Grind Your Own Beef!

I can not believe the price of hamburger (ground beef)!  Just checked my local grocery store and the prices ranged from $4.59 to a whopping $9.54 per pound. Of course the less expensive meat has more fat mixed in. Actually the last 4 pounds of ground beef I purchased seemed to have liquid added to it! What???

I'm not above shopping in the "mark down" section of the meat departments. I often see various beef roasts there usually discounted to around $2.00 to $3.00 per pound.  I have purchased these before and cut up into chunks for beef stew or cut into smaller roasts. So I got to thinking.....I have two vintage meat grinders at home, they used to be my grandmother's....why not grind my own hamburger?

First I had to figure out which grinder to try and how to use it. I decided to try the oldest looking one. Here it is...

 As you can see, it is very old. The instruction sheet is there but in very bad shape.

 There was only one discounted beef roast available, a bit more than I usually pay per pound but I was anxious to try out the grinders.


The price per pound worked out to slightly more than $3.00 a pound. It was a 4.13 lb. boneless beef sirloin tip roast. Regular price was $4.99 lb.  Now I know this would have made a nice roast for Sunday dinner but what I needed was hamburger.

Next I cut the roast up into pieces small enough to fit into the grinder hopper.

Let the grinding begin!

A couple of things I learned. One...use safety glasses. Sometimes the beef would "squirt" out the hopper as it was being drawn into the cutter. You would not want this to get into your eyes.

Second...this is messy. I am thinking that the newer grinders are probably not as messy as this old one. Also they would be electric where this one  has a hand crank. It was very easy to grind however.

So here is my ground beef. As you can see there is very little fat. I did not trim the roast at all but if I had it would have been extremely lean. Personally I want just a little fat as it adds flavor and some moisture to the meat.  I just divided this up into four fairly equal parts, wrapped it, and put in the freezer. Now I had a little more than four pounds of very fresh, very lean, ground beef for about $3.00 a pound.

Comments? I would love to hear from you. ♥

Blenders Are For More Than Smoothies!

I saw a blog post recently listing a few different ways the blender can be used. You probably have a blender right? Sits somewhere taking up valuable space gathering dust? Yeah, same story here.

So I was thinking there must be other ways I can use my blender than just making smoothies! BTW, I have had my blender for at least 30 years. It's not very pretty anymore and I definitely don't keep it on the counter, but the thing still works!

Anyway, I did a bit of research and I found lots of ways to use my blender. My favorites are the grated cheese and whipped cream. What about you?

Puree

• You can puree any type of cooked vegetable in your blender. Just add 1/4 cup liquid (the cooking water works great but experiment with other liquids such as broth) to 1 cup of cooked vegetables and blend until smooth. Soups can be made really creamy too, such as avocado or tomato.

  
  

  Baby Food

  
  

  Just like above for Puree. Pureeing makes simple work of making your own baby foods and gives you the added assurance of knowing exactly what you are feeding your child.

Grated Cheese

• Cut cheese into 1-to-2 inch cubes and use your blender to grate the cheese for pizza and casserole toppings.
  

  
  

  Grate Raw Vegetables

  
  

  Use the blender to grate raw vegetables, such as zucchini for zucchini breads, or to mix into salads or soups. Using the pulse feature of your blender, you can also chop ice, grind nuts and make bread crumbs.

  Grind Spices

• Use your blender to grind peppercorns into freshly ground pepper. You can do the same with cinnamon, nutmeg and other dried spices. Grind coffee beans for fresh coffee in the same way; pulse the blender until the beans are at the desired grind. Most percolators use a coarser grind than drip models, which prefer a fine grind.

foodnetwork.com

Make Salad Dressings or Mayonnaise           

• A blender will make quick work of making salad dressing or mayonnaise. Combine salad dressing ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth. I found this Paula Deen recipe for mayonnaise here... .  Also try some mayonnaise variations like maybe Basil Mayonnaise? Yum

• Smoothies

  • A smoothie is a blended drink with fruit, crushed ice, milk or cream and fruit. This frothy drink is made in a blender. First crushed ice is added to the blender, or cubed ice is pulverized in the blender. Fruit such as strawberries, bananas, mango or oranges is added to the blender. Sugar and milk is sometimes added for taste. The smoothie is blended on high in the blender and served cold right away. This drink is popular as a healthy alternative to shakes.

  Frozen Bar Drinks

  • Drinks requiring crushed ice are also made in a blender. Margaritas are perhaps the most popular. This drink combines crushed ice, a margarita mix and tequila and is served in a large glass sometimes rimmed with salt and garnished with a lime. To make a margarita in a blender add ice, margarita mix and tequila and blend it all together. Some premade margarita mixes are also available that do not require blending. Other drinks made in a blender include mudslides, which contains ice, chocolate syrup and Kahlua.

    Other Frozen Drinks

    • For frozen drinks, add approximately 6 ice cubes and the ingredients of your drink recipe. Blend until the ice cubes are crushed and the drink is a slushy consistency and serve.

  Milk Shakes

  • A milk shake is blended ice cream and milk. This drink is also made in a blender by adding any flavor of ice cream and milk and blending for a few seconds. Or, for a thicker shake, add more ice cream and very little milk. Blend the ice cream to a smooth consistency and serve. Another option is to add crushed up bits of cookies, brownies or candy bars. These popular combinations offer a tasty, cool treat for the summer. If you put the milk in the blender first and then the ice cream it will be able to process more smoothly.

  Spreads and Dips, Hummus

  • A spread is something you can use on bread to add flavor, or with a sandwich. One popular spread made in a blender is a chick pea spread, also called hummus. This is created simply by adding chick peas right from a can into your blender. Season it to taste with salt or crushed red pepper and blend to a uniform consistency. This spread goes well on toasted bread, crackers and as a side dish. Dips are also made in blenders. Most dips are created from sour cream and contain blended onions or chives. Bean dip, which consists of blended beans, is made in a blender as well.

  Pesto and Chopping

Pesto is a popular topping for pasta and chicken. It is also made in a blender. Pesto is chopped basil with cheese or a cream sauce blended to a fine paste. To blend up a batch of pesto it is best to have chopping blades on your blender, or set the blender to the chop speed setting. Blenders are also used to create other pastes and toppings. Some high speed blenders will process foods by cutting them at high speeds and forming a soup, as well.

Bread Crumbs

It is very easy to make your own bread crumbs in your blender. You can also make your own Seasoned Bread Crumbs.  You can even make your own gluten-free bread crumbs using pieces of toasted GF bread.  For easy seasoned bread crumbs mix the following:

• 4 cups plain breadcrumbs (make your own)
• 1 teaspoon parsley flakes (crushed)
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano or 1/2 teaspoon italian seasoning, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt

Powdered Sugar

Its really easy to make your own powdered or confectioners sugar. For each cup of confectioner's sugar: Add one cup of regular granulated sugar to the blender. Blend (pulse) until it turns to powder.

Whipped Cream

Add 1 cup whipping cream or heavy cream (not half and half), 1 tablespoon powdered sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla to your blender and blend. As I understand it the difference in whipping cream and heavy cream is the fat content. Also whipping cream may have more stabilization additives  You may want to put the blender blades and container in the refrigerator for a little while. The colder everything is the faster it will whip. Remove the center of the lid, the trick is to allow lots of air into the cream. Run the blender for no more than five seconds at a time to avoid making butter. The cream is done when it holds a peak. 

BTW, I also found this video comparing 5 major blenders that I thought you might find interesting.

As always, I would love to hear your comments!

NATURAL EAR INFECTION TREATMENTS, REMEDIES FOR DOGS AND CATS

If you follow my blog you know I have two dogs. One of them has chronic ear infections caused by a suppressed immune system. I have always hated having to use one antibiotic after another.

Photo by Ottawa Valley Dog Whisperer

I ran across this blog by Ottawa Valley Dog Whisperer.  The writer offers several natural, herbal, homeopathic ear infection treatments for dogs and cats. There is even a list of herbs that can be added to food to help avoid infections. I saw a couple of ear flush recipes that I'm going to try.

As always, please consult your vet!

For instructions and recipes click here.

Oatmeal Pumpkin (wheat-free) Dog Treats

Dog treats are sooo expensive! I want my dogs to have healthy treats and most of all treats that are safe! I used to spend so much time looking at packaging not only looking at the ingredients but where the treats were made as well.

You may have already seen my post on the health benefits of pumpkin for dogs. Well, here is a healthy treat that is very easy to make and is also inexpensive. Made with healthy oatmeal, pumpkin, and rice flour. I found this recipe at doggydessertchef.com.

First assemble your ingredients.

Mix everything together.

Spread on a lined cookie sheet about 1/4" thick

Bake, cool,. and cut into bars.

Let your doggies enjoy!

Mine LOVED these! ♥

Oatmeal Pumpkin Dog Treats

Ingredients
2 cups Oatmeal
1 cup White Rice Flour
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
2 Eggs
1 tablespoon Honey
1/4 cup Molasses
1 (15 ounce can) Pumpkin

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. (I didn't have either so I used a cookie sheet and greased it well with butter.)
2. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl until well combined.
3.  Spread dough onto prepared baking sheet 1/4 inch thick.
4. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until slightly brown at the edges.
5. Allow to cool. Cut the dough horizontally and then vertically to make a grid (You can use a pizza cutter).
6. Break into pieces, then refrigerate.

Apple Pecan Dump Cake

Its a lazy cool afternoon here. My hubby is home as his workplace is closed today for the holiday.  So I was thinking I wanted to bake something warm and sweet. Something with....hum....apples! 

The fall weather just seemed to beg for some sort of apple dessert. Apple pie maybe? Apple crisp? No, Apple Pecan Dump Cake!  Just down my alley today. Its warm, gooey, appley, and best of all, easy. 

I found this recipe some time back on thefrugalgirls.com and had been wanting to make it anyway.


Apple Pecan Dump Cake
Butter Pecan Cake Mix
2 - 21oz. cans Apple Pie Filling (or 5 cups homemade)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) margarine or butter

So here it is. First assemble your ingredients.

Pour Apple Pie filling into the bottom of a 9×13 pan.

In a small bowl, mix cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.

Sprinkle seasonings over the apple pie filling. I used my fingers for this to get more even coverage.

Spread dry cake mix over the spices.

Cut the butter into slices and place on top the cake mix. Try to cover as much of the cake as you can.

Sprinkle the pecans on top and place in 350 degree oven

Bake for 45 minutes to an hour or until the top is a nice golden brown and the sides are bubbling.

Told you it was easy.

Now I wish I had some vanilla ice cream...

Would LOVE to hear from you. Please leave your comments. ♥

Pumpkin for Your Dog

I had heard that giving your dog pumpkin can be very beneficial. I know they love the taste and have seen several recipes for homemade dog treats that contain pumpkin. So I did a little research. I found that canned pumpkin is low in saturated fat, sodium and cholesterol.  It is also a good source of Vitamin E, Magnesium, Phosphorus and Potassium and is also a very good source of dietary fiber.  Some vets even recommend canned pumpkin for weight loss in dogs.  Simply substitute one-third of your dog’s regular food with an equivalent amount of canned pumpkin.  Because it is high in fiber, canned pumpkin will make your dog fuller than it would if you just reduced their caloric intake."  (Note: Always check with your vet first!)

One of my dogs recently began a new medicine which is working great but gives him a little bit of an upset tummy. I had heard that pumpkin might help but had no idea how much to give him. I found this bit of information here,,,

"A pet which weighs less than fifteen pounds should be given 1-2 teaspoons of pumpkin puree. A 15-35 pound pet should receive 1-2 tablespoons, and a pet 35 pounds and up can be given 2-5 tablespoons of pumpkin puree. If you find your pet's stool becomes too runny, cut back on the amount of pumpkin.

I checked a few other sites and this information seemed accurate. So my dog Barclay would get 2 Tablespoons a day. Hummm, 2 Tbsp a day. Once I open a can of pumpkin it was going to take awhile to use it all up. So this is what I did.

BTW, dogs seem to love pumpkin. Make sure you get plain pumpkin and NOT pumpkin pie filling.

I found out pumpkin is a great thing to try if your dog has constipation because the fiber adds bulk and its also great for diarrhea because the fiber also absorbs excess fluid in the digestion system. Please remember that if your pet has these symptoms for over 24 hours you need to have a vet check them out. It could be something serious so don't wait! Also, I don't know about using fresh pumpkin, I would certainly NOT let them have the seeds unless you find out it is safe. I just haven't researched that.

How to Grow Collard Greens

We love collards. Fresh southern collards that is. I think frozen or canned collards are barely edible and if that is the only way you have ever had them then you don't know what your missing.

I cook up a HUGE pot every Thanksgiving and Christmas as part of our holiday meal. And of course I put out some hot pepper vinegar to serve with them. One good thing about collards is that you can cook them the day before and put them in the refrigerator. They are actually better the next day.

Cooking collards is a bit of an art I think. You have to add sugar if they were picked before a frost hit them and knowing how much is a bit tricky. We season with fried out fat back, sugar, salt and pepper.

Many years ago when I had a large garden, I grew collards. I planted seeds in the early fall and we picked the bottom leaves as they grew and when we needed them. (Don't let them get too big or they will be tough). Now I have a tiny yard and very little space for growing vegetables. Still I planted just a few collard plants this year. They should be sufficient for the two of us.

Collards greens are a nutritional powerhouse. They are loaded with disease-fighting beta-carotene and offer respectable amounts of vitamin C, calcium, and fiber. All this makes cooking greens a wise choice for your diet.

I found this blog post on How to Grow Collard Greens that I thought might be helpful to some of my readers. If you are thinking about a winter garden this would be a good vegetable to add. The writer talks about growing, harvesting, and storing collards and even what to do about pests.

Read more here...