Simple & Sweet: food

Showing posts with label food. Show all posts

February 12, 2015

Angel Food Cake

Is it too early to start the countdown to spring? I know I’ve said it before, but I am literally through with winter! Had enough, done! One more snow/ice storm, I’m packin’ up and headin’ to Florida! Anyone who wants to tag along, come join me!

In the last five days I’ve gotten stuck three times in my driveway! Yes, three times! Stuck! Don’t be mistaken, not on the road...in my driveway. I should probably explain I have a really long driveway. And the turn tends to get a little slippery. Right now, the whole thing is a sheet of ice. Lovely.

So yesterday Abby and I were heading to school and my mom said, “go slow around the corner it’s slippery.” Okay, no big deal! I’m a slow driver anyway! I slow down, turn the wheel...nothing happens. AHHHHH! Straight into the snowbank. Ughhhh!

Mom to the rescue! She literally had to push me out of the snow and around the corner! If our neighbors were recording the whole ordeal, they’d definitely win $10,000 on AFV!

So...if I could get out of my driveway, I’d be on my way to Florida (or somewhere a little warmer!) Look how beautiful...I'm meant to be there... But I’m stuck. So, I decided to make the most summery dessert I could think of, close my eyes by the fire, and pretend I’m lying on the beach. Little ocean-y/waves music and I’d be good to go! Nothing says warmth and sunshine like a piece of angel food cake and strawberries!

Start by measuring out the egg whites. I like to crack them over a separate bowl...just in case a yolk breaks! It stinks when you're on the last one and have to start all over!!

Beat the egg whites, cream of tarter, salt, and vanilla until soft peaks form. I test with the beater. It takes quite a while...

Now beat in the granulated sugar. They say about 2 tablespoons at a time, but I always just slowly pour it in while it's beating.

Keep mixing until stiff peaks form.

Sift the flour and powdered sugar together in a separate bowl. And then sift one more time...just for the heck of it!

Fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture about a fourth at a time. Pour into an ungreased bunt pan...

and bake on the lowest rack of a 350º oven 40 minutes or until golden.

Remove from oven and cool inverted. I'm so proud of myself this time! The cake didn't crumble when I inverted it! Yay!

Here's the picture I got when it came out...

....and then I went to take a picture of the final product...and this is what I found. Yep, one bite. How do you photograph one bite?! Well, this is what I came up with so until I make it again this will just have to do!

Angel Food Cake

:Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 cup flour

1 1/2 cups egg whites

1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tarter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup granulated sugar

:Directions:

Sift together powdered sugar and flour twice. Set aside.

Beat egg whites, vanilla, salt and cream of tarter until soft peaks form.

Beat in granulated sugar, about 2 tablespoons at a time.

Continue beating until stiff peaks form.

Fold in sifted flour mixture, about a fourth at a time.

Pour into an ungreased bunt pan.

Bake on the lowest rack of a 350º oven 40 minutes or until golden.

Click for printable recipe.

January 10, 2015

How to Save Money at the Grocery Store

These days we're always looking for ways to cut back. I know I'd do a little extra to save a buck! Speaking of buck...gas down to a dollar! What?! Finally!!! Last week my dad came home from work and said he paid $1.75 a gallon! When I started driving gas nearly $4.00! $1.75....I can afford to go places now!

Maybe I'll go to the grocery store and get more baking supplies. I still have a lot of recipes to post! Unfortunately, grocery prices aren't dropping also. In fact, some things are just skyrocketing. Chocolate chips? You don't understand my family's addiction to chocolate chip cookies. We easily go though a batch (60 cookies) in two weeks. So sad.

So what do I do to bring our grocery bill down?

1. Make a Menu - planning the weeks dinners in advance lets you know exactly what you need ahead of time. This way you'll make one trip to the store. Extra trips means more gas, more unneeded items, wasted food, etc.

2. Scan the Ads - before you go, take a look at the ads. I know Walmart will match any competitors lower price on the same item. Just bring the ad with you and show the cashier! They're happy to rollback their rollbacks even more! (as long as you're nice about it!)

3. Savings Catcher - anyone who shops at Walmart listen up! They have this new thing called Savings Catcher. After your done shopping, scan your receipt with a smartphone or type the information into a computer. Walmart will search local competitors for lower prices on the items you purchased. If someone is selling something at a better price, you'll get the difference back on a Walmart gift card! All you need to do is sign up for a free account and start saving!

4. No Throwing Away - plan your meals around each other. If you need a little chicken for Wednesdays dinner, have chicken Monday or Tuesday and make a little extra. You can use the leftovers in Wednesdays dish. On the same token, plan leftover days. Leftovers make great lunches and quick dinners! My family usually has leftovers on Wednesdays because we're all home at different times. Just make sure you cook enough the prior days!

5. Use What You Have - try to use the food you've already bought before going out and buying something else. Chances are you can find a recipe on Pinterest to use up that can of whatchamacallit that was on sale!

6. Cook at Home - believe it or not, it's cheaper to eat at home than it is to eat out. If you plan your meals around weekly sales and specials, cooking at home becomes more affordable. Not to mention it's a lot healthier too!

7. Stock Up on Sales - take this advice with some common sense. Obviously if lettuce is on sale for $0.50 I'd pick up a head, not ten. Only stock up on nonperishable items. For example, canned goods and frozen items. Just keep track of the dates!

8. Home Grown - seeds cost next to nothings, so, if possible, grow your own. Home grown fruits and vegetables taste amazing. Yes, they are a little work, but it's a great way to get some exercise and fresh air!

9. Coupons - check for newspaper, magazine, and online coupons. I like to check coupons.com before I go to the grocery store. Just be careful. Only clip the coupons you need. Coupons make it easy to buy items you'll never use.

10. Generic - if possible, buy generic items. Generally, they are the exact same product as name brand items, just different packaging. Yes, my mom used to work in a meat packing plant and the only difference is the stickers.

January 7, 2015

How to Plan a Menu

For the longest time it seemed like I was making the same ten things for dinner every week or so. And pairing them with the same sides and vegetables too. My dad was the first one to bring attention to my lack of creativity. Sorry I make the same easy dishes over and over....they are quick, easy, and taste good. Win Win Win situation! Well, I guess it was a win win win lose situation...

Okay, so I needed to spice things up a bit. No problem, just a quick search on Pinterest and I could have different meals every day of the year! But that would mean trying new dishes nearly every single day. I needed something a little more certain than that.

So I made a list. Yes, another list. This was a list of all our families favorite dinners, side dishes, vegetables, etc. Now every Sunday I look at the list and plan out a week of meals. Being able to look at all the options keeps me from choosing my personal favorite dishes over and over. Occasionally mom and I find something on Pinterest and have an experiment night. Those are always interesting...

Here is our list, but feel free to print out this image and fill out your own. And for the weekly menu, scrap paper works fine. In the beginning I printed out fancy menu pages and grocery lists. To be completely honest, scrap or blank paper works just as good. Don't waste time or money trying to find a free or perfect layout on the internet...you'll be searching for hours. :)