Bosch or Kitchen Aid?

I can officially say I have owned and used both the Bosch mixer and the KitchenAid and....

I still love my 6 quart Kitchen Aid.  I know my Bosch loving friends and rolling their eyes and thinking "How can you say that!"  But I truthfully, as nice as the machine is, I still prefer my Kitchen Aid.

A GREAT feature of the Bosch, which is also a 6 quart machine, is that it really is TWICE AS FAST as my Kitchen Aid!  Mixing and whipping in half the time, to get you in and out of your kitchen fast!

But the main feature I really liked on the Bosch was its open top design.  But with a bit of practice, the Kitchen is just as easy to fill, even while mixing.

The Kitchen Aid also has greater speed control with settings from 1 to 10 whereas the Bosch only contains 2.

Bosch has many different attachments, just like the Kitchen Aid, that perform many different functions.  But these attachments cost approximately 25% more.  With many Budgets, including my own, being tighter, the increased cost is not economical.

My least favorite feature, and clincher for my own opinion on this machine,  is that when filled with a full load, I found that the Bosch travels around my counter space.  I actually found myself holding the machine in place to mix a full 4 loaf recipe. The Kitchen Aid, on other hand, is heavy enough to remain stationary and not move around, not matter how large the recipe.

These two final features are enough to keep me from converting to the Bosch fan club.  I can now fully claim I am a Kitchen Aid fan.  If you own a Kitchen Aid and feel like you might be missing out on something spectacular, my biggest suggestion is to “test drive” one.  It may not be everything you thought it would be.  And like me, you might end up disappointed.

This review was my own personal and honest opinion.  This product was purchased with my own money and I received no compensation by the makers of this product.

Homemade Corndogs Product Review

Does your family have a love affair going on with corndogs?  When I first started cutting the grocery budget, much to the disappointment of my children, one of the first items to go was the frozen corndogs.  At around $7.50 a case, that lasts one meal, they are a very uneconomical food.  Then you add the fact that they are very un-filling, and deep fried, definitely not this mom’s favorite food choice.

 

I ran across this corndog maker by Smart Planet, by accident, while searching for some other item.  But the idea of being able to bake my own corndogs AND they be baked and NOT fried intrigued me.  I made mention to my dear sweet husband, who I believe secretly wanted corndogs back on the menu for himself LOL, surprised me with this FANTASTIC new machine!

The very first day it arrived, the kids insisted that we give it a try.  And although they aren’t quit as pretty as the ones pictured on the box, they were equally delicious and the kids absolutely LOVED THEM!

As reported in the reviews for this corndog maker, the crevasses are too short to accept the whole hotdog but by breaking off the tip and stacking three of them on a separate stick, you do get an extra corndog out of it. J  With all the wonderfully thick cornbread on the hotdog, you would never even guess which one was whole and which was pieced together.

Even with this one “flaw” I think this machine is a fantastic investment for any family who loves corndogs.  I LOVE that the corndogs are baked and not fried, that I have ingredient control for my gluten sensitive daughter, and best of all it PAYS FOR ITSELF IN JUST A COUPLE OF BATCHES!   

This review was my own personal and honest opinion.  This product was purchased with my own money and I received no compensation by the makers of this product.

Sandwich Creativity

Need a little sandwich inspiration?

I LOVE how creative we can get with sandwiches.  But if you are anything like me, my sandwich creativity usually means PB&J without the J. LOL

Do you have a favorite sandwich recipe that breaks the mold?

Reshared from http://www.5dollardinners.com/

Homemade Cream of Rice Cereal

While making a quick run to Safeway for milk, I decided to browse the cereal aisle for any mark downs and sales.   As “sticker shock” washed over me, $4.25 for a box of cereal, I actually grinned as I glanced at the Cream of Wheat, thinking that I would never again have to pay the outrageous price of $3.50 for 12 ounces for wheat stripped of all nutritional value.  If you think of it, it’s kind of like the all-purpose flour of the cereal world. LOL  But next to the Cream of Wheat, what caught my attention, was a box of Cream of Rice.

Cream of Rice, really and truly?  I looked at the ingredients and…yep you got it, rice.   Rice ground up into course, granular type flour. LOL   As I began to think about this, I was certain there had to be a market, then thought of my own daughter who is having dietary issues.  Then another thought hit me.  What about those who are on the BRAT Diet?  You know Banana’s, Rice, Apple Sauce and Toast? LOL Rice is VERY easy to digest, and this would give a little variation to a strict, bland diet.  Okay, so now I understand.  But….This was a small box, looking only to be about half the size of the Cream of Wheat box, next to it.   So, I’m thinking it was only about 8 ounces, but I could be wrong.  But the price for this box of convenience gluten frees food…. $3.50 FOR LESS THAN A POUND!!!! 

Let’s break that down; the box was about 8 ounces for $3.50 a box, which makes the price per ounce .43 cents, making your total charge of ground up rice $7 a pound!  Now would you pay $7 a pound for the convenience of someone else grinding up your rice in the blender?  Especially when the option is to purchase your whole grain rice at .50 cents to $1 per pound?  Talk about mark up for convenience!

Now what kind of Busy Mom would I be if I didn't explain to you how to make, what turned out to be an absolutely delicious alternative to Cream of Wheat?

I threw one cup of white rice into my blender and spun on high for about 30 seconds, just until it was coarsely ground, NOT into flour.  NOTE: This can be done in any blender, not just a specialty high powered blender, because rice is a soft grain.


On high heat, I then added 2 cups of water and continued stirring consistently with a wire whisk to keep from clumping.  Once the rice began to thicken I then began adding milk until it thinned to my desired consistency.  Using water to cook is economical, while adding the milk, almond milk or rice milk at the end adds wonderful flavor and the creaminess to this delicious alternative breakfast.  Adding a pinch of salt and butter for more creaminess and flavor and you’re done! 

Cream of Rice Cereal

by Nicole Gates

Prep Time: 30 seconds

Cook Time: 10 Minutes

Keywords: blender breakfast gluten-free vegetarian vegan sugar-free soy-free nut-free low-sodium kosher Budget Friendly American

6029565

Ingredients

• 1 cup Rice
• 2 cups Water
• 1 cup Milk or Almond Milk
• Salt
• Butter

Instructions

Grind up Rice in a blender for approximately 30 seconds, until coarsely ground. Pour 2 cups of water into a sauce pan and place over high neat. Add rice to water and stir constantly with a wire whisk. As mixture thickens slowly mix in milk adding more or less depending on desired consistency. Add butter and/or alternative flavoring, and serve.

Flavor Alternatives:

Peanut butter

Jam or Jelly

Sugar

Maple Syrup

Cinnamon

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Chocolate Applesauce Cake

Picture property of Fix it and Forget it

This recipe came to me via Fix it and Forget it's Facebook Page.

I LOVE cake, just as much as the next person, but there is just something special about this one.  Maybe it's the cinnamon, or maybe its the glorious topping of chocolate chips and walnuts tossed in sugar, who knows?  But we all know what it's like to need to create a quick dessert and not have a cake mix on hand.  One of the things I love about this cake is how simple it is to create from scratch with ingredients you probably already have on hand!  So next time you need something sweet, why not give this one a try!

Chocolate Applesauce CakeFix-It and Enjoy-It Potluck Heaven

Makes 20-24 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking/Baking Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:
1½ cups sugar
½ cup oil
2 eggs
2 cups applesauce
2 cups flour
1½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. cinnamon
2 Tbsp. cocoa

Topping:
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 cup chocolate chips
½ cup chopped nuts, optional

1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine 1½ cups sugar, oil, eggs, and applesauce. Mix well.
2. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and cocoa. Stir to mix.
3. Pour batter into greased 9 x 13 pan.
4. Mix 3 Tbsp. sugar, chocolate chips and optional nuts. Sprinkle mixture over batter.
5. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in cake comes out clean.

Homemade Maple Syrup

Let's face it, unless we are shelling out the money for REAL maple syrup we are buying glorified sugar water.  But why should we pay so much money for brown sugar, water and who knows what else.

Let me show you how we do Maple Syrup in our house.

First we are going to dump all our ingredients into a big pot.

Again I am the queen of quadrupling my recipes.  :)

Simmer and reduce!  That is it!  I am totally serious!!!!

Here is generic bottle of syup that I think I paid OVER $2 for!

If you are reusing an old syrup bottle I like to wash it out really well, getting all the stickiness off of it.

Here is my imitation maple and butter flavoring.

I disinfect my jars, using my empty dishwasher, running them through on a hot wash.

Now the last time we talked about canning, I did leave this step out.  This is a water bath.

Place your cans in the same pot you have of course now cleaned, and fill with a bit of water.

Simmer for approximately 30-45 minutes.  I even toss my rings and lids into this water.

When you remove them from their water bath, make sure your lids are dry and place them on top,

sealed and ready when you are. 

If you aren't comfortable canning you can make a smaller batch and make more as you need it. 

Enjoy!

Pancake Syrup

• 2 cups warm tap water
• 4 cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 1-1/2 teaspoons maple flavoring
• 1/4 teaspoon butter flavoring (optional)

In a three-quart saucepan combine the water, sugar and molasses. Put the pan on the stove over medium heat. Stir every now and then until the syrup comes to a rolling boil. Watch the syrup carefully because it has a tendency to foam and will boil over if your pan is too small. If this starts to happen, remove the pan from the heat and turn the heat down. After the syrup boils, cover the pot and simmer it for ten minutes over a low flame. Do not stir it for this ten minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Take off the lid and let it cool on the counter for about 15 minutes. Stir in the maple flavoring (and butter flavoring if you’re using it). Store the syrup in a clean quart canning jar or a clean ketchup bottle (32 oz). I use a funnel to pour the syrup into the jar because the hot syrup can get a little messy. Be careful not to burn yourself.

This syrup is remarkably similar in flavor and texture to real maple syrup. It is thinner than commercial pancake syrups, but slightly thicker than real maple syrup. The taste is clean, simple and fresh. It does not linger in an envelope in your mouth the way some commercial syrups do.



Homemade Pancake Mix

Homemade Convenience Food At It's Best!!!

We all love pancakes, but buying the box of premade mix can be so expensive,

 not to mention all the non discriptive ingredients.  For these two reasons, I began making my own, from scratch pancake mix.  This is one of my favorite recipes, only because of how convenient it is.  Make the mix, in the amount you need (again I usually quadruple the recipe) and store in an air tight container.

Okay, this was maybe a little bit too much for my Kitchen Aid, and I kinda made a mess here...

BUT it mixed it all together really well, and I didn't have to stand there for days trying to stir it all together. :)

Just add egg, oil and water!  This truly is a delicious recipe, but if you think this is good,

just wait until you try the homemade maple syrup!

Homemade Pancake Mix

Dry Ingredients:

• 2 cups dry buttermilk powder
• 8 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cups sugar
• 8 tsp baking powder
• 4 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp salt

Mix all ingredients together and pour into an airtight container. Store in a cool,dry place. Keeps for about 6 months.

Recipe:

• 1 ½ cup pancake mix
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 cup water

Mix all ingredients. Makes about 10-4”pancakes.

*Tip: You can add fresh blueberries, chocolate chips, bananas, pecans, or just about anything you like to these
pancakes.

Banana Bread

With fall in the air, well for most everyone else, ours is almost over, it is time to warm up those ovens. You know how everyone has one of those favorite go to recipes?  Well this is one of mine.  Nothing is as simple, yummy or a great introduction to bread baking.

I literally just threw all the ingredients into my kitchen aid and turned on till blended.

I quadrupled my recipe, which was a bit much for my machine, but it can handle it.

Here it is all baked up with all it's yummy billowy dome top.

Super easy, even by hand!

Banana Bread

1 cup mashed ripe bananas (2-3 medium)

2 1/2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons oil

3/4 cups milk

1 cup finely chopped walnuts (optional)

Heat oven to 350*.  Grease and flour large bread pan (9x5x3).  Measure all ingredients into large mixer bowl;  beat on medium speed 1/2 minute, scraping side and bottom of bowl constantly.

Pour into pan.  Bake 55-65 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Remove from pan; cool thoroughly before slicing.

Taken from my really old Betty Crocker Cook Book. :)

Homemade GoGurt!

Picture from betteronabudget.com.

I so wish I had my Food Saver to make these!!!  Unfortunately mine broke a while back, and I have yet to replace it.  Maybe I'll be able to save up and purchase a new one soon.  But for those of you that do, Go For It!  And make sure you let me know how they turn out!!!  Another blog shared this, and for the life of me I can't remember who it was. (Always give credit where credit is due.)  Anyways it originated at Better on a Budget.  I totally suggest checking out her recipe and step by step instructions.  She makes it look soo easy! 

Gluten Free, Spelt Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Okay, as some of you may have gathered, I have taken a bit of an interest in gluten free baking.  My youngest M3 is having some tummy trouble that has been long running, and I have finally decided to see if maybe gluten may be playing a role.  Hopefully we will know more in the next few days!  But in the mean time, it gives me a great excuse to play with some new, ingredients.  And just in case you haven't noticed, I LOVE to experiment. 

I decided M3 needed some yummy treats too, so what better than to move from the delicious biscuits I had tried and succeeded at baking, to everyones favorite.... COOKIES!  Only these are Peanut Butter Choclate Chip Cookies made with spelt flour.  I was tired and didn't take any pictures during the mixing and baking process, it looked like normal cookie dough, nothing special.

I found this recipe at: http://www.versagrain.com/spelt-cookies.html

If you are looking for other information on grain and cooking with new grains, you should really check them out, they are a great resource!

These Spelt cookies are healthy and taste just as good as other peanut-butter chocolate chip cookies.

Ingredients (Makes 24 Cookies)

1 3/4 cups crunchy peanut butter

1 3/4 cups dark brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 eggs

2 1/4 cups spelt flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 ounces of semi-sweet baking chocolate, coarsely chopped (or 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Place peanut butter in a medium-sized, microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high about 45 seconds or until the peanut butter is melted. Stir once as it heats. Using a spoon, stir in brown sugar, vanilla, and eggs.

In large bowl, add spelt flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix thoroughly. Add peanut butter mixture and stir until well blended. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Drop dough by 2 tablespoons, 2 inches apart, onto a non-stick cookie sheet. Bake 8 - 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow these spelt flour cookies to cool 3 - 5 minutes before removing and placing them on wire racks to cool completely.

NOTE:  I dropped mine by 1 tablespoon full and pressed down in a criss cross pattern like standard peanut butter cookies before bakine.  It made 48 cookies.

NOTE: I did drop the salt to 1/2 teaspoon from 1 teaspoon from the original recipe.

Save $80 in Hasbro Coupons!!!!

A huge thank you to The Cents'Able Shoppin for sharing this deal!  Now I don't usually post my favorite deal finds to the blog, but since I have a few followers not following along on Facebook, I thought this one was notable enough to share here.  Hope you don't mind! 

If you happen to be lucky enough to have a K-Mart near you, this is a smokin' deal!  But you better act fast!  Save $80 in hasbro coupons!!!  Which makes many games only $4.99 or under when you play the Double Couponing at K-Mart this week!!!!

Mongolian Beef, Guest Recipe AWARD!!!

A huge thank you goes out to Reba for sharing this awesome recipe with us!  She originally found this wonderful recipe on one blog who ultimately was sharing it from this One!  LOL  It looks absolutely amazing, and I can't wait to try it myself!  So thank you for sharing it with us!

If you have a recipe that you would like to see featured here on Busy Mom in the Kitchen, e-mail us HERE!!!

Picture Property of Confessionsofahomeschooler.com

PF Changs Mongolian Beef

2 tbsp Vegetable oil
1 tsp Ginger, minced
2 tbsp Garlic, chopped
1/2 cup Soy sauce
1 cup Dark brown sugar
1 cup Vegetable oil
1 lb Flank steak
1/4 cup Cornstarch
3 Green onions sliced

Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in skillet over medium high heat until hot. Add ginger and garlic and let sizzle for 30 seconds, then quickly add soy sauce. Gradually add the brown sugar and let it dissolve while frequently stirring. Let the sauce come to a boil, then simmer for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Cut the flank steak into bite sized pieces against the grain of the meat. Place meat and corn starch in a bag and coat the meat. Let meat sit for 10 minutes, so the cornstarch sticks to the meat.

While meat is sitting, put the cup of vegetable oil in a wok/ skillet and heat on medium-high until hot, but not smoking. Add the meat to the wok, mix around the meat and let it brown for about 2 minutes (It will have more time to cook later). Promptly remove the meat from the pan with a slotted spoon and place on paper towels to drain.

Clean the pan out and return meat to pan and cook on high for about 2 more minutes. Add the sauce to the pan and cook for 1 minute. Add the green onions and cook for 1 minute longer. Remove from heat and serve on top of rice

Gluten Free Biscuits

Just like the previous post on Baking Powder Biscuits,

you are going to combine all your dry ingredients and cut in your butter.

Add in your milk (here I used a latose free milk since these are for M3 and she is having dietary issues.)

Blend it all together until just combined.

I made this on the moist side, so

Sprinkle flour onto your board and turn out.

Then kneed by folding over to work in some of your loose flour until it is no longer sticky.

Don't make it too dry, or you will end up with dry biscuits!

press out...

And cut.

Place on your cookie sheet...

and bake.  See how they rise!

Moist, and delicious!  M3 loves them!

Enjoy!

Spelt Biscuits

2 cups spelt flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons butter

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (220 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Gradually stir in milk until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. You may need to adjust the amount of milk. Pat out on a floured surface to about 1 inch thick. Cut into biscuits and place on a baking sheet.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes, until the bottoms are golden brown.

Biscuits are EASY!

I once had a friend, I will call her Marty, who could not make biscuits. ("Love Comes Softly" fans ;) ) No matter how hard she tried, her biscuits came out just as hard. Even her dog gave up on them.   LOL  Her family had resigned themselves to biscuits in a can, from the freezer section, or the generosity of a good willed neighbor.  Unfortunately the family moved away before I could teach her.  I'm hoping that somewhere, somehow, she will find this blog and finally learn how to make a proper biscuit.  LOL 

Add all your dry ingredients...

Cut in your shortening.

I went to find my pastery mixer, but I think M3 who is not tall enough to get into my kitchen drawers got to it first. lol  So I show you the old school method.  Take two butter knives and literally cut it into the flour.

This crumbly mix of all your ingredients is what you want.

This is the point in which you add your milk.

DO NOT OVER MIX!!!!

You want your flour mixed fairly well, not perfectly.

It will get difficult to mix so...

Spray your board and turn your dough out onto your board.

Fold over on it self to kneed. 

 If it is too sticky, just add a bit more flour and kneed a bit more to work in.

Press out with the palm of your hand, and in this case M3 decided she wanted my biscuit cutter too.  LOL

So I used a glass to cut them out.  :)

 

Here they are before going into the oven...

And after.

Look at how much rise they got, and all because we didn't over mix.

If you haven't been able to get a proper fluffy and flaky biscuit, maybe you can give it another shot.  They really are simple once you get the hang of it.

Enjoy!

Baking Powder Biscuits

2 cups Flour

1 Tbsp baking powder

1 tsp Salt

1/4 cup Shortening

3/4 cup Milk

Heat oven to 450*.  Measure flour, baking powder and salt into bowl.  Cut in shortening thoroughly, until the mixture looks like meal. Stir in almost all the milk.  If dough is not pliable, add just enough milk to make a soft, puffy, easy-to-roll dough.  (Too much milk makes dough sticky, not enough makes biscuits dry.)

Round up dough on lightly floured cloth-covered board.  Knead lightly 20 - 25 times. about `1/2 minute.  Roll 1/2 inch thick.  Cut with floured biscuit cutter.  Place on ungreased baking sheet.  Bake 10 - 12 minutes or until golden brown.

This recipe came from my Betty Crocker Cookbook.  I have no clue when it was published, but because it's old and falling apart. LOL  Definately a tried and true recipe. 

Canning shortcuts and Enchelada Sauce

I'm not a big canner, because I was mostly afraid of killing my family with some sort of food poisoning.  But I am learning and I can now do some basic.

A dear friend of mine gave me the idea of using my empty dishwasher to starilize my jars and lids which is a huge time saver!

Once I fill my jars up, this is my spaghetti sauce, remember I am a pasta sauce snob, :) I wipe down the rim to make sure it is still clean.  Any water or sauce on the jar or lid will interfer with the jar sealing.

I then place my lid and ring on the jar, press down in the middle of the lid and tighten down.

As the jars cool, usually within 15 minutes,

you will start to hear popping sounds.  This is just the lids being sucked down tight to get that complete seal you need to keep your yummy foods safe from airborn bacteria.

These are my newest jars, aren't they cute?  They're by Better Homes and Gardens, and I picked them up at Walmart for $11.

These 5 jars of enchelada sauce... And why such big jars?  Well I suppose you are just gonna have to wait for another post on that one.  But I will leave you with my recipe!

To Can

ENCHILADA SAUCE

 

1 #10 can Tomato Sauce

1/2 #10 can water

1/4 cup chicken base to create chicken broth
9 Tablespoons Canola or Olive Oil
8 Tablespoons flour or more
1 ¼ cup mild chili powder
1/4 cup Onion Powder

1/4 cup Granulated Garlic

Salt and Pepper to Taste

 Heat oil and stir in flour. Cook for 1 minute. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 15 minutes.

For individual Meal

ENCHILADA SAUCE

3 Tablespoons oil
2 Tablespoons flour
¼ cup mild chili powder
1 can chicken broth
2 cans tomato sauce
1 Tablespoon Onion Powder
1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Heat oil and stir in flour.  Cook for 1 minute.  Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 15 minutes.

Enjoy!