cook's profile


Workin' cookin' mom
 
Home Town: Escondido, California, USA
Living In: Joseph, Oregon, USA
Member Since: Dec. 2007
Cooking Level: Intermediate
Cooking Interests: Baking, Grilling & BBQ, Slow Cooking, Asian, Mexican, Italian, Dessert, Quick & Easy, Gourmet
Hobbies: Gardening, Hiking/Camping, Walking, Hunting, Music, Wine Tasting
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About this Cook
I'm a working mom who loves to cook. I still believe you can work and fix a good tasting, complete meal for dinner - especially when you plan ahead. Cooking principles to live by: Baking is not rocket science and a long list of ingredients doesn't always = complicated. Presentation makes nearly all the difference. Taste before you salt.
My favorite things to cook
Pies - usually fruit (huckleberry-apple, cherry) Anything that presents really well on a plate - presentation makes (nearly)all the difference
My favorite family cooking traditions
Homemade danish on holiday mornings - not always easter because of the time of year - but definitely my husband's birthday and Christmas.
Recipe Reviews 40 reviews
Lana's Sweet and Sour Meatballs
Really pretty good, but it didn't knock my socks off. The meatballs do have good flavor and are easy to make. They make a ton - I made the full recipe and served as an appetizer. It made 70 small meatballs. I doubled the sauce by using only one 20 oz can of pineapple chunks and then adding a 6oz can of pineapple juice to the reserved juice from the chunks. I sauteed the bell pepper, carrot and a little onion to soften first. Set that aside and made the sauce. Make the sauce as instructed, but I mixed the 3 T. cornstarch with water before mixing it into the sauce so that it didn't clump up. You do not need more than 3T. cornstarch even with doubling the juice unless you really want a thick sauce. Once the sauce was thickened, about 10 minutes or less, I stirred in the sauteed veggies. I put my meatballs, made with no changes, baked for 15 minutes in oven, into my slow cooker insert and poured the sauce over them. Stirred in the pineapple chunks and set the slow cooker to "warm". It was easy and could be made ahead. Oh...as one other reviewer suggested, I did not add the season salt to the sauce until tasting it. Depending on how salty you like your food, you can omit the salt, since you have the soy sauce. I used about 1/4 tsp.

0 users found this review helpful
Reviewed On: Oct. 27, 2009
Almond Spinach Salad
I thought it was fantastic. I used dried cranberries vs. cherries but the flavor was wonderful. My husband is not a big dijon or mustard fan and he still loved it. It's a very well balanced dressing. Will make again.

0 users found this review helpful
Reviewed On: Aug. 10, 2009
Unbelievably Awesome Barbeque Chicken Pizza
Very tasty. Didn't knock my socks off, but it was a great combination of flavors. Prepared just as instructed. Next time will probably add mushrooms (personal preference). It was just as good as any you'd find at at restaurant.

0 users found this review helpful
Reviewed On: Jun. 9, 2009
 
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