Good Deeds

Today I had the opportunity to watch someone perform a good deed.  I remember hearing somewhere about how good deeds just brighten everyone's day.  Not just the person for whom the good deed was done, but also for the person who performs the good deed.  What I found interesting in all of this is just how wonderful it made everyone in the store feel to see it happen.  I know it made my day.

The good deed was, a woman with a couple of small kids had ran out of money to pay for her groceries.  Now this wasn't a huge sum of money, and the woman behind her handed her the cash to cover the rest.  The look on the woman's face was worth a thousand words.  She didn't appear to be in desperate need, and said she could run home and get the money.  The other woman just said, "I hate dragging the kids all over, this will just save you the headache of doing that.

Every mother within hearing distance had to be feeling the thrum and thinking, Oh yeah take the money and be grateful for the effort.  I know that I always offer to help when and opportunity to aid someone who needs a hand.  It doesn't need to be money, but a hand with lifting and carrying things.  Putting an old person's cart back for them.  Shoveling the widow next door's sidewalk.  It doesn't take much, but it does so much for everyone involved.  I know it makes me feel wonderful when some youngin' does something nice for me.  Well it also might be and oldster who offers help too.

Thanks to all the do gooder's out there.  You make my day, in a really good way.

Namaste

The Best Roast Turkey “Ever”

I have been making this turkey for years.  I got the original out of the Meijer's Thrifty Acres add years ago.  I know that it was part of a spice company add, I think McCormick, but I have updated the processes a bit to keep up with the times.

Ingredients 

1 Tablespoon of Italian Seasoning

2 Teaspoons Seasoned Salt

1 Teaspoon Dry Ground Mustard

1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder

½ Teaspoon Pepper, Fresh Ground if you have it.

1-approximately 12 pound Turkey-Adjust seasoning for much bigger bird

2 Bay Leaves

2 Stalks of celery

1 onion, quartered

1 small orange quartered-I prefer the Florida juice oranges, and well washed

1 to 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil-I prefer a good expeller pressed olive oil

Instructions

1.     Preheat oven to 325°F.

2.     Combine first 5 ingredients.

3.     Wash the turkey and remove giblets.

4.     Place turkey on a rack in a shallow baking pan.  Shallow is 1 ½ inch sides or less, just remember they will make drippings, so you want to make sure that those are all caught.

5.     Sprinkle 2 Tablespoons of dry seasoning mix from step 1 inside the turkey.

6.     Stuff bay leaves, celery stalks, onion and orange inside the turkey.

7.     Rub oil over the surface of the entire bird.

8.     Loosen the skin on the breast and rub 3/4 of the remaining rub under the skin, and sprinkle with rest of the seasoning mix on the legs, thighs, and bottom.

9.     Tie the legs together with bakers twine, and tuck the wings under the bird.  Wrap the small part of the leg with foil to keep it from browning too quickly.

10. Loosely tent with foil, I like the heavy duty type best.  Bake for 3 ½ to 4 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 180°F in the meaty underside of the thigh closest to the body.  Get close to the bone, but do not touch it.  If you have a pop-up device, so much the better.

11. Baste several times with pan juices during the baking time.  Remove foil during the last 30 minutes of cooking.

12. Let the turkey set for at least ½ hour before carving.  This gives you time to make gravy from the drippings and set up the food on the buffet or table.

Notes:  I have used lemons instead of oranges, and that was good.  I have placed a couple of slices of the orange and bay leaves under the skin, and this kept the breast a little moister during the roasting process.  I have added Teaspoon of ground bay leaves to the rub mix, which was really nice.

I tried roasting it breast down once, and we didn’t like that.  It didn’t do well in a roasting bag either.

I use the giblets to make broth for the gravy, and add pan drippings to that.

Ah Herbal Flavored Lemonade

2 Cups of Water

1 Heaping Tsp. Fresh Lavender Tops or a 2 inch sprig of Fresh Rosemary

¼ Cup Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice.

¼ scant Teaspoon of pure Stevia Powder, with no fillers, or 1/3 Cup Sugar (you can use whatever substitute you wish in the amount to give you the sweetness you like.  The measurements I give are what I like in mine.)

Pour boiling water over the herbs and let steep for 10 minutes.  Stir in the sweetener of choice to hot water during the steep time, this allows it to melt properly.  Pour all the ingredients into a quart jar, and add sufficient water to fill the jar.

Let this cool in the refrigerator until cold, and serve over ice.  Very Yummy, and very good for you.

You can serve this with a sprig of the herb that you used for a very elegant presentation.

I’m really fussy about my Stevia.  I don’t want any other ingredients with it.  I look at the ingredient list, and if it has anything but Stevia Extract listed, I don’t buy it.  So the minute amount of the Stevia listed here is plenty for the lemonade.  If you have on that has fillers, then you should use the equivalent of the 1/3 cup of sugar.  I actually would start out it ¼ cup sugar, as that seems like a lot for the amount, and adjust the sweetness if necessary.

Brown Bag Shortbread Recipe

1/2 cup butter at room temperature
1/3 cup powdered sugar (unsifted)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour (unsifted)

Using the back of a large spoon, cream the butter until it is light. Cream in the powered sugar, then the vanilla.

Now work in the flour.

Knead the dough until nice and smooth. (It takes a few minutes.  I pull it all together in a piece of plastic wrap, it is easier to start the kneading that way.  Once it is together well, I just hold it in my hands and keep folding and pressing to knead the dough)

Spray the shortbread pan very lightly with a non-stick vegetable oil spray. Put the ball of dough in the middle of the pan, and working out from the center, firmly press the dough into the pan. Prick the entire surface with a fork, and bake the shortbread right in the pan at 325 degrees for about 30-35 minutes, or until it is lightly browned. Be sure that the middle is thoroughly cooked and doesn’t look slightly opaque or the shortbread might stick in the pan.

Let the shortbread cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before you loosen the edges with a knife.  I place a dinner plate over the shortbread pan,  and flip the pan and plate over.  If the shortbread does not come right out, firmly tap one edge of the pan and plate against the counter. This should loosen the shortbread and it should drop out. Cut the shortbreadimmediately into serving pieces while it is still warm.

Let the pan cool before washing it in the sink or dishwasher.  (The mold really gets much cleaner when you put it in the dishwasher.  There are so many nooks and cranies in the Brown Bag Molds that they are hard to clean by hand.  It also helps keep the spray oil oxidation from building up on the pan.)

How to Preserve Lemon Verbena

Lemon Verbena Sugar Paste

I absolutely love the smell and flavor of Lemon Verbena; more than half of the flavor comes from the delightful aroma.  I have grown lemon verbena a few times, and have just put one in the ground for this year.  I will be making the and herbal sugar paste with the leaves, and wanted to share this with my friends, and preserve the method here.  Lemon verbena is great in drinks and desserts; sprinkle on fruits and it's especially nice if the fruit is broiled, make tea, and use in any recipe where a lemony flavor is desireable.

I got the recipe from a blog that didn't have any pictures, so I am getting some pictures and adding the recipe to that.

For every 2 cups of fresh lemon verbena leaves (lightly packed in the measuring cup), use 1/2 cup to 1 cup sugar. I like less sweet stuff so stick with the 1/2 cup.  You can use any granulated sugar that suits your fancy.  The blog suggested natural brown cane sugar, but white sugar is good. Puree in the food processor until it forms a paste.  I use small ice cube tray to freeze mine, the little mini ones.  You can also use plastic bag and press flat and freeze, break off what you need to use.

Other herbs to try with this are, mint, spearmint, and thyme.  There may be others, but I have no experience with them.

I hope you enjoy.

Wonders of Cucumbers

photo via freedigitalphotos.net

1.     Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need every day, just one cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc.

2.     Feeling tired in the afternoon, put down the caffeinated soda and pick up a Cucumber. Cucumbers are a good source of B Vitamins and Carbohydrates that Can provide that quick pick-me-up that can last for hours.

3.     Tired of your bathroom mirror fogging up after a shower? Try rubbing a cucumber slice along the mirror, it will eliminate the fog and provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance.

4.     Are grubs and Slugs ruining your planting beds? Place a few slices in a small pie tin and your garden will be free of pests all season long. The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off a scent undetectable to Humans but drive garden pests crazy and make them flee the area.

5.     Looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite before going out or to the pool? Try rubbing a slice or two of cucumbers along your problem area for a few minutes, the phytochemicals in the cucumber cause the collagen In your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing the visibility of Cellulite. Works great on wrinkles too!!!

6.     Want to avoid a hangover or terrible headache? Eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed and wake up refreshed and Headache free. Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B Vitamins and electrolytes to replenish essential nutrients the body lost, keeping everything in equilibrium, avoiding both a hangover and headache!!

7.     Looking to fight off that afternoon or evening snacking binge? Cucumbers have been used for centuries and often used by European trappers, traders and explores for quick meals to thwart off starvation.

8.     Have an important meeting or job interview and you realize that you don't have enough time to polish your shoes? Rub a freshly cut cucumber over the shoe, its chemicals will provide a quick and durable shine that not only looks great but also repels water.

9.     Out of WD 40 and need to fix a squeaky hinge? Take a cucumber slice and rub it along the problematic hinge, and voila, the squeak is gone!

10. Stressed out and don't have time for massage, facial or visit to the spa? Cut up an entire Cucumber and place it in a boiling pot of water, the chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber react with the boiling water and be released in the steam, creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that has been shown to reduce stress in new mothers and college students during final exams.

11. Just finish a business lunch and realize you don't have gum or mints? Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds to eliminate bad breath, the phytochemcials will kill the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad breath.

12. Looking for a 'green' way to clean your faucets, sinks or stainless steel? Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want to clean, not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine, but it won't leave streaks and won't harm your fingers or fingernails while you clean.

13. Using a Pen and made a mistake? Take the outside of the cucumber and slowly use it to erase the pen writing, also works great on crayons and markers that the kids have used to decorate the walls!!

Kaiser Like Buns for Sandwiches

These things turned out just wonderful. I cut this recipe down and changed the topping. I used salt on them rather than the traditional sesame or poppy seeds.  I'm getting lots of pleasure out of this process of bread making.  I can't wait for my next attempt.  I think it might just be pretzel rolls.
 
Ingredients

2 1/2 teaspoons of Active dry yeast

1 Cup water (110°--115°), divided

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons of Oil (Grapeola is what I used.)

1 teaspoon salt, and don’t omit this as it makes the world of difference

3—3 ¼ Cups of all-purpose flour (I actually used Bread Flour)
 

Egg wash

1 Egg white

2 teaspoons cold water

Directions

In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in ½ cup of warm water.  Add 1 tablespoon of sugar; let stand for 5 minutes.  Add the oil, salt, remaining warm water and sugar and 2 cups of flour.  Beat until smooth.  Stir in enough of the remaining flour to form a soft dough.

Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6—8 minutes.  (I avoided doing bread for years because of this step.  Now it seems like the best part of the process.  Time has a different meaning as we age.)  Place in a greased bowl, turn once to coat top. Let rise for 1 hour in a warm spot, or until doubled in size.

Punch down dough.  Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide into 8 equal sized balls.  Place 2 inches apart on greased baking sheet.  Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.  I really waited until they got about to the size I wanted my buns.  They did rise a bit more in baking.

Beat egg white and cold water together.  Brush over rolls.  Sprinkle with salt, or seeds of choice.  With scissors cut a ¼ inch deep cross on top of rolls.

Bake at 400° for 15—20 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from the oven, and lift from the pan to a wire rack to cool