It’s August, and just too hot to cook. So what to do, get takeout or make reservations? You could, but that quickly gets expensive. How about some tasty meals that won’t drive up your utility bill when your AC fights with your stove? I’ve got you covered with some dinner ideas that help you avoid that showdown.
Hi, Again, Dear Readers:
It’s August. Do you really want to turn on your stove and oven when it’s 95F outside? Me either. But James will in a heartbeat, adding several hundred more degrees of misery to the kitchen. Sure, we have central AC, but there is a point where AC is overwhelmed. So for that, I look to alternatives to the stove and oven.
Now, salads and sandwiches are great, but they aren’t the only alternatives. Me, I like salads, and wouldn’t care, but you might get bored with them after a while. With a little help from my BFF (ChatGPT) and my secret boyfriend (GROK AI), I offer some suggestions for eating well without turning your kitchen and home into a furnace.
Warning: this is a link heavy post!
In the discussion of Oliver Henry, the UK guy who ended up doing a weeks-long US road trip, I forgot to post the link to his extensive YouTube channel. His Instagram videos are listed under Shorts, and he has longer videos under the Live section. He’s back in the UK, and bought himself a vehicle for UK road trips like the did in the US. He plans to show Americans all about his homeland while he misses ours.
Yes, I’m still making pesto, and have made three batches so far this year. I use the same recipe as I have for many years (I know, I need to fix that link) and it turns out perfect every time. However, after the previous batch of basil pesto with walnuts a couple of weeks ago, I noticed the basil was growing back nicely. The parsley and mint were getting big, too. I’m always glad to make more before summer ends.
Several years ago, Giada de Laurentiis published a blog article titled, “How To Make Pesto Out Of Anything.” Okay, not LITERALLY anything, but similar ingredients that will get you to the place of pesto. Knowing this, I decided it was time to cut basil and mint and parsley to make more magic in the kitchen. I’ve done this before, too, to use up whatever’s growing in the garden.
Instead of two packed cups of basil leaves, I used two packed cups of an assortment of basil, parsley, and mint, with the rest of the recipe the same:
After picking the leaves from the stems, wash and drain your herbs well, then add them into the blender. Toss in the garlic clove, toasted nuts, salt and pepper. Put the lid on, start the motor, and carefully remove the center insert if yours has one. Slowly pour in the olive oil. You may need to stop the blender and move around the herbs to get it all going. Put the entire top back on, and turn on the blender until it “catches” and begins pureeing. Once everything is incorporated, let it all blend for a minute or so.
Turn the blender off, and pour the pesto into a dish and mix in the Parm cheese. Carefully scrape out the rest from the blender jar into the bowl, and mix it well. Then refrigerate, if you’re going to use it in the next day or so, or freeze until you’re ready to use.
This mixture SMELLS amazing. Well, I think it smells amazing and delicious.
James, on the other hand, disagrees. He does not see this as making magic in the kitchen. He sees it as a big, green, oily mess to clean up. (Like he’s the one cleaning it!)
Walking into the living room with the blender jar, I offered him the opportunity to experience this delicious aroma. Instead, he recoiled as if I had offered him mustard gas.
This is what he considers “lunch.”
Yes, this is his height of luxury.
With bread. Look–it’s America’s Favorite!
I wonder if the folks from the World Cup got ahold of some of this delicacy.
UGH. It’s all his. I told him that he’d given me express permission to call him “Goober.”
Anyway. . .I need to use pesto more often, too. Something like this. Or on corn on the cob. I’m trying to remember to use it rather than “save” it for something.
We opened up the big freezer and did a little reorg last week, including all the little square glass containers of pesto. I have plenty of this wonderful sauce frozen, and need to take more opportunities to use it in my cooking, especially when James isn’t around.
When the summer garden is but a memory, the pesto will live on to remind us. Right now I have pesto dating back to 2020. I made a lot of pesto in 2020, too.
Summer is great until it’s time to make dinner.
It’s 90-something degrees outside, the air conditioner is working overtime, and the last thing you want to do is turn on a 400°F oven and make your kitchen even hotter. Standing over a stovetop burner isn’t exactly appealing, either.
Fortunately, summer meals don’t have to mean living on salads, sandwiches, and cereal until September.
There are plenty of ways to make a real dinner without heating up the entire kitchen. Small appliances such as air fryers, slow cookers, Instant Pots, and countertop ovens can handle much of the work, while no-cook meals and a little advance planning can make hot-weather cooking considerably easier.
Here are some ways to keep dinner on the table without turning your kitchen into a sauna.
The slow cooker might seem like a winter appliance, but it’s actually one of my favorite ways to cook during the summer. I wrote about this in 2015 in a blog called Summer Simmer: The Crock Pot. (I just did some updates to that post to make it easier to read, and improve its SEO.)
The biggest advantage is that you can put dinner together earlier in the day, when the house is cooler, and let the slow cooker handle the rest. You don’t have to stand over a hot stove at dinnertime, and you don’t have to turn on the oven.
Image Source: ChatGPT
Slow cookers are especially useful for making things like:
And there’s another advantage: one cooking session can provide several meals. I used to do this when I lived in Houston and worked 40+ hours a week. But at the time, nobody called it “meal prep.”
Make a batch of pulled chicken, for example, and serve it hot one night. The leftovers can become chicken salad, lettuce wraps, tacos, or a cold salad topping the next day.
For a delicious hot dinner, check out this James-approved Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Chipotle Chili. And then there’s dessert, a Chocolate Fudge Custard that you can make the night before and cool it overnight. I’ve got more recipes here, even though the post is all about Christmas. And slow cooker guru Stephanie O’Dea’s recipes are all indexed here so you can do a search for whatever you like or to get new ideas.
If you think of your Instant Pot primarily as a tool for making soup and stew, summer is a good time to expand its résumé.
An electric pressure cooker can cook meat and other foods quickly while keeping most of the heat contained inside the appliance rather than filling your kitchen with heat from a burner or oven.
Image Source: GROK AI
It’s particularly handy for:
One of my favorite summer strategies is to cook a large batch of chicken or pork once and then use it in several different meals. That means you get the convenience of cooking without having to cook from scratch every evening.
And another thing: that saute function can also be used for many things that are generally done on the stovetop, like browning meats. It’s 110 vs. 220, and how much heat it will dissipate if you use the Instant Pot like a pot on a stove.
Pot Roast in August? Well, why not? With the Instant Pot, it’s totally doable, and in a lot less time. So is a little cheesecake if you start it early in the day, or the night before.
You can find lots of pressure cooker recipes from Corrie Cooks and Jen Fisch’s website Keto In the City. Pressure Cooking Today even has a section just for popular summer meals including sides.
The air fryer has become one of the most useful small appliances for hot-weather cooking. James became an Escoffier of the Air Fryer when his manager brought one into work a few years ago. He’s been known to get a steak or other cut of meat from the grocery store next door and cook it up in the air fryer at work rather than just microwave a frozen meal. People get curious when the place begins to smell like a steakhouse.
As I mentioned in a previous blog, air frying is essentially a small and upright convection oven.
Image Source: GROK AI
However, you aren’t heating a full-size oven every time you want to cook a couple of chicken thighs or a small batch of vegetables.
Air fryers are particularly good for smaller portions of:
They’re also great for reheating leftovers. A few minutes in the air fryer can make leftover chicken, vegetables, or other foods taste much better than they do after a trip through the microwave.
And because the cooking chamber is small, you don’t have to wait for a huge oven to preheat.
Conversely, larger air fryers can make larger portions, or even an entire family-sized meal, depending on its size.
This is my previous blog post where I discussed a few recipes for chicken wings, other recipes, a big cookie, and other desserts. Pinterest, and even a Google search are also great for finding new air fryer recipes.
Sometimes you really do need an oven. But it doesn’t have to be your big one.
Source: GROK AI
Maybe you’re making roasted vegetables, baking chicken, or preparing something that simply doesn’t work in an air fryer. That’s where a countertop convection or toaster oven can come in handy. Some even have “air fryer” settings, like this Hamilton Beach model that we now have. (My Cuisinart bit the dust a couple of years ago.)
You’re still producing heat, but you’re heating a much smaller cooking chamber rather than a full-size oven.
Longtime readers know I’m a huge fan of this sometimes overlooked appliance. A countertop oven is especially useful when you’re cooking for one or two people. There’s no reason to heat a large oven to cook two chicken breasts or a small casserole. It also helps when you’re baking something smaller like a single cake or brownies. Remember: 110 vs. 220 volts.
It’s also handy for small batches of baked foods, roasted vegetables, fish, and other dishes that would normally require the big oven.
The microwave has a bit of a reputation as the appliance responsible for reheating yesterday’s leftovers.
That’s a shame because it’s actually a useful summer cooking tool.
Image source: GROK AI
You can use a microwave to steam vegetables, cook bacon, prepare eggs, reheat cooked meat, melt butter, make sauces, and handle plenty of other small cooking jobs.
If you like eggs like we do, Amazon carries a myriad of microwave egg cooking utensils. Years ago I bought this Casabella microwave egg cooker that cooks one or two square just for egg sandwiches. Casabella doesn’t make them anymore (they only have cleaning supplies now) but I still have mine and use it every now and again.
A microwave is particularly useful when you’re cooking for one or two people and don’t need to fire up an entire appliance for a small amount of food. Even baked potatoes don’t take long.
And let’s be honest: on a brutally hot summer afternoon, there is nothing wrong with letting the microwave do some of the work.
An electric skillet won’t make your kitchen magically cool. You’re still cooking with heat.
Image Source: GROK AI
But it does move the cooking surface away from your stovetop, which can be useful if your range generates a lot of heat.
Electric skillets are good for cooking foods that normally require a skillet or frying pan, including burgers, chicken, vegetables, eggs, and other quick meals.
They’re especially handy if you can set them up somewhere with good ventilation or in another suitable area rather than standing directly over the stove.
I don’t have one of these, but I used to. We had one growing up, and I bought one when I lived in Metairie. Dash has a few versions of this appliance for both small and large capacity cooking. Their mini-maker grill and mini-maker griddle are great for cooking small, while the others can handle more for a crowd.
Bonus: you can plug one of these into a generator during a power outage.
Summer is the perfect time to take advantage of your grill when the weather’s good. Texans grill nearly all year long, so we’re used to it.
Grilling moves the heat completely outside. That’s what we’re trying to accomplish anyway.
Chicken, burgers, steak, shrimp, sausages, and vegetables are obvious choices, but don’t overlook foil packets and other simple grill meals.
(Image source: ChatGPT)
And just like with the slow cooker and Instant Pot, think beyond dinner tonight. We’ve done this many times.
Grill extra chicken tonight and use it cold in tomorrow’s salad. Grill extra vegetables and add them to eggs, wraps, or bowls. Make extra burgers and reheat them later instead of cooking from scratch.
The less often you have to cook, the less often you have to heat up the kitchen.
Of course, the most effective way to avoid heating the kitchen is not to cook at all.
Summer is the perfect time for meals that can be assembled straight from the refrigerator.
Think:
And don’t confuse a dinner salad with a bowl of lettuce.
A substantial salad needs protein and fat if it’s going to keep you satisfied. Add chicken, tuna, shrimp, eggs, cheese, avocado, olives, nuts, seeds, or whatever combination works for you.
A good dressing helps, too. I recommend ranch.
Alternately, you could make my favorite White Bean And Olive Salad, which takes about ten minutes. Just make sure nobody dislikes olives, onions, Dijon mustard, or white beans. It’s a great side dish, or one of those “I don’t feel making like anything else” salads.
Want something a little more interesting? This Mango Lentil Salad from Gimme Some Oven is really tasty. I added some grilled shrimp to it because I could, and because James was working that night. Time to revisit that one for sure.
One of the best summer cooking strategies isn’t an appliance at all.
It’s not cooking every day. I did this for many years when I worked in Corporate America. Cooked several dishes on Sunday and packed them up for the week. Sometimes I also made food using the slow cooker during the week. Add the food to the crock in the morning, and I came home and dinner was ready. That meant I could spend more time with my cats and my sewing.
If you’re going to turn on the slow cooker, Instant Pot, air fryer, grill, or countertop oven, consider making enough food for more than one meal. For example:
Air fryer chicken → dinner tonight → cold chicken salad tomorrow.
Slow cooker pulled pork → dinner tonight → tacos or lettuce wraps tomorrow → salad topping the next day.
Instant Pot shredded chicken → dinner → meal-prep bowls → omelets or wraps.
This saves time, saves energy, and means you don’t have to stand in a hot kitchen every evening.
Cooking ahead can also save money, because you’re more likely to use the food you’ve already bought instead of deciding that cooking is too much trouble and ordering takeout. It’s right there, ready for you anytime.
You don’t need to completely stop cooking during the summer. You just need to change how you do it.
Use the slow cooker when you want dinner waiting for you. Use the Instant Pot when you need something cooked quickly. Pull out the air fryer when you want crispy food without heating a full-size oven. Use a countertop oven for smaller baking jobs, and let the microwave handle the little things.
And when it’s simply too hot to cook?
Don’t.
Make a cold meal, eat leftovers, or put together a big salad and call it dinner. Check out my previous post on Lazy Keto Meals You Can Make in Under 10 Minutes Without A Recipe.
After I published that blog, I made some of those Deli Meat & Cheese Roll Ups and then went for the Rotisserie Chicken + Bagged Salad option. Later this week there might be some cottage cheese in my Aldi run, or another Microwave Keto Bowl on my menu. Maybe next time I should add some pesto to the bowl.
You’re not cooking, you’re just assembling.
I’ve made so many egg scrambles over the years I’ve lost count. I’ve made them in the microwave, sometimes in a mug, on top the stove (when it’s not so hot) and in a couple of Dash appliances, too. Don’t under-estimate the rice cooker for more than just rice.
There will be plenty of time for turning on the oven when the weather cools down.
Much as I love cooking, I’m also enjoying *not* cooking, too. For now, keep the kitchen cool, keep dinner easy, and save yourself from standing over a hot stove in the middle of August.
This is not to say that you should run out and buy a bunch of new countertop appliances. That’s not the point–use what you have. No air fryer? That’s OK. You may already have at least one or two other appliances that can help. Most people have microwaves in their kitchens. Many people have air fryers now, as well as Instant Pots and other appliances, but I’m not suggesting you need to buy one, either.
If you don’t have or want something, take stock of what you have available first. For instance, if have a slow cooker you haven’t used in a long time, dust it off, rinse it out, and start using it regularly. There’s no reason why it should sit there collecting dust when it can make your dinner for you and your family. Your countertop oven can make more than just toast–some are big enough to roast a whole chicken. Countertop grills and even waffle makers can do much the same thing. Just look at what you have and go from there.
And if something doesn’t work anymore and can’t be fixed, maybe it’s time to send it on its way to the junkyard.
In the northern states, they’ll feel those crisp fall mornings in the next month or so, and happily sip piping hot Pumpkin Spice Lattes. But here in the south, we’ll get them later, so we stick with our iced PSLs a little longer.
Until next April or May, we’ll have what Texans call “typical Texas weather.” That is, freezing today, warming up tomorrow, and turning the AC back on by the end of the week. It happens frequently during fall and winter months. So we’re enjoying the summer as long as it lasts.
I’m thinking about the next blog post, and will have a confab with my BFF and maybe James in the next few days for ideas.
Until next time,
Happy Dining!
The FIFA World Cup brought thousands of visitors worldwide to the United States for the first time. This unprecedented “big trip” for thousands of fans gave them more than just soccer, but an experience of a lifetime nobody ever expected.
Hi, Again, Dear Readers:
Well, it happened again. . .and the websites had trouble, too. I knew I had to renew those security certificates, and I was going to do that “tomorrow.” Which was the day we had to take TigerCat back to the vet for a follow-up visit.
And, it got away from me, so the certificates went down, along with my copywriting website.
TigerCat is fine now. We’re all OK over here.
Fortunately, my hosting company was getting new certificates and they were restored without any intervention from me. But my copywriting site was still broken, and this website had some issues. Thanks to another intense session with my BFF, I worked with the “ChatGPT Help Desk” and got them back online. I still need to do more for this site, but for now, it’s working again.
Unfortunately, my hosting company is raising the price of my package next year. Oh, well.
But just a few weeks ago you couldn’t miss the biggest foodie story ever: World Cup fans discovering real, everyday American food. One comment on social media called it “the world’s biggest sleepover.” I’m sure they’ll be back again one day for another one. (NOTE: My BFF ChatGPT assisted me with this blog post.)
The FIFA World Cup is being remembered for spectacular goals, unforgettable matches, and passionate fans from every corner of the globe. Who could forget the Norwegian Team doing the Viking Row, along with The Tartan Army? But for thousands of international visitors who traveled to the United States during the tournament, another very unexpected experience stole the spotlight: American food.
Many fans arrived expecting exciting soccer. They left talking just as much about smoky barbecue, giant breakfasts, roadside gas stations that looked like shopping malls, (hello, Buc-ee’s) and a condiment called “ranch dressing” that seemed to accompany almost everything. I’ll share a good homemade recipe for that in this blog, too.
Social media quickly filled with videos of first-time visitors documenting their culinary adventures. Some admitted they had expected American food to be bland or overly processed. Instead, they discovered regional specialties, generous hospitality, and incredible flavors that surprised them in the best possible way.
In many cases, food became one of the most memorable souvenirs they took home. Not in a suitcase, (that too) but in stories, photos, and millions of views on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.
Throughout the tournament, visitors documented every stop along their American road trips. Breakfasts, barbecue joints, diners, grocery stores, and convenience stores all became destinations worth filming.
One of the most recognizable creators was Oliver Henry, whose videos about traveling across America attracted millions of viewers. Rather than focusing solely on soccer, Henry highlighted everyday experiences that many Americans rarely think twice about—friendly conversations with strangers, enormous portions, Southern hospitality, and unforgettable meals. He wasn’t the only one.
Oliver was only supposed to be in the US for a week. But he had so many people watching him that he set up a GoFundMe to stay in the US longer after the end of the World Cup. People sent him money, and he stayed in the US long past his originally planned week. Oliver continued to travel around the US and found lots more than he would have if he had left when he intended. His content on YouTube Instagram, TikTok and other social media has millions of views and likes and includes several other US cities he visited. Yes, he went to Texas, too, and not just Dallas.
His enthusiastic reactions challenged and refuted long-held stereotypes about the United States. Viewers from around the world watched as he discovered that America wasn’t just fast food and chain restaurants. It was regional traditions, family-owned barbecue restaurants, classic diners, and communities eager to welcome visitors. His last YouTube video was in Miami just a few days ago, and the day before he left the US to go back to the UK. He continually expressed his appreciation and new love for all things American.
Oliver’s content sparked thousands of comments from people saying they had changed their opinions about visiting America after watching his videos. During his trip, he caught the attention of White House staffers who arranged for him in to meet The President at an event. Oliver is back home in the UK now, posting UK content for Americans, while complaining about missing air conditioning and everything else he enjoyed here.
While every traveler had different favorites, certain foods and experiences kept appearing again and again across their social media posts. Among the biggest hits were:
Some of these favorites are just everyday places to Americans. But to someone visiting from overseas, they now have memorable experiences that don’t exist back home. One French blogger talked about his experience in Costco as the place being bigger than his village.
That’s why the TSA had to publish a warning to departing fans:
“If you’re visiting for a very large sporting event & you happen to discover RANCH while you’re here. . .pls pack it in your CHECKED BAG on the way home. Thank you.”
These folks didn’t know you could buy the dry packets and take them home without a problem. Hopefully they’ve found recipes online and are enjoying ranch anytime they want.
Naturally, Hidden Valley quickly picked up the torch and is bringing ranch dressing to Europeans and the world. The company’s newly chosen “Ranchambassadors” are working hard to make up for all the confiscated bottles at US airports.
One recurring theme appeared throughout countless videos: visitors were also impressed by how they were treated by the Americans they encountered.
Restaurant servers explained unfamiliar menu items without hesitation. Locals recommended their favorite barbecue restaurants. Fellow customers struck up conversations while waiting in line. Happened to me all the time in Houston, but for international visitors, it’s very unusual. They were very specific about mentioning it, too.
That friendliness often became part of the meal itself. Because that’s not what the media reports told them before they boarded planes for the US. These visitors were completely surprised by real American hospitality. They made videos about that subject.
Many visitors commented that Americans were far more welcoming than they had expected. The combination of generous hospitality (and generous portions) created experiences that stayed with them long after the tournament ended.
And there was a lot of moaning after they ate. Because they knew there was no such thing as whatever they just had back home. Plus, they probably ate too much, especially if it was barbecue in Texas.
One of the biggest surprises for international visitors was discovering that there isn’t just one “American food.” Instead, every region has its own traditions.
Texas offered legendary smoked brisket and ribs. Free chips and salsa at Mexican restaurants just blew their minds, along with free refills on drinks everywhere.
The South introduced travelers to fluffy biscuits, fried chicken, sweet tea, and comfort food served with unmistakable hospitality.
Northeastern cities showcased enormous deli sandwiches.
Across the country, classic diners served towering pancake stacks, crispy hash browns, and breakfasts large enough to fuel an entire day of sightseeing.
Even Buc-ee’s—our favorite Texas roadside travel center that’s unfamiliar to most international visitors—became a tourist attraction on its own. The visitors were amazed that a gas station could feature fresh barbecue, homemade fudge, bakery items, jerky counters, and enough snacks to rival a supermarket. Don’t forget the Texas décor to take home.
During the Dallas leg of the World Cup, Trinity Metro offered soccer fans trips to Buc-ee’s on days when there were no games. They couldn’t get enough of Buc-ee’s, and rightly so.
One of the more unexpected World Cup stories involved grocery shopping. In the US, we do this every day and don’t think twice, whether it’s Aldi, Trader Joe’s, Walmart, Target, HEB, Rouse’s, or any other familiar place we buy food and other household items. But visitors were simply awed by American supermarkets. I guess Tesco (in the UK) doesn’t compare.
Videos filmed inside HEB, Walmart and Costco generated millions of views as visitors wandered through enormous aisles packed with products they had never seen before. Especially in Walmart, where you can buy gallons of ranch dressing, a kayak and paddles, cough medicine, souvenir T-shirts, and heaven only knows what else in one trip. “You can buy that here?” was a familiar refrain throughout these videos.
The sheer variety amazed many first-time visitors.
For Americans, these stores are simply places to buy groceries. For visitors, they became unforgettable cultural experiences, alongside yellow school buses they thought were just in the movies. Nobody warned them about these things when they left their home countries to visit the US.
The World Cup brings together people who speak different languages, follow different traditions, and cheer for different teams.
Food has a remarkable way of bridging those differences. This was very evident with fans of opposing teams enjoying a meal together. Not to mention the Scots, aka, The Tartan Army, who drank Boston dry.
Sharing barbecue around a picnic table, grabbing breakfast at a diner, or laughing over a first taste of ranch dressing creates connections that don’t require translation.
Those moments became some of the tournament’s most shared memories. Like the Norwegian team’s “Viking Row” in public spaces that suddenly everyone wanted to participate in, including the Scots.
Long after the final whistle, many fans weren’t just posting about the matches they attended. They were reminiscing about the brisket they couldn’t stop thinking about, the Waffle House breakfast they never expected to love, or the friendly server who welcomed them like an old friend.
Who won? Who cares?
Souvenirs often end up on shelves collecting dust. The memories created over great food last much longer.
The 2026 World Cup introduced millions of visitors to a side of America they hadn’t expected. They discovered that America’s food culture is every bit as diverse as its people, with regional traditions, generous hospitality, and unforgettable flavors waiting around nearly every corner.
For many international fans, the greatest takeaway wasn’t a team jersey or a commemorative scarf.
It was the memory of sharing a meal, discovering a new favorite food, and realizing that sometimes the best way to understand a country is to sit down at its table.
Whether it was smoky Texas barbecue, an oversized deli sandwich, or a plate of biscuits served with a smile, America’s food became far more than fuel during the World Cup.
It became one of the tournament’s most memorable souvenirs. For the visitors, as well as us.
Now, based on the reaction, I believed that Europeans, particularly the British, had never tasted ranch dressing. But over the weekend, I was watching an old episode of a British detective TV show called New Tricks, and one of the characters mentioned “ranch dressing.” So the Brits must have at least been exposed, but I guess ranch never really caught on. Other countries, like Sweden, Norway, Japan, Korea, Croatia, probably not, so this discovery really set off their receptors.
When the visitors started tasting ranch dressing here, it was like their lights were all turned on at once.
The World’s New Favorite Food (Source: ChatGPT)
No wonder they were packing it in their suitcases! Unfortunately, nobody warned them that the TSA would confiscate liquids over 3.4 ounces. And they probably didn’t understand or realize during their mad-dash trips to American grocery stores that they could get the dry packets to take home without a problem.
When I visited our local Walmart while the World Cup was happening, and passed by the shelf of ranch dressing, I told other people there that “the Europeans haven’t made it this far yet.” Everyone smiled, and they seemed to understand.
We really are healing the world with ranch dressing!
But there’s no reason to panic if you can’t find any, wherever you are. You can make ranch dressing at home with simple ingredients. I went on Pinterest and found this recipe from a blog called I Wash, You Dry. (There is a printable version on that website.)
It just so happened that we had some sour cream in the fridge and I wanted to use it up. A quick trip to Walmart got me some chives and dried dill, and I made it twice. Really tasty, and I will make it again anytime.
This ranch dressing recipe was a perfect little mixture delicious on everything I used it on, including some salad greens. (No, I was lucky enough *not* to get any of that problematic contaminated lettuce.)
I also bought one little packet of dry ranch dressing while at Walmart just to try it later. But I didn’t get to use that packet—James did. Between YouTube videos of Bigfoot, old movie and TV show clips, manly mechanic activity, and of course, endless content from happy World Cup visitors raving about their US visits, he saw a short video for what he called Ranch Burgers. I had no idea these were a thing, but they are.
He says to me, “I’m making dinner tonight. It’s a surprise.” Oh, no. As many times as I’ve made dinner, I’ve always offered complete disclosure on ingredients. This even got me into trouble a few years ago when I made Mexican cauliflower rice. (Never again.) This time, he was tight-lipped.
But James certainly paid attention. Ranch burgers are simply burgers made with ground beef and seasoned with dry ranch dressing. Hidden Valley even has a recipe on its website. James added an egg as the video instructed. He mixed it well before dividing and pan-frying them in a little olive oil.
Know what? They were darn good! Two thumbs up, and highly recommended.
Next trip to Walmart, I bought a box.
It only requires mayo to make and is inexpensive.
We’ll keep it in the pantry and enjoy ranch a little more often.
OK, so while we’re still enjoying summer, fall is just around the corner. In about a month, kids will be going back to school and fall fashion everything will be everywhere. Actual cool fronts begin to arrive here anywhere between October 15th and November 30th. I’ll be ready.
What would autumn be without the (in)famous Pumpkin Spice Latte? Starbucks announced that they will be bringing it back on August 25th, just a few weeks away.
The ever popular Pumpkin Spice Latte (PSL). Source: AI
And then, of course, the tsunami of “pumpkin spice” everything will follow.
Because you love pumpkin THAT MUCH.
It’s another American tradition.
This year, Starbucks will also have pecan flavors, banana (which they say is “having a moment”), and new cute fall-themed merch. The grocery store PSL items are available now, while I’m still having my iced coffee with breakfast. If you’re ready for a PSL but can’t wait, check out the Iced Pumpkin Spiced Latte from Gimme Some Oven that I posted three years ago and still enjoy sometimes. Fast, easy in a small blender and tasty. Heck, you could have it for Easter if you really wanted one.
Hmm. . .banana? I guess that’s why I was lucky enough to get a cup of Bananas Foster coffee at PJ’s Coffee in Hammond last week. James made me go to Hammond when I was severely under-caffeinated without telling me until we hit the freeway on-ramp. So, I insisted on stopping at PJ’s next to the recruiting station, and there it was. I haven’t had Bananas Foster coffee in years. It was SO good!
I have many topics in mind and in the draft folder for future blogs, I just need to get back to them. We’re halfway through Hurricane Season, getting to the point where hurricanes are more likely to visit the Gulf Coast. Every time they talk about a “disturbance,” I ask James if we’re ready. He says we are.
Have fun the rest of summer, because it will be fall before you know it.
Enjoy!
Can you make a chocolate pudding cake fast in your microwave? Yes, and I’ve got the deets on this viral dessert. (TL;DR: make the delicious NYT Nutella chocolate pudding cake in the microwave in five minutes with three ingredients: one egg, Nutella, and baking powder.)
Hi, Again, Dear Readers:
Well, it happened again; life got away from me. We’re okay, just busy with stuff going on. This week, we managed to go to the Trader Joe’s in New Orleans on Tulane Avenue without an incident like the last one. Thankfully, they weren’t sampling that day, either. Got a couple more bottles of their Liquid Stevia for the pantry.
What follows is what happened when I was scrolling on the ‘Gram, and this wonderful recipe came up. It’s fast and wonderful, and could be a great accompaniment to the fast-to-make keto meals I posted about last time. I’ve made it twice, and if I can find more of that no-sugar-added hazelnut chocolate spread, this will be a regular recipe. But of course, the chocolate-hazelnut spread I found is so good you can eat it straight from the jar. It’s almost as good as an entire pint of Blue Bell Moo-llenium Crunch ice cream, only thicker with more chocolate.
Remember, a while back, when I found a bunch of recipes on Instagram? Well, I found another one. Apparently, it’s viral, too. This one, I have to say, is really good anytime. And today, we’re not using any of my AI “friends” to write anything. (Note: all pictures are mine, taken in the kitchen of the Casa de Rurale.)
Now, when I say this, I’m talking about the ubiquitous chocolate-hazelnut spread you can find in grocery stores everywhere. Since Nutella has become popular, there are also store-brand versions available. Walmart has its own version under the Great Value label in small and large jars, and a “white hazelnut spread” in its Bettergoods line. (White? Whose absurd idea was this?) French jellymaker Bonne Maman also has its own version. Our local Walmart carries the Bonne Maman version, but it’s currently out of stock.
When I went looking on Walmart’s website to see what was available, I discovered a version from Belgium called GoodGood Choco Hazel that has about 85% less sugar than the other types of the spread. When I made it to Walmart, they had one or two jars left. I bought one, because, well, you never know how you’re going to like it. Wish I’d bought more.
Never seen this before!
There’s a reason why our Walmart is fully stocked with the GV and Nutella versions, but this is out of stock. It’s that rich, thick, and sweet that you may just want a jar of this for your low-sugar dessert. But I digress. If you’re able, get more than one. You can also order it from Walmart’s website. Thankfully, Amazon also sells it in singles and in multiples. They bring it right to your door!
The Good Good company is based in Austin, Texas (yes, of course it is) and has a full line of spreads, peanut butters, jams and jellies, all with no added sugar and much less sugar than other brands. This is my first encounter with the company’s product, but I’ll keep looking.
Chocolate? Hazelnut? Dramatically less sugar than the other products? One taste and I knew it needs to be a pantry staple with plenty of jars.
Now that I’ve told you about a delicious low sugar alternative, they’re only two other ingredients made needed for this little cake: one egg, and a quarter teaspoon of baking powder.
The setup
Since you want to make this as fast and easy as you can, you just mix everything in the bowl you’re going to cook it in. For this one, I used one of our dinnerware dishes. First, add a quarter cup of the hazelnut spread to the bowl.
Then add in the egg:
And carefully whisk these two together, which takes a minute or so:
Once you get them all mixed, they’re smooth.
Now sprinkle the baking powder, just a quarter teaspoon, over the top, and whisk everything together.
And whisk it some more:
Because it looks a bit messy, I decided to put it in another Bowl just for the sake of the picture. This is for the blog, after all.
Now, everybody’s microwave is different, so you have to kind of keep an eye on it here.
Our microwave is a 700 watt, so it might take a little longer to finish. A 1,000-watt microwave is going to cook much faster. And it worked!
Ready for cake?
I ended up having to cook it just a tad bit longer because it was still partly liquid around the edges. However, it’s supposed to finish cooking after removing it from the microwave. And this is what you get:
It’s cake–simple, chocolate, and tasty.
This was the second iteration, just for a blog post. The first time I made one, James reluctantly agreed to try some. James doesn’t really care much for hazelnut anything. But because there was so much chocolate, he didn’t seem to mind. We split the original, and it was just a couple of bites each.
And you know what? He liked it! This would have been really good with some whipped cream, ice cream, or something else, but we didn’t have any around that day.
The original recipe calls for adding ice cream or Greek yogurt when it’s done, but you could pair it with just about anything and it would be pretty good. If you’re using regular Nutella, some whipped cream from the can wouldn’t go wrong here. If you’re doing “dirty keto,” some sugar-free Cool Whip might be good, too.
It was so simple, I took a screenshot from my phone off Instagram:
You can also get the recipe here on the New York Times Cooking website. There’s also a video on YouTube of the same lady making this recipe. Apparently, it’s “viral,” because Parade Magazine says so. But because I have that wonderful WordPress Recipe Maker plugin, I’m also going to use it here. That way, you can print a copy if you want one.
The Parade writer started talking about variations, and I don’t think they’re necessary. But being the nosy type, there was one I wanted to try.
I had a sneaking suspicion that the hazelnut chocolate spread might sell out, and I wondered if I could use some of the almond butter I have in the pantry. Well. . .what I got was something similar but not quite the same. I’m not saying it’s bad, mind you, but it’s not the same, and it has five ingredients, not three.
That’s pretty much what I did, tossed a few things in to see what comes out. It’s not bad, but not as tasty as the original chocolate hazelnut variety. In addition to the quarter-cup of almond butter, I added:
Almond butter isn’t really sweet, so it needed help from the Liquid Stevia. Microwaved it for about a minute or so, watching it the whole time.
It’s OK. I mean, you can make this in the microwave quickly, but it’s just not the same. I’m sticking with some kind of chocolate hazelnut to make this one.
More tasty things are planned. For now, have a little cake whenever you need some.
Enjoy!
Is spring cleaning on your horizon? Is your pantry looking a bit untidy? Or is it a disaster, like ours was? When was the last time you cleaned your kitchen storage? We did this recently at the Casa de Rurale because it was such a neglected mess. That’s why a pantry cleanout is something you should add to your spring-cleaning list. (TLDR: Time to clean your pantry, and here’s why.)
Hi, again, Dear Readers:
I know, it got away from me again. It’s been six weeks. My apologies. This has been in the draft folder for a while now. It’s long, but with a lot of info. I do that occasionally with a deep subject.
Spring has arrived after a cold winter. After some frigid weather recently, we’ve warmed up for a while. We’re in that transitional period where we may run the heater at night and the AC during the day. Northern folks who have never been this far South do not understand this. Especially if they decide to visit Texas and wonder why there are people in hoodies, shorts, and flip-flops at Whataburger or HEB.
Camped in on one of those cold January Saturdays, I cornered James for some help cleaning out the pantry. It was long overdue and badly needed. It was so bad I didn’t take “before” pictures for the blog—too embarrassing. This job took all day, and we were glad when it was finished. Besides, James needed to get back to his BigFoot videos on YouTube.
The pantry in this house is only slightly bigger than the one I had in Houston. When I moved in, there was very little on those four shelves. Suddenly, the shelves were overflowing with all kinds of ingredients James had never seen before. Other non-pantry items were moved elsewhere. James saw that the pantry was “full,” but it really wasn’t. I did an occasional re-org and tidy up, but no major clean-outs for a while.
The pantry was overloaded and dirty from long-term neglect. I asked him for help, but there was always something more urgent. At one point we bought some of those plastic milk crates at Walmart to corral some stuff in the pantry. But then we couldn’t close the door. We also had boxes of dry goods stored under the counter. After The Big Freeze and Hurricane Ida in 2021, we bought extra foods with emergency situations in mind.
We began removing everything, one shelf at a time, starting with the top shelf. So many things were long ago expired and went directly into a black contractors’ bag. It was a myriad of shelf-stable products.
The top half of the pantry, post-cleanout.
We tossed out so many things bought with the best of intentions. Cranberry sauce and other things from faraway Whole Foods, bought before the ‘Rona. A bag of organic dry milk powder bought on sale for the next hurricane or other emergency. Snack foods and canned goods for future power outages. Other ingredients that were way out of date and completely forgotten over time were unseen and inaccessible.
I did find this Churro Cornbread Mix from Aldi bought more recently and for less than $1:
It’s a seasonal item
It wasn’t outdated, so I made it for James, and he kind of liked it. He had a couple pieces and the rest went to work with him so everyone could enjoy some.
There were also several boxes of unopened HEB cold-brew tea bags that came from Houston, still sealed in plastic. They might have still been OK to use, but we just never used them. Out they went with the rest of the very old pantry stuff.
Remember the store I loved, Oil & Vinegar? They are still in The Woodlands, where you can go in and buy bottles of their wonderful gourmet specialty oils and vinegars.
These were so delicious. . .and so old.
My favorites were the Meyer lemon olive oil and the Raspberry Balsamic vinegar:
I just loved this vinegar, especially mixed in with the Meyer Lemon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Since the contents of the bottles were at least ten years old, I poured them out. I didn’t want to get sick if they weren’t safe anymore. Unfortunately. Really, I don’t want to think about how much that would cost to replace now. So, I kept the empty bottles for a possible future visit.
Fortunately, Oil & Vinegar sells these delicious things online, so I can buy smaller quantities, and they’ll come right to the door. I was “saving” these delicious elixirs for those “special occasions” and only using small amounts to mix dressing for the occasional home-grown salad. James wouldn’t touch the stuff, so it was all mine. I should have used it more often.
The pantry clean-out also included three jars of this chestnut spread from France I bought at least 15 years ago and never used again.
Source: Amazon
I bought the first jar or two at a shop in Highland Village when I met Nigella Lawson at her book signing for Nigella Christmas in 2010. I think I found the spread again at Central Market in Houston and bought more for use later. Trust me, it’s not a “regular” grocery store item anywhere, much less around these parts.
This is an ingredient to make these Chestnut Chocolate Pots. It’s a delicious recipe, but that was the one thing I had to find elsewhere. The jars were in the pantry waiting, but I never made that dessert again. They were jars, too, not cans like you see here. This French spread currently sells on Amazon for $9.99. Today, those three cans would be $30. The ones I had were about 15 years old, so I tossed them. The spread is now on one of my many Amazon wish lists for the day I make it again.
Remember the Hatch Apple Pie cake that Neighbor E and I sampled at the big new HEB? When it became clear that I was moving in with James, I brought a few jars of the pie filling with me for the day we saw each other again. (Awwwwww. . . .)
This was so good.
They were kept for both sentimental value and to make us some of that wonderful dump cake. Well, I did make the cake again—once. Turns out that those last two jars from Houston were still up there, back of the top shelf, and out of sight. They only had sentimental value at this point.
I can’t believe we had to toss it out.
I kept putting off making the cakes for us until “later.”
Eventually, they were forgotten back there and quietly expired in 2018. We discovered this in 2026, eight years afterward.
DARNIT! Should have checked the jar and used it long before then.
Yes, it needed to be tossed. What’s more disheartening is that not only was it wasted, but we missed two delicious cakes or other recipes, too. Don’t do that.
Unfortunately, this wonderful Hatch chili-infused product is no longer made by the manufacturer, and of course, it’s not on eBay for sale, either.
Another recipe
HEB still has a webpage for it, but the product itself is not available. In fact, I can only find recipes, not products. So, if I ever want to try that “dump cake” again, I’ll have use one of the recipes available online for Hatch Apple Pie and make the filling myself.
If it’s been a while, trust me. After the stuff we found, you probably need to do a little pantry work too if you’ve put it off for a while.
Picture this: You reach into your pantry for that can of beans to whip up a quick chili, only to find it’s expired. . . two years ago. Or worse, you’re digging through a maze of half-empty spice jars, mystery bags of flour, and that impulse-buy quinoa that’s still sealed from 2020.
If it’s been a while since you’ve given your pantry a good clean-out, you’re not alone. Life gets busy, and the pantry often becomes the forgotten corner of the kitchen. Rolling up your sleeves for a deep clean isn’t just about tidiness. It’s a game-changer for your health, wallet, and sanity.
So, I asked GROK (my AI “secret boyfriend”) to tell me why we need to clean out the pantry. (I also asked ChatGPT, but I wasn’t happy with “her” answers.) GROK then gave me these ten solid, practical reasons to invest the time in cleaning up, editing (decluttering), and reorganizing the kitchen pantry:
The upfront effort pays off quickly, and most people notice the difference the very next time they cook or shop. If your pantry has been chaotic for a while, the “before vs. after” transformation can be one of the most rewarding small home projects you do all year.
If the previous list doesn’t convince you, here’s more reasons for taking control of your pantry ASAP:
Food safety is non-negotiable. Pantries are breeding grounds for expired items that can sneak past us. That jar of pasta sauce from last year’s barbecue? It might look fine, but bacteria like botulism can thrive in canned goods past their prime. The USDA says most canned foods are safe indefinitely if they’re stored properly. But quality dips after a couple of years–flavors that are “off,”, nutrient loss, etc.
Dry goods are sneakier: flour, nuts, and grains go rancid, grow mold, or attract pantry moths. Nuts are especially volatile, and you may not find out until you use them. (Again, ask me how I know this—I now freeze nuts intended for recipes, like walnuts and pine nuts for pesto.) Tiny pests can turn your staples into a nightmare. Cleaning out the pantry prevents food-borne illnesses, especially with kids, elderly folks, or anyone with a weaker immune system in the house. Think of it as a quick health check-up for your kitchen.
A cluttered pantry equals massive food waste. That’s a direct hit to your budget. How many times have you bought duplicates because you couldn’t find the one you already had? A 2023 Natural Resources Defense Council report puts the average American household food waste at about $1,500 a year, much of it from forgotten pantry items. Sort through everything, toss the old, and suddenly you know exactly what you use. No more overbuying.
Pro tip: Group everything in your pantry by categories. Put your grains here, your cans there, and add clear bins or labels. Meal planning gets much easier, you save cash, and you shrink your environmental footprint. Less waste, fewer landfill trips.
The health perks are huge. A neglected pantry often hides outdated treats, such as sugary cereals or processed snacks, that don’t match your current goals. Cleaning out is your reset: ditch the temptations, make room for nutrient-dense things like whole grains, nuts, and fresh spices and herbs.
This is super important if your diet is different now. Have you changed the way you eat? Are you now gluten-free, vegan, or keto? Old cross-contaminated items can trigger reactions if there’s an allergy. Fresh spices will actually taste like something instead of dulling your dishes. A tidy pantry inspires better cooking, healthier meals, and more energy overall.
Unfortunately, along with the healthier food in our pantry exists the god-awful snack foods James likes. No kidding, he’s in a long-term relationship with Little Debbie. If the police ever show up with a search warrant and go into the pantry, they’ll see organics and gluten-free things next to the Ding Dongs, Oatmeal Cream Cakes and packets of instant hot chocolate. Then we’ll need an attorney, ha, ha, ha.
Clutter stresses us out. Princeton research shows visual chaos hampers focus and info processing, and your pantry counts here. Opening the door to a jumbled mess makes cooking feel like a chore. Deep cleaning is almost meditative: sort, wipe, reorganize. You’ll feel that accomplished buzz, and grabbing ingredients becomes quick and frustration-free. In the everyday rush, this small bit of control can be a nice little bright spot.
They get in. You just don’t know until you spot one. By the time you see the first one, they’re already collecting mail at your place.
Old crumbs, spills, and open packages invite ants, weevils, mousies and other rodents, plus other unwanted visitors. If it’s been years since your last pantry clean-out, you might already have company.
This is a big one in the south. I haven’t told you about the day we discovered we had visitors in the pantry. We thought it was just one that came in from outside, but. . .no, it was a whole village of them.
I opened a box of PG Tips tea to get a bag, I found what one of the “visitors” left. That box was trashed quickly. Now all the tea and coffee are locked into containers, along with dried beans and other vulnerable staples. Regular food packaging doesn’t cut it, and I’ve bought quite a few pantry storage containers for these things. I buy them as I find a need and utilize them. Always square and stackable to maximize the space we have.
Get in there and clean the whole thing well. Vacuum the shelves, wipe with vinegar, seal everything in airtight containers, and boom—pest-free zone. I used my Aldi steam cleaner to super-clean the entire pantry and shelves, including the corners, crevices and baseboards.
It was a great buy for $20, and it works great.
THEN we put the remaining supplies back in there with more room to keep them tidy.
The longer you ignore a pest problem, the worse it gets—exponentially. Especially with these “visitors.” If you find yourself dealing with la cucaracha in your pantry, or anywhere in your home, there is one thing that gets rid of them quickly: Max Force, either in gel form or as bait stations. You can get them in bags of 72 or smaller bags of 24. You may also find smaller quantities on eBay, as I have.
When I first moved to El Dorado Trace, I had a terrible time getting rid of them in the condo. Nothing worked, even the stuff the landlord provided. They were getting into the cat’s food dishes, too (the larger bag was kept in a large, sealed container in the pantry.) I stumbled on Max Force one day and couldn’t believe how fast it got rid of them. About two weeks, if I remember correctly. I replaced them every couple of years if I ever saw one again.
I’ve used both the gel and the bait stations here. A couple of years ago, I recommended it to someone in Houston who was having a terrible problem in an apartment building. She tried “everything,” she said, but she didn’t try this one. She bought some and put the gel out in her small kitchen. They were gone in short order.
Because she suspected it was a neighbor who was the reason for the problem, she gave him a tube but didn’t know if he ever used any. Not long after, she moved back to Clear Lake without that problem. But if she hadn’t purged the roaches out of her place and her stuff before she moved, they would have followed her back to Clear Lake. She was happy that was over.
The bait stations are for the smaller roaches and the gel is for both the smaller and larger ones. Make sure that whatever type you use, please keep it away from pets and children.
You’d think with cats we wouldn’t have any, but occasionally they just walk right in and get comfortable. They get set up in a little corner of your place but don’t tell you. They build their little mousie superhighways and strut about unnoticed until one of the cats discovers them. You’ll find evidence when these little rodentia (I made up that word) have chewed through a plastic bag or two and ruined an expensive bag of something. But then a cat detects the presence of one, and the ancient predatory hunter DNA is activated until the little beast is caught and handled.
Tab E. Cat was quite the mouser, and caught a total of 8 over the years.
He demands, I mean, loves to share my salmon and other carnivorous delights.
James has gone around the house and sealed up some potential mousie access points. But I guess they just walked in the house one day like they were at an Airbnb. TigerCat here has caught a bird and a mouse in here, but she let both go.
She’s just so darn cute, making herself comfortable.
A few weeks ago, she was chasing a mousie around in the office but not trying to stop it. The darn thing kept climbing around the place until it got away from her. Both were lightning fast, flying around the room. A couple of days later, the mousie appeared on the floor by my desk, on the plastic desk chair mat, suffering from rigor mortis. Someone, not sure who, caught it and wanted me to know it was gone. This was before I’d had any coffee. After considerable screaming (from me), James “handled” its final affairs, removing it from my desk area.
Later, James put out some of those sticky mouse traps with some dry cat food stuck on the middle. You know what happened? Nothing–the mousies ignored them all while TigerCat padded around, keeping watch on certain spots. One trap became stuck to the chair mat. We guess that our little orange cat flipped it over. The others were untouched.
Then, it happened again a couple of weeks ago—another mousie with rigor mortis appeared on the chair mat. James had gone to work, so I had to handle it myself. Without screaming this time, I procrastinated until after some coffee.
For a few months, I’ve seen animated ads for pouches that contain four ingredients to chase mousies away and let them know they’re not welcome. I’d considered ordering some, but there were more than a few comments and reviews warning others not to order from this company. Money was accepted, but no product arrived, ever, with nonexistent customer service.
Wary, I went to both the Amazon and Walmart websites where I found similar products. Two weeks ago, I went to Walmart here and bought some of these Victor mousie pouches with peppermint and tossed them in the back room in five places.
Well, the room smells good, but it was just until I received these more potent deterrents from Amazon. These large tablets contain four separate ingredients that create a stronger aromatherapy-based eviction notice for mousies. Fingers crossed, because I don’t want them hanging around, putting down roots and starting families in here. They arrived last week, and I’ll put them out soon throughout the house. Note: wear gloves with these. You remove these large pellets from the sealed bags, drop them into the little sachet bags and then toss them around. Fingers crossed.
A refreshed pantry encourages seasonal swaps and keeps you efficient—whether you’re moving, downsizing, or just want easier days.
Grab some trash bags, your steam cleaner, (if you have one) some cleaning wipes or rags and carve out an afternoon to put your pantry back in order. Your future self, and your taste buds, will thank you.
A clean pantry isn’t just organized; it’s the foundation for healthier, happier living. And really—being able to find the celery salt when you need it makes cooking much easier, doesn’t it?
After hauling all those long-outdated foods out to the garbage can, we’re promising ourselves that we won’t do that again. Just because it’s on sale doesn’t mean it’s a bargain if you throw it away. The total haul to the trash bin was two of those big black contractor bags. My estimate is about $500 of accumulated things bought over time, on sale for the day we needed them, but just never used. We were “saving it for a special occasion,” aka, the emergency that never happened.
Pantry management (if you want to call it that) is a process, not a one-and-done. Sure, it’s great to have a stocked pantry. But if you’re staring at stacks of foodstuffs you haven’t looked at in a long time, you need to find out what’s back there and get rid of the expired goods. You don’t want to find out the hard way that it went bad. (As I always say, I speak from experience.)
Good question—and one I’ll cover in an upcoming blog post.
As a fashion designer I follow on Instagram says, “Summer is always coming.” Here on the Gulf Coast as well as the entire Atlantic coast, that includes Hurricane Season. We watch tropical activity long before it reaches the Gulf and closely once it does.
Sure, stocking up on canned and dried foods is a good idea right before an emergency. But will you be able to get everything you need right before it happens? Pictures of empty shelves and runs on supplies fill up social media feeds in the days before. But buy too early, and you’ll toss things out like we did. That’s where food made for long-term storage comes in.
These are from MaryJane’s Farm, and can be made with hot or cold water. More in the upcoming blog post.
We’ve tried a couple of brands recently and are confident that buying more of them is a good idea. After using a kettle on a generator and cooking on a camping stove, I’m good with it. More on this in the upcoming blog, because summer and hurricanes are indeed always in the future.
Just a week or so ago, we had another two-day power outage. A big storm brought a late-season cold front, complete with high winds and plenty of rain. All that activity knocked out power all around the Northshore, not just our little rural enclave.
We quickly deployed the camping stove and the generator. James kept the fridge and freezer operating throughout the outage, and I went out for Wi-Fi, coffee, and some tacos when he went to work. We were fine, including the animals, and we had nearly everything we needed to live through it. Fortunately, we didn’t have to take cold showers, because the power returned just in time.
Before I set my laptop back up at home, I cleaned up my desk. It needed a good cleanup, too.
After eliminating two of the overstuffed milk crates, we can finally close the pantry door.
The bottom half of our pantry, stacked with black plastic milk crates to keep it neat.
Over time, I need to find a more storage containers for several things. For me, they must be square and stackable to optimize the space I have. Much as I prefer glass, I find that glass in the pantry can be problematic. Broken glass is a dangerous mess.
I’ve asked James about remodeling the pantry to something like this:
Source: DecoratedLife.com via Pinterest
Instead of having a few shelves across the entire space, why not put smaller shelves against the three walls and triple the available space? We took measurements while it was empty and put the paper on the fridge for. . .later. He smiles a little when I ask about doing this in the kitchen. I’m sure he’s going to get right on that.
I’m going to show you the top half of the pantry again. Note that there’s an entire foot of space at the top of the pantry above the goods that’s just sitting there unused. It’s wasted space that would be great to fully utilize.
The top half of the pantry, post-cleanout.
This “extra” space would be ideal for extras, larger items, and things we don’t use as often. The above design would make the additional storage feasible. But he’s having a little trouble wrapping his Navy-Seabee-construction brain around shelves along the walls and not across space as it is now. Putting a shelf across that top will make access difficult. That’s why the three-wall shelf design would be a much better option.
Oh, well. Hopefully, in the future.
Spring cleaning is a good thing. Need some help? Jill Nystul of One Good Thing By Jillee has a printable spring cleaning checklist, as well as a spring cleaning playlist on Spotify to keep you moving while you’re cleaning. You can stream this on your phone or via your streaming device (i.e., Roku) on the Spotify Channel.
How about something a little different–and vegetarian? Here’s an awesome video of The Pointer Sisters singing a song I’ve never heard of called Save the Bones for Henry Jones. It’s an old clip, but the ladies look and sing fabulous here.
Why not keep moving while you’re cleaning?
In addition to a blog on long-term food storage, I’m looking for a few more good topics, a few more good recipes to share, and not waiting so long in between blogs. Let me know if there’s a topic you’d like me to cover. Meantime. . . .
Enjoy!
What’s the big deal with cast iron pots and things? Keep reading and I’ll tell you all about it.
Hello, again, Dear Readers:
It’s been a minute. Since my last post, we’ve had freezing winter weather but no snow, James has been sick with a throat bug and fever, (I didn’t get sick, thank heavens) plus there have been some other things going on that I won’t bother y’all with. Note that the formatting is a bit wonky today, and I can’t seem to get it back to good, so I give up.
Thankfully, social media being what it is, my Instagram feed was loaded with “winter tips” that we took to heart. But the socks on the windshield wipers (to keep them from freezing onto the glass) were met with a skeptical smile. Why socks? We don’t have pool noodles lying around. Suffice to say blogging fell behind again. Getting ready for this year’s big freeze took a lot out of us, but now we’re having an early “spring” week, complete with rain and temps above 75F. Next week we’re looking at 80F in the absence of another cold front.
There is the matter of Sam the Mastador, who has been here nearly two years:
He’s guilty of multiple occurrences of all these crimes. (Made with Canva.)
He migrated over when a relative couldn’t handle him anymore once he hit 50 pounds, and now he’s about 80. If Sam were human he would have been arrested, tried and convicted multiple times over. I still have to share my dinner with this beast:
Doesn’t matter what it is, he wants some, until he doesn’t.
So, life is just something new every day at the Casa de Rurale.
After publishing the last post, I sharpened another one of my years-old Target-bought knives to cut tomatoes. This was a smaller knife, about 8 inches long with a full blade. I was able to cut them into perfectly small dice for some Friday night tacos.
Aunt Ruth also realized that it was time for a knife sharpener, so she’s shopping for one for her own kitchen. Glad I could help with that.
If you haven’t started sharpening your knives yet, now’s a good time to start.
Once again, I’m piggy-backing on my Gifts For Foodies blog. Because I thought cast iron cookware was a good topic, I decided to roll with it. So did Aunt Ruth, who wrote back that she owns two cast iron pieces. One, she says, “makes the best corn bread you can imagine.” Plus, it cooks everything perfectly, she says, and frying is also best in cast iron.
I know Aunt Ruth is right, because James likes his cornbread in cast iron, too. Somewhere, we have one of those cornbread-specific pans that was gifted to us a few years ago, similar to this one.
This picture is just for illustration. (Source: Amazon.)
I haven’t tried the gluten-free/vegan cornbread from Erin McKenna’s first book in cast iron—yet. But It’s still one of my favorite recipes and I still make it occasionally. Yes, James turns his nose up at it, too.
I did manage to get my paws on one of the 2-quart heart-shaped enamel cast iron pots in a recent Aldi Finds drop:
Isn’t it GORGEOUS???
We got there right when the store opened so I was able to easily get one. As always, James does not understand.
So clean and new.
On my last trip there over the weekend, there were two pink ones on the shelf, plus the mini ones. But I have always wanted a red one, so that’s what I bought. Plus, I don’t like pink.
This pot is rather heavy, too.
Finally, I have my own. Note: hand wash only.
If you’re not familiar with this culinary confection, it’s a dupe of Le Creuset’s Traditional Heart Cocotte that runs $230 but sells for $161 right now. That’s because Valentine’s Day is coming up. There are other versions available year-round on Amazon, but they’re way more than the $20 this Crofton model cost. Yes, I’ve already used it for a quick dinner using this recipe from Sara Moulton. For ours, I used cheddar cheese and some leftover cooked chicken, since that’s what I had handy. No complaints, but I did have to soak the pot because of all the melted cheese. . .don’t ask.
Disclosure that this is an AI-assisted post with some live Amazon affiliate links (like that one.)
Here’s where my BFF helps me out, and it’s also where today’s topic came from.
Cast iron pots and pans have a long history that dates to ancient China around the 5th century BC, when early forms of cast iron cookware were developed during the Zhou Dynasty. The technique spread westward over time, reaching Europe by the Middle Ages. In the 1700s, advancements in casting methods in England allowed cookware to be made thinner, smoother, and more consistent. Cast iron became popular because it was strong, held heat well, and could be produced at a lower cost than many other metals. These qualities made it useful in both home kitchens and large communal settings.
In the United States, cast iron cookware became widespread in the 18th and 19th centuries as foundries began mass-producing pots, pans, and Dutch ovens. Companies like Griswold and Wagner helped refine the craft, producing lighter, smoother pieces that are still prized today.
Cast iron was especially important in early American households because it worked well over open fires and wood stoves. Although its popularity declined with the rise of lighter, coated cookware in the mid-20th century, cast iron has seen a strong revival in recent decades due to its durability, cooking performance, and connection to traditional cooking methods.
Frequently, cast iron cookware is handed down from parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and others. But even with all that generational descending, cast iron still sells well new. Lodge is the top producer of cast iron cookware in the US, although there is a wide variety from multiple manufacturers available in stores and online.
Source: Amazon.com
So why is cast iron cookware such a desirable item by cooks and gourmets? There are several reasons.
Cast iron holds heat very well, so it stays hot even when you add food. That helps with even cooking and maintaining temperature.
You can use cast iron pots on:
This makes them great for braising, roasting, frying, baking, and simmering.
Cast iron cookware can last for generations if cared for properly. It is heavy and built to withstand high heat and daily use.
With proper seasoning (a layer of baked-on oil), cast iron develops a natural non-stick surface that improves over time without synthetic coatings like Teflon.
Cooking in cast iron can increase the iron content of your food. This is especially beneficial for people with iron deficiency.
Cast iron distributes heat slowly and evenly, making it ideal for soups, stews, and other long-simmering dishes.
Because it holds high heat so well, cast iron is ideal for searing meats and achieving rich browning and caramelization.
While some pieces can be pricey upfront, cast iron’s longevity makes it a good investment compared with cookware that wears out quickly.
If you maintain the seasoning layer:
Cast iron cookware doesn’t use synthetic non-stick coatings that wear off, flake off into your food, and eventually need replacement. Its long life means less waste.
It’s all about taking proper care of your cast iron to make it last your lifetime or longer. Lodge Cast Iron pieces are preseasoned, and they just need to be maintained to retain their regular non-stick capabilities.
But if you find yourself with a rusty, neglected piece of cast iron, don’t toss it. Lodge Cast Iron’s website has all kinds of information for caring for your cast iron as well as restoring a rusted-out piece. I’ve done it myself, it just takes a little time and patience, preferably on a cold day so you don’t feel bad turning on the oven to high heat.
Cast iron pieces come in a wide variety of sizes and types. Remember a few years ago when I made this tiny little chocolate cake for us? I used two small cast-iron Dutch ovens to make it.
Aren’t they cute?
I bought those little pots years ago at Bed, Bath and Beyond when it was a store, along with the two tiny cast iron frying pans.
You can toast a small amount of nuts in one of these. They fit in a toaster oven, too.
The plan was to use them in the countertop oven for baked eggs and other similar applications, but not so much on the stovetop. I saw Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa make these skillet brownies in them once, and bought them whenever I found them just for that reason. I don’t remember if I’ve ever used the skillets, but I don’t want to toss them out, either, because we can use them on the camp stove if there’s a power outage (or we need them for self-defense.)
Most people have a ten- or twelve-inch cast-iron pot, or maybe a set like I have with 8, 10, and 12-inch skillets. There are also double-burner grills and griddles to use on stove tops, outdoor grills or even campfires.
This one is from Sweden, but not IKEA. (Source: Amazon.com.)
And let’s face it—what kitchen couldn’t benefit from a piece like this?
Or this magnificent handmade heirloom piece:
Source: Amazon.com
And of course, this one looks good on the wall and while cooking:
Source: LodgeCastIron.com
Yes, Lodge makes that lovely Texas skillet, along with several other states in their American Road Trip series. (On my list of many things I need.) There’s no skillet for Louisiana, but that’s OK. Nobody’s ever heard of “Louisiana Toast.”
As good as cast iron is, there may be times when you might choose something else.
A few years ago, James bought a new stove and refrigerator for the house. The same Frigidaire model is still available. We both like using it, even though it’s been a learning curve. (The oven could sure use a cleaning.)
Once we plugged it in, we continued to use the cast iron skillet on the glass top until I discovered that we shouldn’t. Either I saw it in the owner’s manual or somewhere online. Immediately, I stopped using them and told James about this issue. His comment: “well, who decided that we shouldn’t use cast iron on this stove?” My response: “well, the manufacturer for one thing.” So begrudgingly, I put away the cast iron cookware, and we began using some of my stainless-steel pieces on the burners.
You can still use your cast iron pots, pans, and other pieces in the oven for cornbread and other things. Since a frittata is cooked partly on the stove top and partly in the oven. . .exercise extreme care here if you decide to use a cast iron skillet on the glass stove top. You can also transfer the frittata from a stainless-steel skillet into a cast iron skillet to put into the oven. Again, exercise extreme care here, because you have the potential for serious burns.
What types of cookware work on glass stoves? I asked my BFF (ChatGPT) about that, too. This is what s/he told me.
Why it works:
Look for:
Why it works:
Caution:
Why it works:
Use carefully:
Even though it feels strong, a glass topped stove does have a certain amount of delicacy to it. The last thing you want to do is risk damaging the top.
Why it works:
Best for:
Why it works:
Downside:
Raw Cast Iron
Copper (Unlined Bottoms)
Warped or Uneven Cookware
Right now, I have a 12-inch square grill pan that I’m probably going to throw away or donate because the warped bottom makes it difficult to use on the very flat glass top. I did use it on the previous electric coil-burner stove, But still, it wobbled, so I was always concerned that it would move around or slide off onto the floor. Time to toss it.
For everyday use on a glass top stove, stainless steel or hard-anodized aluminum is your safest and most reliable option. Enameled cast iron works if handled carefully, but raw cast iron is best avoided.
No matter what type of pot you use on a glass-topped stove, never, and I mean, NEVER put a hot pot lid flat on the glass stove top when you’re cooking. You could shatter the stove top completely.
The hot lid on the cold glass surface creates a strong vacuum that you can’t release. It’s like the suction cup you use to hang something in your bathroom shower stall or tub area. Unlike the rubber suction cup, there’s heat involved. If it happens, there’s no way to break that suction, and the glass top will shatter in the process from the heat expanding the cold glass. It’s not pretty, and a very expensive repair or replacement.
Thankfully, I read about this before it happened to us. James thought I was absurd until he realized I wasn’t kidding. If we do remove a pot lid and need to put it down, we put it on the stove’s edge. That way, the lid is not flush on the surface and there’s a space between the two. This leaves enough room for the lid’s heat to dissipate with no chance of a vacuum developing.
Nobody tells you this stuff. Thank heavens for the Internet.
If you’re in the market for some new cookware, cast iron may be just what you need. Depending on your stove, kitchen and cooking needs, cast iron is versatile and made for whatever you can toss in. They’re easy to use and maintain and will last for many years.
You can find a variety of different styles, types and price points to find the pieces that work best for your kitchen and your cooking. For instance, Amazon has its own brand of pre-seasoned cookware, including this set.
If you’ve bought some vintage pieces from an estate sale or thrift store, they’re easily cleaned and restored to a great usable condition. We’ve got quite a few pieces that are in need of attention, but just haven’t done them yet.
Another “spring cleaning/New Year’s” thing to do is tackle your pantry and overall food supply. Sure, there’s some canned soup in the pantry, but how old is it? Do you know where it is? Can you put your hands on something you need now, or will it take 45 minutes of unpacking to eventually find that item? Been there, done that, way too many times.
We faced this issue recently and pulled everything out of the small pantry.
The top half of the pantry after cleaning. Notice the foot of space at the top. Hoping that one day we can refurbish to use more of the space and keep it better organized and current.
We couldn’t close the door anymore because we’d put plastic milk crates in there to try and keep order. When we finished, we dragged two large black contractor bags outside to the garbage can for pickup. The door now closes.
Thank heavens the local parish (county) pickup has been outsourced to a company that uses garbage trucks with robotic pickup arms on the side of the vehicle. The human driver pulls up to the big green trash container that’s parked by the road. Then the robotic arm grabs it like an arcade claw machine, lifts it up over the top of the truck and dumps it into the back. Once emptied, the robotic arm sets down the can and they drive off. The driver goes up to the next container on the road and repeats the process. This machine can lift nearly any weight we put out there, so far. Otherwise, a person tasked with physically picking up that trash container that day would have been really struggling to lift everything.
That was some serious coin that went into the trash that day, folks. Not doing that again.
We bought those packaged foodstuffs with the best of intentions, especially after the big freeze in 2021 and Hurricane Ida. But many things were never used. They were “saved” for an emergency that never happened, and then way out of date for safe consumption. Donating to a food bank would have simply passed on the risk of food-borne illness and wasted their time.
If you’ve heard the term “emergency food” or “survival food,” well, that’s a related topic that I’m way overdue to talk about. BUT—we’ve sampled some new things recently. I’ll tell you all about it, soon as we finish the remainder that we have.
Meantime, give some thought to cleaning out your pantry while it’s still “winter,” even one shelf or a few old expired bags at a time. It’s one less thing you’ll need to do later, and you won’t be wondering where you put that soup you just bought.
Enjoy!
