Homemaking Organized Blog

Archive for February, 2010

Here are some of the rolls (getting ready to rise a bit before baking) I made from the Hot Roll Mix I talked about earlier.  Notice my marble rolling pin in the background? I get teased about this from my family. Maybe because I bought it when I was about 20 years old. So that would make it 20 years old. Still looks like the day I bought it. Smooch!

Oh the rolls. Yes I halved the recipe and still had too many for my dinky family and then was one rogue roll I had to fit in between some others. But I’m loving the mix cooking. I don’t always want a thousand packages and drops of this and that on the counter. On a day when our daughter was feeling under the weather mama still punched out made from scratch yeast rolls. I really should be making the whole wheat mix but I’ll get to that later.

The bug has bitten.

I’ve felt the need the last few weeks to whip up a few freezer meals, master mixes, and spice concoctions.

I’m not sure what happened but going with the pull I got out my books Make-A-Mix and Make Your Own Groceries and decided to whip up some freezer cookie dough and some muffin batter.

If you’ve never heard of these books they are both cookbooks designed to help you spend less time in the kitchen and come up with your own healthier packaged mixes for whipping up stuff like quick breads, cookies, dinner, snacks, breakfasts and even household products (Make Your Own Groceries). It’s a wealth of information.

I like having the freezer cookies on hand not only for unexpected company but because my husband likes to make a few cookies now and then and having some easy slice and bake in the freezer lets him cook as many as he wants and the easy directions are right on the package.

I love having the dinners in the freezer for when I’m feeling lazy and I can just thaw one in the fridge and cook it up for dinner with an added salad or fresh veggie.

Next up I’m agonizing over which master mix to whip up for breads and the like. I also took some time to make a lasagne for the freezer and some german meat balls (an altered version I came up with based off of the one from The Joy of Cooking).

Someone suggested that if you have never seen the books before check them out from your library before purchasing. That is a good idea and always recommended.

It was also a good time to read Lynn’s blog post about freezer peppers from your garden and a yummy recipe to go with. I plan on growing some this year so this was good information to know.

If you’re not sure what master mixes are here’s an article from the main site.

Does your favorite shopping place have a discount bin you regularly visit? Our does. I actually don’t visit it that much unless I’m in need of something like flannel sheets (our only set died this winter, they are now happy rags).

But evidently my husband visits it because last week he brought home this little gadget for the kitchen. He presented them (2 of them) to me and I wasn’t too interested. Yay another pot holder. Oh this one is plasticy looking.

I vaguely remember that these silicone plastic kitchenthings have been around a little while but I haven’t paid much attention until I found myself needing to stop the kitchen sink (our stopper doesn’t work too well), peel some garlic, and find a quick pot holder to grab a pan out of the oven! AND IT WORKED! Remarkably well. The garlic peeled so nice and clean and was still whole. The sink had nary a leak. I felt no heat on my fingers as I pulled the pan from the oven and then even had a place to set it!

That’s what the label said it’s a silicon pot holder, trivet, sink stopper, and garlic peeler…oh AND jar opener. It was amazing.  I don’t mean to be so WOW about it but I do like gadgets that work What is even better was the price. %50 off of $1.97.  Can’t beat that. $.98

Here’s my new kitchen friend.

The Cloth Diaper Report is hosting a giveaway for Crunchy Clean natural laundry detergent (and some sprinkles) on her blog. I’m already a faithful user of this great product so I’m entering.

Yes you could make your laundry detergent but why try when Crunchy Clean has so many fabulous scents. I’ve been using the Everyday Detergent Hard Water, Diaper Detergent (no longer needed wahoo!), and linen spray in Crisp Cool Clean. I also have the deodorizing sprinkles in grapefruit which you can sprinkle and then vacuum up for a nice clean scent. Since I no longer have a laundry need for the diaper detergent I’ve been mixing with vinegar and using it to wipe down walls and flat spaces when the mood arises. It gives such a delightful scent to the home! I had also purchased the lavendar and eucalyptus in diaper detergent but since I don’t need it for that right now I want to use it on something. It is fabulously strong (I love that scent combination).

Anyway drop by The Cloth Diaper Report and follow all her detailed directions for entering numerous times. I admit I sometimes get confused with all the follow me and tweet me here and blip it twice or whatever. But I did set up a twitter account (twitter.com/momtools) and have attempted to do some things there.

Off you go now. Go enter.