Cooking – Book Reviews by the Reluctant Retiree

Meal Prep for Country Cooks

Meal prep is something that many of us leave until the last moment. I’m not talking about taking the meat out of the freezer or refrigerator. I’m talking about chopping up all the vegetables that go in that soup, stew, one-pot meal. I’m talking celery, carrots, peppers, onions. (Onions are the worst in my humble opinion!)

Why not just buy it?

Before you jump up and tell me that you can just buy those items already chopped up, stop and think about it. What is cheaper, buying the already chopped up items and having to take what is available, or doing it yourself and including the items that your family likes? Last time I checked prices in the grocery store, it was cheaper to buy the produce in the produce section or at the produce market than to pay someone else to do all that chopping.

There are tons of books/pins/blogs that detail how to accomplish this. I love to look through these places for ideas. I don’t have a problem with the ideas they present, just the quantities!

It’s just my husband and myself, that’s it! I don’t need to cook a meal for more than 2 unless we are talking about soups. So what’s more convenient for me is ingredients that are prepped in such a way that I can simply measure out how much I need.

I don’t have time!

I got this idea the second time I bought a bag of celery stalks and part of them went bad before I could use them all. I grabbed a small cookie tray that would fit in my Side-by-side freezer and lined it with parchment paper. Then I grabbed my celery, cutting board and knife before starting to chop. 5 – 10 minutes later I had the tray filled with chopped celery. I popped it in the freezer and waited. About 2 hours later, I came back, and the celery was frozen enough that I could dump it from there into a freezer container. The pieces remained separated enough that I could easily just get what I needed out. I repeated this until I had all the celery done.

I took one large onion and cut it up using a mandolin slicer. It took maybe 5 minutes to do. This is going into the refrigerator for use. I’ll cut a few more up and freeze them to use later.

This is sliced Starfruit. A friend of mine has a tree in her backyard. She has started freezing the slices and then adding them to drinks instead of ice cubes.

Think about what you want to store the frozen vegetables in. I use a mixture of freezer bags and freezer containers. This makes it easier for me to see what is in the bags. Just remember to date the bags/containers so you know when you froze them.

My recipe calls for a different type of measurement!

Yeah, so do mine. My favorite cooking magazine, Cook’s Illustrated, once tackled this question. According to their tests, a small onion = 1/2 cup of diced onions, a medium onion = 1 cup, and a large onion = 2 cups!

Now, of course, you probably won’t only be dealing with just onions. Which led me to another website, https://www.howmuchisin.com/produce_converters Great website! Having found this, I plan to go back through my favorite recipes and make notes.

Now that I gave you some ideas, go forth and conquer! With all those vegetables already prepared, cooking becomes so much more enjoyable!

Remembering the Casserole!

It’s that time of the year again. In the next few months we have several holidays to celebrate. Holiday celebrations generally also include cooking for friends and family. All that cooking can be a bit overwhelming if you like me, cook all the meals anyway. Some nights I just don’t want to cook anything!

That’s when having a casserole or two in the freezer comes in handy. Having been raised in PA just outside of what generally gets called “Amish” country, I know several one pot meals that I can use. Sometimes you just want more. So, I make casseroles and freeze them. I don’t mean Tuna Noodle casserole either!

Why make your own casserole?

Yep, there are lots of made casseroles available in the freezer section of your local grocery store. Take a second though, and look at the nutritional information on that package. I looked through the offerings at Walmart and just randomly checked a package. While the calories were acceptable, the sodium was not. The recommended amount for an adult is around 2500 mg per day. This random package, which serves 1 person, had 1250. That’s half of the RDA! If you make it yourself, you can cut that number down.

The second reason for making your own casserole is leftovers. It’s the perfect solution to the problem of what to do with the leftovers. Just chop them up into bite size pieces and make a casserole! For that, you don’t need a recipe. What you need is a basic formula.

Basic Formula

Okay, I found this article on Allrecipes on making a casserole. As you can read, it can be really easy to make one without a specific recipe. So let’s go through the steps together.

3 – 4 cups of protein. Recently I made some boneless pork chops that turned out to be bigger than my husband and I could eat. I plan to cut it up and measure the amount. If I don’t have enough , I’ll add something else to bring it up to the amount needed.
2 cups of Carbs. Did you make too much pasta, potatoes or rice? Perfect! Measure them up and throw them in. If needed, mix the carbs together.
1 cup of aromatics. I tend to keep some of these chopped in the fridge. Think onions, celery, carrots, bell peppers, etc.
1 – 2 cups of vegetables. I tend to use frozen vegetables because it’s easier for me. You can also use canned vegetables or even fresh if you want.
1-2 cups of binder. I’ve started keeping cans of cream of “whatever” soup in my cupboard just for this reason. I usually mix a can with 1/2 can of milk for this.

This makes a 9 x 13 pan. If you making it to bake later, try using a tinfoil pan. That way you can save on clean-up later by just throwing it away. I have a small family so I divide it between several smaller pans. I either use 8 x 8 pans or loaf pans. Both are readily available, think Dollar Tree for these! Make sure that you have lids for them.

Baking the Casserole

I tend to use a cookie sheet under the pan to make it easier to get in and out of the oven.

Key Lime Pie

So many people think that making pies is difficult. That’s not necessarily true. Take this pie for instance. Believe it or not, it only takes 3 ingredients besides the pie crust!

This recipe was given to me when we first moved into the place where we live now. I don’t know who created it originally but since it was freely given to me, I am freely passing it on.

Key Lime Pie

4 egg yolks
2 (15 oz) cans of sweetened condensed milk
1 cup Key Lime Juice
1 graham cracker crust (use the 9 inch one)

Combine the egg yolks, milk and juice. Mix gently without beating air in mixture. Pour into pie crust and bake for 15 minutes at 375 degrees. Let cool and top with Whipped topping if desired.

This is the brand I use, Nellie and Joe’s Famous Key West Lime Juice. Recently I was able to find it at either Costco or Sam’s Club. You can also add in lime zest.

Char-Broil Everybody Grills!

200 Prize-Worthy Recipes to Put Sizzle on Your Grill (Creative Homeowner) Includes Easy-to-Follow Tips & Tricks for Grilling, Smoking, & Low-and-Slow BBQ, and 250 Photos

Char-Broil’s Everybody Grills! is the definitive cookbook and how-to guide for everyone who loves preparing meals in the great outdoors!

200 prize-worthy recipes for grilled and barbecued appetizers, main courses, salads, veggies, marinades—even desserts on the grill!
250 color photos illustrate each recipe in mouth-watering detail
Expert tips & techniques from Sizzle on the Grill Web writer Barry “CB” Martin for brining, marinating, and grilling that yield juicy steaks, ribs, and chicken
Developed in partnership with Char-Broil, one of North America’s leading grill manufacturers

Sumptuous spreads of exquisitely grilled food; step-by-step prize-winning recipes; lists of ingredients plus preparation and grill/cook times; expert tips on techniques and the latest equipment; delectable marinades, sauces, and rubs: Char-Broil Everybody Grills! is the definitive cookbook and how-to guide for everyone—from the beginner to the seasoned barbecue enthusiast—who loves preparing meals in the great outdoors.

This book was developed by editors at Creative Homeowner in partnership with Char-Broil, one of North America’s leading grill manufacturers. For 60 years, millions of folks have relied on the Char-Broil name for great backyard cooking. Now, this trusted grill company presents Everybody Grills!, a cookbook filled with everything you need to know to get outside and join the fun. You’ll find hundreds of recipes for grilling, smoking, low-and-slow BBQ, and frying a whole turkey for the holidays—without oil!

Filled with more than 200 easy-to-follow recipes and tips for delicious grilled and barbecued beef, lamb, veal, pork, poultry, seafood, vegetables, sides, salads, appetizers, snacks, marinades, sauces, rubs, and desserts, plus more than 250 mouthwatering color photos, Everybody Grills! will help you grill, barbecue, and cook delicious meals outdoors that will have family and friends licking their fingers!

Char-Broil Everybody Grills! has been recognized for:

2009 Benjamin Franklin Award, Publishers Marketing Association
2009 IPPY, Bronze, Recognizing Excellence in Independent Publishing, Independent Publisher Book Awards
2008 USA Best Books Awards Winner (Cookbooks: Grilling & BBQ), USA Book News
2008 Indies Finalist, Book of the Year Award, Foreward Magazine

You see all those little blue pieces of paper sticking out of the book in the photo? Those are all the recipes that my husband and I want to try. Whether it’s a full (new) recipe to try, or just a new sauce for your favorite dish that you already make, there’s something for everyone in this book. Yes, you may find duplicate information but this is definitely a keeper!

Erica S D
5.0 out of 5 starsVerified Purchase
nice bookReviewed in the United States on January 2, 2021
full of great recipes with nice pictures that make me unsure what I should try first.


James Anderson
5.0 out of 5 starsVerified Purchase
Gotta have it!Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2018
This is a very nicely done paperback. Glossy pages. Recipes are mostly single-page with picture (love that) and simple and "normal" ingredients".


pkkmmokelly
4.0 out of 5 starsVerified Purchase
decent grillin guideReviewed in the United States on July 8, 2020
if you like to cook your dinner outside especially in the summer/spring/fall you'll enjoy this book great pictures and nice ideas well photographed...

Accessories for Your Instant Pot

Why Accessories?

While there are plenty of recipes that you can make in your Instant Pot without using any thing more than the pot and a trivet. You don’t need more than that for soups or stews. However, there are so many more recipes that just need an accessory or two to expand your use of it. I’m going to list a few of them with reasons why you might need it.

Egg Bite Molds

If you’re a fan of Starbucks, you have undoubtedly noticed their little egg bites. Now I don’t go to Starbucks, and couldn’t begin to tell you what is in them. Using a silicon egg bite mold will let you make egg bites of your own! Now besides your basic egg bites, I’ve seen cheesecake bites, meatballs, pancake bites, to name just a few. My favorite is muffin bites. If you buy the Martha White brand of muffin mix, it will make 7 bites, which is how many fits on a mold. I’ve been collecting recipe pins on my Pinterest Board, From My Kitchen and Instant Pot Recipes.

6 Inch Springform Pan

I didn’t quite believe it when I saw recipes for cheesecake that could be made in this smaller pan. I just didn’t believe you could cook a cheesecake in an Instant Pot. Then I did a little checking. It seems that custard recipes such as cheesecake, need a water to enable them to cook more evenly and slowly. The traditional method is to use boiling water in a roasting pan. Doing it this way, you would need to wrap tinfoil around the bottom of the springform pan to keep the water from leaking in. Now contrast that with placing your smaller springform pan on a trivet inside the Instant Pot. You get all the benefits of the water bath while still keeping the pan above the water! For a empty nest couple like ours, 6 inch pans are perfect.

6 cup Bundt Pan

This is another potential work horse in your kitchen. There are fabulous recipes out there for pound cakes that are sized for a 6 cup pan. In our current economic climate, wouldn’t it be better to make smaller cakes that will serve your family for one or two meals instead of three or four? I’ve even come across a recipe for “Monkey Bread” that is made in a 6 cup Bundt Pan in an Instant Pot! What a great treat!

6 cup Round Bowls, Cake Pans

These are great for making all kinds of things, casseroles, cakes. Just use your imagination. You may have to reduce the number of servings you are making, but wow, it is fabulous.

Steamer baskets

These should be another given accessory. There are any number of foods that are steamed. Steamer baskets come in a number of sizes. I even have one with a divider so that you can steam 3 different foods at the same time.

Hard Boiled Egg Rack

Easter is coming, folks. For those of you with small children and grandchildren, that means Easter Eggs. Now no one seems to argue that you need to boil the eggs for around 9 – 13 minutes. The problem comes in how long it takes that water to boil in the first place! The more eggs you need to make, the more water since you need to have water covering the eggs by 1 inch. BUT if you are doing them in a Instant Pot, you only need 1 cup of water no matter how many eggs you are making. Set the timer to 5 minutes. Once the timer goes off, let the IP release naturally for 5 minutes before doing a quick release. Scoop the eggs out and place in ice bath for 5 minutes. No matter how many eggs you are making, they are all cooked completely! So much easier!

The Science of Good Cooking

Master 50 Simple Concepts to Enjoy a Lifetime of Success in the Kitchen (Cook’s Illustrated Cookbooks)

Unlock a lifetime of successful cooking with this groundbreaking new volume from the editors of Cook’s Illustrated, the magazine that put food science on the map. Organized around 50 core principles our test cooks use to develop foolproof recipes, The Science of Good Cooking is a radical new approach to teaching the fundamentals of the kitchen. Fifty unique experiments from the test kitchen bring the science to life, and more than 400 landmark Cook’s Illustrated recipes (such as Old-Fashioned Burgers, Classic Mashed Potatoes, and Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies) illustrate each of the basic principles at work. These experiments range from simple to playful to innovative – showing you why you should fold (versus stir) batter for chewy brownies, why you whip egg whites with sugar, and why the simple addition of salt can make meat juicy. A lifetime of experience isn’t the prerequisite for becoming a good cook; knowledge is. Think of this as an owner’s manual for your kitchen.

Let me start with my humble opinion, you are going to love this book! After my hubby bought this book for me, we both took a quick look through it. Just that quick I found a recipe for shrimp that has become my “go to” for a quick weeknight meal. If you’ve never been able to get a pie crust to come out right, try the Foolproof Pie Crust in the back of the book. I tell you, it works for both myself and my friends. What makes for interesting reading is the explanation of “Why” it works.

Pokin
5.0 out of 5 stars A must-read to improve the results of your food!
Reviewed in the United States on September 22, 2012 Verified Purchase
Having relied on Cooks Illustrated recommendations for many of my favourite kitchen tools, buying this book was a no brainer. Needless to say I had high expectations going in, and this book did not disappoint.

I'm an avid cook, and while I've had great success with certain types of food, I've been frustrated by inconsistent results in others. (I can't seem to get a consistently moist pot-roast -- reason: my cooking temperature was probably too high; wrong cut of meat + oven braising is better than stovetop since it heats more evenly in more directions)

The Science of Good Cooking breaks down why food cooks a certain way, and which techniques are best for what purpose. The book is organized into 50 concepts with recipes reinforcing each concept. There's a section called "why this works" following each recipe, which breaks down the science behind each step -- for instance why use a certain type of marinade, cooking technique, take extra steps, etc to achieve a desired outcome. It's nice that it's not just a list of recipes.

Experiments back each concept. Meats were weighed, measured, smashed to determine tenderness, and moisture loss. They came up with a range of ideal resting times for various meats based on actually measuring the amount of juices lost at various times, and they sent food to the science lab to analyze their structure. They even stuck bones on mashed potatoes to test out whether keeping bones on makes food taste better. This book debunked some assumptions I had (acid does not actually make food more tender), and helped me understand other ones better - why salt directly applied on skin makes it more crispy, but if you brined the skin you'd get a different outcome. I also learned that the direction you cut your onion affects its taste - obvious in retrospect, but I never thought about that!

I was disappointed I couldn't see a table of contents before purchase, so here are the 50 concepts you will find within the book -

1. Gentle Heat Prevents Overcooking
2. High Heat Develops Flavor
3. Resting Meat Maximizes Juiciness
4. Hot Food Keeps Cooking
5. Some Proteins Are Best Cooked Twice
6. Slow Heating Makes Meat Tender
7. Cook Tough Cuts Beyond Well Done
8. Tough Cuts Like a Covered Pot
9. A Covered Pot Doesn't Need Liquid
10. Bones Add Flavor, Fat, and Juiciness
11. Brining Maximizes Juiciness in Lean Meats
12. Salt Makes Meat Juicy and Skin Crisp
13. Salty Marinades work best
14. Grind Meat at Home for Tender Burgers
15. A Panade Keeps Ground Meat Tender
16. Create Layers for a Breading That Sticks
17. Good Frying is All About Oil Temperature
18. Fat Makes Eggs Tender
19. Gentle Heat Guarantees Smooth Custards
20. Starch Keeps Eggs from Curdling
21. Whipped Egg Whites Need Stabilizers
22. Starch Helps Cheese Melt Nicely
23. Salting Vegetables Removes Liquid
24. Green Vegetables Like it Hot -- Then Cold
25. All Potatoes Are Not Created Equal
26. Potato Starches Can Be Controlled
27. Precooking Makes Vegetables Firmer
28. Don't Soak Beans -- Brine 'Em
29. Baking Soda Makes Beans and Grains Soft
30. Rinsing (Not Soaking) Makes Rice Fluffy
31. Slicing Changes Garlic and Onion Flavor
32. Chile Heat Resides in Pith and Seeds
33. Bloom Spices to Boost Their Flavor
34. Not All Herbs Are for Cooking
35. Glutamates, Nucleotides Add Meaty Flavor
36. Emulsifiers Make Smooth Sauces
37. Speed Evaporation When Cooking Wine
38. More Water Makes Chewier Bread
39. Rest Dough to Trim Kneading Time
40. Time Builds Flavor in Bread
41. Gentle Folding Stops Tough Quick Breads
42. Two Leaveners Are Often Better Than One
43. Layers of Butter Makes Flaky Pastry
44. Vodka Makes Pie Dough Easy
45. Less Protein Makes Tender Cakes, Cookies
46. Creaming Butter Helps Cakes Rise
47. Reverse Cream for Delicate Cakes
48. Sugar Changes Texture (and Sweetness)
49. Sugar and Time Makes Fruit Juicer
50. Cocoa Powder Delivers Big Flavor

The only thing I would have loved was a trouble shooting / Q&A section - e.g. How do you keep meat from cooling too much when you rest it?

Overall a great book if you want to improve your cooking technique, and also if you just want to learn more about why things behave the way they do!

Update: Looks like "Look inside" is now available for this book so there's finally a table of contents! 🙂 Since I've been cooking with the new concepts in mind, I'm happy with how my meat dishes (especially the stews) are turning out. I also tried using vodka instead of water to make pie crust (with the tip of putting a heated pan under the pie pan) and the pie crust turned out flaky and delicious as promised.


Maggie S
4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Reference
Reviewed in the United States on December 13, 2016 Verified Purchase
I have four shelves of cookbooks in my kitchen with classics such as Julia Child's originals all the way to glossy offerings from 3-star Michelin restaurants. Despite this, one can be an excellent cook using only two cookbooks: "Cooks Science" and the "Joy of Cooking". Cooks Science is comprehensive and the discussions help make you a better more informed cook than the usual recipe-oriented fare. I give it four and not five stars only because some of the recipes seem to be "tacked onto" the broader technical discussions rather than drawing upon them. For example, a discussion about the importance of slow cooking pork is followed by several recipes that seem to ignore that counsel. It's not an exhaustive cookbook like Joy of Cooking, but does offer recipes in most areas and manages to hit most of the biggies. Still, these seem to be a minor quibbles with an othewise excellent text.

J. Boyd
5.0 out of 5 stars Choose your own adventure -- Excellence in Ebook format!
Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2014 Verified Purchase
This is a fantastic cookbook. It's also a wonderfully entertaining education on the hows and whys - the science - of cooking. Every recipe I've tried has turned out well - and has taught me something. I own a hard-cover copy, and it has a place of honor on my kitchen bookshelf.

Then I bought the Kindle edition. Whoever formatted this book for Kindle has done a superlative job. The formatting actually enhances the reading experience.

For example - you are reading an early chapter entitled The Science of the Senses. In the first section (The Five Tastes) there's an interesting discussion of the fifth "taste," umami flavor. You can just read this and go on to the next section on How Taste Works. Or, if you want to understand umami a little more, you can follow the links in that first section to an in-depth discussion of glutamate and nucleotide levels in foods. This is Concept 35 - a section that is more than half-way through the book and yet meshes perfectly with what you read in that introductory chapter. The Concept ends with three recipes specifically engineered to show the best use of glutamate and nucleotides to produce rich meaty flavors -- AND with links to two additional recipes from yet another section of the book that also illustrate techniques associated with enhancing meaty flavors. It's a seamless reading experience that has you wandering through all different parts of this book.

When I first did this, I became a little alarmed. How was I ever going to find the recipes again? Have no fear. There is a complete and interactive table of contents. You can readily navigate to each of the "Science of.." chapters, or pick out one of the 50 Concepts and go directly there. In addition, there is a specific page of links that just lists all the recipes. So if you want to cook - hey, it works as a cookbook!

The Ebook version of The Science of Good Cooking reminds me of those "Choose your Own Adventure" stories - each time you dip in, you can follow a different path through. Kudos to the editors at America's Test Kitchen.

Edited to add:
The images in the book were clear, dark enough, and large enough be viewed very easily on my Kindle paperwhite. Tables were always correctly formatted, and fit the pages. The whole thing looked amazingly NICE and professional. Would that other ebooks looked so good!
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Wanda E. Brunstetter’s Amish Friends From Scratch Cookbook

New, from New York Times bestselling author of Amish fiction, Wanda E. Brunstetter–
A must-have cookbook that goes back to the basics of cooking from scratch!

Why does nothing compare to the memories of Great-Grandma’s food? Could it be because she made everything from scratch? Amish and Mennonite cooks contribute recipes that celebrate the value of skipping the factory-made shortcuts and cooking from scratch. Over 270 recipes are organized into traditional categories from main dishes and sides to desserts and snacks. Also included are kitchen tips and stories about growing up around an Amish kitchen. Encased in a lay-flat binding and presented in full color, home cooks of all ages will be delighted to add this cookbook to their collections.


Tala'
4.0 out of 5 stars Great recipes
Reviewed in the United States on November 14, 2020 Verified Purchase
I was delighted to get this cookbook as I love cooking from scratch - about the only way I know so looking forward to new recipes! But to be honest, I was a bit disappointed as I found things like cans of cream of whatever soup along with velveeta cheese, Italian seasoning blends, etc. which is not cooking from scratch!
To be fair, most of the recipes are not like this but I really wanted to know how they got the finished food without that processed food product. That's why only 4 stars!
She does , however have a recipe for making velveeta cheese and cream of whatever soup at the very back of the recipes.


Pitkinchick
5.0 out of 5 stars Vibrant, Colorful, Classic!
Reviewed in the United States on November 5, 2020
I love cookbooks and have a vast collection. I was excited to see this cookbook and couldn't wait to try the recipes. When thumbing through it I read the stories inside and they made me think of days when I was growing up. I learned how to cook at my grandmother's knee. She would cook cornbread in a cast iron skillet and she taught me how to make many of her recipes. This cookbook reminds me of those days. Many of the recipes are similar to the recipes I knew when I was growing up. I have gotten too busy to cook, but this book reminded me to take time for the simple things in life. The pictures are vibrant and colorful, the content is well organized and easy to find. There is a vast amount of recipes included in the book from breakfast to breads to main dishes and many in-between. There are the tried and true favorites and there are some new twists on some old classics. Everything you could want can be found in this book. I would definitely recommend it!

I would like to thank Netgalley and Barbour Publishing for allowing me to preview this cookbook!


MJG
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Recipes
Reviewed in the United States on November 24, 2020
Some of my earliest memories are being in the kitchen with my family. Everyone had a job to do no matter how small we were. Nothing compares to enjoying a good home cooked meal from scratch, eaten around a large table. Amish Friends From Scratch Cookbook is reminiscent of copying those favorite recipes by hand on a three by five inch card to share. My box is overflowing still with treasures from my family and friends. This new collection of recipes gathered by Wanda Brunstetter is full of recipes that have been tried and tested.

One recipe to note especially, is Coffee Shop Brownies....from one chocolate lover to another, they are quite good! The Buttermilk pancake recipe conjures up memories of my dad on a Saturday morning making his special pancakes. Other recipes that are noteworthy are Delicious Cream Cheese and Marshmallow Creme Fluff. Those are two things I thought were found only in the grocery store! If you are looking for tried and true recipes for your family, I recommend this cookbook. Consider adding this to your gift list for budding cooks in the family. You may benefit by an invitation to enjoy one of these good recipes around the table.


Terry Biehl
5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoy wholesome, yummy food!
Reviewed in the United States on November 1, 2020
You will enjoy the gorgeous pictures that accompany and complement these delectable recipes!
You can make your own yogurt, sour cream, cottage cheese and cheese balls using everyday ingredients from your grocery store or bulk food store!
You can also make trail bars, no-bake bars and pumpkin bars with peanut butter, oats, flour and canned pumpkin!
If you like homemade noodles, you can whip some up in 20 minutes with egg yolks, flour and water, that are tastier than packaged products.
Make your own healthy brown bread with wheat flour, honey, yeast, oil and salt in a few hours! (Dough rising time included) You can even make homemade cream cheese with yogurt, milk, sugar and salt in a day!
Taco salad making is easy with ground beef, Doritos, kidney beans, lettuce and cheddar cheese - mix it up in a bowl and serve it with homemade dressing!
There's a cappuccino mix and a hot chocolate mix that are wonderful for cold days - and iced coffee for those hot summer days!
For main dish entrees, there is grilled chicken with buffalo chicken or hot pizza dip, you can serve this with homemade croissant rolls and a cool broccoli salad with Hawaiian cheesecake bars for dessert -enjoy!

Canning Essentials: Jam-Packed with Essential Tools, Techniques, and Recipes for Fruits, Veggies, Jams, Pickles, Salsa, and More

Canning Essentials is a go-to beginner’s guide that will take you step-by-step through the different processes of canning fruit and produce. From canning vegetables, like tomatoes and squashes, to preparing homemade jam, salsas, relishes, and so much more, this book simplifies food preservation so that even today’s busiest people can find time to do it themselves. Emphasizing cost-saving and sustainable food safety, you’ll learn methods for both freezing, canning, pressure canning, and water-bath canning, then discover over 60 delicious recipes for homemade jelly, chutneys, pickles, and more. With helpful charts throughout to detail methods with specific timings, temperatures, and required equipment, this book will teach you everything you need to know about preserving and canning fruits and vegetables.

Full of useful information. The recipes are interesting and ones that I plan to try. I just wish that more of the recipes gave you some idea of the yield. It is very hard to make sure you have sufficient jars ready if you don’t know how much the recipe will yield. The Formatting in Kindle version was somewhat messy.

Having said that, I enjoyed the book enough to purchase a copy for my house.

T. Crane
5.0 out of 5 stars Healthy Food you preserve yourself
Reviewed in the United States on August 12, 2020
This book could not being coming out at a better time. As we learned while dealing with a pandemic, you can not always count on a grocery store to have what you need. This is a must have for every household.
Great book full of great information for someone who is new to canning, and some stuff you may not have known if you have been canning a long time.
Great recipes with mouth watering pictures! It has information for freezing, pressure canning and tons more.
I was given a copy of this book for my honest opinion


cindy
4.0 out of 5 stars very very good
Reviewed in the United States on June 18, 2020
This is a good solid book for a home canner. Especially if you are new to preserving foods.
There is discussion about freezing foods ( what you can and cannot ) along with how to do it.
As for the canning. She covers the supplies needed, helpful tips, how to pick and clean/prepare the item you are canning. Talks about things that can well and those that don't. Covers pressure canning vs. hot water bath canning.. And supplies many recipes.
A very good all round book

Getting By on Less Money!

As this pandemic drags on, more people are struggling just to get by from day to day. My heart truly goes out to all those folks who worked at a small business that either was dependent on tourism or even the Sports teams. I include those folks who owned or worked at the small bars and cafes that are shutdown right now. These folks are out of work through no fault of their own. They might not have been getting rich, but they made enough to pay their bills.

All that has changed now. People who would have never thought about cooking at home, or even preserving food for later use, now have the time to do that. It was funny, right after the pandemic became real to everyone, there wasn’t a bag of All Purpose Flour on the shelves to be found. Families were now learning to bake. At this point in time, it’s canning supplies that are short supply! My daughter called me a few month ago looking for a pressure canner. They aren’t hard to use, just hard to find! Take a look at this page on Amazon, Pressure Canners. After Hurricane Irma in 2017, I bought both a water bath canner and a pressure canner from Walmart’s, neither one cost more than $100. Take a look at those prices today. And for those of us who already had the jars, the new problem is canning lids!

So when I saw this article on MSN the other day, I just had to copy the URL. We could all use a few money-savings tips from Grandma’s time! Enjoy Folks!

Instant Pot® Lasagna

You might feel like making lasagna in a pressure cooker is crazy. Don’t you need an oven for those crunchy edges? To make sure the meat is cooked through? How can anyone make lasagna without baking it? Well, trust us – this one is well worth making. If you have a 6- or 7-inch springform pan and you kept the trivet that came with your Instant Pot®, you can make a delicious layered lasagna pie in 30 minutes. And if you want to make it ahead, you can prep the lasagna, put it in the freezer, then put it right into the Instant Pot® for an easy dinner.