It should be no surprise to you by now that Barry and I are fans of Dave Ramsey. We’ve taken his class repeatedly, Barry teaches it occasionally, and I listen to Dave almost every day on the radio. We believe in what he teaches. It’s common sense. Now, it also should be no surprise to you that you’re gonna die. Yes. It’s true. You are going to die. Kick the bucket, push up daisies, meet your Maker, fall eternally asleep, visit Beulah Land. It’s something you cannot avoid, so why not make it easier on those you leave behind? You might have heard Dave Ramsey talk about “The Love Drawer”, or “The Legacy Drawer.” That’s what we’re going to discuss today. I don’t want to make light of a serious situation, but that’s my nature…..I’ll joke around. Or else we might all end up at the corner bar. [Read more…] |
Archives for July 2011
Crock Pot Cowboy Beans
I love beans. Sometimes, I think beans get a bad reputation. Sure, they make you musical and you can start your own band, but they also have the magical power to clean you out and fill you up. Not many foods are like that.
If I eat a big bowl full of beans, they keep me satisfied for a long time. We’re a bean-loving family. When I ask Annie what she wants to eat for dinner, (just for fun) she always says “Bean!” Beans, beans, good for your heart. *Cough* [Read more…]
Meal Plan for 7/15-7/21
-Breakfast: Baked Oatmeal, fruit -Lunch: Out for Daytime Tri-Cities -Dinner: Leftovers |
-Breakfast: Leftover Baked Oatmeal, fruit -Lunch: Frozen Pizza -Dinner: Stuffed Burgers, baked potatoes [Read more…] |
“Sourdough A-Z”
I’ve always been a bread baker. For some reason, I gravitate toward bread recipes. I love mixing it up, kneading it (thank you Cooks mixer!), watching it raise, baking it, and then stuffing myself silly with it until I need a dolly to get around. It’s very fulfilling to me. When we switched to making all our bread, I got really excited. The possibilities are endless! There are about a gazillion recipes I want to try. I had been using the same sourdough recipe for years. It had taken me a while to find it and it was working very well for me. I tweaked it until it was just right……and I held on to it. Seriously, I wouldn’t give it to anyone. I would have taken you OUT if you had taken my recipe. Thankfully this blog has helped me become a little more lax where recipes are concerned. And no, I’m not sharing that recipe today. 🙂 I’ve switched to another one – a better method. [Read more…] |
Homemade Chicken Stock
Okay, so we’ve conquered cooking a whole chicken without looking directly at it and pretending not to see his legs. And then we’ve used two of the four cups of leftover meat. What should you do now? Make homemade chicken stock of course!
When you make a roast or baked chicken, don’t throw anything away……anything! We’re going to use it all to make some amazing rich-tasting and healthy homemade chicken stock. Oh, and in case you were wondering, you can also use this same method with beef bones, any poultry bones, or pork bones.
Want a tip that you may not have heard before?
We’re going to get out our big stop pot and use up all the leftover bones and the innards to make homemade chicken stock. AND ARE YOU READY FOR MY SECRET TIP? We are going to add two tablespoons of cider vinegar to the pot!! Crazy, right? What does the vinegar do? It breaks down the bones and draws out the calcium into the broth. Let your pot sit for 45 minutes or so to help the vinegar do it’s thang before you start boiling it. Once the bones and water to a boil, I reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for a long time – we’re talking 12-24 hours!
About an hour before it’s done, you can add some veggies for flavor.
It will give the broth extra vitamins and minerals, plus, it’s very tasty. And guess what? You don’t have to peel anything if you don’t want too! Just wash and chop because we’re not going to eat them. They’ll be skimmed out.
You need a really big bowl and a colander to strain out the veggies and bones from the broth. Remember, you have 16 cups of liquid, so don’t underestimate your bowl size! Pour everything slowly and let the colander catch all the bones and veggies.
Never put hot stuff in your fridge.
Let the broth cool to room temperature. Never put hot stuff in the fridge Did I mention that? 😉 If you learn nothing else today, don’t put hot stuff in your fridge. It changes the temperature and can do weird things to the stuff you already have in there. When it’s cool, put it in the refrigerator for a couple hours.
If your chicken has a lot of fat, after a quick chill in the fridge, the fat will rise to the top. Some chickens have little or none others have more – just skim it off the cooled broth if you’d like. To store, I like to freeze in individual 1 or 2 cup-sized containers so that you have homemade chicken stock ready to go whenever you need it for a recipe.
How easy was that?
And in case I forgot to mention… not only is homemade chicken stock affordable and delicious – it’s also VERY GOOD for you – full of vitamins and minerals. I hope you’ll give this recipe a try and let me know what you think!
Homemade Chicken Stock
- Chicken bones and innards from a 2-4 pound chicken
- 16 cups cold water
- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 3 stalks celery, chopped
- Place bones and other goop in a large stock pot.
- Add water and vinegar. Let stand for 45 minutes.
- Bring to a boil on the stove. Skim any yuckiness that rises to the top.
- Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 4 hours.
- One hour before it’s done, add the veggies.
- Remove from heat when done and let cool for 20 minutes.
- Strain and throw away bones and veggies. Let cool to room temperature.
- Refrigerate until chilled. You may skim the fat off if you like.
- Put into containers for freezing or use in the next few days.
Crunchy Chicken Casserole
Yesterday we conquered the chicken by baking it in the crock pot. Today we’re using some of the leftover meat. I had four cups left after I picked the chicken after we ate dinner from it. I’m using two cups in this chicken casserole and I used two cups in this Chicken Salad from Life, An Epic Journey. I saw this recipe in Taste of Home, but I sorta used it and I sorta didn’t. It’s very good….not as good as my Grandmaw’s Chicken Casserole, but it’s a tad bit better for ya. My Grandmaw’s Chicken Casserole is the ultimate comfort food. [Read more…] |
Crock Pot Whole Baked Chicken
I have a confession – I used to be afraid of whole chickens…..whole dead chickens. Well, I guess I might be afraid of a live chicken too if it was to run after me, trying to peck me to death.
I mean, in the packaging it looks so…..chickenish. It really looks like a chicken. I mean, there are legs and wings and body parts. When I open a pack of steak, it doesn’t look like a cow. With the chicken, I feel like I need to apologize while I’m fixing it. Sorry bird, but you are quite tasty. Not to mention I have this weirdness about meat on the bone that I’m trying to overcome.
So, I set out to teach myself to cook a whole chicken in the crock pot. I read tons of recipes, and this method suited me the best. And guess what? It’s EASY! I love it! The meat is so tender and it just falls off the bone. This is my method for cooking chicken forever! This particular chicken is from Earth Fare.
After watching Food, Inc I can’t buy any more Tyson chicken. This chicken was $10, but let me tell you…..it was GOOD. Totally worth the $10 and knowing it came from an okay source – and plus, I got 3+ meals out of this 3 pound bird. It did not die in vain…..it died somewhere, but not in vain. [Read more…]
Meal Plan for 7/8-7/14
-Breakfast: Eggs, toast, fruit -Lunch: Sandwiches, fruit, pretzels -Dinner: Cookout with friends |
-Breakfast: Special Oatmeal, fruit -Lunch: Skillet Pizzas, fruit -Dinner: Barry’s Fried Rice, peas [Read more…] |
Glazed Carrots
Sometimes I come across reduced carrots at Food City and I have to buy them. I cannot leave those poor little $.50 carrots on the shelf. They need a home. I have a home, so they come live with me…….in my belly. They’re not really pretty to look at. Only a mama could love them. But I’m going to turn them into a thing of beauty – Annie’s favorite vegetable, Glazed Carrots. So, the next time you see some poor ole dry carrots just think of the possibilities! Of course, this works for nice, pretty carrots too, but they can easily find a home and I like to take in strays. [Read more…] |
How to Season an Iron Skillet
This family is in love with cornbread. Here is a true statement – cornbread is best in an iron skillet. I’m not even going ask if you think that’s true, because it is. And I don’t care what you say. :-p If you haven’t tried the cornbread recipe above, you might want to. It will make your family love you and bring you flowers. Barry gets really excited when I say I’m making cornbread. BUT in order for your cast iron skillet to work, it needs to be seasoned. Why? Seasoning makes it just like a non-stick pan….well, except for all the hazards of using non-stick. I really am not fond of non-stick pans, but I have several. As they die, I will replace them with nicer iron skillets, cast iron enamel, or stainless steel. I’m secretly feeding them arsenic so they die quickly. SHHHHHHHH! [Read more…] |