Worth Buying

In an effort to purchase organic and natural (where we can, we're realistic and on a budget here!) we're incorporating a few things slowly but surely that are natural/organic and budget friendly.

Here is one. We use it mostly as table sugar.

Sold in a 24-oz resealable bag, Domino® has recently added Domino® Organic Sugar. It is "harvested and milled on the same day from certified organic sugar cane. Starting with a special single crystallization process that preserves the flavor of sun-sweetened sugar cane." It is produced from organic sugarcane and in accordance with the USDA's National Organic Program and certified organic by Quality Assurance International.

Food411.com

Food411.com

It's the ultimate online food resource. With hundreds of links to the Web's best places for all things food, you'll never be at a loss for a gourmet meal, hard-to-find ingredient or unique gift, even if you're not the next Gordon Ramsay. So give Food411 a test run. Looking for sites to order baked goods? There are over 75 links, each with a short review so you'll know what you're getting. Need a gift for the foodie in your life? Check out the Kitchen Gadgets section, with more than 50 suggestions. The same goes for food literature, wines, chocolates, kitchenware, meals delivered to your house and about a dozen other categories.

Green Junkfood

If you are in support of Green efforts, Frito-Lay uses solar power in it's Modesto, CA plant. The solar panels there generate enough energy to produce the Sun Chips line for the entire year. Frito-Lay is working to make it's Casa Grande, AZ plant completely self reliant and energy wise, as well by the year 2010.
Information obtained from Racheal Ray Magazine

Last-Minute Lasagna

Adapted from Real Simple. By using cheese ravioli instead of traditional lasagna noodles, you condense three steps into one; you don't have to boil the noodles or mix and layer the filling. You just build, bake, and serve. Hands-on time: 10 minutes, Total time: ~45 minutes

Ingredients:

1 jar favorite pasta sauce
~36 ounces refrigerated large cheese ravioli
1 10-ounce box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and excess water squeezed dry
1 8-ounce bag shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, or favorite grated cheese

Heat oven to 375 F. Spoon a thin layer of sauce over the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Cover with a single layer of ravioli. Top with half the spinach, half the mozzarella, and a third of the sauce. Repeat with another layer of ravioli and the remaining spinach, mozzarella, and half the remaining sauce. Top with another layer of ravioli and the remaining sauce (not all the ravioli may be needed). Sprinkle with the Parmesan. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until bubbly, 5 to 10 minutes more.

Serve with salad and crusty bread, yummmmm..

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McCann's Irish Oatmeal

This stuff is great; it takes a long time to cook, but it has a yummy, nutty taste, and they are made from 100% wholegrain Irish oats, which contain all the vitamins and nutrients that rolled oat processing removes. Rolled oats are actually flake oats that have been steamed, rolled, re-steamed and toasted. The processing makes the oats lose their natural taste, texture and health benefits.

From McCann's: "Grains are essential to a healthy lifestyle and form the foundation of the food pyramid. Steel-Cut oats are inherently full of nutritional value and are high in B-Vitamins, calcium, protein and fiber while low in salt and unsaturated fat. One cup of Steel-Cut oatmeal contains more fiber than a bran muffin and twice as much fibre as Cream of Wheat. The quality of Irish Oats and the distinctive crunchy texture make McCann's Steel-Cuts a gourmet delight."

(Lemon) Chicken Scallopini

My family really likes this, and it came from Cooking Light, so it's a healthy meal, too!

You can prepare chicken breasts scallopini-style by pounding them into thin, quick-cooking servings, or buy a package of thinly sliced chicken breast to save time. Dredge in lemon juice and breadcrumbs and sauté for about 3 minutes on each side. Watch the heat, if it's too high, even with the thinner breast, the outside will brown before it's completely cooked through. It's also good without the sauce.

Ingredients

4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
Cooking spray
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup dry white wine
4 teaspoons capers
1 tablespoon butter

Preparation

Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Brush chicken with juice, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in breadcrumbs.

Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until chicken is done. Remove from pan; keep warm.

Add broth and wine to pan, and cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in capers and butter.

* Note: I didn't brush the chicken with lemon juice, I actually poured a little in a bowl and dipped them in to fully coat. Also, to get a more lemony flavor, I added dried lemon peel (from the spice isle at the grocery store) to the breadcrumbs.

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Pompeian OlivExtra Canola and Olive Oil Blend

Pompeian Olivextra is a very healthy combination of olive oil, which is high is monounsaturated fat, ad canola oil, which contains beneficial omega-3. It's cholesterol and trans fat free, and contains olive oils natural anti-oxidants. It's also high in natural vitamin E. It's versatile, being great on salads, as well as for sauteing because it has a high smoke point.

Peanut Butter Chicken with Dipping Sauce

Peanut Butter Chicken with Dipping Sauce

1 egg, slightly beaten
1/3 c. creamy or chunk style peanut butter
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/3 c. milk
8 chicken drum sticks
1 c. fine dry bread crumbs
1/4 c. corn oil

Mix together egg, peanut butter, salt and pepper. Gradually add milk, beating with a fork to blend. Dip chicken in egg mixture; then dip in crumbs.

Place in a greased 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking pan.

Sprinkle remaining corn oil over chicken pieces. Bake in 375 degree oven for 45 minutes or until chicken is tender.

Note: Instead of the 1/4 corn oil, I greased the baking pan using Canola Oil cooking spray. Then, once the prepared chicken was on the pan, I sprayed the chicken with a spritz more of the cooking spray. This reduces the fat content of the dish by removing the 1/4 c. oil, but still gives it something to help crisp it.

Also, I didn't use drumsticks; I used a few skinless, boneless chicken breasts and cut them into "fingers."

My DH loved it (so did the kids.) Next time, instead of regular bread crumbs, I am going to try Panko crumbs.

I served it with a Peanut Butter dipping sauce.

For the Dipping Sauce:

1/2 cup Creamy Peanut Butter
6 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey

To the above, you can add:

1/2 cup parsley or cilantro leaves, chopped
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Pinch of cayenne powder

Place all ingredients in a blender; blend on medium-high until smooth.

Note: I omitted the soy sauce, because I didn't want an asian flavor. I increased the water by 1 tablespoon, and increased the lemon juice by 1 tablespoon. I also didn't use the parsley, sesame, or cayenne. Because all the ingredients were smooth, I didn't have to use a blender, just whisked well with a fork.

Next time, I may try using chunky peanut butter!

Happy New Years Peas

A traditional southern New Year's dish is black eyed peas and ham hocks. An old saying goes, "Eat peas on New Year's day to have plenty of everything the rest of the year."

We modified this for our tastes; turkey sausage and chicken, and added to the sauteed onions some diced carrot, celery (leftover from Christmas.) To the reserved liquid, we added some chicken base for additional flavor. We also added a little pepper, pinch of garlic, and some parsley.

• 1 pound dried black-eyed peas
• 1 pound link sausage, or your favorite
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar (we used light)
  
• 1 tablespoon prepared mustard
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup prepared barbecue sauce

Rinse, prepare, soak, and cook peas in about 3 cups water, following directions on the package. Drain and reserve half of the cooking liquid. In a skillet over medium heat, brown sausage and onions; drain off excess fat.

Place peas in a 3-quart casserole; add sausage and onions. Stir in reserved liquid, brown sugar, mustard, salt, and barbecue sauce. Bake at 300° for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Rainbow Clown Cake

Made this in my Wilton 1 class. We combined two classes (Rainbow Cake and Clown Cake) into one.

Sweet Potato Casserole

From Food Network.

I've made this numerous times. I've changed it slightly by using light brown sugar, and sometimes I omit the nuts and put marshmallows on top the last few minutes until light brown. I also put the spices in to taste, as I often have made multiple batches. I usually poke and microwave cook the sweet potatoes, which cuts the cooking time on the potatoes in half. Excellent recipe!

• 2 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 3 large), scrubbed
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the preparing the pan
• 2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Put the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and pierce each one 2 or 3 times with a fork. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until tender. Set aside to cool.

Turn the oven down to 350 degrees F. Scoop the sweet potato out of their skins and into a medium bowl. Discard the skins. Mash the potatoes until smooth. Add the eggs, butter, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and the pepper to taste. Whisk the mixture until smooth.

Butter an 8-by-8-inch casserole. Pour the sweet potato mixture into the pan and sprinkle the top with the pecans. Bake until puffed, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

General Productivity Boosters

1. Salmon: Not just a fish dish delicacy, a single serving of salmon is also full of healthy benefits. Low in calories but high in important omega 3 fatty acids and protein, salmon will keep your appetite at bay while you concentrate on your busy day. Salmon is known for keeping high-blood pressure in check – a benefit for the demanding currency trading lifestyle. Salmon also lowers your chances of sunburn, dry eyes, stroke, prostate cancer, and even minimizes feelings of hostility in young adults. Without the distractions of moody adolescents, you’ll be able to get twice as much done! Click here for delicious recipes.
2. Shrimp: Low in calories but high in Vitamin D and protein, shrimp is an excellent choice for a snack or even a whole meal. Good for the heart and the brain, shrimp will help you age gracefully while it decreases your chances of Alzheimer’s.
3. Water: Water is probably the most underestimated health drink on the planet. Water speeds up your metabolism, keeps you hydrated, helps skin stay acne-free, and kills appetite. You’ll also be flushing out your digestive system and colon. Visit betterhealth.com for even more benefits!
4. Turkey: This lean meat isn’t just for Thanksgiving. Turkey is a huge source of protein and energy. It helps your body fight cancer. Just don’t eat a turkey sandwich for lunch if you’ve got a busy afternoon ahead of you because turkey is full of tryptophan that make you sleepy.
5. Mustard Greens: Mustard greens prevent the chances of your body developing asthma and helps relax your muscles if you already have it, allowing you to breathe more easily and regularly.
6. Dill: Dill is a popular seasoning not just for its zippy flavor but also for its ability to control bacteria growth. It contains calcium, iron, and magnesium, helping your bones stay strong while you rush around.
7. Plums: Not only do plums have a lot of iron, they improve your body’s chances of absorbing enough iron.
8. Sweet potatoes: Sweet potatoes, also known as yams, are surprisingly good for you. Despite their sweet taste, they have been recently labeled as the “antidiabetic food.” As it turns out, sweet potatoes maintain a balance of your blood sugar levels. They also contain an impressive number of antioxidants and proteins.
9. Papaya: The benefits to eating papaya are endless. The colorful fruit helps protect you against the potential damages of secondhand smoke, rheumatoid arthritis, and even the common cold.
10. Pear: If you’re allergic to many of the fruits on this list, try a pear. Pears are hypo-allergenic, so they provide you with all the healthy benefits of any other fruit, without the nasty side effects.
11. Cauliflower: Like most other vegetables included on this list, cauliflower has an immense amount of Vitamin C and impressive detoxifying capabilities. Just don’t pour on the ranch dressing, or you’ll also be getting a lot of fat and calories. Visit cauliflowers.com for new twists on the vegetable.

Avoiding Colds and Other Common Illnesses

Being productive is as much about minimizing downtime as it is about having more energy. These foods will help boost your immune system and ensure that your out of commission for fewer days each year.

1. Orange juice: Unless you like getting colds, you’d better drink your OJ everyday. As a prime source of vitamin C, orange juice will keep you energized and healthy…not to mention out of bed and sneeze-free.
2. Bell peppers: Want to maintain your busy lifestyle? Better include bell peppers in your daily diet. It doesn’t matter what color, red, green, or yellow, each variety of bell peppers is full of Vitamin A and C, as well as other nutrients which will keep away joint pain and nasty colds.
3. Green tea: You may not believe it, but green tea is as healthy as it is trendy. Full of beneficial antioxidants, green tea also strengthens your immune system, saving you a trip to the doctor. Visit the official green tea Web site to find out which flavor makes your taste buds tingle.
4. Pumpkin seeds Pumpkin seeds are a tasty, salty snack that reduce symptoms of arthritis and keep you on the move. They strengthen your immune system, so instead of chowing down on sticky candy this Halloween save those pumpkin seeds and snack away.
5. Summer squash: Summer squash, or zucchini, is a tasty vegetable that fights diseases big and small. Packed with Vitamin C, folates, and fiber, squash fights against colds and arthritis, metabolic disorders, and even cancer.
6. Ground cinnamon: Next time you feel a cough or the chills coming on drink some tea spiked with ground cinnamon. The spice’s warming powers will ease your discomfort and may help ward off the cold altogether.
7. Garlic: As long as you pack some mints, it’s more than okay to indulge in a little garlic. Garlic is a natural anti-inflammatory, meaning that it is an excellent way to help your body fight infections from the common cold to HIV.
8. Apricots: Eating apricots regularly will reduce your chances of getting sick. This fruit is also good for your heart and keeps your eyes sharp.
9. Cayenne pepper: Sprinkle a little cayenne pepper on your meal, and clear up a stuffy nose, wake up a lazy mind, or speed up your metabolism. Cayenne pepper also acts as a natural pain reliever, so simple aches and pains won’t be able to stand in your way.
10. Cranberries: If you’ve got a urinary tract infection, you won’t be able to concentrate on anything. Drink some cranberry juice (cranberry juice concentrate won’t do the trick) and down a handful or two of the fresh fruit itself. You won’t have to wait too long before the natural healing effects take over.
11. Cloves: Add cloves to homemade soup or when baking a spice cake, and you’ll not only protect yourself from dangerous environmental toxins, you’ll also ease any annoying joint pain.
12. Clementines: Clementines are a delicious, portable fruit, so feel free to take 2 or even 3 along with you as you head out the door. Clementines may be small, but they’re loaded with potassium, antioxidants, and of course Vitamin C. Dip in chocolate for an extra special treat.

Scones and Honey Butter

From Saveur Magazine

Scones

Makes 1 Dozen

The Old Cottage Tea Shop serves plain scones like these as well as a savory variety flavored with bacon and cheese.

6 3/4 cups self-rising flour
1 egg
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1 lb. cold butter, cut into pieces

1. Preheat oven to 4oo degrees. Whisk flour and sugar together in a large bowl. Using a pastry cutter, 2 table knives, or your fingers, work butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal.
2. Whisk egg and milk together in a small bowl or a liquid measuring cup (mixture will yield 1 1/4 cups.) Add 1 cup of the milk mixture to the flour-butter mixture and gently mix togheter with your hand just euntil a soft (not takcy) dough forms, adding 1-2 tbsp. more milk mixture, 1 tbsp. at a time, if dough is too dry. Reserve remaining milk mixture.
3. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface. Pat dough out to a 1" thickness. Using a 3" round cookie cutter, cut out scones, gently rounding off edges with your hands.Gather dough scraps togheter and repeat process, making 12 scones in all. Put scones ona lightly floured baking sheet about 1/2" apart. Brush tops with the remaining milk mixture.
4. Bake scones until golden brown, 20-25 minutes (tent baking sheet with foil if tops brown too quickly.) Transfer scones wto a wire rack to let cool briefly. Serve scones warm or at room temperature.

Honey Butter

Makes 2 Cups

Stephen Buchmann, in Letters from the Hive, suggests using your favorite honey for this recipe (he likes orange blossom.)

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup honey
1/2 tsp salt

Gently beat the ingredients together in a mixiing bowl until smooth, then chill and enjoy.

Variations: For lemon honey butter, just add 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice; you may also add 1-2 tsp of grated lemon zest.

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101 Cookbooks, One Recipe at a Time

I stumbled upon this website, and it's pretty nice. The author, Heidi Swanson is a San Fransisco based photographer and cookbook author. She takes beautiful photographs of the recipes, and does a great job writing and detailing each recipe, in a personal way.

http://www.101cookbooks.com/index.html

Energy and Brain Foods

Most of us can be productive in the mornings, but if you find that you’re unable to concentrate or simply lose the energy to keep going many afternoons, these energy and brainpower boosting foods are what you need.

1. Eggplant: As long as you don’t forget to eat the skin, it doesn’t matter how you ingest your eggplant. Eggplant skin contains the nutrient naunin, which keeps your brain sharp by increasing communication between your brain cells and messenger molecules. You won’t be able to help staying focused after eating eggplant.
2. Raisins: If you need a boost of energy, steer clear of the carbs and grab a pack of raisins. These high-energy fruits are low in fat and calories and rich in antioxidants which help restore your body’s most important cells. Visit the Sun Maid Web site for recipes and product info.
3. Lima beans: Now that you’re over the age of eight, we hope you can finally appreciate why your mother made you eat your lima beans. Lima beans give you tons of energy from iron and dietary fiber while preventing your body from absorbing too much sugar. Iron helps you get a good night’s sleep, as it prevents anemia, a leading cause in sleepless nights for women.
4. Corn: Eating corn can help combat stress, so eat up. The important nutrient pantothenic acid is prevalent in corn, which helps metabolism and alleviates stress.
5. Figs: Figs have the best kind of dietary fiber that maintains high energy levels while keeping your appetite far away. Whether you find fresh figs or a pack of the dried fruit, enjoy its natural sweetness.
6. Tuna: While doctors continue to debate over the good and bad effects of tuna, especially when consumed by pregnant women, there’s no way to ignore the fact that tuna is the original brain food. Not only does tuna help you focus, it also fends off depression. Tuna is good for your heart and helps prevent childhood asthma. Visit the U.S. Tuna Foundation for more information on recipes and mercury levels.
7. Spinach: Make like Popeye and inhale that spinach. Full of practically every nutrient you could think of, spinach is the easiest way to take in all your vitamins at once. In addition to fighting cancer and building strong bones and muscles, spinach reduces stress and help keeps your brain young and focused.
8. Chicken: Chicken is a lean alternative to beef. It is filled with protein and important B vitamins that give you loads of energy and speed up your metabolism. Eat chicken several times a week and you’ll never be too tired to exercise again.
9. Turnip greens: Turnip greens usually don’t get as much credit as they should. A not-so-popular vegetable among children, turnip greens help keep your mind sharp as you creep into old age.
10. Green beans: Top off your salad with fresh green beans and feel your energy bounce back. Green beans are packed with iron and zinc, as well as immune-strengthening vitamins A and C.
11. Cod: Cod, like the other fish that appear on this list, is an optimal way to get your protein without indulging in a lot of calories. It also helps your brain stay focused and ward off depression.
12. Hummus: This all-natural food is an easy way to get some energy-boosting protein fast. Spread hummus on whole grain bread or rye bread for a tasty and quick snack.
13. Pita bread: Pick a hearty wheat or whole grain version of this ancient food to reap its health benefits. Pita bread generally has a few more calories than regular sliced bread, but it will help you stay full and focused longer.
14. Peanut butter: Get back in the game after just a swallow of this childhood favorite. In moderation, peanut butter makes a great snack. Indulge in a spoonful to curb your appetite and cravings for sugar. Click on peanutbutterlovers.com for a fun look at peanut butter’s history, recipes, and its own special month.
15. Kidney beans: These large beans are vital for maintaining high energy levels for long periods of time. Add to chili for a satisfying meal.
16. Honey: Drizzle a little honey on your morning toast, and you’ll not only get rid of your sugar cravings, you’ll also decrease your chances of catching a virus or other nasty disease.
17. Walnuts: The omega 3 fatty acids found in walnuts help you think more clearly and keep you focused your day. Also excellent sources of protein, walnuts are a delicious alternative to potato chips.
18. Sunflower seeds: Sunflower seeds are another popular, but uncommon, way to beat fatigue. They require a lot of work to eat, so your mouth will get a lot of exercise, forcing your body to work for its food.
19. Lemons: A squeeze of lemon in your tea or even sucking a sliced lemon for a few seconds will wake up your mouth and give you that extra pep you need to finish the day.
20. Sage: Banish forgetfulness with an extra dash of sage. Sage has been proven to improve memory, so you can start untying those strings from around your finger.

By Laura Milligan/Bootstrapper