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February, 2014

  1. Simple Substitutions

    February 5, 2014 by admin

    Frequently enough, when you are trying to get dinner on the table, you’ll find you have forgotten to buy something.  Or you discover you’ve run out of an ingredient.  What to do?IMG_1758

    Wing it!  Most recipes can be modified in many ways and still produce a winning dish.  Your changes may even make the dish more to your liking!  And you’ll find yourself purposely repeating the new recipe the next time you prepare the same meal.

    Here’s a few of our common replacers for those uh-oh moments:

    Honey for Corn Syrup:  We have an aversion to HFCS in products we buy, but many cookbooks call for it in their baking recipes.  Honey can be used one-for-one for corn syrup!

    Corn Meal and Wheat Germ for Bread Crumbs:  Of course, it is pretty easy to make bread crumbs by toasting your favorite bread and running it through a box grater.  But if you are out of bread, or pressed for time, a mixture of corn meal and Wheat Germ will give you an approximation of the taste and texture of breadcrumbs for most purposes.  You can also use ground up boxed cereal flakes as all or part of your substitution.

    Wheat Berries/ Barley/ Rice:  For many purposes you can switch these items up and still have a delicious meal.  In soups, pilaf, and in home-made veggie burgers—you’ll notice the difference, for sure.  But these substitutions can produce tasty changes to your typical final dish.

    Walnuts for Other More Expensive Nuts:  Many nuts have a similar texture.  Feel free to make pesto with walnuts, if you can’t afford pine nuts.  Or use walnuts instead of pecans to make cookies or muffins.

    Don’t panic the next time you turn to your cabinet and find that you are missing an ingredient!  You can still have a delicious dinner, on time.

    Category Recipes | Tags: , | Comments Off on Simple Substitutions

  2. Do You Hear The Music?

    February 2, 2014 by admin

    It’s no secret– we love music at our house.  We have songs playing constantly.  We are singing along, or making up our own songs, too.

    IMG_7825TRMom and TRDad began an experiment some ten years ago.  We created our own, joint list of the 100 Best Songs Ever.  It was a fun project that we worked on via email.  We’d alternate at five song intervals, listing the best songs that came to mind.  This way the finished list wasn’t “in order”, but it did include all sorts of songs we adored.

    It allowed us to share our musical love with each other and confess secrets- Madonna?  Yes, Madonna is on the list.  Neil Diamond? Yes, no list could be complete without him.

    Here’s a small sample from the original list, circa 2003/4:

    1.) Crimson and Clover – Joan Jett

    2.) Possibly Maybe – Bjork

    3.) Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad – Meatloaf

    4.) Someone’s Daugher– Beth Orton

    5.) Honeysuckle Rose – Rose Murphy

    6.) Dizzy– Throwing Muses

    7.) I Believe In You– Neil Young

    8.) Accept Yourself– The Smiths

    9.) Flag Day– Housemartins

    10.) Ingrid and the Footman– Jane Siberry

    Recently, we started all over again.  It’s the same process, but ten years later.  What songs will repeat?  What songs will be replaced?  What new voices have we uncovered in our last decade of musical exploration?

    Here’s a sample of the 2014 Version:

    11.  Lose Yourself – Eminem

    12.  Stay Monkey – Julie Ruin

    13.  Gunpowder and Lead – Miranda Lambert

    14.  Get What You Give – New Radicals

    15.  Radioactive – Marina and the Diamonds

    16. Break Stuff – Limp Bizkit

    17. Untouchable Face – Ani DiFranco

    18. Pounce – Nellie McKay

    19. Fake Plastic Trees – Radiohead

    20. Everlong – Foo Fighters

    Maybe when we’re done, we’ll post the entirety of both lists!

    Meanwhile, tell us what you’d include!  What are the absolute best songs ever?  Let us know, and introduce us to your favorites!

    Category Advice & Reviews | Tags: ,, | Comments Off on Do You Hear The Music?

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