Back Again After a Short Break

Dear Family, Friends, Subscribers, and Visitors,

I’ve been remiss in not posting very much since Thanksgiving of 2011, and I know you have wondered where the “Hot Flashes in the Pan” videos have been.  You will be glad to know that I will be focused more on bringing all types of new information, articles, videos, photos, and a whole new array of projects in 2012.  I took  a short hiatus to work over at my Church, tend to our business of forensic work, went through the holidays, preparing the taxes for the IRS submission, etc.

Featured on my blog will be some of the projects I worked on at the Church which can be applied to all other situations & locations, including your home.  My husband and I also put together a website for the church which I think is pretty phenomenal, if I do say so myself.  It’s a tiny little church, about 80 members, but you just can’t imagine all the things that this little congregation does and gets accomplished.  If you would like, please go to the site:  www.sanmateopresbyterianchurch.com and see all the events, activities, projects, and everything that this church does.  The previous church that we were members of has over 1,200 members, and they don’t do or accomplish anywhere near what our little San Mateo church accomplishes.  Hope you enjoy seeing our “little” church.

I thank you for your patience and understanding while I was away, and really appreciate you keeping up with my blog.  So get ready for a New Year, 2012 will be an fun, exciting, & beautiful time for us all!

Yours very truly,

Agnes

Thanksgiving Day 2011

Thanksgiving is the holiday of peace, the celebration of work and the simple life… a true folk-festival that speaks the poetry of the turn of the seasons, the beauty of seedtime and harvest, the ripe product of the year – and the deep, deep connection of all these things with God.  Authors:  Ray Stannard Baker – David Grayson

Creative Pumpkins – Part 1

A friend of ours sent me photos of a lot of different, very creative, pumpkin carvings via email.  I don’t know who did the carvings, or where they came from.  Also there is a market showing a lot of carved pumpkins, but I don’t know the name or location of the market.  Since Halloween is in 4 more days, I thought I would send you a few different photos each day to get you “in the mood”.  ENJOY!

Cooking Tip of the Day: Use Rubber Gloves

Whenever you are cooking with raw meet, particularly chicken, I find it easy and sanitary to use a pair of disposable gloves when handling the raw meat.  When you are finished with the raw meat, then you can take the gloves off, throw them in the trash, and continue cooking with your vegetables or whatever other ingredients are in your dish.  This will alleviate the cross-contamination of the meat, fish, or poultry juices with any of the rest of your ingredients.

I find that you can usually get the best price on these gloves at one of those big box stores.  They usually come in a double box pak, so they will last you a pretty long time.  I also use them when I’m cutting up onions, peppers, or any other type of food that I don’t want to smell up my hands, or get raw meat, poultry, or fish juices on.

You know, I have been doing this for years, and just the other day Nate Berkus has one of those “celebrity chefs” on his show doing a cooking lesson and she talked about this very same thing.  I thought GEEEZ, I’ve been doing that for years!  Maybe somehow she telepathically got my message (you never know!).

Cooking Tip of the Day: Adding Beans

If you want to increase the portion of a ground meat base that you are making, whether it’s beef, turkey, pork, etc. and do it economically and healthy, try adding some beans to the mixture.  You can use dry beans that you cooked, even left over cooked beans will work.  The easiest method for me is to add beans that are in the can already prepared.  You can used pinto, black bean, kidney beans, white beans, or whichever are your favorites.  If you don’t want to make your meat mixture more on the dry side, then be sure and drain the liquid from the can beans.  If you want to have a little “gravy” in your meat mixture, then leave the liquid and pour in the whole can.

By adding beans, you not only expand the dish to feed more people, which is great if you have a large family or are cooking for a family gathering or party, but you also add the healthy benefits of fiber and antioxidants from the beans.  It also add texture to your meat base.  Then you can use the meat base mixture for spaghetti sauce, tacos, enchiladas, meat pies, etc.

MIGHTY TASTY!

Cooking Tip of the Day: Be Creative with Herbs

Sweet Basil Blooming

Whether you have an herb garden, or if you buy herbs at the store, don’t be afraid to be creative with your herbs.  On my patio I have growing Sweet Basil, Rosemary, Oregano, Mint, and Sage.  Even though a recipe may call for one particular type of herb, let’s say you don’t have that type of herb, then use another type.  What I like to do is clip a sprig of each type of herb I have, wash it thoroughly, take off the leaves, and chop all the different types of herbs together.  You would be surprised the melody of flavors that come from preparing a meal that way.

One dish that I prepare uses the cod fish fillets that I get frozen at the big box store such as Costco.  After defrosting, I put the fillets in a small skillet (1 fillet per person usually) with a little bit of olive oil (about a teaspoon or so) and then I chop up a mixture of all my herbs and sprinkle the chopped herbs on top of the fish fillets and cover so the fish will steam cook for about 15 minutes, or until the fish is opaque and flaky when you use a fork.

Another great idea for the “herb mixture” is to make a salad using whatever type of garden greens you like.  I usually use a mixture of Romaine and Red Leaf lettuce, maybe some cucumber, carrots, celery, tomatoes, etc.  Then I add the “herb mixture” and toss it thoroughly.  Then try not using any salad dressing, maybe just a squirt of lemon or lime, maybe a small dash of olive oil.  You will be amazed at how flavorful your salad is.  You can taste all the individual herbs, your taste buds will thank you for such an aromatic explosion of flavors.  And you will save a lot of calories by not using a heavy, creamy salad dressing!  Try it once and you will change the way you have salads.

MIGHTY TASTY!

HOW TO READ BAR CODES – GOOD INFO

THIS INFORMATION CAME TO ME VIA AN EMAIL, BUT I DO NOT KNOW HOW TO VERIFY ITS AUTHENTICITY OR IF IT IS EVEN ACCURATE, BUT IT DOES BRING UP AN INTERESTING SUBJECT:

Bar Code

Let’s go for Made in America!!  ALWAYS READ THE LABELS ON THE FOODS YOU BUY–NO MATTER WHAT THE FRONT OF THE BOX OR PACKAGE SAYS, TURN IT OVER AND READ THE BACK–CAREFULLY!  With all the food and pet products now coming from China, it is best to make sure you read label at the grocery store and especially Walmart when buying food products.  Many products no longer show where they were made, only give where the distributor is located.  It is important to read the bar code to track it’s origin.

How to read Bar Codes …. interesting!  This may be useful to know when grocery shopping, if it’s a concern to you. GREAT WAY TO “BUY USA & CANADA ” AND NOT FROM CHINA!!  The whole world is concerned about China-made “black hearted goods”.  Can you differentiate which one is made in Taiwan or China?

If the first 3 digits of the barcode are 690, 691, or 692, the product is MADE IN CHINA.  471 is made in Taiwan.  This is our right to know, but the government and related departments never educate the public, therefore we have to educate ourselves.

Nowadays, Chinese businessmen know that consumers do not prefer products “Made In China” so they don’t show from which country it is made.  However, you may now refer to the bar code  – remember if the first 3 digits are:

690, 691, 692 — Made In China

00 – 09 — Made in the USA & Canada

30 – 37 — Made in France

40 – 44  — Made in Germany

471 — Made in Taiwan

49 — Made in Japan

50 — Made in the UK

Please buy USA and Canadian made by watching for “0″ at the beginning of the number.  We need every boost we can get!  If the government won’t help us, we must help ourselves.

“Polish” Stuffed Bell Peppers – Episode 4

“HOT FLASHES IN THE PAN” Video Series:  This is one of my favorite dishes to prepare using the Ground Meat Base Mixture that we prepared in a previous video (Episode 3, Parts 1 & 2).  So if you missed it, be sure and go back to view it.  There is no Polish sausage in it unless, that is, you added some Polish sausage in the Ground Meat Base Mixture when preparing it before.  It’s just that I am Polish, so everything I cook I like to call it “Polish This” or “Polish That”.  It keeps my guests on their toes, thinking I have used some “secret” Polish ingredient, or used some special Polish way of cooking.  Well, I guess it is my special way of Polish cooking.  So be ready for a really delicious meal when you prepare these stuffed bell peppers.  And you can prepare as many or as few as you want at the time.  If you prepare extra, then you can freeze them in individual freezer storage bags and simply take out for a quick meal when you are pressed for time.  MIGHTY TASTY!

Ground Meat Base Mixture – Episode 3, Part 2

“HOT FLASHES IN THE PAN” Video Series:  This is a short video that is a continuation of the Ground Meat Base Mixture that we started in Episode 3, Part 1.  This takes you through the final part after the meat has cooked and cooled down to room temperature where you can then place it in freezer storage bags to be used at a later time for quick, easy, and nutritional meals for your family.  Be sure and come back often to see the other recipes we have planned using this basice ground meat mixture as a base.  MIGHTY TASTY!

Basic Recipe for Ground Meat Base Mixture:

• 3 lbs. ground sirloin (you can use ground white meat turkey, ground turkey meat, or any other ground meat to your liking)
• 1 large sweet Vidalia onion (or other variety to your liking), chopped or diced
• 1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced (or you can use the jar minced garlic) add as much or as little to your liking
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
• 1 orange bell pepper, diced
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• Season to your liking:
• Mrs. Dash (we don’t use salt, so use the original or any other flavor of Mrs. Dash, or you can use salt)
• fresh ground pepper, season to your taste

For extra fiber, texture, and to make this dish go farther you can add:

• 1 – 15 oz can black beans, drained
• 1 – 15 oz can red kidney beans (you can substitute any other type can bean to your liking)
• 1 small container of fresh sliced mushrooms (I prefer the Baby Bella variety) or you can use the mushrooms in a jar

Brown meat in large skillet with first 8 ingredients (through the fresh ground pepper).  Continue to cook until all ingredients are cooked through.  I prefer to wait till the meat is cooked through before adding the canned beans and mushrooms then cook a few minutes more 10-15.  If you are cooking for a crowd, you can use larger quantities of all ingredients, just add proportionately. 

La-Di-Da Ladies Serving Suggestion:

You can use this base right away for a base for spaghetti sauce, tacos, enchiladas, chili, etc.  I divide the meat mixture in four parts, freezing in quart size zip-lock type bags for use later as a quick meal base for spaghetti sauce, tacos, enchiladas, chili, etc.  This can really stretch your food budget.

Ground Meat Base Mixture – Episode 3, Part 1

“HOT FLASHES IN THE PAN” Video Series:  This is a very informational video on how I make my ground meat base mixture that I can then use just as it is or as a base for countless other dishes:  spaghetti sauce, tacos, enchiladas, Shepherd’s Pie, stuffed bell peppers, Sloppy Joe’s, and many, many more.  You make a big batch at one time, you can all sorts of beans and/or other vegetables, and then freeze it in smaller freezer storage bags so that when you come home from a long day at work, you can prepare dinner for your family in short order.  So be sure and come back often as I will be featuring my other recipes that will use this base ground meat mixture that will make your meals MIGHTY TASTY!

Basic Recipe for Ground Meat Base Mixture:

• 3 lbs. ground sirloin (you can use ground white meat turkey, ground turkey meat, or any other ground meat to your liking)
• 1 large sweet Vidalia onion (or other variety to your liking), chopped or diced
• 1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced (or you can use the jar minced garlic) add as much or as little to your liking
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
• 1 orange bell pepper, diced
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• Season to your liking:
• Mrs. Dash (we don’t use salt, so use the original or any other flavor of Mrs. Dash, or you can use salt)
• fresh ground pepper, season to your taste

For extra fiber, texture, and to make this dish go farther you can add:

• 1 – 15 oz can black beans, drained
• 1 – 15 oz can red kidney beans (you can substitute any other type can bean to your liking)
• 1 small container of fresh sliced mushrooms (I prefer the Baby Bella variety) or you can use the mushrooms in a jar

Brown meat in large skillet with first 8 ingredients (through the fresh ground pepper).  Continue to cook until all ingredients are cooked through.  I prefer to wait till the meat is cooked through before adding the canned beans and mushrooms then cook a few minutes more 10-15.  If you are cooking for a crowd, you can use larger quantities of all ingredients, just add proportionately. 

La-Di-Da Ladies Serving Suggestion:

You can use this base right away for a base for spaghetti sauce, tacos, enchiladas, chili, etc.  I divide the meat mixture in four parts, freezing in quart size zip-lock type bags for use later as a quick meal base for spaghetti sauce, tacos, enchiladas, chili, etc.  This can really stretch your food budget.

Onions, Chopping & Freezing – Episode 2, Part 2

“HOT FLASHES IN THE PAN” Video Series:  This video is a continuation of Episode 2, Part 1.  Again, I got a little long winded talking about onions and all the things you can do with them, and I probably rambled on about whatever else was on my mind.  So this video finishes up the process of getting your chopped onions ready to freeze and enjoy with your meals that you will be making very soon.  MIGHTY TASTY!

Onions, Chopping & Freezing – Episode 2, Part 1

“HOT FLASHES IN THE PAN” Video Series:  This video will show you the basics on chopping up onions and getting them ready to freeze in freezer storage bags so that you can easily and quickly use them in future meals.  When you buy onions in bulk, like a big netted bag, you can usually save money on a bulk price rather than buying them individually by the pound.  But unless you like to eat a lot of onions daily, you need to somehow store them so that they don’t go bad on you.  Now onions typically will last pretty long, longer than most other vegetables, but they will eventually go bad if you don’t eat them.  Also, if you are preparing a meal after a hard day of work, sometimes you don’t want to take the extra time it takes to chop up that onion to put into the dish you are preparing.  By having your onions pre-chopped in storage bags, you can take out as little or as much as you need for your recipe, and you will save time and a little bit of stress by doing it this way, and your meals will be MIGHTY TASTY!

Bell Pepper Preparation – Episode 1, Part 2

“HOT FLASHES IN THE PAN” Video Series:  This video is a continuation of Bell Peppers Part 1.  When making these first videos, we forgot to check with YouTube to find out that your videos couldn’t be longer than 15 minutes.  Ooops!  Well I went a little longer, but I thought the information was very practical, so I wanted to leave it all in.  So please enjoy the second half of the bell pepper preparation video, and you will be ready to prepare some great meals!  MIGHTY TASTY!

Bell Pepper Preparation – Episode 1, Part 1

“HOT FLASHES IN THE PAN” Video Series:  This video is a first in our cooking video series “Hot Flashes in the Pan”.  In this video, we are chopping up bell peppers getting them ready to freeze in freezer storage bags to use with meals prepared at a later date.  By chopping up your bulk vegetables after you purchase them then freezing them in smaller packages:  1) you save them from going bad before you have had time to use them; and 2) you save time in preparing your future meals, because the vegetables are all ready for you to use.  Be sure and check out Part 2 of this episode where we will prepare the bell peppers for freezing.  Hope you enjoy our cooking video series, and be sure and tune back in for future episodes!  MIGHTY TASTY!

Meat Nutrition Variations at the Supermarket

On my recent trip to the grocery market, I decided to take Dr. Oz’s advice and really look at the labels of the products I was buying, in particular the meat.  As I was preparing to purchase meat for my ground meat mixture recipe, here is what I found at the local national chain market.

The following information is based on 4 oz. servings:

Beef Category:

Lean Ground Meat (The butcher there could not identify if it was ground sirloin or what cut of meat it was, he just said “lean meat”.  OK then.)  This was 140 calories, 4.5 grams of fat 2 of which were saturated, at 31.1 cents per ounce.

Ground Round was an 85/15 lean meat to fat mixture, 230 calories, 17 grams of fat 7 of which were saturated, at 22.2 cents per ounce.

Red Meat was a 73/27 lean meat to fat mixture (Again, the cut of meat that was included was not labeled, just that it was “red meat”.)  This was 350 calories, 30 grams of fat 12 of which were saturated, at 16.3 cents per ounce.

Turkey Category (this really suprised me):

Ground Turkey labeled as 85/15 lean meat to fat mixture was 240 calories, 17 grams of fat 5 of which were saturated, at 13 cents per ounce.

White Meat Ground Turkey was 140 calories, 3 grams of fat 1 of which were saturated, at 23.1 cents per ounce.

So it is true what they say “you pay a little more but you get healthier food” which in turn hopefully will help you spend less money at the doctors by eating a healthier diet with less fat and more lean protein.

LaDiDa Ladies Back with New Features!

Orange Supreme Heart Cake

Hello Friends,

It’s been a while since I posted any new information.  I’ve been on hiatus from the blog, but I am back with what I hope will be some new and exciting features for you.

The most exciting of which is a series of videos on cooking, I’m calling it “Hot Flashes in the Pan”.  Now I don’t profess to be an expert chef or anything close to it.  But my friends tell me I am a pretty good cook, and that I do try to make dishes that are simple, easy and budget friendly.  I don’t use any exotic ingredients that you have to shop at specialty stores for.  And I try to incorporate lots of shortcuts so that healthy and great tasting meals can be put together quickly and easily, especially after a hard day of work.  “Mighty Tasty”!

I have the first video posted now and look for many more to follow.  These videos will also be posted on YouTube.

So get ready for an exciting, fun and informational time on LaDiDaLadies.com

See you back here real soon!

Fresh Peaches – Slicing, Storing, & Freezing – Episode 5 in a Series

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8E0A2maWVS4

“HOT FLASHES IN THE PAN” Video Series:  This video will show you how to slice fresh peaches and get them ready to freeze in storage freezer bags so that you can use them all through the season and beyond.  As you know, when you buy fresh fruit, you typically have to eat it pretty fast before it goes bad on you.  If that happens, and the fruit goes bad, then you have wasted your money and missed out on some delicious fruit dishes.  You can buy fruit more economically if you can buy in bulk, as from a farmer’s market or fruit/produce stand, but unless you plan on baking a lot of peach pies right away, this method helps you to preserve the fruit so you can enjoy it at a later time.  Now the texture and appearance will be slightly different after you thaw the fruit out, and you will have a lot of fruit juice along with it, but it will still be MIGHTY TASTY!

Truly Decadent Fudge Cake

Cake Recipe:

• 2  1/2 cups sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2  1/2 cups flour
• 1 cup boiling water
• 2 tsp. baking soda … Continue Reading

Judi’s Delectable Cajun Shrimp Gumbo

This recipe was given to me by a friend, which was passed down from her family, and each member adding their own twist and enhancement.  Enjoy!

• 1 jar (16 oz) Kary’s Roux
• 3 medium onions – chopped fine
• 1 bunch green onions – chopped fine
• 1/4 – 3/4 cup bell pepper – chopped fine
• 2 cans Swanson’s Chicken Broth
• 2 cans Trappey’s Okra & Tomato gumbo
• 2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp red pepper
• 3 – 4 pinches chopped parsley
• 1/2 – 3/4 lb. Pork Tasso – chopped in small chunks
• 2  1/2 lb. shrimp – deveined
• 2 lbs. Louisiana crawfish – washed … Continue Reading

Polish Cookie Surprise

Yet another installment in the “Polish” cooking series.  If you have read any of my other recipes, you know I name everything I concoct in the food arena “Polish” something or another.  So here are my Polish Cookie Surprise cookies, and you can feel free to add other ingredients, such as raisins, cranraisins, dates, etc.  In this mix I used a variety of nuts.  This particular batch that I made for Christmas made about 11.5 dozen.  Start with a premade cookie dough mix.  This past Christmas at Sam’s they had the Pillsbury Chocolate Chip cookie dough in a 5 lb. tub from the refrigerated section.  The package tub says it will make 80 cookies, but by adding a few extra ingredients, and depending on what size you make the cookies, you can make far more.  I used about a heaping teaspoon size or so.  A few years ago, Publix had a Russell Stover Chocolate Cookie Mix ready made dough that was out of this world, but they only carried it that one year at Christmas that I ever saw.  Enjoy! … Continue Reading