Make-Ahead Healthy Cake Mixes Tutorial

Here is another tutorial from Mary's Nest. This one is for cake mixed you can store in your pantry or freezer. I would personally put mine in the freezer since we don't make cakes all that often and I can't tolerate foods that have gone even a little rancid. Also, I recommend using the usual canning lids and rings if you store yours in canning jars. I have not found the white plastic lids designed for use on canning jars to be a good, air tight seal. 

Here is the link to recipes on her page. This is where she gives the instructions on how to make the cakes later, so you will need this to print out the instructions to go with the mixes. I recommend keeping them with the mixes, as she does. Mixes Recipes and Instructions.

I am curious to see if her recipes can be used with gluten-free 1-for-1 flours. I may try a couple of them out in single cake proportions. But, then again, I may not. My life is full of good intentions that never quite make it to real life. blah. :-)

Also, as she mentions, these mixes could make nice gifts for people who bake desserts. This could be in keeping with the post from November 14th on changing your gift giving this holiday season - and, hey, why not all of next year?

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Kitchen Tip - Transporting or Storing A Pie with A Creamy Topping

If you don't have a pie carrying container, it can sometimes be difficult to store or transport a pie with a creamy top. If you just cover the pie with plastic film or aluminum foil it may stick to the topping and pull it off when it's removed. 

Some years back I tried this solution and it worked quite well for me in this instance: I wadded up some plastic film and place it gently on the top of the pie. Then I covered the all of this somewhat lightly with more plastic film, pressing it around the edges so that it would stay on. As you can see from the following photos, it worked reasonably well. The pie kept quite nicely and the topping was not pulled off  or ruined when the plastic film was removed.

Regrowing Vegetables from Kitchen Scraps

Here is video showing how you can grow new food from vegetable trimmings. If you don't have a garden to plant the things in later after they root and sprout, you can plant most of them in pots. The pots would need to be large. For potatoes you would need something quite large since they are going to grow under the surface and will need plenty of room.

I do not know this lady, but she lives in the same part of the US as we do. Her aprons are a fun addition. :-)





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How to Make Your Own Brown Sugar

Photo property of shop.myblueprint.com

Making your own brown sugar is very easy. My mom started doing it years ago because we enjoyed eating it on our hot cereal and it was more expensive than white sugar. (That's one of those ridiculous things where you pay more for something that takes less effort because brown sugar isn't processed as long as white, but I digress.) My mom made hers in a food processor. I make mine in my Kitchen Aid stand mixer. This tutorial shows mixing it by hand with a fork.

Make Brown Sugar

Kitchen Tip – The Dating Game

(First published Oct. 2011.)



My mom has had a habit of keeping leftovers too long sometimes, as did her mother before her and her mother before her.  After one “incident” when this didn’t work out well for my dad, he suggested that we start dating every container of leftovers before we put them in the fridge so that we would know how long they had been in there.  This happened before I got married, but I still try to keep up the habit most of the time since it is very useful to know exactly how old something is!  You just can’t remember all that stuff if you have any decent sized collection of leftovers.

As you can see from the photo, I use a part of a sticky note and put the date on it.  Sometimes they do fall off of some lids because of the texture of the plastic.  In the case of glass storage dishes with plastic lids I often put the label on the side of the dish because it sticks better to the glass.

This not only helps you not to feed your family food that is too old, but it also helps you to use up the older things first, thus giving some added direction to the usage of leftovers.  And, I admit, upon occasion I have found some things in my fridge that were way too old to be used!  :-)

By the way, the sticky notes also work for putting food in the freezer.  However, I suggest you use a piece of tape to make sure it stays on, and also add the contents as well as the date with the year so that you know what it is and how long it’s been in there.

Biscuit Cinnamon Sticky Buns

 

Some time ago my husband made these cinnamon sticky rolls at my request.  He used his usual biscuit recipe, made them into cinnamon rolls and we put them in a pan that had melted butter, brown sugar and pecans in the bottom to bake.  (We used a 9X9 pan, but a 9X13 would have worked much better.  More below on that.)  We used them for a brunch, but they would be great for breakfast, tea or coffee time.

First he rolled the biscuit dough out in a rectangle.  (I suppose you could do this with canned biscuits too.)

He buttered the top surface, sprinkled it with cinnamon and sugar, rolled it up and cut it into enough biscuits to fit into the pan. 

We put them in a pan which had melted butter, brown sugar and nuts sprinkled in the bottom (which becomes the topping when you take them out of the pan).  You could do some variations on this.  Add some dried fruits of your choice.  Add coconut or use it instead of the nuts.  It might even be possible to use some apple pie filling mixed into the topping!  Yum.

NOTE:  We had them too thick because we used a 9X9 pan.  He should have cut them thinner and we should have put them in a 9X13 pan because the outsides got done before the insides, so we couldn’t get them fully done.

I don’t know how long we baked them as we were having a little trouble getting them done.  When you remove them from the oven invert the pan onto a heat proof plate or platter.

They were delicious!  Sometime we need to try them again in a larger pan. :-)

Allergic Reactions to Fresh Vegetables

 

[NOTE: This information and the suggestions given are not intended to be a diagnosis or cure for any problem.  If you have a serious problem along this line or continual difficulties of this type, please consult your healthcare provider.]

My brother and sister-in-law and I have had some problems with reactions to fresh vegetable recently.  Carrots and celery have been a big trigger for the most part.  All three of us have experienced itching in the mouth, and I’ve had a sensation of having damaged my throat or that it was swelling.  The itching seems to be clearly an allergic reaction, but the other doesn’t seem clear as to whether it’s caused by something in/on the vegetables or if it’s a problem with the roughness of the texture.  (My brother and I both have skin, mouth, and digestive responses from rough textures.)

Today I had a reaction to organic celery (which, due to USDA rules, may not have been truly organic).  I noticed a sensation of itching in my mouth before my throat started to feel like there was a piece stuck in it.  I don’t know if there actually was or not, but it felt like that.

I expect that other people may have had this problem as well if there are three out of six of us on this property who have had problems, so I thought I’d pass on a small tip that might help someone.

Twice now when I’ve had this “swelling throat” sensation where it feels very irritated, I have used this method:  I crushed a half a Benadryl between two spoons, mixed it into some water and then sipped it very slowly, letting my throat get a good exposure to each swallow.  This has helped me both time.  When I did it for the reaction to the carrots some time back it helped a lot.  Today I did it for the celery issue and it helped some.  I could do a second half a Benadryl and probably get more relief, but I don’t really want to spend the afternoon sleeping. :-/  Because of that, I also sprayed my throat with Chloraspetic and sucked an Altoids ginger mint since ginger is an anti-inflammatory.   The thing about the Benadryl is that it can help the throat and it will also help by going into your system the usual way (if it’s an allergic problem).  Also, I expect it works faster since it’s dissolved in liquid.

Foods have been having strange affects on people these days, and this has been a recent problem to us, so I thought I’d pass this on.

As far as the carrots go, my sister-in-law found that if she buys the whole carrots and peels them herself they have less trouble, so it’s probably something that is put on the “baby carrots” to keep them fresh that bothered them.  My issue came from an organic whole carrot that I peeled myself, so that didn’t make a difference for me.  (We have no trouble with these vegetable cooked.)  Even if it was just a texture issue, the Benadryl in water did help, so if you have that issue you might try it.  It’s very unpleasant to feel like your throat is swelling or has been abraded.

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After thought – If you actually do have something stuck in your throat, and you’re not choking (no trouble breathing or even talking) – a bit of lettuce, celery string, tomato skin, etc. – and water won’t dislodge it, try eating a piece of bread or drinking hot water.  A friend of my dad’s got a piece of lettuce stuck in his throat once and the only thing that dislodged it was bread.  Cooked rice might also help.

Kitchen Tip – Using A Clear Vinyl Table Cloth

 

Have you ever had this happen to your beautiful table linens?  Or, have you ever done this to someone else’s beautiful tablecloth?  It’s a horrible feeling.  Some things, like spaghetti sauce, grape juice, mustard, etc. can leave permanent stains.

This is why my mom started using clear vinyl over her tablecloths.  It was a “brain wave” that really solved a problem.  It also made it possible for her to use her fabric tablecloths despite her four less-than-perfect children’s presence at the table. :-)

Because I had a clear plastic tablecloth over my cloth one and my beautifully embroidered centerpiece (a gift to me and made in West Africa), it looked like this after I wiped it:

Yes, there is a shine on the surface, but to me it’s a small price to pay to be able to use my nice things without having them ruined and without making my family or friends stressed about spills. :-)

They are also useful for preserving fine word work on a table surface, covering tables that have grooves that collect crud, glass tables, etc.  I like to put one over flat placemats too so that I can use them without the monkey fuss of wiping them off all the time.  My mom has a slight indentation in her table and so she has put puzzles on her table and then covered them as a table decoration.  You could also use this to protect table runners.  Be creative – this might make you decide to use that beautiful old quilt you have on your dining room table!  It’s a great way to add color to your table too.

A few suggestions:

1. Buy the heaviest clear vinyl you can afford at a local fabric store. (I got mine in the fabric section at Wal-mart.)  It will last much longer than the lighter weight stuff.  I inherited one from my mom that was so heavy the corner just wouldn’t give out, even though it’s the corners that usually go first.  I finally gave up on it just because it became stained, scratched and had some holes.

2. Measure your table first to make sure you get enough!

3. They will develop holes eventually, just from use and “events”.  Be careful of things like using a rotary cutting mat and cutter on top of it.  Keep your eyes open for holes so that you can avoid having things you especially like soiled by a leak.

4.  From time to time you will need to wipe down the sides where drips have escaped eaters. :-) 

5. I don’t recommend covering a “special” vinyl tablecloth (the type with the “flannel” backing).  I did this with one and when I took off the clear vinyl some of the color from the other one came with it.

6. You will probably need an extra pair of hands to center it properly over another tablecloth or other flat décor you’re using.

Here I used two flat plastic placemats as a “table runner” and laid artificial maple leaves cut off the stems at the corners over a lace tablecloth.

Here is my mom’s table decorated with paper snowflakes on a blue tablecloth for a weather themed birthday party we had for my brother.

Hopefully, this will give you some good ideas and give you the freedom to use those lovely cloths you’ve been “saving”, as well as other décor, on your own table. :-)

Favorite Kitchen Things – Lettuce Spinner

 

When I was younger and foolisher (ahem) I thought my Grandma was a bit silly for liking her lettuce spinner so much.  I didn’t think there was anything wrong with our method, which was shaking the leaves or patting them with paper towel.  Well, it’s a strange, but with at least some things, the older you get the more you think like your mom – and your grandmothers.  Now, I think my lettuce spinner is great!  (I also love watermelon, but that’s off the subject.)

My local sister-in-law bought me this neat little salad spinner (pictured above) and I’ve learned to use and and enjoy it!  Sometimes I do forget to use it still (old habits die hard), but I have remembered a fair amount. 

I also figured out that it works for other things besides lettuce.  I’ve spun baby carrots and blueberries in it as well.  It’s really handy for making smallish fruits and veggies less drippy!  And, the removable basket is useful for rinsing small vegetables and fruit under the faucet, then putting it in the spinner to spin. For something that just needs a surface rinse it works as a colander.

Another cool thing about it?  I can store my lettuce right in the container in the fridge and it stays nice and fresh!  I do drain out the water from the bottom if there’s an excessive amount, but then I just pop the basket holding the lettuce back in and put the lid on and it’s ready for the fridge.

Maybe I shouldn’t admit this, but I also don’t always really wash it after I use it.  I will if I’ve used it to store lettuce for awhile, but if it’s just a short job I usually rinse it and put it in the drainer.  My reasoning is that we’re going to eat the fresh carrots or lettuce or berries just the way they came out of the spinner, so why is the spinner “dirty”?  I only rinse and drain if it’s visibly dirty or been storing something for awhile. :-)  Easy peasy.

(Yeah, I can hear one of my local friends now asking me to please wash the lettuce spinner before they come to dinner if we’re having salad. Haha.)

Kitchen Tip – Covering A Pie

Here’s one way to cover a pie for transportation or storage to keep things off of it and out of it without ruining the top of it.  This is especially useful for pies with soft-ish tops that plastic wrap or aluminum foil would stick to and mar.

This was a cream cheese type pie and I didn’t want the top spoiled, but I needed to refrigerate it overnight (as I recall).

I took some plastic wrap and formed it into a loose ball and placed it in the center of the pie.  Then I gently wrapped another piece over the entire pie.  The ball in the center created a dome effect.  This might not work with meringue or whipped cream toppings.  However, whipped cream topping could probably be reworked in the middle.  Use your discretion.

Kitchen Tip – Putting A Cheesecake On A Plate

Putting a cheesecake on a plate without removing it from the bottom of the pan is perilous because it wants to slip all over the place or even go skidding off.  But, who wants to try to move a cheesecake from the bottom of the spring form pan to a plate?  Maybe a professional, but I’m not one and probably most of my readers aren’t either.  There may be a trick that makes it easy.  I don’t know it yet.  But, I do know a trick that will help keep the cheesecake from sliding around so much and yet you can leave it on the bottom piece of the pan.  Here is what I did, with tolerable results.  (I still recommend using caution when moving it or transporting it.)

(This was taken after the cheesecake was removed.)

I tore a piece of bread in half and put it under the pan to fill the area where it didn’t sit down into the bottom of the plate.  Then I mashed it down onto the bread as well as I could.

A stickier type of bread, or perhaps a thin layer on jelly on each side might make this method work even better.

This is how it looked after the cheesecake was completely removed from it.  Sorry I don’t have a picture with the cheesecake on the plate, or at least I don’t know where the picture is.  (If you could see my photo collection you would consider that last part an understatement. ;-)   )