http://www.mytoque.com/brands/cookware/la_chamba_soup_stock_pots.html
Chamba pots --- cool.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Soup & Scones
Sandy's Broccoli & Chicken Chowder
2 chopped onions
4 garlic cloves (building up immune systems and this is a BIG pot of soup!)
Butter
Olive oil
Frozen broccoli
Chicken breasts
Flour
Salt, Pepper, Seasoning blends
Paprika
Sharp cheddar cheese
Cream Cheese
Parmesan Cheese
Drizzle olive oil into a stock pot and add a small amount of butter. Sautee' chopped onion in stock pot for a few minutes and then add grated/zested garlic cloves. Let cook for a few minutes and then sprinkle flour (just about any flour works) over the onions and stir. It should make a paste of sorts. Add a quart or two of chicken broth, a generous pouring in of milk, lots of frozen broccoli and all the seasonings. I put chicken breasts in a Dutch oven and partially covered them in water. Brought the water to a boil and then simmered until the chicken was cooked. Cut cooked chicken in bite sized pieces and add to the soup. Let simmer as long as needed without drying out and then add a generous amount of sharp cheddar cheese, 1/2 to 1 cup of freshly grated parmesan, and 3 or 8 ounces of cream cheese. Cook on low until desired consistency. I kept mine on a simmer mat to keep it hot and it did very well. Hint: I didn't like how little actual bites of broccoli were left by the time the cheese was added so I brought the chicken broth from cooking the chicken breasts to a boil, added a Dutch oven full of frozen broccoli and cooked for a few minutes at full boil. I lowered the heat to let it simmer until tender and then added the broccoli to the chowder.
Hit for all the ages here! Well, we didn't let little Hailey Hope try it (she is four months) but Caden Michael (two years old) all the way up to Nandy loved it. We ate it with the bread recipe below:
New Zealand Cheddar and Onion Scones
My changes: doubled all the ingredients and used whatever cheddar cheese I had in the fridge. I also shredded my butter for easier blending but won't be doing that again. For those in America, I found a place online to learn 50 grams of butter equals approximately 1/2 cup/1 stick. I also used 2 percent milk instead of whole since that is what I had. From the recipe on is from the blog it came from and has no notes from me.
Place in a large bowl
* 3 cups of flour
* 6 tspns baking powder
* 1/4 tspn of salt
* 50 grams of butter (chilled and cut into chunks)
Next rub the butter into the flour until it looks like fine crumbs; make sure there are no big chunks of butter left in the flour.
Add:
* one small brown onion chopped finely
* 1/2 cup strong cheddar
* 1-2 tspns parmesan cheese
* 1/2 tspn paprika
Stir through to mix
Add:
* 1 1/4 cup of whole milk (you can use 3/4 cup of milk and 1/2 cup of plain yogurt for a softer scone)
Stir with a knife - or metal spoon to just mix and no more - do not stir the heck out of it - resist the temptation.
It should look like this - a slightly sticky dough.
Place your dough on a floured bench and knead lightly, until it just comes together, flour your hands as much as needed.
Shape gently into a fat rectangle, with the dough about an inch thick - be gentle with the dough, just push it into position gently. You will notice I said gently three - err no 4 times in this little piece of instruction - that’s because I mean it!
Cut into rectangles. I like to make mine fairly large in size, I normally cut 12 or 16 scones. If you decide to cut them smaller, keep in mind they will not take as long to cook.
Place on an oven tray fairly close together, with a small gap between each one. You want to give them room to expand, but also close enough that they join together as they cook to force some height into the scone also. So roughly 1 cm or 1/4 inch. Sprinkle a little grated cheese on the top of each scone.
Bake in a 220 C or 428 F oven for 10-15 minutes. Every oven is different, so keep an eye on your scones and take them out when they are golden brown on the top and springy to the touch. You can cut one of the larger ones in half and take a peek if you are not sure. If you undercook your scones they will be doughy.
Serve while warm from the oven with butter and don’t feel the slightest bit guilty about eating several.
http://sundayhotpants.nocturne.net.nz/post/255359386/cheddar-scone-tutorial
2 chopped onions
4 garlic cloves (building up immune systems and this is a BIG pot of soup!)
Butter
Olive oil
Frozen broccoli
Chicken breasts
Flour
Salt, Pepper, Seasoning blends
Paprika
Sharp cheddar cheese
Cream Cheese
Parmesan Cheese
Drizzle olive oil into a stock pot and add a small amount of butter. Sautee' chopped onion in stock pot for a few minutes and then add grated/zested garlic cloves. Let cook for a few minutes and then sprinkle flour (just about any flour works) over the onions and stir. It should make a paste of sorts. Add a quart or two of chicken broth, a generous pouring in of milk, lots of frozen broccoli and all the seasonings. I put chicken breasts in a Dutch oven and partially covered them in water. Brought the water to a boil and then simmered until the chicken was cooked. Cut cooked chicken in bite sized pieces and add to the soup. Let simmer as long as needed without drying out and then add a generous amount of sharp cheddar cheese, 1/2 to 1 cup of freshly grated parmesan, and 3 or 8 ounces of cream cheese. Cook on low until desired consistency. I kept mine on a simmer mat to keep it hot and it did very well. Hint: I didn't like how little actual bites of broccoli were left by the time the cheese was added so I brought the chicken broth from cooking the chicken breasts to a boil, added a Dutch oven full of frozen broccoli and cooked for a few minutes at full boil. I lowered the heat to let it simmer until tender and then added the broccoli to the chowder.
Hit for all the ages here! Well, we didn't let little Hailey Hope try it (she is four months) but Caden Michael (two years old) all the way up to Nandy loved it. We ate it with the bread recipe below:
New Zealand Cheddar and Onion Scones
My changes: doubled all the ingredients and used whatever cheddar cheese I had in the fridge. I also shredded my butter for easier blending but won't be doing that again. For those in America, I found a place online to learn 50 grams of butter equals approximately 1/2 cup/1 stick. I also used 2 percent milk instead of whole since that is what I had. From the recipe on is from the blog it came from and has no notes from me.
Place in a large bowl
* 3 cups of flour
* 6 tspns baking powder
* 1/4 tspn of salt
* 50 grams of butter (chilled and cut into chunks)
Next rub the butter into the flour until it looks like fine crumbs; make sure there are no big chunks of butter left in the flour.
Add:
* one small brown onion chopped finely
* 1/2 cup strong cheddar
* 1-2 tspns parmesan cheese
* 1/2 tspn paprika
Stir through to mix
Add:
* 1 1/4 cup of whole milk (you can use 3/4 cup of milk and 1/2 cup of plain yogurt for a softer scone)
Stir with a knife - or metal spoon to just mix and no more - do not stir the heck out of it - resist the temptation.
It should look like this - a slightly sticky dough.
Place your dough on a floured bench and knead lightly, until it just comes together, flour your hands as much as needed.
Shape gently into a fat rectangle, with the dough about an inch thick - be gentle with the dough, just push it into position gently. You will notice I said gently three - err no 4 times in this little piece of instruction - that’s because I mean it!
Cut into rectangles. I like to make mine fairly large in size, I normally cut 12 or 16 scones. If you decide to cut them smaller, keep in mind they will not take as long to cook.
Place on an oven tray fairly close together, with a small gap between each one. You want to give them room to expand, but also close enough that they join together as they cook to force some height into the scone also. So roughly 1 cm or 1/4 inch. Sprinkle a little grated cheese on the top of each scone.
Bake in a 220 C or 428 F oven for 10-15 minutes. Every oven is different, so keep an eye on your scones and take them out when they are golden brown on the top and springy to the touch. You can cut one of the larger ones in half and take a peek if you are not sure. If you undercook your scones they will be doughy.
Serve while warm from the oven with butter and don’t feel the slightest bit guilty about eating several.
http://sundayhotpants.nocturne.net.nz/post/255359386/cheddar-scone-tutorial
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
2 Recipes: Muffins & Brownies
love my kitchen appliances and gadgets
I used my food processor for two great recipes recently. I got these from a cookbook my mom gave me a long time ago called: Food Processor Techniques by the Editors of Consumer Guide. ©1982
I think I might have already shared this recipe from our lunch here with Nana, Papa, & The Twins but I’m not sure. Papa and Summer could not get enough of these and we all loved them! The adults ate them along with steaming cups of coffee.
Oatmeal Buttermilk Muffins
Makes 1 dozen
1 cup (250 mL) uncooked quick oats
1 cup (250 mL) buttermilk
1 cup (250 mL) all-purpose flour
½ cup (125 mL) packed light brown sugar
1 ½ teaspoons (7 mL) baking powder
½ teaspoon (2 mL) baking soda
½ teaspoon (2 mL) salt
½ cup (125 mL) butter or margarine, melted and cooled to room temperature, or vegetable oil
1 egg
1. Combine oats and buttermilk in large mixing bowl; let stand 30 minutes.
2. Heat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C)
3. Insert steel blade. Measure flour, brown sugar, baking powder, soda and salt into work bowl; process, using on/off technique, until mixed.
4. Combine butter, egg, reserved oats and buttermilk; add to flour mixture in work bowl. Process, using on/off technique 5 or 6 times, just until flour is moistened; do not overprocess (batter should be lumpy).
5. Spoon into 12 greased muffin cups (cups should have 1/3 cup or 80 mL capacity), filling each cup about 2/3 full. Bake until golden and wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve hot.
Marbled Brownies
Makes 18 large brownies
1 package (8 ounces or 225g) cream cheese, at room temperature, cut into 4 pieces.
2 1/3 cups (580 mL) sugar
5 eggs
½ teaspoon (2 mL) vanilla
1 cup (250 mL) butter, at room temperature
1 cup (250 mL) unsweetened cocoa
1 ½ cups (375 mL) shelled walnuts (I used pecans)
1 cup (250 mL) all-purpose flour
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
2. Using steel blade, process cheese, 1/3 cup (80 mL) of the sugar, 1 of the eggs and the vanilla until smooth; remove from work bowl and reserve.
3. Using steel blade, process butter and remaining 2 cups (500 mL) sugar until light and fluffy. Add remaining 4 eggs to butter mixture; process until smooth. Add cocoa and nuts to butter mixture; process until nuts are coarsely chopped. Add flour to chocolate mixture ; process, using on/off technique, just until flour is moistened.
4. Spread half of the chocolate batter evenly in greased 13 X 9 X 2-inch (33 X 23 X 5 cm) baking pan. Spoon cream cheese mixture over chocolate layer; top with remaining chocolate batter. Swirl slightly with spoon or spatula. Bake until center is fork to the touch, 35 to 45 minutes. Cool brownies in pain on wire rack; cut into bars.
I used my food processor for two great recipes recently. I got these from a cookbook my mom gave me a long time ago called: Food Processor Techniques by the Editors of Consumer Guide. ©1982
I think I might have already shared this recipe from our lunch here with Nana, Papa, & The Twins but I’m not sure. Papa and Summer could not get enough of these and we all loved them! The adults ate them along with steaming cups of coffee.
Oatmeal Buttermilk Muffins
Makes 1 dozen
1 cup (250 mL) uncooked quick oats
1 cup (250 mL) buttermilk
1 cup (250 mL) all-purpose flour
½ cup (125 mL) packed light brown sugar
1 ½ teaspoons (7 mL) baking powder
½ teaspoon (2 mL) baking soda
½ teaspoon (2 mL) salt
½ cup (125 mL) butter or margarine, melted and cooled to room temperature, or vegetable oil
1 egg
1. Combine oats and buttermilk in large mixing bowl; let stand 30 minutes.
2. Heat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C)
3. Insert steel blade. Measure flour, brown sugar, baking powder, soda and salt into work bowl; process, using on/off technique, until mixed.
4. Combine butter, egg, reserved oats and buttermilk; add to flour mixture in work bowl. Process, using on/off technique 5 or 6 times, just until flour is moistened; do not overprocess (batter should be lumpy).
5. Spoon into 12 greased muffin cups (cups should have 1/3 cup or 80 mL capacity), filling each cup about 2/3 full. Bake until golden and wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve hot.
Marbled Brownies
Makes 18 large brownies
1 package (8 ounces or 225g) cream cheese, at room temperature, cut into 4 pieces.
2 1/3 cups (580 mL) sugar
5 eggs
½ teaspoon (2 mL) vanilla
1 cup (250 mL) butter, at room temperature
1 cup (250 mL) unsweetened cocoa
1 ½ cups (375 mL) shelled walnuts (I used pecans)
1 cup (250 mL) all-purpose flour
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
2. Using steel blade, process cheese, 1/3 cup (80 mL) of the sugar, 1 of the eggs and the vanilla until smooth; remove from work bowl and reserve.
3. Using steel blade, process butter and remaining 2 cups (500 mL) sugar until light and fluffy. Add remaining 4 eggs to butter mixture; process until smooth. Add cocoa and nuts to butter mixture; process until nuts are coarsely chopped. Add flour to chocolate mixture ; process, using on/off technique, just until flour is moistened.
4. Spread half of the chocolate batter evenly in greased 13 X 9 X 2-inch (33 X 23 X 5 cm) baking pan. Spoon cream cheese mixture over chocolate layer; top with remaining chocolate batter. Swirl slightly with spoon or spatula. Bake until center is fork to the touch, 35 to 45 minutes. Cool brownies in pain on wire rack; cut into bars.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
A Humble & Southern Brunch
Papa and Nana visited with our three year old nephew, Konnor yesterday and it was our oldest son’s birthday. He, his wife, Brandy and our three grandlittles were here and my husband was home along with the girls (15 year old daughter and niece) AND our college “kid”, Matthew (wink) was here. . . so a nice gathering. One son (Brandon) wasn’t here because he was on a 24 hour shift at the fire department and his wife was 45 minutes away and our youngest son was still in school. We gather when we can and with who we can around this little homestead.
Onto the food:
I have been eating grits from the time I first started eating, I guess. I just know that I don’t know a time when I didn’t and I grew up in the south (with the exception of six years in a northern state) and grits here are as common as bread anywhere else.
I’ve made all kinds --- from instant, flavored packets to the kind you must slowly cook for 30-45 minutes. As is the case with most things, the longer it takes to cook the better it is. Still, I don’t easily find stone ground grits or those taking longer than five minutes other than traveling one to six hours away or ordering online at: http://www.noramill.com/store/index.php?cPath=48.
Of course, when I order there, I end up wanting to add things like whole bags of poppy seeds since I go through the small containers in the store in no time. I could fill a whole shopping cart with the baking blends, varieties of grits, flax seeds, pioneer porridge (our favorite of all!) and on and on the list tarries.
Meanwhile, I make do with Jim Dandy’s 5-Minute grits and have developed a small following of fans. Smile.
My DIL, Laura, went on and on about the last grits we made and this time, everyone who ate them did the same! We cleared out all eight servings along with 1 ½ dozen eggs, two loaves of bread and two sticks of butter. We did have a total of 14 people so I am surprised it wasn’t more than that. We are used to big meals though. We serve anywhere from five to 25 at a time. Smiles.
My husband says the grits I made yesterday were beautiful and delicious and I believe they are the best I’ve ever made. I started making grits when I was a teenager and always added butter and American or cheddar cheese. I quit eating American cheese along the way and would just stir in mounds of grated cheddar. Now, I make it however we are in the mood for per meal!
The usual is grated, sliced or broken pieces (sounds strange but gives a delicious bite of cheese every so often and is well loved around here) of sharp cheddar cheese or aged, white cheddar.
We add in whatever we want and the blog post I got the latest (and best) recipe from shares a whole list of delicious, add-in ideas.
I’ll add my notes in asterisks. Brandy, Nana, and I served these grits with softly scrambled eggs, toast made in the toaster oven with real butter and topped with blackberry, seedless jam. There was also a mound of bacon for all our pork eaters to devour and I ended up eating a few bites myself. The adults had steaming hot coffee with this meal and it was comforting on a cold day.
Lauren and Sierrah deserve a thanks for helping with the dishes and children!
The Perfect Grits (shared as taken from blog and the ONLY things I share from here to the end will be put in asterisks. Everything else is the recipe sharer’s notes*
Yield: 4 servings *I made 8 servings*
Photos by Katharine Shilcutt
For your basic grits, you'll need only five ingredients: water, cream, butter, salt and the grits themselves.
Use good butter. This can't be stressed enough. Do not use margarine. Do not use "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter." Do not use butter that's been sitting in the fridge uncovered for weeks, soaking up odors and flavors. Do not use unsalted butter. With only five ingredients, you will be able to taste the nasty, disgusting fake butter you inadvisedly used in the grits, and you will be sorry.
Bring two cups of water and one cup of cream to a boil. I recommend heavy whipping cream, but if you're trying to be more health-conscious, you can use skim milk instead. Either way, don't use all water when trying to make grits -- you need a dairy component.
*I used skim milk mixed with half-n-half --- the closest thing I had to heavy cream!)*
Gently add one cup of grits and one tablespoon of kosher salt to the boiling water. Don't reduce the heat immediately, but allow the grits to continue boiling while you stir constantly.
After two minutes, reduce heat to medium-low and continue to stir. Just like risotto, the secret to great grits is plenty of stirring. Don't forget to scrape the bottom and sides.
After five to seven minutes, your grits should reach a thick but still creamy consistency (dripping gently off the spoon but not too easily).
*At this point, I added a drizzle of melted bacon grease to the grits since this is the way many southern grandmothers did it!*
Remove from the heat, plate and serve immediately. Cold grits are horrid. Garnish with a single pat of butter and enjoy.
*I added butter taken from a fluffy nest by shaving the stick on a zester. Tip and trick from my mother (Nana) who did this for us.*
If you're feeling more adventurous, I would suggest the following twists that will transform your simple bowl of grits into a stunning centerpiece. All of these ingredients should be cooked/prepared prior to making your grits and added near the very end of cooking.
• Chopped bacon, green onions, shredded white cheddar and minced jalapenos
• Crumbled sausage (I prefer spicy Jimmy Dean) and maple syrup
• Raisins, dates, dried cranberries, walnuts, a few dashes of sugar and a splash of cream
• Peeled shrimp, scallions and parmesan cheese
• Shredded cheese of any variety, a dash of paprika and a few generous dashes of garlic powder
It's nearly impossible to go wrong with a base of perfectly-cooked grits. Go wild and let us know your favorite grits recipes in the comments section below.
http://blogs.houstonpress.com/eating/2009/10/how_to_make_the_perfect_grits.php#
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Muffins & More
We've baked a lot of muffins. I love my Pampered Chef muffin stone and I use it every chance I get. I went for years avoiding muffins and cupcakes because they would stick and take forever to clean. I endlessly ran out of muffin liners or I could have solved a lot of the problem with those.
Anyway, the girls REALLY love the little bagged mixed of muffins you get for around 88 cents each. I buy them occasionally as treats but usually convince them to let me make from scratch because they are healthier. I have to admit though --- the mix with a partial cup of milk, stir, pour and bake versions are a dream on busy mornings and days.
The entire house fills up with a fresh baked goodness and everyone coming in wants to grab a muffin or two.
Guess what?!
Now, the mixes come with whole grain versions! We tried the whole grain blueberry and they were tasty. Not much quite beats the regular strawberry cheesecake though;)
I made two or three (I have forgotten count) batches of various blueberry muffins using frozen blueberries. Loved these and they are wonderful bagged up and carried for snacks, meals on the go, for treats while waiting for long periods in the car and more. I made corn muffins not long ago that turned out a lot sweeter than I'm used to. We ended up in a traffic jam that made our 40 minute trip into 2 hours! Good news? I had a bag of these muffins and some bottled water to pass away the time with!
The other thing warming up the kitchen and sending an alluring fresh baked aroma all the way to the yard from the windows is homemade bread.
I'm trying to find a light, fluffy, soft, and airy roll recipe I made a long time ago. I had a lot going on so I don't know where I left the recipe but we are still on our mission to find the right one.
Meanwhile . . . .
This was okay:
Virginia Clise Bread
INGREDIENTS:
3 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
1/2 cup sugar
6 cups warm water 1 cup shortening, melted
2 teaspoons salt
5 pounds all-purpose flour
DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large bowl, stir yeast into 1 cup warm water to dissolve. Stir in 1/4 cup sugar. In a separate large bowl, stir salt into 5 cups warm water to dissolve; stir in shortening and remaining 1/4 cup sugar. After yeast foams, stir salt mixture into yeast mixture.
2. Mix in the 1/2 of the flour, and then mix in remaining flour 2 cups at a time, beating well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic.
3. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl, and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
4. Form the dough into approximately 30 to 40 rounds. Place on lightly greased baking sheets. Cover the rolls with a damp cloth, and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
5. Bake rolls in preheated oven 15 to 20 minutes, or until brown. Serve warm.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2009 Allrecipes.com Printed from Allrecipes.com 11/2/2009
This one better:
http://www.ourbestbites.com/2008/03/rolls-and-orange-rolls.html
World's Best Rolls
2 c. whole milk (if you're in a pinch, you can use 2%, but whole is best. Don't use 1% or skim)
½ c. + 1 Tbsp. sugar, divided
1/3 c. (5 1/3 Tbsp.) butter
2 tsp. Kosher salt
2 pkgs. active dry yeast (or 4 1/2 tsp.), preferably bread machine yeast
2/3 c. warm (105-115-degree) water
8-9 c. all-purpose flour
3 beaten eggs
Combine milk, 1/2 c. sugar, butter, and salt in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat until butter melts. It's salty. It's sweet. Yum.
Remove from heat. Allow to cool to lukewarm. I usually rub some ice cubes along the sides of the pan or pop the entire pan in a sink full of ice cubes to cool the mixture down because this step can take forever. This step is really important because if the mixture is too hot, it will kill the yeast.
While the milk mixture is cooling, dissolve the yeast and 1 Tbsp. sugar in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes. If the yeast hasn't bubbled, you'll need to repeat this step--moving on with yeast that hasn't been activated properly will only end in heartache for you and hate mail for us.
In a large mixing bowl, combine 3 c. flour and milk mixture. Beat on low for 30 seconds, scraping sides of bowl constantly. Add yeast mixture and beat on high for 3 minutes.
Add beaten eggs. Why should you beat your eggs first? Same reason you should combine your dry ingredients before adding them to moist ingredients when making cookies and cakes--it ensures everything is well-mixed and can be evenly-distributed through your dough or batter. If you add the whole eggs, your dough may not be as consistent.
Stir in as much remaining flour as needed to make a soft dough. This dough should be very soft--it will be coming away from the sides of the bowl, but it will still stick to your finger when you touch it. Don't worry, it will firm up during the rising process. Part of what makes these rolls so good is that they're so soft and light; if you add too much flour, they will be heavy and dense. Place the bowl in a warm place and cover with a clean towel; allow to rise 1 hour.
Punch down dough. Lightly flour your work surface and turn dough out onto surface. Divide in half.
Spray 2 9x13 glass pans with cooking spray. Roll first portion of dough into a rectangle and then cut it into 12 equal-sized pieces. I like to use a pizza cutter because it has a blade on each side, so it cuts right through dough without sticking to the blade. This dough should be very easy to work with, almost like playdough. Shape each piece into a ball and place in prepared pan. Repeat with remaining dough in the second pan. Cover with a clean cloth and allow to rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes. When dough has about 15-20 minutes to go (depending on your oven), preheat oven to 375.
Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden-brown. When done, remove from oven. Rub a stick of cold butter over the tops of the rolls. You must now eat one. Now. While it's hot. Then pop the rest into a bowl and no one will ever know that you cheated.
P.S. Using this filling or these fillings, this dough makes fabulous cinnamon or orange rolls. Just bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Monday Night Meal @ Michael's
Mark 8
1 In those days, when there was again a large crowd and they had nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples and said to them, 2 "I feel compassion for the people because they have remained with Me now three days and have nothing to eat.
3 "If I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way; and some of them have come from a great distance."
4 And His disciples answered Him, "Where will anyone be able to find enough bread here in this desolate place to satisfy these people?"
5 And He was asking them, "How many loaves do you have?" And they said, "Seven."
6 And He directed the people to sit down on the ground; and taking the seven loaves, He gave thanks and broke them, and started giving them to His disciples to serve to them, and they served them to the people.
7 They also had a few small fish; and after He had blessed them, He ordered these to be served as well.
8 And they ate and were satisfied; and they picked up seven large baskets full of what was left over of the broken pieces.
9 About four thousand were there; and He sent them away.
God provides!
Grocery budgets are very low, pantries are found with more and more shelf space and time has been a huge issue in our kitchen. Even so, when we call on GOD for our supply, He answers.
Last night’s dinner proved this.
We had toasted turkey and cheese sandwiches (darling little toaster oven friend again) and served them with homemade brownies (not so great) and pickled okra. Some of us enjoyed pickled peppers with ours. ;)
We went to our oldest son’s house and shared some time watching “The Office” shows on demand and bouncing the little ones from one lap to another. It was a nice evening --- even if we did get back home late for a school night --- and everyone had plenty to eat.
We didn’t care for these brownies. They have very high ratings on allrecipes but I don’t plan on making them again.
There are three reasons I can guess at what could have made these be such a waste of ingredients:
1. I used half sucanat and half brown sugar in place of the white sugar because I was out. I do this all the time and rarely see a significant difference. Some of the reviewers did this anyway with white and brown sugar so I tried it. Could have contributed to a change in ingredient balance and made them dry.
2. I think an entire cup of cocoa powder for one pan of brownies is just too much. I love cocoa powder, love rich, rich chocolate desserts and this just seemed a little much.
3. I cooked them 35 minutes and think it could have made a difference to bake for 30 or maybe less.
Brooke's Best Bombshell Brownies
Ingredients:
1 cup butter, melted
3 cups white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 eggs 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish.
2. Combine the melted butter, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each, until thoroughly blended.
3. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Gradually stir the flour mixture into the chocolate mixture until blended. Stir in the chocolate morsels. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking dish.
4. Bake in preheated oven until an inserted toothpick comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove, and cool pan on wire rack before cutting.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2009 Allrecipes.com Printed from Allrecipes.com 10/20/2009
1 In those days, when there was again a large crowd and they had nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples and said to them, 2 "I feel compassion for the people because they have remained with Me now three days and have nothing to eat.
3 "If I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way; and some of them have come from a great distance."
4 And His disciples answered Him, "Where will anyone be able to find enough bread here in this desolate place to satisfy these people?"
5 And He was asking them, "How many loaves do you have?" And they said, "Seven."
6 And He directed the people to sit down on the ground; and taking the seven loaves, He gave thanks and broke them, and started giving them to His disciples to serve to them, and they served them to the people.
7 They also had a few small fish; and after He had blessed them, He ordered these to be served as well.
8 And they ate and were satisfied; and they picked up seven large baskets full of what was left over of the broken pieces.
9 About four thousand were there; and He sent them away.
God provides!
Grocery budgets are very low, pantries are found with more and more shelf space and time has been a huge issue in our kitchen. Even so, when we call on GOD for our supply, He answers.
Last night’s dinner proved this.
We had toasted turkey and cheese sandwiches (darling little toaster oven friend again) and served them with homemade brownies (not so great) and pickled okra. Some of us enjoyed pickled peppers with ours. ;)
We went to our oldest son’s house and shared some time watching “The Office” shows on demand and bouncing the little ones from one lap to another. It was a nice evening --- even if we did get back home late for a school night --- and everyone had plenty to eat.
We didn’t care for these brownies. They have very high ratings on allrecipes but I don’t plan on making them again.
There are three reasons I can guess at what could have made these be such a waste of ingredients:
1. I used half sucanat and half brown sugar in place of the white sugar because I was out. I do this all the time and rarely see a significant difference. Some of the reviewers did this anyway with white and brown sugar so I tried it. Could have contributed to a change in ingredient balance and made them dry.
2. I think an entire cup of cocoa powder for one pan of brownies is just too much. I love cocoa powder, love rich, rich chocolate desserts and this just seemed a little much.
3. I cooked them 35 minutes and think it could have made a difference to bake for 30 or maybe less.
Brooke's Best Bombshell Brownies
Ingredients:
1 cup butter, melted
3 cups white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 eggs 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish.
2. Combine the melted butter, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each, until thoroughly blended.
3. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Gradually stir the flour mixture into the chocolate mixture until blended. Stir in the chocolate morsels. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking dish.
4. Bake in preheated oven until an inserted toothpick comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove, and cool pan on wire rack before cutting.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2009 Allrecipes.com Printed from Allrecipes.com 10/20/2009
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Focused Homemaking
This is so good!
I read it awhile back and was going to gather notes to go with it but there really isn’t need.
It is a lovely call out to homemakers in my opinion.
We care for and we carry, we clean, cook, organize, plan, and many other things every day.
In whatever form we do it, we must see it as our calling and manage it accordingly.
Here is Matthew Henry’s Commentary on Proverbs (certain places in Proverbs from what I can tell by my not-so-neat notes. Also, I will include my notes in brackets from here on out).
Pro 27:23-27
Here is, I. A command given us to be diligent in our callings.
It is directed to husbandmen and shepherds, and those that deal in cattle, but it is to be extended to all other lawful callings; whatever our business is, within doors or without, we must apply our minds to it.
This command intimates,
1. That we ought to have some business to do in this world and not to live in idleness.
2. We ought rightly and fully to understand our business, and know what we have to do, and not meddle with that which we do not understand.
{We should learn what is important in running our homes, know what WE need to do to accomplish those things. I don't think the not meddling with what we don't understand should imply we shouldn't learn more than homemaking. I think it means we need to do our best to learn all we can about what we are called to do and on anything God gives us interest in to learn. If there are things we have no desire to learn in or force ourselves to know about and we are trying to do that just because we feel we "should" ... it becomes a waste of time. If we have an interest in learning something... no matter how complex it is or how much we don't understand it... we can learn it and the Holy Spirit will teach us.}
3. We ought to have an eye to it ourselves, and not turn over all the care of it to others. We should, with our own eyes, inspect the state of our flocks, it is the master's eye that makes them fat.
{We should be the overseers of our households. We should know it better than anyone and we should not turn the entire care of running our homes over to others. We should be involved with it at all the main levels. We need to delegate, train and teach ... certainly. We also need to check and inspect and have a handle on what we assign for others. }
4. We must be discreet and considerate in the management of our business, know the state of things, and look well to them, that nothing may be lost, no opportunity let slip, but every thing done in proper time and order, and so as to turn to the best advantage.
{Looking well to the ways of our households. This is what I always fall short from but aspire to ANYway! To know the state of things from my home, the building... to all the goings on in it. We want to be organized enough so we are prepared for blessings, God's service and every other opportunity He gifts us with. We need plans for meals, shopping, house cleaning, serving others and so much more to keep everything running smoothly.}
5. We must be diligent and take pains; not only sit down and contrive, but be up and doing: “Set thy heart to thy herds, as one in care; lay thy hands, lay thy bones, to thy business.”
{We need to keep busy. Keep at it. There are times for rest, yes! We all need rest and we have one day a week God even instructs us to take specifically for that rest. In the meanwhile? There is work to be done! We are wise to set our hearts to this and lots will be kept on track this way.}
A few more notes from the same commentary I just couldn't not share:
The profit of good husbandry in a family:
“Keep thy sheep, and thy sheep will help to keep thee; thou shalt have food for thy children and servants, goats' milk enough (Pro_27:27); and enough is as good as a feast.
Thou shalt have raiment likewise: the lambs' wool shall be for thy clothing.
Thou shalt have money to pay thy rent; the goats thou shalt have to sell shall be the price of thy field;” nay, as some understand it, “Thou shalt become a purchaser, and buy land to leave to thy children,” (Pro_27:26).
Note,
(1.) If we have food and raiment, and wherewithal to give every body his own, we have enough, and ought to be not only content, but thankful.
(2.) Masters of families must provide not only for themselves, but for their families, and see that their servants have a fitting maintenance.
(3.) Plain food and plain clothing, if they be but competent, are all we should aim at. “Reckon thyself well done to if thou be clothed with home-spun cloth with the fleece of thy own lambs, and fed with goats' milk; let that serve for thy food which serves for the food of thy household and the maintenance of thy maidens. Be not desirous of dainties, far-fetched and dear-bought.”
(4.) This should encourage us to be careful and industrious about our business, that that will bring in a sufficient maintenance for our families; we shall eat the labour of our hands.
{I will now leave the computer for a bit to finish up my laundry, check the work I gave the girls' earlier and pull out our food for dinner prep tonight!}
I read it awhile back and was going to gather notes to go with it but there really isn’t need.
It is a lovely call out to homemakers in my opinion.
We care for and we carry, we clean, cook, organize, plan, and many other things every day.
In whatever form we do it, we must see it as our calling and manage it accordingly.
Here is Matthew Henry’s Commentary on Proverbs (certain places in Proverbs from what I can tell by my not-so-neat notes. Also, I will include my notes in brackets from here on out).
Pro 27:23-27
Here is, I. A command given us to be diligent in our callings.
It is directed to husbandmen and shepherds, and those that deal in cattle, but it is to be extended to all other lawful callings; whatever our business is, within doors or without, we must apply our minds to it.
This command intimates,
1. That we ought to have some business to do in this world and not to live in idleness.
2. We ought rightly and fully to understand our business, and know what we have to do, and not meddle with that which we do not understand.
{We should learn what is important in running our homes, know what WE need to do to accomplish those things. I don't think the not meddling with what we don't understand should imply we shouldn't learn more than homemaking. I think it means we need to do our best to learn all we can about what we are called to do and on anything God gives us interest in to learn. If there are things we have no desire to learn in or force ourselves to know about and we are trying to do that just because we feel we "should" ... it becomes a waste of time. If we have an interest in learning something... no matter how complex it is or how much we don't understand it... we can learn it and the Holy Spirit will teach us.}
3. We ought to have an eye to it ourselves, and not turn over all the care of it to others. We should, with our own eyes, inspect the state of our flocks, it is the master's eye that makes them fat.
{We should be the overseers of our households. We should know it better than anyone and we should not turn the entire care of running our homes over to others. We should be involved with it at all the main levels. We need to delegate, train and teach ... certainly. We also need to check and inspect and have a handle on what we assign for others. }
4. We must be discreet and considerate in the management of our business, know the state of things, and look well to them, that nothing may be lost, no opportunity let slip, but every thing done in proper time and order, and so as to turn to the best advantage.
{Looking well to the ways of our households. This is what I always fall short from but aspire to ANYway! To know the state of things from my home, the building... to all the goings on in it. We want to be organized enough so we are prepared for blessings, God's service and every other opportunity He gifts us with. We need plans for meals, shopping, house cleaning, serving others and so much more to keep everything running smoothly.}
5. We must be diligent and take pains; not only sit down and contrive, but be up and doing: “Set thy heart to thy herds, as one in care; lay thy hands, lay thy bones, to thy business.”
{We need to keep busy. Keep at it. There are times for rest, yes! We all need rest and we have one day a week God even instructs us to take specifically for that rest. In the meanwhile? There is work to be done! We are wise to set our hearts to this and lots will be kept on track this way.}
A few more notes from the same commentary I just couldn't not share:
The profit of good husbandry in a family:
“Keep thy sheep, and thy sheep will help to keep thee; thou shalt have food for thy children and servants, goats' milk enough (Pro_27:27); and enough is as good as a feast.
Thou shalt have raiment likewise: the lambs' wool shall be for thy clothing.
Thou shalt have money to pay thy rent; the goats thou shalt have to sell shall be the price of thy field;” nay, as some understand it, “Thou shalt become a purchaser, and buy land to leave to thy children,” (Pro_27:26).
Note,
(1.) If we have food and raiment, and wherewithal to give every body his own, we have enough, and ought to be not only content, but thankful.
(2.) Masters of families must provide not only for themselves, but for their families, and see that their servants have a fitting maintenance.
(3.) Plain food and plain clothing, if they be but competent, are all we should aim at. “Reckon thyself well done to if thou be clothed with home-spun cloth with the fleece of thy own lambs, and fed with goats' milk; let that serve for thy food which serves for the food of thy household and the maintenance of thy maidens. Be not desirous of dainties, far-fetched and dear-bought.”
(4.) This should encourage us to be careful and industrious about our business, that that will bring in a sufficient maintenance for our families; we shall eat the labour of our hands.
{I will now leave the computer for a bit to finish up my laundry, check the work I gave the girls' earlier and pull out our food for dinner prep tonight!}
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)