Upcycling: Coupon Ad Paper Ball Cat Toy

Here's a simple cat toy.  Just take a coupon advertisement you don't need from your local Sunday paper.  Wad it up.  Then try to convince your kitty to play "soccer" with it.

The coupon ads make a good crinkling noise.

Upcycling: Kitten Feeding Dish

If you read my previous post about the "makeshift litter pan for kitten", you know she's rather young, but is acting ready to ween and litterbox train.

But since she's too small for most of the bowls and saucers I own, I took the lid from a ricotta cheese container and used it for a feeding dish.  In it, there is some salmon-flavored canned food mixed with kitten replacement milk.  She still hasn't learned to quit stepping in it, but that's okay.  It gives me an excuse to clean off her "hands" and the little "milk chin" she gets from feeding.

Okay, here.  You deserve a look at the sprite:

By the way, she tucked herself in.  I caught her like this after my shower.

Upcycling: Makeshift Litter Pan for Kitten

November 11, 2013, I came home from my usual routine and found a box on my doorstep.  Inside, I found a tiny kitten.  I'd say she was 3 weeks old, max.  Well, she's been growing rather well the past week, and I thought I'd get a litter pan ready for her when it's time to litterbox train her.

What I'm using is a plastic TV dinner tray that I used to use for feeding canned food to the adult cats.  Since it's deeper than most of the plastic trays I've saved, I thought it would be ideal for such a wee sprite of a kitten.  The paper towel was used to wipe her bottom, so to show her that "messes go here," I put it in the litter pan.  I've had the wee one for a week, and she made her first tinkle in the litter pan today.  Just think, training her to go in the litterbox without the traditional "rub nose in accident and show kitty to litterbox" sort of training.

She's a smart kitten.

Cooking: 15 Bean Turkey Soup, in the Slow Cooker

Here's another comfort food favorite.  It's excellent on a cold, wintry day.

What you'll need:
1 bag of 15 bean soup, beans rinsed
1 can of carrots
1 can diced tomatoes
garlic and onion powders, salt, pepper, and marjoram -- to taste
1/2 lb. ground turkey

Place the ground turkey and other ingredients into the slow cooker.  Set it on low for 8 hours.  Putting this on the night before is a good idea.

Note: You can find 15 bean soup at certain Wal-mart stores.  If you've seen it elsewhere, please let us know in the comments.

Cooking: Crunchy Baked Flounder

This one is as simple as it is tasty.

What you'll need:
2 flounder fillets, defrosted, and cut lengthwise
1 cup crushed potato crisps, like Pringles
Black pepper, to taste
Olive oil

Put the crushed potato crisps in a shallow dish with the black pepper. Brush olive oil onto both sides of the flounder "finger" and bread it.  Place the fingers in a baking dish and bake until golden brown at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

I suppose you could serve them with tartar sauce, but they were good just like this.

Gaming: Minecraft 360

For the past couple of weeks, I've been playing the heck out of Minecraft 360, made for the xBox 360 console. It's...  addictive.  The game has all of the stuff I like in a game: collecting and building.  I can farm a bit too, and even fish.

http://www.amazon.com/Minecraft-Xbox-360/dp/B00BU3ZLJQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1384559341&sr=8-1&keywords=minecraft+360

There's a mode that lets you turn off the monster mobs: peaceful.  But you can later load the file with monsters coming out at night.

I think the greatest challenge is in creating your "dream home".  It's sort of like the Sims, except you make the stuff you put in your "dream home"/fortress/ palace/whatever.  I believe the disc I bought is version 1.8.2, which adds some new things to the game, like the ability to make nether bricks out of netherrack.  Basically, you can make more stuff in this version, and use those materials to build your creations.  This version also has the creative mode.

What I love is that even though you can play in multiplayer, this game also lets you play solo or split-screen with someone on another controller on the same console.  It's very flexible.  And like I said, addictive.

One of the things that's fun about this game: creating a new world using different "seeds".  I've tried names of my friends, myself, and even some of the in-game phrases that pop up.  One of the phrases I've tried that made a nice-looking world with good resource groupings: "Flashing Letters!".  And yes, it has to be typed just like that, except for the quotation marks.

One of my friends' names generated a world with a mountain that was very intriguing.  From one side, the mountain looked like a frog or toad.  From the other side, it looked like a cat sitting.  In front of the mystical mountain was a hill, and if you went to the front of the hill, it had three roundish holes in the front.  I'd love to take pictures to show you, but the camera didn't do a good job the last time I tried.

Cooking: Chipotle Lemon Cod

Do you like simple food? This is about as simple as it gets.

What you'll need:
1 cod fillet, frozen
To taste: dill, black pepper, chipotle pepper sauce, lemon juice
Cooking spray

Coat a skillet with cooking spray.  Then place your cod in the pan, season it, and bake it in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven until a nice golden color.

Cooking: Tilapia Chowder

I thought I'd experiment with chowder, and I threw in some tilapia.  It came out pretty tasty.

What you'll need:
1 cup milk
1 can mixed vegetables
1 can white potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 can cream style corn
2 tilapia fillets, frozen
Tarragon, marjoram, dill, and black pepper -- to taste

In a large pot, mix together the ingredients.  Be sure to use the liquid in the canned vegetables too.  Cook on medium heat until tilapia can be broken up into chunks.  If you think it should have more fish, add another fillet to the recipe.

This one was good hot or room temperature.  And it gave me such a feeling of comfort.

Cooking: Baked Sausage and French Toast Sandwich

Here's another variation of the French Toast Sandwich.  This time, the French Toast was baked, along with the sausage patty and the strips of bell pepper.

What you'll need:
2 - 3 strips of each color of bell pepper
1 Turkey sausage patty
1 slice of cheese
Mayonnaise, to taste
French Toast, but baked
Cooking spray

Spray two skillets with cooking spray.  In one, put the French toast.  In the other, put the sausage patty and bell pepper strips inside.  Bake both skillets at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until sausage and toast are both done.

Remove toast from skillet.  On one slice, apply mayonnaise.  On the other slice, place the cheese.  Stack the sausage and bell pepper strips onto the cheese and top with the remaining slice of toast.

Enjoy!

Cooking: Tofu Stir-fry

I was reminded that tofu is supposed to be good in stir-fry, so I decided to whip up some with a bag of stir-fry veggies from Wal-mart.

What you'll need:
1 brick of extra-firm tofu
1 bag of stir-fry vegetables (any kind that you prefer)
1/4 cup Kikkoman's stir-fry sauce
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. Chicken or beef bouillon
Garlic powder, dehydrated onion flakes, and soy sauce -- to taste

Dissolve the bouillon in a little water and then add the other ingredients.  I tore the tofu brick into bite-sized pieces with my hands.  Cook until done.

Cooking: Cornmeal Coated Swai

Swai is one of those kinds of fish that smells a lot like catfish.  Tastes like it too. So I decided to "oven fry" a fillet.

What you'll need:

1 Swai fillet, defrosted

Enough cornmeal to coat the fillet

1 Tbsp. olive oil

Salt, pepper, onion and garlic powders -- to taste

Brush olive oil on both sides of the fillet.

In a shallow dish, blend the cornmeal and seasonings.  Coat both sides of the fillet and place it in a pan.  Bake it at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until golden.

The side dish is simply a box of Uncle Ben's Long Grain and Wild Rice with a can of carrots tossed in.

Cooking: Wake Up in a Cup!

Okay, I was trying to make a knock-off of a Starbucks gingerbread latte, without tasting the new recipe.

As a copycat, it was a fail.  But as a drink that'll knock you awake when you hit the bottom of the cup, it's a success.  So put on your cowboy hats and boots, because this cup bucks.

What you'll need:
4 Tbsp. Coffee grounds (medium roast or stronger)
4 cups Water
1 tsp. Nutmeg
1 tsp. Ground ginger
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. Molasses
1 Tbsp. Creamer
1/2 cup hot milk

I set up my coffee maker to run the hot water.  It makes prepping this easier.

While the hot water is "brewing," I put the coffee grounds in my French press.  These things give more flavor from the coffee grounds.  When there's enough water, I put it into the French press with the grounds and let them steep for 4 minutes.

In the cup, I measure the spices and also add the creamer and molasses.

Now to heat the milk in a pan.  Once it's ready, the hot milk goes into the cup, and the coffee should be ready.

After pressing, I just pour the coffee into the cup and give it a good stirring.  I'd certainly recommend keeping the stirring stick, spoon, whatever with you while you drink this, because the sediment in the bottom will be quite strong.

Frankly, I think to make a better copycat of a gingerbread latte, it would help to have a sprinkle of nutmeg, instead of the teaspoon.  But I'll admit one thing, it had me alert in no time.

Kitchen Tip: Batter/Breading Trays

You know those expensive sets of trays used for battering or breading food before cooking it?  There's a way to do it on the budget-friendly side, with packaging items you can save.

I saved this plastic tray from the portobello mushrooms I've been using in recipes.  You could also save the plastic trays from TV dinners; some of the pasta dishes are single compartment like this.

If you don't feel like using these for breading or battering food, these trays are also good for serving canned pet food to your pet.

Cooking: Baked Cod with Roasted Vegetables

I was trying to figure out what I could make with some potatoes and onions, so I decided to fix the rest of the cod that I had on hand.  This is the result, and it was rather tasty.

What you'll need:
1 cod fillet, frozen
1 red potato, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 onion, cut into bite-sized pieces
Black pepper, onion powder, parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme -- to taste
Olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Coat fish in olive oil, place it in a baking dish, and season with spices.

In a medium bowl, toss together the olive oil, vegetables, and seasonings until coated.  Cover fish with vegetables and bake until vegetables are tender.

Cooking: Fake Beef Stew -- Slow Cooker

My Dad taught me how to make beef stew (with stew meat) many years ago.  That recipe has also evolved over time, and today, I wanted to try it with tofu.

What you'll need:
1 brick firm tofu, broken up
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
5-6 new potatoes, cut into bite-size, if needed
1/2 bag of mixed vegetables, frozen
1/2 bag of cut okra, frozen
1/2 bag of baby carrots
1 small onion, coarse chopped
2 cans beef broth
Black pepper, Marjoram, Parsley, and Tarragon, to taste

Mix all ingredients into a slow cooker.

Set slow cooker for 6 hours on high.  Stir occasionally.

A preliminary taste suggests that this is going to be quite good when it's done cooking.  It was already tasty when I was just putting it on.

Cooking: Sausage Breakfast Sandwich

This recipe is a variant for a breakfast sandwich recipe I saw in a magazine years ago.  The original recipe didn't cook right the way they had it (it was to be baked like some kind of sandwich casserole), so I modified it.

What you'll need:
2 slices Sweet French Toast
1 Turkey sausage patty
2 slices of cheese

Prepare French Toast per directions.  While that's cooking, make a patty out of turkey sausage large enough to nearly cover your toast.  Get that cooking, and have your cheese singles set aside.

When everything's done, place a slice of cheese on one slice of French Toast.  Add the sausage patty, cover that with a slice of cheese, and then top that with the remaining slice of French Toast.

I found this not only tasty, but comforting on this breezy autumn morning.

You can also use the French Toast to make other types of breakfast sandwiches out of lunch meat.  Turkey and ham both work well, especially with some mustard spread on the toast.

Cooking: Sweet French Toast

My Dad taught me how to make French toast out of regular sandwich bread.  Over the years, I've added a few things to the mix to improve on the flavor.  And this French toast recipe can be used for other things, like breakfast sandwiches.

What you'll need:
1 large egg
1 Tbsp. milk
2 packets Turbanado sugar
2 slices of bread (any kind)
Black pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg, to taste
Cooking spray

Set two slices of bread aside.

In a cup, beat eggs with milk, sugar, and spices.  Pour egg mix into a shallow dish.

Dip a slice of bread on one side, and then flip over.  Move battered bread to oil-sprayed skillet.  Do the other slice of bread the same way.

Cook slices, carefully turning them until they are a nice golden brown on both sides.  Serve.

With the sugar and seasonings, you shouldn't want syrup with this variety of French toast.

Believe me, one large egg is enough for two slices of bread.  It's unnecessary to saturate the bread until it literally falls apart in your fingers.  And the toast will taste better fried in butter, but if you're trying to watch the bad fats, vegetable oil spray will do.

Cooking: Faux Sausage

This is another work in progress, but as it is, it's surprisingly good.

I had this one lonely portobello mushroom cap that didn't make it into the Slow Cooker Vegetable Lasagna, so I got to thinking how I could make it taste sort of like breakfast sausage.  The process was definitely "kitchen alchemy".  I knew the earthy sort of taste that a portobello has and tried finding spices in the pantry (by smelling them) that would give it a sort of sausage taste.

In truth, it's more of a fried, breaded mushroom.  But it's not bad.

What you need:
1 cleaned portobello mushroom cap, stem removed, and cut into quarters
flour
ground sage
ground cumin
garlic powder
Olive oil

In a shallow plate, mix together your flour, sage, cumin, and garlic powders.  How much you need depends on the size of the mushroom cap.  And you might want more spices in your flour mix.

In another shallow dish, pour a little olive oil, enough to cover the bottom.  Dip all sides of one piece of mushroom in the olive oil, adding more if necessary.

Dip all sides of the oiled mushroom into the flour mixture.  Place the piece in a skillet, and do the other three pieces the same way.

Brown the mushroom on all four flat-ish sides.  When you're on the fourth side (I'd finish up on either the gill or top side), place a lid on the skillet and continue cooking until fork-tender.  Blot excess oil out with paper towels.  Serve hot.

I'm out of ground mustard, and I think this recipe could use it.  I also should have probably included something like brown sugar in the flour mixture, although maple syrup may work.

What stunned me was that the mushroom pieces had the look of a sausage patty when done, and almost the texture.  Although I could taste the flour, the seasonings worked fairly well with it.

Cooking: Slow Cooker Vegetable Lasagna

I remember a friend telling me about veggie lasagna.  I tried it years ago, but last night, I decided to make it in the slow cooker.  This was the result.

What you'll need:
1 large Italian squash, thin julienne
4 large carrots, thin julienne
15 oz ricotta cheese
16 oz box lasagna noodles
32 oz. tomato sauce
Parsley, Rosemary, thyme, basil, oregano, Italian seasoning, pepper -- to taste
1 large Portobello mushroom, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 Tbsp. garlic, minced
4 packets Turbinado (raw) sugar (optional)
Mozzarella cheese, shredded
Olive oil

Rub (or spray) olive oil on the bottom and sides of the slow cooker.

Mix the mushroom into the sauce with the seasonings and the garlic.  Put 1/3 of the sauce on the bottom of the slow cooker.

Break 1/3 of the noodles onto the pasta sauce.  Now add half of the squash, carrots, and onion.

Spread a layer of ricotta cheese, using half of it.  Break another third of the lasagna noodles on top of this layer.

Spread 1/3 of the sauce on top of the noodles.  Put the rest of the vegetables on top, followed by another layer of ricotta, spread out as good as you can get it.  Top with the last of the lasagna noodles, broken up.

Top with the last of the sauce.

Put the lid on top and set the slow cooker for 6 hours on high.  After 3 hours, give it a stir.  This will permit the top noodles a chance to absorb enough moisture to cook properly.

When it's done, put Mozzarella shreds on top, put the lid back on, and allow the cheese to melt.

Serve and enjoy.

Cooking: Strawberry Yogurt Pancakes

Okay, I got to make my Strawberry Banana Protein Shake, but that leaves me with another three strawberry yogurt containers.  So I got to thinking about it and saw no reason why I couldn't make pancakes with yogurt.  I know it looks like an ordinary pancake, but I swear there are bits of strawberry lurking inside.

What you'll need:
1 6 oz. container of strawberry yogurt
2 cups self-rising flour
1/4 tsp. salt
2 packets of turbinado (raw) sugar
1/2 cup milk
Cooking spray

Spray a skillet with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, blend the ingredients.

Pour your first pancake.  When the edges look firm, flip it.  When this one is done, spray your pan and repeat these last two steps until you're out of batter.

My batch made four pancakes.  They turned out just right.

Cooking: Strawberry Banana Protein Shake

Here we go again with the tofu.  :-P  But hey, I used some yogurt in it, at least.  And yes, I am a Starbucks fanatic. This stuff comes out incredibly thick.  Bring a spoon.

What you'll need:
1 6 oz. container of strawberry yogurt
1 brick soft tofu
1 medium banana, broken into chunks by hand
1 tsp. honey

Place everything in the blender.  Put it on "liquefy".  Scrape down the sides.  "Liquefy" again.  Scrape.  "Liquefy".  Now it's ready to serve.

Cooking: Chicken Pepper Stir-Fry

I started this thinking I was going to make a breakfast scramble.  But by the time I had the veggies sauteing, I couldn't resist making it a stir-fry instead.

What you'll need:
12.5 oz can of chicken, with liquid
1/2 cup each: green, red, yellow, and orange bell peppers, chopped
2 cups white mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp. cornstarch
crushed red pepper flakes, soy sauce, teriyaki sauce -- to taste
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 package of Rice-a-Roni Long Grain and Wild Rice

In a pot, prepare rice per directions, or substitute olive oil for the butter/margarine.

Put olive oil in skillet.  Place vegetables in skillet, coat, and saute on medium heat until soft.

Add chicken, breaking up larger chunks.  Throw in cornstarch and seasonings, blend well.

Serve chicken mixture on top of a bed of rice.  There should be enough for two servings.

Cooking: Butterfinger Protein Shake

This is an "eyes roll back into head" tasty recipe.  It was so good this morning, that I told my friend my new "If I won the lottery, the crazy thing I would do would be..." idea.  That idea?  To bathe in this drink.

What you need:
1 brick of soft tofu, drained
2 2.1 oz. Butterfinger candy bars

Throw the ingredients into the blender and hit "grind".  Scrape down the sides, and hit "liquefy" to really get it mixed well.  Pour and serve.  Melt into candy bar coma.

Cooking: Yummy Mushroom Personal Pizzas

This is a spin on an Atkin's recipe I found when I was in the hospital earlier in October 2013.  It was fairly simple: use a portobello mushroom cap as the "pizza crust" and top with whatever toppings you desired.

Well, here's my version.

What you need:
1 Portobello mushroom cap, stem removed
1 small jar of pizza sauce
1 Tbsp. onion, coarsely chopped
1 Tbsp. green bell pepper, diced
Turkey pepperoni
Mozarella cheese, shredded
1 Tbsp. garlic, minced
Olive oil
Season to taste: black pepper, rosemary, thyme leaves, Italian seasoning, oregano, basil, sucralose (optional)

First, take a damp cloth/paper towel to clean off the mushroom caps.  Remove the stems, but save them to throw back into your sauce.

Brush the mushroom caps down with olive oil.  Place on a cookie sheet or in a skillet that can handle high heat.

Cook mushroom caps at 425 degrees Fahrenheit until the caps feel tender when poked with a fork.

Meanwhile, work on the sauce.  Empty the jar of sauce, add the garlic and seasonings.  *You can omit the sucralose or use some other kind of sweetener.  It all depends on whether you want to cut the acidity of the sauce or not.  I prefer the acidity cut, so I use sweetener.  Chop up the mushroom stems and place that into the sauce too.

Get your other toppings ready.

When the caps are tender, remove them from the oven, top with sauce (as thick as you like), add cheese, add toppings, and if you like more cheese, add more to the top of the other toppings.

Broil the pizza until the cheese on top is nice and toasty.

It amazed me just how utterly delicious these were.  I made two, and that was enough for me.  But given that the directions are for just one mushroom cap, you can adjust it to serve more people.

You don't have to use the toppings I used.  Anything that pairs well with mushrooms can be used.  Just remember you're dealing with a small area, so throwing a T-bone steak on that mushroom cap probably won't work.

Cooking: Banana Orange Shake

Turbinado sugar was just the thing for this recipe.  It gives it the right "sweet," while enhancing the fruit flavors.

Edit #1:

What you need:
1/4 cup orange juice
1 medium banana, broken into pieces by hand
1 brick of soft tofu

Edit #2: 2 packets of Turbinado (raw) sugar

Put all ingredients into a blender.  Place the blender on "liquefy".  After running it for a minute, turn it off, scrape down the sides, and give the mix a taste.  If you think it needs a bit more orange juice, then add some and "liquefy" again.

I can tell you that as the recipe is now, it helps you feel a sense of well-being.  It made me feel a bit relaxed.

Hobby Tip: Budget-Friendly Shopping #1

I decided I wanted to introduce a series of articles about some budget-friendly shopping for cooking and crafts.  Now these stores are located in the Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex area, so if you have different ones where you live, please share with us.

The first one that comes to mind is Dollar Tree:

You can find some food (a nice place for seasonings), some cooking utensils, and a few crafting items.  Their crafting supplies can be quite random.  I've seen glue sticks there, along with other assorted items.  If you're into crocheting/knitting, don't expect to find yarn here.

Edit: I'm not sure about other Dollar Tree stores, but this one I visited accepted EBT cards for food stamps.

Now if you don't mind slightly more expensive, but typically cheaper than Wal-mart, you can always try Big Lots:

Again, this is a pretty good place for seasonings, and you can normally find name-brand food items that are cheaper than Wal-mart's prices.  Like yesterday, I saw some Pringles chips being sold for $1.20, which is $0.30 cheaper than Wal-mart.

You can find quite a few kitchenware items here, including small appliances.

With crafts, it is an okay place for scrapbooking, and they do carry yarn, just not really big skeins of it.

Edit: I learned that this particular Big Lots (and maybe all others, I'm not sure, so don't quote me on that) does not accept EBT.  I found that ludicrous, given that the nearby Dollar Tree (which is cheaper than Big Lots) did accept that form of payment.  Other budget-friendly stores accept the card just fine.

Salmon Vegetable Stir-Fry

This probably isn't anything like a "traditional stir-fry", but when you're hungry and in need of something low in carbs, this will do nicely.

What you need:
2 cups bell pepper strips (green, red, and yellow), frozen
1 cup sweet peas, frozen
1 cup sweet corn, frozen
1 small can of salmon, with liquid
1 tsp. Ponzu Shoyu
1 tsp. Kombu Dashi
1/2 tsp. Ginger paste
1/4 tsp. Lemongrass paste
Chinese Five Spice and Cayenne, to taste
Cooking spray

Spray a wok with olive oil cooking spray.

Add vegetables and salmon.  Break salmon up into smaller pieces, if needed.

Add seasonings and turn on the heat.

Cook until vegetables are tender and almost all liquid has evaporated.

You can serve this on top of rice, if you wish, but I felt too "carbed out" at the time and opted for satisfaction with vegetables and meat.

It received the "Kitty Seal of Approval" while it cooked.  And it has the right amount of "that something" taste that it needed.  Pity I didn't have any chow mien noodles to try with it.  It might be pretty good with chow mien noodles.

Cooking: Chipotle Turkey Bacon Egg Breakfast Sandwich

I decided to up the ante with the Chipotle Turkey Bacon this morning.  I made a breakfast sandwich using it.

What you'll need:

Tub margarine

2 slices of 100% Whole Wheat bread

4 slices of Chipotle Turkey Bacon

1 slice of cheese

Mayonnaise

1 Tbsp. butter, melted

1 large egg

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Start off by lining a cookie sheet with aluminum foil.  Then lightly spread a little margarine on both slices of bread.  Place the spread side down on the foil.  Bake in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven until toasted.

While the toast is... err... toasting...  Cook the bacon per the directions given in the link.

As the bacon cooks, in a smaller skillet, melt the butter, crack the egg, and season per your tastes.  I'm trying to stay away from salt these days, so I just peppered mine.  Put a lid on the skillet to cook the egg until all of the egg white looks done.  If you like an even drier egg, cook it until the yolk is lighter in color.

Your toast should be ready, so serve it on a plate, put a slice of cheese on one, and mayonnaise on the other.  Put the bacon on the cheese, and then the egg.  Put the mayonnaise side down to top your sandwich, and enjoy.

Trust me, it may not look like a lot, but it's just enough to tide you over until lunch.

Kitchen Tip: Frying an Egg

Would you believe I learned how to fry a proper sunny-side up egg from watching my former roommate play one of the Metal Gear Solid games?

The secret is simple, really.  Just cover the skillet with a lid.  Now granted, it's preferable that you can use a lid that actually fits the skillet.  But I couldn't find a smaller lid in the collection that would fit this skillet, so I dealt with the overlap.  It still produced the desired results for my breakfast sandwich.

Kitchen Tip: Removing Caked-on Gunk from Slightly Worn Teflon-coated Cookware

Today I had a daunting task.  I had some honey and Dijon mustard that had charred and coated the bottom of a skillet.  It was on there but good, even with a good scouring with a handmade scrubbing pad made of plastic bags.

I didn't have the time, patience, or energy to stand there for hours trying to scour it off with my Teflon-safe scrubbie.  I wasn't about to ruin it further with something more abrasive.

What to do?

I filled the skillet with water and heated it.  Using a plastic serving spoon, I scraped off the easier bits with that without harming the skillet.  To remove the tougher stuff, I dumped the water, rinsed the skillet, and refilled it with water.

I heated the water with some baking soda.  After letting the "soup" bubble for a few minutes, I used the spoon to scrape some more.  This managed to dislodge the rest of the char, and all I had to do was let the skillet cool enough to wash out the baking soda residue.

Cooking: A New Spin on Ramen Bricks

Ah yes.  The poor college student's "favorite" food: ramen brick.  And after a while of eating the salty things, they get pretty darned boring, right?  Well, not mine.

To be honest, it was ramen that got me started on the whole "kitchen alchemy" thing.  Because I soon discovered that if I add a bit of this or that, it made the ramen taste good.

What you'll need:
Broth or extra bouillon (depending on the flavor of ramen brick; this one is beef)
1 can mixed vegetables
1 brick firm tofu, cubed
1/4 cup green bell pepper, chopped
1 stalk of celery, sliced
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes, to taste
Onion flakes, to taste
Garlic powder, to taste
1 ramen brick, with bouillon packet

If you use broth, you don't need water.  If you use water instead, just use the required amount.

Cut open and drain the tofu brick.  Cut it into small cubes.

Prepare your vegetbles.  Put those, the tofu, and the seasonings into the liquid.

Turn the mixture on medium.

While you wait, if you like your ramen spoon-sized, then crush it and remove the seasoning packet.  Go ahead and add the seasoning packet to the broth mixture.

When the liquid cooks down a little, add your ramen.  Cook it for 3 minutes, and serve.

You know how the package for the ramen says it makes two servings?  When you get done with making this version of ramen, you should have at least four servings.  And the tofu gives you some protein.

I've tried all kinds of spices, soy sauce, and teriyaki sauce in different versions of this (but without the tofu), and I've had lots of tasty success.

The only failure I had involved not realizing that the shaker wasn't in place when I was adding crushed red pepper flakes to the ramen.  I wound up dumping half the container into it.  The former roommate and I managed to sort of eat it--after dumping a lot of Ranch dressing into it.

Cooking: Steel-cut Oatmeal Pancakes

Remember my Experimental Steel-cut Oatmeal Funnel Cakes?  I found out that the batter works better as pancakes.

What you'll need:

2 cups of steel-cut oats, cooked

2 cups of self-rising flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

3 Tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. powdered ginger

1 tsp. cinnamon powder

1/2 tsp. nutmeg powder

1 large egg

1/2 cup milk, more or less

Cooking Spray

Spray a small skillet with cooking spray.  Put it on medium heat.

Blend together everything except the oil.  If you need the batter to be more pourable, then add more milk.  

Pour the batter into the skillet, filling the bottom.  Let the mixture get bubbly and the edges solidified.

Flip pancake over with spatula.  Get both sides nice and golden brown.  Move to a plate.

Spray the skillet again and keep making pancakes.

You can serve these with butter and your favorite syrup, if you want.

Cooking: The One Egg, Two Cheese Omlette

Yes, I made an omlette this morning out of just one large egg.

I used the smallest skillet I had for this.  Please note, that when it comes to the cheeses, it's okay if it's grated, singles, or whatever you can get, but it needs to be thin enough to melt properly, or you wind up with scorched egg.

To make it, you need:

1 large egg
1 tsp. milk
Two different cheeses (I used some Velveeta singles, with some Velveeta sharp cheddar singles)
Salt and pepper, if you want it
Cooking spray

Spray your skillet with cooking spray.  Turn heat to medium.

In a small glass, measuring cup, or whatever, break the egg, add the milk, and if you want salt and pepper, add those too.  Scramble the mix well and pour it into the skillet.

Be sure to get the egg mixture up around the sides of the skillet, to give you more surface for the cheese.

When the egg mixture begins to set, carefully move a spatula or other thin utensil around the sides of the pan to loosten the egg.

Place your cheese on one half of the egg and fold the other side over the cheese.  Cook until the cheese is melted and just slide that baby onto your eagerly-waiting plate.

Cooking: Spicy Honey Dijon Mustard Turkey Bacon

Oh man!  Not another turkey bacon post!  Come on!  Give us something else!

Sorry.

This rather simple recipe should be shared.  And I'm sure it can be adapted to regular bacon too.

Those round-looking things on the bacon are mustard seeds.  I found a jar of some very grainy Dijon mustard at the 99 Cent Only store.  To really make the stuff spreadable, you pretty much have to add something to it.

To mae this version of turkey bacon:

4 slices of turkey bacon
1 1/2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. Honey
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes, to taste

Mix the last three ingredients in a small bowl.

Spread your bacon in a skillet.  With a basting brush, smear the top surface with half of the mixture.

When the bottom side needs to be flipped, smear it with the rest of the mixture.  Cook bacon until done.

Cooking: Protein Heath Shake

Now I know this is going to sound way beyond crazy.

But I decided to see what would happen if I took a brick of soft tofu and added some bite-sized Heath bars and threw them into a blender.  Here was the result:

The result was surprisingly tasty.  But I only had 9 Heath bars, and I think it could use more. 

To make this, you need:

12+ bite-sized Heath bars (more may be needed, depending on your tastes)

1 brick of soft tofu

Throw the Heath bars into the bottom of the blender.  Add the tofu.  Put that baby on grind.

Scrape down the resulting mix a few times, putting the mix on pulse each time.

Serve in your favorite glass.

The reason I think you'll need more Heath bars (more than 9 anyway) is that I could still taste a little bit of the tofu.  So if there's more, this little shake should taste absolutely awesome.

Who would have thought you could make Heath bars into something a little bit healthy to consume?

Upcycling: Prepping Cardboard Tubes

I've got an "itch" I've just got to "scratch".  And by "itch," I mean I have another craft project in mind.  And my "scratch," I mean it's time to start cutting up some of these toilet paper and paper towel tubes.

I have yet to decide just what the 1 inch lengths of cardboard will become.  But here's how I'm making my latest "crafter mess".

I'm using a shoelace to help me trace lines around the tubes at 1 inch intervals.  That's where the ruler comes in.  Finally, I use the pencil to draw my lines.  When I've finished drawing on my tube, I take the X-Acto knife and cut my lengths of tube.

There are so many ideas on Pinterest for these bits of cardboard, but like I said, I haven't really gone to the planning stage yet.  I'm just breaking things down for later use.

Silly Mia!  You're using sharp, pokey instruments to cut the cardboard, so you'd better put your disclaimers and such!

Ahem.

Please note that knives are very, very sharp.  When you use them repeatedly, like for cutting cardboard, they become dull.  When they become dull, there's a greater risk that the blade will slip and cut you severely.  So for the love of Pete, be extremely careful!  Please don't "zone out" like I did one time grating a potato.  Wound up with a sliver of my thumb in the hash browns.  :-<

To resharpen the blade (It can be done with X-Acto too, to a degree), use one of the sharpening tools that cooks use.

Now a tip about cutting the tubes: the seam.  It's best to cut the seam first.

I apologize for the poor quality of this photo.  Hopefully you can see the line near my thumb, and you can see the faint line of the seam curve diagonally.

The reason you want to cut here first: the cardboard is thicker here.  But again, be very careful as you rock the tip of the X-Acto blade back and forth on the line.

Also, please be aware that toilet paper tubes can differ in length.

Upcycling: What to do with Empty Creamer Containers

If you love your coffee and you buy the really large containers of coffee creamer, you eventually have an empty canister.  But it's still a perfectly good container after you wash it.

So what can you do with it once you clean it?  Well, for one, the canister is made of food-grade plastic.  So you can pour flour, corn meal, or other food powders in one.  They're more sturdy than a 2 liter bottle, so you won't have to worry about them being crushed if you like putting your flour in the freezer (I learned the "put grain powders in the freezer" trick as a way to keep weevils from ruining it.)

I've also used these coffee creamer containers for sucralose (Splenda).  They're perfect for dispensing a little bit for my coffee.

Then there's the fact that these can be handy for storing your upcycling materials as you break them down for use.  For instance, let's say you break down plastic bags to make plarn (plastic yarn).  Where will you store all of those plastic strips you're making?  

There are other ways to reuse these containers, so think about what you need around the house and use these instead of just tossing them.

Cooking: Chipotle Turkey Bacon

Just in case you found the "sweet and spicy turkey bacon" to be too complicated just after waking, this recipe should be easy even for a zombie.

What you need:
Chipotle pepper sauce, to taste
4 strips of Turkey bacon

Spread the bacon out in a skillet.

Drizzle some chipotle pepper sauce on each slice.  Smear the sauce as evenly as possible on each slice.  I used my fingers.

If you're not familiar with chipotle pepper sauce, you don't taste the heat until after eating whatever it's in for a bit.  It's kind of smoky in flavor, and to me has a mild kind of heat.  They list it as "medium" heat on the bottle, but it's not all that bad to me.

Cooking: Ancho Tilapia Soup

I was famished when I got back home, so I needed something relatively quick to fix.  So I just started with a couple of frozen tilapia fillets as the base, and went from there to make this spicy delight.

What you'll need:
2 fillets of tilapia, frozen
1 cup green bell pepper, chopped
1 small can of mushroom, stems and pieces, with liquid
1 can diced Italian tomatoes, with liquid
1 can of yellow hominy, with liquid
1 can of whole white potatoes, with liquid
1/4 cup turkey bacon bits
2 1/2 cups cold water
1/4 tsp. fennel seed
1 tsp. Parsley flakes
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp. Onion flakes
1/4 tsp. Garlic powder
1/4 torn ancho chili pepper, dried
Salt and Black pepper, to taste

When adding the potatoes, break them up into bite-sized pieces with your fingers.  Place the rest

of the ingredients into the pot, cover, and let simmer on medium heat.

When tilapia can be broken up, break it up with a spoon until they're roughly bite-sized bits.

The fennel seed give this soup a surprising flavor when you bite into them.  And the ancho chilis will make your sinuses beg for mercy.  Still, when you're hungry, cold, or both, this soup will do the trick.

One day, I plan to try this recipe with some black beans and maybe leave out the bacon bits.  I decided to wait on adding salt until I knew what it tasted like when done.  It only needs a little to bring out the other flavors.