KITCHEN: Pot Luck Pleaser Casserole

Potatoes suitable for scalloped, purple, Yukon gold, russet

 Pot Luck Pleaser Casserole 

• Sliced potatoes, 6-8 (your choice varieties)
• 1-2 carrots, sliced or grated
• 1-2 stalks celery, sliced, thinly
• onions, minced, dried or fresh (I use dried)
• 1/4 tsp celery seed (optional)
• 1/2 tsp dried parsley (optional)
• beef gravy (either leftover homemade or one can) (optional)
• condensed mushroom soup (one can)
• grated cheese

Grated carrot, sliced celery, dried minced onion, seasonings

 After preparing the potatoes, it helps to "pre-cook" them, either in the microwave (without water) or on top of the stove.  Cook until a fork will just barely go through the potato.  In the microwave--check after 5 mins. on high.
(If cooking atop the stove, make sure to drain the cooking water immediately, as the potatoes will continue to cook)
While the potatoes are cooking, assemble the carrots, celery, and onion. (Add seasonings at this point if you choose to use them.) I actually prefer the dried minced onion in this,  but fresh onion would be alright too.  Cover with water and cook 'til almost done. 

combine potatoes and veg-mix

Combine the potatoes with the veg-mix, including the water the veggies were cooked in. 

 

potatoes, veg-mix, beef gravy, mushroom soup

 At this point you can continue to go "vegetarian" or you can add a can of beef gravy (or leftover beef roast and gravy), OR use only the condensed mushroom soup. 



For microwave cooking, cook on high for another 5 minutes.  Test for done-ness of potatoes.  If they are done, or almost done, go ahead and top with grated cheddar cheese...place in microwave and continue to cook until the cheese is just melted.  Alternatively, if you want to use a slow cooker, after you have pre-cooked the potatoes and the veg-mix, at the time you combine all the ingredients, place them in the slow cooker, without the cheese, until the potatoes are done.  Then top with grated cheddar cheese.

top casserole with grated cheddar cheese, heat to melt cheese

This recipe works well with canned beef and gravy, or with home-cooked leftovers.  OR leave the meat and meat based gravy out altogether and go only with the mushroom soup.
This is always popular at pot lucks and family gatherings, or family casserole dinner.

You may wish to add peas, corn, green beans, etc, to the veg-mix.  Just add them to the pot!  
This makes about 6 servings, but you can easily increase the potatoes and vegetables to serve more.  (Add an extra can of soup if needed)

HOME: Ivory soap, Fels Naptha soap, and cleaning up

A few quick things you can do with Ivory Soap...

• After you clean the mirror in your bathroom...take a bar of  Ivory soap and scribble it on the mirror--using a soft cloth or paper towel, rub it 'til the soap is "gone" and a clear image can be seen.  This might take a little elbow grease.  What you get in return is a mirror that won't fog up when you take a shower. Give it a try!

• Keep a bar of  Ivory soap by the laundry items...it is useful for getting blood stains out of garments...especially if used right away.  (Startled cat in arms resulting in unintended cat scratches = blood stains)

  Fels Naptha Soap:

• If you haven't tried this little golden bar of soap...which is for LAUNDRY stains...but is sometimes sold in the bath bar soap section (????)... you should, since it runs between $1-$2 a bar.  Handy for working stains out of garments.  Wet the fabric, then apply the soap.  Rub well. Launder as usual or rinse well.

• Claims are made that this soap is especially good at cleaning clothing that was exposed to poison ivy, poison sumac, and poison oak.  Claims are made that regular detergents will not remove the resin that causes the rash from your clothing. (I cannot attest to this personally, but thought I would pass this along!)  It is also suggested that one wash their hands and parts exposed to the poison with the Fels Naptha, but it can be a skin irritant, so be careful.

• Fels Naptha is supposed to help you keep your shower clean...I will have to try that...though they state the first time through, you will probably have to use a bit of elbow grease to get results.

• There are even claims that a solution of Fels Naptha soap will tan deer hides!  Haven't had the opportunity to try that, but I have used the salt-cured method--but it wasn't very efficient, so it would be worth a try.

• There are several recipes using Fels Naptha soap for insecticides...especially aphids.

• I would suggest keeping Fels Naptha soap in with camping, fishing and hunting equipment, as well as, for emergency situations.  It is so low in price you can afford to use it, and use if often.  Because it doesn't make a bunch of suds...it is easily rinsed...therefore saving water.  For laundering during emergency situations, it is small in size so easily fits into your "grab and go" bag.  While under those conditions you probably aren't worried about how fashionable you are, but you will still want to  have CLEAN clothes.  This is a good inexpensive way to go.
• http://www.ehow.com/about_5042489_information-fels-naptha-soap.html 

Baking soda:

• This works well as a substitute for "scouring powders".  The trick is to use a slightly dampened cloth.  If there is too much water, it will dissolve and lose the scrubbing ability.  It works especially well on tea and coffee stains on cups and pans and carafes, sinks and counters, refrigerators, etc.  It can scrub painted walls, and greasy stove tops.  It is essential for removing crayon scribbles that can withstand the bit of moisture and the scrubbing.  (I once easily cleaned purple and black crayon from my freezer and the floor and walls...even removed some black Magic marker using this process, too!  My (then) almost three year old son had decided to decorate.)

Corn Starch:

• If you need to get an oil based stain from something...try covering the greasy spot...perhaps a gravy stain...with corn starch.  This doesn't always work, but if you can do it right away, it seems to work better.  Allow the corn starch to fully soak up the grease, and then treat with Fels Naptha and launder.

•  For cleaning something delicate like bisque or other types of pottery, or even painted chalkware, you might try making a paste (just thin enough to use a paintbrush to "paint" on the piece).  Allow to dry.  The corn starch should dry and as it does draw the dirt and dust with it.  After it is completely dry, use a clean dry medium bristle brush to whisk the dirt-laden corn starch away.  Warning--if the pottery or object will absorb water...as in unpainted or unglazed...and unfired...the water may ruin the piece...so experiment a bit before you try this method. 

Liquid Dish Soap: 

• When camping--the soot that collects on the bottom of the coffee pot or pans can be irritating to get clean.  To avoid this problem, try rubbing a bit of liquid dish soap on the outside of the pot or pan.  Make it a very thin coat...not looking for gobs here.  This should help the soot wash away fairly easily.

KITCHEN: Fried Beef Stew

COLORS!! COLORS!! COLORS!!

The latest thing I am trying to do to improve our diet is to include more colorful foods more often.  I have been experimenting with purple potatoes.  They keep their pretty color fairly well when fried, so I decided to make some onion-fried purple and Yukon Gold potatoes (skins on) and smother with beef stew.  Purple potatoes contain the anti-oxidant ANTHOCYANIN.

In a skillet, I heated some olive oil and butter...olive oil keeps the butter from burning, but allows for good browning.
Using a half a purple onion--that was pretty strong--cooking 'til browned.

With skins intact, on both the purple and the Yukon Gold potatoes, fry 'til potatoes are well browned and a fork goes through easily.

As you can see from the photo, the golden potatoes set off the purple potatoes perfectly.

   Pot Roast, cut into bite-sized pieces, browned in small amount of oil with onions.
Cook the meat in water, broth, or stock with the spices and herbs you like, but I used bay leaf, celery seed, mustard seed, onion, garlic, and at least one whole clove (substitute pinch of ground cloves if you like).  When meat is done, add carrots.  When carrots are nearly done, add the green beans and peas...or whatever veggies you like.  Salt and pepper to taste. Thicken with flour and water  or cornstarch and water.   

Plate the onion-fried potatoes and smother with the beef stew.  Enjoy!

 For information concerning purple potatoes as an anti-oxident rich food, please read this April 2011 study.
 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1745-4549.2010.00502.x/full

  NAYAK, B., BERRIOS, J. D. J., POWERS, J. R., TANG, J. and JI, Y. (2011), COLORED POTATOES (SOLANUM TUBEROSUM L.) DRIED FOR ANTIOXIDANT-RICH VALUE-ADDED FOODS. Journal of Food Processing and Preservation, 35: no. doi: 10.1111/j.1745-4549.2010.00502.x