Martha A. Cheves's Blog, page 94
July 2, 2011
New Site!!!!
I've given it a lot of thought and finally decided to create a new site which I'm calling
Martha's List - The Good, The Bad, The Maybe
This site will consist of products that I buy and how I rank them. There are many new and old products on the market with some being good, some being bad and some just a maybe. As I buy a product that is new or at least fairly new to me, I'll post my opinion. What I would like for you to do is post a comment of agree or disagree and why. I'm hoping this will give us a site to go to, allow us to read the pros and cons written by everyday consumers (not marketing agents) and help be able to make a quick decision as to whether we want to give the product a try or not.
If you have a product that you want to post about, contact me through email with your product's name, along with your comment and I'll post it to the site. You can reach me at marthacheves@bellsouth.net
Hope to see you and your comments there.
Martha's List - The Good, The Bad, The Maybe
This site will consist of products that I buy and how I rank them. There are many new and old products on the market with some being good, some being bad and some just a maybe. As I buy a product that is new or at least fairly new to me, I'll post my opinion. What I would like for you to do is post a comment of agree or disagree and why. I'm hoping this will give us a site to go to, allow us to read the pros and cons written by everyday consumers (not marketing agents) and help be able to make a quick decision as to whether we want to give the product a try or not.
If you have a product that you want to post about, contact me through email with your product's name, along with your comment and I'll post it to the site. You can reach me at marthacheves@bellsouth.net
Hope to see you and your comments there.
June 29, 2011
Herbs and their Uses
Here is a quick guide to herbs, you can also Google cooking with herbs and
it will give you quite a few sites to look at.
Chives
Soups, salads, salad dressings, eggs, dips, vegetables, chicken, soft cheese
spreads, butters, white sauces, and fish.
English Thyme
Game, beef, soft cheeses, fish, chowders, pâté, vegetables, and tomato sauce
Tarragon
(French or Spanish)
Chicken, fish, eggs, tomato juice, butters (especially nice on steak),
vinegars, salads, mustards, sauces (hollandaise, béarnaise and tartar),
Soups (chicken, fish, mushroom and tomato) and marinades for fish, lamb or
pork.
Greek Oregano
Sauces (white and tomato), stews, soups, fish, lamb, pork, vegetables,
butters, and vinegars.
Rosemary
Beef, lamb, fish, poultry, stuffings, soups, stews, fruit cups, soups
(chicken, pea, and spinach), vegetables, and marinades.
Sage
Stuffings (for fish, poultry, and meat), pâté, eggs, poultry, pork, beef, lamb, pasta, cheeses (cheddar, cream, and cottage), sauces (brown and meat), soups (cream and chowder), beef stews, and vegetables.
it will give you quite a few sites to look at.
Chives
Soups, salads, salad dressings, eggs, dips, vegetables, chicken, soft cheese
spreads, butters, white sauces, and fish.
English Thyme
Game, beef, soft cheeses, fish, chowders, pâté, vegetables, and tomato sauce
Tarragon
(French or Spanish)
Chicken, fish, eggs, tomato juice, butters (especially nice on steak),
vinegars, salads, mustards, sauces (hollandaise, béarnaise and tartar),
Soups (chicken, fish, mushroom and tomato) and marinades for fish, lamb or
pork.
Greek Oregano
Sauces (white and tomato), stews, soups, fish, lamb, pork, vegetables,
butters, and vinegars.
Rosemary
Beef, lamb, fish, poultry, stuffings, soups, stews, fruit cups, soups
(chicken, pea, and spinach), vegetables, and marinades.
Sage
Stuffings (for fish, poultry, and meat), pâté, eggs, poultry, pork, beef, lamb, pasta, cheeses (cheddar, cream, and cottage), sauces (brown and meat), soups (cream and chowder), beef stews, and vegetables.
June 28, 2011
Newton Fruit Thins
As a Foodbuzz Featured Publisher and a Tastemaker, I have the pleasure of testing some of the newest products as well as publish my own comments and feelings about the product. There is no monetary award for this through Foodbuzz, Tastemaker nor the product manufacturer but the pleasure of tasting some of the newest products on the market make it worthwhile.
This review is for Newton's Fruit Thins. They are wonderful! I tried the Blueberry Brown Sugar and the Fig and Honey. These are OH MY Good! The cookie part is crispy yet the fruit is chewy. The combination making them perfect. The cookie sizes are large and only 140 calories for 3. They are whole grain with REAL fruit.
Now, these are great with a glass of milk or even by themselves, but...think how great they would be with a little vanilla ice cream spread between two of them.
June 27, 2011
Dryer Sheets
OK, I can't tell you the good without telling you the bad. This was sent to me by someone who read my post regarding the many uses of Bounce.
Most commercial dryer sheets are impregnated with all sorts of toxic chemicals including Benzyl Acetate, Benzyl Alcohol, Chloroform and Linalool; none of which are good for the environment - or you. Some of these compounds are known carcinogens.
Aside from the chemicals in the sheets winding up in your clothing and therefore next to your skin, when heated, the fumes are also toxic.
http://www.greenlivingtips.com/articles/172/1/Toxic-dryer-sheets.html
Most commercial dryer sheets are impregnated with all sorts of toxic chemicals including Benzyl Acetate, Benzyl Alcohol, Chloroform and Linalool; none of which are good for the environment - or you. Some of these compounds are known carcinogens.
Aside from the chemicals in the sheets winding up in your clothing and therefore next to your skin, when heated, the fumes are also toxic.
http://www.greenlivingtips.com/articles/172/1/Toxic-dryer-sheets.html
June 26, 2011
Newest Review for Stir, Laugh, Repeat
I was checking my cookbook Stir, Laugh, Repeat on Amazon and found this new review posted. This one is GREAT!!!! I had to share. 5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Cookbook!, June 23, 2011 By Authors On The Rise Reviews (Columbia S.C) - See all my reviews This review is from: Stir, Laugh, Repeat (Perfect Paperback) I found myself going through this entire cookbook, taking notes in between. I've always struggled making gravy and just gave up and brought packets of gravy from the store. Thanks to Martha I went into the kitchen and followed her recipe and my gravy was perfect. I loved the stories she shared and the tips such as keeping lemons and lime fresh,making your own breadcrumbs, peeling tomatoes and many more are lifesavers. I found so many receipes that I wanted to try for the longest such as Monkeybread, chicken Pot Pie, and many others.
I really enjoyed the stories and tips. They were lifesavers.
Stir, Laugh, and Repeat by Martha A Cheves is the BEST cookbook I have read. You get more than just receipes; You get tips and stories.
Get this cookbook. You will Enjoy it.
Reviewed by AOTR: Dee Dee M. Scott
June 25, 2011
Shrimp & Scallops Over Rice
This is a quick dish to make for seafood lovers. The flavor of the finished product is a combination of Shrimp Scampi and Shrimp and Grits. Changes you might add would be a little nutmeg and maybe a splash of Sherry. Also, you can serve this over grits. It's rich, creamy and delicious! Find the full recipe by going to Martha's Recipe Cabinet.
June 21, 2011
Freezing Vegetables
A friend sent this to me and since its that time of the year when veggies are coming in I decided to share.
Freezing our bountiful harvest is an easy way of preserving our produce, but the foods will not keep as long. In freezing the organisms that cause spoilage become inactive. However, they don't die. The bacteria can't grow as long as the produce remains frozen, but once it is thawed, they will begin growing once again.
You should be aware of some changes in your vegetables before you start freezing. Foods may become mushy when thawed because ice crystals cause damage in the cells of the foods. If you keep foods frozen for too long or if they are frozen in improper containers, it will cause freezer burn. This will cause the color and taste of the foods to be changed for the worse. Such food is still safe to eat in this condition, but it is not be as appealing.
Freezing is a simple process, and not much equipment is required to get started – just your household freezer and containers. The easiest containers are common freezer bags found in your local supermarket. You can also freeze in your canning jars, plastic containers (such as butter or cottage containers), aluminum foil, plastic wrap, and freezer paper. You will need to allow for the food to expand as it freezes, so be sure to leave plenty of space for this process. Not leaving this room for expansion will cause your containers to leak in your freezer and make an icy mess to clean up later.
Freezing VeggiesFreezing Vegetables is much like freezing fruits, only you won't be adding sugar. Instead you will be blanching them (heating in boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes and then immediately cooling in cold water) before packing into containers and freezing. Blanching kills the enzymes that age vegetables. Blanched foods will taste fresher when taken from the freezer. Submerging in cold water stops the cooking process.
You will need to leave a headspace on some of your vegetables.
Some vegetables darken after they are cut, and to prevent this darkening you will need to use an anti-darkening agent. A natural anti-darkening solution that can be used is a teaspoon of lemon juice to a quart of water. Soaking your veggies for five to ten minutes prior to placing them in the containers for freezing will prevent this. You can also use commercial anti-darkening, such as "Fruit Fresh" by following the instructions on the package. Using either will work with great results.
Veggie Freezing InstructionsAsparagus: wash and cut off tough stems. Blanch small stalks 2 minutes, large ones for 4 minutes. Cool, drain, and pack into containers, alternating tip and stem ends. No headspace needed.Beans, Green and Wax: pick when young and tender (beans with strings are too tough). Remove stems and break into 1-2 inch pieces. Wash. Blanch 3 minutes, dip into cold water to cool. Drain, pack, and freeze. Leave ½ inch headspace.Beets: When trimming beets leave 1 inch of their tops to prevent them from bleeding. Not leaving the stems will cause them to bleed out and turn white during cooking. Wash beets and cook for 25 minutes. Cool in cold water. Rub off peels when cool—skins should slip off easily now. Cut into cubes or slices, pack into containers, leave ½ inch headspace, and freeze.Broccoli: Wash and peel stalks. To remove insects, soak in a solution of 4-5 teaspoons salt to a gallon of water for half an hour. Blanch three minutes, cool in cold water, drain, pack into containers leaving no headspace, and freeze.Brussels Sprouts: Trim and remove outer leaves. Wash and blanch 3 minutes for small heads, 5 minutes for large heads. Cool in cold water, drain, pack into containers leaving no headspace, freeze.Cabbage: Remove outer leaves and cut into quartets. Wash. Blanch for 2 minutes. Cool in cold water, drain and pack into containers leaving ½ inch headspace. Once frozen cabbage is only suitable for use as a cooked vegetable, not for coleslaw.Carrots: Remove tops, wash, and peel if desired. Leave small carrots whole; slice large ones. Blanch whole carrots 5 minutes, sliced carrots 2 minutes. Cool in cold water and drain. Pack into containers leaving ½ inch headspace, freeze.Cauliflower: Break into 1 inch pieces and wash. To remove insects soak in a solution of 4-5 teaspoons salt to a gallon of water for half an hour. Drain and rinse. Blanch three minutes and cool in cold water. Pack into containers leaving no headspace, freeze.Corn: Husk and remove silk from ears. Blanch ears five minutes. Cool in cold water and drain. Cut kernels from cob and cover with water, pack into containers leaving 1-inch headspace.Corn-on-the-cob: Husk and remove silk from ears. Blanch ears five minutes. Cool in cold water and drain. Wrap each ear in plastic wrap, pack into freezer bags and freeze.Mushrooms: wash in cold water. To remove insects soak in a solution of 4-5 teaspoons salt to a gallon of water for several hours or overnight. Rinse well. If mushrooms are larger than 1-inch, slice or quarter them. Soak mushrooms in anti-darkening solution for 5 minutes, drain. Steam for 5 minutes, cool in cold water and pack into containers leaving ½ inch headspace, freeze.Okra: Pick young, tender pods. Wash and cut off stem ends, being careful not to open seed cells. Blanch for 4 minutes, cooling promptly in cold water. Leave whole or slice, pack into containers leaving ½ inch headspace, freeze.Onions: Wash and peel. Chop and place into containers, leaving NO headspace.Peas: Shell peas and wash to remove blossom ends and pod particles. Blanch 2 minutes, cool in cold water. Drain, pack peas into containers leaving ½ inch headspace, freeze.Pea pods: Wash. Blanch for 2 minutes. Pack into containers and freeze.Peppers: Wash, cut out seeds and chop. Pack into containers leaving no headspace, freeze.Pumpkin: Wash and cut into quarters. Cook until soft by baking, steaming or boiling. Press through sieve. Cool, pack into containers leaving ½ inch headspace, freeze.Sweet Potatoes: Wash and cook until almost tender. Cool in cold water and peel. Slice, mash, or leave whole. To prevent darkening dip in anti-darkening solution for 5 seconds. If mashed, add 2T lemon juice to each quart of sweet potatoes. Pack into containers leaving ½ inch headspace, and freeze.Tomatoes: Wash, remove stems and blanch 3-4 minutes*. Cool in cold water and remove skins. Can quarter, halve, or leave whole. Pack into containers leaving ½ inch headspace and freeze.Stewed tomatoes: Wash, remove stems and blanch 3-4 minutes*. Cool in cold water and remove skins. Quarter and cook about 20 minutes or until tender. Place pan into cold water to cool, pack into containers leaving ½ inch headspace and freeze.
Freezing our bountiful harvest is an easy way of preserving our produce, but the foods will not keep as long. In freezing the organisms that cause spoilage become inactive. However, they don't die. The bacteria can't grow as long as the produce remains frozen, but once it is thawed, they will begin growing once again.
You should be aware of some changes in your vegetables before you start freezing. Foods may become mushy when thawed because ice crystals cause damage in the cells of the foods. If you keep foods frozen for too long or if they are frozen in improper containers, it will cause freezer burn. This will cause the color and taste of the foods to be changed for the worse. Such food is still safe to eat in this condition, but it is not be as appealing.
Freezing is a simple process, and not much equipment is required to get started – just your household freezer and containers. The easiest containers are common freezer bags found in your local supermarket. You can also freeze in your canning jars, plastic containers (such as butter or cottage containers), aluminum foil, plastic wrap, and freezer paper. You will need to allow for the food to expand as it freezes, so be sure to leave plenty of space for this process. Not leaving this room for expansion will cause your containers to leak in your freezer and make an icy mess to clean up later.
Freezing VeggiesFreezing Vegetables is much like freezing fruits, only you won't be adding sugar. Instead you will be blanching them (heating in boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes and then immediately cooling in cold water) before packing into containers and freezing. Blanching kills the enzymes that age vegetables. Blanched foods will taste fresher when taken from the freezer. Submerging in cold water stops the cooking process.
You will need to leave a headspace on some of your vegetables.
Some vegetables darken after they are cut, and to prevent this darkening you will need to use an anti-darkening agent. A natural anti-darkening solution that can be used is a teaspoon of lemon juice to a quart of water. Soaking your veggies for five to ten minutes prior to placing them in the containers for freezing will prevent this. You can also use commercial anti-darkening, such as "Fruit Fresh" by following the instructions on the package. Using either will work with great results.
Veggie Freezing InstructionsAsparagus: wash and cut off tough stems. Blanch small stalks 2 minutes, large ones for 4 minutes. Cool, drain, and pack into containers, alternating tip and stem ends. No headspace needed.Beans, Green and Wax: pick when young and tender (beans with strings are too tough). Remove stems and break into 1-2 inch pieces. Wash. Blanch 3 minutes, dip into cold water to cool. Drain, pack, and freeze. Leave ½ inch headspace.Beets: When trimming beets leave 1 inch of their tops to prevent them from bleeding. Not leaving the stems will cause them to bleed out and turn white during cooking. Wash beets and cook for 25 minutes. Cool in cold water. Rub off peels when cool—skins should slip off easily now. Cut into cubes or slices, pack into containers, leave ½ inch headspace, and freeze.Broccoli: Wash and peel stalks. To remove insects, soak in a solution of 4-5 teaspoons salt to a gallon of water for half an hour. Blanch three minutes, cool in cold water, drain, pack into containers leaving no headspace, and freeze.Brussels Sprouts: Trim and remove outer leaves. Wash and blanch 3 minutes for small heads, 5 minutes for large heads. Cool in cold water, drain, pack into containers leaving no headspace, freeze.Cabbage: Remove outer leaves and cut into quartets. Wash. Blanch for 2 minutes. Cool in cold water, drain and pack into containers leaving ½ inch headspace. Once frozen cabbage is only suitable for use as a cooked vegetable, not for coleslaw.Carrots: Remove tops, wash, and peel if desired. Leave small carrots whole; slice large ones. Blanch whole carrots 5 minutes, sliced carrots 2 minutes. Cool in cold water and drain. Pack into containers leaving ½ inch headspace, freeze.Cauliflower: Break into 1 inch pieces and wash. To remove insects soak in a solution of 4-5 teaspoons salt to a gallon of water for half an hour. Drain and rinse. Blanch three minutes and cool in cold water. Pack into containers leaving no headspace, freeze.Corn: Husk and remove silk from ears. Blanch ears five minutes. Cool in cold water and drain. Cut kernels from cob and cover with water, pack into containers leaving 1-inch headspace.Corn-on-the-cob: Husk and remove silk from ears. Blanch ears five minutes. Cool in cold water and drain. Wrap each ear in plastic wrap, pack into freezer bags and freeze.Mushrooms: wash in cold water. To remove insects soak in a solution of 4-5 teaspoons salt to a gallon of water for several hours or overnight. Rinse well. If mushrooms are larger than 1-inch, slice or quarter them. Soak mushrooms in anti-darkening solution for 5 minutes, drain. Steam for 5 minutes, cool in cold water and pack into containers leaving ½ inch headspace, freeze.Okra: Pick young, tender pods. Wash and cut off stem ends, being careful not to open seed cells. Blanch for 4 minutes, cooling promptly in cold water. Leave whole or slice, pack into containers leaving ½ inch headspace, freeze.Onions: Wash and peel. Chop and place into containers, leaving NO headspace.Peas: Shell peas and wash to remove blossom ends and pod particles. Blanch 2 minutes, cool in cold water. Drain, pack peas into containers leaving ½ inch headspace, freeze.Pea pods: Wash. Blanch for 2 minutes. Pack into containers and freeze.Peppers: Wash, cut out seeds and chop. Pack into containers leaving no headspace, freeze.Pumpkin: Wash and cut into quarters. Cook until soft by baking, steaming or boiling. Press through sieve. Cool, pack into containers leaving ½ inch headspace, freeze.Sweet Potatoes: Wash and cook until almost tender. Cool in cold water and peel. Slice, mash, or leave whole. To prevent darkening dip in anti-darkening solution for 5 seconds. If mashed, add 2T lemon juice to each quart of sweet potatoes. Pack into containers leaving ½ inch headspace, and freeze.Tomatoes: Wash, remove stems and blanch 3-4 minutes*. Cool in cold water and remove skins. Can quarter, halve, or leave whole. Pack into containers leaving ½ inch headspace and freeze.Stewed tomatoes: Wash, remove stems and blanch 3-4 minutes*. Cool in cold water and remove skins. Quarter and cook about 20 minutes or until tender. Place pan into cold water to cool, pack into containers leaving ½ inch headspace and freeze.
June 19, 2011
Hashbrown Chicken Casserole
This "recipe" was given to me by a man I work with. He had no measurements, just ingredients which were:Hashbrowns
onions
Colby cheese
cream of chicken soup
1/2 can water
cheddar cheese for top
So, after making a few additions and guessing at the measurements this is what I came up with:
In a large bowl mix together
3 cups hashbrowns
1/2 cup frozen seasoned onions & bell peppers
3 chicken breasts cooked & cut into bite size pieces
2 cups Colby cheese, shredded
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour into a 9 x 13 baking dish. Bake 30-35 minutes. Top with pats of butter and bake another 5 minutes. This easily feeds 6.
I didn't add the cheddar cheese to the top because I felt it had enough inside but that is an option when you make this dish. The taste of this reminds me of a loaded baked potato so you could leave out the chicken and use bacon. Use your imagination for this dish.
June 16, 2011
Catch All Snacks
This is another of my "clean out the cabinet" snacks. I used shredded wheat, honey flavored cherrios, pretzels, left over M&Ms, mini-marshmallows, about 3/4 can of salted mixed nuts and I cut up about 1/2 bag of toasted coconut covered marshmallows. I put all of this into a LARGE bowl, drizzled melted white chocolate over everything, tossed to coat. So good!And I feel it is actually healthy due to the shredded wheat and cherrios. Right?
June 12, 2011
Chili Cheese Pockets
Of course, this is easy. I used egg roll wraps filled with canned chili & beans topped with a piece of cheese. They are deep fried just as you would an egg roll. So, think out of the roll and create your own egg rolls.
