Another Freezer Organizing Tip from my Mom

My mom, Evely Laser Shlensky, is the original Scrambler--she taught me almost everything I know about organizing meals. Today she sent me this suggestion in response to this week's column about freezing and defrosting meals:

In reading your very helpful column about freezing prepared meals, I suggest, for those who do this with any regularity (that definitely includes me, as you know), making a "Cooked Foods in Freezer" list and hanging it on the frig. I list the item, the day it was frozen, and the number of servings it contains. When I want a homecooked meal without cooking, I refer to my list. Once I remove that meal, I cross it off the list. This also enables me to use foods before their freezer time "expires," which is usually 4-6 months. Sometimes I've also listed uncooked foods (e.g., 1/2 pound extra lean ground beef) that I've placed in the freezer so I don't forget to use them.

Now you know everything I know.

Love, Mom

Crunchy Caramel Corn

I had nothing to do with creating this recipe, but Celia and I sure had fun making it with her friends (we liked it so much we made it 2 days in a row!) over the holiday break. It's not exactly light but not terrible either if you just eat a few handfuls, and we can assuage our guilt by knowing we're eating healthy whole grain popcorn. The original recipe calls for 1 cup coarsely chopped cashews to be mixed in with the popcorn, which I think sounds delicious, but none of the kids wanted their caramel corn to have nuts.

Crunchy Caramel Corn (adapted from Every Day Food magazine)
Prep (10 minutes) + Cook (40 minutes)

4 Tbsp. butter
10 cups plain unsalted popcorn (from 1/2 cup kernels)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/8 tsp. kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Spray a large rimmed baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray or brush it with butter. Cook the popcorn according to the package directions and place the cooked popcorn in a large bow.

In a small saucepan, bring the butter, sugar, salt and 2 Tbsp. water to a boil, stirring frequently. Working quickly, drizzle the popcorn with the mixture and toss it thoroughly.

Spread the popcorn on the baking sheet. Bake it until it is golden and shiny, about 40 minutes--it will get a little crisper after it cools. Let it cool and store it in an airtight container for up to 1 week (yeah, right!).

Two of my new favorite nibblys for the new year

Yesterday Celia and I pulled together a last minute new year's day party with 5 of her friends and 6 of their parents (plus one grandmother). While the girls danced downstairs to the music of Mamma Mia, we adults gathered in front of the toasty fireplace for coffee, wine and a few munchies. I wanted to thank all of these moms who have been helping my family so much lately while Andrew has been out of town much more often, so I tried to make the little gathering extra-special. However, our nearest supermarket was closed to I had to get creative with what I had in the house after nearly a week without shopping! In addition to coffee, tea and red wine, I served a hot appetizer (recipe to follow), a bowl of dried cherries and almonds, pistachios, some Almond Roca, and Celia's and my new favorite treat, John WM Macy's Melting Parmesan Cheese Sticks--they are so crunchy, light and delicious! Downstairs, the girls enjoyed popcorn, Teddy Grahams and ice water. Here's the hot appetizer that everyone seemed to enjoy:

Mushroom or Artichoke Parmesan Toasts

1/2 package of mini sourdough cocktail toasts (which I had in the freezer), 1 cup or so of roasted mushroom or artichoke tapenade (which I had leftover from another party), shredded parmesan cheese. Spread about a tsp. of the tapenade on each toast, sprinkle them each with the parmesan, and put them under a preheated broiler for about 3 minutes until the cheese melts and the edges of the toasts are brown. Serve warm. (These can be prepared up to an hour in advance and broiled when company comes.)

Happy Holidays, Scramblers!

Hey you Scramblers, happy holidays and thanks for all your suggestions and support in '08. We're working on some terrific new updates to the site that we hope to launch in January, and I've got some great new recipes coming up soon (baked coconut ginger chicken, all American stir-fry, ravioli with sundried tomatoes and spinach...yum). Let me know if you have any ideas to share or any great appetizer recipes that aren't too rich.

Thank you for helping us make this the most successful year yet for The Scramble!

Warmly, Aviva

P.S. Last December, I'm not sure I would have thought that this year I'd be twittering (@thescramble), blogging, and facebooking, all in one day! I feel young again!

Fun Mango Geography Game for Kids

This is totally adorable and your kids may even learn a thing or two about Central and South America and delicious and healthy mangoes: http://www.mango.org/en/mango-kids/jangogeography.aspx.aspx

Beyond Wine: Host and Hostess Gifts that Make you a Welcome Guest

Now is a time of year where parties seem to be a dime-a-dozen, whether it’s a holiday party, a family gathering or a social get together with friends. As we’ve ventured our way into adulthood, we’ve realized that it’s nice to bring a small gift for the host/hostess of the party. While there’s always the old stand-by of a bottle of wine (which is always appreciated), I like to branch out sometimes with more interesting or memorable gifts (in hopes I'll be invited back!). Maybe the suggestions below can give you a little inspiration:

Cocktail Tags: For those of you who may not know what these are, they are little “hooks” that you can attach to the bottom of your wine/cocktail glass to differentiate yours from everyone else’s. What I love about these is that there are so many different kinds out there and you can buy a pack that reflects an interest of the host. An example is, if they love the beach, you could get cocktail tags that have a beach- related theme. Pier One always has some great affordable options at holiday time.

Beautiful Candles: Fortunately there are so many choices, that you can find something as simple or as ornate as you want.

Gourmet Olive Oil or Vinegar: If you’re attending a party at someone’s home, chances are, they cook at least a little bit! Someone who enjoys cooking probably always appreciates having a special bottle of oil and vinegar for dressing salads, dipping breads, or making almost any dish taste a little better.

Tapenade or other Gourmet Spread: If you’re lucky, maybe they host will put it out that night with the other appetizers and you’ll get to sample your purchase!

Do you have other ideas for host/hostess gifts? If so, please share your idea by leaving a comment here. (Thanks to Scramble Customer Advocate and consummate guest, Betsy Goldstein, for her contributions to this column!)

Barney Butter--Great Stuff!

One of the neat perks of having my own food website is I occasionally get to try new products for free, as companies hope that if I like their product I'll tell you about it. Once in a while this clever marketing tactic even works, as in the case of Barney Butter, the peanut free, all natural almond butter created by Calfornia mom, Jennifer Barney.

First, let me assure you that I am open-minded, but choosy. I recently tried Better'n Peanut Butter and almost gagged on that fakey sweetey tasting stuff. I also have no problem with regular peanut butter, love it in fact. But for those of you who can't eat peanuts, or who love almonds and their health benefits, or who just want to try something different, I wholeheartedly recommend Barney Butter. I've tried it on a spoon, on a cracker, and most recently, on a chocolate rice cake for an afternoon snack--delightful! B.B. is available on the website or in many stores in the Western U.S.

Cookies in a Jar

This is straight from Family Fun magazaine, and makes a wonderful homemade holiday gift:
How to Make It: In a 1-quart widemouthed jar, add the ingredients in the order listed. Pack them down firmly after each addition (the layers should be as flat as possible).
Ingredients:
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup M & Ms or other candy coated chocolate (holiday colors are fun)
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup cocoa crisped-rice cereal (or regular flavor)
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Screw on the cover and prepare a decorative gift tag with the following instructions:
"To make your holiday cookies, cream together 1/2 cup of butter or margarine, 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract, and 1 egg in a large bowl. Add the contents of the jar and stir until well blended. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 - 12 minutes. Makes 4 dozen.

My family ate a Frozen Dinner!

Yes, it's true, I took a store-bought frozen meal out of the freezer tonight, heated it in the oven and served it. But this was no ordinary frozen meal! We enjoyed delectable Sofrito Chicken Breasts with Apples in a Red Wine Reduction Sauce by renowned Spanish chef, Jose Andres. What's more, this frozen dinner cost more than $40 (I had to buy 2 to feed all 4 of us) and proceeds from the sale of the dinner benefit DC Central Kitchen, which trains low-income DC residents in professional cooking careers.

While this meal cost about 4 times what it usually costs to feed my family dinner, I wanted to support this creative initiative between DC Central Kitchen, Cuisine Solutions, and famous DC chefs. I looked at this as an alternative to a dinner in a restaurant. My dauther, Celia, who is 9, thought the best part was that she didn't have to wait ages after ordering for the food to arrive.

I must admit it was kind of fun to just wait for a meal to heat in the oven, though aside from steaming some peas to serve with it, I didn't really know what to do with myself while dinner baked. But tomorrow I'll be glad to be back to making homemade dinner.

For more information about this innovative partnership and these delicious frozen diners, visit http://www.dccentralkitchen.org/article.php?id=174.

New Feature Update: Custom Menu Plans can now be Edited

Okay, Scramblers, you asked for it and now you've got it. Your custom menus can now be edited and deleted. Please give this new feature a try and let me know if all goes smoothly before I announce it more widely in the newsletter. Thanks for your help! (And thank you, Sarah, for making this happen.)

Revisiting a great recipe--Mulligatawny Stew

Last night, I hosted my book club for our monthly dinner and discussion. A few of the women in the club are great cooks and really go all out for the dinners, so I get a little intimidated when it's my turn to host. For the meal, I revisited a recipe I hadn't made in a long time, Mulligatawny Stew, and served it over basmati rice, garnished with lemon wedges and fresh cilantro. I served roasted cauliflower on the side, and the kids made a beautiful apple crisp for dessert, which I served with low-fat vanilla ice cream. All in all, it was a great meal, and one I would definitely repeat:

Mulligatawny Stew (Indian Lentil Stew)

Prep (20 minutes) + Cook (30 minutes)
6 servings, about 2 cups each

Ever since watching Kramer and Elaine rave about it on the “Soup Nazi” episode of Seinfeld, I’ve been intrigued by Mulligatawny stew. Now, after making a batch, I can see what all the fuss was about. This Indian stew is rich, aromatic and delicious. Serve it with Roasted Cauliflower Poppers.

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 medium onions, chopped (about 3 cups)
2 tsp. minced garlic (about 4 cloves)
1 Tbsp. minced ginger (or 1 tsp. ginger powder)
1 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. garam masala
3/4 cup dried yellow or green lentils, soaked in water overnight, if possible
1 can (15 oz.) diced tomatoes with liquid
1 box (32 oz.) chicken or vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups uncooked basmati or long grain rice
1/2 cup light coconut milk (you can freeze remaining coconut milk for a future need)
lemon wedges for serving (optional)
1 cup fresh cilantro, for serving (optional)

(If you have soaked the lentils for faster cooking, drain them before proceeding with the recipe.) Heat the oil in a stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, ginger, curry powder and garam masala and sauté it, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned, about 6-8 minutes. Stir in the lentils to coat them and add the tomatoes and chicken broth (if you presoaked the lentils, you may only want to use 3 cups of the chicken broth because the lentils have absorbed extra water). Bring the soup to a boil and simmer it, stirring it occasionally, until the lentils are tender, about 25-30 minutes (or 10-15 minutes for presoaked lentils). Meanwhile, cook the rice according to the package directions (and prepare the cauliflower if you are making it).

Puree the soup to desired thickness in a blender or right in the pot using an immersion blender—it can be smooth or chunky, depending on your preference. Stir in the coconut milk until it is heated through, and ladle it over the rice, squeezing fresh lemon juice over it, if desired, and garnishing with fresh cilantro (optional).

Side Dish Suggestion: To make Roasted Cauliflower Poppers, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut 1 head of cauliflower into florets. Toss them with 1 Tbsp. olive oil, 1/2 tsp. (or more to taste) chili powder, 1/4 tsp. (or more to taste) cumin, 1/4 tsp. salt. Roast for 20 – 30 minutes until they are browned and soft, tossing once.

Tip: If you can’t find the Indian spice mixture, garam masala, at your store, use extra curry powder or
make your own garam masala by mixing coriander, cumin, cinnamon, pepper, cardamom, and cloves.

Nutritional Information per serving (% based upon daily values):
Calories 230, Total Fat 10g, 15%, Saturated Fat 4.5g, 23%, Cholesterol <5mg, 2%, Sodium 105mg, 4%, Total Carbohydrate 28g, 9%, Fiber 10g, 40%, Sugar 8g, Protein 11g

Nutritional Information per serving (with 1 cup cauliflower) (% based upon daily values):
Calories 275, Total Fat 12g, 18%, Saturated Fat 5g, 25%, Cholesterol 5mg, 2%, Sodium 368mg, 15%, Total Carbohydrate 33g, 11%, Dietary Fiber 13g, 50%, Sugar 10g, Protein 13g

Bye-bye farmer's markets--boo hoo

Thanksgiving weekend has passed, and that also means that the last farmer's market near my home has shut down for the winter. I'm trying to steel myself for 6 months without fresh, locally grown fruit, vegetables, and other delicacies. I must admit that I envy my mom, sister, and all you Scramble subscribers that live in places with year round produce markets. Maybe this will be the year I find a sunny patch to plant my own vegetable garden in the Spring. Either way, I'll be counting down the long cold days until asparagus, artichokes and peas arrive in Maryland once more.

Note from a 10 year old to a Scramble subscriber

This is an excerpt that Scramble subscriber Jeanne R. shared with me, from a note her 10 year old son left on her desk this weekend:

"Here are some reasons you are the best mom ever! First of all, you make better meals than most of the other moms because you've got Aviva's Six O'clock Scramble recipes."

Thank you for all of us...

Jeanne

Carrot and Celery Pan-Flute

Scramble marketing Queen, Jeanne Rossomme, suggests we get this guy to compose and preform a new Scramble theme song. What do you think? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHV5ukFL0NU

I hope he turns them into a delicious stir-fry when he's done playing!

Reindeer Faces--adorable snack or lunch

Here's a really cute idea from Connie Evers at nutritionforkids.com: http://www.nutritionforkids.com/emlnews/FK-December01.htm#sal

Cooking and Parenting Milestone for Me

It brings to mind the horrifying opening scene from the book The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, but then I have to remember that Jeannette was 3 when she caught on fire making her own hotdogs unsupervised, while Celia is already 9. And Celia did managed to take the chicken out of the oven without burning herself or setting the kitchen on fire.

Our kids are now old enough to stay home alone for short periods, and they are eager to do so. Earlier this week, I got home from taking Solomon to his guitar lesson at 5:45, and I had to go to an evening event at 6:30. Andrew couldn't get home from work until 7, so I decided to leave Solomon and Celia home for half an hour, which is no big deal. But, I didn't manage to get their dinner into the oven until 6:15, and it had to come out at 6:45. Celia eagerly volunteered for the job of head chef while I was gone. I was nervous--this was a first, but I decided that she was ready for the responsibility. Though she's the younger of our children, she cooks with me a lot and has taken a professional cooking class.

I set the kitchen timer, set out the oven mitts, and went over her duties with her: she'd need to turn off the alarm, put on the mitts, take the chicken out of the oven and put it on top of the stove, and turn off the oven. I was only mildly terrified, but when I called to check in at 6:50, all was well. Celia was so proud of her accomplishment, and the three of them polished off the apricot chicken.

More Thanksgiving Advice

My friend, Jackie Kelley, Personal and Professional Organizer Extraordinaire (http://clearinghousenow.com) , adds these suggestions for preparing to host Thanksgiving dinner. If you have your own tips, questions, or suggestions, please add them here as a comment.

I’ve done my share and grew up watching my mother and aunt put on amazing meals for 30+ people every year (my immediate family growing up was 11 people!)

1. Delegate, delegate, delegate as much as possible – easiest if you are planning the menu and can farm out dessert, side dishes, table arrangements and extra chair duties.

2. Plan menu and shop for staples the week before. This prepares you to make dishes ahead of time that you can freeze or store for a few days in the fridge (pies, cheesecakes, soups). Also helps if you are hosting out of town guests and need meals for days after the holiday. Keep a separate list for perishables and fresh vegetables to shop for a day or two before.

3. Review items in your refrigerator and pantry before you food shop to inventory what you have and to clear space of old items. Food in your fridge and pantry should always be food with a plan; make use of them or move them out.

4. Keep flat surfaces and counter tops in your kitchen cleared. A clear countertop makes the kitchen more organized and feel more welcoming. Especially important if others will be working at your side during the holiday.

5. Before Thanksgiving, quickly inventory your food container collection to assess storage needs for leftovers, to aid in a quick cleanup and doggie-bag delivery for parting guests (there’s always someone who wants that leftover stuffing!) Make sure you have enough lids that fit or at least an extra box of foil!

6. Set out empty serving dishes (and flag with post-it) for each menu item to prepare for the last minute get-on-the-table rush, and to make it easier for others to help dish out.

7. Involve the kids by assigning jobs for each. Prepare list of guests to aid them in setting table, making place cards and setting out nibbler snacks.

Thanksgiving Recipe: Cornbread Stuffing with Pomegranate Seeds

Cornbread Stuffing with Pomegranate Seeds

Prep (25 minutes) + Cook (40 minutes)
10 side dish servings

I spotted this recipe on the POM Wonderful web site a few years ago, and tinkered with it a bit to make it healthier—it’s heavenly on the Thanksgiving table. You can make the stuffing up to a day ahead and heat it in the oven before dinner.

1 pomegranate
2 Tbsp. canola oil
1 cup chopped dried apricots
1 cup dried cranberries
2 – 3 stalks celery, chopped (about 1 cup)
3 – 4 scallions, sliced (about 1/2 cup)
12 oz. cornbread stuffing mix
4 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 egg, lightly beaten
20 oz. reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

To remove the pomegranate seeds from the fruit, deeply score the pomegranate and place it in a bowl of water. Break it open underwater to free the seeds (also called arils). Keep breaking and freeing seeds until they’re released from the pomegranate’s skin. Remove the white membranes that are floating in the water and drain the seeds. Reserve 1 cup of seeds and refrigerate the remainder for another use (or, if you’re like me, eat them immediately).

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a large round casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Sauté the apricots, cranberries, celery, and scallions for about 5 minutes until softened. Remove them from the heat.

Place the stuffing mix in a large bowl; add the apricot mixture, pomegranate seeds, melted butter, egg, and broth, and mix well. Smooth the stuffing mixture into the casserole and cover it with foil. Bake it for 25 minutes, remove the foil, and return it to the oven for 15 more minutes or until the stuffing is golden brown.


Nutritional Information per serving(% based upon daily values):
190 calories, 6 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 32 g carbohydrate, 62 mg cholesterol, 332 mg sodium, 2 g fiber, 4 g protein

Thanksgiving Recipe: Sweet Potato Pie

Thanksgiving Delight: Sweet Potato Pie

Prep (20 minutes +) + Cook (2 hours)
8 servings

This wonderful side dish has graced my family’s Thanksgiving table for as long as I can remember, and everybody seems to want the recipe—so here it is! The sweet potatoes don’t need to be tended to while boiling, so you can cook them any time during the day, and you can make the filling up to a day in advance. This pie can be part of a weeknight meal with cornbread and a rotisserie chicken.

3 Tbsp. butter
3 medium sweet potatoes
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp. nutmeg or cinnamon
3/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 cup nonfat or low fat milk
1 prepared pie crust, or make your own (see directions below)

Remove the butter from the refrigerator to soften it. In a stockpot, immerse the sweet potatoes in water and bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer it until the potatoes are soft when pierced with a fork, about 50 minutes. (New directions 12/07) Peel and cut potatoes into large cubes. Add to heating water and boil for 20 – 25 min. until fork tender). When they are done cooking, immerse the potatoes in cold water and pull their skins off. Put the flesh of the potatoes in a large bowl, and discard the skins.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mash the sweet potatoes with the butter and all the remaining ingredients except the crust. Whip the mixture by hand until it is mostly smooth. (At this point, you can refrigerate the filling for up to 48 hours). Spoon the sweet potatoes into the crust and bake it for an hour (or up to 1 1/2 hours if you like a browner top). Let it cool for 10 minutes before serving it.

To make your own 20 minute pie crust: Combine 1 cup of flour and 1/2 tsp. salt in a bowl. With two forks, cut 1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp. butter or Crisco into the flour mixture until it looks like coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle 2 Tbsp. ice water, 1 Tbsp. at a time, over the pastry mixture, tossing lightly with the fork after each addition and sprinkling only the dry portion. Pastry should be just moist enough to hold together, but not sticky. With a large piece of waxed paper underneath and on top of the dough so it doesn’t stick to the rolling pin, roll the dough into a circular shape. Lift off the top piece of wax paper, and flip the dough into a pie plate, gently pressing it into the plate and removing the waxed paper. With your fingers, flute the crust to the rim of the pie plate to adhere it. Trim the edges with a paring knife and patch the crust if needed. Refrigerate the crust until you are ready to fill it.

Nutritional Information per serving (% based upon daily values):
Calories 210, Total Fat 10g, 15%, Saturated Fat 3.5g, 18%, Cholesterol 40mg, 13%, Sodium 270mg, 11%, Total Carbohydrate 28g, 9%, Dietary Fiber 1g, 5%, Protein 3g, Sugar 10g

Nutritional Information per serving (with 1/6 rotisserie chicken and 1 piece of cornbread) (% based upon daily values):
Calories 596, Total Fat 19g, 38% Saturated Fat 8g, 40%, Cholesterol 184mg, 61%, Sodium 1215mg, 50%, Total Carbohydrate 58g, 19%, Dietary Fiber 2g, 11%, Sugar 6g, Protein 41g