Ask The Helpful Housewife

An Ailing Refrigerator Has It's Benefits...

Our refrigerator died.  On the hottest day of the century.  Of course.  Thankfully we have an old 1950's Westinghouse model in the garage we use for extra gallons of milk, the odd soda, and other miscellaneous items.  (With four little kids, you tend to buy milk 6 gallons at a time!).  So what do you do when your frig goes out?  In this order:

1.  Curse KitchenAid.  (I can't stress enough at how miserable these appliances are... after 2 dishwashers, a microwave, a stove/oven, 2 coffee makers, a toaster, and now the frig, I am completely avoiding this brand as if it were the bubonic plague!)

2.  Call KitchenAid to schedule a repair visit.

3.  Curse KitchenAid while emptying said refrigerator.

4.  Clean it til it sparkles!!!!!

I know it's a pain to have to go through dealing with a dead refrigerator, but on the upside, it's a great opportunity to clean it out!  No condensation building up because it's still cool inside, no stuff in the way...  it's great!  Now I have the wonderfully clean appliance you see above!  Take note, those of you in Housekeeping 101 -- this is a valuable tidbit to file away for future reference!

The Perfect Pantry

Check out today's featured Typepad blog:  The Perfect Pantry 

I've already added the link to the list in the side bar!  Great information, well written and nicely laid out.  Go see it!

Maddy Cakes

I felt a need to bake tonight.  Well, actually, my kids felt a need for me to bake tonight!  I was happy to oblige.  The weather outside was cold and rainy, a typical fall day for Michigan, and it just seemed like it was time to have a real comfort meal for dinner, complete with dessert.  Dinner had been simmering all day long, so it wasn't like I had a whole lot of other cooking to do.  Out came the batter bowl!  At the end of this post, I will give the recipe for this lovely treat, but for now I'll tell you how I adapted it.  I am a big fan of madeleines, but didn't really want to make them.  The girls were requesting cake, and I conceded to them.  So I pulled out a favorite recipe for devil's food cake and mixed it up.  Then I took a large soup spoon and filled my madeleine forms with the batter.   It worked perfectly!  They only had to bake about 12-14 minutes in this pan; once they cooled, I just slipped them out and put them on a plate to be dusted with powdered sugar.  MMMMMMM!!!!  So simple, yet so decadent all at once!  And they went perfectly with dinner.  Last night, right before bed, I took a rump roast* out of the freezer and popped it in the crock pot with a cup of water and an envelope of french onion soup mix (organic, of course!).  I set it on high and let it cook.  Then this morning, around 8, I turned it down to low and let it go all day, turning it over occasionally.  Then for dinner tonight it was falling off the bone and so so so so tender!  Served with steamed broccoli and mixed vegetables and a glass of skim milk.  With the chocolate cakes for dessert, it was a hit with young and old alike! 

Devil's Food Cake

3/4 cup milk

1 tbsp vinegar

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup shortening

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup cocoa

1/2 cup warm water

Mix together milk and vinegar.  In a small bowl sift together flour and salt.  Cream together sugar and shortening.  Add eggs one at a time; beat well.  Stir vanilla into milk mixture.  Add to creamed mixture alternately with dry ingredients, mixing well after each addition.  Mix together baking soda, cocoa, and water;  add to batter, mixing well.  Pour into pans and bake at 350 degrees 30 - 35 minutes.  Cool before frosting  (recipe below).

Frosting

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup cocoa

1/8 tsp salt

1/3 cup butter

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

4 to 5 tbsps hot cream

In a small bowl sift together sugar, cocoa, and salt.  Cream together butter, egg, and vanilla.  Alternately add dry ingredients and hot cream.  Beat well until spreadable.

*as for the roast:  we buy beef from a local organic farmer.  His beef is 100% certified organic, and he sells us a whole cow.  We then have it butchered at a local meat processor and split it with some good friends of ours.  Half a cow fills our freezer, but it lasts a year or so.  The beef was 90cents per pound before butchering, and then after the cutting and packaging costs, it worked out to $2.98 per pound.  Not bad considering that includes everything from burger, to roasts, to steaks, to tenderloin!  All the same price! You can't even get the antibiotic and hormone filled hamburger at the store for that little anymore.  I highly recommend finding a way to get your meat this way.  Yes, it's around $1200 at the time, but that is still WAY less than you would spend at the grocery store over a year or two.  And if it's properly packaged and frozen solid, it will last that long!  It has really cut down on our grocery bill as now I only need to buy the basics such as flour, sugar, cereals, milk, and any other ingredients for meals.  What used to be four to five bags of groceries each trip is now only about 2.  We don't purchase the box meal kits anymore or any convenience foods.  With the meat in the freezer, we always have something to bring out to thaw and cook.  Occasionally we purchase chicken or pork or fish, but the basic grocery shopping is much lighter now.  We also purchase all produce at the farmers market in order to keep our consumption and our dollars local.  This has also been a big savings to us.  With four kids to feed, every cent helps!

Zucchini Bread Is Always A Good Bet

In the coming weeks, markets and gardens alike will be overflowing with the dreaded zucchini.  Personally, I love them!  Sauteed, steamed, baked, stuffed, grilled....  LOVE THEM!  But my family's favorite way to eat them is in Zucchini Bread.  So that's what I made today:

Yes, I grate my zucchini the old-fashioned way:  with a box grater.  I have a food processor, but you know, I hardly ever use it.  This way is MUCH better.  It's a great workout for my arms (I am deathly afraid of the wing flap of fat you get as you age!) as well as great stress relief. 

Here's something else I ALWAYS grate myself, and never buy already ground -- nutmeg!  Ground nutmeg loses it's freshness very quickly.  The cans of ground nutmeg are only good for about 6 months, whereas the whole nutmeg form lasts much longer.  Since I would never be able to use an entire container of ground nutmeg, I buy the whole nutmeg instead and grate it on a spice microplane.

Here is the recipe below.  It's a prize winner, and turns out a great loaf every single time.  Trust me -- even if you despise zucchini, this bread will change your mind!

ZUCCHINI BREAD

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1 cup sugar

1 cup shredded unpeeled zucchini

1 egg

1/4 cup oil

1/4 tsp lemon juice

Combine the first six ingredients in a mixing bowl and set aside.  In another mixing bowl, combine the remaining five ingredients.  Slowly add in the dry ingredients.  Stir until combined.  Pour batter into a greased loaf pan; bake at 350F for 55-60 minutes.  Serves 16 slices.

(I always just mix the last five ingredients, and then just add the first six to it without prior mixing and it still turns out fabulous.  I also use a bit more cinnamon and nutmeg than the recipe calls for because we like a lot of spice in ours...  yummy when warm, smeared with butter, and served with tea or coffee!)

Retro Bakeware

Miss Flossy tipped me off to a wonderful website called Rosanna that has so many different, gorgeous pieces of china and bakeware.  I fell so deeply in love with these that I just had to have them.  And not just because I am weak when it comes to cute retro stuff-- I really wanted to give it a test drive as I am considering putting this line in the shop. 

Isn't the inside of the pie dish adorable?  Each of them has their own recipe imprinted in/on it...

The brownie pan is currently in my oven with a batch of actual brownies in it!   I made regular fudge-y gooey brownies but stirred a handful each of butterscotch chips and mini marshmallows before pouring them into the pan to bake.  They smell heavenly and they will be a yummy dessert after dinner tonight.  On the table this evening:  grilled chicken breasts, salad, steamed veggies, and whole grain rolls...

Keeping Cool in the Summer Heat

It's here!  It's here!   

This is even better in real life than online!  I can't wait to use this on Wednesday when I take the  kids over to the greenhouse/nursery on our little adventure.  It is much bigger than I thought, but not too big to be useful.  It will comfortably hold enough drinks and lunches for all of us.  And sturdy, wow!  If you were even mildly thinking about getting one of these (OK, little Miss Holly GoLightly, I know you are!) I strongly urge you to do it before the sale on them ends!  Seriously, they are so worth it!  So are their tv trays, by the way.  Love them!  Dinner tonight was definitely more fun using them.  If you are so inclined to add those to the shopping cart, I give them two thumbs up as well!

For dessert tonight we had a lovely little blueberry concoction of mine.  If you would like to try it yourself, here's the recipe.  My kids devoured it!  And it not only is great by itself warm, but would be wonderful over vanilla ice cream or pancakes, too!

BLUEBERRY "BUCKLE"

4 cups fresh blueberries

1 tsp butter

1/2 c sugar

2 tbsp. water

Combine in a large nonstick skillet, and bring to a simmer over med-hi heat.  Stir a tbsp or so of cornstarch into 1/4 cup of warm water to dissolve.  Add this mixture to the berries in the skillet.  Reduce heat to med, med-lo and stir the cornstarch liquid in thoroughly.  Simmer until thick and bubbly.  Serve warm.  (It will thicken even more as it cools, by the way.)

Strawberry Season

Strawberries are ripe and ready here, and the farmers at the local farmers market are selling them like crazy!  Felzke's Farms have some especially ripe and sweet berries, and I purchased 4 quarts from them on Saturday.  This coming Saturday, I will be getting a half-flat of them!  With the two quarts I managed to wrestle away from the vultures (aka my family) I was able to put up a batch of strawberry jam.  I was blessed with 8 half-pint jars of this sticky sweet goodness.

Housewives, if you haven't tried canning and preserving before, it's something to experiment with this summer.  There is a certain satisfaction in "putting up" that you may very well enjoy.  I love knowing that I have made something tasty for my family, and at the same time controlled every single ingredient in the jar.  I know that this jam is 100% organic, and that it will be so yummy to eat.  Late in the summer and early in the fall, I will be able to can my own tomato sauces, tomato dices, and lots of other fruits and vegetables using only organic produce out of my own vegetable garden and from the farmer's market.  It is a nice feeling inside, knowing my family will eat well and not have any of the preservatives or chemicals so commonly found in the store products.  Also, it does save a LOT of money, so if you are on a tight budget, you can stretch the produce dollar a lot farther with canning.  Simply grow your own produce, or you could buy it in bulk when it is on a terrific sale.  Then, before it has a chance to rot away, you can simply transform it into jellies, jams, compotes, or simply preserve it for use later on. 

For some great tips, the Ball jar company has printed a book about it.  You can find it located next to the canning jars and lids in any store that stocks them...  There is a cost to the initial investment of jars and lids, but since the jars are re-useable, it still makes economic sense in the long run!

Praline Pie

Here's a retro pie for you to try -- it sounds interesting to say the least!

Texarkana, Texas Praline Pie

3 egg whites

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

20 butter crackers, crushed

3/4 cup pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 425 deg.  With your mixer, beat together   egg whites, baking powder, and vanilla until stiff.  Gradually add in sugar a tablespoon at at time.  Fold in cracker crumbs and chopped pecans.  Pour into a well-greased pie pan.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Cool.  Top with whipped cream.  Serves 8-10.

Sounds rich, doesn't it?

Biscotti for Breakfast

I made some of the biscotti that I gave you the recipe for in an earlier post.  This time I decided to take a photo of it so you could see just what it would look like!  Please ignore the filthy vase in the background, as these flowers are past their prime and I just haven't gotten around to tending to them yet.  (I know -- how horrible of an example to set, especially on this blog! I usually don't let them get this way, I promise!)  Anyway, these biscotti are so yummy dunked in your coffee or with a nice hot cup of English Breakfast Tea.  Try making it -- it's so easy, I promise.

Perhaps I Should Head To Culinary School?

Here we have the pancetta, minced garlic, and chopped sweet onion carmelizing together nicely:

And here we have the final dish after the blanched green beans have been added and sauteed in:

I don't even like green beans, and I ate THREE servings of these!  No recipe, but a vague memory of someone somewhere making green beans with bacon mixed into them and a desire to take it to another level.  Just a strange compulsion to watch food network and cook the last few days.  I served these on Wednesday night along with some potatoes mashed with a fresh garlic and herb butter I made, and Andy perfectly grilled some organic rib steaks to star as the entree...  It was divine.

SO then last night, I got a little antsy in the kitchen again.  Here are recipes for what I created using whatever I could find in the refrigerator (I was feeling spontaneous!).  Sorry, no pictures, but at least I remembered to write this stuff down!  I usually forget to record any ingredients or measurements when I am inventing a new dish, but this time I was prepared!

The menu consisted of Lemon Garlic Grilled Chicken Breasts with Cucumber Salsa Relish over a bed of rice lightly seasoned with kosher salt.  It was warm here, and I wanted something light and fresh.  This really hit the spot.  Here's how to make it:

Lemon Garlic Grilled Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Marinate for at least 30 minutes in the following mixture:

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 cup vinegar

1/4 cup dry white wine

zest of one lemon

4 garlic cloves finely chopped

heavy pinch of kosher salt and black pepper

1 sprig of rosemary, coarsely chopped

(I warmed the marinade mixture in the microwave for about 30 seconds just to get the flavors mingling and working, then placed it in a ziploc with the chicken breasts and popped the whole thing in the frig while I made the relish.)

Grill the chicken breasts until no longer pink in the center, turning once halfway through cooking.

Cucumber Salsa Relish

1 seedless cucumber, diced 1/2 inch cubes

1 scallion, thinly sliced

1/3 green bell pepper, diced

1 medium tomato, diced

2 medium garlic cloves, minced

dash salt

dash pepper

handful of cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped

juice of one lemon

Gently toss all ingredients with a spoon.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.  Could be used as a nice light pico de gallo dip with margaritas, but we really enjoyed it over the top of the grilled chicken breasts on a bed of lightly seasoned rice.

Dinner was nice and light, yet VERY flavorful.  And all of the kids cleaned their plates.  My kids tend to like big flavors over the bland -- unusual, I know.  But the fact that everyone really liked it was a big bonus considering I just threw it together from what I had on hand.  So much for culinary school; I think I'm doing alright on my own...

The Good Home Cookbook, coming October 2006

Over at Collector's Press (which is where I have gotten my incredible library of retro books from) they are putting together a new cookbook, "The Good Home Cookbook".  I was one of the lucky ones who was able to participate as a recipe tester for this massive work!  (I tried out recipes for "Ambrosia", "Baked Apples", "Old Fashioned Tapioca Pudding" and more, just to name a tiny few!).  If you would like a peek at some of the recipes in advance or just to read about the creation of this cookbook and the journey it will have taken before it is published in October 2006, just head on over to the blog by Richard Perry, Collector's Press founder, at this link.  If you want to get your hands on the cookbook before they are sold out, you can pre-order it at Collector's Press on this page.

New Address

The new official email address for this site is:  thehelpfulhousewife@hotmail.com

All future emails and questions should be sent to this address.  Since typepad won't allow me to change the previous email link to this address, I simply removed that link from the sidebar and will be sure to include this email link in the closing portion of each post.  That way it is always accessible to click on it!  Be sure to add it to your address book!

APPLE-BLUEBERRY CUSTARD PIE

For a fruity spring dessert when the evenings are still a little chilly, bake up this lovely creation.  It is perfect for a family gathering or for when friends come by for coffee...

APPLE-BLUEBERRY CUSTARD PIE

3 c Rome apples (4 med-lg apples), peeled and sliced
1 c blueberries
1 1/2 c skim milk
1 1/2 c egg substitute
2 egg whites
1/2 c all purpose flour
1/2 c granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Nonstick cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350F.  Coat a deep-dish 10-inch non-stick pie pan with cooking spray.  Arrange apple slices and blueberries evenly in pan.  Combine milk, egg substitute and slightly beaten egg whites in a mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients to milk mixture and beat with a whisk.  Spread batter over apples and blueberries.  Bake one hour until crust forms and pie tests done (toothpick inserted will come out clean.).  Serves eight

Mail Call!

As a housewife loyal to her calling, I feel compelled to do research for my sister housewives.  Therefore, I placed an order a while ago with Feather Your Nest to make sure that it was indeed worthy of mention to you.  This is where the beautiful cake stands and the cherry glasses were from that I posted about here.  I must say that it was more than worthy!  I just love all of the selections I purchased.  There is a pair of pink gloveables for my dishwashing duties along with two tea towels for the Christmas season.  They appear to be handmade and are adorable!  I also restocked my pancake mix and tried a new item:  carmel apple butter!  Doesn't that just sound scrumptious?!  The cookbook, "101 Things to Do With A Slow Cooker" is filled with delightfully mouth-watering recipes that I will be making very often.  But the best part?  The soaps and lotion.  Pictured from left to right are:  White Lilac hand soap, White Lilac dish soap, and White Lilac hand lotion. All smell divine.  So fresh and springy!  I promptly put them in the hall bathroom and on my sink to make it really feel like spring here.  So if you do get a chance to check them out, I highly recommend shopping with Feather Your Nest!

Chicken Casserole

OK, here's the recipe from the question/answer post I did earlier.  Enjoy it!  It's yummy!  Plus, kids will eat it.  Mine love it....

CHICKEN CASSEROLE

Cook 1 box of Uncle Ben's Long Grain Wild Rice according to package instructions.  Cool.

Saute the following in a small amount of butter:

1/2 c.  chopped onion
1 c. chopped celery

Mix onion and celery with:

1 small can mushrooms
1-10.5 oz can cream of chicken soup
1 can sliced water chestnuts
1 c mayo
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
3 c diced cooked chicken
cooled rice

Spread in a 9 x 13 pan.  Top with one bag of Pepperidge Farm bread stuffing which has been tossed with melted butter.  Bake at 350F for about 45 minutes.   Be careful not to overbrown.

***  I like to substitute light mayo, and the lo-fat healthy request soup from campbells.  I also use any old bag of stuffing mix as long as it is just the traditional flavor.  But I only use half a bag--a full bag is way too much for our tastes.  Half a bag creates an even layer over the entire casserole.  That way you aren't eating a lot of dry, baked croutons with a little bit of chicken dish. 

Today Is The Day To Re-Stock

You've got a sparkly refrigerator and a spotless pantry.  Today you are going to go through them and make note of anything you need to restock and take yourself shopping!  Remember:  fresh is best, frozen next when it comes to produce.  Look for vibrant color and absence of blemishes.  Be sure to check expiration dates on all purchases.  Ask the butcher about the cuts of meat and choose those that look the brightest, firmest, and most marbled for meats.  The fishmonger can direct you to the freshest fish and recommend a new way to prepare it, too!  Steer clear of processed foods, but don't ignore aisles with the dried pastas.  Even though fresh pasta is wonderful, it's nice to keep a box of spaghettini or farfelle on hand for a quick pantry meal. 

While making your list, consult your cookbooks, recipe cards, and your weekly menu if you have one (I highly recommend it!).  This way you are sure to purchase all of the items you need.  But don't forget to take the list with you!

You may also want to check if you have any manufacturer or store coupons.  This may help you decide where to shop.  Many stores offer double coupons on Wednesday.  With the money you save grocery shopping, you can go get a manicure tomorrow!

As If We Need Another Reason to Lock Up Our Pocketbooks!

These glasses would be perfect for lemonade this summer...

These cake stands would be perfect for holding my Lemon Blueberry Bundt cake and a batch of Lavender Tea Cookies to be washed down with that lemonade...

 

And even if I manage to behave and not purchase the glasses or the cake stands, I really must restock my pancake mix.  This Stonewall Kitchens mix is absolutely the best I've ever tasted!  I usually make my mix from scratch, but sometimes we have a treat and "get out the good stuff"...

Is Your Refrigerator In Need of Some TLC?

Your task for today?  Empty your refrigerator and freezer.  I mean EMPTY them.  Sort as you empty.  Anything that is beyond the sell-by date, has been leftovers for more than 3 days, is just going to sit there until Cookie Monster is elected the next US President, or even looks questionable although the date is still good on it, MUST BE TOSSED OUT.  Anything that is still edible and safe to keep, place it in coolers to keep it from spoiling.  Take all ice out of your ice maker or your ice cube trays and put it in plastic ziploc bags and then toss the bags in the coolers as added insurance to keep things cold. 

1. Now, turn off the refrigerator and freezer.  Vacuum the coils and the floor around, under and behind it. 
2. Remove all shelves, bins, drawers, racks, etc. 
3. Vacuum or wipe out any crumbs and foreign matter from the appliance.
4. In a generous bucket or container, place a drop or two of a gentle dishsoap and a generous sprinkling of baking soda.  Fill the bucket with warm (about 100 deg.F) water.
5. Gently wash the inside, then outside of the frig/freezer.  Then wash all of the shelves, etc., that you just removed from the frig/freezer.
6. Open two new, small containers of baking soda and label them with the date "July 1, 2006".  (This is when you will toss them out and replace them with new ones labelled "Oct. 1, 2006").   Now place one open box in the frig and one open box in the freezer on a center shelf.  (Once a week you may need to shake it up, or empty a little of the top of each box to keep it active and absorbing foul odor if you don't have the flow-through mesh version from Arm & Hammer).
7. Turn the power back on to the appliance and begin to return items back to the frig/freezer.  Be sure to wipe down all containers as you put them back in.  You don't want sticky puddles on your newly cleaned shelves!  Place larger containers to the back and smaller to the front so you can see everything in there.  Bottles of dressings, sauces, etc. are best stored in shallow compartments on the door. 
8. Remember, the coldest parts of the frig and freezer are at the back on the bottom.  This is the best area for storing meats, etc.  Eggs and cheese can go closer to the top.
9. Toss out the old ice cubes that you had in the ziploc bags.  They probably hold old freezer odors anyway!

If you want, you can pretty up your frig now.  I have an old coffee can that I covered in a pretty contac paper that I use to pour drippings into.  I put a lace bowl cover on top to make it even prettier.  I have lemons and limes in a white bowl with scrollwork around the edges and my eggs are out of the plastic container they are sold in and placed in an egg holder.   I try to keep plastic storage containers out of the frig and use glass storage dishes.  Now, not only can I see everything that I have on hand and know that it's all fresh and sanitary, it's pretty to look at too!

This photo is of the 12-cup glass refrigerator dish at Cooking.com.  I have two of them.  I also have two of the 2-cup size and two of the 5-cup size dishes.  Why?  Because I hate Tupperware and any Tupperware imitators.  Because these are pretty.  Because these remind me of the old Anchor Hocking and Fire King dishes of the 1950's.  Because these stack very well in my cabinets and in my refrigerator, and do not fall over when you bump them with a carton of milk in the refrigerator.  And they don't stain when you use them for tomato sauces!

If you want more ideas on how to make the inside of your frig nicer, go see Alison May over at Brocante Home and read about "Brocante-ing Your Frig". She has such wonderful ideas for making life prettier.  There are even more at her Vintage Housekeepers Circle.  Go sign up today!

I'm definitely not a JulieBean... (Nor am I Britney Spears, thank goodness!)

I'm no Julie, but I tried to be tonight!  I am not going to share the recipe for my chocolate minicakes until we taste them and see if they are any good, that way you aren't disappointed if they aren't.   The recipe came from my Encyclopedia of Chocolate and I modified it just a little bit.  And since I was making these rich, scrumptious, velvety, dense cakes for my girls, I did it in the mini-muffin pans instead of the larger cupcake/muffin tin, or the brioche tins that should have been used.  They are better with the smaller size.  I can control portions, and they can control their hand-to-mouth coordination!  I have found that filling the mini-muffin tins is very difficult to do with thinner batters such as cake batters and the like.  SO, I copied Julie somewhat.  In a recent post, she mentioned using a ziploc bag as a temporary pastry bag in order to properly fill her financier molds.  I used one as a "batter bag" tonight!  I was able to better control the amount of batter going into each paper cup, as well as have less mess around the edges.  Thanks for mentioning it, Julie!  That idea really helped a lot! As you can see, not as much mess on the pan, mostly batter in the cups:

(Like my red bowl?  Melamine at Williams-Sonoma! It was a Christmas gift, but would have been worth the purchase if I had gotten it myself.)

Here is how they turned out. They are still hot from the oven, but I will probably give them a sprinkle of confectioner's sugar to dress them up a little.  They don't have to be pretty, the girls will eat them no matter what.  I'm just wondering how they taste as far as the chocolate is concerned:  more bitter or more sweet?  We shall find out soon!  (Even though I should be sticking to my diet!)

 

On a totally different topic:  check out this link that Mirre posted on her blog, KissKus.   I must give a little background on why I thought it was humorous and why I am posting it here on a housewife blog...  When precious little Britney Spears announced to the free world that she was expecting her first child with K-Fed (aka: jobless slacking disrespectful  kept boy) she also decided to wax prolific on the way a woman should raise her child.  Hey, I am all for being a stay-at-home-mom (most of the time, but don't ask me on a day when the kids need a warden not a mother).  I think it is a noble and satisfying choice for those who decide to do it, and are stable enough to be responsible parents in the first place.  Other women who choose to work, I applaud you as well, as you do need to do what makes you happy, so your kids see a happy mom and grow up to be well-adjusted, etc....  OK, enough Mommy Wars.  I don't want to go there, because it's the stupidest argument on the face of the planet.  Women need to shut up and live-let-live.  We are our own worst enemy.

But then there is Britney Spears. At all of 22 years old, with a tiny bump of a tummy, married to a guy who doesn't have a reputation for sticking around for the birth of his kids, giving the rest of us child-rearing advice and opinions just because the EPT had two lines?  If I didn't already despise her effect on 8 year old girls and the sudden increase in belly baring toddler wear thanks to her style, I really had it in for her now.  I feel so sorry for her baby.  I really and truly do.  And the whole car seat incident?  Only cemented my opinion of her total inability to care for anyone else but herself and her own celebrity.

So, one of the contributors over at Go Fug Yourself has kindly added a nice little satirical essay to the Britney Spears category.  And Mirre was kind enough to give the link to it so we all could get a good laugh!  The post doesn't specifically address her mothering skills, but it does put her in an interesting light!   I try not to be vindictive, or petty, or catty, but one of my flaws is that I truly enjoy seeing Ms Spears humiliated an any way, shape or form.  Yes, I am a bad bad person for it.  But I have three daughters who will grow up listening to whatever is popular and wanting to wear whatever the styles are.  And I really hope that I can be victorious in my battle over the evil that is known as "inappropriate role modelling" by today's teenie bopper stars.  When I was in jr high, high school the big names were probably worse role models than now, but at least they covered their boobs, belly buttons, and behinds when they got dressed for the day!  Seriously, do you think June Cleaver or Donna Reed would have approved of this generation's total lack of self-respect?  Where has common decency gone to?

Have I ranted enough yet?!?!?!

For Tea and Any Time You Need a Cookie!

Lavender Tea Cookies

1 tablespoon dried culinary lavender flowers
1 cup butter, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon lemon extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
Lavender Frosting (recipe below)

In a mortar, grind lavender flowers with the pestle. In a medium bowl, cream together ground lavender flowers, butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon extract. Add flour and salt; mix until combined (dough should be soft but not sticky.) Refrigerate 1 to 2 hours or until dough is firm.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Remove dough from refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough approximately 1/4-inch thick. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters and place onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned around the edges. Remove from oven and cool on wire racks. When cool, frost with Lavender Frosting.

Makes 2 dozen cookies.

Lavender Frosting:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons dried culinary lavender flowers
2 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons light corn syrup

In a small plastic bag, combine powdered sugar and dried lavender flowers. Let stand at least 1 day before using. When ready to use, sift the mixture into a medium-size bowl; discarding lavender flowers.

Add milk and corn syrup, mixing well. NOTE: Additional powdered sugar or milk may need to be added (enought milk to make frosting easy to spread). Spread on cooled cookies.

To Go With Your Tea...

Italian Biscotti

Recipe

• 1 pound butter, softened
• 4 cups sugar
• 8 eggs
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 4 tablespoons anise seed
• 6 ounces almonds, chopped
• 8 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 bag dried cranberries
• 1 cup pistachio nuts, shelled

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix butter, sugar, eggs, baking powder, vanilla, anise seed and almonds until well blended. Stir in flour gradually. When smooth, stir in dried cranberries and pistachios. The dough will be sticky but not difficult to handle. Divide dough into four equal parts. Shape each section into a loaf about 15 inches long and 4 inches wide. Bake loaves for about 45 minutes on a baking sheet with sides. (If dough begins to spread and become too flat during baking, reshape with a spatula.) Remove loaves from oven, and allow them to cool. When cool, cut each loaf into 1-inch slices. Place slices back on baking sheet and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden. Makes about six dozen large cookies.

Ice Cream Topping

This is the world's easiest recipe for making milk chocolate ice cream topping.  (I got desperate one night for chocolate and, ouila!!!, instant craving fix.)

1- 16 oz bag of milk chocolate morsels

1- 14oz can of condensed milk (I used fat free to make myself feel less indulgent, but use what you want!)

Pour them both into a microwaveable bowl.  Heat on high for a minute or so.  Stir.  Top ice cream.  Enjoy!  I put any leftover in an empty jelly jar in the frig, but honestly, I could have just eaten the whole bowlful and skipped the ice cream and the storage in the frig!