Five spice powder and it's uses

Make your own 5 spice powder!  This makes 1/4 cup of spice

3 Tbsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp. anise seed

1 and a 1/2 tsp. fennel seed

1 and 1/2 tsp whole Szechwan or black peppercorns

3/4 tsp ground cloves

Combine ingredients in a spice or coffee grinder.  Cover and grind to a powder.  Store in a tightly covered container at room temperature.

So let's say you make your own 5 spice powder or you even have some but what do you do with it?

You can:

- rub on poultry, pork, beef or salmon

- sprinkle as a flavoring on popcorn

- spice up baked goods such as cookies, bars, cakes, or pancakes

- use in rice and in Asian-inspired dishes like lo mein and stir-fries

-season sweet potatoes, beets, turnips, carrots

- add to whipped cream for a pumpkin pie topping

- stir into oatmeal

- use for making toasted spiced nuts

- mix with sugar and use as a toast topper

- sprinkle on vanilla bean ice cream.

It would be different to use as a topper on toast but that does sound somewhat appealing.  Obviously using it on root veggies sounds good but I was surprised to see stir it into oatmeal.  Hadn't thought about it before but it might be good.

What do you think?

Spices

One of the local grocery stores puts out each month a magazine that has some health articles and recipes in it.  This list of spices came from one of those magazines.  I thought I'd post it here in case some of you wanted to know what the difference is in some things.  These are just basic but also ones that you would probably use most often.

Allspice
  Allspice has a rich, sweet flavor that's similar to nutmeg, cinnamon and coves.  It works well with fruits, veggies and fish.

Cardamom
  Cardamom is a powerful, fragrant spice that enhances cakes and pastries and is often used in Indian and Middle Eastern spice blends.

Cayenne
  Cayenne is a strong and hot red spice made from dried chilies.  Cayenne pairs well with both sweet and savory foods.

Cinnamon
  Cinnamon is a sweet, fragrant spice sold in sticks or in ground form.  Pairs well with beef, poultry, pork, fruits and desserts.

Clove
  Cloves has a strong, slightly sweet pepper like flavor that pairs well with ham, sweet potatoes, ciders, teas and desserts.

Coriander
  Coriander is available as whole or ground seeds and has a spicy, citrus flavor that complements fruits, vegetables and meat.

Cumin
  Cumin has a sharp, earthy warm flavor that enhances beef, fish, poultry, pork, veggies and eggs.

Ginger
  Ginger has a warm peppery flavor with  sweet aroma.  It pairs well with beef, fish, pork, veggies and fruit.

Mustard
  Mustard comes in the form of whole or ground seeds and has a powerful, hot flavor that works well as a rub or blended into burgers and meatloaf.

Nutmeg
  Nutmeg has a warm, sweet and spicy flavor that adds depth to fruits, vegetables, meat, curries, desserts and eggnog.

Paprika
  Paprika is made of ground dried red peppers and ranges from mild to sweet to hot.  Use it as a garnish to enhance flavors in soups, stews and casseroles.

Pepper
  Pepper tastes best as freshly ground peppercorns.  White pepper tastes hotter than black but is less complex with fewer flavor notes.

Saffron
  Saffron is an expensive spice because of the labor-intensive cultivation.  It gives desserts, vegetables and light meats a richer, fuller and much more aromatic flavor.

Star Anise
  Star anise is sweet and spicy, with a licorice-lie flavor.  Simmer whole pods in soups, marinades and sauces to add flavor but remove before serving.

Turmeric
  Turmeric has a sharp, slightly bitter flavor and is a popular addition to curries and chutneys.  It pairs well with poultry, veggies and fish.

I hope this helps you.  I think that I will be baking some sweet potatoes this weekend and maybe use some cloves.

I'm Sorry....I forgot to post here

LOL.  I just discovered that I had this blog also.  Isn't that terrible?  You'd think that the author/owner of the blog would remember.  Perhaps I should qualify as saying that I just figured out how to get back to here?  Yes, that would sound better.

I guess I'll start with an update of "getting healthy".  I've actually made progress.  As some of you may know, I've been trying to lose weight for a long time...as in since the late 60's.  I remember mother putting me on diets.  I've been on more than one version of  Low Carb (LC) and more than one version of Weight Watchers (WW). 

This time around I just didn't listen to any of them.  I just went and did it on my own.  Oh I did some things that were parts of WW and LC but mostly I wasn't thinking.  It seemed to work.  I am the lowest I have been in YEARS.  In 2011 I signed up with FatSecret and that was around 2011 then, are you sitting down?, I weight 299 pounds.  It's been up and down since then but I would like to get down to around 185.  That is 10 pounds more than what I weighed in high school.  I might not make it. it will depend on how I feel and what I look like.  Still it would be great to reach that weight before I retire in a couple of years.

So what am I weighing now?  At my last weigh in, September 10th, I weight 235.  :)

I weigh in on Mondays so I'll let you know in a couple of days if I gained and lost.  To tell the truth, I'm expecting a gain each time I weigh in.   Perhaps that is why I'm still losing?  I'm not freaking out over it.  If I gain I gain but if I lose then that is great.

I'd better get moving on with other things, like my baked potatoes that are in the crock pot right now.  :)

Sweet Potato Cauliflower Fritter

The last recipe that I saved from the Better Homes and Garden November 2014 issue.  Now I can recyle that magazine and pull out another one to look through.  Hope you have enjoyed these recipes.

Pumpkin Bars with Marcona Almonds

From Better Homes and Garden - November 2014

Pork and Squash Enchilladas

From Better Homes and Garden November 2014

Hidden Valley Original Ranch Spinach Dip

From Better Homes and Garden - November 2014

Many people might take for granted that this will appear on the packaging of the ranch dip every year but I learned a long time ago that at some point they will stop that practice so it is best to have it in your recipe box.  This blog is like my recipe box so here it is.

New Ways with Mixed Greens

From Better Homes and Garden November 2014

Black Bean Chicken Quinoa Chili

From Better Homes and Garden November 2014

Savory Collard Greens

From Better Homes and Garden - November 2014

Queso Blanco Dip

From Better Homes and Garden - November 2014

Garlic Rosemary Dressing

From Better Homes and Garden November 2014

Frittata Idea and Toasted Seasoning Salt

From Better Home and Garden November 2014

Cream Cheese Mashers with Kale Pesto

From Better Homes and Garden - November 2014

Caramelized Veggie Lentil Salad

From Better Homes and Garden - November 2014

Recipes from BUSH's

I was going through a magazine the other day and noticed that BUSH's , as in Bush's baked beans people, had a recipe site with what they call recipe math.

recipemath.com

These recipes came from there and sounded good to me.

Baked Eggs with Buffalo Chicken Hash by MyFitnessPal

Baked Eggs with Buffalo Chicken Hash

Ingredients

• 1 cup cubed Potatoes
• 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1/2 small Onion, chopped (approx. 1/4 cup)
• 2/3 cup Red Pepper, thinly sliced
• 2 teaspoons Garlic, minced
• 2 links (approx. 70 grams each) Chicken Sausage, sliced (certified gluten-free if necessary)
• 1/8 teaspoon Black Pepper
• 1/2 cup reduced-fat shredded Cheddar Cheese
• 4 large Eggs

For Garnish:

• 1 tablespoon Buffalo Wing Sauce (certified gluten-free if necessary)
• 1 stalk Green Onion, sliced

Directions

Heat your oven to 400°F.

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and cook the cubed potatoes until they are just fork tender, about 3-4 minutes. Drain and set aside.

In a large pan, heat the olive oil up on medium heat. Cook the potatoes, onion and red pepper until lightly golden and soft, about 4-5 minutes.

Add in the garlic, chicken sausage and salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the sausage is lightly browned. Let sit for 5 minutes to caramelize the bottom.

Sprinkle the grated cheese on and stir to mix it into the potato mixture.

Make four wells in the hash and gently crack the eggs into them. Bake until the eggs are cooked as much as you like them-–runny eggs will take about 4-5 minutes.

Drizzle with buffalo sauce, sprinkle with diced green onion and serve.

Nutrition Information

Serves:  4 |  Serving Size: 1/4 of dish

Per serving: Calories: 245; 

Total Fat: 14g; 

Saturated Fat: 5g; 

Monounsaturated Fat: 5g ; 

Cholesterol: 256mg; 

Sodium: 500mg; 

Total Carbohydrates: 13g; 

Dietary Fiber: 4g; 

Sugars: 1g; 

Protein: 18g

Nutrition Bonus: Potassium: 347mg; Vitamin A: 24%; Vitamin C: 92%; Calcium: 14%; Iron: 11%

Cooking and grocery shopping

First of all I want to say thank you to my niece in law Jessica.  She took me shopping on Friday which turned out to be her 16th Wedding Anniversary.  They still had time to go out and celebrate which is a feat in itself since they have 5 children.

When I went grocery shopping I managed to get a good deal on green peppers, onions, carrots, zucchini and mushrooms.  I couldn't help but buy those and it was a good feeling.  So now I had all of those veggies and they would all go bad around the same time if I didn't do something about it.  This is the reason why I love my vacuum sealer.  I pulled it out and cut up my veggies and now I have a bag of green peppers, zucchini, and onions in the freezer.  I didn't put them all there because I also decided to make some soup.

I had a can of chicken stock so in the crock pot it went and soon a bag of carrots joined it plus some zucchini and mushrooms.  I cooked that until the carrots were almost cooked and then added in some pre cooked smoked chicken strips that I had also bought.  Then I thought it needed something else so in went a cup of wild rice.  It turned out pretty good and now I have soup for later in the week.

I also have veggies in the freezer so it's a win win.

Later this week I will be posting a lot of recipes because they are sure popping up lately.  It's that time of the year.  :)

Everybody have fun and keep checking back.

Tortillas - LOVE THEM!

I made some tortillas today and continue to love them.  This is my second time that I've made tortillas from scratch and this time they turned out a lot better.  Here is a picture of how it turned out.

I think next time I make them I will try to do wheat or corn tortillas.    In case anybody wants to try these, here is the recipe:

2 cups flour

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking POWDER

3 TBS shortening (I used crisco)

3/4 cup water

1.  Mix flour, salt and baking powder with a fork

2.  Add shortening and continue to mix until you get coarse crumbs

3.  Make well in center of mixture and add water.

4.  slowly incorporate dry and wet until dough starts to form.

5.  place dough on floured surface and kneed for several minutes until dough is nice and smooth .

6.  cover and let sit for 30 minutes

7.  Divide dough into quarters

    than divide each quarter into 3rds (total of 12 pieces)

8.  roll out each portion into a 6-7" circle

9.  cook in skillet over med hi heat for about 2 minutes each side

10. remove to plate and cover with towel

California Tortilla Pizzas

California Tortilla Pizzas

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
2 (6 inch) flour tortillas (or whole wheat tortillas)
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tomato, sliced
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C).
Heat oil in a small skillet over medium heat; cook and stir onion and green pepper until tender, about 5 minutes.

Place tortillas on an ungreased baking sheet. Top with onion mixture, oregano, garlic powder, tomato, and mozzarella cheese.
Bake in preheated oven until cheese is melted, 8 to 10 minutes. Cut each pizza into four wedges.