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Shortcuts to Dinner
We all want to feed our families great meals. We all want to save money, and be healthy. But sometimes, you just don't feel like cooking. This circle is devoted to shopping wisely and planning ahead so that a good meal can be ready quickly when you need it to be.
LATEST POSTED BY: Kayla SInstant-read thermometer a must have USAToday.com - What's the best present to give the cook who has everything? The one thing they don't have, and the one thing both chefs and food safety experts say they desperately need — an instant-read thermometer. "It's something you can be pretty sure most people don't own, or if they do own one, they don't own a very good one," says Jack Bishop of America's Test Kitchen, a popular cooking show on PBS. Old-fashioned meat thermometers rely on metal actually expanding and turning the temperature dial. Digital instant-read thermometers use electronics and are faster and generally more accurate. The instant-read digitals use slightly different technology than a regular digital thermometer, so be sure to look for ones that say they are instant-read. Older dial thermometers take "forever" to register the temperature, says Bishop. And they're not always accurate. But a quick-read thermometer can make your food taste better and help you avoid killing your guests from a food-borne illness. Caroline Smith DeWaal, food safety director for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, has "a drawerful" of food thermometers because they're always being handed out at conferences she attends. One night she decided to test them all "and the only one that gave me a meaningful reading was the instant-read," she says. Asked if she actually uses them, she says "of course I do. The other night for dinner we were making New Orleans Cajun Whiskey Sauce for bread pudding, so we had to make sure it got up to 160" to kill any possible salmonella in the egg yolks. Out came the thermometer and the dinner party finished with a flourish and no worries that anyone would end up in the hospital. The thermometers, costing anywhere from $20 to $89, pay for themselves, says Bishop. "If you buy a 50 lb. roast for the holidays, do you really want to overcook it?" he asks. Continue: http://yourlife.usatoday.com/fitness-food/safety/story/2011-11-29/The-perfect-gift-for-any-chef-an-instant-read-thermometer/51473068/1ViewNovember.30th.2011
Eat your Veggies!
Whether you're a strict vegan, eat dairy and fish with your veggies, or are a meat lover who's shifting her diet toward more veggies, join us here to talk about all things to do with a vegetarian diet. Post favorite recipes, too!
LATEST POSTED BY: Kayla SMaking the most of extra summer produce USAToday.com - On a Tuesday, well before the weekend rush, Chris Scott pulled up in front of L'étoile restaurant in Charlottesville, Va., to deliver five "Charleston Gray" and "Sangria" varieties of watermelon to chef/owner Mark Gresge. "Every watermelon required its own personal escort into the restaurant, because they were so large," says Scott, whose 8-year-old son, Nathan, tended the melons all summer in the family garden. "After five trips, I rested in my car briefly before driving away." L'étoile has started accepting produce from area gardeners in exchange for a free meal for two. "We wanted to include our guests in a direct way," says Gresge, who transformed the Scott family melons into an elegant "pavé" with cobia fish and pistachios. "We wanted to bring awareness that you do not have to be a farmer to grow great produce." Of course, not every restaurant is open to such barter. But there are many other creative ways to make use of the great abundance of fresh produce this time of year — be it from a home garden or a farmers market. 1. Donate it to a food pantry. For the 50 million Americans who can't afford food right now, fresh produce is a rarity. "We all have the responsibility to not waste food, even from the garden," says Lisa Braddock, who is founder of the Sunshine Harvest Sharing Project, which aims to link up gardeners in Illinois and Utah with food banks that could use the surplus. Nationally, the site AmpleHarvest.org can connect you with food pantries in your area, even telling you on which days each will receive deliveries. What are the other options? Find out here: http://yourlife.usatoday.com/fitness-food/cooking-recipes/story/2011-08-30/Making-the-most-of-extra-summer-produce/50195688/1?loc=interstitialskipViewAugust.31st.2011Quick and Easy Recipes
Sometimes, it's wonderful to spend all afternoon lovingly creating a special meal. But most of the time, you have guests coming over in twenty minutes and you haven't started cooking yet. These are the recipes for those times. Quick, easy, reliable, and GOOD!
LATEST POSTED BY: HollandI wouldn't believe it but these have gone over like gangbusters TWICE for my kids (12,7) and husband.
KALE CHIPS
Ingredients
1 bunch kale
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
Directions
Preheat an oven to 350 degrees.
With a knife or kitchen shears carefully remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite size pieces. Wash and thoroughly dry kale with a salad spinner. Drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning salt.
Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt, 10 to 15 minutes.
allrecipes.comViewNovember.30th.2011
Holiday Cookies
Share cookie recipes here! I know, I know, we're still a few months away from the BIG holidays but as the cool weather approaches, the ovens will go on and comfort food will be made. Let's share some family favorites and new favorites that look yummy to try! It's all about the cookie in this circle.
LATEST POSTED BY: ChristineCadd a captionViewJanuary.28th.2010
Mom's ME time
What do you do for ME time? All moms know they need it. Do you take time for yourself? Share with us what you do for YOU.
LATEST POSTED BY: KlarissaHi, My ME time is going to the grocery store, or even sitting down to read a book when i have a free moment or even going out to take a walk, I love the time I can have with my daughter but i also just enjoy that me time that I can have.ViewOctober.25th.2010
Cooking is about Feeding People
People often hate to cook. Like some people hate to read. But people read to learn the info, get the help, enjoy the story! Reading is about the story. Not the process. SO IS IT WITH COOKING. If we can get out minds around it that way, we can grow to see it as the vehicle to the meal that makes people feel loved. I want to inspire people to like it! Then, maybe love it!
LATEST POSTED BY: Kayla SSavor flavors in these new cookbooks USAToday.com - A brand-new cookbook is as exciting for a foodie as a new pair of shoes is for a clotheshorse. The smell, the feel, the look of them are almost as alluring as taking them for a test-drive. But like truly good shoes, a good cookbook should be stunning and practical. Here are some splurge-worthy (and mouthwatering) publications that would make anyone who likes to cook (and eat) quite happy. Not to mention, they'd make excellent gifts for others who love spending time in the kitchen. All About Roasting By Molly Stevens, $35 If a book could be a sous chef, this would be the one to enlist for a hearty winter meal. "This book is perfect for the holidays," says Mark Rotella, senior editor at Publishers Weekly. "Molly Stevens is a solid author, with such a wonderful approach." She covers the gamut of roasting knowledge — from carving a goose to shopping for chateaubriand to slow-roasting wild salmon. Plus, the recipes are good enough to make carnivores (and even herbivores) swoon: Cuban-style slow-roasted picnic pork shoulder, crispy roast chicken, even roasted sugar snap peas. The Essential Pépin By Jacques Pépin, $40 "This is a must-have for any cookbook fan," says Barnes & Noble cookbook buyer Edward Ash-Milby. "It's time for Mr. Pepin to offer the world this collection, a portion of his all-time favorites." Pepin — a master French chef whose 60 years of culinary experience have included his role as a TV personality and Julia Child co-star — calls it the diary of his life. (Only, this diary includes detailed in-person instruction by way of a DVD that comes with the book.) More books: http://yourlife.usatoday.com/fitness-food/cooking-recipes/story/2011-11-22/Tempt-your-tastebuds-with-these-new-cookbooks/51354918/1ViewNovember.23rd.2011Ethnic Cuisine
We don't often get to travel to faraway countries, but we can at least have a taste of them in our own kitchen. This is the place to come to share recipes from your own heritage, or from your favorite ethnic cuisine!
LATEST POSTED BY: BeckiI made this recipe for Asian Lettuce Cups for dinner tonight. I found it on Kalyn's Kitchen, my new favorite recipe blog. My husband loved the fresh cilantro in the recipe, and my son asked me--twice--if I would make it again. I couldn't use the peanuts called for in the recipe because of my daughter's allergies, but I substituted chopped water chestnuts, and it was great.ViewJanuary.17th.2010
Mom Entrepreneurs
A place for moms who own a small business can come and share what they do and share tips and tricks of their trade.
LATEST POSTED BY: saraI'm Sara, and I just wanted to take a few minutes to introduce myself to you, and let you know a little about what I do. I'm a Disney vacation planning specialist. My services are completely free because Disney recognizes the value of experts helping families plan their vacations. Here are just a few of the things that I can do: **assisting in making reservations and monitoring for new discounts **least crowded parks recommendations ** a custom itinerary showing park hours, parade times, crowd levels, and dining arrangements **tips on best viewing spots for parades and fireworks ** photo pass tips **attraction tips **fast pass tips **a list of free things to do at Walt Disney World ** unlimited access to me via phone or text to answer any questions that may come up during your vacation! You can reach me by email at sara@magicalmemoriestravel.com or by phone at 815-214-9832. You can also check out the blog for fun tips or to request a quote at www.disneyinstyle.blogspot.comViewMarch.21st.2012
Creative Moms
Each and everyone of us is creative in our own ways. Some of us show it through writing, through art, through knitting, through scrapbooking, oh the list goes on and on! Here is a place for us all to come together and share our creativity with other moms.
LATEST POSTED BY: BrandieRuffle Flower Scarf http://mama-says-sew.blogspot.com/2011/01/ruffle-flower-scarf.html I took a couple of my favorite projects and combined them into something for me. After all that creating over Christmas for other people, it was fun to make something for myself. Not that I don't enjoy creating for others, of course. I'm sure you know what I mean. ***** I would like this in several lovely fall colors. Who will make them for me? LOL! =)ViewSeptember.11th.2011
Just Desserts
Puddings and cakes, and pies, oh, my! It's hard to find anyone who doesn't like dessert. Share your favorite recipes for everything from the humblest drop cookie to the most elaborate torte in this circle.
LATEST POSTED BY: Kayla S5@5 - The five C's of dessert Eatocracy - 5@5 is a daily, food-related list from chefs, writers, political pundits, musicians, actors, and all manner of opinionated people from around the globe. "C" may be for cookie - but that's certainly not good enough for us. Before her several year stint at The French Laundry and the opening of her own sweet venture, Platine Cookies, Jamie Cantor was taught at the Culinary Institute of America to build a dessert menu around the five C's: chocolate, citrus, coffee, cheese and caramel. Incidentally, she was also taught "desserts" is "stressed" spelled backward. But who wants to stress about making fancy, involved desserts during the long, hot, carefree days of summer? Here are some simple, delicious ways to incorporate the five most popular dessert flavors into your summer entertaining. The Five C's of Dessert: Jamie Cantor 1. Chocolate "The chocolate dessert is probably the most popular one at any restaurant. Go big and bold with this one - focus on good quality chocolate and you can turn a simple dessert into one with a ‘wow’ factor. For example, make a tasting of chocolate puddings with a high percentage single origin chocolate. I am really into Pralus chocolates these days; they have some great single origin bars that are fun to try. Use some really cute individual-sized dishes for each type and create a conversation starter for your foodie guests. Take a simple, old-fashioned recipe and turn it into something more sophisticated with the right technique and proper ingredients." 2. Citrus "I find that the people who aren’t chocolate lovers tend to be fans of citrus. In the summer, citrus is so refreshing so go ahead and make a grown-up creamsicle. Make your own fresh orange sorbet and vanilla ice cream and layer them in fantastic popsicle molds; or take the easy way out and buy the sorbet and ice cream, layer them in Dixie cups and stick a popsicle stick in the middle. What are the other 3 C's? Find out here: http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2011/07/07/55-the-five-c’s-of-dessert/?hpt=hp_bn8ViewJuly.8th.2011Dinner Time Again? Help! In need of inspiration!
Easy recipes, inspiration, ideas. Help each other find new ways to fix fast, healthy, tasty dinners by sharing our standbys -- the top-of-the-head recipes or family favorites we pull out of the hat on those days when we face the, "yikes, it's dinnertime already and I haven't done anything about feeding everyone" moment. Or the recipes you come across that inspire you to mix things up a bit.
LATEST POSTED BY: Kayla S5 real, fast, delicious meals from around the U.S. Eatocracy - Rachael Ray, Robin Miller and Martha Stewart all whip up some quick-and-easy meals on TV, but for those of us who aren’t gifted in the culinary sense, they might not be that simple. Well folks, CNN iReport has answered your cooking prayers. We’ve collected real recipes from real people as part of the cultural census for CNN's Defining America. For each night of the busy workweek, we’ve selected five fast, delicious meals that won’t eat up too much time or leave you scratching your head. Arturo Navarro of Chula Vista, California, can make a meal of scrumptious salmon, brown rice, and spinach salad in 15 minutes flat. The salmon cooks in virgin olive oil for three minutes on each side. In the meantime, he washes and prepares the spinach, tomato, bell pepper, and avocado salad – a favorite he makes a few times a week. “I’ve changed my diet since last May, so I’ve been eating salmon; better nutrition than what I ate before,” he said. He now prepares fresh meals each day. Michelle Chu’s typical weekday dinners usually consist of a protein, veggies and of course, dessert! She and her boyfriend, who live in Richmond, Virginia, recently visited Omaha Steaks for the first time and were sold on the tender meat. “It’s something we eat frequently because it’s filling, easy to prepare and tastes great.” Chu’s meal of steak, asparagus and whipped sweet potatoes took about 30 minutes from start to finish. And, she ended the meal on a sweet note – angel food cake drizzled with raspberries and Biscoff spread. Are we in heaven yet? Keep reading: http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2011/07/06/ireport-5-real-fast-delicious-meals-from-around-the-u-s/?hpt=hp_bn8ViewJuly.6th.2011
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