Cool digital recipe cards

Stephanie wrote a review of Key Ingredient a digital recipe card/finder site. LOVE IT. Thanks for the heads up!!!

Fudgy Brownies

I made the Best Brownies with out the frosting for Memorial Day. I think they could have cooked the 25 minutes instead of 20 but they cam out so fudgy & yummy that I didn't mind the gooey factor at all! They weren't very thick and were best eaten with a fork.

One of my 2008 Goals

I resovled for 2008 that I would do better at sending out cards for special occasions to family & friends. Well the USPS postage increase and the fact that all my cards were lame & missing envelopes put an end to that! If I had found these birthday card packs last year my goal might not have been so daunting. I'd have only had to contend with the postage.

The birthday value pack figures in at only $1.60 per card after shipping (cheapest option). That isn't so bad considering the last card I bought at the store was $3.89. There might be some money left over for the stamp. The savings in gas alone...

I know that it's the worst to try to pick out a card while doing your regular shopping. I have recent experience with this one, baby shower, eeek. This means I will have at least one kid & a hubby in tow. It either becomes a futile effort of reading the funny ones or an argument with the kids about not touching EVERY card.

I usually don't care for the selection of cards in value packs, there usually seems to be a couple good ones & then a bunch you wouldn't even dream of sending to your Grandma. The selection of cards in the value packs seemed decent enough, even a little high class. No weird pictures of birds or cute little cartoon lambs, LOL!

Make it from Scratch & some must save recipes

Make it from Scratch

Stuffed Grape Leaves sounds yummy & grape leaves will be very abundant here in a short while.

I'll have to try this recipe for Mulit grain chocolate chips. I don't think I've ever looked to buy Millet, maybe I'll have to use it as an excuse to check out the Organic Store.

6 meals in one I do so love a good pork roast! We just had pulled pork sandwiches, I think I got about 4 meals out of it. Of course we bought it for pulled pork BBQ, I did it in the slow cooker, ran it for 8-10 hours a day for 2 days (longer the first because I forgot to turn it off). Once it was fall apart tender I made some BBQ sauce & we had sandwiches. Yum, wish it had lasted longer...

Friday Feast

I haven't done a feast in over a year, oops!



Appetizer

What is the nearest big city to your home?

The biggest city is Buffalo

Soup

On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how well do you keep secrets?

That depends on the secret! If it is really a secret I am a 10, if it's just a little secret I'm a 4.

Salad

Describe your hair (color, texture, length).

Frizzy (curly), dark brown & just past shoulder length when it's dry. I am badly in need of a cut & color.

Main Course

What kind of driver are you? Courteous? Aggressive? Slow?

I try to be courteous, but I am somewhat aggressive. I get angry with people who aren't as courteous...but I figure I'm really not in THAT much of a hurry.

Dessert

When was the last time you had a really bad week?

Really bad, it's been a while. Relatively bad... two weeks ago & it lasted 2 weeks. The most miserable PMS lasted for 2 weeks, the kids were driving me nuts, the weather was cold & yucky, I had a cold & ended up with a weekly laundry load count somewhere in the upper teens. I can handle the laundry but it seemed like no matter how much I washed, nothing of mine got clean & the 3 things the HAD TO HAVE were somewhere buried at the bottom of the mountain. The only reason there was such a mountain to begin with was because we cleaned the kids rooms out & both hubby & the boy toss clean stuff on the floor instead of putting it away. I do so dislike washing CLEAN clothes!!!

Broccoli Cheese Soup (a la Panera Bread)

Sometimes things go screwy with the blog publisher, there WAS a link to Chef Tom Cooks!!! Which is where the recipe is... duh...

I have never eaten Panera Bread's Broccoli Cheese Soup. In fact I've only eaten there once that I can recall & that was years ago. But this recipe is so close to the one my Mom has been using since I was a kid. We got her recipe from a local restaurant (not chain). The only difference I can spot is the carrots, ours doesn't call for them. Sounds good though the extra vitamins can't hurt! The nutmeg is what we call the "Secret ingredient" because without it the soup just doesn't taste right, and fresh is ALWAYS better than jar...

Lemon Bar Failure

*** Update*** I tried some later in the evening & it wasn't nearly as bad as right after dinner, still very sour, but tolerable. We had the bean salad for a side dish & I think it was just too much acidity al together...


I received my first issue of Everyday Food today & just had to try the Creamy Lemon Squares. I have been craving tangy lemon for a while now & I had the ingredients (or so I thought).

I made the shortbread crust, yummy, smelled wonderful. Then to the filling 4 egg yolks, a can of sweetened condensed milk & lemon (3/4 cup fresh). Well I only had the "lemon" that Aldi has, it's a lovely green jar! Works great as a drain freshener & making lemonade, so why not. Well I used the whole 3/4 cup. Guess I should have cut it back a bit (or added more sugar). I baked them, chilled them & served them... EWWWWWW. Even my husband couldn't eat them. All you could smell was the milk & all you could taste was lemon. It wasn't pleasant at all.

Lesson learned never directly sub bottle for the real thing with out tasting it first...

A different 3 Bean Salad

1/4 cup Olive Oil
1/4 cup Cider Vinegar
2 T sugar
1 can Black Beans
1 can Pinto or Roman Beans
1 can Garbanzo Beans
1 can sliced mushrooms
1/2 bag of corn
2 handfuls of baby carrots shredded
salt & pepper to taste

Wisk the oil, vinegar & sugar together. Add the beans and other ingredients, toss to combine. Refrigerate 1 hour before serving.

I served this over white rice as a side dish to honey mustard boneless pork chops. My cans were all different sizes & I had to add a little bit more vinegar & oil at the end.

Yummy Rebate

Had this in my inbox this morning, just had to share!!!

TURN OVER A NEW LEAF – EAT MORE SALAD

Wish-Bone® Is Giving Away a FREE Bottle of New Bountifuls™ Salad Dressing

As Part of Its “Go Greens! Eat Salad” Campaign to Encourage Healthy Eating

Englewood Cliffs, NJ (May 13, 2008) – These days, many people have a lot on their plate – but it’s not always greens. To inspire consumers to add more salads and vegetables to their diet, Wish-Bone^® is starting the “Go Greens! Eat Salad” campaign. And as part of the effort, the makers of Wish-Bone^® are offering everyone in America the opportunity to receive a free bottle of new Bountifuls™ dressing between May 30 and June 1, 2008!

Salad lovers can purchase a bottle of Bountifuls at their local market, then log on to www.wish-bone.com/Digital-Garden.aspx to download the mail-in rebate form and send it in with their receipt. Wish-Bone^® will reimburse the full cost.* While at www.Wish-Bone.com, consumers can also plant a personalized digital garden and enter for a chance to win one of 2000 reusable Greenshopper™ grocery bags**, which will be given away daily from May 12 to August 4, 2008. The “Go Greens! Eat Salad” Campaign also benefits the National Gardening Association’s Adopt A School Garden™ program, which helps fund youth gardening programs at schools across the country.

“Wish-Bone^® Bountifuls^™ dressings were created to inspire people to build their salads around the key ingredient – the dressing,” says Dana Emery, Marketing Director, Wish-Bone^® dressings. “We hope everyone takes advantage of this offer and makes an effort to eat healthfully by getting more salads into their diets.”

New Wish-Bone^® Bountifuls^™ dressings are brimming with the goodness of the garden, filled with pieces of real fruits or vegetables. Created to inspire and delight, Bountifuls^™ dressings are available in four flavors – Hearty Italian, Tuscan Romano Basil, Simply Santa Fe and Berry Delight.

Not only are Bountifuls^™ bursting with flavor, they contain less than one gram of fat and 35 calories or less per two-tablespoon serving. Wish-Bone^® Bountifuls^™ dressings come in 9.5 fluid-ounce glass bottles and are sold in the dressings section of the supermarket. The suggested retail price is $2.79. For more information on the free Bountifuls offer, to find salad recipes and to plant and watch your digital garden grow throughout the summer, visit www.Wish-Bone.com

*Maximum rebate $4.50. For complete terms and conditions go to http://www.wish-bone.com/Digital-Garden.aspx.

** No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. For complete rules go to http://www.wish-bone.com/Digital-Garden.aspx.

About Unilever

Unilever’s mission is to add vitality to life. We meet everyday needs for nutrition, hygiene and personal care with brands that help people feel good, look good and get more out of life. Each day, around the world, consumers make 160 million decisions to purchase Unilever products.

In the United States, the portfolio includes major brand icons such as: Axe, “all,” Ben & Jerry's, Bertolli, Breyers, Caress, Country Crock, Degree, Dove personal care products, Hellmann's, Klondike, Knorr, Lipton, Popsicle, Promise, Q-Tips, Skippy, Slim-Fast, Snuggle, Suave, Sunsilk and Vaseline. All of the preceding brand names are registered trademarks of the Unilever Group of Companies. Dedicated to serving consumers and the communities where we live, work and play, Unilever employs more than 14,000 people in both the United States and Puerto Rico – generating nearly $11 billion in sales in 2007. For more information, visit www.unileverusa.com.

Bread Dough Recipe (3 loaves)

2 1/2 c all purpose flour
2 T Instant yeast
2 c Water
1/4 c dry milk powder
3 tb Margarine -- melted
1/3 c Granulated sugar
1 teaspoon Salt
2 Egg whites -- beaten
5 1/2 c all purpose flour


In a mixing bowl, combine 2 1/2 cups flour and yeast. In a microwavable bowl, heat milk, margarine, sugar, and salt just until warm (115 to 120 degrees), until margarine almost melts. Add liquid to dry ingredients in mixing bowl along with egg whites. Beat at low speed for 1/2 minute, scraping sides of bowl constantly. Beat 3 minutes at high speed. Mix in another 3-4 cups of flour, then change to dough hook. Knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a stiff dough that is smooth and elastic (6 to 8 minutes total). Divide dough into thirds. Roll each section out into a rectangle then roll (jelly roll style), tuck ends under. Place in an oiled pan & allow to rise for 45 minutes in a warm place (or until doubled). Then bake in 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes, until golden.

You may also freeze this dough, before allowing it to rise. Then to bake thaw & follow directions above.

I use this dough as pizza crust, calzone/stromboli dough. I used powdered eggs whites in my last batch. You can also substitute some whole wheat flour for the all purpose flour, and of course add a Tablespoon or 2 of flax seed.


For this loaf I spread some softened butter on the dough , sprinkled some garlic powder over it & then rolled it up. I left it to rise for 45 minutes & then baked it at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or so, until the top turned golden. (baked loaf is pictured above, the uncut loaf)

I also used a portion of this dough to make a stromboli.

Beef Pot Pie

Beef Pot Pie using MYO biscuit mix

adapted from Chicken Pot Pie using Bisquick

---

1/3 c. butter, melted
1/2 c. Biscuit mix
2 T chopped onion dried
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. dill

Combine the above in a saucepan to boil. Add:

1 can beef soup
1 can beef stew
1 can sliced mushrooms, drained
1 can diced tomatoes, drained

Heat to boil, constantly stirring, boil 1 minute and stir.

Pour into large pie dish or 9" square pan.

TOPPING:

1 1/2 c. Biscuit mix
3 tbsp. hot water
3 tbsp. softened butter

Form dough, roll out like pie crust and put on top of above mixture in a 9 inch square dish.

Bake in a preheated 375°F degree oven for about 45 minutes, or until crust is golden and lightly browned on edges.

I had filling left over so I used one portion of my batch of bread and made a stromboli. Yum can't wait for dinner.

Fruiti Sushi

Fruiti Sushi

Got this one from the Box Tops newsletter. Sounds like fun to make & eat!

There's nothing fishy about this colorful sushi! The lunch crowd will be lurking once your kids pull out this awesome treat.
Prep Time:20 min
Start to Finish:20 min
Makes:16 candies
1 1/4 cups Rice Chex® cereal
1 cup white vanilla chips
4 rolls Betty Crocker® Fruit Roll-Ups® chewy fruit snack in favorite flavor (from 5-oz box), unwrapped
12 candy worms
1. Place cereal in Ziploc® Brand food storage plastic bag; seal bag and crush with fingers to 3/4 cup.
2. In medium microwavable bowl, microwave white vanilla chips as directed on package until melted and stirred smooth. Add crushed cereal; stir until well coated.
3. Unroll fruit snack rolls. For each sushi roll, spread 1/4 of cereal mixture on snack roll to within 1/2 inch of one short side. Arrange 3 candy worms, side by side, on cereal-covered short side.
4. Starting with short side topped with candy worms, roll up each snack roll tightly, pressing unfilled short side of roll to seal.
5. Let sushi rolls stand 5 to 10 minutes or until firm. Cut each roll into 4 slices.
1 Serving: Calories 110 (Calories from Fat 35); Total Fat 4g (Saturated Fat 2g); Cholesterol 5mg; Sodium 25mg; Total Carbohydrate 17g (Dietary Fiber 0g, Sugars 14g); Protein 1g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 0%; Vitamin C 2%; Calcium 2%; Iron 0% Exchanges: 1 Other Carbohydrate; 1 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 1
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Recipe Tips
Make and Take
Arrange sushi pieces on a disposable plate and overwrap with Saran™ Cling Plus® wrap, stretching tightly across the top to look like sushi from the grocery store.
Technorati Tags: snacks, lunch box, recipe

Flax seed

I have been using Hodgson Mill Milled Flax Seed, 12-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 8) for all of my flax seed needs. But thanks to a CVS extra care buck offer and a coupon a few months back I have been using the Nature's Bounty Flax Seeds, Farm Direct Cold-Milled Organic, 15 Ounces (Pack of 2).

I'm not sure if one is better than the other. I do know that at regular price the Hodgson Mill flax seed is the cheaper option. Other wise I haven't done a real side by side comparison.

I do try to add a couple tablespoons to all of my baked goods. I figure a little bit is better than none at all. We aren't huge fish eaters & when we do it's usually fish sticks or fillets. And occasionally my son will get to eat some Lake Erie Walleye. I don't let the Princess yet. She is still such a peanut that I am afraid of pollutants, maybe when she gets bigger I'll let her have it once in while but she needs some body mass first !!!