Peaches, Plums and Nectarines

I learned about this trick years ago, and it really works.

Growing up, my mom never liked buying peaches from the store that weren't locally grown because they never were ripe and flavorless. I've found that if you have a little patience you can get great summer fruit from the store and not have to wait for the local produce to come on.

When peaches, nectarines, and plums come on sale this time of the year I love to stock up. Don't be afraid to buy ones that are hard. I do try to get ones that look ripe, not green, though. Take them home and put them all in a brown paper bag. Fold it up and leave it on your counter for 2 to 3 days. Check on them daily to see if they are softening. Once they are starting to give, I put them all in the crisper drawer of my fridge. They will stay fresh for many days. They might not always be as juicy as local produce, but they are still a special treat.

Just yesterday we enjoyed some peaches and nectarines with my stuffed crepe recipe with fruit we ripened this way. They seemed especially good. Hurray for fresh summer fruits!!

Keeping Strawberries Fresh Longer

I recently found the what I think is the best way to keep strawberries you buy at the grocery store fresh for a long time. I've had them stay almost perfectly fresh for up to a week. Simply leave them in the plastic container they came in and place container inside a plastic grocery bag. Wrap the bag around it and keep in the fridge on a shelf. I've been amazed at how long they stay as fresh as the day you brought them home. In the past I've found that simply putting them in the fridge they start to get soft the next day or so. Try it. It really works.

Taco Seasoning

2 T flour
2 T chili powder
1 1/2 tsp. dried minced onion
3/4 to 1 tsp. salt ( to taste)
1 tsp. paprika
3/4 tsp. crushed beef bouillon cube
1/4 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
dash of onion powder

Combine in small bowl. For tacos prepare 1 lb ground beef, add seasoning and 3/4 c. of water. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.

Helpful Cleaning Recipes

I saw this on Studio 5 this morning and thought it gave some very useful advice for getting the most out of products that every kitchen should have, baking soda, vinegar, and cream of tartar. I'm planning on trying some of these out. I'm embarrassed to say how long it has been since I've scrubbed the inside of my fridge. Also, we had a problem with ants getting into our house last summer. I was so worried about using chemicals around Ethan. I hadn't ever heard about using cream of tartar!

I copied the following from the Studio 5 website.

The following products not only work, they save money. As an added bonus these products are also more environmentally friendly than their commercial alternatives!

Cream of Tartar - derived from plants (grapes, bananas, tamarinds) as tartaric acid. It is mildly acidic powder that has a number of great uses in cleaning.

Burned on Food:
Fill the burned pot or pan with enough water to cover the burned area with at least a half an inch of water. Pour about 1 to 2 TBS cream of tarter over the water. Place pan on stove and heat to a low simmer. Let simmer for 5 or 6 minutes. Cool. Scrub with tuffy scrubber. Voila! (Also works well on burner dripper pans on the stove—make a paste of equal parts cream of tarter and vinegar, rub on, let sit 10-15 minutes, scrub off burned on build up.

Rust in Laundry:
Make a paste of cream of tartar to clean rust from washable fabrics. To make the paste, mix a small amount of water with some cream of tartar until the consistency is appropriate. Apply this to rust stains and gently rub it into the stain. Let the mixture set for about 10 minutes and wash as usual.

Stains in Your Tub:
Let this simple solution of cream of tartar and hydrogen peroxide do the hard work of removing a bathtub stain for you. Fill a small, shallow cup or dish with cream of tartar and add hydrogen peroxide drop by drop until you have a thick paste. Apply to the stain and let it dry. When you remove the dried paste, you'll find that the stain is gone too.

Problem with Ants:
Repel ants by sprinkling cream of tartar around the hole the ants come from, and they won't come out. Sprinkle it on cracks and crevices and near your doorway to repel ants from the outside and keep them from coming in.

Ring Around the Collar:
Wet the collar area and rub in some cream of tartar. Launder as usual and the collar will be clean.

Vinegar - Mildly acidic white vinegar dissolves dirt, soap scum, and hard water deposits from smooth surfaces, yet is gentle enough to use in solution to clean hardwood flooring. White vinegar is a natural deodorizer, absorbing odors instead of covering them up. Any vinegar aroma disappears when dry. With no coloring agents, white vinegar won't stain grout on tiled surfaces. Its acidity cuts detergent residue, and makes a great fabric softener substitute for families with sensitive skin.

Pet Accidents on Carpet:
4 TBS Vinegar
2 Cups Hydrogen Peroxide
2 TBS Liquid Dishsoap
1 TBS Lemon Juice
2 TBS Baking Soda
Mix in 1 QT bottle. Add water to complete the quart—about 2 cups. Spray on spot to neutralize (for odor control) and clean. Follow up with plain water. Towel dry.

Film on Glasses from Dishwasher:
Hard water + very alkaline dishwasher detergent + hot water (too hot most of the time) = milky film on glassware. Mix two parts water with one part white vinegar in a large sauce pan. Add 3 or 4 glasses to be cleaned. Bring to a low simmer for 15-20 minutes. With rubber tongs remove glasses to sink with hot sudsy water and mild scrubber. Finish cleaning off any film by scrubbing lightly and then polishing dry. Your glasses will sparkle. Add a cup or two in the bottom of the dishwasher to help maintain.

Clean and deodorize a drain:
Pour 1 cup baking soda into drain, then one cup hot white distilled vinegar. Let this sit for 5 minutes or so then run hot water down the drain.

Floor Cleaner:
Mix a solution of 3 drops dishwashing liquid to 1/3 part white distilled vinegar, 1/3 part rubbing alcohol, and 1/3 part water. Spray sparingly and mop for a fast clean-up.

Baking Soda - Baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) is a naturally occurring material, present in most organic life forms. It can be "made" from sodium carbonate, or soda ash. The soda ash is dissolved in a carbon dioxide rich solution, and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) precipitates out. Baking soda's mild abrasive action and natural deodorizing properties make it a powerful replacement for harsh commercial scouring powders.

Candle Wax out of Fabric:
Remove as much of the wax as possible by scrapping. (Some people like to place the article in the freezer to make the wax brittle in order to chip it off). After carefully scrapping as much of the wax out as possible, take at least a double layer of very absorbent paper towels and a warm iron and melt the remaining wax out of the fibers. You may need to repeat this process onto clean areas of the paper towel. (Some like to use a blow dryer rather than an iron.) Once the wax is removed it is time to treat the residue and stain. Place a few drops of liquid hand dishwashing detergent, some water, and some baking soda on the stain. Rub gently. Then place the article in a regular load of wash and add 1 cup of baking soda to the wash.

Carpet Spot Remover:
4 cups warm water
1/2 cup vinegar
2-3 Tablespoons baking soda
Add the vinegar and baking soda to the warm water in a large bowl. Stir slightly and allow it to fizz and foam. Dip a scrub brush into the mixture and scrub those spots in your carpet away. Let dry and then vacuum.

Crayon Off Walls:
A damp rag dipped in baking soda will remove crayon marks with little effort. Some folks like to soften/melt the crayon by using a hair blow dryer. Others like to add a bit of baby oil to the soda for the really tough crayon stains.

Refrigerator Interior Cleaner or Microwave:
2 tablespoons baking soda
1 quart warm water
Scrub stubborn spots with baking soda on a sponge. Use this mixture to wash exterior of refrigerator and other appliances, also.

To Clean Silver:
Put foil in the bottom of a bowl or dish. Add 2 Tbs. baking soda and 1 teaspoon salt. Put your jewelry/silver on top of the mixture. Add boiling water to cover, wait about 2 minutes. You will be amazed at the results! The foil and baking soda create a chemical reaction that removes tarnish! Or, 3 heaping Tbs. baking soda, piece of aluminum foil, crumpled up, added to a pan with boiling water and leave a few minutes. For objects that cannot submerged in the solution, use a paste of 3 parts baking soda to one part water. Rub the paste onto each item, then rinse with warm water and dry with a soft cloth.

Royal Icing

• 3 TBS meringue powder
• 4 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 6 TBS water

Beat all ingredients at low speed for 7-10 minutes or (10-12 min. with a hand mixer) until peaks form.

Be sure to pipe from a bag strictly for royal icing (disposable bags work fine too). The grease from buttercream icing will cause this to break down.

Wilton's Buttercream Icing

By request I am posting some recipes from the cake decorating classes I took a while back.

Here is the basic recipe for Wilton's Buttercream Decorator's Icing:

• 1 tsp clear vanilla extract
• 2 TBS milk or water
• 1 c vegetable shortening
• 1 TBS Meringue Powder
• 1lb. sifted powdered sugar (approx. 4 cups)

(optional--1/2 tsp butter extract may be substituted for 1/2 of the vanilla. A pinch of salt may also be added, which I recommend. If you don't need the frosting to be as white as it can be I also recommend replacing half of the shortening with a stick of softened butter. It just takes a lot better.)

Sift powdered sugar and meringue powder together in a large bowl and set aside. Cream shortening, and liquids, then gradually add the sifted dry ingredients. Mix until creamy, for a minute or so.

This recipe makes about 3 cups of stiff consistency frosting. You can thin it out with additional water or milk. You will need an additional tablespoon of liquid to make the whole batch medium consitency or 2 tablespoons to achieve thinner consistency. Stiff icing is typically used for roses or flowers that have upright petals, medium is for borders and flat laying flowers, and thin is used for writing words, stems, leaves, and frosting your cake.

Also, if you cannot find meringue powder you can omit it. It helps the frosting develop a slight crust so that it isn't quite so messy overtime.

I recently tried a version of this recipe making it chocolate and absolutely love it!! All you do is add 3 ounces of melted bittersweet chocolate or 3/4 of cocoa powder. I used it on Ethan's cake and couldn't stop licking the bowl (and this comes from someone who doesn't like to eat "Crisco frosting").

Enjoy!!