Friday Night Fish Fry

I love the adventure of trying to re-create something at home. Part of being on a budget means that if I really want something, I need to make it myself. If I crave Indian food, I need to go to the trouble to make it myself. If I want pizza night, I need to remember to make dough far enough ahead of time. And last night, it was the Friday night fish fry. We have several restaurants that we go to that make excellent fried fish, but since it's not in the budget to go out, I was determined to learn how to do this at home. In my mind I had a vision of good pub-style fish-n-chips, so I needed to find a good beer batter first of all. There are many different beer batters out there, and I actually ended up with my own adaptation, but the one I used as my starting point had a beaten egg white in it to give it extra lift- I liked that idea.

Since my husband is a home brewer, I had my choice of ales for the beer batter, and settled on a Pale Ale for the beer component. I assembled my batter and let it rest. This step is important, I let the batter rest for a full hour on the counter before dipping in the fish. That was okay, because in the mean time I got my tartar sauce together, got my fat melting and heating up, and got my fish ready for dipping. I used straight up cod that I'd cut into smaller chunks so it would have plenty of room in the fryer. I started with a nugget. A small amuse bouche to see if my fat was hot enough, and to check and see if this batter was even any good. My fat was hot enough, and we both thought the batter was excellent. So the batch was fried up, and in no time we were sitting down to some beer-battered fish.

It was very good- the texture is fantastic. It's very light and crispy, and really lets the fish shine. I have decided that Pale Ale was not the beer to use, and for my taste, I would prefer a lighter beer next time, and I also think that a pinch of heat would be excellent. A touch of cayenne or maybe something smokey like chipotle. But overall, for a first time fish fry, this was really very good. We're already planning on a redux very soon when we can get ahold of some better quality fish. The little local store just didn't have much to pick from, and our fish was not of the highest quality. But we did have ourselves some very good fish. My chips were sadly from a bag, and I'll have to work on that next. But for a first time out, the fish was very good and the Beer Batter for Fish is a keeper.

Links of Love today

I don't have any food to post about today. I have a batch of muffins in the oven- but nothing new or special. And last night, while watching Throwdown with Bobby Flay, the hubby and I both came down with a sensational craving for fish-n-chips. So I ran to the store today, and tonight I'm going to attempt homemade fish-n-chips, since going out for them is not an option. What I won't have is good homemade fries(a bag of frozen will have to do) and no malt vinegar on hand, but otherwise...wish me luck. I'll report my findings sometime over the weekend.

As to the weekend ahead, we're thinking about doing something spontaneous. Don't know what, but it's the beginning of spring break for Abigail, and since next week she has her second dentist appointment, we thought we should do something fun over the weekend.

So today, I thought I'd share some links for some food blogs that I have really been enjoying lately. I don't share links often enough I think. And there are so many good blogs worth noting, it's hard to pick a few, but if you're looking for something good, check out these guys.

First up is Hooked On Heat. Every time I visit this blog I get a serious hankering for Indian food. I need to do something about that one of these days too.

Next you should visit the doctor-to-be, Cooking Is Medicine from down south. Claire is such a sweetie, and always has an eye towards lightening something up a bit. She could cook for me anyday.

A newer blog to me is My Husband Cooks. Their photography is simply stunning, and the recipes as well. The banter between hubby and wife is precious. And speaking of precious, be sure to welcome their new addition!

Simplicity is what I think of when I visit Talk of Tomatoes. Janelle does what Sandra Lee wishes she could do. Use good ingredients in a quick and easy manner to produce spectacular results.

If you're in the mood for a chuckle, be sure to stop by Brilynn at Jumbo Empanadas. Some days the kitchen is out to get her, but the food always looks incredible.

And finally, if you have a craving for some BBQ, you chould check out Sylvie's kitchen at Soul Fusion Kitchen. Silvie has actually won contests with her BBQ, my mouth waters just looking at her pictures!

An After School Snack

I spent a lot of this morning catching up on some housework and getting my church cleaning done for the week. The whole time I felt the urge to bake something, but forced myself to do my "chores" first. Of course, by the time I was finished, the urge to EAT something baked was there, but not so much the urge to do a lot of baking. I picked up my box of Heart Smart Bisquick and determined that I needed to do something with that. I had been thinking of muffins specifically, so I headed to the internet to do a search, but ultimately, ended up with my own adaptation.

Quick Applesauce Muffins turned out okay. They are not my best muffin, nor are they my favorite. But they have a nice apple-cinnamon flavor to them, and the almonds and cinnamon add a nice crunch to each bite. The inside is not as moist as I would have liked, but overall, they're not bad. Considering that these took mere seconds to whip up, and mere minutes to bake up- they're not bad at all. They took less than 20 minutes total before I had a pan of piping hot muffins out of the oven. And like I said, while they're not my favorite, they turned out better than expected, and at 20 minutes start to finish... these might just get repeated from time to time.

In a Pickle Today

Don't have much to post about. Don't have any big plans today kitchen wise. So maybe after a few puzzles with Zander I'll come up with something... I'll be back...watch this space!

Could It Be? Weigh In Wednesday?

Well, don't get too excited, I haven't shed any more unwanted weight yet, but I do have plans to do so. The weather is turning and it's gradually getting warmer, and the days of being outside are coming. Monday we were in the seventies, and I got a taste of life to come. My son was a maniac! We were literally outside all day, and I have no doubt that once we can do so again, Mommy is going to get a great workout playing with her little boy. My goodness he was busy. And of course it also has felt really good to throw open all the windows and just feel all the germs leaving the house as the cleansing breeze sweeps through. So with illness banned and days of play on the way, I'm feeling a re-charge.

We're also heading into the home stretch of Andy being laid off. He could get the call any day now, and we're all looking forward to that! He's been home for over three months now (going on 14 weeks!) and we have actually used this lay-off as a learning process. For example, we have found that it is indeed possible to live on $355 a week. It's difficult, but we can still pay all our bills on time and put food on the table by making wiser choices. When I look at my grocery budget over the last three months, it's quite remarkable to see the difference. Here's my grocery spending:

December 2006 total grocery expense: $719.72
January total grocery expenses: $409.93
February total grocery expenses: $365.97
March total grocery expenses to date: $196.96

Look at that!!! And if I go back further to November and October, it's enough to choke a horse. Now some of that excess was for the purpose of stocking the pantry a bit, but lets just say my grocery spending has gotten back in line. And look at March! I'm going to have to go shopping- probably Friday for milk, eggs, fruit, and chicken breasts, so that will go up about another $40. That's less than $250 for an entire month! That is truly amazing to me. And we have not been starving. We've just been careful, and much better about using leftovers and what needs to be used up. Rather than let leftovers languish in the fridge and go bad, we eat them for a few days for lunch, or wrap it up and tuck it in the freezer for another day. I've been doing a lot of scratch cooking- if I want bagels, I make them. I bake bread several days a week, and we've all taken to enjoying a slice of homemade bread with our dinner at night. I've discovered that not only is homemade pizza delicious, it's actually very economical to make, and we've been able to eat more of our favorite food. And I've travelled the world in comfort food! From Irish Shepherd's Pie to Filipino Lumpia, to British Bangers & Mash, and Indian Curries. It's actually been a blast, and I hope to keep it up.

I'd be lying if I said that we can maintain this grocery budget forever. And you can bet that once Andy is working, one of his paychecks will be like a fortune to us, and I will most definitely be filling a grocery cart or two, but I do think that I've gotten a little wiser. I've realized that sometimes canned soup and grilled cheese is a fantastic meal, and everyone enjoys it! Breakfast has been making a weekly appearance, partially because it's super cheap to make, but also because we all enjoy it immensely. And while I still don't particularly care to eat leftovers, I have gotten really creative at re-inventing them, and that's one of the things I hope to keep up. Right now I'm thinking about the smoked salmon we had a few weeks back. The last little bits are in the freezer, and I can't wait to pick up some cream cheese to mix with my freshly grown chives, bow tie pasta, and some of that smoked salmon.

I do think I've shown over the last few months that it is possible to feed a family well on a budget. We haven't gone overboard with carbs and saturated fats, mostly it's just been good eating all around. With a few more weeks to go, you can bet there will be more to come, but we're nearing the light at the end of the tunnel here, and I'm at the point where it can't get here fast enough.

And for something a little different, pop on over to Kids Cuisine this morning to find out a new way to be a sneaky mom!

Southern Charm

This past Sunday, for Company Dinner, we decided to do the first burger/hot dog cookout of the year. We couldn't have planned it better. The weather was perfect for grilling, and I think its been long enough since the last burger/dog grill out that we all were in the mood for it anyways. I decided at the last minute to do a dessert, and I decided that a Southern dessert was in order. I turned to the queen of Southern hospitality, Paula Deen, and a yet unused cook book from my collection.

The Lady & Sons Just Desserts is a cookbook that I look through often, I just haven't made anything out of it. It just all sounds so decadent, or it calls for ingredients I don't have on hand at the time. This was also the case with this week's choice, but I quickly remedied that one. The Lady & Sons' Peach Cobbler was calling my name, and all I needed to put it together was some self-rising flour. Not usually a staple in my kitchen, it certainly will be now because this peach cobbler was luscious. It was decadent and sweet, and so darn good!

The procedure was different, I will say that. The first step was to melt the butter in a baking dish, then pour the batter onto that, and THEN put the peaches and their syrup on the top. When it goes into the oven, magic happens, and the batter rises to the top, creating a cakey crust while the peaches sink to the bottom and turn into the sweet and gooey goodness one expects from a peach cobbler. Texture wise, it's very similar to a pudding cake, and just as delicious. This one will be made often this coming summer for cookouts and such because it really was very easy to make. My only complaint is that I didn't check the date on my flour when I bought it. It has a best by date of next month, and with leavening in it, I suspect I need to adhere to the date. So I'll be in search of recipes that use self-rising flour over the next few weeks or so.The Lady & Sons' Peach Cobbler fills the need for a sweet and gooey dessert, and checks another book off my list. Thanks Paula Deen!

Thanks Judy!

This weeks kudos go to Judy for e-mailing me another awesome recipe. You may recall that a week or so ago I was excited to be e-mailed a couple of surprise recipes. Judy sent me this recipe to me as a thank you for my recommendation of Rick Bayless's Tacos de Picadillo Oazaqueno- which her family thoroughly enjoyed. I finally made Judy's recipe on Saturday, and it was really, really good. Did I mention really good? Rachael Ray's Carbonara Pizza was inhaled by all- even the little girl with a sore mouth. A play on pasta carbonara, this pizza uses the same ingredients and puts it on pizza. Even thinking about it early in the morning makes me want to whip some up right now.

I started with pizza crust. I made my own, but you could use whatever your preference is. After stretching out the dough to fit a 16" pizza pan, I drizzle it with olive oil, poked it with a fork, and popped it in the oven to pre-bake. While that was going, I beat two egg yolks and then added ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, black pepper, and 2 cloves of grated garlic. The recipe called for one clove, but Judy recommended two, and two was perfect. I also took a half pound of bacon, diced it, and fried it up. The recipe calls for pancetta, but seeing as how I'm a girl on a budget, I used our favorite hickory smoked bacon instead.

Next, I pulled the pizza crust out of the oven and brushed it with some of the bacon grease- hey I'm not one to argue with the tiny addition of pork fat. Then the ricotta mixture was spread evenly over the crust- the aroma right there was excruciating. Hot crust + bacon grease+ garlic=Mmmmm. Anyway, after the ricotta mixture, I sprinkled a mozarella/provolone cheese blend over the top and then topped that with the crumbled bacon. The whole thing went into the oven to bake for about 12 minutes- or until golden brown and bubbly. I left off the parsley since I didn't have any, but we hardly missed it. This pizza was pure heaven. It was incredibly good and gives me a ton of ideas for variations. It was wonderful as is, but I can't help but wonder how some additions would taste- like grilled portobella slices, roasted red pepper strips, or some caramelized leeks or onions.Carbonara Pizza. It's as delicious as it sounds. Make sure you pop back in tomorrow sometime as a down-home dessert from Paula Deen is making an appearance that will make you swoon.

Thought for the day

I have welcomed spring in with just a touch of a cold. Of course winter couldn't let go without one more round of germs, I'm just glad it's a mild cold. So you'll have to forgive me for what I've been eating for lunch. With taste buds at a low point, nothings really sounded good, except for the case of canned ravioli in the basement. I bought this at Sam's club at the direction of my son who said he would eat it for lunch. Until I made it for him for lunch and he looked at me like I was feeding him poison. That case of ravioli had been headed for our local food pantry until this week, and now it might just stick around a bit.

Anyway. Yesterday I was biting into one of these raviolis, and my thought to myself was "don't think about what's inside." I mean, who knows what random bits and pieces make it into the filling of these canned pasta puffs. That led me to thinking about hot dogs and what goes in those, and other canned meat products like spam. And here comes my profound thought. Why is it that when a major company, like Chef Boyardee, uses the off bits and such to make ravioli filling they are chastised? Companies that make hot dogs are scorned for stuffing those nasty bits into tube shapes. Yet world renowned chefs can take those same awful bits and turn them into something... interesting, and they are praised for it. A chef in New York City can cook chicken bones and serve them up as an appetizer, and be hailed as a genius. Yet when a chicken processing company utilizes those sames bones, they are touted as disgusting.

I understand that there will always be those who rail against big industry and the likes. But there are real people world-wide to whom this is a way of life. They utilize every part of an animal, so that nothing goes to waste. And I mean every part. I fail to distinguish the difference between a chef combining offal to create a delicacy in their restaurant and a manufacturing company who makes a hot dog out of the same bits. And I'm certainly not bashing the chefs who do so. I applaud them for being less wasteful, for opening up eyes to the possibilities. What I am bashing are those people who insist on 100% all-beef or 100% all-chicken hot dogs because they don't want to eat "mechanically separated parts". Yet when it comes time for a nice dinner out, they clamor to order chicken bones and kidney pie.

In some ways, this is along the lines of food snobbery to me. And if there is one thing that I have learned while cooking on a budget, is that a wonderful meal can be created out of practically nothing. While there are still foods that you won't find in my kitchen because I don't care for them, what you won't find is a food snob any longer. I welcome the canned raviolis and the mechanically separated pork parts disguised as a hot dog. I also welcome the Alaskan wild salmon and the prime fillet of beef. I welcome the whole grain quinoa, yet I also welcome plain old white rice and white bread. Local food, and locally produced food is wonderful when I can find it and when it is affordable, but sometimes Chilean produce is a welcome respite in the winter, and a kiwi from New Zealand is the most wonderful treat. There are no food snobs here, nor do I see them returning any time soon.

A New Season

Means a new look for Tummy Treasure. It seems many of my blog friends are doing their own spring cleaning, so I thought I'd join in. It may change a bit in the coming days, but this is a start, I think. As usual, let me know if you have any problems or issues.

Lunch Box Day

You haven't seen one of these here at Tummy Treasure in a while! In the last few weeks, Abigail has been taking cold lunch more often- which really thrills me actually. While it's easier and cheaper for her to eat the school's lunch- they really do an awful job here. Everything is heavily processed, and while they meet the standards for nutritional needs, the bar is set really low. No fresh vegetables, salads rarely, it's sad, considering we're just up the road a piece from a school that is changing school lunches across the country. I mean, really, breaded mozzarella sticks are considered an adequate entree? So Abigail has been going through the school lunch menu and crossing out the days that she doesn't want school lunch. We're about half and half right now, and that works perfectly for me. She still gets to have the occasional pizza and chicken nuggets, and I get to have peace of mind on mystery meat day.

Anyway, yesterday Abigail stayed home from school because she had a dentist appointment that did not go really well. She had four teeth pulled and three cavities filled, and her mouth is full of hurt right now, so I needed to pack a mouth-conscious lunch. She was on completely soft foods yesterday, so I thought today she might want to try a little bit of texture. So here today for lunch in the green compartment you see Nigella's Ricotta Hotcakes, shaped into sticks for dunking into some maple syrup. I added some tiny bits of strawberries to the pancakes, and they turned out really good. In the blue container is some cinnamon applesauce, and to the right of that some graham cracker sticks that she thought she might be able to try. If not, she could always crumble them into the applesauce to soften. And finally, just a few halved green grapes(sitting next to the maple syrup). I didn't think about it in time to steam some carrots, or I would have done that as well. But I think she'll enjoy this lunch. The ricotta hotcakes I chose because the last time I made them I thought they were much better at room temp than hot. They are very soft as well, so they are a perfect choice for a sore mouth lunch.

And as long as I'm sharing lunchboxes today, here's another one from Wednesday's lunch. She really liked this one. What you see here is a homemade bagel topped with a strawberry cream cheese smear. Since I made it myself, I could make the bagel small enough to fit in her lunchbox- and she loves bagels and smear. Above that are some peppers and cucumbers with Russian dressing for dipping. To the right of that is her dessert of yogurt covered pretzels, and below that some sliced strawberries and green grapes. I think she's missed my lunches, because she's been doing really well at eating them up. To accompany her lunches, she always buys a carton of milk at school, and I send a water bottle along with the lunch, in case she wants more than the milk. Now, next Monday she has a field trip away from school, so I will likely send some Yo-J or some apple juice for her to drink.

And if you're in search of some more ideas for lunches, you simply must check out my blog-friend Janelle's new blog, brown bag blues. Janelle blogs regularly about family and food at Talk of Tomatoes, and I'm really excited about her new project, so be sure you check that out. She has great ideas for lunches for every member of the family, and I can't wait to see more from her on the subject.

I Found It!

I finally found the crock pot recipe that I've been looking for. The crock-pot recipe that the whole family enjoys, and most importantly, doesn't taste like everything else cooked in the crock pot. Yesterday before heading to ballet class, I put the fixings for macaroni and cheese into the crock-pot before leaving and came home to a pot of cheesy goodness. It was very much like an oven baked macaroni and cheese in texture, so I wasn't sure the kids would dig in, actually. Lo and behold though, they did, and they both declared it good!

This was a 30 second meal. Macaroni, eggs, evaporated milk, milk, salt, pepper, and cheese are combined in a crock pot and cooked on low for 5 hours. And actually 5 hours was a little long for me- the edges were pretty browned, and while I thought that the tastiest part, next time I think I'll plan for it to be done in 4 1/2 hours. And look at that ingredient list! Economical to boot, we'll be making this one many times over. I have the recipe for Crock Pot Macaroni and Cheese in the Recipe Trove, just waiting for you to give it a try. I think that you could get away with using low-fat ingredients as well for the milks, and maybe the cheese. Although I am not a fan of low-fat cheese, so I can't say for sure. Try it, and let me know what you think.

Thanks Carolyn!

Before I get to my recipe today, first I want to point all the Easter Bunnies here to my post today at Kids Cuisine on Well Fed. I've mentioned here before that we are trying to be a candy-free household, and at Easter time, that becomes a bit tricky. I've compiled a small list of other alternatives for stuffing those Easter baskets, and I think it could be beneficial to anyone looking for basket stuffers for their kids or grand kids. So "hop" on over and check that out.

Last week I mentioned that I received two recipes in e-mails from kind people who wanted to share their economical dinner ideas. Last night was the trial run of the first recipe, and it was a home run. Cabbage Patch Stew was sent to me by Carolyn. She originally got the recipe from a 1954 Betty Crocker cookbook, but has changed it up and adapted it to fit her tastes. First reading through the recipe, it looked like a fairly straightforward vegetable stew to me, until the last step. The last step directs you to make mashed potatoes and top the stew with a scoop of them. Oh my...stew topped with a scoop of mashed potatoes just tripped my "must make meter" and the recipe went on the list.

I made very few changes to Carolyn's recipe. And the changes I did make were made to use items I had on hand. The first change I made was with the 2 cups of canned kidney beans called for. I could have bought them, since canned beans are inexpensive, but I happened to have a package of dried cranberry beans that I've been dying to use, so this seemed like the perfect time. I pre-cooked them by simmering them for 45 minutes on the stove before adding them to the stew. I likely had to cook it a little longer to soften them, but I had plenty of extra time yesterday to do so. The second change I made was to eliminate most of the water and just use some homemade chicken stock. I ended up using 1 1/2 cups stock and about 1/2 cup of water. Along with the juices from the tomatoes, it provided plenty of liquid. The last change I made was to add 1/2 teaspoon of Penzey's Sweet Curry powder. I have really been craving some Indian flavors, and the stew lent itself really well to that addition. It was fine without, but I have to say, the curry powder bumped it up into the really good category. I didn't need to make the potatoes on top, as I had some leftover from the other day, so this was a perfect excuse to use them up.

This received two thumbs up from us. Just a few bites in Andy told me that I could make it again, which is a sure sign of a repeater here. It was hearty and warming yet the cabbage and tomatoes gave it a lightness as well that had me scraping the bottom of my bowl and wanting more. Easily adaptable in any way to satisfy the palates in your home, Cabbage Patch Stew is a winner here.

Coffee Talk

I swear, just about everyone I know right now is eschewing coffee. Why? That humble little cup of joe has gotten a bad rap, and it's such a travesty. I for one, would rather give up a million dollars than fore go my daily cuppa. And lately I have read over and over how good coffee actually is for you! And just like the once-forbidden daily egg, coffee is back in the circle of good.
Check out this excerpt from this article on WebMD:

"Want a drug that could lower your risk of diabetes, Parkinson's disease, and colon cancer? That could lift your mood and treat headaches? That could lower your risk of cavities?

If it sounds too good to be true, think again.

Coffee, the much maligned but undoubtedly beloved beverage, just made headlines for possibly cutting the risk of the latest disease epidemic, type 2 diabetes. And the real news seems to be that the more you drink, the better."

There are so many myths about coffee that are just now coming to light to be false. The first being that increasing coffee consumption increases your need to relieve yourself. Of course it does! But if you drank the same quantity of milk, you would have to go to the bathroom just as much. It's not the caffeine to blame for an increase in the urge, it is simply consuming a liquid beverage. Coffee also does not dehydrate. The US Government's Institute of Medicine has found that coffee actually quenches thirst and does not deply the body of necessary fluids.

It's no secret that coffee helps me get through my day. Being a Mom 24/7 I don't get the opportunity to take a nap or sleep through the night without a child needing something. That cup of coffee in the afternoon helps me relax and enjoy the rest of my day. I have seen studies recently that say that up to 5 cups of coffee are perfectly acceptable- and even good for you. That's extremely encouraging to one who drinks about 3 cups a day. The only time I did not drink coffee was during pregnancy. Studies still haven't concluded whether or not caffeine may have an effect on miscarriage, so I felt it best to avoid that for the first half of my pregnancy. And for the second half...let's just say that anyone who's been 8 months along and chugs a grande cafe mocha understands what I mean when i say a caffeine induced fetus is one of the worst things to endure.

I understand that some people take it too far. Drinking a pot of coffee a day will make someone quite sick, and drinking coffee too close to bedtime will keep me up many hours into the night. I know some people also get headaches from too much caffeine, and I am sure not picking on those people. But golly, when I lift that gorgeous cup of black gold to my mouth and someone says "you know coffee is bad for you." That's going too far. Coffee is far from bad for you. It's when you add a half cup of sugar to your cup or a mountain of freshly culled cream. Duh. Of course that venti mocha latte is bad for you, it's half full fat milk, and loaded with sugar. By that point, you might as well just go buy yourself a pint of Ben & Jerry's and indulge that way.

So with that being said, I am going to go pour myself a fresh cup of coffee- black only please. I'm going to indulge in my morning pleasure and just think to myself about how much other people are missing out on all the antioxidants coffee has to offer, as well as the diabetes and cancer warding caffeine. Finally. And for more than you ever wanted to know about all the many benefits of coffee, check out the website Coffee Science.

7-Up Cake

We had a nice weekend. Saturday we took the kids to the school playground so they could get some practice in with their wheels. Abigail her bicycle, Zander his big wheel. We don't have a sidewalk, so it's hard to do those things at our house. The kids had a blast, and really, we just had a relaxing day. Our neighbor came by unexpectedly to chat with Andy and handed him a few more packages of Wild Boar. Well, we couldn't wait, so the package of ham steaks became dinner Saturday night. Simply marinated and grilled, they were excellent. In fact, we've determined that wild boar is most simply described as "beefy flavor, wrapped in pork fat." It's a rich meat, as if you took a beef roast and wrapped it in bacon before slow cooking it, so all the fat melts into the beef. Do try it if you have the chance, it's excellent meat, and not gamey in the least.

Last night for Sunday Company Dinner we made Bangers & Mash, and I was all set to do a post on it today, except that I forgot to take a picture, and then after thinking on it, there really isn't a recipe, so... Basically, Bangers & Mash is a British meal that really is simply sausage and mashed potatoes. Sometimes it's served with an onion gravy. Last night's version was a cheddar mashed potato, with grilled fresh Polish sausage and a caramelized onion gravy. It was very good and very comforting, and while I should have taken a picture, I suppose brownish sausages on a bed of potatoes with a pale gravy wouldn't look very appealing anyway. So use your imagination on that.

Instead, I want to talk about cake today. Specifically, a blast from the past, 7-Up cake. I actually found this recipe in a church cookbook, and then set to work looking up other versions online. There were several. There were sheet cakes and pound cakes and bundt cakes, all with slight variations. I did not want pound cake, so I headed towards the bundt cakes and discovered a doctored cake mix recipe. And with 10 ounces of 7-Up as the liquid in the cake, I was intrigued, and had to make it.

I made it as written, except that I added green food coloring to make it a green cake. And overall it was really very good. It was very moist, and nicely flavored. But the star was the icing. And I wasn't even going to make the icing, I was just going to use a glaze drizzle. The icing is a cooked icing. Crushed pineapple, eggs, sugar, butter, coconut and cornstarch are cooked in a saucepan over low heat until nicely thickened. This mixture is cooled, and then you have a delicious pina-colada flavored topping that is most excellent in flavor and texture. Think of German chocolate cake and that pecan-coconut topping. This icing, while good on the cake, would top cheesecake easily, or fill a tart shell, or in a moment of pure desperation, it would suffice, simply scooped up with a spoon. If you made a rum flavored cake and topped it with this...well, that would kind of be an edible pina colada wouldn't it?

I think I'll go have cake for breakfast now. Here is the recipe for 7-Up Cake.

A Weekend Off

There is a benefit of being broke and not having extra money to go spend on crazy things. You rediscover the simple pleasures that have been set aside.The Kitchen at Tummy Treasure is taking a break this weekend. I'll be back on Monday with some British inspired comfort food, and next week, a blast from the past that combines a soda with cake.

One of the best reasons why I love blogging

This week, I have been the recipient of love in my mailbox. Twice. As a direct result of this blog. There have been many a post lately about life on a budget, and I like to think that this is benefiting more than just myself to chronicle this phase in my kitchen. This week though, two very kind and thoughtful people were thinking of me and sent me a recipe from their kitchen that they thought I'd like. Recipes that their families have enjoyed, and could be made by someone on a budget. And honestly, both recipes look delicious and are right up my alley. They'll both be going on the menu for next week sometime, and I'm looking forward to being able to share those recipes with everyone else. It was just amazing to me to open up my inbox (both times) and find a recipe from someone that I don't even know. And not one of those silly e-mail chains, but a kind e-mail telling me a little about the recipe they've sent, and what recipes of mine they've made and enjoyed. It just was so heartwarming and thoughtful. And unexpected.

This is why I love blogging. It's connected me with people all over, and so many wonderful people! Just yesterday, my blog-friend Mimi hosted an event called Biscuit Baking Mix Day where a whole group of bloggers celebrated friendship together. It was so fun to play with an ingredient unfamiliar to me and then to see what everyone else did with the same ingredient... some of the results are simply priceless, so make sure you hop on over to French Kitchen In America and check them all out.

And speaking of sharing the love. I have some love to share too. Seeing how tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day, I thought I should share last night's dinner with you in case you're still looking for a wee bit o' Irish to put on your table. I am not a fan of corned beef. In fact, I pretty much despise it. The corned beef and anything else that gets cooked in that icky brine. One of the few things that I refuse to touch is corned beef. (Sauerbraten is on that list as well- beef should not be pickled in my world.) So to honor my Irish roots, I need to feature something else for St. Patrick's Day, and one of my favorite touches of comfort is Shepherd's Pie. It doesn't make an appearance often because is is a casserole type dish, and my kids always seem to look at me like I'm an evil alien when I hand them a plate with anything resembling casserole on it. But it's comfort food to me. And last night, it was practically free as well.

I don't have a recipe for you. Just vague directions. However, if you want a recipe, head on over to Recipezaar. I did just that yesterday and found 226 recipes for Shepherd's Pie. Some are all homemade from scratch, some use a canned soup, some use instant spuds, each one is just a touch different. Mine happened to use up a fridge full of leftovers that were languishing away.

I started with a pound of ground beef and browned it up. Well, the beef wasn't a leftover, so I guess technically we can say that cost me $2.29 to add to the pot, even though it was already in the freezer. After that was browned, I added a handful of green onions that were wilting, and some mini sweet bell peppers that were past their prime. As I was seasoning this mixture with salt and pepper, I was mourning the fact that I didn't have any mushrooms when I remembered that I had the tiniest bit of Porcini Pesto left in the fridge. 2 tablespoons to be exact, so that went in. Along with a container of leftover cooked carrot coins, and the remainder of a bag of frozen peas. Then I added about 2 cups of beef gravy leftover from a pot roast I'd made last week. All this cooked together before pouring it into a baking dish. See picture here to the right.

The last step involved about 3 cups of leftover mashed potatoes- also from the previously mentioned pot roast dinner- and a tiny nub of Aged Irish Cheddar Cheese. One of my favorite cheeses, it made excellent grilled cheese earlier in the week, and it seemed that since I was making an Irish dinner to be the best choice of cheese. I shredded up the nub and mixed it into the potatoes. Then the potatoes were layered on top of the stew mixture already in the baking dish. And finally, for a touch of color I added a tiny sprinkle of regular cheddar cheese to the top. This whole thing baked in the oven for about 30 minutes- until bubbly. It was perfectly comforting with some homemade buttermilk oatmeal bread, and I felt great for having used up all the languishing bits from my fridge. What I love about Shepherd's Pie is that it is never the same twice. Sometimes I use shredded beef, sometimes I use turkey. Sometimes I add some kidney beans and corn and a pinch of cumin. Sometimes there's zucchini lurking about and that finds it's way into the pot.
Shepherd's Pie, in my opinion, is the better way to celebrate Irish freedom from the snakes. From a country known for its potatoes, peasant food, and excellent beer, trust me when I say it should be Shepherd's Pie on your St. Patrick's menu, and not the American corned beef and cabbage. ;-)

Something New

I've spent a lot of time leafing through my older cookbooks as of late. Right now, while we're still on a severe budget with no end in sight, I am constantly looking for new recipes to try that use ingredients that are in my pantry. Part of my thinking is that in the past, people ate well on very little, so it stands to reason that older cookbooks, from a time gone by, may be a good resource. And while there are some scary recipes out there (aspic anyone?) there are quite a few that look quite good. Yesterday's recipe was a perfect case in point.

I was flipping through my 1960 Women's Day Collector's Cookbook when one particular recipe caught my eye for Sour Cream Raisin Pie. I don't know what it is, but just thinking about what that might taste like made me drool. How could that be bad! I mentally made a note of it and kept flipping through, in my mind adding raisins to my shopping list. Yet sometime between that recipe viewing and the time I was in the grocery store, that pie (in my mind) became a Buttermilk Raisin Pie. So I picked up the buttermilk and the raisins, and pulled a pie shell that I'd previously made out of the freezer. I opened up the book and there it was- Sour Cream Raisin Pie. Well, I'm out of sour cream, and by now I wanted a buttermilk raisin pie. And learning that there was no such creature, I decided to come up with my own.What do you think? Just look at that! It's a baked custard-like pie with plump and juicy raisins studded throughout that custard. The top caramelized while in the oven, and the flavor was exactly as I'd imagined it to be. Sweet, very sweet, with a lingering bit of acidity that you just can't quite place. I am very pleased with how this one turned out. And while it is very good, it is in need a of a few changes for next time. The first being that the sugar is going to be reduced by 1/4 cup. The raisins add plenty of sweetness to make up for it. And the second change is going to be to add a 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon with the flour. Just thinking about the addition of cinnamon is enough to start me swooning. This pie has comfort written all over it.

Buttermilk Pie is a southern tradition (as far as I know). It is a way to make a spectacular dessert with very little. Since buttermilk was a by-product of the butter making process, I suspect that this was just one of the ways to use it up instead of wasting it. I seldom have buttermilk to waste because I just love using it. I use it in my Baked Potato Soup, Banana Bread, Buttermilk-Oatmeal Bread, and another pie- Warm Buttermilk Apple. And I have a new favorite way to use it. My Buttermilk Raisin Pie can be found in the Recipe Trove, my new changes included in the recipe.

A Nod To Convenience

This week, all across the blogosphere, food bloggers (and some not-so-food-bloggers) are re-discovering the joys of a humble kitchen workhorse. That of the baking mix. Most specifically, in this case, biscuit baking mix, also known as Bisquick or Jiffy-mix, or one of the many other versions. To our parents and perhaps grandparents, this was a kitchen staple. Many, many meals were created from that single box of Bisquick. Why, one look at a box today reveals at least six recipes on one box alone! Somewhere along the line, Bisquick and other baking mixes got a bad rap. I know I myself, don't necessarily care for it myself. I don't like it in biscuits or pancakes, things that show off that boxey flavor to me. But when you take that mix and use it in a different way, that's where it shines. The Chicken Pot Pie that I now make began on the side of a Bisquick box. I've changed it in so many ways, and I don't use Bisquick to top it anymore, but that's where it originated. That's where my mother found it so many years ago.

There seems to be a resurgence these days of the classic recipes, and I for one am all over that. I love trying out recipes from another era. Not so much the nouveau cuisine, but the down-home cooking. The recipes that nourished and comforted. The recipes that young girls were taught by their mothers and grandmothers without the aid of a recipe card. What could be better than that! So in honor of Biscuit Baking Mix Day/Week, I went out and bought a box of Bisquick to determine what to make with it. In this case, I picked up the box of Heart Smart Bisquick- hey even a classic can change with the times! I decided my contribution was going to be from the genre of entertaining. I could just see a 1950's housewife in her shirtdress and apron, having her circle of friends over for bridge and brunch, and serving them up a piece of coffeecake. I could see these women raving over every bite, and only the baker would know that it was the convenience of a boxed mix that put that delicious coffee cake on the table. So today I share with my blog friends a Cherry Swirl Coffee Cake. Designed to impress, it is quite tasty, and no one has to know that you used a boxed mix to make it that way.

Revisiting Brownies

I've posted about these brownies before. However, I posted about them at Christmas time when we are all inundated with sweets and goodies, and it's so easy for a brownie to be overlooked. I found this brownie recipe in this past year's Better Homes And Gardens special Christmas Cookie publication, and it has become my standard brownie recipe. It's a standard brownie, except that it has malted milk powder in it, and that makes all the difference in the world. See, I go back and forth between a cakey brownie and a fudgy brownie as the best version, and this one is the best of both worlds. The malt powder gives it a fantastic texture, and while you don't taste the malt overwhelmingly, it provides a fantastic background flavor that you can't quite identify.

Previously, I have frosted these brownies and sprinkled with crushed Whoppers, which was pretty good. I have also made a ganache to pour over the top, and to me that was the ultimate brownie experience. But this past weekend, we tried them straight up, with no topping at all, and they are still a decadent brownie. They are rich and satisfying and just the quintessential brownie. I have the original version of Malt-Fudge Brownies in the recipe trove, but I do make a few changes now. I leave out the crushed malted milk balls for one. I add chocolate chips to the batter instead (but nuts would be a good addition too), and if I do top the brownies, I find that a simple ganache is the perfect gilding. Malted milk powder has definitely become a pantry staple now for me, as a result of these brownies. I do have other ideas to top these brownies for more of a bar experience- one being a caramel-pecan truffle experience, but I have yet to go that far with them.

A Little Lovin from the Philippines

You know how there are some things that transport you to a moment? A bite of cake for some takes them back to their wedding day. The scent of a campfire can take someone back to days of camping, or of growing up with a wood-burning stove. Yesterday was one of these moments for me. One of my fondest memories growing up is all the time we spent with family. It seemed that quite often we would take a trip to visit cousins or grandparents, and all those trips were full of fun and adventure. As kids, one of our favorite places to go visit was to an Aunt and Uncle's in northern Illinois. We always had a blast playing with our three cousins, and we earnestly looked forward to every visit. Us kids would play together from sun-up to sun-down, squeezing in every activity we could possibly think of during our brief times together. But there is one thing in particular that instantly transports me to their household, and times of joy. And that is my Aunt Lita's Lumpia.

Lumpia is a Filipino-style of egg roll, and my aunt's specialty. A trip to their house was not complete without an all-you-can-eat lumpia feast. Simply dunked in ketchup, I could eat lumpia until I burst, and I still can eat lumpia until I burst, apparently. Lumpia is different from a standard egg roll in that the core ingredient is meat. Filipino cuisine is very different from other Asian cultures, and meat frequently is featured. In this case, ground beef is combined with ground up vegetables and seasonings before being lovingly wrapped up in an egg roll wrapper. The whole thing is then deep-fried to golden perfection. Lumpia is an art form. It can be tricky because the ground beef has to be wrapped up uncooked, and while the hot grease is cooking the outside of the wrapper, the fat in the beef is cooking the inside. It's a delicate dance, the roll has to be wrapped up just so or the hot outer fat meets the inner fat and hot grease spatters and flies.

The first bite of lumpia yesterday transported me instantly to my aunt and uncle's old backyard, sitting around a picnic table with my cousins while we all eagerly devoured lumpia after lumpia. It was such a pleasure to share that lumpia with friends last night, where we all ate lumpia until we were near bursting. A true treasure of Filipino descent, but not nearly as precious as the aunt who introduced us to this delicacy.My Aunt Lita's recipe for Lumpia is in The Recipe Trove. Do make it exactly as written, and don't be fooled into thinking that you could use a leaner ground beef. Use the 80/20 stuff or 75/25. If you try and make lumpia with leaner beef, the inside will dry out before the outside is fully cooked and it just won't be good. Trust me. Aunt Lita's Lumpia is worth every scrap of fat.