How long did your Sandy snacks last?

Many people are experiencing junk food gluttony remorse.

Hurricane Sandy is no laughing matter. But to those in its path, the topic of Sandy Food raised a few chuckles. In the hours leading up to Sandy's arrival, New Yorkers besieged local liquor stores, stocking up on beer, wine, and spirits (Oh, and bottled water too; why not?).

As the storm's outer edge began battering New York and the Jersey Shore, residents took to Twitter to confess that they had already eaten their Sandy snacks. As someone who lives in a storm-prone area, I can relate. It's a combination virtually guaranteed to ensure gluttony: you're stuck at home, with a house full of delicious stockpiled treats. Combine that with the anxiety of an impending large storm, and it's surprising any food remains in the house by the next day.

 
One of the best ways to combat this problem is to avoid stockpiling junk food. HA HA ONLY KIDDING. But it can help to buy junk food in portions that help encourage sensible rationing. For example, instead of buying one giant bag of Cheetos, buy three of the medium-size bags and mentally tag one of them for each day of your projected three-day confinement.
 
You can also buy even smaller sizes and try to restrict your intake that way. But in my experience this has the opposite effect, and you end up lying semi-comatose on the couch, feeling bloated and gross, surrounded by piles of tiny Fun Size wrappers. I mean, so I would imagine.
 
Slate asks, "Did you stock up for Sandy like a kid or a grownup?" I'll tell you what I stock up on ahead of a big storm: a nice Camembert, fancy crackers, a selection of candy bars, and fresh fruit. I also authorize the removal of a bottle of wine from my wine cellar (by which I mean the Igloo cooler that otherwise would stand empty, which I have filled with bottles of wine I buy opportunistically on sale throughout the year).
 
One of the best Sandy snacks making the rounds is something that I intend to try out: a corn salsa made with one can of black beans, one can of corn, and one can of diced tomatoes or salsa, plus a tablespoon of mayonnaise (or one mayo packet). Scoop it up with corn chips like salsa. Sounds delicious! This is also a great trio of canned goods to keep in your cupboard for unexpected emergencies.
 

Easy cheesy chicken pasta casserole

A great family meal or cover dish dinner.

I love casseroles simply because you can make them ahead of time and then just pop them in the oven for dinner. They go great with salad and biscuits for an easy meal. If you're looking for a new casserole to try consider making my easy cheesy chicken pasta casserole.

You will need the following ingredients:

  • Leftover chicken
  • 6 oz. ziti pasta cooked and drained
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • ½ small onion diced
  • ½ zucchini diced
  • 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 small tomato diced
  • 4 oz. Monterey Jack cheese
  • 4 oz. Cheddar cheese


Follow these instructions to make your cheesy chicken pasta casserole:

Step 1:
Heat up the extra virgin olive oil in a small frying pan. Add the garlic, onions and zucchini. Cook for five to seven minutes.

Step 2:
Pour the cooked ziti into a casserole dish and add the chicken. Toss together.

Step 3:
Place the garlic, onions, and zucchini in the casserole dish.

Step 4:
Toss the diced tomato, along with any juice that came out of it, in the casserole dish. Toss all of the ingredients together one final time.

Step 5:
Shred the Monterey Jack and cheddar cheeses and sprinkle them over the top of the casserole.

Step 6:
Bake the casserole in a preheated oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for a total of 20 to 25 minutes.

Step 7:
Serve immediately.

Tips:
Sometimes I'll add a few spices as well. You can use oregano or parsley, but I prefer to grab a blend of Italian spices. It is sold under the name Italian seasoning.

If you don't have any leftover chicken, Perdue has a line of already cooked chicken strips you can use.

Oiling your wooden cutting board

It's probably due!

One feature of kitchen maintenance that I admit I'm not good at keeping up with is oiling my wooden cutting board. Most sources say you should oil it once a week. Personally, I oil mine whenever it starts to look dry and "thirsty," which works out to about every three months. Mea culpa.

Oiling is important maintenance for a wooden cutting board. Studies have shown that wooden cutting boards are better at resisting bacteria and viruses, because they can't penetrate the wood the way they can a nicked and scratched plastic cutting board, and because a plastic board will hold moisture for longer. But this is only true if you oil your cutting board.
 
Oiling your board puts a layer of protection between the wood and the world. It helps to repel water, which prevents your cutting board from getting warped damaged, and mildewed. This also helps prevent the growth of bacteria. And the oil itself is a barrier against bacteria getting into the wood.

Always be sure to use the right oil, though. Mineral oil is the way to go. Do not use vegetable oil, olive oil, or any other cooking oil. They will eventually go rancid, which not only promotes the growth of bacteria, it also smells pretty bad.
 
You can buy fancy cutting board oil at the kitchen store. But all of these products are really just food grade mineral oil. For about a tenth the price, you can buy a big bottle of mineral oil at the drug store. (Tip: it's in the constipation section. Look on the very bottom shelf closest to the floor, where they put all the old-timey cheap stuff.)
 
To oil your board, first clean it thoroughly and then let it dry completely. Then spread mineral oil over the board in a generous dollop. I pour it on and then wipe it around with my fingers. (You can try using a paper towel, but it ends up being just as messy.) Let the oil sit for a few minutes, then wipe away the excess with a clean cloth. Then flip the board over and do the other side.
 
I find that there is always some oil left on the surface of the board. What I do is set it atop a bowl to do the other side. This keeps the extra oil from getting all over my counter. Then when I have finished the second side, I give the board a quick wash with dish soap to clean off the excess oil.
 

Schools ban Flamin' Hot Cheetos

They can take our Cheetos, but they can never take our FREEDOM.

The war against junk food is getting surprisingly literal these days. Schools across the country are moving to ban Flamin' Hot Cheetos from school property. 

By the way, have you tried these things? Flamin' Hot Cheetos? I have to tell you, they are delicious. I'm not surprised the kids love them. Nor am I surprised that schools are trying to ban them. My understanding is that Flamin' Hot Cheetos evolved from a grassroots snack: Cheetos dipped in Tabasco sauce. If that gives you a feel for what we are dealing with here. (PS: That is delicious too.) 
 
There are several aspects of Flamin' Hot Cheetos which have sent school administrators 'round the bend:

 
1. Too spicy!
Little kids probably should not be eating Flamin' Hot Cheetos. Nevertheless, I have to admit that I snorted laughter when I read that children are being admitted to the emergency room for stomach pains. Diagnosis: Too many Flamin' Hot Cheetos. 
 
The super-spicy treats also cause problems at the other end, if you follow me. The high amounts of artificial red color can be alarming to parents and children alike, and the burning sensation is entirely unwelcome.
 
2. Unhealthy!
I'm sure kids bring plenty of unhealthy food to school, and Flamin' Hot Cheetos probably isn't the worst of it. But there will be few defenders of a food that has "26 grams of fat and a quarter of the amount of sodium recommended for a day" in one tiny snack size bag.
 
3. Pollen!
The bright red Cheetos dust gets on everything. I mean, Cheetos dust is bad enough. But the Flamin' Hot Cheetos dust is even worse. Teachers complain about little red fingerprints getting on books, on walls, on clothes, on homework. 
 
4: Germs!
OK, I really feel like they are reaching with this one. But it's a genuine complaint teachers are making: because kids share their Cheetos, they also swap germs. Seriously? This strikes me as a clear example of fear-mongering, but whatever.
 
Honestly, I think it is fine for schools to ban Flamin' Hot Cheetos. Kids are only in school for part of the day, anyway. If they really want Flamin' Hot Cheetos, they can eat them before school, after school, in the middle of the night, whatever. 
 
And the rest of us adults can continue to eat them any time we want. I don't know about you, but I could really go for a bag right about now!

Homemade cucumber salad

An excellent side dish full of nutrition.

I used to only make cucumber salad during the hot summer months however, I recently discovered just how many health benefits cucumbers have. Now I make it all year long. It actually tastes great along side almost anything your having for lunch.

Surprisingly, cucumbers are high in potassium, vitamin C and vitamin K. They also contain magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin A, fiber, vitamin B, calcium and zinc. I love that this vegetable also contains a good amount of water. When I give it to my kids I know that they will not only enjoy the taste, but they'll be getting some much needed nutrition.
To make your own cucumber salad you'll need the following ingredients:

  • Cucumbers
  • Onions
  • Garlic
  • Green peppers
  • Oil
  • Vinegar
  • Water
  • Oregano
  • Parsley


Follow these steps to make the homemade cucumber salad:

Step 1:
Cut up two cucumbers, 1 small onion, 1 small green pepper, and 2 cloves of garlic. Toss them in a salad bowl.

Step 2:
Make your dressing in a separate bowl. Combine ½ cup olive oil, 1/4 cup vinegar, and 2 tablespoons of water.

Step 3:
Mix in 1 tablespoon of oregano and 1 tablespoon of parsley.

Step 4:
Pour the dressing over the cucumber mixture and toss together.

Step 5:
Cover the salad bowl with plastic wrap and set it in the refrigerator until your ready to serve it to your family.   

Tip:
If you don't have time to make your own salad dressing you can use a bottle of store Italian dressing. I do this when I'm in a pinch, although I really prefer making my dressing from scratch.

Three pretzel snack recipes you are sure to love

Fun pretzel snacks for kids

Pretzels are pretty cheap to buy in bulk, which makes them perfect for using in snack recipes for my kids. Of course, they would get bored if I just gave them pretzels, so I like to jazz the pretzels up with the following recipes.

1. Pretzel Snack Mix: Place a cup of pretzels in a mixing bowl. Add ¼ cup of nuts (your choice), 1/8th cup raising, and ½ cup of rice cereal. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a small pot. Mix in 1/8th cup of honey and 1/8th cup of brown sugar. Stir until slightly thick. Poor over the pretzel mix. Stir all of the ingredients together. Wait for the butter/honey/brown sugar mixture to cool before snacking on the pretzel mix.

2. Chocolate Covered Pretzels: Lay waffle style pretzels on a baking sheet. Place a chocolate kiss on top of each pretzel. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees until the chocolate begins to melt a little bit. Remove the pretzels from the oven and top with a mini-marshmallow. Cool in the fridge to stop the chocolate from melting any further. Serve to the kids.

3. Pretzel Raft: Soften some cream cheese ahead of time. Roll out a Fruit Roll-Up that is blue in color and set it on a paper plate. Place a graham cracker on the Fruit Roll-Up and cover it with the cream cheese. Press pretzel rods over the cream cheese to form a raft. Now it looks like the raft is floating in blue water.

Tips: You can cover the chocolate kiss in the second recipe with an M&M, a Skittle, a peanut, or any other food your child likes to eat.

Cooking pork loin chops

It's easy and delicious.

Ever since I went gluten free, I find myself cooking a lot more meat than I ever have before. This has been a real learning experience for me, and boy have I learned a lot!

Pork loin chops have become one of my staples. With the cost of meat being what it is, it's important to look for bargains. I guess pork loin chops are not very popular, because they are usually cheaper than almost any other cut of pork. And frequently on sale, to boot.
 
I'm not sure why pork loin chops sell so poorly. They are more tender than regular pork chops, and don't have that messy bone to chew around. Plus, being thicker, I find them easier to cook without overcooking.
 
However, as with all meat, a meat thermometer is key. I finally shelled out the fifteen dollars for one of the fancy kind. It has a probe you stick in the meat, and a cord that dangles out of the oven door to a sensor. You can set an alarm to go off when the temperature reaches a certain point, or set the timer by minutes and hours. And it's very easy to use, read, and set. Plus it's magnetic, so you can stick it to the front of the oven. It's a bargain, and a lifesaver.

One of my "go-to" meals is simple to prepare and execute, and requires only three main ingredients: pork loin or pork chops, half an onion, and water or broth. I start with this recipe from the How To Cook Meat website. (By the way, that website has a lot of great recipes and information, I have had nothing but success there.)
 
Instead of butter, I use olive oil because it's healthier. (Or so I am led to believe.) I add at least a cup of liquid in the deglaze, because I like to have lots of broth at the end. I bake the meat for a lot longer, because I use thicker cuts. It's probably more like 15 minutes at 450; I don't really pay attention, I just go by the internal meat temperature. 
 
This recipe results in thick juicy pork loin chops which are properly cooked, yet moist and tender. Wonderful! 
 
And finally, I serve it over a bed of brown rice. The brown rice soaks up the juice in a most delicious fashion, and provides a lot of good nutrition to boot.
 

Homemade baked tomato slices

A fun side dish for almost any meal.

My kids aren't big fans of just eating plain vegetables. I have to get creative and jazz the vegetables up. My most recent creation was baked tomato slices. I never liked stewed tomatoes, so this was a great alternative. Best of all, the baked tomato slices seem to go with almost any main dish.

You will need the following items to make your baked tomatoes:

  • 3 tomatoes
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Pinch salt
  • Pinch pepper
  • Shredded cheddar cheese
  • Shredded Monterey Jack cheese


Follow these steps to make your baked tomatoes:

Step 1:
Wash and slice the tomatoes so that they are ½ to ¾ inch thick.  Discard the ends of each tomato. Lay them on a baking sheet.

Step 2:
Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over each tomato slice. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.

Step 3:
Mix shredded cheddar cheese and Monterey Jack cheese together in a small bowl. Drape over each of the tomato slices. I use orange cheddar cheese so that I have a mixture of colors, but it doesn't really matter which color you use.

Step 4:
Bake in an oven that has been preheated to 425 degrees F. Tomatoes should take about 12 minutes to cook, give or take a few minutes.

Step 5:
Serve hot along side your beef, chicken, turkey, pork, or pasta dish.

Tips:
You can substitute mozzarella cheese for the cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese if you prefer.
Add bacon bits for even more flavor.

Warning:
You may want to make enough to have leftovers. Your family will probably be asking for more the next day—even the family members that don't generally like tomatoes!

Homemade hot pockets

Make your own hot pockets from scratch

I have been on a kick to create replica's of the prepared meals my kids love to eat. One day I created my own version of Hamburger Helper. My latest creation is making my own version of Hot Pockets. I just feel that making food from scratch is far better than purchasing packaged foods that unhealthy ingredients.

Start off greasing a baking sheet with a non-stick cooking spray. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Next, spread four triangles from a container of crescent rolls on the baking sheet. You can make your dough from scratch if you want to, I just didn't have time this week. Next time, I plan to spend some extra time making my own dough.

Decide what kind of Hot Pocket you want to create. Toss those ingredients on the inside of the crescent rolls without letting them touch the sides. Some options include:

  • Diced ham with shredded cheddar cheese
  • Shredded chicken, bacon bits, and shredded Monterey jack cheese
  • Scrambled eggs, diced onions, diced green peppers, and bits of American cheese
  • Ground beef, mashed potatoes, and corn
  • Pieces of meatball with spaghetti sauce and provolone cheese
  • Pieces of mozzarella cheese, spaghetti sauce, and ground sausage
  • Any combination of food that you really like

After you have placed your ingredients in the crescent rolls, cover them with the other four triangular crescent rolls from the package. Pinch the sides together. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top of the homemade Hot Pockets and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the Hot Pockets become golden brown in color.
 

How to sweeten your tea

Honey: A natural alternative

Sweetening your tea can be a great thing to do, but for some people they do not want to use sugar or some of the artificial sweeteners. This is when you may want to explore some one of the optimum sweeteners, which is not only helpful for sweetening your drink, but provides health benefits as well. The sweetener you should look into using is nothing more then honey. 

The first thing you will notice is that honey is a natural sweetener and something that is commonly recommended for use when you are fitting some of the various diseases and not wanting to use any of the artificial or sugary substances. 

 
Another thing you may find interesting with these is the fact that honey is all natural. Honey is a perfect sweetener without anything added to it, plus it does not require any additional refinement once it has been harvested from the hive. So you do not have to be concerned about the honey being stocked full of additional chemical additives. 
 
Something else you will like, and something which I have found is honey helps soothe an aching throat. You may have doubts about this, but the next time you have a sore throat you should try drinking a nice big cup of tea with honey. Once you do this, you will find the honey helps soothe the ache in your throat and the heat from the tea helps you remove any of the cold germs quickly. 
 
Drinking tea is a great thing to do, but for some people it is more of a challenge because they do not like the artificial sweeteners and do not want to use sugar. This is when they should explore the option of using honey in their teas. Once they start to do this, it is easy to see honey is a great solution to sweetening their tea, to the point they will want to drink it time and time again. 

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