What to do with bacon grease?

Aside from make amazing eggs and other breakfast foods in bacon grease, what else can we do? Right now we're trying to add it to some pasta, so stayed tuned!

Experiment: Homemade Vanilla Extract: week 2

Our experiment enters its second week. The soon-to-be vanilla extract changed color drastically. We gave it a good shake and put it back in the cupboard. We'll check on it next week and keep you updated!

White Chocolate and Almond Cookies

Sometimes the best recipes are right under your nose. A simple and delicious recipe for white chocolate chip cookies sits on the back of the Toll House package. We added some almonds for an extra bit of crunch.


Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 8 minutes per cookie sheet


Ingredients:

• 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup white chocolate morsels
• 1 cup almond slivers

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.
In a medium sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat in the egg, then slowly add the flour mixture. Add in the chocolate morsels and almond slivers. Drop by rounded tablespoons on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 8 minutes.

Experiment: Homemade Vanilla Extract

We came across some great vanilla beans and were at a loss at how to use them. Fortuitously, we ran out of vanilla extract at the same time! Making vanilla extract is apparently the simplest, yet flexible recipe. The alcohol base can change from vodka to rum, but we stuck with vodka.


The same rule for cooking wine, applies to this vodka. Only use vodka that you would actually consider drinking!


You'll need a jar with a tight fitting lid and a cool dark place to store it. Once finished this will last for at least a year.


We'll be documenting the process with weekly updates. Stay tuned!


Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 2 months


Ingredients:

• 3 vanilla beans
• 1 cup vodka  

Sterilize the jar by submerging it in boiling water for 10 minutes. Make sure the jar is cool when ready to place the beans in.
Slice the beans in half, making sure to leave 1 inch of the stem intact. 

Place the beans in the jar and pour the vodka over it. Close the jar and store it somewhere cool and dark. Shake the container well once a week. The extract will be ready in two months and you'll notice the mixture change color throughout the process.

Vanilla extract, day 1

Reheat, enjoy!

Some recipes fair better as leftovers than others. We wanted to gather up our favorites from this blog, as well as from around the web. Happy leftovers!

• Chicken Pot Pie, The Remix
• Crustless Broccoli and Cheese Quiche
• Stroganoff, The Remix
• Tofu Vegetable Hot Pot (Cooking Light)
• Quick Vegetarian Chili (Cooking Light)

Thai Vinaigrette

In a quest for healthy eating, we cracked open The Joy of Cooking to search for some homemade salad dressing recipes. We settled on the Thai vinaigrette because of its balance of spicy and tangy. We modified the original recipe a bit to add some sriracha and bottled, instead of fresh, lime juice. This is a dual purpose recipe, as it can also serve as a marinade for fish or chicken.


A note on the gadget we used. The combination mixer, pourer, and storer is from The Pampered Chef: Measure, Mix & Pour. The side of the bottle offers easy to follow dressing recipes. It was very handy, but a whisk and your favorite container would do just fine.


Prep time: Under 5 minutes (chill for at least an hour before using)

Ingredients: 

1. 1/2 cup of lime juice (fresh or bottled)
2. 1 tablespoon soy sauce 
3. 1.5 tablespoons sugar
4. 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
5. Salt to taste
6. 1/2 tablespoons sriracha
7. 1/2 cup vegetable oil

Whisk together the first 6 ingredients. In a slow and steady stream, add the vegetable oil. For best results, chill over night, and mix well before using.