Serve Warm: Mixed Nuts with Rosemary & Shallots

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I had this in the teacher’s lounge where I was subbing recently.  Very tasty!   This recipe can be baked and then kept warm in a crock pot to serve:

INGREDIENTS:

  • 5 cups mixed nuts (I would choose walnuts, almonds, pecans, and  cashews)
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 small shallots, thinly sliced into rings
  • 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/4 cup fresh rosemary, coarsely chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar, firmly packed
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place nuts in single layers on two jelly roll pans.  Bake until nuts are golden, about 8-10 minutes.  Halfway through baking, rotate the pans.  After baking, pour nuts into large bowl.

Heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add shallots and garlic.  Cook for 4-5 minutes.  Drain on paper towels.

Melt butter and pour over nuts.  Add rosemary, cayenne pepper, brown sugar, and salt.  Stir well.  Add crispy garlic and shallots.  Serve warm.

(If needed, reheat nuts for 10 minutes at 300 degrees.)

Time to Shop

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Wow!  It’s already time to start doing Christmas shopping.  I’ve done a little, but usually I’ve done half of it by this time of year.   Now…what to get people!  Would they like Kipling luggage, something for the kitchen, or what exactly would they like?  Hmmm, I’m going to have to do some thinking here, and better yet, somehow find out what they would really like.  That helps a lot!

Harvest Pumpkin Muffins

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These sound so good plus they have healthy ingredients:  pumpkin, dates, walnuts, and spices.  A perfect muffin to serve guests for breakfast during the holidays:

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2/3 cup milk
  • 3/4 cup canned pumpkin
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon allspice
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup dates, chopped
  • 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
  • 1 1/2 cup flour
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/3 cup butter, melted

Beat milk, pumpkin, and egg.  Add spices, salt, dates, and nuts.  Mix flour, sugar, and baking powder together.  Blend pumpkin mixture into flour mixture.  Fold in melted butter.  Pour into muffin tins.  Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.  Makes 12 muffins.

The Holidays Are Nearly Here!

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The holidays are so fun when the kids come home!  It’s nice to have time to relax from the busy work and school schedules and enjoy being together.  We might play some video games on the Wii or maybe some of our favorite board games.   Watching all three parts of the Lord of the Rings is definitely on our list.

We’re already planning to do some Christmas shopping on Black Friday after Thanksgiving which means getting up soooo early.  Our daughter got me hooked on that, and so this year our son (who will be home from college) wants to go and even my husband plans to go, too.   It’s fun shopping with those you love, doing something totally crazy and different like shopping at 5 AM, and finding those terrific bargains.   Then we’ll probably go eat breakfast at I-Hop, where I have a really good coupon, and then go home and crash!   After that, we plan to set up the Christmas tree.  Makes for nice family memories!

Holiday Pineapple Nut Bread

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Here’s a special bread to serve during the holidays:

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 cups flour
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 19-ounce can crushed pineapple – do not drain
  • 1/2 cup nuts, chopped
  • 1/2 cup raisins

Cream together butter and sugar.  Add eggs.  Beat until fluffy.  Add dry ingredients alternately with pineapple.  Stir in raisins and nuts.  Pour mixture into loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Poppy Seed Bread

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This bread would be great for the holidays, to give as a gift, or to serve at a wedding or baby shower brunch:

INGREDIENTS:

  • 3 cups flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoon poppy seed
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon butter flavoring
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

INGREDIENTS FOR ORANGE GLAZE:

  • 1 cup sifted powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons orange juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond flavoring
  • 1/4 teaspoon butter flavoring

Combine the first 11 ingredients in a large bowl.  Beat 2 minutes at medium speed.  Spoon batter into 2 greased and floured loaf pans.  Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool loaves in the pan for 10 minutes.  Remove and let cool completely on a rack.

For glaze, mix the remaining ingredients thoroughly.  Drizzle on top of the cooled loaf of poppy seed bread.

Method Cleaning Products Coupon

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We really like “Method” cleaning products.  Their slogan is “method. creates products for people against dirty.”  And the great thing about their products is that they are safe and non-toxic, developed by two former roommates who were exposed to toxic material.  Their experience resulted in these non-toxic products.  The one product we have tried works great.

These are the locations where you can purchase Method products:

  • Babies R Us
  • Bed, Bath, & Beyond
  • Costco
  • Lowe’s
  • Safeway
  • Staples
  • Target
  • Toys R Us
  • Whole Foods

Frito Candy

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I haven’t tried this recipe yet, but it sounds like a great holiday recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 10-ounce package Fritos
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 cup white Karo Syrup
  • 1 cup smooth peanut butter

Butter a 9 x 13 inch pan.  Pour Fritos evenly in pan.  Combine sugar and Karo in pan.  Bring to a boil for 1 1/2 minutes.  Add peanut butter and stir until smooth.  Pour over Fritos.  Let cool and cut into squares.

Four Foods On Friday 94

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Here’s this week’s questions “From Val’s kitchen”:

1. How do you make mashed potatoes?

I make them from scratch but in an unconventional way to save the vitamin content of the potatoes:  Bake the potatoes first, let cool until peelings can easily be removed.  Then cut into chunks, add hot milk, butter, a little EVOO to balance out the cholesterol from the butter, salt, and pepper.  Mash with a potato masher and use the mixer briefly for 10- 15 seconds.
2. What do you wash pots and pans with?

I rinse the pans after use and then put some water and a little dishwashing soap in the pan if necessary.  If the pan has a lid, I cover the pan with the lid.  I let them set for a while and sometimes overnight.  Then the pans clean up easily by washing in regular dishwashing soap and hot water in the sink.

3. Name something red in your refrigerator right now.

Apples  (I’m trying to eat more apples.  How many of you remember the saying, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away?”)
4. Do you prefer to use boullion cubes or the boullion powder mix?

I rarely use boullion but prefer the powder mix.

Found a Great Bathroom Cleaner…And It’s Non-Toxic

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Target is one of my favorite places to shop (my daughter knows that – it’s one of her favorites, too) and while I was going down the cleaning products aisle I noticed this tub ‘n tile bathroom cleaner that said “Method” on the front of the bottle.  What caught my attention on the label were two things:

  • “Non-Toxic”
  • “No Harsh Fumes”

I had been using another cleaner with such horrible fumes that I had to leave the bathroom.  One time my college-age son asked me what it was that smelled so bad.  That’s how bad it was.  The fumes made me wonder what toxic chemicals were in the cleaner.  So…I was thrilled when I saw this cleaner at Target.  We tried it and think it’s GREAT!  My husband really likes it, too, and is using it to clean a bunch of things.  It’s awesome because:

  • Smells great!
  • Does an awesome job of cleaning!
  • We don’t have to worry about toxins!
  • It’s biodegradable!
  • Cleaners are plant-derived!

Plus…when I first bought it, it happened to have a coupon on it.  I like to use coupons and save money when I can, so I thought I’d give the product a try since it had a coupon.  Now, we’re sold on that product and want to try more Method brand products.   And guess what!  I found another Method coupon!!

Checking the Grocery Ads

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Every week, I check the grocery ads for the major grocery stores in the area.  These ads are delivered to our house which makes it very convenient.  I look through the ads and find the good deals for that week and write them on my list.  Then when I’m already in the area of a certain store, I make it a point to stop and buy the things on my list.

For example, Albertsons has some great buys this week.  On the front of their circular, which you can pick up at the front of the store, are store coupons for these items:

  • Rotisserie Chicken for $4.77 (regularly $6.99)
  • 6-pack of 1/2 liter Ozarka Water for 88c
  • 10 ounce bag Pistachios for $1.99 (great deal)
  • Lean Pockets for 99c  (I haven’t had these in ages.)
  • Swanson Chicken Broth, 2 cans for $1

These are a few of the items on sale that I plan to purchase.