Sheryl vs. the Legume, Curried Lentils

This is the recipe that gave me hope that I could win the war with the lentil!  Adapted from my favorite pressure cooker cookbook, "The Easy Pressure Cooker Cookbook" by Diane Phillips, it freezes well and makes a good 7 Weight Watcher Points Plus lunch.

Don't have a pressure cooker? Here's my blog on how to choose one. Or, I found this recipe online which is similar. 

Curried Lentils
2 tbsp oil
1 medium sweet onion, such as Vidalia, finely chopped
3 medium carrots, finely chopped
2 tsp madras curry powder, plus more if needed
2 cups lentils, rinsed
1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
1 cup coconut milk
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Heat oil in the pressure cooker over medium-high heat.  Add the onion, carrots and curry powder and saute until the onion begins to soften, about 2 minutes.  Add the lentils, stock and coconut milk.  Lock the lid in place and cook at high pressure for 6 minutes.

Quick release the pressure and remove the lid, tilting the pot away from you to avoid the escaping steam.  Stir the lentils and taste for seasoning.  Add more curry powder, salt and pepper to taste.  Transfer to serving dish and serve hot.   Serves 6.

7 tools for $7 to ease cooking day stress

This past weekend I made some freezer meals - half for me, and half for my kids.  Before I was done, my Sharpie marker gave out.  I also realized I could use a few other tools that would help make cooking day - and serving days - easier.

(What did I make?  Vegetarian Chili to get my vegan daughter through finals.  The slow-cooker version of this Taco Meat, half for us and half for my son so he won't starve while his wife is visiting her sisters.  And several freezer meals from two of my favorite cookbooks, "Once a Month Cooking" by Mary Beth Lagerborg and Mimi Wilson, and its sequel, "Once a Month Cooking Family Favorites" by Ms. Wilson.)

I headed to my local Dollar Tree store and picked up seven things that make it easier to prepare, label and keep track of freezer meals:

Extra measuring cups and spoons:  We still have the aluminum set of serving spoons that we got when we were first married 36 years ago.  Two problems.  If you used it to measure wet ingredients, you'd have to wash and dry it to measure a dry ingredients.  And the whole set was hooked together, so when one was used, they all needed washing.  One Thanksgiving, I bought a plastic set at Dollar Tree, then separated them as soon as I got home.  It worked out so well, I bought a couple more.  Now I can use the 1 tbsp measure for lemon juice, put it in the dishwasher, and get another clean one out for chili powder.

Similar story with measuring cups.  We have two sets from my husband's bachelor apartment, three Tupperware sets and another we bought when we moved to Thailand.  The problem is that some are broken, melted or have the marks of dog teeth; some are missing (especially, for some reason, the 1/2 cup measure); and we can't always find what we want.  A new set for $1 is a good investment in avoiding frustration.

Kitchen scissors.  I have a good set I use for opening packages, cutting chicken skin, snipping parsley and even cutting green onions.  But when you're cooking multiple meals for the freezer - or one large holiday meal - it's nice to have an extra pair (especially when one was used for cutting chicken - that one goes straight to the dishwasher)..

Sharpie and color-coded stars to mark food containers.  I wrapped all the meals in plastic freezer bags - even the ones that were already covered by aluminum.  At a minimum, the bags should be labeled with the name of the dish and the date it went into the freezer.  If you really want to be nice to the person responsible for getting it on the table, you also can write directions for thawing and preparing. 

I also bought some color-coded stars.  I eat gluten-free.  A couple of my kids are vegan.  My husband doesn't eat certain vegetables.  So I can put the star on to indicate the presence (or lack thereof) of animal products, gluten, broccoli and any other allergies, preferences or phobias that develop in my family.

And finally, a weekly calendar and dry-erase markers.  This will require a little more discipline, but since I usually am the last one home from work, someone else will likely be getting dinner on the table.  By taking a few minutes on the weekend, I can let everyone know what's for dinner during the week, how to prepare it, and which cookbook they can search for the recipe.

Help! My kid has gone vegan

Breathe.  Breathe.  It's not that bad.

I raised three boys and two girls.  By the time I got to teenager number four, my third boy, I learned not to sweat the small stuff.  Whenever we got that call, I asked the essential questions: Is anyone dead? Is anyone in the hospital?  in jail? pregnant?  So it's just property damage?  We can deal with that.  (You didn't really want that letterman's jacket, did you?)

Seriously, having a kid (or two or three) who is vegan is no big deal.  In fact, I love a puzzle and I love making foods that all of my family will enjoy - the vegans, mostly vegans, the picky eaters and the carnivores.  I learned from the best, my good friend and mentor Cheryl.  Cheryl was raised on a dairy farm in Wisconsin and loved putting on family spreads and organizing potlucks.  Then her husband decided to become a vegetarian - actually a pescetarian, because he ate fish.  (Good thing, since they soon moved to the Pacific Northwest.)

Cheryl switched into high gear, designing holiday meals and everyday dinners that made all of her family and guests happy.  Planning menus was her fantasy football.  She just added extra side dish that her husband would enjoy.  Of course, once in awhile she and I would sneak out for lunch and eat meat.  

So when our oldest son told us he was joining his fiance as a vegetarian, it was no big deal.  And I was able to plan a holiday menu without much fuss; I just made sure there was plenty of Potatoes Au Gratin oozing with cheese.  "At least you're not vegan.  I don't know if I could deal with that."

And, of course, that was the next step.  Then one of my daughters became a (somewhat less strict) vegan.  But by then I'd learned a few things.

It's not about me.  Becoming a vegetarian or vegan is not a rejection of the way I raised them; it's merely a food choice.  I've always tried to respect that choice, just like Cheryl.  And accommodate them by adding extra side dishes at family meals.  (Of course, it helped that I miss them so much since they moved to Malaysia.  When they do visit on vacation, the last thing I want to do is fuss at them about meat.)

Respect is a two-way street.  I respect their choices, and they respect mine.  They have never asked that we not serve meat.

They'll live without meat.  Cultures around the world restrict their diets in some way for cultural, religious and health reasons.  Hindus don't eat beef.  Buddhist monks are vegetarians.  Observant Jews don't eat pork or shell fish.  My favorite doctors and the hospital where I delivered my babies were Seventh-day Adventists, U.S. pioneers of vegetarianism - and among the longest-living people in the country.

If they're adults, respect their privacy and choices.  If it's your minor child who wants to explore a vegetarian diet, make sure they understand nutrition.  Our second son announced one day that he was interested in becoming a vegetarian.  As it happened, we were eating at Cheryl's house that day, so he had a long talk with her husband.  He asked good questions and listened thoughtfully.  Then, on the way home, we saw a deer grazing next to the highway.  "When I grow up," he announced, "that's the kind of deer I'm going  to shoot."  Needless to say, his vegetarian experience lasted about 24 hours.  (Good thing, since I don't imagine the Marines have a wide variety of vegan MRE's.)

Tofurky is terrible.  Don't serve it.  Really.  One Thanksgiving our oldest son bought one and we respectfully tried it.  That was the last time we served "pretend meat."  Seriously, if you're going to choose to go without meat, why eat food made to resemble what you're giving up?  Especially when there are so many wonderful vegetable, legume and grain dishes to choose from.

Most of the meat, cheese and egg substitutes are considerably more expensive than the foods they are intended to replace.  Many of them are made of soy, and I am suspicious of a diet that contains too much of it.  Nuts, wild rice, vegetable medleys and mushrooms all are acceptable alternatives, which can be enjoyed even by carnivores.  

Look beyond "American" foods.  Having grown up in Los Angeles and lived in different countries, we appreciate ethnic cuisine.  We don't expect every meal to include a protein, starch and vegetable.  This weekend our daughter and husband were visiting.  For a quick dinner, I made a taco bar.  I tore some cilantro into a can of black beans and heated it in the double boiler.  She put that on her taco in place of meat, and could eat the rest of the fixings.

Let them cook.  I know, this is hard.  As a mom, it's part of our job description to feed our kids - no matter what their age.  But do let them contribute to family meals.  And you might just learn something.

Keep an eye on this blog.  I'll continue to share both vegetarian and carnivore meals.  Watching football?  Serve Vegetarian Chili.   Wild Rice makes a great holiday side.  I promise to share more recipes for all occasions.

And relax.  It's not the end of the world.

Vegetarian Chili

Two of my children and one of their spouses are vegan.  I confess I love the adventure of designing menus that make everyone happy at family dinners.  This is one I first made for my birthday party, which also happened to be the "big game" where the Seahawks beat Denver and became world champions of the 2013-2014 season.

This is another winning recipe from my current favorite pressure cooker cookbook, Diane Phillips' "The Easy Pressure Cooker Cookbook."  If you have a pressure cooker, you need this cookbook!  What I love about this recipe is that it uses four different kinds of beans, making it more interesting, both in taste and visually.  I usually make a batch the day before my daughter visits, then freeze it in individual portions for her to take home.  It gives her a quick meal between work and school.

Note: Although the pressure cooker compresses the cooking time, you still have to start this recipe five hours before you want to serve.  Soaking the beans is critical to soften the beans.  I always add baking soda to the soaking liquid; it cuts down the acids which cause gas.

Here is my version of this recipe.

Bean and Veggie Chili
1 cup pinto beans
1 cup kidney beans
1 cup black beans
1 cup red beans
1 tbsp. baking soda
4 tbsp. oil, divided
2 large sweet onions
1 tsp. chile (ancho suggested)
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 green bell pepper, seeded, deribbed and coarsely chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded, deribbed and coarsely chopped
1 orange or yellow bell pepper, seeded, deribbed and coarsely chopped
1 (28 oz. can) chopped tomatoes, with juice
7 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 cups corn kernels, freshly cut from the cob or frozen corn, defrosted
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Soak beans in water and baking soda for four hours.  Drain and rinse well.

Heat 2 tbsp. of the oil in pressure cooker over medium-high heat.  Add onions, garlic powder, cumin and oregano and saute for 2 minutes, or until onions begin to soften.  Add the bell peppers, beans, tomatoes and stock.  Drizzle with remaining oil.  Lock the lid in place and cook at high pressure for 20 minutes.

Release the pressure naturally and remove the lid, tilting the pot away from you to avoid the escaping steam.  Stir in corn.  Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as needed.  Serve or freeze immediately.  Serves 8.

Don't have a pressure cooker but interested in buying one?  Here's how we chose ours.
Don't have a pressure cooker and don't plan to get one soon?  Here's a great blog on how to cook beans on the stove.
Don't live in the U.S.?  Here's how to convert the recipe to Commonwealth measurements.

$5 finds: Library book sale

When we moved to the Pacific Northwest, I fell in love with our local library system. Extolling all its virtues would take an entire blog or two, but for now I'll just brag about today's finds.  I happened to be driving by in the late afternoon and saw a sign for the semi-annual book sale.  The car automatically stopped.  And, I discovered, the last two hours of the sale, everything you can fit into a bag is $5.  So I set to shopping.

First stop, the video section.  It was pretty picked over. But I picked up "Jerry McGuire," a documentary on Ronald Reagan and a classic musical in VHS.  Yes, we still have our VCR.  It's worth hanging on to.  You can usually find older movies for $1 each, less than a rental. And once you've watched the movie, you can toss or donate it.  If you don't still have your VCR, consider picking one up at the thrift store.

Moving to the next bin, I found two DVD's, one a favorite of my daughter's, and the other a sequel to one of our favorite holiday movies, "Christmas Vacation."  Sure, it's bound to be bad.  Maybe bad enough to be funny!

Next I visited the craft section and scooped up some booklets for crocheted stuffed animals. My next project after I pause the baby afghans for the summer.  Perhaps some baby shower or birthday presents?

Finally, the cookbook section.  Books sales and thrift stores are always a good place to find Weight Watchers cookbooks.  I found three.

All of the cookbooks were pretty picked over, but I found a few gems: one for the bread machine, if I ever dust it off.  One by the Frugal Gourmet, Jeff Smith, a TV cook before there was Food Network. I couldn't resist "The Lady & Sons," Paula Deen's first cookbook - and the only one I own.  And on the opposite end of the spectrum, a classic vegetarian cookbook from the hippie days (but written by a Seventh-day Adventist couple) which is still a reference for modern vegans.

Will I love every recipe in every cookbook?  Will I get around to making a stuffed animal?  Are the movies losers that will just take up space in the video cabinet?  No, but I'm sure I'll get my money's worth. 

The best part of the $5 finds, is I can always donate the ones who merit getting lost again.

A month of breakfasts for $10

Our office is located somewhat off the beaten path.  The nearest place to find food is about 10 minutes away.  So we've been quite spoiled in recent years by a vendor who set up a cafeteria downstairs that was open from early morning through lunch.  In the morning, my coworkers would line up for lattes, hash browns and breakfast burritos.  At lunch for taco salad or other daily special.

Alas, the vendor has left, and we've yet to find a replacement.  Some of my coworkers are looking quite forlorn - and hungry.

I would occasionally indulge in a salad at lunch.  But I realized for what I spent on one salad, I could make an entire week of soups and freeze them.  So the salads had become an occasional treat, at most.  And I would indulge in a coffee once in awhile.  But I could never understand why people couldn't manage to eat breakfast at home.

I'm an oatmeal person.  I find it holds me through the morning better than anything else I can eat for breakfast.  Most mornings, I put a heaping 1/2 cup of regular oatmeal and a cup of water in a casserole, throw in some dried fruit and a little cinnamon, and microwave for 3 minutes.  (Be very careful to have the ratio of water to oatmeal at slightly less than 2:1.  If the water is more than twice the oatmeal, it's prone to overflow.)

I do like steel-cut oatmeal, but it takes more than 3 minutes to prepare.  So I save time by doing it on the weekend, and then freezing for the week in individual containers.  (My mom also has a great recipe to cook it part way the night before, then finish in the morning.  Will share that recipe another time.)

If you have a 3-quart pan and the corresponding double boiler insert (mine is "vintage" Revere Ware), I find this the easiest way to make it.  By buying the Bob's Red Mill Steel-cut Oats at Big Lots, the raisins and freezer containers at Dollar Tree, I spend about $10 for a month of breakfasts.  That's less than three trips through the drive through, or two at Starbucks.

Steel Cut Oatmeal and Raisins
1 1/2 cup steel-cut oatmeal
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 tbsp cinnamon
4 1/2 cups water

Put ingredients in double boiler insert in order listed.  Put larger pan on a burner with 2 inches of water and bring to boil.  Meanwhile, put lid on double-boiler pan and bring to boil over another burner.  Simmer, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes.  Carefully transfer double boiler pan (use hot pads) into main pan, cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and let cook for 30 minutes.

Let cool a bit, then transfer to containers (mine were form Dollar Tree and hold slightly more than 1 cup each).  Put lid on and let cool before freezing.  Makes 6-7 servings, 4-5 Weight Watchers Points Plus each.

$10 finds: $40 in dishes at the thrift store

One of my vices is a collection of Fiesta dishes by Homer Laughlin.  I have a large cabinet filled with place settings and serving dishes of various colors.

This started in the 1990s, when I realized that both my fine china and stoneware patterns had been discontinued.  I didn't have enough serving dishes for a growing family.  I could buy more, but they wouldn't match.  The fun part of Fiesta is that it doesn't have to match; you can mix pastel colors for Easter, autumn colors for Thanksgiving; red and green for Christmas; and my favorite, blue and green for the Seahawks.  Plus, my kids and husband can buy me a piece at a time (hopefully on sale) for Mother's Day, Christmas and birthdays.

Our family loves shopping at thrift stores, going in the door with a sense of adventure and exploration.  Today I had a half hour to kill between a doctor appointment and picking up my daughter at work, so I stopped by Value Village, a chain of thrift stores where I've made finds such as DVD's, yarn, and dishes to match my vintage 1970's stoneware.  They're a bit more expensive than Goodwill, but there are special sale days for loyalty club members - if you time it right.

Today I found an end display with blue dishes and glasses, including Homer Laughlin Fiesta in Cobalt - two salad dishes and half a dozen dinner plates.  I bought two salad dishes and the two dinner plates in best condition.  I paid $10.61 (including tax),   I checked the price on Replacements; the dinner plates run $12.99 each, and the salad plates $6.99.  A total of $40, not to mention shipping and taxes.

Not a bad $10 find, and I can't wait for Football season! #GoHawks

The early bird gets the...Pork Roast!

I relearned a lesson Saturday morning.  As meat approaches its "sell-by" date, the meat manager moves them to a "specials" bin, with the cut discounted 30% (50% if it's still there after 6 p.m.).  The bin is at its fullest first thing in the morning. 

My daughter and I are sharing a car.  After I dropped her at work, I headed for the grocery store and got this roast at 30% off.  Searching the pressure cooker cookbooks I brought home from the library, I found several versions of this one.  Don't have a pressure cooker?  Cook in the slow cooker on low for 5-8 hours, or until it reaches 160 degrees on the meat thermometer.

Root Beer Pork Roast
1 4-pound pork roast
2 tbsp oil
1 can golden mushroom soup (I used regular cream of mushroom soup)
12 oz. root beer (not diet)
1 envelope onion soup mix

In pressure cooker, heat oil.  Brown the pork roast, then remove.  Add mushroom soup.  Measure root  beer into can to catch some of the residue, then add to pan, along with onion soup mix.  Mix.  Return roast to pan.  Lock pressure cooker lid onto pot, set to high and bring to pressure.  After it comes to pressure, lower heat and cook for 40-45 minutes.  Release pressure.  Be sure to take the meat's temperature before removing from pan.  If it hasn't reached 160 degrees, put the lid back on, bring to pressure and cook for another 5 minutes.

Remove roast from pan, and allow to sit for 5 minutes before slicing.  Put pan juices into a gravy boat to serve alongside. 

Converting recipes between the U.S. and the Commonwealth

As a new blogger, I was checking (OK, obsessing over) my reader stats, and noticed that I have a few in Australia, Canada, Malaysia (thanks, kids) and other places outside the United States.  On a scrapbooking board, I used to participate in recipe exchanges with scrappers from New Zealand, Australia and elsewhere.  I made the following guide to converting recipes.

Converting to/from American recipes; more than just metrics!

For Americans using recipes from other countries, and visa versa, disaster can ensue without the following key information:

The U.S. does not follow the metric system (although many U.S. recipes and measuring instruments do include metric equivalents).

Not only that, but U.S. fluid measures different from those of their British cousins; to convert U.S. fluid ounces to British multiply by 1.04; to convert U.S. pints to British pints, multiply by 0.83.

Further complicating the conversion, America measures dry ingredients differently from the rest of the world; flour, sugar, rice, etc. are measured by volume, where cooks in other countries measure by weight.  In the U.S., 1 cup is 1 cup no matter what you’re measuring; but it could be 125 grams of white flour, 120 grams of whole wheat flour, 100 grams of rye flour, 200 grams of white flour, 220 grams of brown sugar, etc.  So consult a scale or equivalent chart (see below) when converting dry ingredients. 

One final thing to keep in mind: in the U.S., butter is sold and measured in “sticks.”  One stick of butter equals one-quarter pound (4 ounces) or one-half cup. 

Here are some helpful references for converting recipes:

http://www.botanical.com/botanical/cvcookix.html

http://www.onlineconversion.com/cooking.htm

http://www.miketodd.net/encyc/cooking.htm

Mid-Century Style: Mom's Macaroni Salad

This was my first-ever entry into a recipe contest.  I made a gluten-free macaroni and cheese dish for Easter, based on a recipe on the side of a box of my favorite gluten-free pasta.  As a courtesy, I tweeted it to the company.  I received a response urging me to enter it into their recipe contest.  Well, I said, it's your recipe and I don't think it would be appropriate to enter it, but it got me thinking about entering something else.  I finally decided on my mom's pasta salad.

I called it "Summer Pasta Salad," but since we lived in Los Angeles, we actually ate it year-round.  In fact, it was a tradition on Christmas Eve, along with a ham and the most delicious Port Wine Cranberry Salad.  (I promise to blog about that closer to the holidays.)  And, of course, we took it to every picnic I can remember.

I learned to make this as a teenager.  One problem, though: There was no written recipe!  I remember there was a large bag of pasta shells, a small can of chopped olives and an equal amount of relish, about half a dozen hard-boiled eggs, enough celery seed to cover the pasta when it's hot, and gobs and gobs of Miracle Whip.  Not quite precise enough for a recipe contest.

So I set about making it from memory, but measuring every ingredient as it went in.  The second problem I recognized was the fact that this was at least half, if not a quarter, of the size dish I usually made.  And then finally, the gluten-free pasta didn't quite react the same way regular pasta shells did (in addition to being harder to find; we went to three stores before we found it).

Before I could enter the contest, I had to take a photo of the dish appealing enough for the judges to want to make it.  One problem was I'd overcooked my eggs a bit and there was a tell-tale blue lining on the yoke, so I had to disguise.

(Many thanks to my Facebook friends who helped me select the photo.  The one below is what I submitted.  I need to work on my food photography!)

If you plan to make it and don't have gluten sensitivities, by all means use regular pasta. The GF just did not absorb the Miracle Whip like the regular pasta.  It was still good, though.

So, here is the final submission:

Summer Pasta Salad
8 oz package Ancient Harvest Quinoa Supergrain pasta shells
1 1/2 tsp celery seeds
1-2 tbsp chopped olives
1-2 tbsp pickle relish
1 1/3 cup Miracle Whip or Mayonnaise (divided)
3 sliced hard-boiled eggs (divided)

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Do not overcook.  Drain and put in mixing bowl.  Sprinkle immediately with celery seed; this will make the flavor of the celery seeds pop.  Add olives and relish to taste.  Mix in 1 cup of Miracle Whip or mayonnaise.  Stir in 2 of the sliced eggs.  Refrigerate overnight.

The pasta will absorb some of the mayonnaise overnight; in the morning, add 1/3 cup additional, or to taste.  Put in serving bowl.  Top with the remaining sliced egg and serve.

(Live outside the U.S.?  Recipe conversion suggestions on this post.)

Pressure Cookers Part 2, adapting a slow-cooker recipe

I found a 3-pound beef roast in the "managers special" bin at the store yesterday.  With the 30% discount, it was just $10.  Cinco de Mayo was approaching.  What to do?  I saw this recipe for Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Beef on Facebook.  Only problem was that I didn't get to the store in time to buy the Salsa Verde and so I could prepare it in the slow cooker.  So how, I wonder, would I adapt it to the pressure cooker?

I used the recipe as written, except I was concerned about the amount of evaporation in the pressure cooker.  So I added a cup of water to keep it from burning. "Pressure Cookers for Dummies" (quickly becoming one of my go-to cookbooks) said the cooking time for stew meat is 20 minutes.  So I cooked for that amount of time, then checked to see if it was fork-ready.  It was, but I cooked a little longer to thicken the sauce.

If you don't have a pressure cooker, use the recipe as written in Queen Bee Coupons.  (And do consider subscribing to her blog and/or Facebook feed.  Not only does Queen Bee give great advice on saving money, but also delicious recipes like this.)  And if you're still thinking about getting a pressure cooker, start your research here.

Here is my adaptation of this delicious recipe.

Pressure Cooker Salsa Verde Beef

1 tbsp. olive oil
3-pound beef roast, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup (heaping) chopped onions
1 tbsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
1 cup salsa verde (hot or mild to taste)
1 cup water

Heat oil in pressure cooker.  Add half of cubed beef.  Brown.  Remove and brown the other half.  Remove from pressure cooker, but keep drippings.  Add onion and spices and cook a couple of minutes until onions are soft.  Add salsa and water.  Return beef to pan. 

Lock lid onto pressure cooker and set to high pressure.  Cook over medium-high heat until pot comes to pressure, then turn to medium or medium-low to maintain pressure.  Cook for 20 minutes.  Open valve and release pressure naturally.  If meat is not yet fork tender, then lock lid, bring to pressure and cook for another 5 minutes.  Repeat if needed. 

If meat is done, but sauce is not thick enough, cook over low heat to thicken.

Use as you would taco meat.  Since I eat gluten-free and corn tortillas are small, I served like an open-face taco.  Top with lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream and cheese.  We had some chopped olives in the fridge which tasted great on the tacos.  This also would be good served over a baked potato.

$10 finds: 20 Greeting Cards at Dollar Tree

Among the achievements I'd like listed on my obituary, I've instructed my family to mention that I was a platinum Hallmark Rewards Card member.  I go to my local shop every few months to buy birthday, holiday and anniversary cards for my family.  Having achieved such a lofty status with Hallmark, I get a small discount, making the cards an affordable luxury.  It's my little splurge for my family.

But what about everyone else?  Particularly cards that go with graduation, wedding and baby gifts?  Be honest, do brides and grooms, new parents or grads really care whose name is on the back of the card?  No, they just care about the amount written on the check.

Yesterday I restocked my card stash for graduations, weddings, babies and even retirements.  My Dollar Tree sells them 2 for $1.00.  So for what I could get maybe three cards at the Hallmark store, I bought 20 cards.  I must note that the cards do not look cheap.  They are beautiful and/or witty, and the sentiments are lovely.  There also is a good choice of faith sentiments.  If I ever needed to sacrifice a splurge, I wouldn't hesitate to send one of these to my family.  And I would love to receive one. 

Today's project, getting them organized, so when we're getting ready for that next wedding or baby shower, we're not scrambling for a card.

Stay tuned for more $10 finds.

Mid-Century Style: Grandma's Banana Bread

I was so excited to notice we had three bananas that were approaching the over-ripe stage!  You see, I need three over-ripe bananas to make my Grandma Velma's Banana Bread!  This is my first and favorite banana bread recipe.  (Yes, mid-century style is coming back.)

We're a banana-eating family, so we don't often have bananas that get over-ripe, and when we do it's only one or two.  Here's something I learned: You can just pop a banana, peel and all, into the freezer and save until you have three.  Just take out to thaw a few hours before cooking.

This produces a moist bread which improves with age.  When my son was deployed, I made mini-loaves, froze them to keep their shape before sealing in the Foodsaver to include in his care packages.  They arrived a couple weeks later in good shape.  He made a special request to add chocolate chips.  This version tasted great, but the chips tended to sink and weren't disbursed enough through the bread.

Velma's Banana Bread
1 cup sugar
1/4 lb (one cube) butter
3 well-mashed bananas
2 eggs
3 tbsp sour milk (use buttermilk or put 1 tsp vinegar in milk and let sit for 30 minutes)
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups flour
1/2 cup nuts
1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a loaf pan (I use non-stick cooking spray).

Cream together sugar and butter.  Add bananas.  Beat in eggs and milk.  Mix together flour, soda and salt.  Stir in until well mixed.  Add nuts and vanilla.  Pour into greased loaf pan and bake for one hour. 

(Live outside the U.S.?  Recipe conversion suggestions on this post.) 

And now, a public service announcement: Fire Safety

One of the highlights of the annual Safety Fair at work is the mandatory safety video.  Normally, they deal with workplace hazards.  And often, they're unintentionally humorous, like the one where the computers - and the shoulder pads - were large.  I spent the entire 15 minutes trying to figure out if it was filmed in the late 1980's or early 1990's.

This year was different.  It was a video about a man who experienced a fire in his house resulting from improper storage of spent 9-volt batteries.  (Cover the contacts with electrical tape until you take them for recycling.)

The video above chronicled all the mistakes he made in response to the fire, and how we can avoid them.  After watching the 12-minute video, I went to my desk to find it on YouTube, and learned it was the second (and longest) of four in a series of fire education videos.

In the first, we learn how a simple 9-volt better caused the fire.

In the third, we learn how to protect ourselves from fire.

And the fourth and final video features a tour of the burned house by a local fire captain.

I sent all four videos to my husband, and told him to check our batteries.  We found six of the offending batteries in our spent drawer.  Fortunately, our city was having a recycling event that weekend, and they're not out of the house.

Watching these four videos will take less than 30 minutes, but could save your family's life and property.

Now that's fast, frugal and fit.