tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14030456241792281472024-02-15T19:35:56.368-08:00The Beating HearthHeather @ The Beating Hearthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06482775464960473303noreply@blogger.comBlogger362125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1403045624179228147.post-46437742392999636732021-09-07T10:22:00.000-07:002021-09-07T10:22:23.487-07:00Glitter Glitter Everywhere! Personalized Christmas Box<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Merry Christmas everyone! It's <a href="http://www.beatinghearth.blogspot.com/">Heather from The Beating Hearth</a> and I am so excited to be apart of Adele's 24 Days to Christmas. Like her, I have my own Christmas series going on, Holiday Cookie Extravaganza! Every Monday and Wednesday until Christmas I will have a tasty treat for you, so please stop by. <br />
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Today I'm going to show you one of my favorite Christmas traditions. My beloved Grandpa Ralph is the originator of this project. If the internet had been around fifty years ago, he would have been in heaven. He loves adding a classy touch to each of his grandkids' Christmas gifts.<br />
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Christmas day we received several gifts from our grandparents, but for each grandchild, one present was different. It wasn't wrapped, and yet we knew it was the best of the bunch. It was simple, a white box, with a bow, and our name written in her beautiful hand, coated in glitter. I always opened that one last. So, start this tradition at your house, anyone who gets this present will feel special, indeed.<br />
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I love a project that has minimal supplies. You need a white box, glitter, good old Elmer's Glue and a pencil. And, the pencil is optional.<br />
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Write the name of the recipient on the box. If your bad enough, you can just free-hand it with the glue. I am clearly not as bad ass as my image may portray, as I used a pencil...and a ruler so the name would be straight.<br />
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Using a heavy hand, trace the name with glue. Go slowly, with a thick and steady stream of glue. If you have any gaps, just carefully fill them in. You don't want the glue to be too thin, you really want the name to stand out.<br />
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While the glue is still wet. Coat with glitter. I have girls. They only like pink. Let settle for a few minutes and then gently shake the glitter off into a bowl so that you can reuse the excess for another project.<br />
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Set aside and let dry completely. Then shake off the extra glitter again.<br />
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And be prepared for glitter to do what glitter does best...get <i>everywhere!!!</i><br />
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You could also get flashy and do a design. Grandpa Ralph knew though, that less is more. We just had our name...and the occasional glue dollop....glitter coated, of course.<br />
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Throw on a festive bow, and place under your tree. An easy craft, but one that's sure to make an impression. Who doesn't like to see their name in glitter?<br />
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Thanks again Adele for letting me hang out here today! And remember, check out the Beating Hearth all month for the tastiest treats!!<br />
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Heather @ The Beating Hearthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06482775464960473303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1403045624179228147.post-40594865242961282532018-06-07T11:02:00.000-07:002018-06-07T11:03:52.947-07:00Surviving summer<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Kids, man.<br />
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Mine in particular need to be constantly doing something or they get the dreaded B word, which sends me into spasms.<br />
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Luckily this year I have a plan to keep them busy. This also means I stay busy keeping them busy, but it's better than hearing <i>Mom, I'm bored.</i><br />
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Uggh!<br />
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Here's how we're handling summer:<br />
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Morning: Free time unless it's Monday, Wednesday, and Friday which means we're at water polo lessons.<br />
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10 am until about noon: French camp (my kids go to a dual immersion school, learning French). French camp consists of my children talking to each other in French and playing games. Sometimes we put on a movie in French, and sometimes it's solo games on the computer for my youngest who needs French camp the most.<br />
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Noon: Lunch<br />
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Afternoon and evening: Free time. This means: reading books from the library (they have to get a historical fiction, whatever looks good, a book in French, and a craft book of some sort). Fun to note, my baby got a book on how to make mosaics and my oldest got a book on how to draw anime-people.<br />
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There's also lots of playing in the misters on the trampoline or sprinkles. Hanging with friends. Watching TV. Computer games. Legos. Learning new card games. Learning how to shuffle cards. Arts and crafts. Sewing (they have free access to my scraps bucket). Swimming at the rec center. Playing at park. Roller skating. Scooting. Bike riding. Sidewalk Chalk. Water balloon fights. Learning how to comb hair via YouTube videos. Any fests in the area. And whatever chores I deem necessary!!<br />
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But the best thing we're doing this summer is each girl has to take a day to menu plan and cook. Unfortunately at this stage, this means I am still actively involved so it's not giving me a break, but it is giving them valuable knowledge and is fun for them.<br />
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Yesterday, there was learning how to dice an onion and green pepper. Gulp. No thumbs were lost in the process, but it sure sends my blood pressure soaring to watch that wobbly knife in close proximity to precious digits.<br />
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So far summer has been amazing. I've yet to hear the B word which makes me and the girls happy.<br />
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I might've thought it was funny when I asked my youngest to choose a soda for me from the free soda bin at the fest and she brought this. Snort. Pictures were required.<br />
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Good luck everyone!</div>
Heather @ The Beating Hearthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06482775464960473303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1403045624179228147.post-91142862867675443722018-05-29T12:48:00.003-07:002018-11-05T16:11:54.291-08:00Instant Pot beans trial and error page<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
p.s. I never soak my beans. I can't be expected to plan that far in advance.<br />
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Black beans: 1 lb. beans. 6 cup water. Cook 21 minutes using bean setting, low pressure. Release pressure after 20 minutes. Results: Just about perfect.<br />
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Black beans: 1 lb beans. 6 cups water. Cook 23 minutes using high pressure. Release pressure after 25 minutes. Results: Too mushy.<br />
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Chick Peas: 1 lb. beans. 6 cups of water. Cook 22 minutes using bean setting, low pressure. Release pressure after 20 minutes. Results: Just a touch toothsome. Will cook for 24 next time<br />
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Chick Peas: 1 lb. beans. 6 cups water. Cook 24 minutes using bean setting, low pressure. Release pressure after 20 minutes. Results: Still too toothsome but almost perfect for a salad. Next time will cook for 24 minutes and allow to release naturally.<br />
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Pinto Beans: 1 lb beans. 6 cups water. Cook 25 minutes using Pressure Cook setting, high pressure for 25 minutes. Natural release. Added 1 tsp salt, 1 Tbl. garlic powder, 1 tsp. onion powder, 1 Tbl. chili powder, and 1 tsp. oregano for Mexican restaurant-style beans. Results: Practically perfect in every way. The beans aren't too mushy or toothsome. They hold together but aren't hard. And the flavor is good if you want a Mexican-style bean.</div>
Heather @ The Beating Hearthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06482775464960473303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1403045624179228147.post-23708971472707793112018-05-02T13:53:00.001-07:002018-05-02T13:53:16.592-07:00Thank you<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Thank you to everyone who has bought my book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Betrayal-Yearning-Fantasy-Romance-Changeling-ebook/dp/B07BKVRL5G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1525293549&sr=8-1&keywords=betrayal+and+yearning">Betrayal and Yearning</a>.<br />
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And if you haven't picked up a copy, what's taking you? You like romance, right? Adventure? A little taste of magic? Come on! This book has everything you want and more. Click on the link above and buy it. It's only $2.99 for a Kindle copy and if you have Kindle Unlimited... go get it, already! Sorry, didn't mean to shout.<br />
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But speaking of shouting, let me give a special shout out to everyone who has LEFT A REVIEW on Amazon. Oh. My. Heck. THANK YOU.<br />
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A review might not seem like much, but to the indie author, it is everything. So to those of you who leave reviews, you are the best.<br />
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I have one review in the U.S., one review in Australia, and one review in Canada. Wow, burning up the charts, here. But, that's okay. I loved writing Betrayal and Yearning, and I get to say I'm an author. And I've just gotten started, baby. There's a whole series of stories that needs to be told.<br />
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And, I'm going to do a giveaway here, soon. That is, as soon as I get my actual, physical, paperback copies. Yeah, everyone I know of who ordered a paperback has gotten it. Except me. The actual author.<br />
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Again, thanks to everyone who made this possible. Especially my cute husband who wasn't sure I could write myself out of a paper bag when I first began but is now a bigger believer in me than me.<br />
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And because I love it, here's another gratuitous shot of the cover.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiyUSSqpkIxrREJjDOF5-SKAzX0rFjR5MB9FjTPK8lb0L2YtUAjSOaJ6o8c_WbfMvMZDwJxATHKZ9dV-Dwgp1bOTI-opateMSgcWzB2TKSY2i8Cx7ynYvdHmfVmGUT4upxtHDUMJab371X/s1600/bycover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiyUSSqpkIxrREJjDOF5-SKAzX0rFjR5MB9FjTPK8lb0L2YtUAjSOaJ6o8c_WbfMvMZDwJxATHKZ9dV-Dwgp1bOTI-opateMSgcWzB2TKSY2i8Cx7ynYvdHmfVmGUT4upxtHDUMJab371X/s400/bycover.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Betrayal-Yearning-Fantasy-Romance-Changeling-ebook/dp/B07BKVRL5G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1525293549&sr=8-1&keywords=betrayal+and+yearning">Betrayal and Yearning by Eve R. Redmayne</a></div>
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Heather @ The Beating Hearthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06482775464960473303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1403045624179228147.post-39443062297786930082018-04-23T19:32:00.001-07:002018-04-23T19:44:57.010-07:00So close I can taste it. <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This has been a long time coming. I first started plotting when I was 18. And all I had to show for it was notebooks upon notebooks of ideas, half-formed story lines, and characters. Until now.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqUXeda3HzWOY508T_k660w4EknMWYEhXmKT0bJezmCfaCn5u6zMLef80VWCf6w48o0d7LCnvr_ipkpbj-5v-wXFWmsVAoV-vc866669NVh4QCo9j0zp_pIklUo17poc-GioH3HxodFHj1/s1600/bycover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqUXeda3HzWOY508T_k660w4EknMWYEhXmKT0bJezmCfaCn5u6zMLef80VWCf6w48o0d7LCnvr_ipkpbj-5v-wXFWmsVAoV-vc866669NVh4QCo9j0zp_pIklUo17poc-GioH3HxodFHj1/s320/bycover.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">April 24, 2018 is my day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And <i>Betrayal and Yearning</i> is my book.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Betrayal-Yearning-Fantasy-Romance-Changeling-ebook/dp/B07BKVRL5G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1524537597&sr=8-1&keywords=betrayal+and+yearning">Click here if you want to check it out.</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I'd love for you to read it. It's new and different but at the same time something you can immerse yourself in. If you like fantasy, this is your book. If you like romance, this is your book. If you just like a good story with characters you can fall in love with, this is your book.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Thanks again to everyone for your support.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">p.s. If you read it, please leave a review. Indie novels live and die by the review.</span></div>
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Heather @ The Beating Hearthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06482775464960473303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1403045624179228147.post-64068873342874854732018-03-24T09:10:00.002-07:002018-03-24T09:10:28.080-07:00Big, huge, exciting news!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I've got some big news and I can't wait to share it with everyone.<br />
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I'm just going to put this here and you can guess what it is...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYnqi4ti1RibEW6uUI3Ro4nPAd9LTFLmRX0JGg8yOvrntLJ6zzo_F7PGZ48n4RLRqbUBbDqBiZ489wWraxaYsZT6I-QCZuwVlaI8V7H0DVzqEqBGElrKVNaFc3uu0Fy7MCEmANpR6dA_Q/s1600/bycover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYnqi4ti1RibEW6uUI3Ro4nPAd9LTFLmRX0JGg8yOvrntLJ6zzo_F7PGZ48n4RLRqbUBbDqBiZ489wWraxaYsZT6I-QCZuwVlaI8V7H0DVzqEqBGElrKVNaFc3uu0Fy7MCEmANpR6dA_Q/s400/bycover.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
Okay, I'll tell you, it's my book cover!<br />
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<a href="http://coversbychristian.com/">Christian at Covers by Christian</a> designed it and he did such a wonderful job. I couldn't be happier.<br />
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There's the magic trailing her down her dress. The forest ambiance. The font! I mean, that's one beautiful font.<br />
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Also, in another bit of exciting news, Betrayal and Yearning is up for pre order on Amazon. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Betrayal-Yearning-Fantasy-Romance-Changeling-ebook/dp/B07BKVRL5G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1521820066&sr=8-1&keywords=betrayal+and+yearning">Click here to see it in all its glory and pre order if you want!</a> It'll also be available on Kindle Unlimited on April 24th. Eeks!<br />
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I've also got an author page on Amazon, which I still don't quite believe. But you can <a href="http://amazon.com/author/everredmayne">click here to read all about me!</a><br />
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And, if all the above wasn't enough, I'm currently in the top 2% for Kindle sales. So... that's cool. That's what's called playing it cool. To be honest, we're playing a numbers game with Amazon so people will actually see the book. The higher your ranking... you get it.<br />
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So, if you're looking for a read that has it all, romance, danger, heartbreak, steamy love scenes, then please give Betrayal and Yearning a try.</div>
Heather @ The Beating Hearthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06482775464960473303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1403045624179228147.post-47376821920696610212018-03-11T09:00:00.001-07:002018-03-11T09:00:29.881-07:00Still sticking to a budget<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Not quite four months in, I'm sticking to my grocery budget of $200 per week.<br />
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Turns out, I don't hate it, and it's encouraged me to do two things; one of which I should have done twenty years ago.<br />
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1. I'm switching to the Mediterranean diet which I feel is a healthy diet. I've always felt yogurt, oats, grains, greens, and legumes were the right way to eat. Turns out, it's a thing.<br />
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2. I am also wasting less food. For example, I had par-boiled some beans the other day, to have on hand for easy cooking. Promptly forgot they were only par-boiled and when I asked The Mister to make chili for dinner... Ahem. Well, they it was some mighty toothsome chili. I might've thrown it away, before, but today, Sunday, I am cooking my chili so it's ready to go for tomorrow.<br />
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I'm also making <a href="https://beatinghearth.blogspot.com/2013/04/head-to-tail-dininghearth.html">Ham and Bean Soup (Click here for the link)</a> with the leftover ham from The Mister's lunches, and inviting my siblings over. And making homemade bread with slightly expired bread flour. Shh, don't tell. And making yogurt! Dang! Who put a bee in my bonnet?<br />
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Add to that some writing on book two of the Changeling Desires series, grooming the dogs, and grocery shopping. Well, I'm not sure the dogs are going to get groomed. We'll see how productive I really am.<br />
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Okay, back to sticking to my budget, I've found going to the grocery store only once a week doesn't really work for me. In my effort not to waste food, I don't want it to go bad waiting for me to cook it. And as I'm not always Johnny on the spot, if the veggies are particularly perishable, I wait to buy them until the day I'm going to cook them.<br />
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Perfect example of this: I was planning on making pad Thai last week. But, I thought, bean sprouts and cilantro are very finicky and I shouldn't risk it. Turns out, pad Thai never happened. Phew. This week, though, oh, it's happening. But, if I'd bought my veggies, just look how mad I'd be at myself.<br />
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Well, that's it for now.<br />
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Heather @ The Beating Hearthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06482775464960473303noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1403045624179228147.post-6482885922619878652018-03-05T09:47:00.001-08:002018-03-05T09:47:12.331-08:00Chickpeas in Creamy Pink Sauce with Runny Eggs and Ham<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In my quest to eat more vegetarian fare and Mediterranean-style meals, I find myself branching out more than I used to. And that's saying a lot because I've always been an adventurous eater. But the results aren't always noteworthy and this was one of those meals.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2gxomGul0IT2Cuo2IRRZKzPwuWUYjJYWLIu9qcEpVtqymxyg-rXzGC8ydPUoGkGJ7QcLY9ar9lsTkioOTstjmiBC5Pxn24AbGNwzRHKndRJN3NQDn6k9DOR7PoVU18dS3Pjhtav_-JNIz/s1600/20180301_172439_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="spicy cream chickpeas review" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2gxomGul0IT2Cuo2IRRZKzPwuWUYjJYWLIu9qcEpVtqymxyg-rXzGC8ydPUoGkGJ7QcLY9ar9lsTkioOTstjmiBC5Pxn24AbGNwzRHKndRJN3NQDn6k9DOR7PoVU18dS3Pjhtav_-JNIz/s400/20180301_172439_resized.jpg" title="bon appetit spicy creamy chickpeas review" width="400" /></a></div>
I tried something new, it was from Bon Appetit's March issue and they called it Spicy Creamy Chickpeas with Runny Eggs and Prosciutto. It's not vegetarian and not exactly Mediterranean, but I felt there were enough aspects of both that I'd give it a try. After all, I can pick the ham off.<br />
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I changed up my title as I didn't find this dish spicy in the least. I put 'creamy' after chickpeas as it wasn't the chickpeas that were creamy but the sauce. And, I used ham instead of prosciutto.<br />
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While The Mister didn't question whether this is a dish I would try, or not, he did briefly question whether he wanted to go out for a burger.<br />
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Turns out he liked it better than anyone else.<br />
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I love runny eggs. I like pink sauce on pasta. I really enjoy chickpeas. And, I like ham. But all together? It just didn't work for me. We ate it with toast instead of the flatbread the recipe suggested and that was the best part of the meal.<br />
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It burned on the bottom of the pan, so I had to avoid scooping too low. It called for a TON of cream. The eggs took a lot longer to cook to runny than the recipe suggests. Two minutes? More like 12.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvK7ODrLJiX-gZAQ4zurzfGu8vIyl6_efWfBmQ72df_VCFLeZ69fLswRpTP75iuEBTcLeBW25SRrFQLdEknxyEu9oKoVVknUnAEMxVRaCOXaRzVYwFAMw9yq_VBbw25EABTdui4E7aWMSV/s1600/20180301_171358_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvK7ODrLJiX-gZAQ4zurzfGu8vIyl6_efWfBmQ72df_VCFLeZ69fLswRpTP75iuEBTcLeBW25SRrFQLdEknxyEu9oKoVVknUnAEMxVRaCOXaRzVYwFAMw9yq_VBbw25EABTdui4E7aWMSV/s400/20180301_171358_resized.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
So, while the husband enjoyed this meal, and my kids pondered moving in with Grandma (this normally doesn't affect whether I'll remake something), I decided this is not something I'm adding to the rotation. I did however learn something valuable from this recipe. If I need a lid for a skillet and don't have one, I can use a sheet pan. Genius!<br />
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Heather @ The Beating Hearthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06482775464960473303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1403045624179228147.post-65708067517562936862018-02-14T09:12:00.001-08:002018-02-16T08:39:16.858-08:00All because I'm a sucker<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Who else is a sucker for their kids?<br />
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My baby, looking up at me with quivering blue eyes: Mama, I just love your homemade chocolates.<br />
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Me, cold-hearted and steely eyed: You mean those chocolates I only make once a year at Christmas?<br />
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My baby, now with pleading hands: You didn't even let me help you make them at Christmas. Can we please make some chocolates for Valentine's. I just really, really, really, really love them, they're the best of all the chocolates. And want to spend time with you, because I love you so much.<br />
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Me, trying to remain distant, but feeling my resolve weaken: No, it's too much work. Plus, your hands get covered in chocolate, and it makes a mess of the kitchen. Do you really want to clean up the kitchen on Valentine's?<br />
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My baby, tears glistening at the edges of her eyes, and a sly smile spreading: Mama, I always wanted to learn. Don't you always say girls can do anything they want? That we're just as good as boys? Please teach me all your wise ways.<br />
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Me, breaking down into sobs: Alright, baby, alright! Of course, we can make chocolates even though they're a huge hassle and dirty every dish in the house. For you, anything.<br />
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My baby, turning to the side and exchanging a slick high-five with her older sister,who knows I can resist her ways with greater ease: Thanks mama! You're the best.<br />
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Me: Wait, what...<br />
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In my defense, this image was what was in my head... Yes, I have photographic proof of that one time I broke my baby's heart. And if you don't follow us on Instagram you didn't get to see our chocolate making fun back when it happened. So, check out the Instagram link down below.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigX78xpXiq-CN4337iauRClYpJbT0Lv0MWCc0EZqxFSC4RuUdN8T8tqlUKtkx1B6i7w6cG7yXNYtXnNyqDUuX9InFnHEilONP3OFjmcSSddkQTdvlj_eOkcO-kTsf273eJ18iy7ulkhl1Y/s1600/20171205_173041_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigX78xpXiq-CN4337iauRClYpJbT0Lv0MWCc0EZqxFSC4RuUdN8T8tqlUKtkx1B6i7w6cG7yXNYtXnNyqDUuX9InFnHEilONP3OFjmcSSddkQTdvlj_eOkcO-kTsf273eJ18iy7ulkhl1Y/s400/20171205_173041_resized.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
There she is, watching with rapt attention, directly after I'd denied her the opportunity to help make Christmas chocolates. Uggh. You can see why I caved. But, we were making these as gifts and kid hands... shudder.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK3bzswyz0XIvCKDgCKn5R-g2IsR9fGf-FbE2NRbjquGd8fMaAYBiXxj9ZTzoY97eMolWFZjiya3SMseEy2_EAlmMN97EHexKBgiF3jcw0x4TosuBzwWX4H1rHmWuWDtCA9m1DOdEfr3hT/s1600/20180214_090948_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK3bzswyz0XIvCKDgCKn5R-g2IsR9fGf-FbE2NRbjquGd8fMaAYBiXxj9ZTzoY97eMolWFZjiya3SMseEy2_EAlmMN97EHexKBgiF3jcw0x4TosuBzwWX4H1rHmWuWDtCA9m1DOdEfr3hT/s400/20180214_090948_resized.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Yeah, so this is how I've spent my Valentine's morning. Not luxuriating and eating already made truffles. Nope. Making homemade truffle fillings so my kids can really trash the house this evening and dip them, themselves. Here's my dark chocolate approx. 75% melted. I needed to get my chocolate and my cream mixture down to 90 degrees F at about the same time. Extremely tricky, but I got close.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZfUeNxfUMfbAlUsZEbPVtaRlgE2ETJ4Vku0gxQnCjs8u9uJjErXtaOgXmNh2CbOZ6N6mpGfTfAZh5Fy6wjYaXkUDWDuYOQFJVF_11wSIevz7xjur96srGGrlFyeN95vNAkxTiY0e46Bmr/s1600/20180214_091122_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZfUeNxfUMfbAlUsZEbPVtaRlgE2ETJ4Vku0gxQnCjs8u9uJjErXtaOgXmNh2CbOZ6N6mpGfTfAZh5Fy6wjYaXkUDWDuYOQFJVF_11wSIevz7xjur96srGGrlFyeN95vNAkxTiY0e46Bmr/s400/20180214_091122_resized.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
The insides of a peanut butter truffle. In case you were curious<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijecbQkBDo84IJksPiBczgMluEYrI84mr0P4nq4BCEDN4aalWuo2EMWgY9Lcb7qPwbe5nbSba6j6Dyb-onk9dwTXtL1YfdH7vZM06CY7mONvAMm1LxSePkI_Rl7BKEUJe6eqk3s50mTw05/s1600/choc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijecbQkBDo84IJksPiBczgMluEYrI84mr0P4nq4BCEDN4aalWuo2EMWgY9Lcb7qPwbe5nbSba6j6Dyb-onk9dwTXtL1YfdH7vZM06CY7mONvAMm1LxSePkI_Rl7BKEUJe6eqk3s50mTw05/s320/choc.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
And the insides of mint truffles. Might have broken my blender on this one. It's because my immersion blender, that I haven't used in five years, wouldn't turn on. It does taste yummy. So, that's something.<br />
<br />
Now, wish me luck that my kitchen and I make it out in one piece after tonight. It's not just my two girls, who are blessedly older, but also my three nieces ages 5, 7, and 10. Yup. Five little girls and a big batch of melted chocolate. What could go wrong?<br />
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Heather @ The Beating Hearthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06482775464960473303noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1403045624179228147.post-62770365688349395922018-02-13T00:00:00.000-08:002018-02-15T09:39:09.993-08:00Who said you shouldn't make homemade puddin'<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
If you want an easy, but impressive, dessert, go with made from scratch chocolate pudding. Made from scratch <i>anything</i> has a wow factor associated with it, but facts are facts, made from scratch doesn't always translate well. See homemade cakes. Which brings me to wonder, why can't I make a cake from scratch and really love it? I dunno. I've tried. Goodness knows I've tried. Must be some chemical magic in the box mix that I can't recreate.<br />
<br />
But, homemade chocolate pudding is another story. It tastes a million times better than store bought. Is made from only ingredients you can pronounce. And is so quick and so easy, but homemade, so you look like a culinary rock star. And who doesn't like looking like a culinary rock star?<br />
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I personally love it when my kids chant my name and declare I must open a restaurant that serves cheesy hotdogs, mac and cheese, and chocolate pudding. And yes, I know only one out of those three items are actually homemade by me. Still, I like it.<br />
<br />
<u>Scratch Chocolate Pudding</u><br />
1/4 C cornstarch<br />
1/3 C granulated sugar<br />
skimpy 1/4 tsp Kosher salt<br />
3 C whole milk<br />
1 C good quality Semi-sweet chocolate chips. I prefer Guittard<br />
1 tsp vanilla extract<br />
<br />
Combine cornstarch, sugar and salt into medium saucepan and stir to mix.<br />
<br />
Pour milk into the above in a slow drizzle while whisking furiously, to avoid lumps.<br />
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Cook over medium low heat while alternating between whisking and scraping the bottom and sides of pot with a silicon spatula. You do not want to let this go too long without stirring, as the milk will potentially scorch to the bottom and not taste delicious.<br />
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Pay attention. After approximately 10 minutes, and just before your pudding comes to a simmer, the mixture will begin to thicken. Once it coats the back of a spoon and you can leave a trail with your finger, lick, it's thick enough. You really don't want this to go above a barely there simmer.<br />
<br />
Now that it's perfectly thick, add the chocolate chips.<br />
<br />
Whisk and spatula for about 2 minutes more to allow the chocolate chips to melt and incorporate.<br />
<br />
Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. It'll look like your pudding is separating, but keep whisking and it'll all come together.<br />
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Press plastic wrap directly on the top of the pudding to avoid the dreaded skim and let cool. My Grandma would've spooned it into fancy bowls and let it cool on the kitchen counter, tempting us until dinner was through. I cooled mine in the fridge this time for about an hour. It was still slightly warm when we ate it.<br />
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Most important step: top with a drizzle of cream. Yup, pure cream and prepare for old fashioned, creamy, homey, chocolaty goodness in every spoonful. Add more cream as needed.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidaaNCmlIUNc2ry9VxUGSj9_8sYqmJ-uiF7Czm4GFcB6p16cQ4-NRCWl5ArNC_nuwZDvUhLJOjf9Iomsfsd3t9IfRJ7Rl-pomNQBUZkYUlqlFX64zTOuzjse6427hB7S-40lJp5-WyxUe7/s1600/pudding2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1058" data-original-width="1564" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidaaNCmlIUNc2ry9VxUGSj9_8sYqmJ-uiF7Czm4GFcB6p16cQ4-NRCWl5ArNC_nuwZDvUhLJOjf9Iomsfsd3t9IfRJ7Rl-pomNQBUZkYUlqlFX64zTOuzjse6427hB7S-40lJp5-WyxUe7/s400/pudding2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
This really brought me back to my childhood; when I licked the bowls clean. Mostly to savor every last drop of the cream. We ate a lot of desserts with a drizzle of cream over the top. Not whipped cream. Weird but good. But, now I know why my mom got after me for licking the bowls clean. Same reason I got after my kids for doing it.<br />
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Aww, love the sharing of an old-timey, family tradition. And to be clear, the tradition I'm talking about is not the licking of bowls.<br />
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Heather @ The Beating Hearthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06482775464960473303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1403045624179228147.post-35282975986199706672018-02-12T00:00:00.000-08:002018-03-11T08:30:18.463-07:00Trouble shooting homemade yogurt<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So, you want to make homemade yogurt, but it seems too daunting. Needing to stick to a rigid temperature schedule or all is lost, gives you heartburn. Maybe you're worried you'll give your family botulism. Or at the very least, you fear everyone who tries it will get food poisoning.<br />
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Take it from me, it'll be okay.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqZquWTb0IdZ02-fihtRLsC8AhNFykUf55Mih9yVp7w2SVf0gTh6OzX0THgtLLEnV0oCulumH1NZkvjfdVFWTE_DXnpHSfw4WDzbPMUauUzWscxyCNjnUnlKS7G5rSgSbm13ffNsoTV4Vc/s1600/yogurt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="homemade yogurt troubleshoot" border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="1512" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqZquWTb0IdZ02-fihtRLsC8AhNFykUf55Mih9yVp7w2SVf0gTh6OzX0THgtLLEnV0oCulumH1NZkvjfdVFWTE_DXnpHSfw4WDzbPMUauUzWscxyCNjnUnlKS7G5rSgSbm13ffNsoTV4Vc/s400/yogurt.jpg" title="homemade yogurt troubleshoot" width="400" /></a></div>
After the first time, it's easy. Not sitting on the front porch drinking a lemonade, easy. But, sitting on the front porch eating an ice cream cone that you have to lick from time to time because it's hot out, easy. But dang, the ice cream (yogurt) tastes so good, it's worth it.<br />
<br />
I've had a time or two when it didn't work out or when I looked at it and thought... umm... I dunno, I'm just going to toss it. But, I think that comes with the fermenting territory. Go with your instincts. That one time I thought the yogurt had a pink-ish tinge to it, it probably didn't. It probably would've been fine to eat, but I'm not willing to risk it for the sake of a gallon of milk.<br />
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Then there was the time it didn't thicken, AT ALL. Who knows what went wrong. Too much starter. Too little starter. The milk didn't get hot enough, in the first place. Maybe I didn't cool it enough before adding the starter.<br />
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The point is, I've had two maybe three times where I wasted my milk and my time. That's it. And everyone who's eaten my yogurt is still alive. And now I can basically make a batch in my sleep.<br />
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It's worth it to me to know exactly what's in my yogurt, milk and starter yogurt. That means no preservatives, no thickeners, and no sugar. And no yogurt tastes as good as my yogurt.<br />
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The picture above is my most recent batch just after fermentation. See how thick it is. That's before any straining. That spoon wasn't going anywhere. I wanted to share my experience here because I made several, we'll call them, mistakes in its making.<br />
<br />
I didn't let the milk get up to 180 F. It made it to 178 and change F. That was after I selected the yogurt/boil function on my Instant Pot and then let it slow cook low pressure for another 30 minutes. I wasn't about to wait any longer.<br />
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It cooled to under 110 F. Which is a little cooler than normal, because I wasn't exactly Johnny on the spot with my thermometer.<br />
<br />
I did use exactly 4 Tbl. of starter. So that I got right.<br />
<br />
But, I let it go for about 11 hours, instead of ten.<br />
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All this just goes to show, I made the perfect pot of thick, tangy homemade yogurt with an imperfect process.<br />
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If you're trying the Mediterranean diet, or just want to ditch the sugars in too many commercial yogurt brands, give homemade yogurt a try <a href="https://beatinghearth.blogspot.com/2018/01/get-some-culture-s.html">with this recipe and tutorial.</a> You won't go back to store bought.<br />
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Heather @ The Beating Hearthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06482775464960473303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1403045624179228147.post-21382511741809215422018-02-09T10:56:00.003-08:002018-02-09T11:00:27.874-08:00Perfectly cooked chickpeas/garbanzo beans<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Chickpea or garbanzo bean? I say chickpea. Except when I say garbanzo bean.<br />
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As I continue incorporating the Mediterranean ways into my way of cooking, via the Mediterranean diet, I'm becoming more familiar with these versatile legumes. Okay, who are we kidding, I am intimately familiar with hummus... and falafal. But I haven't really cooked with chickpeas myself. I just devour them at every Middle Eastern restaurant I visit.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeO-m77nRdlCPXxjIsDl9CuCHNKlrWh9OahjeGGKpQ1GHr80PoFrIjX9UN9LabzRMnLOWTkfEB22vtt59GdV23E61h4HQwxBdIQMqdXTLR3ccBDx3Sneb3YK78jNfxhjXKmlnva-iK5gXu/s1600/20180208_140809_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="homemade chickpeas" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeO-m77nRdlCPXxjIsDl9CuCHNKlrWh9OahjeGGKpQ1GHr80PoFrIjX9UN9LabzRMnLOWTkfEB22vtt59GdV23E61h4HQwxBdIQMqdXTLR3ccBDx3Sneb3YK78jNfxhjXKmlnva-iK5gXu/s400/20180208_140809_resized.jpg" title="scratch chickpeas" width="400" /></a></div>
But not today.<br />
<br />
Today we cook chickpeas from scratch. And not in the Instant Pot, like I had originally planned when I bought the dang thing, because I've been burned too many times, now. Thanks Instant Pot/bean ruiner.<br />
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<u>Chickpeas from scratch</u><br />
1 lb. chickpeas<br />
Small palmful Salt, approx. 1 teaspoon... maybe<br />
<br />
First, sort and rinse chickpeas. Beans are packaged au natural. That means they haven't been washed and can include bits of grit. So I just pour the package into a colander and rinse while running my fingers through the beans, looking for anything unsavory. p.s. I've yet to find a rock, but I still do it.<br />
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Then, because I am not smart enough to pre-plan, quick soak the beans. If you are the type who is on top of things, you can soak your beans the night before. Or even sprout them. This is something I want to try as I'm really into fermenting. Just not, that into fermenting to have already tried it.<br />
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This means, bring eight cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Add 1 lb chickpeas to boiling water. Bring back to a boil and let boil for 3 minutes, or so. Remove pot from heat, cover, and let sit for an hour.<br />
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Now, this just gets us to soaked. They aren't cooked yet.<br />
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Drain chickpeas.<br />
<br />
Add enough fresh water to cover chickpeas by a couple inches and add your salt. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer and let cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes. This results in a pleasantly tender, but not mush, chickpea.<br />
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Use in any number of dishes however you want. You can leave them as is, if you are eating the chickpeas whole, or you can cook them a bit more if you're going to mush them for hummus or even, dare I say it, refried beans for the more adventurous amongst us.<br />
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Stay tuned for all the chickpea fun.<br />
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Heather @ The Beating Hearthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06482775464960473303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1403045624179228147.post-41138482931973527002018-01-31T08:59:00.000-08:002018-03-11T08:29:47.097-07:00Get some culture (s)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This is not my first go round making yogurt. But it is the closest I've come to, dare I say, a consistently good product.<br />
<br />
There's a couple reasons for this, I suppose. The main one is my Instant Pot's yogurt function. Now, I'm not singing the Pot's praises from the rafters, just yet. Unless I'm talking about steel cut oats and yogurt. In that case, where's my ladder?<br />
<br />
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The other reason is my starter. I used Siggi's. If you haven't given Siggi's Icelandic yogurt a try yet, just, do yourself a favor and run to the store. Thick, creamy as heck, and so, so good. I started buying Siggi's because it was lowest in sugar content. It's scary how much sugar is in the other major brands. Especially considering yogurt is supposed to be healthy. Not with 22 grams of sugar per serving, it's not.<br />
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But, Siggi's costs a pretty penny, and I'm on a budget. So that means homemade yogurt for this family. Luckily, it's dang easy with the Pot. If you don't have the Pot, <a href="https://beatinghearth.blogspot.com/2012/03/i-am-slowly-turning-into-hippy.html">Click here for how to make yogurt without an Instant Pot.</a><br />
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If you do have an Instant Pot, here's a simple recipe for how to make homemade yogurt. It seems like there are a lot of steps involved, and there are, but the steps are either really quick or take hours of hands-off time. So, it's not bad.<br />
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<u>Ingredients</u><br />
1 gallon milk (I use 2%)<br />
4 Tbl plain or vanilla yogurt with live active cultures (I actually used vanilla and it worked fine)<br />
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That's it.<br />
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<u>Special Equipment</u><br />
8 qt Instant Pot Duo Plus (The one with the Yogurt button. If you have a smaller Instant pot, halve the ingredients)<br />
instant read Thermometer<br />
Silicone spatula for stirring<br />
several vessels for straining. I use a collander, a large pot, and a mixing bowl<br />
And a clean tea towel<br />
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<u>How to make Yogurt in an Instant Pot </u><br />
1. Start time is important. I always start before 10 am. That way you're not waiting up until 2 in the morning or something awful.<br />
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2. Pour 1 gallon milk into Instant Pot's bowl and have your 4 Tbl of starter yogurt set aside in a bowl and ready to go.<br />
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3. Secure Pot's lid. Apparently it doesn't matter if the steam release handle is open or closed, but I always do this with it closed.<br />
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4. Push Yogurt button until BOIL, pressure amount: <i>more, </i>comes up, and let it do it's thing. It takes 30 minutes, maybe. I don't pay that much attention.<br />
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What's happening is you're heating the milk high enough to denature the proteins. This allows the whey proteins to bind to water and make a desirable texture in yogurt. Thanks Google.<br />
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5. Remove lid carefully so you don't burn yourself, stir the milk gently (don't scrape the bottom in case any milk has scalded), and take the milk's temperature.<br />
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But if you're anything like me, your milk will NOT be up to 180 F. It'll be more like 170 F. I don't know if it's because I live at a higher elevation, or what, but I always have to take one more step. If yours is up to 180 Yeah! Skip step 6.<br />
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6. Turn off Instant Pot and push the Slow Cook Button, pressure amount: <i>less</i>. Set it for 30 minutes. Again, I keep my steam release handle in the closed position. Once the 30 minutes is up, take temperature. I'm usually up to the 180 F. If it's 179, I'd just go with it.<br />
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7. Cool the yogurt to 110 degrees. You can leave it on your counter and let it cool naturally, but I am impatient so put it in my sink with cold water. Sometimes ice, too. Now, watch it very carefully. It'll cool faster than you think if you use cold water. Just a few minutes. Take the temperature after about 3 minutes and probably every minute after that until it's at 110 F. Always stir gently before taking the temperature.<br />
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8. When it's 110 F. set Instant Pot bowl on counter and remove 1 cup of warm milk. Pour the warm milk into the reserved 4 Tbl of starter yogurt. Stir until all lumps are gone. Pour the yogurt/milk back into the rest of the warm milk, still in the Instant Pot bowl. Stir gently to incorporate the yogurt cultures throughout.<br />
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9. Place Instant Pot bowl back in Instant Pot. Push Yogurt Button until pressure amount: <i>normal</i> comes up and set your timer to 10 hours. This can be a personal preference, but I find 10 hours gives me a nice, gentle tang and good thickness. You can do it more, 12 hours even, or less, 8 hours, for instance. But I've had good success with 10.<br />
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10. After the 10 hour ferment, your yogurt should be thick enough a spoon can stand upright in the middle, or pretty close to it. Remove bowl from Instant Pot, pour yogurt into a large bowl, cover, and let cool in refrigerator over night.<br />
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11. Next morning, assemble your straining equipment. Place tea towel in strainer. Place strainer in mixing bowl. Place mixing bowl in large stock pot. If you have a better method than this, please use it. Mine's pretty cobbled together. But it works and I didn't have to buy any special yogurt straining equipment.<br />
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Carefully pour yogurt into the strainer with the tea towel. Put back in refrigerator and let strain for several hours. You may need to dump out some of the whey to allow your yogurt to strain appropriately. My mixing bowl isn't tall enough, so my strainer bottom ends up in the whey. You can see how this would be a problem.<br />
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BUT DON'T THROW AWAY YOUR WHEY!! Keep it. Make pancakes and biscuits later in the week. It really is that light green color. <a href="https://beatinghearth.blogspot.com/2018/01/perfect-drop-biscuits-made-with.html">In fact, make these fluffy, wonderful biscuits.</a><br />
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12. Pour strained yogurt into your Kitchen Aid and whip it, whip it good until it's light, smooth, and just a touch fluffy.<br />
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13. Store in fridge for up to two weeks, I'd say. That's about how long I let mine go and haven't died. I always put a piece of tape on the lid, and make note of the date the yogurt was made.<br />
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Enjoy!<br />
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Update 2-12-2018 <a href="https://beatinghearth.blogspot.com/2018/02/trouble-shooting-homemade-yogurt.html">Check out the post I made on trouble shooting the yogurt making process, and don't stress it too much, it'll work out fine.</a><br />
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Heather @ The Beating Hearthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06482775464960473303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1403045624179228147.post-47586222709146004152018-01-23T09:54:00.001-08:002018-01-23T10:41:49.801-08:00A couple of girls and SCIENCE<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Lately at the Hearth we've been working on the girls' science fair projects.<br />
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The completely <i>voluntary </i>science fair.<br />
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That's okay. I love that my girls love science, even if it's not mandatory science. One wants to be a vet, what pre-teen girl doesn't? And the other a chemist. Okay, the be fair, she wants to be a potion-maker. But I've informed her that's a chemist. And she's completely on board with it.<br />
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Luckily, The Mister is all about science. I help the girls with their English/History/Girl Scouts stuff. He's in charge of the science/math/tech/computer stuff. It's a nice balance. Aw, love.<br />
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<u>The Great Egg Launch</u><br />
Yeah, you read that right. My Youngest wanted to make an egg tosser. The boy in The Mister was giddy over this project. The nerd proceeded to make us research free body diagrams, force, gravity, and throwing arcs. I mean, what little kid has a free body diagram on her board? This kid.<br />
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No neighboring houses were targeted in the name of science. It was too cold.<br />
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<u>I don't know what to call this one... Which chemical reaction makes a car go the furthest</u><br />
My Oldest wanted to make chemical reactions. The boy in The Mister also loved this because explosions. He he he. She learned that by combining baking soda and vinegar you produce carbon dioxide and that Mentos and Diet Coke isn't <i>actually </i>a chemical reaction, it's a physical reaction called nucleation. I dunno. Science.<br />
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Ha ha. Our first attempt. The Mister in action, carefully placing the car down and RUNNING. We thought it would be a grand, fiery explosion. He made us stand 50 feet away and wear protective eye wear. Nothing happened.<br />
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Okay, this is what happened. The vinegar only reacted with the outer layer of baking soda, hardening the inner layer. Thus, a disappointing performance.<br />
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Several Mentos and Diet Coke experiments later, and the car finally moved. But we had to crush the Mentos and shake up the car, then put it down. So much for safety regulations.<br />
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Well, the good news is both kids and dad had fun. And girls and science gets another win.</div>
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Heather @ The Beating Hearthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06482775464960473303noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1403045624179228147.post-87306702722269699072018-01-15T00:00:00.000-08:002018-01-15T11:44:07.183-08:00Asian Inspired Lettuce Wraps<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Contrary to popular opinion, these are not Thai lettuce wraps, though that's what I've always called them. They have peanut butter, that makes them Thai, or so I thought.<br />
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Upon further research, satay and spicy peanut sauces originated further down the Malay peninsula and Indonesian archipelago. So, in an effort to give credit where credit is due, these are now called Asian inspired lettuce wraps.<br />
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Lettuce wraps themselves, aren't even of Asian origin. They're either a British or American invention. So, Asian inspired seems the best way to go. Besides, I use a variety of ingredients from across Asia, so I can't pinpoint an area of origin. But be aware, they are exceptionally yummy.<br />
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Don't let the list of ingredients dissuade you from making this recipe. None are too exotic to find in your every day grocery store and many you'll already have on hand in your pantry. And, aside from some minor mincing and chopping and dicing, most everything else just gets stirred up. This is a quick-cooking recipe. You'll have dinner on the table in 30 minutes. This serves my family of four with enough left over for a couple lunches the next day.<br />
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<u>Asian Inspired Lettuce Wraps</u><br />
Bib lettuce<br />
2 Tbl. veg oil<br />
1.5 lb ground turkey or chicken<br />
1 onion, diced<br />
1 inch piece of ginger root, peeled and minced fine. This is approximately 2 heaping tsps. of ginger, I'd say<br />
2-8 oz. cans diced water chestnuts<br />
Salt and pepper to taste<br />
Splash of water<br />
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<u>Sauce</u><br />
4 Tbl. soy sauce<br />
2 Tbl. creamy peanut butter<br />
1 Tbl. honey<br />
2 tsp. rice wine vinegar<br />
dash of garlic powder<br />
squirt of Sriracha<br />
3 Tbl. Teriyaki sauce (even better if it includes sesame seeds)<br />
Dash of sesame oil if you have it. I didn't, but it wouldn't hurt<br />
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<u>Pickled carrots</u><br />
3 carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks<br />
1/2 C. rice wine vinegar<br />
1 Tbl. white sugar<br />
1/4 tsp. Kosher salt<br />
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<u>Garnish</u><br />
Cilantro<br />
Cucumber cut into matchsticks<br />
Lime wedge<br />
Green onions, diced<br />
Extra Sriracha<br />
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Heat large skillet over medium heat. Add 2 Tbl. oil and saute diced onion until translucent. Add minced ginger and cook for a couple minutes until fragrant, but not brown. Add ground turkey or chicken and cook until cooked through and browned. Add diced water chestnuts when meat is cooked through. I love the bite water chestnuts add to this dish. You don't want to cook them, you want them crunchy. If the meat mixture is over-browning on the bottom of pan, add a splash of water, but no more than 1/4 cup, I'd say. Scrape bottom of skillet.<br />
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Meanwhile, make sauce.<br />
Place all sauce ingredients in bowl and whisk until combined. Add to cooked meat mixture and let simmer until everything is warm.<br />
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Meanwhile, make pickled carrots<br />
Add all ingredients in bowl and let sit until ready to eat. You can do this a couple hours in advance.<br />
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Meanwhile, prepare garnish and lettuce cups<br />
Cut cucumber, slice limes into wedges, dice green onions, wash cilantro, and wash and break apart lettuce cups.<br />
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To serve, place a couple lettuce cups on everyone's plate, scoop out a nice serving of the meat mixture into each lettuce cup, top with garnishes of choice, and devour.<br />
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This is sure to become a staple in your dinner rotation.<br />
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Heather @ The Beating Hearthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06482775464960473303noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1403045624179228147.post-80008035193936590842018-01-08T00:00:00.000-08:002018-01-31T11:29:03.784-08:00Perfect drop biscuits made with buttermilk or whey<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , "freeserif" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 17.6px;">If you make one thing I've shared all these years, make these biscuits. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , "freeserif" , serif; font-size: 17.6px;">This is it. The one recipe I want you to make.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , "freeserif" , serif; font-size: 17.6px;"> My signature recipe.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , "freeserif" , serif; font-size: 17.6px;">When I have my grandparents over for dinner, I always make these biscuits. My Grandpa, who is the best, will forgo dessert every time for one more biscuit with jam. I wonder if it reminds him of a simpler time. He lost his mother at a very young age and had to take over the household chores, cooking and cleaning, while his dad and brothers worked during the great depression. In Oklahoma, no less. So, just know, these biscuits are special.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , "freeserif" , serif; font-size: 17.6px;">They're not the most beautiful. I'll give that award to rolled biscuits. But, my mom made drop biscuits, and that's what I make. They're craggy and tender and buttery and light, and beautifully easy. And that's beautiful enough for me.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , "freeserif" , serif; font-size: 17.6px;">Two things about these biscuits. You need buttermilk or whey (if you make yogurt and if you don't make yogurt, try it <a href="https://beatinghearth.blogspot.com/2018/01/get-some-culture-s.html">with this easy recipe</a>), on hand. I quite often have both. Whey makes for a seriously soft crumb. The Mister prefers a whey biscuit to a buttermilk biscuit. And, they're a bit fussy. By that I mean, you have to melt the butter beforehand. If you forget, you have to wait a minute or two while the butter melts and cools so it isn't blazing hot. But once you get the hang of it, you can crank them out lickity split.</span><br />
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<u style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "times new roman", times, freeserif, serif; font-size: 17.6px;">Best Buttermilk Drop Biscuits made from scratch</u><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , "freeserif" , serif; font-size: 17.6px;"><i>adapted from America's Test Kitchen</i></span><br />
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<o:p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 17.6px;">2 Cups all purpose flour</o:p><br />
<o:p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 17.6px;">2 tsp. baking powder</o:p><br />
<o:p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 17.6px;">1/2 tsp. baking soda</o:p><br />
<o:p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 17.6px;">1 tsp. Kosher Salt</o:p><br />
<o:p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 17.6px;">1 tsp. sugar</o:p><br />
<o:p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 17.6px;">1/2 Cup butter, melted and cooled slightly</o:p><br />
<o:p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 17.6px;">1 Cup cold buttermilk or cold whey (I know, that's me for you. Random, weird-ass ingredient nobody else has)</o:p><br />
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<o:p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 17.6px;">Preheat oven to 450 F.</o:p><br />
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<o:p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 17.6px;">Now, the very next thing you must do, before anything else, is get a small saucepan, put your stick of butter in it, and start melting it over low heat. As soon as it's mostly melted, remove it from the heat and let the residual heat from the warm pot melt the rest. This will also help cool the butter a bit faster. </o:p><br />
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<o:p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 17.6px;">You want the melted butter to range in temperature from room temperature to just a bit warm. The magic comes when you add the melted butter to the cold buttermilk or whey!</o:p><br />
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<o:p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "times new roman", times, freeserif, serif; font-size: 17.6px;">Combine all the dry ingredients in a large-ish bowl.</o:p><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , "freeserif" , serif; font-size: 17.6px;">Pour your buttermilk into a measuring cup, then pour the cooled, melted butter </span><i style="color: #666666; font-family: "times new roman", times, freeserif, serif; font-size: 17.6px;">into </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , "freeserif" , serif; font-size: 17.6px;">the buttermilk. Stir. You want the cold buttermilk to rapidly cool the butter so that it makes hard little butter bits in the buttermilk. The reason for this is </span><i style="color: #666666; font-family: "times new roman", times, freeserif, serif; font-size: 17.6px;">SCIENCE!!! </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , "freeserif" , serif; font-size: 17.6px;">Once the biscuits go in the oven, the butter is going to melt and create steam which is going to make for light and fluffy drop biscuits. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , "freeserif" , serif; font-size: 17.6px;">See, the cold buttermilk has turned the melted butter into hardened butter bits.</span><o:p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 17.6px;"></o:p><br />
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<o:p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 17.6px;">Now, pour your buttermilk/hardened butter bits mixture into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined<i>. </i></o:p><br />
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<o:p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 17.6px;">On a cookie sheet topped with parchment, portion out the dough into 12 dough balls. I like to make them taller versus wider. This is because I find splitting a tall biscuit easier than a flat biscuit. Pro tip, there.</o:p><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 17.6px;" />
<o:p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 17.6px;">Now, I cook mine for 12 to 13 minutes. They come out lightly golden, perfectly poofed, and wonderful. Yours might take 11 minutes. Or 15. Pay attention the first couple of times. You're not looking for dark golden brown here.</o:p><br />
<o:p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 17.6px;"><br /></o:p>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJp3BZJQf69DtZkyzT4By91qONtwxmyvz-t5gWp9j0iVnw6AiQ68MRVd33Y4ZbDF1Els7-xs08pmqQH3zkIrFsrKSQiCIIFARaR-WjyqryTUlgRJ6LDqWo98p9nguJ0W5EN1FIkAYyLQFv/s1600/20180105_110017_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="buttermilk drop biscuits" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJp3BZJQf69DtZkyzT4By91qONtwxmyvz-t5gWp9j0iVnw6AiQ68MRVd33Y4ZbDF1Els7-xs08pmqQH3zkIrFsrKSQiCIIFARaR-WjyqryTUlgRJ6LDqWo98p9nguJ0W5EN1FIkAYyLQFv/s320/20180105_110017_resized.jpg" title="whey drop biscuits" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , "freeserif" , serif; font-size: 17.6px;">And that's it. My family doesn't even let them cool before they're splitting them open and slathering on butter and jam.</span><br />
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Heather @ The Beating Hearthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06482775464960473303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1403045624179228147.post-42427141464875544922018-01-05T00:00:00.000-08:002018-01-08T13:09:26.151-08:00OMG Soup part deux. Life on a budget.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Eating on a budget has some challenges. I made excellent <a href="https://beatinghearth.blogspot.com/2018/01/instant-pot-stuffed-cabbage-rolls-1st.html">Instant Pot Stuffed Cabbage</a> and had ingredients left over. In the olden days, wanting to make something easy the next day, I'd have headed to the store after dropping the young off to school, bought some artisinal rolls made with local, Utah cheese, some nice peppers, maybe a tossed salad and some exotic fruit, and would have made loose meat sandwiches for dinner.<br />
<br />
Now I can't do that.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU8XD45Y7Pdqz_aJX8bJqrp_1Qo150gwf6vmIJt6JDph5k1c2qmaKxZSAzIM2ZMR_mFOCgQWiRd1XZQKbQ3zsmMstTSZdcsOadnyV6uISiSAITdJwr-EAmh2HVAhuDvX-cxQ7Kr4vnJKjY/s1600/20180104_113913_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="scratch bean soup" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU8XD45Y7Pdqz_aJX8bJqrp_1Qo150gwf6vmIJt6JDph5k1c2qmaKxZSAzIM2ZMR_mFOCgQWiRd1XZQKbQ3zsmMstTSZdcsOadnyV6uISiSAITdJwr-EAmh2HVAhuDvX-cxQ7Kr4vnJKjY/s400/20180104_113913_resized.jpg" title="easy soup from scratch" width="400" /></a></div>
So, instead, I considered what I had. One pound of ground beef, half a bottle V-8, all my usual veggies... Well, that's the beginning of soup, right there. And, I had a base recipe to go off of, t<a href="http://beatinghearth.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-most-wonderful-soup-of-year.html">his more involved soup</a> that tastes amazing, by the way, and is only more involved because I dredge and brown stew meat. Plus, bonus points, I get to free-style cook; cook intuitively with only my instincts to go off of, which I love!<br />
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Don't stress if we don't have exactly the same ingredients. Use what you've got and let me know how you did it so I can try it your way, next time. Every summer when they're in season, my local grocery store will roast you a bushel of Hatch chiles. I then portion them out and freeze them until needed. Remember to peel off the blackened skin. That's not delicious.<br />
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Let's make soup.<br />
<br />
<u>EASY OMG SOUP</u><br />
1 lb ground beef<br />
1 onion, diced<br />
4 carrots, peeled and chopped<br />
3 ribs celery, diced or sliced to your specifications<br />
Frozen roasted Hatch peppers. Again, this might be unique to my soup, but it added some nice flavor. **Peeled, thawed, and diced<br />
1 1/2 C. Soup base. A mix of beans, lentils, oats and groats. I use Bob's Red Mill.<br />
Some V-8. I had about 3 cups. If you have more, use it. If you don't have it, that's fine.<br />
Beef base<br />
A couple Parmesan rinds.<br />
Olive oil<br />
Salt and Pepper<br />
<br />
In large dutch oven, add two Tbl. olive oil. Saute onions until translucent over medium heat.<br />
<br />
Add ground beef and brown until dark brown and flavorful. Season with salt and pepper.<br />
<br />
Add carrots and celery and cook until just beginning to soften.<br />
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Add peppers and soup base to pot.<br />
<br />
Fill dutch oven with liquid until it's two inches from the top. I used a combo of V-8 and water. Scrape the browned bits off bottom of pot.<br />
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Throw in some beef base or chicken base (I'd normally use chicken, but had run out, so beef it was) equivalent to how much water you are using.<br />
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Add a couple Parmesan rinds for flavor and to thicken the soup a bit.<br />
<br />
Season to taste with salt and pepper.<br />
<br />
Bring to a boil and let simmer with lid on but slightly askew. This is where you'll have to read your soup base instructions. Mine says to cook for 1 1/2 hours, but that leaves everything awfully toothsome. So, I tack on an extra hour and go 2 1/2 hours.<br />
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Serve with the buttermilk biscuit recipe I'll share with you Monday and everyone will declare you to be the hero of the night. And I'm awfully vain, so I like being the hero of the night.<br />
<br />
Update:<br />
<a href="http://beatinghearth.blogspot.com/2018/01/perfect-drop-biscuits-made-with.html">Here's the link to the perfect drop biscuits</a><br />
<br />
And, on top of all this fun we've already had, hopefully the soup and biscuits will last you two meals. Now, that's a good time in my book.<br />
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Heather @ The Beating Hearthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06482775464960473303noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1403045624179228147.post-10238817360726317032018-01-04T00:00:00.000-08:002018-01-15T11:53:52.772-08:00Instant Pot Stuffed Cabbage Rolls 1st time success<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
There's a puzzle piece missing in my life. Several, actually. But in this case, I need a friend with an Eastern European Jewish American mother, willing to take me under her wing and teach me all she knows.<br />
<br />
As I currently don't have that level of support, but am taking applications, really sending out bribes, I was all on my own to figure stuffed cabbage rolls out. Also, I have never made an actual main course in my Instant Pot. So, this was a double first-time adventure.<br />
<br />
I mainly used two recipes already available online. <a href="http://pressureluckcooking.com/recipe/instant-pot-grandma-lils-stuffed-cabbage/">Grandma Lil's</a> and <a href="https://smittenkitchen.com/2009/02/alexs-moms-stuffed-cabbage/">my internet crush, Smitten Kitchen</a> to come up with my own version of stuffed cabbage. And, I finally used the saute function on the Pot.<br />
<br />
Let's get to it.<br />
<br />
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<br />
<u>Stuffed Cabbage Rolls</u><br />
1 head cabbage, I used regular green cabbage<br />
1 lb. ground beef<br />
1 onion, diced fine<br />
1 large parsnip, grated (I love parsnips! Other recipes also used carrot, but not me)<br />
1/2 C. uncooked white rice<br />
3 C. Spicy V-8 plus an extra splash or two<br />
1/4 C. brown sugar<br />
4 Tbl. lemon juice, I used bottled cause it's what I had<br />
Olive oil<br />
Salt and Pepper<br />
<br />
1. Par-cook cabbage. With trivet in bottom of Instant Pot, place cabbage head in whole. Select pressure cook, 5 minutes. I unfortunately only cooked mine for two minutes, and the middle was still raw. So, in doing further research, I'd up it to 5 minutes. Quick steam release when 5 minutes is up. The first couple leaves were a bit mush. I picked those off and saved them to layer on the bottom of the Pot. Apparently tomato-based dishes like to scorch.<br />
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2. Using the saute function on the Pot, add a couple tablespoons olive oil and saute the onions for a few minutes until translucent. Season with salt and pepper. Add the grated parsnip, another sprinkling of salt, and saute for another few minutes until softened. Set aside to cool. Wash Pot.<br />
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3. Filling: In large bowl mix ground beef, uncooked rice, a good pinch of salt, you want your filling to be well-seasoned, some pepper, and a splash or two of V-8. In other recipes they used tomato paste, but I didn't want to open a tomato paste just for a tablespoon or two, so I went with the tomato juice I was using for the sauce. Add sauteed onions and parsnips and mix until just combined.<br />
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4. Sauce: In medium bowl combine Spicy V-8, brown sugar, lemon juice, a Tbl. of olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside until needed.<br />
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5. Rolls: Carefully pull off cabbage leaves and lay them flat. Cut off the bottom of leaf where the vein is thick. It'll make folding unwieldy.<br />
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6. Place a scoop of meat mixture in the bottom-middle. Fold either side over the meat and then roll it up to the top. Continue until the cabbage leaves and or meat mixture is gone. I was stingy with the meat mixture, or something, but I ran out of cabbage leaves before I ran out of filling. So, I made some really pathetic rolls using raw cabbage that I kind of sandwiched around the filling. It worked fine.<br />
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7. Place a couple cabbage leaves in bottom of pot. Put trivet over cabbage leaves. Stack cabbage rolls in single layer on top of trivet. Pour a nice dousing of sauce over cabbage rolls. Cover the first layer with cabbage leaves or chopped up cabbage core and place another layer of rolls on top. Pour rest of the sauce over. Make sure you don't go beyond the max capacity for the Instant Pot. The rolls will swell thanks to the uncooked rice.<br />
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8. Here's where things get a bit sketchy. I had to leave before my cabbage rolls were done cooking. So, I had a couple things to consider. I could cook it on high pressure for 9 minutes, as one recipe suggested, and let it finish cooking until it naturally re-pressurized. But almost all the other recipes said cook for 18 minutes, let naturally re-pressurize for fifteen minutes, then quick release. So, I did my own weird thing and let them cook for about 16 minutes at high pressure, knowing the Mister would be home to do the quick release within about 20 minutes.<br />
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**Next time I make them, and there will be a next time, I'll cook them at 18 minutes, high pressure, let re-pressurize for 15 minutes, then quick release, so I'd recommend that method for you. Even though I was forced to go rogue.<br />
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9. Here's also where things didn't work out exactly to plan. As I wasn't home, the Mister tossed out the sauce the rolls were cooking in. Dagger to heart. So, when you make them, hold onto the sauce. If it's thin, remove the cabbage rolls and turn the Pot back to saute, letting the sauce reduce a bit. I imagine it's delicious, as the rolls were excellent and they cooked in the sauce. But I'm sure they would've been even better with.<br />
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Results: Both kids enjoyed the filling more than they enjoyed the cabbage around the filling. The adults though, enjoyed it as a whole. The parsnip added a sweet earthiness that I think really added something. And even though I used Spicy V-8, it wasn't the least bit spicy.<br />
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Give this a try and let me know what you think.<br />
<br />
In case you want to make what I'm making, tomorrow's dinner will be my <a href="http://beatinghearth.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-most-wonderful-soup-of-year.html">OMG soup</a> and <a href="http://beatinghearth.blogspot.com/2012/08/its-olympics-faulttime-for-best-biscuits.html">the best biscuits you'll ever eat</a>. I'm using the other lb. of ground beef I thawed, and didn't use for this recipe, plus the left-over V-8. I've got carrots, onions, celery, beef base, and a bean soup-base already on hand.<br />
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Heather @ The Beating Hearthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06482775464960473303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1403045624179228147.post-79447167533654579492018-01-03T10:42:00.002-08:002018-01-03T10:48:00.157-08:00Cheers to the last month of 2017 and hope for a wonderful 2018<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Happy 2018.<br />
<br />
Now that the formalities are taken care of let me just say, the last week sucked! Sinus Infection. And despite an avowed dislike for antibiotics (I love my gut flora), I got a prescription and thankfully feel almost human again.<br />
<br />
Luckily, my family ate during my illness thanks to pantry items, frozen meals, and my twelve year stepping up and wanting to cook. And the Mister didn't complain once as he helped me flush out my nasal cavities and carried cup of tea after cup of tea to my weakened form. Okay, I didn't make him neti-pot me. I did that myself. But he did everything else.<br />
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The best part, it was winter break. I didn't have to drag my pitiful ass out of bed to make breakfast and drive kids to school. And because my kids are fairly self-sufficient, I was able to fester in relative peace, watching as they tried riding the dog like a horse.<br />
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Christmas squalor built up a bit, but I couldn't have cared less because the pressure in the right side of my face felt like a balloon ready to pop. Well, that, and the Mister almost single-handedly installed my Christmas presents: new light fixtures. I've hated the lights in my house for almost ten years now. I did get up to help hold things and hand him tools as needed.<br />
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I even missed most of my annual New Year's Eve party. My sister pitied my mucus-filled soul and took over the event. Everyone had a blast while I slept for three hours straight for the first time in five days. Sorry helpful gut bacteria, I'm making homemade yogurt today, to help.<br />
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Oh, exciting budget news to report, the Mister showed me a graph yesterday, and we spent just over $800 on food and dining out for the month of December. DECEMBER! Fist pump. I am not only succeeding at staying on a budget, but am officially rocking it. Let's see how it continues.<br />
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I'm in the groove now and have found the most important part of sticking to a budget is flexibility. I can't be pinned down to a weekly menu, I just can't. I can have ideas and if I want to make them, fine, but if I want to make something else, I just gotta. So, the importance of the pantry and freezer can't be understated.<br />
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I also have the Mister grocery shop with me. It's time spent together which is always nice, even if we are checking prices and tracking the cost of what we're buying with a calculator.<br />
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Coming up later this week, I'm making stuffed cabbage rolls in the Instant Pot. I've never made stuffed cabbage rolls in my life! And, the best thing is, the cabbage rolls have been waiting to be made for coming on two weeks, now. Thank goodness cabbage sticks around.<br />
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Also, my second batch of Pot yogurt. Instant Pot yogurt, that is.<br />
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Now, where's my neti-pot?<br />
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Heather @ The Beating Hearthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06482775464960473303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1403045624179228147.post-28070527179161731522017-12-24T11:46:00.001-08:002017-12-24T11:46:39.593-08:00Merry Christmas 2017<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Heather @ The Beating Hearthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06482775464960473303noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1403045624179228147.post-35485185832841676182017-12-04T09:00:00.000-08:002017-12-04T09:08:41.943-08:00My Instant Pot life<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's not all been fun and games with the Instant Pot, but we're learning.<br />
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Bad: When the Mister made oatmeal using Instant Pot's recipe for steel cut oats, entitled, Three-Minute Steel Cut Oats. Can you say salt lick? I don't know what happened. He said he didn't stir up the oats after adding the salt. You'd think it would just absorb and spread throughout. Apparently not. And apparently I'm the one who got the salty bowl. Shudder. But it wasn't bad only because it was salty, I am not a fan of bloated raisins or vanilla in anything but dessert. So, I recommend you pass on this recipe. Unless you like big old mushy raisins, then go for it.<br />
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Bad: Chick Peas. To be fair, the instructions did say if you pre-soak the beans they turn out better. But, I thought the whole point of getting an Instant Pot was so you don't have to pre-soak. I should have pre-soaked. After 40 minutes they were still basically raw and couldn't go in my recipe.<br />
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Good to Amazing, depending on who you talk to: <a href="https://whattocooktoday.com/instant-pot-thai-coconut-mango-sticky-rice-khao-niao-mamuang.html">Coconut Mango Sticky Rice</a>. Everyone in the family, including the daughter who claims to hate rice, enjoyed this! The Mister declared it his favorite dessert, ever. It's not too sweet and the mango, well, who doesn't love a mango, added the perfect sweet and sour touch. I didn't have the pandan leaf that was called for. And used slightly less coconut milk, but dang, it was good.<br />
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Good: That time I made the steel cut oats for 3 minutes without any additives and stirred in the salt. Although, I did find my oats to be a bit toothsome for my liking.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmjkidjQ3PvA4IPlWHxC_YhE1k6d2U33LQN4cItyj3-8fzOyTcy23eCpsZff6-YUDsV4zcWdKYJUbfq2L_cX_rR6E3xNHs3tY734Lv6fJoNB_QHQl8GE4hcRrwjr6I-gyBcTp_r8DX4UHL/s1600/20171204_094824_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="instant pot oats 5 minutes" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmjkidjQ3PvA4IPlWHxC_YhE1k6d2U33LQN4cItyj3-8fzOyTcy23eCpsZff6-YUDsV4zcWdKYJUbfq2L_cX_rR6E3xNHs3tY734Lv6fJoNB_QHQl8GE4hcRrwjr6I-gyBcTp_r8DX4UHL/s400/20171204_094824_resized.jpg" title="instant pot hits and misses" width="400" /></a></div>
Almost Great: This morning's oats. I assembled 3 C. water, 1 C. steel cut oats, and a pinch of salt last night before bed. Gave everything a stir for good measure, and set it to begin cooking at 6:45 am. Settings: Pressure cook, high pressure, natural release, for 5 minutes of actual cooking time.<br />
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Oats get foamy so you don't want to use the quick pressure release valve to speed things along, otherwise the oat foam can gunk up the works. But, the reason it's not all the way great, it wasn't de-pressurized until nearly 7:30 am. I don't know, did I get the slow de-pressurizer. I read so many recipes saying it takes 12 minutes to depressurize. No, mine takes 30. Aside from that, the oats were creamy and a hit.<br />
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Random thoughts on the Instant Pot: The strange thing is, I've yet to use any of the individual settings. Not beans, rice, or steam, even though I've done all that in the pot. Only pressure cook. That's fine, but it has me thinking, are all the other settings a gimmick?<br />
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I am going to try yogurt next week, so, we'll see.<br />
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Maybe I just need Instant Pot lessons. Give me all your good tips and recipes.<br />
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Heather @ The Beating Hearthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06482775464960473303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1403045624179228147.post-71011937637225636222017-11-30T15:07:00.001-08:002017-11-30T16:44:50.512-08:00What Heather's making on $200 a week<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
If you're anything like me and trying to save money on groceries but don't have a clue how to do it, join me in learning how to be frugal when your heart wants to be anything but.<br />
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Day 2 of living on a budget. p.s. it sucks.<br />
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My new rule about protein is it cannot cost more than $3 a pound. Otherwise it'll eat up my entire budget. This will probably mean a lot of roast chickens going forward. Whole chickens are cheap.<br />
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So, as I'm considering what to make for dinner tonight, here's what I know: yes, roast chicken is the main <a href="https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/cast-iron-roast-chicken-with-crispy-potatoes">using this tried and true recipe, sadly missing the potatoes.</a>. But I need a side. It's always the sides that get me. </div>
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There will be the last of my carrots and celery cooking with the chicken, and I have a giant pack of unopened Costco broccoli florets just giving me the eye. Sigh. Broccoli is fine, but just fine. I also have a batch of already cooked rice that I didn't use yesterday as I didn't make the dal I was thinking about.</div>
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After an exhaustive search I've landed on <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/patrick-and-gina-neely/easy-rice-bake-casserole-recipe-1946612#reviewsTop">this rice casserole recipe.</a> With the intent to swap out the spinach for broccoli. I've run out of onions, so will swap out some ancient dried onion flakes from goodness only knows when. Reminder for next week: 5 onions, at least.<br />
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Timeline<br />
3:00 Prepare chicken by salting it all over, including under the skin. Put in fridge.<br />
4:15 Turn oven to 425 and start prepping carrots and celery<br />
4:30 Put chicken in oven without carrots and celery. Set timer for 1 hour and 30 minutes.<br />
4:35 Prepare casserole and put in oven until the chicken comes out at 6:00<br />
5:15 Scatter carrots and celery around cast iron skillet<br />
6:00 Remove chicken from oven and let rest. Put rice casserole in oven and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.<br />
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As I have no picture of this meal, I'll tease myself with that which I don't have: an onion from Thanksgiving. Also, don't have the fresh herbs. I'm sure dried or just salt and pepper will do. Besides, basil seems weird, here, so that's not a loss.</div>
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I'll get back to you with how it all turns out.</div>
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Random observations:<br />
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I've bloody burned myself on the oven twice now, resulting in blisters and scaring my dogs because of the amount of cursing. Take care, will you?<br />
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Need staples on hand at all times. This includes flour, sugar, even yeast. Add to that long-lasting veggies like potatoes, sweet potatoes, garlic, onions, celery, and carrots. Legumes like dried beans and lentils. Dairy: butter, cheese, milk, cottage cheese, and sour cream.<br />
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And finally, time. Luckily I am a writer and have the time to make things from scratch. I just need to plan better. But, gosh, I sure am a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants-kind-of-gal when it comes to cooking.<br />
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Wish me luck, I'm going to need it, and happy frugal-ing.<br />
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Heather @ The Beating Hearthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06482775464960473303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1403045624179228147.post-70068301848316811562017-11-24T00:00:00.000-08:002017-11-29T10:44:29.421-08:00To love triangle or not to love triangle<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Who else has an Instant Pot? I didn't until I succumbed to the enticement of Amazon's Cyber Monday deals. So now, I've got to learn to use the dang thing. Please give me all your recipes for tasty Instant Pot delights.<br />
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I'm going to try and use it 5-ish days a week and report back here my successes and failures. Plus, discuss and share writing tidbits. And, maybe an exclusive peek at Betrayal and Yearning. I've got cover art coming! Yay!<br />
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But today, because my newest space-taking kitchen appliance hasn't yet arrived, I must ask your opinion on love triangles. I didn't know until recently that there is an entire group of people devoted to the art of hating love triangles.<br />
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That got me to thinking, is it the norm to hate love triangles or the exception?<br />
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Confession time, I was not a fan of the Twilight Series. In fact, I refused to read the fourth book because I had assumed it was a trilogy. When I found out there was another... ugh, forget it. But here's the thing, the only redeeming factor for me, and the only reason I read more than first book in the series, <i>was </i>because of the love triangle. Probably because I was team Jacob.<br />
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I asked my sister to fill me in on the details of the fourth, so I knew how it all ended, and then rejoiced that I didn't read it. Renesme? Is that how you spell it? I'm not going to google it. But, seriously?<br />
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All right, so that's the question, love triangles, or not?<br />
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Oh, and because I have no pictures about love triangles, here's a peak at all the fun I had while in France. Yup. France. I have been to France. Technically.<br />
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Oh heavenly delight. Thank goodness this p<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">âtisserie</span></span> was open at 3 am. I tried out my excellent French by ordering un cafe au lait y un pan au chocolat. Yeah... 'y' is Spanish for 'and', but that's what I said, and got what I wanted. Yay. Also, uncertain if I used the correct masculine or feminine. I do not know the gender of cafe au lait or pan au chocolat. C'est la vie.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="text-align: left;">And, </span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;">Ladurée</span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;"> the famous macaron shop where I ordered un rose macaron y un pistache macaron. Again, with the Franglish. That's combing my awesome Spanglish with French. A pidgin mix of English, Spanish, and French. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;">Not very useful in international situations. Dang. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;">In fact, I can only hold conversations with myself or my kids who roll their eyes at me and say not very nice things about me in grammatically correct French. To which I then reply, <i>tu es muy bonita</i>, and let them think it's an insult, because they don't know it's not. Ha! French speakers!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq3gasLbTc1bz-yO99s4qlU3UnA-pUEhXfgJkuHHeMgQpwoP5cdlw7VkYKJ6j5kwOfRDnsUWYyy4Q7YZlKwV1nkEiEa9Hfv1IxS6iWRAgSBvYF36dv1bf_B3gSzGoJtIKo3NXXrD4XLJY4/s1600/20170210_071835.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="to love triangle or not" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq3gasLbTc1bz-yO99s4qlU3UnA-pUEhXfgJkuHHeMgQpwoP5cdlw7VkYKJ6j5kwOfRDnsUWYyy4Q7YZlKwV1nkEiEa9Hfv1IxS6iWRAgSBvYF36dv1bf_B3gSzGoJtIKo3NXXrD4XLJY4/s320/20170210_071835.jpg" title="love triangles in novels" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;">I ate my beautiful </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;">Ladurée </span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;">macarons without any guilt that my family was going to get the cheap pack instead of the fancy ones. But, just so you know, they were completely happy to enjoy real French macarons and begged me to go back to 'France'.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Maybe next time I'll make it out of the airport.</span><br />
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Also,</div>
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<span style="text-align: left;"><br style="color: #666666; font-family: "times new roman", times, freeserif, serif; font-size: 17.6px;" /><a href="http://beatinghearth.blogspot.com/p/whats.html" style="color: #888888; font-family: "times new roman", times, freeserif, serif; font-size: 17.6px;">Check out what I'm writing</a></span></div>
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Heather @ The Beating Hearthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06482775464960473303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1403045624179228147.post-59460644196273158142017-11-23T00:00:00.000-08:002017-11-23T00:00:36.178-08:00You should already have this all figured out.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So, if you're just looking for a diversion on this big day, and I can't blame you as you'll probably find me hiding under the stairs, here's the newest member of the Hearth family.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYV7m0vt-UOZLde53nRmvq3bIZOqN3YK0TM6WLGxhP1wU-XIKuCOpm-uYX8Z1WrJ02PQyjlYS9a8ph3SmiZgNr9ZDHKX5kIlJh3RlYF-pU55LigN3Tb2IKc1LhHTpVtcsIxejEiCE6UhlU/s1600/20171121_112254_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYV7m0vt-UOZLde53nRmvq3bIZOqN3YK0TM6WLGxhP1wU-XIKuCOpm-uYX8Z1WrJ02PQyjlYS9a8ph3SmiZgNr9ZDHKX5kIlJh3RlYF-pU55LigN3Tb2IKc1LhHTpVtcsIxejEiCE6UhlU/s320/20171121_112254_resized.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
Dot.<br />
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Isn't she a pretty girl with her haircut. But don't look too closely, I'm her stylist and my work is a bit scruffy still, to say the least. In my defense, I get a bit better every time. Tip: If you buy a standard poodle and want to groom them yourself, go with the fur grain, not against. Ahem, learned that the hard way. Bald patches.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIvMGEaxT4pRCGjg7ebhJn_7pTWJ_BkxY2CGPafipsEmuESQrcjsTiXzSAGR1AkHL3LccCsx8BOdM6m3Fl-m2Paot3N-V65w6ulpXvrTmJjW4dn_rvdieDvko8xMA7UhZWwJI-L3rU3zEG/s1600/20171121_112318_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIvMGEaxT4pRCGjg7ebhJn_7pTWJ_BkxY2CGPafipsEmuESQrcjsTiXzSAGR1AkHL3LccCsx8BOdM6m3Fl-m2Paot3N-V65w6ulpXvrTmJjW4dn_rvdieDvko8xMA7UhZWwJI-L3rU3zEG/s320/20171121_112318_resized.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">Ginger had to get in on this action, too. She is getting her haircut today (p.s. today is really Tuesday).</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">Now for the shenanigans.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioJntzcSli2swjX3H48UlQzWGCcCQU8RAiDZbXA6PJ4aVPXpRu_am-JqV0Zvcx-KnhSAUcbF1wV8sl8bFiKNKhXC0a8g-8bA5Ewwl5kUCUKAs_vlmcthEF_2rHomOw-GVxK21FZkPksYKg/s1600/20171121_111654_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioJntzcSli2swjX3H48UlQzWGCcCQU8RAiDZbXA6PJ4aVPXpRu_am-JqV0Zvcx-KnhSAUcbF1wV8sl8bFiKNKhXC0a8g-8bA5Ewwl5kUCUKAs_vlmcthEF_2rHomOw-GVxK21FZkPksYKg/s320/20171121_111654_resized.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Eating each others' faces.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJAdI88ZkHRLW1cEHU7gT6xd6jmTuC1BMoiKtnm-1BxDEcKcZubFoujJaJvY93yA2Ehaj-64KIFsivlmxxeC5z4SsNUKGBoGt9oOwqQUCdMyN7a3RGiJU6oZoeO1CXC8A8rcIvYhuAnsce/s1600/20171121_111732_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJAdI88ZkHRLW1cEHU7gT6xd6jmTuC1BMoiKtnm-1BxDEcKcZubFoujJaJvY93yA2Ehaj-64KIFsivlmxxeC5z4SsNUKGBoGt9oOwqQUCdMyN7a3RGiJU6oZoeO1CXC8A8rcIvYhuAnsce/s320/20171121_111732_resized.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Dot exerting her dominance though she's only a baby. I know, she's huge, but she's only six months.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ao9GTnvyrBypfN3sakYY-7rjvz3FZ3QXOghDbvuwC6VvJdwI3egq8s5EDzNNaJ_R5hthbYf17vleJNh_y6duSCXzTDXQWtN48ueZSsk2kTOsFC4WPKdSrs9m_uGXXi8T9PiKIRklvxgK/s1600/20171121_111655_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ao9GTnvyrBypfN3sakYY-7rjvz3FZ3QXOghDbvuwC6VvJdwI3egq8s5EDzNNaJ_R5hthbYf17vleJNh_y6duSCXzTDXQWtN48ueZSsk2kTOsFC4WPKdSrs9m_uGXXi8T9PiKIRklvxgK/s320/20171121_111655_resized.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Ginger letting Dot know who's really boss.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiETzmYHQG4bEhCJTZ2aYPQI0ANzx9PzKbkvcA_a6S9dX_D4NeX5B5Hb26q-wubGtoPr9KKkuoDQD3ZYYanStYUvLQ0fiDA__P1xowIcDBECAyW26REW_bhsF_gbHW7UU2r6ugXXHvQmMvi/s1600/20171121_111741_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiETzmYHQG4bEhCJTZ2aYPQI0ANzx9PzKbkvcA_a6S9dX_D4NeX5B5Hb26q-wubGtoPr9KKkuoDQD3ZYYanStYUvLQ0fiDA__P1xowIcDBECAyW26REW_bhsF_gbHW7UU2r6ugXXHvQmMvi/s320/20171121_111741_resized.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Nope, scratch that.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjludRJvGZFIA7i1cFelVeTPMrBiuXotTiCeQJVg6bCYKEKSlHWS3FJKQWl_mcc8siM9YXJvKplCSFuZ1MNQHG-eiccs-EKwMzegw25MASvo8Jg65jEH30HgzhDAo1RabfWSQgOglUqPs1p/s1600/20171121_111742_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjludRJvGZFIA7i1cFelVeTPMrBiuXotTiCeQJVg6bCYKEKSlHWS3FJKQWl_mcc8siM9YXJvKplCSFuZ1MNQHG-eiccs-EKwMzegw25MASvo8Jg65jEH30HgzhDAo1RabfWSQgOglUqPs1p/s320/20171121_111742_resized.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Just taking it, now.<br />
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<span style="text-align: left;">Happy Thanksgiving!</span></div>
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Heather @ The Beating Hearthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06482775464960473303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1403045624179228147.post-12188553179313697122017-11-21T11:06:00.000-08:002017-11-21T11:36:47.543-08:00Salad days<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The title for the post is appropriate as this is my first time hosting Thanksgiving.<br />
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Now for the touch of green, aside from the green bean casserole, for your Thanksgiving feast. And I am not talking Brussels Sprouts. Ew.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF1pdyd4ZIoVRKhJpJ0cBgXtQPubD70xNWIvQr00yU3yBorC6vGoUtgTuTnCsCl3zxH0PgJ938DxwQjMUBBCNxHZb_RImZUEqflGDeQpBdAW5V1tqSpxcfQeHFYNCEtWCWUFzlGQmUItTK/s1600/20171119_154046_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF1pdyd4ZIoVRKhJpJ0cBgXtQPubD70xNWIvQr00yU3yBorC6vGoUtgTuTnCsCl3zxH0PgJ938DxwQjMUBBCNxHZb_RImZUEqflGDeQpBdAW5V1tqSpxcfQeHFYNCEtWCWUFzlGQmUItTK/s320/20171119_154046_resized.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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It's green salad time, folks.</div>
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And while it might seem simple, there are some tips that will take your salad from ordinary to extraordinary.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Ubnb0mdThBdUoeUxPWp2ohADBm-uboHU4V6HSfTO4SHxDzVv07Ds8YOUR39jmoipJ8Zt7BKzU60Flyp7qfh7FMGxIuk1EsUi8BIwNOxRPSwwtfjB6XEOEtBk32_LdtzyYsQez2W5ARI1/s1600/20171119_140957_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Ubnb0mdThBdUoeUxPWp2ohADBm-uboHU4V6HSfTO4SHxDzVv07Ds8YOUR39jmoipJ8Zt7BKzU60Flyp7qfh7FMGxIuk1EsUi8BIwNOxRPSwwtfjB6XEOEtBk32_LdtzyYsQez2W5ARI1/s320/20171119_140957_resized.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The cast of characters. Already washed, gourmet baby lettuce and pre-sliced mushrooms because, easy. Feta, cucumber, croutons (of course), red onion, and some kind of protein. We're going with pepperoni here, but you could just as easily use shrimp or bacon.<br />
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There are some common pitfalls to avoid with the green salad.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBMq2HPCXscQ6J3HrgaQUzkYwkKlP1xUpCq0cEsjHrN0g1lR7VFZWyY_COaSQE5gvw-H6E1TMQknY25eWL5nU37KtpsC7JxpHBiDyewfn-9GGGu5e9glKnPy3bjktyGcq9oRtxnw_p2lMp/s1600/20171119_152740_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBMq2HPCXscQ6J3HrgaQUzkYwkKlP1xUpCq0cEsjHrN0g1lR7VFZWyY_COaSQE5gvw-H6E1TMQknY25eWL5nU37KtpsC7JxpHBiDyewfn-9GGGu5e9glKnPy3bjktyGcq9oRtxnw_p2lMp/s320/20171119_152740_resized.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The Mister was given specific instructions to feel the ends of the cucumbers. He said he did but... This isn't scientific but I always pinch the ends. If they're firm and not mushy, the cucumber is usually good.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0A6-m1dJQ75kUYl8SqPqbQy9ETrBlqczvcZ5lbDu_qdR9ScZhU7Q4-Fsota30AawSmi6ZftUH97MqAq1uBzJb1Jywi8atqM1l2L6-lyPoqbHXZ1euuRdf7YsFm__jead7AGF-FsihBp6D/s1600/20171119_153641_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0A6-m1dJQ75kUYl8SqPqbQy9ETrBlqczvcZ5lbDu_qdR9ScZhU7Q4-Fsota30AawSmi6ZftUH97MqAq1uBzJb1Jywi8atqM1l2L6-lyPoqbHXZ1euuRdf7YsFm__jead7AGF-FsihBp6D/s320/20171119_153641_resized.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Sort through your lettuce and pick out the slimy bits. Nobody wants to come across slime in their salad. This only takes a minute. Please, do it.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD4MZcCaDBbvnuIYRkXDN3NTKqohqB57x8Rt_1rFqIEFxscSRGnMUcPeeVwkDERV8V35RQIdIt6j9C0mO5cJ1QE2DcRpkcPsyjqGJRBPmB82ClpZO4WXkbNRGUCXHF4HDJYXNFTGVdpq9M/s1600/20171119_152958_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD4MZcCaDBbvnuIYRkXDN3NTKqohqB57x8Rt_1rFqIEFxscSRGnMUcPeeVwkDERV8V35RQIdIt6j9C0mO5cJ1QE2DcRpkcPsyjqGJRBPmB82ClpZO4WXkbNRGUCXHF4HDJYXNFTGVdpq9M/s320/20171119_152958_resized.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
You have options when slicing your cucumber. The cucs on the right had the tines of a fork pulled through the cucumber flesh all around. Pretty.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqPMY_FJDE1QCMAFPgJTeb8yQ5Cx8bHLv_1A0Dxfv-ZpOJxZcHm0YyC1GvdUdHGFi1uPl2CYs2Ed1srJBzPI_pwYELEn9phNqENy79r_P7hq-PX-3DJh4BZ9pIN0ImCB7upPdxrdA1vfKo/s1600/20171119_153242_resized%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqPMY_FJDE1QCMAFPgJTeb8yQ5Cx8bHLv_1A0Dxfv-ZpOJxZcHm0YyC1GvdUdHGFi1uPl2CYs2Ed1srJBzPI_pwYELEn9phNqENy79r_P7hq-PX-3DJh4BZ9pIN0ImCB7upPdxrdA1vfKo/s320/20171119_153242_resized%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
My sister-in-law declared the pepperoni to be the perfect touch and the perfect size. I used a stick of pepperoni and sliced it myself, cutting the rounds into halves.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW83Dxcs-PkmR6kHA4OcIVYzk6zAhRadaHtdAmi8BYE1n3V5cMwkdm01JXgwhRfk7SF0Bw5Xiq1E7_gpDfXyhYC0v6qm-DWhuMtUVMblbuGXA0fXiIRPHF7iAo7K7Kq7216U2J6vxObO3Q/s1600/20171119_153503_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW83Dxcs-PkmR6kHA4OcIVYzk6zAhRadaHtdAmi8BYE1n3V5cMwkdm01JXgwhRfk7SF0Bw5Xiq1E7_gpDfXyhYC0v6qm-DWhuMtUVMblbuGXA0fXiIRPHF7iAo7K7Kq7216U2J6vxObO3Q/s320/20171119_153503_resized.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
In my opinion raw red onion is a must, but do not go overboard with it. I sliced 1/4 onion into half-moons, giving the salad just the right amount of bite. Also, don't add it until just before dinner. Red onions are pungent and can take over the salad.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_TvTp80mrIPz46HSL51VbFQOuALX3kJbjpeOHQfp9xHo4_xmNeyGTd4FE0aGQTEz6ZJgnMzI3kDdiHQmpIMcj2XfFxMA9_r5D3eP0F1FM-rEjGEoLvAWc0tJocSvFT39dLqWhNcRMCw8a/s1600/20171119_141135_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_TvTp80mrIPz46HSL51VbFQOuALX3kJbjpeOHQfp9xHo4_xmNeyGTd4FE0aGQTEz6ZJgnMzI3kDdiHQmpIMcj2XfFxMA9_r5D3eP0F1FM-rEjGEoLvAWc0tJocSvFT39dLqWhNcRMCw8a/s320/20171119_141135_resized.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
My vinaigrette of choice. A nice hit of...acid. Ahem. That sounds so wrong, but it feels so right. Plus, does anybody even do acid any more? I dunno, but Brianna's is a flavorful dressing that everyone likes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKwoJIBBY-l6A15s3uraMl8Hnc4gTw6ieIcbiBqqHuAkVvgni9NKVBp295uuuBbJot_Zr_8ofT63OSCK-sSAlEhA2WIkbcy0-TjWRe-44xcxx8prxdVZ9Jvcety2X8soU_f5o3i3_zYz5F/s1600/20171119_140554_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKwoJIBBY-l6A15s3uraMl8Hnc4gTw6ieIcbiBqqHuAkVvgni9NKVBp295uuuBbJot_Zr_8ofT63OSCK-sSAlEhA2WIkbcy0-TjWRe-44xcxx8prxdVZ9Jvcety2X8soU_f5o3i3_zYz5F/s320/20171119_140554_resized.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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For those who are less-refined, ranch. But not any ranch. Make it from scratch with the dry packets, buttermilk-style, with a dash of Worcestershire sauce. I love this whole milk buttermilk. So luxurious. I especially love it in my pancakes. </div>
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One more thing, let's talk about a Thanksgiving necessity. Dish towels. In particular, flour sack towels, which are indisputably the best. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJsRbmf7q080uQsibxwiPxQbupQz2z0cJcglG0XdLJgCnGkE8HEFoWMof1vbX7Gb5_6qhRu3iVA88Wh8VcUAOcjHJXlF3E5PcDU8r4eyedz1whjTgeuPTzykNZvA3AAsHw1IySYbP9ZKWd/s1600/20171116_101450_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJsRbmf7q080uQsibxwiPxQbupQz2z0cJcglG0XdLJgCnGkE8HEFoWMof1vbX7Gb5_6qhRu3iVA88Wh8VcUAOcjHJXlF3E5PcDU8r4eyedz1whjTgeuPTzykNZvA3AAsHw1IySYbP9ZKWd/s320/20171116_101450_resized.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Wash all of your dish towels ahead of time. They're perfect for the inevitable spills, hand drying, and in a pinch hot pads. But, I don't recommend that. I will probably go through all of these come Thursday and wish I had more.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinDnswTeLZCYvXgV1MpUHAjvEh7NCYz96Yl4AUsWvngjZzJrHLRC1YGtS70JfZ0yveWvOtOarRKFDzls6u4GQyR_IZCAnKPZySkeeaIGSd-EiICinBWlo-I-Rt_R4ThbOKxIlm0dI1cvp-/s1600/20171116_101517_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinDnswTeLZCYvXgV1MpUHAjvEh7NCYz96Yl4AUsWvngjZzJrHLRC1YGtS70JfZ0yveWvOtOarRKFDzls6u4GQyR_IZCAnKPZySkeeaIGSd-EiICinBWlo-I-Rt_R4ThbOKxIlm0dI1cvp-/s320/20171116_101517_resized.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">Which is why I even include this one. Yeah...</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">Remember, the real work starts tomorrow. Bake pecan pie. Tear bread into cubes. Set table. Begin dry-brining the bird. Panic.</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">Happy prep! </span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://beatinghearth.blogspot.com/2017/11/time-for-pie-but-not-that-pie-this-pie.html">The perfect pecan pie</a></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://beatinghearth.blogspot.com/2017/11/cranberries-unspoken-hero.html" style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 17.6px; text-decoration-line: none;">And cranberries</a><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 17.6px;" /></span></div>
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Also,</div>
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<span style="text-align: left;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 17.6px;" /><a href="http://beatinghearth.blogspot.com/p/whats.html" style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 17.6px; text-decoration-line: none;">Check out what I'm writing when I'm not prepping Thanksgiving dinner</a></span></div>
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Heather @ The Beating Hearthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06482775464960473303noreply@blogger.com1