101 Cookbooks

Had to share. I found this cool cooking blog and loved the recipes. It's called 101 Cookbooks. Check it out.

Roasted Veggies - no salt added

Autumn's vegetable harvest brings a bounty of flavors. Sometimes you tire of the same old casserole or stir fry. I decided to roast my veggies and much to my surprise, I found a very similar recipe in the November issue of "Better Homes and Gardens" magazine by Tyler Florence. I like my version better.

In a 13" x 9" glass baking pan drizzle two tablespoons of olive oil. Cut up one medium eggplant in 1 inch chunks, slice one fennel bulb, cut up two small green peppers, crush 4 cloves of garlic and about a cup of heirloom grape tomatoes and spread the mixture in the baking pan. Top the veggies with the juice of one lemon and some sprigs of oregano. Drizzle the mixture with another tablespoon of olive oil. Bake in a 400 degree oven for about an hour.

Are You a Savvy Saver?

“Reduce, reuse, recycle” – we’ve all heard that phrase. And in these days of leaner paychecks and higher prices it’s suddenly become trendy to own less stuff. The new “in thing” is to have fewer pieces of furniture, fewer cars, fewer houses. Less is truly more.

Instead of buying that truck, save your money and pay cash for a fuel-efficient car. Or have money from your paycheck placed in a separate vacation account. Whatever you want whether money for college, a new house, a laptop, or increased dollars for retirement, now is the best time to begin reaching your goal.

How much interest does your money make at the local coffee shop or department store? Zip. Nadda. Zero.

Let’s say you want a new vehicle and you live close to a bus route. Consider buying a bus pass for additional savings. Car-pool with fellow employees at least twice a week. Walk or ride a bike to a local store. Bring your lunch to school or work. Use coupons to maximize your spending. Smoke fewer cigarettes. Small steps add up to big bucks over time.

Another benefit to more exercise and fewer cigarettes is you’ll be in better shape. A healthier you means fewer doctor’s visits and less cash outlaid for prescriptions. Maybe instead of buying a new car, you just might want to use your new found wealth to show off your trim and fit body on some warm beach.

What if you don’t live by mass transportation and you’ve cut back as much as you can and still are having trouble making ends meet? Consider a second job utilizing skills you already have. Maybe you’re an excellent vocalist. Talk to local religious groups or organizations about singing for weddings or special events. If you are good with animals, you could create flyers letting friends and neighbors know you’re available for pet sitting or walk dogs for people working two or three jobs. Do your neighbors love to decorate for the holidays but hate taking down the lights from their gutters and trees? Set up a business that focuses on seasonal help.

Too busy to start up a side business? There are still ways to reduce spending and save. Instead of buying wood chips and mulch around your plants use newspaper. That’s right. Spread out a ¼ inch deep section around veggies and flowers. Place rocks or a thin layer of soil on top of the paper. This method suppresses weeds, helps water retention and conditions the soil. Make your own window cleaner from vinegar and water – equal parts of each. Wipe the surface clean with newspaper for a streak-free finish. If you decide to clean out your garage or basement, sell your unwanted items on ebay, craigslist or take them to a consignment shop. More and more retail establishments offer money - usually 50 percent – to sell your gently used furniture, clothing, records, CD’s, jewelry or tools.

When you have a goal, anything is possible. Start saving today and you’ll reach your dream faster than ever.

Fall Planting

Recently, I made a raised garden bed out of southern yellow pine. I lined the box with landscape fabric and filled it with rich humus, manure, sphagnum peat moss and top soil then planted my fall crop. Not a huge garden in autumn, but nestled with cool weather plants. Plants like peas, arugula, radishes, lettuce, parsley and swiss chard. It's a nice mix that will carry into late November harvesting.

And lucky me - we had a lovely, light rain last night that lasted a couple hours. Perfect weather for starting a fall garden.

Ryobi Pole Saw at Home Depot

What a deal! Home Depot has a 2-cycle, Ryobi pole saw for $49.07!!!! This brand new, in the box saw was $199.00. I know it is this price in metropolitan Detroit. Not certain if it's this price on line or in other areas of the country.

Apricot Sorbet Redoux

The apricot sorbet was amazingly simple to make, delicious and under 50 calories per serving.

I did make some adjustments to the original recipe. For every six apricots I blended, I added 1/8-1/4 cup of sugar to the mixture. The photos show the progression of the dessert.

1. Remove pit from apricots
2. Place apricots in blender
3. Puree the fruit until smooth
4. After freezing the mixture, scoop the sorbet into serving dishes topped with mint garnish.

Easy Apricot Sorbet

I purchased 5 pounds of apricots for a terrific price. Very ripe apricots. And I needed a quick and easy recipe that didn't require heat. It's just too hot in Michigan right now and I don't need to compound that by turning on a stove. That meant making jam was out of the question.

What to do?

After searching the web I found an easy recipe for Apricot Sorbet.
Puree' the apricots in a blender. Place the mixture in a freezer safe container. Remove when frozen and garnish with sprigs of mint.

This is my kind of recipe. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Cucumber and Peach Salad

An unusual combination of peaches and cucumbers melds well with mint and lime juice for a refreshing summer salad. I adapted this recipe from the Johnson Company's "Right@Home" web site for a cucumber and mango salad. Peaches are almost as sweet as mangoes. And I substituted chives for onions and topped the salad with salmon. Yum-a-lish!

• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 3 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 large peaches cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 large cucumber, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• a bunch of chives cut finely
• 3 Tablespoons thinly sliced fresh mint leaves
• 1/4 cup sliced mozzarella cheese
• 3 oz. of Alaskan Salmon

In a small bowl, mix the sugar, cumin, lime juice, salt and olive oil. Set aside. In a medium-size bowl, mix together the peaches, cucumbers, chives and mint. Toss with the dressing and place the salad on a serving platter. Sprinkle with cheese and salmon on top of the salad.

Wild Sumac in Michigan

While riding my bike, I spotted a grove of sumac trees. Not certain if this is the edible variety or poisonous version. I learned recently that Middle Eastern cultures use a type of sumac to flavor some of their food. Michigan has a large population of people of Middle Eastern descent and I have seen people picking the flowers and fruit from these plants.

Name This Flower

I found this flower growing in my yard. Does anyone know the name of the plant?