The best cookware ever!

Curtis Stone Durapan Cookware

This cookware is amazing! I had the copper pans, the stainless steel pans, other nonstick pans, and they all sucked. Everything I cooked either stuck to the pan, or burned, and cleanup was terrible. I really don't mind cooking, but I hate cleaning the pots and pans after cooking.

I also had a ton of Pampered Chef stoneware, but they were so heavy, and things still got burned or stuck to the stoneware.

I decided to get rid of everything that I do not like, use, is too hard to clean, or to heavy to lift and just get cookware that is actually good.

Now, you may not know this, but I am a huge HSN fan. lol I watch all the time, and probably buy too many things, but I have been trying to buy things that simplify my life and make things easier.

I'm on a mission to get rid of everything in my home that is not necessary, and get my home organized. I will post about all of the things that I am doing, and the items that really make things easier.

Anyhow, I wanted to share a little bit about this cookware, because it is a life changer!!

Look at these videos! Literally no matter what I make in them, they just wipe clean. NOTHING STICKS! And the Durapan material the pans are made of are not like your normal non stick coating. I don't worry about these scraping off or being harmful. They are durable and you can tell that while you are cooking.

Now this is the true test. EGGS!! Oh, I hate making eggs because they stick and the skillets are hard to clean. Not anymore! I literally used my hand to wipe out the dried eggs!

Today I made chicken fajitas. Look at how the vegetables cooked and browned and did not stick or burn! That has never happened for me in any other pan. I know I've said a lot, and posted a lot of pictures, but I really, really love this cookware, and just wanted to share it with you all too!

I got this set on sale for $79.00 at HSN. It is normally $99.00. It will go on sale again at some point, or you can also make 3 payments on it straight from your bank account and not have to pay any interest. It is totally worth the price. I will never buy any other brand of cookware again. I am going to get the larger cookware set at some point as well, now that I have tried it out.

Homemade Lip Scrub

I wanted to share something with you. The other day my lips were so chapped that I just had to do something about it.

So, I was thinking about the lip scrub I used to use from Mary Kay, and thought, hmmm, I should just make my own.

So, I went to the kitchen cabinets and got out the sugar and the honey. I mixed some sugar with some honey and scrubbed it all over my lips. IT WORKED GREAT!

So next time that you need a good lip scrub, just go mix one up real fast. It's cheap and natural.

Everyday Food Storage

Today I want to share with you one of my favorite websites. It is called Everyday Food Storage. You may have heard about it.

I found this website while I was searching for information on Blendtec Blenders. I was debating between the Vita-Mix and the Blendtec. I ended up choosing the Blendtec, and this is one of the videos that helped me make that decision.



I love that she is a mom herself, and that she really uses this in her daily life.

You can read my post about why I chose the Blendtec over the Vita-mix here. There are also a couple other videos on there that helped me in my decision.

Anyhow, after I came across Everyday Food Storage I found ton's of helpful information. If you are interested in food storage, you will LOVE this website.

She has great recipes, tips on food storage, and great giveaways! Check her out!

The Yummiest Chocolate - Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever!

This is the first time I have made these cookies so I didn't take any step by step pictures, but they turned out so delicious, I just had to share this recipe with you. 

The first thing I do is grind my flour. To do this I put half a cup of soft white wheat berries in my Blendtec Blender and set it to grind grain. (1/2 a cup of wheat berries will make 1 cup of flour) If you don't want to do this, just use regular all -purpose flour. (1cup)

1. Melt 2/3 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips in the microwave or in a double broiler. Don't over cook these. Melt until there are still a few chocolate chips left. They will finish melting as you stir. Put this to the side.

2. Sift your flour (1 cup), cocoa (1/4 cup), baking soda (1tsp.), and salt (1/2 tsp.) into a bowl. Set aside.

3. Cream your Butter (1 stick), brown sugar (1/2 cup packed golden brown), and granulated sugar (1/4 cup) into your mixer bowl until it is light and fluffy. You really want it to be fluffy as this is what puts the air into the batter. I am guessing about 45 seconds to a minute.

4. Add the melted chocolate and mix this together really well.

5. Add 1 egg and 1 tsp. of pure vanilla, and mix really well until light and fluffy, about one minute.

6. Add in your flour mixture and mix until well blended, but not too long.

7. Now add in about 3/4 to 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips. Mix just until blended.

8. You don't have to add anything else if you don't want to, but I added in some coconut flakes and some chopped walnuts. I did not measure. I just poured some out of the bag. So just add as much as you like.it makes it so good. I love a little crunch.

9. I used a medium scoop from Pamered Chef to form my spoonfuls. I checked to see how much water it held and it was a little over 1 Tbsp. So I am guessing it is equal to a rounded Tbsp. Lightly grease your baking sheet with olive oil. Space evenly with about 2 inches between cookies.

Bake for 15-16 minutes at 325 degrees. After you take the cookies out of the oven, let them sit for a few minutes, and then place them on a cooling rack.

These are so delicious! I don't even like chocolate cookies, and I really liked these. YUM!!!!

ENJOY!!! 

If you make these, please let me know how you liked them. These are honestly the best cookies I have ever made. I think it is partly because I used a medium scoop instead of the small scoop. Which I believe would be like using a rounded Tbsp. instead of tsp. They rose really well. They weren't too flat, too hard or too soft. They were perfect! In case you can't tell, I am proud of these cookies. I don't usually turn out such good things, but I have been practicing and learning. I hope to share more recipes with you soon. Do you have a favorite cookie recipe that you would like to share?

My Birthday Present

	My husband bought me this Wolfgang Puck Reversible Grill/Griddle. I have wanted a griddle for a long time. Now I have one, and it can be a grill too! I'm makin' breakfast in the morning! lol

Comparison of the KitchenAid Classic and the KitchenAid Professional 600 Series

I recently bought a KitchenAid Professional 600 Series 6 Quart mixer, and on the first attempt to make bread, it started making a clicking noise. Not good.

I called KitchenAid, we talked it through, they listened to it, and decided to send me a new one.

After that incident, I decided to put the new mixer up against my old one. If it messed up again, or if it was not much better, I was going to just keep my old one. (This new one worked great!)

So I decided to do this side by side comparison for those looking to decide between the two. 

The first thing I did was to put the warm water, yeast, and honey in the bowl. I put the paddle down, and mixed it for a couple of seconds to get it mixed in. Then I let it sit for 10 minutes to sponge. I forgot to add some of the flour to the sponge though, lol, but it still all worked out.
It got all nice and bubbly.

 

I then added 3 cups of flour to the yeast mixture. I used the paddle to mix it well until it looked like this. The dough hook just doesn't seem to get it mixed very well in the beginning. 

 

 

After the paddle, I switched to the dough hook, and kneaded it until it was done. It was a lot harder in the KitchenAid Classic to get the dough kneaded. It tends to just form a ball, and then ride around on the hook. You have to take it off, and do it over a few times. No huge deal, but a little more work. I also had to get the flour/dough off of the bottom of the bowl, and put it on top for it to incorporate. 

It may need to be adjusted. I will check, and if that is the case, I will update this post. 

I added more flour to this one than I did the other one also. I am not sure why it was needed, but it was. 

The recipe called for 5-7 cups of flour, but I only used 4 1/2 cups of flour in the 6 qt mixer. I still only used probably a cup more in the other one. 

You can still make bread in the Classic, but it is a little more labor on your part. I think the bowl is just so much smaller that it doesn't have a lot of room. It tends to climb the hook. 

It still worked though. 

 

 

After Kneading was complete, I covered the bowls with damp towels. A friend of mine gave me this tip. 

You can see that they both rose well.

After the rise, I kneaded them again. I only kneaded for a minute or two just to get the air out, and give it a little more knead. 

I took the dough out of each mixer, and divided it in half. I formed a ball, and the rolled the dough out into a rectangle, and then rolled it into a log shape. I then put it into the oven that I had turned on for two minutes, then turned off, to let it rise. After it rose high enough, I left it in the oven, and turned it to 350 degrees, and baked it for 30 minutes.

Tada! The finished product. As soon as I took it out of the oven, and placed them onto the cooling racks, I could tell these were so much better than the bread I had been making. It was actually soft! HA

The conclusion: You can do bread in the smaller KitchenAid mixer, but it is a little more work on your part. You will have to remove the dough from the hook a few times, and make sure you get the stuff off of the bottom of the bowl. You will have to turn the dough a couple of times. But all in all, it is not that bad. 

They both turned out great bread. Actually the bread from the Classic seemed a tad bit softer, but I think it was because they had more time to rise. Also possibly because they were in bigger pans. The differences were very minimal. 

I am going to choose the bigger mixer because I didn't have to do anything in the kneading process, and I can make more in this at one time. It has a power knead dough hook that is more efficient at kneading heavier doughs. 

If you were to use white flour, you can use up to 14 cups of flour at once in this machine. With whole grains, I think the limit is 8 or so. That means I could do 4 loaves at once since I only used 4 1/2 cups for these two loaves. 

I hope this helps in your decision. If you can swing the bigger mixer, I would go with that. 

If you already have a smaller mixer, or can't get a bigger on right now, it can be done in your smaller machine. Don't worry. You can still do it!

I did it! I made bread, edible bread!

I can't believe I did it. I have been trying for a while to make bread. I have been turning out bricks. (Literally)

So, I started doing a lot of research. I purchased an eBook class that shows how to make bread in the Bosch and the KitchenAid.

I have a KitchenAid mixer, and it is really hard to find any videos that specifically use this.

I only found source, and it was the Homemaking class on CD. You can also download the class for $5.  This was pretty helpful. It has step by step pictures, which I really liked.

The recipe I used was from this class.

Another great resource I heard of was through Cindy Rushton. I emailed her, and she gave me some great resources.

I love the free eBook from The Urban Homemaker. When you sign up for the newsletter, you will get the free eBook, Steps to the Best Bread. It is awesome. Really helpful.

I also found a video that made bread in a stand mixer, but not a KitchenAid.

It was very helpful.




I took what I had learned from these three sources, and the other things I had heard, and meshed it all together, and made my own technique.

I used the recipe from the class, but I took some hints from the eBook, and the video.

I did a video comparison of the KitchenAid Classic, and the KitchenAid Professional 600 series, and put these techniques into practice.

Look for that soon and you can see step by step what I did.

I am just so excited to have made good bread. I have been told not to expect results that are very similar to store bought bread, but mine really was similar to store bought bread. Very soft, and oh so yummy!

Coming soon...my KitchenAid comparison video.

(This bread looks like white bread, but it was made from Hard White Whole Wheat. This is Whole Wheat bread, not white bread.)

My New, BIG Cookie Sheet!

I finally got a BIG cookie sheet. I only have stoneware ones. (Pampered Chef) I love them, but I can't fit my whole batch of cookies on them at one time. I had some Kohl's cash, and I spent some of it on the largest cookie sheet I could find! lol

• Commercial-weight metal construction keeps its shape for years.
• Air-insulated design means your cookies will brown, not burn.
• Metal-safe, nonstick finish makes for flawless food release and easy cleanup.

Sounds good to me. I have one of their bread pans, and I LOVE it.

I actually got another one today so that I could have 2 bread pans the same size. Nothing sticks to this bread pan, and it cooks so evenly.

I also got a big cooling rack. I just had 2 little ones, that were not any good.

Now I have a big enough cooling rack to cool all those cookies I can now make on my BIG cookie sheet. lol

I am excited that I was able to get these items.

Food Network stuff is so expensive, but after trying their bread pan, I am sold. It really is better to get the best once, rather than go through cheaper stuff more often.

My next Food Network purchase will be the bigger bread pans, if I find I need them. I may not.

I am loving their commercial quality products though, and they have square pans, and cake pans just like the bread pan that I have.

I would love to have those. I will have to wait for another sale, plus have a coupon though. That's how I do things. I always try to get the best deal.

I just had to share my excitement about my new kitchen cookware! lol

Oh, and I did get my new mixer, but already had to send it back. It was making a clicking sound.

I will see if the new one works well or not. I am going to test it against my smaller mixer.

I will let you know the results.

Keeping your dishes to a minimum

I don't know about you, but I am so tired of my kids using up all the dishes.

I really wish they would wash their dishes and reuse them, but that doesn't happen. 

So to help ease the load, I decided to give them 2 plates, bowls, and cups apiece. 

These are different colors, or patterns, so that they can tell the difference between theirs. 

This way they can only use that amount of dishes, and if they need more, they can wash them. 

At least that is the goal. 

I have not gotten them in the habit of washing them yet.

I just bought them new dishes yesterday, and will be working on this all week. 

I got rid of the rest of the plastic dishes that just built up in the sink. 

This way, even if they don't wash them, I won't have as many to wash. 

I think this is really gonna help keep the dishes to a minimum.

Let me know if you try this and if it works for you, or let me know how you keep your dishes to a minimum.


Be sure to check out The Christian Home Magazine this week.

Comparison of the KitchenAid Classic and the KitchenAid Professional 600 Series

I recently bought a KitchenAid Professional 600 Series 6 Quart mixer, and on the first attempt to make bread, it started making a clicking noise. Not good.

I called KitchenAid, we talked it through, they listened to it, and decided to send me a new one.

After that incident, I decided to put the new mixer up against my old one. If it messed up again, or if it was not much better, I was going to just keep my old one. (This new one worked great!)

So I decided to do this side by side comparison for those looking to decide between the two. 

The first thing I did was to put the warm water, yeast, and honey in the bowl. I put the paddle down, and mixed it for a couple of seconds to get it mixed in. Then I let it sit for 10 minutes to sponge. I forgot to add some of the flour to the sponge though, lol, but it still all worked out.
It got all nice and bubbly.

 

I then added 3 cups of flour to the yeast mixture. I used the paddle to mix it well until it looked like this. The dough hook just doesn't seem to get it mixed very well in the beginning. 

 

Then I switched to the dough hook, and Kneaded it until it was done. I know you can't see it here, but it was a lot harder in the KitchenAid Classic to get the dough kneaded. It tends to just form a ball and then ride around on the hook. You have to take it off, and do it over a few times. No huge deal, but a little more work. I also had to get the flour/dough off of the bottom of the bowl, and put it on top for it to incorporate. 

I added more flour to this one than I did the other one also. I am not sure why it was needed, but it was. 

The recipe called for 5-7 cups of flour, but I only used 4 1/2 cups of flour in the 6 qt mixer. I still only used probably a cup more in the other one. 

You can still make bread in the Classic, but it is a little more labor on your part. I think the bowl is just so much smaller that it doesn't have a lot of room. It tends to climb the hook. 

It still worked though. 

 

After Kneading was complete, I covered the bowls with damp towels. A friend of mine gave me this tip. 

You can see that they both rose well.

After the rise, I kneaded them again. I only kneaded for a minute or two just to get the air out, and give it a little more knead. 

I took the dough out of each mixer, and divided it in half. I formed a ball, and the rolled the dough out into a rectangle, and then rolled it into a log shape. I then put it into the oven that I had turned on for two minutes, then turned off, to let it rise. After it rose high enough, I left it in the oven, and turned it to 350 degrees, and baked it for 30 minutes.

Tada! The finished product. As soon as I took it out of the oven, and placed them onto the cooling racks, I could tell these were so much better than the bread I had been making. It was actually soft! HA

I have videos that I took of the kneading process so that you could see the differences between the two mixers. For some reason I can't get them to upload to my computer. I will keep trying to get them up, because they show how much better the 6 Qt did than the Classic during the kneading process. Hopefully I can get them up. 

The conclusion: You can do bread in the smaller KitchenAid mixer, but it is a little more work on your part. You will have to remove the dough from the hook a few times, and make sure you get the stuff off of the bottom of the bowl. You will have to turn the dough a couple of times. But all in all, it is not that bad. 

They both turned out great bread. Actually the bread from the Classic seemed a tad bit softer, but I think it was because they had more time to rise. Also possibly because they were in bigger pans. The differences were very minimal. 

I am going to choose the bigger mixer because I didn't have to do anything in the kneading process, and I can make more in this at one time. It has a power knead dough hook that is more efficient at kneading heavier doughs. 

If you were to use white flour, you can use up to 14 cups of flour at once in this machine. With whole grains, I think the limit is 8 or so. That means I could do 4 loaves at once since I only used 4 1/2 cups for these two loaves. 

I hope this helps in your decision. If you can swing the bigger mixer, I would go with that. 

If you already have a smaller mixer, or can't get a bigger on right now, it can be done in your smaller machine. Don't worry. You can still do it!

Blendtec vs. Vitamix - I just ordered a Blendtec, and I'm so excited!

 

I just ordered a Blendtec Home Blender. I am so excited!

If you haven't heard of a Blendtec before, it does basically the same things as a Vitamix.

I was actually going to get a Vitamix, until I started researching the Blendtec.

If you are not familiar with either one, I'll tell you a little about what they can do.

Both the Vitamix, and the Blendtec replace many appliances.

This one appliance will take the place of a juicer, blender, food processor, (to a degree, I would say it really takes the place of a chopper), bread maker, ice cream maker, wheat mill, and more, plus it makes hot soup as well.

This is why I wanted one of these. I have really needed a blender for a long time, and my juicer needs a new mesh thingy.  I have also really been wanting a wheat mill, and every summer I want an ice cream maker. lol

Now, I will be able to do it all in one appliance.

I am really hoping that the Blendtec will be as good as the Vitamix.

The Blendtec is about $50 cheaper than the Vitamix, but once you add in the extra container you need with the Vitamix to blend your dry ingredients, it is closer to $200 cheaper.

Also, it is shorter than the Vitamix, so it will fit under your cabinets. To be fair though, the Vitamix did recently come out with a shorter jar.

The Blendtec has a square container with only 2 blades, that makes it much easier to clean. I have not actually tried it myself yet, but all of the reviews seem to say this.

The Vitamix is a taller, slimmer jar with 4 blades at the bottom, that makes it harder to clean, and most people say that you can never totally get all of your smoothie, ice cream, or whatever you made out, because of the 4 blades. Both the Vitamix, and the Blendtec have BPA free jars.

The Blendtec came out with a bigger, 3 qt. (96 oz.) container with a 4 inch blade. Here is where the Blendtec seems to shine. From all of the reviews that I have read, and I have read hundreds, this makes the whole difference.

From all of the research I have done, the Vitamix, and the Blendtec were pretty equal before Blendtec came out with the bigger jar.

I have read hundreds of reviews, and have watched many, many, video reviews, and especially in the video reviews, the Blendtec, with the bigger jar, always seems to outshine the Vitamix.

Here is one video that I really liked that compared the Vitamix to the Blendtec with the smaller, and the bigger jar. (The guy is a little weird, but I love the video)! lol





As you can see from this video, the Blendtec with the bigger jar, really seems to be the best bet.

Another thing that I liked about the Blendtec is that it is not as heavy as the Vitamix.

My husband liked the Blendtec better because it has more HP, and more Watts than the Vitamix.
(More Power....) HA HA HA!

Here is one more video, from the same people, that I think is really helpful.



The Blendtec Blender is a lot more modern looking than the Vitamix. Although the base of the Blendtec is made of a cheaper plastic material than the Vitamix.

With the Vitamix you need 2 separate containers. One for wet ingredients, and one for dry.
With the Blendtec, you can do both in one jar.

I know the Vitamix has been around forever, and the Blendtec is not as well advertised, but I am taking my chances on the Blendtec.

Remember, I have not personally tried either the Blendtec, or the Vitamix, this is only based off of my research. 

I ordered mine this morning, and it has already been shipped! It should be here tomorrow by 3! Whoo-hoo! I am so excited. The one I ordered is the Blendtec HP3A Home Blender with Wildside Jar.

I'll let you guys know if it really works as well as it seems to. I'll keep you updated, and maybe I'll make some videos of all that it can do.

OK, I'll be back soon with my updates.

Making Chicken Stock/Broth in the Pressure Cooker

Making stock or broth in the pressure cooker is super easy!

This is chicken stock that I made, and all I did was take the leftover bones from my whole chicken that I made for dinner, and threw it in the pressure cooker.

I added to that some celery, carrots, garlic cloves, onions, and some of the littler pieces of chicken.

I added some spices, but can’t remember exactly what they were. Probably something like, sage, parsley, oh, and some salt, pepper and sugar.

Add enough cold water to cover the bones, and turn the pressure cooker on.

I cooked mine for an hour, but I realized that the instructions said 30 min. I misread something else and thought it said an hour.

Either way, it turned out great.

I then poured it in a big bowl and put in in the fridge to cool overnight.

Now, it wouldn’t have to stay in there overnight, but it was late when I did this.

The next morning, I put it into freezer bags. This made one 4 cup bag, and two 2 cup bags.

I froze them, and I used the 4 cup bag a couple of days later to make chicken noodle soup with the rest of the leftover chicken.

Another thing you can do if you make chicken noodle soup soon after you make your stock, is to use the veggies left over from the stock in your soup.

That way nothing goes to waste!

If you don’t have a pressure cooker, you can still do the exact same thing, you would just have to cook it on the stovetop for at least 4 hours.

The pressure cooker just saves so much time.

Have fun making your stock!

Food Processors

You don’t have to have a food processor, but they sure do make short work of all the prep that you have to do.

I have only had this, mmm, not even 2 weeks yet, but, I am loving it.

(I have this one, but not the Classic Red shown, I have the Gloss Cinnamon)

I have shredded up block cheese, which is cheaper and does not have a wax coating like pre-shredded cheeses does, sliced mushrooms, processed onions and celery so fine that my husband doesn’t notice them in his food, (he is fine with this by the way, as long as he can’t “crunch” them), made bread crumbs, sliced tomatoes, and sliced apples for an apple crisp.

It makes everything uniform and is so fast.

Although I haven’t done it yet, you can make pie crusts and dough in this too!

This particular model came with, a 12 cup bowl, a 10 cup bowl, a 4 cup mini bowl with a mini blade, 2 slicing discs, one shredding disc, a dough blade, an egg whip, and a citrus press.

As you know, I have just recently started cooking, but when my husband noticed that I was actually committed to doing this, he has bought me a few quality items to help me out.

All I am really wanting now is a good dutch oven and a bigger mixer.

I have found a dutch oven at Sam’s for $39.99, which is a fabulous deal for a cast iron one.

If any of you have the Classic Kitchenaid mixer,(the smallest one) and really cook a lot, you will know why I am needing the bigger one.

I was so surprised at how inadequate it really is for quantity cooking.

I didn’t use it a lot before, so I never noticed, but as I tried making breads and heavy doughs in it, I started to see a problem.

It won’t even incorporate chocolate chips into a heavy dough well.

Forget trying to mash more than 4 or 5 potatoes at a time, or make multiple loaves of bread.

I am not downing it, because it is a perfect machine for the smaller jobs.

It has worked perfectly for me for making cake or pancake batter, things like that, but I found out real fast that if you want to really cook, you need the bigger one.

Then I just the other day came across an article in Cooks Illustrated, my favorite cooking magazine, that said the the mixer I have rated poorly and is not recommended.

The reasoning behind it was the same problems I had.

So, if you are in the market for a mixer, I would highly suggest going ahead and getting the bigger one.

It will save you from having to buy two mixers.

(Unless you want to buy mine! HA)

I have a lot to learn and don’t like having to purchase tings twice, but to do what I am trying to do, I need the bigger one.

I am going to sell mine to help pay for the new one.

It is a $240 mixer, but I probably won’t be able to get more than $100 for it, I am guessing.

I think my sister is going to buy it, as she wants a mixer but does not cook a lot and it would work perfectly for her as it did me.

So, that is my next purchase, and I am keeping my eye out, as I never pay retail! lol

Right now QVC has the Profession 600 6 Qt. one for $387, which is the cheapest I have found.

I am waiting for it to go on another sale, or at least free shipping.

I am hoping closer to Christmas it will be an even better deal.

Let me know if you find this any cheaper!

I actually buy a lot from HSN or QVC, as they usually have the best prices around, unless Sam’s has the same item.

Sam’s carries a lot of Wolfgang Puck items, and they are usually cheaper there than on TV, but other than that, I have not really found any better deals.

If you have any places that you buy cheaper from, please let me know.

Ok, anyhow, I am loving my food processor, and it really aids you in doing all those professional looking dishes, and really cuts down on the prep time.

If I sound like an advertisement for the any of these products or places, I am not, I just love them, and want to share.

I will let you know if I am reviewing something or getting anything from a company.

I just love these new “toys” that I have gotten!!!

What is your favorite kitchen appliance?

Fresh From the Freezer Cooking Class

Use Your Freezer to Save $$

I just found out about this free freezer cooking class and thought I would pass it along.
her name is Shelly, and she has been teaching cooking online for 4 years, and was going to charge $42 for this class, but decided to give it away as a freebie!
How nice!
All you have to do is sign up here.
Now, I have never taken any of her classes, but I was sent this info from Malia Russel over at Homemaking 911, and I love her, so I am sure it will be good! lol
I will definitely be taking this class.
Let me know if you are too!
Oh, and the first handful of lessons are already up, so you can get started right away!

Pressure Cooking!

My husband bought me this Wolfgang Puck pressure Cooker a few weeks ago, and I am loving it!

This is what I made my mashed potatoes in yesterday. You don’t have to cut the potatoes up and them boil them in water.

All you have to do is wash them, and plop them in the pressure cooker, add a couple cups of water, and push a button.

When they are done, they can be mashed even with the tongs you use to take them out of the pressure cooker.

Yes, they are that tender.

Th pressure cooker really takes a lot of prep out of your cooking, and saves so much time.

It will even cook beans in 20 minutes, and you don’t have to soak them overnight! Yeah!

It is also a steamer and a rice cooker too, so there is no need for more than one appliance to do the same job.

I have cooked corn on the cob in it, potatoes, fish, and stock.

I will start a pressure cooking recipes section for anyone who is interested in pressure cooking.

I am not familiar with any other brands of pressure cookers, so I do not know how they compare, but I love this one.

I got it from HSN.

I believe it is sold out right now, but it will come back.

I highly recommend getting a pressure cooker.

I am not geting anything at all for talking about this, by the way, I just love my pressure cooker!

You can cook a whole chicken in 20 min.! It’s crazy! I haven’t done that yet, but that’s what the book says.

I have cooked Tilapia, and it turns our perfect.

I will soon put all of these recipes up for you!

I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Look what I did!

Yes! “I” did that! And it is all from scratch! Can you believe it?
I made homemade mashed potatoes, homemade stuffing, homemade macaroni, and homemade gravy along with the chicken.
This is the first time I have ever made stuffing or gravy!
My husband only likes the Stove Top stuffing, but it has MSG in it and I can’t eat it, so I tried to find a recipe that would taste like it and I did!
He loved it! I loved it too! And I found a recipe that told me how to make the gravy from the chicken drippings too!
This is the second time I made the macaroni. It is so good. it tastes like Furr’s!
And the chicken was actually moist this time. I found a recipe from Cooks magazine that told me how to keep it moist.
I cooked the potatoes in my pressure cooker.
My husband bought me a pressure cooker a few weeks ago and I have been loving it. It works so well, and really cuts down on the prep and cooking time.
I am proud of myself. It was all actually really good.
I’ll keep you updated on all of the new things I learn to cook, and I’ll get you some of these recipes soon!

Pot Roast Disaster.

HMM, I obviously don't know how to make a pot roast. I have only made them in the crock pot before. I tried to make it on the stove top, and I put too much oil  in the pan to brown it, my friend told me, and then I can not figure out the right temp. to keep it on, as I keep haveing to add water, and I don't think you are supposed to have to do that.
And then it just keeps bubbling up so much that it is splattering out of the lid down to the fire.
ARRGGG, I have to figure this out! LOL
Any tips?

Homemade Dishwasher Recipe

OK guys, I have been learning how to make my own household cleaners, and I have to say I am loving it!
It is so easy and it really works well, and it saves a LOT of money!
One of the first things I learned to make was Dishwasher Detergent.
This is SO easy, you can do in it minutes, and be done, and have a really good dishwasher detergent!
All you do is combine:
1 cup Washing Soda (Not Baking Soda)
1 cup Borax
1/2 cup Citric Acid
1/2 cup salt
That's It!
Super easy, huh?
I store mine in a plastic container with a lid. 
Oh, and you only use 1 Tbs. 
I did a lot of research on recipes, and they are all very similar. I did read several times though that some people were having trouble with theirs leaving a white film behind, and I saw that several people said that if you add Citric Acid, it won't do that.
So, I picked one with Citric Acid, just in case!
I got my Citric Acid from The Health Food Center. 
It has worked perfectly! The only time we had any problems was the time that my daughter loaded the dishwasher, and put too much detergent in, and it left a film.
I washed them by hand and it came right off, and I showed her how much to use. 1 Tbs. only , and not a heaping Tbs. , just a loosely packed level Tbs.
If you use the correct amount, AND make sure you have White Vinegar in the rinse agent, you shouldn't have any problems.
At least, I haven't. I know everyones dishwashers are different, so I can't guarantee it, but it has worked for me!
Oh, after I first made the detergent, it seemed to get some moisture in it or something, and kind of stuck together. I stirred it back up, and it was a little different consistency, but it works all the same! lol
I hope you give it a try and love it too!
Let me know!
I will let you know all of the other recipes that I learn to make too!
Stay tuned!

King Arthur Flour and Cookbook Giveaway!

OK, I have to share this giveaway with you all. I don't do this too often, but I really loved this one, and I thought you would too!
This is one of those giveaways that you really don't want anyone else to enter, so that you can win. HA HA
BUT, I figure we shouldn't be selfish, so I'll share! lol
Mrs. White, over at The Legacy of Home, is giving away whole set of King Arthur products.
Here is what is included in this giveaway:

1. Five Pound Bag of King Arthur All-Purpose Flour (Item #3005) - $4.50

2. Five Pound Bag of King Arthur Whole Wheat Flour (Item #3015) - $4.50

3. Five Pound Bag of King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour (Item #3311) - $4.50

4. Three Pound Bag of Whole Grain Baking Mix (Item #3391) - $9.95

5. King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking Book (Item #2722) - $29.95


Awesome, huh?
If you would like a chance to win go on over to The Legacy of Home and enter for you chance to win!
(Although, I still want to win! HEE HEE)
Good Luck!
Thanks Mrs. White for offering this giveaway!

Learning to Cook.

I must admit that I do not know much about cooking.
I can make very few things, and I really want to not only be able to cook for my family, but to be able to teach my daughter how to cook.
I was never taught how to cook, or clean or parent, for that matter.
It has been hard, I admit, to learn these things on your own, but with help from friends and the internet, lol, I have learned a lot. I still need to learn so much more.
I am thinking about making a commitment to learn how to do one new thing in the kitchen each week.
I don't even know the basics, really. It is a little embarrassing to admit that I am very inept in the kitchen.
But I want to learn more, so instead of teaching my daughter, we will have to learn together, but that's OK! It will be fun!
So, I am going to go ahead and say that I am going to try to learn how to cook something new every week!
I don't know if anyone else is in the same boat, but if you are, maybe we can do this together!
I will let you know how it goes!