table and noodles will be placed there to dry. Let noodles dry overnight or until completely dried. Store in container with lid (doesn't have to be air-tight).



Roll dough out to 1/8 inch thick or less on a well-floured surface with a rolling pin. Then, using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut dough into long strips. You can cut them to any width you choose. Mine were about 1/4 inch wide.



To cook fresh noodles, bring 3-4 quarts of water to a boil; season with salt if desired. Cook for about 3 minutes stirring for the first minute to prevent noodles from sticking. Drain and serve as desired.



For dried noodles, store in an airtight container until ready to cook. To cook dried noodles, bring 3-4 quarts of water to a boil; season with salt if desired. Cook for about 10 minutes stirring for the first minute to prevent noodles from sticking. Drain and serve as desired.

Finally!!!

I finally claimed this blog in Technorati. I have no idea why it has taken me so long to do this, but I feel like an idiot for waiting this long. That's life! :o)
Technorati Profile

Homemade Fresh-Squeezed Lemonade

These hot days of summer call for something cool, refreshing and hydrating. What could be better than relaxing at the end of a long summer day than an ice-cold glass of lemonade? Its a perennial favorite in our house and it can be in yours as well.

FRESH-SQUEEZED LEMONADE

4 large Lemons

1 1/2 Cups of Sugar

1 Cup Ice

Water

Roll each lemon back and forth a few times on a clean counter top or cutting board with the palm of your hand. This will make them easier to juice. Cut each lemon in half and squeeze the juice out of it using a juicer or by hand. Pour the juice (you can strain the pulp and seeds out if you prefer) into a gallon container. Add sugar to the juice adding more or less to your taste. Add about 1 Cup of ice and a quart of water; stir or shake to dissolve sugar completely. Add enough water to make a full gallon of lemonade. You can add lemon slices or the empty halves for garnish and more lemon flavor if desired. Serve cold, store in refrigerator.

Weekly Tip: Baking Clean-up

When you are baking anything made with a batter, wipe any drips off of the pan with a damp cloth BEFORE you bake. It will speed your cleaning time considerably since you won't have to let the pan soak or scrape off the burned crusty batter.

Works For Me Wednesday

Coming Soon To The Fat Bottomed Girl...

Just a quick note for your information: I will be participating in the next Bloggy Giveaways Carnival from July 18th through August 1st.

I won't tell you exactly what I'm giving away just yet, but it will have something to do with food/cooking and you don't have to have a blog to win! Stay tuned!

I'll also be giving something away at my personal blog, It's All For The Best!

Easy Homemade Sloppy Joes

An American classic, the Sloppy Joe is a no-fail hit any time of year. This recipe is a simple one that makes enough for a crowd of about 30 or to divide and freeze for later. Cook them in the oven, in a roaster, on the stove top or in a crock pot.

This recipe is so much tastier than the mix from a can and much lower in sodium. In our family, they are a tradition for birthday parties. You can easily double the recipe and make them in a roaster for a really big group. The first time I had these, I ate 4 sandwiches!

SLOPPY JOES

2 Lbs. Ground beef

1/2 Lb. Ground Pork

1 Large Green Pepper, chopped

1 28oz. can Stewed Tomatoes

4 Small Cooking Onions, chopped

2 Eggs

1 1/2 tsp. Salt

1/2 tsp. Ground Pepper

1/2 tsp. Ground Mustard

1 tsp. Celery Seed

2-3 Cups Corn Flakes, crushed

1 4oz. can Tomato Paste (optional- for thickening & flavor)

Spray inside of your pan or baking dish with cooking spray. In large bowl (or in the pan you'll cook it in), mix all ingredients together (I use my hands to mix it really well).

Oven- Place mixture in dutch oven or large oven-safe dish and bake at 325 degrees for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. If using disposable aluminum pan, double the pan or place it on a jelly roll pan to stabilize.

Roaster- Pour mixture in roaster liner and cook at least 2 hours at 325 degrees. Stir frequently.

Crock pot/ slo-cooker- Place mixture in crock, cook for 4 hours on high/medium or for 8 hours on medium/low. Stir occasionally.

Stove top- Pour mixture in pan. Cook for 2 1/2 to 3 hours over medium-high heat stirring frequently.

Serve on sandwich buns or on hot dogs as coney sauce.

TIPS:

~ These go great with chips, potato salad or macaroni salad and veggies and dip.

~ You can use 1 Tbsp. prepared yellow mustard in place of the ground mustard.

~ Also great as a dip for corn chips.

Weekly Tip: Carry In Tip

Whenever you go to a carry-in or potluck, take an extra plastic bag with you to put your dirty utensils or dishes in when you leave.

Works For Me Wednesday

Link-a-dink-a-doo 7/8/08

The latest Make It From Scratch Carnival is up over at Home Ec 101. The summery goodness is almost too much!

Visit TheOtherWhiteMeat.com for a plethora of pork recipes!

Cruise around Family.com for more great recipe and dinner ideas!

Have a great Tuesday!

Home Fries/ Fried Potatoes

One of my favorite sides to any BBQ-ed meat is home fries. They are simple to make and so delicious! We love them with bacon and eggs for breakfast, too!

HOME FRIES

6 medium potatoes

Salt and pepper to taste

1 small onion

1/4 Cup chopped Green Pepper (optional)

Margarine, butter or oil

Wash potatoes well. Slice in about 1/8 inch slices using a mandolin slicer or knife. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste, tossing to ensure even coverage and to separate slices. Heat skillet over medium-high heat and; add 4 Tablespoons of margarine. Add potatoes to skillet turning occasionally to cook evenly. Add onions and green pepper when potatoes are about half-way done to avoid burning onions. Add more margarine as needed so potatoes don't dry out.

Makes 5 large servings.

TIPS:

~6 potatoes makes a lot of slices, but they will cook down, so you'll need more than you think.

~If potatoes aren't browning, cover pan and check to turn occasionally.

~These can be made before your other dishes so you won't get distracted and burn them. They will keep just fine over low heat while you cook the rest of your meal.

Homemade Chocolate Frosting

This is SO much better than the canned stuff! The original recipe comes from the Hershey's can and can be found on their website. Here it is:

"PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter or margarine

2/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa

3 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting.

For more recipes with 5 ingredients or less, visit Rocks In My Dryer.

Link-a-dink-a-doo 7/1/08

The latest Make It From Scratch Carnival is up at Laura Williams' Musings. Check it out!

A great recipe for Homemade Fudge Sauce can be found at Pampered Chef. Yummy on ice cream!!!

While you're making your fudge sauce, why not try making your own ice cream as well? Here's one to try from AllRecipes.com.

I'd Like To Know...

What things are you cutting out of your budget to compensate for higher gas prices?

We have cut out our weekly chicken dinner after church. Mike and I would drive into Barberton and pick up chicken dinners for everyone. Not only has the gas gone up, but the price of the meals has, too. We are also on the verge of having to buy more than one dinner. The boys are getting older and one dinner is just enough to whet our appetites now.

Weekly Tip: Healthy Cooking Substitutes

Today's weekly tip comes from a program available on our cable system's on-demand menu last week. I thought these were some great healthy cooking substitutes that anyone can use to lower calories and fat in their cooking. Some of them are cheaper, too!

Heavy Cream~ Substitute an equal amount of Evaporated Skim Milk. in a 1 Cup portion, you'll save 620 calories and 88 grams of fat!

1 Egg~ Substitute 2 Egg Whites and you'll save 45 calories and 5 grams of fat!

Oil~ Substitute equal amounts of Unsweetened Applesauce (great for cake mixes!). For a 2 Tablespoon portion, you'll save 225 calories and 28 grams of fat!!!

Mayo~ Substitute an equal amount of Nonfat Yogurt. In a 4 Tablespoon portion, you'll save 373 calories and 38 grams of fat!

Sour Cream~ Substitute equal amounts of Plain Low Fat Yogurt and for every cup, you'll save 350 calories and 44 grams of fat!

This post submitted to Works For Me Wednesday.

Individual Pizzas

We call them "Pizza Burgers", but they are basically individual pizzas made on french bread, sub buns, hoagie rolls or even sandwich buns or hot dog buns. No matter what you call them, they are a family favorite in our house any day.

This is an especially quick supper to make when you have leftover pizza ingredients in your fridge or freezer. It also makes a nice meal if you have picky eaters who like different toppings. You can set toppings out and let each person create their own pizza!

To make your pizzas you'll need:
Buns or rolls split horizontally
Pizza sauce
Shredded (sliced works very well, too) Mozzarella or Provolone Cheese
Any pizza toppings you prefer (pepperoni, sausage, onion, mushrooms, peppers, etc.)

First, turn on your broiler and cover your broiler pan with foil (makes for easier clean-up). Split your rolls and place cut side up on broiler pan. Lightly toast rolls under broiler for about 2 minutes watching closely so as not to burn them. Top toasted roll halves with sauce and toppings desired. Place under broiler again until cheese is melted and toppings are heated- about 3 minutes. Serve hot. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Weekly Tip: Freezing Pie Dough

When you're making pie dough (or practically anything else for that matter), it is just as easy to double the recipe and freeze some for later.
Pie dough is especially nice to have at the ready and my tip for this week will make it even nicer!

Roll out your pie dough, place it in a pie tin, smooth a piece of plastic wrap onto the dough and freeze it in a zip-top bag! It will be ready to go into the oven or to fill and bake when you are!

For more tips, visit Rocks in My Dryer.

Simple Pie Dough

Pie dough or pie paste is so very simple to make and whether you fill it with fruit, veggies (think pot pies) or pudding, it is so delicious and comforting! Here is my recipe for a simple pie dough.

PIE DOUGH

1 1/2 Cups Flour

1/2 Cup Shortening

1/2 Tsp. Salt

1/4 Tsp. Baking Powder

Cold Water

Sift together flour, salt and baking powder. Cut shortening into flour mixture with a fork or pastry cutter until mixture is crumbly and pieces are smaller than pea-sized. While stirring (you can also use a mixer with dough hooks here), add water a little at a time until a dough forms.

At this point, you can begin rolling the dough out OR, as I recommend, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for a couple of hours or overnight before rolling out.

This recipe makes enough for a 2-crust pie.

TIPS:

I also recommend using 1/4 C butter and 1/4 C shortening in place of the 1/2 C of shortening. YUM!!

Link-a-dink-a-doo 5/6/08

We're busy as the bees this spring, so only a couple of links for you today. Enjoy!

The latest edition of the Make It From Scratch Carnival is up over at Creatively Me! Check it out!

Ever wondered what kind of foods Elvis would have liked? Here is an article that suggests a few.

Click here to vote on "Who has the best fast food hamburgers"!!!

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Spice Up Your French Toast

If you are tired of Classic French Toast or if you'd just like to try something different, add a twist to it with one of the following tips!

~Add a splash of vanilla or almond extract or flavoring to the egg wash before you mix it up. It adds a ton of flavor to the finished product!

~Add 2 teaspoons of cinnamon to your egg wash!

~Make cinnamon stuffed french toast by softening 4 ounces of cream cheese and adding a teaspoon of cinnamon and a teaspoon of sugar. Spread one or two tablespoons cream cheese mixture between two slices of bread to make a "sandwich"; dip sandwich in egg wash and cook as usual.

~Make fruity stuffed french toast by adding 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar to 4 ounces softened cream cheese. Spread a tablespoon or two of this mixture between two slices of bread to make a "sandwich", dip sandwich in egg wash and cook as usual. Top with sliced fruit (strawberries or blueberries would be yummy!) mixed with sugar.

Weekly Tip: Keep Cut Fruit From Browning

To keep cut fruit from browning, dip the cut side in some pineapple juice! Works like a charm on bananas, apples, pears and more!

For more tips, visit Rocks in My Dryer!

Link-a-dink-a-doo 4/29/08

Here are the fabulous links I've found for you this week!



The Make It from Scratch Carnival is home this week at Stop The Ride!



At the rate of inflation in food prices and the low interest rates at the bank, it may be wiser to stock your pantry rather than your savings account. See if you agree after reading this article I found at Yahoo!



In another article from Yahoo!, find out 6 Ways to Eat Better for Less.



And if you haven't checked it out before, visit the new and re-vamped Hillbilly Housewife. She always has great information and recipes. From the site:



"The focus here is on low-cost, home-cooking from scratch. The recipes are all tested in a real kitchen with hungry children, stalking cats, begging puppies and a playful husband underfoot. The ingredients are affordable and readily available in most areas."



You can't beat that with a wooden spoon!

Classic French Toast

One of my family's favorite breakfast foods is your classic French Toast. Topped with butter and syrup and you've got a warm and delicious comfort food that is appreciated morning, noon or night.

I usually list my tips for recipes after the actual recipe, but I want to emphasize this one: French Toast is actually better when it is made with day-old or almost stale bread. Day-old or almost stale bread will give you a better texture and a sturdier end product. New, fluffy bread can result in soggy or mushy french toast.

Classic French Toast
8 Slices of Bread
3 Eggs
2 T milk

Oil (or butter) and heat a griddle or frying pan. Whisk eggs and milk in a shallow dish wide enough for bread slices. One at a time, dip bread slices in egg mixture, turning to coat completely. Place coated bread on hot griddle, turning as needed to cook all sides evenly. Serve with syrup and butter. Refrigerate or freeze any leftovers.

Tips:
~Place cooked french toast pieces on a platter covered with paper towels and set platter in your microwave (no need to start it) to keep them warm until the entire batch is done.

~After topping with butter and syrup, sprinkle sugar over the top to add a bit of extra sweetness!

Weekly Tip: Fried Eggs

I love fried eggs! "Dippy eggs" (or sunny-side up) in particular. The hard part for some is keeping the yolks from breaking when the egg hits the pan.

To solve this dilemma, crack your eggs into a bowl first. Then, simply slide them out of the bowl and into the pan! If a yolk breaks, you can pour that egg into another container and use it for other cooking or for scrambled eggs.

Don't forget to visit this post at my personal site, It's All For The Best, to enter my GIVEAWAY!

For more tips, visit Rocks In My Dryer!

Link-a-dink-a-doo: Earth Day

Ever thought about Eco-friendly food preservation? Click here for a great article.

FoodProcessing.com has a great article on Eco-friendly food packaging here.

I thought this site was very interesting, too. They sell bio-degradable food packaging, utensils and more at pretty reasonable prices.

Check out the Make It From Scratch Carnival this week. The Lighten your footprint edition is at Midwest Neurotica and the full edition is at Stop The Ride!

Visit me at It's All For The Best tomorrow for a fruity and fun giveaway!!!

Weekly Tip: Microwave Covers

Here's a quick tip that will save you from a big mess in your microwave:

Cover your dishes with paper plates or coffee filters. They are much cheaper than wax paper or paper towels!

For more tips, visit Rocks in My Dryer!

Link-a-dink-a-doo 4/15/08

Only a couple of links today. The weather is beautiful and we're in the midst of baseball season. Well, practice for it anyway. Hope you have a wonderful day!

Make It From Scratch is up at This Wasn't in the Plan. Lots of amazing things to try out there!!!

Not everything loses valuable nutrients from heating. Did you know that some veggies actually benefit from the canning process? Check out this post!

Italian Meatballs

I love to make my own Italian meatballs to have handy for subs or spaghetti. I make a large batch, freeze them and store them in zip-top bags. (BTW- sorry for the fuzzy picture.)

I don't really have a "recipe" for these, so you may have to adjust some of the amounts to suit your tastes.

Italian Meatballs

1 Lb. Ground Beef

1 C. Bread Crumbs

1 Egg

1 tsp. Salt

1/2 tsp. Pepper

1/4 tsp. Garlic Powder

1 Tbsp. Dried Parsley

1 tsp. Dried Basil

1/2 tsp. Dried Oregano

1/2 tsp. Onion Powder

1/2 C Ricotta Cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Combine all ingredients in large bowl and, using your hands to 'mush', mix well. Measure out equal amounts of mixture to make inch and a half meatballs using one of the following methods:

1. Pat mixture out to 1 & 1/2 inch thick flat square on a cutting board. Cut vertically and horizontally to create equal cubes. Roll each cube into a ball.

2. Use a small kitchen scoop.

3. Use a tablespoon to scoop out mixture and roll into balls.

Place each meatball onto a baking sheet. They do not need to be spread out like cookies, but they should not be touching. Bake 25 minutes or until internal temp is 175 degrees. Remove from oven. Add to your favorite marinara sauce and serve on hoagie buns or hot dog buns topped with mozzarella or provolone cheese.

TIPS:

~Place finished sandwiches under the broiler to melt the cheese and toast the buns.

~To freeze, cool meatballs completely. Place cooled meatballs on a tray and freeze at least 1 hour. Place frozen meatballs in zip-top bag.

~You can also fill a zip-top bag with meatballs and sauce, cool and then freeze.

~These are GREAT in spaghetti, too!

Chicken Fajitas

Chicken Fajitas make a super fast supper and the leftovers make a wonderful lunch. Just ask my Hubby and kids! :o)

Fajitas are fabulous for picky eaters because you can serve them buffet style and let each person chose their own toppings. If your family likes spicy, go for it. If you have little ones, you can hold back on the spice and let those who want more heat add it with taco sauce.

This would be a great recipe to double and freeze half for a future date.

Chicken Fajitas

3 lbs. Chicken (use your favorite- I prefer thighs)

1 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Pepper

2 tsp. Taco Seasoning or Southwestern Seasoning

2 tsp. Chicken Flavored Soup Base

1/2 C. Water

2 Tbsp. Flour

1 each Red, Yellow and Green Bell Pepper

1 Medium Onion

Taco or Burrito Shells

Season Chicken with salt, pepper and taco seasoning. Place seasoned chicken in lightly oiled slow-cooker. Mix water and soup base and pour in with chicken. Cook on medium-high for 45 minutes turning every 10 minutes to cook evenly.

Cut Bell Peppers and Onion into strips and cook in a small amount of oil until onion is translucent and tender. Set aside to serve as a topping.

Cut cooked chicken into strips and return to sauce before serving.

Heat shells according to package directions. Fill shells or place in warmer and let guests create their own fajita.

Suggested toppings:

Cooked onions and bell peppers (above)

Grated Cheese

Sour Cream

Shredded Lettuce

Avocado slices or Guacamole

Tomatoes (chopped or sliced)

Taco or Hot Sauce

Surprising Salads

Who says a salad has to be lettuce and tomatoes? Who says a salad has to be anything in particular? You can make a salad out of whatever you have on hand at the moment. Here are some ideas for getting out of the tossed salad rut.


Did you know that iceberg lettuce actually has very little nutritional value? Why not switch to baby spinach? It has a flavor similar to lettuce (without the bitterness) and is an excellent source of vitamin A, beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C and Folate. If you aren't a fan of spinach, give endive, chickory, lamb's lettuce, cabbage or bok choy a try.



A great alternative for kids is to serve veggies and dip or dressing in place of a side salad. Kids also love anything wrapped in tortillas, so why not make a veggie wrap with ranch dressing as a side dish for them? YUM!



Rachael Ray once made a salad to go along with a meatball sub that combined all of the veggies that would be on your average sub from a deli. Shred or thinly slice lettuce, onion, tomato, banana pepper, green bell pepper, pickles, cucumbers, black olives or whatever you usually like on your sub. Toss it all together with a simple dressing of red wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste.





My other salad recipes to date:

Cucumber Tomato Salad

Cucumber Side Salad

Pasta Salad

Weekly Tip: Holiday Candy

I know that there is usually no such thing as leftover holiday candy in most households, but ours isn't one of them. I have never made candy taboo for my kids, so they don't really see it as a big deal. They enjoy candy as much as any other kids, but they don't over-indulge and they seem to get tired of it quickly. We end up having extra Halloween candy still sitting around in December and we often have to throw out Easter candy before all of the summer parades begin.



Sometimes I send their candy to work with Mike. He has a large jar that he keeps it in, but it gets so hot in his shop sometimes that keeping chocolate in there is not an option.



What to do with all of that leftover chocolate!!! Such a dilemma!



Then, it came to me! Ah ha!



Now, I chop up any leftover chocolate- bunnies, eggs, mini candy bars, etc. It all gets diced up and put in a zip-top bag in the freezer. We use it as a topping for ice cream sundaes or homemade "blizzard" treats! YUMMY!!

You can find more tips at Rocks In My Dryer!

Link-a-dink-a-doo

Make It From Scratch #58 is up at at the so called me. Stop by for some great ideas!

Try out Menu Plan Monday ~ April 7th posted at Org Junkie!

The Food Network is featuring a series called Chefography this week. Last night's episode was about Julia Child. Here is the web page and you can watch clips!

If you haven't heard of this show, wait until well after eating to click to the web page for Bizarre Foods. It's a show in the Travel Channel and it is NOT for the weak of stomach! I don't want to give away the farm, but one episode featured Guinea Pigs...

Weekly Tip

Do you have a favorite grocery store? Do you have several stores that you frequent to try and get the best deal? Do you subscribe to or go out and buy a newspaper to get the latest circulars and sale fliers for those stores and then go bananas flipping through all of those ads, comparing, finding where you put them or where a family member moved them to?

Help yourself out a little by going electronic!

Visit the website for whichever stores you frequent and do a little searching. Most stores offer an email newsletter. You can often sign up for a weekly email that will include a current sales ad or information for your location. Many also include recipes and tips or interactive shopping lists (click on the item in the ad and it is added to your list). If that option isn't available, you can copy and paste your items into a Word document and keep a running list by store as you go.

Your sales ads will now be delivered to your inbox and as a bonus, you'll be saving paper clutter and your sanity! You can toss those paper ads in the recycle bin and never look back!

Find more tips at Rocks in My Dryer!

Link-a-dink-a-doo

In an attempt to create a more structured posting schedule here at The Fat Bottomed Girl, I am proud to bring you the first edition of "Link-a-dink-a-doo". Join me each Tuesday for some great food, nutrition and kitchen related links that I find and deem worthy of passing on to you.



The Latest Edition of the Make It From Scratch Carnival is up over at Life Lessons of a Military Wife. Check out all of the Aprill Fool's Day fun!!!



Check out this great article on HGTV.com about organizing your kitchen. It is aptly titled Quick Tips for Organizing Kitchens. The tips are quick to read through and they are broken down into manageable tasks.



Stephanie has written a wonderful post on Meal Planning Without a Menu.





And since it seems like a great time for coffee cake... is there ever NOT a great time for coffee cake??? I thought you might enjoy this lucious li'l Sour Cream Coffee Cake recipe courtesy of Scribbit.

Great Gardening Link

I found this great article through a newsletter I get. It's a fast read and I thought it could be very useful since Spring is on it's way (at least I hope it is soon) and everyone is thinking "garden". How nice would it be to have your own little cook's garden???

Here is the link: http://www.cleanhomejournal.com/view.aspx?pid=111. Enjoy!!!

Macaroni Salad

Macaroni Salad is one of my favorite side dishes for grilled foods. It makes a perfect addition to any barbecue or cook out and goes great with hot dogs or hamburgers.

Macaroni Salad

1 Lb. box Elbow Macaroni

8 hard boiled eggs

1/3 C Minced Celery

2 T Minced Onion

2 1/2 C Salad Dressing (I prefer Miracle Whip)

Milk

Salt and Pepper to taste

Cook elbow macaroni according to package directions; drain and cool. Peel, rinse and chop hard boiled eggs. Combine macaroni, eggs, celery and onion. Fold in salad dressing adding milk as needed to moisten dressing and make it smoother. Add salt and pepper to taste as you mix. Refrigerate 3 hours or overnight to let flavors distribute and to chill. Keep refrigerated.

TIPS:

~You can also add 1 to 2 Tablespoons of yellow mustard for additional flavor.

~Rinsing cooked macaroni with cold water will stop the cooking process and keep them from becoming mushy.

~Kids can help peel the eggs and can cut them up with a butter knife!

Care For A Spot Of Tea?

One of my favorite daily treats is a hot, relaxing cup of tea. Just the smell of a rich, Premium Black Tea instantly de-stresses me and helps me refocus. I even carry one or two of my favorite tea bags in my purse during the winter months so I will have my favorite type handy when the mood strikes.

I like to have a cup of tea in the morning rather than coffee. The caffeine in a 6 oz. cup is just enough to get me moving while another cup in the afternoon starts me off on the right foot after work and staves off the need for an afternoon snack and nap.

Other ways to incorporate tea into your day is to keep a small tray ready with tea cups and tea bags in case a friend drops by or to have friends over for an afternoon tea rather than for dinner. The snacks traditionally served with tea are much more cost-effective than an entire meal.

A Bit About Tea

Besides being touted as a stress-reliever, tea has also been studied over the years as a possible cancer-fighter (green tea) and coronary artery disease fighter (black tea). Ginger Tea is one of the best ways I know of to calm an upset stomach whether caused by motion sickness, virus, food or pregnancy.

Along with Green Tea, Organic Black Tea is becoming more popular around the world. The organic growing process is done without the use of chemical fertilizers or pesticides and is being practiced by more and more farmers each year. The cost of organic can be more, but as more growers begin the change-over to organic farming, the costs are beginning to equalize as well.

To find out more about the many varieties of teas available, I suggest you visit Revolution Tea. They have a wonderful selection of flavors and have a wonderful selection of tea-related gifts for the tea-lover on your list.

Tea is just the thing to start off your day, re-energize after work or to catch up with friends. Make a cup of tea part of your day and you will surely begin to feel more centered and relaxed.

Quick Pudding Dessert

I love this dessert. It is so easy to throw together and it really impresses the kids. In fact, it is a wonderful dessert for kids to make as well. There is no cooking involved and the kids could make it while you cook dinner!

Pudding Dessert

1 large package Instant Pudding Mix (I used Chocolate)

1 package Graham Crackers

Whipped Cream or Non-Dairy Topping

Break graham crackers up in their package or in a zip-top bag using a rolling pin. Place crushed graham crackers in the bottom of a 9x11 baking dish. Mix pudding mix according to package directions. Pour pudding over graham crackers and spread evenly with a spatula. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until serving. Spoon into serving dishes and top with your favorite whipped topping. Serves 6.

TIPS:

~I like to break graham crackers into large pieces rather than crushing them into crumbs.

~ If taking this dish to a carry-in or picnic, spread whipped topping over top of entire dish.

Bratwurst

I begin my bratwurst by cooking them in beer. Much like cooking with wine, use a beer that you would drink. Simmer the brats slowly- boiling will dry them out. Skim the foam off of the top as they cook.

When the brats are cooked, I like to cook some sliced onions in the beer to serve on top of the brats. My hubby doesn't like his onions cooked in beer, so I place some slices in foil with butter, salt and pepper. I put this on the grill when I light it and they are ready when the brats are done.

When your grill is heated, cook the brats over a medium flame. They won't take long (1-2 minutes per side at the most) since they are already cooked through. The grilling is just for additional flavor and color.

Serve topped with onions, mustard or creamy horseradish.