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..