Which Oils Should A Cook Use?

Written Thursday, August 25th, 2011 by Theresa H Hall

My, my, aren't there a lot of oils from which to choose. You can stand staring at the different selections your grocer has for you in their baking aisle. The shelves used to contain only the everyday common vegetable oil and shortening. Over the last two decades we have seen all sorts of oils come to our shelves and they are not stuck on the International aisle either. Select oils and different flavored oils are standing side-by-side with the other cooking oils and baking ingredients. It's a given that as our ingredients have evolved, so have our palates. But the dilemma continues ... do we ignore these interlopers and continue to buy the same standbys we've used for years? Or, do we branch out, find recipes calling for different oils and give them an honest try?

Here are the oils I noticed tonight while shopping: vegetable, corn, saffron, peanut, walnut, coconut, sesame, grape-seed, olive, extra virgin olive, balsamic garlic, almond and Parmesan dipping oil. What a mind-boggling array! Fantastic for sure but how do we know what to choose and what's the best oil for the occasion? I searched further and found vital information to share with you, to save you time in future. Here are three exceptional full-length articles explaining the intricacies to master before you shop. Click the links to see how well each article covers this subject. All of the answers may be found and it won't seem like such a mystery anymore.

Whole Foods Guide To Oils

eHow Foods How To Choose Cooking Oils

The Nibble Magazine Cooking Oil Glossary A to Z (there are six pages)

Displayed Oils Photographs on Flickr by Nanniane

Locally Produced Farm Fresh

Written Tuesday, July 5th, 2011 by Theresa H Hall

Orchards provide their nearby communities, counties, and states with freshly-grown fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Many of them share their premises with other farmers to sell their eggs, meats, poultry, cheeses, butters, and ice creams or yogurts. As you walk along the rows of shelving you'll see jars and containers filled with syrups, jams, jellies, sauces, spices, and seasonings. I find my husband lingering among the hot sauces, candies, pies and cakes. Often there is someone offering little tasting portions for the shoppers to try. It's just one of the reasons that makes a visit to an orchard a fun trip to take with the children, plus they love getting to pick their own berries.

Over the past six or seven weeks there were cherries and strawberries, too, to be picked by shoppers. This month blueberries are plentiful and picking time is from mid-morning until about 1 PM. This year at Butler's Orchard it's "one of their biggest crops ever!"

Buying locally helps to insure the livelihoods of our local farmers, who depend upon us to purchase their produce and support their way of life. Our country was founded by millions of settlers who planted, grew, harvested and rotated their crops. They grew large families and everyone had a job to do as soon as they were old enough to help. Farming was a major way of living and supporting one's family over the last centuries. That is until modern technology, fast-paced transport and lightning-speed communications became the norm. We import foods from around the world, and while it's lovely to enjoy exotic tastes, we must remember that our nation's farmers have been reduced by about 70%! Those families who choose an agricultural life and offer their crops to us are precious to our way of life, too. We all depend upon each other and buying from them versus buying imported, is the support they need.

Here are some of the photos I took on our last trip to our local orchard. Hopefully you will be encouraged to find one in your area and buy farm fresh directly. When we do this, it saves them having to share their profits with the grocery stores. Nice! We all win. There is an interesting site I found which explain sustainable living and farming. You might wish to click the link for some valuable information and perhaps bookmark the site in order to check for updates, for you and your family.

Food Shop The Perimeter

Written Friday, May 13th, 2011 by Theresa H Hall

Attempting to change your diet is so much easier if you try this easy trick. Just shop the perimeter of your grocery store. Start in the produce section and load up as much as you can eat over a four day period, and continue along the edge of the store. Avoid walking up and down the inner aisles and ignore the displays at  the ends of the aisle.  These displays are trappings strategically placed in order to draw you in, or tempt your impulse buying tendencies. Do not be fooled into making poor choices or snap decisions. Also, tune out the la la music and shop quickly because the longer you stay ... the more you buy. That's a fact.

Before you shop make a list and stick to it. Add more fruits and vegetables to your cart and stay away from breads, pastas and frozen dinners. When you enter the meat, poultry, and fish department consider smaller portions. Buy fresh and cook fresh. Use leftovers the next day for lunches.

Lemons and blueberries are light in calories and very beneficial for us because they are full of fabulous antioxidants. All you need do is rinse and eat, or squeeze lemons in your drink or on whatever you are making to eat. These two fruits alone can help improve your health and your digestion. Eating many fruits and vegetables will allow your body to adjust, and you can even trim off a few inches while you're enjoying this healthy lifestyle. Make heart healthy choices.

Pumpkin Patch Update

Written Wednesday, September 29th, 2010 by Theresa H Hall

Back in March of this year, I was reading a lot of articles on the Internet about the depletion of pumpkins and that the LIBBY company was showing a dismal forecast of availability of canned pumpkin. The reports even went so far as to admit that some people were actually selling their cans of pumpkin on sites like eBay and Amazon. Imagine. I still have two large cans that I refrained from using, since I figured they knew what they were talking about. I didn't want to risk not having this prized puree for this coming Autumn.

Nestle` the parent company of Libby's, was smart enough and quick enough to plant a vast amount of pumpkin seeds. The previous year's crops, many of which had been ruined by the enormous amounts of rainfall, were the cause of the springtime concerns. Because of the excess amount invested into the 2010 crops, the company has reported a price increase of 12%, a necessary charge to help defray the excessive expense of this season's harvest.

I am most happy to report that the 2010 crops are a complete success, and that cans of fresh and canned pumpkins are being shipped to stores nationwide. We can breath easy that we do not have to go shopping on the Internet for $7.00 cans of this delicious super-food. We can rest assured that there is enough pumpkins and other gourds to go around ... enough for us all.

Platform Against Hunger

Written Saturday, November 21st, 2009 by Theresa H Hall

Today, I along with many bloggers worldwide, will make a difference. I will go to the grocery store where I will pack up my brown bag with  food. It will have meat, chicken, cans of soups, fruits and vegetables. I will also include boxes of pasta, tomato sauce a loaf of bread and cheese. Lastly, I shall pack milk and juice. I'll be sure to leave the receipt showing todays date so the recipient will understand it has just been purchased. The prices will be crossed through. I will include a Thanksgiving day card. It will be signed, "From someone who cares."

Why am I looking forward to doing this? It's because even though I begin small, but do it every few months, it will help people. My husband and I tithe, contribute toward community Thanksgiving Dinners by sending a donation, give to the various Catholic and non-Catholic charities throughout the year, and that little box at the back of our church ... it's called the poor box. However, I do not like to think of those who lack necessary items to be poor, or lesser. I think of them as families or individuals who find themselves in unfortunate positions. Yet every single coin and bill is counted and divided among those people in need.

It wasn't that long ago that we felt an uncomfortable financial pinch, and until we were able, we had to be very cautious. It was something we were not used to doing. For so many families this is now the normal way to live. It's so much easier to think about helping someone in the midst of their plight, when you have experienced lack of any kind.

BloggersUnite.org is a non-profit forum where bloggers and non-bloggers alike join together to make a difference for someone other than themselves. Todays project is designed to focus upon those in need. Those who suffer from hunger. It is to provide them a respite from worry, to feed their spirits, not just their stomaches. It shares a ray of hope.

Imagine out of the blue, a stranger hands you a full bag of groceries. Only minutes before, you might have been wondering if you should purchase cheese or coffee. Hard decisions each day for millions of people. Easy decision for us to help.

By coming together, clicking a link, making a commitment to bring matters out into the open, we make a conscious decision to ask the world to see what hunger looks like. Some will turn away, but some will listen, because we come en force. We stand not alone in our small attempt to share some of what we have with those who so need an outstretched hand. Bloggers that Unite do make a big difference and it's time we all get involved, because next time, it might be you who has that inward feeling of despair and a stomach that growls for food. Be generous. Visit the site and see how you can help. Thanks.

Get it Together!

Written Thursday, October 8th, 2009 by Anne Coleman

Beyond having a good amount of 30 minute meals on-hand, like the ones you'll find here at Half Hour Meals, the key to getting dinner done in a flash is preparation. Once you have a few prepped ingredients in your aresenal, your meals will go from time-consuming to ready-in-no-time.

I used to do O.A.M.C. (Once a Month Cooking), but rarely have time for a full cooking day to get it all ready for the month. Now I save time by prepping what I can as I purchase it. The best and most budget-friendly way to go about this is to set aside time after your weekly shopping trip to get a few essentials put away properly for quick use later on.

Chicken: I love IQF (individually quick frozen) chicken breasts for their ease of use. I currently am able to purchase them cheaper than fresh, but when I can't get them, I separate fresh chicken breasts and set them on a baking sheet. Pop the whole sheet in the freezer and when the breasts are frozen solid, pack them away in resealable freezer bags to grab at a moment's notice. This also works for any cut of chicken.

Ground Meats: I buy this in bulk packages of at least 5 pounds and freeze in bags containing a pound each. Even if you need more than a pound for a recipe, it's still smart to freeze in one pound increments as the thawing will be far faster than in a larger package.

Meatballs: When I don't have time to make a bunch of my own, I buy meatballs in 2 pound resealable packages. If I am making my own, I freeze them exactly the way I freeze the chicken breasts; on a baking sheet in the freezer until solid. Bag them up and they are great to have on-hand for soups, stews, subs and everyone's favorite - spaghetti and meatballs.

Produce: Chop peppers, onions, carrots, celery and other veggies and freeze on a tray before slipping into small sandwich-sized bags of 1 to 2 cups each. You'll always have them there for stocks, soups and sauces. I also keep bags of frozen vegetables at the ready to add to casseroles or soups and they're a great way to soothe boo-boos, as well!

Homemade Stocks and Sauces: Made ahead of time, these can be easily frozen in containers of different sizes. Keep 1 and 2 cups sizes available as well as quarts for any size recipe. Meat sauce is perfect for more than pasta, it can also be used as an excellent soup base and for quick chili.

Fresh Herbs: I often buy herbs fresh and freeze in small batches to have available to toss into soups and stews. The flavor is better than dry counterparts and adds more color to any dish.

Cheeses: I rarely buy pre-shredded cheese because block cheese is so much cheaper. A simple run through the shredding attachment on my food processor and I've got mounds of cheese ready to bag and pop into the fridge and freezer.

Dry Goods: I keep a variety of canned and dried beans, pastas and rices in my pantry along with tomato sauce, canned fruits, salsa and stocks for lightning fast fixes for any meal and there's always a box of baking mix in there to make quick dumplings, biscuits or topping for any number of casseroles.

There's so much more to this list, the key is to figure out what you'll need for the week and what you like to use often and have it as ready as possible before prep-time hits. Once you have your freezer and pantry stocked with partially prepared items, you'll have dinner on the table in no time!

Eat Cheats: Breakfast on the Go

Written Thursday, October 2nd, 2008 by April Boland

The other day, a colleague of mine walked into our office kitchen while I was getting my breakfast. He looked at my plate, dumbfounded. "French toast? Where did you get French toast from?" Another time, I was asked how in the world I was able to have pancakes at the office. I am building quite a reputation as the woman with the awesome breakfasts.

The secret isn't really a secret. Brands such as Aunt Jemima have really expanded their product lines, and we no longer have to settle for frozen waffles alone. Sure, the waffles are great, but now we have a choice between those or pancakes or French toast. At the supermarket, you can find all of these fancy breakfast items in the frozen section. Just pop a pancake or slice of French toast in the toaster, as you would a waffle, and you're done.

Not only that, but brands such as Jimmy Dean offer breakfast bowls and sandwiches containing eggs, cheese, sausage, etc. that you can pop into the microwave. All of these options are fast and really help break up the monotony of breakfast.

Let's Talk About Rice

Written Wednesday, September 24th, 2008 by Penny Hawkins

There are many of types of rice and knowing a bit about them can help you decide what type to choose for your recipe. Most types of rice are defined either by the size of their grain, or by their origin. Different varieties need different styles of cooking and they produce different textures and flavors.

Long-Grain Rice cooks dry and fluffy, with tender, separate grains. It is 4 to 5 times as long as it is wide. Carolina is a variety of long-grain grown in the southern U.S.

Basmati is another type of long-grain that is sometimes referred to as the “champagne of rice�. It is highly prized for its aromatic fragrance and is a staple in Indian cooking. Basmati rice should be rinsed before cooking.

Pecan Rice is a long-grain brown rice with the flavor of pecans.

Medium-Grain Rice such as Arborio is slightly more round and absorbs more water than the long-grain varieties. This produces moister, stickier rice. Medium-grain rice can be used in recipes the same way as long-grain rice.

Sticky Rice, or Glutinous Rice is a medium to short-grain rice used in Oriental cooking because it is easier to eat with chopsticks.

Thai Fragrant Rice has a wonderful fragrance, and its tender grains are much prized by the Thais and Vietnamese.

Wild Rice is an aquatic grass that grows along rivers and lakes on the Canadian-American border. The long, thin, black grains have a nutty flavor and a chewy texture. Because it is very expensive, it is often mixed with white (especially long-grain) rice. Wild rice takes 15 to 20 minutes longer than white rice to cook and absorbs four times its volume in liquid.

Good Protein Sources (Part 2)

Written Friday, September 19th, 2008 by April Boland

Hard to believe that when I wrote my previous post on how to get sufficient protein in your diet, I forgot to include protein powder!  This might sound like something that only bodybuilders and weight lifters use, but every day folks like us can use it too.  In fact, many nutritionists recommend it, especially if you are vegetarian or vegan.

A large can of protein powder can typically be found in the health food section of your supermarket, and can cost you anywhere between $12 and $25.  This is not cheap, but think of it as an investment.  The can usually contains enough to last you for months and months, depending on how often you use it.  You can add it to all kinds of things, such as:

Milk in your cereal
A shake or smoothie
A bowl of oatmeal
Pancake or cake batter
Sauces

Popping Your Own Popcorn

Written Monday, August 25th, 2008 by April Boland

Who doesn't like popcorn? And yet, you might want to think twice before buying boxes of the microwaveable stuff. Many of them, aside from being pricey, are high in fat and calories from the flavoring and all. (Don't even get me started on movie popcorn and its perils!)

Most people don't seem to realize how amazing, easy and inexpensive it is to freshly pop your own popcorn. No, you don't need a popcorn machine - all you need is a pot or pan and a bag of kernels. I recently purchased an 80 cent bag of popcorn kernels. According to the nutrition information and serving sizes, that small bag that cost me less than a dollar will yield 44 cups of popcorn.

Seems hard to believe until you start popping, which is when you will realize that a few spoons of kernels are all you need. (Follow instructions on the bag and try to avoid popping too much! It will be tempting to think the small number of kernels couldn't possibly be it.) Add oil (olive would be the healthy choice) and a single kernel to the pot or pan over a flame, covered. When the single kernel pops, the pot/pan is ready. Add all of your kernels, keep it covered and pop! (This should be fun with kids, or for those of you who remember Jiffy Pop foil skillets over the stove.)

The best part is you can flavor your popcorn with whatever you like:

• Salt and pepper
• Butter
• Garlic salt
• Parmesan cheese

Now, doesn't 80 cents for at least 20+ popcorn sessions - that are much healthier than processed popcorn with artificial flavoring - sound like a good deal?