Mom's Sunday Cafe

Hearth and Soul #80 and a fond farewell as hostess

2011-12-27T04:00:00.000-08:00

My how the hop has grown! I have been proud to be a part of this wonderful group of hostesses and contributors, this will be my last post as a part of the team.

However as was shared last week, I will be back with stories and foods from my past, and from the page views those older tried and true recipes and ways are coming back again! And now.....

But wait the Hearth and Soul family has grown since last week, please join me in congratulating Penny from Penniless Parenting, the proud mother of a brand new baby girl! Congratulations Penny and family.

And now.......

Welcome to the hop.
If you are new to the Hearth and Soul Blog Hop, you can read our mission statement and rules for linking up below.

Hearth and Soul Mission

It’s about food from your hearth, made for your soul. Food that follows your intuition. Preparing food from scratch to nourish your family…body, mind AND soul! Food made with your own hands…infused with energy and passion and intent. Real food made by real people to feed real families (big and small, in blood or spirit). Ingredients from scratch, be it something grown in your garden or raised on your land…food foraged in the field or woods…food from local farms, farmers, or farmers markets…or even ingredients chosen by you from your local market that will be turned into something that feeds your soul. Tapping the food memory that each of us has stored inside; letting it guide and influence our own time in the kitchen.

We hope to embrace not only the “expected” areas of real food, but also those who want to incorporate healthier choices without sacrificing their love of food…how it tastes, the memories it conjures up, the comfort it brings. Yes, we’re trying to steer clear of packaged, processed, and boxed foods in favor of real foods……..without absolutely excluding the sometimes frowned upon white sugar or flour (because the body craves what it craves…and sometimes things just don’t taste the same when you replace these). Making conscious choices and being present in the now with what your body needs…and taking steps towards exploring and enjoying healthier choices. If you take the time to listen, your body will tell you what it needs.

The warm comfort of the home hearth…stories, anecdotes, lessons, adventures, journeys, recipes, meals, beverages…we want to share the “why” of how food feeds more than just our bodies…how it also feeds our souls. After all, aren’t these the essential ingredients in defining real food? Please share links from your Hearth ‘n Soul with us each week.

Rules for linking:

Please use your best blog hop etiquette when linking. The rules are in place to help everyone have the best blog hop experience possible.

Right now, the Hearth and Soul Hop Team is joining up to share the Blog Hop with their audiences. If you haven't been to their blogs before, then you certainly should, as they are tremendously creative cooks who are passionate about health and food and all are taking steps to cook more wholesome and soul nourishing food. This means you get exposure to many different blog audiences for the price of one link, so it is like linking up to many different blog hops with one single link!

So, please link a recipe using the linky tools below and your link will be shared over many different blogs and many different blog audiences. Recipes should include healthy ingredients and can be old or new recipes or posts. Articles on real food, slow food, foraging, herbal remedies, local food, sustainable food, organics, gardening or any healthy eating information written in a positive and loving light are also welcome.

If you are new to a blog carnival, or blog hop, it is very easy to learn how to join in the fun! Simply go to the blog post for that carnival and scroll down to the bottom where you will see a small box that will say, You’re Next or Your link here. When you click on that link, you will be asked to enter the URL of your recipe or article.

Please link to your article only and not directly to your blog front page. The linky may ask you to upload a photograph from your computer (remember that if you are linking to a Linky Tools you need to re-size your photograph to a 150 pixel thumbnail. You can do this by using your photo editing software or a free service like Picnik to create your thumbnail), then you click next and leave a comment on the blog hosts post.
You will also be asked to place a link back to the blog host, which means, adding in the URL of the blog hop post which you can copy from your browser address bar and insert at the bottom of your post. You could also choose to place a blog badge into your post, which use the widget below.

*A team host will visit each link and read and comment on your post before the next linky period opens, because this is personal for us…we want you to know that we appreciate that you’ve taken the time to create a post, add a link back to the hop, and add your link! We’ll be sure to acknowledge this with a comment and a tweet on Twitter (using hashtag #hsoul).

-One link per week, please

-Must: include a link back to one/any of the host sites (through worded link or badge) in individual post, not on sidebar…although we love having links on your page, as well (this benefits all of us). You will be sent a gentle reminder if no link is added to your post, we understand that sometimes people forget…but if it becomes a regular occurrence, (even though we don’t like to do it) your post may be removed. It’s just not fair to those who do take the time and show the grace to link back.

-Please link a post that closely fits into the mission: You don’t have to link up every week…link up when you can. We welcome posts that are shared in other events. If you have an older, archived post that you want to add, we welcome that…as long as you go in and add a link back to Hearth and Soul.

-Linky will stay open from 10 pm Monday to 11:59 pm Thursday (Eastern time).

Please share the hearth and soul hop badge listed below to promote the Blog Hop. We would ask you to subscribe to our feed and Tweet the Blog Hop as well if you would be so kind! You can also visit us at the Hearth and Soul Hop Hub.

As always, if you have any questions please email me at: MomsSundayCafe@gmail.com

Let the fun begin!!!

And now on behalf of all the co-hosts,

April of The 21st Century Housewife,

Swathi of Zesty South Indian Kitchen,

Penny of Penniless Parenting

Alea at Premeditated Leftovers,

and me

Melynda at Mom's Sunday Cafe , welcome to the Hearth and Soul hop!

Come on, do tell, what will you be sharing?

Merry Christmas everyone!

2011-12-24T15:17:00.000-08:00

We are running a bit late, but getting it all wrapped up!

Jim and I want to take this moment to wish everyone a wonderful day filled with family, food and fun. May all your dreams come true as you are surrounded by the magic of Christmas, the love of family and friends and wonderful memories in the making.

As always thanks for taking a moment to stop and say hello, I appreciate your time and your wonderful comments!

He is checkin his list......

2011-12-23T07:55:00.000-08:00

Santa collection, my favorite mantel
decoration.

Workshop Santa however displays the truth, the work is not done!

Have a great day, it is now time to finish shopping, and get baking.

As always, thanks for taking a moment to stop by, I appreciate your time and your wonderful comments.

Toffee, Recipe Rewind because somethings are too good to miss

2011-12-22T04:00:00.000-08:00

Recipe rewind, because in the beginning there is a blogger who has no readers. She still posts great food in hopes that the readers will come..........you can also view it here in the archives, Thursday December 24, 2009.

(I was a ) Big Fat Candy Baby

I have always been too frightened to make candy. The thermometer, the boiling hot, the splashing of the boiling hot, etc etc. A big fat scared candy baby! But I come from a long line of pioneer women, really I do. My grandmother on my father's side migrated to California in the back of a covered wagon in about 1907. My grandmother on my mother's side, was born at home by a visiting midwife, in a kitchen warmed by a wood stove, that was used for cooking. A bit different from midwife assisted births of today.

In looking back there was not much these women were too frightened to do, including making candy. Which during the war, one of them did. It was how they survived financially. The sugar ration was turned into candy for profit, profit that put other food on the table.

But me, no way. I bought my candy, thank you very much. Until today. I found this post, and thought, what a perfect starting place. Lets make Toffee, shall we.

Toffee
adapted from which name?

1/2 c butter
3/4 c brown sugar
1 c large broken walnuts (between 1/4 - 1/2 inch in size)
1/2 c chocolate chips

Butter (or spray with Pam) the bottom and sides of a 8" pan, scatter walnuts over the bottom. Melt butter in large pan over medium heat, add brown sugar. Over medium heat continue to stir while mixture boils for 6-7 minutes.

I found with my stove I had to turn down the setting slightly as the mixture cooked, so it would not get too hot and burn. This is hot, be careful for the spurting, that is why I chose a large flat bottomed pan.

Pour cooked toffee evenly over the walnuts, rotate pan gently for candy to go to the corners. Sprinkle with the chips, let sit one minute, spread chocolate to cover entire surface.

I think the hardest part of this recipe is waiting for it to cool! When cool, break into pieces.

For this recipe I wanted to make this for a gift, I used a spring form pan for easy removal. A quick wrap in plastic wrap and a bow, and I will be done.

As the hours count down, I hope all is happy and good for you and your loved ones! Thanks so much for your visits here this year, and please come back again!

As always I appreciate your time and your wonderful comments!

Hearth and Soul #79!

2011-12-20T03:36:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Hearth and Soul blog hop, this week it is number 79! Each hop has great information, new ideas and delicious recipes too!. I hope you have had a great week, with good food, good company and wonderful conversations.

December marks the end of my Hearth and Soul hostess duties. I have proudly been a part of the Hearth and Soul for a long time, and will return to being a food and story contributor. My goal is to make a return to more writing along with preserving not only the foods of my childhood and family of origin, but the stories surrounding our family table in those days. I want to thank all those wonderful folks who have linked up with the Hearth and Soul through Mom's Sunday Cafe, and all the visitors too! I hope you will stick around and visit again in the future. And now on to the hop!

I thank you for joining us and sharing your ideas and recipes, philosophy and wonderful new discoveries. Food from your hearth, food for your soul. I continue to learn something new and wonderful each week. And I look forward to seeing what you have been cooking, creating and enjoying this week.

If you are new, please read the Hearth and Soul mission statement page which includes the rules for linking up.

If you have any questions, just drop me a line at MomsSundayCafe@gmail.com.

I would like to take this moment to invite you to visit the linked post before your own, as well as the linked post after yours. It will be fun as well as interesting to visit the other links and say hello and introduce yourself.

And now on behalf of all the co-hosts,

April of The 21st Century Housewife,

Swathi of Zesty South Indian Kitchen,

Penny of Penniless Parenting

Alea at Premeditated Leftovers,

and me

Melynda at Mom's Sunday Cafe , welcome to the Hearth and Soul hop!

Come on, do tell, what will you be sharing?

Hearth and Soul #78!

2011-12-13T04:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Hearth and Soul blog hop, this week it is number 78! Each hop has great information, new ideas and delicious recipes too!. I hope you have had a great week, with good food, good company and wonderful conversations.

Hearth and Soul #77

2011-12-06T04:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Hearth and Soul blog hop, this week it is number 77! Each hop has great information, new ideas and delicious recipes too!. I hope you have had a great week, with good food, good company and wonderful conversations.

I thank you for joining us and sharing your ideas and recipes, philosophy and wonderful new discoveries. Food from your hearth, food for your soul. I continue to learn something new and wonderful each week. And I look forward to seeing what you have been cooking, creating and enjoying this week.

If you are new, please read the Hearth and Soul mission statement page which includes the rules for linking up.

If you have any questions, just drop me a line at MomsSundayCafe@gmail.com.

Now before we "go to the hop!" here are a few links that caught my eye from last week:

Game meat without the gamey taste.

Honey Corn Bread.

Bread Machine Dinner Rolls.

Braised Winter Greens.

Twice Baked Potatoes.

I would like to take this moment to invite you to visit the linked post before your own, as well as the linked post after yours. It will be fun as well as interesting to visit the other links and say hello and introduce yourself.

And now on behalf of all the co-hosts,

April of The 21st Century Housewife,

Swathi of Zesty South Indian Kitchen,

Penny of Penniless Parenting

Alea at Premeditated Leftovers,

and me

Melynda at Mom's Sunday Cafe , welcome to the Hearth and Soul hop!

Come on, do tell, what will you be sharing?

yes, goodbye Cookbook Sundays, but wait....

2011-12-05T18:14:00.001-08:00

Cookbook Sundays is moving to New Zealand!

The lovely Sue of Couscous and Consciousness asked if she could be the next hostess of this fun event. Sue has indicated she will return this to a weekly event and I for one can't wait to link up. As a matter of fact, I found 4 more cookbooks this weekend. That will bring my count to 329.

If you have not had a chance to visit Sue, please do, and tell her Melynda sent you.....because it is all about good food, and cookbooks!

As always, thanks for taking a moment to stop and say hello. I appreciate your time and your wonderful comments.

Goodbye Cookbook Sundays

2011-12-04T04:44:00.001-08:00

After much consideration, I have made the decision to end Cookbook Sundays. I do wish to thank all who participated. I hope everyone has a wonderful Sunday., enjoy your day!

As always, thanks for taking a moment to stop by. I appreciate your visits and your wonderful comments.

Recipe rewind, because some things are too good to miss

2011-12-01T04:00:00.000-08:00

Real Fruit Cake

I love fruit cake, all kinds. It is dense, richly flavored and always a treat. I have wanted to bake an old fashioned fruit cake; with dried fruits, rather than the artificially colored "fruit cake mix" found in the produce section this time of year. I took a quick search on Google and I found this recipe by Alton Brown. Now I don't watch the food network, but the lovely Jess does. I took a moment to read the reviews for this cake, and that was all it took. He calls it Free Range Fruitcake, and invites the cook to have a good time, so that is what I did. This looks like a lot of work, but it is easy to break down if time is short. It goes together very quickly.

The fruit got to hang out with the rum all night.This smelled so good, every time I stirred it!

Free Range Fruitcake
adapted from Alton Brown

1 c diced apricots
1 c diced dates
1 c currents
1 c dried cranberries
1/4 c chopped candied ginger
1 c golden rum

Stir together and let rest overnight covered or heat on stove top or microwave to hydrate. Set aside to cool if using the heat method.

The next day or when cool, combine in a large non reactive pan:
the fruit and rum combination
1 T lemon juice
zest of 2 oranges
1 c coffee
1 c sugar
1 1/4 sticks of butter
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp gr allspice
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp gr nutmeg

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 5 - 10 minutes. Most of the liquid will be evaporated. Set aside to cool. You may stop and place in the refrigerator if desired, simply bring to room temperature to proceed. To make the batter:

1 3/4 c flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder

Combine the dry ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring well to mix together.

2 eggs

1 c pecan halves, that have been toasted and broken into pieces

additional rum or brandy for spritzing

Add the flour mixture to the fruits and spices in the pan, stir quickly to incorporate flour mixture into the fruit. Make a well in the mixture, add the eggs. Beat with a wooden spoon to mix well. There should be no streaks of egg or dry flour. Stir in the broken pecans.

Scrape batter into prepared bundt pan, bake 325 degrees for 50 minutes. If not completely cooked when tested, return to the oven and bake additional 10 minutes. Let cool, 20 minutes then carefully turn cake out. Let cool, spritz with rum and/or brandy. Check cake every 3 days, if dry, spritz with more brandy. Cake should "rest" 2 weeks before serving.

This smells so good, I think it is going to be a long 2 weeks!

As always, thanks for taking a moment to stop and say hello. I appreciate your time and your wonderful comments.

Key words: fruit cake

Wednesday's Words

2011-11-30T04:15:00.001-08:00

When we married, our refrigerator size did not change, but our family size did for holiday dinners! Enter one creative solution.......

Once winter rains arrive, it is down right cold in my backyard. I really liked having this for beverages (and pumpkin pie on turkey day!), it is convenient to the kitchen (yet out of the main traffic areas), portable and easy to store when no longer needed.

I think I will keep it!

As always thanks for taking a moment to stop by. I appreciate your time and your wonderful comments.

Key words: cold food solutions, portable outdoor cooler, creative

Hearth and Soul #76

2011-11-29T04:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Hearth and Soul blog hop, this week it is number 76! Each hop has great information, new ideas and delicious recipes too!. I hope you had a great Thanksgiving, we did here. Good food, good company and wonderful conversations.

I thank you for joining us and sharing your ideas and recipes, philosophy and wonderful new discoveries. Food from your hearth, food for your soul. I continue to learn something new and wonderful each week. And I look forward to seeing what you have been cooking, creating and enjoying this week.

If you are new, please read the Hearth and Soul mission statement page which includes the rules for linking up.

If you have any questions, just drop me a line at MomsSundayCafe@gmail.com.

Now before we "go to the hop!" here are a few links that caught my eye from last week:

Marbled Fruit Cake

Dutch Oven Pork Loin

Braised Brussels Sprouts

Elsa's Candied Walnuts

Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

I would like to take this moment to invite you to visit the linked post before your own, as well as the linked post after yours. It will be fun as well as interesting to visit the other links and say hello and introduce yourself.

And now on behalf of all the co-hosts,

April of The 21st Century Housewife,

Swathi of Zesty South Indian Kitchen,

Penny of Penniless Parenting

Alea at Premeditated Leftovers,

and me

Melynda at Mom's Sunday Cafe , welcome to the Hearth and Soul hop!

Come on, do tell, what will you be sharing?

Happy Thanksgiving to you!

2011-11-24T04:00:00.000-08:00

Family is coming from out of town, there will be lots of delicious food to share.

A gentle fire to keep us warm and cozy, and lots to be thankful about.

May you be surrounded by family and friends, and have the best day ever.

As always, thanks for taking a moment to stop by. I appreciate your visits and your wonderful comments!

Wednesday's Words

2011-11-23T16:35:00.001-08:00

Working different shifts requires.....

pillow talk.

How about your house?

How do you stay in communication with different shifts or even different countries worked?

Always something new to learn, as we travel the journey of life.

Thanks for taking a moment to stop and say hello. I appreciate your time and your wonderful comments.

Key words: communication, notes, styles of communication

Hearth and Soul # 75

2011-11-22T04:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Hearth and Soul blog hop number 75, each hop has such great new information, ideas and recipes.

I thank you for joining us and sharing your ideas and recipes, philosophy and wonderful new discoveries. Food from your hearth, food for your soul. I continue to learn something new and wonderful each week. And I look forward to seeing what you have been cooking, creating and enjoying this week.

If you are new, please read the Hearth and Soul mission statement page which includes the rules for linking up.

If you have any questions, just drop me a line at MomsSundayCafe@gmail.com.

Now before we "go to the hop!" here are a few links that caught my eye from last week:

White bean, sausage and kale soup.

Pumpkin Pasta Sauce.

Peppermint Extract.

Beer Cookies.

Jam and Oat Crumb Bars.

I would like to take this moment to invite you to visit the linked post before your own, as well as the linked post after yours. It will be fun as well as interesting to visit the other links and say hello and introduce yourself.

And now on behalf of all the co-hosts,

April of The 21st Century Housewife,

Swathi of Zesty South Indian Kitchen,

Penny of Penniless Parenting

Alea at Premeditated Leftovers,

and me

Melynda at Mom's Sunday Cafe , welcome to the Hearth and Soul hop!

Come on, do tell, what will you be sharing?

Garden Tuesday on a Monday!

2011-11-21T17:54:00.001-08:00

Hello everyone! Joining Sidewalk Shoes for Garden Tuesday.......fall is in the air, or is it?

As always thanks for taking a moment to stop and say hello. I appreciate your time and your wonderful comments!

This post is shared with:

garden tuesday @ sidewalk shoes

key words: red leaf maple, falling leaves, fal

Sharing the view......

2011-11-18T04:00:00.000-08:00

A Friday view.....

I hope everyone has a great weekend! I also hope to be back to more blogging, now that I am an old married lady!

As always, thanks for taking a moment to stop by. I appreciate your time and your wonderful comments.

Key words: family, wedding, married life

Hearth and Soul #74

2011-11-15T04:00:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone, once again it is time for the Hearth n Soul blog hop. Another week has passed, another week of healthy meals. We are ~~wedding mode~~ ~~here~~, busy with many post wedding chores to get done. Like changing my name on, way too many items to list LOL! Last week our special family guest, returned to Saudi Arabia.There were many fun days and lots of laughter. I sent her home with a treasure from my cookbook shelf, a little bit of home packed in her suitcase.

With that, I thank you for joining us and sharing your ideas and recipes, philosophy and wonderful new discoveries. Food from your hearth, food for your soul. I continue to learn something new and wonderful each week. And I look forward to seeing what you have been cooking, creating and enjoying this week.

If you are new, please read the Hearth and Soul mission statement page which includes the rules for linking up.

If you have any questions, just drop me a line at MomsSundayCafe@gmail.com.

Now before we "go to the hop!" here are a few links that caught my eye from last week:

Homemade slice and bake cookies.

Busy day Goulash.

All nuts and seeds bread.

Delicious (but no longer purple) asparagus.

Potatoes with egg and tomato pasta.

I would like to take this moment to invite you to visit the linked post before your own, as well as the linked post after yours. It will be fun as well as interesting to visit the other links and say hello and introduce yourself.

And now on behalf of all the co-hosts,

April of The 21st Century Housewife,

Swathi of Zesty South Indian Kitchen,

Penny of Penniless Parenting

Alea at Premeditated Leftovers,

and me

Melynda at Mom's Sunday Cafe , welcome to the Hearth and Soul hop!

Come on, do tell, what will you be sharing?

I do.......

2011-11-11T11:23:00.001-08:00

take thee for the rest of my life.

Such a wonderful day to share with family.

As always, I appreciate your stopping by. Have a great weekend!

tomorrow.....

2011-11-10T16:46:00.001-08:00

we shall marry in the early evening.

(for better or worse, if I have forgotten something, I don't think it will matter)

As always thanks for stopping by, I appreciate your time and your wonderful comments.

Wednesday's Words

2011-11-09T14:21:00.000-08:00

Getting married is serious business. We email and leave notes to each other almost daily.

Traditional:

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.

Modern:

Someone happy, someone revere, someone honest, someone dear.

Funny:

Someone laughing, someone poking, someone scratching, someone joking.

Thoughtful:

Someone loving, someone caring, someone kind, someone sharing.

I decided today, this will not end on Saturday..........

As always thanks for taking a moment to stop by. I appreciate your time and your wonderful comments. If you find something here that you enjoy, feel free to share it with a friend.

Key words: weddings, marriage, love

Hearth and Soul #73

2011-11-08T04:00:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone, once again it is time for the Hearth n Soul blog hop. Another week has passed, another week of healthy meals. We are in wedding mode here, with many more wedding related chores to get done. This week we enjoyed a special family guest, who is working in Saudi Arabia. It is always fun to have guests, but one that travels so far, well that calls for special times!

With that, I thank you for joining us and sharing your ideas and recipes, philosophy and wonderful new discoveries. Food from your hearth, food for your soul. I continue to learn something new and wonderful each week. And I look forward to seeing what you have been cooking, creating and enjoying this week.

If you are new, please read the Hearth and Soul mission statement page which includes the rules for linking up.

If you have any questions, just drop me a line at MomsSundayCafe@gmail.com.

Now before we "go to the hop!" here are a few links that caught my eye from last week:

Miz Helen's Cranberry Oat Bars

Baked Custard and Plums

Egg Scrambler

Sour Cream Enchiladas

Easy as Sunday Morning Salad

I would like to take this moment to invite you to visit the linked post before your own, as well as the linked post after yours. It will be fun as well as interesting to visit the other links and say hello and introduce yourself.

And now on behalf of all the co-hosts,

April of The 21st Century Housewife,

Swathi of Zesty South Indian Kitchen,

Penny of Penniless Parenting

Alea at Premeditated Leftovers,

and me

Melynda at Mom's Sunday Cafe , welcome to the Hearth and Soul hop!

I am sharing another homemade cleaner, Dishwasher Powder. My daughter the lovely Jess sent me the link. It is/was on Yahoo so a special thank you to who created it originally.

What will you be sharing? I can't wait to see.

Homemade Dishwasher Powder and truth in blogging!

2011-11-07T19:06:00.000-08:00

I have through the years become offended by the high chemical content in modern day cleaners. My nose was the first victim, it burned just walking down the cleaning products aisle at the market. Then there was the second victim, my perfume, it was overpowered by those same chemicals that burned my nose. It was time to make a change, I started with a simple window cleaner of rubbing alcohol, water and vinegar. Spray on and dry off with crumpled newspaper. Now a few years later, I have several I make and I am happy to share them with you.

In the archives you will find a spray cleaner and Laundry Powder.. You can find them here:

Easy Clean , spray cleaner

Laundry Powder

Now I have a great Dishwasher Powder ~~to share also~~, that needs improvements.

Yep, for this recipe, this little guy is a star!

Dishwasher Powder
adapted from yahoo

1 c borax
1 c baking soda
1/4 c salt
2 packages (half an ounce) unsweetened Kool Aid

If the borax has lumps, press through a sieve. Combine all ingredients, mixing well. Place in a sealed container and use 2 T in each cup to wash a load of dishes. Especially dirty dishes may need additional cleaner.

~~Your dishes will sparkle!~~
See below for updates!

UPDATE: I have observed that the family members in my household each load the dishwasher differently. This included the scrapping/pre-rising of the dirty dishes. These differences may affect the final outcome of the washed dishes. While I don't pre-rinse I do scrape with a flexible spatula. I also will make wet any dish with egg, as I have found that dried egg is difficult to get cleaned off. Cheese is the biggest challenge for this cleaner, and I disagree with the original article, you will need 2 T of cleaner (or more depending upon your dishes) in each cup.

Long term use: I have read about other homemade dishwasher soaps and those articles have indicated that for long term use the homemade powder was not effective, and unfortunately this one have proven to be true at my house. I am not sure if it is water temperature, my water source/type or that it simply is not strong enough to do the job. But back to the drawing board, not giving up, but this is not as good as it needs to be.

I guess it is stay tuned for more!

As always thanks for taking a moment to stop by. I appreciate your time and your wonderful comments. If you like what you see here, please feel free to share it with a friend.

This post will be shared with:

Hearth and Soul #73 @ Moms Sunday Cafe

Key words: homemade, cleaners, fragrance free

Cookbook Sundays November 2011

2011-11-05T18:30:00.000-07:00

Welcome to November 2011, Cookbook Sunday. I am very happy to have you come to visit and share your great finds! Feel free to share any cookbook, cooking magazine article or cooking "app" recipe here. This is a fun opportunity to get to know your cookbooks!

I am sharing one of my favorite recipes, gingerbread. But not just any gingerbread, a homemade mix that can be used 2 ways. This will come in very handy this upcoming holiday season.

This baking sheet has baked 1000's of cookies!

Often times, gingersnaps.

I have had this book for 30 plus years. It only has a few dirty pages, so I know that I have not used it a lot. There are many interesting recipes, some we enjoy now. Others at a later time as we expand our food tastes. These two ladies seem unstoppable in what they will cook. So many of the days in the past 30 years were so filled with my own life and responsibilities, I simply did not have the time to be unstoppable in the kitchen. Also I might have been too young to appreciate the style of writing or the personality of the authors, when I first sat down to read this book, so many years ago.. Today these recipes seem a bit tame in comparison to what a seeker will find during an internet search and in newly published books. But my love and respect for cookbooks will always show that old does not mean useless.

So many things marked for future fun in the kitchen.

In most ways, I am an everyday cook, not one to be overly fancy. Oh sure I like to make the serving plate look enticing, but usually the food itself is ordinary and comfortable, what I call "everyday". I usually cook the same way whether we are having company or not. But I also believe that:

it is the company that makes food seem unusually good, or special.

And I like that.But I must confess, when I have prepared a dish for company or a special gathering, please wait for serving time, I do want to "show off" a little bit!

I love gingerbread and chewy gingersnap cookies. So when I was looking and marking things I wanted to try and make ahead (some are mixes), I came across a homemade mix that will make a gingerbread or chewy gingersnap cookies.

BETTER THAN STORE BOUGHT, Authoritative recipes for the foods that most
people never knew they could make at home.

by: Helen Witty and Elizabeth Schneider Colchie

Gingerbread and/or Ginger Cookie Mix
Makes 2 packages

1 c sugar
4 t ground coriander
3 1/2 t baking powder
3 t ground ginger
2 t ground cinnamon
1 t salt
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t ground cloves
4 c flour- spoon lightly into measure cup and level

Measure all ingredients except flour into a large bowl and mix together using a whisk to combine.

Add flour and continue to whisk until all ingredients are mixed together and no white streaks of flour are present.

Divide the mixture into two batches (2 1/2 c each), if any amount remains in the large mixing bowl, divide equally between the two packages. Store at room temperature in either plastic bags or glass jars.

Gingerbread
350 degrees

1 c boiling water
3/4 stick (6 T) butter
3/4 c light un-sulphured molasses
1 package (1/2 batch) Gingerbread/Ginger Cookie Mix
1 egg plus 1 yolk

Combine boiling water, butter and molasses. Stir until butter melts, let cool to lukewarm. In a large bowl combine the package of mix and the cooled butter mixture, stir to combine. In a small bowl, beat the egg and yolk, stir the egg mixture into the ginger bread mixture, mixing well. Pour into prepared 8 inch pan.

Bake 45 minutes or until top spring back when lightly touched. Let cool before cutting. Serve with whipped cream or lemon sauce.

Serves 9

Make your gingersnaps extra delicious with a simple lemon glaze.

Ginger Cookies
375 degrees

1/4 stick butter (4 T)
2/3 light un-sulphured molasses
2 eggs beaten to combine well
1 package Gingerbread/Ginger Cookie Mix

Beat the butter and molasses together, stir in the eggs and mix lightly. Add the cookie mix and combine until mixture is evenly dampened. Drop by teaspoons onto a prepared cookie sheet. Bake 6 - 8 minutes or until the centers spring back when gently touched. Remove from cookies sheets and let cool. Store in an airtight container.

Makes 4 dozen

And now welcome to Cookbook Sundays! What will you be sharing?

Sharing the view......

2011-11-04T10:17:00.000-07:00

A Friday view......

My office desk. Organized tasks ready to be completed on this day. It has been a busy time here with hope, hospice and happiness. All three came to call during office hours this week.

This little jewel has been displayed in my office for 10+ years. It really is true, all folks bring joy!

On a personal note, I walk down the aisle to married life in one week. Ironically I have been hobbling on a very sore knee, with a support brace for the past 10 days. Moving much slower than usual, but ready for that special stroll to my future.

And tell me, how has your week been?

As always thanks for taking a moment to stop and say hello.
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key words: life, living, sharing