How To Tuesday: Peel a Hard Boiled Egg

Today's post goes out to my amazingly supportive and inspiring brother. Today is his birthday and surprisingly last night he sent me an email and all it consisted of was a link and the words: "I HAVE NO EGGS ... YOU HAVE TO TRY THIS NOW !!"

Obviously intrigued I clicked the link to find this:
http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to-peel-hard-boiled-egg-cool-way-0130102/

Yes - ridiculous right?!

So in the midst of the kids going crazy yesterday, my son teething and me thinking I'd get loads done during "nap time" only to realize the kids had a different plan in store for momma, I didn't get to try this as my brother so eagerly insisted I do.

BUT! - This morning, awe yes, This Morning! I tried the "cool-way" of peeling a hard boiled egg, and IT WORKS! It literally works.

I do have to add my two cents though about the "cool-way"

*Not necessarily sanitary if you are making egg salad sandwiches for guests, seeing as the only way it worked for me was when my lips were actually touching the egg.

*It worked for most of my eggs but not all. When I peeled them on previous occasions the "boring way" I found that the higher quality eggs peeled better than the store brand - so I would assume that if you want to be successful in every "cool way" of peeling you'd better buy the name brand eggs

*In the video he suggests putting salt in the water, which I forgot to do and was still successful - yet not with each one, so maybe if I had followed the directions properly I would have been successful with every egg.

*With the "cool" method shown in the video I DID however have smoothly peeled eggs for each of my eggs, even if they didn't "blow out" perfectly, so in that regards this method is a huge success seeing as how when I peel my store brand eggs I sometimes take a chunk of egg white out.

So here's my conclusion.

If you are a 23 year old bachelor, who is on the run, looking for a technique for shaving about 5 seconds off of the usual time of peeling and egg - THEN THIS METHOD IS FOR YOU!

THE COOL WAY!

Happy Birthday Little Bro!

**If you're looking to hard boil an egg - see my tutorial here

How To Tuesday: Clean the Inside of Your Microwave

Happy Tuesday Everyone. As you can tell from the lack of How-To Tuesdays, Wahoo Wednesdays & Thankful Thursdays this little lady on the other side of these blogs has been a little disconnected from Honey Crust this past month. It honestly feels like longer, as I have been missing my moments each week with all of you, but here I am and will be having plenty of exciting news coming up. But for the moment, lets focus on our favorite How-To Tuesdays and dive right back in to the spin of things.

My brother has been visiting and helping out with the kids, which I appreciate more than he even knows but the true gem of his stay was when he decided to chime in and help out with my blog for today. Since I've been a bit out of touch with my blogging brain I was feeling a bit stumped with what to share with you all today, until I voiced it out loud -- "Hmm, what should my blog be about today" I mumbled under my breath, with the ultimate intention of having someone in the room acknowledge me. "What's your topic?" my husband asks. So I explain to him that today is a "How-To" for helpful tips in the kitchen. To my utter disbelief, my brother - bachelor pad, living the guys life, brother of mine says, "How about how you clean your microwave with just a bowl of water." 

What?

Just a bowl of water? And how does HE know this? 


Apparently after 6 years of living with my husband, priding myself on little "tricks of the trade" no body informed me of this little, lets just microwave a bowl of water and vwa-la - clean microwave! No. For years I have been using Windex or a scrub brush, dreading the dried splatters of spaghetti sauce and refried beans, scolding myself with remarks of "Why didn't you just wipe this up when it initially happened? Would have come right up THEN!"

So this blog is dedicated to all you out there that don't take that extra second to wipe up your splattered mess, don't have a splatter shield, or who have spent countless (dreaded) afternoons with your head arched inside this little microwave box.




Fill a microwave safe glass bowl or measuring glass with water. Mine was about a cup and a half to two cups. Microwave on high for 4-5 minutes. (if your microwave is a high powered one you may need less time). The water will essentially steam clean the inside of your microwave. Carefully remove glass dish and wipe clean with a cloth or paper towel. And that my friend is how you clean the inside of a microwave - you're welcome :) 

How To Tuesday: Make delicious Snicker Fudge

8 pounds.

8 pounds of flour?


8 pounds of sugar?

Nope! 8 pounds! 8 pounds of baby weight - GONE - See ya! Can you believe it? I am so happy with my new choices and ways of eating. Not only is it so yummy and delicious, but it gives me the energy I need to run around with the kiddos and be the best wife I can to my hubby. And the best part about it is....wait for it...I still get a "cheat day" once a week. Which is completely awesome for all of you, seeing as how I'm sure you've been dying for a dessert recipe. Well, have I got one for you. But before I start, I've just got to continue tooting my own horn and say that when I made this recipe over the weekend I didn't even sample it, didn't lick the spoon, didn't sneak a chocolate chip, nothing. I was a good little dieter and waited until Sunday to sample and oh my word was it delicious! I did though have my husband, brother and neighbor (all seasoned snicker lovers) be my taste testers on Saturday and they all approved! Yeah boys!

Here we go with my new recipe:

Open Faced Snicker Fudge



Ingredients:
1 bag semi sweet chocolate chips (12 oz)
1/2 cup butterscotch chips
2/3 cups creamy peanut butter (separated)
6 Tablespoons butter
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1 Jar Marshmallow Cream (7 oz)
1 cup salted peanuts (chopped)
1 bag caramel candies (14 oz)

Prepare a 9x13 inch dish by lining the bottom with aluminum foil. Next spray the aluminum foil with cooking spray and set aside.

In a microwave safe bowl, melt together chocolate chips, butterscotch chips and 1/3 cup peanut butter. Place in microwave for 1 minute, then stir. Continue to microwave for 45 seconds at a time, stirring after each until completely melted. Next, pour into the bottom of your prepared pan and spread smooth. Place in your refrigerator to cool and set.

While chocolate layer is cooling, heat butter in a sauce pan. Once melted add sugar, brown sugar and evaporated milk. Bring to a boil stirring consistently. Allow to boil for 5 minutes as you continue to stir. After 5 minutes are up, remove from heat and add marshmallow fluff, remaining 1/3 cup peanut butter and chopped peanuts.

Remove chocolate from refrigerator and pour marshmallow layer on top. You need to do this quickly so you don't heat the chocolate layer too much, causing it to melt. What I found to be helpful is if I lightly dampen my spatula with water, it helped smooth out the marshmallow layer on top of the chocolate. Once smooth, return to refrigerator.

Next, unwrap each caramel and place in microwave safe bowl. Add one tablespoon of water and then microwave like you did the chocolate. (1 minute, followed by 45 second zaps stirring after each). Once completely melted, remove fudge from fridge, pour caramel over top and return back to the fridge.



Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. After completely cooled, remove pan from refrigerator. Using the foil to lift the fudge, place it on a hard surface. Using a large knife, cut fudge into small pieces to enjoy. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Enjoy

How To Tuesday: Keep Bananas Fresh

Banana's are the "go-to" breakfast item for me to grab for my daughter every morning. Especially with a little 8 month old that needs my attention too, a cup of milk and a banana are the perfect things to get my 2 year old started in the morn. The problem I've run in to though here in Arizona is keeping our bananas...



...you got it - FRESH! Its always so warm out here that I swear no matter how green I buy the bananas, they are always brown within a day or so.

I was searching around the internet and honestly I cannot remember where I read it - oh wait! Yes I do. It was in an email of all sorts of little household tips from baking soda uses to how to clean grit on your counter, plus a few food friendly tips. One of the tips said to separate the bananas once you got them home and they would stay fresher longer. Not really believing it, I tried it anyways and to my surprise I was no longer shoving 5 bananas down my throat in one day just to keep them fresh!  So Excited!


What I've been doing now is still buying the greenest bananas, then when they ripen to our liking I separate them and vwa-la - Fresh Bananas! 


Try it!

How To Tuesday: Cake in a Jar

How was everyone's Christmas this year? I hope filled with overflowing joy of our Savior, our family and our love! This year was so much fun to experience Christmas day, as we have two little ones to join in the excitement with. Plus, I love that my daughter LOVED the Advent Calendar I made for her, always anxious to get her *chocolate* and for her daddy to read each verse.

We also had the excitement of celebrating my daughters 2nd birthday, which is on the 23rd of December. She is such a character and I cannot wait to see what this year has in store for us!

This year, the theme for her party was a Breakfast Pajama party. Everyone was invited over the Saturday before her birthday and were asked to wear their PJ's, enjoy some yummy pancakes and watch a movie! We had such a fun time.

I was a little stumped though on figuring out how I wanted to serve cake. Since her party wasn't really a traditional one, I definitely needed to find a non-traditional way of serving up her birthday cake. I've been wanting to make a rainbow cake for some time now and then found that you can bake cake in a jar! Seeing as how my son has been enjoying solids for about 3 months now, baby food jars were in full supply.

I decided I would attempt the rainbow cake in the tall baby food jars, and I must say; they were a huge hit! Everyone loved them.

Now, although the colored rainbow cake did turn out, if I make the cake in a jar again, I'll probably just either not color it or make it a solid color. I think the great concept behind the rainbow cake is once you bite into it you get to see the bright colors, but because it was in a jar, you didn't really get the same affect. Still super cute, but not worth the time in my opinion.

First off you want to wash and dry all of your baby food jars. One batch made 16 jars.



Next, you want to prepare your batter. I used a recipe from my Better Homes cookbook for white cake:

Source: Better Homes and Gardens - 75th Anniversary Edition
Recipe:
White Cake

4 egg whites
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening or butter, softened
1 3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla (or I used maple...mmm)
1 1/3 cups buttermilk

1) Allow egg whites to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

-you will want to grease your baby food jars with cooking spray

2) In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside

3) In a large mixing bowl, beat shortening with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar and vanilla (or maple) ; beat until well combined. Add egg whites 1 at a time, beating well after each. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk to shortening mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined.

IF YOU ARE COLORING YOUR BATTER: Purchase the neon food coloring. Separate your batter into four bowls and add coloring to each.



Next, using a spoon, spoon in each color layering until about half full into jars. Make sure you do not have batter on the sides of the jar. The technique that worked best for me was to take just a large scoop and drip it directly in to the jar (w/o tilting it or anything)



When you are ready to bake them, fill a large pan with about 1/4 inch of water. Place jars in pan and bake for about 40-60 minutes.




When you think they are about done, insert a wooden skewer into the center of one of the jars. If it removes clean, you are good to go, but if not, add a few more minutes to your baking time.

Let cool completely. then add frosting. The frosting I used was also from the Better Homes cookbook.

Butter Frosting
3/4 cup frosting, softened
9 cups powdered sugar (2 pounds)
1/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
(I did 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 teaspoon maple)

In a very large mixing bowl, beat butter until smooth. Gradually add 2 cups of the powdered sugar, beating
well. Slowly beat in the 1/4 cup milk and the vanilla.

Gradually beat in remaining powdered sugar. Beat in enough additional milk to reach spreading consistency.

I then added pink food coloring.

Making sure your cake is completely cool, you are ready to frost.

I added the frosting to a pastry bag with a flower tip and went from there. They came out so cute! Next I added some sprinkles.





And finally I couldn't just leave the lids plain, so I cut out little pieces of fabric and hot glued them to the top. After I was complete with frosting and all, I capped the top and tied a ribbon around.

So adorable, right?








*Many recipes I found online for Jar Cakes said that you could keep them in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I baked these 2 days in advance and they were delicious!

Many military families bake cakes and other desserts in jars to ship to their loved ones over-seas. How perfect for a little taste of home. So sweet!  

How- To Tuesday: Write with Paint

And that's my How-To Tuesday.....................

























Ok, ok, you knew I couldn't just post a picture and be done with it....that's just not my style. Of course I had to blab about some project I'm working on. Well, I wanted to show you how just by using my tip up above I was able to outline some lettering...


I'm not going to show you exactly what it is just yet, because that will ruin the surprise. We are celebrating my daughter's second birthday this weekend and I'm getting so tickled inside making all the decorations. I can't wait to share them with you.

Just a quick note about the glue cap on the paint. I've also used this technique for writing on baby onesies or shirts. Works like a charm!


**Happy 7 Month Birthday to my baby boy today!**

How To Tuesday: Make Artisan Bread

You guys are not going to believe what happened yesterday. I started on a project (which you'll see tomorrow for Woo-Hoo Wednesday), when I ran out to my car  to grab my camera. I had left it in the center console of my truck because we tried to go see Santa over the weekend (Which come to find out, you need to go about 2 hours earlier just to get a pass to wait in line for another hour to see Santa at the Bass Pro Shop). Anyways, I ran out to my truck, popped open the center console, grabbed my camera and THEN...

...you know the slow motion part in movies where the good guy tosses his partner a gun and it's revolving slowly until he catches it? Or that part where you hear the loud, "nooooooooooooooo" and the actors mouth is stuck in an "I'm about to eat a banana" position and it sounds real low and deep? (Seriously people, I can imagine these things as I type...so hopefully you're following along). So, as slow as slow motion, but as fast as "I can't even think let alone react" this happened so fast and PLOP! - My camera fell directly into my full cup of water still sitting in my cupholder! PLOP!

PLOP!

Really? Plop?!

Yep, Plop.

As fast as it went plop is as fast as I snatched it out of the water and ran into the house, comforting it like a wounded puppy. I dried off the outside, removed my battery and SD Card and immediately went to the most knowledgeable and reliable resource I have - FACEBOOK! (Ok -- I'm lying when I say its my most knowledgeable and reliable source...but I did seek out my friends on FB).

Their advice - Rice - Cover the camera in rice and let it sit for 3 days.

3 days? Yes - 3 days -
So there it is -- sitting in rice



I am so sad about this. Anyways, since my camera is still out of commission,  the pictures for tomorrow post are a little grainy since I took them on my XOOM. It does have a flash though, which is a step up from my phone, so yeah for that! And yeah for technology!

Ok - now on to my Artisan Bread shpeal - That's why you came here right? Not to hear about my poor, lonely camera - sitting all alone in that white rice, more than likely never to see the light of day again - Overboard? Ok maybe a little.

Artisan Bread. Have you ever made it? I hadn't, up until about a month ago when my dear friend Rachel opened my mind and led me into this heavenly world of homemade bread! I have already informed her that when, not if, but when I gain 20 extra pounds, it will all be her fault - and the Artisan Bread!



I've already made it several times and started adding a bunch of extra flavor of course too! My first batch I made it just like her instructions, but the 2nd time I added seasoning salt, Italian seasonings and garlic to one loaf and butter, cinnamon and sugar to another! All three were oh-so-amazing!

The recipe comes from the book: Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day - written by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois, but a few minor things were changed while I made it.
This recipe is called The Master Recipe: Boule

3 c. lukewarm water
1 1/2 Tbsp yeast
1 1/2 Tbsp salt
6 1/2 c all purpose flour




Add yeast and salt to warm water, then mix in the flour. You know how usually you spoon in the flour and then level it off with a knife? Well, forget about that. Just scoop the flour using your measuring cup and swipe your finger over  top. Then when you get to the 1/2 cup, you can just "eye-it" in your one cup measuring cup. Simple right? Mix all together until combined. Your dough will be very wet. You wont have to knead the dough either.

From the bowl, plop the dough into a larger lidded storage container. (I used my large plastic water pitcher with a lid.) Let the dough sit on your counter, in the covered storage container for about 2-5 hours. What's great is that you can kind of forget about it and go on with your other tasks.

After the first rise, punch it down (literally punch the dough with your fist a few times) and return the lid. Place it in your refrigerator. You can leave it in your refrigerator for as little as 3 hours or up till about 10-12 days. The longer you keep it in the refrigerator, the more sour dough it will taste, although I left it in for 3 days one time and it was pretty sour enough.

When you are ready to bake, take the dough out of the fridge. You will want to have your pan ready for where you will place your loaves. Now remember, this dough is very wet, so make sure to flour your knife and hands when handling the dough. Remove the dough from the sealed container and cut into three sections. Form each section into a loaf with your hands, trying not to handle it too much because there will be less air pockets, making the loaf more dense. Oh yes, I did spray my pan with cooking spray/Pam.

Once your three loaves are placed on the cooking pan, lightly dust the tops with flour. At this point, if you would like to season them please do so. Also, using a knife make about 4-5 partial slits to the top of each loaf. This will allow the loaf to rise and bake into a beautiful delicious loaf without any - well for lack of a better term - blow outs.

Cover the pan with saran wrap and let rise (on your counter) for 40 minutes. The bread will not rise much, but don't worry, you're still on the right track. After the 40 minutes, preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Place an empty broiler pan on the lower shelf. (FYI - do not use glass, it will shatter when you add the water, just trust me on this one.) When the oven is preheated, add 1 cup of water to the broiler pan and immediately stick the loaves into the oven, just above the lower pan, on the next rack. The water will create a moist environment in your oven giving you a crisp outer crust and soft loaf.

Bake for about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on wire racks.

Enjoy warm with butter and if you'd like some honey too!

(Disclaimer: Do not come back blaming me when you've gained your 20 lbs - It was Rachel's Fault!)

How- To Tuesday: Make a yummy leftover ham sandwich

I know, I know -- I'm excited to start talking Christmas too, but technically, I've got so many Thanksgiving leftovers I can't even imagine starting to talk about Christmas yet.

Are you still munching on leftover potatoes or ham or turkey? There are so many creative things you can make with the leftovers. My husband remembers always enjoying shredded turkey sandwiches at his grandma's house, where she would mix cream of mushroom soup along with the shredded turkey and toss it in the crock pot. She may have added a few more ingredients, but that's all he remembers, creamy - turkey - goodness!

Well, my husband nearly had a heart attack when I made him breakfast with our leftovers. I know its pretty basic, but it's the little things that really gets him going :)



Butter two dinner rolls and place in your broiler oven for about 5-7 minutes until toasted

While bread is being toasted, fry two eggs until over medium. (just long enough for the egg to be cooked, but a little yolk to drizzle on the sandwich).

Slice leftover ham and fry in same pan as eggs until warmed.

When bread is toasted, smother with jam or now that I think about it, you could even use your leftover cranberry sauce too!

Stack sandwich with egg and ham.

Don't forget a napkin! And Enjoy.

What did you make with your leftovers?

How- To Tuesday: How to set your table

 

Happy Almost Thanksgiving Everyone!

In lieu of our upcoming Thanksgiving holiday this Thursday I thought we take a moment to talk about table settings. I am anxiously awaiting tomorrow, I'm not going to lie. It means that I've made it to a negotiable day with my husband to begin decorating my table for Thanksgiving. 

Ok, let me draw you a bit of a picture. We are currently living in a 1300 sq. foot home that although perfect when it's just the 4 of us, gets a little cramped when more people join. On top of that, upon the first Christmas/Birthday for my daughter, we decided that the need for a playroom, far out weighed the need for a "look pretty" dining table, so out it went (Christmas Day). 

So, this all brings me back to decorating for a holiday. Although my husband has gotten really really really good at biting his tongue when I get on a creative-decorating kick, I am trying to respect him and the fact that our home shrinks like crazy as I begin to clutter, so I have post-poned decorating a table (that we will need to set up) for our Thanksgiving Feast.

I obviously love hosting parties and LOVE the decorating part for all to enjoy, so tomorrow is a big day for me, followed by an even better day of Thanksgiving with those I love. 

And now back to my original point - How to set your table. (You once again got a little taste of how my brain works in a round about way. )

First you  start with your plate, with a charger underneath if you are using a charger. Any cups (usually a water goblet and possibly a juice or champagne glass) will go to the right of your plate. Any salad plates (unless placed on top of your dinner plate) will go to the left of your plate.

Silverware is placed in the order your will use it, from the outside in; starting with first course to last course. Meaning if you are having a salad before your meal (or soup), the salad fork would be on the outside. Forks should be placed to the left of the plate. Knives and Spoons to the right. Make sure you place the knife blade directed towards the plate. 

If you are serving dessert, place the dessert silverware to the top of the plate horizontally. 

Hopefully this will help as you begin to set up your table. 

Have fun!

 

How- To Tuesday: Make Tissue Paper Puff Balls

I am currently in love with decorating with tissue paper puff balls-- my husband on the other hand, well...he's not a fan at all. I'm thinking he thinks they take up way too much room in my already over-flowing craft/decor area. hah!

I have used them several times with different parties, so I thought I'd share a few pics and then the video where I learned how to make them.

Enjoy :)






And for the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KLZ_4sXk2E

How- To Tuesday: Make one of the easiest dinners ever...

Even though it's pretty late this Tuesday evening, I just had to get back to you all at Honey Crust. Two weeks ago I posted my "Out of Office" reply as I was preparing to head out to CA for my cookbook release party. Little did I know that upon returning, my internet would be out for a week, the house would be in disarray, and I'd be headed back out of town for the weekend. Needless to say...this is how life has been...



A kid on each hip, comfy leggins and lotsa coffee. (And to answer your question, yes my son only has one sock on...not sure where the other ended up).

So today, as I tried to get caught back up on all the emails, marketing and housework, dinner was the last thing on my mind. My son hasn't been napping, so as a last resort in efforts to get him to sleep I tossed him in my moby wrap and tried to compose myself long enough to figure out something to make.

CHICKEN AND RICE was my answer. It literally took me 5 minutes to mix up and placed in the oven to forget about for an hour while I tended to other items that needed attention.

I really never took the time to realize how simple and delicious this recipe truly is. With only 5 ingredients and two dishes you can have an amazing home cooked meal that you don't have to fret over.

So here it goes - Your late night How-to Tuesday: Make one of the easiest dinners ever.



Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 cans cream of celery (or chicken) soup
1 can filled with milk
1-2 TB seasoning salt
1 cup uncooked white rice

Mix together soup, milk and rice in bowl. Pour mixture into a greased 9x13 inch casserole dish. Place chicken breasts on top of rice mixture and sprinkle with seasoning salt. Cook in oven at 350 degrees (covered) for one hour, or until rice is tender.

Enjoy.

** My hubby and I have been on a chicken and rice burrito kick lately. Add a bit of shredded cheddar cheese, roll it up in a tortilla and sink your teeth into some creamy goodness.

How- To Tuesday: Caramelize Onions

The Today Show is hosting a contest called Meatball Madness, and since my ultimate goal is to someday be on The Today Show, of course I had to enter! I wont be revealing the recipe that I submitted, but I do want to dedicate today's post to caramelizing onions. (so delicious)



How To Caramelize Onions.

I really am not a raw onion type of girl, and I'm thinking quite a few people would agree with me. Now, cooked onions, that's a completely different story. Throwing an onion the barbeque, delish! Baking it with garlic and butter? Come on now, my taste buds are salivating here. And don't even get me started with grilled onions on my grilled cheese from In-N-Out. (I think I should text the hubby to bring some home tonight for dinner, yum) 

But caramelizing onions at home isn't something I started doing until a few months ago. It's quite simple really and the flavors are endless of what you can create.

First off, you'll want to get a frying pan and warm it with medium high heat. Next, add your sliced raw onions and a little bit of olive oil to keep the onions from sticking and burning. The onions will begin to sizzle as they get hot. You will need to push them around with a spatula or tongs making sure each onion is coated in olive oil and has enough time on the pan. Your onions will soon become soft and limp in about 10 or so minutes.

Caramelized!

Now's where the fun begins. Start to season your onions with your all time favorites: Garlic, Cayenne, Jelly, Balsamic Vinegar, Soy Sauce, Orange Juice. (of course not all at once.)

Enjoy over your favorite meats or chicken. Or even add them to a grilled cheese on sour dough.

In-n-out, In-n-out, that's what a haaaammmbuurger's all about.... calling my husband right now.

How- To Tuesday: Peel a potato

Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale, A tale of a fateful trip. That started from this tropic port Aboard this tiny ship...The mate was a mighty sailing man, The skipper brave and sure. Five passengers set sail that day, For a three hour tour, a three hour tour....

Oh  I'm sorry...I got a little side tracked....I had received an email a while back about the easiest way to peel a potato and Dawn Wells (Mary Ann) from Gilligan's Island demonstrated it. I'm sure many of you received the email as well, so I thought, "Heck, I'm going to try it." (If you want to check out her video, click here )

For me, the month of October starts off Fall, and Fall means: "Big Hearty Home Cooked Meals" Which for my hubby means MASHED POTATOES! And lots of them.

The tip from Dawn Wells is to boil the potato whole and peel aftewards.

The first step is to bring a pot of water to a rapid boil:



Next, prepare your ice bath by filling a bowl with water and then adding a bit of water:



While your water is coming to a boil, you want to wash each of your potatoes and score them across the center:



Once water is boiling, add the potatoes to the pot. (I boiled about 8 potatoes at a time):



Set timer for 15-20 minutes and cover.
Once timer goes off, remove one potato at a time with tongs and submerge in ice bath for about 5 seconds:



Remove from ice bath and using both hands peel back the skin and voila! Peeled (cooked) potato!



I believe I have certainly fallen in love with this method! Personally I do not like peeling potatoes, cutting potatoes, then cooking potatoes and then MAKING mashed potatoes...seems like all too much work for me! But this worked out perfectly.

Some things I learned while doing this:
(1) The rounder/smoother the potato, the easier it was to peel
(2) The more little pits the potato had, the more difficult it was to peel
(3) Only submerge potato in ice bath for 5 seconds...longer does not help
(4) Do not re-submerge the potato in the ice bath, this does not help when peeling.
(5) I would cook the potatoes a bit longer (towards the 20 minutes end) as I cooked them for only 15 minutes, and the bigger potatoes were not fully cooked when I made the mashed potatoes.

All in all, I would definitely do this again!

How- To Tuesday: Measure Flour

Today's How-To Tuesday was suggested by my husband. I sat here on the couch this morning, informing him that I think I can actually feel the bags under my eyes from nearly 5 months of no sleep (here's where I insert the part about having an amazingly handsome baby boy that when he smiles my heart just melts like a cookie in the oven, but he tends to wake me up about every 2 or less hours each night).

I voiced out-loud "What should I blog about today?" Half just talking to hear myself talk and the other half hoping that either my husband or nearly 2 year old daughter would suggest something to me. My husband sat laughing at this beautiful mess of sleep deprivation that I am in and said, "How about - How to measure flour?"..............You have no idea, but I was actually so shocked by this fantastic suggestion he had! It was perfect! Sure enough, he had a little glow about himself the rest of the morning, being so proud of this great idea!

Thanks babe!



Many people may not know the proper way of measuring flour, which is why they may also have a frustration with baking, as many of their dishes probably don't come out....and this could all be resolved by measuring flour correctly.

With flour, you do not just scoop it into your measuring cup as you would sugar. If you do scoop out the flour with your measuring cup it may result in about 25% more flour than the recipe calls for, which is what makes your baked goods usually too dry or tough.

To properly measure flour, you will need a small spoon that you gradually scoop flour with into your measuring cup. Plan to have your measuring cup either over the flour container or over a separate bowl from where you are mixing your ingredients, for when any flour overflows, it is not falling into your mixing bowl.  Spoon enough flour into the measuring cup so it is overflowing. Next, take the back side of a knife (the flat side) and level off the flour with the measuring cup. This will give you the proper amount of flour that the recipe calls for!

Happy Sleeping --- I mean Baking! hah! I've gotta get me some coffee...

How- To Tuesday: Grill a Hamburger

I'm pretty sure that I could sit here and blog all about coffee all day long............::as I finally sip my coffee that was brewed this morning:: .... but since I already blogged about "How To Make A Pot of Coffee" I'm sure you're ready for me to move on.

Last night, the hubby and I enjoyed the cool evening with the kids outside, while he barbecued us some dinner. It's honestly the first night in quite a while that it has been comfortable outside. Here in AZ you pretty much don't go outside for 3 months out of the year. The season has turned and we are reminded of exactly why we live here!

So I figured it was only fitting that we talk about grilling burgers. Now, you're probably thinking......this girl is a vegetarian...how on earth does she know how to grill a burger?  Remember I'm married to a carnivore? And remember I wasn't ALWAYS a vegetarian? I've grilled a few burgers in my day.

Being married to a meat lovin man has made it necessary that I learn to grill hamburgers. I'm not sure if I'm as great as my hubby yet, but I do a pretty dang good job.

To start you are going to want to form your ground beef into hamburger patties; that is, if you bought ground beef and not the pre-made patties....please tell me you bought ground beef right? When you are forming your patties, you want to make sure they are even throughout. You don't want to be cooking meatballs out there; you'll never get the middle cooked.

If you have extra meat, form into patties as well and wrap individually in plastic wrap. You can freeze these patties to be available for the next time you would like to grill hamburgers. Once patties are formed, place on a plate to take out to the barbecue. You will want to turn the barbecue on and get it nice and toasty before applying the patties.

Once the grill is hot, place all patties onto the grill and shut the lid for 5 to 7 minutes. Check your burgers by using a metal spatula to lift the burger slightly. If it sticks to the grill, it's not ready to be flipped, but if it does not stick then flip all the burgers over to grill the other side. Once again, close the lid for about 5 minutes.

Check to see if the bottom sticks and if it doesn't stick you're almost done. At this point you can add the cheese if you would like. I always get impatient and want to add the cheese to early, but I can't just in case the burger needs to be flipped again. After about 10 to 15 minutes of grilling you can remove one burger patty from the grill and............................HERE'S THE ROOKIE ACTION ON MY PART..........slice your burger slightly open to make sure it is to your desired "doneness," and if so, you are ready to eat. If not, return to grill and shut the lid.

It's okay to be a little intimidated by the barbecue grill - but don't worry, you'll get the hang of it!


*patty melt for my baby

How- To Tuesday: Make a pot of coffee

Today I wanted to take a moment to talk about coffee.....Mmmm.....fresh brewed coffee. Now, even if you don't like coffee, I'm sure in your lifetime you probably have or will be asked to brew a pot. Here is the step by step instructions of how to do so......

(1) Hop in your car
(2) Put on your favorite sunglasses
(3) Drive to your nearest Starbucks.......

wait, wait, wait.......the whole purpose behind my book, blog and self is COST EFFICIENCY!! And frankly, I personally can't afford a cup of coffee from there anymore hah!

Now you may be thinking, if you're a coffee drinker like myself, who in their right mind does not know how to brew a pot of coffee??? Many people don't. Many people forget just how delicious and if I may add CHEAP it is to brew you're own, and have fallen into the lifestyle of sitting in drive-thrus to pick up a daily dose of their venti, caramel, shaken not stirred, skinny coffee favorites.

As I sit here typing I am enjoying a cup of coffee that I brew on a daily basis in one of my very favorite cups, from one of my very favorite people. She got it for me when she was visiting Washington DC and it simply states: "Coffee...the favorite drink of the civilized world." -Thomas Jefferson to Edmond Rogers, February 14, 1824.Love it! And I always think of her while using it.

Another thing I love about coffee is the instant warmth it brings to my body. As I was visiting one of my sisters a few weeks ago, she asked if I would like a cup of coffee. Of course I answered yes, and she says, "You have to try this flavor, It's like Christmas in a Cup." .... really? How could anyone turn down "Christmas in a cup?" .........................and to my surprise, it was! As I sat amongst the chaos in the kids play room, I inhaled the sweet smell of Christmas, while envisioning snow flakes falling outside, a Christmas tree lite in the other room, and laughter all around. This was some pretty powerful stuff, seeing as how it has NEVER snowed in California or Arizona on Christmas while I was living there, and for this little cup of Cinnamon Hazelnut to do all that? Amazing!

I know people who don't care for the taste of coffee, but no one can deny the relaxing sent of coffee brewing in the morning. Love it!



Ok Ok, this is about brewing coffee....not necessarily my LOVE for coffee.....so here we go:

I know a few people fell in love with the craze of the Keurig last year, and although I do think it's pretty awesome the way you can brew any flavor, plus hot chocolates and I believe teas, I'm just more in to my $20 coffee pot that I received 4 years ago as a wedding gift.  (which reminds me...tomorrow is my anniversary!! yeah!)

If you have a normal coffee pot, and are brewing just for yourself, I recommend brewing 6 cups. What you need to do is take the glass/plastic pot and fill it up to the 6 cup line with water. Next, pour the water into the back portion of the coffee maker. You usually need to lift the lid to do so. You will see on the side of the coffee pot the *water line* rise as you pour in the water.

My coffee maker has a built in filter, but some pots still require you to purchase coffee filters. If you're making coffee last minute, and have run out of filters, a paper towel or napkin will work just fine tucked into the top of the maker as a filter.

Next, the good part -- coffee grounds! For 6 cups of coffee, I scoop in one heaping tablespoon of coffee, plus a little extra for good measure. (something I have picked up from my grandma....she always adds a little extra for "good measure").

Return the pot to its original spot within the coffee maker, close the lid up top, and press the start/brew/go button!

This next step is probably the most crucial of all --- deciding which coffee mug to use.



Do you want to drink it out of a pretty fancy mug? A mug you have to hold with two hands while curled up on the couch? Your go-to every day mug? The mug you can cup in one hand? Or how about the one with your kids pictures all over it? So many decisions! This alone is why I usually just stick to regular coffee....why boggle my mind with flavors, when I have so many decisions when it comes to the mug! hah!

Well I hope this helps everyone who's never brewed a pot of coffee before. I'm going to get back to my cup now :) Enjoy.

How-To Tuesday: Blanch Vegetables

I can't exactly remember when I learned to blanch vegetables, nor do I really recall who taught me. I would assume my mother, but then again, it could have been my aunt, my grandma, or even good old Google.

Blanching vegetables is pretty easy once you know what you're doing, and is perfect for delicious asparagus. (Definitely check out my recipe for Garlic Asparagus)

To Blanch Vegetables, start by bringing a large pot of water to a boil. While the water is coming to a boil, place your strainer in the sink and fill with ice. Prior to placing the vegetables in the water, make sure you have trimmed them to the appropriate size to (a) fit in the pan (b) to serve. Once water is boiling, place vegetables in for about 5-7 minutes (Smaller vegetables take less time). You will want to keep them in until they are just tender. You can test the vegetables tenderness by removing one piece and inserting a fork into the thickest part. If it goes in smoothly, then you are good to go. Next, remove vegetables from stove and using the lid pour out as much water as possible into sink. Then pour vegetables into strainer while having cold water rush over top. You will most likely need to add more ice as it will be melting with the hot vegetables. Remove the vegetables from the ice bath once they are no longer hot. You have now successfully blanched a vegetable! Congrats!

** Photo compliments of Troeger Photography

How- To Tuesday: Separate Egg Yolks

A few weeks ago I showed you *How-T*o hard boil eggs. Well, this week I wanted to go into detail of How-To Separate Egg Yolks. There are many different techniques and in fact even products that will help you to separate the yolk from the egg.



Amazon,  Sur La Table, Peter Petrie Egg Separator, Crate & Barrel , and plenty more places!

But really, you don't need all these *high tech*  gadgets to separate the egg from the yolk...heck our grandparents never had one of the Peter Petrie Egg Separators where the yolk comes out its nose (so gross).

So here ya go....


Some recipes you come across may only ask for egg whites or egg yolks or even both but separated. Here is a simple way to separate your egg yolk without the trouble of possibly leaving eggshell pieces behind or not separating the eggs completely.

You will need two bowls: one for egg yolks and the other for egg whites. The egg white is the clear portion of the egg. Crack the egg in half. Next, slightly tip the eggshell with the egg, allowing the egg whites to pour into the bowl. You can even use the other portion of the eggshell to hold the egg yolk in.

Alternate egg yolk from shell half to shell half until all of the egg whites have been poured into the bowl. Next, pour the egg yolk into the second bowl, and vwa-la! You have successfully separated the egg yolk from the egg white!

Have fun baking! What recipes have you made that required you to do this?

How- To Tuesday: Remove the Smell of Garlic or Onions

Ever cut an onion or a piece of garlic for dinner and then have that wretched smell on your hands that lasts for days? Try rubbing your hands under cold water while rubbing your stainless steel knife that you used for cutting. Take the stainless steel knife and run cold water directly over the knife for about 30-45 seconds. Place your fingers on the center of the knife, avoiding the sharp blade, and slightly rub the knife. Repeat as necessary. This is not really a great trick for children and like I said,  watch out for the blade. 

Better yet, if you're really freaked out about using a knife, feel free to use a stainless steel spoon. It works the same and you avoid the danger of accidentally cutting yourself. I know some department stores also sell a stainless steel piece that looks like an egg or bar of soap. Works like a charm.




This Rub Away Bar can be purchased at Crate and Barrel

And --- since we're talking about the How-To's of removing the smell of garlic -- rubbing toothpaste on your hands does the trick too! But I'm thinking sticking to the stainless steel utensil is your quickest solution. :)

How- To Tuesday: Fry Bacon

Today I wanted to take a moment to talk about bacon.....although I do not eat bacon, I use to, and I remember it being so delicious. I'm kind of a freaky vegetarian....because I use to eat meat on a regular basis, I know the tastes and the enjoyment people get out of sinking their teeth into something so salty and tender as a piece of meat. If you know me, you know that I do not eat most meat because of texture issues that I developed about 8 or so years ago....don't ask me why, it's just what happened. hah! So anyways, when I prepare meat for people or create my recipes, I find enjoyment in watching those eating my meal because I know the pleasure one gets out of eating it.

So as I go over how to fry bacon, trust me, I know what its like to start salivating at just the smell of it!



First of all, I would recommend wearing an apron or definitely having a lid for your skillet while frying bacon; it tends to splatter and doesn't necessarily feel so nice on your skin or your favorite shirt!

You are going to want to use a large skillet and to fry 3 to 4 pieces of bacon at a time. If you can only do 1 or 2 at first, that is fine too.



Place the bacon side by side on your un-greased frying pan.

Turn your stove to medium-high heat and listen for your bacon to begin sizzling. You will know the bacon is ready to be flipped when it doesn't stick to the pan. Simply take a pair of tongs and flip each piece of bacon over. This is where the "pops" may happen---in that case, make sure you use the lid to block the splatters or have your cute little apron on already.

The bacon will slowly stop popping when it's pretty much done, but make sure to keep an eye on them so they don't turn too crispy. Once you feel the bacon is fried to your liking, place on a paper towel to drain any excess oil. Let cool and enjoy!

If you are planning a large breakfast for company, you can plan to make the bacon the day before. This frees you from having to clean up any grease splatters or spend extra time on cooking. Store the bacon in your refrigerator overnight in a plastic container. The bacon can be easily reheated in the microwave or oven for when guests arrive.

There are several delicious dishes that you can make with bacon...especially in my cookbook. Check out the Snuggle Pigs or Potato Skins...







Enjoy your BACON!