A Good Labor Day

 Everyone have a good Labor Day. Enjoy the weekend , full of good food and good drinks. Enjoy those end of season hot dogs and hamburgers . Drink real cocktails ot mocktails.

I'll be here

, in my barbecue oasis

Give Security This September

 This is the start of National Hungr Awareness month. The figures rgarding thois are startling , especially in a country like the US. We're a powerhouse and yet much f our achool kids go to bed hungry. Our elderly,, and even our vets can't afford a decent nutritious meal,

We have to bring about change. It starts in little ways. Offer some of your garden harvest to neighbors who may not be able to afford even simple veggies and fruit. Give them what you can. and let them pick through your garden.  If you made a lot of tomato sauce from your beefsteaks and Roma tomatoes, then divvy out jars of them. Add pasta if you want to give them a complete meal. Your fruit bounty can go into pies and bars , treats that will be greatly appreciated. Since this is apple and the second raspberry season, invite them to go picking with you. Make it a fun day out with lunches and even games for the little ones.Pay for their share, saying it's nothing more than a gift.  A basket of apples can be put to good use, from making apple sauce and pies to just providing a healthy snack. What else can you do? Urge those farms to donate to food pantries as well as offering freebies to at least the kids.

Another section that can help out are the restaurants.New Jersey rocker Jon Bon Jovi had the right idea with his JBJ Soul Restaurant. This was the first of his many restaurants that let people pay what they could afford. They pitched in with cleaning up. This was perfect for those who wanted to feel good by enjoying a nice meal yet didn't have the funds to pay for it. We should be pushing our local restaurants, whether they be a chain like Applebee's or Olive Garden to our local mom and pop pizzarias and diners. Even one night of pay as you can helps. It gives family a chance to enjoy good fun along with give the eateries good press.The same can apply to bakeries with them offering free cupcakes or half priced birthday cakes to families in need.Convince those same eateries and bakeries to contribute to school breakfast and lunch programs.Many  districts are cutting funding and kids are in danger of not only losing the most important meal of the day but also lunch. This cannot happen.

This is the month to make sure those around you eat. We have enough starvation worldwide. Le;ts try to ease it on the homefront.

Easy As Pie Bars

 There's nothing like an end of season pie to highliught late summer harvests. Yet apie at a picnic can be messy, especially eaten out doors. Try a pie bar instead. You cn bake and bring it anywhere, the back yard or the beach ,

Melissa Clark wrote about pie bars in her A Good Appetite Column in yesterday's New York Times Food section. These bars take the fruits and crusty flavors to a new level witohut the mess. Traditional pies can be messy. Their insides drip out. Crust crumble into a million  pieces. it hard to eat a piece of pie while ballancing a paper plate on your lap. Pie bars allow home bakers to bake them days ahead , cut them and  put them on plate.Guests and family can just grab one and nibble as they mingle. There's no gooey mess to deal with afterwards. Ms. Clark compares it this way, a pie bar isto a  pie as a hamburger is to a steak.It's totable and easy to eat . The crust should be sturdy and Ms Clark recommends prebaking both the given sortbread and grahan crackers, She likes the first for it's flavor and sturdiness. The shortbread should be a dark brown.It'll be harder to gauge the grahahn cracker one because of its' color. The color will deepend ever so slightly so keep an eye on it.

As for the filling Ms. Clark gives three. There is a raspberry crunch one with a a combo of five (!) cups of  fresh raspberries and half a cup of raspberry jam. There's a crunch topping of rolled oats, almonds , brown sugar and butter.Everything is flattened down to create three layers of fruity, sweet buttery goodness. Coconut lovers will go wild for the recipe that has a cocoonut pie filling laced with dark chocolate.It's rich with eggs and butter along with unsweetened coconut milk.  These two hav e the base of shortbread which adds to the flavor.Enjoy peach season with creamy peach pie bars. This starts with a graham cracker crust made ven more crunchier with pecans. The filling has a rich mix of cream cheese and heavy cream along with one whole egg. You will need three cups of peaches, preferably fresh. These can be peeled or unpeeled (go with the unpeeled - less work). The peaches are simmered in a sugary sauce and then placed on top of the already pired heavy cream and cream cheese mix.

Try a pie bar this Labor Day weekend. They're a fun and tasty way to enjoy the season's harvest.  They're better than pie .

Going Broke For Dinner

 It used to be that a dinner out, especially at  a fancy restaurant wouldbreak your bank account. Now it's a simpe homecooked meal that's causing financial anxiety and stress. Why? There are these new buy now pay later apps that are getting home chefs into hot water.

Regular contributor and chef Pria Krishna covered this new phenomena in today's New York Times Food section.Many young people are using appls like the Swedish company Klarna which came about a decade ago.Initially it was and is used for buying big ticket items that break down the paymnents into affordable chunks. However more and more millennials like Josh Roberts(no relation) was spending beyond his means on food, as he also supports his sister and his girlfiend. His buys are not extravagent, chicken breasts , chips bananas and cereal. However he owed one thousand dollars to Klarna, thnaks to late fees , mostly of one hundred dollars. Bad enough he has student loan debt of $11,000 and two grand worth of unpaid medical bills. The app is temptation to others like Mr. Roberts. There is no interest or extensive credit checks. It's easy to sign on and get a layaway plan.Users already use it for a quick coffee or lunch. It seems that the next step is grocery shopping. 

This has spawned the growth of other companies like Klarna, There is Zip, Zilch and Affirm and they're immensely popular in Korea and Australia. It can be a blessinf for customers who keep up with payments. Jessiee Blum of Rutherfod New Jersey didn't need convincing to sign up. She doesn't have to worry about groceries, concetrating on other problems, like the electric and internet bill. For other tis can take some juggling.Noelle Platt a stay at home mother of one in Kerry North Carolina, uses both Zip and Sezzle, another buy now pay later app. She used them first at the start of pandemic and had trouble with saving and payment. With smarter management she can stay ahead of bills.Phoenix hair dresser Hannah Brown has a fluctuating payckeck so buy now pay later works for her. There is a down side she feels. She has a tendency to splurge, especially on take out meals. because she pays so little up front. Her coworkers aren't so lucky. Yet these apps are taking over thanks to many food stamp programs are ending. There is also investigation in it too but ti skirts the Truth in Lending Act.

will the buy no pay later idea catch on? Yes, if food prices keep rising. There may be pushback from some but these apps will become necessary for all to eat properly.

Sweets From The Grill

 You may feel that it';s time to pack up the grill now that labor Day is just around the corner. Don't. You can still grill. In fact you can use it for baking some treats with fall's fruits.

Anything you can bake in an oven you can bake on a grill.It's just a matter of geting the right temp for baking batter and dough. This usually means putting down the lid to get the desired temp, usually 350 degrees Farenheit. Separate the ashed briquettes from the others.what would make a good dessert? Depends on what you want to serve after the dinner. You can try cupcakes using a scratch recipe or a box mix. Some home bakers add pudding to keep the crumb extra moist.Instead of topping themwith buttercream frosting think whipped cream with soem berries Yes you cna still get strawberries and it's the start of the second raspberry season). You could also top chocolate ones with toasted marshmallow for a take on s'mores.Cakes can also bake on the grill,Indirect heat creates the best ones.To get airier layers, bake the pans on the different tiers, like the  warming tray and the actual grill. You can also bake over a pan of water placed on the briquettes. This works well with upside down cakes like pineapple upside down as it it infuses the cake siwth a smoky flavor and keeps the fruit incredibly moist.

Of course you can also bake pizza on the grill.It does help to have a stone but you can place the pie directly on the grill plate. Just brush the grill with olive oil or a mox of garlic and oil for more flavor. Toppings can be wihatever you want. Try fresh tomatoes and basil from the garden. You cna also add diced peppers and broccoli if yo want or turn it into a meat lover's treat.  Close the lid and cook until the cheese melts . You can also make individual pies too.  A savory galette is also a great treat treat. Try one with tomatoes and onions or leeks and mushrooms. This rustic pie is also known for beinga sweet dessert filled with fruit. Since we 're coming into apple season, think a galette filled with Granny Smiths , mixed with cinnamon and sugar. You could also grill bake a raspberry one, regular pies can also be baked on hot coals. You can use what's known as fire bricks for even baking. Any Lowe's or Home Depot sell them. They/'re usually wrapped in tin foil before using,

Try your grill for baking. It's a fun way to cook up cakes and pies. You can create anything with dough , batter and hot coals.

The Sparkle Of Waterloo Seltzer

 There are so many flavored seltzers out there.Yet they don't have the fizz and flavor of Waterloo. It's a refreshing change up from the usual fare.

I discovered it during a recent trip to Target. It looked intriguing and different. The flavors are not like the typical flavored seltzers. The company offers such neat flavors as blackberry lemonade and passionfruit along with a plain or unflavored one, perfect for mocktails and egg creams. The company was started in 2017 by a group of people who are dedicated to creating a crisp  and exciting bubbly water.

It's $3.99 for a case of eight at the store. it was a hard toss up between choosing the peach, watermelon , black cherry or grape. I love grape so I chose it. I was not disappointed.

It was refreshing with a very grape without that cloying sweetness flavor. It;s a better and micer alternative to all those diet colas I've been sipping on. I had two cans right away, enjoying the taste.I am definitely getting the peach and watermelon flavors for the holiday weekend ahead. I love that their site also has mocktail recipes which I'lkl also try too.

Waterloo Seltzer is the seltzer to have during these last hot days of summer. It's refreshing and flavorful, perfect for cooling off. Enjoy this sparkling treat !!!

It's Just You And The Kitchen

 This is the time of year when the nest empties out. The kids have either gone back to college or flown the nest in their first post graduate apartment. That means  the kitchen is yours again. It's time to have fun.

Many couples may feel that loneliness yet it's also a time to celebrate and discover. Remember the time when it was just you two, newly together. You had fun. You cooked for each other. If yo want to splurge and have lobster for dinner you did. if you wanted a candleight supper with champagne you arranged it. Now you can do it again. Treat youselves to a lush seafood dinner. Think shrimp kabobs on the grill or steaming crab legs. If you're into beef then then a juicy and buttery filet mignon on the barbecue. Serve with Hasselback potatoes which are those fancy sliced potatoes. with the kids away you can also put out all those stinky cheeses you loved and they hated. Imagine a charcuterie board full of Limburger and Camembert wedges. Now you can even experiment with Pont l"Eveque which smells like a mix fo barnyard and bacon and Robiola , an cheese with a strongly unique aroma.Kinds are also picky when it comes to unusual foods like escargot  or smails. Yet if you loved them when you first had your kitchen then get them again.

Having the kids around meant seeing homemade treats get gobbled up in seconds. Now with just two you can easily bake and have a batch of cookies or even a cake last for a week. Again, like with savory food, indulge youselves now. Bake a scratch chocolate cake with homemade fudge frosting. If a whole cake is rtoo much then think of a mini cake. It's easy to get the pan for it. You can also make all those 'icky" desserts thant the kids turned upt heir noses at . Try your hand at a pear galette or aquafaba meringues. Another plus about havinmg the kitchen to yourself is less clean up. There's not the big crowd anymore .There are no friends staying for dinner or coming over for snacks and games. You can leave  dinner dishes in the sink overnight and don't have to go crazy mopping the floor. (because those muddy feet are dirtying up their dorm rooms or apartment)There will be night when you'll be cooking for one or ordering in. Forgo the plates . Use them when the kids come or friends come over. Use the aurfryer and microwave more too.

It's just you and your kitchen, Enjoy this alone time. Celebrate it. Have fun cooking old recipes again and just baking for two.