Archive for December, 2007

Five Food Cures for New Years Over Indulgence

Published by Hal on December 31, 2007 in health. 0 Comments

In a few hours, many of us will be waking up after a night of heavy partying and, perhaps, heavy drinking. There are many “cures” for the common hangover, but the only real cure is time and rest. In the meantime, you can try these foods and beverages to ease the transition back your normal self (I write this from my own experience, though I did browse to get some ideas and check some facts. You can check some of the sources here and here)

Photo courtesy Timothy K. Hamilton, Creativity+ Photography

1. Water.

The biggest reason why people have hangovers is because people are dehydrated. Alcohol is a natural diuretic, meaning you expel more liquid than you consume. Unfortunately, your brain needs hydration to function properly, and alcohol robs you of this important source of hydration. If you plan on drinking tonight, have several ounces of water before you go to bed and a tall glass first thing when you wake up.

2. Chicken Noodle Soup.

Chicken Noodle Soup is the jack of all trade in the food world. You feel better when you’re sick and you have a bowl. So, too, will you feel better when you’re hung over. Why? First, the soup hydrates you. Second, food coats your stomach, which is already irritated from all that firewater you consumed last night. Plus, who doesn’t feel better after a steamy bowl of yummy goodness?

3. Gatorade, Powerade, or some other sports drink.

This is very similar to water, because of replenishing your body’s liquid stores. But, sports drinks are particularly useful if you got a little sick. When you up-chuck, you mess up your body’s natural balance of salts and minerals. Sports drinks replenish these important nutrients and restore the natural salt balances in your body.

4. Bananas.

Like with sports drinks, this all purpose fruit has several minerals that your body needs, particularly after taking a pounding the night before. Like with chicken noodle soup, eating a banana will coat your stomach and lessen the effects of any irritation.

5. A big, juicy, greasy burger and french fries.

Okay, so this flies in the face of conventional wisdom that says when you eat after a night of heavy drinking, to eat bland foods. But, often times, after my stomach has had a few hours to wake up after my brain does, this is the only thing I crave. The reason it works probably has to do with the starch in the bun and the potatoes, but I like to think the grease soaks up any remaining alcohol in your stomach. Regardless, this has always worked for me, so I’m recommending it to you.

Hopefully, you had fun last night, or will have fun tonight! Hopefully these tips will help you recover more quickly. I’d love to hear what else works for you in the comments–I might need them myself ;)

5 Easy Appetizers for New Years Eve

Published by Hal on December 30, 2007 in Hal's Hint, mixed drinks and recipes. 1 Comment

With New Years’ celebrations upon us, I thought it might be a good idea to give you a appetizers that look and taste gourmet, but are easy on the wallet and are easy to prepare.

1. Bacon-Wrapped Dates

Get a few packages of lean cut bacon and some containers of dates. Wrap a slice of bacon around each date and skewer with a tooth pick. Bake in the oven at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, or until the bacon is cooked.

2. Prosciutto-Wrapped Apples and/or Melon

Wrap some prosciutto around wedges of apple or melon, such as honeydew (but only if you have access to good quality melon!). These are sure to be a hit!

3. Honey-Nut Brie

Place an 8-ounce wheel of brie on the center of foil lined baking sheet and score the top. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle some fresh thyme leaves over the top. Cover with the foil, and bake in an oven preheated to 400 degrees for 10 minutes. When the brie is melty, plate it and cover with 1/4 cup of toasted pecans and 2 tablespoons of honey. Serve with crusty bread.

4. Bagel or Pretzel Dip

Combine 8 ounces of cream cheese with 5 ounces of Old English Cheese. Add about 1 teaspoon (up to 2, if you like the flavor) of garlic powder. Serve with cut up bagels or soft pretzels.

5. Easy Bruschetta

Dice 6-8 roma tomatoes and add to bowl. Prepare a chiffonade of fresh basiland add it to the tomatoes. Add a dash of salt about about 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Stir to combine. Serve over toasted slices of French Bread.

BONUS COCKTAIL

Here is an easy, refreshing cocktail for your party. Fill a tall, thin glass with ice. Add one ounce of vodka, then fill with sparkling water. Squeeze a lime wedge into the drink and garnish with some curls of lime zest or a slice of lime.

Hal’s Hint: As you can see, these appetizers are really easy, the most difficult having only five ingredients. And, most only have 1 “gourmet” ingredient. Because of this, your guests will be amazed–but we know the secret, that these recipes cost nearly nothing. Another trick that will “Wow!” them is presentation. We eat first with our eyes, so having these dishes arranged artfully on a nice platter will be certain to whet your guests’ appetites. Be creative and festive–your guests will appreciate your effort!

Recipes: Sweet Petals Coffee Cake

Published by Hal on December 29, 2007 in Hal's Hint and recipes. 0 Comments

This recipe has been a favorite in my family for years and years. I think the source is an old Better Homes and Gardens or Woman’s Day magazine from around 1970. I’m going to another holiday party this evening and made this treat this morning. It takes nearly 3 hours from start to finish, but most of that time is rising and baking. Before everyone gets nervous about cooking with yeast, it’s not as hard as it sounds! The little buggers (quite literally) are hardy, so unless you make your yeast-bath really hot and kill them, you’ll be just fine.

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup warm water
  • 3 tablespoons shortening
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 3/4 cup scalded milk
  • 1 packet active dry yeast
  • 2 1/2 to 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup melted butter
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 3-4cups chopped nuts (I have used peanuts, walnuts, and pecans–any nut will probably taste fine)

Directions:

  1. Combine the water, shortening, salt, sugar, and scalded milk.
    Hal’s Hint: to scald milk, bring it just to a boil and remove it from the heat immediately.
  2. Allow the liquid mixture to cool to lukewarm.
    Hal’s Hint: to test the temperature, dip your finger into the liquid or flick some onto your wrist. If you can’t really feel the temperature or it feels slightly warm, it’s good to go.
  3. Stir the yeast into the mixture and let it sit for 10 minutes.
  4. Measure 2 1/2 cups of flour into a mixing bowl and pour the yeast mixture into the flour.
  5. Stir until the dough forms a ball.
    Hal’s Hint: the dough may be sticky at first–add more flour, about 3 tablespoons at a time, until the dough comes together into a ball. It’s much easier to add flour than it is to take it away
  6. Knead the dough about 20 times and cover.
  7. Allow the dough to rise for 60 minutes in a warm place (I put the dough in the microwave–not on, of course!).
  8. In the last 10 minutes of the first rise, melt the butter and combine the sugars, cinnamon, and nuts in a separate bowl.
  9. Tear pieces off the dough and roll them into strips about 1/2 inch in diameter and about 6 inches long.
  10. Dip the strips in the melted butter and roll them in the sugar/nut mixture.
  11. Coil the strips on a pan, making a round cake.
  12. Sprinkle some of the remaining sugar/nut mixture over the cake and place back into the warm place.
  13. Allow the cake to rise again for another 60 minutes.
  14. 15 minutes before the cake has finished rising, pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
  15. Bake the cake in the oven for 25-30 minutes.
  16. Allow the cake to rest for 10 minutes. Ice with a mixture of 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 1-2 teaspoons of milk, if desired.

My recipe notes that the dough making process can be shortened by using frozen sweet rolls. I’ve never done this, and don’t think it will cut out much of the time. Personally, I love the smell of yeast and rising bread, so I couldn’t imagine not making this totally from scratch.

I’m sure when you make this for your next family gathering, it will be a smash hit! It takes some time, but the end result is truly worth it. And, it’s an easy recipe that anyone can make, even the first time cook.

More pictures:

Frugal Friday: 5 Uses for a Store-Bought Rotisserie Chicken

Published by Hal on December 28, 2007 in Frugal Friday and recipes. 2 Comments

Source

When my wife and I plan our out weekly menu and grocery list, often times it includes a rotisserie chicken. The reason for this is because for about $5 and a half an hour’s worth of work, we can get 5-8 good meals out of one of these chickens. Here are some ideas to help you incorporate a rotisserie chicken into your weekly menu.

1. Chicken Quesadillas

Heat a skillet over medium heat and spray lightly with oil (from your Misto sprayer!). Place a soft taco sized tortilla in the skillet, add 2-4 tablespoons of shredded chicken, 1 teaspoon of canned chilies, and about 2-4 tablespoons of mixed Mexican style shredded cheese. Heat until the cheese starts to melt and top with another tortilla. Flip, and heat for an additional 3-4 minutes. Serve with store-bought pico de gallo, sour cream, and/or guacamole.

2. Chicken Soup

Heat a tablespoon of oil, over medium heat, in the bottom of a 3 quart saucepan. Add 1/3 cup each of diced onion, diced celery, and sliced carrots to the pan. Saute until the onions are translucent. Add 2 cans of low-sodium chicken stock, raise the heat to medium-hight and bring to a boil. Add 6 oz of dried egg noodles and 1/2 cup of shredded chicken. Cook until the noodles and vegetables are tender. Season with salt and pepper, if desired

3. Chicken Salad

Add 2 cup of shredded chicken to a bowl. Add 1/3 cup of mayonnaise, 1/3 cup chopped celery (about one stalk), 1 teaspoon of onion powder, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, and 1/3 cup of chopped walnuts (about 4-6 halves). Mix the ingredients together until combined, adding more mayonnaise if needed. You can also add about 1 cup of halved, seedless grapes, if you desire.

4. Chicken & Macaroni

This isn’t so much a recipe, as a mix in. Prepare a box of macaroni and cheese according to the package directions, or prepare your favorite mac-and-cheese recipe from scratch. Just before serving, add 1/4 cup of shredded chicken per serving. This is an easy way to add some protein to your meal.

5. Chicken and Ramen

I’m going ultra frugal here. Add 1/2 cup of shredded chicken and 1/3 cup of frozen peas to a prepared packet of chicken-flavored ramen soup. This makes a version of chicken soup that will be quicker and easier than the more “homemade version” in number 2.

I know there are lots of other uses for a rotisserie chicken, so let’s have them! Today, I chose to write about some simple and frugal uses, but you can be more gourmet, too, by combining some basic recipes (i.e., Chicken Tetrazzini: shredded chicken, linguine, and a bechamel sauce made into a creamy Alfredo with some peas and mushrooms, topped with cheese and bread crumbs).

What’s your favorite use for a rotisserie chicken?

Recipes: The Perfect Grilled Cheese

Published by Hal on December 27, 2007 in recipes and technique. 5 Comments

Now that Christmas is over, it’s time to focus a little more on what this site is about–cooking that everyone can do and won’t break the bank. With all the rich food we’ve had over the last several days, we had a pretty simple lunch the other day that consisted of simply grilled cheese and hot soup. What better to warm you up on a cold day?

Grilled cheese is an ultimate frugal food, second only to Ramen in its frugality and simplicity. Still, most people don’t know how to make a satisfactory grilled cheese sandwich.

Here are your basic ingredients:

  • Butter or vegetable oil spread (i.e. Shedd’s Spread Country Crock)
  • White bread
  • Melty cheese (American is good; for more gourmet, you could also use thinly sliced gouda, butterkaese, or similar high-moisture cheese).

Once you have the basic ingredients, it’s more about technique than recipe. A common mistake is the overheat the pan. I’ve said before, most people turn the heat up way too high. For most things you’ll cook on the stove, you’ll really only want medium heat or less. the same is true of grilled cheese–use medium-low to medium heat.

Let the pan get hot. Meanwhile, butter one side of each of slice of bread. Once the bread has been buttered, place one slice butter side down in the pan. Top that slice with one and a half slices of American cheese (or the equivalent in other cheese). Top that with the other slice of bread, butter side up.

Cook on each side for about 2-3 minutes, until the side is golden brown. Try to turn the sandwich only once during cooking. When you’re done, you’ll have a perfectly cooked grilled cheese sandwich!

Enjoy!

An interesting herb garden

Published by Hal on December 27, 2007 in observations of food. 2 Comments

Check out Scott’s new herb garden! What a neat idea. Too bad I don’t have a backyard that I can do this in. Pretty neat!

Wholesome Wednesday: 127 Foods That Fight Fat (2 of 4)

Published by Hal on December 26, 2007 in Wholesome Wednesday. 0 Comments

Good Wednesday! Today is the second of a four part series based on this article at Yahoo Health. We’ll begin where we left off last week at candy:

Candy

Yup, candy. The real thing—not the dietetic variety—is best when your sweet tooth starts aching. Dietetic candies have almost as many calories as regular candies, often lack flavor, and are an incentive to eat more. Stick to the real thing.

  1. Chewing gum or gum balls: any and all
  2. Hard candy: any and all, including sour balls, candy canes, lollipops such as Tootsie Pops or Blow Pops, Jolly Ranchers, Werther’s Original, and TasteTations

I think chewing gum and gum balls are a good idea; usually, the reason why we eat is because we’re bored and having something in our mouths helps compensate for the boredom. However, I would be careful not to chew exclusively on Bubble Yum. Normal sugar gums have empty calories and may foster tooth decay. Chew on sugarless gum most of the time, and this advice is fine. As for hard candy, I agree not to get the sugar-less kind. Usually, the sugar substitutes can have some dietary… er… side effects that aren’t worth the lack of sugar. Just go easy and only have a piece or two at a time.

Frozen Desserts

Any fat-free frozen yogurt, frozen nondairy substitute, or sorbet is a fine addition to the freezer. Try the lower-calorie choices. Here are some examples:

  1. Soft serve: up to 25 calories per ounce, including Skimpy Treat; TCBY, Colombo nonfat frozen yogurt, and Tofutti
  2. Hard pack: up to 115 calories per 1/2-cup serving, including Sharon’s Sorbet, Low-Fat Tofutti, all Italian ices, and Sweet Nothings
  3. Frozen bars: Creamsicles, Fudgsicles, and Popsicles; any others containing up to 45 calories per bar, including Welch’s Fruit Juice Bars, Weight Watchers Smart Ones Orange Vanilla Treats, Tofutti Chocolate Fudge Treats, Weight Watchers Smart Ones Chocolate Mousse, Dolly Madison Slender Treat Chocolate Mousse, and Yoplait
  4. Individually packaged frozen bars: up to 110 calories each, including FrozFruit, Hagen-Dazs bars, and Starbucks Frappuccino Blended Coffee Bars Beverages Avoid beverages labeled “naturally sweetened” or “fruit-juice sweetened,” but help yourself to these:
  5. Unsweetened black coffees and teas
  6. Diet teas and juices: Crystal Light, Diet Snapple, Diet Natural Lemon Nestea, Diet Mistic, and others
  7. Noncaloric flavored waters: orange, chocolate, cream, cherry-chocolate, root beer, cola, and other flavors of bottled or filtered water
  8. Seltzer: plain or flavored, but check the calorie count if the product is labeled “naturally sweetened,” since this usually means that the product has sugar in one form or another
  9. Hot cocoa mixes: 20 to 50 calories per serving, including Swiss Miss Diet and Fat-Free and Nestle Carnation Diet and Fat-Free; avoid cocoa mixes with 60 or more calories per serving

I think this is an interesting list–there are five drinks on the list of frozen items to keep on hand! The problem I have with many of these items is they leave it up to the consumer to appropriately portion out. What good is a 115 calorie portion of ice cream, when most people don’t realize that a 1/2 cup of ice cream is only about a scoop and a half? Enjoy your ice cream in moderation, and don’t skimp on the real stuff. I do agree with the idea of individually packaged ice creams, because it helps with portion control. When I was working on losing weight several years ago, these were my go-to frozen snacks because all the guess work was taken care of choosing the right portion.

The drink ideas are great suggestions. Many people don’t realize that it’s really easy to consume extra calories by just drinking. Two sodas with dinner? 300 calories. Margarita? 400-500 calories. Water? 0 calories. Stick with diet drinks, black tea and coffee, water, and low-calorie instant hot drinks and you’ll be sure to keep off some unnecessary fat.

I hope you had a good Christmas, if you celebrate, and a good 25th if you don’t! Check back next Wednesday for part three of this series.

Recipes: Poor Man Turtles (aka Rolo Pretzel Cookies)

Published by Hal on December 25, 2007 in recipes. 0 Comments

Ingredients

  • Bag of mini- or grid pretzels
  • Bag of Rolos
  • Bag of pecan halves

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees
  2. Assemble the cookies on a cookie sheet, with a pretzel on the bottom, topped by a Rolo, topped by a pecan half.
  3. Place in the oven for about 3-5 minutes, or until the Rolo just starts to melt.
  4. Allow to cool before serving

I brought these to a function once, and they were a smash hit! Super easy to make, and they’ll be gone in a flash. Enjoy!

Recipes: Bourbon Balls

Published by Hal on December 24, 2007 in recipes. 0 Comments

(Note, you can see some buckeyes in that picture, too! The bourbon balls are the ones in the middle.)

Ingredients

  • 1 box of confectioners sugar
  • 1 stick of (real) butter, melted
  • 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons of bourbon
  • 3/4 cup of chopped pecans
  • Melted Chocolate mixed with food grade paraffin

Directions

  1. Mix the first five ingredients together in a bowl.
  2. Place in the refrigerator for about an hour
  3. Scoop or roll into balls and place back into the refrigerator for another hour
  4. Dip the balls into the chocolate/paraffin mixture.

Yum!

Recipes: Banana Bread

Published by Hal on December 23, 2007 in recipes. 2 Comments

My mother-in-law makes the best banana bread! Since we’re here for the Holidays, she’s making some for our Christmas feast. Below is the recipe and some pictures:

Ingredients

  • 8 very ripe bananas, mashed
  • 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 1/2 pound butter, softened (2 sticks)
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 4 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons hot water

Directions

  1. Preheat the over to 350 degrees.
  2. Grease and flour three loaf pans.
  3. Mix the mashed bananas and nuts and set aside.
  4. Cream the sugar and butter together in a separate bowl.
  5. Add the eggs, one at a time, to incorporate.
  6. Add the vanilla and mix.
  7. Add the flour, one cup at a time, and stir just to incorporate. Do not over mix.
  8. Combine the dough and the banana mixture.
  9. In another cup, mix the baking soda and the water together.
  10. Pour the baking soda mixture into the batter and stir to combine.
  11. Divide the mixture into three loaf pans and place into the preheated oven.
  12. Bake for about one hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

« Older Entries