DEALING WITH THE RECIPE MESS

 

We all have projects that have been on the back burner for a while. It’s like we want them done, we just don’t necessarily want to do them. This past week I tackled one of those projects, organizing my recipes…ugh.

I daresay that most everyone who cooks, bakes or generally spends time in the kitchen has my problem. There is the proverbial recipe box with recipe cards all alphabetized neatly inside. And then, there are those scraps of paper and napkins with recipes scribbled on them, recipes in my Facebook saves, those bookmarked from the Internet, pages ripped out of magazines and a couple family favorites tucked inside the family Bible as well as some more tucked in some other unique places.

I know pretty much where to find each and every recipe but how in the world do I put them in some kind of order that someone else could find one in my kitchen?

This project has been on my to-do list for a few years for one primary reason; I wanted the special family hand-me-downs and the ones that are my staples in a secure place so,in case of fire or some other catastrophe, they would be preserved. So, after working pretty steadily for four days this past week, I came up with a plan that works for me. Maybe it will help some of you who are as exasperated at this task as I was.

 

SCAN THEM IN THE COMPUTER AND PUT THEM ON A HARDDRIVE. I started out with my small recipe box that had the ones that I use most often. I scanned each one into the computer and put them in a folder named “saved recipes.” Of course, there were some recipes tucked in among the favorites that I had planned to make and never got around to it. If they were ones that I thought I would make, I scanned them in. Some were from years ago and our tastes have changed in the meantime so, if they no longer looked like ones I would use, they got pitched.

I did the same thing with my second box and then I started with my recipe books. In each book there were a few recipes that I make over and over, so I scanned those in. Then I started with all the scraps of paper, pages ripped out of magazines, etc.

Remember that I mentioned that our tastes have changed over the years. Well, so has my cooking habits. I have found that, in most recipes, sugar can be cut back without sacrificing taste or quality. Since we are trying to eat healthier, I ditched all cookie, cake and other dessert recipes (except for family favorites and other special ones) that called for excessive sugar.

I also included ones from my Facebook saves and recipes that I had bookmarked on the computer. If I had made these and we liked them, they made it into the scanned album. If we didn’t care for them, they got deleted.

 

PUTTING THEM IN ORDER. When I returned the recipes to my recipe box, I put them in order. Yes, most were in alphabetical order. However, sometimes when I want to make bread, for example, I like to choose between all the bread recipes I have. So, I took all bread recipes and paper clipped them together in the back of my box. I did the same for all muffins, bar cookies and other categories that I “go to” often.

 

I also paper clipped “favorites” together. These are ones like my dinner rolls that I usually always make for company, my go-to chocolate cake recipe that I use all the time and other ones that I use on a regular basis.

 

 

SPECIAL RECIPES IN A NOTEBOOK.  Then there are the quirky recipes, the ones that just don’t quite fit in anywhere. Many friends on Facebook would post a favorite recipe, some food blogs would post different ones and some would pop up in ads.

I started copying these off in a notebook because I planned on making them soon and I don’t always like my laptop setting on the counter when I am cooking. It’s so much easier to have a notebook there that can be moved around and I don’t have to worry about something spilling on it, not to mention that it is easier to read than a computer screen.

The downside of this method is that the recipes were in no particular order, they were jotted down in whatever order I found them. Needless to say, finding one in the notebook became a time-consuming task. Problem solved. I went through and numbered the pages from front to back. Then, I made a list of the recipes on each page on the inside of the front cover. As I add recipes, I just add the name of the recipe to the list along with the proper page number. When the inside front cover gets full, I start on the back cover.

To simplify even more, I put a star by the name of each recipe that I have tried and that we liked. By the recipe itself, I jot down notes whether I reduced or increased a measurement, how many cookies it made, if I deleted an ingredient, etc. It doesn’t look pretty but it sure makes it easier for the next time I make it.

 

SAVES TIME AND FRUSTRATION. Having all my recipes in some kind of order obviously saves time in the kitchen. It also makes it easier when someone asks for one to be shared, which I do often…I know, there are two camps on this thought. Some cooks keep their concoctions secret, that way they can only make their “special” creations for their friends and family. Nothing wrong with that. However, I believe it is an honor to be asked for a recipe and have shared many.

These tips work for me and taking time now to make some sense of my “recipe mess” should help to keep things at least semi-organized in the future. I hope they work for you too!

 

 

 

 

 

 

WHY I JOURNAL

 

I have always kept a journal for as long as I can remember. I never gave it much thought until the other day when someone asked me why I do….well, lots of reasons.

First of all, when folks think of journals, many confuse them with diaries. They are not the same. When diaries come to mind, people think of the stereotyped teenage girl writing the events of her love life and dreams. Essentially, that is what a diary is, a record of day-to-day events and happenings. A journal, on the other hand, deals not only with recording events, but also feelings and emotions.

So, getting back to why I keep a journal. I have been blessed with awesome family and friends who provide a great support system. Whenever I need someone, they are always there for me and, I hope, I am just as much there for them. However, there are some feelings that are just too personal, awkward or sensitive to discuss with anyone. These are the emotions that people often keep hidden but they would be so much better off if they could express them.

 

SILENT BEST FRIEND. In so many ways, my journal is my silent best friend where I can just lay all my feelings out there. Even in conversation with people closest to us, some things are just taboo. Politics and religion are definitely two topics to steer clear of, but sometimes other nagging issues that are important to you are also things that you don’t want to keep running past family or friends.

Here is where a journal can be your silent best friend. I can be mad, sad and glad along with a host of other emotions. I can write any *&(*^* thing I want, knowing that no one will ever see it.

So, what’s the point to writing one if no one ever sees it? When we talk to someone or write to them, we have to be “politically correct.” We have to streamline our emotions into what is socially acceptable, with correct punctuation, no bad words, laying it out in some kind of order so it makes sense.

My journal doesn’t care about any of that, anything goes. It’s sloppy, messy, words are crossed out, it has foul language and even tear stains on some pages; it’s true feelings with no sugar coating. That’s what a journal is.

 

DEAL WITH TRUE FEELINGS. True feelings are what makes it honest. As much as we want to tell someone our true feelings, we often guard them so as not to cause anger or hurt. With that inhibition removed, we can write what is really on our minds in our journal. The mere fact of knowing that no one will read it is what encourages us to be so honest.

Part of dealing with our feelings is just getting them out. I actually feel like I am telling a friend when I write each day. As I write, I notice that my feelings evolve and I actually understand better why I feel the way I do. This has helped me countless times to actually think things through before having a conversation with someone about an important issue. I also know that this process has saved face for me more than once by stopping me from saying some things that I know I would regret later.

 

HELPS HEAL. It’s not really true that no one reads it. I read it and I am someone.

 

Recently, I lost a close family member. He and I had not talked in many years for a lot of reasons, some legitimate and some probably not. I had tried to reconcile but he wanted no part of it, telling me that I had hurt him so badly but never telling me what I had actually done.

 

In the days right before his passing I re-read my journals that I had kept, recalling the years that we grew up together. I thought that maybe somewhere in them lay some answers. As I read through, year by year and day by day, I relived the times before our troubles began. There were many things that I had forgotten. Some were days, some were moments that we had shared, good times together.

I could also see when we started to grow apart and what else was going on at the time. I didn’t find all the answers that I was looking for but it did showcase what was going on in both our lives and how I reacted to it.

 

RELIVE GOOD AND BAD. Re-reading them will always be bittersweet. I read through some very sad times in my life but, at the other end of the spectrum, there were some very tender and good memories that it brought back.

 

TIMELINE OF YOUR LIFE. A journal is also a timeline of your life. When a life event happens, it is fresh and you think you will always remember the details and even the date. Time has a way of erasing these. However, in a journal, the dates and events are right there. Marriages, deaths, meeting someone for the first time, life celebrations…they are all there in chronological order.

A journal is for you and no one else. It serves no other purpose but to make you a better person and to help put your life in perspective.

I don’t know how not to journal. It has always been a friend that has been there. On some days, the only entry is “nothing new” while other days take up three or four pages. Some pages are totally crossed out, knowing I got it out of my mind and on paper but something I never wanted to re-visit again.

My journal is not one book, but many spiral notebooks kept in an old suitcase in the closet. They are messy, torn, ripped, stained but they are honest reflections of my life. They have helped make me who I am…and that is why I journal.

 

THE POT WE ALL NEED

 

 

Dutch ovens have been around for a long time…well, since 1769 to be exact. Most of us either have one or have had one. For some, it’s the pot that sets in the way back corner of the cabinet and is only thought of when it needs to be moved…like for spring cleaning. For the rest of us, it’s the pot that hardly ever gets put away because it’s used so often.

Although heavy and cumbersome, it is one of the most versatile cooking vessels in the kitchen. OK, Instapot lovers, yours is too, but can yours go from stovetop to oven to over a campfire? Enough said, so even if you love your Instapot, a Dutch oven can still be your friend. Between the two, they can provide all the cooking versatility you need.

Dutch oven cooking methods were first used in the Netherlands, hence the name Dutch oven. However, it was the British who first used the cast iron. Here in the states, the Pennsylvania Dutch popularized them. Since the colonial era, cast iron pots and kettles have come to define Dutch oven cooking. Since the colonial era, Dutch ovens in the United States have become shallower pots with shorter legs. Paul Revere is himself credited for the American innovation of the flat lid which holds coals on top of it…think wagon trains and the Old West.

Dutch ovens are pretty basic, a heavy-duty cooking pot (usually cast iron) with a lid. They are ideal for sauteing, braising, cooking, simmering, frying and even baking.

 

TYPES OF DUTCH OVENS. There are three types of Dutch ovens, cast iron, enameled cast iron and stainless steel.

 

The most prominent type is the old-style cast iron, which often has legs (or feet) and a bail-type handle. Most modern versions have flat bottoms with handles so they can be used on modern stoves, even glass-top ones.

 

*Seasoned cast iron is the raw version of the Dutch oven. They are seasoned with a light coating of oil to protect against rusting. This protection also acts as a non-stick surface known as the patina. These pots perform just as well as any other type of cooking utensil and prepare almost any dish. They perform as well on the stovetop, in the oven and even with the high temperatures of a campfire.

Cleaning cast iron Dutch ovens only requires warm or hot water and a scratcher. Simply, scrub with the water, rinse, dry well and apply a thin coat of oil. The only time that they are hard to clean is when the seasoning is broken down.

*Enameled Dutch ovens have special non-stick coatings. They come in vibrant colors that makes them especially easy to go from stovetop to table for serving. However, they do have some drawbacks over their older cast iron cousins.

Don’t use metal utensils for fear of scratching the surface. Many of the interior surfaces are light-colored which means that they also stain easier. These must be dried thoroughly so they don’t rust. Also, no matter how the instructions read, NEVER put enameled cast iron in the dishwasher.

*Stainless steel is the third and, perhaps the least known type, of Dutch ovens. Modern ones have three layers beginning with heavy gauge aluminum covered with two layers of stainless steel. These are basically your stainless steel stock pots that perform like Dutch ovens. The thing to remember here is to buy a heavy duty one. The lighter constructed ones tend to burn food at the bottom.

Unlike the other two kinds, stainless steel Dutch ovens can go in the dishwasher.

 

COOKING IN DUTCH OVENS. There are a few things that ensure you will have the best experience when cooking with your Dutch oven.

*Use the most flavorful ingredients to bring out the richness of all the foods. Use chicken broth instead od water. This will bring out the full flavor in rice, pasta and stews. Simple ingredients seek out the savory in every dish. Don’t just stir them together, heat spices and vegetables in butter or juices rendered from browned meat to elevate flavors.

*Pair your Dutch oven with your microwave. Cook a simple sauce or pre-cook potatoes in the microwave while searing meat in the Dutch oven.

*Cook in stages. Don’t just dump all ingredients in and let it cook. Meat and vegetables have different cook times and require different ingredients. Add different foods according to their cook times and add seasonings accordingly.

*Cook two ways at once. By using wire racks, steamer baskets, skewers along with the Dutch oven, you can simmer a stew while steaming vegetables.

*Hearty, slow-cooked dishes need a flavorful sauce. One of the best ways to do this is to add fresh herbs, they add zing and also make dishes look good.

 

BAKING IN DUTCH OVENS. Dutch ovens help mimic the environment that many professional bakers have in a professional bakery which is a moisture sealed chamber with intense and mostly even radiative heat. The thick cast iron walls have enough thermal mass to ensure a stable temperature during baking and the sealed interior traps steam which is beneficial during baking, especially for bread.

 

Moisture in the oven during the first part of baking ensures that breads rise fully, crusts have deeper and more colors and makes exteriors shinier.

 

Steam also increases loaf volume. Without it during the first part of baking, the rapidly expanding dough forms a hard crust on the exterior. This early crust formation will harden the overall loaf volume, resulting in a much denser loaf. With adequate steam, the outside will remain moist and supple, allowing the loaf to expand and stretch further before hardening and setting. This doesn’t require a lot of steam. When the pot is sealed shut during the first 20 minutes of bake time, there is enough steam to render a good loaf.

The steam inside the closed Dutch oven also settles on the outside of the dough, forming the layer that prevents the temperature from getting too high too fast. This makes sure that the outside doesn’t darken before the inside is finished baking.

The downside of baking bread in a sealed Dutch oven is sometimes the bottom will become too brown. To avoid this, be sure and preheat the oven, then put the bread in covered for 20 minutes before finishing baking uncovered. The inside temperature should be 205*F when the loaf is done.

Dutch ovens are hard working and deserve a spot up front and center in your kitchen. Once you start using one, it will probably be your go-to cooking source every day.