Heather's Recipes

I made some roast to go with my mashed potatoes from below tonight & want to add How to: for Gravy. I decided to add this Cooking Tip because I didn't always know how to make good gravy. I really didn't start learning how to cook until I was married and even then I didn't want to for a while. Now I love cooking. So instead of saying, "Duh, I thought everyone knew how to make gravy." I am going to tell you how I make it after years of learning. If you already know how to make it don't make fun of us that didn't know for a while. I got a lot of "you know, add it to this and put in cornstarch or flour." And I was always, "mmmm..Yeah, that makes a lot of sense????" First I used the packets. Yep, boiling water throw in a packet. Not very good. Then I learning the cook a roast method and use the leftover juices in a pan. Bring to a boil and then add (about 1/2 cup water and 2 heaping tsp. of flour in a jar-shake, shake, shake it...

I don't usually make home made mashed potatoes. I use the instant kind. SAD. So I had some extra potatoes to cook up and found this All Recipes recipe for cooking the best ones. I wish I had some baby reds after I saw the recipe. I used half & half instead of heavy cream just because that is what I had. These turned out pretty good.

How have I added Quinoa to my diet? I tried it plain, with a little salt & pepper. It was ok, not great. So I have been looking around and asking other people. You can grind your quinoa in your trusty coffee grinder and add it to breads, oatmeal, muffins or pretty much anything you are baking. I tried it in wheat bread the other day (added about 2/3 cup to 3 loaves of bread) and the people I tested it on, Randy and his mom, said it tasted good and couldn't taste the added ingredient. I could taste the quinoa in it because I have had it before, but it wasn't a strong taste and the bread was still great. Will do that again.

This is a great way to save money and make your own: Basic Ingredients and Directions: 1/4 cup margarine 1/4 cup flour 1 3/4 to 2 cups liquid For most recipes, first melt the margarine over medium heat, then whisk in the flour and cook for 2 minutes. Some variations may use something other than margarine. Variations BEEF GRAVY: Add 2 cups beef broth as the liquid. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. Add seasonings (about 1 t. each, or to taste) and boil until desired consistency. Some seasoning options: thyme, pepper, Italian seasoning, onion powder. (If using gravy on ground beef, use grease from browning the beef in place of the margarine.) CHICKEN GRAVY: Add 2 cups chicken broth as the liquid. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. Add seasonings (about 1 t. each, or to taste) and boil until desired consistency. Some seasoning options: pepper, thyme, dill, italian seasoning, parsley, onion powder. CREAM SOUP: Add 1/2 cup of finely diced (celery, muschr...

Another reason why I Love Flax Seed. When you use it as an egg substitute (1T. flax seed + 3 T. water = 1 egg), you can eat all the cookie dough or cake batter you want without worrying about salmonella! :)

With Easter coming this weekend we are going to color eggs on Saturday. I saw this Website on how to boil the perfect eggs. I realize now that I always over boil. Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs 12 large eggs, room temperature Place eggs in a large saucepan and cover with cool water by 1 inch. Slowly bring water to a boil over medium heat; when the water has reached a boil, cover and remove from heat. Let sit 12 minutes. Transfer eggs to a colander using a slotted spoon and place under cool running water to stop the cooking. Eggs can be peeled and served immediately. Remaining eggs, with shells on, may be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

I haven't tried this yet, but I am going to. I just need to find a container for it. I always have issues with my brown sugar going hard before I use it all. I recently discovered that if you put it in a container and throw in a piece of bread it will never go hard again. Also, the bread never goes moldy. I have no idea why this would work and it would be interesting to find out. I know the old throw it in the microwave works just fine to soften your sugar, but I thought this little tip would be fun to try out and see if it really works.