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Before the Recipe … Part Two

Saturday, February 20th, 2010

You may read Part One here. Hopefully these rules and guides will prove helpful to the beginner cook and everyone in-between.

Prior to jumping into your food project to begin cooking, there are some important steps to take and tips to consider. After you choose the recipe you want to make sure to read your recipe, and then, read it through again. Be certain to have all of the ingredients you need before your start and that you comprehend the written instructions.

You will find that all recipes are not written alike. Nor are they written with the purpose of making it easier for you. They could actually end up confusing any unsuspecting cook. Many times the order of ingredients are, in fact, not listed properly or according to their importance. Be aware of this and look to see how the recipe is written. If necessary, just use the cookbook as a guide and re-write the recipe in order of use, or dry versus wet, in order to incorporate them ahead of time. Be certain you have left nothing out and that the amounts are correct. Double-check everything before you measure.

Next the most important thing to remember is this: Mise en Place (MEEZ-ahn-plahs) and it is the very first thing you learn about in culinary school. The term is French and simply means “everything in its place”.

First read the recipe, comprehend, re-write if necessary, then make sure you have all of the ingredients. Next you put everything in its place. Pre-sift, pre-measure, have certain ingredients at room temperature or chilled appropriately. Blend together the dry ingredients and set aside and remember to set the temperature in your oven so it is pre-heated.

Most dinners include more than one dish and it is such an important step to be completely organized before you begin. Plus you must check cooking or baking times in order to coordinate producing your entire meal on time and in accord.

Another step of mise en place is gathering the bowls, spoons, measuring tools, pots, pans, and baking dishes you’ll need. Deep-frying? You’re going to have to have heat resistant potholders and tongs. It’s simple things like these that will help you get the job done and having them on-hand before you begin to cook is a wise decision.

By incorporating this rule of mise en place, you will enjoy your food preparation because you will have thought ahead and made sure everything is in its place. Bon Appetit!

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Fast and Easy Madeleines

Wednesday, February 10th, 2010

One of the most delightful things I learned to prepare while attending culinary school was this recipe. Madeleines are traditional petit sponge cakes from the northeastern regions of France. If you do a little research you can find the cool history surrounding this confection. They are also referred to as cookies.

They even have their very own adorable baking container. The Madeleine Pan is found in speciality stores that cater to the serious and professional cook. It is one piece of metal, and sometimes comes with a non-stick coating. The one I own is stainless steel and is a good weight. The lighter a baking instrument, the more the possibility exists of burning or uneven baking. The Madeleine Pan is similar to a muffin pan and has a dozen half-shell shaped depressions. As you can readily see in the picture of these petit cakes, the sides showing are actually the bottoms, the tops being rather dome shaped and smooth.

There are many variations for this recipe and you can even bake Savory Madeleines. In one restaurant where I once worked for a short time, they served Thai and Asian fusion foods. The pastry chef there taught me to prepare them with sesame oil and other spicy flavorings, and I have to admit they were very good to eat.

These little sponge cakes present well, and you must always remember to grease and flour your pans between every batch. If you have a deep container for flour, such as a floor container, like they use in big kitchens, you can dip your pan into the flour and pull it out to find it is evenly covered. When you pipe your batter inside the prepared shell pan, squeeze evenly from base to tip and back down again. Because the batter will expand while baking, you only fill the shell 3/4 full. As soon as the cakes are a golden brown color, they are done. Wearing a heavy oven mitt, remove the pan from the oven and tap the side of the pan to release all of the little Madeleines. They will jump out of their baking container. Shake confectioners sugar over top right away and take a bite.

These cakes are well received because they are light, airy, are full of flavor, whichever you decide to use, and you or your guest need only eat one. They are smaller than a cupcake and may be iced or not. You can store them in your freezer for up to a month, and take them out as you need them. You can pipe fillings into them and dip the ends of the bottoms in chocolate. Sprinkle decor on them and ship them to your friends and relatives as gifts. People love Madeleines. Look at everyone’s smiling faces!

This recipe can be made ahead of time and refrigerated for several days. Pipe the batter and bake as you need them. Baking time is perhaps 8 to 10 minutes. Watch them closely because if you over bake them they will be dry and no good.

Madeleines

This cookie has its very own cookie pan.  The characteristics are a shell on the front and a hump on the back.  You can make the batter, and take it out to use as needed, for up to a week.  Take out, warm up the batter to room temperature and pipe. Grease and flour the pans.

8 oz  butter softened

8 oz   sugar

1 tsp   vanilla

1 tsp   lemon zest (or any kind or zest or flavorings)

4   large eggs

1   egg yolk

12 oz  all purpose flour

a pinch of salt

2 1/4 tsp  baking powder

—————

Finish with 10 X sprinkled on top

1) Cream butter, sugar, zest and salt.

2) Sift baking powder and flour together.

3) Alternate adding the dry ingredients and then eggs, a little bit at a time to incorporate; ending with the dry.

4) Stir until well combined.

5) Pipe batter into Madeleine pan with #5 tip, and fill about 3/4 full. Start at the base, go up, and come back.

Bake 375º for 8 to 10 minutes.  They will puff up a bit and be brown on the backside.  Remove from pans immediately by tapping the mold onto a mat, and they will fall out.

Serve plain, with 10 X sugar, a lemon glaze or with tempered chocolate. Be sure to let the edges show.  Serve fresh out of the oven in a warm container.

Freezes nicely.

Just remember once you have made these a few times and see how easy they are to make, put your own spin on them with flavorings, sweet versus savory, for your next meal.

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Mix-n-Match Casseroles

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010

I’m a huge fan of any kind of casserole, after all, what’s not to like? They’re easy to put together, I usually have the ingredients on-hand in my pantry or fridge, and most of them use only one pot or pan (ok…two if you have to cook pasta or rice). So, unless you or someone in your family is one of those people who hate their food mixed together, or (yikes!) someone who hates the foods on their plate to touch each other, casseroles are just plain easy, delicious, and a busy cooks best friend! (No offense intended to the mixed-food-hating, no-food-on-the-plate touching people, you can’t help how you feel…I just don’t get it)

One of the things I love most about casseroles is that I can make them with whatever I have on-hand in the fridge and pantry, mixing and matching ingredients to build a casserole around my basic ”formula” that I adapted from a recipe I found in my mother’s recipe box. I do this so often, that over the years I’ve come up with a chart of sorts that helps me mix-n-match my ingredients based on what my family likes best.

The following chart gives you an idea of how you can mix-n-match pretty much whatever you have on-hand to create your own fabulous casserole. The rules are simple: make your base, choose 1 item each from the sauce, meat, veggie, and starch choices, combine with base, add anything you want  from the optional add-ins, top with your choice from the toppings selctions, and bake! That’s it…one pot, no hassles, and you don’t even have to cook the rice or pasta first. How easy is that? You can mix-n-match your own fabulous and delicious casserole tonight! Click on this Mix-n-Match Chart to get started (you can print it!).

Note: You can “plan” these casseroles ahead  by cooking extra meat and freezing or refrigerating it for later use. I often do that with ground beef or chicken, by cooking extra portions than freezing it in one lb. or one cup portions so I can grab-n-go!

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Food Volume and Weight Equivalents Part 3

Monday, January 18th, 2010

NOTE: Sorry everyone…this is a re-post! I tried to post this on my way out of town on Friday and it posted before Anne’s Haiti post instead of after. I figured hardly anyone saw it so I thought it would be best to post it again the right way!!

Today’s post is about volume and weight equivalents for vegetables, and it’s measuring cupone of my favorites because I find myself using this information almost every time I cook! It drives me crazy when a recipe indicates “2 tbsp. sliced green onion”, or “1/2 cup celery, chopped”, and I have to guess how many onions or stalks of celery I need! It seems like I always chop too little or too much (usually too much), so then I have to find a way to use up the extra (the thrifty Pennsylvania Dutch girl in me just won’t let me throw it away).

So… I hope you find these equivalents as helpful as I do…they seem to come in handy quite often in my kitchen!

Carrots: 1 pound = 3 cups chopped or sliced; 2 ½ cups shredded

Celery: 1 medium rib = ½ cup chopped

Corn: 2 medium ears = 2/3 to 1 cup kernels

Cucumbers: 1 pound = 3 cups sliced

Green Onions: 1 onion = 2 tbsp. sliced

Lettuce (Iceberg): 1 ½ lbs. (1 medium head) = 10 cups torn

Lettuce (Romaine): 1 lb. (1 medium bunch) = 6 cups torn

Mushrooms (button): 1 lb. = 6 cups sliced (raw); 2 cups sliced (cooked)

Onions: 1 lb. (4 medium) = 2 to 3 cups chopped

Peppers (green or red sweet): 2 large = 2 ½ rings or strips

Potatoes (new): 8 to 10 = 1 lb.

Potatoes (russet): 1 pound (3 medium) = 3 ½ cups chopped; 2 to 3 cups mashed

Spinach (fresh): 1 pound = 12 cups torn; 1 cup cooked

Tomatoes: 1 pound (3 medium) = 1 ½ to 1 ¾ cups chopped

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Food Volume and Weight Equivalents Part 2

Tuesday, January 12th, 2010

Today’s post continues our series that started last week on food volume and weight equivalents. measuring cupI know that some of you may be wondering why anyone would need or want to know information about volume and weight equivalents. Why should you care how many teaspoons of grated peel you can get from an orange? How could this possibly be useful? Trust me HHMers, I have been cooking for a very long time and I still find myself needing information just like this on a regular basis! I promise…knowing how many oranges you need to get 4 tsps. of grated peel will help you plan your grocery list, and save you time and money as well!

So check out today’s information on volume and weight equivalents for grains, then print it out and put it somewhere handy…I guarantee that someday soon you will have a reason to use it!

P.S. You need 1 medium-sized orange to get 4 tsps. of grated peel.

Barley: 3/4 cup uncooked pearl or 1-1/4 cups uncooked quick cooking = 3 cups cooked

Flour (all-purpose): 1 pound = 3-1/2 cups

Flour (whole wheat): 1 pound = 3- 3/4 cups

Macaroni: 1 cup (3-1/2 oz.) uncooked = 2 cups cooked

Noodles (medium): 3 cups (4 oz.) uncooked = 4 cups cooked

Oats (quick cooking): 1-1/2 cups uncooked = 3 cups cooked

Oats (rolled): 1 cup uncooked = 1-3/4 cups cooked

Rice (brown, long-grain, or wild): 1 cup uncooked = 3 cups cooked

Spaghetti: 8 oz. uncooked = 5 cups cooked

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Cookbook Review: The Entertaining Encyclopedia

Tuesday, December 1st, 2009

Denise Vivaldo is a culinary consultant whose advice and services are much EntEncyCoversought-after within the cooking community.  With expertise in food styling, recipe development and testing, food writing, and professional culinary training, there is no doubt that Ms. Vivaldo can be considered a true authority on cooking and food-related topics. In her latest book, The Entertaining Encyclopedia, she successfully de-mystifies the whole process of planning and pulling off a successful party by walking her readers through party planning step-by-step.

In Part I of the book, Ms. Vivaldo takes all the guesswork out of party planning and execution by breaking down the entire party planning process into separate componets that she calls “Essential Party Elements”. Each of these “essential elements” contains sub-sections that explain in detail anything and everything the potential host or hostess needs to know about that specific topic. For example, in the section called Essential Element 3: Decor, she walks her readers in detail through such topics as the importance of ambiance, choosing linens, china, flatware and glassware, centerpieces and flowers, pulling your party look together, and party favors. Each section is extremely thorough and contains lists, diagrams, hints and tips that tell you everything you need to know to ensure success.

In Part II, Ms. Vivaldo covers Recipes and Menus, providing “essential recipes” for everything from appetizers to beverages. The menus are impressive, and yet none of them requires hours in the kitchen or specially-orderd expensive ingredients. You can pull off any of these menus with a trip to your local store! In addition, she helps give your inspiration a kick-start with a fun list of party theme ideas complete with recipes and tips to make your themed party a success. From Afternoon Tea to a Hawaiian Luau, there are lots of fun themes to choose from. My husband and I chose her “German Feast” theme for a dinner party we had for our new neighbors (one of whom is from Germany). Our party was a big success, and our neighbor appreciated that we brought him a little taste of his homeland in a new place. In fact, he got quite sentimental over the Red Cabbage with Apples, which he said tasted just like his grandmothers (it was savory, sweet, and delicious!).

Part III of The Entertaining Encylopedia contains a handy reference guide that explains and defines terms and techniques used in the book. Don’t know what “Mise-en-place” means? Confused about the difference between crostini and bruschetta? Part III has the answers, explained in an easy-to-understand manner for cooks of any level.

I highly recommend The Entertaining Encyclopedia as the only book that hosts and hostesses of all experience levels will need to plan and execute a successful party.  With this wonderfully thorough guide, there is no need to consult multiple cook books, ettiquette guides, or other references…absolutely everything you need to know is here!

Note: For those of you who will be attending Camp BlogAway next year, Denise Vivaldo will be one of the featured speakers! Please be sure to visit her website to find our more about Denise.

Try this amazing recipe from the book! Thanks to Denise and to Trina Kaye at The Lisa Ekus Group for providing the recipe and cover art.

                                                      Pear Bread Pudding 

 This sweet dessert is out of this world when served with warm       
 caramel sauce.  Serves 6 or can be multiplied up to 4 times
13 x 9-inch, preferably glass or ceramic casserole baking dish, generously buttered
1/2 cup (125 mL) all-purpose flour       
1/2 cup (125 mL) granulated sugar      
1 teaspoon (5 mL) ground cinnamon   
4 eggs, beaten             
1 cup (250 mL) heavy or whipping (35%) cream           
1/4 cup (50 mL) butter, melted 
1 teaspoon (5 mL) almond extract       
1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) vanilla extract      
1 pound (500 g) firm ripe pears, peeled and chopped  
1 loaf Italian bread, crusts removed, cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces (about 4 cups)
2/3 cup (150 mL) caramel sauce, warmed        
  1. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat flour, sugar, cinnamon, eggs, cream, butter, almond extract and vanilla until well combined. Fold in pears and bread.
  2. Pour into prepared baking dish, cover loosely with foil and let stand for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 325°F (160°C).
  3. Bake, covered, in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for about 15 minutes or until top is golden brown.
  4. Scoop into dessert dishes and drizzle with caramel sauce.

Tips: Italian-style loaf bread works best for this recipe. A standard sandwich bread doesn’t have enough backbone to hold up during baking.

Make a double batch of this recipe, baking in a lasagna or roasting pan baking dish and increase baking time to 55 to 60 minutes. If you need more servings, make double batches and rotate baking dishes in the oven partway through to ensure even baking.

Easy Extras: Garnish each serving with a few raspberries or sliced almonds. Stir in 1 cup (250 mL) semisweet chocolate chips when adding the pears.

Excerpt and recipe from THE ENTERTAINING ENCYCLOPEDIA: ESSENTIAL TIPS AND RECIPES FOR PERFECT PARTIES
by Denise Vivaldo  (Robert Rose; October 2009; Softcover/$24.95)
This is not a paid product endorsement

 

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Personalize Your Gifts This Year

Wednesday, November 4th, 2009

Hand Made CandiesCandies make perfect gifts and since the holidays are just around the corner, I would just love to teach you the art of making some of these mouthwatering delights. The easiest way to go about this would be to write a series of posts about a few different truffles, candies, nut clusters and brittles, or jellied fruits.

When this candy making begins, there will be an on-going discussion for questions and answers, and you can share how your candy project is coming along. You might want to look at a few candy recipes while I get these posts written. Also, try an arts and crafts store for little wrappers and gift boxes. You can make a batch of three or four recipes and fill the gift bags and boxes for your favorite people. A variety of traditional sweets will make your gifts special.

Think about expending a small amount into quality products, there really are only a few you will need, and preparing for a real pastry class on this subject.

Remember how it felt to receive a hand made gift? That is because the gift giver took their time to share a part of them with you . We are also going to be working toward a major upcoming event, where we will ask everyone to give to someone who deserves to be helped. And this year there are many. There will be more about that coming up soon.

Personalize your gift giving this holiday season and have a really good time doing it.

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Make Your Own Meal Kits

Thursday, October 15th, 2009

scrambled-eggs-picSome of you might remember my post from last July where I described some of my favorite supermarket shortcuts from the freezer. In that post, one of the shortcuts I listed was Jimmy Dean Breakfast Scrambles, which my husband and I love for a quick meal anytime. They are soeasy and convenient that I usually have one of these handy little time-savers in the freezer at all times! A few days ago, after we had another of our “breakfast scramble” suppers, I started thinking that it would be cool to try and make my own kits and see if I could do it for less money. Since my husband’s favorite breakfast scramble is sausage, I decided to try and copy that one first. 

After a quick trip to the store for ingredients, I am delighted to say that my experiment was a success. For the same price as one Jimmy Dean Sausage Breakfast Scramble (purchased at the local Superstore for $3.48), I was able to purchase enough ingredients to create three kits of my own, equal in size to Jimmy Dean’s, for just $2.65 each! In addition to the great savings, the best part was that I had total control over what went into my kits! I like that there were no worries about excessive sodium, that I could adjust the ingredients to suit our tastes, and that I could make it healthier by using turkey breakfast sausage instead of pork sausage.

Now that I know how easy and economical it is to make my own meal kits, I plan to experiment with some more and blog about it in future posts (so stay tuned)! If you have any meal kit ideas, please give me a shout out…maybe your idea will be a feature on Food for Thought here at Half Hour Meals!

Penny’s Breakfast Skillet Meal Kit:

1 ( oz.) bag southern style hash browns
1 (oz.) bag frozen pepper and onion stir-fry or fajita veggie mix
1 ½ lbs. turkey breakfast sausage
½ tsp. vegetable oil

In a large skillet, brown turkey breakfast sausage in vegetable oil; remove from skillet and drain on paper towels. In a large bowl, combine cooled turkey sausage with potatoes and pepper/onion mix and toss ingredients to combine evenly. Divide mixture in equal amounts among three gallon-size freezer bags (I found scooping it out with a one-cup measure worked great). Label and freeze, use within 6 months. Note: Since you only need 1 ½ lbs. turkey sausage for the recipe and it’s sold in 1 lb. rolls, you obviously have to buy two lbs. I cook it all, and then just freeze the extra ½ lb. for use later (or use it to make up a quick quiche)!

To prepare Breakfast Skillet:

1 Breakfast Skillet Kit
6 eggs
3 tbsp. milk
1 tbsp. vegetable oil

In a large pan, heat vegetable oil over medium heat. When oil is hot, add contents of Breakfast Skillet Kit. Cook Breakfast Skillet until potatoes are beginning to brown and onions and peppers are soft. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk eggs and milk until combined. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, push Breakfast Skillet to one side of the pan; pour egg mixture into the empty half of the skillet. Using a wooden spoon, constantly stir and scrape the eggs until they begin to scramble. Once eggs are scrambled, stir to combine with Breakfast Skillet. Remove from heat and serve.

Variation: Breakfast Skillet Kits make a great frittata!

1 Breakfast Skillet kit
6 eggs
3 tbsp. milk
1 tsp. pepper
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Take contents of one kit, thawed, and arrange in a greased 9-inch pie pan. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs and milk; pour over breakfast skillet mixture; sprinkle with pepper. Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes. Top with shredded cheese and bake an additional 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted and beginning to brown.

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Get it Together!

Thursday, October 8th, 2009

foodstorageBeyond 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!

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Featured Community Member: Jane Doiron

Saturday, September 19th, 2009

AUTHOR, JANE DOIRONMake-Ahead Meals For Busy Moms is not just a blog Jane Doiron writes, it is also the title of her brand new cookbook! Released earlier this month, it is a dream come true for this Massachusetts mother and second grade elementary school teacher. Being a busy mom herself has given her all the inspiration she needed to develop her delicious ideas into a beautifully bound, carry-along book, that also invites its reader to turn the pages, and discover new meals to prepare. Overnight Pancake Mix, Seafood Quiche, Big Ginger Cookies, Lemon Lush and Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Crackles are but a few of her tempting delights.

What is the inspiration for your blog.

I created my blog to connect with other busy moms like me. I would love to meet some moms that want to swap “make-ahead” recipes!

Are you on Twitter?

Yes I am! My name is janedoiron. Feel free to send me a tweet! I have to say, with a full time job and the marketing of my book, I don’t spend much time on Twitter. But I always answer direct messages.

When did you start blogging because I think your blog is so interesting? Do you see yourself still blogging a year from now?

I started my blog 5 months ago, around the time that I submitted my cookbook manuscript to the publisher. I thought it would be a nice way to keep family and friends informed about what was going on with my book.

I will definitely be blogging a year from now. I hope to talk more about food and recipes when things quiet down with my book.

Are you married?  Do you have a family?  Does that change the way you blog?

Yes, I married my high school sweetheart 22 years ago!  We have two sons, one in college and one in high school. As a mom and a teacher, I only blog about things that I would feel comfortable with them reading.

Where does your inspiration in the kitchen come from?

I have always LOVED food! I remember helping my mom bake when I was a little girl. When I was a teenager, I started getting interested in cooking. I remember making my first homemade cinnamon buns! They were delicious! I was hooked from that moment on! I have bought my share of cookbooks and recipe magazines throughout the years and have always enjoyed trying new recipes.

Make Ahead MealsYour new cookbook is right up my alley, and I have a feeling it will be such a huge hit with moms and college students.  Are they all your own creations or did you use some of your relatives’ recipes, which were passed down?

I created some of them myself, but I have gotten quite a few recipes from my family and friends.

What was your biggest challenge writing your cookbook?  How long did it take and had you been creating it in your mind for a while?

My biggest challenge was editing the book. When you go through a self-publishing company, you are responsible for everything. Whatever you approve, will get printed. It’s a big responsibility. It took 15 months for me to write my cookbook and took almost 5 months to get it published.

I always wanted to write a cookbook, but I became very interested in make-ahead meals in the last few years. I knew that there was a target audience of busy moms that could use a cookbook like this.

Why did you join (HHM) Half Hour Meals?

I was looking for a new recipe to try and loved how the site was set up. There are great food pictures with the recipes!

How long have you been a member here?

I joined about a month ago.

What is your favorite thing about the HHM site?

I love the great selection of food blogs!

Have you had time to try any other members’ recipes yet?

Yes, I made the Warm Spinach Dip. My family and friends loved it!

If others were to ask you about HHM, how would you describe the site to them?

It is more than just a recipe site. It has a great community for people to share their thoughts about food and has almost 400 food blogs that you can browse through!  I love it!

Thank you Jane for being my first featured member and also the very first friend I made here at HHM. We wish you great success and I enthusiastically endorse your new cookbook, Make-Ahead Meals For Busy Moms, which is sold on-line and can even be downloaded right from your site. I am proud that you have worked toward your goal and can only hope you will continue to create future works of your art. Visit Jane and see for yourself!

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