Links to Stuff I've Found

There are a lot of great stuff around the web this week. Some great recipes that look amazing and a couple of great articles that will really make you think. Here we go:

Long, Comprehensive Article about Childhood Obesity at Cheap Healthy Good

I came across this comprehensive article on childhood obesity at Cheap Healthy Good. It really opened my eyes. For instance, did you know that there is a direct correlation between physical fitness and SAT scores? Did you know that obese kids are seven times more likely to be depressed? This article really makes you understand why it is important to feed our kids a healthy diet and make them exercise!

Fabulous Looking Chocolate Cake at Evil Chef Mom

Evil Chef Mom is one of my favorite blogs to frequent. She is so very funny to read. In addition, she has great recipes. This recipe for Chocolate Pound Cake with Coconut Glaze sounds so good. Maybe this weekend? Where does one find coconut extract? In the spice aisle?

A Small Bite: A Sensible Way to Splurge

Over at Get Rich Slowly, JD's wife has a great post about not depriving yourself. She is talking about money and spending, but it really can be applied to so many areas of life. I really like her idea that rather than going without dessert, she has one small bite. Then she can enjoy it but she won't feel guilty later. Maybe I should try that? Nah.

Why We Can't Order Tomatoes At Taco Bell!

The number of salmonella cases due to tomatoes has risen again. Three hundred and eighty three people have gotten sick. Why can't they figure out where these tomatoes are coming from. No more salads for awhile, sigh.

Jill

Frugal Foods - Canned Tuna Fish

Jenn over at Frugal Upstate is having a frugal food series where she highlights a frugal ingredient and than has people post all their best recipes using that ingredient. Last week was eggs and people suggested tons of great ideas including my suggestion of breakfast burritos. If you are looking for frugal foods to feed your family, stop by Frugal Upstate and check out all the great ideas. This week is canned tuna fish. We always have canned tuna in our food storage, we eat lots of tuna salad in the summer and my oldest daughter Jana could live on tuna sandwiches!

My mom used to make several things with canned tuna. We ate creamed tuna on toast (it sounds kind of weird but it is still comfort food for me when I'm grumpy and not feeling great). One of her favorites was Tuna Loaf. It is amazingly frugal and pretty easy to put together. We like it topped with a mushroom sauce (usually just cream of mushroom soup with a little milk and some cheese melted into it, but you could make a white sauce and add some sautéd mushrooms and some beef boullion with the cheese). We usually serve this with green beans because the mushroom sauce goes really well with the beans. Add some fruit and you have dinner! So without further ado, here it is:

Tuna Loaf

Mix together in a bowl:

1 can tuna, drained
2/3 c. soft bread crumbs (about 1-2 slices)
2 eggs
1/2 c. milk
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp paprika
1 Tbs. chopped celery
1 Tbs chopped parsley (or 1 tsp dried)
1 Tbs. chopped onion (or 1 tsp dried minced)

Mix these together well and place in a loaf pan. Dot the top with butter and place in 375 degree oven for 40 minutes.

Notes:

• We always make a double batch of this and put it in a 9x9 square pan.
  
• To make the soft bread crumbs, take a couple of slices of sandwich bread and cut it into small cubes. Or you can put it in the food processor to make actual crumbs out of it, I'm always too lazy to get out the food processor so I just cut.
  
• You can use whole wheat bread (as we do) so that you make it even healthier.
  

Crashed Potatoes!

Happy Friday the Thirteenth!

I love to search the internet for recipes. Recipes with pictures are even better. Much like how I read cookbooks, I love to just read the recipes and the comments. I often try these recipes; some have become family favorites. When I find a good one, I love to share. So, here is my new find - Crashed Potatoes!

I found this recipe on a fabulous cooking site called Pioneer Woman. She has fabulous recipes and she is a crackup to read - so funny! This recipe looked especially fabulous. I am a potato girl. Should have been born in Idaho, sigh. I like potatoes anyway you can think of - fried, baked, boiled, in salad, potato chips, mashed, anyway but raw! So whenever I find a new way of making potatoes my little heart goes pitter-pat. I decided to try this one right away. So we had it Tuesday night. Every single member of my family loved them. That rates six stars in Crazyville! So here is the recipe, if you go to Pioneer Woman she has photo illustrations for the whole recipe (and some really witty commentary). But here is my version:

Crashed Potatoes

Take some small red or new potatoes (I used small yukon gold potatoes which is why they look so golden-y in the picture). They should be relatively small, single serving size. You want enough for each person to have at least one, but if they are really small two each (or if you just really like potatoes, three or four each!!). Boil the potatoes in a big pot of salted water until they are fork tender (you know, cooked until they are tender enough to be easily poked with a fork). Drain in a colander. Now place these boiled potatoes on a greased cookie sheet (or a silpat, silicone baking sheet). Grease well because we all know how potatoes like to stick!

Now take a potato masher (or the bottom of a cup, or a fork) and gently smash those potatoes. You don't want mush! You just want to open the potatoes up and expose the insides. This is the "crashed" part of the recipe, but we just want a rear-ender not a wipe-out! Now liberally brush the tops of the potatoes with olive oil, sprinkle with salt (lots, potatoes need salt!), add some pepper and some fresh herbs - I had chives and parsley in my garden so that's what I used but you could use whatever you want. Next put them on the top rack of a really hot oven (425-450) and bake for 20-25 minutes. Then eat - don't moan when you taste them even though you will really want to!

This recipe is definitely a keeper in my home. Next time I will try brushing them with melted butter instead of olive oil (or get some really good olive oil, you can really taste it and my tasted just slightly off. Time for a trip to Costco!). I would like to try different herbs, also. Rosemary? Thyme? No matter what I am sure they will be delicious and they are cheap too. Can't beat it! Try these, I promise they are worth it!

See you all on Monday when we talk spicy!

Jill

Links to Stuff I've Found

I spend an amazing amount of time surfing the web and reading interesting articles. Actually, I spend way too much time surfing the web! I've decided that I'm going to share some of those interesting articles with all of you, my adoring fans! (Hi, Jen!)

Remember Magic Shell? That stuff we used to pour over ice cream and it formed a hard shell over the ice cream? Well, it turns out, you can make it yourself. Brownie Points shows us how. It actually looks pretty easy and I think I'll have to try it. My kids would think it was great.

We are trying to do more vegetarian meals at our house. My 14 yo daughter, Tali, went "veggie" on us about a year ago. At first I made two meals, one regular and one vegetarian. Lately I've been just making more Tali-friendly meals. I'm always looking for good vegetarian recipes that are quick and easy. The Kitchn recently answered a question about resources for people going vegetarian, make sure and read the comments section as there are lots of good links there.

I tried a new recipe from Cheap Healthy Good, my new favorite blog! I tried the White Bean and Kale Soup with Turkey Sausage and man was it ever good. Ok, it wasn't veggie and Tali wouldn't eat it but everyone else ate it (even my six year old who is very picky about "green things" in his food). The kale was surprisingly good. Tali will eat chicken and we recently found a great chicken italian sausage at New Seasons so if I made it with that I think she would eat it. It was cheap, healthy, and good, can't ask for anything more!

Next week I'll post more links, and maybe even some that don't involve food!

Jill