Becka's blog

We have been trying to eat more healthful snacks and one thing we have been eating is raw almonds. I try to keep some on hand and Rob keeps them in his office to munch on. We both thought they tasted O.K., but not outstanding. Some friends of ours mentioned that the almonds are a lot tastier if you toast them in the oven. I tried this a few weeks ago and we agree. The toasting greatly improves their flavor. I keep the majority of the almonds in the freezer and toast about a week's worth at a time to keep them nice and fresh.

Toasted Almonds

Just spread the almonds on a cookie sheet and toast in a 375 degree oven. I like to toast them for about 10 mins. and then stir them and toast for about 5 more minutes. Let them cool completely before storing.

Let me know your opinion if you try this!

Becka

Several years ago while we were on a road trip I was looking through some old copies of Gourmet magazine that I had purchased at a library sale. I saw a picture of this little gadget:

I was intrigued because I had never seen or heard of one before. It is a julienne peeler. I asked for one for Christmas that year and have enjoyed using it ever since.

It is very useful for cutting small shreds of vegetables such as cucumbers, zucchini, and carrots. I find it quite handy for garnishing and adding just a bit of color to salads, etc. It is very handy since I'm usually just cooking for the two of us. I can use this little gadget instead of the food processor or some other larger tool.

Another handy gadget that I use frequently is this plastic lettuce knife.

DD Megan gave it to me one year for Christmas. I confess that it was several months before I got around to trying it, but it since has become one of my favorite kitchen tools. To use the lettuce knife you cut the lettuce into bite sized pieces, place them in the bowl of the lettuce spinner. Cover with cold water and then drain into the slotted basket. Then spin the lettuce and it is ready to use for your salad. The plastic knife prevents the cut edges of the lettuce from turning dark. After the lettuce is prepared this way it will keep for a day or two.

Do you have any favorite kitchen tools that make your work in the kitchen easier? Sometimes just one little implement can make a task so much more pleasant. Please comment if you have an idea to share.

Becka

We have had unusually cold weather here the last few days. Today it was just on the verge of freezing and very windy with rain all day. We live right near a road which is slightly elevated and we heard on the news tonight that it had iced and portions of the road were closed because of downed trees. It's a good night to stay home and get some things done around the house.

I've been wanting to post this recipe for baked fruit for a while. It's a nice recipe to have on hand because it can function as a dessert or a side dish. You can make it with either regular brown sugar or the Splenda brown sugar if you are cooking for a diabetic.

Pear-Apricot Bake

2 Tbsps. butter or margarine
1 16 oz. can of pear halves, drained
1 16 oz. can of apricot halves, drained
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Cream or ice cream

Melt butter or margarine in a shallow baking dish in a preheated 350 degree oven. Arrange fruit, rounded side up in the baking dish. Sprinkle with the brown sugar and cinnamon. Bake for 30 mins. Serve warm with cream or ice cream as a dessert or plain as a meat accompaniment. Makes approximately six servings.

Enjoy and stay warm this weekend!

Becka

As many of you know, we had some snow and ice this past weekend. Rob and I stayed busy around the house working on a variety of little projects. One thing I have been doing this past month was trying to get a little more organized.

Many bloggers spent the month of January trying to feed their families from the pantry and freezer. I decided to join the crowd and at least try to organize and use up some of my freezer food. I removed all the food from the freezers (I have two refrigerators with freezers on the top), cleaned the freezers, got rid of a few items, and then tried to put things back in a better organized fashion. I used an idea I had gleaned from Brenda about storing like items individually bagged and then put into a larger bag in the freezer. I now have bags of nuts, cooked chicken, cooked ground beef, etc. I also made an excel chart to help track what I have in the freezers. I keep a tablet on the refrigerator and mark down what goes in and what comes out.

Another area that I have been working on organizing is my fabric stash. I got a lot of ideas from the Quiltville website. I have been working on cutting my scraps into strips and ironing and folding larger pieces of fabric so I can more easily see what is on hand. This is something I hope to continue working on as time permits.

After reading Deb's post about starting in on an on-line quilt-along I found some fat quarters that I thought would work for this project and have been making a few blocks. I recently bought a free-motion quilting foot and hope to practice on this little project.

Have any of you been cleaning and organizing any corners of your home this winter?

Becka

I bet you didn't think I could possibly do another post on ideas for using pizza dough, did you? Actually I have two more. I don't make these nearly as often now that the kids are grown and out of the house, but they are both really good.

One thing that you can do with the dough is to make pigs in a blanket. For ten hot dogs I would use about half a batch of the pizza dough. Just cut the dough into ten pieces, roll each piece into a "snake" and then wrap it around the hot dog (make a cut down the length of the hot dog to prevent it from bursting in the oven) and place it seam side down on a baking sheet or stone. Bake at 375 degrees for about 15 mins. or until browned.

The second idea is for Ham and Broccoli Loaf. For this you will need:

one recipe for pizza dough
2-3 cups cooked broccoli, cooled and chopped into bite sized pieces
2 cups cubed ham
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 Tbsps. melted margarine or butter
1 tsp. poppy seeds

Grease a cookie sheet with sides (jelly roll pan) or spray a pizza stone. Roll out half of the dough to fit the pan or stone. Layer the broccoli, ham, and cheese on this crust. Roll out the remainder of the dough just slightly larger and place on top of the filling. Crimp the edges together like you would a pie. Brush the top with the melted butter and sprinkle with the poppy seeds. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 mins. or until golden brown. This makes about six main dish servings. It reheats well for lunch and is a good way to use up leftover ham and broccoli.

DD Nora asked if I would post the recipe I have been using for a no-knead (artisanal) pizza dough. Here it is:

Artisan Pizza Dough (makes two crusts)
3 cups bread flour
1/4 cup cornmeal
3/4 Tbsp. yeast
3/4 Tbsp. salt
1/2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsps. olive oil
1 cup plus 6 Tbsps. very warm tap water

Place all ingredients in a bowl with a lid (I use Tupperware). Stir together thoroughly with a spoon or spatula. At this point you can place it in a warm place for two hours (I put mine in the microwave with the light turned on) or place it directly in the refrigerator. Do not put the lid on tightly -- just rest it on top of the bowl. The two hour rise will help to develop the flavor in the dough, but sometimes it just won't work into the schedule. After the two hour rise refrigerate the dough.

The dough will be ready to use in about 24 hours. It will be stickier than the usual pizza dough. Just coat it will a little flour and be patient as you work with it. The convenience of having this dough in the fridge will be worth a little fussiness. Your finished pizza will look a bit more "free form" and "artisanal". Throw those terms around and your family will be impressed! (Just kidding!) This dough will keep for about a week in the refrigerator, although I think it works better if you don't keep it more than three or four days. Sometimes I just make the crust and pre-bake it and keep it for a couple of days or if I won't be using it for awhile I wrap and freeze it. So, give this a try sometime -- all you have to lose is a little bit of flour.

Becka