Laundry Care

Now for something new and generally unrelated to food...I've been curious to know what the new laundry care symbols mean. I've seen some of our care tags with just symbols and others with symbols and worded instructions. I decided to look it up for a "cheat sheet" to post in my laundry room.

I found "Your Guide to Fabric Care Symbols" (covers all the different symbols and what they mean) and a "Fabric Care Language Made Easy" (a quick shortcut guide) very informative. I printed them out as they are easy to read and will make easy reference in my laundry room.

Applesauce Quick Bread

I found this recipe in one of my children's magazines (recipe by Denise Super-Braith). It is simple and the only thing I changed was the sweetener. I added (half as much) honey instead of sugar. Because I made homemade applesauce this year (might make more), I had some in the freezer to use.

Applesauce Quick Bread

Mix liquids together in one bowl:
2 cups unsweetened applesauce
1 cup sugar (I used 1/2 cup honey)
1/2 cup oil

Mix dry ingredients in another bowl:
2 1/2 cups flour (I used whole wheat)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/3 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine wet and dry ingredients together, mixing well. Bake in a greased and floured bread pan at 350 degrees for about 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the bread cool, then slice when ready to serve.

(When I made this the first time, I actually didn't have the cinnamon, so I added the cloves along with some allspice and nutmeg. Still came out great!)

This would probably do great as cupcakes too, just adjust for less time and watch your oven.

Cooking with Oils

I have always known that there are certain oils that can be used in cooking (heated) and some that are best used in a cold state for full benefit.

The Spectrum company has a great online resource that can be useful in the kitchen. It's a kitchen guide that shows which oils can take heat and how much. It also shows you which oils should not be heated and the best Omega 3-6-9 sources. I printed one out so I can use it as a reference. I will put it into my 3 ring binder along with my recipes.

"Mint" Your Carob Cake

I recently baked another yummy carob cake for a friend's birthday. Since it was to be a surprise, her husband gave me instructions for the evening and he gave me a great idea. He said she often makes her chocolate/carob cake with mint in it.

So I decided to figure it out. Without checking other recipes, I first thought about adding in some crushed mint leaves since I had those. And then I remembered that my husband uses peppermint oil for migraine relief, so I tried that. I was only making a small cake (one layer of a two layered cake) so I put in only about 4 or 5 drops from my little tiny bottle of peppermint oil.

I am happy to report that it was a success! And what's interesting is this friend has been using the same recipe for carob cake that I've been using for years too! =)

Spinach and Sun-Dried Tomato Salad

Another recipe from the "American Vegetarian Cookbook" to accompany the recipe posted yesterday for "Stedda" Ricotta.

3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3/4 -1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard, or 1 teaspoon vegan mayonnaise
6 cups fresh spinach, well washed
1/4 cup slivered sun-dried tomatoes (see my note)
1/4 - 1/2 cup "Stedda" Ricotta

(My note: Rehydrate the sun-dried tomatoes with some warm water for a few minutes while you continue with recipe. If they are oil-packed, then you don't need to do this step. Just remove as much oil as you can or use less oil in the recipe.)

Combine first three ingredients in a large bowl and beat with a whisk. Thoroughly dry the spinach and break into bite-size pieces into the salad bowl. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and the "Stedda" Ricotta. Toss well.

"Stedda" Ricotta

I am sharing a recipe for a ricotta cheese substitute. It is from the "American Vegetarian Cookbook from the Fit For Life Kitchen" by Marilyn Diamond. I have used this for a salad recipe (from the same book), which I will share forthcoming.

So for now, make this and it'll be ready for the salad in the next post. Or you can use it for any recipe calling for ricotta cheese. And no, it doesn't call for miso, soy sauce, or nutritional yeast. Very simple to make.

"Stedda" Ricotta

1 pound firm tofu (I like the water packed kind for this)
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt or ground rock salt

Original instructions in the book:
Place three-fourths of the tofu and the remaining ingredients in a blender. Blend until thick and smooth. Mash the remaining tofu into the blended mixture.

(My note: Where you want a more "pudding" like texture for your recipe, the above instructions will serve you well. If you like a chunkier texture, then use my method below for your dish.)

My method:
Mash all the ingredients in a flat bottomed bowl or container with a potato masher (aka: "avocado masher"). Be careful when mashing to start at one side of the tofu block working your through. You have just mixed it pretty well, by the time you are done mashing. Now just chill it. I like it this way. =)

Green Pea Salad

Here is a quick and easy salad to make when you might not have lettuce on hand.

Green Pea Salad

1 pound frozen peas (or thaw first)
2 green onions, sliced
1 Tablespoon olive oil (can use part flax seed oil)
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
salt or homemade seasoned salt, to taste
dill weed, as desired

Mix together the oil, lemon juice and seasonings. Mix this marinade and the onions and peas up to 3-4 hours before serving if frozen. If peas are thawed when making this recipe, then they will be ready to serve in less time.

I have made the marinade the night before, then mixed it with the (frozen) peas and onions a few hours before the meal. Then stirred again before serving. Works well this way and didn't need to be refrigerated once mixed all together.