Unless you have a backyard chicken coop and plenty of eggs this tip will save you money.
Instead of using eggs in a recipe, I substitute 1 TBL cornstarch and 3 TBL water per egg. To date I have made several different kinds of cookies, pancakes, and muffins, all calling for anywhere between 2-8 eggs, with no detectable difference!!
I buy our cornstarch by the 5 pound bag at our local Cash and Carry. Last time I was there (APR 2011), I paid $4.40 for the bag.
Try it and be sure to post a comment on how it worked with your baked goodie!!
Friday, June 3, 2011
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Simple way to feed our crew!
Do you ever get overwhelmed planning, preparing and cleaning up meal after meal?? Well I did too until I discovered MEGA COOKING! What is mega cooking? Instead of making one lasagna or one pot of soup, make 2, 3 or even more! I regularly make a huge 20 quart stock pot of our favorite soups and freeze the extra in 1 quart portions. That way, not only is tonight's dinner taken care of, but I usually get 8+ more dinners stashed away in the freezer.
One of our favorite meals is refried beans, tortillas, and all the toppings that go with. Refried beans are spendy if you buy them in the can at the store so I found a way to make them in bulk for a fraction of the cost.
I usually end up with 11-12 quarts of refried beans using this simple recipe.
Refried Beans
16 cups dry pinto beans
2 1/2 gallons water
2 cups butter
salt
I dump the pinto beans and water in our 23 quart pressure canner add the lid, the weight and set it on the stove. I turn the burner on to high and wait for it to come to 15 pounds pressure. Then I turn it down. You will want the pressure gauge to stay at 15 pounds pressure so adjust the heat as needed to keep the gauge steady. Set the timer for 30 minutes. When the 30 minutes is up, turn off the burner and let the canner cool NATURALLY. This will take about 45 minutes.
When your canner dial is at 0 and the vent pipe has gone down it is safe to open the lid. At this point I have my Hamilton Beach 10 cup capacity food processor ready along with the butter and salt. Using a ladle, ladle the hot beans into your food processor along with about 1/4 cup butter and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Put the lid on and blend until smooth. Dump the hot refried beans into a large stockpot or mixing bowl. Continue until you've finished all the beans in the canner. I freeze the refried beans in 1 quart containers.
One of our favorite meals is refried beans, tortillas, and all the toppings that go with. Refried beans are spendy if you buy them in the can at the store so I found a way to make them in bulk for a fraction of the cost.
I usually end up with 11-12 quarts of refried beans using this simple recipe.
Refried Beans
16 cups dry pinto beans
2 1/2 gallons water
2 cups butter
salt
I dump the pinto beans and water in our 23 quart pressure canner add the lid, the weight and set it on the stove. I turn the burner on to high and wait for it to come to 15 pounds pressure. Then I turn it down. You will want the pressure gauge to stay at 15 pounds pressure so adjust the heat as needed to keep the gauge steady. Set the timer for 30 minutes. When the 30 minutes is up, turn off the burner and let the canner cool NATURALLY. This will take about 45 minutes.
When your canner dial is at 0 and the vent pipe has gone down it is safe to open the lid. At this point I have my Hamilton Beach 10 cup capacity food processor ready along with the butter and salt. Using a ladle, ladle the hot beans into your food processor along with about 1/4 cup butter and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Put the lid on and blend until smooth. Dump the hot refried beans into a large stockpot or mixing bowl. Continue until you've finished all the beans in the canner. I freeze the refried beans in 1 quart containers.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Welcome to my kitchen!
I decided to start a blog of my journey in creating simple, nutritious and fast meals for my family of 10. Yes, I really do have 8 children and they are 9 and under so getting healthy meals on the table in a timely fashion is a must. Plus, I really don't have unlimited amounts of time I can spend in the kitchen. So, join me as I travel this road of frugal and simple living!
I hope to share a couple recipes a week and then maybe down the road share both weekly and monthly menus that our family enjoys.
To start with, I'll share our favorite bread recipe.
Whole Wheat Bread
2 cups hot water (100-115 degrees Fahrenheit works well)
2 Tablespoons yeast
4 Tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
5 cups whole wheat flour (I grind my own HARD WHITE wheat)
Combine hot water, yeast and sugar. Mix well and let sit until foamy and doubled. Add olive oil and salt; mix well. Slowly add flour and mix until you have added all the flour. Dump onto a lightly floured surface and knead 5 to 10 minutes; adding small amounts of flour if needed. You don't want it to be really sticky but you also don't want it to be stiff. Once you have kneaded it for 5-10 minutes let it sit and raise until doubled. I just leave it on the table to raise. Once it has doubled, punch it down and knead it for a minute to let out most of the air bubbles. Divide the dough in two and form loaves. Place loaves into 2 lightly buttered bread pans and let raise again until the tops rise 1" above the top of the bread pans. Bake at 350 F for 26 minutes. Let cool a couple minutes before eating.
I hope to share a couple recipes a week and then maybe down the road share both weekly and monthly menus that our family enjoys.
To start with, I'll share our favorite bread recipe.
Whole Wheat Bread
2 cups hot water (100-115 degrees Fahrenheit works well)
2 Tablespoons yeast
4 Tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
5 cups whole wheat flour (I grind my own HARD WHITE wheat)
Combine hot water, yeast and sugar. Mix well and let sit until foamy and doubled. Add olive oil and salt; mix well. Slowly add flour and mix until you have added all the flour. Dump onto a lightly floured surface and knead 5 to 10 minutes; adding small amounts of flour if needed. You don't want it to be really sticky but you also don't want it to be stiff. Once you have kneaded it for 5-10 minutes let it sit and raise until doubled. I just leave it on the table to raise. Once it has doubled, punch it down and knead it for a minute to let out most of the air bubbles. Divide the dough in two and form loaves. Place loaves into 2 lightly buttered bread pans and let raise again until the tops rise 1" above the top of the bread pans. Bake at 350 F for 26 minutes. Let cool a couple minutes before eating.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)