Thursday, February 04, 2010

Food talk

I spent a rather pleasant time Sunday afternoon printing out quite a few recipes (from favorite recipe blogs and websites) that I want to try soon.  A few cookbooks are being read for ideas.  It is the culinary equivalent of perusing seed catalogs while it snows for a gardener.

I need a little excitement in the kitchen... something other than the same old/same old.... recipes that are healthy and can save me money... or decadent desserts done on a dime (say that three times).  I'll share them on the recipe blog if they work out well.

I thought I'd share this link to a recipe from Mennonite Girls Can Cook for Buffalo Chicken Dip... here.  Just in time for football parties this weekend.  Christopher and his friends love Buffalo chicken wings but they are very expensive to purchase (and have you noticed how the price of wings at the grocery store has gone up with their popularity?).  I bought the ingredients to try this soon.

Rachel Ray has a similar recipe that she makes with a rotisserie chicken and pours some blue cheese dressing over before serving.  I may use a rotisserie chicken but the blue cheese would have to be "on the side" in my house.

Stephanie sent me a recipe for chocolate peanut butter whoopie pies this morning.  Her friend made them and she tells me they are delicious.  I have all the ingredients and may try them soon, too. 


Somewhere... on a friend's blog but I forget WHO... I read about the book Well Preserved; a Jam-Making Hymnal.  I was able to buy it with Amazon credit in January and I've enjoyed reading through it SO much... highly recommended!  (It is out of print but there are a few used books on Amazon and I expect at the usual used book sites.)

What a lovely book, a combination of prose and recipes (I love those).  I'll definitely be trying a few of these recipes.  One of my culinary goals this year is to make my own jam and jellies again.  I don't purchase those in the store made with corn syrup and the others are quite expensive.

This book is a keeper!

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Been on a recipe hunt of late myself...the cold winter months seem to draw me there more.

I love the recipe you link to...what a great idea...and so much less messy too!! And I have a small stash of the canned natural chicken...purchsed on sale and coupons combined. Makes it much cheaper than fresh chicken. One thing we like is making some canned chicken and mashed potato patties...flavored with onions, dill, and celery salt. I am still playing with the recipe so cannot give more specifics...but a yummy quick entree for us allergy people here.

Enjoy your varied subjects you share here!
Blessings, Elizabeth

Jennie Shutt said...

I like to check for recipes on websites and from library books monthly. I find myself looking for lots of recipes seasonally or for holidays as well. I always have to get the newest cookbook at the library. My husband loves Buffalo Chicken so I m going to have to try that Dip. You are right about those little chick wings costing so much. I have a hard time with the cost especially when there is really no meat on them. I have also done chicken breasts with Buffalo Sauce.

The book you bought “Well Preserved; a Jam-Making Hymnal” looks interesting so I put a hold on it at my libraries website. I like to can and make grape jam for the first time this summer. I was gives free concord grapes from one of my husband fellow employees so it was perfect. It is the best jam we have ever had. I wonder if I can find anything in the book that I may want to add to my gardening notebook. Does it actually have hymns in it as the title would suggest?

Thickethouse.wordpress said...

If you have room in your freezer, freezer jam uses only half the sugar and tastes much better in my opinion. I've also made some interesting (but I don't know how the men in your family would enjoy them!) jams with apple juice and rosemary and thyme and pectin that we liked a lot. There are recipes on the pectin packages for making jelly from juice. Pure fruit juice from the grocery store can be the basis for this, but apple is the best price, usually.

I've been browsing cookbooks from the library lately too. Maybe this time of year encourages this!

Brenda @ Its A Beautiful Life said...

Seems there's more of us out to jazz up our kitchens with new ideas for meals........

Haven't been on the Mennonite Girls site for a while, will have to get back over there again.

Enjoy the journey as you try out new and old cookery ideas.

Vee said...

It's an easy way to stretch the budget to come up with serving foods in new recipes. Variety really is the spice of life. That jam cookbook sounds like fun. I've sung a few of jam's praises myself.

Anonymous said...

Brenda, thanks for the recipe link to the Mennonite Girls blog. Reminds me of my dad's nursing home roommate. He and his family are Mennonites, and, yes, those girls can cook! Appreciate it.

Anonymous said...

Years ago, I made a grape jelly that had cinnamon in it that was yummy. I don't recall the amounts but you could go by taste.

Friend Debra

Manuela@A Cultivated Nest said...

I am so making that dip this weekend! I have made buffalo chicken fingers (CB is always on sale) and those are good and you can dip them in whatever dressing. I like blue cheese but alot of people like ranch (which is less expensive usually).

Wings are always more expensive. I actually prefer wings (I don't like big chunks of meat). So when I make chicken I usually buy a package for me and legs/thighs for everyone els. I've never seen them on sale.

Thanks for the link!

Manuela

Emily said...

Oooh, thanks for sharing that recipe link, Brenda. My gang will love that!

Heather L. said...

I have the preserve book out of the ilbrary now and hope to review it for the CooksNextDoor sometime later this year. Haven't yet had a chance to read it....

Lena said...

Hi Brenda,

I've been catching up on your blog this morning, and as usual, feel so much better for my visit.

I once wrote about how much I love this book, on my blog. Perhaps you read about it there. It is a favorite of mine. I love small seasonal essays, and the grounding that comes from reading them. Combined with the jam making, which is such a homely task, it makes for a cozy read indeed.