Recipes

Meatloaf: Versatile Kitchen Standby

February 3, 2023 amandastiverLeave a comment

I once read that ten basic recipes are the foundation of a cook’s repertoire. With variations, these recipes are the dependable standbys of a weekly menu plan. They take away the repetitious and sometimes draining question: “What should I prepare today?”

Just like a good restaurant with an enjoyable, but predictable menu, you know what to expect. Novel culinary adventures are fun, but there is also something to be said for the pleasant contentment of predictability, knowing what’s coming and looking forward with anticipation to a familiar and delightful dish.

One dish that fits the bill for the 10-recipe repertoire is meatloaf. It is a jack-of-all-trades recipe that has enough built in flexibility to allow variation without sacrificing form, ie. mushy meatloaf.

Let’s touch on versatility. Prudence in the kitchen expects a recipe to have easy variations. Meatloaf can facilitate this requirement with a variety of spices, or added vegetables, or sauce on top, maybe even cheese as a component. The possibilities are many.

It’s also a multi-purpose dish, and can have a place at breakfast, lunch, or dinner. If ground beef is low, meatloaf can take the form of any ground meat, poultry, or canned fish. Salmon loaf, well executed, is a delicious dinner option.

Meatloaf is also a budget friendly dish. It can be made economical, meat being the most costly ingredient, by cutting down on that component and increasing the oats, crackers, breadcrumbs/cubes, or other starchy carbohydrate component. Also, vegetables can be increased to a degree to make up for a decrease in meat. Beans would be especially effective in this way because they preserve some of the protein content.

Meatloaf in various forms is found in a many cultures. The Scottish have Haggis (using offal-organ meats from sheep, minced, mixed with vegetables and oats and cooked in a sheep’s stomach), in France and England there are dishes like terrine, which may include whole eggs, and whole vegetables layered in the meat, and sometimes the carbohydrate component is included or left out. There are meatballs from the Scandinavian cuisines, and kefta from the Persian/Middle Eastern historical cuisine. The list could go on. Many interesting flavors to explore.

Meatloaf even has cousins, shepherd’s pie, stuffed peppers (or other vegetables), or ground beef pie. Wherever inspiration strikes.

As a recent article I read (see below) made note of, meatloaf became an American culinary staple during the Great Depression of the 1930’s, for many of the reasons listed above. Versatility, economy and stretching a dwindling meat supply due to high prices.

When you look through your repertoire of recipes, as a prudent consumer, keep an eye out for recipes like meatloaf, that offer ample variety and can save a penny here or there. Cultivating these sometimes humble and predictable recipes gives you economical allies when times are tight!

Please share your meatloaf variations and memories in the comments below or below the Facebook post of this article!

Keep a shiny penny and a positive thought!

Sources: “A History of Meatloaf, Long May It Reign,” by Frank Bruni and Jennifer Steinhauer, March 6, 2017. https://www.bonappetit.com/story/history-of-meatloaf

Quick Tips

Tip: The Proper Way To Fill A Pillowcase….Yes, Really!

January 2, 2023January 3, 2023 amandastiverLeave a comment

Have you ever noticed that over time, your nice, smooth 300-count sheet set pillowcases (or any pillowcase, for that matter) develop unsightly holes in the corners?

Is this a mysterious moth-like infestation of your house? Do pillowcase corners naturally dissolve over time? Is this an unsolved mystery?

I think not. In fact, it is simply the unfortunate wear and tear that a zippered pillow cover inflicts on the closed-end of a pillowcase if you insert the pillow the wrong way.

Before we get to the proper technique, let’s touch on pillow covers. They are thin cotton pillowcases with a zippered end instead of an open one and they fit snugly around your favorite bed pillow. Why? To protect the pillow from excess dirt and drool, but also, to allow you to wash the pillow cover rather than the pillow itself. A pillow washed too many times will lose its “fluff” and become a lumpy wad of filler that threatens to irritate and displace delicate neck vertebrae.

Now, what about those zipper holes! I noticed this years ago when my favorite pillowcases suddenly sprouted unsightly, sad looking holes in the corners. I traced the mystery back to my habit of putting the pillow in, zippered-side down as I filled the pillowcase. The plastic and metal of the zipper on the pillow cover then rubbed against the fibers of the closed corners of the pillowcase with every toss and turn through the night, and over time wore them through.

Not a tragedy, but an annoyance, and one that is easily solved.

To keep those pillowcases looking as tidy and fresh as their first use, make sure that as you insert the pillow into the pillowcase the zippered end of the pillow cover projects out the open end of the pillowcase instead of the closed end.

A simple habit that can make your carefully purchased bed clothes last a little longer.

Keep a shiny penny and a positive thought!

Consumer Mindset

Oranges into Orangeade: Food Scarcity and the Weak US Citrus Crop

December 13, 2022January 3, 2023 amandastiverLeave a comment

According to a news report on AgDay this morning, the Florida orange crop for the 2022/2023 year is expected to be right around 20 million boxes, that puts this year’s crop about 36% down compared to previous years due to significant hurricane damage. Which is just ahead of another very weak harvest from 85 years ago! The 1937/1938 harvest came in at a mere 19.1 million boxes.

The report continued by highlighting that with such a hit to the orange crop consumers (that’s us folks) will feel it as a price increase, and additional imports will be required from outside the country to fulfill demand.

That is, and I editorialize here, assuming that crops in other parts of the world are plentiful. Using a worst-case-scenario, let’s touch on an important aspect of having a prudent consumer mindset.

In our hypothetical example of food scarcity, let’s say that oranges (and other citrus crops) aren’t readily available and when they are, they are extremely expensive. What to do? Do we melt into an orange-less sherbet puddle or a look forlornly at our empty glass of breakfast OJ?

No, we do not, because we have that marvelous flexible mindset that all prudent consumers possess. Let’s examine the steps in that process…

Step 1: View this scarcity as opportunity and activate creativity under duress!
Step 2:Tackle realities. If Oranges, or other citrus fruits, aren’t as readily available, how will that affect our nutrient intake? Specifically, Vitamin-C? What other foods can I find that will make up the difference?
- Answer: There are many, but cabbage comes to mind. Increase your intake by adjusting your weekly menu accordingly and add more cabbage, brussels sprouts, or broccoli, knowing that to make use of water-soluble Vitamin-C a raw chopped salad or lightly cooked dish is best. This was a trick that the British were encouraged to make use of during the heavily rationed days of WW2, when imported citrus fruits were extremely scarce, often only available to families with children, and victory gardeners were producing plentiful supplies of cabbage in their own back yards.
Step 3: Be ingenious. Oranges, but more often lemons, are frequently used as an acid ingredient in recipes. What alternatives can I find that will supply the proper chemical reaction? Another trick from WW2 days, use vinegar (I prefer apple cider) and lemon flavoring for lemon bars, or salad dressings, or as an acid component in a recipe. Buttermilk would also work. Take time to experiment and educate your tastebuds to be adventurous!
Step 4: Be constructive with what you do have. Buy what you can afford! That may mean less orange juice or the need to ration oranges, lemons, or grapefruits, so use each individual fruit thoroughly. Enjoy every last bite of the juicy flesh and be sure to eat some of the pithy white stuff, it contains the bioflavonoid Rutin, which helps strengthen blood vessels. Don’t throw out that peel, though! If you need some air freshener, put it down your garbage disposal. Or, do like my great grandmother did and boil grapefruit peels to make quinine which was used to improve various health conditions and stimulate digestion. (If you go down that route, try to use organic produce washed thoroughly and find a reliable recipe, but do so at your own risk.) Also, grate citrus zest before eating the fruit and freeze it to use in recipes later. And that’s just a starter list!

Don’t let food scarcity, or the looming possibility of it, make you feel helpless. You are resourceful and can deal with every eventuality! Take a bit of time to think through each food group and how you could come up with alternatives and ways to stretch what you have.

Let’s pray that the orange supply rebounds and we don’t have to worry about squeezing every last drop of juice from the fruit! But if we must, we’ll know what to do!

Keep a shiny penny and a positive thought!

Sources:

AgDay broadcast for Dec., 13, 2022 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjlM6BwcEXs&list=PLvTM5d7T5l6mwnYBebH2HtRiqlDjhprde

Preparedness

What to Do While Waiting for the Storm

December 12, 2022December 12, 2022 amandastiverLeave a comment

Here in the central plains a winter storm can mean “batten down the hatches, we’re in for it” or “nah, never mind…lots of wind, but no accumulation”. Often the weather forecast can’t even tell which it will be until the winter storm makes itself clear. Polar freeze? Or just a little blowy snow?

This is a great time to take stock of what to do when you’re waiting for potentially nasty winter weather. In this age of digital weather apps we have heavy duty forewarning. A blessing compared to the days when folks had to gather weather data based on observation and maybe a thermometer or, if lucky, a barometer. Those predictions were sometimes surprisingly accurate, but radar makes it much easier for us. Sometimes too easy.

With an accurate weather forecast we can justify waiting till the last minute to stock up and prepare as compared to our ancestors who had to prepare all summer for the winter, no matter what the weather was going to be. This is a blessing and a curse. Do we procrastinate and become naïve about how well technology will function in extreme weather? Forewarned is forearmed, but we still have to do our part or forewarning just becomes foreboding.

Now to practical matters. What to do if a winter storm is bearing down on you?

Take stock. What’s in your fridge? In your freezer? Pantry? Do you have enough basics and a baseline supply of fresh foods to get you through a few days if the roads are impassable or, worst case, if the electricity goes out and you can’t cook in the way you normally do? Do you have adequate sources of protein and carbohydrates? These are the building blocks of heat in the body? Do you have a good supply of drinking water, if the pipes freeze?
Check your heat and light sources. Do you have back-up? Either a generator, or kerosene oil heater, wood stove or other heating device? If so, do you have enough fuel, wood, oil, gas, propane or otherwise? A fuel-less heater isn’t much use. Also important, where will you heat food if the electricity goes out? A propane camp stove outside will do in a pinch, or even a gas barbecue, although you need to bundle up! (Don’t try to use either of these cookers in a house or under a roof!!) Do you have oil lamps, lanterns or LED light sources with adequate batteries or fuel to keep them lit? Also, check your stock of warm clothes and blankets. If you are without heat for a little while, bundle up to preserve warmth!
Do you have a reasonable supply of essential nutritional supplements or medications? This is often an afterthought, so keep a running stock in the cupboard! We’re natural health types, so having the proper nutritional supplements, at least a month’s worth, is essential for some of our health needs. We order in advance because in our part of the central plains you can’t just pop into the local health food store (there isn’t one).
Build a menu, add some fun and seize the adventure! When checking your supplies, take time to jot down a good pre-planned menu for emergencies and then be sure to have the components on hand. This takes the stress off, but it can also make lemonade out of lemons. Aside from simple dishes and maybe some soup mix, be sure to include hot cocoa and marshmallows. Or, if baking is your thing, have the proper supplies for a yummy gingerbread or cinnamon rolls. Then check your board games and other fun items. A movie night is great, but if the power is sketchy, board games or cards by candlelight can be an out-of-the-ordinary diversion. Maybe spend some time imagining what it was like for your forebearers who didn’t have electricity until the last century (that’s everyone). Life was very different, and required a lot of planning ahead. Family stories about the challenges and adventures of that time are a good thing to store up for events like these, just ask grand or great-grand parents! Shared trials can be, ironically, a good way to connect with family and others!
Finally, schedule a trial run, check supplies and restock often! If you have heaters, lights, generators, and other devices that you have never used, take time (not during a storm) to test them, and learn how to use them safely and with ease! Below zero temperatures are not the time to be fiddling with a generator outside!

There are many other considerations when preparing for an approaching storm, and the list above is only a starting point. Here is a resource from the CDC that offers a winter storm preparation list for home and vehicle: https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/winter/beforestorm/preparehome.html

This resource from the American Red Cross has handy printouts to keep on file: https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/types-of-emergencies/winter-storm.html

Preparing ahead of time for challenges and difficulties is an essential quality of a prudent consumer. A day’s worth of preparation is a penny (or a life) saved in the long-run!

Keep a shiny penny and a positive thought!