Publisher's Desk...
Good morning and what a gorgeous day we should have here in Texas. The rain
has stopped (subject to change) and it should be getting cooler (also subject to
change). They say if you don't like the weather in Texas, wait five
minutes...it'll change. My youngest daughter, Angela, performs tonight and
tomorrow night in a school play. I DO hope she has spent as much time on
her lines as she has her wardrobe, lol. Kids! She displays the same attitude
about school. They had State (student academic) testing all week and the only
difference in her I could see was making sure she had the right outfit to wear
each day, lol. Maybe wearing a uniform to work has altered my sense of style,
who knows. I don't have to worry about such things as often. And, of course, I
am not 15 years old.
Today's issue is brought to you by the kindness of several participants. The
recipes appear delish and the other items are great. The Crazy Corner
certainly lives up to its name, lol. Oh! Don't forget to take a "look-see" at
the Discussion Forum for a great new topic and chance to meet up with
fellow a2z family members (and yours truly) in our upcoming "A to Z Recipes
Family Reunion". Also, Friday is the final day for submitting your
"Recipes Mom Used To Make". While I have not received as many as I had
hoped, we certainly have some that will make Sunday's special edition a
wonderful one. Don't worry, I have been putting off getting my own together
because, until I reached adulthood, my mother was NOT a great cook. This
is the absolute truth: a "well-seasoned dish" meant salt and pepper to her.
There were valid reasons for this which I will share with you Sunday.
Now...shouldn't you share with me? Thanks!
Have a wonderful day. I am supposed to be off from work but will work a
graveyard shift as soon as Angela's play ends. Then there??™s a slew of things for
me to do (I call them Mommy-do's) tomorrow which means...you guessed it! NO
SLEEP. But, I can play catch-up Sunday after Mass. See you tomorrow!
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Enjoy!
Ramblings...
It's In The Valleys I Grow
Shared by Julie, TX
Sometimes life seems hard to bear,
Full of sorrow, trouble and woe
It's then I have to remember
That it's in the valleys I grow.
If I always stayed on the mountain top
And never experienced pain,
I would never appreciate God's love
And would be living in vain.
I have so much to learn
And my growth is very slow,
Sometimes I need the mountain tops,
But, it's in the valleys I grow.
I do not always understand
Why things happen as they do,
But I am very sure of one thing.
My Lord will see me through.
My little valleys are nothing
When I picture Christ on the cross
He went through the valley of death;
His victory was Satan's loss.
Forgive me Lord, for complaining
When I'm feeling so very low.
Just give me a gentle reminder
That it's in the valleys I grow.
Continue to strengthen me, Lord
And use my life each day
To share your love with others
And help them find their way.
Thank you for valleys, Lord
For this one thing I know
The mountain tops are glorious
But, it's in the valleys I grow!
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Did You Know?...
Substituting Ingredients
Adapted From: Cooking For Dummies, 2nd Edition available at ![]()
Dummies.com.
Say you're making a vinaigrette dressing for a salad and suddenly realize
that you're out of vinegar. But you do have lemons, which are an acceptable
substitute. How much lemon do you use? Or you may not have whole milk for a
gratin dish, but you do have skim milk. Is skim milk okay? Situations like these
are what the following remedies are all about.
Some ingredients are almost always interchangeable: For example, you can
substitute vegetable or olive oil in most cases for butter when saut?©ing or pan
frying; lemon juice for vinegar in salad dressings and marinades; almonds for
walnuts in baked breads and muffins; vegetable stock for beef or chicken stock
in soups, stews, or sauces; and light cream for half-and-half.
But sometimes there is no acceptable substitution for an ingredient. Other
times, the substitution is very exact and specific. This is most often the case
for baked goods, where you need to follow a formula to produce a cake, souffl?©,
pastry, or bread with the perfect height, density, and texture.
Most of the following substitutions are for emergency situations only ??” when you
have run out of an essential ingredient and need a very specific replacement.
For thickening soups, stews, and sauces:
1 tablespoon cornstarch or potato flour = 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon arrowroot = 2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
For flour:
l cup minus 2 tablespoons sifted all-purpose flour = l cup sifted cake flour
l cup plus 2 tablespoons sifted cake flour = l cup sifted all-purpose flour
l cup sifted self-rising flour = l cup sifted all-purpose flour plus 1 1/4
teaspoons baking powder and a pinch of salt
For leavening agents in baked goods:
1/4 teaspoon baking soda plus 1/3 teaspoon cream of tartar = l teaspoon
double-acting baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda plus 1/2 cup buttermilk or yogurt = l teaspoon
double-acting baking powder in liquid mixtures only; reduce liquid in recipe by
1/2 cup
For dairy products:
l cup whole milk = 1/2 cup unsweetened evaporated milk plus 1/2 cup water
or l cup skim milk plus 2 teaspoons melted butter
or l cup water plus 1/3 cup powdered milk
or l cup soy milk
or l cup buttermilk plus 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup whole milk plus 1/3 cup melted butter = l cup heavy cream (but not for
making whipped cream)
l cup skim milk =1 cup water plus 1/4 cup nonfat powdered milk
or 1/2 cup evaporated skim milk plus 1/3 cup water
l cup sour milk = l cup buttermilk or plain yogurt
or l cup minus 1 tablespoon milk, plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice
or white vinegar after standing 5 to 10 minutes
l cup sour cream = l cup plain yogurt
For eggs:
2 egg yolks = l egg for thickening sauces and custards
4 extra-large eggs = 5 large eggs or 6 small eggs
For sweetening:
l cup sugar = l cup molasses (or honey) plus 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
l cup brown sugar = l cup white sugar plus 1 1/2 tablespoons molasses
Miscellaneous substitutions:
1 cup broth or stock = l bouillon cube dissolved in l cup boiling water
1 square (1 ounce) unsweetened chocolate = 3 tablespoons cocoa plus 1 tablespoon
butter, margarine, or vegetable shortening
1 square (1 ounce) semisweet chocolate = 3 tablespoons cocoa plus 1 tablespoon
butter, margarine, or vegetable shortening plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 2- to 3-inch piece of vanilla bean = 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
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The Mail Box...
Welcome to The Mail Box where a2z family members may send mail for all to read. It is expected that opinions, suggestions, etc. posted here be done with kindness and respect for all involved. If you have a message for the group, please send it to maggieblackwell@hotmail.com with "Mail Box" as subject. As in ALL items for posting, your first name and location must be included in the message. Posting is at the discretion of the publisher.
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MY favorite place to shop!
Discussion Forum
Some plans...
My family is planning a road trip in late June and I'd love to meet some of you along the way. We will be driving to Florida (from the Houston, Texas area). We had wanted to take this trip last year and could not afford to (not that we can now, lol). Unfortunately, the person my children most wanted to see for the first time in their lives, their paternal grandfather, died a few weeks ago. I'd like to ensure that they see the remaining relatives while all enjoy good health. I want very much to stop in Biloxi, New Orleans, and Orlando. If you live near one of those cities, maybe some of us can finally meet, face to face. I will disclose more details, including the exact dates (tentatively starting June 22nd) as soon as I can. As plans are finalized and disclosed, interested parties may
discuss it forum-style. I have established an area called "Discuss a2z Family Reunion" in QuickTalk. If this works out, we can do another one but perhaps to the west coast area. How wonderful it would be if more of us could meet, huh? Without exception, every person I have met through a2z has been wonderful. It is too nice an experience not to share!
Discuss a2z Family Reunion
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:
A to Z Recipes Discussion Forum
You don't have to register or sign in, and you can choose to receive email for newly posted messages -- just click the
Subscribe button when you get there.
NOTE:
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...
Recipes Mom Used to Make
Did you swear by your Mom??™s Chicken and Dumplings? Was her Meatloaf simply the best in the world? How about the way she used to make creamy Rice Pudding? Perhaps your Mother??™s prize recipe was one handed down to her by her own Mother and she shared it with you. This topic should yield some of the finest theme recipes since A to Z Recipes began as we hope to share precious memories from our childhood with the ???family??? here. When you send along your prized favorites, I hope you will also share something about yourself, your Mother, and how the family reacted to the recipe being served. I love this theme and hope you will too...maybe enough to pass along a couple of your favorites with all of us? In honor of Mother??™s Day, please send along your ???Recipes Mom Used to Make???. My thanks go to
Pam H. from Swanton, OH, for the great theme idea! 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 and 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 May's theme issue is Friday, April 30th.
Theme recipes must have subject: "Recipes Mom Used to Make" and will be posted on Sunday, May 2nd.
As usual, only recipes are to be sent to: A to Z Recipes Inbox
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Crazy Corner...
Actually Taken From Classified Ads In Newspapers:
Shared by Stoney, New Hope, WV
FREE YORKSHIRE TERRIER. 8 years old. Hateful little dog. Bites
--------------------
FREE PUPPIES:
1/2 Cocker Spaniel, 1/2 sneaky neighbor's dog
--------------------
FREE PUPPIES... Part German Shepherd, part stupid dog
--------------------
GERMAN SHEPHERD
85 lbs. Neutered. Speaks German. Free
--------------------
FOUND: DIRTY WHITE DOG.
Looks like a rat ... been out awhile...better be reward.
--------------------
COWS, CALVES, NEVER BRED...Also 1 gay bull for sale.
--------------------
NORDIC TRACK $300 Hardly used, call Chubby
--------------------
GEORGIA PEACHES, California grown - 89 cents lb.
--------------------
NICE PARACHUTE: Never opened - used once
--------------------
JOINING NUDIST COLONY! - Must sell washer and dryer $300
-------------------
AND THE LAST ONE
FOR SALE BY OWNER: Complete set of Encyclopedia Britannica. 45 volumes.
Excellent condition. $1,000 or best offer. No longer needed. Got married last
month. Wife knows everything.
Women's Wisdom
Shared by Judy, Warren, MI
Barbara Walters of 60 Minutes (USA) did a story on gender roles in Kabul several
years before the Afghan conflict. She noted that women customarily walked about
5 paces behind their husbands. She returned to Kabul recently and observed that
women still walk behind their husbands, but now seem to walk even further back
and are happy with the old custom.
Ms. Walters approached one of the Afghani women and asked, "Why do you now seem
happy with the old custom that you used to try and change?"
"Land mines," said the woman.
Billy Bob and Luther
Shared by Larry, Ontario, Canada
Billy Bob and Luther were talking one afternoon when Billy Bob tells Luther, "Ya
know, I reckon I'm 'bout ready for a vacation. Only this year I'm gonna do it a little different!"
"The last few years, I took your advice about where to go."
"Three years ago you said to go to Hawaii. I went to Hawaii and Earline got
pregnant."
"Then two years ago, you told me to go to the Bahamas, and Earline got pregnant
again."
"Last year you suggested Tahiti and darned if Earline didn't get pregnant
again."
Luther asks Billy Bob, "So, what you gonna do this year that's different?"
Billy Bob says, "This year I'm taking Earline with me."
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Love is not blind.
That's why they make lingerie...
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Your Favorites...
COOL APPLE PIE
~Submitted by Pat, Auburn, WA
Prep time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
1 graham cracker pie crust
1 can (21 oz.) canned apple pie filling
1 container (8 oz.) fat-free whipped topping
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
Directions
In a large mixing bowl, gently fold together whipped topping, apple pie filling,
cinnamon and nuts.
Spoon into pie crust, mounding filling toward center. Cover with plastic wrap
and freeze overnight or until firm.
To serve, do NOT thaw.
Makes 8 servings.
Refrigerate leftovers.
MICRO PEANUT BRITTLE
~Submitted by Linda, CA
1 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of Karo syrup
1 cup of salted cocktail peanuts
1 T. butter
!t. vanilla
1 t. baking soda
Mix together the sugar and the Karo. Microwave on high for 5 minutes. Add the
peanuts, and microwave 3-3 1/2 minutes on high until light caramel in color.
Stir in the butter, vanilla and baking soda. Spread on a well oiled cookie
sheet. This is quick and our favorite candy to make.
APPLE CIDER CUPCAKES
~Submitted by Tena, MO
3 cups unpasteurized apple cider
?? cup vegetable shortening
1 ?? cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups flour, sifted
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
Icing:
2 cups apple cider
6 ounces cream cheese, cut up and softened
?? cup powdered sugar
Cupcakes: Boil cider until it is reduced to about 1 ?? cups and let cool. Bet
shortening and sugar until fluffy and beat in eggs one at a time. Add flour,
cloves, cinnamon, baking soda, pinch of salt and stir in with reduced cider.
Divide batter between 18 paper-lined muffin tins and bake at 375F for 25
minutes. Cool.
Icing: Boil cider until reduced to about ?? cup and let cool. Beat cream cheese,
sugar and cider and pinch of salt until smooth. Spread each cupcake with some of
the icing.
MARY HUMELSINE'S MINCEMEAT
Makes approximately 7 quarts
~Submitted by Kel, GA
2 pounds lean beef cubes
1 pound beef suet
5 pounds apples, peeled and cored and cut in quarters
2 1/2 pounds raisins
2 pounds currants
1/2 pound citron, finely chopped
2 pounds brown sugar
3 pints apple cider
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 tablespoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon allspice
salt to taste
Cook the beef in water to cover until tender. Put cooked beef, suet and apples
through coarse blade of meat grinder. Mix all ingredients together and pack
tightly in sterilized jars (some liquid may be left over). This will keep in
refrigerator, up to a year, or can be frozen. Use in any recipe calling for
mincemeat.
PUMPKIN-CHEESE LOG
Serves 10
~Submitted by Larry Holmes, Ontario, Canada
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup mashed pumpkin (canned)
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
?? cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
?? teaspoon nutmeg
?? teaspoon allspice
?? teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped pecans
powdered sugar
Cheese Filling:
8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1 ?? cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 375?° F. Grease a 15 ??"x10 ??"x 1" jelly-roll pan. Line with
baking parchment or waxed paper and spray the paper with cooking spray.
In mixing bowl, with electric mixer, beat eggs and sugar until thick and creamy,
approximately 4 minutes. Mix in pumpkin and lemon juice.
In a separate bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients, except the nuts and powdered
sugar. Fold into pumpkin mixture. Pour into prepared pan. Smooth batter.
Sprinkle chopped nuts over batter. Bake for approximately 14 minutes. Cake
should spring back when lightly pressed with finger.
Once cake is in the oven, place a clean dish towel on a flat surface. Sprinkle
with powdered sugar until covered, but not too thick. Remove cake from oven and
immediately place cake upside down on towel. Remove paper and roll up cake in
the towel starting from the narrow end, and set aside, seam-side down. Allow to
cool completely.
While cake is cooling, mix together cream cheese and butter until light and
fluffy. Mix in powdered sugar and vanilla. When cake is cool, unroll and remove
towel. Spread cheese filling over the top of the cake, making sure that you
spread all the way to the ends. Roll up the cake again and place seam side down.
Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
Note: Cake may be wrapped in foil and frozen.
Source: Grandma Doralee Patinkin's Holi
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Heart Healthy...
ASPARAGUS COMPANY CASSEROLE
Low Carb
This casserole is a lovely dish to make ahead and refrigerate until your
guests arrive.
2 pounds fresh asparagus
?? cup heavy cream
?? cup sour cream (not fat-free)
1/3 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
dash cayenne pepper
Topping :
2 tablespoons roasted sunflower kernels
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 inch square casserole with butter
or non-stick spray. Set aside.
Rinse the asparagus spears, snapping the woody ends from each spear. Discard the
ends. If desired, remove the nibs from the sides of each spear with a small
paring knife. You can also peel the asparagus, but you will lose some of the
volume of the vegetable.
Lay the spears in the casserole, all turned the same way. Set aside.
In a small bowl, mix together the heavy cream, sour cream, 1/3 cup of the
parmesan cheese, and the cayenne pepper. Spoon the mixture evenly over the
asparagus. Cover with foil, but leave one edge vented, so that the juices can
evaporate. Bake for 30 minutes. Combine the topping ingredients while the
asparagus bakes.
Remove the foil after the 30 minutes of baking. Sprinkle the topping evenly over
the casserole. Place the dish under the broiler for about 1 minute, just until
the topping begins to brown. Remove from oven and serve.
Makes 6 servings.
1 serving: 8 g. fat, 9 g. carb, 4 g. fiber, 8 g. protein, 134 calories
Exchanges: 1/2 lean meat, 1-1/2 vegetable, 1-1/2 fat
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For Two...
CHICKEN 'N' GINGER BREAST
Ingredients:
Chicken breast - 2 ( 200g raw weight ), skinned & pierced
Ginger paste - 10ml ( 2tsp )
Olive oil - 15ml ( 1 tbsp )
Onion - 1 sliced
Garlic - 1 clove crushed
Chicken stock - 100ml ( 3.5 fl oz )
Natural low fat yogurt - 75ml ( 2.5 fl oz )
long grain rice - 80g dried weight
salt & pepper
Method:
Use 1 tsp of ginger paste to push inside each chicken breast. Heat oil in pan
and gently fry onion with the garlic, add chicken and fry until golden.
Make up chicken stock according to instructions. Pour in stock and add the salt
and pepper for seasoning. Simmer for about 40 minutes.
Before serving add the yogurt
Serve with long grain rice.
This dish serves 2. To increase flavor try adding a little dry white wine with
the stock. This will increase the calories so not too much!
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION per serving
Calories: 390
Fat: 12g
Protein: 28g
Carbohydrates: 46g
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Publisher's Choice...
LUAU PORK TERIYAKI
Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb Pork, lean boneless
1 c Pineapple, sliced in syrup
1/2 c Teriyaki sauce
1/4 ea Green onion, finely chopped
1/2 ts Ground ginger
1/4 ea Garlic powder
1 c Rice, raw
Preparation:
Cut Pork into slices about 1/4 inch thick. Drain pineapple, reserving all syrup. Blend syrup, teriyaki Sauce, Green Onions, Ginger and garlic powder: Pour over Pork and pineapple. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Meanwhile, cook rice according to package directions and prepare grill. Remove Pork from marinade and grill about 5 inches from hot coals for about 5 minutes on each side or until completely cooked. Pour pineapple and remaining marinade into large skillet. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and serve Pork with Sauce and pineapple over rice.
Serves: 4
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