Blogging Buddies

 

I love to meet fellow bloggers!  Recently my husband and I had the privilege of interviewing a band member of the Christian group called Bread of Stone, on our radio show on the Passion Radio Network,  Ben Kristijanto brought along his sister-in-law Brittney for the interview.  Bread of Stone was in our town for a concert along with Sanctus Real and JJ Heller.

During the interview, I found out that Brittney writes a food blog along with Ben's wife.  

Unlike my blog, her's is all about eating raw and vegetarian.  With so many food allergies out there, that seems to be a trend.  Their recipes are easy and delicious!   Whether you are vegetarian or not, you are sure to find recipes on their Pure Anthem blog that you will love!  http://www.pureanthem.com/

My new cookbook is available at schools, businesses, hospitals, and book fairs in cities across the United States.  Be sure to pick up a copy or two, when you see them.  They make great gifts!

Check back on Friday,
for a simple and delicious recipe from the 
Pure Anthem blog! 

Follow me on my Facebook page!

Visit my friends blogs!

GINGERLOCKS' KITCHEN, has become one of your favorite blogs! Stop by Jordan's blog and take a peek! 

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Roasted Cauliflower

1 head cauliflower
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
5 strips bacon, chopped

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Cut the cauliflower into florets that are approximately the same size. Place cauliflower on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray.  

 Sprinkle chopped garlic over top.  

 Arrange bacon over cauliflower. 

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown on the edges, stirring the cauliflower a couple of times while baking.

The weather is warming up and I only have a few days left to use my oven before it gets too hot.  I love to roast vegetables!  This recipe and my Roasted Brussels Sprouts recipe are two of my families favorites.  Roasting gives the vegetables a rich and I think a slightly sweet flavor.  I end up eating more vegetables than meat when they are roasted, and that is a good reason to heat the kitchen up a little.

My new cookbook is available at schools, businesses, hospitals, and book fairs in cities across the United States.  Be sure to pick up a copy or two, when you see them.  They make great gifts!

Check back on Tuesday,
for my Tuesday's Tips & Tricks post! 

Follow me on my Facebook page!

Visit my friends blogs!

GINGERLOCKS' KITCHEN, has become one of your favorite blogs! Stop by Jordan's blog and take a peek! 

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Cauliflower Tips

Cauliflower is one of my favorite vegetables!  I like it raw, steamed, roasted, grilled, and almost any other way you can think of.  Below are a few tips for this tasty vegetable.

1.  Pick cauliflower which has clusters that are close together and are not open.

2.  Take a pass on any heads of cauliflower that have a speckled surface.  It could be mold or insect damage.  A patch of gray is okay, it just indicates that the cauliflower has been exposed to the sun.  Simply cut the gray area away and you are good to go.

3.  Store cauliflower in a perforated plastic bag in the refrigerators crisper. 

4.  Do not cook in an iron or aluminum pan.  The metals in the pans will turn the cauliflower strange colors.

5.  Cauliflower smells when you boil it.  To help cut down on the odor, drain the water half way through the cooking, and then add fresh water.

6.  Add a little lemon juice to the water when cooking cauliflower to keep it white.

My new cookbook is available at schools, businesses, hospitals, and book fairs in cities across the United States.  Be sure to pick up a copy or two, when you see them.  They make great gifts!

Check back on Friday,
for my Roasted Cauliflower recipe! 

Follow me on my Facebook page!

Visit my friends blogs!

GINGERLOCKS' KITCHEN, has become one of your favorite blogs! Stop by Jordan's blog and take a peek! 

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

1 pound fresh Brussels sprouts
1/4 cup melted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Trim the very end of Brussels sprouts and remove damaged leaves.

Cut in half. 

Place in large bowl.  

 In a small bowl, combine butter and olive oil.

 Drizzle butter mixture over top of Brussels sprouts, toss to coat.  

Salt and pepper to taste.

Arrange Brussels sprouts on baking sheet.

Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until browned.

My mom never had to tell me to eat my Brussels sprouts.  I just love these little bundles of goodness.  When they are roasted they become nutty and sweet tasting.  And who wouldn't love that?  Even if you hated Brussels sprouts in the past, give this recipe a try, you may end up liking them. 

My new cookbook is available at schools, businesses, hospitals, and book fairs in cities across the United States.  Be sure to pick up a copy or two, when you see them.  They make great gifts!

Check back on Tuesday,
for my Tuesday's Tips & Tricks post! 

Follow me on my Facebook page!

Visit my friends blogs!

GINGERLOCKS' KITCHEN, has become one of your favorite blogs! Stop by Jordan's blog and take a peek! 

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Brussels Sprout Tips

Brussels Sprouts are one of my favorite vegetables.  They are high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals.   Below are a few tips for picking and storing this under utilized vegetable.

Tip 1.  Pick small firm Brussels Sprouts that are bright green in color without yellow or wilted leaves. 

Tip 2.  Choose sprouts that are approximately the same size, so they will cook uniformly. 

Tip 3.  Store them in the refrigerator crisper in a plastic bag. 

My new cookbook is available at schools, businesses, hospitals, and book fairs in cities across the United States.  Be sure to pick up a copy or two, when you see them.  They make great gifts!

Check back on Friday,
for my Roasted Brussels Sprout recipe! 

Follow me on my Facebook page!

Visit my friends blogs!

GINGERLOCKS' KITCHEN, has become one of your favorite blogs! Stop by Jordan's blog and take a peek! 

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Slow Cooker Salsa

8 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1/3 cup finely diced onion
2 to 4 jalapeños, seeds and veins removed, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 teaspoons taco seasoning mix

Place tomatoes, onion, jalapeño, and garlic in slow Cooker.  Mix well.  

Cover with the lid.  Cook on low 2 1/2 to 3 hours.  

Add taco seasoning.  Salt to taste.  Mix well. Cool slightly.  

In batches, add salsa to blender or food processor.  Blend until smooth.
Cool completely before serving.  Serve with tortilla chips.

I know what you are thinking, "Taco seasoning in a salsa recipe.  Is she crazy?"  If you ask anyone, but my sister Shelley, they would say no.  Most of the time my sister would agree, I am not crazy.

There are a lot of people who are afraid of using spices, so they shy away from recipes that use several different types.  By using the taco seasoning, you get a great mix of the Mexican flavors you love in salsa, without being intimidated.

My husband prefers cooked, blended salsas to chunky salsa.  This recipe is one of his favorites.  I hope you like it too! 

My new cookbook is available at schools, businesses, hospitals, and book fairs in cities across the United States.  Be sure to pick up a copy or two, when you see them.  They make great gifts!

Check back on Tuesday,
for my Tuesday's Tips & Tricks post! 

Follow me on my Facebook page!

Visit my friends blogs!

GINGERLOCKS' KITCHEN, has become one of your favorite blogs! Stop by Jordan's blog and take a peek! 

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

The Top Tomatoes

 

When you are a new cook like my niece, Madison, the different types of fresh produce at the store can be intimidating.  Madison wanted a tomato to slice and use on the sub style sandwich she was planning to make and didn't know which tomato to choose. 
 
There are thousands of different types of tomatoes.  They come in all kinds of shapes, colors, and sizes.  But the top thee you will find in your local grocery store are as follows.

1.  Beefsteak Tomato: Is a large tomato, sometimes weighting between 1 and 2 pounds each.  Often any large tomato is called a Beefsteak.  They have a sweet flavor and a meaty texture like their name suggests.  It is a perfect tomato to slice and use on your sandwich.

2.  Cherry Tomatoes:  My favorite salad topper!  They are sweeter than other varieties.  They have been popular in the United States since at least the early 1900's.

4.  Roma or Plum Tomatoes:  Are slightly elongated, and have a firm flesh, little juice, and few seeds. They are ideal for making tomato sauce and paste.

My favorite tomato tip:  

Tomatoes will keep longer if stored stem end down.

My new cookbook is available at schools, businesses, hospitals, and book fairs in cities across the United States.  Be sure to pick up a copy or two, when you see them.  They make great gifts!

Check back on Friday,
for my Slow Cooker Salsa recipe! 

Follow me on my Facebook page!

Visit my friends blogs!

GINGERLOCKS' KITCHEN, has become one of your favorite blogs! Stop by Jordan's blog and take a peek! 

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!