Crispy Toast with Potato Masher

Do you ever end up with soggy toast after stacking it on your plate? This a little trick my Mom taught me. Use your potato masher to keep your toast crispy once it pops up from the toaster.

What tricks do you have for keeping toast crispy?

Gingerbread Train Time in our House

The construction of the fourth annual Gingerbread Train was completed in the Osborne house recently. The picture on the left is a preview of our 2009 caboose.  Trains are a big deal in a house full of little boys and our house is no exception. This year we built a gingerbread train from the same Familyfun Magazine template that we began with in 2006 plus some slight modifications. We added a second coal car. We filled one with milk chocolate rocks and the other was filled with foil covered chocolate coins. The foil on the coins is the only thing on this year’s train that is not eatable. As our three boys grow a little older we are looking forward to their own designs and decorating ideas. Below will give you a look at the past three years of gingerbread trains.

2009 Gingerbread Train

2008 Gingerbread Train

2007 Gingerbread Train

2006 Gingerbread Train

Stay tuned for more Gingerbread Train photos from our 2009 Gingerbread Train.

We hope you have enjoyed our trains. Have a Merry CHRISTmas!!!

Macaroni Pie

A Thanksgiving Dinner and Pot Luck favorite of the South

In many parts of the United States it would be called macaroni and cheese casserole. But in the deep south the name has been the same for at least three generations. My grandmother on my dad’s side (MingMa) taught my mom how to make it and then my mom taught me. I tweaked the recipe just a little from the way my mom used to do it, but for the most part the result is the same. This recipe has won many “best dish” awards at company and church pot luck dinners over the years. My uncle (retired Air Force and retired civil service) has even discussed this dish in high level meetings with admirals and generals from the Pentagon.

The Macaroni Pie Recipe

The total time to prepare this is about one hour. It takes about 15-20 minutes to cook the macaroni, 20 minutes to assemble the pie, and another 20 minutes of baking time in the oven.

Ingredients

• 16 once box of elbow macaroni noodles
• 4 cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 4 cups of shredded mild cheddar cheese
• 2 large eggs
• 1 stick of margarine or butter
• 2 cans of evaporated milk
• Kosher Salt shaker
• Black pepper grinder

Equipment

• 9 in x 13 in glass baking dish
• Medium size mixing bowl
• 4 quart pot

How to make the pie

Cook 16 ounces of elbow macaroni according to package instructions.  Drain noodles and set aside for pie assembly.

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees when you begin to assemble the pie.  You will be layering the cooked noodles, then the cheese, and then 1/4 inch slices of the margarine.  Don’t skimp on the margarine or the cheese! It will take three layers of each to fill a standard 9×13 baking dish.

Assembling the Pie

Add a layer of cooked noodles tot he bottom of the baking pan

Add approximately 2 cups of grated sharp cheddar cheese

Add light amount of Kosher Salt and Fresh Ground Black Pepper

Add 1/4 inch thick slices of butter or margarine approximately 1 1/2 inches apart

Repeat above steps until you get three layers added to the baking pan. Use 2 cups of mild or medium cheese for the middle layer.

Mix the two eggs and two cans of evaporated milk in a small mixing bowl.

Completely cover the top layer of noodles with sharp cheese and then pour egg/milk mixture over the top evenly

Ensure that all the noodles are completely covered with cheese and then add a little bit of coarse ground black pepper

Covering all the noodles is important because the noodles will burn if exposed during baking time. Place the pie in the 400 degree oven for approximately 20 minutes or until the cheese begins to brown. Remove the pie from the oven and allow it to sit for 10-15 minutes before serving.

This dish reheats well in a 350 degree oven when covered with aluminum foil to prevent cheese from browning anymore.  You can save this dish in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.  Individual servings can be reheated in the microwave.  Adding some butter or margarine will help moisten the serving.

This dish goes well at anytime of the year, but is a must have on Thanksgiving in many Southern homes.

Another great way to serve Macaroni Pie is assemble and cook each serving in a ramekin or 6-8 oz custard cups. I usually make at least one of these when preparing a 9×13 for a party or pot luck.  I have named it the NASCAR Macaroni Cup since it contains exactly 43 elbow macaroni noodles representing the 43 cars that start a NASCAR race on most Sunday afternoons during the Spring, Summer, and Fall.  These extra servings allow me to have a taste beforehand a party or pot luck dinner in case the pie disappears before I make it to the serving line. That has been known to happen with this dish in recent years.

We wish you and yours a blessed Thanksgiving. Don’t forget to subscribe to the Grill’n Time RSS feed. Later this week I will share the secrets of another southern classic – brewed sweet tea.

Coupons Save Hundreds Per Month

We are gearing up for the holiday season and will be doing plenty of cooking and baking.  The Publix receipt on the right is a great example of how coupons save us money.  I stopped by Publix on the way home on Monday and spent $6.98 on items that our family uses.  I got things like Kraft Mac&Chesse, Mott Apple Sauce, olives, and Lysol cleaner.

Now Mrs. Ozz recently joined TheGroceryGame which helps us maximize the effectiveness of our coupon savings.  The game helps match up coupon with store sales so that we get the most product for our money.  TheGroceryGame has been around for a number of years and has been featured on many major news programs and in numerous publications.

I will admit that I was skeptical of the “game” when we first began “playing”.  Now that we are having to rearrange our kitchen and part of our garage to store the larger amount of food that is being purchased with the same grocery budget, I am rapidly becoming a believer. I’ll add some pictures below of our stock pile.  Once we get our stockpile built up we can ramp down on the amount being purchased and begin to spend less per month.  The folks that are experienced at the game say that it takes about 12 weeks to make it through a full cycle of coupons.  I am beginning to see what they mean because we are seeing some coupons for the first time for things that we have not yet seen a coupon for since starting the game over a month ago.  Let’s go back to the receipt on the right again and look at the Lysol.  It normally retails for $2.69.  I got a single bottle at half price since they were on sale as by-one-get-one free.  I then applied a 5o cents coupon that the store doubled.  That means that I was able to purchase the 32 once bottle of spray Lysol cleaner for 35 cents.  The key to finding this deal was by using the Grocery Game.  I got $16.22 worth of stuff for $6.98.

As we learn more about using coupons in our shopping we have noticed is that there are differences in what coupons you get in your local area newspaper.  And better yet, we are seeing that you may get different coupons (or none at all) depending on whether your local news paper is being delivered to your doorstep or the local machine at the donut shop.

TIPS on using coupons

1. Get the whole family involved. We have enlisted our six-year-old son to Riley to “practice his cutting skills” and he loves it.  Last week we clipped over $90 worth of coupons from one copy of the local newspaper.

2. Talk to your grocery store manager or customer service center to find out when they offer double coupons and what their store specific coupon policies are.

3. Go get an extra copy of the news paper on weeks where there are a lot of coupons you can use.

4. Make a list of things you normally buy at Sams Club or Costco and include the price, size, and units. (i.e., Domino Sugar, $4.49, 10lbs)  That comes out to 49 cents per pound and you can easily determine if the price “on sale” in another store is a good deal.

5. Create a binder with 4×6 or 3×5 photo sheets to organize your coupons.  Add a few extra 8 1/2 x 11 pages to hold notes for things like the list in #4 above.

6. Always carry a calculator to be able to break down prices per unit if the grocery store shelf sales tag does not offer that information.

7. Don’t freak out if your stock pile gets out of hand.  You WILL get more food for your money and you should consider donating some to your local food pantry that serves the poor and less fortunate.

Here’s a look at our stock pile. These areas were not being used primarily as food storage areas a month ago.

I mentioned above that I found differences on the local paper.  I have emailed the paper to ask them if the less number of coupons is normal in the home delivery version of the Sunday paper.  If the Sunday paper delivered to homes is lacking in coupons by design, I will just have to cancel my subscription and get a copy of the paper from the store on the way home from church.  Or better yet, maybe I can find a neighbor who will give me their paper when they are done with it.

Homemade Stove Top Popcorn

“This popcorn Tastes just like the movie theater popcorn”

That is what I hear from everyone who tastes the popcorn that I make by following the recipe in this post.  I learned the secret to great popcorn in high school in the 80s.  I cooked all of the popcorn for the concession stands at home football games at my high school.  Some of these games hosted more than 10,000 hungry fans.  I did use professional equipment and bulk supplies, but I never forgot the secrets to making good popcorn.  Those secrets are shared here.

The single most important ingredient in making great popcorn is the oil.  You don’t need a fancy pot with a whirly crank. It’s not about shaking the pot or when you add the salt.  It’s all about the oil.  Most people use vegetable or canola oil and try all kinds of tricks to get that movie theater taste.  They would save themselves some trouble if they would track down some coconut oil.  Here is how I make it happen.

Coconut Oil

Tools and Ingredients 3 Quart pot/pan 1/3 cup of coconut oil Approx 1/2 cup of popping corn 1 teaspoon of butter flavored salt One large bowl

Instructions

1. Place pan over med/high heat (8 on my electric stove dial)
2. Pour in 1/3 cup of coconut oil in pan
3. Place one kernel of popping corn in the pan
4. Place lid on pan and wait for the 1st kernel to pop (approx 4 minutes)*
5. Remove lid and pour enough popping kernels in to cover the entire bottom of the pan
6. Add1 teaspoon of butter flavored salt to the pan
7. Place lid back over the pan (leave enough room for steam to vent out)
8. Allow popcorn to finish popping and immediately dump into large bowl (approx 1 minute)

*Note: It is important to stay with the pan during the entire cooking process.  Some stoves heat up faster than others and you don’t want to burn your oil.

Check out the YouTube video below to see how I make this mouth watering treat for my family.

Now that the secret is out, you should consider the use of coconut oil in your kitchen.  This ingredient has been difficult to find in our area, but oddly enough Walmart was the only store carrying coconut oil consistently.

Please take a moment to Subscribe to Grill’n Time and share it with your friends using the tools shown below.

I hope you enjoy your popcorn!

Blogging Idol 2

Grill’n Time has been entered into the Blogging Idol 2 competition that is produced by Daniel Scocco over at Daily Blog Tips. The competition will run through the month of November 2008 and offers a great incentive for me to revive this blog. There are over $4500 in cash and prizes up for grabs from the following sponsors:

• A lifetime subscription to Keyword Country (worth $2,000)
• An annual subscription to the Trackur corporate edition (worth $1,000)
• $300 courtesy of Sponsored Reviews
• $300 courtesy of BidVertiser
• $300 courtesy of TNX
• $100 from Daily Blog Tips
• $300 in text links from Text-Link-Ads
• A 3-month subscription to the SEO Book Training Program (worth $300)

You can help me win by subscribing to my RSS feed by clicking HERE. There will be some design changes tot his blog along with some great new tasty treats from the Osborne Family Kitchen like:

• Southern Sweet Tea
• Homemade Popcorn that taste just like the movie theatre
• What to do with leftover homemade biscuits
• Cuban Coffee
• Pancakes from scratch
• Mac and Cheese Casserole (Macaroni Pie)
• Some great new grilling ideas
• And much more

You can also help me win this competition by sending your friends over to check out this blog or by sharing this blog on your favorite tool like StumbleUpon or Digg using the following button.

Four Year Old Biscuits

We started a tradition in our house a few years ago called Breakfast for Dinner. My son Riley just has taken the word “for” out and calls it “breakfast dinner”. His favorite food for breakfast dinner is biscuits. This kid is not even five years old and can knock down the same number of biscuits as I do any day of the week. I tend to agree with Riley. There’s nothing like homemade biscuits with some grits, crisp bacon, jelly, and cheddar cheese. The biscuits are by far the star of the show.

One of the reasons Riley likes biscuits so much is that he almost always gets to help make them. Sometimes he just helps roll the dough and cut the biscuits. And then there are times when we let Riley get right into the mixing process. And he LOVES this part of making biscuits. What we end up eating is Four Year Old Biscuits.

Here is how a four year old makes biscuits, with a very small amount of assistance and close supervision of course.

Before you begin: Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 1. Add 2 cups of all purpose flour to a large mixing bowl

Step 2. Add approximately 1/3 cup of vegetable shortening and pinch into small pieces. (Dad helps)

Step 3. Add 2/3 cup of low fat butter milk.

Step 4. Cut loose your your four year old to mix these three simple ingredients together.

Do you think we were having fun at this point?

Step 5. Kneed the dough into a ball and sprinkle with some excess flour. Sprinkle some flour on the counter as well. (Dad helps)

Step 6. Roll the dough out until it is approximately 1/4 to 3/8 inch thick. (Thickness depends on how thick you want your biscuits.

Step 7. Use your favorite cookie cutters to shape your biscuits. A floured rim drinking glass will work too.

Step 8. Place the fun shaped biscuits onto a baking stone and bake at 450 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until they are golden brown on the outside. I like to bake them even a little longer to get a good crisp outside shell.

Click for a larger view of these yummy four year old biscuits.

Now you are ready to feed the biscuits to the four year old. Enjoy!!!

Gingerbread Train

Our family embarked on a new challenge this Christmas season. We constructed our first gingerbread masterpiece. There are a ton of people doing gingerbread houses. Houses are great, but it is the trains that excite our boys. My wife found the detailed plans for this gingerbread train in Familyfun Magazine.

UPDATE: We plan to do it again. We hope to build a bigger and better train this year.

Below are the results of our first attempt at following the FamilyFun plan for building a train. I will provide pictures that tells the story much better than my words. You can click on any of the images for a larger copy.

Get all the right stuff first!

Find a professional rolling pin operator.

Cut out the dough using the printable templates from FamilyFun.com. We used card stock for durability.

Gingerbread Dough Ready for the Oven

Gingerbread Dough after the Oven

Trim the gingerbread dough while it is warm.

Here Riley is using frosting to glue together graham crackers that were used for edible support.

Always use a professional decorating team.

Make sure the decorating team has some fun.

Applying the finishing touches to the Gingerbread Train.

The finished product.

A close up of the train cars.

A last look at our version of the Gingerbread Train.

We spent a total of three days building this train. That was two weekend afternoons of dough preparation and baking. We then spent about three hours on a Monday evening assembling and decorating the train.

Oh…We have been asked several times already about the snow. The snow is just a dusting of coconut shavings.

You can see another picture of this train on my main blog The Land of Ozz. If you would rather build a gingerbread house then you need to check out Simply Recipes: How to Make a Gingerbread House.

Steak Grilling Temperature

There are way too many variables when cooking with charcoal on the grill. Meat may be a different thickness, the fire might be hotter or cooler, your fire might be closer if you have several adjustments on your grill. How do you get past the dilemma of remembering how you got that steak to come out so perfectly last time? For consistency you need to cook your steak by monitoring the temperature of the meat. You can go over to Hormel Foods and check out this really great chart system that they have for cooking. They give you guidance on grilling, baking, broiling, or pan frying by temperature and time to get the desired result. They have charts for beef, chicken, pork, veal, fish and more.

I favor grilling by temperature using an electronic kitchen thermometer. Given all the variables involved in using my grill, I have found that it is best to use a thermometer to keep an eye on your thick piece of sirloin or tenderloin. The meat comes out perfect every time. I can be a little hotter with the fire or a little thicker with the meat. Either way, the internal temperature of the meat does not lie.

Tips for temperature cooking on the grill

1. Set your steak for a little while before grilling to allow your steak to come to room temperature. Set your meat out on the kitchen counter just before you go outside to fire up the charcoal.
2. Put the thermometer probe into center of the thickest piece of meat before you put it on the grill.
3. Leave the thermometer in until the steak is done. Pulling it out can allow for flavor and heat to escape.
4. Never press or squeeze the meat while cooking. This helps keep the juicy flavor and heat inside the meat.
5. Stick with rubs instead of marinades when grilling thick meat in particular. The marinades often cause burning before the inside it done.

Great Blog

I watch very few blogs as closly as I watch Simply Recipes. This blog is outstanding and I wish I had the time to cook and write the way that Elise Bauer does.  She seems to be a blog junkie just like me.  She has almost as many active blogs as I do.
Here is a link to one of Elise’s awesome looking reciepes called Mom’s Pan-fried “London Broil” Steak.  I can’t wait to try it.