Food Cycling

You can cycle economy sizes of basic ingredients using your imagination and some solid meal planning. Using leftover ingredients for a second meal can save you both time and money with a little creativity.

Here are a few examples....

Let's take two ingredients: A whole chicken and one bunch of celery (the kind with leaves). These two ingredients can be combined with other ingredients to make multiple types of meals. Here are just a few ideas: Cook the whole chicken in a Reynolds oven bag for a delicious baked chicken. Next, wash each stalk of celery then remove the leaves only from the celery (don't throw the leaves away). Cut up the thinner portion of the celery stalk which was attached to the leaves and the larger (white colored) part of the celery stalk at the bottom of each stalk of celery into fine cube-like pieces. Cut up the leftover chicken and mix it with the celery. Add fruits such as leftover grapes and leftover nuts if desired. Mix in some mayonnaise for meal number two with the chicken - chicken salad. Now, take the leftover celery stalks and cut them into smaller pieces about the length of your pinky finger. Add some peanut butter inside for a quick and tasty snack or cut up the celery into very small pieces and use it to stretch the meat in some spaghetti sauce. Now, use those leftover celery leaves, some remaining chicken and a few other ingredients such as leftover spaghetti noodles to make a warm and hearty chicken noodle soup.

I didn't know that was edible!

I grew up in a family were wasted food was frowned upon.  Even today it bothers me to leave food on my plate.  It also frustrates me to throw any food that can be used into a garbage can.  That is why I was thrilled when I came across a short article on Texas A&M's Department of Horticulture website which lists parts of vegetables we normally throw away which are actually edible.  You can read the article here.

Milk, Bread and Snow

In my area of the country, snow is a rare treat that we frequently only experience once a year or less. As you can imagine, many of us who are locals are very excited and welcome the cold, white beauty as it drops from heaven on those rare and special days. There is another side of my local community, however, that brings out craziness and even rudeness from normally extremely cordial neighbors.

Most of us are not accustomed to driving in icy conditions, so many local businesses frequently shut down. With their places of employment closed, most of us opt to stay inside or enjoy the outdoors in our local neighborhoods. Our natural survival instincts tell us, however, that there are at least two essential items that we must have if we are unable to make it to the grocery store for one day or more - milk and bread.

Personally, I stock bread mix and dehydrated milk powder, so I am not quite as frantic as the rest of my neighbors. I can't help but take a peek at the madness in the grocery store in the days,hours, and minutes prior to a storm, however. Some people are pushing and shoving. Others are shortening their conversations with friends, others are driving like maniacs in the parking lots, and for what? Milk and bread!

If there is one nugget of truth I would like you to remember after reading this post, it is this. Be courteous to your neighbors. Share. Love. Be respectful. All of those are essential qualities of the human condition that make us who we are. Do your best not to lose sight of the important things in life, your friends, neighbors, loved ones and relationship with God over more temporary things such as being ahead of someone in line at the grocery store to get your milk and bread.

A Gourmet Dessert on a Cracker Jack Budget

Lately I have been experiencing a post-holiday let-down. The excitement and hectic pace of the holidays is behind me, and I am finding myself desiring to make one more holiday treat, just to get it out of my system. If you are feeling the same way today, why not make chocolate covered strawberries? They only require a few simple ingredients and are well worth the work of preparation.

Chocolate covered strawberries are considered to be a gourmet delicacy, but I recently discovered that they are fun and fairly easy to make.

Here is what you will need:

~One container of strawberries
~One or two packages of almond bark baking chocolate or chocolate chips
*If two, buy white chocolate and regular chocolate. If one, chocolate of your
choice.
~A colander for washing the strawberries (optional)
~Vegetable wash (store bought or homemade)
*For homemade, mix 1 Tablespoon of white distilled vinegar per One cup of
water. Use a clean spray bottle to apply. Inexpensive spray bottles
should be available at your local Wal-Mart, dollar store, or beauty supply
store.
~Running water for washing the strawberries
~A box of toothpicks
~Paper towels for drying strawberries once they are washed (VERY IMPORTANT)
~Flower foam or styrofoam (optional, but it makes dipping easier)
*I used circles of styrofoam which I found at my local Dollar Tree. They
worked very well.
~A double boiler or pan for melting the chocolate
~Wax paper for cooling the chocolate once the strawberries are covered
~A ziploc-type bag or icing glaze bag (optional)
~A pair of scissors (optional)
~Sprinkles and/or other edible decorations such as colored sugar (optional)

Instructions:

~Melt chocolate at a low setting.
~Thoroughly wash and dry strawberries. Do not remove stems.
~Put a toothpick through each strawberry at the stem. Toothpick should be inserted enough so that the strawberry will not fall off if you hold the toothpick but not so much that it goes all the way through.
~If using flower foam or styrofoam, insert other end of toothpick into styrofoam. You can prepare several strawberries at a time this way.
~Once the chocolate has melted, hold the strawberry by the toothpick and dip it into the chocolate. Double check to make sure the strawberry is thoroughly dry prior to dipping. This is important for smoother chocolate.
~Allow excess chocolate to drip back into double boiler or pan for a few seconds. Chocolate may still look lumpy after dipping but should smooth out as it cools.
~Place each strawberry with toothpick onto wax paper and decorate exposed area with sprinkles or other dry edible decorations if desired.
~Allow strawberries to cool completely. Decorate with other chocolate if desired. Allow to cool completely then remove toothpicks. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to a few hours. Best if consumed the same day as you prepare them. May be "mushy" after a full day in the refrigerator.