Valentine's Day, February 14, 2015

For Valentine's Day this year I made heart-shaped palmiers, my favorite cookie as a child growing up in Germany as a toddler. They were not too sweet and just right. The ones I find in the U.S. are too sweet, so I finally decided to make some for my husband for Valentine's Day and also try a few Lady Locks (Ladylocks, Cream Horns) as they use the same flaky puff pastry as the palmiers. I will detail the steps in my upcoming cookbook, but until then, herein are some photographs of the final little hearts and Ladylocks filled with only marshmallow cream.

Cleveland Today, Feb 2, 2015, GroundHog's Day

I made homemade pizza yesterday for the Superbowl -- schools and restaurants maybe closed, so best to know how to make what you want from scratch. Pizza recipe was fantastic -- crust the best - had a bit of a crunch yet tender on the inside, never soggy. We hate soggy pizza crusts. I made 2 so we have one for today.

Here it is in the refrigerator covered with Saran Wrap, it has canned mushrooms, fresh tomatoes, onions, and vegan hot dogs on it, but no cheese as my husband is sensitive to cheese and it makes the pizza have fewer calories for me! I always precook the onions.

Easiest Pineapple Rightside-up Cake

This is the easiest recipe ever, great for those who hate to bake or those who prefer to use only 3 ingredients!

The Easy Pineapple Rightside-up cake is made with one box of yellow cake mix, one 12 OUNCE can of nonfat EVAPORATED milk, one 20 OUNCE can of pineapple tidbits.

Dump cake mix into a large flat pan, add canned milk and mix with a spoon until blended. Drain out a bit of the pineapple juice and dump most of the pineapple tidbits plus a bit of the juice on top of the batter.

Bake in 350F oven for 50 minutes and serve warm or oold.

Dedicating this recipe to my OSU adviser's grandmother. I never met her but would have loved to learn how she makes her pineapple desserts!

World's Best Easy Banana Cake

World's Best Easy Banana Cake

This cake was my mother's favorite banana cake recipe. When my niece was small and visited Cleveland from Austin, Texas, she would slice a small piece all evening long, as we all did. One of my Mom's secrets is the finely ground almonds in the batter which is mixed by hand for approximately 300 strokes.

The recipe will be in my upcoming cookbook, but if you want me to print it herein, let me know. Cake is truly handmade, NO mixer needed!

Easy Valentine's Day Black Forest Squares

Here is a very simple recipe:

1 box chocolate cake mix
1 can nonfat evaporated milk

Mix the above in a 9 x 13 or little larger pan, cover with the
1 can cherry pie filling

Bake in oven at 350 F for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes of baking add the pecans on top
1/2 cup pecans and
continue baking for another 20 minutes!

Total baking time is 50 minutes!

Eat warm as is or cool down and add cool whip or whipped cream (optional).

Non Gluten Flour does not Work in My Yeast Pretzels

Non gluten flour worked great in my macaroon recipe, but forget using this flour in my homemade New Year's pretzels. Here is a photo of both and you can guess which is which. The non gluten flour did not proof the same, did not rise the same as the "regular" flour, the consistency of the final product is not acceptable and I will dump them as they became too hard to eat.

Below is the one made with the non gluten flour, see how crumbly it looks:

Tracing Tainted Food

http://www.rdmag.com/news/2015/01/technology-quickly-traces-source-tainted-food?et_cid=4352227&et_rid=358759302&location=top

Spices and Herbs

I do not know where I have been, but I just read a 2013 report about contamination in spices and herbs. I am thinking about throwing all of mine out and only using real items like fresh garlic and ginger until I can dry herbs from my garden next summer. I had no idea about this, but can dry sage and lovage from my Mom's house, where I planted an herb garden for her. At my house I always have thyme and oregano coming up in huge batches trying to keep the deer away.

I bought spices yesterday and now really hate to use them. Where have I been? Here are references to some of the reports I somehow missed, but for sure I am going to dry my own herbs and make my own spices next year. More work, but then what are kitchen and dining room tables for anyway if not to dry leaves from the garden which will become my spices?

FDA Draft Risk Profile: Pathogens and Filth in Spices - Pdf of report dated 2013

I just threw out all of my spices but for whole nutmeg, fresh ginger, fresh garlic, whole cinnamon stick. I will have to dry my own spices next year from the garden. My husband agreed after I showed him the report and he held the garbage bag for me. Guess no more complaints about bland tasting food in this house. Can not take the chance of catching anything, especially from my own spice cabinet.

Cookbooks I am reading

My sister Cecile sent me the book "Quick & Easy Dump Cakes and More," by Cathy Mitchell. It says on the cover "Just Dump & Bake." I have to agree, although maybe a bit too sweet for me, the dump cake I made worked out great. The problem is it was too fast and too good. I used to make one years ago with brownie mix and cherry pie filling and something else? Hope I find the recipe as that one was incredible. I will try to search for it on the internet.

The second book I am reading is "Cupcakes and Muffins" by Ann Nicol which says it includes "New Recipes." It says on the cover "Quick & Easy, Proven Recipes."

I also bought an alternative wheat flour yesterday to try in some gluten-free recipes. I need to find out if the flour advertised to substitute 1 for 1 for regular flour in recipes truly works. The only problem is how does one write a cookbook on a strict diet? Luckily, someone sent me an email that the spleen does not like "wheat" so I have a perfect excuse? Wonder if I can use this substitute flour to make our family tradition of New Year's pretzels? Wonder what the flour will taste like, can I use with yeast? Guess I have more projects and research to do ASAP.

I am glad to be here and truly hope what I write will help someone. Please, if you are lucky enough to have grandchildren, bake something homemade or semi-homemade for them. Never used your oven or your child's oven? Then it is time you try it for your grandchildren. If this sounds familiar, I am talking directly to you. Whatever you think is important, I am telling you it is NOT. Memories, what your grandchildren will remember include smells, warmth, not just your expertise or books and articles your have written. Try the pineapple angle food recipe or a dump cake, but give that child something warm and comforting from you. Love cafeterias and taking them out to eat? Great, they will love packaged food. I remember when my Mom would take a homemade hamburger and wrap it up and put it in a brown bag so it would look like "take out," and this was for a child with 30 food allergies. I remember her making homemade applesauce and putting it in a MOTTS applesauce jar so her grandson would recognize the label. As he got older, he understood that his grandmother was making everything for him from scratch, loved it, and he remembers as I heard him mention it.

If by chance, you have worked in a lab, have used an autoclave and/or other equipment, but have never used an oven, you have no excuse. Want to do something that really counts, come up with a healthier snack than you can buy in a bakery.

If you are buying everything from a bakery, you are missing the wonderful smells that one associates with home. Did you have a grandmother that baked for you? Do you remember? Why not let your grandchild have the same type of memory.

Since I do not know when I will get to Texas to see my niece as my angel cardiologist says not sure if my spleen and lungs can fly yet (guess I have work to do here on earth to make me worthy as still have a bit of devil in me that I am trying to get rid of), please make something from scratch with my great-niece. Something she will remember as her mother remembers our Mom's banana bread.

If only my anise cookies would get the dried caps on them like my mother's did. I have taken the dough to her house to dry, but it has not worked. Hers always worked, but mine have never worked and I tried every year but this one. Why did I not watch her more closely, I can not even make decent streusel -- she did it so effortlessly and it did not matter the temperature of the butter, but in a few seconds, perfect streusel, I can not make a decent streusel topping.

Dump Cake - Comfort Food takes 5 minutes to make and 45 minutes to bake in the overn

I just tried to make my first dump cake and it is in the oven.

I have to mention that I was in the hospital for a fluke incident. I went on a trip to NYC and started feeling my heartbeat for the first time in my life. I thought it was stress related to the nightmare trip. I chose not to run down 19 flights when I could not hear the elevator per my thumping heart. Anyway, the easier a recipe for those like me recovering from heart, cancer or any other serious illness, or even working parents who would rather spend time with their children than bake, the better. However, do not deprive your children of coming home to something baked in the oven -- the smell will stay with them the rest of their life. My sisters and I often talk about my Mom's recipes and I am sure some of you talk about recipes your grandparents made.

Meds do NOT appear to be working as I hoped and we need to make some adjustments. I have to be on meds the rest of my life. Wow, do I wish I had not gone on that trip -- not that it would not have happened anyway.

Then again, maybe the trip saved my life?

My Texas sister, Cecile, knowing I am writing a cookbook, sent me something easy to follow, a cookbook of dump cakes -- the cakes take the time it takes to open the can. Thanks Cecile for your thoughtfulness. The stamina, energy, zest for life that I had are gone, lets hope temporarily. I would rather not have an invasive procedure, but this too may be on the agenda. Hard to believe I was walking 5 miles per day, eating the best I could and "whammo," this happened out of the blue. I was one of the very lucky ones, my spleen took the hit. Did I know much about my spleen before this, "No," but now I eat what apleen's like as am not about to lose this million dollar organ. Thanks so much Cecile for giving me something easy to do while I work out a few complicated recipes. Guess, I am lucky I can calculate anything. If I went to dinner with someone and something like this happened to them, I would send them a get well card. I tried to send a person who went to dinner with us in NYC a Christmas thank you card, and it came back. I did not have the energy to send it a second time. A few days confined to bed in a cardiac unit can take its toll. Nothing like taking 45 minutes to walk one mile, when I used to walk 5 in and hour and a half. Life has surprises and one never knows what is around the corner? All I can say is I am lucky to be here making dump cakes and writing a cookbook that I hope will be useful to those on special diets.

Fascinating, I had not planned to put gluten-free recipes in my cookbook, but now that I read the spleen does not like wheat, I am including alternatives to wheat. Yes, gluten-free will be included, at least in theory, in the cookbook with some ideas.

I have to fool with any recipe. Instead of using peach pie filling, I used two cans of peach slices in real juice, no sugar added. To the liquid portion of the peach juice, I added dried cranberries, hoping they might soften up and absorb some of the liquid. I put a yellow cake mix, over all, and sprinkled cinnamon over the top after doting with about half the butter suggested. Please be careful as this makes part of the mixture dry and one can easily start coughing --- coughing not something I want to start doing as this would mean additional problems. Cinnamon sometimes gives one the illusion of sweetness and it adds color to the dump cake. The dump cake kind of reminds me of a more solid type, wonderful cobbler I had at a restaurant at Cape Code once. The only thing missing is the warm whipped cream (not on my diet plan these days). My husband says this dump cake would go great with ice cream too or even nonfat coolwhip!

I dotted it with about 1/2 to 3/4 stick of real butter, sliced really thin. The recipe calls for the entire stick, but I fear putting that much fat into anything as we have been fat free for a very long time. Next time I might freeze the butter a bit to shave it thinner.

Here is the picture of the dump cake in the oven and I will include a photo when I serve it. Unfortunately, I can not eat anything cold and have much work yet to do here on earth -- I am not allowed to fly for at least one year as my lungs and spleen can not go up yet, guess I am not an angel yet. I baked it at 350 F for 45 minutes in a 9 x 14' pan sprayed with Pam

I have lots of people to forgive and help before I become and angel, but had I had the energy to get out my hand mixer, I would have made pineapple angel food cake for sure!

It has 5 minutes to go in the oven and when I walked toward the kitchen it smelled heavenly!

Has anyone tried dump cake cupcakes? That is my next project!

NEW YEARS PRETZEL 2015, FAMILY SNACK TO HAVE WITH FOOTBALL GAMES, GO BUCKS, YEAH OSU!

I love the New Year's pretzel recipe which I will include herein after I explain the tradition. It is NOT a tradition in all of Germany but just in the part of the Black Forest where I was born. The pretzel is sometimes made into someone's age for the new year. In my case, I use my late mother's age. She would be 98 this March 2015, having been born in 1917.

First proofing, first rising of dough:

The second proofing, rising was in the shape of the numbers and I added a bit of egg wash (egg yellow) to make it appear shiny and like a glaze after baking and here is the final product:

This one was still on the cookie sheet:

Finally the recipe I used this year. Remember, I rarely use dairy, almost always use almond milk where a recipe calls for milk. I may use butter if for my husband and me, but switch to Mother's or Fleischmans unsalted (no milk and parve, but becareful as regular Fleishmans is Kosher DAIRY):

I cut the recipe in half as only wanted to make two numbers, one for me and one for my husband.

1/2 cup almond milk
1 1/4 tsp yeast (1/2 package)
2 T melted butter if permitted, otherwise Fleishman's unsalted (only the unsalted has no dairy)
1/6 cup sugar or less
Zest of half a lemon (optional)
1 1/2 to 2 cups flour, be careful not to use to much. Use one cup flour and then gently add until dough is workable) Knead about 10 minutes
1 egg yolk for brushing pretzel before baking -- again this assumes no egg allergy, it can be omitted for a duller but still delicious product

Bake about 20 minutes at 375 F until the pretzel mumbers sound hollow when tapped and look baked.

"GO BUCKS"

Little Time to Cook and Must Be at the GYM

I froze lots of Copper River Salmon this past summer and now we are enjoying it. To be honest, salmon is not my favorite fish, but my husband is allergic to iodine and has no problems eating it. I am very careful what fish I give him.



Since I have to be at the track these days, a self-imposed regiment before I get one officially, this is how I get it all done. I no longer do two things at once as I used to, those days are long gone. Anyone that tells me what I should be doing, unless they are in the medical profession are ignored because I most probably have already done it.

I respect those who are kind to me and wish to let them know it and am opening my mouth to those that could care less, that are less than honest with me. I have so much to be happy about, especially working for the goal of seeing my little red-headed niece who lives on the other side of the country. I pay more attention to everything including me. I am doing this because as the commercial says "I am worth it." I want to see my great-niece graduate from preschool to Kindergarten.

I have spent many years in medical settings and being a caregiver to family members.I want to share what I have learned along the way in regard to cooking foods as ultimately, if we do not eat, we do not heal. During these holidays, say "thanks" to those who truly care and for those that do not, "turning the other cheek" may work for awhile, but stress accumulates and sooner or later it will take its toll. We have vegan days, eat some fish and chicken. Our calcium source are green leafed veggies, brocoli and almond milk that I use for everything -- from heavenly mashed potatoes to pumpkin pie. I drink it like milk, use it on cereal, cook oatmeal in it and have used it to make puddings. Many of the recipes are searchable in this cooking blog which is also in Kindle format on amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Precious-Cooking/dp/B008NTAH30

My best advice is that none of us are immune to our heredity. We can do our best to be in the best shape we can, but genes are important. My mother was in continuous Atrial Fibrillation and my father had his first heart attack at age 65. I never would have guessed that I would have inherited either of these, but I can say had I not been walking 5 miles per day, I am not sure how I would be now. If I am tired, I stop pushing myself., this is a major change for me. I went on a trip to NYC at the end of September that was a big mistake. It involved agenda's that did not happen, late dinners, and all the things my husband and I have had to avoid to stay healthy. I knew better, but hoped going would be a chance to meet old friends, only none of them came, not a single one that I knew so many years ago. My husband wanted to leave 2 days early as soon as he realized the situation, but I did not listen, and refused to listen to him as could not believe someone would give me an agenda that was bogus. I think it was meant well, but things were cancelled for whatever reason and I had no clue. I paid a big price for this. The first time I felt an irregular heartbeat was on that trip. No one's fault but my own, yes my "heart was broken" and it now shows. It is permanent, blood thinners and 8 meds at the moment, for the rest of my life. Imagine if I had run down 19 flights of stairs, as I almost did, to help someone and it turns out I was the one that really needed the help. Wow, do I learn things the hard way! My friends said I never should have agreed to checking on anyone, they would not have done it, but I have a different nature and if I can maybe help, I will try. If you have company staying at an expensive hotel, do your friends a favor and check it out personally.

If you know something to help some one, and the person is not receptive, try once or twice and please give up. I am telling you it is not worth the stress. It will break our heart, like it broke mine, but that is life and again, it is "my reaction to the situation" as someone I believed in and wrote about, turned out not to be who I thought. It hurts like hxll, but that is life and I would not give this life up for anything. I should have realized the person was using me, not the first time, but for sure the very last, as I have to protect my heart. I am sad as there was much potential to do good, but I know my business and what I am doing and this is just not recognized. I even wrote it out in my blog, should there be any misunderstanding. I am also gullible, you tell me you can not afford $250.00 and I believe it until I see what one really spends -- and then I am shocked. The person is in my prayers, but a friend would never behave in such a manner. Years ago the person made me chose between an important speaker and going to Mobile to work on a project very important to me. Again, this is something that could have been handled another way. I should never have been forced into such a choice, but was so happy at the time -- one can see it in my face -- I will show it here --- happy that I had survived cancer!

I need to get back to this feeling, can't tell, but this was my red-headed stage of my hair on the way to becoming blond? I want to be as happy and get the smile back I had in this picture. Maybe writing it here will help.

Getting back to dinner, our first course was canned Progressive Hearty Tomato Soup which tastes the most like that of my Mom's that I have found to date. My Mom made it fresh from her tomatoes (and mine) from the garden.

For the salmon, I took it from the freezer and placed in the refrigerator over night. It was defrosted and I took a paper towel to make sure it was completely dry. I put some Pam in the stainless steel frying pan, let it get hot and put the skin side down in the pan. This allows for a crispy crust. My husband likes everything well done and if he is presented with skin, it better be crispy or he will sit there picking it off and turn off whomever is eating dinner with us.

Before turning the fish, I put a teaspoon of real Maple Syrup on it, it can't hurt and a cap full of the volcanic lemon juice I keep in the house at all times. I used to put a little Burbon on it and a bit of brown sugar, but Maple Syrup is easier and I love COSTCO's Volcanic Lemon Juice that has no preservatives in it, unlike any you can find on the shelves of grocery stores. COSTCO's lemon juice is like a fine wine and it says so on the bottle from Italy, we love it whenever I need lemon.

When the fish looks almost done, I tell this from experience from looking at the sides of the fish as my husband wants it done, I prefer it a bit undercooked, but it is easier for me to make it his way than to present him with a bit of fish that is not over done. After 46 years of marriage, I realize there are some things I can not change. Men are a bit hard to convince, they have to come to the realization on their own or else they think I am "prodding" them, as a friend said to me lately.

If you think he likes his fish well done, you should see asparagus. He grew up eating canned vegetables and did not like fresh or frozen when we were married, it was a real task to get him to eat fresh veggies, having him help in growing a huge garden in Cincinnati helped much and before that he helped in my greenhouse at The Ohio State University, Yes, I will admit herein that I was not always associated with hospitals, but spent time at the bench, in government where believe it tor not I traveled the country and was introduced in 1973 to Mexican food, for example!

I turn it over and add as much fresh, dried baby spinach as I can fit into the pan and put a lid over it so it does not fall out. As much as I can get in will equal 2 servings although the fish itself is 3 as that is how I cut it in case we might have company. I will put the remaining piece on a plate and cover with plastic wrap when cool to accompany a salad tomorrow, or sometimes I love to eat COLD FISH -- which probably comes from my love of anything fish, being a Pisceas, born Feb 20 (on the cusp of Aquarius).

Quick Hummus Dip without Salt or Tahini

Cook a can of garbanzo beans (chickpeas) including the liquid. I like to cook most things that come in cans, but not for too long as I do not want the beans to get too mushy and absorb too much cooking liquid. Make sure the beans are salt-free. The best place I have found to buy the salt-free beans at a reasonable cost from 89-99 cents is Whole Foods.

Let the beans cool to lukewarm and drain into processor reserving liquid beans were cooked in, just in case. Add 2 cloves (cloves, not the entire head of garlic, only 2 cloves) of peeled garlic to the blender. Do not cut up the garlic as in my Ninja they will not mix if cut up, but I need to place them in whole. Add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and blend. Check consistency. Since we eat it on sandwiches I do not add more liquid, but if making for a party dip, add another tablespoon of the bean water in the pan.



Again, this is a salt-free recipe, make doubly sure the can says no salt. The lemon in the recipe takes care of the salt in other recipes.

Garbanzo beans are a good source of magnesium!

Easy Flavored Angel Food Cake or Cupcakes?

Easy Flavored Angel Food Cake

It is a great idea to keep a few 8 ounce cans of crushed pineapple in the pantry for anytime one might want to bake a moist carrot cake or this flavorful angel food cake. I have substituted crushed strawberries in this recipe when my nephew requested a "strawberry" cake and I did not wish to use food coloring.

1 box angel food cake mix
1 8 ounce can crushed pineapple in its own juice
2 tablespoons lemon juice or water
1/4 cup water

Mix all ingredients, beat at medium speed for one minute, and place into angel food cake pan, do not over mix, use a timer.

Bake in preheated 350 F oven for 45 minutes, do not under bake. Turn cake upside down in pan until it cools. Using a knife, carefully cut around the cake so that it can be removed from the pan in one piece.

If you wish you can frost this cake when it has completely cooled. A fat-free frosting that we like on this cake is very hard to find, but one can order it from General Mills. It is called Betty Crocker Home Style Fluffy White Frosting Mix. The frosting has egg whites in it and the box says it may contain milk ingredients.

Here is the cake without frosting, kind of like cotton candy!



The link to the frosted cake with details as what one can do with the frosting is at http://preciouscooking.blogspot.com/2014/04/pineapple-lemon-raspberry-surprise-cake.html

For the chocolate lovers out there, the angel food cake box should have some directions for making this into a chocolate angle food cake.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

I try to put ground flax seed into or onto foods. Since we have vegetarian days, I will put it on hot oatmeal and since it kind of looks like brown sugar (no sweet taste) my husband will eat it.

What is really coming back in our area along with the hottest vegetable in our town, kale, are sardines! I loved them as a child growing up as I could manage one little sardine. The ones I had as a child were not skinless and boneless, but my husband is used to skinless and boneless.Long gone are the days when I would strain the mushrooms out of the cream of mushroom soup and have no patience to hear about bones in sardines. Thus,I buy a natural wild caught sustainably harvested imported sardine in a can with no BPA in the lining. IT is called "Season Brand," is kosher with the "U"P on it. I buy it in pure olive oil and can rinse it off, the sardines in salt water seem to be tougher. If you have been following this blog, you know I broke a tooth down to the bone and am cautious about anything I eat.

If you are sensitive to salt, like me, one can rinse off the sardines. I have been known to run to the beach with a can. At COSTCO they are serving them with crackers and rumor has it that many that bring their lunch from home are bringing sardines.

Because the can opens easily, does not need a can opener, it is a good emergency food to have around should we get snowed in this winter, when food trucks sometimes can not make it into the city. I can say that sell fast at COSTCO, whether one is sampling or buying them.

If you get tired of salmon (my favorite fish is ocean perch), you might want to try sardines if you do feel like cooking or are snowed in.

Next time I open a can I will show you the insides, the cover is below: