cute!

I came across these at a thrift store. They were marked $6 but were the tag color of the day so I got them for $3.  They are metal with plastic lids and wooden knobs. They are West Bend.  Early 70's I believe.  I am using them in the livingroom for organization above the computer desk. 

This is a mid century Lincoln Beautyware Cookie Canister.  I LOVE this.  I want the rest of the set.  It has a flour, sugar, coffee and tea canister as well as a cake carrier.  There are others made by the same company.  Some have a silver spot where the gold is on this one, some are just embossed.  I really love this gold set and have been stalking ebay to find the others. 
I got this for $1 at a thrift store!!  I was stoked to find it and hope to get the rest of the set.

new kitchen addition

We recently added more kitchen cabinets and countertop and it makes a huge difference.  I have also decided to decorate the kitchen in a vintage/retro/shabby chic type look.  In the next few weeks I intend to take pictures of my current decor and tell a little store about the pieces.  I am trying to replicate my Grandma's kitchen as best I can while also throwing in some of my own tastes. 

banana pancakes

1 c. all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. salt
1 egg
1 c. buttermilk
1 tbsp. butter, melted
1 very ripe banana, mashed

Sift flour and combine with next 4 ingredients. Combine egg, buttermilk and butter; add to dry mixture. Stir until smooth. Stir in banana. Use 1/4 cup batter for each pancake. Pour onto hot griddle coated with cooking spray. Turn only once when edges look done. Serve with maple syrup and strawberry preserves.

buttermilk substitute

Ingredients:

• Milk (just under one cup)
• 1 Tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice

Preparation:

1. Place a Tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice in a liquid measuring cup.
2. Add enough milk to bring the liquid up to the one-cup line.
3. Let stand for five minute. Then, use as much as your recipe calls for.

red velvet cake

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons red food coloring
• 1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In a large bowl gently beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla with a handheld electric mixer. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined.
Bake in oven for about 25-30 minutes, turning the pans once, half way through. Test the cake with a toothpick for doneness. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 pound cream cheese, softened
• 2 sticks butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
• Chopped pecans and fresh raspberries or strawberries, for garnish

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until smooth. Add the sugar and on low speed, beat until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and mix until very light and fluffy.

just a tip

If you’re unsure of an egg’s freshness, see how it behaves in a cup of water: Fresh eggs sink; bad ones float.

meat wrapping

not a recipe but it fits in with the dinner I am cooking today.

I am cooking some bone in country style ribs that I packaged on 1/18/2010.  They got "lost" on our freezer.  I have our meats seperated with boxes in the freezer.  Apparently these ribs slipped to the bottom of the box during a rotation and I missed them.  I stuck them in the fridge a couple days ago to defrost and I opened them up today. They are as red as the day I packaged them.  I wholeheartedly believe that this is because of the way I package our meat for the freezer.  Pork is not supposed to still be good after a year in the freezer.  Ground beef is only supposed to be good for 3-4 months according to charts I have seen.  I have ground beef that is over 6 months in the feezer that we are using now that is just as fresh as the day I packaged it.  So I am resharing my meat wrapping tutorial from my other blog.

meat wrapping tutorial

At the bottom of this page is a freezer length chart