An Onion Shortcut

I love the flavor of onions but dread the chopping, tears, and mess that always comes with them.  When I buy them they usually sit there because I put off using them for the previously stated reasons.  Then they rot as I look at them day after day mocking me with their savory hard to get at flavor.

Being the lazy cheap resourceful person that I am I figured out a way to get around the chopping, at least for awhile.  It also lets you use up those onions you bought on sale before they go bad.

I buy a bag full of onions or 3 to 4 very large Vidalia onions at a time.  Then I peel (quickly) the outer skin, cut into 1/4th or 1/8ths, just until the easily fit into your food processor.  If they are too large they will not fall to the bottom and what is nearest the blade will turn to onion mushiness.  This is a picture of onions that have NOT been cut small enough.  The mushy result will be used in soup.

If you don’t have a food processor then I would recommend chopping all at one time.  If you are going to tear up then I suggest putting on some sad music and make a moment out of it.  Then you will be done for a few months.

I use a chopping blade in the food processor and pulse until chopped.  Turning it on and leaving it will turn your onions to mush.  The pulsing chops and knocks the larger chunks down toward the blade while keeping the mush at bay.  This takes around 2 minutes or longer if you let the 5 year old do it.

Then I fill gallon plastic bags with one to two large onions or 4 to 5 smaller onions.  Lay flat on a cookie sheet and label if you want.  I like to score mine with my hand so they are in easy to break off sections.  Also, laying flat on the cookie sheet makes them easy to stack in the freezer and keeps them from conforming to whatever object is underneath.  Because if they are in the metal grate then they will freeze in that shape, squish between the metal bars, and be impossible to get off without tearing the bag.  Not fun.

Once they are frozen you can easily, really easily, break off as much as you need for what every recipe you are doing.  They defrost in about 2 minutes or 30 seconds in a hot pan.  The bonus, no tears or running to the store for onions.

Because we are a cooked onion lovin’ family this is really the only way I use them.  If you are a raw onion lover I don’t see why this would not work for you too.  Someone give it a shot and let me know.  But if they will be cooked in anyway then this definitely will work with any onion.

FYI….if you stop to take pictures of the onions you don’t avoid the crying part.

A quick public service announcement:  Onions, even in small quantities cooked or raw, are life threatening to dogs and cats.  They can cause a deadly reaction called Heinz Body Anemia where the red blood cells will burst.  Treatment is available at your vets office but please be aware what your pet is into.

Linked up to Works For Me Wednesday over at We Are That Family

Also, linked up at Women Living Well

Cookies and Milk for Dinner

Yup, I did it.

I made cookies and let them all eat it for dinner.

Why?  Well because it was Sunday and it was dinner time and I wanted cookies and I was tired and they wanted the cookies and they had a big lunch and I am THAT mom and any other excuse I could come up with .

I want them to remember making cookies and having fun together as brothers.  I want to also enjoy that time and not turn into Monster Mommy trying to clean and cook at the same time.  I want Sundays to be about God and rest and family and joy.  So I gave them cookies and milk for dinner.

Don’t worry it won’t happen every Sunday.  Usually we have cheesecake .

Linked up to Works For Me Wednesday over at We Are That Family

Caramel Pecan Cheesecake

 

Since we have been sick I thought I would go back and post a recipe of an earlier post.

This is one I “altered” to get this delectable Caramel Pecan Cheesecake.  It was amazing.

I love the Original New York Cheesecake from Junior’s Cheesecake Cookbook (available on Amazon).  I used this as the starting point.  However, I do not like their sponge cake crust.  For this one I used pecan shortbread cookies.

Crust:

• 1 box Pecan Shortbread Cookies
• 1/2 to 1 cup of Graham Cracker crumbs

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease sides and bottom of 9 in. springform pan with butter. Pulse cookies in the food processor until fine (they will be mushy). Next add graham cracker crumbs until you have a wet but loose consistency (i.e. one that will stick together when smooshed into the pan).  Press into bottom and up the sides of the 9 in. springform pan. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and set aside to cool.  Leave oven on 350.

Caramel Filling:

• 1/2 package (unwrapped) Kraft Caramels
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Place caramels in a microwave safe bowl and heat for 1 minute.  Stir and continue to microwave in 30 second intervals until completely melted.  Stir in heavy cream until it is easy to stir. (I totally made this up as I went and didn’t want to add sweetness to the caramels)  Set aside to pour into batter next.  If it hardens too much by the end of making the batter stick in the microwave for 30 seconds to warm it up.

Filling:

• 4-8oz packages of cream cheese (use only full fat), at room temperature
• 1 2/3 cups of sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract (pictured is my favorite vanilla)
• 2 extra large eggs
• 3/4 cup heavy or whipping cream

1. Mix together one package of cream cheese, 1/3 cup of sugar, and cornstarch on low speed, until creamy.  Do this for 3 minutes, scraping the bowl down several times (yes 3 minutes is important).  Now blend in the remaining cream cheese, one block at a time, scraping down the bowl after each one.

2. Now increase your mixer speed to medium and beat in the rest of the sugar (1 1/3 cups), then the vanilla.  Next beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each one.  Now slowly blend in the heavy cream.  BE CAREFUL NOT TO OVERMIX.  I usually switch to a spatula at this point and stir it in until thoroughly mixed.

3. Put Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil (I use 3 sheets) around the springform pan so it comes up the sides but does not hang over where the filling will go.  Place the springform pan encased in foil into a large roasting pan.  Now pour your batter in carefully, leaving 1/4 of it in the bowl.  The foil only serves to keep water from leaking into the bottom of the springform pan, ruining the crust and cake.

4. Now carefully spoon your caramel filling in even glops around the batter.  Gently push them down (not too far or you will hit the crust) and swirl.  Over swirling will change the batter so you just want to swirl a little.  Now gently pour the remaining batter over the top.

5. The water bath: finally pour room temperature water into the roasting pan until at least half way up the sides of the pan.  Do not let any water get into the cheesecake.  This will cause cracking and ruin the top your cheesecake.  Place carefully in the oven.  Tip: If you have a pitcher of water it is easier to put the roasting pan on the oven rack and carefully pour water in the pan this way.  It is very heavy once the water is in there and difficult to lift without sloshing the water.

6. Close the oven and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes.  Do not open the oven.  Those slight changes in temperature will cause cracking.  Once done (will still look jiggly) pull it out carefully and remove from the water bath.  Place on countertop and don’t touch it until completely cool (at least 2 hours).  After cool, place in the refrigerator overnight, or at least 4-6 hours.  You can freeze this one up to one month if tightly wrapped in plastic wrap.

I promise to get better pictures of the process next time.  I am new to the blogging world and have not yet learned to photograph everything all the time.

Enjoying Feasting in Fellowship Fridays over at the Comfy Kitchen!

Works For Me Wednesday-On Your Mark, Get Set, Go!

TIMERS!

I love timers.  They have so many uses in the home.  I first started using a timer when I found FlyLady (she is very popular so you probably know).

When I was a new mom and things felt overwhelming and sleep deprivation threatened my grip on reality timers saved me.  I knew I could at the very least do anything for 15 minutes or less.  Often I only had 15 minutes to do everything. 

My grandmother was the first to introduce me to the world of timing yourself.  When I complained once about a chore taking forever she said she would time me to see how long it really took.  Of course it was not the hour it felt like, only 10 minutes.  I was truly shocked that chores took so little time.  What had I been whining about?

Now when complaints and whines threaten my day I will use a timer.  When my kids do the same I challenge them to a race to see how fast they can finish using a timer.  The objective countdown to when my son’s violin practice is over works well too.  No more arguing about playing that piece one more time (well almost). 

After years of doing this I can now take a shower, get dressed, and ready to go faster than my husband.  Or like this week when illness has thrown me off track and I have no clean you know what to wear because I have been to dizzy and weak to do anything but feed and nurse us back to health, I know that I will get it done 15 minutes at a time eventually.

(Please note: Timers are not magical devices that make kids stop whining. They still complain but the timer helps focus and distract them and it doesn’t always work.)

The chores I complain about most and how long they take:

• Dishes, countertops, prep for next day, clean coffee machines, and pack a lunch – 35 min 
• Make Bed – 2 min
• Load/unload washer & dryer, fold 1 load of clothes – 10 min
• Straighten kid’s rooms (without their help) – 15 min
• Tidy entire house for unexpected guests – 1 hour
• Clean Bathroom – 15 minutes
• Mop Kitchen Floor – 10 minutes

If the chore takes more than 15 minutes I break it up into 15 minute chunks so I don’t feel overwhelmed.If these times seem off to you then it may be because I have trimmed what I do down to the essentials.  I do my best (not perfect) to keep what I love and use it.  My time is precious and so is yours.  Cleaning and moving items that I don’t love or serve a purpose for our family steals my time and doesn’t belong in our house. 

So, go pick the chore you like the least and set your timer.  You will be surprised how long it really takes.  Now give me 15 minutes and this pile of laundry.  Go!

P.S. A house cleaned imperfectly can still bless your family (thanks FlyLady).

Works For Me Wednesday–Canisters

 

Like any newlywed I had registered for all the same kitchen things.  I was so excited to get my own set of canisters in Cobalt Blue.  Little did I know they didn’t work.

My hand and the measuring cup didn’t fit in the top.  By the time I got both out half the sugar had fallen out and my measurement was wrong.  Plus some sugar had fallen on the countertop which meant cleaning it up.  I started leaving the sugar and flour in big plastic containers in the pantry, never using the pretty ones on the counter.

If you know me you know I like things to work.  I want to use them and if I don’t and it just takes up space then out it goes.  Beauty is just a bonus when something needs to get done. And sometimes the cookies just need to get done!  So I tossed them.

After I got over the guilt I finally figured out what I really wanted.  THESE!

I love them.  They work great.  They are huge and easy to use.  I can leave a 2 cup measuring scoop in each one.  I can open the latch with one hand, scoop without spilling, and close it again.  I know immediately when I am running low and each one holds at least a 4-5 lb bag or more of each item.  They even look nice on the countertop.

Check out more WFMW info over here:

Tackle It Tuesday–Organizing the Kitchen

 

On Tuesdays I am going to begin posting about a weekly organizing project.

This week it was a major rearrange of a shelf to provide more storage in my cozy kitchen.

The first step was to get the shelf out of the office.  After I determined that I didn’t actually need the shelf and could simply declutter it I started unloading.  Then DH helped me carry it into the kitchen.

(the metal shelf in the left corner – great one to pick huh? see Where is Your Office for the lowdown on my crazy office space)

Now it does block a window but the view isn’t great.  We live in a rental property that has too many trees.  In fact so many trees grass cannot grow.  Trust me.  I tried.  I counted the trees. 32 in the backyard alone, 52 total on the property.  That is a lot to this Texas girl from the land where you can see for 100 miles.  I supplement Vitamin D now.

Anyway, because of the trees we don’t get a lot of light on a sunny day.  Moving the shelf there wasn’t going to change much and would solve a ton of problems.

I have recently started baking 3 to 4 times a week, some times more (see Cheesecake Saturday).  My baking supplies were not easily accessible for that amount of baking.  I have this huge mixer that I LOVE and it was too big for the counter where it was.  My pans were down low where every dust ball & bunny, dying insect, dog hair, and leaves would accumulate.  Not what you want in your baking pans.  I washed them before and after I used them.  Who has that kind of time?

(Please ignore the awful paint job and butcher block laminate counter top. It is a rent house. There is nothing I can do.)

So now they are up, out of danger.  I moved the microwave because my kids are finally old enough not to use it to microwave their action figures. 

That also opened up space to move my beloved mixer within arms reach.  This opened up the other side of the counter which meant I could get the cabinet cleared above by moving some canisters out of there.  So now I have organized, viewable, baking supplies with more counter and cabinet space. 

I then moved the bins from the pantry/shelf to the rolling cart shelf where the baking pans used to be.  I also pulled out a punch bowl that didn’t fit in a cabinet above the refrigerator and put it on the large shelf. 

It was my husband’s grandmother’s punch bowl she had forever.  I love to keep those things out and hopefully use.  They make me feel connected and fuzzy inside.  Besides if you aren’t going to use it why do you have it? (not always true with antique items but most things)

You might wonder why many of my pantry items are in plastic containers with lids?  Well that story is for another post.  It involves a large rodent with opposable thumbs or at least it seemed like he had some.

Happy Organizing!