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Monday, July 2, 2018

3 Refreshing Pea Recipes for Summer

It is very hot outside and I'm feeling particularly lazy. Yet I'm hungry. It's too hot to eat a full, heavy meal but I'm really hungry. After seeing my gardening friends posting their magazine quality photos of their pea harvests, I'm having a pea craving. I think the following three recipes are the three best pea recipes.

7 Layer Salad

I love 7 layer salads. I tend to make them only occasionally in the summer and have not yet made one this year. There are a variety of 7 layer salad recipes to be found, but I always use the recipe that uses peas. I love the flavor that peas add to this salad.

While looking for that recipe, so I could give you the amounts of the ingredients, I found this version of a Layered Salad by The Pioneer Woman. I like her version even better! She adds spinach and tomatoes - in addition to the 7 ingredients I add: lettuce, eggs, peas, green onions, bacon, cheese, and mayo.

Layered Salad by The Pioneer Woman

Her salad is like a beautiful BLT in a bowl, with the added oomph of the peas and other ingredients. What a fresh and beautiful layer salad. YUM! My mouth is watering.

I need to stop at the farmer's stand and buy some fresh, ripe 'maters - instead of those cardboard flavored tomatoes at the grocery.

Pea Soup

Pea Soup recipe by Eating Well

Pea soup! How easy and flavorful can you get? This Pea Soup recipe by Eating Well is right up my alley - only 12 ingredients; all of which I have in my kitchen right now with the exception of fresh thyme or parsley. The recipe claims that it only takes 35 minutes until ready to eat.

In this heat, I believe I would serve this chilled (as many pea soup recipes are) but I can also imagine this would be a great soup to prepare and serve either warm or chilled - depending on my mood that day.

Smashed Peas with Mint Butter

All my life, I've smashed my peas in my potatoes and made smashed peas. Mom served them separately but they ended up mashed together on my plate. Who knew that would become "a thing" ?! Well, it is.

Including the water, this Smashed Pea with Mint Butter recipe by Genius Kitchen has a whopping 7 ingredients! Again, everything I have in my kitchen already with the exception of fresh parsley. No, I don't intentionally boycott parsley, I apparently just don't really use it.

The idea of adding my own fresh mint (from the balcony) to my smashed peas excites me.

Smashed Peas with Mint Butter by Genius Kitchen

* * * * *

Whether you prefer using fresh peas for a garden to table cooking or frozen peas (because frozen peas keep their flavor for a garden-fresh taste even when the gardens aren't producing) I hope you find one of these recipes to be useful.

Summer is a wonderful time for trying new recipes and re-visiting family favorites because the seasonal vegetables are at their freshest and most flavorful. I always feel more adventurous in the kitchen when gardens are in full swing.

Related Link:

Do you think you hate eating peas? For me it was beets. I despised beets for decades. But I changed my mind recently. Here is my article about how I came to love (and crave) beets. Even if you think you don't want to eat peas, one of the above recipes may change your mind.

Looking for vegetable recipes other than peas? I've included some recommended cookbooks below. And yes, I've included a kid-friendly cookbook (being released in October) because, frankly, kid-friendly recipes are more my style.

Photo Credit: Intro photo courtesy of Pixaby - CC0 creative commons

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Monday, February 27, 2017

Recipes for Real People a Site Review

Recipes for Real People is a recipe and kitchen website that offers recipes and food ideas that are quick, easy, and useful for everyday meals. From Aprons to Vegetables, you will find comfort food recipes, meal ideas, and kitchen gifts for you and your family.

Why I Turn to Recipes for Real People

I can't even begin to guess the number of recipe websites on the internet. So why would I turn to Recipes for Real People? There are several reasons I look to this site for ideas. Just this morning I woke with many things on my mind. I have household chores to do, reports to write for work, and assorted things I would like to accomplish with my own website. I have to find a way to save some time today.

After unseasonably warm days, a thunderstorm rolled through last night and brought behind it a very cold and cloudy morning. I am craving comfort food and not sure what I have in the kitchen. After having spent the past few days driving around with the Jeep top open and enjoying the warm weather, I had no reason to buy ingredients to make chili or stew. But now it is very cold outside, the furnace is on, I am under the blankets, and I am craving something warm and filling. Something like stew or chili. However, to make either of those things, I'd have to run out to the store.

Thanks to a recipe found on Recipes for Real People, I have found a meal idea and won't have to go to the grocery after all.

I should clarify that I am writing this on Sunday and it will be published on Monday. On Monday I will be back at the office, hard at work - giving my time and energy to others. So I am especially thankful for time-saving ideas that allow me to spend more time on the weekends on myself.

Hamburger Vegetable Soup Recipe

Susan's Hamburger Vegetable Soup recipe is just the type of thing I am craving. Her four-ingredient recipe is easy and made from ingredients that are often found in the kitchen at any given time. I do not currently have any fresh ground beef in the fridge. But I do have ground sausage. So I will substitute the sausage for the ground beef and have a filling, warm, comfort meal and won't have to leave the apartment today! In fact, come to think of it, I have a few different cans of soup that I could use as substitutes for the vegetable soup in Susan's recipe. Perhaps I'll add the sausage to a can of creamy chicken soup. I don't know. I will decide later. But I am relieved that a trip to the grocery is something I can remove from today's full to-do list. All thanks to Recipes for Real People.

(photo by Susan)

A few more reasons I turn to Recipes for Real People

Recipes for Real People is a website owned by one of our Review This! contributors - Susan Deppner

I trust that Susan is sharing recipes that she cooks in her own home

these recipes call for few ingredients that are readily available

quick and easy prep recipes

leftovers are used in the Recipes for Real People kitchen - I am a firm believer in using leftovers

Susan's kitchen helpers are adorable

Monday, January 23, 2017

Reviewing the Savings of a KitchenAid Artisan Mixer

Pink is only one of the MANY KitchenAid colors available

I have recently decided that I need to purchase a KitchenAid Artisan Mixer as soon as possible. This is a complete change of mind about investing in a what I had previously considered "just another kitchen gadget". And to be more specific, another gadget that has a hefty price tag when you are budgeting every penny. But I have reviewed the many reasons of why the cost would be justified and have observed others using this important kitchen tool. Below, I will share the primary reasons that I have decided a KitchenAid Artisan Mixer is an important purchase to make, and worth budgeting for.

Customizing Bread Recipes for Health and Savings

I am discovering the joys of homemade bread. My first successful recipe was an easy Peasant Bread that consisted of letting it rising and punching it down more than kneading. As I became proficient with that bread, I attempted another bread recipe - the Ultimate Bread recipe. This second bread recipe requires kneading.

So far, I've done this kneading by hand and have had no problems. However, it is a bit time consuming and tiring. The older I become the more quickly my hands tire. I have decided to bake my own bread weekly and have done so recently but I'm learning that I need a bit of help.

Energy Savings - I am referring to my energy. I feel like there are not enough hours in the day and that I need to be twins in order to get everything finished that I want to finish on the weekends. Making bread is a priority. But as I am kneading, and my hands are growing tired, I think that "there must be an easier way". Well, there is. It is a KitchenAid Artisan Mixer with a bread hook attachment. If the machine does the kneading I can save my energy for other tasks.

Money Savings - Have you noticed the prices of bread in the stores? I am a one-person household but I go through a good share of bread. I like toast and peanut butter sandwiches. I like to make grilled cheese sandwiches to go with my soup. With bread recipes that have only 6 ingredients, two loaves of store-bought bread can easily cover the costs of the ingredients to make many loaves of bread at home.

Possible Health Benefits - With 6 ingredients going into my homemade bread, I know what I am eating. The bread that I typically purchased from the store lists ingredients that I am able to pronounce. So there were no mystery ingredients. However, it also lists gluten.

For folks who need gluten-free breads, or have preferences about the types of flours they consume, they can easily adjust recipes to suit their needs.

KitchenAid Artisan Mixer Reviews

There are many, many reviews online and much information about KitchenAid Artisan Mixers. I will not reinvent the wheel and rewrite that information. Especially since I am not yet a proud owner of this important kitchen tool.

Heather does own one and has reviewed her KitchenAid as well as shared important information such as the best time of year to make your purchases due to sales. If you are ready to learn more about these mixers from current owners, I would start with her review.

After reviewing the financial, physical energy, and health related savings, it becomes easy to see that a KitchenAid Artisan Mixer will be an investment that pays for itself fairly quickly. The most difficult part of the purchase will be choosing just one of the many beautiful colors.

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Saturday, December 17, 2016

Sweet Ginger Cheese Muffins - Recipe Review


Sweet Ginger Muffins copyright BuckHawk

Looking for easy, vegan and gluten-free muffin recipes, I came across a delicious looking sweet ginger one. But, it wasn't completely perfect to go with the soup I was planning for dinner. Therefore, I did the conversions needed to end up with Sweet Ginger Cheese Muffins.

Here I'll tell you about the original recipe along with the changes I made to create my new muffin recipe. Although my recipe is both vegan and gluten-free, I've included the easy changes you can make to convert it to standard diet fare.

The Original Muffin Recipe

Great Gluten-Free Vegan Eats

One of my favorite vegan and gluten-free cookbooks is Allyson Kramer's Great Gluten-Free Vegan Eats from Around the World. In her section titled Tasty Treats from Central and South America, she includes a recipe for Chilean-Style Sweet Ginger Cake. This was the recipe that enticed me into creating my own version.

Sweet Ginger Cake is meant to be a dessert. But, to go with the potato leek soup I was serving, I wanted something a bit less desserty. Ergo, less sugar and sweet ingredients and the addition of vegan cheese shreds and nutritional yeast. The result was a delicious cheesy muffin similar to sponge cake in texture.

Sweet Ginger Cheese Muffins Recipe

Ingredients and directions:

2/3 cup vegan margarine
1/3 cup raw sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream these ingredients together until they form a smooth paste. I used my stand mixer for this. It just goes so much faster.

Then add in:

2 teaspoons dried, ground ginger
1/3 cup tapioca flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 cups gram flour
1/4 cup honey, agave or other sweetner
1 1/2 cups almond milk

Mix all of this together until you have a smooth batter. Finally fold in 1/2 cup of shredded cheese. I used a combination of Daiya brand mozzarella and cheddar style vegan shreds.

Grease and flour 12 standard muffin cups and divide the mixture among the tins. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until golden brown on top.

Recipe Notes

For those of you who are not familiar with vegan and gluten free cooking, many of these ingredients will sound foreign. But every single one is available in health food stores and online.

If you want to make these muffins in a more conventional way, you can easily replace the vegan margarine for butter, replace both the tapioca and gram flour with all-purpose flour, skip the xanthan gum and replace the vegan versions of milk and cheese with dairy versions.

Nutritional yeast is not like standard bread yeast. It's deactivated and more similar to brewer's yeast. It adds a cheesy flavor and vitamin B12 to anything it's added to. Nutritional yeast is found in a dried version, either flakes or powder. If you don't have nutritional yeast, you may want to add more cheese shreds.

Either way you want to make this recipe, you will enjoy a combination of flavors. Unexpected combination, I agree, but the result will complement soups and stews wonderfully.

Posted by: BuckHawk

About This Contributor

BuckHawk decribes herself as "Basically a lazy person who prefers the easy things in life." So that's what she writes about. Easy home decorating, easy recipes, easy entertaining. But, she is also a lover of animals, gardening and crafting. You'll find her writing all over the Web, but with Review This Reviews! she has the opportunity to write about all of her loves.

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Saturday, September 17, 2016

A Tasty Review for National Cheeseburger Day - September 18

Image of Cheeseburger for National Cheeseburger Day September 18

Cheeseburger (Source: Pixabay)

National Cheeseburger Day is one of those 'unofficial' holidays with no known source, although several restaurants have laid claim to it over the years going back to the 1920s.

As the story goes, Lionel Sternberger supposedly invented the cheeseburger in 1926 while working at his father’s Pasadena, California sandwich shop, “The Rite Spot”. During an experiment, he dropped a slice of American cheese on a sizzling hamburger.

Other Possible Origins of National Cheeseburger Day

In 1928, O'Dell's restaurant in Los Angeles served a cheeseburger smothered with chili. It cost 25 cents.
Kaelin’s Restaurant in Louisville, Kentucky says it invented the cheeseburger in 1934.
It's said that a trademark for the name “cheeseburger” was awarded to Louis Ballast of the Humpty Dumpty Drive-In in Denver, Colorado in 1935, and Gus Belt, founder of Steak n' Shake is known to have applied for a trademark for the word in the 1930s.

Whatever it's origin, the cheeseburger, America’s favorite sandwich of a hamburger topped off with a piece of cheese, is enjoyed by millions every day. Somewhere along the line, September 18 was designated as "National Cheeseburger Day".

Having your Cheeseburger in a Restaurant

Source: PIxabay

If you plan to go out to eat a cheeseburger on September 18, here are some free cheeseburger discounts and coupons compiled by Go Banking Rates website to help you celebrate National Cheeseburger Day. For instance, Steak 'n Shake is offering a Philly Cheese Double Steakburger and Fries for just $3.99 with the coupon in this article until October 23. And by searching the web, you can find other special deals and freebies offered by a variety of places aimed at helping you enjoy a Cheeseburger! Some of these offers are good for several days or weeks after the event.

What is a Cheeseburger?

Image Source: Pixabay

Well, naturally, we all know a cheeseburger is a hamburger usually made with ground beef, with a slice of cheese on top. Usually the cheese slice is added just at the end of cooking the 'burger' so it melts on top. But, many people add a selection of popular toppings, which include lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, bacon, sauteed mushrooms and more.

A Different Cheeseburger Recipe

Image courtesy of mbgphoto

Mary Beth Granger (mbgphoto here on Review This!) gives us a wonderful alternative to a cheeseburger on a bun.

Here's her recipe for Cheeseburger Soup!

Cheeseburger Cookbook

If you are looking for more cheeseburger recipes, this cheeseburger cookbook recipe collection will show you how to dress up your everyday cheeseburger and take it to the next level of 'deliciousness'.

The pages are filled with 37 mouth-watering cheeseburger recipes. Try them all until you can decide which is your favorite!

Crafty Cheeseburgers!

Cheeseburger Potholder Set in Crochet on Etsy

Cheeseburger Potholders in Crochet

Since I'm a crochet crafter, I decided to create in yarn a set of potholders which, when stacked together, look like a cheeseburger. If you'd like to make your own, I put together a tutorial for a free crochet pattern for these Cheeseburger Potholders.

If you don't crochet, but would like a set, one can be ordered from my Etsy Shop Coastal Crochet Crafts.

These cheeseburger novelty potholders are sure to be noticed and talked about when displayed in your kitchen. They are also a very practical addition to your kitchen helpers.

Happy Cheeseburger Day!

National Cheeseburger Day September 18th Postcard

by TimefortheHolidays

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Friday, November 20, 2015

Thanksgiving Menu of Recipes Review

Cooking for Thanksgiving is one of my favorite times of the year. For many years, Mom and I have cooked the day before Thanksgiving prior to any of our house guests arriving. It was like the calm before the storm. That day has always truly been a day of fun and laughter as we taste tested our way into sheer exhaustion that never felt better.

This year, several family members are coming in early, so Mom and I will be sharing the kitchen with a few others. I already know I am going to miss that special time for just the two of us, but, like all things, we will adapt and no doubt, still enjoy fun and laughter. In fact, I am already mentally devising ways to annoy my sister, who will be one of our early birds.

This year it will be more like the days of our youth when the girls in the household will pack into the kitchen like a can of sardines to cook, while the guys brilliantly stay out of the way. Now that I think of it, I wonder, what do those guys do? Perhaps I will spy on them this year and I can report back to you all later.

Note: You can click any of the photos to see the actual recipes.

Breakfast Breads

As much as I enjoy cooking, I do not like to cook first thing in the morning. I like to drink my coffee and wake up slowly. How my morning begins has always affected my entire day. If I wake up late, that stressful feeling of being rushed doesn't seem to leave me even as the day changes into early evening. If I wake up to immediate work, I never seem to find that peace and I tend to be irritable all day. Therefore, I prefer to either cook something the day before or something that can quickly be mixed together and stuck in the oven to bake while I drink my coffee and wake up fully.

Here are a few muffin and bread recipes that our contributors on Review This have shared with me and I, in turn, will share them with you.

Healthy Pumpkin Muffins Cranberry Nut Muffins Coffee Can Pumpkin Bread

Festive Broccoli Salad Recipe

Festive Broccoli Salad

Anything that can be prepared ahead of time, especially the day before, is going to be a real winner in my book!

BarbRad's Festive Broccoli Salad sounds like a delicious recipe, plus it looks like one I could make ahead and leave in the refrigerator. If someone gets hungry before the complete Thanksgiving dinner is ready, this salad is something they could easily help themselves to without ruining their appetites.

It would also be a very pretty addition to the Thanksgiving dinner table, provided you have any left after your guests know it is available while they wait.

The Thanksgiving Turkey

For as long as I can remember, the turkey has been one of the main dishes on our Thanksgiving table. I cook it the same way my mother prepared her Thanksgiving turkey. It is always delicious, tender and moist. After all, not one enjoys a dried out turkey!

I share all of my secrets for How to Bake a Turkey on Cooking for the Holidays.

How to Bake a Turkey

Turkey Noodle Soup Recipe

Making Another Meal with Turkey Leftovers

Since our guests stay for nearly a week, we need meals on the days after Thanksgiving. No one really feels like cooking huge meals the following days or spending a lot of time in the kitchen. Recipes that can be created with leftovers are the perfect solution to the days after Thanksgiving dinner dilemma.

Susan Deppner has shared her recipe for Homemade Turkey Noodle Soup. This is such a great recipe for those turkey leftovers, especially for those cold, damp days that always seem to follow Thanksgiving.

Wishing You All a Wonderful Day, Delicious Meals, and Safe Travels this Thanksgiving Holiday!

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Friday, November 21, 2014

Recipes for Thanksgiving Leftovers

After days of cooking in preparation for Thanksgiving, it seems like no matter how well we plan or how many years of experience we have, there are always leftovers. I hate throwing out leftovers, but I very much enjoy having a recipe on hand that makes good use of leftovers. After all, few of us really want the exact same meal several days in a roll, so having a recipe for a totally different meal is simply awesome.

Cheeseburger Soup Recipe

Cheeseburger Soup Recipe by Mbgphoto

I want to start with a recipe that sounds delicious! Not only will it make good use of our leftovers, but most of us don't need or even want a very heavy meal on the days immediately following Thanksgiving and soup is more than sufficient.

This Cheeseburger Soup recipe by Mbgphoto is the perfect recipe for leftover turkey! It gives us a great alternative meal for what is otherwise plain turkey. I do love turkey, but after a day or two of eating it, I am ready for something different and Cheeseburger soup is most definitely different.

Curry in a Hurry

Susan Deppner offers another fast and easy recipe that uses the leftover turkey. What I really love about this recipe is just how fast it is to prepare. I looks like in less than 20 minutes, you could have a delicious meal without having to spend any more money for the meat.

This also helps you make good use of that leftover apple from the fruit basket! This recipe makes me doubly happy because it uses double the leftovers.

A Variety of Recipes for Leftover Turkey

For a real variety of salad and sandwich recipes for your leftover turkey, please visit AllRecipes.com. Turkey sandwiches are my husband's favorite creation to make with turkey leftovers. I have no doubt he will find several suggestions in this group of recipes that he will want to try this year.

A Delicious Fruit Salad with Leftover Fruit

I have personally committed several times about how much I have having a fruit basket for the holidays. It is so easy for guest to grab a healthy snack between meals if I have a fruit basket available. However, I inevitably have a few pieces of fruit left over, which means it is time for me to make a fruit salad.

Tossing the leftover cut-up pieces of fruit in a bowl together is perfect for leftover fruit.

More Recipes for Thanksgiving Leftovers

If you have a published recipe that would be great for Thanksgiving leftovers, we would love to have you share it with us. Please leave the link to your recipe in the guestbook below.

Recommended by Our Readers! (Thank you for sharing with us!)

Healthy Vegetable Soup with Cannellini Beans and Optional Chicken Sausage

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Saturday, January 25, 2014

It's Fun to Recycle, Let's Turn Our Trash into Treasure!

Hello!

I'm Coletta and I was the Recycler Contributor on Squidoo.

NOTE: On August 15, 2014, Squidoo announced that it had been acquired by HubPages. With this acquisition, the Squidoo Contributor program was cancelled.

It's an honor to be here with such a terrific group of talented Squidoo writers and I'm extremely excited about Squidoo's new Contributor Program.

The Squidoo Contributor Program is a tremendous opportunity for us here at Review This! and for our fellow Contributors to share stories, reviews, recipes and how-tos that answer your questions and spark your creativity. Stories that are unique, useful and updated.

The Recycler will be searching for informational stories, descriptive product reviews, delicious recipes and entertaining how-to articles to help you to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle in every aspect of your everyday life. Stories that will help you spend less of your hard-earned money while saving the environment.

Through The Recycler Network, the Recycler will bring you tips and tricks to reduce waste in your kitchen and garden. You'll also find creative craft projects using items that we often see in the garbage can or recycling bin.

Here are some highlights from The Recycler Network this past week:

We're saving money on our food budget and reducing food waste. It's easy when you Recycle Your Vegetable Scraps and Make Soup Stock.

The kids in the craft room really know how to recycle old crayons and it's is a great way to let kids get colorful and creative.

If you like plants, rotting your yard debris and making compost will grow a healthy garden. The Envirocycle Original Composter (www.thegrocerygarden.blogspot.com/2014/12/product-review-envirocycle-composter.html) is an inexpensive way to grow a healthy garden.

New to composting? Here are some Fast Composting Tips - Composting Made Easy for every gardener.

The Recycler is anxiously waiting for next Saturday. Squidoo's RocketSquids are, right this very minute, putting their creative juices to the test and writing stories about their adventures in recycling. Next week the Recycler will share with you the best "Upcycle It" stories these RocketSquids create. I've taken a sneak peak and I'm excited by what I see.

I hope you'll join the Recycler and start reducing the garbage from your life. I'm looking forward to this new adventure in reducing waste, increasing savings and making recycling fun.

Coletta

Posted by Coletta Teske

About This Contributor

Coletta Teske writes reviews on books, business management, writing, crafting, cooking, and gardening. She is also an avid recycler and shares her tips on recycling. She delights in upcycling an old object, recycling or transforming discarded items into a new treasure.

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