Yesterday I finished my last final of the semester and the hardest semester that I will have, which is wonderful news so that I can devote more time to you guys now!
I received a most wonderful scrap book from my Aunt Janet over Thanksgiving. It has beautiful, hand-written recipes from my great aunt, great-grandmother, and 2 of my great-great grandmothers on that side of my family along with a short biography about them. This blog is actually named for my great-grandmother so it is even more wonderful that I can bring those recipes to y'all now. I hope that I can get started making some of those soon!
As you may have noticed, I am in the process of re-vamping the blog so that it will be more user-friendly. For me, this will probably be a slow process since I am new to this type of formatting and coding. But, that's neither here nor there. I hope that you guys like it, and if you have any suggestions let me know!
I am obsessed with Einstein's bagels, and we have one here on campus. However it is all they way across the Drill field from me, and I am too lazy to walk over in the cold for breakfast. My favorite thing at Einstein's is the pumpkin cream cheese. I got this recipe from Pinterest, and tweaked it until it tasted like Einstein's.
Pumpkin Cream Cheese
8 oz. Cream Cheese, slightly softened (I use low-fat-generic-whatever's-on-sale cream cheese) 1/2 cup canned pumpkin (NOT PIE FILLING) 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice 1 TBSP vanilla 4 TBSP dark brown sugar dash of salt (I measure in my hand so probably a little less than 1/4 tsp)
Mix it up with a hand mixer, and add it to your morning bagel or what have you.
You won't be sorry.
I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We will meet again soon, and in the meantime remember that pretty is as pretty does.
Happy Monday! I have been working on a paper to present at a meeting in February which is why I have been so MIA lately. My paper is about what drives people in the Southeast to buy foods directly from the farmers who grew it. I say this to preface what I found today. Looking for some popular media to demonstrate why the local movement became so large with consumers, I found this video. It moved me to tears. It is a long video, but please take the time to watch this video. What this video talks about is real. Children today are expected to live ten years less than their parents. This statistic is for the United States and other developed countries. It is not for those people who live in 3rd world countries. This problem is real. Obesity is a real problem, and the food we eat will surely kill us if we keep living and eating the way we do.
Please enjoy this video, and remember that pretty is as pretty does. -McKenzie
Lovely followers, I just wanted you all to know how terribly sorry I am in being so behind on my posting. The semester is almost over, and I am working to quickly finish so I can get back to y'all. I hope to able to be more reliable after Thanksgiving. Until then, remember that pretty is as pretty does. -McKenzie
Hi Everyone! I am so sorry it has been so long since my last post. I know y'all must be so tired of hearing that. Grad school has taken over my life these days which definitely makes life a bit tougher. Today, I want to share a little something that has been making my life easier for well over a year now and helps me save a ton of money each month. Drum roll please.....
Laundry Detergent! That's right! The stuff you wash your clothes in. This may not seem like too big of a deal to you right now, because at this point, I'm sure you don't pay much attention the cost of how much it costs you to do 32 loads since you just have to buy the stuff once a month anyway.
In economics, we call things like this necessities or normal goods. You have to buy them, and as your income increases you buy more (or better) of the product. When you're really pinching pennies you buy the generic brand and then when your income increases to a certain point you switch to Tide with Febreeze.
Last year when I was living along, I used about 6 gallons of laundry detergent. Guess how much it cost me?? $0.001 per load with leftovers to last me until about two weeks ago. I made exactly a year's worth of detergent for less than $5.00. Obviously, this will not last a family of 4 for a whole year, but it surely will cut down your costs, and once you make it, you'll be happier than a pig in mud. After I made my first batch, I called my now Mother-in-Law to give her the recipe. She made it and loved it so much that she prefers it to other detergents. Here's the great thing about this detergent. You can completely customize it. If you like your laundry to smell wonderful after you've washed it, you can add essential oils (for a break down on what essential oils are, see One Good Thing by Jillee) or Purex crystals (in the laundry isle). If you have small children who tend to get their clothes pretty messy, you can add OxyClean. If you have sensitive skin, you can replace Fels-Naptha with a bar or two of your favorite soap (I usually use 2 bars of Ivory or 1 bar of Dove Sensitive Skin). This soap is perfect for both top-loading or front-loading machines! I make this soap liquid because I think it breaks down better in the washing machine better than dry
Here's how you do it:
The Duggar's Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap
(Makes 5 gallons of concentrated soap=10 gallons of regular laundry detergent) 4 Cups - hot tap water 1 Fels-Naptha soap bar 1 Cup - Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (NOT BAKING SODA) ½ Cup Borax 1 5 gallon bucket
First, grate your bar(s) of soap. You can also use a food chopper or a food processor to speed things up.
Add the grated soap to a large pot with the 4 cups of hot water.
Stir constantly over medium heat until the soap has dissolved. You don't want this to boil (but it is okay if it does).
When the soap dissolves, take it off the heat. Add the washing soda and borax to your 5 gallon bucket.
Add the hot melted soap, and stir until the borax and soda are dissolved.
Now, add more hot tap water until the bucket is as full as you can get it. It will get nice and foamy.
If your bucket has a lit, put the lid on it. If it doesn't (mine doesn't), just cover it with a kitchen towel. Now you'll have to wait for about 24 hours for the soap to set up.
You'll wake up to 10 gallons of laundry detergent! I transfer my detergent from the bucket to old milk jugs for easy storage. I just fill the milk jug up with the concentrated detergent, and when I transfer it to an old, rinsed out laundry soap container (use your last Tide bottle to give it a last laugh that it won't be getting any more $$$ from your purse anymore). Fill your container 1/2 with the concentrated soap and 1/2 with water.
Use as much detergent as your would of your old soap. And voila! Cheap laundry detergent just as good as the store bought stuff for a fraction of the cost!
Now that you have stuff to clean your laundry with, you'll need to make sure your towels come out soft. If you thought that laundry detergent was a drain on your wallet, fabric softener is just a thief. Here's how to make your own!
Fabric Softner
You'll need:
A really big bowl 2 cups of Hair Conditioner (I use whatever is less than $1) 3 cups white vinegar 6 cups of HOT water
Mix the conditioner and HOT water up in your really big bowl.
Once it dissolves, add the vinegar. You're done!! Transfer this to a container and use whatever amount you normally do for your laundry. I use my Downy Ball and fill it to the full line.
Enjoy your clean and wonderfully smelling clothes, and remember that pretty is as pretty does!
Today couldn't get here quick enough! I'm so glad y'all are here!
I have been craving blueberry everything lately. I wanted to make blueberry bagels, but I couldn't find any dried blueberries in this tiny town. I was this close to buying a packet of "just-add-milk" blueberry muffins, but I resisted the temptation. While I was sick, my husband made our weekly grocery store run and came home with a pint of blueberries. I was tickled pink!! I just didn't know what to make with them (I'm one of the few who prefer blueberries cooked).
I made muffins!! So as promised, here are some of the best, darn blueberry muffins you'll ever put in your mouth! This recipe is originally from Allrecipes and adapted at Annie's Eats and now adapted again right here!
Best Darn Blueberry Muffins...ever
Yields: 8 or 9 muffins depending on blueberries
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg ~1/3 cup milk 1 cup blueberries (or more...I like more)
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease or line 8 or 9 holes with muffin liners or a non-stick spray.
Combine flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a bowl. Pour the vegetable oil in a 1 cup measuring cup. Add the egg to the oil, and fill the measuring cup with milk.
Mix the dry ingredients then add the wet ingredients. Mix well. Fold in the blueberries. Be careful not to break them or else you get blue muffins. Yuck. Now, you need to make the topping for the muffins. You'll need: 1/4 cup brown sugar 2 TBSP + 2 tsp flour 2 TBSP butter, cubed and extra cold 1 tsp ground cinnamon Mix this together with a fork until it is crumbly. Fill the prepared muffin pan with the blueberry muffin mixture about 4/5 of the way full. Top each muffin with the prepared topping. You'll want it completely full. Trust me. Toss them into your hot oven for about 20 minutes. Take them out and let them cool. (In my opinion they get much better the next day)
Y'all enjoy and be sure to share because pretty is as pretty does.You'll have to wait on saving big time $$$ until tomorrow. Anxious yet?
I have had over 200 views. Thank you so much for coming to Pretty is as Pretty Does!! I feel beyond blessed to be able to share with y'all.
Please forgive me for the delay in writing my next post. I am working on several to be posted soon. I was sick last week, so I'm a bit late, but tune in tomorrow for the best blueberry muffins you've ever put in your mouth and how to save $$$$$ around the house.
Now, on to more homework. I'll see y'all tomorrow, and remember that pretty is as pretty does.
I suppose I am still trying to get in your good graces because I'm giving you a recipe before Friday so that you will forgive me for the two Fridays when I didn't post.
In grad school it is important that your committee like you. I mean REALLY like you. After all, they hold your graduation in their hands. I decided that for our first unofficial committee meeting we needed breakfast! I made a mix between a cinnamon roll and sticky bun. Please, y'all, help me name them??
I hope you enjoy them! (I forgot to start taking pictures until I was about half way done.)
Untitled Breakfast Rolls
Rolls 1 cup warm water (about 110 degrees) 1 pkg. active yeast 3 cups flour, divided 2 TBSP shortening 4 TBSP sugar 1 egg 1 tsp. salt Dissolve yeast in warm water in a big bowl. Add half of the flour and the rest of the ingredients. Mix it up really well. Add the other half of the flour. Now, cover it, and just let it rise. I let mine rise in a warm oven (about 80 degrees) with a pot of boiling water in the oven with it. Breads rise better when it is really humid and warm. Let the dough rise until it doubles in size. (It's less than an hour.) Filling 1 stick butter 1 cup brown sugar 5/8 tsp. cayenne pepper fistfull of cinnamon 1/4 tsp nutmeg 1/4 tsp + shake of black pepper shake of salt half of a capfull of vanilla 1/4 tsp chili powder 1/4 tsp ginger 1/2 tsp. cocoa powder Melt the butter in a saucepan. It will start to boil. Let it boil for a bit. Add the brown sugar while it is still on the heat. Cook it a bit more. It will get thick and wonderful. Add all of the other ingredients except for vanilla. Add the vanilla once you take the pan off of the heat. Let it cool completely. When it cools, it will become pretty stiff and tacky. This is good.
By now, it should be about time to take a gander at your dough. If it is bigger, you did good. Take it out of the warm, humid place it was hanging out, and dump it out on a floured surface. Knead it. Add as much flour as you need to add to make it less sticky. It is quite a sticky dough, but it is a delicate little dough so be sweet to it. Knead it until it is elastic and soft as a baby's bottom.
Roll it out in a square. I rolled mine to be about 1/2" thick.
Now, sprinkle the dough with cinnamon, then add the filling.
It is tough but spread it out all over the dough. You won't regret it.
Roll the dough like you would for a jelly roll. If you don't make jelly rolls, roll it so that you have a long log (start rolling from the long side). Wrap it up and throw it in the freezer until you need it again. Now the good part. Caramel Pecan Topping 1 stick butter 1 1/3 cup sugar Milk Pecans Melt a stick of butter in the same saucepan as before. Rinse it out a bit first!
Once it is melted turn the eye temperature to high and add about 1 1/3 cup granulated sugar. Stir this stuff constantly.
It will eventually turn a pretty golden color and until it does, keep stirring. Basically you're burning sugar. Just a light burn like a crispy overcooked state on the bottom of the dinner rolls. When it gets to the lovely golden shade, take it off of the heat. Start adding a big of milk or cream or whatever you have. Slow is the key. You just want to add a bit and stir. Add a bit and stir. Let it hang out off the heat for a bit while you start chopping a couple handfuls of pecans. Chop the pecans. They don't have to be pretty. I left mine in pretty big chunks. In a glass dish, add the pecans and pour the caramel topping in the bottom. No need to really grease the pan. Get your big roll of dough. Cut it into chunks. I probably made about 7 gigantic rolls. You can make more of less. It's up to you. Add the rolls on top of the caramel sauce.
Here's where you make these things your own. Overnight directions: Cover your dish. Throw it in the fridge overnight. It will do its second rise in there. In the morning, take it out and let it come to room temperature. This takes about 30 minutes.
Now directions: Put the pan back inside your delightfully humid and warm oven for the rolls to rise a second time. Take them out of the oven once they have gotten nice and fluffy.
No matter how you let them do their second rise, preheat your oven to 375. Cook the rolls for about 20 minutes if they are gigantic like mine or until they brown on top. For smaller rolls, cook for about 15 minutes or until they are golden.
When you take them out, flip them over and serve! Yumm!!
God bless those families who lost loved ones on this day so many years ago.
Remember that pretty is as pretty does.
-McKenzie
9/20/12-Update:
To make this a bit simpler, buy frozen bread dough. Let it thaw, and follow the instructions from rolling out the dough. This will cut the time down by a lot for those of you on the go.
Did you know that most people haven't the faintest clue as to where they get the food that sustains them? As long as I have consciously been a part of agriculture, I have tried to understand why there is such a disconnect between people and agriculture and implicitly food. I once read an article that dealt with kids living in some large city or another who were so many generations removed from the farm that they thought that chocolate milk came from brown cows. You may think I am joking but it is true. Where we get our food just doesn't register with kids anymore. For the parents out there, how many times have you had a talk with them about where food comes from? If you haven't, chances are good they honestly think it came from the grocery store. That makes some sense right? When you, as a parent, go to the grocery store and come home again, you have food in tow.
Lovely readers, I want to believe that you do know that food comes from the ground and God's hands. Most of the time in America we do not have to worry about finding food like some other countries. We can go out and buy it pretty easily. It is something that most of do about once a week. But how often have you thought about what would happen if we regressed to the point where every family had to have a farm to be able to eat. Could you survive?
Our farmers do not get enough credit for all that they do. Did you know that American farmers are producing more food now on less land than they did just fifty years ago when they had more land on which to produce food?
Lately I've been thinking about why people do not know as much as they should about agriculture and the food they eat. There are tons of books and publications and people whose jobs are to talk about food. There was a best selling book by Michael Pollan called The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals that gives a truly one sided version of the way the food gets from the ground to your plate. This example is taken from the section called "The Feedlot: Making Meat." (page 80)
I told myself not to take it personally; 534 [Pollan's steer] and his pen
mates have been bred for their marbling, after all, not their
ability to form attachments.I noticed that 534's eyes looked a little bloodshot.
Dr. Metzin [feedlot's vet] had told me that some animals are irritated by feedlot
dust. the problem is especially serious in the summer months, when the animals
kick up clouds of the stuff and workers have to spray the pens with water to keep it
down. I had to remind myself that this is not ordinary dirt dust, inasmuch as the
dirt in a feedyard is not ordinary dirt; no, this is fecal dust.
But apart from the air quality, how did feedlot life seem to be agreeing with 534?
I don't know enough about the emotional life of a steer to say with confidence
that 534 was miserable, bored, or indifferent, but
I would not say he looked happy.
This doesn't sound positive to me. Does it to you? Is it the whole story? Is it just half? How is the average Joe supposed to know when this is from a best selling book when there is not an equally popular book giving the other side of the story. Farming is the way that farmers provide for their families, and they love those animals and their jobs more than the general work force here in the U.S. could think about loving their jobs. I challenge you to think about the other side when you read these things and hear about a case of E. coli or BSE (Mad Cow disease).
Off of my soapbox. My point is simple. There really are not books like this best selling book that helps people understand how they get their food from the farmers perspectives. I guess they are too busy feeding the Michael Pollans in the world to have time to sit down to write a book about what they do day in and day out.
Here's what we do have to AGvocate on behalf of our farmers, ranchers, and producers.
Thank you for taking time to look at these. Thank you for teaching your children and friends about your food. Thank you, farmers.
Hello
again! I do apologize for taking so long since my last post.
Unfortunately, grad school got the best of me for the first two weeks. I
think I am finally caught up, and I promise I will try my hardest not
to let that happen again.
Let's move on to a few more important things. Watch this video and see if you can figure what it is and then we'll get to the food.
That's right, lovely people. It's football time! It is officially week two of SEC football. Tomorrow my Bulldogs take on the Auburn Tigers.
That's the Dawg Pound Rock. Just makes you wanna ring a cowbell, doesn't it? I can't wait to ring my cowbell this weekend. It has been far too long since I've gotten to ring it with the rest of the Bulldog family.
Before we all push ourselves into the stadium two hours before kick-off (you heard that right... 2 HOURS. We're dedicated.), everybody will be in the Junction. For those of you not familiar with the best tailgating location in the SEC (take that TSUN), it's where the fun happens before and after the games. Most of us are Southerners and fully understand that there is etiquette that must be followed at events like these...(I'm talking to you Mizzou). So, here are some things you need to know.
1. On Fridays we wear Maroon. It's not called Maroon Friday so that you can wear lime green. We are proud of our school and proud of our teams. This is how we support them. Even if you aren't lucky enough to be in our Bulldog family, show your support. If you don't wear your colors, how are we supposed to know who you are? Sporting your colors is like declaring your allegiance.
2. Saturdays are not opportunities to show off your shorts and t-shirts. I know you're used to just wearing whatever your team colors are, but let's have some style about it. You're in the SEC now.
3. Tailgating. Goodness knows that one of the golden rules around here is not to show up to a party i.) without an invitation and ii.) with empty hands. In the world of tailgating, if you're wearing the right colors, you're invited so, stop on by and see us if you're just wondering around. We'd hate for somebody not to have a place to go! If you're planning on attending a particular tailgate, don't show up empty handed. It's not polite. Show you have some manners, y'all.
4. Don't be "That Guy". You know who he is... How can you miss him when he is walking around stumbling, yelling obnoxiously, and generally acting ridiculous. Don't be that guy.
5. Don't forget your Bell. You can't ring it if you don't bring it. Hail State!
6. Remember, Pretty is as Pretty does.
Sometimes it is hard to hide your affection for your team. Other than today being Maroon Friday here on campus, it is also Foodie Friday here on Pretty is as Pretty Does. Things have been pretty busy around our house with both of us back in the full swing of school and all of the fun it entails. I have been making some pretty quick meals lately. I have named this delightful twist on traditional spaghetti, Dump Spaghetti. I adapted this recipe from my Mama's sweet boyfriend, Mike. (Thank you for the recipe!)
Dump Spaghetti
1 pound of ground turkey (or ground beef) (We go with what's on sale)
1 can Hunt's Zesty and Spicy Sauce
1 can Rotel
1 can of Rotel tomato sauce
Cinnamon
Black Pepper
1 box Wheat Noodles
Don't mind the coffee pot :)
This one is simple. Brown and cook the turkey in a deep skillet with a lid. There really isn't a need to drain it because it has such a small amount of fat. Once it is cooked pretty well through, dump in the cans. No need to drain the Rotel. Add a few shakes of ground black pepper and about 1/2 tsp of cinnamon. I probably add more though. I don't measure it. (There is no need to add salt to the sauce.)
You may think, oh how odd. Cinnamon in tomato sauce? Just trust me.
After you get everything added to the sauce, let it come back up to a boil. Turn down the heat, and put the lid most of the way on but leave a bit of a crack. Nobody likes cleaning up the mess it leaves behind without the lid.
Put a pot of water on to boil. I add about 1 TBSP salt to the water right before I add the noodles. Cook them according to the package directions.
By the time your noodles are done, your sauce is ready to go. If you want to get fancy, add ALMOST done noodles to the sauce and let them finish cooking in the sauce.
Serve.
This was for lunch. Don't judge.
**Note, if you have small kids eating this or people with temperamental tongues, buy the mild Rotel and maybe switch out the Rotel sauce for a plain ol' tomato sauce. This sauce is a bit spicy, but mighty good.
Thank you for stopping by! Have a wonderful Friday, and remember that pretty is as pretty does.
For me, soup is one of those comfort foods. It takes me back home to my grandmother's house because we used to make soup almost every Saturday. She always let me help her make it, except I wasn't allowed to use a knife. She did the knife parts which was fine with me. I was afraid I would cut myself. Now when I make soups like this I go right back to a stool in her kitchen without a care in the world. Do you have a food that takes you somewhere else? A food that every time you eat it lets you relive a particular time in your life? I'd love to hear about them!
Last
weekend, my husband's friends came into town for his fraternity's
Founders' Day which means I was by myself pretty much all day Saturday.
Not cooking for my man means all VEGGIES for me, and I can finally eat SOUP! My
husband doesn't like soup too much during the colder months and much less
during the summer. Not me though. I could eat soup every meal of every day. So, I took this opportunity to make a big 'ol steaming pot of vegetable soup using in season veggies. I had already put up most of these veggies in the freezer, so I just dumped the little zippy bags into the pot.
Garden Vegetable Soup
(Don't be intimidated by the long list of ingredients. I guarantee you probably have most of these in your pantry)
1 top-zip sandwich bag full of sliced okra 1 top-zip sandwich bag full of zucchini, quartered 1 top-zip sandwich bag full of yellow squash, quatered 1 top-zip sandwich bag full of diced tomatoes with juice (may substitute a 15 oz can of diced tomatoes in juice)***** 1 stalk of celery (I will probably increase this next time) 1 can corn 4 shakes Louisiana hot sauce 4 shakes Worcestershire sauce 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1 bay leaf 1 can tomato soup 1 can water 1/3 cup red wine (I used a red wine makers' blend) 2 TBSP sugar 3 TBSP cider vinegar 1 1/2 TBSP chopped dried onions 1 TBSP dry parsley 1 tsp chili powder 1 tsp dried thyme 3 large carrots 5 potatoes, diced pinch red pepper flakes palmful of garlic salt palmful of black pepper
Since my veggies were frozen, I just threw them all in the pot to let them start thawing. I turned the eye on Med-Low for just a bit with the lid on to quicken the thawing process. To make this meal a bit quicker, it wouldn't hurt to throw everything in the top until the potatoes and carrots are finished.
Next I added the root vegetables. (not the corn)
Next I added the wine, tomato soup, and a can of water. (The cucumber and lemon snuck into the picture. I'm sure you know what divas they can be.) To be honest, the wine was an after thought. It has been sitting on my counter for quite a while, and I didn't want to throw it out. Thankfully this came along, so I didn't have to be wasteful!
Add your spices and the rest of the ingredients (hot sauce, etc.), and you're ready to go!
Let your soup simmer for a while just long enough to let the flavors deepen. Something special happens with the cinnamon in there. You know it is done when the potatoes and carrots are fork tender.
YUM!
Add the corn right before you take it off the heat and you're done!
I really surprised myself with the broth. I like a tomato-y broth, and that's what I got. It was sweet and spicy at the same time and had a nice warmth to it that just warmed me up like it was Christmas morning.
Next time I make this I may try simmering the potatoes and carrots in the broth until they are almost done then adding the rest of my veggies. The first time I made it I enjoyed it a lot but I thought the vegetables had lost some of their crunch. This could be from either being frozen or cooking them for so long. I'll definitely shorten the veggie cooking time next time. Other than that, I don't think I'd change a thing.
I didn't keep up with how much this whole pot of soup costs. All of the frozen vegetables came straight from my grandparents' gardens, and the other ingredients may total up to about $5.00. Even if you had to buy all of the vegetables, I don't think your cost would be any higher than $10.00. This recipe was about 6-8 servings which comes out to a little over $1.60 per serving (using a total cost of $10).
****For the tomatoes, if you want a super easy way to put up your own tomatoes, see Christy Jordan's post on Southern Plate.
Have exciting plans for the weekend? I am getting to make a pretty cake for my husband's fraternity this weekend. Rush starts next week. I'll be sure to let y'all know how it goes.
Have a wonderful weekend, and remember that pretty is as pretty does!
