Equipment Corner.....

Due to the economy, many of us are spending more and more time in our kitchens. This is not a bad thing, meals prepared at home are healthier and much less expensive. I highly recommend a food processor, many of you may already have one. You could certainly start out with a mini cuisinart, they run about $50 and would be worth the investment. You will save money making your own graham cracker crumbs, bread crumbs, and chopped nuts. I also use mine to make small batches of salad dressings and to chop herbs. If you have one and seldom use it, please get it out! It is one of the safest items in the kitchen as you can't turn it on unless the top is properly attached. Don't be afraid, you can do it!!

Test your food safety knowlege......

Where is the best place to store eggs in your refrigerator? A. In the vegetable crisper; B. In the door; C. In the deli drawer; D. On a middle shelf towards the back .............................................. The answer is D. This is the coolest part of the refrigerator. You do not want to store them in the door because it is the warmest part of the refrigerator due to teenagers standing at the open door waiting for something delictable to magically appear.....and yes, this happens repeatedly.

Glazed Cranberry Citrus Bread

I love this recipe! I especially like the cranberries chopped, you don't get a sour bite. The flecks of red are very beautiful and festive. Freezes beautifully up to 3 weeks, bake ahead for Thanksgiving hostess gifts.

Recipe:

2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 ½ cups sugar
2 T. baking powder
2 T. wheat germ
1 t. salt
1 cup fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped (pulse in food processor 7-9 times, or chop by hand
½ cup canola oil
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup low fat milk

For icing:

1 cup powdered sugar
3 teaspoons lemon juice, fresh or bottled

1)Pre heat oven to 350’. Prepare 5 mini loaf pans with cooking spray.
2) In a large mixing bowl, combine flour through salt and whisk until blended. Mix in chopped cranberries. Make a well in center of dry ingredients and add oil, eggs, & milk. Stir until just blended, do not over mix.
3) Divide among prepared pans. Bake for 28-30 minutes. Top of bread should be firm to the touch and tooth pick should come out clean. Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes.
4) While bread is cooling, prepare icing. In small bowl combine powdered sugar and lemon juice one teaspoon at a time. If icing is too thick add a very small amount more of lemon juice.
5) Let bread cool in pans for 10 minutes, gently remove and place on cooling rack.
6) Drizzle icing over warm bread. Cool completely. Use a serrated knife to slice in a gentle sawing motion. Enjoy!!

Welcome to Angie’s Pantry

I’m so happy to have this venue to share many helpful cooking and baking ideas to nourish you and your family. There is nothing like coming home to the smell of a slow roasting whole chicken in the oven, or maybe the delightful smell of homemade cookies….simple and unprocessed. I am hoping to inspire anyone who would like to cook delicious and healthy food with a very simple approach; a well stocked pantry and a plan. I will be passing on many time saving tips, recipes, meal planning strategies, fun baking and decorating ideas, & information on the very important food safety.

Let’s Get Started

I have a very practical and simple approach to the kitchen. Waste NOTHING. Many of the foods we buy have traveled many, many miles to reach us. Let us be grateful and honor those who put their heart and soul into planting, growing, and harvesting our healthy whole foods by wasting nothing. Many processed foods are very expensive, not to mention chock full of many ingredients one can’t pronounce. We have more information than ever, and we know that highly processed foods simply are not good for the human body. Whole foods, that’s what we are striving for. Let’s get our children used to real foods, fostering good eating habits and let’s involve them in the cooking process, we learn what we live. I am very confident that information in this blog will be a tremendous benefit to you and your family. I’m so anxious to get started, I have so much to share. I thank you so much for your participation. Let’s get started!!! You should take some time to look through your pantry. What kinds of items do you have? You will want to weed out any processed items you may have. Together, we will get your pantry in order. I have come up with an extensive list of “must haves” for the pantry. You will want to replenish any of these items by simply putting them on next week’s shopping list, I keep a running list on my refrigerator. This list is quite long and may seem a bit overwhelming. I use items on this list weekly. It is really great to read through a recipe and know that you have most of the items on hand.

Fresh Tossed Garden Salad with Creamy Yogurt Ranch Dressing

It is more important than ever that we eat fresh, raw vegetables. I have come up with a delicious and lighter version of ranch dressing. The ingredients are real, low fat, and you can pronounce them! Use any fresh greens and vegetables you like.

CREAMY YOGURT RANCH DRESSING:

1 cup low fat plain yogurt
1 T. mayonnaise
2 t. Dijon mustard
2 T. cider vinegar
¼ cup honey
1 t. kosher salt
½ t. fresh ground pepper
1 t. granulated garlic
1 t. granulated onion
¼ cup olive oil

Whisk all ingredients together in a medium sized mixing bowl. Refrigerate immediately after use. This will remain fresh refrigerated for two weeks.

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Spice Bread

This pumpkin bread recipe is so delicious. Extremely moist and the spices leave a lovely aftertaste on the pallette. I recommend having it with a nice cup of coffee or tea. I would also recommend sharing, why not wrap one in a cellophane bag with a pretty ribbon. Great for teacher gifts, hostess gifts, or just to cheer someone up. The bread also freezes very well.

WHOLE WHEAT PUMPKIN SPICE BREAD:

Preheat oven to 350'.

Prepare 8 small bread pans with cooking spray. (you can buy mini aluminum bread pans in the baking isle in most any grocery store)

In a large mixing bowl, combine:

3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
3 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon each of nutmeg,cinnamon, cloves, & baking powder

Mix well with a whisk. Make a well in center of dry ingredients and add:

1- 15 oz. can pumpkin
4 eggs
1 cup canola oil
1 cup of water

Mix well until all dry ingredients are incorporated. You may add 1 cup chopped walnuts & 1/2 cup raisins if you like. (optional) Bake for 30-35 minutes. Insert a toothpick to check for doneness, also, when you lightly touch the top it should be firm. Remove from oven and cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then carefully remove from pans and let cool completely and wrap in cling wrap. I prefer the pretty cellophane bags you can buy at the craft store. Enjoy!

Easy Oven Fried Chicken & Potato Wedges

This is a fantastic dinner to prep in 15 minutes and put in the oven. The chicken and potatoes get golden brown and crispy. It's one of my family's favorites!

EASY OVEN FRIED CHICKEN:

1 whole cut up chicken, or 2-3 lbs of chicken pieces of your choice
Kosher salt & pepper
Dried thyme
1 cup all purpose flour
Olive oil

Preheat oven to 375’. Line a cookie sheet (with sides) with Reynolds non stick foil. Rinse chicken and drain well. Season each piece generously with salt, pepper, & thyme. Put flour into a medium size bowl. Dredge each piece of chicken in flour and shake to remove excess flour. Place on foil lined sheet. Drizzle each piece of chicken with olive oil. Bake for one hour.

CRISPY OVEN FRIED POTATOES:

2 lbs. red potatoes, cut into bite size pieces, or russet potatoes cut into wedges
1/2 t. granulated garlic
½ t. salt
¼ t. pepper
½ t. dried thyme
1 t. dried crushed rosemary
2 T. olive oil
3 T. flour
Olive oil for additional drizzling

Preheat oven to 375’. Line a cookie sheet with Reynolds non stick foil. Wash potatoes to remove any surface dirt. Cut into bite size pieces or wedges and place in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, & rosemary over potatoes. Mix well. Drizzle olive oil over potatoes & mix well. Sprinkle flour over potatoes & mix well to coat. Spread over foil lined sheet, drizzle with a little additional olive oil. Bake for 45 minutes, turning half way through baking. For a little extra flavor, after potatoes are done toss with 1-2 tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese.