ClickClack Storage Containers

I don’t know how many of you buy items in the bulk foods section of the grocery store or health foods store, but I do all the time. For one thing products are usually cheaper when purchased this way and it’s also environmentally friendly because so much less packaging is used. My pantry looked like a chaotic mess, though, with all those plastic bags held closed with green twist ties! I also had trouble keeping track of what I had and what I’d run out of since I couldn’t easily tell what was in all those plastic bags piled on top of each other. All of this changed, however, when I purchased my first round of ClickClack storage containers at Marshall’s. They proved to be a great investment and really helped me get my pantry under control and in a condition that allows me to find things when I need them. Since Marshalls did not have any more, I puchased two additional sets of containers through Amazon but had to pay full price. These containers are not cheap but they are sturdy and occupy space much more efficiently than round cannisters. They are also airtight so if you live in an area prolific with bugs, you will love these. You can see from the picture below how well they stack and how well you can see exactly what is in each one. These are a great investment and I plan on purchasing a few more for the brown sugar and confectioners sugar that are still in those pesky plastic bags with twist ties!

Sugar & Flour Storage

Organized Pantry

Meatloaf

My son-in-law loves meatloaf so while visiting them recently I made my version. He loves his mom’s meatloaf so I didn’t know if he’d like mine or not. Well, as it turned out he loved it. Hence, my name for it . . . get it? My daughter who’s not much of a fan of meatloaf really liked it as well. She does not like catsup on her meatloaf so you may have noticed that one end of the meatloaf looks a little bare. I sprinkled a little Worcestershire sauce on her end since she likes it a lot. The glory of meatloaf is that you can make it the traditional way by baking it in the oven or, if you’re like me and work full-time outside the home, in the crockpot. Either way you mix it up the same. I’ll give directions for cooking it both ways.

Ingredients
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 lb. ground pork
1 C. quick oats
1 egg
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 1/2 t. seasoning salt
1/2 half medium onion, diced
1/2 C. catsup

1. Place all the ingredients except the catsup in a large bowl and smoosh together with clean hands or mix well with a spoon.
2. Press into a large round or oblong loaf.
3. To make it easier to remove from the crockpot, place two long strips of foil crisscrossed and running up the sides of the crockpot into the bottom of the crockpot to created handles for removing the cooked meatloaf. Center the shaped loaf over the crisscrossed foil. Spread the catsup over the top of the loaf. Cook all day on low.
4. If baking in the oven, bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Serves 8

Strawberry Yogurt Cream Layered with Fruit

I confess!!! I have a sweet tooth! Soooooo . . . even when I’m trying to lose weight I have to factor in some desserts especially when we are entertaining in our home. I have already extolled the virtues of Fage Greek Yogurt. It is so creamy and rich tasting that even if using the fat-free or 2% version it tastes great. Here is a sauce I made with the yogurt as the base. You can layer it with fruit in wine glasses for a nice presentation or simply mix the sauce into a big bowl of fruit. I layered the sauce with strawberries and bananas in the picture above.

Ingredients
1 C. Fage Greek Yogurt
2 T. strawberry preserves
1 T. honey
1 t. vanilla

Blend all the ingredients into a smooth sauce.

Flatout Bread

I think I may be a little behind the times in discovering this product. Oh, well. This isn’t the first time and probably won’t be the last, but I thought I’d share my discovery anyway just in case there are others out there who haven’t tried these. When I’m in weight loss mode, I have to find a way to have pizza since regular pizza is in no way something that works well when trying to count those calories. In the past, I’ve been fairly successful using lowfat, high fiber tortillas. They are a little flimsy, however, so sometimes don’t hold up well, especially, if I cook the pizza on the grill. All that is now going to change now that I’ve found Flatout Flatbread!! It is only 100 calories per large, oval piece. There is 8 grams of fiber in each as well which I think is a good thing. I tried the Healthy Grain variety that is made with 100% stone ground whole wheat with other grains and flax. Now, when I bought these I thought that given the high fiber aspect that these could very well taste like cardboard . . . . but they didn’t!!!! They are not dry at all and have a nice flavor that works well with pizza or to make sandwich wraps. You get six flatbreads per package. I understand that they make several flavors so I’ll be on the lookout for those to try as well. I’ll post a pizza I made using these in a few days. I’m looking forward to making some on the grill now that the weather is warmer!!

Creamy Ranch Cauliflower

Denial is a wonderful thing while it lasts!! I finally decided to weigh myself since I haven’t done so since last fall. I now declare my denial over . . . I need to lose 25 pounds!! Is anyone else out there with me on this? This is one of our “go-to” recipes when we are trying to shed a few pounds and need a tasty vegetable that is low in calories. I buy the ranch seasoning mix in a jar because I use it to flavor lots of different things from scrabbled eggs to baked potatoes to steamed vegetables. I also use it in my taco soup recipe. It’s also cheaper per serving when bought by the jar!

Ingredients
1 large head cauliflower
1/2 C. chicken broth
1 T. Hidden Valley dry ranch seasoning mix
1/4 C. light sour cream

1. Cut the cauliflower off the stalk and into medium size flowerets.
2. Place in a covered casserole dish along with the chicken broth.
3. Microwave on high for 10 minutes, stirring after 5 minutes. If the cauliflower is not fork tender cook another minute or two.
4. Dump the cooked cauliflower and any remaining broth into a food processor and add the ranch seasoning mix and sour cream.
Pulse until the cauliflower is is smooth and creamy. Makes 4 cups. Approximately 30 calories per 1/2 C. serving.

Dr. Martin's Mix

This is pure comfort food and is a dish that I remember well from my childhood. When I was old enough, I took over cooking dinner for my family since my mom, by that time, was working full-time outside the home. This is one of the first dishes I learned to make. We always had it with tossed salad. The original recipe was in Erma Bombeck’s I Hate to Cook Book. Last week, I made this for dinner when we had a friend visiting from out of town and she loved it. I hope you do as well!

Ingredients
1 lb. bulk sausage (you can use breakfast sausage or Italian sausage)
1 green pepper, diced
1/2 C. onion, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
3 C. chicken broth
1 1/2 C. uncooked rice
1 1/2 T. worcestershire sauce

1. Brown the sausage in a skillet or large pan with a lid. Break the sausage up into small pieces as it cooks. Drain excess fat.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir.
3. Put the lid on and let simmer on low heat for 45 minutes to an hour or until all the broth is absorbed and the rice is done. Fluff with fork and serve. Serves 4

Napa Cabbage Salad

I recently made this for an after theater potluck with a bunch of college students and there was not one piece left at the end of the dinner. I thought this would be a good recipe to post while I’m on vacation in Cancun since it is a nice light salad. Napa cabbage is much lighter in texture than regular cabbage and doesn’t have as strong of taste either. The use of napa cabbage in this salad makes this a delightfully crunchy salad. A friend of mine made this salad for us when she was staying with us while in Kansas City on business. We just loved it and she was generous enough to share the recipe with me. Thanks, Kathy!

Ingredients
2 heads Napa cabbage, spine removed and shredded
1 bunch of green onions, finely sliced
2 pkgs. Ramen noodles, broken into small pieces (discard the flavor packet)
3 oz. sesame seeds
1/2 C. butter

1. Melt the butter in a skillet.
2. Add the Ramen noodles and sesame seeds to the butter and brown.
3. When noodles and sesame seeds are browned spread the mixture on paper towels to absorb the excess butter.
4. Make the dressing.

Dressing
3/4 C. canola oil
1/2 C. sugar
1/4 C. vinegar
2 T. soy sauce

5. Combine the dressing ingredients in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Simmer for one minute. Remove from heat and cool.
6. Combine the cabbage, onions, browned Ramen noodles and sesame seeds in a large salad bowl. Drizzle with the dressing and toss to coat.
Serves 10-12

This quote seems relevant as I head to Cancun on vacation tomorrow. I expect to eat a lot of fresh fruit and other yummy things while there but it seems that I all too often don’t remember those who have contributed to making what we eat possible. I think of those who prepared the meal, who set the table, and maybe even the grocer from whom the food was purchased. This Vietnamese saying invites me to think a bit more deeply so that I might be grateful for those whose hands are integral to our food supply. “When eating a fruit think of the person who planted the tree.” I am grateful for those who plant the trees and seeds and through whose efforts I enjoy lovely things to eat!!

Oven Fried Chicken

When my kids were growing up this was one of their favorite dinners. We’d have baked potatoes with sour cream and a vegetable along with this chicken and it was a most satisfying meal. Just last week one of my daughter’s neighborhood friends facebooked me that she had made oven fried chicken for her husband and little boy but it hadn’t tasted like she remembered mine tasting. She asked if I could share how I made mine. So here it is . . . this is one of the recipes that used to be on the back of the Bisquick Baking Mix box. BTW, my daughter’s favorite dish at her friend’s house was her mom’s Baked Ziti. I’ll have to track that recipe down!

Ingredients
2 T. butter or margarine
2/3 C. Bisquick baking mix
1 1/2 t. paprika
1 1/4 t. seasoning salt
1/4 t. pepper
1 chicken, cut up or 6 chicken breast halves (I use boneless and skinless breast halves0

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Place the margarine in a 13 X 9 inch pan and place in the oven until the margarine is melted.
3. Meanwhile, mix the dry ingredients in a large ziploc bag and place a couple of pieces of chicken into the bag and coat them with the mix. Repeat until all the pieces are coated.
4. Place the chicken skin side down in the pan.
5. Bake for 35 minutes. Turn pieces over and cook 15 minutes more or until done.
Serves 6

Orange-Chocolate Chip Scones

I’ve been experimenting with creating different flavors of scones. I’ve done Cranberry-Orange, Almond Blueberry, and these Orange-Chocolate Chip Scones. I just love the combination of orange and chocolate together so these ended up my favorite. They taste like Pepperidge Farm Orange Milano cookies. My daughter took a batch of these to work and they were gone in 15 minutes. One co-worker commented that if it wasn’t rude she would eat four of them!

Ingredients
3 C. flour
1/3 C. sugar
2 1/2 T. baking powder
1 t. salt
1/2 t. baking soda
3/4 C. (1 1/2 sticks) chilled butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 C. mini chocolate chips
1 C. chilled buttermilk
1 1/2 t. orange extract
1/2 C. powdered sugar
1-2 T. milk

1. Prehat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease.
2. Mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl.
3. Add butter to bowl, and using a pastry blender of with your fingers cut the butter into the flour mixture. Or place butter and flour mixture into a food processor and pulse until the mixtures resembles coarse cornmeal.
4. Add the chocolate chips to the flour mixture and toss to coat.
5. Mix the buttermilk and orange extract together and gradually add to the flour mixture. Stir with a fork until moist clumps form.
6. Turn dough out onto a floured work surface. Knead briefly to bind dough. Do not over handle the dough. You want the butter to stay cold so the dough doesn’t bake up tough.
7. Roll dough into a 4 X 12 inch rectangle. Cut the rectangle into 3 equal squares. Cut each square diagonally in two directions to make four triangles out of each square of dough.
8. Transfer the triangles to the prepared baking sheet, placing them an inch apart.
9. Bake for 22-25 minutes.
10.While the scones are baking, mix together the powdered sugar and milk to make a glaze for drizzling over the warm scones. Place the glaze in a zip-loc sandwich bag. Clip a small piece from one corner of the bag and drizzle the glaze over the hot scones. Let cool.
Makes 12 scones