Flax seed=1 egg!!

Found this info on Food Storage Plus and thought it was interesting information. Flax seed has been the next thing on my food storage list, it is super healthy and supposedly will last for a long time making it great for food storage plus I just found this information on using it as a substitute for eggs.

Grind 1 Tablespoon (golden) flaxseed in a small coffee grinder
Add to 3 Tablespoons water (in a small bowl)
Whisk together.

This provides a great substitution for 1 egg by following this quick and easy recipe.
Supposedly you can find this at health food stores and at Winco in the bulk. Not sure on the price yet.

Recipe Tip

The recipe I posted below is from Recipezaar.com, which is a great website. If you have not checked it out, you should. One of the great things about it is that you can enter ingredients in and it will pull up all recipes that use that ingredient or ingredients. So when I have something leftover in the fridge that I need to use (such as spaghetti sauce, which is what brought on the below recipe), I go there and type in the ingredient(s) and wah-lah! An assortment of different recipes to choose from. Just an FYI if you don't know about it!! And the recipe below was great, by the way.

freezer meals and simplifying cooking

I just mentioned under my the chicken viva post that I usually freeze half to eat later well I got the idea from this blog. Go HERE to get a few ideas on how to cut back on the amount of time you are cooking. She gives 10 recipes. A few of them I didn't really like but I loved the idea. So now I always look to cook less.

Here are some things I have started doing:

1.First of all I make an effort to plan a weekly menu. The menu in and of itself saves time and helps you make your shopping more cost effective. I don't always follow it exact but I use it as a reference.

2. I try to plan 1 or 2 meals a week that are going to be "double meals" Big meals like lasagna, enchiladas or other meals that make a lot. OR I plan to make extra of something quick and easy so that it can be a double meal.

3. THen I freeze leftover portions that are big enough to be a separate meal, like half my lasagna. I freeze them in a freezer bag(got the idea from Hilary's bag) saves space in the freezer and you can toss it. Small leftover portions are sent to work with Curt or eaten for lunch.

4. This one I am not very good at but it could also be considered a double meal where you use leftovers to create a totally separate meal. Chicken from the night before become salad the next night.

5. I try to always plan on several easy meals like sandwiches, french toast or catalina sweet and sour chicken(find under chicken).

6. We always try to cook our ground beef ahead of time(actually we use ground turkey because it is healthier and it tastes similar-better I think). When we get a big package of it we cook it with chopped onion and no spices then separate it into small ziplock sandwich bags. We put enough in each bag for a meal. Then when it comes time to use it all I have to do is pop it into the microwave for a minute and wow! what a time saver. And for big meals you use more than one bag-simple. Chicken is a little more complicated in cooking so I don't like to precook it but I have friends that do.

7. Sometimes I do "Meat weeks". I will buy a turkey or a large ham to have for sunday dinner and then create a week of meals around that meat. With the turkey for example, we take off all the meat we don't eat for sunday dinner and put it into little ziplock bags. Then the next two weeks we will eat turkey meals: turkey divan, turkey noodle soup, turkey tetrazinni, etc. I rotate other meals in there to add variety. and I do this several times throughout the year not just during holidays like Thanksgiving but especially when there is a good meat sale. Sometimes I do it with a pork/beef roast and make it into three meals. The best is the cafe rio pork; first night eat it with rice, 2nd night with tortillas, 3rd night salad. You can do something similar with the BBQ roast1st n-w/ rice, 2nd n-sandwiches and then I usually freeze the rest for later)But it is a good budget and menu technique.

8. One thing Meagan does at her house is a "free-for-all" night. Basically it is a leftover night once a week. Everybody has what they want. Whatever is in the fridge or in a can/ box in the cupboard is free to anyone who wants it. Clears out all the leftovers and makes dinner really laid back and easy.

So PLEASE share your dinner tricks and quick ideas! Dinner monotony is rough so I would love to have some new ideas and hopefully I shared something that will help you out.

Cooking Tip Of The Month

FRUIT & VEGGIE SPRAY


If you can't buy organic produce, you need to make sure you wash it thoroughly. From pesticides to wax to dirt and mold from being transfered to the grocery store, washing you fruit and veggies is really important. It makes your food healthier and tastier, try it on grapes, see if you can taste a difference! Use this spray to make sure your fruit and vegetables are squeaky clean.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup water
1 cup distilled white vinegar
1 Tbsp. baking soda
20 drops of grapefruit seed extract*

Combine all ingredients in a large container. Then, transfer to a spray bottle with a pump. Spray mixture on produce, and rinse thoroughly after 5 to 10 minutes.

If you don't want to take the time to make your own spray, there are several kinds that you can buy in the stores but are usually quite expensive. Also several of these washes claim that they don't use chemicals and still claim they are organic. I think the best way would be to make it yourself so you know exactly what is in it.

Cooking Tip of the Month

WHAT TO DO IN CASE OF A GREASE FIRE


I know this info seems obvious, but this recently happened to us. We didn't end up having any problems but it was really scary and I didn't react the way I thought I would. Hopefully this helps us all be a little more prepared and on our toes if an unexpected grease fire occurs!

Grease fires happen when collections of oil or grease on a stove, oven or fryer get hot enough to ignite. Grease fires are extremely dangerous because the fuel source (the grease) is a liquid, and easily splashed. Grease fire burn very hot and can quickly spread to cabinets or other flammable areas of the kitchen.
The most important thing you can do to prevent a fire in the kitchen is to stay put. The NFPA reports that unattended cooking is the leading cause of home cooking fires. Stay by the stove and be prepared for flames.

Time Required: You only have a few moments to either put out a grease fire or escape the house.

Here's How:

1. DO NOT USE WATER ON A GREASE FIRE! (see Tips) Start evacuating everyone from the building. Fires spread extremely fast and can overwhelm victims in minutes. Treat burns only after evacuating the building.
2. Call 911. There's no reason to wait, and the fire department can always go back to the station if you are able to get the fire out without help.
3. The easiest way to smother a grease fire is to cover it with a pan lid. Be careful with glass lids; they can break from the extreme heat of open flame.
4. Grease fires can also be smothered with baking soda, but it takes a lot of baking soda to do the trick. Unless the baking soda is easily accessible, it's usually easier to quickly find a lid.
5. A dry chemical fire extinguisher will also work, but it will contaminate your kitchen and food. Class K fire extinguishers are available to put out grease and other kitchen fires, but they are usually only found in commercial kitchens.

1. DO NOT PUT WATER ON A GREASE FIRE! This can not be stressed enough. Pouring water on burning grease or oil will not extinguish the fire. It will only cause the burning oil to splash, spreading the grease fire around.
2. DO NOT TRY TO CARRY THE FIRE OUTSIDE! Trying to carry a pot or pan full of burning oil will just slosh and splash the grease fire.
3. Treat burns only after the fire is contained or the building is completely evacuated. Read How to Treat a Burn for advice on burn treatment.
4. If clothes are caught on fire; STOP, DROP, and ROLL to extinguish them.

COOKING TIP OF THE MONTH

All About Brown Sugar



Ever run out of brown sugar and can't get to the store? Below is the recipe to make your own.

To make 1 Cup Light Brown Sugar~Combine 1 cup granulated sugar with 1 1/2 tablespoons molasses

To make 1 Cup Dark Brown Sugar~Combine 1 cup granulated sugar with 1/4 cup molasses

Softening Brown Sugar
When brown sugar is exposed to air it can solidify as it loses moisture and become very hard. You can prevent this by limiting brown sugar's exposure to air and dry conditions. Store it in the refrigerator or a cool, dark place in a nontransparent, airtight sealable container. If your sugar still becomes hard, here are a few ways to soften it.

To Use the Brown Sugar Right Away
1. Place brown sugar in a microwavable bowl.
2. Drape with one or two damp paper towels.
3. Cover bowl with plastic wrap.
4. Microwave on high for 10-second intervals until the sugar becomes soft.
5. Break apart with a fork and use right away.

To Use the Brown Sugar Later
1. Cover with a damp paper towel and plastic wrap, and let sit overnight at room temperature.
2. Place a wedge of apple or a slice of bread in the bag overnight. The sugar will absorb the moisture from these foods.

This info comes straight from Martha Stewart.com