Tip of the Day 9/15/11

Fall is a great time to plant perennials in your garden. All of the plants are deeply discounted. We purchased 15 quart sized plants for 50 cents each a few years ago and they are so huge now we have had to divide some of them. Take advantage of all the end of the season clearance sales and get out and enjoy Fall.

Tip of the Day 9/14/11

Well, Fall is in full swing in our part of the country and if you haven't been able to tell by my previous Tips, I love it. The beauty of the season, the feeling of warmth and togetherness just seems to shine through in the Fall. Of course most of us have turned off the A/C and have the windows and doors thrown open wide and are able to use just our ceiling fans to bring the slight cooling we need in the late afternoon. Now is a great time to clean those A/C vents throughout the house before you need to start running the furnace. Removing the covers and vacuuming inside will make everything run more efficiently this winter and will allow for a nice fresh start to the next season. This is also a good time to clean the ceiling fans. A damp cloth to clean not just the bottom and edges, but the top of the blades and lights as well. You will experience a nice fresh feeling every time you turn them on.

Tip of the Day 9/13/11

Fall: the smells, the tastes, the crisp air, the beautiful full moon, the clothes, the--well, you get the idea, it goes on and on. The one thing I don't like about Fall is my allergies, but I will sacrifice in order to smell the grapes ready for harvest and see the golden fields of corn and the apple trees bursting with fruit. Today is a great day to be out in the sunshine and to clean the lawn furniture from the dust that has accumulated over the summer and then sit down and enjoy it!!!

Tip of the Day 9/12/11

Fall is upon us and with it comes the need to do a little cleaning to prepare our homes for the season ahead. Today would be a great day to spend outside in the sunshine sweeping away all the cobwebs and leaves that have collected in the corners of the house over the summer months. Have fun and enjoy the beautiful creation around you.

Tip of the Day 9/9/11

Fall and Soup, they just go together. Here is the recipe for a great Fall soup, again using that late summer harvest, and a delicious cake to bake for the weekend. Enjoy it with a nice cup of hot cider and it will brighten your weekend.

Cream of Cauliflower Soup

1 (16 oz.) bag cauliflower or 1 large head fresh cauliflower

½ C. chopped celery

½ C. chopped onion

1 can chicken broth

4 T. butter

4 T. all-purpose flour

2 ½ C. milk, divided

½ C. heavy cream

½ t. fresh basil

In Dutch oven, combine cauliflower, celery and onion. Add chicken broth; heat to boiling. Lower heat and simmer 10 minutes. In medium saucepan, melt butter. Add flour slowly, mixing well; add ½ cup milk. Add sauce to vegetable mixture; stir to mix well. Add remaining milk and cream. Simmer soup until thickened, stirring often, about 20 minutes. Serve with fresh basil.

Heidi's Pumpkin Coconut Cream Cheese Cake

2 C. sugar

1 C. oil

4 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 C. canned pumpkin

1 t. each salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon

2 C. flour

½ C. each chopped pecans or walnuts, flaked coconut

Frosting

4 T. butter

1 8 oz. pkg. Cream cheese

1 t. vanilla

1 box powdered sugar

½ C. each chopped pecans or walnuts, flaked coconut

Beat together sugar and oil. Mix in eggs and pumpkin. Stir in dry ingredients; add nuts and coconut. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 x 2 inch pan and bake at 350° for 30 to 40 minutes or until cake tests done. Let cool completely.

Frosting: Cream butter and cream cheese; gradually add in sugar and vanilla. Stir in nuts and coconut.

Tip of the Day 9/8/11

Fall is a great time to grill and the late harvest vegetables are some of the best for grilling. Today's menu should inspire you to enjoy an early Fall dinner on the deck savoring the tastes of the season.

If you are enjoying the recipes I am sharing this week they can all be found in my cookbook "Dinner's Ready 1-2-3" which can be ordered on my Blog, Dee-Clutter.blogspot.com. Once you place the order click on the "Return to Dee-Clutter" link and the book will automatically download. We discovered yesterday that PayPal changed the link without us knowing and was causing some confusion. Happy dining.

Pork and Chorizo Kebabs

2 lbs. pork loin, cut into 1-inch cubes

3 (4 oz.) chorizo sausages, sliced 1-inch thick

1 onion, cut into large chunks

20 fresh bay leaves (optional)

Thread first 3 ingredients and bay leaves onto 10—12 inch skewers. Place in a shallow container; pour White Wine Marinade over kebabs. Cover and chill 4 to 8 hours, turning occasionally. Remove kebabs, discarding marinade. Place kebabs on greased grill rack. Grill over high heat for 10 – 20 minutes or until pork reaches 155°. (Slightly pink)

White Wine Marinade

1 (750 ml) bottle Sauvignon Blanc or other dry white wine

1 C. white wine vinegar

6 each fresh or dried bay leaves, whole cloves, crushed garlic cloves

¼ t. freshly ground black pepper

1 onion, chopped

¼ t. ground cumin

Combine all ingredients and marinate kebabs as directed.

Grilled Vege Kebabs

10 (12-inch) wooden skewers

1/3 C. extra-virgin olive oil

¼ C. white balsamic vinegar

¼ C. chopped fresh basil

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 t. salt

½ t. freshly ground black pepper

1 each red onion and yellow bell pepper, cut into 1 ½ in. pieces

1 lb. Chinese or baby eggplant, cut into ¾ in. slices

3 small zucchini, cut into ¾ in. slices

20 grape or cherry tomatoes

Soak skewers in water 30 minutes. Whisk together olive oil and next 5 ingredients. Thread onion and remaining ingredients onto skewers; brush vegetables generously with marinade. Grill, covered with grill lid, over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, 10 – 12 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Jicama-Mango Slaw

1 small jicama and 1 large mango, peeled and cut into thin strips

½ C. thinly slice red onion

½ C. chopped fresh cilantro

¼ C. fresh lime juice

½ t. salt

Toss together all ingredients in a bowl.

Tip of the Day 9/7/11

It is another crisp Fall day in Southwest Michigan. The type of day that calls for something hearty cooking all day in the crock-pot. Here is my recommendation from "Dinner's Ready 1-2-3" using your late season bell peppers and tomatoes.

Slow-Cooked Pepper Steak

1 ½ to 2 lb. round steak

2 T. cooking oil

¼ C. soy sauce

1 C. onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 t. sugar

¼ t. each salt, pepper, and ground ginger

4 Roma tomatoes, cut into eighths or 1 (16 oz.) can diced tomatoes with liquid

2 lg. green bell peppers, cut into strips

½ C. cold water

1 T. cornstarch

Egg Noodles or Rice of Choice (recommend white or brown)

Cut beef into 3-in. X 1-in. strips; brown in oil in skillet. Transfer to crock pot. Combine the next seven (7) ingredients; pour over beef. Cover and cook on low for 5 – 6 hours or until meat is tender. Add tomatoes and green peppers; cook on low for 1 hour longer. Combine the cold water and cornstarch to make a paste; stir liquid into meat mixture and cook until thickened. Prepare noodles or rice according to package directions. Serve beef over noodles or rice.

Tip of the Day 9/6/11

Fall, that glorious season that inspires us to cook wonderful meals and baked goods. The air outside smells so fresh and the smell of good food baking inside is a delight. This week I will provide several recipes from my cookbook"Dinner's Ready 1-2- 3" that I hope will inspire you to savor the flavors of the season and use some of the awesome produce available at your local Farmer's Market.

Easy Honey-Rosemary Chicken

2 large (cut in half) or 4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 clove garlic, finely minced

2 green onions, finely sliced

½ C. honey

1 T. Dijon mustard

1 - 2 T. dried rosemary to taste

Extra-virgin olive oil

In a heavy skillet, brown chicken breasts on both sides in olive oil. Remove breasts to platter; add garlic and green onions to olive oil drippings. Lightly brown, stirring constantly. Stir in honey, mustard, and rosemary; return chicken breasts to pan. Cook over low heat until breasts are cooked through and juices run clear; marinating occasionally.

Farfalle w/ Butternut Squash & Sage

12 oz. farfalle pasta

1 C. milk

3 C. fresh butternut squash, peeled and cut into ½ pieces

1 T. chopped fresh sage or 2 T. dried sage

1 tub chive cream cheese

Cook pasta in lightly salted water according to package directions. While pasta is cooking, heat milk, cut up squash, and sage in a medium saucepan until simmering. Reduce heat to medium- low; cover and simmer 5 minutes or just until squash is tender. Remove saucepan from heat and stir in cream cheese until blended. Drain pasta and return to pot. Add squash and sauce and gently toss to mix and coat.

Serve with a warm bread and I believe your family will be delighted.

Tip of the Day 9/2/11

This past Sunday I read an article in the paper about school districts that are eliminating recess. To me this is a tragic mistake. The purpose was to make a shorter school day for the teachers. What about the need for the kids to have a time to burn off energy and develop friendships? Have we forgotten the meaning of childhood--the time to learn the skills to carry us through life.

Not only do kids not have enough time to just play and imagine, but adults put this burden on themselves as well. How often do we work through our lunch hour so we can leave the office an hour early, but in reality it never happens. We just cheat ourselves out of the down time our body needs and the time to have friendships with our co-workers.

Children arrive home with piles of homework and adults bring home laptops so they can do a little more work from home. In order to meet all the activities and demands we have put on ourselves, the kids no longer have time to just go run around and play with the neighborhood kids and we sure don't have time to just visit with our neighbors.

Why do we do this to ourselves? It is proven we are not a healthy nation. We can take control and stop the madness. As this new year begins purpose to have at least a few days a week without after work or school obligations. Send the kids outside to PLAY and even if there is not a neighbor to talk to, go outside too. Dinner will wait, the homework will get done, the office work will still be there to finish AT THE OFFICE.

Take back control of your life and enjoy it. Before you blink it could all be gone.

Tip of the Day 9/1/11

As you are making choices for your family and home for the new year it is important to recognize the difference between a schedule and a routine.

It is easy to over-schedule yourself or family:

A program of events or appointments expected in a given time.

A good rule of thumb is to schedule your child in only one extra-curricular activity. They will excel and you won't run around with your kids doing home work and eating dinner in the van. Schedule family -time and free-time. This is a case of less is better than more.

A routine, on the other hand, is an excellent thing for yourself or family:

A prescribed, detailed course of action to be followed regularly; a standard procedure.

A routine helps your household run smoothly whether you live alone or have a house-full. Less confusion and less stress.

Sit down with your family and make a list of the areas that cause the most stress and decide what routines could be established to help relieve the stress. By everyone participating in the decision process you will have better cooperation.