is it time for a change

hi there,
I bet everyone is thinking, ok I can't do anymore turkey..
well, if there are any leftovers,then here is a nice way to finish them off.
last night at my sisters, she had some turkey keft over.
so we chopped it up, with some chopped carrots, onions,corn..
she had some mashed potatoes left and some gravy..
we put the gravy in and add the potaoes on top, then sprinkled some shredded cheese on top..
it was very good , and an end to the bird..
you could also make biscuits and put that on top, even a pie crust would work..

but..
if your looking for some thing different..
how about pasta..

8 ounces uncooked angel hair pasta

1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

1 cup thinly sliced fresh carrots

1 cup fresh snow peas

1 cup chopped sweet yellow, red or green pepper

1/3 cup chopped fresh basil

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 cup vegetable broth or chicken broth

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

 

• Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in large nonstick skillet, saute the mushrooms, carrots, snow peas, yellow pepper, basil and garlic in oil for 2-3 minutes or until crisp-tender.
• In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch, broth and salt until smooth; gradually stir into the vegetable mixture. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender and sauce is thickened.
• Remove from the heat; stir in tomatoes. Drain pasta; divide among four plates. Top with vegetable mixture; sprinkle with cheese. Yield: 4 servings.

see you again in a few weeks..
Im sure everyone got what they wished for this year..
I hope a peaceful, joyful New Year...
God Bless...

merry christmas

its the end of the day,
oh my, is everybody thinking"why did I eat that much"?
i think we all have that bloating, stuffed, I ate the whole thing
feeling..
I hope you all have had a nice day,whether your with family, or friends
oh sitting in front of the tv watching the christmas shows..
remember things from time gone by..
we all have a good memory of Christmas..
hang on to it, just incase.
almost everyone I know is spending a few days with someone they know,
or have been aquainted with. Thats the good thing..
nobody wants anyone to be alone at the holidays..
which is great..its a hard time of year for some..
at any rate, I wish you a good day, and an even bettter new year..
I will try too keep the blog running..
hoping things slow down a bit next year..
plus I really need to get myself organized,
I've let other things get in the way of  prioities..
so wish me luck with my promise to myself..
and you..
here's to the new year..may we all survive
and learn abit more than last year..
god bless to all..

Sorry to those who have been keeping an eye on my blog...
I am going to keep posting as often as possible..
like everyone else..time has truly gotten away from me..
I am very sorry to all of you..
I am a horrible person, for not thinking of you..
keep watching, I'll do my best to have a story here n there..
god bless you all..

time flies

well here we are almost to Christmas!!
Wow, where did the year go??
Im not being very good  at keeping up with my blogging,
am I?
We are winding down at work and I have taken on the job of taking care of the co op houses.
So its adding a bit more work, but thats ok..
I enjoy doing this..
this is a great time of year, for some..
and not so great for others.. its tough if you dont have the money to keep up with
the jones..
When my daughter was young..it was hard..there wasnt enough money to have the things
you wanted them to have, or eat..
Why, is it so important to be like everyone else?
I dont know.. its kinda crazy isnt it?
We should just care about what we have..not worry so much what we dont have..
there is a lot less stress..
Tonight my sister and I made cookies, n these great pecan bites
oatmeal bars, and potatoe candy..
Our mom used to make it for us at Christmas time..
mash a potaote,2lbs of icing sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla,1pkg unsweetned chocolate,1cup coconut(shredded)
add slowly to the potatoe..the icicng sugar
and mix..roll into balls and refidgerate
melt the chocolate in a double boiler..
if you  dont have one..thats ok we didnt..
take a pot with water in it, boil it, place a steel bowl on top.
make sure its bigger than the pot.
stir until its all melted,remove..remember it will be HOT..
take the balls one at a time, and put in the chocolate then roll into the coconut
then refriderate that..
they are really sweet..but all you need is one..
they look nice too..
you know now a days, nobody needs to go without..
I volunteer for the Salvation Army and they feed and give gifts to anyone who cant do it alone
Contact them..if there is anyone out there..even your local Lyons Club..
dont be proud..
we all need help every now and again..
have a Merry Christmas..and a Happy New Year..
God Bless.

bacon

I do want to mention that this
weekend we cooked up some turkey bacon..
It was very good, I think Im going to buy that from
now on..it cooks up really nice,
 and there isnt the fat on it.. or not to mention the grease.
everyone enjoyed it as much as I did..
they cut it a bit thicker than the pork bacon..
and it has more meat to it..
a good choice,

update on the coffee break

hi everybody,
sorry I really havent been on the blog much..its been a crazy few weeks...
Where I work, we will be finished work soon, as the students go home or travel
during December. Our offical day will be the 16th, so for now its
kind of crazy for me..trying to get things organized and be ready for the shut down..
anyway, I wanted you all to know we raised in total: $807.00..
yes, we dropped the check off to them on Friday, and of course you know
we had the pictures and a little chit chat..
One of the Board members suggested that we kind of team up..
the students have to do 3 hours a week to make up for the cheap rent and great food they receive..
there's more to it, but thats the basics of it..
she thought it would be a great thing for us to volunteer at the Alzheimers Society
to help them and to help our students to get there 3hours..
What a great team!!
I will say, there is no other feeling, then to volunteer..especially when its someone who
needs the help, or encouragement..
 just a little goes along way..
ok, so thats it for now..
 I am looking at some recipes to put on the blog in a few days..

The students have been talking about having a meatout Monday, which you know
doesnt hurt..I enjoy meat..but there is lots of good in fruits and veggies..
maybe I will post a recipe from the meal we choose..
ok, bye for now..

just a short note...

Soon it will be Thanksgiving in America,
It is the biggest holiday of the year
there, its bigger than Christmas!!

Well almost..
at co op we try to observe all other holidays in the world by a meal..
its a great way to see and taste the variety of foods everyone makes..
Usually the students bring there family recipes, and the
secrets of there moms kitchen..
its a great time to get to know everyone better..

November 24th will be the American Thanks Giving..
happy turkey day guys..
we will chat soon..

lunch it up

yesterday we had deli day,
which, if you ask some of our co opers
they would disapprove..
its not a good for some..
but we figured that, those of the co opers and I that were
cooking in the kitchen..
so we made it a real deli day!
we had couscous salads, a huge variety of meats,
egg salad, fake egg salad for the vegan group.
ceasar salad, greek salad, 2 kinds of soup
and bread, facaccia bread, wraps, and sub buns..
deviled eggs, sauted onions, mushrooms, assorted sauted veggies
well we had great reviews..
some times you can serve the same thing..but add a little
something to it, and it becomes a new adventure...

couscous is a grain, and you can cook it with some
chicken broth, veggie broth..
we put some sauted onions, peppers,( add colours)
zuccinni..when you cook the couscous, you boil the water
and add the cousous, shout the stove off and put a lid on the pot...
equal parts of water and couscous..
nice change, eat it hot or cold..
I don't use a lot of precooked packaged meats,
Im not a fan of it..
anyway, it ened up a good day, people worked together
it went as smooth as silk..

deviled eggs, its an easy thing to make and people love it
boil your eggs to hard..7, 8 minutes.
cut eggs in half and take out the yolk..
put the yolk in a bowl.. place the outside of the egg on
a plate or platter..
take mayo, or ranch dressing and mix witht he yolk.
add some pepper and salt maybe a tiny sprinkle of sugar
sprinkle paprika over the finished deviled eggs..
put in fridge till serving time..

I have been a bit slow on reporting to you on my blog..
but those of you in school and working, know where Im coming from..
and like I said before, I volunteer at a few places, so what I want to do and really getting to it is sometimes a challenge..

an update

the coffee break I take outside on the street where I live
was a great success..
We raised outside 380.00, another 150.00 from mail in donations
Co op is giving them a  $250.00 check..
we did well this year..
Thanks to all that stood on the street with me
and those who made the goodies to sell!
Another huge thanks to Ella who donated coffee
and donuts..homemade I might add..
It was a fun time for all of us..
We are proud to have been able to help a great cause..
I work with some Alzheimer patients
and it really is a difficult thing to watch these people
who lived a normal life..
then it feels like the next day, they slowly dont realize who is
talking to them, or helping them dress, or even pictures of family
are unrecognizable..
its a painful thing for everyone involved..

popcorn balls

you make these like the rice cripy squares

5cups popcorn
1cup candy corn
1/2cup butter
3cups marshmellows
4drops red colouring
3drops yellow colouring
place popcorn, candy corn ina bowl and set aside..
melt butter and marshmellows,stir until all melted
pour over popcorn and stir til all is mixed
grease your hands well and
roll into balls, set on a piece of wax paper
and let stand for a bit..(5 to 10 min)
you can use licorise to make a stem for the popcorn balls..
just cut it to fit,
shape the balls like a pumpkins, its fun to make different shapes
with it..but you have to be quick, it will get hard fast..
you dont have to put the food colouring in it, but it makes a
great orange colour for halloween..
you can add a cup or so of nuts to it also..
I love the nuts in it, they add a sweet, salty taste..

til next time..

spooktacular

well I hope you all have fun on Halloween..
when I was a kid, that was the best time..
eating the molasses candies, oh they were my favourites!
Anything mollasses, we would get these small apples around that time of year.
Snows apples, I think they called them..tiny apples and really white inside..
Soaping windows came along with that night too..
we would put our winter coats on, our boots and then our costume..
we would grab our pillow cases, and off we would go..
Mom would drop us of at the store, we would go all around the town,
she would be waiting for us at the store, right were we started..
when I say we, I mean my sister Gail.. Tina was just a baby..
it was so cold at that time, snow on the ground and sometimes really high.
the first stop would be the general store..Freemans,
 they would give us a can of coca cola
and a bag of potatoe chips..man we thought that was great
We used to get lots of home made candies, popcorn balls, I loved those.
then the rumours of all those kids getting straight pins in ther popcorn balls
stopped us right then and there..no more home made stuff..
it was a disappointment, but safety first..
carving pumpkins, making a costume, we never bought one..and
 I dont think any of my friends did either..
Nobody could afford to.
we usually went as hobos, or clowns, or some guys went as girls,
I remember one kid went as a kitchen table..
they glued a tea pot and cups on the top and a couple plates..

yes we egged a few things and soaped a few..and then there was the
nicky, nicky nine door..
I used to string tin cans to the peoples cars when they came to get candy
at our house..
Now I was in my 20's when I did this..
they would always get us back
One of them used to say they needed to use the bathroom
and they would plaster the seat with baby oil..
(that was when we finally got an inside bathroom)
It was all in fun..
So have a great time this Halloween,
I"ll be watchin for all you ghosts
n gobblins..

pasta

I know that students love pasta..

I make this dish with spinach,
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil

in a proccessor blend the spinach to a mince,
you may need a full bag of spinach..

you want it to be like a thick liquid..
add in a bit of olive oil, about a tsp to start
add salt you may need to add a lot
pepper a couple shakes

cook pasta as directed on package
when pasta is done, drain,rinse,then add the spinach sauce
to the pasta, heat in oven for about 10 to 15 minutes..
enjoy
pasta is a good thing to have in the cupboard..
it is easy to do things with ,
if you have basil, oregano, pepper and salt..
you can create a pasta dish
then if you have any leftover meat,
veggies,
mix that in with cooked pasta and you have dinner!
Cold or hot pasta will be a good meal..
Im pretty sure the dieting people out there will say not to
eat much of it..but everything in moderation..
everything in moderation..you can eat what you want, you just can't eat
a large bag, or container of what you love..
just watch how you eat..
I was always told..21 days and it becomes a habit..
so lets see if thats true..
let me know out there what you did or didn't do..

hot peach

this is a dandy treat..

all you do is take some peaches, peel and slice..
add a little sugar to make a syrup..heat until they are hot, or have some juice
oh yea, add a quarter tsp cinnamon.
make sure you have some vanilla ice cream in the freezer..

or buy a can of peaches..a quarter tsp of cinnamon..
pour into that cast iron pan you have, or any fry pan
heat on low, til its hot.
put a couple scoops of ice cream in a bowl, pour some of the peaches and juice
onto the ice cream
and eat while hot, or warm
I can taste it now..

its time for soup

I have a nice recipe for a tomatoe basil soup

you can use a can of any size of diced tomatoes
basil      1tsp
oregano 1/4 tsp
diced onions  1/2 c
diced garlic     1/2c

dice the onions and garlic and saute them in a pot
with some oil..
open your can of tomatoes ( 19oz can or more)
I usually puree half the can
put the other can in the sauted garlic and onions..
add your pureed tomatoes and basil, oregano
simmer for 15 to 20 minutes
mm, this is good..the aroma is fantastic
and then if you make some of that bread I had on here..
you will definetly impress campus kids..

you also can chop up some home grown tomatoes..they are so good
in this recipe..there is nothing like home grown stuff, the flavour comes out
much more robust..
this is also a good recipe to start out with for a beginner.
It gives you confidence..
thats how you do it, right, you need to feel you can cook,
then all the rest feels natural..
once you accomplish cooking something, there is no limit to what you can do..
dont worry about mistakes, thats what experience is..when you make a mistake
you have learned 'don't try that again..
its fine, we all do it, and I still get things wrong..
I still don't know much about cooking and sometimes I wonder why am I doing this blog..
well yes I do, I like to tell stories, and sharing a couple recipes along the way, never hurt anyone..
so til next time..

coffee break

this time of year, I take a coffee break..
I take it outside..actually on the corner of brock and University
in the city where I live..
I do it to help the Alzheimer Society to raise money.

this year we raised over $380.00 just by stopping cars,buses, Fedex and Purolator trucks
Even the mail people..we had Students of all ages drop by..
It was a great morning!
We are awaiting for more donations to make it official on the amount of money,
we can hand over to them..

It makes your heart warm, to drop that quarter or dime in the box..
people left with a smile and hot cup of java

Which I would like to mention..
each year I ask Tim Hortons to donate the coffee,cups and condiments..
this year they sent a letter back to the Alzheimers to inform them
they thought it would be more convenient for us to pick up the coffee
at another location, the browns vending or the campus..
I was truly upset about this, who decides how close you are to anything..
If your willing to drive to get a  donation how far is it really?

It was a discouraging moment when I spoke the person on the other end,questioning why??
After explaining to them that I have always got my urns of coffee from them
in the last 10 years (plus).They said to me, well sorry about this..
Sorry about this!Sorry.. yes I am sorry that we had to end a good relationship like this..
unfortunately this is the end of it...
It was 3 days before the event..and I was scrambling..
My sister and brother in law went to a place out in the town of Harrowsmith,
they serve breakfast all day..
a bakery, a cafe, and at the end of this month she will be taking over the convenience store and the frozen food area in the same town..I want to give her a giant thank you, she didn't hesitate to offer an urn of coffee and she threw in some donuts for the staff at work..
her name is Ella, she is a kind and generous person..
just a little guy in the big scheme of things..
but that is when you know they haven't forgotten,
Its about giving,its about family, and its about caring for your neighbourhood...
Thank you Ella..God Bless you and your staff for coming through last minute...
we will definately see you next year...

and tomorrow I will post some more recipes...
thanks for hearing me out..

Giving Thanks

many people get to enjoy thanks giving now..
there are lots of soup kitchens, now that serve,,
we have Martha's table, and the friendship room,
the Sally Anne  always has food to give to people who
cant make ends meet..
I tell you its just the unemployed either, where there were two incomes, and now there is one..
people of all kinds have it hard..
its tough for lots of us out there..
So if you check the papers, if you have a computer, and of course the local churches always give a hand..
the Sally Anne is one of the best examples, they have thrift stores..buy one get one..
I will give them a plug: Oct.13th to 19th all sweaters and coats 25% off
Oct 27th to Nov.2nd 25%off cds, books,games
On Oct 22nd here in Kingston they are having a silent auction and Dessert evening..there is over 150 items it cost $7.00..
there is the freedom ministries,harbour lights,the gathering place..
all will feed you one way or another..
they are there for all kinds of support
No matter where you live..there is an Army sign near you..
they desperately need helping hands..
if you can give an hour of your time, do it..you just have no idea how it makes
all of you feel..because, no matter how badly you think you are..
there is somebody around the corner..thats worse off..
the next thing that will be coming up will be the food hampers for Chritmas..
there is the santa shuffle..this is great for all thiose out there
that love running or walking..you will be doing more than just you a good thing..
go to the http://www.santashuffle.com/
its happening in kingston,I'll be there, Peterborough, Barrie,and Ottawa..
so come  runners..I know your out there..do it for them..
you dont have to run..you can be someone who stands on the side lines and takes the donations..
let me know how you do..I'll be here to let you know how it goes at my end...

leftovers, what to do?

well, getting rid of leftovers is easy..

there is soup, of all kinds, turkey, potatoe,
maybe yams, turnip carrots..
its endless..

at one time we used to have goose.. thats greasy..
dripping grease..
but it was a treat..
the home grown version of anything is the tastiest item..
you can't beat it..

lets start with the bird part of dinner,
if you got to take some home, or you were the host,

keep the drippings some for gravy, and some for the broth
boil down the bones..which takes time..
do it slowly..take all day, if you like..
just keep watch of the water..
a bit of salt ,pepper,and some poultry season
let it simmer.....

while your waiting for that..lets see
 if you have some potaoes and yams, and maybe turnip left..you can
put them together and add cream cheese, mix and bake for about a half hour..
OR
you can put them together with some broth in a pot and add some onion, garlic,
salt pepper..and there is soup..
you can do turkey sandwiches..I used to love a piece of turkey, some homemade cranberries
and layer it on with some ground pepper..mmm
toasted or not..it was a fav
you can always make gravy, or buy the can or package kind
and make it up..slice of bread, slice of turkey, slice of onion..
and then pour the gravy on...
yes..I give thanks for that one..

and for those who dont eat meat..
there is always plenty of veggies left..that you can do the same as the meat eaters..
just be sure its veggie broth instead..
as if you didnt know that already..
I always take the leftovers out and look at them, see what will work together and what should be seperate
its an easy thing..experiment..you really cant go wrong..if you are in doubt, check online.
we should do a spice and herb thing..that would be a great idea..
no matter what spice or herb you choose, it will always come down to the salt and pepper..
and being on a budget, doesnt give you the freedom to buy what you want..
but thats ok, you can make it work..
buying dried will have to do, until you get your loan paid..

the Gluten..

raspberry chocolate muffins

1 3/4 cup of gluten free all purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
7 tbsp grapeseed oil
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup milk..to make this vegan friendly add soy milk, or rice milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla  extract
3/4 cups raspberries
preheat oven 350
whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder,and salt

in a seperate bowl,whisk remaining ingredients
except the berries..
pour the liquid into the dry mix and stir together,
 add the berries..

spoon the mixture into greased muffin cups, and bake
for 18 minutes, or until u stick a toothpick in and its clean..
let cool, if you can..and enjoy..

Potatoes, and you thought I was finished with them..

you can never be done with potatoes.. they are so easy to do, you dont even have to peel them
you have to love these things..

here is one more way to do them..and its a good way to use up what you have leftover..
the left over baked potatoe..yes I spell it with an "e"it was the way I was taught in school..

you can do this with a good baking potatoe,
they can stand the test of what you will be doing to this potatoe..
if you have to bake potaotes to do this recipe, well thats ok to..
you can do this in your microwave..its easy..
take the potaoe and cut a top off of the potatoe, scrape out the meat of tit
but make sure you leave some of the white in around the skin..
put the inside of the potatoe in a bowl,
put the skin on a plate or pan if your using an oven.

now you can make some salsa..or if you have a jar of it in the fridge that will do..
but to make salsa is pretty easy..
take can tomatoes chop them up small, chop an onion, red, green, or yellow..
one of whatever you choose, maybe jalapino chopped, red, green, or banana pepper
add to the chopped tomatoes..
then mix together, add this to the bowl with the inside of the potatoe..
mix together and put it back into the potatoe skins..
grate some cheese on top and put in the oven or microwave until hot..
mmm, this is a great way to use up things..
You could get even more creative and put leftover broccoli, or anyveggie, chop them up mix in with the
potatoes and bake...

Give Thanks

This I give thanks to Michael Smith..love this guy.
and he comes to Kingston alot..for book signings and such..
He is putting a resturant on Campus, so we will see him more often..

I just wnated to come on today and wish everyone a great Thanksgiving weekend..
I know most of you will be chowing down on Turkey, and the trimmings..

I just want to add a recipe for those that may be to far away from home to make the trip..
and its not turkey, just chicken, breasts that is....

take the breasts and lay them between cling wrap or parchment, anything you have.
Take a pot, rolling pin what ever you have on hand..that cast iron will do just fine for this!
pound it down flat..
after that, you can put ham or maybe a veggie on the flattened breasts,
and some cheese..now roll it up..
take some onions, saute them..in the cast iron pan,
lay them in the bottom of the pan..
and put your breasts on top of the onions..
cook in the oven for a 1/2 hour, 45 minutes..at 350

You can add potatoes, in the pan..
one pot dishes are my favourite..
less to clean up and the flavour savours in everything..

meatout mondays?

well, I have joined the meatout monday group..
they send me recipes and things..so I would like to pass some things onto you
guys,
this is a yummy recipe: I hope you guys enjoy it

3tbsp water( for sauteing)
3sweet potaoes
2 med onions chopped
3 garlic cloves chopped small
1 can kidney beans
2 peppers chopped
1 can diced tomatoes
11/2 c peanut butter
1/2 tsp salt
1tsp cumin
1tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cayenne
3 tsp br sugar
4 c veggie stock
1 tsp ginger

heat water(saute) add onions, garlic,until soft
stir in cumin, cinn, cayenne cook for a minute
add a bit of water to the peanut butter and mix it
before you add it to the pot, it helps to mix it in
then add:
potatoes, beans, tomatoes
stir to coat everything then cook for 30 mins..

you wont know theres no meat..in this hearty dish..
you can dish it up as is, or have rice or noodles
 as is is about 200 cal.

just a hint

this is a neat thing:
I got this from my sister..
we were cleaning light fixtures one day
and I noticed this...
all those elastics you get wrapped around all those
veggies you eat!!
well, here is an idea to use them up..
I use them for tieing bags together to put back
in the fridge or freezer..
The other thing you can use them for is
when you take your light fixtures down to change the bulb,
well, place an elastic around the rim of the fixture..
then when you tighten the screws you will hit
the elastic not the fixture..

you will have to replace them, like you replace your bulbs..
so keep a few around..

quotes

Talk maybe cheap
But intellegent conversations
is expensive,
ask anyone with a kid in College...

its in the crust

this is a recipe I tried from the
gourmet cook book by bette hagman

it is easy, and quick:

1/4 c milk
2 eggs
1/3 c cornstarch
2/3 c rice flour
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp salt
1/4 c shortening, melted

beat milk, eggs together
add cornstarch, flour, xanthan gum
and salt.
Mix in melted shortening
spread into a grease 9x13 pan or spread
with a spatula in a 12" circle about
1/4 ' thick on a cookie sheet or a pizza pan
you can make a thicker area for crust.
it keeps the sauce on and cheese from running onto pan..

spread sauce over unbaked crust and top
with your favourite toppings
bake in preheated to 400 for 25 minutes..

Be Thankful

Be thankful this condition unlike many others,
is treatable and with proper diet allows
for a full life with no medication or painful
injections...

Its not easy to convert your food from wheat
to gluten free..
but it does get easier when you learn the tricks
to make you never feel deprived or different..

You have to plan ahead,
so get in the habit..
Never leave the house hungry..

this is a habit that is beneficial for all ages..

bites

this little treat is full of sugar..
but, Im sending it your way anyway..
they are a favourite of mine.
I like to make them at Christmas and
give them in a basket of other goodies,
peanut brittle
(which I will give the recipe to you later)
jelly roll, pretzels and the list goes on..
they call this a cookie, but its more like candy..

3 egg whites
3 cups brown sugar
3 cups chopped pecan
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla

prepare cookie sheets with grease or if you use partchment paper,
that works, less clean up...

beat egg whites to soft peaks. Stir in the rest of the
ingredients. Drop by tablespoonfull
onto prepared cookie sheets.
bake at 300 degrees for about 20 minutes

to be or not to be

being gluten free is some peoples choice.
and others its a way of life..
it is really hard to be free..

you need to read read read the labels..
incase you haven't lately..almost everything has
gluten, wheat flour in it..

if your born with it, you may not know th flavour of the
whole flour..
if you half way through life have to change..this is tough
even though its a harmful way to live..
its basicaly a slow death if you do continue to do so..

now its easier, then years ago..
you can go to most grocery stores and get some sort of gluten free product..
its expensive, some breads alone cost anywhere from
$ 6.00 to $ 9.50..and sometimes you actually can get a bread that you can make a sandwich without toasting it..
glutinno has a great sandwich bread..its called sandwich bread
light and fluffy..
when you start out making gf bread..it is really tricky..
and you have to get out of your head that it will look like
a loaf of  white dempsters or Westons..
not gonna happen..
if you do make a mistake dont throw it away..
grind it up for crumbs for another day..
it is costly and will discourage you, so
do your best..
the cheaper you buy a product sometimes
will find you with filler in your product..eg. black pepper
if you buy the store brand you may find it has whole flour to bulk it up..
just read the labels..
on everything you buy, and \i mean everything..
take nothing for granted..trust me..
make it a habit before you buy, read the ingredients..

its a good idea to keep a mix of gf flour
to sub in a regular recipe..
I have one that I got from the gf gourmet:

6 cups rice flour
2cups potatoe starch flour
1 cup tapioca flour

you can substitute this for any recipe cup for cup..

here's to you G F

here's a recipe for the gluten free at heart..
its a  french bread recipe which you
can make into bread sticks..
its a tasty bread,
and the gluten free people can actually enjoy
some good home made bread...

French Bread

3/4 cup white rice flour
2/3 c cornstarch
2/3 c tapioca flour
2tsp potatoe flour
2 1/2tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp salt
2tsp unflavoured gelatin
1/3 c dry milk powder or a non dairy substitute
1Tbsp sugar
11/4 c warm water
1 Tbsp dry yeast granules
1 tsp vinegar
2 egg whites
11/2Tbsp vegetable oil

grease  a large cookie sheet or if you
happen to have french loaf pans use them..
you can dust the cookie sheet with cornmeal (optional)

in a mixing bowl place rice flour,cornstartch,
tapioca flour,potatoe flour,xanthan gum,egg replacer,salt
gelatin and the milk powder or (non milk replacer)
mix this on low for a couple minutes..

place sugar in the warm water and stir in yeast..
set this aside to foam

add to the dry ingredients in mixing bowl the vineagar,
egg whites and vegetable oil..
now when the sugar and yeast is foamy pour it into the flour mix
and beat on high for about 3 minutes..

spoon the mixture onto the prepared pans, into french bread loaf shapes
brush lightly with wet fingers  to smooth the loaves out..

slash the tops of the loaves every few inches..
cover the loaves and let stand in a warm place to double the size..
anywhere from 35 to 60 minutes..

preheat your oven 400 degrees
bake for 15 minutes
turn oven down to 350 and bake for 30 minutes..
this will make 2  10" loaves

if you want to make the bread sticks with this recipe
just cut a hole in a strong baggie, and squeeze the dough unto the cookie sheets..
if dough is a bit thick..just add water(warm) a teaspoon at a time..

sharing

please, if there is a question, or if you have an
idea..let me know..
I dont have all the answers.. and its fun to share stuff..
you learn somethin new all the time..

like crushing a garlic clove enhances the flavour
before you chop it..
mmmm
garlic, onions saute in a pan..
oh yeah cant you smell that!

I have a great ginger/ carrot soup recipe
that I will share next week.. its  another
comforting smell,

I like the food to invite you over..
I love it when I hear the students say
oohh whats that , it looks so good..
yeah, you pretty much have them right there..
they have to try it..
 colour is a big thing..

I had one of the kids from Camp
say to me that they never really thought about
what they would eat, until they came to camp
and ate the meals there..
now I am a very simple cook, not a chef, nothing like that
plain cooking, with a nice colour suits me..

it inspired them to take a closer look at what they
were doing..
just a little sharing there...

biscuits

these biscuits are so easy..
and you can use this for  breakfast..
jam on them or with stew or soup..

2 c flour
2tsp baking powder
3Tbsp marg.
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 c buttermilk
if you dont have buttermilk, just put a bit of vinegar
in your regular milk..
it does the same thing..

combine the first 3 ingredients
cut in marg until it crumbles..
put baking soda into milk
add to flour mixture..
mix until dopugh forms a ball
knead, roll out on a floured surface
and take a glass or a small jar to make a round shape
to cut out into biscuits
put on a baking sheet(greased)
400 degrees 10 to 12 mins

remember not to knead to much, they can get tough.
just a couple of minutes is good..

organize

getting organized isnt a difficult thing..
keeping it that way..
 now that can be sometimes a challenge..

the best way to getorganized is take everything out of that drawer
is it something you use on a weekly basis?
this is where it gets hard..because we can get that
'well I may need it sometime"
or it is a gift from a great, great relative..
some things I might keep, if I can wear it..
or use it on a weekly basis.
other wise I like to recycle it..
you can always find people setting up house keeping,
that would love to take it off your hands.
I usually take a picture of it, and say my goodbyes..

milk crates used to be the best thing for keeping you record albums in.
Now we have liter sizes and they are a bit smaller..
but you can stack them to make open shelves..
Or a night stand to put a lamp on..

those ice cube trays are great for those little items that may get
lost in the shuffle of everyday life..
they divide all the little things up easy access to them..
when I was starting out, dressers were a dime a dozen..
they were every where..you could pick what you wanted..
not so sure nowadays how that is..
a little sand paper to rough up that second hand
peice of furniture can make it look abit rustic..or you can paint it to match what you have..

its not easy getting that furniture you would love to have..
but as a student, you make due...
a place to lay your head, is a priority..
the salvationa army have beds at a good price..
actually they have a good price on most things..this is a good place to start looking..
But like I say, if your buying and you want it to last..
buying for a bit more money is the way to go..
sometimes you can go for the cheaper things..
but you have to ask yourself, is it a long time investment?

one of the Co op kids gave me a bedroom set, (bed included)
she had for the 5 years she way in University..
It was Ikea..that was 3 years ago..
and still going strong..
My granddaughter loves her furniture..

you just have to figure out if you want the purchased item to last
or do you just want to get through school..
I work for some people who have been married for 10 plus years
and have the old futon, kitchen table and chairs from
University..
so the choice is up to you..
it also depends on your funds..lets face it..thats the big one
right there..
I liked to mix and match, Im the kind of person that
I will make do..
an extra chair is a great night stand for alarm clocks
and a lamp..
Now you guys have the Dollar stores..
they have great containers that work for the time..
they keep getting more and more things in them..
Soup to nuts in those places..
and each one has a bit different variety..
        its a individual choice..

until next time..

monsters

Cookies that is.....

this is a big favourite in Co op
the bigger the better..

Monster Cookies:
12eggs
1tb corn syrup
2 pounds brown sugar
4 c sugar
8tsp baking soda
1lb marg..or butter ( it should be soft)
1 Tbsp vanilla
18 c Oatmeal
1lb m&ms
1lb ch chips
3lbs peanut butter
spoon them out onto a greased sheet,
or you can roll them into a ball,  not to big..
less then a ping pong ball size..
bake at 350 for about 10 mins.
that Im not sure about..because I never write the time down..
so maybe yo should watch it when you do it the first time..
sorry my bad..Im going to have to watch that from now on..

lb= pounds= 500g=1/2kg
tsp= teaspoons= 5ml
T, Tbsp= Tablespoon 15 ml

these cookies are a great gift, or even cool to pull out of
the cupboard..people love these things..

until next time...

its about the zucc's

veggies..
this is a fast and nice flavour dish...

its simple..
whenever you can simple is best..
after school all day, then working at night
you want to just eat..
and cooking everything on high, doesnt always work!
If you can get yourself organized..
you can do lots of things ahead..a couple days anyway..
this dish has
1 zuccinni
3 mushrooms
4 cherry  tomatoes
zesty italian dressing
parmesan cheese ( the powder cheese is fine, the block is expensive
                              but does last forever..and it is good)
take your cast iron pan, and a little olive oil, heat it up
add the veggies and cook for about 2, 3 mins.
you can add meat to this, but you know
its probably good to have meat a couple times a week..
this is a good veggie dish..you can add noodles of any sort
with this,rice as well..
 its so versatile.
.have it with anything..
and really you could add any veggie, like I said
experiment..
roasted red pepper dressing is also good with this..
you can spice it up if you have stuff in the cupboard..

Its good to have a variety of things in the cupboard..
dried spice lasts for a while, so you have time to use them up..
But when you can get those fresh herbs..
the smell will make your space comforting,
and they look nice on the table or counter in a container..

if you have a balcony or window space, try growing some simple
herbs..its a good feeling to see them grow..
then to make a dish with your labour..
thats priceless..

tomatoes and corn

  (frozen corn)is the best,
if you have cob corn left, take that off the cob and
use that..you can always freeze that as well..
ok,  so
2 cups corn
1 1/2 cups tomatoes diced
or if you have grape tomatoes they look nice in
this dish or cherry
then,
2 green onions diced
2 tsp cilantro( if you dont have this,its not important, only to keep the brightness of everything)
2tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil
mix these together..
now if you let it stand for a day or so, it is so much better..
this looks so nice in a clear bowl...

I hope Im helping those of you out there that are nervous
about doing some cooking on your own..it can be intimedating
but just do what I do, fake your way thru it all..you learn how to and not to..

just so you all know:
 c = cup
tsp= teaspoon
Tbsp= tablespoon
incase I put these short forms in..

Sorry fo not putting much on the blog in the last few days..
Im getting back to work and the volunteer stuff..
trying to juggle that and I have a buddy at C A S
and cleaning for clients.. its hard to get the schedule straight at the begining
as some of you know, I live at a Camp in Goderich, On.
So, it takes me a couple of weeks to get back to the grind of Kingston life...

I love the town, and the people I've met.. before I left there this summer
they had a tornado go straight thru town, they have lost alot of
buildings, not to mention the salt mine was missing its walls
in spots rono took a beating..actually most of the businesses did..
the rep that looks after my orders, lost all his business in the square..
its a domino..
Camp was not harmed, only some broken windows from the hail..and the winds..
Its amazing how a disaster can bring strangers together..
It is hard to explain, but after the tornado went through..everything felt
different..it was a weird feeling..not neccessarily bad, but a weird thing..
I called all the people who look after my needs during the summer..
a couple were safwe and sound..but alot of them lost roofs , to sides of the building
to the buildings being picked up and dropped in the next field..
they are recovering, and they will rebuild and be strong..
I tell you they will..
i will do my best to have some stuff up here at least every couple
of weeks..
until next time..

potaoes, again?

potatoes were the staple in our house growing up..
we grew a field of them and they lasted the winter.
so you quickly learned what you could do with them..
when I was young, my mom would go out to the fields
and bring home these huge puff balls..thats what we called them.
they were like a mushroom, only the size of your head..or larger..
she would slice those a few onions, and there you have a meal
she would fry green tomatoes,n onions.Nothing like it!
anyway to change up the flavour when mashing,: cream cheese, ranch dressing
sometimes when you dont have enough money, the salad dressings are a better buy..
Like I said before, you can get more bang for your buck with them..
Make wedged potaoes, pour ceasar dressing or ranch over them and bake them in the oven
Any of the dressings are great for that..or any kind of mashed..
After all they have the spice right there..good in a pinch..
once in a while my mom used to make a batter and dip the potaoes in it and fry them.
they were a favourite..
of course there wasnt much that us kids didnt like..mom used to say,
"these kids don't eat until their  full, they eat till their tired.."
Scallop potaoes..this is easy.."open a can of mushroom,cream of chicken., cream of celery
any of those "cream of"soups
othewise..use the cream sauce recipe..
some people like to add flour, then add milk, and layer..but I
prefer to cook the flour, becuse to me it can taste like flour..
if you know what I mean..
but this will be your dish, so try it any way, you may create your own
style ...and for those weight watchers..Im not suggesting drink the whole bottle..
just a few tablespoons, or to taste..and I"m not saying do it every night..
just wanted to clear that up..tahanks...

potatoes?

this something I got from terri lee,
she works with the hemophilia group that comes to camp..
this lady is amazing..she has more ideas..she modivates her staff,
and is an all around kind, generous individual..
I have been Blessed to have her come into my life..
I have tons of her recipes...just wait, you will love her to

first you cook maybe 8 to 10 potaoes
whole, bake them..
then take them out of the oven, cut them in half
clean out some of the white of the potatoe..
leave the skin in tact,with some of the white..
take pizza sauce by the spoonful, spread inside the potaoe
add a piece of pepperoni then some shredded cheese..
bake in the oven til cheese is melted..
this is good..and fun..

bruschetta

this you can put on the french bread recipe.

first , when you make the bread, cool it,
 cut in1in pieces... brush some olive oil
on both sides..
grill it..on both sides
then:
chop a few tomatoes, 1 small onion,
olive oil, 1or2tbsp
couple of shakes of italiano spice
or oregano,basil,..
mix together..
its good if you can let it sit for a bit..
spread some on each grilled bread,
sprinkle shredded cheese pur under the
broiler for a couple mins..just til cheese is melted..
enjoy..
you also can mix tomatoes, peppers with some
italian dressing, or roasted red pepper salad dressing..
spread that on the bread..shredded cheese, under the broiler
enjoy..

its not that easy

its not always easy to go and buy those things you would like to have in the kitchen..
not having money can be a bummer..
but the upside is,it makes you a little more apt to create with
what you have..
sometimes it works and sometimes it doesnt..
use small portions when trying to create, or recreate something..
I tell you when I work in the kitchen at Co op its
awesome..because everything is at your finger tips..
its great cooking like that..
we have many allergies in this little community of ours,
so we are more mindful of what we are doing..
reading labels is what its all about..which is going to be my next subject:
gluten..yes..gluten..its everywhere..
so I have a few recipes for those of you who want to take it out of your diet,
or have no choice but to take it out..
stay tuned.............

pie, meat that is..

this is a chicken pot pie..yum yum..
my sister makes this and it is so good..
any kids will eat this delicous little goodie..
here goes:  400 degrees, bake about 30 mins
1 lb boneless skinless breast of chicken..cut into bite size pieces.
2 Tbsp italian dressing
3 cups veggies, now you can saute a few or{ if your in a hurry frozen works}
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup shredded cheese
1/2 block of puff pastry, now you can use anything for pastry:
I use the bisquick, make it like your going to do biscuits and you
can drop them on or roll it out and place it on
1 egg, beaten
put the dressing a skillet, add chicken,cook about 5,6 min
 then veggies and soup..
grease a 9in pan add all ingredients, top with cheese,
then put the pastry, brush the egg on pastry
and bake..
you should put the dish on a baking sheet to catch the juices..
you can add whatever you like for veggies..or no veggies
you also can put mushroom soup instead of chicken soup.
you can use left overs in this dish to..
like I said before experiment..
the thing with this dish..its a make ahead of time dish..

its like a journal

just so you know, this may be like journaling..you may not see any point to some stuff, because I could
be just rambling..
its about sharing, n caring, n just sayin..
feel free to do the same..

just sayin

of course being in College, you cant always buy expensive items,
its about school, books n beer..
there isnt really much money left for other things..lol
but, you can cook great meals without expensive appliances..
a cast iron pan is a great investment..a kettle, microwave..
your set..
When I started out I had a fry pan, and a small pot..
My brotherinlaw, called me the fry queen..
because I did everything in a cast iron pan..
you can toss those puppies in the oven, bake a cake in them..
I didnt always use oil either..I steamed things..added a little water instead..
it worked..you have to experiment a little..
now you guys have the internet..you cant lose,
thank you God for the people who brought us Google..

its simple

I like to do things simple, easy and as inexpensive as possible..
To do any kind of cooking, a processor is a great addition
to the Kitchen.
they cost a bit more, but worth it..
good size bowl, stainless and large spoons and spatula for scraping..

spices in the kitchen helps, cumin, basil, oregano, pepper, chilli powder or cayenne and
of course salt..
I also buy salad dressings, to spice things up with..they have multiple uses
and they are a reasonable price..
what ever you put in to spice things up, salt is the thing that makes the flavour come up.
fresh garlic, fresh everything, if you can.. but that isn't always the case..

I like to buy local, we have a butcher that has been around for 40 + yrs,
anything you can do local is good..your helping in many ways..
but in Canada, we can't always do that ..
If you can garden, your set..
Preserving and freezing can get you through a winter..

At Co op we do the 100 mile meal, which can be challenging, but fun..
you learn a lot about the farmers around you.
We have a store here that buys local of whatever he can..
he buys apples to baked goods..
there are a few farms that get people to buy their produce, you pay a certain amount,
and you get the produce he has that year..its great..you pick it up every week or two weeks.

sauce it up

cream sauce:
its an easy thing..you just have to keep stirring this thing till its cooked.

1tbsp butter
1tbsp flour
melt the butter,add the flour, stir until its lumpy
with a fork.
add milk, 1 cup at a time..
wait til this thickens, keep adding until you get the amount
you need:
add cheese..grate a couple cups, or what ever makes it cheesy to u
add 1 1/2 tsps of dry mustard
prepare your pasta, grease your pans..
always grease your pans..
pour over pasta, sprinkle more cheese on top,
even crumble  nacho chips, or add hotdogs chopped up
bake for about a half hour..350 degrees
enjoy..

here's to you Julia

ok here is the recipe you've been wanting..

thanks to my sister and julia childs:
400 degrees   20 mins...reduce temp to 400 for 10 more mins..
3 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup warm water
2 1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup tepid water
1 pkg of yeast or 1 tbsp

yeast goes into the warm water, let stand for a few minutes
pour lidquid and yeast into flour & salt along with the rest of water
stir together, and let stand for about 15 min.
then knead bread to smoothness..
this is were you can pound it bang it..until you see the dough has a smooth look..
it also has to be like an elastic..
get your frustrations out kids, this bread recipe will do it for you..lol
now form the dough to any shape..round or long like a french stick bread
it will bake as is.. when you take it out of the oven, smother it with butter, let stand to cool
cut & enjoy..