Roasted Root Vegetables with Brussels Sprouts

My husband declared in late October that he felt he needed to lose a little weight and try to eat healthier.  According to the USDA, he was, in fact considered obese.  And I have to say that in 6 months, he's lost 30 pounds just by changing his diet alone.

Baked Brown Rice

In addition to both me and the 9 year old ending up with 6 weeks of bronchitis the end of October through November, one of the reasons why I took a blogging break was because my husband decided he needed to lose some weight and eat healthier.  Even though I try to cook healthy for supper, and we don't eat that much by way of processed foods, he wasn't eating healthy through the day.

Difference Between Pork Loin and Pork Tenderloin

Have you ever read a recipe that called for a pork tenderloin and you bought a pork loin instead thinking they were the same thing?  Frustrating isn't it, when your glaze burns and your meat isn't cooked through at the time the recipe said?  Or, worse, done it in reverse and cooked a pork tenderloin to death in a roasting pan.

Gluten Free Flour Blend and Book Review

I was not compensated for this post other than given permission to share America's Test Kitchen's copyrighted recipe.  All opinions are my own.

Several weeks ago a package showed up on my doorstep unannounced.  My dad saw a cookbook online he thought I'd like and had it sent to me.  My dad is cool like that.

The book is America's Test Kitchen's latest The How Can it Be Gluten Free Cookbook.  Let me tell you, I wish this book had come out a year ago.  The first chapter in the book is all about the chemistry of gluten and baking.  America's Test Kitchen talks about what needs to be replaced in a recipe if wheat gluten is removed - elasticity, fat, starch.  Another thing they talked about was weighing flour and other dry ingredients instead of measuring them by the cup.  That technique has made a great difference in my baking.

Keep Cold Foods Cold While Camping

This week is camping week at Now Things Are Cookin'.  Monday I shared meal ideas to help you move beyond hotdogs and hamburgers on your camping trip.

Two Super Easy Sauces

Ever have one of those nights when you've got to get supper in the table in a hurry and you're not feeling inspired, so you pull out a tried and true meal?  For me that's usually breaded chicken with rice or angel hair pasta.  Sometimes I'll manage broiled salmon if I've found some on managers special.  But then...there's that look on your family's faces.  That look of resignation that you've just phoned it in for dinner tonight.

Guest Posting at Feeding Big

On Monday I purposely glutened myself for a homemade turkey salad sandwich, thinking it'd be worth it.  It was not.  I've been sick with migraines, swollen legs, and an upset stomach since.  This morning is the first day I've really felt well.  So there haven't been any blog posts this week, and for that I'm truly sorry.

How to Read a Recipe

Reading a recipe might seem like a no brainer to even novice cooks, but as I was researching how to write a recipe, I actually learned a few things.  It's not easy to write a recipe and sometimes, I will admit, us food bloggers get it wrong.  However, there are some things you should expect from a well written recipe and some things you should do.

Saving Chipotle Chilies in Adobo Sauce

We like a lot of Tex-Mex/Mexican food around here.  In fact I'd say we probably have at least one thing a week that would be considered Tex-Mex, whether it's tacos, Southwest Pasta Skillet, Spicy Bean Burritos, taquitos, or Roasted Tomatillo Salsa with Avocado.  Sometimes I come across a recipe that calls for chipotle chilies in adobo sauce.

Get Organized: Water Bottle and Travel Cup Holder

Please ignore the chipped paint.  The person who owned the house before us did a very poor job painting.

I'm sure many of you can relate to the frustration of opening a cabinet only to have a water bottle or travel cup fall out, maybe even on your head.  It was a near daily experience for us, not to mention the fact I had the 8 year old's water bottles in one cabinet, ours in another, and our travel cups in yet a third.  

Cream of... Soup Mix

I admit, there are some things that are just not the same without a can of cream of "something" soup.  My momma's meatloaf calls for a can of cream of celery soup for the gravy, and I'm just not sure it would be her meatloaf without it.

Deli Sandwich Skewers

So I have a confession to make.  I'm not one of those moms who whips up a beautiful packed bento style lunch for the 8 year old each day.  In fact he usually gets a sandwich, a container of fruit, and some other sort of "side" like cheese flavored crackers, graham crackers, cheese sticks, or fruit leather.  The fanciest I go is to spread cream cheese on a whole wheat tortilla and roll it up.  However yesterday school was delayed two hours due to "wintery mix," so I had extra time to do something special.

The Importance of Salt

My mother's recipe for stuffed peppers is adapted from a very old Betty Crocker recipe for "porcupine" meatballs.  Supposedly, if you add uncooked rice to the meatballs mixture, as it cooks in a slow cooker, the rice will work to the surface and poke out resembling quills on a porcupine.

Fine Mesh Sieve Substitute

I've mentioned before that I am a home cook who doesn't have a lot of the fancy gadgets and toys that a lot of home cooks these days have.  I'm generally okay with making do with what I have.  However occasionally not having a particular tool is frustrating.

How to Season a Wooden Cutting Board

My in-laws gave me a nice new 19x13 inch wooden cutting board for Christmas.  I'd been wanting a larger one for quite a while, and I'm partial to wooden cutting boards.  But did you know that wooden cutting boards need to be seasoned before use and roughly every month or so of regular use after that?  Wood dries out and needs a good coat of oil periodically.

Common Ingredient Substitutions

Last week we talked about measurement equivalents.  But what about if you run out of buttermilk, baking powder, or honey?  Here are some common substitutions.  

Measurements Equivalents

Have you ever looked at a recipe and thought what on earth is 6 tablespoons? or how many ounces are in a cup? or what do they mean by a "pinch?"

Wonder no more.  Here's a handy-dandy guide for some common measurement equivalents.

Measurement Equivalents

1 pinch or dash equals 1/8 teaspoon (or less)
3 teaspoons (tsp) equals 1 tablespoon (tbsp)
2 tablespoons equals one fluid ounce
4 tablespoons equals 1/4 cup
1 cup equals 8 fluid ounces
2 cups equals 1 pint
2 pints equals 1 quart
4 quarts equals 1 gallon

8 dry quarts equals 1 peck
4 dry pecks equals 1 bushel

approximately 4 cups equals one liter

The above graphic is a handy-dandy printable for you so you can print it out and keep it in a safe place in your kitchen.  Just right click and save to your computer.

Slow Cooker Tips

Ya'll, I love my slow cookers.  Yes, plural.  On busy nights they are the things that keep me sane and get my family fed before 7:30p.m.  And that's important because I'm really strict about an 8:00p.m. bedtime for the 8 year old.  I can set my slow cooker before I leave for work, check it when I get home at 1:30 and with very little prep later in the evening, count on supper around 5:00.  Sure slow cooker meals aren't gourmet, but they can be delicious and they can be healthy.

Petros or Frito Pie

Petros is a fast food restaurant chain in Tennessee and Alabama.  We discovered it when my husband lived in Knoxville, TN shortly before we were married.  The original version was chili poured inside a bag of Fritos with sour cream on top.  The first restaurant was at the 1982 World's Fair in Knoxville.

Grocery Items Worth the Spluge

We've talked a lot about Making the Best of Things, how to save money at the grocery store, and money saving tips in the kitchen.  But what we haven't talked about are items are worth the splurge.  These will be different things to different people, but I can show you what we splurge on in our house.