Good Cooking Apps?

I’m searching for some really, really good cooking apps for the iPod. I love my iPod. I took it to the grocery store for the first time last week, because it had my grocery list on it. The grocery list app I have (Awesome List) wasn’t so hot. I like the app itself, but for grocery shopping, it was awkward. I can’t arrange the items, and it was just awkward to use. Do any of you have any good apps out there?

Basic things I’m looking for:

• Lists that can be organized: alphabetically, or by aisle (such as Dairy or Produce).
• Ability to store lists of commonly-needed staples.
• Ability to “check off” item in one click, not multiple “edit this,” and “edit that,” and the confirmation clicks.
• Ability to perhaps add notes to the item. For example, I can list “milk” on my list, but it would be nice to access a note for the item, such as “1 qt 2%” and “1 gallon skim,” or something like that.

The first two things are pretty much a standard. I couldn’t use an app that didn’t have the first two things.

And it would be cool if the app came without phentremene ads and ads for dating sites. I’d be happy to pay for the app if it is a really good one. Please leave any suggestions! Thanks!

A Little Visual Cooking Incentive

I found this website called TasteSpotting. WOW. The stuff looks so good. It’s a “pictorial” kind of cookbook. There are almost 3,000 pages filled with photos. You can click a photo card to view the recipe, and print it out from your Acer Aspire or whatever. Yum! I saw a lot of Asian recipes, and LOADS based on fish and vegetables. I’m always looking for more vegetable dishes ideas, so this is perfect.

But look out. There are plenty of luscious recipes, too– some complex, and some terribly easy. I saw this one:

Isn’t it pretty? It’s simply white chocolate chips in raspberries! Oooooo lllaaaa laaa!

Meal Ideas For Large Groups

During the kitchen renovation, as we are assisted by some dear friends throughout the project, I will be serving snacks and meals while they are here. On a given day, I may have as many as 20 people eating. I have to do all of this without a working kitchen (no stove, no sink, very limited electricity). It will be a challenge, to be sure! But we are not undaunted by challenges! What’s required here is PLENTY of planning. The nice thing about having a blog is that I can plan it all on that, and not worry about loosing a sheet of paper or a notebook, amongst all the noise and dirt. My daughter (the main kitchen helper) will have my netbook available outside (in our attached garage) where the temporary kitchen will be located. From there, she can access this list as well as research any recipes she wants to incorporate. Thank God for wireless Internet!!!

So here are a few of my meal plans and ideas for this project. I will only have a few major meals, and rotate them until the job here is done. I’m hoping this will be sufficient. We’ll all be working hard, so no need to make any diets for quick weight loss with this!

Meal 1
Greek Salad
Flat Bread
Fresh Fruit

Meal 2
Marinaded and Grilled Spiedies
Leftover Greek Salad
Hoagie Rolls
Horseradish Sauce/Mustard/Olive Oil

Meal 3
Hamburgers & Hot Dogs
Potato Salad

Meal 4
Grilled Chicken Legs
Leftover Potato Salad
Chips
Fresh Fruit

Meal 5
Ham and Bean Soup
Bread

Meal 5
Wok-on-Grill Stir Fry
Rice
Fresh Fruit

Grocery List 1
Iceberg Lettuce
Kale
Red Cabbage
Cucumbers
Olives
Feta Cheese
Carrots
Artichokes
Red peppers
Croutons
Salad Dressing: Italian, Red Vinegar, Caesar, Blue Cheese, Ranch
Flat Bread
Cantaloupe slices
Apples

Grocery List 2
Beef chunks
Spiedie Marinade Sauce
Red peppers
Green Peppers
Onions
Horseradish Sauce

Grocery List 3
Ground Beef
Hot dogs
Hamburger Rolls
Hot dog rolls
Red potatoes
Green Onions
Celery
Boiled Eggs
Mayonnaise
Dill Seed

Grocery List 4
Chicken Legs
Barbeque Sauce
Chips
Melon slices
Apples
Bananas

Grocery List 5
Turkey Ham
3 cans black beans
3 cans white beans
5 cans chicken broth
Salamida Hickory Pinch seasoning

Grocery List 6
Frozen Broccoli Florets
Carrots
Sugar Pea pods (from garden)
Onions (from garden)
Bamboo shoots
Bok Choy
Red Cabbage
Soy sauce
Garlic powder
Rice in Rice-cooker
Grapes
Melon slices
Apples

More to come!

Dining on a Dime

I got this cookbook in a contest about a year ago. Sad to say, I haven’t used it much (I am notoriously neglectful cook when it comes to cookbooks; I’m more like a Mad Scientists when cooking), but I do admire it. And I think I will try out some of the recipes more and more, because they are indeed SO CHEAP.

It’s the Dining on a Dime cookbook by Tawra Kellam, who runs the Living on a Dime website (a great website).

There are a lot of “kiddie” foods in the cookbook, and it’s got a lot of sweets and “fun” stuff. I’m rather no-nonsense when it comes to cooking; I like vegetable dishes and off-the-beaten path foods (like Greek food or pesto pasta). So that’s why I haven’t used it as much for main meal recipes. A mom with young children would find the cookbook perfect- the recipes are particular;y geared for children. And the back of the book has other frugal stuff, which I love, such as cleaning tips, making gift baskets, substitutions. I like the organization tips– prevent a messy entry hall by creating a “dump” tray for boots or throw=off Nascar jackets or whatever, lol.

One recipe that did appeal to me is the Hot CHicken Wings. Wings are very popular in Central New York, we specialize in it.

One tip, tho– to make the wings extra savory, add vinegar and mustard to the sauce. Yummm. I’ll have to post my Chicken Wings sauce recipe sometime.

The book is $20 at Tawra’s website, or you can get the e-book, too. Nice!

We’re Dental Maniacs

Is it SO terribly bad for a mother to pass on to her kids something that bothered her in her childhood?

I don’t think so. Especially if it’s a good thing.

Like dental care. I did not see a dentist until I was 14, in agony from a cavity. I had a sweet tooth as a child, and I don’t remember brushing my teeth a lot.. I NEVER flossed, ever. So needless to say after having a few extractions and numerous cavities filled, I vowed my kids would not go through the same things. We are FIENDS when it comes to dental care. Plus, while I had pretty straight teeth as a kid, three of the four kids have horribly crooked teeth. My daughters have had braces, and my eldest son is scheduled to get some next year. We’re taking dental health so seriously, that one of my daughters is considering going into the field as a career! (Just think– a DENTIST in the family! Free dental care for me for life! Yay!!!!)

Well, we’ve gotten the attention of DenTek, the company that produces some of the best dental hygiene products out there. They asked me and the kids to try out their new floss, the “ultimate” in floss, they call it: The DenTek Complete Clean Twisted Easy Sliding Floss. It’s unique because it’s got two fine strands of floss twisted together and is coated with mint-flavored and fluoride-fortified wax, thus the complete clean floss. The special construction of this twisted floss makes it easier to floss AND grabs the gunk in between your teeth much better than the regular flat floss we’ve been using. I like it because it doesn’t cut into my sensitive gums like the flat stuff does.

The kids, with their usual creativity and panache, made a video about the glories of flossing (NOT) and the discovery of this new DenTek floss I got. I’ve been trying it for a few weeks now (I am a flossing fiend!) but this is their first time.

For me, there are pros and cons.

PROS
• It’s very effective. It does clean the teeth better than the other floss.
• It does not slice into the gums! Of course, if you saw back and forth, it probably will, lol… but with proper use it will not. I liked this aspect, because my gums are tender and are cut easily by the other floss.
• You can wash off the floss and reuse it later. (Yes, I am cheap.)
• The floss is tough. It doesn’t fray like the flat floss does; which explains why I can reuse the floss strand.
• It’s got good packaging. The floss doesn’t break in the INSIDE of the package, so I don’t have to go fishing for the floss on the inside.

CONS
• It’s slippery to hold. You have to extract a longer piece to wrap it around your fingers, or you can’t manage the floss.
• I’m not too keen on the fluoride in the floss. We get enough of it in the water supply. :-p
• It’s not very minty. I don’t taste anything.
• It’s more expensive than the generic brand I get at the store.

OK, so there you have it. If you are a flossing fiend like we are, this is good floss. Yes, I think the DenTek Complete Clean Twisted Floss is ULTIMATE. It’s the ultimate floss I’ve ever seen. But of course, it comes with a price. The floss package, which provides 55 yards, sells for $2.99 at the DenTek store. Amazon sells a 6 pack for about $17. So it all really depends on how important dental care is to you (and how desperately you want to avoid the dentist!).

My daughter likes it, so I’m getting her her own package. Kids with orthodontics and related maintenance need a little extra boost when it comes to stuff like this.

NOTE: *This review is a result of a feedback campaign by DenTek Oral Care Inc. The recipients were asked to give their honest opinion about the product they received. Good reviews were not incentivized and poor reviews will not be censored for their opinion of the product.

Remember, I’m a pro-blogger and I am sometimes compensated with stuff or money to review or mention products or services! This was one of them. You can read more about my blog policy on my main blog’s My Pledge page.

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