How to Dry Herbs

Herbs can be air dried, dried in a dehydrator, or dried in an oven.  This spring when I have dried herbs, I have used this last method.  I clean the herbs really well, then chop it up, and place on a cookie sheet.  I put the cookie sheet in the oven, then turn it on for 2-3 minutes to warm it up.  Be careful not to get it too hot, or else the herbs will turn black (but may still be fine to eat).  Repeat this step as needed to keep the oven warm, but not hot.  Turn the herbs every few hours to allow them to dry on all sides.  Just don't forget they're in the oven!  (Not that I have ever remembered them once they're black from turning the oven on to 400.)

Pumpkin

During these fall months I sometimes have leftover canned pumpkin.  I'll make a treat, but not use the full can of pumpkin.  One use I have found for this pumpkin is as an alternative for fat in cake.  Last weekend I made Black Bottom Cake.  Instead of using the 1/2 cup of oil, like the cake mix called for, I used 1/2 cup of pumpkin.  Much healthier, and it gave a slight pumpkin flavor.  I have not used pumpkin in other recipes in place of oil, but I'm sure it would work in a lot of baked goods.

Edited to add:  I put 1/2 cup of pumpkin instead of oil in waffles, and it turned out great.  Just make sure it gets stirred in well.

Tip for Softening Butter and Margarine

Do you hate when you're cooking along, and you find that the recipe you're making calls for softened butter or margarine, and yours is in the fridge?  Well, here's what you do:

1. Put the cube in the microwave for about 5 seconds
2. Turn the cube over, so that the side that was on the bottom is now facing up and cook for 5 seconds
3. Turn the cube so that one of the sides is now on the bottom and cook for 5 seconds
4. Repeat step 2

All 4 big sides should have been on the bottom.  You may not need to do all 4 steps.  Just stop when the butter feels soft.

Shopping, and Lack Thereof

The past 5 weeks I have shopped only for basics.  I bought some milk, one loaf of bread (plus won more in a gift basket off the radio), some fresh fruits and vegetables, diapers, and duct tape (turned out I did have some, like I thought).  Here is why I chose to do this:

1. Save time, money, and reduce stress.  I did not look at a single shopping ad for 5 weeks!  
2. Prove to myself that I could live without shopping at all for a month or more, if I had to.
3. Determine what my fridge, freezer, and pantry are missing.
4. Rotate through some of the food that I had.

My experience was very successful.  My family noticed very few differences in our diet.  Here is what we learned:

1. Country Cream powdered milk and Morning Moo's Milk Alternative are both pretty good.  I could get used to them if I had to.  Usually I mixed them with 2% milk, and it tasted great.  Powdered milk from the cannery tastes nasty.  Even mixed with regular milk, or with a little vanilla or sugar.  Gross.  I did like it, though, with Nestle Quik.  I would even mix the dry milk with warm water, Quik, and ice cubes and drink it immediately.  
2. I missed yogurt and sour cream.  My son missed yogurt and cottage cheese.  My husband missed fresh fruit.
3. We can see that if we had to continue doing little or no shopping for a couple more months than we would get bored with the food we have.  Just one month wasn't a problem, but any more than 3 months would get boring.  So, we intend to store a larger variety of foods as finances allow.

Today I went shopping, and had a fairly normal trip.  I just bought what was on sale!  This included eggs to freeze (I used frozen eggs on Saturday in waffles, and it turned out great!), and the milk and sour cream I found discounted for quick sale.  I intend to freeze this as well.  Frozen sour cream will work great in something like enchiladas.  I just wouldn't want to put it on a baked potato.  I also bought a ham shank for 99 cents/pound.  I intend to use this with dutch oven potatoes, baked beans (I'll freeze some), and freeze slices to use for pizza, omelets, and ham and eggs.

Freezing Green Beans

I have a bountiful harvest of green beans. So, today I froze some. Very easy.

1. Rinse green beans.
2. Tear off ends.
3. Place in pot of rapidly boiling water. Begin 3 minute timer.
4. Keep pot on high heat, and cover pot.
5. When 3 minutes is up, remove green beans from boiling water, and place in ice water.
6. Let green beans cool in ice water for 3 minutes.
7. Put beans in freezer bags, mark with date, and put in freezer.

Tofu

Believe it or not, but tofu is a food storage food. I freeze it!
First, some basic explanations on tofu, since most people aren't very familiar with it.

What is tofu?
Tofu is soybeans processed in a fashion similar to cheese.

Where can I buy tofu?
Tofu can be found in your local grocery store in the refrigerated section of the produce department. It is next to eggroll and wonton wrappers.

Why should I eat tofu?
It's healthy, and a great source of protein.

What types of tofu are there?
Silken-can be used in smoothies and as a substitute for cream cheese in cheesecake. I never buy this kind.
Firm and extra firm-This is the kind I buy. I marinade it, then fry it.

More about tofu
Tofu is packed in water, and acts as a sponge. So, if you plan to marinade it, you want to get as much water out of it first, so that it can then soak in the marinade. You can get water out of it by using towels, paper towels, or smashing it between two plates with some heavy cans on top.


Freezing tofu
Just like every other food, I try to buy tofu when it is on sale, and then buy more than one package. Within the past few months I have seen tofu discounted for quick sale, and Buy One Get One Free. Great times to stock up. Tofu firms when it is frozen. To freeze tofu, I just take it out of its original package, squeeze some water out of it (see above), then put it in a marked freezer bag.

Cooking frozen tofu
I make up my marinade (I like teriyaki) in a bowl, then put the frozen tofu right in the bowl with it, and store it in the fridge with a lid. When the tofu is defrosted enough to cut, I cut the tofu in cubes (about 1 inch), then put it back in the marinade. Store in the fridge until the tofu has taken in the marinade (about a day). Then I cook the tofu (without the marinade) in a fry pan with a little oil, stirring minimally. Then I add the marinade, and take out the tofu (you can use the same bowl through this whole process, since you're using tofu, not meat), and let the marinade simmer. This thickens and enhances the flavor of the sauce.

Any questions?

Freezing Chicken

Last week I cooked chicken and froze it so that it is ready for me to use whenever I need it. Chicken thighs were on sale for 68¢/lb. I cooked them up, took the chicken off the bone, and froze it in 1 cup portions. I put each cup in a cheap sandwich bag, then put all the bags in a freezer bag. I learned this tip from my sister-in-law.
I cooked the chicken on a cookie sheet covered with tin foil at 425° for about 40 minutes. I also put tin foil on top of the chicken to help keep it from getting brown and hard. This worked okay, but I'm sure there's a better method for cooking chicken thighs. If you have an idea, please leave a comment. Thanks!