How Much can you Save if you Cook at Home?

Why is the Kitchen Bouquet a "Super Secret". KB is used a lot in commercials to make the food look good. I like it because it seals the meat and gives a great "crisp" to the outside of the roast, and it also adds a wonderful flavor. On beef and pork it's fabulous. Makes an unbelievable "homemade" gravy. I'll have a future post on how to make outstanding homemade gravy.

"Super Secret"

This meal is very simple to make, so it won't be  overwhelming even to all you newbies out there. The protein in this entree is a center cut pork roast. The one I have is a little over 3 pounds. The roast should be cut in 1/2. Save the other half for a boneless pork chop dinner. So you can already see some savings.

Center Cut Pork Loin
2nd. Best Cut

$2.00/  3 pounds

5 Pound Bag/ 80 Ounces
$3.00

Let's do some math. Roast cost  $2.89 Lb. x 3.39 Lb.s = $9.68 ~ 2 = $4.84 per meal ~ 3 = $1.61 Per person. This is based on a third of a pound per serving. Potatoes, 5 Lb. bag or 80 ounces. Cost = $3.00 or less than .04 per ounce. Serving 8 ounce x 3 = 24 ounces

Will be a little darker
with Kitchen Bouquet

24 ounces x .04 = .96 cents ~ 3 = .32 cents per serving. The potatoes will yield 4 meals.  Enough with the numbers for now, let's cook this bad boy. Here's another bonus, the potatoes and the roast go in the oven at the same time. So far the entree is costing us a $1.93. per person. (I am a member of BJ's wholesale Club, and the prices shown are what I paid for the items).  Preheat oven to 375 degrees, salt and pepper half the roast and coat with Kitchen Bouquet. Place fat side up in a roasting pan. Remember, it' s a little under two pounds, so after a half hour of cooking you need to check the internal temp. with a meat thermometer. When the temp. is between 150 and 160 degrees, take it out of the oven and cover with foil. The roast needs a nice rest, about 20 minutes, the potatoes may not be done yet, but guess what, you have time to prepare the rest of the meal. Did you ever wonder, how your Mom got everything to the table and everything was hot? This is how it's done. Saute the cabbage, 3" chunk off the  front should be enough. Cost per pound .48 cents ~3 = .16 per person. One cabbage yields 3 meals.It keeps a good 10 days in the fridge. Total cost per meal per person $2.09 cents. All fresh, nutritious and number one, IT WAS EASY!  You can use this formula in any meal planning, it even saves Gas. I didn't factor that in, so that can be your homework. What would this  meal cost if you went to a restaurant? I hear you, if and when we go, it's always ice water with lemon. Next post, "What's for Dessert? Enjoy the video.

A Tribute, "I Always Called Her, Mary"

Just this past week, Mary (my mother-in-law) passed away. The family all joined together for her send off up in the Detroit area (Wyandotte and Allen Park) to reflect and talk about memories that each of us had about her. We laughed, cried, went through tons of pictures, no fights about "stuff", no arguments. Cousins, sisters, aunts and uncles, some had not seen each other for years, hugged and said stuff like, "you don't look like you", "holy crap" "are you kidding me?" Mary would have loved it!
After the Funeral, we went  to Glo and Bill's house, had a wonderful dinner, played games, laughed, played with the little kids, all the things that she loved and lived for.

Typical Richards Living Room

Mary says, "Time to Move"

 This post is about how I remember her. Way back when Jackie and I got married, I had no idea what Michigan was. I grew up in the Boston area, when we said goodbye to someone we said "get outta heea"! Mary said "See yuns" What did that mean? Being in Catholic school my whole school life, "see nuns" made more sense to me. I was  also the first person to "get up in her face" big time and she actually loved  and respected me for that. (Mary, you were wrong by the way) Another trait I noticed, was when the garage and houses she lived in couldn't hold anymore stuff, she moved. The kids used to play hide and seek, Jackie said she never got caught. I asked her where did you hide? She said "under the kitchen table!" As the years went on, I noticed she was fearless about taking risks, starting a business, selling real estate, starting a newspaper. If she thought it would work, what the heck, let's do this! I really admired her for that. She wasn't perfect, but who is?

  My favorite memories, the Pawn shop, her love of art, South Haven and Chicago. Chicago shopping, she loved it, I went along so her and Jackie wouldn't miss the train, she and her daughter had no concept about time passing. I remember one trip she had a record setting week at her Pawn shop (New to You) and said she was going to make a cab drivers day. We paid for the Cab and she tipped him a Twenty, She was on top of the world the whole day. She was the only Pawn shop owner around who would rent handguns by the hour! (just kidding)

Her love of art, one time her and Jackie took some oil painting lessons from a well known artist in Saugatuck. She bought a painting from him and put it up for sale in her shop. The artist showed up a few days later and paid her 3x what she paid for it. I still ask myself, did she mean to do that?

  Her love of South Haven, a small vacation town on Lake Michigan. I remember when we moved her there -5 below in the middle of a blizzard. We were afraid to leave her there alone, but she said she would get a better deal on the place this time of year. What a lady, not my mother-in-law, just Mary.


Mary, this video is for you, watch it anytime you want.

Love, Jackie and Dennis

French Bread Pudding

I made this a few years ago for Christmas dinner, and I'll never forget the response from my brother in law Bill. He took a taste and it almost brought tears to his eyes, not because it was crummy, he said it reminded him of his mother's bread pudding which he hadn't had for years. (by the way he almost ate all of it by himself) So I'll share it with you just in time for this coming Christmas.

Ready for the oven

Custard Mix

Simply Beautiful

3 cups of sugar
1 teaspoon salt
12 eggs
1 and 1/2 quarts of milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 tablespoon cinnamon powder

Baking dish 9X13 or Deep Dish baking pan

1/2 loaf french bread shredded in a baking dish
1/4 pound butter melted and drizzled over bread pieces
1/2 cup of pecans sprinkled on top of bread peices
Pour on custard mix, bake at 325 degrees until bread is brown about an hour and 20 minutes.

Butter Sauce/optional (too sweet for me) I made it a set aside, it was available if you wanted it.
1 pound butter
1 1/2 # powdered sugar
4 egg1/4 cup of Amaretto (optional)

Hey, I looked everywhere, this was the closest "Bread" song I could find! Shhhh, I think the lead guitarist is actually Eric Clampton, David Gates was a "strummer")

Next post; COOKIE-MAKING TIPS

All music, Kool and the Gang, best base line since Motown

This post is about my personal base line favorites. This example from Kool and the Gang was a classic. I hope they fired the choreographer. I never under stood the halo thingy across Kool's forehead.

Rare Earth was the only white group that ever had a contract with Motown. This performance in my opinion, was the best drumming vocal I ever witnessed. I saw them live at an Octoberfest of all things.

 Robert Cray Band, "Smokin Gun" One of the best base to lead guitar mixes, effortless. I really thought Robert Cray  was going to be in the running for BB King status. I guess there's still time.

"Simple Man" by Lynard Skynard. This song has always  given me a kind of peace, just like the video I chose to couple with the song, Enjoy! I've got room for one more, some of you may not have even knew this last one existed. Let me go get it, be right back!

 Van Morrison, to me this group musically was one of the absolute best. They were fluid, tight and talented. Let's face it, their were far  better front men than Van, but his uniqueness,  song writing talent and his band, left a very special mark on contemporary music. I've got more, but that will be in another post. Can you say Joe Cocker? That will be in the All Soul post.

"Simple" Cookie Making Tips for the Holidays and Every Day

• Read through the recipe and check the ingredients, pan sizes and any special requirements, such as chilling the dough. Be sure to measure all the ingredients accurately and always preheat the oven before baking. Oven temp. 325 degrees (wait for the beep.beep...beep)
• To easily shape drop cookies, use an ice cream scoop with a release bar. The bar usually has a number on it indicating the number of scoops that can be made from one quart of ice cream. The handiest size is a #80 to #90 scoop. This will yield about one rounded teaspoon full of dough for each cookie.
• When a recipe calls for greasing the cookie sheets,  use shortening or a nonstick cooking spray. What I use is parchment paper instead of greasing. It eliminates clean-up, bakes the cookies more evenly and allows them to cool right on the paper. I have three cooling locations, when they first come out, I lay the paper (hold paper, pull edges until paper  lays flat and put on cooling rack on the left counter) Put the next batch in and move the cookies you just took out, and lay them on another counter to the right counter on a cooling rack and repeat, over and over until you're happy with the number of cookies. Once you get the rhythm,they can go in gift boxes or refreeze for a later time. They will freeze well for 60 days.
• For even baking and browning, bake cookies in the center of the oven. If heat distribution in your oven is uneven, turn the cookie sheet halfway through the cooking time.



Christmas Cookies



Old Fashioned Chocolate Chip

• Most cookies bake quickly and should be watched carefully to avoid over baking. It is better to slightly under bake, rather than over bake cookies

Cookies should bake, edges should start to brown 12 minutes Max. Then take them out! Simple recipe for the simple man or woman!  I love being a simple man.Enjoy the video, thanks for looking and Happy Holidays!

A Poem from Jackie to Mom~

That's me watching something, there was so much stuff to look at!

She didn't cook, she didn't iron and never thought of
 cleaning, but that's alright, were family.

She taught us right from wrong, she sometimes came on a little too strong, but that's alright, were family.

She saw beauty in junk, kept a lot of it around, which made her the talk of her tiny little water town, but, that's alright, were family.

She taught us to be strong, could have used a little of how to get along, but that's alright, were family


She loved life, and saw beauty everywhere, she lived in her own world, but that's alright, were family.

We are older now, and see things differently, hoping that all the strength, courage and zest for life she had was passed on to us, that's the true Legacy of family.

She taught us to be strong, taught us to push on, taught us to be family.

She came in with nothing and when she left she was rich, she had people who loved her she had family.

Our sorrow is great, our emptiness is deep, but she didn't leave us alone she left family.

 

 

God knew what we needed before we were born, she made sure we got to church, she made sure we were reborn, it's what you do for family.

I know you are walking with God hand in hand, someday we will all be together and we all will be a part of God's family.

Mom, you gave us life, you gave us love, there were many tears and much laughter, one thing I want everyone to know is that you left your kids, their spouses, your grand kids and great grand kids with great families.

Love you Mom,

Jackie

 

 

Master Chef, A Sell Out if I ever saw one

Give me a break ! Joe the absolute "King of Cuisine" has torn contestants apart about their cooking attempts, not meeting his standards, Gordon with his comments about quality and "Standards". The only guy that's genuine on this show is the Fat guy!
Let's go back to the show where they first mentioned Wal-Mart quality beef. I asked are you kidding me, forgive me I get caught up in the show, I thought if this is a trend, this show and the guys in it can go to hot place!
Last episode for me was "Cooking on the Trail" with Wal-Mart steaks. You know it would be different, yet still  unforgivable, if they needed ratings, but they don't. I didn't know these guys were for sale, but as far as I'm concerned, Kitchen Nightmares, Hells Kitchen and anything else Mr. Ramsey and his buddies put their blessing on, can Kiss my butt!
Their credibility is out the window with me, the spirit and hearts of  people have been ruined by these clowns.
 I was about ready to shut down Hells Kitchen anyway. Too many F bombs, so little time. The whole concept is beginning to looked staged to me. Are those  people real? Do they really cook in restaurants? Now, the only time we "eat out" is on the patio! The restaurant business is dead, I have a good friend that has to close his place at 3 pm, breakfast is his busy time. Time for new hope and change, the sooner the  better!!

What a crock of poop! Where's Gordon?

What happened to the aging process, the quality purveyors, USDA Prime, everybody and their brother sells USDA Choice. Is Wal-Mart now the "Peoples Choice"? Far from it, Wal-Mart beef sales pretty much suck, and they lured these guys into giving Wal-Mart credibility, the only thing achieved here, was them losing theirs!  Look at Joe's expression at the end, it's like. thank God I didn't say it!

I just got back from a trip to Wal-Mart, Strip Steak and Rib Eye @ $11.49 a Lb. Filet Mignon $14.49 a Lb. Presentation, pre-packaged, looks terrible. Looks nothing like steak presented on video. 1/2 inch steaks on a grill will never cook right. 3/4 or 1 inch steaks will finish properly and at the right doneness. Remember "standards" according to Chef Ramsey. Do they think all home cooks are morons? Picked up these Strip steaks at a local Super market (Harris Teeter) $7.99 a Lb.(on sale) and I hand picked them from the meat case, from a butcher. They were fabulous!  Photo enclosed. Look, I'm not picking on Wal-Mart, but the meat business is way out of their league. Stick to what you do best, screwing over the little guys.
Newsflash! Wal-Mart is the exclusive vendor to Master Chef, produce, meat, everything! Adios, Mu chachos!


(editing requested by my grandkids)