Tortilla Brunch

It was a late Sunday morning...it was too late to make a belly filling full breakfast, but it was too early for a light lunch of sandwiches. Thank goodness for the concept of BRUNCH!!! Combine the two... so, I did. Here it is...makes 4 of them, with a couple of small portions of leftovers.

Ingredients

• 1/2 lbs. ground Italian sausage
• 2 hash brown patties
• 2 eggs
• 2 TBSP milk
• 4 six inch tortillas
• Shredded cheese
• Italian herbs

Directions

1. Preheat the toaster over to 425 F and then place the hash brown patties in for 15 minutes
2. While they bake, brown the Italian sausage over medium heat
3. Whisk the eggs with the milk and Italian herbs in a bowl, and pour into a small skillet. Cook over a medium heat
4. Flip the hash brown patties and return to toaster over for 10 minutes
5. Flip the eggs when needed
6. When all are done cooking, split the hash brown patties in half lengthwise and split the eggs into 4 strips
7. On a 6" tortilla, place one strip of potatoes, one strip of the eggs, cover with a few pinches of shredded cheese, add several tablespoons of browned sausage on top
8. Fold up the bottom and then each side of the tortilla
9. ENJOY!!!

Suggestions

• Top the fillings with whatever sauces (Tabasco, ketchup, mustard, etc) with what you like
• Use larger tortillas by adding more of the fillings, but that means you need to make more because the above would only make 2 tortilla brunch meals
• Serve with a side of fruit and milk (for kids) and/or coffee or tea for adults
• Use the Muggle Eggs recipe to cut down on the time to make the egg mixture

  

  Muggle Eggs

Screw Head Alignment

When I started my apprenticeship to a master carpenter, one of the things that he was adamant about was the "proper" alignment of the heads of the screws that hold the light switch and outlet cover plates. I was instructed 30 years ago, that the screwdriver slot should ALWAYS be aligned vertically because a switch goes up and down and the openings of the outlet go up and down, the screw needs to match. I've always and still align them that way. I've even been in arguments with electricians that (incorrectly, IMHO) finish with them in a HORIZONTAL or even diagonal alignment. Makes me gasp every time I see them "incorrectly aligned."

Maybe I'm being a little "odd" about it, but that is what I was always expected to do when replacing the cover plates. Let me know by commenting below which way YOU feel they should go:

A) Vertical
B) Horizontal
C) Diagonal
D) None of the above, I don't really CARE

ZAP!!! Saving Electricity

As mentioned in Save the Earth vs. Utility Bill Reduction, this is about ways to reduce electric usage. Reducing usage benefits the environment because the power plant can cut back on generating it so they don't deplete the coal, oil, or natural gas they use. Fortunately other ways are being used more with renewable sources like wind turbines, solar panels, and water wheels. Another benefit means more $$$ stays in your wallet. The key items that use electricity in a house fall into one of three categories: lighting, climate control, and appliances. What small things in each category would help reduce usage and save some $$$?

Lighting

Image(s): FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I learned a lot of common sense things from grandparents that lived through the Depression. I often heard "turn off the lights when you leave the room, don't turn one on just to walk through a room, use a nightlight in the hall at night instead of turning on the overhead, hit the switch off and open the drapes." All of them are great ways to start diminishing usage of lights. A few more suggestions:

• Use natural sunlight as much as possible by opening the blinds or drapes in the most used areas.
• In large rooms, use a focused lamp for any work or reading instead of using an overhead. A floor or table lamp uses one light bulb while overheads typically use several.
• Switch from incandescent to compact fluorescent lamps or LEDs. More detailed info is available on the CFL vs Incandescent entry.

Climate Control

The Save the Earth vs. Utility Bill Reduction entry already mentions that the largest energy drain is due to heating and cooling. It also explains that changing your air filters, installing a programmable thermostat, and closing vents in unused rooms can help reduce energy use. An air conditioner makes sense for how it draws electricity, but "I have a gas furnace." Guess what? It uses electricity too. Keep in mind the furnace recommendations on the Thermostat Settings. The point is to turn the furnace down to save energy and $$$, and put on a layer of clothing.

The more you set back, the more you save

Set back	8 hours per day	16 hours per day	24 hours per day
5°	5%	10%	15%
7°	7%	14%	21%
11°	11%	22%	33%
13°	13%	26%	39%

A key understanding about staying cool, is that air circulation creates the feeling of staying cool without requiring a lot of energy to do it. Ceiling and floor fans consume far less electricity than an air conditioner. Estimates show that the average ceiling fan uses 90% less electricity than the A/C unit. So does opening windows and creating a cross-draft of air through the living space. The Thermostat Settings entry recommends temperature settings for both the furnace and the air conditioner. To save even more electricity, if you are going out, turn off the fans. They don't truly change the temperature of the room, the air moving across your body makes you feel cooler. Leaving them on while you are gone is a waste of electricity. 

Appliances

Appliances account for nearly 20% of electricity bills. Many appliances (stereos, DVD/VCRs, computers, toasters, lamps) draw a trace of electricity even when not in use or are turned "off." Unplug any appliances and electronics that are not being used to more significantly reduce electricity usage. If you are going to be gone for a while, unplug the microwave, coffee maker, radios, etc. until you get back. Sure, it isn't a ton, but if you have several unused items plugged in, it adds up.

In the kitchen, consider how much you are going to cook and the "tool" that you will use. There is a large difference between cooking a small dish on/in the stove, using a crock pot or slow cooker, and even a toaster oven for small pizzas or casseroles. See the Toaster Oven vs. Crock Pot vs. Stove entry for more detail. Baking in the stove during the summer means that your kitchen will heat up causing your air conditioner to run more.
 

Computers are also in this category. Turning on and off a computer takes less energy than when it is left running for a long time. Most new computers and hardware have energy-saving settings to automatically turn off if they have not been used for a certain period. Computers should be turned off if they aren't used for more than 2 hours, including overnight. A lot of people use laptops on battery supply only, and they go into sleep/standby mode. But guess what? You will eventually have to plug them in to charge, so they really don't "reduce" electricity usage.

In summary, the majority of the things we have in our homes depend on electricity (even the natural gas furnace and hot water heater). By saving every little bit, it adds up to a lot of energy savings and keeps more in your wallet. Some other minor suggestions are:

• Use an insulating blanket around the hot water heater
• Install foam insulation tubes around exposed water lines
• Keep the refrigerator coils clean. Build up of dirt/dust prevents them from working efficiently
• Buy EnergyStar products
• Change the air filters for the furnace and air conditioner
• Unplug what isn't used or won't be used for a while 

It isn't easy, trust me. But if you tackle only a few things per month, it will make noticeable changes. But my main point is that it all adds up in the end, look at the big picture about saving the planet for the future for the kids, and keeping a little in the pocket for you.

Birdcage Liners Have Changed

As I sat here this morning booting up my laptop and HP Tablet, it struck me that times have changed. I'm just glad I've kept up with things, because I've changed too...maybe I'm just getting old... Naw, just learning new ways to keep in touch with the world.

I guess part of it is because I'm old enough to remember one of my first jobs, which was to hand-fold and hand deliver the Pittsburgh Press to my neighbors at the front door. Then once a month, ring the bell and ask them to pay me. I made sure to carry a box of dog treats in my heavy canvas bag so I could make doggy friends all over the neighborhood (and not get bit). Now remember, that was in the 80s so we didn't have iPods or MP3 players yet, but I wore out a LOT of cassette tapes in my Sony Walkman...

Now we fast forward to the early 2000s and a few of the changes I've noticed. Daily newspapers are delivered by adults in cars and put into the mailbox or the newspaper box out by the curb. My weekly free local newspaper is actually delivered by the US Post Office person in my mailbox with the junk mail and bills. Nobody rings a doorbell to collect, they send you a bill and you can pay it online. That must really cut down on the tips and Christmas bonuses that carriers get.

We have to jump to the next chapter of the Blu-Ray to bring us to today. My observation today was that I boot up my laptop and Firefox browser so my email, blog, and Facebook tabs open. I boot up the HP Tablet because my RSS Reader tab is there. All of them are prompting me for my ID and password, so I dutifully enter them so I can get access to my "news." I use the laptop to respond to the 5 email accounts, and "occasionally" log into Facebook. I use the HP Tablet to monitor my 15 subscriptions in Google Reader for my news. I use the tablet because I can walk around with it, sit on the porcelain throne with it, sit on the patio in front of a fire, and walk the dog with it. That is how I get news.

By using the Google Reader, it allows me to subscribe to news channels from all around the world and have one place to check for all of the blog entries that are made. It is efficient and allows me to see "at a glance" what is going on everywhere on Earth. While I strongly encourage you to learn about Reader and RSS subscriptions because it is more efficient, just keep in mind that you'll lose your newspaper.

Pepperoni Dot Casserole

The following is my most recent modification of the Polka Dot Macaroni & Cheese Casserole recipe. Why? Because I used my grandmother's advice to "use a recipe as a guideline, and raid your pantry & fridge to find out what you have to use." The ingredients are what I had available, and I have to say that it is was very yummy. I've also given you a list of my other recipes & suggestions based on this.

Pepperoni Dot Cheese Casserole (original)

• 1 cup dry macaroni
• 1 can of light kidney beans (drained & rinsed)
• 11 oz condensed cream of chicken soup (1 can)
• 24 slices of pepperoni
• 3 slices of cheese (Muenster because that is what I "had")

1. Heat toaster oven to 375 F
2. Macaroni cooks for 8-10 minutes, for last 5 mins, add the drained/rinsed beans to same pot
3. Drain the macaroni & beans, pour the soup into the pot you used
4. Add macaroni/bean mixture to pot & mix well using a slotted spatula
5. Pour mixture into an 8x6x2 greased casserole dish
6. Bake for 15 mins in toaster oven
7. Place pepperoni (stacked in 2s) like below
8. Place the cheese slices over that like below
9. Bake 10 mins or until mixture is hot and bubbly like below

Stacked pepperoni stacks

Cheese layer

Finished dish

Serves 4-6, depending on how you cut it. Serve it with a tossed salad, some fruit, and a beverage.

Other Recipe Modifications

• Polka Dot Macaroni & Cheese (original recipe)
• Mish-Mash Casserole
• Homemade "Hamburger Helper" Casserole
• Homemade "Chicken Helper" Casserole
• Ditto Casserole (with hot dogs)

Suggestions

✔ I recommend using the toaster oven because it helps cut utility costs (click HERE to read it)
✔ I suggest using the slotted spatula to stir the pasta and mixing them because it is one less item you have to wash, since you'll use it to cut the casserole when done.
✔ I mention using the stock pot for cooking the pasta, heating up the beans a little, and mixing in the soup because that reduces the number of pots & bowls that you have to wash, reduces the amount of electricity or gas to fire the stove, and makes things easy peasy.

McChops

McChops

One of the benefits of creating your own dinner recipe is that you get to name it whatever you want. In the honor of St. Patrick's day and the fact that I am 3/4 Irish, I've called it McChops. Yeah, it is more Italian in flavor for the herbs, and based on the ingredients that are more of a true Irish holiday meat, but sometimes it IS all about me...and I tend to blend flavors together so I can enjoy life on MY terms...

Ingredients

• 3 slices thick bacon
• 3 thick cut boneless pork chops
• 8 oz tomato sauce
• Italian herb & Old Bay Seasoning mix

Instructions

1. Preheat the toaster oven to 400 F
2. Cook the bacon in a skillet until it is cooked but flexible
3. Mix the Italian herb mix & Old Bay Seasoning with the tomato sauce
4. Put a couple of tablespoons of the tomato mix into a small casserole dish and spread it around (to prevent sticking of the chops)
5. Place the 3 chops in the casserole dish
6. Fold the cooked bacon in half, and lay 1 on top of each of the chop
7. Pour the tomato sauce over the chops
8. Cook for 1 hour (or so, check with an instant thermometer to see if it is done)

Crock Pot Italian Chicken Breasts

My crock pot

Yes, I raided the pantry again, to throw something in the crock pot that would be done when I got back from practice at 10:30 tonight and wouldn't really be in the mood to cook or stop at a fast food joint. So, here it is.

Ingredients:

• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (totaling 1.5 lbs)
• 1 can of Italian spiced stewed tomatoes (undrained)
• 1 8z can of tomato sauce
• 2 tsp mixed Italian Herb seasoning

Directions:

1. Place the chicken breasts in a crock pot
2. Pour the stewed tomatoes & tomato sauce over them
3. Sprinkle the seasoning over them
4. Set on the LOW setting for 4-5 hours

Tortilla Image via Wikipedia

Serving Suggestions:

• Serve whole chicken breasts over a bed of rice or pasta
• Use 2 forks & shred chicken for a sandwich
• Italian bread is a good start
• Toasted Texas Toast is another good idea
• Add some lettuce and roll it in a tortilla
• Use shredded chicken as a topping for a medium or large sized salad
• If you use any of the ideas above, make sure to add some shredded cheese into the meal
• Whatever sauce is left in the crock pot after you have served dinner, save it for use tomorrow...

Cooking Oils

Image via Wikipedia

If you follow this blog, you will notice that I have made several entries about cooking and recipes (click to view them). But, it was to my dismay a few months ago, when my 2 decade old large cast iron skillet cracked and I had to get rid of it. I went out and replaced it with another one, and have begun again to properly season it. I had the first one just about "PERFECT" because my grandma taught me how to season cast iron skillets.

This entry is about doing some research about the oils used to cook or to season a cast iron skillet (or Dutch oven).  My grandma always instructed me to use peanut oil to season the cast iron before using it, and to apply a light layer to it after I had used, cleaned and was bout to store it, to keep it seasoned. She instructed me to keep olive oil and vegetable oil handy for use when cooking. Because I had to start the seasoning process with my new skillet, I got to thinking about how different cooking oils actually are. I found out a LOT about them...

To start with, I've always only used peanut oil to season my cast iron, never to cook in. I use olive oil for light frying or browning meat, and I use vegetable oil for heavier frying in a skillet or a touch of it in the wok. Oh, but when I make fried or scrambled eggs, I only use Olivio spread because it is butter made out of olive oil, so it combines two of my favorite things. I have only done that, because that is what grandma told me to do. But in looking at some data about oils, I might change my perspective about what I use.

Image via Wikipedia

The reason grandma always told me to use peanut oil to season my cast iron, is because as best summarized in what is shared by Wikipedia shares about Peanut Oil:

Peanut oil, also known as groundnut oil, is a mild tasting vegetable oil derived from peanuts.

Peanut oil is a common oil for frying foods, due to the high smoke point. The oil is used at Five Guys to cook their french fries.^[4] Chick-Fil-A also uses peanut oil, for frying chicken.^[5]

Using a mild tasting oil with a high smoke point means that "extra flavors" will not be added into what I'm cooking, but also it takes higher temps to get it to start smoking. Smoke point is the temperature that the oil reaches, before it starts to break down and emit a slight bluish smoke from your skillet or pot. And what causes that darn smoke detector to go off (how to silence that smoke detector when cooking is another blog entry). Now, back to the oil.

A chart borrowed from Wikipedia explains Smoke Point very well. I am going to restrict it to only include the oils I use. Soybean oil is predominately used to make what is labeled as "vegetable oil" (yeah, go read your label on your vegetable oil bottle).

Olive oil	Virgin	391°F	199°C[6]
Peanut oil	Refined	450°F	232°C[1]
Soybean oil	Semirefined	350°F	177°C

So, it made a lot more sense to me what grandma was always saying, what happened in the kitchen when she used different oils. Seasoning the skillet with peanut oil means that there isn't any transfer of flavor to what you are cooking, but it is requires a higher temperature to smoke than any of the other oils you might use when cooking.

Okay, one more point that needs to be explained here, is "what temperature on the stove knob should I use when cooking with oils?" Some more research online, and some physical testing with some oil and thermometers are based on MY electric stove knobs, that have the 10 settings shown at right. Gas stoves might be slightly different. To keep in mind, is that electric stove top burners are designed to heat between 200°F and 500°F. To calculate the settings for YOUR stove, remember that there are 300 degrees between 200 and 500. Count the number of marks you have on your knob, subtract 1, and divide 300 by that number. That will tell you how many degrees exist between the steps. Start with 200 on the LOW and calculate up from there. Since I have 10 settings on my knob, I subtract 1 to get 9 steps, and divide 300 by 9. So, starting at LOW on my knob as 200°F, I step up approximately 34 degrees (but I round to 35 just to keep the math easy in my mind), the following is an indicator about what the settings are on MY stove. I did the Celsius conversions for my chart by using this formula (°F - 32) x ⁵/₉ = °C (rounded to the nearest whole number).

LOW	200°F	93°C
SIMMER	235°F	113°C
2	270°F	132°C
3	305°F	152°C
4	340°F	171°C
MEDIUM	375°F	191°C
6	410°F	210°C
7	445°F	229°C
8	480°F	249°C
HIGH	500°F	260°C

Now, remember, they are APPROXIMATE. These are the kinds of things that you keep in your mind as mental references, they are NOT specific to your kitchen. Only YOU can figure out what your settings are by using oil in a pot, with a thermometer and writing the degrees next to your knob. Yes, you can also put your knob midway between two settings, but you'll have to figure out the approximate temp on your own (mine are approximately 17 degrees by doing that).

SO, WTF does that have to do with oil? Ummmm.... in case you didn't figure it out yet, look at the smoke point of each oil, and the setting of the knob that falls just short of making your skillet or pot smoke. While it is tempting to heat up that skillet fast, using too high of a temperature will set off your smoke alarm...trust me...I know what I am talking about, which is why I did this research. Keep the knob setting where it needs to be based on the oil that you are using, and slowly heat up the skillet for better success at cooking. If you need it fast, use an oil with a HIGHER smoke point or simply use the microwave.

I'm not going to go into the nutritional factors in comparing those oils, that may be ANOTHER blog entry (become a follower to be notified when it appears). But, as I mentioned earlier, I am reconsidering what oils I use for what. I will always use the peanut oil to season my skillets, but I might switch over to using it to cook in because of the smoke point and the nutritional factors that make it appealing. The only reason why I use vegetable/soybean oil is because it is cheaper. So, I guess it has it's own place in the kitchen, I just will buy smaller sizes of bottles of it.

Good luck...and happy skilletting...cook on...

Ditto Casserole

I called it Ditto Casserole, because it was due to combining some other casserole recipes on my blog, all into one. But, I would have to say that this was the most tasty one yet. I probably "over wrote" the instructions, but it is easier than it reads...

Ingredients:

• 1 15oz. black beans
• 1 cup elbow macaroni pasta
• 1 can salt-free tomato sauce
• Old Bay Seasoning to taste
• 2 hot dogs
• 1 1/2 cups shredded taco mix cheese

 Directions:

1. Simmer the beans (undrained) while you boil the water for the pasta
2. Prepare the elbow macaroni pasta according to the package instructions
3. While that is going on, chop up the 2 hot dogs (cut in half lengthwise twice, then chop)
4. Preheat the toaster oven to 400 F
5. When the pasta is done, rinse and drain
6. Pour the tomato sauce into the 2 quart saucepan from the pasta
7. Return the pasta to that pot, and drain/rinse the beans & return that to the pasta pan
8. Stir well, sprinkling Old Bay (or the spice of your choice) over it while stirring
9. Add chopped hot dogs, and stir well again, adding more spices/herbs
10. Pour into an 8x6x2 oiled casserole dish, and bake in the toaster oven for 15 minutes
11. Spread the cheese on top of that baked casserole & return it to the toaster oven for 10 mins

Serve with a side of vegetables, a salad, and a desert... enjoy... serves 4-6 depending on how you cut it...

Thermostat Settings

Being single and living in an apartment can sure change your perspective about the thermostat, furnace, air conditioner, and utility costs. Doing some simple research showed that it can help reduce my utility costs if I utilize the thermostat properly. And now I'm going to share my findings with you. Unfortunately, I'm in an apartment and they won't let me install a programmable one, so I have to push the buttons myself.

One of the best sites I found regarding this was at the Madison Gas and Electric site. Being based in Madison, Wisconsin, I feel that they do have a good background in understanding heating during the winter. Go to their site to read a little more about "why" setting your thermostat back is good and what some of the myths are about doing it. A lot of other sites I researched said the same thing as theirs, but theirs was the easiest to read. I'm going to share the two important pieces of their site here:

The more you set back, the more you save

Set back	8 hours per day	16 hours per day	24 hours per day
5°	5%	10%	15%
7°	7%	14%	21%
11°	11%	22%	33%
13°	13%	26%	39%

Check with your doctor if you have a medical condition that requires different temperatures. If you have had problems with pipes freezing during extremely cold weather, correct the problem before setting back.

Recommended thermostat settings

	Winter	Summer
When you're home:	68°*	78°
When you're not at home:	55°*	85°
When you're sleeping:	55°*	78°

*Or as low as health permits. Check the owner's manual if turning down the temperature for more than 24 hours.

From Orvis

Since it is winter time where I am, I have set my thermostat to 60 F, last year I had it set at 64 F. I've compared my gas and electric bills, and they are 14% less this year than last. Yes, it means that I have to put on a sweatshirt or flannel shirt and throw an extra blanket on the bed, but it is definitely helping the bank account. I'm going to add to the mix of lowering the thermostat to 55 at night, and see what happens. Guess I have to get my Union suit pajamas out again.

Dozer dozing...

Last summer I set my thermostat at 74 F, but I think I'll set it up to 78 F next summer and see how that affects my bills. I'd set it higher when I am not home, but I do have Dozer here with me, so I'll be kind to him by keeping it lower.


Saving cents makes sense...and means more coffee at Dunkin Donuts...

Toaster Oven vs. Crock Pot vs. Stove

Being single and living in an apartment can sure change your perspective about appliances. At first it was because I am only cooking for 1, but doing some simple research showed that it can help reduce my utility costs. And now I'm going to share my findings with you.

A lot of my entries have been about cooking and that I typically use a crock pot or the toaster oven instead of the full stove/oven. Part of the reason I started using them was because it kept my apartment cooler during the summer months, and by not using the stove meant my air conditioner would run less. But in doing some more research, I found the information on the Consumer Energy Center site. This confirmed to me that even the cost of cooking was reduced by using a crock pot or toaster oven, but also contributed to my air conditioner running less, so even more savings were achieved. I occasionally use a microwave oven (thank you Elektra Q-Tion for giving it to me). Unfortunately, my apartment doesn't have a gas stove/oven, it is electric. I wish I had my old gas stove still.

Cost of Cooking

This table from the Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings compares the cost of cooking a casserole in several ways. It assumes the cost of gas is $.60 a therm, and electricity is $.08 a kWh.

Appliance	Temperature	Time	Energy	Cost
Electric Oven	350	1 hour	2.0 kWh	$.16
Electric Convection Oven	325	45 minutes	1.39 kWh	$.11
Gas Oven	350	1 hour	.112 therm	$.07
Electric Frying Pan	420	1 hour	.9 kWh	$.07
Toaster Oven	425	50 minutes	.95 kWh	$.08
Electric Crockpot	200	7 hour	.7 kWh	$.06
Microwave Oven	"High"	15 minutes	.36 kWh	$.03

So, my point is that you should consider using the crock pot and toaster oven more during the summer to keep your place cooler, use less energy, and save yourself a little bit each time you do. Add up the cents you saved, and that means you can stop at Dunkin Donuts for a cup of coffee... saving cents makes sense, IMHO.