Pondering the Kitchen

My Kitchen Now and Then

noreply@blogger.com (Katina Mooneyham) — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 12:27:00 +0000

I remember growing up with a medium sized kitchen. But it was always a great kitchen. It was because that's where my mom and dad both taught me the lessons in cooking that I now enjoy.

When I moved to Dayton, Ohio to go to college, the apartment I lived in had a kitchen the size of a small bathroom. It worked for me then. But we always called it our one butt kitchen. That was all that could fit in it!

I moved to Columbus when college didn't turn out quite like I'd expected. The first apartment had a small kitchen. But when we finally moved to the bigger apartment, my kitchen was huge compared to the other kitchens I had. I really enjoyed the space.

Now, I enjoy a nice big kitchen. It's a place that I can enjoy the cooking and baking I do. There's room to swirl around in, dance in even. I can often be seen dancing to the beat of the drum in my own head as I whirl to the food pantry for something for the night's supper.

I'm in the process of reorganizing my kitchen food pantry. Now, I realize this task is much more complicated than I originally thought. I like organization in the kitchen. It makes things go smoother when cooking on the fly.

Blessings,

Katina Mooneyham

A Little While Longer

noreply@blogger.com (Katina Mooneyham) — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 01:08:00 +0000

...while I get caught up with life. Then, maybe I'll be able to write more. I know it's been four months since things have been updated here. And yes, I still am in the kitchen pondering life. Lately, though, it's been more of a quick pondering moment, then it's gone, before you know it's that time to get to work again. The weekends are usually spent catching up with things I missed during the week with the kids or my husband and friends.

Meanwhile, enjoy a few of the places I enjoy about food. The first almost everyone knows about. Food Network is a great relaxing place to find information on food and recipes from your latest greatest chefs on TV. Barry Farm Foods and Bulk Foods are the two main places I get some of my more unusual foods such as the Chinese Black Rice and Green Bamboo Rice.

Here's to cooking and fine times in the kitchen!

Stir Fry

noreply@blogger.com (Katina Mooneyham) — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 16:59:00 +0000

A few years back my husband bought a wok for me. It was a replacement for my electric wok that broke in the many moves from apartment to apartment to house. I absolutely love my wok. I like the feel of the wooden handle. It really is a light weight wok and is perfect for me to cook stir frys and even other foods in it. It just isn't for stir fry. I have cooked other dishes in it too I like it so much.

I made stir fry the other day. If you have some cheap steaks that arne't very good for anything else or maybe some steak that has been in the freezer too long and starting to get freezer burn stir frying it may be just the thing to revive it into something useful. I had cheaper steaks I bought the other day. They were in the refrigerator. I put them into the freezer on a plate for 15 minutes. They are easier to cut partially frozen especially with a duller knife (I really need to get a professional sharpening done with my knives).

When I make stir fry, I always prepare all the ingredients before I even warm up the wok. I have everything on hand that I will need so I can focus my attention of stirring the meal and cooking it to my desires. I cut up the steaks into long strips. Some people chunk them up. Either way is fine. I peeled and slices some carrots. I cut up some onions and garlic pieces too. Celery was next. Last, was the fresh broccoli. I cut off the stems and put them aside. I cut up the broccoli heads into bite sized pieces and then put them into a bowl, added a little teriyaki and let them sit while I finished preparing and cooking everything else. The broccoli stems are a great addition to any stir fry. Take a vegetable peeler and slice off the hard outer layer. Slice up the stem and add into the stir fry when you add the broccoli heads.

Add a little olive oil to the wok and turn on a medium high heat to get it going. It should sizzle when you add the meat. Once it's warm enough, add the meat and cook until you see no more red oozing from it. You can add soy sauce at this time or some other seasoning if you'd like. Then start adding the vegetables. We like our carrots barely cooked so I add those last. But adding them at any time is fine. I added the onions and garlic the last five minutes so that the garlic would only be steamed and very pungent. Many people can't withstand the heat and bite of semi-cooked garlic so it's a personal choice.

On the side I made gingered white sticky rice. I just made regular white rice without rinsing it and added a lot of powdered ginger to it. Overall, it was a wonderful meal.

Long Time...shepherd's pie

noreply@blogger.com (Katina Mooneyham) — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 14:48:00 +0000

It's been a harrowing couple of weeks. Not really, just really busy. I've had to go and work outside the house as a data entry specialist. It's not a tough job. It's second shift in a city about an hour drive from my house though. It's worth the extra money coming still.

It hasn't given me much time to cook except on the weekends. This weekend I made my version of shepherd's pie. I've heard it named different things but that's what we call it.

What You Need:

1 lb hamburger
1 can creamed corn
1 can regular corn (or 2 cups frozen corn thawed)
Mashed potatoes
1 small yellow onion
3-4 garlic cloves

Put olive oil in a large pot and heat it on medium to medium high. While waiting for the pot to heat up, dice the onions and garlic. Add to the pot. Saute until the onions and garlic start to turn opaque. It shouldn't take long, mabye two to three minutes. Add the hamburger and cook until it's done.

While you wait for the hamburger to cook, you can start the mashed potatoes. I use instant. If you want regular mashed potatoes, start boiling the potatoes 15 minutes before you start the hamburger. That way by the time the hamburger gets done you will be ready to mash up those potatoes.

I add spices such as rosemary and basil to my instant mashed potatoes. I fill up the bottom of a pan with water, about an inch thick or so. Then I add some chicken, beef or vegetable stock (whatever I have handy really) to it. Add about a cup or so of milk and heat it up. I sometimes add a couple tablespoons of butter too especially if I don't add much milk or have much milk to add. Heat it no higher than medium or you might end up with scalded milk. That doesn't make for good mashed potatoes. Once the mixture is heated, I add the instant potato flakes. I have a container I keep the mashed potato flakes in. It takes about half the container I have. I don't measure normally. Read the directions on the box to see how many you need.

Once the hamburger is done, add the cans of corn and stir to mix completely. Turn the stove down to low. Add the mashed potatoes right on top of the hamburger corn mixture. You can add some mozzarella cheese or some other cheese on top. Add a lid to help melt the cheese.

noreply@blogger.com (Katina Mooneyham) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 17:09:00 +0000

COOKING WITH YOUR KIDS

The kids are going to start taking some initiative at home. They are going to cook even more than before. I started cooking with the kids when they were much younger. Even my two year old watches me cook and I tell him things to bring to me. It doesn’t always end up being the right thing he brings to me. But he tries to help. That’s the key. They try to help. By helping and watching, they learn to cook.

Cooking doesn’t really require any major skills. Just a sense of adventure. I’ve tried to instill in the kids that sense of wonder in cooking. It’s an art form. Not everyone is good at it. But it sure is fun to try.

Begin at the beginning. Start the cooking adventure with your kids today.

Fruit Dip

noreply@blogger.com (Katina Mooneyham) — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 16:00:00 +0000

Fruit Dip

I love fresh fruit. But I don’t always like it just plain. Some people in the household add sugar. Too much sugar I’d say. I think fruit has enough sugar in it. Occasionally though, I like to make a fruit dip.

Blend 8 oz whipped cream (or make your own whipped cream) with an 8 oz package of cream cheese. Mix until it’s smooth and enjoy! That’s all there is to it. Of course, you can add fruit to the mixture as well.

Whipped Cream

noreply@blogger.com (Katina Mooneyham) — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 13:40:00 +0000

I love whipped cream. I always remember having it as a kid (I don’t know how those tracks got into the container, Mom, I swear!). Mom always bought the kind that already made and for a time, I did as well. Then I learned how easy it was to make your own.

Heavy whipping cream
Sugar
Mixer with whisk attachment

While a stand mixer is best, a hand mixer works will make the whipped cream too. Put your mixing bowl and attachments into the freezer for ten minutes. It’s easier to whip up the whipping cream when the bowl and attachments are cold. Pour as much whipping cream as you desire into the bowl. A cup of whipping cream makes about two to three cups of whipped cream. Whip the cream on medium. Once the whipping cream starts to fluff up, add the sugar. You only need about 2 tablespoons of sugar per one cup of whipping cream but this depends on the use for the whipped cream. Whip the cream until soft peaks form. This usually takes only a few minutes but could be longer if the bowl isn’t as cold. Test for soft peaks by turning off the mixer and raising the beaters. The cream will have a soft peak, a peak that bends over slightly. It will be similar to the whipped cream you buy at the store.

If you keep whipping the cream you can make butter so be careful to not over whip the cream. Use immediately. Cover any unused portion and store in the refrigerator. It’ll keep for a few days. If it’s out at room temperature too long, it might lose its fluff. You can fluff it back up using the mixer again.

Break Day

noreply@blogger.com (Katina Mooneyham) — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 15:05:00 +0000

I need a break this weekend. Yesterday, we went to my best friend's house and SHE made dinner. She made pork tenderloin (about 5 pounds of it!), mashed potatoes and sauerkraut. It sure tasted great.

It's break day. But even so, we have a few things we need to get done (like shopping for milk and toilet paper, great combination, right?). I made pancakes this morning. They turned out great. Later I'll post the recipe perhaps.

10 Easy Desserts

noreply@blogger.com (Katina Mooneyham) — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 01:31:00 +0000

We love desserts as much as my kids love desserts. I especially love easy-to-make desserts, you know the kind that doesn’t take you hours to make yet taste just as yummy? Here are 10 easy desserts anyone can make.

Instant Pudding

It just takes two cups of cold milk, a whisk, and 5 to 7 minutes to make most instant puddings. Note: There are some that you may have to cook and serve that are still considered instant. Look for the label instant that doesn’t require cooking for the quickest pudding. Add some whipped cream and you have a wonderful smooth pudding for dessert.

Apple Crisp

Take a can of apple pie filling and add it to a baking dish. Then layer on top of it a box of yellow cake mix. Slice a quarter of a butter stick into pieces. Crumble these pieces up into smaller pieces and spread it around on top of the yellow cake mix. Put it in an oven on 350 degrees for about 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Fruit Salad

Fruit salad is any beginning chef’s dream dessert because it requires little preparation. You can buy already cut up fruit and just mix them together to make a great dessert for summer (or all other times as well).

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Pound cake makes a great dessert because it’s versatile. Add chocolate sauce, fruit, or icing for a richer dessert. Visit Martha Stewart.com to find a recipe that I use for cream cheese pound cake.

Banana Bread

Banana bread is a quick bread that can double as a dessert bread as well. It’s easy to make. I use Tyler Florence’s, from Food Network, banana bread recipe.

Zucchini Bread

I make zucchinni bread similar to the one that I use for banana bread except that I use the shredded zucchini and a small can of crushed pineapple (juice drained) in place of the bananas. I sometimes add pecans, walnuts or even once added chocolate chips to the zucchini bread.

Molasses Cookies

These yummy cookies are an excellent dessert in my house. I usually have to make two batches because one just won’t last long. My husband takes a whole bag to work (which usually contains about twelve cookies) and my kids love them so much they never last longer than a week.

Peanut Butter Cookies

I love peanut butter cookies. I love Hershey’s Peanut Butter Blossoms even more.

Scones

Scones are traditionally a British snack but are still popular in America in many places. It’s similar to a bisquit. They are quite yummy with dried fruit such as blueberries, raspberries, or cranberries.

Try some delicious cranberry-orange scones from Martha Stewart.com.

Dessert Pizza

The final dessert is a dessert pizza. You can take an already made pizza crust. Then take strawberry or cherry sauce in place of the tomato sauce on a regular pizza. Add various fruits on it and top it with icing or even whipped cream.

10 Great Quick Breakfasts

noreply@blogger.com (Katina Mooneyham) — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 19:47:00 +0000

We all need quick breakfast ideas. Even for the stay at home moms (maybe especially for them) we need something easy to fix and possibly even something the kids could help make (depending on their age). Here are ten great quick breakfast ideas to help you move in the sluggish mornings.

Scrambled Eggs and Bacon

Scrambled eggs and bacon doesn’t take that long. You can even cook the bacon the night before (saves time for morning) and microwave it the morning for an even quicker breakfast. It takes less than 15 minutes to cook this breakfast.
Bagels

The great thing about bagels is you don’t have to cook them if you don’t want. My daughters have a new found love for breakfast when bagels are involved. Have a variety of toppings available to make it a bagel buffet line. Then you can sit back and relax and still be in the comfort that they are eating breakfast.
French Toast

French toast takes a little cooking time but no more than the scrambled eggs and bacon. Make a batter of egg yolks and milk. Add some spices to the batter. Dip the bread into the batter and fry on each side for about a minute or until golden brown. Serve French toast with fruit, honey, or syrup for a tasty quick breakfast.
Oatmeal

Instant oatmeal can be a quick tasty meal. Add some brown sugar, chocolate chips, honey, or even some fruit to add taste to the oatmeal.
Peanut Butter Toast

We love to eat toast here. It’s quick, easy for the kids to fix and we get a couple servings of the daily grains on our nutrition pyramid.
Cereal

What could be easier, quicker, and more nutritious than cereal? Almost any cereal will do and most are fortified with nutrients and minerals. For moms, cereals can be breakfast life savers.
Pizza

Pizza for breakfast, anyone? It sounds like a dream come true (or a college student’s dream) but pizza really can be nutritious AND quick. Leftovers to the rescue!
Smoothies

Fruit and vegetable smoothies for breakfast makes good on any overripe fruit that you need to eat. Add fruit to the blender, add some ice and milk and hit the blend button. When it gets to the consistency you like, pour into a glass and enjoy. It’s great for on the go breakfasts.
Fruit Salad

Perhaps you don’t want to blend up your fruit in a smoothie but you still want fruit. Make a fruit salad. Mix any of your favorite fruits together as you would a salad. You can also add some fruit dip like you would a salad dressing.
Fruit Tortilla Wrap

This is a play on the fruit salad. You can wrap the fruit pieces in a tortilla wrap, add some fruit dip to help hold it in place and wrap up the fruit.

Sweet and Sour Chicken Legs

noreply@blogger.com (Katina Mooneyham) — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 22:00:00 +0000

Last night’s dinner was sweet and sour chicken legs and roasted vegetables. I cooked some orzo for us and rice for my husband. It was a rather quick decision because I didn’t feel like cooking much. Thankfully, this dinner just lended itself to my sluggishness.

Sweet and Sour Chicken Legs

I preheated the oven to about 400 degrees. First I laid out the chicken legs in my big glass baking pan. I got about ten of them in there, the whole package. I drizzled them with olive oil and added salt and pepper. While I was waiting for the oven to heat up, I took half a bottle of already made sweet and sour sauce, soy sauce (probably about half a cup), about a half cup of this balsamic viniagrette dressing I have, and a drizzle of honey and mix it all in a bowl. It sure did taste warm and wonderful. Of course, I test tasted it. I’m the head chef in my kitchen and since I was feeling sluggish I felt I had that obligation to taste it first (and seeing how it was the first time I made it...). I added some rosemary to the chicken and popped them into the oven. I cooked them for about 15 minutes before I added the sweet and sour marinade. They took about 35 minutes total time to cook. I broiled them for the last 10 minutes to get the tops nice and crispy.

Roasted Parsnips, Carrots, and Broccoli

I also made roasted parsnips, carrots, and broccoli. The kids wanted broccoli or I would normally have used onions. I just cut up the parsnips and carrots into sticks and added the broccoli to the mix. I used frozen broccoli but you could use fresh broccoli if you wanted to. I put them on a baking sheet and drizzled olive oil on them, added a little salt and pepper, and sprinkled some paprika on them. I put them in the oven about 15 minutes after I put the marinade on the chicken. It took about 20 minutes to roast them. They were very sweet and tasted so yummy with the sweet and sour chicken legs.

Stock the Kitchen

noreply@blogger.com (Katina Mooneyham) — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 19:00:00 +0000

I’m going to reorganize my herbs. My herbs are on my baker’s rack. I bought these fun little wire shelves to try to organize them better. They worked, for a couple months. Then things started getting disorganized. It’s time for reorganization. I’ll still use the little wire shelves. It’s just time I made it so I can read the herb labels.

I constantly have to reorganize things in the kitchen. Either I get tired of the way things are or someone in the household moves things out of place. I like things organized in the kitchen. Wish I could say the same for the rest of my household. I think I organize my kitchen better because I see it as a fun activity perhaps.

Organizing the Kitchen

A baker’s rack has helped me tremendously. It was money well spent. It even has a wine rack for my wonderful bottles of wine. I use the baker’s rack for holding a few pots and pans down low, namely my stock pots that are too large to put in other places. I use the middle shelf for my herbs and spices. I use the top of the baker’s rack to store pasta containers. Sometimes I have to rearrange things because they get cluttered. But it’s worth it to have balance in the kitchen.

Stock Shelf and Wire Bins

My mother in law recently came from Tennessee to help organize our house. One of the rooms she helped in was the kitchen. We ended up getting a huge wire shelf unit for our kitchen food pantry. We also got more wire shelves to put canned goods on. It does get cluttered when I try to put more stuff on the shelf. But it’s a start and it looks a lot better than the book shelving unit I had in there a few months ago.

We also got six wire bins to hold my fruits and vegetables. I also use mason jars to store certain flours (like pea flour, corn meal, and almond flour). Those I keep in the wire bin. I also keep snacks on the top wire bin so the kids can easily reach them. So far, they’ve worked great.

Pot and Pan Wall Rack

When we moved here, there was a pot and pan wall rack in the kitchen. Besides being a bit high up on the wall, I like it. I need my step stool in order to reach things effectively on top of the rack. But it works great to hang up pots and pans. I think, though, I need to get rid of some of them. I have so many that not all fit on the rack.

Constant Organizer

I feel like a constant organizer, that I have to evaluate things over and over again every few months. This keeps the balance and energy flowing in my kitchen.

Alfred Nobel's Birthday

noreply@blogger.com (Katina Mooneyham) — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 16:00:00 +0000

Today is Alfred Nobel’s birthday. He's the guy the Nobel Prize is named for. Celebrate his birthday by reading more about the Nobel Prize.

How Does Global Warming Really Affect Food?

In 2007, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and Al Gore won the Nobel Prize for Peace. This was a good step toward recognizing that global warming may be affecting all of us. Global warming could be affecting the climate. In turn, that can affect our food supplies in more ways than we thought were possible.

Even if global warming isn’t all man-made, I think it’s in our best interest to help reduce the effects of it. We, as human beings, have the intelligence and perserverance to solve the world’s climate crisis. Enough people are starving without the threat of climate change. If global warming increases, it could continue to wreak havoc on the world’s agriculture. Change in climate means a change in the types of food that grows in certain areas of the world. Droughts or too much rain could drastically change farm crops. Major storms could also cause crop damage beyond recovery. Some crops could disappear altogether. The fact is, we don’t know what the future holds. We can’t sit back and just wait until the last minute. That could prove disasterous.

More farmers need to practice sustainable farming, farming that lessens the impact on the Earth’s resources. Use conservation and less pesticides. I have a personal garden every year. I think if more people did that, there might be less of a need to use so much land for farming. We could develop alternative fuels to take place of the fuels that taint our atmosphere and contribute to the rising world temperatures. We need to come up with alternative food sources and ways to grow our existing food sources in new ways. We can consider indoor gardening or greenhouse growing. We have options.

Check out:

Ten Food Staples That You Should Always Have

noreply@blogger.com (Katina Mooneyham) — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +0000

Certain foods should always have a place on your food pantry. These are called food staples. Many of these food staples are used in quicker meals. These food staples also come in handy in emergency situations. Here’s a list of ten foods you should have in your food pantry.

Salt
Salt used to have a place other than a flavor enhancer. It was also used to cure, or preserve food in past times. Salt was even once used as a form of currency as some places had more salt than others. Now, salt is a great thing to have for a flavor enhancer because it gets good shelf life.
Sugar
Sugar is another staple that you should have in your food pantry. Sugar is used in everything from cookies and other baked goods to beverages like tea and coffee. Like salt, it is used as a flavor enhancer.
Eggs
Eggs are very versatile. They are used as a food by themselves (say, in scrambled eggs). Eggs are also used to thicken sauces. In baking, eggs are used as a binder and leavener helping certain cakes in the rising process. Always keep some eggs in your refrigerator.
Milk
Milk is used not only as a beverage it’s used in cooking as well. It’s used as a flavor enhancer and adds moisture. It can add to the texture of a recipe as well.
Flour
Flour can be used to make a variety of basic things such as cookies, breads and breadings for meat.
Rice
Rice is high in starch, thus providing a great energy food. That’s why it’s considered a staple food for a lot of the world’s population especially Asian cultures. So many varities of rice are available from the typical long grain white rice to the more exotic Chinese black rice or Red Himalayan Rice.
Pasta
Pasta is another food staple that should be on every cook’s food pantry shelf. Pasta, like, rice is in the main diet of many of the world’s population. Pasta also comes in many different shapes and sizes. Add different pastas such as orzo, penne, and rigatoni for more visual appeal. Keep some extra spaghetti and fettuccine noodles around so you can make a quick dinner if you need to.
Canned Tomatos and Sauce
Canned foods were invented to prolong storage. Keep some tomato sauce and tomatoes around to add to pasta for a quick meal.
Potatoes
Potatoes are considered a staple to many people. Although not a main source of nutrients or minerals, potatoes add interest to quick dishes and are easy to fry, bake, or even cook on a grill.
Canned or Dried Beans
Canned beans, like canned tomato sauce, help make a quick meal. Dried beans last even longer than canned beans but take a longer time to cook. Beans add protein to the diet. When meat is scarce, reach for the beans to make up for the lost protein.

What’s the Right Way to Fix a Meal?

noreply@blogger.com (Katina Mooneyham) — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 10:00:00 +0000

My youngest daughter and I love oatmeal. But we like it different ways. She likes hers firm, not too soupy. I love mine soupy, the kind you get when you move the bowl around you can see the oatmeal visibly shift around in a whirlpool. Which is the right way to cook and eat oatmeal? It depends on your desires and tastes. There is no ONE way to eat a meal.

I’ve often eaten the same thing several different ways. For instance, I love oatmeal with brown sugar and cinnamon. But occasionally I like it with fresh or dried fruit. I guess it depends on my mood that day.

My mood does dictate what we eat that day. I guess the right meal is the one that I feel like making that day!

Find Recipes

noreply@blogger.com (Katina Mooneyham) — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 23:43:00 +0000

Originally my recipes came from my family. I learned from both my dad and mom how to cook. My mom bakes all the time so I learned how to make cookies, cakes, and that yummy fudge she makes. Almost every weekend, my dad would make is famous breakfasts so I learned most of the frying stuff from him.

Now I find recipes from a variety of sources. I still get ideas from my mom and dad. I also buy cookbooks now and use them. Food magazines such as Bon Appetit and Everyday Food are great sources of recipes and cooking ideas.

Don’t forget the Internet. Bon Appetit’s sister site Epicurious.com is another great source of recipes. Use your favorite search engine to find a recipe. Just type in the ingredients and I’m sure something will pop up that you’ll find tasty.

Once I’ve found the recipes I like I paste them into a word processor on my computer and compile them into one folder. I name it recipes so I’ll be able to find the recipe again. I’m sure there are recipe programs out there to make it easier. I print out recipes I’ll use over and over again. I have a binder that my mom gave me as a present one year with our favorite family recipes. I use that to add more pages.

Roasted Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

noreply@blogger.com (Katina Mooneyham) — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 20:03:00 +0000

The kids love chicken fettuccine alfredo. My oldest daughter almost always orders it when we go out to any Italian restaurant. We can’t always eat out so I make their favorite with our own twists at home. This recipe feeds the five in our family. You can cook and add more chicken if you'd like but I find that this dish is great when you find yourself low on the meat and want something that doesn't require so much meat.

4 large chicken breasts
1 lb fettuccine pasta
1 jar alfredo sauce
2 cups frozen or fresh spinach
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the chicken breasts in an oven safe baking pan. I use my glass baking pans. Add salt and pepper to taste and drizzle olive oil onto the chicken. Cook the chicken breasts for about 20-25 minutes or until done. While waiting for the chicken breasts to cook, start a pot of water for the fettuccine pasta. Find the largest pot you have and fill it at least 3/4 full of water. Bring it to a boil. Once the water has started to boil, add the fettuccine. Stir immediately so there is less of a chance of the noodles sticking. To help, you might want to break the fettuccine noodles in half before adding them to the boiling water. Wait for the water to boil again after you add the noodles and then turn down the heat a little. Let it cook for about ten minutes, until it’s al dente.

While you are waiting for the fettuccine noodles to cook, you can warm up the alfredo sauce. I buy already made alfredo sauce. But you can make your own alfredo sauce too. Warm the sauce on low until just heated. Avoid boiling the sauce as it makes a mess on the bottom of your pan. You won’t need it boiling to make this dish.

Chop up the fresh spinach if you’re using that and cook it. If you’re using frozen or canned spinach, then you can heat that at this time.

If you have a broiler (or broil setting on your oven) you can broil the chicken for the last five minutes to get a brown skin. It's not a necessity though. When the chicken is done, pull it out of the oven. Let it stand for five minutes before you slice it into chunks. Drain the noodles and place them into a large heat-proof bowl. Add the alfredo sauce, chopped spinach, the chopped chicken and stir to mix the sauce into the fettuccine. Add salt and pepper and drizzle some olive oil onto the mixture. Serve immediately. You can add some freshly grated parmesan or romano cheese if you’d like. I also recommend some herbs such as rosemary or thyme with this dish.

Buying and Cooking Spinach

noreply@blogger.com (Katina Mooneyham) — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 20:01:00 +0000

Kids and others may say “yuck” when it comes to spinach but spinach has versatility. Spinach may be eaten alone but it’s best when mixed with other food. Raw baby spinach leaves are excellent, however, in salads. Here’s how to buy and cook spinach.

Buying Spinach

Spinach comes in many different forms. In it’s canned form, spinach is already cooked and only needs warmed up. Frozen spinach, like canned spinach, only needs warmed up although a little longer. Fresh spinach is available bagged or bought in bunches. Choose spinach that hasn’t started to wilt. It should also be a vibrant green.

Wash spinach just before you use it. The bagged spinach usually comes washed. Use a chef’s knife to cut the spinach into smaller pieces if the recipe calls for it. Baby spinach is immature spinach and will have the best taste especially for salads. It’s less bitter than its adult counterpart.

Cooking Spinach

The key to cooking spinach is the cooking time. Don’t cook spinach too long or it becomes bitter and stringy. If you fry the spinach, add oil or butter and heat on medium. You can also cook onions, garlic and other vegetables before you add the spinach. Once you add the spinach, turn down the heat to low and let it cook for two to three minutes. Stir and continue until the spinach starts to wilt. Turn off the heat and let it sit for an additional minute.

Frozen and canned spinach only needs to be heated. Cook any other vegetables such as garlic and onions before you add the canned or frozen spinach.

Al Dente Pasta

noreply@blogger.com (Katina Mooneyham) — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 15:54:00 +0000

Chefs use the term “al dente” frequently. It means “to the tooth” or “to the bite” in Italian. It’s the term used to describe perfectly done pasta. Pasta is done when it still has a firm bite. It doesn’t still have a flour taste in the middle and it’s flimsy yet not soggy. Normally, perfect is not achievable. However, you can cook the perfect pasta with these tips.

Use Salt

Salt helps the pasta absorb the liquid and flavor of salt. It helps achieve that al dente state.

Stir Frequently

Stirring frequently keeps the pasta from sticking to each other. That allows the pasta to cook properly.

Smaller Pieces

I find the noodles cook better if they are broken up. Break them in half as you are adding them to the pot of boiling water. The kids always want the pasta dishes cut up after I cook them. So for me, it saves time and makes sense just to break them up before I cook them.

Use a Big Pot

Pasta needs lots of water (See next paragraph) so a big pot is necessary to cook it properly. A stock pot is just right for cooking pasta to al dente.

Use Lots of Water

The more pasta you need to cook, the more water you’ll need. You can never have too much water (Unless you fill the pot so full it starts to boil over). Bring the pot to a full boil before adding the pasta. Once you add the pasta, let the pot come to a full boil before

Taste Test

Cooking time varies according to the type of pasta. Small pastas such as orzo and macaroni take only six to seven minutes to cook. Spaghetti, fettuccine, and lasagna can take from ten to twelve minutes to fully cook. Check package for instructions. Half way through the cooking time, check for firmness. Take out the piece and bite into it. It should be firm but there shouldn’t be a crunch.

Buying Fresh Fruit

noreply@blogger.com (Katina Mooneyham) — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 15:00:00 +0000

I buy fresh fruit every week or so. The kids love to eat fresh bananas, apples, and oranges. There are so many to choose from too. I’m teaching my kids how to select fresh fruit so they’ll be able to use that valuable lesson later in life.

Tip #1

Most fruits have a thin skin. Look for fruit without blemishes and soft spots. This could mean the fruit is too ripe. If the fruit is too ripe, it could spoil quickly or be too sweet.

Tip #2

Do the smell test to test whether the fruit is too ripe.

Tip #3

Only choose what you’ll use. You can always replace what you use. It’s better than wasting the fruit.

Tip #4

Use the fruit as soon as possible. This avoids unncessary spoilage.

Fruit Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Katina Mooneyham) — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +0000

What is a fruit? A fruit defined scientifically is any seed producing body. So by this definition a tomato would be a fruit. But horticulturally and economically, a tomato is considered a vegetable. Common fruits are apples, oranges, pears, cherries, strawberries, bananas and watermelon. Celebrate National Fruit day (October 20) by making a fresh fruit salad.

I love making fruit salad. The following recipe is one my Mom and Grandma used to make all the time when I was a kid. It never lasted long and is so easy to make.

Can of mandarin oranges
Can of crushed or chunk pineapple
Two medium sized bananas
Lemon juice

Open and drain the oranges and pineapple and pour them into a bowl. Slice the bananas and add into the mixture. Add a little lemon juice to help the bananas from oxidizing. It serves about four. You could add blueberries, strawberries and other fresh fruit if you desire. If any fruit salad is leftover, cover the bowl and refrigerate. It lasts refrigerated for about two to three days before the bananas start turning brown.

Ten Gifts for the Beginning Cook

noreply@blogger.com (Katina Mooneyham) — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 10:00:00 +0000

Do you want to know what to get the beginning cook in your life? Here’s a list of possible gift ideas for the cook in your life.

Chef’s Knife

A good chef’s knife is an essential in any kitchen. A chef’s knife is the most versatile of the kitchen knives. Most chef’s knives are eight to nine inches long. Chef’s knives are usually made from stainless steel, carbon steel or even titanium.

Reluctant Gourmet
Herb Grinder

Buy a grinder so your beginner chef can ground their own herbs. A regular coffee grinder works great as an herb grinder too. Buy a separate one for herbs and one for coffee to avoid mixing the flavors.
Pepper Mill

The aroma and flavors from fresh cracked black pepper is stronger than the store bought ground black pepper. You’ll have to buy peppercorns too along with the pepper mill. Several different types of peppercorns are available. Black peppercorns, of course, are the most common. But green, red, and even white peppercorns are available. Each has a slightly different flavor ranging from mild to tangy and spicy.
Herb Rack

When the beginner cook starts gathering spices and herbs, they’ll need a place to store them. Find an herb rack to fit on the counter or in your cupboard.
Cutting Board

A good cutting board helps the beginner chef learn to cut properly and safely. You should buy a separate cutting board for meats and other foods to avoid contamination. Although plastic cutting boards are a nice convenience, wooden boards are very attractive and make a nice addition to any kitchen. Consider size when buying a cutting board. They range in sizes from large countertop size boards to small boards. They come in different thicknesses too.
Cookbook

Recipes are where it’s at for a beginner cook. Don’t forget to buy a cookbook or several for the beginner cook in your life. There are many beginning cookbooks on the market. Take a look at your local bookstore to see what wonderful cookbook gift you can buy.
Wok

To make a great stir fry, a wok helps. Buying a good wok makes a great gift for the beginner cook.
Blender

Your beginner chef can make great smoothies or mixed drinks for the next party with the gift of a blender. Some blenders even have a food processor attachment.
Stand Mixer

The stand mixer is a baker’s best friend. It helps mix dough and you can evem make your own whipped cream with a mixer. The difference between a stand mixer and hand mixer is that with a stand mixer you can do other baking or cooking chores while you wait for the batter or mixture to mix.
Candy Thermometer

A good candy thermometer helps with many baking chores such as making fudge and other candies.

Banana French Toast

noreply@blogger.com (Katina Mooneyham) — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 17:30:00 +0000

My kids love it when I make French toast. It’s easy to make once you get the hang of separating the egg yolks and whites. I usually use white bread but other bread works well with this recipe too. The addition of bananas makes this French toast even better.

Large eggs; yolk seperated from whites
1 banana per two pieces of bread
Bread
Cooking oil
Non-stick pan
Milk
Dipping bowl
Nutmeg
Cinnamon
Ground ginger
Honey or syrup

Heat the frying pan on medium. Add some oil, just enough to coat the bottom in a very thin layer. Bread absorbs the oil so only add a little so the bread doesn’t become soggy. While waiting for the frying pan to heat up, separate the whites from yolks. Use the leftover egg whites for meringues or egg drop soup. Beat the egg yolks with some milk, about a cup for every three eggs. Add cinnamon, ground ginger and nutmeg. Stir to mix. Once the frying pan is heated, dip both sides of bread in the batter and add to pan. Cook for about a minute on each side or until golden brown. Place one piece of French toast on the plate. Cut up half the banana and place the pieces on the middle of the french toast. Place the other piece of french toast on top of the other piece and bananas. Cut up the other half of the banana to place on top. Add a few pieces of banana around the plate. Drizzle the banana French toast with honey or syrup and serve. Three eggs makes about six pieces of French toast. You could use strawberries or other fruit instead of bananas.

Food Bank Week

noreply@blogger.com (Katina Mooneyham) — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 16:00:00 +0000

There’s something wrong with having to choose between eating or getting to work. According to FeedingAmerica.org, in 2006, close to 37 million people were in poverty. These people have the difficult decision to choose between skipping meals, having gas money to get to work, or pay bills that need to be paid. With gas prices and prices of regular grocery items increasing, it’s making it even harder to choose. Of course, most people choose food because it’s necessary for survival. But many are eating less nutritious meals and sometimes skip meals in order to save money.

I’ve had my fair share of choosing before. I have had to use a food bank to help supplement the food in my kitchen. I have three kids (one being a very hungry teenager) and it’s helped. Many people depend on these food banks though for their entire diets. Consider donating food to a food bank. Check out FeedingAmerica.org to find a food bank near you. These food pantries need donated food especially during the end of the year holidays like Thanskgiving and Christmas.

It’s electricity day!

noreply@blogger.com (Katina Mooneyham) — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +0000

Today is electricity day, celebrating that commodity we all too often take for granted. I have an electric stove. I am sure many people do. It’s also a flat top electric. It has its pros and cons. I grew up with a standard electric range. When I moved out to go to college, I ended up at an apartment with a gas stove. I quickly learned the ins and outs of a gas stove. Once I moved on to a big city, I got an apartment and eventually a house with an electric stove. My parents now have a gas stove.

History of the Electric Stove

Even though electric stoves were available as early as the 1890s, they became popular during the 19302 and 1940s. As electricity became widely available even in rural America, the electric stove began to really compete with the gas stove.

Glass flat top stoves were available as early as the 1970s. A few years ago my husband and I bought my in-laws house and they had a glass flat top stove they left here. That was the first time I had encountered the glass top electric stove.

Also available are induction stoves. Induction stoves cook by using magnetics. The great thing is they only work with iron containing pans such as stainless steel or cast iron pans. They won’t work with aluminum, copper bottom, ceramic or glass pans. This means that induction stoves are great for safety conscious customers like parents who are worried about kids turning on the stove.

I know some who prefer electric over gas or gas over electric. I know that without electricity though I wouldn’t have the microwave or the other appliances that make my kitchen such a great place to be in throughout the day. Which do you prefer, electric stove or gas stove?