Some know this dressing as Thousand Island. But whatever you know this by I have found a homemade version of this. It is my goal to rid my frig of bottled dressings. I have a great Italian dressing, already on my blog and now I am going to add this one. My daughter and I happened upon this one while watching Ellie Krieger on the Food Network. Now I know the Food Network is not known for making veg friendly dishes and some you just can't cut out all the meat, but this was grand. And for you vegans, you can use your vegan friendly products. See...everyone is happy. So on to the dressing. Make it and enjoy!
Russian Dressing
1/3 cup yogurt(Greek was used by Ellie Krieger)
2T mayo
2T catsup(Yes I spell it that way)
2t white vinegar(We were out so we used rice wine and did fine)
2T chopped gherkins(We used sweet relish and did fine)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mix all together and serve over any salad of your choice. This has good memories for me, for my mother is a huge fan of Thousand Island dressing and I now feel confident she will enjoy this whenever she visits. Enjoy!
Sunday, September 14, 2008
So You're a Vegetarian
Well when I first took my adventure about 15-16 years ago I had no clue what I was doing. And at that time, meat analogs were up and coming but not what they are today. I panicked about what I could and should eat and did not see what I had been cooking for years.
So I lived on boxed macaroni and cheese for days until I figured things out. Now, you have to remember this was before the age of the Internet and looking up new recipes with Orzo, or Wheat Berries was out of the question. You had old cookbooks from your mother and grandmother and then you had to vegetize(I made that word up) them, substitute bacon with Bacos, or dare I say liquid smoke.
I mean think about all the main dishes that were now off limits to me because I was making a choice. OK, so I chose not to eat meatloaf, my choice, I completely get it. So, now I know I can survive on side dishes. I can live with that, or could I? I was born and raised in the South, by Southern women, so bacon drippings was considered a food group in our home. If the dish did not have bacon in it, why bother eating it.
I had my work cut out for me. Now, I was a good vegetarian, asking if there was any meat in dishes when we did go out for dinner. I knew to ask about what the base of the soup was and if those bacon bits were real, but what I did know was the hidden animal by-products. Oh yes, you heard right. There are tons of things that come from animals, and in order for it to get to said product that poor animal had to die.
My first encounter with this little scenario was with gelatin. I had no blessed clue it came from collagen inside animals connective tissue. Correct me if I am wrong, but that animal had to die to get that to us. So out the window Jello went. I had to educate a woman one time, for she told me that it was only an animal by-product. I then informed her that thee animal had to die in order for us to actually get gelatin. I think I made her her...or so I hope I did.
When my daughter was in the school system, she hing out with a little Muslim girl. And during Ramadan this little girl came to school with a list of food items she could not consume, due to the fact that these said items had gelatin in them, and they could not be certain that they did not come from pigs, and pigs being thee main animal that Muslims and Jewish people avoid gelatin. So this little girl avoided them all together just to be safe. My daughter found out that gelatin was in Skittles, one of her then favorites, it has since disappeared from the candies that she eats.
Now, some who are reading this blog find this a bit extreme. I used to feel that way about vegans and raw fooodists. But I am older and hopefully a bit wiser(That is up for debate as far as my children are concerned) and I hope I have become more understanding in my vegetarian community.
So my daughter has taken on the task to eliminate any hidden animal products in the food we eat and any items we may purchase. We gave up liquid fabric softener, due to the fact that it contains tallow, a rendered fat in soaps, candles, and lubricants. Let me just show you a list of things we get form animals that you may not know about, and are hidden in the foods you eat and the products you purchase. You make the choice.
Gelatin (made using meat byproducts)
Lanolin (made from wool)
Rennet (an enzyme found in the stomach of calves, young goats, and lambs that's used in cheese-making)
Honey and beeswax (made by bees) **To me this is still up for debate since no bees actually die in the process, it is what they do naturally**
Silk (made by silkworms)
Shellac (the resinous secretion of the tiny lac insect)
Cochineal (a red dye derived from the cochineal insect)
So there you have it folks... a list of things to look for, and there be more, but that is all I could find for the time being. As I find them, I will post updates and let you all know, thee unsuspecting public, of what is hidden in our food and products.
So I lived on boxed macaroni and cheese for days until I figured things out. Now, you have to remember this was before the age of the Internet and looking up new recipes with Orzo, or Wheat Berries was out of the question. You had old cookbooks from your mother and grandmother and then you had to vegetize(I made that word up) them, substitute bacon with Bacos, or dare I say liquid smoke.
I mean think about all the main dishes that were now off limits to me because I was making a choice. OK, so I chose not to eat meatloaf, my choice, I completely get it. So, now I know I can survive on side dishes. I can live with that, or could I? I was born and raised in the South, by Southern women, so bacon drippings was considered a food group in our home. If the dish did not have bacon in it, why bother eating it.
I had my work cut out for me. Now, I was a good vegetarian, asking if there was any meat in dishes when we did go out for dinner. I knew to ask about what the base of the soup was and if those bacon bits were real, but what I did know was the hidden animal by-products. Oh yes, you heard right. There are tons of things that come from animals, and in order for it to get to said product that poor animal had to die.
My first encounter with this little scenario was with gelatin. I had no blessed clue it came from collagen inside animals connective tissue. Correct me if I am wrong, but that animal had to die to get that to us. So out the window Jello went. I had to educate a woman one time, for she told me that it was only an animal by-product. I then informed her that thee animal had to die in order for us to actually get gelatin. I think I made her her...or so I hope I did.
When my daughter was in the school system, she hing out with a little Muslim girl. And during Ramadan this little girl came to school with a list of food items she could not consume, due to the fact that these said items had gelatin in them, and they could not be certain that they did not come from pigs, and pigs being thee main animal that Muslims and Jewish people avoid gelatin. So this little girl avoided them all together just to be safe. My daughter found out that gelatin was in Skittles, one of her then favorites, it has since disappeared from the candies that she eats.
Now, some who are reading this blog find this a bit extreme. I used to feel that way about vegans and raw fooodists. But I am older and hopefully a bit wiser(That is up for debate as far as my children are concerned) and I hope I have become more understanding in my vegetarian community.
So my daughter has taken on the task to eliminate any hidden animal products in the food we eat and any items we may purchase. We gave up liquid fabric softener, due to the fact that it contains tallow, a rendered fat in soaps, candles, and lubricants. Let me just show you a list of things we get form animals that you may not know about, and are hidden in the foods you eat and the products you purchase. You make the choice.
Gelatin (made using meat byproducts)
Lanolin (made from wool)
Rennet (an enzyme found in the stomach of calves, young goats, and lambs that's used in cheese-making)
Honey and beeswax (made by bees) **To me this is still up for debate since no bees actually die in the process, it is what they do naturally**
Silk (made by silkworms)
Shellac (the resinous secretion of the tiny lac insect)
Cochineal (a red dye derived from the cochineal insect)
So there you have it folks... a list of things to look for, and there be more, but that is all I could find for the time being. As I find them, I will post updates and let you all know, thee unsuspecting public, of what is hidden in our food and products.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Who Are They Kidding
I had seen the first commercial and just could not believe it, then my daughter told me there was a second commercial, and Wow, these people have brass ones. I mean come on. I am doing everything possible to rid my home of HFCS(High Fructose Corn Syrup) and these people come on and tell the world it is fine and dandy. Give me a break. And yet, there will be those who are sitting on the recliners with soda in hand and candy bar in another and say, You see honey, there ain't a thing wrong with that extra sugar stuff they are puttin' our food."
All the while, Bubba is 75 pounds overweight and desperately needs to visit the dentist.
I for one know that if it is factory made, then it does not fall under the category of being natural, at least not in my book. My girlfriend was the one who opened my eye to explain it to those who may not get it. And I already knew it, but explaining it without getting on a soapbox was beyond me...imagine that, me having problems getting off a soapbox.
My friend holds her hands out as if she were a scale, trying to balance two different things. then she says to said person, "Factory made, or nature made?" For this example she was referring to butter and margarine. He mothers doctor had told them years back to use artificial sweetener for their beverages and margarine *Shudders* for their fat as substitutes. I have not used margarine, which I was told was good for us...pfffft, in about 15 years.
We were on government help when I was pregnant with my daughter and we had access to butter. I have never looked back. Margarine...I get goose flesh. But to get back on topic, this organization is trying pawn off to thee unsuspecting public that HFCS is AOK. Helllooo, who are they trying to kid. I will tell you. The uneducated who sit and use the television as their source of information. If it's on the news, it must be right. Think again Bubba. It is sad to see that people buy into what the media tells them, and you have to wonder. Why isn't the media trying to uncover the truth? Are they afraid of the possible ramifications? I am glad that I am slowly but sure finding out what Big Brother is not telling us, and to know that I do have a mind of my own(Even if my children think otherwise) and can make decisions for myself.
Check out this farce of nutritional information. It is from the Corn Refiners.
All the while, Bubba is 75 pounds overweight and desperately needs to visit the dentist.
I for one know that if it is factory made, then it does not fall under the category of being natural, at least not in my book. My girlfriend was the one who opened my eye to explain it to those who may not get it. And I already knew it, but explaining it without getting on a soapbox was beyond me...imagine that, me having problems getting off a soapbox.
My friend holds her hands out as if she were a scale, trying to balance two different things. then she says to said person, "Factory made, or nature made?" For this example she was referring to butter and margarine. He mothers doctor had told them years back to use artificial sweetener for their beverages and margarine *Shudders* for their fat as substitutes. I have not used margarine, which I was told was good for us...pfffft, in about 15 years.
We were on government help when I was pregnant with my daughter and we had access to butter. I have never looked back. Margarine...I get goose flesh. But to get back on topic, this organization is trying pawn off to thee unsuspecting public that HFCS is AOK. Helllooo, who are they trying to kid. I will tell you. The uneducated who sit and use the television as their source of information. If it's on the news, it must be right. Think again Bubba. It is sad to see that people buy into what the media tells them, and you have to wonder. Why isn't the media trying to uncover the truth? Are they afraid of the possible ramifications? I am glad that I am slowly but sure finding out what Big Brother is not telling us, and to know that I do have a mind of my own(Even if my children think otherwise) and can make decisions for myself.
Check out this farce of nutritional information. It is from the Corn Refiners.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
12 Foods to Purcahse Organic
I found this on The Daily Green and I was wondering how many of my fellow bloggers can afford to purchase any organic foods. I am a single income family and we barely skim by. We are hitting such hard times, that we take a calculator to make sure we do not go over our budget, which is less that you readers would believe. And my next question, which I was going to blog about, is how do you people who are tight in the money department stay healthy when there is so little to spend in the grocery store. When the fresh fruit and veggies run out here, there is no going to the store to pick something up. If we run out...that is end.
So how to you eat healthy and be frugal all at the same time?
Not all of us can afford to go 100% organic. The solution? Focus on just those foods that come with the heaviest burden of pesticides, chemicals, additives and hormones. Whenever possible, deploy your organic spending power to buy organic versions of the following foods (in no particular order). Can't find organic versions of these foods? In some cases, we've listed safer alternatives that contain similar valuable vitamins and minerals.
1. Meat. Contrary to a widely reported "fact," meat typically contains less pesticide residue than plant-based foods, according to Debra Edwards, the director of EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs.
That said, raising animals with conventional modern methods often means using hormones to speed up growth, antibiotics to resist disease and pesticides to grow the grain fed to the animals. As the EPA puts it in an Ag 101 feature, "Antibiotics, pesticides, and hormones are organic compounds which are used in animal feeding operations and may pose risks if they enter the environment."
Consumers looking to avoid meats raised with these substances can seek out certified organic meat. To meet USDA standards, this meat can come only from animals fed organic feed and given no hormones or antibiotics.
Publications as varied as the Wall Street Journal, in its 2007 When Buying Organic Makes Sense and When It Doesn’t, and Consumers Union, in its 2006 Tips on Buying Organics Without Breaking the Bank, recommend seeking out organic meats when possible.
2. Milk. Pesticides and other man-made chemicals have been found in human breast milk, so it should come as no surprise that they have been found in dairy products. While any residues detected have been rare, and of low concentration, milk is of special concern because it is a staple of children's diets.
Organic dairies cannot feed their cows with grains grown with pesticides, nor can they use antibiotics or growth hormones like rGBH or rbST.
3. Coffee. Many of the beans you buy are grown in countries that don't regulate use of chemicals and pesticides. Look for the Fair Trade Certified Organic label on the coffee package or can; it will give you some assurance that chemicals and pesticides were not used on the plants. It will also mean that fair prices were paid for the end product in support of the farm and that farm workers are treated fairly.
4. Peaches. Multiple pesticides are regularly applied to these delicately skinned fruits in conventional orchards. Can't find organic? Safe alternatives: watermelon, tangerines, oranges and grapefruit.
5. Apples. Scrubbing and peeling doesn't eliminate chemical residue completely so it's best to buy organic when it comes to apples. Peeling a fruit or vegetable also strips away many of their beneficial nutrients. Can't find organic? Safe alternatives: watermelon, bananas and tangerines.
6. Sweet bell peppers. Peppers have thin skins that don't offer much of a barrier to pesticides. They're often heavily sprayed and victim to pesticides commonly used to keep them insect-free. Can't find organic? Safe alternatives: green peas, broccoli and cabbage.
7. Celery. Celery has no protective skin, which makes it almost impossible to wash off the chemicals that are used on conventional crops. Can't find organic? Safe alternatives: broccoli, radishes and onions.
8. Strawberries. If you buy strawberries out of season, they're most likely imported from countries that use less-stringent regulations for pesticide use. Can't find organic? Safe alternatives: blueberries, kiwi and pineapples.
9. Lettuces. Leafy greens are frequently contaminated with what are considered the most potent pesticides used on food. Can't find organic? Safe alternatives: cabbage, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts.
10. Grapes. Imported grapes run a much greater risk of contamination than those grown domestically. Vineyards can be sprayed with different pesticides during different growth periods of the grape, and no amount of washing or peeling will eliminate contamination because of the grape's thin skin. Can't find organic? Safe alternatives: blueberries, kiwi and raspberries.
11. Potatoes. America's popular spud ranks high for pesticide residue. It also gets the double whammy of fungicides added to the soil for growing. Can't find organic? Safe alternatives: eggplant, cabbage and earthy mushrooms.
12. Tomatoes. A tomato's easily punctured skin is no match for chemicals that will eventually permeate it. Can't find organic? Safe alternatives: green peas, broccoli and asparagus.
If the cost of buying all organics isn't within your budget, fear not. Check out The Daily Green's top ten list of fruit and vegetables you don't need to buy organic, with tips for buying and how to clean, store and use them in delicious recipes.
So how to you eat healthy and be frugal all at the same time?
Not all of us can afford to go 100% organic. The solution? Focus on just those foods that come with the heaviest burden of pesticides, chemicals, additives and hormones. Whenever possible, deploy your organic spending power to buy organic versions of the following foods (in no particular order). Can't find organic versions of these foods? In some cases, we've listed safer alternatives that contain similar valuable vitamins and minerals.
1. Meat. Contrary to a widely reported "fact," meat typically contains less pesticide residue than plant-based foods, according to Debra Edwards, the director of EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs.
That said, raising animals with conventional modern methods often means using hormones to speed up growth, antibiotics to resist disease and pesticides to grow the grain fed to the animals. As the EPA puts it in an Ag 101 feature, "Antibiotics, pesticides, and hormones are organic compounds which are used in animal feeding operations and may pose risks if they enter the environment."
Consumers looking to avoid meats raised with these substances can seek out certified organic meat. To meet USDA standards, this meat can come only from animals fed organic feed and given no hormones or antibiotics.
Publications as varied as the Wall Street Journal, in its 2007 When Buying Organic Makes Sense and When It Doesn’t, and Consumers Union, in its 2006 Tips on Buying Organics Without Breaking the Bank, recommend seeking out organic meats when possible.
2. Milk. Pesticides and other man-made chemicals have been found in human breast milk, so it should come as no surprise that they have been found in dairy products. While any residues detected have been rare, and of low concentration, milk is of special concern because it is a staple of children's diets.
Organic dairies cannot feed their cows with grains grown with pesticides, nor can they use antibiotics or growth hormones like rGBH or rbST.
3. Coffee. Many of the beans you buy are grown in countries that don't regulate use of chemicals and pesticides. Look for the Fair Trade Certified Organic label on the coffee package or can; it will give you some assurance that chemicals and pesticides were not used on the plants. It will also mean that fair prices were paid for the end product in support of the farm and that farm workers are treated fairly.
4. Peaches. Multiple pesticides are regularly applied to these delicately skinned fruits in conventional orchards. Can't find organic? Safe alternatives: watermelon, tangerines, oranges and grapefruit.
5. Apples. Scrubbing and peeling doesn't eliminate chemical residue completely so it's best to buy organic when it comes to apples. Peeling a fruit or vegetable also strips away many of their beneficial nutrients. Can't find organic? Safe alternatives: watermelon, bananas and tangerines.
6. Sweet bell peppers. Peppers have thin skins that don't offer much of a barrier to pesticides. They're often heavily sprayed and victim to pesticides commonly used to keep them insect-free. Can't find organic? Safe alternatives: green peas, broccoli and cabbage.
7. Celery. Celery has no protective skin, which makes it almost impossible to wash off the chemicals that are used on conventional crops. Can't find organic? Safe alternatives: broccoli, radishes and onions.
8. Strawberries. If you buy strawberries out of season, they're most likely imported from countries that use less-stringent regulations for pesticide use. Can't find organic? Safe alternatives: blueberries, kiwi and pineapples.
9. Lettuces. Leafy greens are frequently contaminated with what are considered the most potent pesticides used on food. Can't find organic? Safe alternatives: cabbage, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts.
10. Grapes. Imported grapes run a much greater risk of contamination than those grown domestically. Vineyards can be sprayed with different pesticides during different growth periods of the grape, and no amount of washing or peeling will eliminate contamination because of the grape's thin skin. Can't find organic? Safe alternatives: blueberries, kiwi and raspberries.
11. Potatoes. America's popular spud ranks high for pesticide residue. It also gets the double whammy of fungicides added to the soil for growing. Can't find organic? Safe alternatives: eggplant, cabbage and earthy mushrooms.
12. Tomatoes. A tomato's easily punctured skin is no match for chemicals that will eventually permeate it. Can't find organic? Safe alternatives: green peas, broccoli and asparagus.
If the cost of buying all organics isn't within your budget, fear not. Check out The Daily Green's top ten list of fruit and vegetables you don't need to buy organic, with tips for buying and how to clean, store and use them in delicious recipes.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Yummy Brownies
Savanah(My daughter) made these fab-u-loso brownies tonight. Now, I found this via Nikki. She has tons of bloggers she reads so I scan her roll sometimes, or her replies and Viola...I found River. Now, for those of you who follow this blog, you know that my daughter is a vegetarian, but not a vegan, but we try anything and we will even vege-tize a meat dish, if we can.
So, when I came across these brownies at Wing it Vegan well...that was right up my daughter alley. She is the one with the sweet tooth. so we had all thee ingredients and there you have it, yummy brownies. The only difference was we had crunchy peanut butter and the recipe called for smooth. We adapted. But smooth peanut butter is on our list for the next shopping list.
These did not grab hubby so much. Too bad, so sad, more for me and Nana. Hah! And get this, my daughter put the peanut butter frosting bowl in the kitchen sink before she offered me to lick it clean. That's it she is grounded for a month. Thee only time she will come out is too cook them brownies again. Just kidding.
Savanah and I sat at lunch this afternoon and tried to figure out how many new dishes we make in a given month. And we came up with about one per week, give or take. now these new dishes do not have to be main courses. They can be soups...thanks Tam. Desserts...thanks River, and to the many others we have borrowed or adapted recipes from.
I love my new found world of blogging, and more so with my cooking blog. I am enjoying foods I never thought I would try and or like. So, to all my fellow bloggers, thanks for what you have given me and my family, even if you did not know you were helping us out!
Now go cook something!!
P.S. We have not tried the corn dog recipe as of yet, for Savanah and I have eaten all of our veggie dogs this week. They will definitely be on the list and we cannot wait to fry this up. I have had a hankerin' for some fried food, so here is my chance.
So, when I came across these brownies at Wing it Vegan well...that was right up my daughter alley. She is the one with the sweet tooth. so we had all thee ingredients and there you have it, yummy brownies. The only difference was we had crunchy peanut butter and the recipe called for smooth. We adapted. But smooth peanut butter is on our list for the next shopping list.
These did not grab hubby so much. Too bad, so sad, more for me and Nana. Hah! And get this, my daughter put the peanut butter frosting bowl in the kitchen sink before she offered me to lick it clean. That's it she is grounded for a month. Thee only time she will come out is too cook them brownies again. Just kidding.
Savanah and I sat at lunch this afternoon and tried to figure out how many new dishes we make in a given month. And we came up with about one per week, give or take. now these new dishes do not have to be main courses. They can be soups...thanks Tam. Desserts...thanks River, and to the many others we have borrowed or adapted recipes from.
I love my new found world of blogging, and more so with my cooking blog. I am enjoying foods I never thought I would try and or like. So, to all my fellow bloggers, thanks for what you have given me and my family, even if you did not know you were helping us out!
Now go cook something!!
P.S. We have not tried the corn dog recipe as of yet, for Savanah and I have eaten all of our veggie dogs this week. They will definitely be on the list and we cannot wait to fry this up. I have had a hankerin' for some fried food, so here is my chance.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Cheese Muffins
This recipe is not for the faint of heart or anyone watching their waistline. This recipe drips of the South. I swear this could have come straight out of a Paula Deen Cookbook. But alas, I found this one at one of my fellow bloggers site. I saw this one as she posted it and drooled then. I swear I almost had to buy a new keyboard there was so much drool on it.
So take a gander over to The Pioneer Woman Cooks and check out her cooking. She is a simple down to Earth type of woman. I will warn you though, she has plenty of meat recipes, but surf her site and it will be well worth it. Some of her dishes we have just veggie-ized(I made that word up). If her dish calls for bacon, then we substitute it with faux bacon. So there you go, we improvise. I hope you enjoy this recipe and her site as much as I have. And check out her side dishes and try her Crash Hot Potatoes. My oh my!!! To die for.
Figs Cheese Muffins
1&1/2 cups flour(We used our own ground wheat)
1&1/2 T sugar (We use Turbinado)
1T baking powder
1/2 t salt
3Cups shredded Colby-Jack cheese
1cup milk
1 egg
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Whisk together the dry ingredients, and then stir in the cheese. In a separate bowl, whisk egg, milk, and butter together. Pour milk mixture into dry ingredients and stir with a spoon to combine. Bake in a greased muffin tin at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Makes 12 muffins
**We used out own whole wheat flour and it did make them a wee bit denser, but not enough to stop me from having seconds...OK thirds, but that is all I will admit to*
So take a gander over to The Pioneer Woman Cooks and check out her cooking. She is a simple down to Earth type of woman. I will warn you though, she has plenty of meat recipes, but surf her site and it will be well worth it. Some of her dishes we have just veggie-ized(I made that word up). If her dish calls for bacon, then we substitute it with faux bacon. So there you go, we improvise. I hope you enjoy this recipe and her site as much as I have. And check out her side dishes and try her Crash Hot Potatoes. My oh my!!! To die for.
Figs Cheese Muffins
1&1/2 cups flour(We used our own ground wheat)
1&1/2 T sugar (We use Turbinado)
1T baking powder
1/2 t salt
3Cups shredded Colby-Jack cheese
1cup milk
1 egg
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Whisk together the dry ingredients, and then stir in the cheese. In a separate bowl, whisk egg, milk, and butter together. Pour milk mixture into dry ingredients and stir with a spoon to combine. Bake in a greased muffin tin at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Makes 12 muffins
**We used out own whole wheat flour and it did make them a wee bit denser, but not enough to stop me from having seconds...OK thirds, but that is all I will admit to*
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Pressure Cooking or Crock Potting
Is Crock Potting even a word? But I guess most of you knew exactly what I was referring to, so that by law of cooks united...makes it a word.
I was wondering which you ladies...or men prefer. I grew up on both. My mother knew how to work with both, but in my honest opinion she did not utilize either one of them half enough. I use both my Slow Cooker and pressure cooker at least once a week. My mother-in-law uses her pressure cooker all the time. To her it is second nature. So when I married my husband, I watched and learned how to better use this scary kitchen tool. They are both my friends.
But, do I have a preference? Well yes, I do...I'm glad you asked. My personal preference is my Slow Cooker. Do not get me wrong, I love my pressure cooker and they soften up a mess of greens like nothing else I have ever seen. But oh my Slow Cooker. It's like that Ronco commercial, "Just set it, and forget it."
But there are a few things that do not do well in the Slow Cooker, unless prepped. Such as Chick peas, garbanzo beans. Them puppies are so hard to crack, if they are not pre-soaked, they take days in the Slow Cooker, and then they taste like ka-ka...trust me, I know this from experience.
So just remember, if you have a tough cooking bean, then pre-soak before subjecting them to the slow cooker. You will thank me in the morning.
Pressure cooking is near and dear to my heart, but slow cooking is the way to go for me. So fess up folks, where does you food rest?
I was wondering which you ladies...or men prefer. I grew up on both. My mother knew how to work with both, but in my honest opinion she did not utilize either one of them half enough. I use both my Slow Cooker and pressure cooker at least once a week. My mother-in-law uses her pressure cooker all the time. To her it is second nature. So when I married my husband, I watched and learned how to better use this scary kitchen tool. They are both my friends.
But, do I have a preference? Well yes, I do...I'm glad you asked. My personal preference is my Slow Cooker. Do not get me wrong, I love my pressure cooker and they soften up a mess of greens like nothing else I have ever seen. But oh my Slow Cooker. It's like that Ronco commercial, "Just set it, and forget it."
But there are a few things that do not do well in the Slow Cooker, unless prepped. Such as Chick peas, garbanzo beans. Them puppies are so hard to crack, if they are not pre-soaked, they take days in the Slow Cooker, and then they taste like ka-ka...trust me, I know this from experience.
So just remember, if you have a tough cooking bean, then pre-soak before subjecting them to the slow cooker. You will thank me in the morning.
Pressure cooking is near and dear to my heart, but slow cooking is the way to go for me. So fess up folks, where does you food rest?
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