Minestrone Soup

October 30, 2015

A good Minestrone Soup can compete with ANY full dinner! With all the elements of your basic nutritional chart, this soup has it all and the flavor to back up that first sentence to boot. There is a local restaurant I have grown up with that leads more than a few cooks in my area to strive to perfect Minestrone soup… I have to say, this does it for me… and there is one secret ingredient I don’t think it could do without!

Venus Di Milo is the restaurant my parents held their wedding reception. It’s where my Dad had one of his very first jobs as a bus boy. And it is where countless wedding, 1st communion and birthday celebrations have been held over time. They have a very good reputation for having the best Minestrone Soup anywhere. People order it to go by the bucket full! It’s gotten to the point that people around here don’t even refer to it as Minestrone anymore, but rather, Venus Di Milo Soup. This of course started my journey in figuring out just how they do it. And this recipe comes pretty darn close!

Let me show you how I do it!

Chop some onions.

Chop up some carrots.

Dice up some celery

Add in the ground beef and brown.

Once the beef is all browned, drain any accumulated fat.

coarsely chop some garlic.

Fill the pot about 3/4 with water. I will give you a measurement in the recipe, but really what I do is go by the size of my pot… If I want more soup, I use a large pot, if I want less, I use a smaller pot… I might add in some extra veggies if I am using a super big pot, but the basic recipe stays the same give or take a quart of water.

Stir and bring to a boil over high heat.

I use one large can of whole plum tomatoes… You can use two cans of diced or sauce… but I like the way the whole tomatoes break down throughout the cooking process… and I help them along a bit too.

This is what the tomato looks like in all that sauce… throughout the cooking I go after them with my wooden spoon to help them break down a bit.

My secret ingredient is beef base. You can use a stock or a bullion, but there is something about beef base in this particular soup that I really like.

This is what the beef base looks like, it’s thick and very concentrated.

In my tomato can, I pour some hot water in my tomato can.

It will look like this when it’s all melted together.

Then add into the soup.

Rinse a can of kidney beans.

I use about a palm full of Italian seasoning.

This time of year it is difficult to get some good fresh summer veggies… so I prefer frozen over canned… Frozen is flash frozen at the peak of freshness whereas canned just get mushy. I use these three in my Minestrone, corn, peas and Italian green beans (if I can find them, if not regular green beans are fine)

Stir and allow to simmer for about 30 minutes or so. Then add in your pasta… Normally, I use an orzo pasta, but I was out… so, I substituted with another small pasta, dilatini and it worked out great… as long as you keep the past small you are good to go! Cook pasta for another 20-25 minutes or so and serve.

Minestrone Soup

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, chopped

2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped

2 medium ribs of celery, chopped

1 1/4 lbs. ground beef

1 large 16 oz. can whole tomatoes in sauce

1 12 oz can red kidney beans

1 cup frozen peas

1 cup frozen corn

1 cup frozen Italian green beans

2 garlic cloves, diced

1 Tbs. Italian seasoning

1 heaping Tbs. beef base melted into 1/2 cup hot water

1/2 lb. Dilatini or Orzo pasta

12 -16 cups water

salt and pepper to taste

parmesan or mozzarella cheese for topping

Directions:

In a large pot over medium heat, sautée onions, carrots and celery until tender. Add in ground beef and brown. Drain fat and add in water (fill pot to 3/4 full with water). Add in tomatoes.

In the tomato can, add 1/2 cup hot tap water. To that add in beef base and stir until combined. Add mixture into the soup.

Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer and add remaining ingredients saving the pasta for later. Simmer for 30 minutes.

Taste for salt and pepper. Add in pasta. Cook for an additional 20-25 minutes until pasta is well cooked. If soup is too thick just add in some water and taste for salt and pepper again.

Serve… Enjoy!

Don’t be SPOOKED by buying a home… getting a mortgage doesn’t have to be SCARY!

October 29, 2015October 28, 2015

Don’t be SPOOKED by buying a home… getting a mortgage

doesn’t have to be SCARY!

Jack-o-lanterns — Image by © Royalty-Free/Corbis

So, when you’re ready to start looking into buying a house, what’s the first thing you should do?

CALL A MORTGAGE PROFESSIONAL!

Your instinct may tell you to start perusing house listings and call a real estate agent; but how do you know what mortgage program will work best for you? How much can you spend? What costs are involved other than the price of the home?

By spending an hour with a mortgage professional, you will learn the following:

Your credit score and identify credit issues (if any)
Mortgage programs available to you
The amount of money you will need for a down payment
Establish a price range for your new home
Closing costs involved and how to save money on them

You will leave that appointment armed with knowledge that will make you a much more informed buyer. Having a pre-qualification will establish your credibility as a buyer with real estate agents and with potential sellers.

This is the information your mortgage lender will need to know in order to get you prequalified.

Annual gross income
Balance in your bank accounts
Balance in 401K/Retirement
How much you want to use for a down payment
Credit score and credit history
All debts and liabilitiesThe best lenders explain all the options available to you and will give you feedback on how to manage your credit profile.

If you are serious about buying a home, you need to…

Stay Current: Make timely payments on all existing debt
Stay Consistent: Continue to use credit/debit cards as normal
Stay Informed: Join a credit watch program
Stay Connected: Speak with your mortgage professional if you have any questions

An informed buyer is empowered.

Know what you can afford
Know the costs of a mortgage
Know what you need for a down payment

The more you know, the more prepared you are, and the more smooth the transaction!

Don’t fall in love with a home you can’t afford, be prepared – get prequalified!

Post sponsored by Lori Medeiros, Senior Loan Officer with RMS

Portuguese Style Roasted Pumpkin Seeds (Sementes de Abóbora Assado)

October 28, 2015October 28, 2015

Being Portuguese, one of my most favorite Halloween traditions is roasting of the pumpkin seeds! American pumpkin seeds (usually involving lots of salt as the only spice) are tasty and I do like them at other times of the year, but there is nothing like a home roasted Portuguese Style pumpkin seed that you get after carving your Halloween pumpkin!

Each and every family has a different style of pumpkin seed roasting and a different mixture of spices. I have been working on this recipe myself for a few years now and I think I have it just right for my taste. These are super spicy, so in the tutorial pictures, I give advice on reducing the heat if you like.

Start with an empty sealable container. This recipe can be doubled easily and will store nicely if you prefer to use it throughout pumpkin season… this recipe is great for squash seeds too!

To your container, add in garlic powder.

Kosher salt

Paprika… now, I use Hungarian Paprika which is very spicy, so if you like spice, use it, if you don’t, don’t

Crushed red pepper flakes

Since I already use Hungarian Paprika, I only use a touch of Cayenne Pepper… If you don’t have Hungarian Paprika, you may want to use a bit more Cayenne. Here I am using 1/4 tsp… I would up it to 1/2 tsp without the Hungarian Paprika.

Cover your container and give it a good shake.

Once you are through mixing your spice, it’s time to move onto the pumpkin. This guy is about to become a Mickey Mouse pumpkin!

Have a large bowl handy for your seeds.

I like to cut the bottom of my pumpkin for carving because no seam is shown up top.

Now pull apart and you will expose all your seeds.

Scoop them out.

You will find you may have a lot of pumpkin goop mixed in with your seeds, you don’t need that.

Remove all the goop. From here I DO NOT wash… I like that they are still slimy. Slimy seeds let the spice mix stick better!

You can throw out the goop.

Now, add in a little of the spice at a time. I have 2 cups of seeds here, so I am starting by adding in about half of my seasoning.

It looks to me like they are not well coated enough. So, I ended up adding the remaining spice. You be the judge on yours.

After they are mixed, this is what they should look like. Lay them in a single layer on a parchment covered cookie sheet… please do not try to put this directly on a cookie sheet… even with parchment, they stick. You could oil your pan first if you don’t have parchment paper.

After about 20 minutes in the oven, they look like this… You want to stir them up again and lay flat again. Pop them back in the oven for another 10 minutes or so.

When done roasting, this is what you get.

Portuguese Style Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Makes 2 cups

Ingredients:

2 cups non-washed pumpkin seeds

Spice Mix:

1 Tbs. Paprika (Hungarian for extra spice if desired)

1 Tbs. Kosher salt

1 Tbs. granulated garlic

1 tsp. dry crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp. Cayenne pepper

Directions:

Combine all spices in a resealable container. Spread on pumpkin seeds and stir. Bake in a single layer on a parchment lined cookie sheet for 20 minutes at 350°F. Stir. Bake for an additional 10 minutes. Allow to cool. Break up any big pieces. Enjoy!

Buffalo Chicken Dip

October 26, 20151 Comment

My husband loves “Buffalo” everything! He loves wings, he loves tenders, he loves deli meat, he loves wraps and calzones made with buffalo chicken… and so it is only natural that this is one of his favorite party munchies! Made with chicken, buffalo sauce, blue cheese (or ranch) and cheese, this dip is perfect for tailgating, homegating or any party all year round!

Start with a block of cream cheese. Be sure your block of cream cheese is softened or at room temperature before you try mixing it in.

Then grab a chicken breast… This one is from a rotisserie chicken. Remove the skin and I like to use only the breasts.

You’ll need cooked chicken…You can buy a chicken breast and cook it yourself or just pick up a rotisserie chicken and use the breasts from there, either way, start with two boneless skinnless breasts.

I start processing the chicken by cubing it first… it won’t stay this way, but this makes it easier to manage.

I’ve heard there is a trick with a mixer to shred your chicken and by all means look it up and try it, but for me two forks works just as well for this little dip.

Add in sour cream… I like adding in the sour cream for the tang, but also for the way that it helps the dip to be a bit more fluid and not so stiff.

Start to work it in to the cream cheese.

Add in either blue cheese or ranch dressing… I found this cool Buffalo Blue Cheese dressing and I like it.

Add some shredded cheddar right into your mixture.

Mix well.

Then add in chicken and your wing sauce.

I like to let the sauce sit on the chicken for a minute or so to really absorb the flavor of the sauce. At this point add in a pinch of salt and pepper too.

Mix well.

Spread it in your pan.

Cover with more cheddar. At this point you can either keep refrigerated until it’s time to bake, or pop it in the oven.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until melted through. Everything is fully cooked going into the oven, so you really just need it to get melty.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Serving Size: 8

Ingredients:

2 small rotisserie chicken breasts, shredded

1 bar softened cream cheese

3/4 cup buffalo wing sauce

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup blue cheese dressing (or ranch)

1 1/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided

salt and pepper to taste

Directions: Pre-heat oven to 350°F

Mix cream cheese, sour cream and dressing until well combined. Add in 1/2 shredded cheddar, mix well. Add shredded chicken on top and without mixing add in buffalo wing sauce, let sit 1 or 2 minutes, then mix in. Add a pinch of salt and pepper.

Pour into small baking dish. Top with remaining cheddar. Bake for 20-25 minutes until melted through. Serve with corn chips.

Enjoy!

Witches Fingers Almond Cookies

October 23, 20151 Comment

Halloween is nearly here! But, the week and weekend before are always filled with lots of spooky events! How fun would it be to show up at your next Halloween party with a tray of Witches Fingers? And these almond treats are yummy too!

To start off, you’ll need to measure out some shortening… I put these pics in a little gallery for you because I am using the Pampered Chef Measure All cup, which in my opinion is the only way to measure anything creamy. Take a look.

Just slide the cylinder up to the measurement amount.

Fill.

Place over your bowl.

Then depress the cylinder.

And scrape the small remainder off the flat surface.

Measure out your sugar… I am using a regular Pampered Chef Measuring cup here.

Beat the shortening and the sugar together in the mixer with the paddle attachment.

Add in egg and extract to the shortening and sugar mixture.

Mix until egg is fully incorporated.

Now for the dry ingredients:

In a separate bowl, add in flour.

Baking powder.

Salt.

And wisk together… This is the Pampered Chef Stainless Steal Whisk

Now add the flour mixture into the mixer:

You should have a clay like texture.

Now for the almonds. I don’t have ground almonds so I used one of my new favorite products, the Pampered Chef Manual Food Processor to achieve what I need… take a look:

Add your ground almonds into your mixture… you will need to do this with clean hands.

Once it is all incorporated dump it out onto a clean work surface… I am using my Pampered Chef Pastry Mat.

Divide in half. Set half aside for coloring and work with the non-colored dough first.

Divide in half.

Next divide in half again.

Now divide each of those chunks again into six pieces.

Now you should have 24 small pieces of dough (and the other half of your dough which will make another 24 pieces is still set aside)

Shape each piece of dough into a nobby finger… I put a little bump right in the middle so it looks like a knuckle.

Place on your parchment lined baking sheet. And set aside while you prepare your almonds.

You will need blanched almonds to make your “finger nails”. You can buy blanched almonds, but I didn’t I just took a few minutes to blanch my own.

Bring water to a boil.

Count out 50 whole almonds. (I put in two extra to bar against breakage)

Add almonds into the boiling water.

Allow to boil for one minute.

Remove from the boiling water and place almonds immediately into very cold water.

The skins of the almonds will now peel right off.

And now you have blanched almonds.

Press one almond to the end of each of the “fingers” you have on the cookie sheet.

Place these in an oven that has been pre-heated to 350°F.

Now with your remaining dough, you will want to color them green!

Add in your best food coloring… I like a gel for this.

Be sure to add it in gradually so you don’t over do it.

You’ll want to achieve about this color.

You will also need to color your remaining almonds… I used a hot pink color.

Mix in and set aside so they have a few minutes to dry.

Now go through the same exact process with the green dough.

When they come out of the oven, be sure to let sit on the cookie sheet for a couple of minutes before removing. Then place all the “fingers” gently on a drying rack… This is the Pampered Chef Cookie Cooling Rack… I like it because of the small openings rather than others I have that are not in a cross hatch.

Witches Fingers Almond Cookies

Makes 48 cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup Vegetable Shortening

1 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp. almond extract

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup ground almonds

48-50 blanched almonds (see tutorial above)

1/4 tsp. green food coloring

4-5 drops red food coloring (or hot pink)

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350°F.

Cream shortening and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add egg and extract. Beat until incorporated.

In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add to shortening mixture in 2 additions. Mix well after each addition until smooth and clay like.

Add ground almonds. Knead until incorporated. Divide dough in 2 and set half aside. Divide the remaining dough into 4 parts, then take each of those 4 parts and divide into 6 parts. Shape into roughly a 3″ “finger”. Press a blanched almond into one end of each “finger”.

To the remaining dough, add in green coloring and knead until incorporated. Also, add in red or hot pink coloring to the remaining almonds. Divide dough in 2 and set half aside. Divide the remaining dough into 4 parts, then take each of those 4 parts and divide into 6 parts. Shape into roughly a 3″ “finger”. Press a blanched almond into one end of each “finger”.

Bak on a parchment lined baking sheet for 10-13 minutes. Remove from oven and let cookies sit for a few minutes before placing on a cookie drying rack.

Enjoy!

Tab-top Curtains by: Natalia

October 22, 2015October 22, 2015

My mom is an expert in curtain making. She doesn’t do it professionally although I have urged her to do so on several occasions. She needs no pattern and often comes up with designs on her own. So, we have always had custom designed and made curtains. From when I moved out into my first apartment to now all I need do is pick out a fabric or two and explain what I was looking to achieve and she was able to whip it right up for me. The same has extended to my sister’s of course. And I have to tell you, there is nothing that succeeds in making a home look more polished than beautifully hung curtains.

My sister Lindsey recently got married and they just bought their first home! Such an exciting time! New beginnings and a fresh start in designing and decorating. So, she, as I and my sister Vicki have done picked out some fabrics and styles. Today I am going to walk you through some simple cotton tab-top curtains my mother designed and made for Lindsey’s eat in kitchen.

First the fabrics:

My sister chose a simple sage green and beige checkered design for the main fabric and a plain sage fabric for the accent color.

The first step whenever making custom curtains is to take accurate measurements. You need to measure from curtain rod to floor or to the bottom of the sill, whichever you decide you want to do. In this case we are going right down to the floor. Then you need to allow for hemming. In this case, the bottom of the curtain will be the accent piece and it will measure 18″. So that 18″ doubled plus 2″ for a hem is added to the rod to floor measurement along with a 2″ top hem.

The first step is to sew the two pieces of fabric together.

Just using a simple sewing machine stitch. Be sure you have lined up the edges of the fabric. And be sure you are sewing the wrong sides of the fabric facing out so that when you see the fabric from the front side it looks seemless.

Then you have this and you can treat it like one piece of fabric.

Before starting any hem, the first step is to iron. With a big piece of fabric like a curtain, it’s a lot easier to not use pins and ironing will assist with that.

This is my mom’s little trick for measuring as she irons.

Now you can run this through your machine.

A simple stitch is all you need for the left and right of the panel.

This is how you make the tabs… picture by picture. The first step is to get a length of fabric about 4″ wide by 6″ long and iron it down, then sew, then turn it inside out, iron again, pin it on the top of your panel and sew on.

Once all your tabs are in position, the next step is to make it so they pop out the top without seeing the rough edges. In order to do this you create a back panel for the top with a 4-6″ piece of fabric. As always start off with iron it, then pinning it to the top of the panel and sewing. Once that is set, you put in a simple top stitch to keep everything in place and falling nicely.

Now to finish the last part of the panel, the bottom. My mother always makes sure to give the curtains a custom look by adding in an invisible seem where you don’t see actual stitching.

My mother likes to be sure that her curtains are finished nicely with invisible seems at the bottom.

This is what you want it to look like on the back side of the curtain.

To demonstrate, she did it in red for ya.

Then pull it in.

And you will have an invisible seem on the other side.

This is what you will see on the front side of the curtain, only when it is in beige, you won’t see anyting, hence the invisible seem.

Then iron again.

“Are you looking to spruce up your home for the holiday season? You may have extra money to get that done, let’s take a look at your mortgage and find out. Rates are great, let’s see if we can save you money!” ~Lori Medeiros

Portuguese Style Braised Short Ribs (Pequenas Costeletas Refogadas)

October 21, 20155 Comments

I love a good old-fashioned Portuguese recipe that has been passed down generation after generation as much as the next person, but this is not it. This recipe is purely my Portuguese cooking skills put to use with an updated combination of ingredients. The braising method isn’t something that I grew up with, but in this dish, it’s perfect. I even so so far as to serve this over mashed potatoes! Let’s get crazy now! So, if you are in the mood for something Portuguese that is a bit different from anything you’ve ever tried, check this out!

Someone asked me once about my Portuguese Beef Stew, what is it that makes it “Portuguese” exactly? My response was that the combination of spices, the use of Portuguese sausage and the specific ingredients are what makes it “Portuguese”. Like many nationalities, Portuguese cooking has it’s go-to ingredients, paprika, garlic, onions etc. Then there are some ingredients like Pimenta Moida (Portuguese Ground Pepper) that are very specific to Portuguese cuisine. If you get a handle on exactly what makes something “Portuguese”, you can really make almost anything “Portuguese Style”. And that is what I’ve done for you today.

Of course with all that being said… there are probably thousands of ways to make something “Portuguese Style”. This is the “Portuguese Style” that I grew up with. And that has a lot to do with where my family is from. My mother’s family is from the village of Povoação and my father’s family is from the village of Rabo de Peixe which are both in St. Michael, Azores, Portugal, but on opposite sides of the island separated by mountains. Now that may not seem like a big deal now… but, when flavor profiles were being developed long before people had cars to travel to and from villages and up and down mountains, each village made their own style of “Portuguese Style” food and they were just a little different. Both villages are located on the ocean and so they both accepted spice traders from all over the world making the spices they cook with a bit different. So, MY “Portuguese Style” is mostly a combination of the styles in those two villages and by extension a combination of spices from all over the world! How awesome is that?

Let me show you how I made this “Portuguese Style” dish…

Start with some short ribs… Now I made this as a small meal for my husband and myself, but you could easily double the meat in this recipe.

Short ribs are especially delicious because of all this connective tissue… And braising it will render a good amount of that fat.

Salt and pepper the meat well.

Instead of using a more traditional chopped onion, I am throwing my spin on this dish by making it with pearl onions… Now, if you have fresh pearl onions and the constitution to peel and prepare each and every one, more power to you. I, although love doing almost everything from scratch, take help from the store on this one and get the already prepped perfectly delicious frozen pearl onions.

Put them into a colander in your sink, run a bit of warm water over then and allow them to drip dry for a while before use.

Use one garlic clove per piece of short rib… In my case I’m using 7 garlic cloves.

I am using a pot that is just large enough to accommodate my short ribs… you don’t want them getting lost but you don’t want them over crowded either. If you don’t have a pot that will manage this, you will want to sear your meat in batches. You also need to be sure that what ever you are using is oven safe as this is a one-pot dish. (if you don’t have anything, you will also need a baking dish with a lid or some good aluminum foil.)

Add in a good quality cooking olive oil.

And grab your favorite set of tongs. These are my Pampered Chef tongs, i love the grips on them.

Once your oil is good and hot over medium/high heat, place each short rib in.

Allow them to sear for a few minutes on each side until browned.

Don’t play with them. Let them sear for at least 3-4 minutes… this will take time.

But, this is the reward… after about 20 minutes of searing, you get these beautifully caramelized pieces of meat… remove and place on a plate while you make the rest of the dish.

You will have some awesome drippings in the bottom of your pan, you will use those now… add the drained onions to it.

Once the onions start to caramelize, add in the garlic.

Then add in your crushed red pepper… A warning here, the way my family makes red pepper, it is more for flavor and not so much for heat… so I am adding in about 1/4 cup of it. If your pepper is hotter, you will need to adjust this amount accordingly.

In a lot of my Portuguese recipes, you will find me using tomato sauce because that is how my mother cooks… but, I wanted a less saucy and more concentrated flavor here, so I add in about 2 Tablespoons of tomato paste instead. Have you seen these tubes of tomato paste? They are great!

Next, I add in about 3/4 of a can of domestic beer. Nothing with too strong a flavor.

Now grab your resting meat and add it and the juices that made their way onto the plate back in.

You want to nestle each piece right into the onions.

Cover your pot and pop it in a 275°F oven for about 1 hour and 45 minutes or so. (It won’t mean the end of the world if you forget it until 2 hours and it also won’t be the end of the world if you are super hungry and need to pull it out at 1 hour and a half… but, I found this to be the perfect timing).

And this is what comes out of your oven!

Serve over some buttery mashed potatoes.

Portuguese Style Braised Short Ribs

Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

8-16 short ribs (8 to serve 2 or 4 to serve 4)

1 bag frozen pearl onions

1/4 cup Portuguese crushed red pepper

8 cloves of garlic, crushed and peeled

3/4 can of domestic beer

2 Tbls. tomato paste

1 tsp. Portuguese Allspice

kosher salt

fresh cracked black pepper

olive oil

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 275°F. Before you begin take the short ribs out of the fridge generously sprinkle with salt and pepper and let sit out for about 20-30 minutes and defrost the pearl onions.

Place a pot over medium heat and add in a few Tbls. of olive oil. Sear the meat on each side until browned, this process should take about 20 minutes. Remove the meat from the pot and set aside. To the drippings, add in the pearl onions and saute until starting to caramelize. Add in garlic. Add in Allspice, tomato paste and beer. Then add in short ribs including any drippings from the plate they were placed on. Cover and place in oven for 1 hour and 45 minutes.

Remove from oven and taste for salt and pepper. Serve over something plain like mashed potatoes or white rice. Enjoy!

Hot Mulled Apple Cider

October 19, 2015

What a beautiful weekend this was here in the northeast! It was cold, but clear and sunny! Perfect for fall fun… One of our favorite fall activities is apple picking! But, I just can’t go apple picking without coming home with some fresh squeezed Apple Cider!

Everyone in my house has a runny nose right now including my husband and my kids are a bit too young for tea with honey… So, my natural solution to this is to make some Hot Mulled Apple Cider with a touch of honey! And it was a hit. I love hot apple cider just plain, but mulling it with some spices just takes it right out of this world! If you have never tried it, I urge you to try this simple recipe!

Start with some farm fresh apple cider. As you can see, this has no added sugar or preservatives, just delicious apples!

Pour about 1 quart into a medium sauce pan.

Add two full cinnamon sticks.

This is a nutmeg pit… As you can see, it is one that has been well used in recipe after recipe, now it is suitable for the cider! (as always, if you don’t have real nutmeg, please don’t use the powdered stuff, just omit it)

You can slice some orange slices in, but I just like the essence of the orange, so I am just putting in one length of peel.

Some fresh ginger really brings in some good spice to this mulling… I just picked one small nub, broke it off and sliced it up.

I add just one teaspoon of raw local honey… The mulling process actually sweetens the cider a bit by concentrating it, so you don’t need much honey and you could leave this out if you don’t like things too sweet, but the flavor is really yummy, not to mention great for colds and sore throats.

Put in 7 or 8 whole cloves.

Don’t bring this to a boil… As you can see, this is all steamed up, but the second I saw a boil bubble, it came off the stove… watch it, don’t let it boil. You don’t want to waste any! At this point you are ready to strain and serve… AND at this point if you choose to, you could make this an adult beverage by adding in a touch of bourbon or dark spiced rum!

To serve, I fish out one of the cinnamon sticks and place it in the mug and strain the liquid into the cup.

To serve, I fish out one of the cinnamon sticks, shred some orange peel, place it in the mug and strain the liquid in.

Hot Mulled Apple Cider

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 quart apple cider

2 cinnamon sticks

1 tsp. honey

1 orange peel

1 tsp. sliced fresh ginger

1 tsp. whole cloves

1 used nutmeg pit

1 oz. bourbon or dark spiced rum (optional)

Directions:

Place all ingredients into a pot. Heat on high until just before boiling. Remove from heat when steaming. Strain into mugs. Serve with cinnamon stick and some shredded orange peel. Enjoy!

Halloween Candy Bars

October 16, 2015October 16, 2015

Halloween has to be one of the most fun-loving holiday’s we have! I thought I would come up with a project to do with my kids that reflects that! And because it’s Halloween, there needs to be sugar involved in said project… Soooo, I took sugar wafer cookies (yum), chocolate (yum), and candy (more yum) and I put them all together in one super yummy festive treat!

All you need to do is pick up a couple of packages of sugar wafers (I got three flavors), two kinds of melting chocolate (or colorful melts if you like), and a selection of candy. My kids LOVE m&m’s so those had to be there, then to make it extra Halloweeny, some candy corn of course and the rest were just random selections that suited my fancy!

This no-bake treat is inexpensive, easy and fun, let me show you how I did it…

Here are all the ingredients I used... You can swap any of this out, get creative, taylor it to your tastes!

Here are all the ingredients I used… You can swap any of this out, get creative, tailor it to your tastes!

I chose bittersweet chocolate because it helps to off set some of the sweetness.

I chose vanilla melts for the contrast in color.

Three different types of sugar wafers… the classic vanilla, chocolate and strawberry… but there are lots of different flavors out there, again, get creative!

I used sweetened coconut flakes, you could use unsweetened or even toasted if you want to cut some of the sugar.

Candy corn is a non-negotiable if you are making these for Halloween! Even if they are just on a few, it really helps to doll them up… Now, if you are making these for let’s say Christmas or Easter, you might use candy canes or peeps!

I chose mini m&m’s because their cute little size fit with the wafers, also, because they are small, we could get more color… and as I already mentioned, this is a family favorite!

I picked up a cookies and cream candy bar and chopped it up… My kids love Oreo yogurt and so I knew they would just love this one!

I reserved some of the vanilla chips for decoration.

I also picked up some peanut butter cups, um, yum… obviously if you are making these to bring into a school or somewhere there might be a peanut allergy, I would leave these out.

Cover a cookie sheet with parchment. You want to place on something mobile so you are able to move your bars to a cool place to set up.

Place your vanilla melts in a microwave safe bowl and heat for one minute to start, then stir as well as you can.

Place in the microwave again for 10-15 seconds at a time, stir after each time… until you come to this level of melt. Then allow any random bits to melt with the rest of the meltiness.

just plop each sugar wafer into the pool one at a time. With the vanilla chips, I start with the vanilla so that if some crumbs fall in, it doesn’t sour the batch.

Gently coat and allow to drip so you don’t get over coverage.

Once they are coated, place on your tray.

Some vanilla crumbs did get in, but they really aren’t seen, so I continue with the strawberry.

While still warm, start sprinkling on candy.

Get creative, let the kids have at it, there is no wrong way to do this!

Once you are done with the vanilla chips, move on to the chocolate… I like to do one at a time because it only stays warm enough to coat for a short time. So, pop this in the microwave for one minute and this is what it looks like after that minute. Mix as well as you can and pop it in for an additional 10 seconds at a time until you get to the next level…

Once you are mostly melty, mix and allow the rest to naturally melt… You don’t want to over heat, then you end up with burned chocolate, no fun!

The real chocolate will be much more liquidy, making for a more even coating.

Again, just have at it with the candy.

I had some left over chocolate, so I used it to further doll up my vanilla bars.

Halloween Candy Bars

Serves: 16

8 oz. bittersweet chocolate chips, melted

8 oz. vanilla chips melted, plus more for decorating

16 sugar wafer cookies

1/4 cup sweetened coconut

1 cup candy corn

1 Cookies and Cream candy bar, chopped

2 peanut butter cups, chopped

1/8 cup mini m&m’s candies

(use any candy you like)

Directions:

Cover a cookie sheet in parchment or wax paper, set aside.
Melt chocolate or vanilla chips (one at a time).
Dip and cover each sugar wafer, gently.
Decorate with candy.
Set on tray to cool and set up.

Saving Money with a Home Energy Assessment

October 15, 2015October 15, 2015

If you are a fan of my blog, you already know what a big fan I am on Farmer’s Markets. Well I was walking along at my local Farmer’s Market a few weeks back and stopped at a booth that looked like it had nothing to do with produce, instead there were a bunch of light bulbs all around. So, I stopped and asked the gentleman what his booth was all about. He told me he was working for the city on a project to help save home owners money and help the environment at the same time. This sparked my interest so I asked some questions.

He explained the Mass Save program to me. Mass Save is an initiative funded by the utility companies geared at making the average home more energy-efficient. Why would utility companies be working to save us energy you might ask? Well, I did ask… Let’s use the electric company for example. If the electric company succeeds in making your home more energy-efficient, it reduces the overall strain on the electric grid. This helps them by leading to less building of electic stations and less building of electric stations leads to less maintenance of said electric stations which leads to less repair and eventual replacement of those electric stations. In every single point of that last sentence, the electric company saves money. But, in order to save them money, they need to make your home and thousands of other homes more efficient by helping you to utilize the power that comes into your home in a more efficient manner. This then leads to the consumer saving money.

Some of the things they will help you with to reduce your electric intake is checking on your appliances and providing information on available rebates if you need to replace them with energy star label appliances. They replace existing light bulbs with energy-efficient bulbs and they may even leave you with a power strip that will reduce the amount of plug-in non-use energy that you are paying for just for having things plugged in even if they aren’t currently in use! But, it’s not just the electricity that they help you out with. An energy assessment on your home also looks at your heating costs and the efficiency of the heat that you are bringing into your home. They do this mainly by looking at the outside insulation of your home and the efficiency of your furnace, they will also supply you with a no cost programmable thermostat. One of the biggest things they provide you with is a 75% instant rebate (that is a rebate you don’t need to pay and then get reimbursed for, this rebate is more like a coupon to use at time of purchase) on the installation of insulation on the outer perimeter of your home. They look at your water intake and can replace shower heads and add-on faucet spouts to reduce the water you use.

So, I all this made me curious… I decided to book an assessment and try it out on a rental unit we own. And they were very accommodating… It took a couple of weeks to find a date and time that worked with everyone’s schedule, but we set it and they called with a reminder the day before.

On the day of the assessment a nice and very knowledgeable young man named Nate showed up ready to work. I’ll take you through what he did…

Nate goes into the closet where the cable company has run wires to check to see if there is insulation in the outer walls of the home.

Here he he unscrewing the outlet plate to try and get a peek in the wall.

Since the wall is covered with a decorative paneling, he is checking to see if there is a layer of plaster beneath it. If there is, then insulation can be blown in. If not, then the paneling would not support the insulation and the walls could buckle… in this case, it’s all set.

Nate checks under the siding of the house to see if there is an outside layer of insulation under the siding.

He also looks at your thermostat. If it’s not programmable, he leaves a programmable one behind for ya.

He looks at all the light fixtures in the home in search of non-energy efficient bulbs so that he might swap them out for more energy efficient ones.

Even the plug in lamps get a new upgrade.

Nate brought along a whole box of replacement bulbs.

This is one style of energy efficient bulb.

This is a more modern style of energy-efficient bulb.

Nate does the swapping out for the resident.

But, he also leaves behind all the old bulbs.

Nate checks the refrigerator to see if it is one of the more energy-efficient models. If is was an older model that did not have an Energy Star status, there are rebates available.

This is the bag Nate brought in with him to do all the various tests.

Here Nate is checking for the Carbon Monoxide levels in the furnace.

Here Nate is checking for the air flow and efficiency of the furnace.

These are the two measurement units that test the quality of the air inside the furnace and the air flow.

Nate had to drill a small hole in the vent shaft, which is o.k. but he also used metal tape to cover the hole.

So, that’s everything… The whole visit took about 45 minutes or so. He explained that he would be checking over all his numbers and making recommendations and sending me out all of that along with a cost analysis of how much everything would be should we choose to follow any of the recommendations along with information on any rebates available to us to defray the cost. Even if we decide not to go with any of the upgrades right now, we still have all the light bulbs (that can be pretty pricey), the new programmable thermostat, a new top of the line energy-saving power strip and a new faucet nozzle to install. Overall, I would say it was well worth my 45 minutes!

I think I’ll have an assessment of my own home done next!

If you or someone you know is looking to have an energy assessment done for your home or business and you live in Massachusetts, just contact Mass Save at the highlighted link. If you live outside of Massachusetts, contact your local utility company and ask if they have a similar program available, most states do!

I would like to thank Lori Medeiros, Senior Loan Officer for RMS for sponsoring today’s post!