Exogeny Kitchen

The kitchen is usually the heart of the home. It's in the kitchen that food is prepared, many of us actually entertain in the kitchen as well. Here the meals that fuel our very essence are prepared and often served. Its where discussions take place, and entire revolutions have been planned around kitchen tables. Businesses have been founded at those same tables. Entire lives have been changed by those kitchen table discussions! Too often, the concept of the "kitchen" is disregarded. On this page, we'll celebrate the kitchen, food, and the whole idea of sharing.

Kitchen Table Topics

The economy has been the focus of almost everyone's serious chats around the tables of the USA. I know I have participated in many myself, although there are times when our "kitchen tables" become more figures of speech in this day of internet discussions. Recently, I read an article that claimed that monitoring sales of men's underwear was the most effective method of ascertaining the true health of the economy. Their prediction, using the men's underwear approach, along with several other indicators, was that the economy would continue to remain depressed for another four years, not recovering until the spring of 2013. According to this article, we would see a number of things occurring until economic recovery was well underway, such as longer skirts, more conservative clothing, and a change in our cuisine to traditional "comfort foods."

I have no control over the economy of the nation. Sometimes, it doesn't even feel like I have control over my own personal economy! I do however, have the ability to make the most with the minimal grocery budget, and the creative ability to still be able to entertain on it. Granted, we won't be seeing exotic dishes with expensive ingredients, but that's okay. This is a time when we look backwards to our childhoods, and even further to our grandparents and great grandparents' recipes.

Tuna & noodle casserole

Fruit Gelatin with whipped cream (or non-dairy topping) and fruit

Corn pudding (or casserole or scalloped corn)

steamed fruit puddings

stewed fruit with dumplings

cinnamon biscuits & hot cocoa

Hash

Beans & Cornbread

Potato Soup

Red Beans with Sausage and Rice

Tomato soup with grilled cheese

These are some very familiar comfort foods to many people, although they may not all be familiar to everyone. Many comfort foods are region specific. Different cultures focus on different comfort foods as well, and America IS a melting pot!

Many of these dishes I don't even use a "recipe" for, I know that I will use canned tuna, egg noodles, frozen peas, cream of mushroom soup, and *maybe* some bread crumbs (if I have them) in tuna & noodle casseroles.

I know that corn pudding is cream corn, whole kernel corn, green chili or green peppers, black pepper, eggs, milk, and crushed crackers. Its all mixed together, put in a greased casserole, and then baked until its cooked through. If I have it, I often would sprinkle the top with some cheese & breadcrumbs, just to dress it up a bit. Its actually a nice looking dish.

Steamed fruit puddings are a very very old comfort food, but if you try it, its fairly simple and very tasty! Stewed fruit is literally that--whatever fresh fruit is in season/on sale, with sugar, maybe thickened with corn starch or a roux, maybe with some spices, and the dumplings are the same as making drop biscuits...and can be browned & crispy by baking them in the oven on top of the fruit!

Cinnamon biscuits are merely leftover buttermilk biscuits, split and buttered, then sprinkled with cinnamon & sugar, then toasted under a broiler. Eating them with hot cocoa was always a special treat, and the chocolate-cinnamon mixture tells everyone that I lived a long time in the American Southwest with a strong Mexican influence on our cuisine.

Hash is probably more a western thing, but once again, its one of those leftovers made good again dishes. Its just fried potatoes that can have onion & bell pepper added, along with whatever meat was left from the previous meal. Since we rarely had leftover meat, it was often graced with canned corned beef. Its a way to use up the leftover meat and serve the entire family with not-quite-enough meat. Sometimes it has eggs served with it, or biscuits...or whatever you have on hand that day.

Beans and Cornbread are probably nation-wide, dating from the foods often eaten by Native Americans prior to the arrival of the European settlers, albeit in a different incarnation. Beans come in a long list of varieties, all of which are simply cooked in a liquid until done, and the cornbread will vary between sweet and savory according to personal and regional preferences, as does whether it is white or yellow cornbread.

The potato soup of my childhood was a very simple dish, merely sliced potatoes and onions cooked in water until done, then milk was added, and a bit of butter, and it was seasoned simply with salt and pepper. We always had yellow cornbread with it. It was meatless, very cheap and simple to prepare. It didn't have any exotic flavors, it just was what it was. These days, my version of it is far more elaborate usually--the potatoes and onions are joined by sliced hot Italian sausages and then just before serving, it gets coarsely chopped curly kale. Instead of the cornbread of my childhood, I usually prefer some French bread from one of the bakeries.

Living in New Orleans, a Monday tradition is the red beans and rice. EVERYBODY has that for their lunch special, and its a filling, inexpensive, and easy to prepare dish. I must confess that I rarely cook the kidney beans myself, instead "cheating" and buying the creole-cream style beans and merely adding the tasso, plain ham, or smoked sausage, and cooking the rice. The beans are served over the rice, something that seemed very odd to me at first, but is now very familiar.

I think everyone knows the tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwich routine. About the only variations I've encountered is in the choice of cheese--I happen to prefer mine made with Velveeta.

Coffee!

Its summertime, and coffee is some hot stuff in the United States. We love the stuff, and pay outrageously for a cup of the stuff, especially when its flavored or "gourmet." Come summer, and we're flocking to the coffee shops for our iced, chilled, slushed, whipped and frothed versions. There is a problem though--when a cup of the stuff costs more than you make for an hour's wages, its really not an "affordable" treat.

But, its divine!

Its not impossible to, as the saying goes, to have your cake and eat it too--or have your fancy frothy coffee at home for pennies on the dollar. All it takes is a little bit of ingenuity, some experimentation, and some ingredients.

First and foremost, its the coffee of course. For your iced version, to duplicate the typical coffeehouse offering, you will want a very bold strong coffee or even expresso. Remember that morning jolt you love? Brew some strong coffee, and save a quart or so of it in the refrigerator for your after work treat.

Next comes milk or half and half (or soy milk if that's what you drink.) Certain other things are good to have on hand, like vanilla syrup, chocolate syrup, whipped cream, cinnamon, and cocoa powder.

Fill a tall glass with ice, and pour the coffee over the ice, leaving about 1/4 of the glass empty. Add milk, half & half, or soy milk to taste. Add flavoring syrup and stir. I like to sprinkle cinnamon on top of the coffee at this point, but most people sprinkle cinnamon and cocoa powder on top of the whipped cream. Drizzle the chocolate syrup over the dab of whipped cream. Serve with a long handled spoon, and you will impress the entire family!

The next money-saving tip is for your flavoring syrups, you CAN make your own. Make a simple syrup (2 c. sugar + 1 c. water) Bring to a hard boil, boil for one minute, and remove from heat. Add flavoring of choice--about a teaspoon of real vanilla extract will give good flavor to about a quart of simple syrup. I reuse clean water bottles as my "syrup bottles". Your grocery store has a variety of extracts for cooking, and any of these will work for flavoring your syrup for your coffees. Butter rum, toffee, raspberry, orange, cherry, and mint are all options. Just remember, simple syrups (or as you'll call them "flavor syrups") are sweeter tasting than regular sugar, so keep that in mind when you are adding them to your drinks. With the sugar in liquid form, its easy to add more if its NOT sweet enough, so use it sparingly. (Convince your family it is very very EXPENSIVE?) Those same simple syrups can make shaved ice into "Snow Balls" or "Snow Cones" too! Adding them to carbonated water will make an old fashioned soda fountain beverage, which, when poured over ice cream, will make a float! Maybe some raspberry soda on vanilla ice cream? Or chocolate ice cream!

Tip: If you want authentic ginger syrup, take fresh ginger root, slice it thinly, and add it to the water. The more ginger you use, the bolder the ginger flavor. (I typically will use a 3" segment for a quart of syrup.) Bring the water to a boil, boil for about one minute before adding the sugar, and return it to a boil. Boil for about another full minute and remove from flame. Strain out the ginger pieces when syrup has cooled enough to handle safely and bottle it.

**Always keep homemade simple syrups in the refrigerator and use within two weeks.

Recently, I interviewed Desmond Green on the Dawn of Shades. The interview was very interesting, and Mr. Green is very pleasant to listen to. Apparently, it takes me a while to digest bits of knowledge though. One of his statements was in reference to what we put into our bodies, which eventually led me to thinking about food, particularly the modern American diet in a particular week.
Monday morning finds us in a rush, and breakfast is a donut and a cup of instant coffee as we rush off to work. The kids had some sugary cereal topped with the cheapest milk in the grocery store. Lunch was fast food—for the adults and the kids, who left their school to visit the nearest fast food chain. The kids grabbed a soft drink and a candy bar from the corner store on their way home, where they watched tv while doing their homework and their required chores. The adults had a latte or a cappuccino with a muffin during the afternoon, then grabbed take out from somewhere on the way home.

Dinner was a session in griping at the kids about various offenses, at the spouse for various bills, and dealing with telemarketers before everyone drifting off to their own personal television or computer to be entertained for the evening. You have a bowl of ice cream after eating some chips while watching the television, then go to bed. Sleep is elusive, but finally you drift off, and it seems like the alarm is immediately screaming at you.
Now its Tuesday, and the day doesn’t start off any better. This time, its fast food for everyone for breakfast, along with a cup of coffee for the adults. You are running late, so your stomach is knotting as you try to navigate the choking traffic while eating the breakfast on the run. At work, you have another cup of coffee and a donut from the break room, which you consume at your desk while trying to catch up for the missed ten minutes at the beginning of the day. Lunch is a sub sandwich someone brought back for you, which you eat at your desk with a vending machine soda. The kids eat lunch at school today, some mysterious meal designed for inexpensive fueling of children approved by some entity in Washington D.C. Your lunch leaves you feeling hollow, and you fill that vacancy with a candy bar and another soda, then grab a coffee on the way home as you pick up yet another take out dinner. In the meantime, the kids have snacked on ice cream, soda pop, and chips. Dinner is another miserable experience, with more focus on the sins of the day than on what you are eating. After dinner, its again a family retreat away from each other, with various ventures to the kitchen for snacks and drinks to fuel the marathon of tv and computer. Once again, morning arrives almost before your head hits the pillow it seems.

Wednesday is merely another Monday or Tuesday, and Thursday and Friday doesn't look much better. On Friday, instead of take out, you order pizza and chase it down with mass produced beer while trying to get household chores done. Saturday, you sleep in, wake up cranky and out of sorts, and are now forced to rush around to get shopping done and other errands run. The spouse decides it’s a good day to grill, so everyone skips lunch while you assemble stuff for grilling dinner, and hunger inspires snacking on chips, cookies, crackers, and soft drinks. The budget is tight, so grilling is just hamburgers and hotdogs, along with more chips and some ice cream for dessert.

Sunday, you are expected to produce a “Sunday dinner”, and you throw a roast in the oven with some potatoes, onions and carrots. The gravy comes out of a pouch, mixed with water and brought to a boil. There is prepackaged salad for the salad, along with a bottle of dressing. You open a can of vegetables and heat them up in the microwave. There is bread from the bakery to go with it, and your duty is done. Dessert is a slice of cake or pie from the bakery too.

It’s a pretty typical American week. Is it all that different from yours?

Now, think about what you are using to fuel your body. Think about the thought and ritual that went into that fueling of your body. How much concern was with it?

We have lost the spirituality of food and the ritual of meals. Is it any wonder that all of this has lead to unprecedented rates of diabetes, cancer, obesity, hypertension, and assorted other diseases directly related to our food consumption? We are fueling our bodies with foods that have no soul, no spirit, no value. How can these chemical laced and mass produced artificially flavored foods possibly fuel any of us in a wholistic, spiritually enhancing manner?

Food is the most central form of magick in the home. Its fueling the core of each person’s being. Without food, in a relatively short period of time, we would be severely debilitated. After another brief period of time, we would die. Food is essential to our existence, yet we are giving very little thought to it beyond immediate satisfaction. Our food is one of the simplest, yet one of the hardest, parts of our lives to change, yet without changing that, how can we even dream of becoming more spiritually enlightened?

Now I’m not saying we need to all immediately switch to a diet of organic tofu, alfalfa sprouts, and seaweed or something equally as unappealing. I’m saying, stop, think about what you are doing with your food, what you are shoving into your mouth, and what it is doing to your body to keep on this path.

Like roughly 60% of Americans, I am obese. I have fought it for years now. Looking back, the problem has gotten totally out of hand when I quit putting the ritual & spirituality of food on the table with the meal. I’m embarking on this journey myself, of learning how to eat joyously and realizing the first three letters of the word “DIET” spells DIE. Who wants to eat to die?

Meals should be an experience in which we delight in the food—its tastes, its textures, its color, its story. We should ensure that mealtimes are a time for joy, not for airing sins and grievances. Make meals an actual RELIGIOUS experience, a ritual of daily life in which we feel our connection with our souls and spirits. Preparing a meal should be an act of love in itself, for its here that the magick enters the food initially. Learning what things enhance each other enhances the natural magick of the food.

I invite everyone to join me on this journey, as we explore our kitchens, find our souls, and learn to feed our bodies in a way that is meaningful and good.

Product Review

I recently compared the Tassimo & Keurig single-serve coffee machines in this article. Since I loved the coffee from the Tassimo, it's only fair that I share which flavors of disks I really enjoyed the most.

There are 3 brands that are most commonly available for the Tassimo; these are Gevalia, Maxwell House, and Starbucks. All three are very good, and cater to a wide variety of tastes. Other brands are available, but are not as readily.

I really liked the cappuccinos from both Maxwell House & Gevalia. I liked the signature blend from Gevalia, Greg likes the Starbucks African Kitamu. Other flavors suit our moods on different days.

None of the flavors have been less than good, the machine produces consistently flavored coffee from each and every disk. No more morning surprises from Greg's adventures with the drip coffeemaker!

Gia Scott is also the

New Orleans Food Examiner. Many articles are available

there.

Some of the topics available:

Rice-the foundation of New Orleans' cuisine
A little history of rice production in Louisiana, and a comparison of "gourmet popcorn rice" (Campbell Farms Gourmet Popcorn Rice purchased at the German Coast Farmers Market) with a local supermarket favorite, Cajun Country long grain white rice.

Hot Dogs, Wieners, or Frankfurters: 5 recipes for fun
Hot dogs are an American favorite, and often very inexpensive. These recipes are fun ways to use them for meals besides the ketchup-mustard-bun-hot dog routine!

Creamy Grits with Corn & Andouille Sausage
This is comfort food all grown up, and even non-fans of grits can appreciate the complex flavor and fantastic textures.

Micro-Dessert: Pumpkin-Raisin Cake
A small cake for 2 baked in the microwave, made rich & moist with pumpkin, raisins, and spices. Easy and fast!

Papa George & Butterbeans

Papa George got me to try his butterbeans, a food I had always detested, at the German Coast Farmers Market in Destrehan. Boy, was I surprised!

Mandeville Seafood Festival

The Mandeville Seafood Festival was held at the Fontainbleu State Park, a beautiful setting for the music, food, and vendors.

German Coast Farmers Market

The German Coast Farmers Market is held each Saturday at Ormond Plantation on the East Bank, and on Wednesdays on the West Bank.

Crescent City Farmers Market

Held each Saturday on Magazine Street, it brings farm-fresh food to the city in a fun format.

Covington Farmers Market

An absolutely gorgeous market, wtih plenty of shade trees, live music, and ready-to-eat food, as well as an amazing array of fresh-from-the-farm foods.

Westwego Farmers & Fisheries Market

Probably the most gorgeous facility for a farmers market in the Greater New Orleans area, this market has entertainment, crafts, plants, fresh fruits and vegetables, and ready-to-eat foods as well. Easy access and convenient parking add to the attraction here.

Westwego Shrimp Lot

The Shrimp Lot has been around a number of years, and it still offers absolutely fresh seafood at incredible prices, sure to save the budget.

Cafe au lait & beignets: Its all about tradition!

You can't visit New Orleans and NOT have cafe au lait & beignets!

More articles, many with slide shows and recipes, can be found HERE

Holiday baking and a banana bread recipe

Holiday Traditions: Gingerbread Men & Women

Holiday gifting: single serve coffee machine review

Watermelon Jelly (recipe)

Blueberry-Pepper Jam (recipe)

Camping Cuisine: Peach Fritters (recipe)

Big Easy French Toast (recipe)

Picnic in a hurry

Cool and summer-y Spinach Salad (recipe)

Gourmet Iced & Blended Coffee Recipes (recipes)

Uncle Bill's Gumbo File'

Waffles for the beginner

The Great Depression & Celebrations (recipe)

Tater puff casserole (comfort food recipe)

Des Allemands Catfish Festival

Don't Eat the Brownie Melt

Beach Cuisine

What is a winter squash?

What is a summer squash?

Evacuation Cuisine

Cafe au lait & beignets: Its all about tradition!

Hot dogs, wieners, or frankfurters: 5 recipes for fun (recipes)

Dairies are not all the same

New Orleans food: ingredients by mail order

What are grits?

Sausage stuffed summer squash (recipes)

Comfort food: 3 recipes to use (recipes)

Latest food fad: mug cake rating & recipe (recipe)

What is holy trinity?

What is etouffee?

Morning Call has the best beignets & cafe au lait in New Orleans!

Micro-dessert: pumpkin raisin cake (recipe)

Recipe: creamy grits with corn & andouille sausage (recipe)

Shrimp Gregoriano with fettuccine (recipe)

Best coffee & apple fritter in New Orleans

Red pork with vegetables (recipe)

30 minute dinner: Corn & squash chowder with sausage rolls (recipes)

****************

What makes a kitchen?

Is it the pots and pans? The stove? Dishes? A sink?

What makes a kitchen really?

A kitchen represents the heart of the home, its where nourishment is prepared, its where skinned knees are bandaged, its where conversations about boyfriends and girlfriends, about divorces and engagments, about the impending arrival of another generation...all take place.

As the heart of the home, its also the spiritual center of the home. For many people, the only room that gets more time spent in it is the bedroom, and that's only because of sleep. Why is that?

Maybe its because once upon a time, the kitchen is where the hearth was, where the flame burned to keep warm and to cook with. Maybe its because of the food, because without food, one would starve. Maybe its because it divided us from our primitive self, because it was in the home that we had a kitchen, instead of crouching beside a fire in a hovel or cave.

For whatever reason, we now have kitchens where we do everything, even entertain. We have kitchens designed for the single cook, the couple cooks, the team cooks...and then there are the pro versions too. Some kitchens are designed for serious cooking, others are not. Some are old, some are new.

Cast Iron

I prefer to cook with cast iron, and while there are special cobbler, pie, muffin, and bread pans made out of cast iron, I don't use them. I have always preferred to just bake in the skillets or dutch ovens themselves.

Nothing beats cornbread baked in a cast iron skillet!

A lot of people are afraid of the maintenance on cast iron, but it is really quite simple. Just obey these basic rules.

1) Never use soap to wash skillet--just hot water is sufficient.

2) Always dry the skillet using heat. Placing in the oven or on the burner is an easy way to do it.

3) Season skillet according to the directions when you purchase it. To re-season the skillet, my favorite way is to periodically bake a loaf of bread in it. Long heat with a well-greased skillet always results in a properly conditioned skillet!

Many things can be baked in a skillet besides just cornbread and a loaf of bread. Biscuits are another natural, but cakes are also happy when baked in a skillet. The heavy pan and dark color are naturals. I have also done some fantastic cheesecakes, pies, cobblers, and casseroles in the skillets. Feel free to experiment!

Gia's Kitchen

Personally, I live in an aging cottage-type home in New Orleans, and the kitchen I have...well, let's just say, the designer didn't know a bean pot from a soup pot. It certainly was not designed for me. It also was not designed for anyone who wanted storage. Personally, if I didn't know better, I'd say it was a "bachelor" kitchen, but I know it was designed for a family. I just hope this tiny house never had a very large family living in it, or that poor homemaker was always frustrated. Its "cute" and its "custom", but it has no cupboard space, no counter space, no place for a refrigerator or a stove (by modern codes) and no room for a table.

A stove sits awkwardly against the only wall with no window or cupboards, courtesy of being brought up to modern code. The refrigerator sits against the same wall,with even more awkwardness, but in the "living" space after walls were removed in that same renovation. I've tried every possible configuration of table, work island, refrigerator and shelf unit, but have never come up with an agreeable combination. It just doesn't work. It also needs a dishwasher!

That kitchen needs a total renovation, but its a rental house, and that's a large expenditure. I've lived in the house for five years, I'm not anticipating a renovation any time soon. Its made me think about the kitchens I've used over the years though.

I like to cook, and I like to cook BIG, the more I'm cooking for, the happier I am, even though I have friends and family who think I am totally insane. I guess to me its like a competitive sport, a game of sorts. Can I make it all attractive, tasty, correctly...and have it done all at the same time to set on the table in all of its glory?

My first ventures into the "holiday" or special occasion meal were exercises in stress. Time and experience has taught me that almost every mistake can be fixed though. Not to say that I haven't had some bombs...like the time I barbequed a roast...and it was nearly raw (forget rare, I am talking RAW here) when it was cut to be carved. Everything else was done, appetites were prepared...but the roast wasn't...for several more hours. Or the smoked turkey that after all of the laborious preparation...spoiled in the smoker instead of smoking, and the spoilage was not discovered until it was being carved. (Two examples of CHECK THE TEMPERATURE. If it hadn't been for the tell-tale aroma of the spoiled turkey, I could have made a lot of people sick!)

But, I am proud to say, hundreds of people have dined at my kitchen table, and I have had no hospitalizations or deaths as a result. I have been cooking nearly forty years now, so that's not a bad run. I do feel sorry for my parents and siblings though, since they were frequently inflicted with my early results and experiments, not always successful or even in the same vicinity as "successful" OR "tasty."

Don't cook red cabbage with ham and serve it with yellow cornbread. I don't care how inexpensive red cabbage is compared to green, it just is not very pretty to see the broth from the cabbage and ham touch the cornbread. It will turn a putrid version of flourescent lime green. Not very appetizing, but it is quite memorable.

Recently, the economy's downturn has devastated many budgets, mine included. Even though we are regularly informed that there is no inflation, someone forgot to tell my utility and grocery bills that there was no inflation allowed. Still, I may be a bit better prepared to deal with the price crunch than many others, because I have some experience at preparing a variety of meals on a tight budget.

Years ago, as a non-traditional student, I also went home at night to be a struggling single parent with two kids, and money was very tight. Even with a tight budget wtih no time to spare, I had to prepare nutritious meals from that shoestring. I became the Bean Queen. A strange side-effect occurred with the days as a Bean Queen--I lost weight and felt great after battling a number of stress illnesses for the previous few years. Looking back, I was probably far healthier than I had been in years, as well as far healthier than most of my classmates. I know that I was amazed at how well our diet scored when I did a nutrional profile on it for one of my classes.

We ate a LOT of beans. Bean soup could simmer while I was studying or helping with homework or doing laundry or whatever else that needed doing. Beans could become all sorts of things too, besides just plain old bean soup. Lots of things "dressed up" the bean soup and made it more interesting. Almost everything I served was cooked from scratch, it was the best way to conserve every penny I had.

Basic bean soup was usually something along these lines--a pound of dry navy beans, rinsed and sorted. A very large pot of water. Salt. Pepper. A ham hock (two was just splurging) An onion. A couple of carrots. Simmer until done, and yes, I know you are supposed to soak your beans, and no, I almost never do. They still get done. I needed it to be done in less than 24 hours, I never remembered to put them on to soak before we left in the morning. Cornbread (we always eat yellow cornbread, white just seems wrong to me.) We also don't sweeten our cornbread, which comes from my Southwestern roots. I can tolerate sweet cornbread, but its not my favorite. If we didn't do cornbread, there might be homemade biscuits or bread of some kind. For dessert, I typically split a can of fruit between the kids, and they would have milk to drink with dinner. A pot of bean soup was usually good for 2 days dinner, plus my lunches.

Pinto beans were used for a lot of things--chili, cowboy pie (mashed beans and cheese baked inside of bread dough), burritos, tostadas, bean enchiladas, beans and cornbread, beans and biscuits, even bean tacos.

We ate about any kind of bean, except lima beans. I hate lima beans. I'm not crazy about lentils, they always taste faintly of dirt to me, but they are still better than lima beans. In my mind, that's a time of onions and beans, although we ate many other things too, the beans appeared several days a week on the table.

We ate lasagna, pizza, cabbage and potatoes, vegetable soup, chicken paprikesh, chicken soup, even the occasional pot roast for a decadent Sunday dinner. We ate dessert often, but it was a homemade treat, not a storebought creation.

Because I was fortunate enough to grow up with several generations of my family as an important part of my life, I had heard about the Great Depression and the rationing of the Great War years. I also heard about how families coped. Their experience stood me in good stead when my personal economy became greatly depressed.

Depression recipes are inexpensive, and often very tasty. One favorite of my family's was called the Crazy Cake. Sturdy, chocolate, and tasty, it has been packed in lunch boxes, carried to church suppers, and been eagerly devoured for generations.

With no eggs, no milk, and just enough sugar, its not an expensive cake to make, and one that can be made with typical pantry ingredients.

Crazy Cake

3 c. all purpose flour

2 c. sugar

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 c. cocoa (this is the unsweetened kind)

3/4 c. vegetable oil

2 tbsp. white vinegar

2 tsp.. vanilla flavoring

2 c. cold water

Mix dry ingredients together in a 9x13" pan. Make 3 wells. Put oil in one, vinegar in one, and vanilla in the last one. Pour cold water over it all and bake at 350* for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

I typically would "frost" it with chocolate chips or a couple of chocolate bars--just break up the bars, sprinkle the chocolate on top while its hot, let it melt, then spread it thin. When the cake is cool but the chocolate is still soft, cut into 2" squares. Let the chocolate harden, then wrap in plastic wrap, stick in a plastic bag in the freezer remove as needed. The chocolate doesn't stick to the wrap, so its great as a to-go sort of treat for lunches.

You can vary this recipe a lot of different ways--broken candycanes added before baking to the top will make a mint-chocolate cake, chocolate chips can be added, I've even baked this cake in 2 layer cake pans, filled it with a peanut butter filling, then frosted it with a fudge frosting to make a tasty filled cake. Filling it with cherry pie filling makes a great "black forest cake" too.

One Pan Taco Filling

1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey

16 oz. shredded cabbage (cole slaw mix)

1 can Rotel Tomatoes with chilies

2 pkg taco seasoning mix

1 or 2 large onions, chopped

2 tbsp chili powder

Tortillas, taco shells, fry bread or tortilla chips

Toppings:

chopped fresh tomato, chopped green or fresh onion, shredded cheese, sour cream, refried beans, guacamole, chopped avocado, salsa, shredded lettuce, black olives

Saute the onion in non-stick skillet until it starts to get soft over medium heat. Add juice from tomatoes and 2 c. water, then turkey meat, taco seasoning, and chili powder. Stir to break meat into bits and thoroughly disperse the seasonings. Bring to a steady boil, then stir in shredded cabbage and cook about 3 minutes more or until cabbage goes limp.

For tacos, place a spoonful of filling in tortilla or pre-cooked taco shell, top with toppings as desired, then either fold in half or roll up and enjoy!

Make a "Navajo Taco" with this filling by using fry bread, topping with some beans, then the taco filling and toppings as desired.

For Ultimate Nachos, heat the tortilla chips in a 300*F. oven for 5-7 minutes. Top with pre-heated refried beans, taco filling, a sprinkle of cheese, black olives, a dollop of guacamole, a dollop of sour cream, and then a garnish of a sprinkle of chopped green onion. Better than restaurant nachos!

German Coast Farmers Market

Budget Stretching Ideas

Have you ever shopped at a real farmers market? One where local farmers & gardeners sell their fresh produce? They have many offerings that can really help the food budget while providing far fresher produce than is available at the market, as well as helping to support your local economy. Search online for "farmers market" with your city, parish, county, region, etc. added and see what you find. Ask other local residents if they know of any. Often you'll discover a hidden treasure, and many farmers markets offer more than merely beans and potatoes--fresh breads, cakes, jams, jellies, pickles, smoked meats, prepared foods, and other delicacies are also found there, along with flowers, local crafts, etc.