Comparison of Lifestyle

Just thought I would summarize a lot of research I've done for this blog (some entries haven't been made yet, they are in draft). You pick which lifestyle you have, and maybe you can get some advice from the ramblings of my mind...and the research I've turned up.

I've decided that there are 3 basic types of lifestyles out there and I'm going to share MY perspectives about them. Again, these are MY perspectives, so don't waste time telling me that I'm wrong just because YOUR perspective may be a little different from mine. Know also, that I am a bit of each of these, depending on my mood that particular day, the experience I am having, and what amount of time I have to expend.

• Efficient - defined on Dictionary.com as "performing or functioning in the best possible manner with the least waste of time and effort." My perspective: very busy people (work, school, family, hobbies, etc), that strive to be efficient in experiencing life by simply purchasing objects or hiring others to do the personal projects because they don't have a lot of time or experience.
• DIY - My perspective is that they too are busy people, but strive to experience life by using some of their time & skills as a hobby to save money to create what they want, and will solicit friends to assist if needed on a personal project.
• Hippie - My perspective is that they stay busy by floating through life by finding ways to recycle things they use, collect, and obtain; which is inspired by the things that sift through their minds, how they can use them, give life to something, is a "green way" to live, and yet also reduces the costs of their out-of-pocket costs.

So, what am I "really" getting at in this entry. I had to explain some things, so you can understand the table below, where I share a topic and then compare how each of the 3 will deal with it, IMHO. If the entry is a link, it is to an entry on my blog about it. Yeah, I've lived through this...

Topic	Efficient	DIY	Hippie
Colored flames in the fireplace	Duraflame Colorlog	DIY Colored Pinecones	Newspaper Logs & Colored Pinecones
Reduce costs due to cooking	Eat out more!!!	Use a Toaster Oven & Crock Pot vs. a Full Oven	Hobo Pies in the backyard, Newspaper Logs & Collected Firewood
Driving	Limo!!!	Carpool & work local	Walk, ride bike, or work at home
Stay warm in winter	Fire up the furnace!!!	Set thermostat to the recommended settings & layer up a little	Set thermostat to the recommended settings, layer up a little, find a Snuggle Buddy
Stay cool in summer	Warp drive on the A/C all the time!!!	Set thermostat to the recommended settings	Set thermostat to the recommended settings but what are these "pajamas" you are saying are needed?
Media Entertainment	Opera	Movie theater once in a while, Netflix, video store	DVD from the library, read a book, swap movies with friends, look at the stars...
Saving water in the toilet	I use the newest toilet at 1.6 gpf	Install a Dual Flush Kit or use an 1/2 gallon milk carton	"If it's yellow, let it mellow... If it's brown, flush it down..."
Furniture	Arhaus, they deliver & set it up	IKEA, I'll put it together myself	Dumpster Diving!!!
Popcorn	Commercial brand & at the theater	Air popper	Kernels in a brown bag, and I can recycle the bag after.

Home Fries

Had a couple of potatoes in the pantry, so I decided to make home fries. Since it was just me for dinner, I only used 1 potato. Basically figure on 1 medium potato per serving.

Ingredients

1 medium potato (scrubbed)
Italian mixed spices
Garlic pepper
Black pepper
Butter

Directions

1. Pre-heat toaster oven to 400° F / 205° C
2. Poke the scrubbed potato a few times with a fork and wrap in foil
3. Bake in the toaster oven about 1 hour then put in the fridge to cool (about an hour)
4. Melt butter in a skillet over medium setting
5. Remove the foil, cut the potato lengthwise in half, then slice to 1/4" thickness
6. When butter is melted, spread the slices in a single layer in the skillet
7. Every few minutes, stir/flip the slices, add more butter if it is needed
8. Once they start to yellow & brown, sprinkle the spices on them, keep flipping
9. When they are the way you want them, serve

Thoughts

☮ For home fries for breakfast, bake the potato the night before & cool overnight in the fridge
☮ Use a medium setting with the skillet, otherwise you might set off the smoke alarm
☮ Keep an eye while they are cooking, they can cook fast & burn easy
☮ You can fit 3-4 medium potatoes in a toaster oven, so it keeps the house/apartment cooler
☮ To cut down the cooking time, use the microwave to bake your tater
☮  You can cube them instead of slicing

Sunday Brunch

Being a Sunday, and not much going on, I decided to make myself a brunch. I found the Sausage Egg Bake recipe from AllRecipes.com to base it on, had the ingredients in the fridge, so I decided to make it. I'm sharing the recipe here on my blog so you don't have to click on yet another link just to get to it. Yes, I took the original recipe and recalculated it so I could make it in the toaster oven. That is what is nice about All Recipes, that you can re-calculate the ingredients to fit the number of people that will be enjoying it. I modified the recipe a little to make it more Italian, and my notes appear in purple.

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound bulk Italian sausage (used Bob Evans Original Flavor)
• 1 can condensed cream of potato soup, undiluted (used cream of mushroom)
• 4-1/2 eggs (used 5)
• 1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons milk (used water instead, makes it fluffier)
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (used a Mexican/Taco blend)
• Sprinkle of Italian blend herbs
• 1/4 tsp Tabasco

Directions

1. In a (cast iron) skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in soup. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, milk and pepper; stir in sausage mixture.
2. Transfer to a lightly greased 11-in. x 7-in. x 2-in. baking dish (used a 7 x 8.5" dish). Sprinkle with cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees F for 40-45 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

 

City Chicken

My grandmother shared with me, a recipe for "city chicken." It is called that because back in the 1920s and through the Depression, pork was less expensive than true chicken. You just made the pork LOOK like a drumstick. For only the second time, I'm am going to share a family recipe. Regardless, it is all about the flavor and inexpensively filling your belly... plus, is fun to eat

Ingredients:

• 1 lbs boneless pork (1 1/2-inch cubes)
• 6 skewers (about 4" in length)
• Salt, pepper and desired herbs
• 2 eggs
• 2 TBSP milk
• 1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
• 1 1/2 cup water for a broiling pan (both parts needed)
• 1 cup oil for frying in a medium sized cast iron skillet

Directions:

1. Thread 3 pieces of pork on a skewer. 
2. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and herbs.
3. Whisk eggs and milk in a bowl. 
4. Put the seasoned bread crumbs in another bowl. 
5. Pour water into the bottom part of a broil pan.
6. Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C). 
7. Heat oil in the skillet on MED to 350 F (175 C).
8. Dip each skewer in the egg, and coat with the crumbs.
9. Dip the skewers a second time in egg mixture and crumbs.
10. Place in the skillet, and brown, about 3 minutes per side. Only flip once.
11. Place on the top of the broiling pan when done.
12. Cover tightly with aluminum foil.
13.  Bake until hot and no longer pink in the center, about 20 minutes. 
14. Remove foil, and bake 10 minutes more. 

Comments:

• Serves 2, if served with a salad, veggie, and cup of fruit. 3 drumsticks each (I ate one before taking the pic).
• If you didn't notice, yes, it can be made in the toaster oven too.

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

WTF Casserole

One of the very few recipes that I got from grandma while growing up. The rest of them are still imprinted on my memory. But, as a father, why not share something with the world that the kiddos are likely to eat? A casserole that combines macaroni & cheese with hot dogs. I'm typing online what has only ever been scribbled down on the back of an envelope. Enjoy.

Ingredients

Prior to baking

• 1 to 1.5 cups macaroni pasta, cooked and drained
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 12 oz. condensed cheddar cheese soup
• 2 hot dogs (cut into penny thin slices)

Directions

1. Preheat oven or toaster oven to 375 F
2. Spread pasta in the oiled/sprayed casserole dish that fits your oven
3. Mix milk and Worcestershire sauce with the soup (a whisk is recommended)
4. Pour that over the pasta and stir together
5. Arrange hot dog slices over the top of the pasta mixture
6. Bake 25 mins or until mixture is hot and bubbly

Serve with a side of veggies and fruit, and a glass of milk... Add spices if you desire a little more flavor, but kids like it bland...

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.

A Lifetime of Using Polka Dot Casserole as a Guide

The following is a recipe from the 1970s for Polka Dot Macaroni & Cheese Casserole. By keeping a copy of this and listening to my Grandmother's advice that "recipes are a GUIDELINE and raid your pantry to use what you have," I've also given you a list of my other recipes & suggestions based on this.

Polka Dot Macaroni & Cheese Casserole (original)

• 7 oz. macaroni (cooked & drained)
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 11 oz cheddar cheese soup (1 can)
• 2 hot dogs, cut into penny thin slices

1. Heat oven to 375 F
2. Spread macaroni in oblong baking dish (10 x 16 x 1 1/2")
3. Blend milk & Worcestershire sauce with soup in a bowl
4. Pour over macaroni, stirring to mix well
5. Arrange hot dog slices on top of macaroni & cheese
6. Bake 25 mins or until mixture is hot and bubbly

Recent Recipe Modifications

• Mish-Mash Casserole
• Homemade "Hamburger Helper" Casserole
• Homemade "Chicken Helper" Casserole
• Ditto Casserole (with hot dogs)
• Pepperoni Dot Casserole 

Suggestions

✔ I recommend using the toaster oven because:

• I'm cooking for myself & the other few "dinner guests" that are here
• They still all serve 4-6, depending on how you cut it
• There are STILL leftovers
• My entry about living in an apartment but trying to cut utility costs (click HERE to read it)

✔ I use an 8x6x2 Pyres casserole dish, because it fits into my toaster oven
✔ Oil or grease the casserole dish before you pour the mixture
✔ My recipes above save cost at the grocery store because you make it more from scratch
✔ There are less "preservatives" and "additives" in my recipes than a boxed meal

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...

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.

Homemade "Chicken Helper" Casserole

I posted a recipe for Mish-Mash Casserole (thank you Elektra Q-Tion for the name) and had 1 extra chicken breast in the fridge, so I decided to make a homemade version of Chicken Helper. This is related to my post about Homemade "Hamburger Helper" Casserole. The recipe is as follows:

Ingredients:

• 1 cooked chicken breast
• 1 cup elbow macaroni
• 1 can Campbell's Condensed Creme of Chicken soup
• 1 can veggies (sweet peas, corn, or mixed), drained and rinsed.
• 4 oz. of a package of shredded cheese (your choice of flavor)
• Old Bay Seasoning (your choice of amount)
• Tortillas (see comments at the very bottom)

Directions:

1. Boil the water, and make the macaroni according to the instructions on the box.
2. If the chicken breast needs cooked, boil it for 20 minutes.
3. Preheat the toaster oven to 375 F and oil an 8x6x2 Pyrex casserole dish.
4. While draining the macaroni in a colander, pour the soup into the stockpot you used.
5. Sprinkle as much Old Bay seasoning into the soup for the taste you want.
6. Return the macaroni to the stockpot with soup.
7. Cut the chicken breast into bite sized pieces, and put it into the stockpot too.
8. Add the can of selected veggies.
9. Stir well.
10. Pour that mixture into the 8x6x2 Pyrex casserole dish and even it out.
11. Place that in the toaster oven for 20 mins.
12. Slide the dish out (using oven mitts) and cover it evenly with the shredded cheese.
13. Return it to the toaster oven, and bake for another 8 minutes.

You would have enough to serve at least 5 people with this, but that also means you have enough leftovers if it is just you. It is easy to make, and tastes great. You could use any other seasonings/herbs based on your choice, but this is AWESOME! Another suggestion is to put a few leaves of lettuce on a tortilla, scoop the mixture onto it, roll it up, and ENJOY.

Homemade "Hamburger Helper" Casserole

Image via Wikipedia

I always liked easy casserole recipes yet liked the consistency and taste of Hamburger Helper. So, in an attempt to reduce cost, scale it for myself AND better the nutrition options, I made it my hobby for a month to create a recipe that met all of those things. I have achieved that, IMHO. I'll keep it simple as an entry so you don't have to scroll too much. But, I seriously encourage you to do this.

Ingredients:

• 1 lbs. ground meat (beef or even Italian sausage)
• 1 1/2 cups elbow macaroni
• 1 can Campbell's Tomato soup
• 4 oz. of a package of shredded cheese (your choice of flavor)
• Italian seasoning

Directions:

1. Boil the water, and make the macaroni according to the instructions on the box.
2. Brown the ground meat of your choice at the same time.
3. Preheat the toaster oven to 375 F and oil an 8x6x2 Pyrex casserole dish.
4. While draining the macaroni in a colander, pour the tomato soup into the stockpot you used.
5. Sprinkle as much Italian seasoning into the soup for the taste you want.
6. Return the macaroni to the stockpot with soup.
7. Drain the browned meat, and put it into the stockpot too.
8. Stir well.
9. Pour that mixture into the 8x6x2 Pyrex casserole dish and even it out.
10. Place that in the toaster oven for 20 mins.
11. Slide the dish out (using oven mitts) and cover it evenly with the shredded cheese.



Noodles & browning

12. Return it to the toaster oven, and bake for another 8 minutes.

You would have enough to serve at least 5 people with this, but that also means you have enough leftovers if it is just you. Yeah, it is actually very awesome, and I make it at least once per week. It is easy to make, and tastes great. You could use any other seasonings/herbs based on your choice, but this is AWESOME!

Finished casserole

Mish-Mash Casserole

Raided my pantry after watching a cooking session on the local news, to see what I had and could modify to fill my belly. And got the name from a very close Companion of mine, Elektra Q-Tion. Thank you for the name suggestion, it was PERFECT for this dish.

Okay, to cut it to the bottom line for this recipe.

Ingredients:  

• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Vegetable broth bouillon cube
• 1 can (10.5 oz) Creme of Mushroom Soup
• 1/2 can (from soup) of milk
• 3 slices of Muenster cheese
• 4 hash brown patties

Directions: 

1. Boil the chicken breasts for 25 minutes in the vegetable broth, to make sure they are cooked.
2. Use an 8x6x2 Pyrex casserole dish, by oiling the inner surface to prevent sticking
3. Mix the creme of mushroom soup and milk in a bowl.
4. Preheat the toaster oven to 400 F.
5. When chicken is done boiling, cut it into bite size pieces, using a knife similar to the one in the picture at the right.
6. Place them in the casserole dish.
7. Cover with soup/milk mixture
8. Place the cheese over this.
9. Lay the hash brown patties over it.
10. Bake in the toaster oven for 15 minutes.
11. Turn patties over, and bake for another 10 minutes.
12. Enjoy!!!

Use a flat spatula or tongs to flip over the hash browns, and use the spatula to "cut them up" when you place it all on the plate. You could add a can of drained peas to the soup/milk mixture to make it more of a casserole, or serve them on the side. It is VERY filling and yummy. Add Tabasco or fresh ground black pepper to enhance the flavor.

Apartment Style Chicken Breast

Another recipe, inspired by attempting to keep them easy, cut them down for a single person (but still have some leftovers), draw on my Grandmother's cooking advice, and save some apartment utility costs.

Okay, I hit the pantry and fridge to see what I had (Grandma's advice), I gathered what I thought might work and then hit allrecipes.com for some guidance. After doing some searching, I came across the Parmesan Crusted Chicken Recipe. I looked at what I had available and decided to try some new things. The recipe that I used appears below, and then I added some suggestions to assist making it.

Ingredients 

• 4  boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup Italian blend shredded cheese
• A sprinkle of Italian bread crumbs over the top

Directions

1. Preheat the toaster over to 375 F
2. Use oil or a spray to cover the baking dish to prevent sticking
3. Mix mayo and shredded cheese in a bowl
4. Take some of the mix and spread it on the top of each piece of chicken, & place them in the baking dish
5. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the top of the chicken, not too much, but also not too little
6. Slide the baking dish into the toaster over, and bake for approximately 50 minutes

And, when that is all done, you should have something that is approximately like this:

Apartment Style Chicken Breasts

Okay, if you don't want to scroll down any farther, suffice it to say that this is awesome, and I will definitely be making it again.  I simply ate my dinner by cutting it on a plate, but I could see serving this over a field of wild rice, or even just white/brown rice, or even with a side of noodles.

Now, on to why I changed the recipe from the original. Most of these decisions were made because of my experience of cooking in an apartment for 1, but also by reading most of the comments for the original recipe. Again Grandma's advice came to mind... "recipes are a guideline, you have to use what you have on hand, and use your experience, and make it the way YOU want it..."

Once of the most awesome things about allrecipes.com is that you can change the number of servings you are looking for, and it adjusts all of the ingredient amounts for you. I usually choose to make 4 servings of recipes because it gives me dinner, and some leftovers. And, reduces the number of things you might need to purchase at the store.

I cut the breasts in half, because that makes them the right size to put on a hamburger bun to eat as a sandwich, like for lunch the next day. I used Italian blend shredded cheese because that is what I had in the fridge. I used the Italian bread crumbs, because that is all I use for bread crumbs because they already have some seasoning in it, so I don't have to add it myself.

I used the toaster oven because I'm mostly only cooking for me, it uses less electricity than using the full oven, and in the summer it doesn't over heat my apartment. Yes, it took me a while to find some casserole and baking dishes that fit in the toaster oven, but Pyrex makes all kinds of sizes and I found a set at Target.

I also reduced the temp of the recipe, because I liked that baking it for a little longer time keeps poultry more moist. Again, my Grandma's advice. Yes, I use an instant thermometer to make sure that the food achieves the recommended temps. Poultry is recommended to achieve 180 F, so that is why I kept an eye on it starting at 45 mins. It took another 5 to get from 174 to 180.

Okay, I suppose you've been kind enough to scroll down this far, so I'll close with this entry. I have several other ideas for entries, so please bookmark my blog, use an RSS feeder, or go ahead and join as a member. Carry on...and good luck cooking...