One thing you can do to make your meals more personal and welcoming is to set your table according to the occasion or the season. Adding a centerpiece including either fresh or silk flowers, along with some candles, natural items, or baskets can really bring a family together.

Using cloth napkins, tablecloths, and the appropriate place settings invites your family to sit and enjoy the meal and the ensuing conversations. Too often busy family grab-n-go when it comes to mealtimes. They are nearly strangers living under the same roof. Set aside a few nights a week when your whole family can gather ’round the dinner table and catch up on what happened that day or earlier in the week. Serve the food on the table instead of from the stove top, so that folks don’t have to be constantly getting up and down for seconds and the traffic from the kitchen to the dining room isn’t distracting.

Use the same dinnerware you would use if you had company over. After all, isn’t your family more important than any guests who might come to dinner?

Technorati Tags: meals, table, centerpiece

A couple of nights ago, I fixed some barbecued ribs for our supper. These were “country ribs” which means they had a lot of meat and little bone, because most of the bone had been trimmed away. They turned out delicious! Here’s what I did:

I placed the ribs, fat side up, in a baking dish. I poured a cup of ketchup and a cup of Coca Cola over them. I covered the dish tightly with foil, and baked them about two hours.

When they came out, they were fork-tender and tasty. No other seasoning was needed. I had mashed potatoes and succotash with them, so the meal was heart-warming and hearty fare for us all.

Technorati Tags: barbecued ribs, country ribs

I’m going to head to bed soon. It’s been a very long day and I’m tired. I started this morning at 3:45 AM, getting ready for work. I worked a full shift from 4:30 to 12:30, then headed home.

After a nice glass of sweet iced tea, I relaxed on the sofa for awhile. Of course, Son wanted us to go out to eat, which we did, and then we did a little shopping in town. Now we’re home and I’m really more tired than I thought I was. I really wish I had a memory foam mattress I could sink down into. I think I’d have a much better chance at a good night’s rest since I have to open again in the morning, which means getting up at 3:45 again.

Technorati Tags: work, sweet iced tea, shopping

It’s been a long day but we did go out to eat tonight. Son and I went to a new Italian restaurant and were very pleased with what we got. He got Bacon Wrapped Shrimp Alfredo and I got Grilled Salmon on a bed of Linguine with Lemon Butter Sauce. They brought us crusty bread and a spread that seemed to be a mix of butter, cream cheese, garlic, and parsley. It was all very tasty.

Son ordered an appetizer - fried Kalimari with marinara dipping sauce. I just wasn’t too keen on the Kalimari, but I did try a few bites and it was OK. A little chewy for my taste.

I am going to try to duplicate the spread they brought us, though, and I’ll let you know what I come up with.

Technorati Tags: Italian, Alfredo, Kalimari

I am going to have to get my eyes checked again. I’m having more and more difficulty reading recipes, some websites, and lots of other things I need to read. Even with the glasses I have now, it’s getting harder and harder to read small print.

I’m beginning to think that if I don’t get a new prescription for glasses, I’m going to have to look at the men’s jewelry section at the department stores for a watch with large numbers and easy-to-read dial! Ah, well. Such is the way it goes when you pass the half-century mark in life. Vision is less. Everything seems to be migrating “south”. Aches and pains abound. But, I’m still enjoying life and loving the kitchen, so I guess it’s still all good, isn’t it?

Technorati Tags: glasses, kitchen

I love granola but I haven’t tried this brand yet. But now I’ll have a chance to do so by going to Kashi.com and signing up to get a free sample of it!

I know I need to be more diligent about eating right and getting healthier. This sample could kick me off to a good start doing both. Besides the free sample of Kashi Granola granola, there are also helpful tips for getting up and exercising, as well as nutrition tips and a blog to read.

Technorati Tags: Kashi Granola, granola

I am always on the lookout for ways to save money shopping, whether I’m shopping for groceries or clothes or shoes. One way I accomplish savings is to use online coupons and special offers from stores, both online and in real life.

For instance, if you have a baby or toddler, you could use One Step Ahead coupons to save money on baby related products. Not just clothing, but all kinds of things you’d need for a baby in the house.

I also email manufacturers whose products I really enjoy and wind up receiving some very nice coupons for money off my next purchases of their products. Letting manufacturers know you like what they’re producing often winds up with rewards like this or even free products.

Technorati Tags: shopping, groceries, coupons

These days, many of us are health conscious and are reducing or eliminating high fat and high salt foods from our diets. Sometimes this leads to very boring meals. Today, though, the roast beef I fixed was anything but boring.

I used a small beef roast, about 2 pounds. I pierced it with a knife and rubbed in finely chopped garlic, black pepper, and about 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. I put that in a glass baking dish and surrounded it with potatoes, carrots, onions, and sliced mushrooms. After peppering the veggies, I added about 1/2 cup water and covered it tightly with aluminum foil.

I roasted it at 350 degrees F. for about 2 hours. This made the roast done and tender without being too mushy or falling apart. The flavor was fantastic and there was absolutely no need for salt at all.

Technorati Tags: roast beef

Maintaining food safety in your kitchen is vital to your family’s health. You certainly don’t want to have to get life insurance quotes because of poor kitchen habits! Here are a few food safety tips.

• *Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. This sounds simple enough, doesn’t it? But what are the temperatures? Hot foods should be kept at levels of 150 degrees F. or above. Cold foods should be kept at levels of 40 degrees F. or below. Anything in between will allow dangerous bacteria to begin growing in the food.
• *Do not cross-contaminate. Wash your hands frequently while you’re preparing foods. Keep your surfaces clean and sanitized. If you use a knife to cut up some chicken, wash and sanitize it before using it on vegetables, or get another knife. I have two cutting boards - one for meats and one for vegetables - and I sanitize them both after each use. A weak bleach and water solution will work for sanitizing surfaces.
• *Thaw frozen meat in your refrigerator overnight or quick-thaw in the microwave. Never leave meat sitting out to thaw. By the time the inside is ready to cook, the outside has already begun decomposing and harboring bacteria.
• *Store frozen foods at proper temperatures. Your deep freezer should maintain a temperature of 0 degrees F. or below.
• *If you live very far from the grocery store, use a cooler to transport frozen and refrigerated items. This will help to keep your cold foods at a low enough temperature so they are still safe to use when you get home with them.

Technorati Tags: food safety, kitchen

Because I am not having to travel so far back and forth to work, I now have more time to cook. I’m very happy about that because I really enjoy cooking and serving hearty meals. Of course, I also like to make sure they are at least somewhat healthful for those who eat them.

A few days ago, I made some cheddar cheese biscuits that turned out pretty good so I thought I’d share with you how I made them.

Low Fat Cheddar Cheese Biscuits

Ingredients

• 2 cups self-rising flour
• 1/2 cup fat free yogurt
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• fat free or skim milk

Method

Mix the flour, yogurt, and milk until the dough is workable. Add the cheddar cheese and mix well. Turn out on a lightly floured board and very gently knead 5 or 6 times, making sure not to break any air pockets in the dough.

Using your biscuit cutter, cut out the biscuits gently. Again, you want to retain the air pockets. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 400 until golden brown on the top. Brush with a fat free spread and serve piping hot with your meal.

Technorati Tags: cheddar cheese biscuits