I've Struck Gold!

While at Sam's recently, I purchased my usual kiwis. You know them... the box of  little, brown, fuzzy fruit that bursts lime green on the inside. Do you know that each kiwi packs 5 grams of fiber, 2 grams of protein, vitamin C, and several other antioxidants all while remaining very low in calories? You may not know that we are supposed to have 25 grams of fiber a day, and the average American diet only gets 12. Just imagine it... 3 kiwis and you are more than halfway there.  I am a kiwi lover and am delighted to tell you that I have actually struck gold! Kiwis are available in GOLD! What looks like pineapple chunks on the fruit kabobs is actually gold kiwi, and they are delicious. That fuzzy peeling is a little tough, so, of course, I have a tool to recommend to you... the Pampered Chef serrated peeler. Core both ends, peel off the shoulders on both ends, then peel longways. Boom. So much nutrition, so much deliciousness... do your body a favor and have some gold soon. You will feel rich!

Going Green

     This is not to make a political statement, but Al Gore did not originate the idea of recycling. My mother was a champ at recycling, particularly in the kitchen, and she did not have any curb service to pick up her recyclables. Nor did she have anyone telling her to do this for the preservation of the earth. It was just the right thing to do. That "Greatest Generation" taught us all so many life lessons about economizing, commitment, honor, integrity. That list goes on and on. Every pickle jar, olive jar, mayonnaise jar got a second or third use. The glass jars go right into the dishwasher for thorough cleaning just like those Mason jars from Wal-Mart. Someone might need some soup or pimiento cheese or lemon curd if he/she is ill or just plain down-in-the-dumps, and you may be the very one to take some cheer his or her way. And the beauty of the gift is that no container has to be returned. My mother-in-law always uses a small glass jar to shake up her flour and water to thicken her gravy. I even store items in the refrigerator in glass because I can SEE what the item is (although I love my Tupperware, too - but that's another blog).
     Have you been to the Farmer's Market yet to buy your bag of peas? (See "It's Tradition" blog from July 16). For a mere $33 you can get 9 pounds of purple hull peas from Tammy, the pea lady (no wise cracks) at the Nashville Farmer's Market. Her cell is 615-642-9035. Scary, I know, that we are so close, but stay with me here. What to do with that bag of peas that weighs about what my babies did at birth... do not wash or blanch purple hulls... just rebag into 1 qt. bags... about 5 qt. bags worth from this one large bag. Freeze flat so that they will store nicely in freezer. When ready to eat, rinse peas and put into crockpot with ham bone. Cover peas with water. Cook all day. Serve with cornbread. That is about as easy as it gets, folks. NEVER throw out the last few spoonsful of peas... just baggie leftovers, label "SOUP," and refreeze. Whenever we get a break in the heat, we will all be making soup, and yours will be unmatchable in taste because you have ingredients stored away which cannot be bought at the store! Go Green. You can create sustainable solutions, too.

Mask Mania

Being Honey provides me with many wonderful moments in life. When the grands asked for scotch tape this week, the answer was yes (the usual answer for most anything). Away they went with colored pencils, crayons, paper, scrapbooking scissors, and the tape. For quite some time, they were oh-so-busy creating. I had no clue what they had come up with. Then they came back to the kitchen wearing their creations! Kids are so ingenious. That's a Fancy Nancy word. If you do not know Fancy Nancy, check her out at your local library, bookstore or on Amazon... incredible method for vocabulary building for children. Some children's author should write the Macho Mark version for the little fellas of the world. Ingenious is the "word for the day" for the oldest grand.

Mom Becomes Student

My four children have been teaching me for many years, and one of them has recently introduced me to a kitchen product that I love. I have used Cascade dishwasher detergent for 33 years. One of my daughters encouraged me to try Finish, and I am SO in... hook, line, and sinker. The darling little plastic packets are so tidy... no more granules spilled all under my sink. The product cleans every bit as effectively as the Cascade, but the greatest feature is the fresh smell every time I open the dishwasher full of clean dishes. Next time you are at Wal-Mart, try a box. It might even make you excited about unloading the dishwasher! Well, maybe not.

One Man's Trash, Another's Treasure

Don't throw out that leftover French bread... make croutons! Years ago a cookfriend taught me the simplest thing which I have done over and over. She encouraged me to use hot dog buns for croutons because 3 long cuts and simple crosscuts make cubing a breeze. Place bread cubes in large bowl. Season with garlic powder, onion powder, touch of seasoning salt, herbs of your choice, then sprinkle olive oil over and toss. In a 350 oven, toast bread cubes in single layer 10-15 minutes. Your kitchen will smell divine! When you have leftover French bread, just cube it and prepare it the same way, toasting same way. Cool on wire rack and place in ziploc bag until ready to use. Croutons will stay fresh for several days. These croutons are much better than ready-made which are generally so hard you could crack a crown on them. Also, watch for discounted rolls/buns/etc. to use for cubing. Great savings and so much better tasting. Bring on the salad!

Honey Sings

While in the car today, I was as always singing with the radio (rock and roll, of course) as the grands rode along with me. My granddaughter asked me if I knew any songs besides radio songs. It took me a minute but once I thought I understood her, I asked her if she meant for me to sing without the radio. Her answer was yes! So I turned off the radio and for the rest of the car ride, I sang children's scripture songs. Eventually, they chimed right in. They especially loved one we sang in Young Life when I was a teenager: Jesus is the Light, he's the Light of the world BOOM BOOM BOOM... faster and faster and faster. What a blessing to have had such a moment with them. 

Another Peach Favorite

Oh, yes... fresh peach milkshakes. I used one half of a one quart package from the freezer. Simply defrost a package of peaches just enough to separate them, then stick the rest of the package back in the freezer for another use. Vanilla ice cream, peaches, milk. That's it. Did I mention that it helps to have a good blender? My husband says that mine would drive a small go-cart. A good blender does not need 10 options for blending. It only needs a low and a high if you have a substantial motor. My blender is a Waring Mega Pro commercial grade which I ordered from Chef's Catalog a decade ago. It is not an inexpensive appliance, but it makes a better-than-restaurant margarita and, of course, daiquiris. The grands are so happy with a shake and the movie, Angels In The Outfield!