Woah! I'm back? Well, really I'm on vacation and blogging just seemed like the sort of thing you do on vacation. Anyway. This is my take on Hummus. It's completely DIY and a little rough around the edges, but who cares when it tastes so good?
Showing posts with label diy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label diy. Show all posts
5.21.2012
DIY: Hummus
Woah! I'm back? Well, really I'm on vacation and blogging just seemed like the sort of thing you do on vacation. Anyway. This is my take on Hummus. It's completely DIY and a little rough around the edges, but who cares when it tastes so good?
3.10.2012
Sweet Saturday: Rhoda's Hot Fudge Sauce
First, excuse my sub-par photograph. It's dark out, and I use a tiny point and shoot digital camera... not my first choice, but it's what I have.
ANYWAY
It's Saturday, which is usually the day I spend cooking something random. Today it was this hot fudge recipe. I've made it before, especially during christmas when it becomes a great gift. My excuse for today is that my niece is coming over and just wanted to make it. Yah know. Good reasons.
This recipe is fantastic. It isn't healthy for you, but it's fantastic. It's silky, extremely sweet, and thick, exactly what I want on top of my frozen yogurt. Come on! I have to be somewhat healthy, right?
Anyway. Make this and enjoy it. You'll never buy hot fudge out of a squeezy bottle again.
Rhoda's Peppermint Hot Fudge Sauce (The Kitchn.com)
Yields 4 cups
2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cups brown sugar
1/4 teaspoons Kosher salt
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 teaspoons peppermint extract (substitute vanilla, if you don't want the mint flavor)
Directions: In a double boiler over medium heat stir in cocoa, sugars and salt. Add the cream and butter. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the butter is melted and the sauce comes together and is smooth and glossy. Bring to a boil for 1 minute. Then, remove the bowl from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes. Stir in the peppermint extract. Store in the fridge and re-heat when ready to use.
NOTE: I do not use peppermint extract in mine. I prefer the simple flavor of chocolate. Therefore, I take the vanilla extract route. Honestly, I think you could use any extract of your choice and it would be delicious.
Enjoy!
3.03.2012
Pork and Economics
So after the bacon post I received a few comments about the cost effectiveness of such an undertaking. I guess it never occurred to me to mention that. Sometimes what seems like a "fancy food" really isn't that fancy. To break down the cost of the previous post I'll share how much the ingredients cost me. First, one pound of pork belly cost me exactly $3.29 before tax. Second, the spices and herbs probably cost me less than a buck total. All in all, it cost me less than $5 for a lb of bacon. Cool.
I really want to take the time to explain how cooking from scratch can actually be more budget friendly than you think. Let me break it down in three main points.
1) You're paying for the convenience: It makes sense to me. When you buy something already put into individual packages, or pre-butchered, you're paying for the time someone spent doing that. I mean, when you buy chicken already de-boned and skinless, it comes at a cost. If you do research and take the time to learn, you can break down a much cheaper whole chicken into the parts you need and save yourself some dough. This is especially true with things like 100 calorie packs. Do you have a problem with over eating? Split up that whole back into smaller portions and store it like that. I do want to add here that this can increase your waste astronomically. Please be careful with how much plastic and leftovers you put in the trash.
2) Buy Local: This topic is harped on all the time. People keep complaining that healthy, all natural eating is so dang pricey. It really isn't. Grow a garden, go to the farmers market, go to the local butcher. It costs less because you're not paying for the gas that it takes to get to your kitchen table. Please be aware that chain health food stores really are more expensive, but they do not focus on things nearby or simple ingredients which are not processed into ready made food. It also helps to buy in bulk. I like to buy larger chunks of meat, break it down myself and portion it out accordingly. I also like to buy huge bags of rice and grain from my local Merc and use over time. Also, don't discount that buying local does help your local economy. Put money into the community you're a part of. Easy peasy.
3) You're paying for quality: Okay, so you'd rather buy the cheap bacon that costs $2.99 a lb? Cool, but you have to understand that that bacon is going to taste like it came out of the dumpster. It will be paper thin, and rip as you pull it out of the package. This does not equal good eats. You'll find that when you buy quality, you do not need to eat as much. You're satisfied with a slice glorious bacon and beautiful runny eggs, therefore you can keep the potato hash, condiments, and whatever else out of the picture. I have found that I'm also consuming healthier food. I drink skim milk from the local dairy, I enjoy it, and it tastes like heaven. I eat more vegetables because they taste better, fresher, and the way God probably intended them to taste. The same goes with fruits, meats, cheeses, and grains. I don't eat as much because I'm satisfied, and I eat healthier more nutritious food. Why waste your money on food you'll eventually throw out because it was so gross that you didn't finish it up.
I completely understand that I will get some disagreements from this, but I've found that it's completely true. Make it from scratch, buy it in bulk and learn how to do things like de-boning your own chicken.
I will admit that sometimes making it from scratch is not that cheap. There are a few ingredients which cost a lot of money. Some examples are cream, good cheese. Obviously, those are not foods which should be a part of your every day diet, but you know, they're nice every once in awhile.
Anyway, I hope this is a good explanation of why I do some of the things I do. They're really not as time consuming or involving as one may think. I promise once you start learning and practicing some of these things you'll see what I mean.
Happy Saturday
I really want to take the time to explain how cooking from scratch can actually be more budget friendly than you think. Let me break it down in three main points.
1) You're paying for the convenience: It makes sense to me. When you buy something already put into individual packages, or pre-butchered, you're paying for the time someone spent doing that. I mean, when you buy chicken already de-boned and skinless, it comes at a cost. If you do research and take the time to learn, you can break down a much cheaper whole chicken into the parts you need and save yourself some dough. This is especially true with things like 100 calorie packs. Do you have a problem with over eating? Split up that whole back into smaller portions and store it like that. I do want to add here that this can increase your waste astronomically. Please be careful with how much plastic and leftovers you put in the trash.
2) Buy Local: This topic is harped on all the time. People keep complaining that healthy, all natural eating is so dang pricey. It really isn't. Grow a garden, go to the farmers market, go to the local butcher. It costs less because you're not paying for the gas that it takes to get to your kitchen table. Please be aware that chain health food stores really are more expensive, but they do not focus on things nearby or simple ingredients which are not processed into ready made food. It also helps to buy in bulk. I like to buy larger chunks of meat, break it down myself and portion it out accordingly. I also like to buy huge bags of rice and grain from my local Merc and use over time. Also, don't discount that buying local does help your local economy. Put money into the community you're a part of. Easy peasy.
3) You're paying for quality: Okay, so you'd rather buy the cheap bacon that costs $2.99 a lb? Cool, but you have to understand that that bacon is going to taste like it came out of the dumpster. It will be paper thin, and rip as you pull it out of the package. This does not equal good eats. You'll find that when you buy quality, you do not need to eat as much. You're satisfied with a slice glorious bacon and beautiful runny eggs, therefore you can keep the potato hash, condiments, and whatever else out of the picture. I have found that I'm also consuming healthier food. I drink skim milk from the local dairy, I enjoy it, and it tastes like heaven. I eat more vegetables because they taste better, fresher, and the way God probably intended them to taste. The same goes with fruits, meats, cheeses, and grains. I don't eat as much because I'm satisfied, and I eat healthier more nutritious food. Why waste your money on food you'll eventually throw out because it was so gross that you didn't finish it up.
I completely understand that I will get some disagreements from this, but I've found that it's completely true. Make it from scratch, buy it in bulk and learn how to do things like de-boning your own chicken.
I will admit that sometimes making it from scratch is not that cheap. There are a few ingredients which cost a lot of money. Some examples are cream, good cheese. Obviously, those are not foods which should be a part of your every day diet, but you know, they're nice every once in awhile.
Anyway, I hope this is a good explanation of why I do some of the things I do. They're really not as time consuming or involving as one may think. I promise once you start learning and practicing some of these things you'll see what I mean.
Happy Saturday
3.01.2012
A Thursday Off | DIY Bacon
I took today off. The weather report came in yesterday and suddenly I needed an entire day because of a previously scheduled doctors appointment. That's what PTO is for... right?
So this is what I did today:
Gym
Target
a run to Steve's Meat Market
Dillons
Woot woot... right? But what I did later on was way more fun...
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