Make your own Multi-Purpose Spray

Since we’ve made shower spray and carpet refresher, I figure that now it is time to make some more cleaning products for the home. One that I use quite frequently is Multi-Purpose Spray. I spray down the counters in the kitchen, the top of the stove, the sink, you can use it in the bathroom on all the surfaces… It really is versatile. And I tend to go through a lot of it, so if I can find a cheaper option, why not make your own?

So I looked at a bunch of recipes. Some are as easy as just vinegar and water, while others involve ammonia (which smells like death). Here’s a recipe that I found that is in the middle:

2 cups of water

1 tsp borax

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp liquid dish soap

2 tsp white vinegar

Mix the ingredients in a spray bottle. Shake to combine well.

That’s it. Again, pretty easy. If you want it to smell lemony, substitue the vinegar for lemon juice.

And, as usual, here’s a recipe for a beverage to sip while you spray. Seeing as you can use this spray for almost everything, here’s a recipe for a drink with a little bit of everything.

Long Island Iced Tea

2 cups of ice cubes

1 ounce each of vodka, gin, white rum and tequila

1/2 ounce of triple sec

2 tablespoons of lemon juice and wedges for serving

Cola

Shake all ingredients except the cola and lemon wedges. Pour into a tall glass with more ice, top with cola and serve with a lemon wedge. These are pretty lethal, so try to wait until 11am before drinking if at all possible.

Everytime I think of these, I think of the episode of The Simpsons where Marge gets drunk at a magic show off of Long Island Iced Tea. After cleaning and fixing yourself a drink, watch that episode. It is hilarious.

Make Your Own Vanilla Extract and Sugar

Now that I’ve been baking more and more, I’m finding that I’m going through a lot of vanilla extract. Good vanilla extract is essential to enhancing flavours in baking (much like salt is in cooking), but it can be quite expensive. Don’t try to save some pennies by buying imitation vanilla extract, or your baked goods may have a flavour reminiscent of a candle. This is not a good thing. Unless you enjoy the flavour of candles. If that’s the case, you should probably look into some sort of medication.

Anyhoo, making vanilla extract is relatively easy. Here’s what you need:

2 cups of vodka

6 vanilla pods

1 mason jar

Cut the beans lengthwise. Put them in the jar. Cover with vodka. Wait 6-8 weeks.

And that’s it. No, really, that’s it. Almost everyone has some vodka lying around and the better the quality of vanilla beans, the better the extract will be. You can also use pods that you’ve scraped the beans from and throw that in. The longer it sits, the stronger the extract. And you’re done. I love it when things are easy.

And now for an equally easy recipe, here’s how you make vanilla sugar. Take some vanilla pods (again, I find that this even works for vanilla pods that you’ve scraped the seeds from) and throw them into a jar with about 2 cups or so of sugar. The more pods you add, the stronger the vanilla flavour. And if you’re just going to throw the pods away after scraping, you might as well save them and chuck them into the sugar. I like to mix it a little before using, so the little black flecks of vanilla can be seen throughout the sugar, but this is not crucial.

And again, you’re done. See how easy that was? You can feel smug and superior the next time you see people spending their hard earned dough on expensive vanilla extracts. “Oh, you buy vanilla extract? How odd. I just whip up my own extracts between monogramming my sheets and cold smoking my own salmon. But I guess your store-bought vanilla is just as lovely. Ahem.”

Make your own Seasoned Salts

Have you ever been to a restaurant and the food is bland? The secret ingredient it is probably missing is salt. Yes, salt. I find that when something tastes bland, salt is usually the first remedy to try. I taste it and think “What does this need? Salt? Sweetness? Sharpness?” Usually, it’s salt that is missing. It is an integral part of cooking. I usually use kosher or sea salt. I have a few speciality salts that I save for special occasions, like smoked salt or Fleur de Sel. But usually a good sprinkle of kosher salt is all that is needed to bring the flavour out.

Sometimes, though, it does need a little more than just salt, which is where seasoned salts come in. You can make your own by simply combining spices and salt and mixing well. Most frequently, I add garlic powder, onion powder and paprika to salt and use that for flavouring meats and veggies. You could also add cumin, coriander and pepper to kick it up a little and to use as a spice rub for barbeque. I usually add a little dry mustard powder to my rubs, as well. This actually helps to blacken meats, so if you’re looking to make blackened fish, add a little dry mustard to your spice blend.

Then there are salts that you can infuse flavour into. My favourite is to take the peel from a lemon and plunk it into a small jar of salt and let the lemon oils infuse into the salt. Rosemary is also great with salt. Just take a few large sprigs and bruise them with the back of your knife. Throw this into a jar of salt and you know have rosemary salt. These are mild, light flavourings for salt. If you want a more intense flavour, put the herbs or peel into the food processor with the salt and process. These are both great on grilled lamb and roasted veggies.

I know a lot of people are afraid to use salt on their food. I agree, too much sodium is not a good thing. But if you are avoiding processed and pre-packaged foods (which is where most of the sodium in your diet would come from), using salt on fresh foods you prepare at home should be fine (barring blood pressure and kidney problems). Salt doesn’t make food taste salty (unless you are using too much of it), but it brings out the natural flavour of food. If you have some really sweet watermelon, sprinkle a little salt on it and suddenly you can taste all of the flavours of the fruit, not just the sweetness.

Try some seasoned salts! Cheap, easy and tasty! Doesn’t get much better than that!

Summer Vegetables: Zucchini

Summer is the season for zucchini, or courgettes for my UK readers. I didn’t like it growing up, but I have come to love their fresh flavour in the past few years. And you can find HUGE ones at the farmer’s market about now, as well. I try to avoid the gigantic ones as they don’t have much flavour, but there are also some beautiful, petite zucchinis hanging around, as well. Look for small squash that are dark green (or vibrant yellow), smooth and unblemished. Obviously, avoid ones with mushy brown spots. I don’t know any vegetable that’s good when it’s mushy and brown…

Zucchini are great grilled. I like to cut them into long slices, about a centimetre thick. Don’t cut them too thinly or they will burn. Brush them with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill until they are tender and have lovely grill marks. You can also sprinkle these with some balsamic vinegar. It makes a great side dish to grilled fish and chicken. If you’re not grilling, it also roasts well. Cut the squash into thick coins, about 2 centimetres or so. I like to cut them on the bias as this gives a larger surface area for browning. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in a 400F oven for about 20 minutes or so, tossing once. Again, you can toss them with balsamic.

Zucchini also pairs beautifully with pasta. I like to shave it into ribbons with a vegetable peeler and saute in a little oil with garlic and slivered onions. A little sprinkle of red pepper flakes never hurt anyone, either. Saute until just tender and toss with pasta and a little parmesean cheese and a sprinkle of lemon zest. This is a very easy, fresh, light dinner.

You can also cut the zucchini in half, scoop out the seeds and stuff them and broil in the oven. A good combo is ricotta cheese, pine nuts, green onions and parm. Broil until the cheese is melted and bubbly. You can then slice them up and serve, or just serve one per plate. Don’t forget the salt and pepper.

If you are lucky enough to get the blossoms, don’t discard them. Clean them well, and if there is a little pod on the inside, remove it. Stuff them with a mixture of ricotta cheese, green onions, herbs, parm, chilli, whatever you want. Dip them in a batter (flour, eggs, water, whatever) and deep fry them. These are heavenly.

Enjoy some zucchini this summer! Just avoid the giant ones that could club a horse!

Retail Therapy

Who doesn’t love a little shopping? Well, I don’t really enjoy shopping in a traditional sense. I hate trying on clothes and shoes. I usually go in with a purpose. I go in, get what I want and get out. But lately, there are a few shops that I love to browse.

1. The Farmer’s Market

Image via Wikipedia

I love looking at all of the fresh produce. The beautiful vegetables, herbs, eggs and flowers are all so pretty and fresh. I can also find local chickens, baked goods, honey and, as of this week, wild Chanterelle mushrooms (they have been screaming “RISOTTO!”). As well, my local market also has a petting zoo. They have some piggies, a donkey, rabbits, chickens, turkeys and a couple of jerk emus that like to peck everything in sight. I could spend hours there. And they sell ice cream…

2. The Craft Store

Image by NVinacco via Flickr

The Craft Store is such a wonderful place for inspiration. I can find cute little stickers, paint, beads, wood crafts, cake decorating supplies and pretty much everything else you could possibly need for all of your crafting desires. I’ve surprised myself by how much I enjoy spending time in the Craft Store. Every time I go, I find lots of little projects I can work on. I get inspired to make wreathes for Hallowe’en, table runners out of felt, big paper pompoms for parties, coasters, the list goes on and on. And, the last time I was there, I found propeller beanies? How could you not love a store that sells propeller beanies! I bought one for Grant and I. Best. Hats. Evaaarrr! Again, I could easily spend an afternoon and a shocking percentage of my paycheque at the Craft Store.

3. The Cookware Shop

I get super-excited to spend time in a cookware store. I love to look at pots and pans. I spend some time fantasizing about the Le Creuset cookware. I spend too much time lingering over the baking section. Yesterday I spent 20 minutes looking at bundt pans, clafloutie pans, cookie cutters and ice-cream scoops. Love, love, love spending time there. I leave with recipes floating through my head and go home planning on making something new.

Go spend some time in these stores next time you want to do some shopping. I may get annoyed shopping for magic pants that don’t make my butt look huge, but I’ll always love spending time at farmer’s markets, craft stores and cookware shops.

Probably going to go back to the cookware shop tomorrow…

Baking: Scones of Deliciousness

I was reading this blog post on Barbara Bakes the other day and she was discussing different types of scones. I love scones. I remember my sister made a batch of cheddar scones and they were so good that they lasted about 15 minutes. All that remained were some crumbs on the plate. And in that blog post, Barbara mentions a type of scones that I have renamed “Scones of Deliciousness”. Why Deliciousness? Well, these scones have not just cheese, but green onions and……

wait for it……

BACON!!! Arrghhh! As if scones weren’t good enough, we had to add smoked, cured pork that is crispy and salty and nummy. And that is not a typo. Nummy is even better than yummy.

Anyway, I had to find a recipe for these Scones of Deliciousness, and I found one by Emeril Lagasse. I know, I know, I’ve already discussed kicking it up a notch and “Gollick!” in a previous post, but I have to give Emeril his props for this one. It turned out really, really well. And the house smelled AMAZING! A few turned out a little raggedy, but that was really my fault. I was trying hard not to overwork the dough, so I sacrificed neatness for flaky, tender, layered scones that you would step over your own mother to get (Sorry, Mom!).

One thing, though. I did need to use more cream than the recipe called for as it was too dry. You don’t want the dough too sticky, but it needs to come together. And I am proud to say that I did this entire recipe by hand. No stand mixer or food processor for this puppy! On second thought, maybe you should keep all puppies away from kitchen appliances…

Ingredients:

4 slices of bacon, sliced into matchsticks

3 cups flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 stick unsalted butter, cold and cut into pieces

1 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar

1/2 cup green onions, finely sliced

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup + 2 tablespoons heavy cream (I ended up using about 1 1/2 cups of cream + 2 tablespoons)

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Chop the bacon into matchsticks and cook until crispy. The colder the bacon is, the easier it is to slice. You can even throw it into the freezer for 20 minutes or so before slicing. After it has achieved the desired level of crispy-ness, remove with slotted spoon and place on paper towels to dry.

2. Sift flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut butter, cheese, onions and pepper into the flour with a pastry cutter or a fork. Break it in until it gets crumbly and the butter is roughly the size of smallish peas.

3. Add cooled bacon and cream. Mix gently until it comes together. Turn out onto lightly floured surface. DO NOT OVERWORK THE DOUGH. You want scones, not little bricks. Split the dough in half and form into round discs. Using a bench scraper or a knife, cut into 8 wedges.

4. Using a spatula, place onto a cookie sheet. Don’t separate them too much, as keeping them fairly close together will help them rise evenly. Brush with the 2 tablespoons of cream. Do this gently, as it should be a little crumbly.

5. Bake for 22 minutes or until lightly browned. Try not to weep at the intoxicating aromas that fill the house. Let them cool slightly on the sheet pan before serving. Serve them warm.

That’s it. All you need to quickly throw together a nice little nibble for afternoon tea or a snack before bed. Someone in the comment section mentioned using them as a base for a breakfast sandwich, which sounds insanely delicious. They’re rich, buttery, flaky and flavourful. I will definitely be making these again!

Cleaning your Drains

There is not much worse than a clogged sink. Well, maybe there are, but it’s a sure-fire way to piss me off for the rest of the day. And apparently using commercial chemicals can damage the pipes, which can lead to weakening, which could lead to a burst pipe. This is worse than the clogged sink. You will need a mop and the number for a plumber, so let’s try to avoid this.

First of all, you want to use a plunger. Get a plunger and keep it separate from the one you use for the toilet. I don’t really need to explain why, do I? Didn’t think so. They’re like $12 at the hardware store, so go ahead, splurge! Mark the handle so you can tell the difference from the toilet plunger and the sink plunger. You’re going to want to cover the little hole in the sink with a cloth and plunge the drain. If it doesn’t drain then, you’re going to have to get a snake.

You can rent a snake from the hardware store. I’m not too comfortable with doing this myself, so I usually call my dad for this or a plumber. Basically, you feed the snake into the drain until you meet the clog. Pull it out and try not to gag as you see how big the hairball is. Yech.

What really interests me is prevention, though. You can dump some baking soda down the drain, then add some white vinegar. I usually use about 3/4 of a cup of baking soda and about 1 cup of vinegar. Quickly put the plug in and wait for about 20 minutes. While the baking soda and vinegar works it’s magic, boil the kettle. After 20 minutes, dump the boiling water from the kettle down the drain. This should work to break down the grease and hair and keep them from building up. Do NOT do this on a heavily clogged drain, or the drain will then be clogged with fizzy baking soda and vinegar. This does not really help the situation. I do this about once a month and I haven’t had a problem with clogs in the drains since. You can use this for both the sink and the bathtub.

And, in keeping with the Cleaning Tips and Tipples theme, here’s a recipe for the Joe the Plumber cocktail. I haven’t had this yet, but I’m going to pour myself a big one next time I do my drain maintenance. Hey, it doesn’t take 20 minutes to boil the kettle, so I might as well put that time to good use!

Joe the Plumber Cocktail

3 ounces Red Plum Juice

1.5 ounces Early Times Kentucky Whiskey

Squeeze of lime

Pour the plum juice over ice in a highball glass. Add the whiskey and then the lime. This drink is purposely unmixed. As per Charles Cowdery, Chicago Drinks Examiner, “This cocktail is deliberately unevenly distributed because Joe doesn’t want his money spread around.” I just, personally, think it’s funny that a drink named after a plumber has plum juice (which are fresh prunes, basically) as a main ingredient…

Enjoy!

Project #3: Tea Cup Candles

OK, so I’ve seen these around and decided to make my own. They are actually easy, cheap, pretty and a great way to use up all of those half-burnt candles you have kicking around. Recycling! Rock on!

First you have to find your teacups. Local thrift shops, garage sales or flea markets are GREAT places to find cheap teacups. If you can find a cup and saucer, awesome. If not, just make sure the teacup has a nice sturdy base so it won’t tip over and set the house on fire. Again, this may just be the insurance agent in my talking…

Next, gather up your old burnt candles. You’ll have to trim off as much of the burnt wick as you can. Also try to pick off any visible pieces of dirt and ash that may be on the candle. This isn’t very pretty. Using a double boiler, slowly melt down the candles. Don’t use a good pot for this. I usually use a coffee can that has been cleaned and dried. I place it inside of an old pot and simmer some water. You only need a little bit of water and make sure you use a low heat. As the wax melts, pick out the remaining wicks with a pair of tweezers. If it’s really dirty, you’ll want to strain it, but it usually isn’t a big problem. Make sure you use oven mitts as that can gets hot! That’s a hot can! *insert cat call whistle here.

The only thing you need to buy for this project are new wicks. You can get these from craft stores. Take the wick and tie the string end around a pencil. Put it into the bottom of the tea cup and the twist the pencil so the wick coils around. You want the wick long enough to touch the bottom of the cup but short enough that you can lay the pencil across the top of the cup and have the wick touch the bottom without bending. That sounds more complicated than it really is.

Pour in the melted wax slowly so you don’t burn your fingers, and set aside to harden. After it dries, cut the wick so that it’s about 1/4 inch or so from the top of the candle. It’s that easy. Just make sure you don’t pour any remaining wax down the sink. Unless you want a hopelessly clogged sink, that is. If you do want a clogged sink, go mad. I let it harden in the can and either throw it out or keep it for the next time I want to make candles. The coffee can even has a lid so you can add other scrap candles to it! Look how organized you are!

These would be awesome for a tea-party wedding reception or party. They’re so pretty and a great way to showcase a beautiful but chipped or orphaned cup. Poor little orphan Cuppy. Now you can adopt him as a beautiful candle holder!

Summer Vegetables: Corn

Ok, fresh corn is just awesome! It’s more of a late summer vegetable, but I absolutely love it. Technically, corn isn’t really a vegetable, but a whole grain. It’s a good source of fibre, thiamin, folate and vitamin C. And when combined with beans, it is a complete protein, which is great for vegetarians. And, as it’s in season right now, there is no better time to eat fresh, local corn!

One tip for getting corn off the cob is to use a bundt pan. Put the stalk at the end of the ear into the hole in the middle for stabilization, then cut the kernels off the cob. They’ll all fall into the bundt pan and not be covered in blood from cutting your thumb off! Score!

One of my favourite ways to eat corn off the cob is to sautee it in butter. Just take some butter, throw in the kernels and sautee until tender. Add a pinch of salt and whatever herbs you like. Basil is really good in this. It’s a perfect, easy side to roast chicken. Yum. This time of year, though, you don’t even need to cook the corn. You can just take the kernels and dress them in a vinegrette (I like to use lime), add some chopped tomatoes, red onion and cilantro. Quick and easy side to grilled fish, steak, chicken, anything, really.

I usually leave the corn on the cob, though. The easiest way to cook it for a barbeque is to take 3-4 ears of corn, put it on top of a piece of tinfoil, add a pat of butter for each ear and a good sprinkle of salt and pepper. You can add any other spices you like, as well. Then wrap it up in the tinfoil. I usually wrap it with 3 layers of foil into a little packet. Make sure that there is just one row of cobs so they cook evenly. Just toss it onto the grill and turn it at least once. Then make your steaks. Yummy. Easy.

I also love to top the corn with compound butters. Compound butters is just softened butter that you add herbs, spices and other flavourings to. You form it into a log and let it harden in the fridge. Slice it into little coins and throw it on your corn, on top of grilled meats, veggies and fish. It’s awesome. You can make standard maitre d’ butter, which is butter with lemon zest, parsley, salt and pepper, or can add other flavourings. Red pepper flakes, sundried tomatoes, any herb, citrus zest and juice, anchovies, whatever you want to add. It’s delicious.

Go eat some corn in it’s natural state! It’s awesome!

Baking: Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

I was browsing Martha’s site (as usual) and found these adorable little cupcakes. I’m kind of “meh” about most cakes, but cupcakes are awesome! I love to make them and eat them! My last batch of cupcakes were really tasty and didn’t last long after I brought them to work, so I figure I’ll make another batch to bring in for my coworkers. Grant and I like to eat a couple, but we’re both watching what we eat so it’s easier to bake them and then give them away.

First I made the lemon curd. I’ve never made lemon curd from scratch, so this was a first for me. I followed Martha’s recipe, which follows as:

8 large egg yolks

Zest of 2 lemons

1/2 cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice (about 2-3 lemons, depending)

1/8 tsp salt

1 1/4 sticks of butter, cut into pieces and cold (about 10 tbsp)

1. Combine the egg yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice and sugar and whisk to combine. In a double boiler, stir constantly for about 10 minutes or so until the mixture thickens and reaches a nappe consistency. Nappe just means that it is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. You should be able to drag your finger down through the curd on the back of the spoon and it will leave a trail behind. Here’s a picture of what it should look like (it’s not lemon curd, but a cream sauce, but you get the idea!):

Try not to burn the shit out of your finger.

2. Remove from the heat. Add the salt and stir in the butter, piece by piece until it melts. Strain into another bowl so you don’t have any little lumps in the curd. Curd is already a kind of gross word, you don’t need to add lumpy to the description.

3. Cover with saran wrap, pushing the wrap onto the surface of the curd. This will prevent a pudding skin. Let chill for at least 1 hour, up to one day.

That’s it for the curd. It was silky, tangy, not too sweet and surprisingly yellow without having to add food colouring. I was so pleased with the result that I’m probably going to make lemon meringue pie from scratch from now on.

Next, I made the cupcakes. They were pretty standard, white cupcakes with lemon flavouring. I couldn’t find buttermilk at the grocery store, so I had to make my own. Put 1 tablespoon of white vinegar into a cup measure, then fill the rest of the measuring cup with milk. Stir it and let it sit for about 10-15 minutes. It’s not quite the same, but works in a pinch. Don’t use skim milk, or the vinegar will curdle it.

3 cups of flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) of room temperature butter

2 cups of sugar

zest of 3 lemons

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1 cup buttermilk

2 tablespoons of lemon juice

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F. Whisk to combine the flour, baking powder and salt.

2. Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time (easier if room temp). Add the zest and vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides of the bowl if using a stand mixer.

3. Add the flour in three batches, alternating with the buttermilk and lemon juice (2 batches). You want to start and end with flour. Stir to combine, but don’t overmix.

4. Dole out into the cupcake pans with liners. They were about 3/4’s full. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely.

Next you had to make the meringue tops. Martha uses a 7 minute frosting for the tops. Her recipe made WAAAAY more frosting than I needed. Seeing as it’s basically just a meringue, I may just make it into a pavlova… Anyway, here’s the recipe for the frosting.

1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons of sugar

2/3 cup water

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

6 egg whites, room temperature

1. In a small saucepan, combine the 1 1/2 cups of sugar, water and corn syrup. Bring to a boil and remove when it reaches 230 F. Again, I don’t have a candy thermometer, so I just let it boil rapidly for about 30 seconds or so.

2. In a stand mixer, beat the eggs until soft peaks form. Add the 2 tablespoons of sugar. When the syrup comes up to temp, stream in slowly.

3. Continue to beat the mixture until cool, about 7 minutes (hence, 7 minute frosting). My bowl didn’t cool completely, it was still a little warm, but it still tasted pretty good.

Now for the assembly. Put a tablespoon or so of the lemon curd on top of each cupcake. Spread it a little with the spoon or an offset spatula. Try not to get it over the edge (like I did). Next, you pipe the cupcakes with a star tip. My piping skills are crap, but I think they’re pretty cute anyway. Then you get to break out the blow torch. I had gotten a little teeny one in a creme brulee kit and had never used it. It worked a charm for this, though. Just toast the tips of the lightly, kind of like a marshmallow. This is why you use a star tip, to get the little ridges.

And there you have it. So cute! I’m going to bring these to work and see how long they last. The curd is nice and lemony, as are the cakes. It’s not too sweet and not too tart. Just perfect! These cupcakes aren’t really hard, they just have a lot of steps. It’s worth it, though! They turned out really well!