Meals in 30 minutes or less?

Is it really possible to walk into the kitchen and make a home cooked meal, using fresh ingredients, not convenience foods, in 30 minutes or less? Most people would say no. Even celebs like Rachel Ray and Sandra Lee depend on prepackaged, preservative laden foods to cook their quick meals. While there's certainly nothing wrong with that, some prefer not to use prepackaged foods, whether it be because of a heart healthy diet, being more aware of what they eat, or perhaps they just like the freshness that real ingredients lend. 

Again, every once in a while using a prepackaged product is ok, but it's certainly healthier to use fresh or even frozen fruits and vegetables, whole grain rice and pastas, and real herbs and spices instead of frozen dinners, minute rice, and seasoning envelopes. 

So how can you do all of that if you work full time, go to school, usher kids to and from sporting events, clean the house, do the laundry, take the dog to the vet, pay your bills, visit grandma in the nursing home, attend doctor's appointments where you sit in the waiting room far longer than you should, help kids with homework.... (catches breath.). Well, with some extra effort, and yes it does take some extra effort on your part, you can begin to convert yourself over to using more fresh ingredients and less of the prepackaged stuff.

Preparation

One of the most time consuming things when preparing a recipe from scratch are all the little things that have to be done before you actually cook. These include measuring, chopping, mincing, and slicing. There are quite a few things that can be done ahead of time to help you make fairly quick meals on busy weeknights. Here are just a few:

Chop and Store

Chop, mince, or dice your veggies ahead of time and store in zipper sandwich or gallon storage bags, depending on how much you make. If you use chopped onion in a lot of your recipes, chop it up, toss it into a zipper gallon bag and squeeze out the air. Store it in the freezer, then just grab what you need when you need it. Same goes for other veggies such as bell peppers, garlic, and mushrooms. All of these can be frozen and then just tossed into soups or the skillet for sauteing. Of course, you wouldn't want to freeze these if they are to be used in salads, so store some in the refrigerator if you need them fresh. Also, when you are chopping onion for one recipe, go ahead and chop extra to toss into a bag.

Measuring dry herbs and spices

I personally prefer to make my own homemade taco seasoning. It tastes so much fresher and everyone loves it. It's a pain to measure though, so I make several at once, using 4 or 5 different bowls. Once they are all measured out, I store each one in a zipper sandwich bag, then I roll up the sandwich bags and lay them together, then I wrap them all in foil together and store in the cabinet. I do this with my chili seasoning too, and you can do it with just about any dish that calls for several herbs and spices to be added at the same time. 

Make Two Meals

When I make a meatloaf, I make two or three of them. Once the meat and seasonings are all combined, I put the extra into freezer bags, flatten out the meat in the sealed bags, mark them with a Sharpie, then lay them flat to freeze. Once frozen they are easily stacked on top of one another or standing up in the freezer. I posted something similar with making meatballs, I can make several batches and not have to roll all the little buggers in one sitting. If you enjoy Chicken Piccata, Schnitzel (or pork tenderloin sandwiches), or Chicken Fried Steak, always make extra. Layer between sheets of wax paper and place in freezer bags for future meals. If you enjoy marinated steak, pork chops or chicken, place extra fresh meat in a freezer bag, add marinade and place flat in the freezer. When you are ready to grill, remove from freezer and thaw and your meat will be perfectly marinated.

Always, Always, Always Read the Recipe

I can't say this enough. When you want to make something, be sure to read the entire recipe through. It's an awful feeling to get halfway through making something only to find out that something has to simmer for 2 hours or chill in the refrigerator overnight.

Menu Plan

Sitting down on your day off and taking half an hour to go through your recipes, build your grocery list and write down what meals you are making for the week is a huge time saver. Also, knowing what you will be making each night removes the stress of "what the heck am I going to make tonight"? You'll know that morning before you head out the door what needs to be defrosted. Also, be sure to make use of the meals you made extra of! So if you have a meatloaf in the freezer or a package of Chicken Fried Steak breaded and ready to go, add it to your menu plan. 

Freezing Vegetables and Fruits

Frozen fruit is great for smoothies or making jams. There are many recipes that call for frozen fruit, so instead of tossing out and wasting fruit that is getting too ripe, toss it into a freezer bag and use it for a refreshing summer drink. For vegetables, you can prepare your own for freezing through a method called blanching. I don't do this too often, only because it's fairly cheap to buy frozen veggies and I just check the package to make sure there aren't any preservatives or additives. Last week I posted about making your summer corn on the cob last throughout the winter, which includes the process of blanching. There's a handy chart on oChef with blanching times for different vegetables.

Crockpots and Pressure Cookers

Using a slow cooker is great for those days you'll be gone all day, especially for those that work outside the home. Toss in the meat, a little liquid, seasonings and some veggies. Cook on low all day and you'll come home to a wonderful smell and a cooked meal. Pressure cookers, on the other hand, are another very handy tool. Pressure cookers have come a long way from years ago when you heard horror stories of the appliance exploding in kitchens everywhere. I use my pressure cooker fairly regularly and it has definitely saved me from those nights when I forgot to put the roast in early enough, or I want shredded chicken but don't have hours to wait. For example, I place a 3.5 pound chuck roast in my pressure cooker, cover it with water or broth, position the lid and rocker and 30-35 minutes later I have a roast with meat that just shreds. Slow cookers as well as pressure cookers are fairly inexpensive these days, if you don't have one, you may want to check them out. Here's an article on pressure cooker recipes, some basics of using a pressure cooker, and one on slow cookers (crock pots).

Fastest Meal Ever

Do you have a favorite FAST hot cooked meal aside from grilled cheese? Mine is meatless spaghetti. I make my own sauce, but it's not rocket science. One 6 oz can of tomato paste, an 8 oz can of tomato sauce, 18 oz of water (3 tomato paste cans), a couple shakes of Parmesan cheese, several shakes of dried basil, a couple shakes of garlic salt, and some ground pepper. Put the water on to boil for the noodles. Put the sauce ingredients into a saucepan and stir to combine, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. When water boils add your spaghetti noodles. By the time the noodles are done your sauce is ready and you can eat. Butter a couple pieces of bread and you're good to go :) I have 6 people to feed, so I double this recipe.

Hope some of these ideas helped. Do you have any tips along these lines?

Garden Tidbits: Simple May Be Better

The key to everything is patience. You get the chicken by hatching the egg, not by smashing it. ~Arnold H. Glasgow

Today I wanted to share some thoughts that have been running through my head lately. When I lived in the city I grew herbs, flowers and vegetables in raised beds and did a lot more than I thought possible with limited space. We moved the the country and I tried to go too BIG, too FAST. The result was discouragement on my part and I ended up having to move plants around. This year I finally decided that with our busy schedule I needed one raised bed to grow just what I really wanted to. My husband and I put together a 10 foot by 4 foot bed out of pine. Simple. I planted 8 tomato plants, then I sowed seeds for beans and cucumbers in front of a wire trellis, and filled in the rest of the space with basil, dill and nasturtiums. It's right beside our garage in full sun. It's easy to water, weed and then harvest. I'll share pictures later after it fills in. It took me years to figure out that I was trying to do TOO much. So, if you are feeling overwhelmed try scaling back what you grow, and think smaller. It may be this will be better for you too.

A note on watering...it's better for the plants and lawn to water less often but deeply when you do. Some of you may not even need to water extra as you are getting too much rain. If you have drought conditions use thick mulch and water when you can.

Remember, many plants and flowers don't respond well to sprinklers--it can even cause rot and mildew. As a general rule it's better to water well in the morning, and not in the evening. Container plants may need two or even three waterings for hanging plants if it's extremely
hot and/or windy.

For tips on growing and using oregano go here:
http://oldfashionedliving.com/oregano.html

~Brenda

Reader's Questions and Answers

Summer afternoon - summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language. ~Henry James

Last week I went to the park with my daughter's class on the last day of school. We had cupcakes and played for an hour before it was time to return and say our goodbyes. Summer has arrived:) Today I have more garden questions and answers since I am in full garden mode!

I have had bearded irises for years and this is the first time I have noticed an odd growth on one of them, looks like a small thin green pumpkin...what is this and what do I do with it? ~Naida

Those are seed pods and you'll begin to notice after they stop growing they will turn brown and start to open at the top. Inside are the seeds of the iris. You can either just cut them off now with the faded flowers or leave a couple on and let them ripen. Try putting them into pots as soon as they are brown and shiny. Keep them outside and in the winter move them to a more protected area. They'll need warmth then cold to germinate properly. You can cover them with straw in the coldest part of the winter for protection.

My Iris get leaf spot every year. Do you have any ideas for them? I have sprayed them, but they seem to get it again. I have a batch by the house which don't get them,but other places on the property do? ~Ginny

I wonder if you don't need to move them from that soil. From what I've found you need to remove ALL foliage that is infected and burn it-- plus in mild climates you may need to actually destroy the plants that have it because it can continue to live in the soil. That would explain why some of yours have it and others don't. I would start by removing all of the foliage now--and burning it--don't leave even a little piece on the ground. Then see what happens next year and if they still have it I'd try moving to a different location.

My peonies sometimes get a white substance all over the leaves. Do you know what cause it and what I can do to prevent it? ~Jennifer

It's most likely powdery mildew, but peonies can also become infected by Botrytis. Either way, there are some things you can do to try and prevent it. Inspect your peonies on dry days and remove any leaves that look infected, browned etc. Remove blooms after they have faded. Keep the area around the peonies clean of ANY weeds, debris etc. Don't use heavy mulches and water from the soil level, not overhead. They also need good air circulation--don't plant other plants too closely to the peonies. In the fall cut the foliage down and be sure to remove all of it and clean the area.

Basil recipes galore for your summer harvest:
http://www.oldfashionedliving.com/basil2.html

~Brenda

This Week's Garden Tidbits

In June, as many as a dozen species may burst their buds on a single day. No man can heed all of these anniversaries; no man can ignore all of them. ~Aldo Leopold

Don't be confused, it really is Tuesday, and I'm late on the garden tips. We had a storm here and our power was out for much of the day yesterday so I saved the blog for today. We needed a good rain, just not the wind! Today's picture is one of my peonies that started blooming on Saturday. They are one of my favorite flowers and I've been taking a lot of pictures.

Deadhead your flowers! Make yourself a note and do it this week. I've been getting emails asking what to do with those flowers that have browned on the plants. Pinch them off with your fingers or clip them off with shears. Each plant is slightly different, but the seed head will form where the bloom was. If you don't clip off that dead bloom, energy will go into forming seeds instead of making more flowers. Snapdragons, petunias, sweet William, pansies, zinnias, calendula, bachelor buttons, geraniums and many more annuals need to deadheaded. Those in the soil, in window boxes and hanging baskets all need to have this done. There is a lot of growing season remaining.

A quick reminder on feeding and watering most herbs. Water only during drought conditions or when first transplanting. Don't mulch unless it's an herb that prefers moist conditions and the general rule is to not fertilize. Certainly if you do, use only organic fertilizer and go lightly.

This is the time of year to pinch back certain plants that are considered fall bloomers, so you'll be sure to have color later in the season. Some of these are mums, asters, and Autumn Joy sedum (we call these house leeks here in the Midwest). You don't want to pinch off the blooms or the small side stems too late, but June is a good time to do this. The plant will have lovely blooms in the autumn if you pinch back now.

Slugs are a big problem year round in the garden, but watch for them to be especially annoying during and after a rain. You can surround the bottom of your plants with crushed egg shells, coffee grounds, diatomaceous earth, or even gravel to deter these pests. If they are also getting into your potted plants you can wrap the base of the pot with copper. They won't crawl past this barrier. (Check out any Starbucks for free coffee grounds. I just picked up a bag the other day.)

~Brenda

Corn on the Cob

I am fortunate to live in a rural area. That means every summer I have access to mass quantities of delicious sweet corn picked from the stalk. There's a farmer down the street that has a money box and a huge wagon full of corn that his teenage kids continuously restock. But alas, the fields are eventually harvested and the fresh sweet corn is gone for yet another year. Sure, you can get corn on the cob in the grocery store or the freezer section, but it's just not the same.

Here are some tips for enjoying summer's corn bounty all year long:

Selection

Select cobs that have green tightly closed husks and dry, brown silk that is not brittle. Rows of kernels should be plump and in tight rows up to the tip. The kernels should be firm enough to resist slight pressure.

Blanching & Freezing

Remove the husks and stems and break off the undeveloped tips. Use a dry vegetable brush or your fingers to remove the silk from between the rows and rinse the ears in cold water. Set up a large pot of water and bring to a rolling boil. This is important. If you don't have a very large pot, only blanch a couple of ears at a time as the more corn you put in the longer it will take to get the water back to boiling. If it takes longer than a minute, there's too much corn in the pot. Also have a large bowl of ice and water sitting at the ready. Blanch the ears by dropping them into boiling water for:

7 minutes for small ears

9 minutes for medium ears

11 minutes for large ears

Remove the ears and plunge them into the ice water for the same amount of time you blanched them for. Drain the ears thoroughly. Wrap each ear in plastic wrap then place into zipper storage freezer bags. Be sure to mark your bag with the date they are good until, corn will freeze well for 10-12 months if wrapped properly. If you are able, a food sealer system is even better!

Cooking

Remove corn from freezer and thaw in the refrigerator for several hours. If you don't have that kind of time, go ahead and pop it into boiling water for 5-6 minutes or in the microwave for 3-4 minutes.

Freezing Kernels - No Cobs

If you don't have a lot of freezer space to spare, you can freeze just the kernels. Follow the instructions above for blanching, cooling and draining the corn. Remove the kernels with a sharp knife.

whole kernels: simply cut the kernels off the cob and store in freezer bags.

cream corn: cut the tips of the kernels about 1/2" deep and scrape the cobs with the back of a knife to remove the juice and the heart of the kernel.

Take some of this summer's bounty with you!

~ Amanda

Check out this article (with recipes!) on OFL: Harvesting and Using Fresh Corn

Friday Recipes: Strawberries

Ahh strawberry season! Those wonderfully sweet, dark red, gorgeously plump berries. Can you tell I love strawberries? There's a strawberry farm about 20 minutes from our house. They farm 100 acres from which you can go, take a basket, and pick fresh strawberries right from the plants. At the end of August you can pick fresh raspberries and pumpkins in the fall. Strawberry picking starts mid-June, so I am anxiously awaiting the opening. That's what got me searching for strawberry recipes. Here are a few for you to enjoy!

Here are some tips from Thompson Strawberry Farm

• Store berries in the coolest part of your home (refrigerator, basement, garage, floor, etc.)
  
• Do not remove hulls before washing
  
• Do not rinse off berries until you are ready to use them
  
• Grade your berries - use ripest ones first
  

~ Amanda


Strawberry Salsa

2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh chopped mint leaves
2-3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1/4 tsp. salt
1 pint strawberries, hulled and chopped
1/4 cup diced pineapple
1/2 cup chopped sweet onion

Combine oil, lime juice, vinegar, mint, cilantro, jalapeno, pepper and salt in medium bowl. Toss in strawberries, pineapple and onion. Serve over grilled chicken or pork. Makes 2 1/2 cups.


Strawberry Blast

1 ripe banana
1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup milk
1/2 cup fresh strawberries

Cover and blend until thick and smooth. Makes 2 servings.


Strawberry Pancake

2 tablespoons butter or margarine
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 pint strawberries, hulled and quartered
1 tablespoon confectioners sugar

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in each of two 9 inch pie plates in oven. Beat eggs with milk, flour, sugar and vanilla.Remove pie plates and pour half of batter into each plate; scatter with berries. Bake 20 minutes or until golden. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar. Makes 4 servings.


Strawberry Salad

4 cups torn salad greens
1 cup watercress
1 cup sliced, hulled strawberries
1/2 half of a small red onion, thinly sliced
Poppy seed Dressing (homemade or bought)
Edible flowers such as nasturtiums or chive blossoms

In a salad bowl, place greens, watercress, strawberries onion. Top with dressing and toss to coat. Garnish with edible flowers. Chive blossoms and nasturtiums are peppery in taste. If they are not available to you, fresh mint can be used for garnish. Caution: Be sure that all herbs and blossoms are free of pesticides.


Honey Lime Fruit Bowl

3 cups honeydew melon balls
4 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and left whole
3/4 cup honey
3 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 cup flaked, toasted coconut

In a large bowl, combine melon balls and strawberries; refrigerate. In small bowl, combine honey and lime juice; blend. Just before serving, pour over fruit and toss gently to coat. Sprinkle with coconut. To toast coconut: Bake at 350 degrees for ten minutes or until golden brown. Spread on a cookie sheet. 12-16 servings.


Strawberry Squares

1 cup flour
1/2 cup crushed pecans or walnuts
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
2 cups sliced, hulled fresh strawberries
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice

For crust, in a bowl combine flour, nuts and brown sugar. Add melted butter. Toss to combine. Spread in a shallow baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden, stirring occasionally. Spread 2/3 of the crust mixture in a 13x9x2 pan. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat 1/2 cup of the whipping cream until soft peaks form. Add the strawberries, sugar and lemon juice. Beat mixture well. In another bowl, beat the remaining 1 cup whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Fold into the strawberry mixture. Transfer to prepared pan. Top with remaining crust mixture. Cover and freeze for at least 6 hours. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving. Makes 9-12 servings. Garnish with additional berries if you wish.


Strawberry Jam

2 c Sugar
2 c Strawberries

Use large firm berries. Wash and hull the strawberries; then measure. Place a layer of berries in a kettle, then a layer of sugar until all ingredients are used. Let stand over night or until the sugar dissolves. Place on fire, bring to a boil and cook about 10 minutes. Pour into a bowl and let stand until the next day; then fill sterilized jelly glasses and seal.


Strawberry Freezer Jam

1 -1/2 pints fresh strawberries (may use frozen, let thaw and drain)
1 box Sure-Jell pectin
4 c. sugar
3/4 c. water

Rinse and hull strawberries, drain. Chop strawberries into small chunks and place in large bowl. Mash fruit with potato masher. Do not puree as jam is meant to have small chunks of fruit in it. Add 4 cups sugar to strawberries and mix well. Let set for 10 minutes.

Stir 1 box Sure-Jell fruit pectin and 3/4 cup water into small pan. Bring to a boil on high heat, stirring constantly. Boil and stir mixture for 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Stir pectin mixture into strawberries until sugar is completely dissolved. Pour strawberry mixture into clean plastic containers and cover tightly with lids. Let set at room temperature for 24 hours. After 24 hours, refrigerate . Can be stored in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks and in freezer for up to one year. Just thaw jam in refrigerator to use.

These are just wonderful with fresh jam!


Strawberry Jam Turnovers

One 8-ounce package refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
1/3 cup whipped cream cheese
1/4 cup strawberry preserves
1 egg white, beaten
confectioners' sugar

On cookie sheet, separate dough into 4 triangles; pinch seams closed. Sprinkle with 1 Tablespoon confectioners' sugar. Spoon 1/4 of the cream cheese and 1/4 of the preserves in the center of each rectangle. Brush edges with egg white. Fold corners to center; press. Brush tops with egg white. Bake 15 to 20 minutes in preheated 375 degree oven. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Serves: 4

We loved this on pancakes! She never made enough and her friends loved it as gifts.


Strawberry Syrup

8 cup. strawberries, crushed
1/4 cup. lemon juice
3 cups. sugar
1 cup. corn syrup
Requires: 3 hot sterilized pint jars

Place strawberries in a 4 to 6 quart pot and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Pour berries into a damp jelly bag set over a bowl covered with a double thickness of cheesecloth. (To keep cheesecloth from slipping, fasten with clip clothespins to rim of bowl.) Let juice drip for at least 2 hours. There will be 3 to 4 cups of juice. Return juice to pot and combine with remaining ingredients. Stir constantly and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Boil 1 minute. Pour syrup into 3 hot sterilized pint jars, leaving 1" headspace. Wipe rim of jar with damp cloth. Attach lid. Process in water bath for 10 minutes. Recipe can be halved and refrigerated without processing, when used within a few weeks.

Grandma made her own "biscuit mix" for this recipe but I kinda re-wrote it for convince. I make my own mix and use it....but I shared that before. Grandma loved cardamom and to me this is the secret of this recipe. I love it!


Strawberry Cobbler

4 cup. sliced strawberries
1 tbsp. lemon juice
3/4-1 cup sugar
1 tbsp. corn starch
2 cups buttermilk biscuit mix
3 tablespoons butter melted
1/2 cup. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tbsp. sugar
1/8 tsp. ground cardamon

Preheat oven to 400 F. Combine strawberries, lemon juice, sugar and corn starch in saucepan. Heat and stir until boiling and thickened. Pour into an 8" square baking dish. Combine next 5 ingredients for dumpling batter, and drop by tablespoons onto strawberry mixture. Combine sugar and cardamon and sprinkle over top. Bake at given temperature about 25 minutes, or until dumplings are done. Serves six.


Country Cake With Strawberries And Whipped Cream

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup heavy cream
1 pint strawberries, hulled and sliced

Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter and flour an 8-inch round cake pan. In a medium bowl, sift the flour with the cornstarch, baking soda and salt.

In a large bowl, using a handheld mixer, beat the butter until creamy. Add the 3/4 cup of sugar and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until incorporated. Add the sour cream, the orange and lemon zests and 1/2 teaspoon of the vanilla and beat until blended. Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed until smooth.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 40 minutes, or until golden and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool for 15 minutes before turning it out onto the rack to cool completely.

Beat the cream with the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla until soft peaks form.

Slice the cake in half horizontally. Spread most of the whipped cream over the cut side of the bottom cake half. Layer most of the sliced strawberries on top. Replace the top half of the cake and garnish with the remaining whipped cream and strawberries. make ahead The cake can be frozen for up to 1 month. Let it cool completely before wrapping in plastic and then foil. The assembled cake can be prepared up to 2 hours ahead.


Teatime Smoothie

1 cup cold strong Irish Breakfast or other black tea
1 cup frozen blueberries, raspberries or strawberries
1/2 cup apple juice or other 100% juice
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 tbsp. honey

In blender or food processor combine tea, blueberries, juice, yogurt and honey. Blend on high speed until smooth. Makes 2 servings.


Strawberry Iced Tea

1 pint fresh strawberries
1/2 cup granulated sugar
5 cups boiling water
5 tea bags-green or black tea
1 can (12 ounces) frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
1 quart sparkling water, or seltzer
Ice

Clean and trim the strawberries. Place them in a bowl with the sugar-mix to coat and set aside. Steep the tea bags with the boiling water for 5 minutes. Remove tea bags and cool. Stir the cooled tea into the strawberry mixture. Add the lemonade. Place in a large pitcher and chill. Before serving stir in the seltzer and pour over ice cubes in pretty glasses. Makes 12 servings.


Strawberry Lemonade

3 cups water
1-1/2 cups sugar
6 cups fresh (or frozen) strawberries
1 cup lemon juice

Heat water and sugar until sugar is completely dissolved; let cool then chill. Puree berries in blender or food processor; combine with water-sugar mixture. Add lemon juice. Serve over ice. Makes 6 to 8 servings.


And here's a bonus recipe from Thompson's!

Thompson Strawberry Bread

3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup salad oil
1 tbsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
1 cup Quick Oats
1 tbsp. cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 cups crushed strawberries

Beat eggs and sugar, add oil and vanilla. Mix in flour, oats, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and baking powder. Add strawberries and mix well. Pour into two greased and floured 4" X 8" bread loaf pans. Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees.

There are quite a few more strawberry recipes here on Heeman's and a ton more on Annie's Recipes and Alicia's Recipes

Thrifty Thursday: Reusing Denim

I have 4 kids, 3 boys and a girl. The two younger boys wear holes through their blue jeans before they even outgrow them. Sure, you can cut those jeans into shorts, but what do you do with the legs you cut off? There are only so many pairs of cut off shorts that you need though, so what else can you do with those remaining pairs that aren't worthy of the donation pile?

Here are some ideas to get your creative juices flowing:

QUILT: Cut the good parts of the denim clothing into four inch squares. Sew together to form a quilt. I did this and made a "rag" quilt. I sewed the quilt and left the denim seams on the outside of the quilt. Washed and dried for a little fraying and bam .. one Christmas gift was finished.

PURSE: Turn the jeans (I used shorts) to the inside and sew just below the bottom at the beginning of the legs. I sewed a few times for extra reinforcing. Sew on a strap using the waistband from another pair of jeans. Lace a belt or use ribbon through the beltloops to draw closed. I also put a strip of Velcro on the inside of mine to keep shut.

PILLOWS: I made "butt" pillows for our van the same basic way the purse is made. Except you need to close the entire top with Velcro. Put a ready made pillow form in and you can unvelcro for easy cleaning. Just toss in the washer. I used an old pillow as the pillow form and had no cost at all for my pillows.

APRON: Use a pair of overalls for this project. Cut the seams of the legs apart and then sew both of the front legs together and then both of the back legs together. Slip over you head for a great apron. You can also use as a great overall dress. Quick and easy.

NECK ROLL PILLOW: Cut off one of the legs at the crotch. Cut the other end off at the length you want the pillow to be, so you're left with a 'tube' of denim open at both ends. At this point you could use some fabric paints to add designs. Then wash the fabric a couple of times and put them through the dryer. This will help make the ends frayed in a more natural (and easier!) way than doing it by hand. Once it's done, all you have to do is stuff the tube, and tie off each end with ribbon, kind of like a Tootsie Roll! If you're using cotton stuffing - stuff it good and full, because it will settle with use. You can even stuff it with what's left of your jeans, if you don't mind it being harder than an average pillow.

Here are a few other projects you might like:

Denim Diary for Girls
Braided Denim Rug
Denim Christmas Stocking

Here are a couple blue jean projects I made for Kaboose this year!

Denim iPod Holder
Denim Bible Cover

To see some other great frugal tips, visit Thrifty Thursday. Have a great Thursday!

~ Amanda