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Fresh Strawberry Pie Using Kool-Aid

Carol — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 13:11:10 +0000

This is a simple and colorful pie that children love to help make. You can also switch out the berries, pick the Kool-Aid to match, and have a whole new recipe. Try blueberries with grape, cherries with black cherry, or even raspberry with raspberry Kool-Aid. Enjoy!

Fresh Strawberry Pie

Ingredients:

1 graham cracker or vanilla wafer crust, your preference
1 quart fresh strawberries, stems removed, whole
3/4 – 1 cup sugar
2 cups water
4 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 pkg. strawberry Kool-Aid

Directions:

Mix the sugar, Kool-Aid, and cornstarch in a medium sauce pan. Stir in the water over medium heat. Stir until it’s thick. Cool. Mix in the berries.

Pour into the pie shell. You can also arrange the strawberries in the crust and pour the filling over. Chill for a few hours and serve with plenty of whipped cream.

Homemade Asian Sauces

Carol — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 12:50:02 +0000

My husband and I are trying to eat more vegetarian meals and what better and easier way to serve them than to stir-fry vegetables in a wok. It’s fast, low calorie, and keeps the nutrients inherent in the fresh veggies. But the dishes can easily come out all tasting the same if you don’t flavor them with different sauces. Here are five easy ones you can inexpensively make at home and save money on expensive store-bought brands.

Sweet and Sour Sauce

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. peanut oil
1 tsp. crushed garlic
1/16 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup ketchup
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 Tbsp. water
1/4 tsp. salt

Directions:

Heat oil in a wok, stir in garlic and ginger, add the 1/2 cup of water, vinegar, sugar and ketchup, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, dissolve the cornstarch in water and stir in salt.

Once wok sauce is heated, add the cornstarch mixture and cook until desired consistency.

Thai Peanut Sauce

4 teaspoons corn oil
1/2 cup minced red onion
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon hot chili pepper
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons vinegar
1/3 cup peanut butter
1 cup of water

In a blender, combine corn oil, onion, garlic and hot chili pepper; blend for 1 minute.
Empty the mixture into a saucepan and place over low heat until the mixture starts releasing aroma. Add peanut butter and mix well over low heat.

Add water and let it simmer for 10 minutes or until thickened.

Stir in vinegar and sugar; continue to simmer for another 1-2 minutes. Taste and add more vinegar and sugar if the mixture does not have the sour and sweet taste.

Place sauce in a shallow plate for satay dipping or pour over fresh salad.

Chinese Hot Mustard

Ingredients:

1/4 cup boiling water
1/4 cup powdered mustard (found at a local Chinese grocery)
1 tsp. vegetable oil

Directions:

Slowly stir the water into the mustard powder. Add the oil, stir and serve.

Fish Sauce

Ingredients:

12 to 14 anchovy filets
1 cup water
2 Tbsp. soy sauce

Directions:

Soak anchovies in water for about an hour. Strain, add soy sauce and stir.

Hot Chili Sauce

Ingredients:

6 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 Tbsp. hot chili powder
1/8 tsp. salt

Directions:

Mix chili powder and salt in a small glass bowl. Heat oil in a small sauce pan, slowly pour into the powder mixture, stirring constantly, and let stand until cool, about 15 minutes.

How to Make Homemade Jello

Carol — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 12:59:34 +0000

There are so many convenience foods out there that we’ve lived with all our lives that we forget that we can make them ourselves, just as easy and for a fraction of the price. Jello, or flavored gelatin, is one of them. We are so used to buying the little square boxes that we don’t even think of homemade versions as being possible. But look how easy, cheap, and versatile it is to make Jello at home. And just in time for the holidays, too.

Homemade Jello

Ingredients:

1 envelope Knox gelatin (or 1 Tbsp.)
1 cup boiling water
1 cup cold water
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. unsweetened Kool-Aid powder (to taste)

Directions:

Bring 1 cup of water to boil.

Put 1 cup of cold water into a bowl. Sprinkle gelatin into the cold water. Add sugar and Kool-aid powder to the cold water. Mix until completely dissolved. Add boiling water and stir. Add additional sugar or Kool-aid to taste, if desired.

Chill in refrigerator until firm.

Caramel Apple Dip Using a Crock Pot and Canned Milk

Carol — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 12:52:18 +0000

Caramel dipped apples are always a sign of the holidays, but the hot caramel can give you some bad finger burns if you’re not careful. This crock pot method for Caramel Apple Dip is both simple to make and safe. And it makes great tasting caramel!

Easy Crock Pot Caramel Apple Dip

Take one 15 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk and remove the label

Put it on a rack or a towel in your crock pot. (If you don’t own a crock pot, a stove top pan will work.)

Add water to completely submerge the can

Cook on low for exactly 8 hours (or boil for 3 hours if using a stove top pot). Check the water level several times.

And you’ve transformed a simple can of milk into delicious caramel sauce! Once you open the can, you can add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract if you like. Use the sauce to dip apples or pour over ice cream.

And by printing a simple but cute label, you can give the caramel dip as a gift.

Cook Your First Perfect Turkey

Carol — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 13:49:43 +0000

Nothing is quite as spectacular as that delicious smelling, golden turkey being carried out on a platter. I remember growing up what a monumental task it was to cook the turkey for Thanksgiving dinner…or so I thought. It’s not as hard as I once thought…especially if you use a roasting bag. This is how my mom did it, how I do it, and maybe you’ll find it’ll become your tradition as well. Give it a try and impress your family.

Cook Your First Perfect Turkey…Like Mom

Ingredients:

1 (18 lb.) whole turkey, neck and giblets removed
1 turkey sized roasting bag
1/2 cup butter, melted or olive oil
poultry seasoning
2 large onions, peeled and chopped
4 carrots, peeled and chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Thoroughly rinse the turkey. (Did you remember to remove the giblets from both the cavity and neck area? Don’t forget!) Place turkey in a turkey-sized roasting bag, following the instructions on the box. Brush the turkey with the melted butter or the oil, and sprinkle with poultry seasoning. Stuff the turkey cavity with 1 onion, 1/2 the carrots, 1/2 the celery, 1 sprig of thyme, and the bay leaf. Scatter the remaining vegetables and thyme around the bottom of the roasting bag. Place breast side up in a shallow roasting pan.

Roast uncovered 3-1/2 to 4 hours in the preheated oven until the internal temperature of the thigh reaches 180 degrees F (85 degrees C). Allow the bird to stand about 30 minutes before carving.

Perfect!