The Pathway to Happiness» Cooking, Food & Wine

Easy Recipes are Perfect for a Busy Life

admin — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 21:23:20 +0000

Life seems to be moving at a faster pace every day. Work, the kid’s need to be at practice or a game, volunteering at the school or church, or even kicking back and going to watch a football game. It’s no wonder people do not make time to cook a nutritious hot meal. Cooking doesn’t need to be time consuming. There are dozens of healthy recipes you can prepare in less then 30 minutes. In fact, many of my simplist recipes are great easy tailgating recipes.

I have several easy recipes that my family loves for dinner. As far as chicken recipes, Sweet & Sour Chicken, Paprika Chicken, and one of my favorites Roast Chicken. All have their own unique favor and style, but they all are in the skillet or oven in minutes. I also have several pasta recipes and one skillet recipes that are simple and quick. Pork Chop Skillet, Mexican Skillet, and Asian Pork Tenderloin Stir Fry, all hot and on the table in about a half hour. Crockpot and stew recipes are time savers too. My easy beef stew recipe is a family favorite too. Spend 20 to 30 minutes in the morning and a hot tender delicious dinner can be waiting for you when you arrive home.

Convenient 3 Quart Portable Bakeware Set

admin — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 22:22:19 +0000

Before you know it, Autumn will be here. When the cooler weather arrives, many of us will do a lot more indoor cooking and baking. There will also be more gatherings with family and friends with the fall and winter holidays approaching. Often when we trek off to a party at work or at one of our friends homes, we bring a hot dish or dessert along for the festivities. Before I bought myself this convenient CorningWare 3 Quart Oblong Portable Ceramic Bakeware Set, I used to have to place foil around my old baking dish and place it in a thick, double layered bag to take my food to a party. I’d try to wedge the dish on my passenger floor and hope it would slide too much and risk my food spilling out!

This great Portable Baking Set has made carrying my meals to parties so much easier, and neater! You really can’t beat CorningWare in my opinion. It’s so versatile since you can easily bake in it as well as store food in it in your fridge or freezer. Plus it’s so easy to clean in the dishwasher or sink and always looks as good as new. A set like this would even make a great bridal or housewarming gift too!

Cooking in a Classic Clay Baker

admin — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 22:49:42 +0000

I had never owned a clay baker and I actually wasn’t even aware that they existed. I do most of my stove top cooking in my hard-anodized cookware and usually do my oven baking in aluminum pans and ceramic casserole dishes. Then I was reading an article recently that mentioned cooking in clay so I went online and found a wonderful selection of clay cookware available for sale. Since I love to cook and try out new cooking methods, I went ahead and purchased the Romertopf Medium Covered Clay Baker.

The package arrived quite quickly and when I opened the box I was so happy to see how beautiful the clay baker is. It looked nice in the photo but it’s even more impressive when you have it in your hands. I followed the instructions and soaked it in water for about 15 minutes before I filled it with my herb roasted chicken and some red potatoes. I then place it in a cold oven and turned the heat up to about 400 degrees. The meal was ready in about an hour and a half and the chicken was superb! I have never had chicken as moist and tender as that before. Needless to say I’ll be buying some more pieces of Romertopf very soon.

Creamy Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes For Kids And Grownups Too

admin — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 21:28:52 +0000

If you’ve got a finicky eater in the house, you may have given up on scalloped potatoes because they can be a little too sharp tasting, or have too much onion. This recipe for crock pot scalloped potatoes is really kid-friendly, but will be enjoyed by grown ups as well. By replacing the sharp cheddar with American Cheese, you bring the dish more in the line with a kid’s taste buds, but keep the creamy and cheesy texture and flavor. You can also add ham if you would like to create a full meal.

When you adapt your crock pot recipes to suit kids as well as grown ups, you just need to keep in mind a few things. You can always replace onion with onion powder if it’s the texture that your kids object to. You can totally eliminate black pepper if it’s too spicy. Use a creamier cheese instead of a sharper, drier one, and if they wince when confronted with a mushroom piece, make a medium white sauce to replace any cream of mushroom soup.

The Stainless Steel Push and Pop Bottle Opener is the easiest bottle opener I’ve come across

admin — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 21:41:48 +0000

When tailgating at the last Chiefs home game with my friend, Alisa, and her husband, Erik, I was in charge of the cooler. We grilled our hamburgers and popped open the chips and I grabbed my old standby, an ice-cold Bud Light. To my dismay, I found that I had forgotten the bottle opener. Erik laughed and pulled a shiny, metal cylinder from his pocket. “What’s that?” I asked, astounded. He replied that it was the Stainless Steel Push and Pop Bottle Opener.

I was amazed when he set this mysterious metal cylinder on top of his bottle, pushed down and pulled it up and off popped the top! It was certainly the easiest method I have ever seen for removing the cap on my sports-watching nectar. I had previously used the flat side of a key or the edge of the stairs or even one of those flat metal bottle openers, but no more, now that Erik has opened my eyes to what a bottle opener can be!

Ever since I used the Push and Pop bottle opener the first time, it has become a near addiction to use and a necessary accessory for tailgating and watching football at home.

A Half-Round Loaf Pan for Perfectly Sliced Breads

admin — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 21:02:33 +0000

When I was growing up one of the favorite treats of the holiday season was homemade date nut bread. My sisters and I would help my Mom make batches and batches of the rich, moist bread to give out to neighbors and relatives as a special winter treat. We’d bake the bread in loaf pans, muffin pans and even empty soup cans when we ran out of bakeware. The loaf pans and baking pans that we had back then don’t compare to some of the great baking tools that you can get today. For instance, the Kaiser Half-Round Loaf Pan that I have now would have been perfect for our date nut bread project.

Kaiser makes durable and attractive bakeware and this loaf pan is no exception. It measures 12 inches long and has a 4 1/2 cup capacity, which is a perfect size for any of my favorite breads. The pan is made of commercial- weight steel which provides even for consistent baking results. Of course what I love most about this handy pan is that the ridges help make beautiful, perfectly sliced breads every time. It’s one fun kitchen loaf pan everyone should have in their kitchen.

Taco Night With A Twist

admin — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 17:09:46 +0000

Thursday is taco night at our house. We have a lot going on that day and tacos are easy and more importantly fast to make and everyone seems to like them. Unfortunately we all started to get a little tired of them, so I decided to try this chick pea tacos recipe instead. They are very yummy, but I have to warn you… if you don’t use enough avocado as “glue”, the chick peas start to roll all over the place, making it a bit of a challenge to eat them.

We had a lot of fun and I’m glad I found another bean recipe that my family enjoys. Ok, technically they are peas, not beans, but they are in the legume family, and are full of protein and fiber. That counts in my book and overall this is a very healthy meal. I have to confess; I didn’t have organic sour cream at home and didn’t feel like going to the store, so we just topped them with a little plain yogurt. I’m sure they’d be even better and more authentic with sour cream though.

12-Quart Stainless Stockpot for Economical Soup Making

admin — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 17:17:46 +0000

As fall slowly leads into winter, I find my thoughts turn to soup making. I’m certain that there is nothing more comforting in the world than a nice pot of homemade soup. Sure, canned soup is okay but soup carefully calibrated to your own personal taste is really something special. As with everything else, you need proper equipment to get the job done. I can’t imagine embarking on a season of soup making without my hefty 12-quart stainless stockpot.

Soup making can be quite easy and economical. Lets say on Sunday you’ve roasted a chicken, and by Monday night you are done to the carcass with a little meat. Toss it in your stainless 12 quart stockpot with some sliced onions, rice, a little prepared broth, and water. Let it simmer for a few hours and you’ll have a super cheap, delicious dinner. Of course your stockpot is also the perfect thing to make stock in! Homemade stock elevates the taste and quality of your soups and it’s as easy as tossing meat (a chicken, or some meat bones) into your pot with some celery, onions, carrots, herbs, and water. Simmer for hours, occasionally skimming the top. When it is over you’ll have the base for countless soups to come. With the right stockpot in your kitchen you’re sure to have a fantastic soup making season.