Cooking Small

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" rowspan="2" width=210 BGCOLOR="#99CC99" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="0968dfc3.jpg"> <div> <B>Unless otherwise noted, all images and text on this site are my own creations.</B></div> <div> <B>Please do not infringe.<IMG SRC="313960f0.png" border=0 width="150" height="15" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>Please sign one of our Guest  Registers </B></div> <div> <A HREF="http://pub39.bravenet.com/guestbook/show.php?usernum=3286124372&cpv=1/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://pub39.bravenet.com/guestbook/show"><U><B>Bravenet Guest Register</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://htmlgear.lycos.com/guest/control.guest?u=thisildorealm&i=2&a=sign" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://htmlgear.lycos.com/guest/control."><U><B>htmlGear Guest Register</B></U></A><B><IMG SRC="314960f0.png" border=0 width="150" height="15" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="7c264b30.jpg" border=0 width="100" height="179" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> </td> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=100 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="0978dfe1esnpes.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#336633" FACE="Arial" ><B>Thisildo Realm</B></FONT><B>     |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Thisildo Realm"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id57.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Fur Kid Treats"><U>Fur Kid Treats</U></A>   |   <B>Cooking Small</B>   |   <A HREF="id59.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Easy Chili"><U>Easy Chili</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id306.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Stuffed Cabbage"><U>Stuffed Cabbage</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id60.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Stuffed Chicken Rolls"><U>Stuffed Chicken Rolls</U></A></div> <bR> <div> back to <B> </B><A HREF="id25.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Village Kitchen"><U><B>The Village Kitchen</B></U></A><B>      </B><A HREF="id42.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Map"><U><B>Site Map</B></U></A></div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=380 colspan=2 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="0978dfc3.jpg"> <div> <B>Cooking Small</B></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="2" WIDTH="654" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 2148 WIDTH="646"><div>      So, you're the chief cook and bottle washer for one and figure it's easier to make a PB&J sandwich or nuke a frozen something rather than dealing with all that's involved with "cooking a meal"? Well... it is easier..., but aren't you tired of PB&J yet? ;o)</div> <bR> <div>      For nearly six years I struggled with this task. Leftovers are great - once in a while, but after the third round of meat-loaf that's it! I'm ready for something different - even PB&J! These pages are dedicated to solving some of those problems. </div> <bR> <div>      When I first began cooking for one, nearly a decade ago, I hadn't yet learned how to adjust the shopping, storage, and cooking habits I'd spent decades forming. So... for six years, my freezer was loaded with more quart jars of spaghetti sauce, stews, chili, you name it! than I could possibly hope to consume <I>in my lifetime!</I></div> <bR> <div>      I've had to learn to gear down on the "size" of my cooking and still treat myself to a "gourmet" meal every now and again, and after all, running The Realm is no small feat! I need all the pampering I can get! ;o) And with the aid of my pantry (actually a converted linen closet), freezer, dehydrator, and lots of Zip-Lock bags, I have the fixings for great meals at my fingertips. </div> <bR> <div> <B>Pots 'n' Pans</B></div> <div>      The first step in gearing down was the size of my cooking utensils. Cooking small can be a real hassle when you have to haul out the big ol' skillet just to scramble an egg!</div> <bR> <div>      I recommend slowly -a pan or two at a time- upgrading your kitchen with equipment designed for your smaller cooking needs. </div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> A couple of 7" skillets</div> <bR> <div> 1-pt, 1-qt, 2-qt, and 4-qt sauce pans (with lids)</div> <bR> <div> 8 qt-stock pot with lid</div> <bR> <div> small loaf pans (3.75" wide x 7" long x 2.5" deep)<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#336633" FACE="Trebuchet MS" > </FONT>-great for making breads, meat loaf, cakes, and lasagna</div> <div>  </div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> double boiler</div> <bR> <div> small cookie sheets</div> <bR> <div> tart pans for little pies</div> <bR> <div> two 5" diameter cake pans</div> <bR> <div> muffin tins - 6-cup size</div> <bR> <div>      The next step was altering my shopping habits. Not an easy task! But, with practice, it becomes pretty much second nature.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Shopping for Cooking Small</B></div> <div>      Foremost in my mind while selecting products in the market is "Can I repackage this?" I wish <I>someone</I> in the food packing industry would take notice of the growing single population and start downsizing some of their packages! Until then, Zip-Lock bags are a staple in The Village Kitchen! ;o)</div> <bR> <div> <B>Vegetables</B>: There's no way I can consume a whole 14.75 ounce can of vegetables - unless that's <I>all </I>I'm having! The 8.75 ounce cans are perfect for a single serving. Frozen veggies can be easily repackaged into single serving portions.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Packaged foods: </B>These can be a huge waste of both food and money unless you get the kind of packages that let you split the contents.</div> <bR> <div>      Any of the cake mixes that don't have sealed packets of stuff (like chocolate syrup, frosting, etc.), can be divided. Using smaller cake pans, you can make yourself a small sized cake. You can use half the cookie mix to make just half a batch of cookies.</div> <bR> <div>      Yes! You can do half an egg! - just use Small or Peewee eggs. Recipes calling for an egg, are basing the average size egg on "Large", and a "Small" egg is half the overall size of a "Large" egg.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Pizza</B> - Mini pizzas or french bread pizzas are great snacks/meals. Drizzle a little olive oil over the top of the pizza before popping in the oven.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Fish</B> - Repackage any frozen fish product into individual servings and they're ready whenever you are.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Ground Beef:</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#336633" FACE="Trebuchet MS" > </FONT></div> <div>      Even a one pound package of ground beef can present problems for the Singular Kitchen, but there's a way around this, too. Yep, Repackaging! :D</div> <bR> <div>      Make up 1/4 to 1/3 pound packages of browned or raw ground beef, labeling them so you'll know what each is for, and freeze 'em.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Other Meats & Poultry</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#336633" FACE="Trebuchet MS" > </FONT></div> <div>      Repackage into individual portions and freeze. Be sure to date and label your packages.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Stock</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#336633" FACE="Trebuchet MS" > </FONT></div> <div>      Okay, you've cooked your pasta, potatoes, even your can of veggies, then you send the cooking water down the drain, right? NO! Don't throw all those marvelous flavors away!</div> <bR> <div>      Reduce the cooking water (boil for a few minutes) to about 1/2 cup or so and store it in a small (pint-sized) Mason Jar in your freezer. Or pour into an ice cube tray (each cube is about 1-1/2 tablespoons) and store the frozen cubes in a baggie. When you're ready to make soup or stew, use the cooking water as your stock. You can do the same thing with chicken stock.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="0e690100.png" border=0 width="400" height="16" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="2" WIDTH="654" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 772 WIDTH="646"><div> <B>Thisildo Realm Chicken Stock</B></div> <bR> <div> 1 small (3-4 pound) whole chicken</div> <bR> <div> 1 medium onion, peeled & left whole</div> <bR> <div> 2 medium carrots, peeled & cut in half</div> <bR> <div> 2 medium celery stalks, cut in half</div> <bR> <div> 1 clove garlic, peeled & left whole</div> <bR> <div> 1 shallot bulb, peeled & left whole</div> <bR> <div> 1/4 teaspoon ground Sage or 1 medium fresh leaf</div> <bR> <div> salt and pepper</div> <bR> <div>      Rinse whole chicken and gizzards. Place all ingredients in an 8 qt stock pot, fill with water to cover chicken. Cover. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer. Simmer 3-4 hours or until chicken is "falling off the bone".  Strain liquid. </div> <bR> <div>      At this point, your stock is ready for storage, you should have about a gallon of liquid. I usually reduce this by half and then store it, primarily because I have limited freezer space.</div> <bR> <div>      I package the cooled stock in Zip-lock sandwich bags - 1 cup stock per bag. Lay them flat until frozen, then they can be stored on edge. Package six of the stock sheets inside a freezer bag -don't forget the label!</div> <bR> <div>      Remember - if you have reduced your stock, it is now in a concentrated form - For every one cup of frozen stock, you need to add one cup of water. The frozen stock sheets can be broken into pieces if you require less stock for a recipe.</div> <bR> <div>      Toss a 1/4 chunk of the stock into your potato water for added flavor to your mashed potatoes - then save that liquid - makes an excellent, hearty base for stews! :D</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>