Tuesday Tip: Sticky Baking Ingredients

When measuring out sticky substances while baking or cooking, spray the measuring spoon or cup with cooking spray. So next time when you measure out corn syrup, honey, peanut butter or maple syrup, spray the measuring cup or spoon - it will empty into the bowl easier and clean up easier too. 

Philly Steak Stuffed Peppers

2 large bell peppers

8 oz thinly sliced roast beef

8 slices provolone cheese

1 medium sweet onion - sliced

1 cup mushrooms - sliced

Preheat oven to 400◦. Slice peppers in half lengthwise removing ribs and seeds. Sauté until onions and mushrooms are nice and caramelized. Slice roast beef into thin strips and add onion/mushroom mixture. Cook 5-7 mins. Line the inside of each pepper with provolone cheese and fill each with meat mixture until they are overflowing. Top each pepper with another slice of provolone cheese and bake for 15-20 mins until cheese is golden brown. 

Cashew Chicken

1 lb boneless skinless chicken - cut in 1 inch cubes
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons dry sherry (or leave out if you don't have it)
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 garlic cloves, chopped
3 cups chopped veggies - any combo: broccoli, peppers, carrots, snap peas, mushrooms
2 green onions, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced
1/2 cup unsalted cashews, toasted

Directions
In a skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of broth. Add chicken to the skillet; stir-fry over medium heat until no longer pink, about 3-5 minutes.

Add garlic and veggies to skillet; stir-fry for 3 to 5 until crisp-tender. Stir broth, soy sauce, dry sherry, ginger, pepper,and sugar into the skillet. Cook and stir for 1 minute.  Add cornstarch to a little bowl.  Spoon  in some of the hot liquid from the skillet into the cornstarch - stir to mix.  Add to skillet.  Cook for 2 minutes until thickens. Stir in cashews and green onions. Serve over rice.

*in the photo I used red bell peppers and mushrooms

Tips:
If it isn't thickening up, add more cornstarch.  Put in a little bowl as in the direction and then add some hot liquid to it first. Don't just dump the cornstarch in or you will get lumps in your sauce.

If you don't feel you have enough sauce, add more chicken broth.  But be aware you are watering down the soy sauce and ginger. So you might have to up those flavors too, just add a little at a time. Let cook and then taste.

If you want to kick some heat into it, add some red pepper flakes or some Sriracha Chili Sauce.

Friday Favorites

How to Cook Pork by Everyday Foods - has a cheat sheet for knowing the difference between each type of  pork and how to cook them plus links to quite a few recipes that look delicious!

40+ Free Apron Patterns -  free sewing patterns for aprons linked up by Tipnut

How to Build a Raised Bed for a Garden -  This idea really appeals to me for the space we have.  I would really like to build a raised garden

DIY Outdoor Square Planters - she does a round up of a bunch of DIY planters

Earl Grey Oatmeal - this recipe is for Earl Grey Oatmeal with a Cardamon and Honey Cream - oh my!

Apps Gone Free - this app tells about apps that are going free for a day or so. I believe they have an android version just google Apps Gone Free for android.  I have gotten some good apps for organizing and cooking on here as well as photography, journals, and others hobby based apps. 

Tuesday Tips: 10 Tips for Line Drying

HANGING LAUNDRY OUT TO DRY

1. Just installing a clothesline? Don't put it under a tree or you will just be throwing clothes back in the washer after a bird leaves its droppings all over your clothes

2. Hang shirts from the hem instead of the shoulders so you don't get little teeth marks and bumps from the indent of the clothes pins

3. Materials that tend to lose their shape - hang on an hanger on the line.  I also hang dresses on hangers.

4. Think about where the sun is going to be when hanging things out to dry. I like having the sun's heat work on sheets and towels so I like to hang those out when the sun is shining at its fullest on my clothes line.  If you have a load darks, you don't want the sun to fade them so hang when the sun is not beating down on it.  Also hang darks inside out to help with fading.

5. Don't like the stiffness that happens with line drying?  Pop them into the dryer for about 5 mins and then you are still saving energy by using the clothes line, but also getting your clothes to feel a little softer.

6. Using vinegar in your rinse cycle also helps on the stiffness. I use about 1/4 to 1/3 cup vinegar per load. Your clothes won't smell like vinegar. That odor disappears as it is rinsed through your clothes.

7. Don't over crowd the line when hanging clothes out.  It takes the clothes longer to try and causes wrinkles as you are bunching things closer together.

8.  Have a bag or somewhere to store your clothes pins as they can weaken over time with the sun constantly beating down on them. Plastic clothes pins are said to weaken and break springs faster than wooden ones.

9. Just because it is an overcast day doesn't mean your clothes won't dry. Air and wind dry just as much as the sun's heat.  Just watch for the weather so that you don't have to re-launder clothes.

10. Don't have room in your yard for a line or live in an apartment - think about getting a drying rack.  I use mine all year round. I put it on the deck in the summer and nicer days and in the winter and fall, I set it up in our tub. It is easy to take down and put. Folds compact to not taking up a lot of room.