Publisher's Desk...
Good morning to one and all. I hope you are well on this fine Monday morning. Our weather here in Texas, just south of Houston, is wonderful. The children in this area are off for Spring Break, including my own. I wonder what rich people do with their kids during this time away from school? For us ???poor folks??? we certainly scramble to make sure there is something to occupy their time. When I was a kid, just being away from the duties of school was reward enough. Nowadays, kids are ???bored???. Many are flocking to the malls, skating rinks, and theaters to be with their friends. I still must work during this time and try my level best not to drop off my kids for others to watch. Can you imagine WORKING at one of the places filled with the children of those parents who do? No way.
I hope you enjoyed yesterday??™s theme issue dedicated to Saint Patrick. We have a pretty good one for you today which I hope you will enjoy. A to Z Recipes newsletter is (by far!) not the biggest on the ???net. Maybe not the best, either. But, it is the very best I can do for you daily. I hope you find something in each issue that makes the newsletter worthwhile receiving.
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Ramblings...
Change Your Thinking a Few Degrees
By Patricia Fripp*, CSP, CPAE
One Sunday morning, I was running in the Marina District of San Francisco with a psychiatrist friend of mine, David Leof. We jogged along the bay from the Marina Green to the Golden Gate Bridge and back again.
Afterward, we were walking to cool down. The sky was clear and full of seagulls, the water was blue and full of boats, and the bridge arched over the entrance to the harbor. As we turned back toward our car, the picture changed completely, now a vista of greenery, kites, joggers stretching, and rows of neat Spanish-style houses.
David said, "You see what we've just done, Patricia? We have just turned around a few degrees, and it's like we're looking at two totally different cities. The good thing about my practice is that people only have to change their thinking a few degrees to have totally different lives."
We've all heard people say, "Well, it's not working where I am. I think I'm going to move to another state, divorce my spouse, sell my children, go into a different line of business, lose fifty pounds, or bleach my hair blonde, and then my life will work." When it comes to good mental health, sometimes what we really need to do is realize what we already have to be grateful for. Just change your thinking a few degrees. The next time you feel stale or frustrated, look at where you are and what you have from a slightly different angle.
Very often people get bogged down with their everyday trials and tribulations. On the tough days, try David's advice. Change your thinking a few degrees. Stop for just sixty seconds and focus on the things that make you proud and happy. It can be more uplifting than a week's vacation!
*About the Author:
Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE is a San Francisco-based executive speech coach, sales trainer, and award-winning professional speaker on Change, Customer Service, Promoting Business, and Communication Skills. She is the author of Get What You Want!, Make It, So You Don't Have to Fake It!, and Past-President of the National Speakers Association. She can be reached at: PFripp@Fripp.com, 1-800 634-3035, http://www.fripp.com
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Did You Know?...
Cutting Food Costs: Saving Time vs. Money
By Rachel Paxton*
When I first started consciously cutting back on my household expenses, reducing my grocery bill was one of my highest priorities. After I got married and started juggling my career, my marriage, and the responsibilities of being a parent, however, I had to rethink some of my ways of doing things.
You may think that if you make everything from scratch that you will save a lot of money at the grocery store every month. In a lot of cases, this may be true. When you prepare your own meals you will often see an immediate cost savings per portion and perhaps an overall increase in nutritional value as an added bonus. So what if you don't have the time to cook?
That's a good question, and one that cannot easily be answered. If you only buy prepackaged foods to save you time in the kitchen you're definitely going to end up spending more money than necessary. I would suggest that you might be able to find a happy medium.
Every week I think to myself that it would sure be nice to make some homemade cookies for my daughter to have for snacks during the next week. About once every 2 months or so I might actually make them, but most of the time I choose not to because it would take up a Sunday afternoon that I'd like to use to do other things. Would it save me money to make the cookies myself? Sure, if the alternative would be to buy a $4 package of Oreos. However, when Oreos go on sale for $1.99 or less a package, I'll stock up on a few and know that my money was wisely spent, while also freeing up my time for other things. Better yet, once a month or so we might go to Wal-Mart and stock up on Little Debbie snacks that average about $1 a box. You could hardly make a batch of cookies for $1. Now don't get me wrong,
I love to bake and enjoy a homemade cookie as much as anyone else. It's just not always the best use of my time and/or money.
Recently my mother-in-law and I were discussing the price of chili. We had found some on sale for .99 a can and thought that was a pretty good deal. For that price I probably wouldn't take the time to make it. The regular price was $1.30 - $1.50 a can, and I just couldn't justify paying that much for it. I'd just do without or make a pot of chili myself and freeze some for later. My husband's aunt overheard our conversation and commented that she had bought a case of chili on sale for .59 a can! I sure wouldn't have passed that deal up.
You just have to watch prices on your favorite items and purchase them when they go on sale. You have to be somewhat flexible, however, and be willing to purchase alternate items or do more cooking when prices are high.
It's all a matter of priorities. If you have the time and enjoy spending time in the kitchen, then by all means cook from scratch whenever you can. I sure do. On the other hand, if you have days like me where you come home from a long day at work wondering what to fix quick for dinner, you might consider balancing the amount you're spending on groceries with the time you will save yourself in the kitchen by stocking up on a few convenience items, like Tuna Helper or prepared spaghetti sauce. I've found that I'm saving even more money than ever before by buying these convenience foods when on they're on sale, while also making things from scratch when I have the time. Just keep your options open and you will find what works best for you.
*Originally published at Suite 101. Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom who is the author of What's for Dinner?, an e-cookbook containing more than 250 quick easy dinner ideas.
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Discussion Forum
Our discussion forum at QuickTopic for our topic "Eating and Cooking Healthier" is well under way. To join in (or just to read) use your web browser to go to:
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Maybe once you get to the site using the above link, you could add it to favorites. Links that are easy to find are more likely to be used again.
Next Monthly Theme...
Five Ingredients Or Less Recipes
I believe this is a GREAT theme topic, don't you? I had been toying with the idea and then Mary from Nashville, TN solidified things for me when she sent me a slew of great recipes compiled when her local group had their theme of using 5 ingredients or less. Yes, we all enjoy preparing those more complex recipes and serving up something unique (if not spectacular!) to our family and friends. However, there is much to be said in "less is best". Do you have a recipe or two that require 5 ingredients or less to prepare? You know...the ones you rely on when time (or money) is at a minimum and hunger is high? How about that recipe that is so simple ingredient-wise but produces such fabulous results? Please share them with us in what could be a superb theme issue. Now, here is the NEW
set of rules:
A to Z Recipes continues with its popular Theme Issues. We will share theme recipes and post them on the first Sunday of each month. Send your recipes no later than the last Friday of each month to have them posted in the next monthly theme issue. You may send in TWO of your favorite theme recipes in ONE email. If the number of recipes exceeds those needed in the issue, the publisher will post as many from every submitter as possible and save the remaining recipes for the following Sundays of that month. The rules for recipe submissions for the monthly theme issues are the same as ALL recipes submitted for posting.
The rules are as follows:
As a service to your fellow readers, please send only recipes that are in a form that others could easily copy and save for their own use. Recipes that would require a lot of editing or cleaning up or use non-standard measurements should not be submitted. Recipes without a name and location of sender may NOT be posted or posted without any credit given. There will be NO recipes posted that are from other recipe-zines. A to Z Recipes protects the privacy of its readers and does NOT publish email addresses. There will be no exceptions.
The deadline for April's theme issue is Friday, March 26th.
Theme recipes must have subject: "Five Ingredients Or Less Recipes" and will be posted on Sunday, April 4th.
As usual, only recipes are to be sent to: A to Z Recipes Inbox
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Crazy Corner...
What Do I Wear
A man, called to an audit by the IRS, asked his accountant for advice on what to wear. 'Wear your shabbiest clothing. Let him think you are a pauper.'
Then he asked his lawyer the same question, but got the opposite advice. 'Do not let them intimidate you. Wear your most elegant suit and tie.'
Confused, the man went to his rabbi, told him of the conflicting advice, and requested some resolution of the dilemma. 'Let me tell you a story,' replied the rabbi. 'A woman, about to be married, asked her mother what to wear on her wedding night. 'Wear a heavy, long, flannel nightgown that goes right up to your neck.' But when she asked her best friend, she got conflicting advice. 'Wear your most sexy negligee, with a V neck right down to your navel.'
The man protested: 'What does all this have to do with my problem with the IRS?'
'No matter what you wear, you are going to get screwed.'
The Suppository Incident
A man went to see his doctor. He had a bad case of piles, causing him excruciating pain. The doctor gave him a case of suppositories. The doctor asked the man if he would like him to put the first one in for him. A little embarrassed, the man agreed. He bent over and held his breath. He felt a sharp pain, and then the doctor said, "Right, you??™re done. Insert the next one in about five hours. If you can't mange it yourself, ask your wife to give you a hand."
The man went home and lay down to recover from the experience. About five hours later, he tried to put the suppository in himself, but he couldn't get the angle quite right, so he asked his wife to help him. She told him to bend over, and put a hand on his shoulder to steady him. When she stuck it in him, he let out a scream.
"Sorry! Did I hurt you? I was as gentle as I could be," his wife said.
"It's not that," he said. He stood up and looked at her. His face was as white as a ghost.
His wife asked him, "What is it then?"
He replied, "When the doctor did it for me, he had both his hands on my shoulders."
Alzheimer??™s Or Aids
A woman went to the doctor's office for a physical. The doctor took a blood sample and told her to return in one week for the results.
One week later, she and her husband returned to the doctor's office. The doctor took the husband aside and told him, "Sir, I'm afraid I have some bad news. We accidentally mixed your wife's blood sample with another patient's, and we have no idea whose is whose. The bad news is one has Alzheimer's disease, and the other has AIDS. I want you to come back in another week and by then I should have it all sorted out."
The man looked scared and said, "That's terrible, doc, what should I do until then?"
"Well, when you're driving home today, drop her off two blocks away from your house. If she makes it home, don't have sex with her!"
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My Recipe Favorites...
CHILE TUNA SEA SHELLS
Ingredients:
6 Green chiles, skinned, Seeds removed, chopped
4 Green onions, chopped
1/4 c Green olives, sliced
2 tb Prepared chile sauce
1/2 lb Sea shell macaroni
1 cn White tuna, drained and Flaked
1 Avocado, peeled, pit Removed, chopped
4 c Mayonnaise
2 Sprigs cilantro, chopped
2 ts Prepared horseradish sauce
Preparation:
Cook the macaroni in 4 quarts of salted water until just done but still firm. Drain and rinse in cold water. Combine all the ingredients, except the avocado and cilantro, and allow to sit for 2 hours to blend the flavors. Garnish with the avocado and cilantro and serve.
Serves: 4
BBQ MEATLOAF AUSSIE STYLE
Ingredients:
1 lb Ground beef - lean
1/2 c Water
1 lb Sausage stuffing
1 tb Parsley - chopped
1 c Breadcrumbs - fine
1 Egg - beaten
2 Onions - medium, chopped
1 each Clove - crushed Fine
1/2 c Milk
1 tb Curry powder
Salt and pepper to taste
SAUCE
1 Onion - chopped very fine
2 tb Vinegar
1/4 c Water
1 tb Instant coffee
1/2 c Ketchup
1/4 c Brown sugar - packed
1/4 c Dry red wine OR beef stock
1 oz Margarine
1/4 c Worcestershire sauce -Lea & Perrins
2 ts Lemon juice
Preparation:
Combine meats, breadcrumbs, onions, salt, pepper, garlic, parsley, curry and egg in large bowl. Mix well. Mix milk and water and add to meat mixture a little at a time until smooth but firm. Shape into loaf and put into greased baking pan. Bake 30 minutes at 375F. SAUCE: Saute onions in margarine until golden and add all other ingredients. Bring slowly to a boil, lower heat and simmer 10 to 15 minutes. (Great with ribs or chicken). After loaf has cooked for 30 minutes, pour half of the sauce over the meat, return to oven and bake 45 minutes more, basting often with remaining sauce. Serve loaf hot in thick slices with remaining sauce. Also makes great sandwiches.
Serves: 8
ORANGE AND ONION SALAD
Ingredients:
6 large oranges
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup black olives
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
Ground black pepper to taste
Preparation:
1. Peel the oranges and cut each one into 4 or 5 crosswise slices. Transfer them to a shallow serving dish and sprinkle them with the vinegar, olive oil, and oregano. Toss gently, cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. 2. Toss the oranges again, arrange the sliced onion and black olives over them decoratively, sprinkle with chives and grind on fresh pepper.
Serves: 6
MARINATED MUSHROOMS
Ingredients:
1 c White wine
1/2 c White wine vinegar
2 tb Brown sugar
2 ea Cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c Sliced green onion
1/4 c Diced red pepper
1 ts Hot red pepper flakes
1 lb Small fresh mushrooms, trimmed
1/2 ts Salt
1/4 ts Ground black pepper
1/2 ts Oregano leaves
Preparation:
Combine wine, vinegar, sugar, garlic, green onion, red pepper and red pepper flakes in 8 cup microwaveable casserole. Cover; microwave at high 3 to 5 minutes or until mixture is simmering. Add mushrooms. Cover; microwave at high 6 to 8 minutes or until mushrooms are tender but not mushy. Stir partway through cooking. Stir in salt, oregano and pepper. Let stand, covered, for 30 minutes. Transfer to covered jar or container. Refrigerate up to 1 week.
Serves: 8
OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES
Ingredients:
1/2 c Margarine; softened
2 ts Cinnamon
1/2 c Shortening 1 c Brown sugar, lt; packed
1/8 ts Ginger
1/2 c Sugar
1 1/2 c Flour; unsifted
2 ea Eggs
1 ts Baking soda
2 tb Water
1 ts Salt
2 tb Corn syrup, lt
3 c Oats, old fashioned
2 ts Vanilla
1 c Raisins
***Yield 48***
Preparation:
Cream margarine, shortening, sugars, eggs, corn syrup, water, and vanilla; beat well. Combine flour baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture. Beat well; stir in oats and raisins. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350 deg for 15 min. Cool slightly on sheet before removing to cooling racks.
Serves: 20
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Heart Healthy...
FRENCH ONION BURGERS
2 tsp. vegetable oil
2 cups chopped onion
1 pound ground round
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
1 tsp. salt
4 (1.5 oz.) French bread rolls or hamburger buns, split and toasted
4 tsp. fat-free French or blue cheese salad dressing
1. Heat oil in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; saute 10 minutes or until tender. Spoon onion into a bowl; let cool.
2. Add beef, pepper, and egg white to onion, and stir well. Divide beef mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping into 3/4-inch-thick patties.
3. Sprinkle salt evenly over surface of skillet. Heat salt in skillet over high heat 2 minutes. Add patties. Cook 5 minutes on each side, or until done. Place patties on bottom halves of rolls. Top each with 1 teaspoon French dressing and top halves of buns.
Nutritional values per serving: 340 calories (21 percent from fat), 7.8g fat (2.4g sat, 3g mono, 1.8g poly); 31.6g protein, 33.1g carbohydrate, 2.3g fiber, 66mg cholesterol, 3.5mg iron, 957mg sodium and 40mg calcium.
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For Two...
SWISS-SAUCED BROCCOLI
Ingredients:
6 oz Fresh Broccoli
1 x Dash Salt
2 tb Water
1 x Dash White Pepper
1/8 ts Salt
1/3 c Milk
2 ts Butter Or Margarine
1/4 c Shredded Swiss Cheese
1 1/2 ts Unbleached Flour
Preparation:
Wash broccoli; remove outer leaves and tough part of stalks. Cut broccoli stalks lengthwise into uniform spears, following the branching lines. In a 1-quart casserole combine broccoli, water and 1/8 t salt. Micro-cook, covered, on 100% power for 5 to 6 minutes or just till tender. Let stand, covered, while preparing sauce. For sauce, in a 1-cup measure micro-cook butter or margarine, uncovered, on 100% power for 30 to 45 seconds or till melted. Stir in flour, dash salt, and pepper. Stir in milk. Micro-cook, uncovered, on 100% power for 1 to 2 minutes or till thickened and bubbly, stirring every 30 seconds. Stir in shredded Swiss cheese till melted. Drain Broccoli. Serve sauce atop broccoli.
Serves: 2
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Publisher's Choice...
POTATOES ROASTED WITH OLIVE OIL AND BAY LEAVES
(See web version of newsletter for
photo!)
8 medium-size red-skinned potatoes
1/2 cup olive oil
40 small bay leaves
1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
2 teaspoons herbes de Provence*
1 1/2 teaspoons coarsely cracked black pepper
Preheat oven to 350?°F. Using small sharp knife and working on 1 potato,
make 5 crosswise vertical cuts, spaced evenly apart, from 1 side to other
side (do not cut through). Place potato in 13x9x2-inch broiler-proof baking
dish. Repeat with remaining potatoes. Add some of oil to dish and toss
potatoes to coat. Slide 1 bay leaf into each cut in each potato. Mix salt,
herbs, and pepper in small bowl and sprinkle over potatoes. Roast potatoes
until tender, about 55 minutes. Remove dish from oven. Preheat broiler.
Drizzle remaining oil over potatoes. Broil until potatoes begin to brown, about
4 minutes.
*A dried herb mixture available at specialty foods stores and in the spice
section of some supermarkets. A combination of dried thyme, basil, savory,
and fennel seeds can be substituted.
Makes 6 servings.
Bon App?©tit - June 2003
Sabatier Precision 38-Piece Knife Block and Tool Set
Knife set includes 16 knives, fork, shears, steel in a wood block
Utensil set includes nine plastic utensils in stainless-steel holder
Also includes set of four each stainless-steel measuring cups and spoons
High-carbon stainless-steel blades on knives; full tangs
Lifetime limited warranty on cutlery
List Price: $380.00
Price: $39.99
You Save: $340.01 (89%)
This item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping.
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