Monday, September 24, 2007
Keep lunch out of the trash
When preparing lunches for kids, get them involved. Children tend to eat more of their lunches when they have a say in its preparation. Weekly menus also can help, as can asking kids in the evening what they might like to bring for lunch the next day. With a little planning, you can send your child to school with a lunch that won’t go uneaten.
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Ham Roulette
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
4 dill pickles, chopped
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, optional
5 slices ham
In a small bowl, mix together the cream cheese, pickles, mustard, and chives. Spoon 1/5 of the mixture onto each ham slice, then roll ham slices up carefully. Wrap each roll in aluminum foil, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. When you are ready to serve, unwrap the ham ‘roulettes’, and slice. Serve chilled. Makes 8 servings.
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With these sandwiches in the freezer, you’ll be prepared for last-minute lunches, Just put a frozen sandwich in a lunch bag in the morning and it will be thawed by lunch.
Hot Dog Sandwiches
6 hot dogs, minced
1/2 cup dill pickle relish
1/4 cup chili sauce
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
12 slices bread
In a small bowl, combine hot dogs, relish, chili sauce and mustard; mix well. Spread on six slices of bread; top with the remaining bread Freeze for up to 2 months. Remove from the freezer at least 4 hours before serving. Makes 6 servings.
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This sandwich filling will keep in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days if stored in a covered container.
Bologna Salad Sandwiches
1-1/2 pounds bologna or ham, ground
1 to 1-1/4 cups mayonnaise
3/4 cup sweet pickle relish, well drained
3 tablespoons chopped onion
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
30 slices bread
15 slices process American cheese
Lettuce leaves, optional
In a bowl, mix bologna, mayonnaise, relish, onion and Worcestershire sauce. Use about 1/3 cup of the salad for each sandwich, and top with a slice of cheese and lettuce if desired. Makes 15 sandwiches.
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Pantry Pointers
Frozen juice boxes make great ice packs for school lunches because they help keep the food cold and, since they thaw by lunch, provide a cold drink for your child. Just make sure you wrap the food good to prevent sogginess as the box may sweat as it thaws.
To prevent bread from getting soggy, pack vegetables and condiments separately and then add to the sandwich just before eating.
The Practical Pantry ©2007 Tammy P. Olson
http://www.practicalpantry.com
Monday, September 17, 2007
Get out of a cookie rut
Many of us have that one cookie recipe, the one we have made so often we don’t even need to look at the recipe anymore. It’s great to have such tried and true recipes, but every once in a while it’s fun to try something different.
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Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk
40 miniature chocolate covered peanut butter cups, unwrapped
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda; set aside. Cream together the butter, sugar, peanut butter, and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla, and milk. Add the flour mixture; mix well. Shape into balls and place each into ungreased mini-muffin pans. Bake for about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately press a peanut butter cup into each ball. Cool and carefully remove from pan. Makes 40 servings.
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Chocolate Mint Cookies
3/4 cup butter
1-1/2 cups brown sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 eggs
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 4.5-ounce packages chocolate covered thin mints
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease cookie sheets; set aside. In a saucepan over medium heat, cook the sugar, butter, and water, stirring occasionally until melted. Remove from heat, stir in the chocolate chips until melted and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
Pour the chocolate mixture into a large bowl; beat in the eggs, one at a time. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; stir into the chocolate mixture. Cover and refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour. Roll cookie dough into walnut-sized balls and place 2 inches apart onto prepared cookie sheets.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. When cookies come out of the oven, press one mint wafer into the top of each cookie and let sit for 1 minute. When the mint is softened, swirl with the back of a spoon or toothpick to make a pattern with the green filling of the mint wafer. Makes 40 servings.
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Pantry Pointers
Instead of greasing a cookie sheet, line it with baking parchment paper. The cookies bake more evenly, and you won’t have to clean the cookie sheet between batches. (You should, however, allow the cookie sheet to cool between batches.)
The Practical Pantry ©2007 Tammy P. Olson
http://www.practicalpantry.com
Monday, September 03, 2007
Make dinner on the stovetop
When time is short, skillet meals save the day. These all-in-one meals cook up quickly, and cleanup often is a snap.
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Ground Beef Zucchini Skillet
1 pound ground beef
1 tablespoon dried minced onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 15.25-ounce can whole kernel corn, drained
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 medium zucchini, halved and sliced
1 4.5-ounce jar sliced mushrooms, drained
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
In a skillet, cook the beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the corn, tomatoes, zucchini, mushrooms, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer until heated through and zucchini is tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Makes 6 servings.
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Kielbasa with Baked Beans
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 pound smoked kielbasa, regular or reduced fat, cut into 1/8-inch slices
1 28-ounce can pork and beans
1 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon steak sauce
In a large skillet, sauté the onion in butter and oil until tender. Add sausage; cook for 2-3 minutes, or until browned, stirring occasionally; drain. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until heated through, about 10 minutes. Makes 4 servings.
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Skillet Bayou Shrimp Rice
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 cup water
1/2 cup cubed fully cooked ham
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1-1/2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
1/8 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup uncooked instant rice
1/4 pound uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
In a skillet, sauté the onion, green pepper and garlic in butter until crisp-tender. Stir in the water, ham, tomato sauce, vinegar and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 3 minutes. Add the rice; cover and cook for 5 minutes. Add the shrimp; cook until shrimp turn pink and rice is cooked, about 3 to 5 minutes. Makes 2 servings.
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Pantry Pointers
A 12-inch skillet is a good general size for meal preparation.
If food is stuck to or burnt on your skillet, put in a drop or two if dish detergent and enough water to cover the bottom of the skillet. Bring the water to a boil on top of stove and allow to cool for easier cleanup.
The Practical Pantry ©2007 Tammy P. Olson
http://www.practicalpantry.com