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Post by Mini Mia on Aug 17, 2015 19:00:10 GMT -6
I came across some cook books at the Dollar General Store the other day, and it has a lot of recipes I might try. One is for pulled pork. And I love the one for Sliders too. Might even change rolls to biscuits, ground beef to sausage, scramble up some eggs to pour over the top of the sausage ... add either cooked bacon slices or crumbled bacon on top? Cut the biscuits into square shapes? Then can freeze the burger & breakfast sliders for Mom to microwave when she's hungry.
There are some bad reviews on Amazon ... and I have noticed that some of the recipes have missing instructions ... but I think I might be able to figure them out. We shall see.
The main downside, for me, is that a lot of the recipes call for Cream of Mushroom Soup or Cream of Chicken Soup. I don't much care for either ... though I can eat them in small doses. I do know that in some instances I can substitute Tomato Soup for the Cream of Mushroom Soup. Not sure what to substitute for the Cream of Chicken Soup. (Phalon suggested Chicken Gravy ... but would that work for all the recipes, or only just a few of them?)
I also know that in some recipes, you can't really tell it contains CoM or CoC soup when you eat it ... so maybe I'll try out the original recipe to see whether or not I need to switch out the soup. I can always give it to Mom and see if she likes it, and then she'll have it on hand when she gets hungry.
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Post by stepper on Aug 17, 2015 22:37:14 GMT -6
Chef that I am, that's the best suggestion I have too. Country Gravy would have too much pepper. Sista Q??? Where you is???
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Post by Phalon on Aug 18, 2015 7:19:04 GMT -6
Broth and sour cream? Everything, in my opinion, is better with sour cream. Shoot, sometimes I make stuff just for the excuse to use sour cream - beef stroganoff, for example, which is also an example of substituting other ingredients for creamed soups. I don't care for the taste cream of mushroom soup (also see the food thread for the other reason I don't use it), and many of the stroganoff recipes out there call for it. Instead, I use the drippings from the meat, a little beef broth, and sour cream. Lots of fresh mushrooms, which aren't rubbery like those in the canned soup.
Can't stand canned cream of chicken soup - those little "chicken" bits, even if they are actual chicken, don't taste real.
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Post by stepper on Aug 18, 2015 17:37:08 GMT -6
I add noodles, and some of the canned chicken - before you object there's some here that's decent - with nice big chunks of white meat. {And you said "I" was picky. Harrumph!}
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Post by Mini Mia on Aug 18, 2015 17:57:53 GMT -6
I can eat either CoM or CoC soup every now and again, but not over a long period of time. Mom used CoC soup as gravy for Chicken and Dressing most of the time, except for holidays, and then she'd make homemade giblet gravy.
I'd really rather use substitutes I like though. Better chance of me not wasting it.
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Post by stepper on Aug 18, 2015 18:22:10 GMT -6
Actually, I use them for flavoring things, but not just to have either one. Mom did that, but I'm not a fan of either as soup.
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Post by Mini Mia on Aug 18, 2015 18:36:17 GMT -6
No. I haven't eaten either as soup ... only as an ingredient, or as a gravy.
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Post by stepper on Aug 18, 2015 19:05:57 GMT -6
Mom grew up during the depression with just grand mom, two younger siblings, and an aunt who was actually younger than her. Her father died young. She could make meals that left you full and were fairly inexpensive and tasted half decent. It came about because it was a different time when everyone struggled and good recipes were shared - especially at church gatherings. Man did she have stories - but her best talent was listening. She had an innate ability to know when to say something and when to just listen.
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Post by Mini Mia on Aug 19, 2015 21:50:42 GMT -6
Possible 'Cream' Soup Substitutes:
Cream of Celery Cream of Asparagus Cream of Onion Cream of Potato Cream of Shrimp Cream of Broccoli
I just so happen to have The Fannie Farmer Cookbook 13th Edition. ISBN: 0-553-56881-7
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Post by Mini Mia on Aug 19, 2015 22:05:13 GMT -6
Broth and sour cream? Everything, in my opinion, is better with sour cream. Shoot, sometimes I make stuff just for the excuse to use sour cream - beef stroganoff, for example, which is also an example of substituting other ingredients for creamed soups. I don't care for the taste cream of mushroom soup (also see the food thread for the other reason I don't use it), and many of the stroganoff recipes out there call for it. Instead, I use the drippings from the meat, a little beef broth, and sour cream. Lots of fresh mushrooms, which aren't rubbery like those in the canned soup.
Here is where I substitute 'Tomato' soup. But I'm copying/pasting this comment to a Word doc, along with the suggestions on the IMDb Food and Drink board thread I started.
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Post by Mini Mia on Aug 22, 2015 18:56:44 GMT -6
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Post by stepper on Aug 22, 2015 22:23:22 GMT -6
Have you tried any of these and did you like the way they worked?
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Post by Mini Mia on Aug 23, 2015 21:09:18 GMT -6
No, haven't tried anything yet. Wondering if it's worth it.
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Post by stepper on Aug 27, 2015 17:09:38 GMT -6
You know what I've never seen? A basic cookbook for people who don't cook. I mean real basics with explanations. What's a good single person (meaning not overly complicated or fancy or having too many ingredients) stuffing? How do you make stuffing in a pan if you don't stuff the bird? How do you make hard boiled eggs that are cooked, won't turn green around the yolk, and the shell peels without destroying the egg white? Should you make gravy or go for packaged or bottled?
I mean basics - okay you can step it up just A LITTLE, but something that will keep someone from starving and will let them eat more than Banquet or some other frozen food.
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Post by Mini Mia on Aug 28, 2015 0:31:56 GMT -6
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Post by Phalon on Aug 28, 2015 5:18:38 GMT -6
Oh! Joxie, I wish I would have known about that book a week ago; I'd have ordered it for LX's birthday, which is Sunday. Reading the reviews, it appears to be just what she needs; she can't cook anything but boxed macaroni and cheese, hot dogs, and pancakes.
That's an easy one: The Joy of Cooking
Though the size of the thing might be intimating, and the title could seem like an oxymoron for anyone who doesn't cook, it's an excellent book to have on hand. Someone gave it to us as a wedding gift, and 30 years later, it's the only cookbook I've kept aside from Mom's handwritten one, which is a keepsake and not used for reference. The Joy of Cooking though, I still use.
There are only a few recipes that I make from it...and even those have been adapted to my and my family's tastes; I don't generally follow recipes when I cook. I refer to the book often though, for stuff like measurements, how to blanch, freeze, cut, store, blah, blah, blah - basically anything you want to know how to do in the kitchen is in there. Every Thanksgiving, I turn to the page on how to roast a turkey because neither Hubs or I can ever remember how long to cook the bird based on its poundage.
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Post by Mini Mia on Aug 28, 2015 17:38:16 GMT -6
Oooh! I so happen to have "The Joy of Cooking." But it's so huge I haven't even looked into it. It intimidated me good. BTW: You might want to get her this book as well: www.amazon.com/Wheres-Dad-Now-That-Need/dp/1885348169
I found it when doing a search for the "Mom" cookbook. I should get that one too.
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Post by stepper on Aug 28, 2015 20:23:23 GMT -6
That depends on the temperature. I know that today most people go with 350 and it's faster, even I have done it because of time constraints, but I mostly use 250 and cook it longer. I get better results that way.
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