ZestyCook

Zesty’s 5 Favorite Thanksgiving Foods. Tell Me Yours!

ZestyCook — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:00:40 +0000

Happy Friday! With Thanksgiving fast approaching in the US (I forgot to do this post for the Canadian Thanksgiving), I thought this would be a great time to quickly go through my favorite eats at Thanksgiving.

First off I will start with saying that it was really hard to limit this post to 5 items because I truly love everything about thanksgiving. But here goes:

1. Turkey

This really does have to be one of my favorite meats to eat. I love turkey with all the fixings and even in sandwiches, soups and casseroles.

2. Fig and Maple Brussel Sprouts

Recently introduced to me this year, this dish was a knockout! I mean the combination of flavors and textures were over the moon.

3. Homemade Cranberry Sauce

A classic yet one of my favorite side dishes with turkey. You can find out how to make this easy delicious dish.

4. Turkey Dressing/Stuffing

A true family favorite for sure. You have to be quick to this bowl to ensure you get some. A little turkey, a little dressing and a touch of cranberry. What a bite! This is also great on a turkey sandwich. Not the most healthy of choices but… can you really worry about that around this time of year?

5. Sticky Date Pudding

I great dessert after a big dinner. I love the combination of warm caramel sauce coupled with the cool ice cream sitting a top a super moist cake. I sometimes classify this as heaven! This sticky date pudding is delicious.

Now Tell Me Yours!

This is where I want everyone that reads this post to come out of the wood work and mention at least one of your favorite foods around Thanksgiving. I think it will be fun and I just realized that I left my favorite sweet potato dish out of the top 5. Very shocking but that just goes to show how much I like food! Ok I better run to the flooring store and pick out grout. I will talk to you on Monday. Have a great weekend.

I am doing a big food demonstration tomorrow morning for a large group of people so I will be sure to let you know how it goes. The topic I am focusing on is – Not so traditional Christmas foods and ways to prepare them.

Talk to you Monday.

Take care

zesty

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Zesty’s 5 Favorite Thanksgiving Foods. Tell Me Yours!

Guest Post: Hello from the Land of Dairy!

ZestyCook — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:00:04 +0000

Hi everyone, Julie from Savvy Eats here! For those of you who are unfamiliar with my blog, I am a Food Science & Engineering student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, graduating in May. I’m an unusual engineering student in that I don’t want to do super-technical work when I graduate. What I really want to do is write about food. More specifically, I’d like to write about the science behind food. To that end, I am starting a new series this week on my blog answering all your food science questions!

For my guest post today, then, I thought I’d explain why yogurt is a good source of calcium, but cottage cheese is not. Hey, I live in Wisconsin, aka Dairyland, so it is entirely appropriate for my first post!

First of all, whole milk is essentially a bunch of fat molecules trapped in a water-based fluid. The only reason that the fat and water don’t separate is that the proteins in milk keep it from doing so.

There are two types of proteins in milk. Most of the proteins are casein, which are not soluble in water, but about 20% are whey proteins, which can dissolve in water.

That is the important part to keep in mind.

Whey = Soluble in water. The green-ish liquid in the picture below, from food-info.net.

Casein = Not a fan of water. Not water-soluble and therefore steers clear of it as much as possible. Oh, and all the calcium is naturally found in the casein, not the whey!

Cottage Cheese

To make cottage cheese, the casein must be separated from the whey. When this happens, the calcium leeches out of the casein and into the whey proteins. Since all of the casein and only a little of the whey is curdled to make cottage cheese, then, there is very little calcium.

To summarize

Whey = Now has the calcium, and isn’t in cottage cheese.
Casein = Becomes cottage cheese, but has lost its calcium to whey.

Yogurt

To make yogurt, both the casein and whey proteins are curdled together, so none of the calcium leeches out. Yogurt, then, is a great calcium source!

Yogurt = Contains casein + whey, and therefore keeps the calcium!

I hope you have found this interesting and enjoyable. I’ll be posting soon on savvyeat.com about why you can use a flax/water mixture in the place of eggs when baking. I hope you’ll check it out!

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Guest Post: Hello from the Land of Dairy!

Guest Post: What A Salmon Loaf!

ZestyCook — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:00:32 +0000

Hello ZestyCook readers! My name is Marianne, and you can find me over at from french fries to flax seeds. Food has been a passion of mine since I was a little kid, and more recently I’ve really become interested in healthy eating and finding that balance between nutrition and pleasure. I am currently working on a career change, and will be (hopefully) starting my program to become a Registered Dietitian next September.

When Zesty put the call out for some guest posts, I jumped on the chance to share a family favorite recipe with you all. It was featured on my blog a little while back, and I had a few requests for the recipe then. It definitely falls in line with the types of recipes Zesty features on his blog – quick, readily available ingredients, and more specifically – it tastes great.

Can you tell this is one well used recipe around here?

Ingredients

Salmon Loaf (serves 4)

2 Cans (213 g) salmon (wild sockeye is preferred, but wild pink salmon is good as well)
6 – 7 Soda crackers, crumbled
1 Tsp. lemon juice
3 Tbsp. milk
1 Tbsp. melted butter
Pepper to taste
2 eggs

Method

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Mix all ingredients, except eggs.
Beat eggs until fluffy, then fold into mixture.
Spread mixture into small loaf pan.
Bake for 45 min, or until golden and crispy on top.

ENJOY!

You could definitely jazz up the recipe with other herbs and spices, but we like it as is, with just a sprinkle of lemon juice. The recipe doubles well, and the leftovers make great sandwiches. If you like salmon, you should definitely give it a try!

Zesty Here

Thanks Marianne (from french fries to flax seeds) for introducing me to a new idea! I have never had such a loaf but I know from the ingredients I would love it. I hope everyone has a great Wednesday and be sure to let me know what you think of this creative creation.

Take care

zesty

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Guest Post: What A Salmon Loaf!

Guest Post: Sweet Potato and Goat Cheese Gratin

ZestyCook — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:00:31 +0000

Hi, readers! I’m the Page behind Notes On A Page, a blog dedicated to all things food! Since I’m always feeding my family and friends, I focus on simple, healthy, and satisfying dishes. Here’s a comforting cold-weather dish that uses a favorite fall vegetable: sweet potatoes.

Sweet Potato and Goat Cheese Gratin

Ingredients

1 Tsp. salt
½ Tsp. pepper
¼ Tsp. nutmeg
1 Small onion, chopped
2 Sweet potatoes, sliced
1 Cup heavy cream
1 Cup milk
1 Cup chicken broth
4 Oz. goat cheese

Method

Preheat the oven to 400*F.

Heat the cream, milk, and chicken broth in a saucepan. While the mixture is on its way to boiling, mix salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
In a baking dish, layer half of the onions and half of the sweet potatoes (I left the skin on the sweet potatoes, because I like a little heft with my veggies, but feel free to peel the potatoes if you prefer that).

Sprinkle half of the spices over the vegetables. Repeat with the remaining vegetables and spices.
Once the cream and milk mixture has come to a boil, take it off the stove and pour it over the vegetables.

Bake for 45 minutes.

Increase the temperature to 450*F. Take the baking dish out and push the sweet potatoes with the back of a spatula so they are even and absorb the liquid. Bake another 10 minutes.
Take the dish out, sprinkle the goat cheese on top, and bake another 15 minutes or until the cheese browns.
ENJOY!

This dish takes a little while to bake so take it as an opportunity to relax and catch up on your favorite shows (30 Rock, anyone?). You could serve this gratin as the entrée or use it as a side dish at a bigger meal. I hope you enjoyed what I cooked up today! Stop by Notes On A Page and see what’s cooking in my own kitchen. Thanks for reading and a big thanks to Zesty!

Thanks Madeleine for a great recipe. I love sweet potatoes and I know how much everyone else does. This is a definite keeper. I hope you have a great day and I foresee a house update coming soon.

Take care

zesty

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Guest Post: Sweet Potato and Goat Cheese Gratin

Guest Post: Cinnamon Rolls, French Toast and Frittata

ZestyCook — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:00:29 +0000

Hi everyone! I’m Brandi from BranAppetit! First, I just want to thank Zesty for the chance to guest post – he has some amazing recipes and I’m a bit intimidated to post mine. Since the holidays are coming up, I keep thinking of possible breakfast items to have with family. Typically, the lunches and dinners are planned down to the smallest detail, but breakfast is often left out. I don’t know about you, but breakfast is my favorite meal of the day!

I would rather have a big and satisfying breakfast than go through the day hungry, just waiting for that 10 course dinner. My family has some traditions for breakfasts, but mostly at Christmas. My mom and her best friend, Jill, always make their own breakfast casseroles – a mix of crescent rolls, sausage, cheese, and eggs – and we have that along with fruit, coffee, and juice when we’re opening presents together.

I’m not sure what will be on the breakfast table this holiday season as our schedule is changing, but I’ve been thinking of a few things I’ve made lately that would be perfect for a family breakfast or brunch.

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls

I actually found this recipe through Cooking Light and made a few changes by only using ½ cup regular flour (the rest was whole wheat) and they turned out great! I had never made cinnamon rolls before, but this recipe really was easy to follow. I prepped them the night before so the only thing we had to do in the morning was bake them. Plus, they taste sinful and you can still feel good about eating them.

Pumpkin Stuffed French Toast

This is so tasty and so easy. It encompasses all the great flavors of fall, and it’s a great thing to make for a large crowd, too. It doesn’t take any longer than regular French toast, so as long as you have the filling ingredients, you’ll have this made in no time.

Frittata

One of the easiest things to make, really. As long as you have eggs, some veggies and some cheese, you’re set! The best thing about frittatas is that you can use leftovers to make an awesome breakfast. Roasted veggies? Toss them in. Kale and scallions? Go ahead. I think everything tastes better with eggs and cheese.
Do you have any family breakfast traditions for the holidays?

Zesty Here…

Thanks Brandi (BranAppetit) for some great breakfast food. Everything looks very good. I would definitely love to be sinking my teeth into that breakfast. However I am sinking my teeth into a Holiday Inn Express Breakfast nonetheless. I hope you have a great day.

Take care

zesty

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Guest Post: Cinnamon Rolls, French Toast and Frittata

9 Minute Garlic Zucchini

ZestyCook — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:00:27 +0000

Holy cow it is Friday again! I don’t have a whole lot of time to write tonight as I need to run to the house to prep some floors and move the dehumidifier to the south end of the house. We passed the humidity test in most of the house and there is just a couple of areas that are a little high. Needless to say we are getting the floor delivered tomorrow and the stairs material.

The upstairs window/door trim paint is coming along nicely so I think we may be getting some flooring starting on Monday. Exciting I know. We are still waiting on our tub upstairs which is causing a little undo stress….. just kidding. It should be along soon and then we can cut the drain hole to get ready for the ceramic tile.

Sorry for the long winded reason as to why this post would be short.

On to the food

I do love zucchini and I am always looking for fun quick ways to add it as a side vegetable. A while back I fooled around with garlic, an onion, an orange and turned regular zuke into a yummy side dish with some white fish.

Here we go with the 5 ingredients (6 if you count pepper ). I love making dishes with 5 ingredients or less.

Ingredients

Zucchini
1 Orange
1 Clove of Garlic
2 Tbsp. finely diced onion
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
Black Pepper

Method

Preheat the skillet to medium high heat.
Add olive oil and onion and let it sweat for 2 minutes
Add garlic and zucchini and toss quickly for 3 minutes
Add juice of an orange and some zest and let reduce for 4 minutes
ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: Use the zest! Don’t be afraid to use the zest of the fruit you are using in the dish. Be careful not to peel into the pit as that tends to be bitter.

So there you have it. No need of making the plain old boring vegetables ever again. Kick them up with some of your favorite flavors or for that matter – whatever you have on hand. Just go for it! If it turns out terrible, just don’t make it again – It is no big deal.

Have an awesome Friday and a great weekend. I will be back in action on Monday via the Internet in Virginia.

Take care

zesty

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9 Minute Garlic Zucchini

A Super Strawberry Puff

ZestyCook — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:00:11 +0000

A busy holiday but totally fun! We went to the Remembrance Day Ceremony as I mentioned in yesterday’s post which was good. It was a little chilly but we survived. After the ceremony we decided to take a drive out to the house and check in with the guys to see how they were doing. In the meantime we got an invite to supper at a Zesty In-laws. You know what that means…. YUM! The negative part is that I forgot my camera at home and never realized it until supper was ready.

The dinner was absolutely amazing but I will not get into details as I have no proof (in the form of yummy pictures). I promise it will never happen again!

Ever need a dessert in a hurry and you do not have time to make anything from scratch? It happens every now and again to everyone but fear not. This little number will get you out of a jam in no time.

This recipe takes 5 ingredients and is dead easy to prepare.

Ingredients

Puff Pastry Cups
3 cups Strawberries
3 Tbsp. White sugar
Chocolate Sauce
Whip cream

Method

Prepare and slice strawberries in a large bowl. Add sugar, stir and let sit for 60 minutes.
Take pastry cup and fill with whip cream

Top with strawberries and chocolate sauce

ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: If you don’t have puff pastry you could always use a fresh homemade biscuit or a bakery biscuit.

Happy Thursday to you! It will be a hectic but fun day I hope. Back to work and back to full swing with the house. We get another moisture test on the floor today which we failed on Monday past. We need the humidity/moisture in the sub floor to be a certain level before we lay the wood. I will talk to you tomorrow morning.

Don’t forget to contact me if you want to do a guest post.

Take care

Cory

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A Super Strawberry Puff

Get Your Icebox Ginger Snap!

ZestyCook — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:00:40 +0000

I think I am heading downtown to attend the Remembrance Day Ceremony later on this morning and then heading to the house to do some work. The trim is all on upstairs and the doors are hung. I am ready to start cleaning the floors and start prepping for the hardwood. I guess I never told you that we changed our mind on the upstairs flooring and switched from a laminate floor to “real” hardwood. We chose a cappuccino color for the upper level and we are pleased to have that decision behind us.

On to the Ginger Snaps – I always seem to have these every year at this time of the year and right through until the new year. Have you ever had an icebox ginger snap? They are certainly a great little snack with a glass of milk or if you are like me… I smear a bit of butter on the back side. These are really simple to make and take no time to prep or to cook. They are a great cookie to eat right out of the fridge or the freezer.

Ingredients

1 Cup Butter
1/3 Cup Brown sugar
2/3 Cup Molasses
3 Cups All Purpose Flour
2 Tsp. Baking soda
2 Tsp. Ginger
Pinch of salt
1/2 Tsp. Cloves
1/2 Tsp. Cinnamon

Method

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees
In a large bowl mix as listed above and place it on a large piece of wax paper.
using your hands shape into a large rectangle about 1 1/2- 2 inches thick. It will be smooth on the top.
Wrap it up in wax paper and chill in fridge for an hour or two. ( You can chill overnight if you want)
Remove from fridge and unwrap. Cut into slices and place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper
Bake for 8-10 minutes.
ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: These little cookies make a great outer shell for a quick ice cream sandwich. Just be sure to pop them back in the freezer for a few minutes once you build them to prevent the ice cream from oozing out.

A Gentle Reminder

Check out Megan’s Pumpkins For Pink E-Book, which raises money for the fight against breast cancer. I contributed my Double Ginger Gingerbread Cookies recipe to it.

Have a great Wednesday and I will see you all back here tomorrow. Oh before I forget. I am on the road all next week in Virginia and I am looking for guest posters. If you are interested and would like to be featured shoot me an email.

Take care
zesty

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Get Your Icebox Ginger Snap!

Grilled Sour Dough Turkey Sandwich

ZestyCook — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:00:49 +0000

I made a sandwich a little while ago and for some reason I forgot to post about it. I really did like the outcome of the sandwich but it was nothing over the top. I remember picking up some sour dough bread at the bakery which was used for a grilled sandwich with some melted cheese oozing out the ends.

Now when it comes to sandwiches, in the last 3-4 months I have made a large change when it comes to sauces on my sandwiches. I don’t use any now! I know it sounds a bit bizarre for some but I really enjoy it now. I never was a big fan of mayonnaise so I used to revert to mustard. But lately I put that all on hold and usually have been avoiding it all together. I now tend to focus on cheese, vegetables and even fruit.

When it comes to the filling for this sandwich… it is super basic. We always seem to have turkey deli meat around since the kids love it and it is a good source of protein and as for cheese – I just went with old cheddar.

Ingredients

2 Slices of Sour Dough Bread
Handful of turkey meat
3 Slices of cheddar cheese
Black pepper

Method

Preheat sandwich maker or George foreman grill
Slice the bread and top with turkey cheese and pepper
Place the other piece of bread on top
Add sandwich to the grill and cook for 3-4 minutes until cheese has melted and bread is golden brown
ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: One tip when making grilled sandwiches is to make sure the filling ( meat in this case ) is fairly dry. I find the deli meat can be quite moist and will make the bread soggy, so I tend to pat it dry with a paper towel before adding it to the sandwich.

So that is the sandwich. Nothing elaborate but a very good quick meal whether you are on the run, or just craving the crunch from a toasted sandwich. I hope you have a great Tuesday and I am glad to see so many of you joining up for the free blogging tips newsletter over at my new consulting site.

Take care

zesty

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Grilled Sour Dough Turkey Sandwich

Zesty Launches Blog Consulting

ZestyCook — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:00:57 +0000

I hope you had a great weekend! I have been working on a side project for a while now off and on and the day has finally arrived. I have been receiving tons of questions about blogging over the last year and I have been trying field the questions, help the bloggers and add value to the community.

With that said, I created a new site – zestyblogconsulting.com to help answer generic blogging questions and provide information on making better informed decisions for your blog moving forward. The layout of this site includes blog services, tips, detailed posts on the most popular topics and a portfolio showing some of the blogs I have worked with in the past.

Visit Zesty Blog Consulting when you get the chance and if you’re interested, sign up for the free blogging tips newsletter.

Here are some other snapshots of the zesty design. Let me know what you think of this and whether you feel it is a good idea and will help bloggers.

Quaker Update

I was unsuccessful in making the finals of the Quaker Challenge however I would still like to promote it today as the whole contest is for a great cause. See below for the details on the finalists.

3 semi-finalists:

Catherine Mc Cord of weelicious.com playing for www.stonebarnscenter.org
Jen Yu of userealbutter.com playing for National Farm to School Program www.farmtoschool.org
Laura Levy of www.laurasbestrecipes.com playing for www.foodforthepoor.org

“Congratulations to Catherine Mc Cord , Jen Yu and Laura! Semi-finalists in Quaker’s “Awaken Your Senses Challenge”. You can help support 3 worthy food charities by casting your vote for your favorite Oatmeal Creation at www.youtube.com/quakertalk. At the end of the week the blogger with the most votes wins, and they will be able to award $10,000 to their favorite food. So what are you waiting for? Go ahead and vote!

Thanks so much for supporting me – now let’s do our part and ensure one of these charities gets some much needed funding.

Back to the food posts tomorrow!

Take care
zesty

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Zesty Launches Blog Consulting

Makeover Giveaway Winner Is…..

ZestyCook — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:00:25 +0000

Happy Friday!

I have been working on a special project and I hoped it would be ready to reveal today but due to some hiccups and time constraints I am not able to release it just yet. I am hoping by Monday morning you will be able to see the latest zesty creation. Sorry to keep you in suspense but I think that is kind of fun and I know deep down inside you really love it!

However, I do need to take the time today and announce the winner of the makeover giveaway.

Giveaway Winner

Adi Wrote….

Adi (oatonomy.com) says:
October 31, 2009 at 2:57 pm

This is a great idea Zesty! My blog desperately needs an update. Don’t believe me? http://www.oatonomy.com See what I mean?

I could definitely use your help!

Here is the present design of Oatonomy. Stay tuned for the new and improved look in the near future.

Adi, contact me and I will start moving forward on your design.

The House Saga Continues

It is a bit of a gong show around the house and trying to get some things organized. I think I will take the afternoon off to figure out a few things regarding the fireplace, hearth, mantle and some tiles. It is pouring rain and very windy out today - a perfect day for the window service rep to be back for a water test. I will keep you posted.

Have an awesome Friday and I will talk to you on Monday!

Take care

zesty

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Makeover Giveaway Winner Is…..

Back to Basics Egg-and-Muffin Toaster

ZestyCook — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:00:41 +0000

It’s Thursday! I have a special treat for you today. I have been receiving a lot of positive feedback on my new Open Sky store over the last few weeks and I am really loving what the folks at Open Sky are doing for online shopping. The idea of taking expert shopkeepers with their views and experiences on products and sharing that information to the readers/consumers is invaluable.

When I started zestycook.com back in August 2008 I had two goals in mind. They were and still are to add value to all my readers and the general public and to have fun doing it. I definitely know I am doing the latter and I strive to add value to each post that I write.

I’ve wanted to do a feature product for the last little while and today is the day.

Back to Basics Egg-and-Muffin Toaster is a great product that will make you super happy in the morning.

Some of the features of this product include:

Makes the ultimate breakfast sandwich in 4 minutes.
Hard boils up to 8 eggs at a time.
Wide slot toasting function for bagels and croissants.
Individual toasting or poaching function.
Auto shutoff for both toaster and egg poacher.

So there you have it. A fun little product that I wanted to share with you. If you happen to have a favorite kitchen product and think that it would be great in the store… by all means tell me in the comments or email. I am always looking for great products that make your time in the kitchen more fun and enjoyable. Have an awesome Thursday and I will talk to you on Friday.

Oh wait, before I go – make sure you enter the giveaway contest.

Take care

zesty

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Back to Basics Egg-and-Muffin Toaster

Waste Not… Want Not

ZestyCook — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:00:47 +0000

Happy Wednesday! I apologize in advance for somewhat of a quick post but I don’t have much time to write tonight. I had somewhat of a rough day at the house build with some scheduling conflicts and the dreaded “windows“. The service rep was on site today and determined that the windows are leaking! Hooray, but we knew that 10 days ago. With that being said we are performing a temporary solution of caulking which does not really tickle my fancy but we have no other choice.

I didn’t have anytime to eat or cook today but I have had this post in the back of my head for a while so I decided to put it on paper and get your thoughts and ideas.

I was reading a magazine a while back and it had an article related to being more resourceful with products and supplies we would normally throw out. I thought about some of these and I also talked to Mother Zesty as well and this is the list we came up with.

Top 7 Things Not To Throw Out

1. Stale Bread – When your bread goes stale before you have time to eat it, freeze it and use it for dressing/stuffing the next time you have a chicken or a turkey.

2. Bones – Never throw away bones! These are essential in making delicious homemade stocks. Great for freezing and adding flavor to many dishes.

3. Coffee Grinds – These are great to place in certain areas as a natural deodorizer. Place them in an airated container in the firdge or freezer to absorb smells.

4. Butter Wrappers – Save these in the fridge and next time you have to grease a baking dish for your baking – grab it from the fridge and lube up your pan.

5. Rotten Bananas – These guys work great in the freezer for smoothies and of course the ultimate zesty bread…. Banana Bread.

6. Onion Peel – These are great for adding flavors to sauces and soups without the onion texture. Just chuck them in your dish and remove before serving.

7. Don’t Forget the Freezer – Utilize your freezer. Certain foods can be frozen and not lose any of their flavor or impact. Instead of throwing out freeze.

I thought this was a fun, but practical, list to come up with. I am sure you have more great ideas so I welcome you to add them in the comments to share with the rest of us. Have yourself a great Wednesday and I will talk to you tomorrow.

Take care

zesty

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Waste Not… Want Not

Honey of a Salad and House Update

ZestyCook — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:00:44 +0000

Another Monday gone and Tuesday begins. I hope you had a great day yesterday. It seems like the days are flying by even faster with the time change on the weekend. It is getting dark so early.

I want to talk about a couple of things… one being about a killer fruit salad with a honey lime dressing and the other topic being the house. The fruit salad is simple yet so refreshing. I am always trying to find nice fruit all year around but it gets tougher as the season comes closer to winter. This recipe will give you a great idea for a breakfast/lunch addition or just something to have on hand at all times for both kids and adults.

As for the house, it is coming along quite well ( minus the window issue ). The painters started yesterday and rolling on the primer like there is no tomorrow. We hope to have the whole house primed and painted one coat by Thursday.

Before the update I have a funny story. Last night we drove out to the house after work to take some new pictures on the progress thus far. We were rushing as it was getting late so we ran up to the front door, turned the knob and looked at each other – uh oh it was locked. We started to laugh as we both knew there was no key for the door knobs as they were just old knobs the builders had hanging around at their house. We ran to the side door…. locked. Back door…. locked. Windows…. locked. Oh dear the only reason I went to the house was to get pictures for you. I then realized that the tiny little basement window was left open for the hoses to run outside so I crawled in there and jumped down. All in all… too funny.

Ingredients

Any fruit you want ( cut into cubes)
1/4 Cup fresh lime juice
1/2 Cup honey
1 Tsp. grated lime peel

Method

Peel and prepare all the fruit in a large mixing bowl
Mix the lime juice and honey and add the lime peel at the end.
Toss, let rest and serve
ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: The acid in the lime juice will prevent the fruit from bruising and becoming brown in color.

House Update

As promised, some interior shots after the drywall, seam filling and now some painting. The picture quality is not great due lack of lighting.

Upstairs Hallway

Bonus Room

Family Room

Kitchen

Interior Doors (just delivered)

Awaken your Senses Reminder

Here’s how to vote for me:

1. Go to www.youtube.com/quakertalk. Click on the VOTE tab. Click on my video entitled “Autumn Medley.”

2. Click on the BIG GREEN THUMBS UP to cast your vote. Voting closes Friday, November 6th.

3. Please tell your family and friends and pretty much everyone you know to vote too!

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Honey of a Salad and House Update

Shepherds Pie, House Work & Open Sky

ZestyCook — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:00:10 +0000

Happy Monday to you! I hope you had a great weekend. My weekend was action packed with “the house”. We started painting the ceilings this weekend and I had to clean the whole house before paint starts on the walls (today). We are still having window problems – we had some more rain along with a couple of new leaks – grrrrrrr.

We had a lot of help at the new build with sweeping, cleaning and vacuuming. It was greatly appreciated. A zesty in law spent the whole day on Sunday pushing the broom, scraping the seam filling mud off the floor and vacuuming. You gotta love great help! Needless to say I didn’t spend much in the kitchen but we did manage to eat. I wanted to share with you a old time recipe that I am guessing everyone has tried.

Now this is a super dish for leftovers, a great casserole in the winter and even better a pretty healthy dish over all. I know this has ground beef on the bottom but if you are a vegetarian you could simple substitute out the beef for scrambled tofu or just use other vegetables such as eggplant, zucchini or even squash.

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs ground round beef
1-2 cups vegetables – chopped carrots, corn, peas
1 1/2 – 2 lbs potatoes (3 large potatoes)
8 tablespoons butter (1 stick)
1/2 cup beef stock
2 Tbsp. milk
Salt and pepper

Method

Peel and quarter potatoes, boil in salted water until tender (about 20 minutes).
While the potatoes are cooking, add ground beef and sauté until no longer pink.
Add the carrots and let them cook until warmed through.Add salt and pepper.
Add half a cup of beef broth and cook, uncovered, over low heat for 10 minutes, adding more beef broth as necessary to keep moist.
Add corn or peas near the end of the cooking process before adding to the casserole dish.
Mash potatoes in bowl with remainder of butter, add the milk to give some extra flavor and season to taste.
Place beef and vegetable mixture in baking dish. Distribute mashed potatoes on top. Rough up with a fork so that there are peaks that will brown nicely.
Cook in 400 degree oven until bubbling and brown (about 30 minutes). Broil for last few minutes if necessary to brown.

Zesty Tip: There are a couple of tips that I would recommend with this dish. Utilizing a can of vegetable soup is a great idea if you don’t have beef stock on hand. It gives a nice flavor and keeps it moist. Another idea is to rub a little milk and butter on top of the potatoes to ensure they get nice and golden brown.

My final idea, which I have yet to try, is to attempt this recipe with a “SWEET POTATO” topping. I can only assume this would be delicious.

Open Sky NEW PROMOTION – 10% OFF SALE

We’ve launched a 10% OFF SALE! This sale applies to EVERYTHING in every OpenSky shop, from Yes You Can Grill’s Outdoor Chef City Grill to Cooking With Friends’ Jarden Ball Home Canning Kit to Veggie Gardening Tips’ Composting Accessory Kit.

Here are the details:

Coupon Code: Cory1009
Offer: 10% off
Expiration: November 15, 2009

Giveaway Update

I am really impressed with the results of my latest giveaway from Friday and I am really grateful for all your nice comments. They really are fun to read! I was thinking of a crazy idea and I wanted to run it by you to see what you thought. What do you think if I get 350 comments on the giveaway that I actually give TWO Design Makeovers. Let me know your thoughts and then tell all your friends and see if we can reach that number.

Wow – I think that was a long post. I hope you have an awesome Monday. If I can remember to take the camera to the house tomorrow – you will be getting a house update.

Take care

zesty

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