Party Popcorn

Remember when I started this blog, I promised in my mission statement that I would write about "motherhood well-being". So I far it has been nothing but cooking cleaning and saving money, where is the "well-being" you might ponder, well here it is. What could enhance our well-being better then a "girls night". My husband is working late tonight so I am having my friend over for a girls movie night. My daughter is also having a friend over tomorrow night, so what better time to whip up a double batch of Party Popcorn. This recipe is sweet, slightly salty, and totally addicting.

Party Popcorn
adapted from a recipe by Sunny Anderson
Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup popcorn kernels
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup butterscotch chips
• 1/2 cup salted peanuts
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

In a heavy pot on high heat, add oil and one kernel of popcorn. Cover. When kernel pops, add the rest. Pop until your no longer hear popping sounds. Remove from heat and spread on a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment or wax paper.  Melt the butterscotch chips and butter in a double boiler (or in the microwave in a microwave safe bowl). Stir the peanuts into the melted butterscotch and butter. Pour over popcorn and lightly toss with your hands. Melt the chocolate chips in the same manner you melted the butterscotch then drizzle all over the popcorn. Place in the fridge for a few minutes, just long enough for the chocolate to harden. Break up and serve.

How to Make Your Own Ajax or Comet

Sorry that I have not blogged for a while but the Diapering Gourmet had house guests. I was going to post several blogs on making your own household cleaners in the theme of prepping your house for the holidays and having guests but alas the busyness of the season prevented such aspirations. So here I am, house free of guests and the kids going back to school, so what else would I want to do but CLEAN and get my house back to "normal".  I hate spending money on a thousand different cleaners, also I really hate having all those assorted chemicals in my house. So I started researching how to make a myriad of different household cleaners. Today I will be introducing you to making your own Ajax or Comet. The ingredients for this are simple and this cleaner is handy for scrubbing sinks, toilets, showers, stove tops et cetera. 

First before I tell you how its made, a word on essential oils:

1. It may seem like essential oils are expensive. They can be a little spendy, but they go a LONG way. One 1/2 ounce bottle (which is what I have) contains about 600 drops. In the long run, using essential oils is actually very cheap and useful.

2. Not only are essential oils used for aromatherapy, but they are used as great cleaning agents. Yes, they do make our homemade cleaners smell wonderful, but they also help remove bacteria, mold, unpleasant odors, dust mites, and kill viruses.

3. I bought all of my oils from Whole Foods because they happened to be on sale for about 50% off, however this is not always the case. They can also be found quite reasonably on EBAY and many sellers will happily combine shipping if you are buying several varieties.

Here’s what you need:
1 box (16oz) baking soda
10 drops of Eucalyptus Essential Oil
10 drops of Lemon EO
10 drops of Cinnamon EO
5 drops of Clove Leaf EO

1. Pour baking soda into a small mixing bowl then add the drops of oils. Blend thoroughly with a fork.

2. I wanted my cleaner in a shaker, so I poured my cleaner into a jar and used a hammer and nail to punch several holes in the lid for the jar. Then voila, clean away!

Peppermint Bark

The holidays are officially upon us and it is time to think about making treats for our neighbors and teachers. I usually spend the day making several varieties of cookie but this year I decided that I should try my hand at the holiday favorite Peppermint Bark. This recipe was made popular by Williams and Sonoma and for how simple it is to make it is robbery how much they charge for it. This recipe is quite simple and provides a big payoff for how festive it looks. I package mine in some cello bags with a printable label from Martha Stewart you can download them here.

Ingredients:

2 c. semisweet chocolate chips

2 c. white chocolate chips

8 candy canes

1. Unwrap candy canes and break up into the bowl of a food processor, pulse several times to grind up the candy leaving some larger chunks. If you do not have a food processor then put the candy in a bag and beat with a rolling pen.

  

2. Place a heat proof bowl over a pan of simmering water over medium heat to make a double boiler. Melt your chocolate. This can also be done in a microwave safe bowl in the microwave. Once the chocolate begins to melt make sure that you stir it about every 30 seconds so you do not scald your chocolate.

3. Pour the melted chocolate into a foil lines baking sheet then firmly tap the baking sheet on the counter several times to ensure that you get an even layer of chocolate. Refrigerate until the chocolate hardens (approx. 5 to 10 min).

4. Melt the white chocolate in the same manner that you melted the dark, then pour on top of the hardened dark chocolate. Again, tap the baking sheet firmly on the counter to achieve even coating.

5. While the white chocolate is still liquid sprinkle on the ground candy canes then press down on it slightly to ensure it sticks.

6. Refrigerate your candy for at least 30 min to make sure it is set then break apart into irregular shapes.

The Best Soup I Ever Had

I love eating in-season produce, however, this can present a bit of a problem during the winter. Veggies such as kale, chard, and collard greens are abundant this time of year and are rich in iron and folic acid, but I have always been somewhat perplexed on how to prepare them. I recently mentioned this dilemma to a friend of mine and she said that the answer to my problem lay in Olive Gardens Zuppa Toscana. Don't let the fancy Italian moniker faze you, translated it simply means Tuscan soup. Eating out at the Olive Garden is not really feasible when you have four kids but Olive Garden publishes many of their recipes on their website. I highly suggest you take some time a peruse some of your favorite dishes there and you will be surprised how simple they are to make. Olive Garden Recipes   This soup is rich, hearty and satisfying, in other words the perfect winter soup. It is quite literally the best soup I have ever had. The recipe below is copied from the Olive garden site, however, I did make a couple of changes. For instance, their recipe calls for  bouillon but I used "Better than Bouillon" which has all the convenience of bouillon cubes only without all the MSG. I also sauteed the kale with the sausage to give the kale a head start.


Zuppa Toscana


1 lb ground Italian sausage
1 1/2 tsp crushed red peppers
1 large diced white onion
4 Tbsp bacon pieces
3 cloves garlic
10 cups water
10 tsp "Better than Bouillon" (or fresh chicken broth)
1 cup heavy cream
3 large sliced russet potatoes
1/4 bunch of kale cut into pieces

1. Sauté Italian sausage and crushed red pepper and kale in a large pot. Drain excess fat, refrigerate while you prepare other ingredients.
2. In the same pan, sauté bacon, onions and garlic over low-medium heat for approximately 15 mins. or until the onions are soft.
3. Add chicken bouillon and water to the pot and heat until it starts to boil.
4. Add the sliced potatoes and cook until soft, about half an hour.
5. Add the heavy cream and just cook until thoroughly heated.
6. Stir in the sausage and the kale, let all heat through and serve. Delicious!

How to Make Vanilla Extract

The holidays are upon us and for many of us that means plenty of baking. So why not replenish your supplies with some home made vanilla extract. Extract is exceedingly simple to make and with this method you will literally never run out of vanilla again. As you use your vanilla, simply top off the bottle with a little more vodka, and voila you have a perpetual store of vanilla. It can be made in any container that has a tight lid, however, we chose these bottles from IKEA for easy pouring (approx. $3). We also quadrupled the recipe to fill them. In addition to the benefit of never running out of vanilla the other benefit to making your own is the cost. High quality vanilla can be very expensive and this home made vanilla comes in at only a fraction of the cost. The color will darken over time and will be a rich brown in 2 months when it is ready to use. My vanilla pictured was just made and has not developed its full color yet.

How to Make Vanilla Extract

Commercial vanilla extract usually has simple syrup (sugar water) added to the extract to give it a sweet aftertaste. You can add this if you want to, however, if you are baking with it there is really no need.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 vanilla beans
• 1 cup vodka
• glass container with a tight lid (I prefer a bottle for easy pouring)

METHOD

1 Use kitchen scissors or a sharp paring knife to cut lengthwise down each vanilla bean, splitting them in half, leaving an inch at the end connected.

2 Put vanilla beans in a glass jar or bottle with a tight fitting lid (mason jars work well). Cover completely with the vodka.

3 Give the bottle a good shake every once in a while. Store in a dark, cool place for 2 months or longer.

Lasts for years just remember to top off as you use it.

You can also make vanilla sugar by putting a split vanilla bean into a jar of white, granulated sugar, great for your coffee in the morning or for baking.

Holiday Decorating Made Thrifty

The holidays are a time to decorate and spruce up your house. This a wonderful time of the year, however holiday decorations can be spendy. They really do not need to be. I am not a very crafty person but I put together this Christmas swag on my mantle for next to nothing.

Supplies:

• Christmas tree trimmings
• strand of Christmas lights

All you have to do is reserve the leftover branches that you've trimmed from your Christmas tree then criss-cross the branches on your mantle leaving a little to hang over the side. Then just finish it off by stringing some lights throughout the branches.