If you cook fish or cabbage or any number of other foods, you’re often left with a lingering odor that isn’t nearly as pleasant as it was when the food was cooking. There are a few ways to rid the house of these unwanted odors.

• *Sprinkle a tablespoon or so of cinnamon in a pan and put it in the oven at about 200 degrees F. for 15 minutes or so. This leaves the air smelling more like apple pie!
• *Use a commercial odor neutralizer spray.
• *Invest in a couple of air cleaners to pull the odors out of the air.
• *Put a few drops of fragrance oil onto your vacuum bag to freshen the air while you vacuum.

How do you get rid of odors from cooking strong smelling foods?

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Some of you may recall my post, Is beef what’s for dinner?, written in January. Today, I read more about this particular problem and the huge recall resulting from inappropriate actions at the Westland/Hallmark Meat Company in Chino, California. Before, it was thought that all beef related to the animal cruelty incident and the use of “downed cows” for human consumption had already been eaten in this country by school children and others where the meat was shipped. Now, the USDA has withdrawn from the plant, essentially forcing it to recall more millions of pounds of ground beef and hamburger patties.

According to the USDA, this meat probably isn’t a risk for mad cow disease because that bacteria resides mainly in the brain and spinal column. Now, I’m no scientist, but ox tail is an extension of the spinal column, isn’t it? If diseased cows are used for human consumption, and some have mad cow disease, couldn’t this present a problem?

I also have to wonder about our pet food, and if the diseased animals are used for pet food then they could become sick and die, or perhaps spread a disease to their owners. Last year, there was a pet food recall involving, among others, the canned and moist cat and dog food marketed by Walmart. It was too late for my cat, though. She died in my arms after just a couple of days of illness.

It’s getting to where it’s just not safe to eat anymore. There are so many food borne illnesses that are a direct result of consumer demand for bright, red beef, super tender pork and chicken, and blemish-free fruits and vegetables. I have to wonder if our own demand for perfection hasn’t actually put us in the position where we are consuming not only diseased meats, but also hormone and antibiotic enhanced meats and produce, grown more quickly than nature allows and presented to us on beds of lettuce without bug-bites because we demand it.

There needs to be more rigorous oversight at meat plants and produce fields, but part of the burden is on us to agree that naturally produced meats, fruits, and vegetables are completely acceptable and still highly nutritious. If we, as consumers, demand less chemical intervention in our food supply, the producers will eventually comply.

Technorati Tags: Westland/Hallmark Meat Company, beef, USDA, mad cow disease, food borne illnesses

Living in the south means lots of great, tummy-satisfying foods. It also means that springtime brings flowers, green grass, and rough storms, sometimes including tornadoes. We know here to have some emergency supplies in place in case we have power outages or there are trees or power lines knocked down and on the roads.

There are several things I keep on hand to make sure that if the power goes out or I can’t leave home for a day or two, I can still survive just fine.

• Bottled water. We are on a rural community water system with a backup generator. However, a couple of years ago a tornado cracked the water tower and we needed safe water to drink until it was fixed.
• Canned foods. Having canned meats, fruits, and vegetables on hand will ensure we can eat and have nutrition needs met.
• Lamp oil. If the power goes out, we’ll use our kerosene lamps for supplemental lighting at night.
• Rechargeable flashlight. Having a rechargeable flashlight charged up and ready to use is great. Rechargeable batteries tend to last longer than conventional, disposable batteries.
• Solar lights. I have two kinds of solar lights ready to use - driveway lights, which are rather dim but will light the way down the hall, and solar spotlights, which are brighter and can be pointed at certain areas for pretty good lighting.
• Prescriptions and OTC medications. I like to be sure my prescriptions are filled and I have enough OTC medications to take care of us if we get sick before we can get back to town.
• Well stocked first aid kit. You can’t deal with injuries without it!

What other items would you add to the list?

Technorati Tags: emergency supplies

Not me. We found out last night that one of the girls at work has a mild form of epilepsy. She revealed this to us during her shift, saying a flashing light can make her drowsy and make her fall asleep. She doesn’t have the hard seizures, though. I’m glad to have found this out.

I really wish people with something like this would look into medical alert bracelets so that if something were to happen, those around them would know how to deal with it. If, for instance, a police car had pulled someone over in our restaurant parking lot, as they do nearly every night, and she caught those flashing police lights, she could have had some real problems and we wouldn’t have had a clue what was wrong or how to help her.

Technorati Tags: epilepsy, restaurant

I had something delicious today at a local Mexican restaurant. It was Chicken Stuffed Avocados. I’m going to try to duplicate this at home for my own Mexican dinners. In the meantime, let me tell you, if you haven’t had this, you should if you get a chance.

The avocado was hollowed out and stuffed with diced, seasoned, cooked chicken, chopped onions, and shredded Monterey Jack cheese. I’m supposing it was cut in half first to accomplish this. It was also peeled.

Then, it was lightly breaded and deep fried until golden brown. This made the cheese inside melt, but the avocado didn’t seem any different than a raw one. It was still creamy without being mushy.

When I try this at home, I’ll be sure to post pictures and the steps I took to make them!

Technorati Tags: Mexican, Chicken Stuffed Avocados, avocado, Monterey Jack cheese

I think I’m going to head out to Walmart in just a bit to do a little shopping. Of the things I need, one is a pair of those heat resistant oven gloves. I have that tabletop oven (electric roaster) and it’s a really handy gadget but I burned my knuckles the other day trying to get a peach cobbler out of it. Potholders aren’t much help, since they don’t cover my knuckles. Oven mitts are just too bulky.

I need to pick up a few other things while I’m there, but I’m mainly wanting those gloves. Of course, wearing them may make me look like I need a pair of golf shoes and an argyle sweater to go with them, but that’s a chance I’ll take!

Technorati Tags: Walmart, shopping, electric roaster

How was your Valentine’s Day? Mine was pretty boring, for the most part.

I had planned to go to a fish fry at a church up the street from where I work, since I was scheduled to be off yesterday. However, about mid-afternoon I got a call asking me to go in to work. I got ready and went. I wound up closing.

Yeah, I’ve had more romantic Valentine’s Days in the past! I had originally been scheduled to work today, but since I worked last night, at least I had today off as well as tomorrow.

I particularly requested tomorrow off. It would have been my husband’s 54th birthday, had he lived, and I just didn’t think I wanted to be at work that day. I’ll probably spend the day alone, as that’s what’s usual on my days off.

Technorati Tags: Valentine’s Day, fish fry, birthday

It seems like every time I go grocery shopping, prices have gone up again. I realize that this is largely because of the higher fuel prices. Fuel prices affect everything. However, there are still some tried and true ways to save some money on everyday items without sacrificing quality of life.

• *Use the plastic liners from cereal boxes in place of waxed paper when rolling out dough or cooling cookies. It’s washable and reusable, too.
• *The stiff, plastic netting from onion bags works great for scrubbing pots and pans. Just gather it up with a bit of thread or string to make a rosette for easy handling.
• *Plastic coffee canisters do well for use as canisters for flour, sugar, and other dry ingredients. You can also use them for short term freezing of soups and stews. Add a piece of plastic wrap to the top before putting the lid on to ensure a good seal.
• *Drink coffee? Save on this expensive grocery item by making your afternoon or evening coffee by adding a scoop to the grounds already used. You still get acceptable coffee but you’ve saved a lot on the amount used for a pot full.
• *Use applesauce in cake mix instead of cooking oil. Save money and calories!
• *Put bay leaves in your flour, cornmeal, rice, and other grain based products to prevent bugs in them.
• *Use baking soda and bleach in your dishwasher. Just put the baking soda into the detergent cups, pour bleach in to fill the cups, and run the dishwasher. Dishes get sparkling clean and are sanitized without expensive detergents.
• *As often as possible, use cold water to wash clothes. This saves energy and it causes less wear and fading on the clothes.
• *Hang clothes to dry as much as possible. I hang all my own clothes and only dry towels, work uniforms, and a few other things in the dryer. The dryer wears clothes out much faster than hanging them up to dry.

I’m sure you can think of other ways to save during these difficult economic times. Share them here!

I was trying to find a way to fit Delta machinery into this post, and this is the best I can do!

Technorati Tags: grocery shopping, save

Peach Cobbler, like the one in the previous post, and other desserts tend to be Southern recipes. Things like Banana Pudding and Red Velvet Cake are found in the recipe notes of almost every Southern cook. Of course, we also love barbecue and catfish.

While many across the nation had huge tailgate parties for Super Bowl Sunday, those of us in the southern region of the US might also be planning Kentucky Derby parties where we’ll have the aforementioned foods as well as tall, cold drinks, appetizers, and just general fun finger foods. In fact, there are probably some who are already sending out Kentucky Derby party invitations, listing the activities and the foods that will be served!

Are you planning a Kentucky Derby party?

Technorati Tags: Peach Cobbler, Southern, Banana Pudding, Red Velvet Cake, barbecue, catfish, Kentucky Derby

I can’t remember if I’ve shared this recipe with you before or not, so I’m sharing it now. This is such a “down home” recipe that it’s one that really should be included in everyone’s collection. It’s quick and easy to put together, and it’s a definite comfort food.

Served hot, with ice cream, whipped cream, or even just evaporated milk over it, this Peach Cobbler rivals what you’d find in the finest Condo Hotels or the most exotic restaurants.

Peach Cobbler

Ingredients

• 2 large cans sliced peaches in heavy syrup
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon
• 2 cups self rising flour
• 1/2 stick real butter
• water

Method

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Pour both cans of peaches, syrup and all, into a 13 X 9 X 2 inch baking pan. Sprinkle 1 cup sugar over the peaches. Dot with butter.

In one of the empty cans, mix together the flour, 1/2 cup sugar, and water to make a rather thin batter. Pour over the peaches, making sure you pour it to the edges and criss-cross the whole pie. Sprinkle remaining sugar over the top of the batter.

Bake at 400 degrees F. until crust is golden brown and pie is bubbling. Let cool 15 minutes, then serve with your favorite topping.

Note: This is delicious without the cinnamon, if you’re not a fan of that spice. And, the beauty of using one of the cans to mix the batter is you can just throw it away. Simple clean up!

Technorati Tags: recipe, Peach Cobbler, restaurants