The Magic of Making Your Own Condensed Cream of Chicken Recipe

There is magic in the recipe because you not only save money by making it yourself, but also because it isn't arriving to you in a canned lined with BPA. What is BPA? Well just ask my cousin Jill and she will for sure tell because she is very passionate about everyone learning about BPAs! I am coping a post that Jill put on Facebook explaining what BPA is:
Bisphenol A, commonly abbreviated as BPA, is an organic compound with two phenol functional groups. It is used to make polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins, along with other applications.

Known to be estrogenic since the mid 1930s, concerns about the use of bisphenol A in consumer products were regularly reported in the news media in 2008 after several governments issued reports questioning its safety, prompting some retailers to remove products containing it from their shelves. A 2010 report from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) raised further concerns regarding exposure of fetuses, infants and young children. In September 2010, Canada became the first country to declare BPA as a toxic substance. In the European Union and Canada, BPA use is banned in baby bottles.

Well here's the thing. If you look at your plastic products, a lot of them will now say that they are BPA free. That is good news! The bad news is that is in almost all canned foods unless marked BPA free. I got excited when I found out our Stater Brothers where we live was carrying Eden Organic products. Their cans say they have BPA free lining. The only problem is that Stater Brothers only carries their "bean" products...like pinto, black beans etc. When I looked up the product line for Eden Organic they do make some tomato products in glass jars. The FDA has not approved BPA free lining for products that are acidic like tomatoes! I will post shortly my recipe for canning your own diced tomatoes..so much easier than I thought it would be! 

But other products that are canned at the grocery store are just simply impossible to find BPA free, like those good o'l Condensed Cream of Soups. I found the answer to that too!

I have a wonderful cookbook by Mary Ostyn titled Family Feasts for $75 a week and she has a recipe for Cream of Anything Soup Mix. This is simply lovely and convenient and saves money at the same time and limits your exposure to those scary BPAs!

CONDENSED CREAM OF CHICKEN SOUP:

(makes about 5 cups of dry mix which Mary Ostyn says is the equivalent to twelve 10.75 oz cans of condensed soup)

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups powdered milk

1 cup cornstarch

1 cup powdered chicken bouillon

2 tabl onion powder

1 teas dried thyme

1/2 teas dried basil

1/2 teas black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Store in an airtight container for up to 1yr. Now when it is time to make the condensed soup you simply: In a saucepan, combine 1/2 cup of dry soup mix, mix with 1 1/4 cups water, 1 tabl butter. Blend well and bring to a boil, cooking 2 to 3 minutes. This mixture will thicken as it sets. 

Now what if you don't need condensed cream of chicken and instead need cream of mushroom or celery? Easy! for the cream of mushroom soup do as above and add in 1/2 cup minced mushrooms. I bet you can guess what you add in for the cream of celery soup....1/2 cup minced celery. 

Give it a try and you will be saving money and limiting your exposure to BPAs!!!

Granny Clauser's Zucchini Relish

I have had a crazy thought for awhile now to try canning. I started asking my friends and family members and most had tried it. The one thing that everyone seemed to agree on for me is that I am not at the point in my life where I could be trusted with a pressure cooker. Seriously, a few people told me that they would worry about me if I attempted this - what with the distractions of three kids and a dog and my absent minded brain lately. I believe my Aunt Kathy told me I could blow the house up. She's probably right.

However, everyone seemed to think I could be trusted with a pot of boiling water...and so I decided to give canning a whirl with the water bath method. I got inspired to actually do this when I went to my Aunt Kathy's house (the kids prefer to call it a farm). She has a beautiful garden growing and invited us over to grab some jumbo zucchini. She had been busy at work in her kitchen and there were jars of stewed tomatoes and everything under the sun you could imagine canned. She gave me a taste of something that looked like pickle relish only it wasn't...it was so much better than any pickle relish I had ever tasted. It was my Grandma's Zucchini Relish.  This is a must for any hamburger or hot dog (nitrate free of course). I could even just sit with a spoon and eat it out of the jar-it was that good!

Granny Clauser's Zucchini Relish

INGREDIENTS:
10 cups shredded Zucchini
4 onions shredded/chopped finely
2 green bell peppers chopped finely
5 tsp salt
2 jalapenos finely diced
3 1/2 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups vinegar
2 tsp celery seed
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp turmerick
1 tsp corn startch
(Granny's recipe says to add 4 hot peppers, I only had two and thought it was just the right amount. You can also omit hot peppers altogether and increase sugar to 4 cups.)


What started as a huge pile of zucchinis ended up as a huge container of shredded zucchini that I ran through the food processor. Next I did the same thing with onions and green peppers until they were chopped super fine. Now this seems crazy to me, but I don't make the rules so I just went with it - you mix the zucchini, onion and bell pepper/peppers with the 5tsp of salt and let it stand overnight. The next day, rinse the mixture in cold water and drain. (I have to warn you here, my kids woke up the next morning wondering what the disgusting smell was. Well children, that would be four shredded onions sitting on my counter overnight blessing you with their sweet aroma.)

In a very large pot put in the sugar and vinegar and zucchini mixture. Next add in the rest of the seasonings/ingredients. Heat and boil for 30 minutes. Next step is to add the mixture to sterilized hot jars and seal. I was able to fill 7 half pint jars. Now that is where Granny's recipe ends, but I was reading in a Ball canning book and they had a different relish recipe that required 15 minutes in a water bath. I went ahead and did this because a) I had not tried the water bath method before and wanted to and b) I didn't realize how much everyone would love this recipe and how quickly we would go through the jars. I envisioned having several jars left behind in the cupboard for months on end. This was not the case!

The water bath method is so simple - I am not sure why I was intimidated by it. This is my dummy version: Get a really large pot and fill with water. Add your filled and sealed cans to the water and bring to a boil and continue to boil for the necessary amount of time. I did purchase a canning kit from Walmart that had everything you would need for removing the cans from hot water and for when you sterilize the jars like the utensil set shown below. Other than jars that is all you need to make this recipe.

This inspired me to try canning other things which I will also share, like diced tomatoes, pizza sauce, bbq sauce, spiced pears!!!

Thanks Aunt Kathy for the zucchini and inspiration and Grandma Clauser for the oooohhh so YUMMY recipe!

Does This Blog Make Me Look Fat?

Seriously does it? The past several months I have been trying really hard to exercise and eat right. I was on a really good path. And then the BLOG happened.

I decided it would be fun to share fun recipes that I have tried out over the years and in doing so, I not only revisited these recipes by writing about them, but also sampled them. I mean, I can't just post the recipe itself, I have to take pictures and in order to do that, you have to make the item and then you have to sample the item to make sure you have the recipe just right....need I go on? So that pretty much has been my main problem but then there is also the problem with time. It is still summer break for us so I have three little crazed darlings running amuk. The baby of the bunch is now 11 months and is into EVERYTHING. The spare time (if that is even the word for it) I once had is now devoted to writing the blog or cooking some of the recipes up in the kitchen. Gone is my window of opportunity for walking around the neighborhood listening to my iPod.

But now, excuses be gone! I have rediscovered my Walk at Home video by Leslie Sansone. Now the summer heat isn't an excuse and neither is time because I can pop the dvd in when the baby is napping or when the Monkeys are fast asleep. Fitness here I come again! 

Magical Blueberry Muffins

Magical Blueberry Muffins became magical the day my oldest son actually ate one (he is a self-proclaimed blueberry hater). He knows there are blueberries in these muffins and yet he still eats them. Miracle or magic - you be the judge!

I just love summer especially for all the delicious fruits and veggies to chose from. We got lucky with purchasing some really delicious fresh blueberries and inspired me to make muffins. But, the great thing about this recipe is that frozen works equally as well for when fresh blueberries aren't readily available (or cost you $6 bucks for the teeniest tiniest container).

MAGICAL BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

INGREDIENTS:
3 tsp baking powder
2 cups all purpose flour (Can do 1 cup white flour and 1 cup whole wheat flour)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter softened
1 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup of blueberries either fresh or frozen (if using frozen do not thaw)
Toppings:
2 tabl brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt. In another mixing bowl, cream butter, sugar, eggs, milk and vanilla. Stir in the dry ingredients with the wet until moistened. Gently fold in either fresh or frozen blueberries. Fill lined muffin cups 2/3 full. Combine the brown sugar and ground nutmeg and sprinkle over the muffins. Bake in oven at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes. This makes 1 dozen muffins.

Shazam...I give you Salsa!

I always wanted to be one of those Wizards who could concoct the perfect salsa. It never happened. Until one day my friend Sandy shared with me her super easy recipe for it. This recipes calls for canned whole tomatoes which makes it beyond easy and before you know it...shazam, you have salsa (chips are not included).


SUPER EASY SALSA


INGREDIENTS: 
1 28oz can of whole tomatoes
1 white onion
1 bunch of cilantro
1 yellow chile
1 serrano chile
1 jalapeno chile
2 gloves of garlic (more or less to your liking)
salt to taste


Take the seeds out of the chiles and prep your onion for the food processor. I throw all the ingredients into my Ninja (which I love by the way). I use my Ninja for smoothies, salsa or just for dicing up ingredients finely. Next add in the can of tomatoes, garlic, cilantro and salt. Puree to your desired level of texture. Start slowly with garlic and salt because it is easy to add more to your liking. This is a super easy salsa - hence the name and super tasty.

Caffeine Makes Me Sparkle

SPARKLY ICED COFFEE LATTE

The Wizard LOVES her coffee. In fact, caffeine makes me sparkle. I come to life and seem to get so much done when I have indulged myself in iced coffees from Starbucks. There are two problems with this - first they really do add up not only in cost but also in calories and the second is that the Monkeys are usually always with me and two of the three beg for hot cocoa or chocolate milk and my few moments of bliss at Starbucks turns into aggravation. Can anyone relate to this? So the Wizard worked her magic in her kitchen and came up with her own version of an Iced Coffee Latte. It is definitely more cost effective - not sure about the calories though so drink occasionally.

This recipe is for 8 servings so you could easily cut it down for one serving, but why not make it and keep it in fridge for the week (practice self control).

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup instant coffee granules (I like Starbucks Via but any brand will do)
1/2 cup  boiling water
4 cups of milk (lowfat or nonfat)
several squirts of Nestle Nesquick Chocolate Syrup (squirt to your liking)
2 cups cold water
1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk
Ice cubes

In a large mug or bowl, dissolve coffee in boiling water. Stir in the cold water and condensed milk. Next add in milk and squirts of chocolate syrup. Serve over ice. Enjoy and watch yourself sparkle!

Wizardly Fantastic Oatmeal Cookies (Or, Did I Just Gain a Few Pounds?)

As a kid I always had the BEST summers. My Dad, who would never take a sick day in his life would finally take a two week vacation usually in July which would coincide with his birthday. We didn't really ever go on lavish vacations or traveled to far away places but we would always do fun things that would create lasting memories, like spend entire days at the beach or traveling in a motor home for great camping adventures. There was the time we decided to drive to the Mammoth Mountains in our station wagon and I insisted on bringing all of my cabbage patch dolls (this dates me), which of course angered the passenger next to me (my sister) because it took up so much room. There was another time when my dad and I were playing frisbee on the beach (something I still lack talent for) and my toss landed the frisbee on the head of a rather mean sun bather. She came over to us and continued to rant about how much her head hurt. And then there was Mexico, when my mom thought someone had broken into the house we were renting and took my dad's wallet. We tore the house apart looking for it only to realize she had hidden the above mentioned wallet in his shoe. She was fearing burglars the moment we arrived and had forgotten she had the need to hide his wallet, let alone put it in his shoe. Silly that these are the things you remember so many years later but they were moments in time that stood out from the rest. We were happy and for two weeks carefree.

Part of my Dad's birthday celebration would require his girls (my mom, sister and me) making him his most cherished thing in the world.....Oatmeal Cookies. They are not healthy, sugar free or low fat...but they are made with love and nothing but delicious! Since we are in the midst of summer, I of course think of my dad and the great memories he gave us and his oatmeal cookies.  So in honor of him, the Monkeys and this Wizard made a batch to enjoy all to ourselves! (I will not be stepping on the scales for several days!) Enjoy and make these for someone you love!

WIZARDLY FANTASTIC OATMEAL COOKIES
INGREDIENTS:

2 cups old fashioned oatmeal
1 cup of shortening, melted after measured (the thought of this disgusts me but the cookies are so good I overlook it)
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup milk
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1 cup raisins
(I am not sure why I did this, but I put nutmeg in the picture and it isn't an ingredient)

Melt shortening and pour over oatmeal in a large bowl. In another bowl, cream sugar, eggs, milk and vanilla together. Combine the oatmeal with the creamed sugar mixture and stir well. Add sifted dry ingredients slowly. (Truthfully, I skip this part. I don't sift for these cookies. I throw it in the bowl with oatmeal and shortening, stir and call it good) Once well combined, add nuts and raisins.

Drop by tablespoons on cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes. These are not super soft cookies - little more on the dense side but they are really good and your house will smell divine from the cloves baking in the oven. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

The Wizardly World of Arts and Crafts

PERSONALIZED PICTURE FRAMES

When you have Monkeys bored out of their minds from too much summer fun, this Wizard likes to whip out summer craft projects. The girl Monkey really enjoys it while it only moderately entertains the others. The Wizard will take what she can get. This particular project was so much fun that we decided to make them for special family gifts this year. They are really simple and easy to do. The supplies you will need:

I purchased a really cheap inexpensive frame from our local Walmart Store for only 3 bucks. This one is  8x10 and you of course could go bigger or smaller if you chose. Next you need several sheets of alphabet stickers and an assortment of scrapbooking papers.

Select your scrapbooking paper and fit it to your frame, removing any border or inserts that came with frame. I selected some puffy white stickers to add a little dimension and began in the center of the frame with the family's last name. Our first one is for my sister's birthday which is coming up in August...(Hey what's up Sista). She has a really fun blog at www.housefullofblessings.blogspot.com so check it out! From there we did the rest of the family's first names and to save space I decided to opt for Mom and Dad instead of spelling out the parents' names. Once those are in place, I chose a different color and style of sticker to blend more into the background and spelled family friendly words to fill in the empty spaces. You can purchase a metal stand from Walmart as well but it really isn't necessary because most frames have a built in stand on the back or you can even hang this on your wall.

The finished product for the Harringtons!!

I also did one for our family and decided not to use any scrapbooking paper for the background and instead just used the cardboard that came with the frame.

And here is a fun little fact to throw in for all my millions of blog readers...I just realized that our Dog OTTO is    oddly enough TOTO! He made it onto the frame even though he is in trouble for chewing up another pair of shoes. I digress.

So the kids were excited to make one for their grandma. The center says Grandma (surprise) and then around that are her seven grandkids' names. She will love it.

Also, you don't have to just  personalized them. Here is another fun idea....make one for the holidays with holiday specific wording. Stay tuned for more ideas on these wizardly frames!!!

The Wizard's Magical Use For Tomatoes #1

Don't you just love it when your summer garden is overflowing with big beautiful ripe tomatoes? Of course, if you are like this Wizard, it is both a blessing and curse. I hate wasting anything that grows out of my garden and there are only so many bags of tomatoes you can hand off to your family and friends. This also requires creativity on serving these items to your family. Sure, there are tomatoes in our omelets, on our sandwiches and burgers, in  our sauces etc. The Monkeys are less than thrilled now to pick a red juicy tomato which once brought them shrieks of joy as they watched them grow. Well one way I kind of got them excited to eat a tomato again was making a Tomato and Mozzarella Salad. To jazz things up a bit I threw in basil (if you have kids I hope you can relate that most things green come with great resentment on the part of the child so the basil was left of their salad). To make it even better I added my Wizardly Apple Cider Vinegar Dressing to it and shazam...everyone was eating tomatoes again without complaining! It was magical...but that is what I do since I am a Wizard after all.

TOMATO AND MOZZARELLA SALAD WITH APPLE CIDER VINEGAR DRESSING

This is really so easy and simple to make but the addition of cheese with the tomatoes seemed to do the trick to get the Monkeys interested in eating tomatoes again.

INGREDIENTS:
1-2 large beefsteak tomatoes (really any type of tomato would do)
Fresh Mozzarella Cheese
Fresh Basil
Salt and Pepper to taste
Wizardly Apple Cider Vinegar Dressing (recipe below)

Slice the tomatoes and cheese. Tear the fresh basil off of the stems and layer all three on a serving plate. Season with salt and fresh ground pepper. Next drizzle Apple Cider Vinegar Dressing over the top and you instantly have yourself a delicious salad to go with any meal!

WIZARDLY APPLE CIDER VINEGAR DRESSING

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup Olive Oil (I use Extra-Virgin)

1 cup Raw Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar (I use Bragg Organic)

2 Tbsp Honey

1/2 tsp Dried Parsley

2 tsp Garlic Powder

2 Tbsp Water

Pinch of Pepper

1/2 tsp of salt (I use sea salt)

Once again I turn to my canning jars for my dressings. To make this potion I throw it all in the jar, replace the lid and shake shake shake. That's it. Very simple. Now I know you should probably take the time to emulsify the dressing to reduce separation between oil and vinegar, however this Wizard is usually chasing an almost one year old around the house so where I can take short cuts, I do! It keeps in the fridge beautifully and each time we go to use it, I simply shake.

The Wizard's Magic Potion WIZARDLY APPLE CIDER VINEGAR DRESSING

This particular potion really does contain magical ingredients, although I have to admit most do not come from the Wizard but from their own special components. Raw Apple Cider Vinegar is suppose to have a slew of benefits for you and has been used for centuries and believed to have cured all sorts of aliments. Olive Oil, another ingredient in this dressing is believed to be "heart healthy" and in its natural, uncooked form in this recipe. This is not a favorite of the Monkeys. They tolerate it..will eat it on salads but it is certainly not requested as Ranch Dressing is. However, the adults of the house really enjoy this and it is very versatile. Try it, I think you will really enjoy an all natural, good for you dressing!!!

WIZARDLY APPLE CIDER VINEGAR DRESSING

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup Olive Oil (I use Extra-Virgin)
1 cup Raw Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar (I use Bragg Organic)
2 Tbsp Honey
1/2 tsp Dried Parsley
2 tsp Garlic Powder
2 Tbsp Water
Pinch of Pepper
1/2 tsp of salt (I use sea salt)

Once again I turn to my canning jars for my dressings. To make this potion I throw it all in the jar, replace the lid and shake shake shake. That's it. Very simple. Now I know you should probably take the time to emulsify the dressing to reduce separation between oil and vinegar, however this Wizard is usually chasing an almost one year old around the house so where I can take short cuts, I do! It keeps in the fridge beautifully and each time we go to use it, I simply shake.

 This is the Apple Cider Vinegar that I love to use! Bragg has a really neat website and you can checkout their products at www.bragg.com

The Wizard's Magic Potion WIZARDLY RANCH DRESSING

Being a Wizard is a full time job. Part of the job responsibilities of this particular Wizard is feeding the Winged Monkeys three times a day, including snacks and beverages. I have already introduced you to the King of the Winged Monkeys and he is very particular about what he eats. Due to his leadership role, if he boycotts a particular food it typically leaves a negative impression on the other Monkeys and before you know it, none of them are eating the prepared food item before them. One way the Wizard has learned how to magically make some, not all, but some of the foods more appealing to the King, is by making one of my Magic Potions also known as Ranch Dressing. This magical potion has such strong properties that it will make even the pickiest Monkey eat vegetables and meats that otherwise would have been tossed aside. I am sharing with you the recipe here, that is in my opinion, so much healthier for you than store bought Ranch Dressings. You control the fat content and no preservatives and no yucky msg. I like to make it in a large canning jar and just shake it all together and the best part is that it is good for up to two weeks in the refrigerator...oh and don't forget that the money you save from making it yourself leaves extra spending money for the Wizard to purchase other necessities, like eye of newt and toe of frogs..you get the idea.

WIZARDLY RANCH DRESSING
makes about 3/4 cup and only a few minutes of prep time. Use organic ingredients when you can.

1/3 cup mayo (I use nonfat)
1/4 cup low-fat sour cream
1/3 cup milk (again you control the fat so either nonfat, lowfat etc)
1 tablespoon of white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon canola oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dill

I would let it sit in fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving. As stated it is good for up to two weeks. Another little tip from this Wizard is don't just grab your spices/dried herbs needed for this recipe from the baking isle. Many of those shelved there are very expensive. Instead check out the bulk isle. My grocery store has some by the frozen food isle. I purchase It's Delish brand for my potions and you can get a large 1oz container for a fraction of the cost. It may sound silly but I feel good about making my own dressings for the Monkeys and any way I can limit their exposure to chemicals/preservatives I will.

The Winged Monkeys

That's right, I think I am a Wizard. Not just any Wizard. The Great Wizard. Perhaps you are doubting my wizardly skills. That's okay. I know what I am, for only a Wizard with wizardly skills as mine, could make magic happen day after day with no nanny, no housekeeper, no accountant, no chef, no personal assistant etc. I battle the dangerous cyclone produced by the Winged Monkeys daily and on most days find myself, although tired, victorious. This summer we began reading the classic The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L.Frank Baum and if you and your kids haven't read it, we recommend it. As we read chapter by chapter, page by page, I realized how much I really had in common with the Great Wizard and my children unfortunately (for me that is) with the Winged Monkeys. You see, the Winged Monkeys are 'full of mischief... they are careless and happy and full of fun'. The King of The Winged Monkeys, is not the oldest in years of the three, but by far the most defiant and rambunctious. His name is Colby and is nearly five. He is their leader. The other two Monkeys are Gracie who is six and Ethan who is nearing his first birthday. It is an indisputable fact, my husband and I are out numbered. Trying to control the chaos produced by the Winged Monkeys does prove to be challenging and that is how my powerful sorcery and magic were born - out of necessity for survival. I will try to share with you the secrets of my magic, the potions I create and the spells that I cast in hopes that it might help you find your way 'From the Land of Oz' to home again.