Category Archives: Cooking

My Betty Crocker Cookbook

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I have a love of my Betty Crocker cook book.  The book has my pancake recipe, biscuit recipe, waffle recipe and french toast recipe and my oatmeal cookies recipe.  There are other good recipes we use from time to time but those recipes are my staples.

You might remember awhile back I was lamenting the condition of my old cookbook….

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…and telling you about my joy in finding a vintage replacement at the thrift store.

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Well I’m a bit of sentimental gal and didn’t throw away my old one.  It’s a good thing I didn’t as over the weekend Karl was home for a visit.  I had made biscuits with pork sausage gravy which is a huge favorite around here.  He asked about my biscuit recipe and we started talking about my cookbook.  Then he said he would have to start looking for one at the thrift stores.

What’s a mom to but give him the cookbook??

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So there he has it and I’m on the hunt again to find another one.  He assured me that he’d be on the look out for a copy as well.

My old copy lasted 28 years…I’m sure it will last a few more until I find another copy.

Clam Chowder

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A happy accident happened in my soup pot the other day.  I was hungry.  It was 9pm and we hadn’t had supper.  Working late at the house is really taking a toll on my cooking.  I needed something fast so I put some grilled cheese sandwiches on the Pizzaz but needed something to go with them.

I went to the pantry.  I had a can of It was a busy weekend at the house.  Both days were all day work days for me and Hubby.  We had a little help from Craig, Kelli and Kalissa too…not both days and not all time but the help sure was appreciated!

Sunday morning on the blog I showed a picture of all the paint cans that had been used up in the last week.  One blog reader left a comment saying, “Now you can relax”.  I read the comment to Hubby and we both burst out laughing.  Relaxing hasn’t happened here now will it for some time.

We are on to sanding floors.  I knew in the refrigerator I had some leftover potatoes.

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Clam chowder came to mind.  I put cut up an onion and sauteed it.  I added some diced cooked potatoes.  I added the minced clams and clam sauce. I added a can of cream of celery soup.

That’s it…and it was good and exactly what I needed…a meal in minutes!

I didn’t really plan on adding it to the blog but then I realized that I am not the only one who needs a meal in minutes.  I’ll be making this again…and again.

About that Pantry Challenge

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(I feel like I am in a confessional…but week last week went like this)

Remember that pantry challenge I gave myself.  (If you missed it, it’s here)  I have wanted to use up the groceries in my pantry so I wouldn’t have so much to move to the new house when the time came.  Well…I failed.

Last week I went to a class on learning to use Facebook more effectively and becoming more social with it.  The class was excellent and I am hoping to implement a few of the things I learned.  (If you’re not a Facebook fan of ours come on over and like us here) Anyway, the class was in Oelwein, Iowa…Oelwein is close to Amish country and I just can’t resist the grocery stores there.

They sell bented or dented groceries.  Around my area, we call them “bent and dent” stores.  The fun thing is often the cans don’t have a dent…the case that the groceries came in broke and the manufacturers set the boxes from the case aside and then sell them to the Amish for cheap.  In turn, they take the groceries, set up a store and sell them.

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I bought several bags of dried beans.  We eat them all the time…they are only 35 cents each.  In the regular store they are closer to $1.75 a bag.

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Last time I was there I got a box of this bread mix.  It was wonderful.  I got several more boxes this time…  65 cents each.  It makes a nice loaf of bread that has a home made taste.  I can’t get a loaf of bread anywhere for 65 cents..and it only takes an hour to make this!

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I got a few cans of refried beans… 35 cents per can and some corn for 40 cents a can.  It makes me happy to buy cheap groceries.

I even found some goodies for Kelli…gluten free mixes for 85 cents.

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I got dog food-quality dog food with meat as the first ingredient-a big bag for $7.  Oh..and toilet paper too….a 12 double pack of Cottonelle for $5.50.

So there went my pantry challenge.  I’ll get back on it though….it’s just the cheap Amish prices that I can’t resist…at least I hope it is.

Avocado Slicer

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I admit it…I like gadgets.  But I only like gadgets that I’ll actually use.  While shopping for a shower present some time ago at the local kitchen supply store I came across this, a The Chefn Corporation Green Flexible Avocado Slicer.

After reading the package I realized it was an avocado slicer.  I thought it looked fun but figured it was just a fad gadget and wouldn’t really work.

Fast forward about 8 months to last week.  Well last week I was at my local thrift store.  I saw one of these in the kitchen gadget box.  I snapped it up.  It was only 25 cents and for that cost, I could definitely give it a try.

Guess what??  I love it.  It is so easy to use.  Simply cut the avocado in half-remove the see-then scoop it out.

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It’s so easy.  My avocado was a little on the soft side.  I’ve tried it since and the slices come out “cleaner”.

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Check out how clean the shell is!  It is so slick and easy.  I know I’ll be eating more avocado’s now.  I used to hate dealing with the slippery, slimey thing…now very simple and easy.  The only thing that is not my favorite is cleaning it.  I did resolve that though.  I use a bristled brush to get the soft leftovers out of the slicer.

I showed a couple of the kids when they were home how slick it was…everyone was impressed too.

I know I say this all the time…I love my thrift store!  25 cents was well spent this day…Had I know it worked this good, I would have paid full price at the original store.