Croutons

Over the summer we had a lot of barbeques and grilled out a lot. So I have had a lot of leftover buns in my freezer since the summer ended. I am sick of them taking up space in my freezer but I hate to just throw them out, so I thought I could try to make croutons out of them.

I’ve never made croutons before so I first consulted Betty Crocker to see how to make them. Betty said to toast them in a pan on top of the stove. I wasn’t really feeling like standing over the stove the whole time. I looked up a crouton recipe on All Recipes to see if I could bake them instead. I found this basic recipe:

Croutons

15 slices bread
¼ cup butter
2 teaspoons garlic salt (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Brush bread on both sides with melted butter. Cut bread into small cubes. Sprinkle with garlic salt if desired. Arrange cubes on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes or until browned. Let cool. Store croutons in a covered container or plastic bag. Serve in soups or salads.

Well I don’t have bread I have buns. I did not use all of these buns by the way.


Brushing each one with butter sounds like it will take too long (this from the girl who spent like 45 minutes cutting up marshmallows yesterday – ha). So here’s what I did: I cut up about 4-5 hamburger buns and 2 hot dog buns into one inch cubes. I tossed them all in a big bowl.


I melted a stick of margarine in the microwave and drizzled it on top.


I stirred it all up. Then I sprinkled a teaspoon of garlic salt on top and stirred it up again. I spread all the future croutons on a jelly roll pan


I baked them for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.



I allowed them to cool completely before storing. Make sure you allow croutons to cool completely or else they will generate moisture in the container and spoil quicker.

So is it worth it? Well these aren’t the BEST croutons I ever tasted in my life, but they aren’t bad! It is a great way to use up old buns or bread. Actually I’ve been snacking on them all night; grabbing one each time I walk by the stove. I might end up eating them all before they actually make it into a salad or bowl of soup.

I will make these again. I might try some different seasonings like dried basil or oregano for Italian croutons.

Homemade Marshmallows

A few days ago I posted about homemade hot chocolate mix. I love to put marshmallows in my hot chocolate. One big, giant one. That got me thinking, how hard is it to make your own marshmallows?

I’ve actually investigated this before briefly. What I found was a Martha Stewart recipe involving candy thermometers. At the time it seemed a little too complicated for me.

The other day I found what appeared to be a much simpler recipe on Slashfood. Although I was still a bit intimated, I decided to give it a whirl! The recipe is as follows:

Homemade Marshmallows
Approximately 40 large marshmallows

0.75 oz unflavored gelatin (3 envelopes of Knox gelatin)
½ cup cold water
2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup light corn syrup
¼ cup water
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Line a 9x9 inch pan with plastic wrap and lightly oil. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, sprinkle gelatin over ½ cup cold water. Soak for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine sugar, corn syrup and ¼ cup water in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a rapid boil and boil hard for 1 minute. Pour the boiling syrup into the soaked gelatin and turn on the mixer, using the whisk attachment, to high speed. Add the salt and beat for 12 minutes. After 12 minutes, add the vanilla extract and beat to incorporate. Scrape marshmallow into the prepared pan and spread evenly (grease the spatula or your hands). Take another piece of lightly oiled plastic wrap and press lightly on top of the marshmallow, creating a seal. Let mixture sit for a few hours, or overnight, until cooled and firmly set.

In a shallow dish, combine equal parts cornstarch and confectioner’s sugar. Remove marshmallow from the pan and cut into equal pieces with scissors or a chef’s knife. Dredge each piece of marshmallow in the confectioner’s sugar mixture. Store in an airtight container.

Ok seems simple enough. I start by gathering the ingredients:


Then I put the ½ cup cold water into my mixing bowl and then pour three packs of the gelatin over the top of it. I do not stir it up.


In my saucepan I add the sugar, corn syrup and ¼ cup cold water. Tip: when measuring sticky ingredients like honey, molasses or corn syrup, spray the inside of the measuring cup with non-stick spray first. The sticky ingredient will slide right out.


I flip the heat on the burner to high and start stirring it all up. Once everything is mixed up I leave it alone to prepare my pan. I do not have a 9x9 pan so I use my 8x8 pan. I put two layers of plastic wrap on the inside (one going each way) and then spray it down with non-stick spray.


Back to my saucepan. I stir the ingredients frequently and they come to a boil rather quickly. I set my kitchen timer for a minute and let the liquid boil rapidly.


Once the timer goes off I immediately dump the liquid into my mixer bowl on top of the gelatin and snap it onto my mixer. I put on the whisk attachment, raise the bowl and flip it to a high speed. Steam starts pouring out of the mixer bowl. Hahahaha. It looks like some sort of special effect. I quickly measure and toss in the salt while the mixer is running.


Now I set my timer for 12 minutes and wait. Now is a good time to clean up your kitchen! Here is what the mixture looked like as it was mixing:



Once 12 minutes were up the mixture had grown a lot and was shiny and white. Out of paranoia I gave my pan another little squirt of non stick spray, then I sprayed my spatula and proceeded to scrape the marshmallow mixture out of the bowl and into my pan. It comes out fairly easily and fills the pan up to the top. Not much spreading is actually needed.


I place the last piece of oiled plastic wrap across the top and seal. I set this aside to set overnight. Then I had to lick the spatula and sure enough, it tastes like marshmallow fluff! Mmmmm.

Now this bowl looks like it’s going to be a huge pain to clean, but it actually wasn’t. Give it 10 minute soak in super hot water and all the marshmallow stickiness will melt away.


The next afternoon I am ready for the next step. I remove the top layer of plastic wrap and then lift out the entire slab of marshmallow onto my cutting board. I peel off the plastic wrap from the bottom of the marshmallow square. The marshmallow slab is kind of sticky, but it pulls away from whatever it gets stuck to pretty easily.


Okay, now for the cutting. The directions said to use scissors but for some reason I think a knife will work better. Wrong! I try to cut it with the biggest knife I have and it barely leaves a dent. The marshmallow just springs back into place. Okay I guess I’m using my kitchen shears. I cut the slab into strips, then cut the strips into chunks, then cut each chunk in half to make cubes.


To keep from sticking to each other, the marshmallows must be dredged in a corn starch and confectioner’s sugar mixture. The directions say to use equal parts so I mix up two tablespoons of each in a little bowl. I dredge each marshmallow in the powdery mixture and then toss them into a big plastic container.


I do the whole process of cutting and dredging in batches and it takes a little while to get through them all. I end up with quite a few marshmallows in the end! I tasted one and they taste pretty darn good!


Overall I think these were easy and fun to make. I think you pretty much have to have a stand mixer though. Mixing up the marshmallow batter was super simple. The cutting and the dredging part took awhile but was not difficult.

Next time I will use a larger pan so that the marshmallow slab is not as thick. I think this will make the cutting process easier and faster.

The comments on Slashfood for this recipe had a lot of great suggestions for modifications such as using mint extract instead of vanilla or rolling the marshmallows in chopped up nuts or cookies for extra flavor. I also read that it is possible to spread the marshmallow batter in a jelly roll pan and then use cookie cutters to cut marshmallows into fun shapes.

I don’t know if I will make homemade marshmallows all the time, but they are definitely fun for special occasions and holidays. Pair a jar of homemade marshmallows with a jar of homemade hot chocolate mix as a gift for a friend or family member this holiday season.

Hot Chocolate

Once when I was going through a rough patch in my life, a friend of mine brought over a jar of homemade hot chocolate mix. It was just the right gift for me at the time. It showed me she cared without her spending a ton of time or money and hot chocolate can be very comforting.

She included a card with the jar that told how to make up a cup using the mix. On the back of the card was the recipe for making the mix. How thoughtful! Now I can refill the mix whenever I run out.

As we are going into the cold months and also the holiday season, I thought it would be appropriate to post this recipe. Make it for yourself to use at home, or put it in a pretty jar or container as a small gift for a friend or a nice hostess gift if you are going to a party.

Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix

3 cups nonfat dry milk
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 ½ cups Dutch processed cocoa powder
1 ½ cups white chocolate chips
¼ teaspoon salt

Mix all ingredients.

To make a cup of hot chocolate using the mix, stir 1/3 cup mix into 1 cup hot milk or water. Top with whipped cream or marshmallows as desired. Personally I like to put one giant marshmallow on top.

I love this hot chocolate in the winter. I keep a stash of it in my cube at work to drink in the afternoons. It also makes a really nice, easy and inexpensive gift for someone. Pair the mix with a cute mug and you are all set! Make sure you include a card or label the mix with instructions on how to make a cup of hot chocolate using the mix. Also include the recipe for making the mix. I’m sure your friend or family member will like the mix so much they will need a refill!

Compost Part I

My FIL retired this summer. Since he retired he has been busy with so many projects that I don’t know how he ever had time to work for the past 30 years.

One of the projects he wants to start planning for is a big vegetable garden for next year. He wants to have it at our house because we have a lot more space in our backyard (we live on an acre). My husband and I are all for a garden. We’ve wanted to plant one for awhile but we’ve never had the time. FIL has offered to come over and help take care of it next summer. Since my MIL knows how to can vegetables, this could be a big money-saver for all of us as well as a fun and interesting hobby.

To help with the garden, we talked about starting a compost bin. For those who don’t know what a compost bin is, here is the definition from Wikipedia: Compost is the aerobically decomposed remnants of organic materials. Compost is used in gardening and agriculture as a soil amendment, and commercially by the landscaping and container nursery industries.

Basically you get a big bin and throw a bunch of biodegradable stuff in it, which decomposes, producing this dark, nutrient-rich, soil-looking fertilizer that you spread on your garden.

I’ve never had a compost bin before. I have a vague memory of my Girl Scout troop leader having one in her backyard so we could learn about it. All I remember is going out to her back yard and throwing some vegetable scraps inside. It seems like a great idea. Having a compost bin is very environmentally-friendly in that it is a way to recycle your food scraps from the kitchen thus reducing landfill waste, and it produces organic fertilizer for your garden, eliminating the need for chemical fertilizers.

The first step in this process is research! I’ve been doing some research online lately to see how to start a compost bin in your backyard. I’ve found a couple informative websites. Compost Guide offers a great explanation of pretty much everything you need to know about composting from the decomposition process to things you can put in your compost to compost site selection. How to Compost also offers some great information.

After reading through these websites, I realize that (obviously) the first thing I need for a compost bin is a bin to put everything in. You can purchase a compost bin or you can build one. Click here to see some options of compost bins you can purchase. They seem a little pricy to me to be honest. Knowing my FIL, he will want to build one. Bluegrass Gardens has plans for building compost bins. I like the Wood 3-Bin Compost Unit. Three bins would allow me to have compost going in different stages, ensuring that I always have a supply of compost ready or almost ready. It will also allow me to turn the compost easier, in that I can shovel it from one bin to another empty bin.

Compost Guide says that compost can be passive or actively managed. The more actively you manage the compost, the quicker it will decompose. By having 3 sections to my compost bin, I can have one active pile and one more passive pile.

I’d like to have the compost bin finished within the next couple of weeks so that I can store my leaves in there and use them in the compost in the spring. They would serve as a passive compost through the winter, then I can convert them to a more active compost in the spring. My lawn is currently a SEA of leaves. There are leaves everywhere! According to Compost Guide, I can shred and store these leaves all winter and then use them in the compost in the spring. CG says that some decomposition may occur, but not a significant amount.

Next step is to talk to my FIL and see if he is willing to help me build the Wood 3-Bin Compost Unit. Fingers crossed!

Cornbread!

It's been awhile but I'm back! Posting everyday was getting a little overwhelming so I may only post every other day for awhile. It's been getting cold in the midwest and that means lots of soups and chili! It also means cornbread, which I love with everything.

I always make my cornbread from scratch. It is SO easy. It only takes a few more minutes than making it from a box of Jiffy. This recipe comes off the side of the cornbread container:

Easy Corn Bread
9 servings

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup corn meal
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 cup skim milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease 8 or 9 inch pan. Combine dry ingredients. Stir in milk, oil and egg, mixing just until dry ingredients are moistened. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 20-25 minutes or until light golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

I usually use a square glass pan to make this cornbread. I also make corn muffins. The recipe is the same, just pour the batter into a 12 cup muffin pan instead. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Corn muffins are great for freezing as well. I wrap them up 2 at a time that way I can pull out a 2 pack to go with my lunch or dinner.

I like to make my cornbread from scratch because I know exactly what's in it. These are the ingredients in a Jiffy mix: wheat flour, corn meal, sugar, lard, leavening (baking soda, sodium acid pyrophosphate, monocalcium phospate), contains 2% or less of the following: salt, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid. These are the ingredients in homemade cornbread: flour, corn meal, sugar, baking powder, salt, milk, vegetable oil, egg. Which would you rather eat?

I do use mixes sometimes, but I prefer to make stuff from scratch when possible. I keep a container of cornmeal in my freezer and I almost always have the rest of the ingredients on hand so I can make corn bread whenever I want. I don't have to remember to buy the little mixes.

I don't know that it's necessarily cheaper than using a Jiffy mix because when Jiffy mixes are on sale you can get them for 3 for $1.00 sometimes.

I like homemade cornbread because it's more natural, easy and it tastes fantastic! I hope you will try making it from scratch sometime too so you can see how easy it is.

Suds Up! Homemade Laundry Detergent

Laundry detergent is one of those necessary items we all have to buy unless you pay to have your laundry done or you don’t wash your clothes. Commercial detergents can be very expensive and contain chemicals that can be hard on your skin and clothes. Here is a recipe for homemade powder laundry detergent that works just as well as the commercial stuff and is much cheaper!

You will need:

Fels Naptha Soap
Washing Soda
Borax
Large container

Directions: Grate Fels Naptha Soap to product 1 cup of soap flakes. Combine soap flakes with ½ cup borax and ½ cup washing soda in large container. Stir to combine.

To use: For large loads add 3 tablespoons to your washing machine while it is filling up, before you add clothes. For smaller loads use 2 tablespoons.

You should be able to purchase all 3 ingredients at your local Wal-Mart, Target or grocery store. In my area though I can only find Fels Naptha soap at Hy-Vee or Whole Foods. I have found that ½ bar of Fels Naptha soap grates up into approximately 1 cup of soap flakes. I usually score a bar in half and then grate until I reach the halfway mark. I use a stand up cheese grater on the small side and grate the flakes directly into my container. No matter how careful you are, soap dust and flakes will end up outside of the container. Keep that in mind when selecting your laundry detergent making location. Store the other half of the soap for a refill later.

Borax and washing soda come in large boxes that will last you awhile. Borax is great for other things around the house like homemade all-purpose cleaner. Washing soda was a little hard to find in my area, again I could only find it at Hy-Vee. It looks just like baking soda but it’s in a yellow box. It should be with the commercial laundry detergent or cleaning supplies. Look on the top or bottom shelves.

As for the container, I use a large round Glad-ware type container. If you purchased the round Ziploc containers for homemade cleaning wipes, you could use the second container for homemade laundry soap. I also repurposed an extra tablespoon from my kitchen to keep in the container at all times for scooping the soap.

The title to this post is actually misleading because this soap does not suds up at all. It’s still cleaning your clothes, its just not getting all sudsy. I would assume this would mean that this laundry detergent would work well in front-loading high efficiency machines, but I have not tried it to say for certain.

The whole process for making a batch of this soap took 10 minutes. I know because I made a batch tonight and I timed myself. This will last you for several loads however it is not the same amount as one of those huge jugs of commercial laundry detergent. If you have a lot of kids or do a lot of laundry for whatever reason, I would recommend spending an extra 10 or 20 minutes to make a double or triple batch. That way you are not grating up soap every other week. For your first time out of the gate on this one make a single or even a half batch to make sure you like it before going all out.

I do keep some commercial laundry detergent on hand for those times when I’m out of homemade laundry soap and I really need to do laundry and I don’t have time to make a new batch of homemade. It’s nice to have in a pinch. I also do not use my homemade laundry soap on my delicate clothes, so I keep Wool-lite or the equivalent on hand as well.

The Economics: I didn’t do my own cost calculation since I’ve been using this laundry soap for awhile now and I already have all the ingredients. I can tell you that a bar of Fels Naptha soap costs about $1 and a box of washing soda and borax costs between $2 and $3. Instructables.com did a similar cost analysis and says that the cost per load is $0.10 - $0.12 depending on the ingredients you use. That site also had some great pictures and says to use a food processor to grate the soap – great idea!

So is it worth it? If you have time to make this soap I say it’s worth it. You will save a lot of money by switching from commercial detergent. I also like that there are no chemicals either. I can say from experience that I did not see a difference in my clothes at all after I started using this soap. Next time I will try using a food processor to make the detergent. Sometime I would like to try making liquid laundry detergent too.

Cleaning With Baking Soda

I used to use those powder cleaners in a can (ie. Comet or Bon Ami), to clean my bathtub and kitchen sink. Now I’ve found a better, homemade powder cleaner to use instead that does not contain any of the chemicals that the commercial cleaners contain. Here’s what you need:

Baking soda
Empty parmesan cheese container

Directions: wash parmesan cheese container and remove label. Let dry completely. Pour baking soda into container and replace lid. Label outside of container with a sharpie.

To use: dampen surface to be cleaned. Shake baking soda all over surface and scrub clean with a damp sponge. Alternatively you can shake baking soda directly onto a damp sponge and then scrub your surface clean. That works better when cleaning areas like the inside of your microwave where you can’t exactly shake the baking soda onto the sides and the top.

That’s it! So simple. I love using the parmesan container as the shaker because it allows you to distribute the baking soda more evenly rather than shaking it straight from the box where it comes out in a big clump. Once you save up several empty parmesan cheese containers you can keep one in each bathroom and the kitchen to make cleaning quicker and easier.

Baking soda is extremely useful around the house. I buy it in big boxes, not those tiny refrigerator boxes. Here are some other uses for baking soda from Real Simple Magazine:

Exfoliate skin. Wash your face, then apply a soft paste made of three parts baking soda and one part water. Massage gently with a circular motion, avoiding the eye area; rinse clean.

Erase crayon, pencil, ink, and furniture scuffs from painted surfaces. Sprinkle soda on a damp sponge, rub clean, and rinse.

Unclog a drain. Pour 1/2 to 1 cup of baking soda down the drain, then slowly pour 1/2 to 1 cup of white vinegar after it. Let sit for five minutes (covered, if possible). Follow with a gallon of boiling water.

Remove tough stains from enameled cast iron and stainless steel. Scrub enameled cast iron with a soft nylon brush and a thick paste of baking soda and water. Clean stainless steel with a soft cloth and 4 tablespoons of baking soda dissolved in 1 quart of water. Wipe dry with a clean cloth.
Scrub pans. Sprinkle soda on crusted casseroles and roasting pans and let sit for five minutes. Lightly scrub and rinse.

Brush teeth. Use a paste of baking soda and water.

Fight class-B fires (flammable liquids, such as gasoline, oil, and grease). Baking soda can be used to smother only a small flame.

Deodorize. Dust baking soda under your arms to absorb body odor.

Clean up minor oil and grease spills on a garage floor or driveway. Sprinkle baking soda on the spot and scrub with a wet brush.

Settle a stomach during occasional indigestion. Stir 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda into 1/2 cup of water and drink for a safe and effective antacid.

So is it worth it? Yep. I use this method regularly in my household. Luckily you can try this out without a big initial cash outflow to see if it works for you too!