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| Memo No. 2001 April 16, 2007 |
SPRING CLEANING THE KITHCEN
I think the best place to start spring cleaning is in the kitchen. That's because I just finished cleaning the refrigerator-freezer, a major undertaking for me. Mother used to say they didn't make a refrigerator too big for me. That's probably true because the bigger it is the more food I store there! And that brings up a subject that I've written about before called fossil food disposal, something that shouldn't happen but it does. When I store something in the refrigerator-freezer I do intend to use it soon but more often I don't. You'd think at my age that I'd know better! Apparently I don't, judging by what I put in the trash can this morning for pick-up later this week. I don't like to waste food but sometimes I have no choice.
Outdated salad dressings are easy to make a decision about and I had several of those. Ditto for anything else that is past the "best used by such and such a date." In the freezer if I can no longer recognize it or haven't a clue how long something's been there, out it goes! I do feel guilty about this because I try not to be wasteful but when it's out of sight it's too often out of mind. I feel such a sense of accomplishment when the refrigerator-freezer has been cleaned and reorganized and I promise myself that it isn't going to happen again but it probably will.
What I need to do is follow the advice that I am sharing with you. First, only buy what you need. If there will be leftovers, know what you're going to do with them at the time of purchase. When I'm using egg whites and egg yolks separately in recipes I have a tendency to store unused ones in small containers in the freezer and forget them. Don't do that! Instead, use them in another recipe as soon as possible. But if freezing is your option, do label the container with the date and amount of yolks or whites inside. Actually, label everything you store in the freezer. Common sense should tell one or two people households that although it's nice to have a salad bar selection of dressings in the refrigerator, it isn't practical. Decide what your house dressing is going to be for a certain period of time and finish it before you buy another. And even if the 16-ounce bottle is on sale, it might be better to settle on the 8-ounce size because you'll have it emptied before it gets boring.
For those of us who cook for one or two, we need to remind ourselves that we can't buy like we did when our children were home. That's been one of the hardest things for me to do. I was lucky if I had leftovers when there were six of us around the table. Now I am dealing with a dab of this and a dab of that on a regular basis. Some of you solve the problem by eating out but I still enjoy cooking and testing recipes for the memo.
An older lady told me recently that she still cooks for herself. She said that it keeps her busy for a few hours while some of her friends are complaining about having nothing to do. Planned potlucks are another suggestion for those who don't want to eat alone. Seniors can also take turns once a week cooking a meal for themselves and some friends.
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If you're not up to food preparation, let the good cooks in Chief or Ray's deli do it for you! There's something different on the menu each day!
RECIPES OF THE WEEK
Pork Meatballs with Cranberry Sauce can be served as an appetizer or a main dish on rice. If 8 servings are too many, make them anyway and freeze half of the recipe for later. But be sure you label and date to avoid the pitfalls of fossil food!
PORK MEATBALLS WITH CRANBERRY SAUCE
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2 pounds ground pork
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2 large eggs, lightly beaten
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1 cup dry bread crumbs
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1/3 cup catsup
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2 tablespoons dry onion flakes
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2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 16-ounce can jellied cranberry sauce
1 cup catsup
3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Combine ground pork, eggs, bread crumbs, 1/3 cup catsup, onion flakes, soy sauce, parsley flakes, salt and pepper. Shape into 35 meatballs (about 1 1/2 inches). Combine jellied cranberry sauce, 1 cup catsup, brown sugar and lemon juice in saucepan; cook over low heat until smooth, stirring occasionally. Pour over meatballs. Bake, uncovered, in 350F oven for 1 hour. Recipe makes 6 to 8 servings.
Here's another recipe made with ground meat that can be baked in smaller containers, then frozen and reheated. Among Chief and Ray's house ware items look for quart size Pyrex containers with blue lids to bake and freeze in smaller quantities.
ORIENTAL CASSEROLE
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1 1/2 pounds ground chuck
2 cups chopped onions
1 cup sliced celery
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup soy sauce
2/3 cup long grain rice, uncooked
1 4-ounce can sliced water chestnuts, reserving liquid
1 8-ounce can mushroom stems and pieces, reserving liquid
Cook beef, onions and celery together until meat is slightly browned; pour off drippings. Add pepper, soy sauce and rice. Add enough water to reserved liquids to make 2 cups. Heat to boiling; add with water chestnuts and mushrooms to meat mixture. Spoon into 2-quart casserole (or 2 1-quart ones) and cover tightly. Bake in 350F oven 1 hour or until rice is cooked. Recipe makes 8 servings. |
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