(Just when I thought I got the hang of Facebook, here’s yet another social networking site…LOL)

I checked it out and even I found it easy to navigate…You can look through numerous recipes that sound “to-die-for”…

(The Balsamic Roast Beef recipe looks unbelievable!)

…not to mention the restaurant reviews from all over the globe…So, when you’re traveling, you don’t have to necessarily take a chance on eating at a restaurant that you won’t enjoy, or at least know what you’re getting into…

What I really liked was their cookbook reviews. I hate buying a cookbook I think I’ll like by the sounds of it, only to get it delivered and find it difficult to use or not as spectacular as it sounded.

I’m going to write up some reviews of items or food that I love, and maybe even some articles with great tips in them to help people enjoy food at home!

I had fun over there and foresee myself using it from time to time throughout the weeks…

***

I hope you enjoyed this Recipes post on Ingrid Turner Today! Until next time…

Ingrid

P.S. Be sure to get your Free Subscription to Ingrid Turner Today!

* This is a sponsored post and I was compensated for this review. However, it is 100% real opinion.

Technorati Tags: Food Connect, FoodConnect, foodies social networking, social networking, foodies, recipes

Well, my recipe was accepted and included in the carnival that started today!

It’s my very first blog carnival, so please go by and support my recipe…

…And WOW – You should see the other amazing entries…Great recipes, food information, even how food can sell you house quicker, and how to make homemade doggy treats!

I had a lot of fun interacting and perusing the delicious dishes!

***

I hope you enjoyed this Recipe post on Ingrid Turner Today! Until next time…

Check Out That Carnival!

Ingrid

Technorati Tags: blog carnival, foodies, foodie blog carnival, food carnival, recipes, cooking, Cooking With Kimberly, crepes

My husband was notorious for bringing company home without letting me know, or more often, he would give me a couple of hours notice.

Of course, when he would call to tell me about our unexpected guests, they would already be in his company and I wouldn’t want to embarrass him or them, by freaking out on the phone. But, sometimes there were a few choice words. However, in the end, all was forgiven and we usually had a wonderful time.

Easy for you, you say. Where to begin? What to do?

Usually, this would be on a day when the children were especially creative at the kitchen table, when it was on the one day when I didn’t make the beds or the children and I had taken a “mental health day”, leaving all chores undone and spending the day in our pj’s watching movies together.

The first thing is not to panic. Immediately, everyone has to take care of their own hygiene and get dressed and make their own beds.

1. All garbages need to be emptied.

2. Remove clutter from all clutter in visible areas.

3. Dust all flat surfaces including counter tops.

4. Wipe all mirrors & obvious picture frames.

5. Take a quick shower yourself and get dressed now – make bed/s.

* Since you will be doing a quick clean up of the house, you won’t be working up a sweat, so you should be able to get dressed now, while you are already in the bedroom.

6. All dirty dishes go into the dishwasher. Clean all sinks and wipe counter tops, quick wipe stove & fridge.

7. Do a quick vacuum of visible carpets or mop hardwood or tile floors.

8. Light decorative candles in bathroom, kitchen & living room.

9. Style your hair and do your makeup.

It only takes a few minutes to prepare some veggies-anything you have on hand (sliced celery, carrots, green peppers, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, broccoli).

If you don’t happen to have any prepared dip on hand, mix together sour cream seasoned with garlic powder, parsley, dill, any other herbs you have available (fresh or dried) & top with a sprinkle of cayenne pepper or paprika. Serve with some good quality crackers or biscuits.

If you have enough time you can prepare some little quick snack items. I have a few stand bys that are quick and easy, to rescue me in a pinch. Just use your imagination!

I recommend keeping frozen puff pastry and small sausages, in your freezer, as I do. It is a few minute job to roll out the pastry and place the little sausages into the roll – then slice about 1/2 inch thick, place on a cookie sheet and put into a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. These are absolutely delicious!

Alternately, it’s a good idea to keep such items as olives, smoked oysters, artichokes and smoked pimento peppers in your pantry. These items can be served as is, or they can be substituted for the sausages and rolled up in puff pastry, baked as above, and serve hot.

The doorbell rings, you and your children look wonderful, you house is clean and smells great, everyone thinks you are a fabulous hostess, and your husband wonders what all the fuss was about, and… all is forgiven!

*** I just thought of a snack that is probably in your pantry now and my children and grandchildren just love it. It is so simple and takes about 5 minutes to prepare.

Quick & Easy Fried Pitas – You can bookmark it from my daughter’s cooking website by clicking on the link.

I always have a few packages of Greek style pitas on hand. Using a pastry brush, apply a little olive oil to each side of the pitas, sprinkle with garlic salt and dried Italian seasoning.

Fry the prepared pitas till nicely browned on each side.

Lift on to cutting board and slice each pita into 6 wedges.

Serve with large stuffed and Greek olives and generous chunks of feta cheese.

This is so very tasty and I haven’t entertained anyone who didn’t like it. These pitas are delicious with wine, lemonade or beer alike. Try them. You’ll like them!

***

Tomorrow will be a day to discuss something completely different… see you then…

Actually, I became quite accustomed to unexpected company and I learned over time to make sure I had cabbage rolls, meat on a stick, pierogies, and a ham (ready to be cooked) or a chicken (ready to roast) for precisely the occasions where these visits also included dinner.

As you have probably guessed, my ethnicity is European and my German mother and my mother-in-law (who was Ukrainian) always seemed to be able to present the most fabulous dinners with very little effort — they had a secret…

Always prepare ahead. It is so easy to prepare extra food, freeze it and never be at a loss to be able to serve a banquet if necessary.

It is also a great idea when you just don’t feel like cooking, to have these kinds of things available.

Try it!!!

Ingrid Turner

P.S. If this happens to you on a regular basis, then you might want to check out this book for some really great recipes and “unconventional” wisdom:

Real Life Entertaining Real Life Entertaining $17.32

Technorati Tags: entertaining, appetizers, last minute entertaining, last minute, quick appetizers, hors d’oeuvres

***

December 31, 2006

Friendship Poems 5 – Grandma’s Cookin’
By Dr. Mary E. Waters

Who is she? Grandma is any senior citizen you choose to call grandma or big ma ma. Grandma was the elderly woman that served as a surrogate while you were away in college. She looked out for you when you were just starting out on your own.

Actually, grandma never stopped looking out for you. In comparison, the price of an airline ticket may be cheap, but grandma’s home cooked meals are priceless. The love that goes into the preparation of grandma’s meals is something that money cannot buy.

Since you can never repay grandma, one way to thank her is to write a poem. Make sure to type the words on quality paper, then put the poem in a frame. A poem is something she can keep and cherish forever. You can add your title to the list of “Grandma’s Cookin” poems.

Sample Poem:

Grandma’s Cookin’

We travel from the east, west, north, and south for her special recipes cooked with plenty of love. We change our hearts to be more loving, forgiving, and kind to one another after one of her talks. She teaches us lessons from above, then gives us a piece of that delicious buttermilk biscuit.

I can hear her now saying

“Have some home made butter with those biscuits”

and eat more if you can

“Have some home made jelly and apple jam”

Boy are you going to be good, she asks?

All I can say is “Yes Ma’am.”

Only for Grandma’s Cookin’

I can hear Grandma now as she cries out from the kitchen while making her peach cobbler, “Get me a little of this and a pinch of that.” This is how she measures her love, the unconditional part she throws in free cause that comes from above.

In Grandma’s kitchen we sit around and clown

No time while visiting her to show a frown

We tell our stories sitting in circles

We tell our problems to family who care

We tell our friend stop by anytime,

sit down, and have a meal if you dare

Only for Grandma’s Cookin’

Copyright © 2007, Dr. M.E. Waters. All Rights Reserved.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?Friendship-Poems-5—Grandmas-Cookin&id=611818

***

I hope you enjoyed today’s installment of Grandma’s Kitchen! Until next time…

I wish you a Very Safe, Blessed & Happy New Year!

Ingrid Turner

P.S. Check out this great cookbook of Grandma’s Kitchen Recipes:

Grandma’s Kitchen: A Sampler of Timeless American Home Cooking

Technorati Tags: cooking poem, poem, grandma’s cooking, home cooking, cookin’, cooking, entertainment, friendship, grandma, inspiration

***

December 28, 2006

Hello Everyone!

I wanted to update you on some of my recipes online, which I have collaborated with my daughter, Kimberly on.

They are posted on: CookingWithKimberly.com

Some of these fabulous and delicious recipes include:

1. Canadian Fried Chicken

2. Coconut Chicken Fingers

3. Silver Dollar Potatoes

4. Traditional Prime Rib

5. Mom’s Mashed Potatoes

6. Yummy Yorkshire Pudding

7. Turner Family Poultry Stuffing

8. Classic Pie Crust

(* Mom denotes Me! )

I hope you truly enjoy these tasty recipes and my daughters Amazing Cooking Website!

I wish you a Very Happy and Blessed New Year!

Ingrid Turner

Technorati Tags: chicken fingers, coconut chicken fingers, fried chicken, home cooking, mashed potatoes, pie crust, potatoes, poultry stuffing, prime rib, recipes, stuffing, Yorkshire pudding

***

December 5, 2006

Hello and thank you for coming back to my blog today. The first thing I want to share is this Crepes Recipe. For those of you who don’t know what this is, it is a “dinner plate sized” thin pancake.

Why is this the first tidbit I wanted to share with you? Well, not only can you use crepes at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but it was the very first dish I ever made on my own.

The Recipe:

• Take 5 eggs and beat till fluffy/frothy
• Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• Then alternately add flour and milk,3 cups each, in 3 additions
• Then add 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla unless using for a savory crepe
• Mix until incorporated

Warm pan with 1 teaspoon of butter until butter becomes fragrant. Add a ladle of batter and rotate the pan until the batter covers the whole bottom of the pan.

When bubbles rise to surface the crepe is ready to turn over. Continue to cook until the bottom is golden.

Slide the crepe onto a dinner size plate. Garnish your crepe with your favorite condiment (syrup, sugar and cinnamon, jam, whipped cream, or whatever you prefer). For a savory dish you could fill your crepe with seafood, asparagrus, and even groud beef.

Roll the crepe with your fork, into a cylinder shape.

I hope you enjoy this dish as it has been a staple food for our household for generations.

Thank You For Visiting,

Ingrid Turner

Technorati Tags: crepes, German cooking, French cooking, pancakes, recipe, breakfast, easy recipe

I don’t know about you but in our house, we consider our dogs as little furry people whom we love. We love to cook special foods for them including baking little cookie/biscuit treats.

After all, they like a change from the same old same old dog kibble. Just as we don’t like to eat the same things every day, our dogs enjoy some variety in their diet.

We like to incorporate grains, cereals, dairy & egg products, nuts, fruit, meat, herbs, mild spices and vegetables. They just love their treats!

However, to our dismay, we learned that there are certain ingredients that might be harmful to the health of dogs. My daughter Kim has already mentioned this concern in her blog, TerrierLover.com, but this is so important that I want to get this information to as many people as possible to ensure none of you make the well meant mistake of feeding these foods to your precious dogs.

Check out the post here: Grapes & Raisins Are a No-No For Your Dog

Most of us already know that chocolate is one of those dangerous ingredients, which you should avoid feeding to your dog. As well, grapes and raisins can cause unmeasurable damage to the health of your dog.

Our own dogs love most vegetables and fruits and gladly eat them. We understand how difficult it is to say NO when they beg for the things that we, as responsible dog owners, know they shouldn’t ingest.

We should all make sure we check the labels on all prepared products that we offer to our animals. It’s our job to provide them with clean, safe and nutritious food and water as well as the best, regular health care that we possibly can, just as we do for our human children.

If you are interested in our recipes for doggie cookies/biscuits, you can find some of them at TerrierLover.com & CookingWithKimberly.com (my daughter’s cooking site).

Check out these posts:

• Savory Bulgur Doggy Delights
• Everything But the Kitchen Sink Homemade Doggy Biscuits
• More Ideas for Additions to Your Homemade Doggy Biscuits

*** These recipes and suggestions were made before we found out about raisins and grapes. If these ingredients are listed in them, please ignore and omit them!!!

You can always tailor our recipes to suit the needs and tastes of your particular dog.

It should be considered a privilege to own a dog…..not a right. Treat them gently and with love.

I thank God every day for allowing me to love and care for my little furry people. I hope you do too!!

***

Check out more Recipe posts from Ingrid Turner Today!

I will be discussing an interesting topic tomorrow…come back to see me then and have a blessed day!

Every day is a gift – enjoy it and use it to the fullest. Be kind to someone.

Ingrid

P.S. For more homemade Dog Food Recipes, check out this great online information:

Homemade Dog Food Recipes

Technorati Tags: dogs, pets, bulgur, dog biscuit, dog treat, treats, cookies, doggy treat, doggy biscuit, baking, dog care

This is Ingrid Turner…

I hope to share some of my experiences, recipes, and favorite things with you!

Come back soon, and I hope you enjoy it!

Words of Wisdom: Everyday is a good day, it’s just your attitude that might be off…

Ingrid Turner

Technorati Tags: Ingrid Turner, recipes, life, favorite things