Homemade Glass Stovetop Cleaner

My glass stove top is always collecting cooked on stains that are hard to remove- until now.  Sprinkle baking soda on the stain, add a small squirt of dish soap. Wipe in a circular motion with a mildly abrasive kitchen sponge.  Wipe clean with a damp cloth. See Mommy Savers for the original source.


Lea's Kitchen

This same combination works on marks that accumulate on my white cast iron kitchen sink.  Excellent substitute for Comet cleaner that has that strong chemical smell that just can't be good to breath in.

Old-Fashioned Soft Pumpkin Cookies

In an effort to acquire a taste for pumpkin [so I can fit in with the rest of society], I bought a too large can of Libby's Pumpkin.  I ended up making a second batch of these pumpkin cookies they were so good.  Since I pretty much followed the recipe, I won't copy it here. 

Pumpkin Cookies by Lea

Just a few notes: I did not include the glaze - it's just added sugar, right?  Also, mine look a little more "rough" than the pretty picture on the website.  This may be because I just dropped them onto the baking sheet, kind of like drop buscuits.  These have a mild pumpkin flavor and make a great little snack around the holidays.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Meal Planning

I definitely believe in meal planning, but I am also a beginner.  Selecting meals before I go to the grocery store helps decrease the stress of the shopping experience as well as each night of the week.  With just the two of us, my biggest problem has been making too much and ending up with more leftovers than we know what to do with.  Needless to say, I don't buy anything for lunches!  But, I'm getting better with experience, and learning what can be frozen for later. 

To help with inspiration, I've been recording our dinners on a calendar since September.  So, over time I can look back through if I'm in a bind for ideas.  This crafty dry erase Meals board has helped keep me on track too! Supplies: frame, scrapbook paper, dry erase marker.

Meal Board by Lea

Mango and Black Bean Salad

This mango and black bean salad was surprisingly good.  My husband called it "a new favorite"!  The recipe is from a Cooking Light Readers' Top-Rated Recipes magazine, but I also found it online here.

photo credit

Ingredients: 1 1/2 cup chopped peeled ripe mango
1 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/2 cup cooked wild or brown rice
3 Tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro
2 Tbsp roasted tomatillo or fresh salsa
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp EVOO
3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained  

Steps:
Combine all ingredients except rice together.  Toss gently and serve over rice. 

Notes:  This is under 'salads & sides' in my magazine, but we ate it as a meal and it was filling.  I used brown rice and fresh salsa.  I don't measure my green onions or cilantro - the more the better!  I prefer to buy dry beans in the bag.  So, I soaked about 1/2 cup dry beans then boiled, drained, and added to the mix.  Also, I'd never chopped a mango and next time I will definitely be googling 'how to cut a mango' for instructions!

Sweet Potato Graham Muffins

I have made these sweet potato graham muffins several times, trying a few variations, which are described below.  The recipe is from wholefoodsmarket.com, one of my favorite recipe resources.  Sadly, when we moved from OH to MI this year, we lost our Whole Foods stores.   

Sweet Potato Graham Muffins by Whole Foods Market

Ingredients: 

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour 

1 cup coarse graham cracker crumbs, divided [or less]

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 (3/4-pound) sweet potato, peeled and grated

3 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

1 (6-ounce) container plain nonfat yogurt  [I substitute applesauce here]

2 eggs

1/4 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts  [I omit these]

Method

Preheat oven to 375°F.  Prepare a 12-muffin tin with liners or non-stick spray.  I use the spray. Also, I prefer to bake in mini muffin tins.  This way they are easy bite-size snacks to pop out of the freezer and heat in the microwave.  

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, 3/4 cup crumbs, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Add sweet potatoes and toss until well coated; set aside.

In a larger bowl, whisk together butter and yogurt [or applesauce] until well mixed. Add eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Add flour and sweet potato mixture and fold together until just combined. Scoop batter into muffin tins, sprinkle tops with optional pecans and remaining 1/4 cup crumbs and bake until golden brown and cooked through, about 25 minutes.   

NOTE: I omit the graham crumbs on top (and nuts).  If the muffins aren’t being eaten right away, the grahams get soggy.  And who likes soggy graham crackers?  Also, mini muffin size might cook more quickly, so keep an eye on them and enjoy!

 

Lentil Quinoa Salad

My favorite quinoa recipe from this year is this Lentil Quinoa Salad that my friend Stacey directed me to on foodnetwork.com

Lentil Quinoa Salad by Lea

Salad:
1/2 cup quinoa
1/2 cup lentils
2 green onions, chopped
1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

Cook rinsed lentils according to package.  Bring 2 cups water to boil, add 1/2 cup lentils and simmer until tender - about 30 minutes.  Drain and set aside.  Note: I soak my lentils either for several hours or overnight before cooking.
 
Cook quinoa according to package (kind of like cooking rice).  Bring 1 cup water (plus optional salt) to boil, add 1/2 cup quinoa (rinsed).  Simmer, covered until water is absorbed - about 15 minutes.  Remove from heat, let sit, fluff with fork.

 Dressing: 
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 lime, zested (or splash of lime juice)
Salt & pepper

Whisk together mustard and vinegar, then drizzle in oil.  Add garlic powder, and lime zest (or juice), then salt and pepper to taste.

Assemble & Serve: 
Mix lentils, quinoa, green onions, and cilantro in a bowl.  I like to serve over a bed of fresh spinach.  Top with dressing.  By the time I serve, the lentils and quinoa are mostly cooled.  If eating left overs, I do not re-heat, as the mix is good cold!

Entering the Corner Kitchen

This year [2011] I decided to get myself into the kitchen to create some REAL food for my husband and I.  Our first 2 years of marriage, I was working during the day and attending grad school at night while my husband had his nose in the books for medical school.  I think 1-2 meals together a week is a generous estimate for that chapter of life.  I don't know exactly what we ate - box mixes, pasta...???  Needless to say we weren't on the cutting edge of healthy eating.
Now that we've both finished school and moved to a new state where I am working from home, I have 2 extra hours A DAY at home.  Plus, we're in that in-between-ish stage of 'young married, no kids'.  I have no excuses. Now is the time - when I HAVE time - to learn how to provide nourishing, well rounded meals for my family.
It has been a journey already - conquering ONE item for a meal was a feat in the beginning.  Now, I'm focusing on creating complete plates.  An entree and a side OR TWO!  It sounds basic, but we all start somewhere, right?  
This year I've found some new favorites - quinoa, sweet potatoes - and tried to integrate more beans and fresh veggies [from our garden!] into meals.  I've collected several recipes that I'd like to share.  This is a beginner's blog, but I'm more than willing to accept advice and recommendation from the 'pros'!