Inexpensive Treasures

I was browsing a resale shop today which is something I absolutely LOVE to do. I'm moving to a new place in two days and I was in search of a few last minute items for my new place. One of the things that I love about resale shops is that you can find some really great items, items that tell such a wonderful story, for such a reasonable price. I was able to purchase these ten plates (5 dinner plates and 5 saucers) for only $1.00.

Homemade Caramel Sauce

I made three batches of caramel sauce today. The first batch was made with Splenda, the second with half and half, and the third was made just the way the recipe suggested. The batch with half and half was a complete flop. Right now it's in my fridge and the half and half has seperated from the sugar. The Splenda batch worked fine, though it did not have the deep amber color I was hoping for. My favorite has to be the batch where I followed the recipe to a T. So now I have three different batches of caramel sauce in mason jars sitting in my fridge. I'm not complaining at all.

Buttered Pecan Oatmeal

This is a great breakfast recipe if you're in a hurry and looking for something filling and satisfying, or if you just have a few extra pecans on hand that you want to use.

Just make sure when you're cooking your pecans you don't decide to do the dishes all of a sudden because they will BURN and you will have to start over. Trust me.


Buttered Pecan Oatmeal
Recipe adapted from Joy the Baker
Serves 1 hearty serving or 2 small servings

For the Pecans:

1 scant tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 to 1/3 cup chopped pecans
pinch of salt

For the Oatmeal:

1 cup water
pinch of salt
1/2 cup quick cooking or rolled oats
3 tablespoons sugar (or sweetener substitute)

Accompinaments: milk, turbinado sugar, brown sugar, berries, etc.

Seven Yolk Pasta

I decided it was time to make pasta again. This time I tried a new recipe which worked out a lot better than the last one. I added a little bit of whole wheat flour in so I felt like it was a little bit healthier.

This was the first time I have ever beaten eggs but hand. You're supposed to whip the eggs with your fingers in a circular motion while slowly incorporating flour through the sides of the well.

The picture above was taken after I kneaded the dough for fifteen minutes. FIFTEEN MINUTES!

Strawberry Balsamic Flatbread

This flatbread has everything that I like, such as strawberries, cheese, the tangy taste of balsamic vinegar, and flour. Have I mentioned that I have an obsession with dough? It's probably not a healthy obsession to have, but it's just soooo good!

This flatbread was so easy to make and the taste is different than a lot of breads I'm used to. I like how the strawberries are on top of the bread instead of being crushed inside. It was also my first time to use orange zest. I guess you can tell I'm still pretty new to the culinary world.

How to Season a Cast Iron Skillet

I've never done this before in my life until this morning. I've never even thought about doing this before. I guess I thought that when you buy a pre-seasoned cast iron skillet you won't ever have to season it again. Wrong! I wanted the shininess on the bottom of my cast iron skillet again. This trusty skillet has been through the ringer, especially since Dad likes to put water in it sometimes when it's still hot.

How to season a cast iron skillet:

Place an aluminum foil lined baking sheet on the bottom third of your oven.
Place the top rack on the top third of your oven.
Over medium heat rub oil (such as crisco, bacon grease, or vegetable shortening) on the inner bottom and sides of your skillet using a paper towel and tongs.
Place the skillet in your oven upside down and heat for an hour and let the skillet cool in the oven once the heat is turned off.

Repeat this process 3 to 4 times for best results.

*Note: Your skillet may appear to be very sticky once you've seasoned it, but this will wear off after a few uses. Just make sure the first few things you cook require a little bit of oil anyway.