Category: MISC

Creating a Better and Simple Life

So as life gets more and more complicated and there are more and more stimuli thrown at us I want, no make that I NEED to simplify and minimize my life.  One of the ways I’m doing that is by creating a singularly better creative space for myself here at SAVORY KITCHEN TABLE where I am combining all my older blogs into one.  

So if it seems like I’m cooking 40 meals a day, rest assured we’re not binge eating, I’m just organizing!

HAPPY HOMEMAKER AND MENU PLAN MONDAY

GOOD MORNING! I had a great weekend so far – love these holiday weekends!  I am so glad it is finally September and my favorite time of year is quickly approaching! 
I LOVE FALL!
HAPPY HOMEMAKER MONDAY IS HOSTED BY SANDRA at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom .  
Be sure and stop by to see what it’s all about!

  • A big cup of coffee and then a homemade fruit smoothie (banana, pineapple, strawberry and cherries) before I go to the gym. 

  • Cleaning & Laundry.

  • Groceries & Errands.

Whatever strikes our fancy off the DVR.  I try not to plan this in advance and just go with the flow at least until the NEW Fall schedule starts.

Sunny and hot as usual! It’s only supposed to be 109 today but it’s now officially monsoon season so the humidity is really unpredictable so we will see how the day shapes up.

 Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie

 DATE BREAKFAST LUNCH DINNER
MONDAY 9/1 YOGURT
Tuna Cakes with
Lime Remoulade
TUESDAY 9/2 BAGEL & CREAM CHEESE
Cry Baby Burgers
WEDNESDAY 9/3 YOGURT
Marry Me Champagne Chicken
THURSDAY 9/4 FRUIT
Hot Wings for football
FRIDAY 9/5 CEREAL
Pan Seared Chicken Breast with Apricot Rum Glaze
SATURDAY 9/6 Breakfast Casserole
Redneck BBQ Chicken Chile Cornbread Muffins
SUNDAY 9/7 S#*% on a Shingle
Enchiladas Rancheras Lasagna
 

Do a little quilting and finish a few older projects though I have yet to have a few minutes to myself LOL like that’s going to happen.

As I combine all my old blogs into this new one I’m also keeping a list of those recipes that I cannot in good conscience bring over until I remake them and take some decent pictures LOL.

In the meantime I’m trying to concentrate on some football food for tailgating time which starts on Thursday.  Be sure and stop by to link up.

 Links open at midnight September 4th!

Nothing really – too hot to do much!  Though I am thinking of making one of these this week:

 
Whiskey wearing my slippers 😀

Or Whiskey and Gunner napping on a really hot day.

Produce Codes and their meanings:
4 digits = conventional
5 digits beginning with an 8 = GMO (genetically modified)
5 digits beginning with a 9 = organic or non GMO

YAY! Martha from SEASIDE SIMPLICITY is back to blogging just in time for tailgating time which we host each year for the football season.  Go by and say hello.

Wondering why people do not read labels and pay more attention to what they are putting in their shopping carts for their families to eat.

Guidance as we start the research on our new adventure and home search.

LIME DAIQUIRI FIZZES

LIME DAIQUIRI FIZZES
per drink
1/2 ounce fresh squeezed lime juice (strained if you like)
1 teaspoon sugar
2 ounces Malibu Rum
6 ounces Sprite or 7 UP

  • Whisk together lime juice and sugar.
  • Add rum.
  • Pour over ice in chilled glasses.
  • Top with sprite or 7UP.
  • Add lime wedge.
  • Enjoy.

CLEANING THE CABINETS TACOS

So our move is a ways off, but I’m making a conscience effort to clean out the cabinets of canned goods and the freezer of meat.  I have a few packages of pork chops in there that I’ve been eating around.  The original package of pork chops was a family pack and the first 2 we ate were quite tough.  I have found though that slow roasting them and shredding them makes them delicious!


So I was poking around in the cabinet and found a can of pineapple, a can of artichoke hearts and had one of those moments where anything sounded possible. It was a great decision!  These are going to be one of our new favorites.

HAWAIIAN TACOS
4 boneless pork chops
8 ounce can crushed pineapple
6 ounce can pineapple juice
1 small onion, finely diced
14 ounce can artichoke hearts, drained well

  • Spray baking dish with non-stick spray.
  • Spread onion pieces in baking dish.
  • Salt and pepper pork chops well on both sides and place on top of onions.
  • Combine the artichokes, pineapple juice and pineapple in a small food processor blending until smooth.
  • Pour over top pork chops.
  • Cover with foil.
  • Bake 2 hours.
  • Uncover and bake 20 minutes more.
  • Rest 10 minutes before shredding.
  • Shred pork and toss with pineapple mixture.
  • Serve with cabbage slaw and limes.

Recipe for Au Naturale Weed Killer

WEED KILLER
1 gallon white vinegar
1 cup salt
  • Mix well
  • Spray on weeds
  • 24 hours later they’re dead

No chemicals!!
BEFORE

AFTER

Now if the city would just do something about the sidewalks. Been using this method since June 2009 with HUGE success.

Making something out of nothing ~ A SOAP tutorial



We’re all trying to cut a few corners these days and conserving all the scraps just makes sense.

  • Save up your old bars of soap, making sure they are dry slivers.
  • Use your grater or chopper to make small pieces. Or like me I eventually give up and use an old ziploc and a meat tenderizer.
  • Put them in a sauce pan with 8 ounces of water for every 1 1/2 cups grated slivers and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. They should blend together like a smooth pudding.
  • I added a hint of lemon extract and green food color also.
  • Pour into molds. I like to use an old ice cube tray for a smaller decorative soap for the guest bathroom or this should make about 3-4 medium-sized bars.
  • After they are set up, pop the bars out of the molds. If they don’t come out easily, stick them in the freezer for 4 hours or overnight, or until they feel dry when you touch them. Then they will pop out easily.
  • Air dry them without their touching each other for 2-3 days.

JEWELRY CLEANER

My tip this week is for the best and super inexpensive jewelry cleaner. Denture cleaner tablets! You can pick up a box of 100 for around $4. House brand works just as well as name brands too. 
Keep a small bowl and old toothbrush handy. Get your rings wet and brush over the surface to loosen the dirt. Put them in the bowl and just cover with water. Pop in 1 tablet and let set several hours or over night. 
I used to take mine in for a good cleaning and my jeweler actually taught me this, he said this is what they use a lot of the time. I run the toothbrush over them again before rinsing and they turn out like new!

DO NOT USE THIS ON SILVER JEWELRY AS IT WILL TARNISH THEM.
THIS METHOD IS ONLY GOOD ON GOLD OR PLATINUM!

UNCLOGGING DRAINS

Here is a recipe for a safe and inexpensive way to keep your drains clear and or unclog them as necessary. I have used it for years and it WORKS!!

1 cup baking soda
1 cup white vinegar

Pour the baking soda in the drain followed by the vinegar. Allow it to fizz for 20 minutes or so and then rinse with hot water.

I also do this to the shower heads when they start to clog.

CARAMEL APPLE RAISIN DIMSUM DUMPLIINGS

CARAMEL APPLE RAISIN DIMSUM DUMPLIINGS

2 large apples, peeled, cored & chopped
1/4 cup golden raisins
2 tablespoons golden rum
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons heavy cream
4 tablespoons butter
Melissa’s Dimsum dumpling wrappers
Frying oil (with a neutral flavor)

  • Soak raisins in the rum for an hour before preparing the apples.
  • Toss apples and raisins with the lemon juice.
  • Sift together the dry ingredients.
  • Toss the apple mixture with the dry mixture until well coated.
  • Add vanilla and cream until well blended.
  • Melt butter in cast iron skillet (preferred). Add apple mixture and cook for 5-7 minutes until tender.
  • Fill each dumpling wrapper with a heaping teaspoon of the apple mixture.
  • Wet and seal the edges.
  • Bring oil to a frying heat.
  • Add several of the dumplings, but do not crowd the pan. Cook until golden brown.
  • Drain on paper towels.
  • Sprinkle with powder sugar or cinnamon sugar.
  • Serve with french vanilla ice cream.

BAKED CARAMEL PEARS

In an effort to clean out magazines and cookbooklets, I’ve decided to join Magazine Mondays hosted by Cream Puffs in Venice. What I really like is that she isn’t strict about when you post so I can publish these yummy results as I find them.

If you are anything like me, you have a drawer or a box full of recipes from newspapers, magazines, old maiden aunts, grandmothers, friends and every potluck you ever went to and said I have to have that recipe! Now while I usually keep the combination of spices and seasonings somewhat intact, I do make changes that make it more palatable to my family. So I always keep a list of likes, dislikes and allergies and am constantly altering recipes to fly by the seat of my pants.

These recipes have been floating around so long in the box of scraps that I have no idea where they originated (but they look like pages from an old Lawry’s magazine when I worked there) which based on all my changes doesn’t matter, but reminds me to keep that box. Some days I feel like an archaeologist, but come up with oldies that were favorites and will now be revived.


BAKED CARAMEL PEARS
3-4 firm pears, pared and cut into fourths
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon*
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small squares
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 to 6 tablespoons chopped, toasted pecans, optional
1/4 cup rum soaked golden raisins**

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  • Arrange pears side by side, center down in an un-greased 8×8 baking dish.
  • Stir together the brown sugar and cinnamon.
  • Sprinkle raisins around the pears.
  • Sprinkle with the brown sugar.
  • Evenly dot with the butter squares.
  • Bake uncovered 35-40 minutes or until pears are tender and brown sugar is bubbly.

*I deleted the pecans and increased the brown sugar to 1/3 cup while adding the cinnamon also.
**I soaked the raisins in rum for a day or so before and they were yummy!

Next time I will maybe broil the pears for a couple of minutes after they come out of the oven to crystallize the sugar.

SQUIRT SODA APPLE DUMPLINGS

SQUIRT SODA APPLE DUMPLINGS
2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored & sliced into 8 wedges

1/2 lemon, juiced

2 cans Pillsbury crescent roll dough

1 cups sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 can Squirt soda

4 tablespoons butter, sliced thin

  • Preheat oven to 350˚.
  • Spray a baking dish with PURE.
  • Submerge apple wedges into a bowl of ice water with the lemon juice.
  • Separate the crescent roll triangles.
  • Remove the apples and dry on paper towels.
  • Roll each apple in a triangle, starting at the small end.
  • Put the rolls in the baking dish.
  • In a small bowl combine the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.
  • Sprinkle evenly over the rolls.
  • Top with the thin slices of butter.
  • Pour the soda over everything.
  • Bake until golden brown (about 40-45 minutes).
  • Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

APPLE BUNDLES

APPLE BUNDLES
2 apples, peeled, cored and chopped
4 ounces orange juice with pulp
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon apple pie spice
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons golden raisins
puff pastry*
cinnamon sugar
egg, beaten
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons hot water

  • Thaw the pastry sheets at room temperature until they’re easy to handle (about 45 minutes).
  • Pre-heat the oven to 375°.
  • Whisk the orange juice, apple pie spice, brown sugar and sugar together in a medium saucepan. Bring to a low boil.
  • Add apple pieces and raisins.
  • Line baking sheet with silicone mat or parchment paper.
  • Unfold pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry sheet into a 10-inch square. Cut the pastry sheet into 4 (5-inch) squares. Repeat with the remaining pastry sheet.
  • Spoon 1/4 cup of apple mixture into center of square.
  • Brush the edges of the pastry squares with the egg.
  • Fold each pastry in half over the apple mixture and press the edges to seal.
  • Place the filled pastries onto the baking sheets.
  • Brush the tops of the pastries with the egg.
  • Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the pastries are golden. Let cool on the baking sheets for 2 minutes. Remove the pastries to a wire rack and let cool.
  • Place the butter into a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH for 30 seconds. Stir in the confectioners’ sugar. Stir in the water, adding additional water, if necessary, until the icing is the desired consistency.
  • Drizzle the icing over the pastries.

*If you’re in a hurry, you can substitute a can of crescent rolls and have a similar dessert.