Pairing Pantry Staples for Quick Easy Meals

 

I’m HUNGRY.... I need a snack!  Is it lunchtime?  What’s for dinner? How often have we heard these things? Once hunger hits, we want to eat right away, and it’s not always easy to make the healthiest choices. 

The key to healthy meals is to keep common pantry items that pair well together. You know how some things just go together?  Think peanut butter and jelly, chips and salsa, meat and potatoes. When you have a variety of pantry items to choose from, it’s simple to make quick, easy meals. 

Here are a few recipes that family members will approve and should make meal time more enjoyable. 

Recipes:

• Breakfast Roll-Up 
• Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal
• My Plate Salsa
• Pineapple Orange Frozen Yogurt 
• Tasty Tuna Lettuce Wraps  
• Make it Myself Pizza 
• Easy Red Beans and Rice 
• Beef and Potatoes 

Breakfast Buffet - Some mornings are slower paced, so we might have more time to prepare and eat a meal.  On those mornings, we might like to heat up some oats, spices and apples and enjoy a piping hot bowl of Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal 

Other mornings may feel chaotic as family members rush to start school or head out for the day. On days like this, quick and simple is best.  Are you a fan of peanut butter and jelly? If so, you might like a Breakfast Roll-Up which is a perfect grab and go option.  These roll-ups are kid-friendly and can be made with ease. Make them ahead of time and store in the refrigerator for quick and easy access. 

Healthy Snacks - Snacks are important to curb hunger and help us re-energize so we can get through the day.  If you are looking for a hearty snack and like chips and salsa, try adding some black beans, corn and diced peaches together. This My Plate Salsa will satisfy your hunger!  Or, you may want to cool down with a refreshing tropical treat. This Pineapple Orange Frozen Yogurt is tangy and bursting with vitamin C. Whip it up and enjoy it soon after, or make ahead and store in the freezer so it’s ready to go when you want it. 

Simple Lunches - Lunchtime gives us a mid-day break and a chance to refuel.  You might want to enjoy a protein packed, power lunch with some Tasty Tuna Lettuce Wraps. If you are looking for something warm and toasty, try Make it Myself Pizza. The zesty sauce and melted cheese will be sure to please. 

Busy Weeknights - Work, school, sports and homework.  Who has time to cook dinner?  Busy weeknights can be stressful but don’t let it get the best of you.  When you plan ahead and stock up on popular pantry products, you can put together a healthy meal in no time! Dinner can be as simple as Beef and Potatoes. Add a green salad or heat up a can of green beans, and dinner is served.  If you are looking for a vegetarian meal, Easy Red Beans and Rice is a savory choice and offers a nice balanced mix of protein, carbohydrates and fiber.  Want to save more time?  Try preparing the rice in advance, store in the refrigerator and just reheat when needed. 

Bon Appetit!

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Making a bownjo - experimental DIY bowed instrument using a drum as a body

 

Tools and materials I propose:

Mini drum

Drill press

Cordless drill

Bandsaw

Forstner bit set

Chisel set

Block plane

Flat file

Flexcut starter carving set

Wood burner

Round file

Spoke shave

Cabinet scrapers set

Rotary tool

Mask Respirator

In this video I make a bowed instrument that uses a small drum as a body and has a basswood neck. You can find similar instruments in several cultures of the world. My inspiration came from instruments like banjo, yaylı tambur, erhu and Iranian kamancheh.

I begun by working on the small drum. Basically I cut off it’s tail using my rotary tool so I can move it around while playing. I then removed the burrs. 

Then I drilled the holes I needed to connect the neck.

While the neck was still a square piece I drilled the hole that would receive a threaded rod. 

I then cut the neck on the bandsaw. I removed most of the material for the tuning pegs using a forstner bit. I finished shaping using a chisel and files. 

Because the instrument is played with a bow I rounded over the fretboard using a block plane. 

I shaped the neck using files and a spokeshave. 

I used 5 minute epoxy to glue the threaded rod on the neck. 

I made a string holder using a piece of sheet metal. I used a file and my angle grinder. 

I made the bridge out of a piece of mahogany. To make the neck I used a piece of plexiglass. 

The distance from nut to bridge is 42cm. So I used an online fret calculator to find the fret positions. Although I didn’t add frets on the instrument, I used my pyrographer to add the fret lines so I know where to put my fingers when I play. 

I added rosin on the strings and on the bow and my instrument was ready to play.

I am not much of bowed instrument player but I think you get an idea of how it sounds. It’s actually pretty loud. I used nylon classical guitar strings and I tuned it like so: 1st 5th 1st.

I hope you like my bownjo, because that was it. See you soon with a new project video. 

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, that at no cost to you, I get a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.

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How to Build a Casserole

Looking for a new and healthy meal for the whole family?  Of course you are!  This is always the challenge.  Let’s talk about casseroles for a minute.  Unfortunately, casseroles have gotten a bad rap over the years and have been used as a last resort when meal planning.  Let’s bring back the casserole as an easy go-to option in your home.  With a little help and creativity, we can get those casseroles back on the family menu!

Convenience!

A casserole is really designed to be the whole meal.  If you make a casserole there should be no need to make several other dishes.  Just a casserole and a side salad or apple sauce for the kids, and you have a super simple meal.  Many casseroles are considered “one pan” meals since they can be prepared in a baking dish and put right in the oven. Casseroles can be assembled whenever you have a little extra time and stored for a few days in the refrigerator.  On a busy evening, simply remove from the refrigerator and heat.  And don’t forget the leftovers are a great option for lunch the next day.  *Tip!  Double your recipe and freeze for next week!  You’ll be glad you did.

Balance!

Most casseroles contain at least 3 or 4 of the 5 food groups in one dish:  grain, vegetable, protein, and dairy.  This is an easy way to get your family to eat a wide variety of foods, making a casserole a healthy go-to family dish.  You can follow a recipe or easily create your own casserole by using ingredients that you and your family enjoy.  

HOW TO BUILD A CASSEROLE

Start with a GRAIN.  You can use whole wheat pasta of any sort, brown or wild rice, quinoa, and riced cauliflower or riced broccoli are also great low-calorie substitutes for grains.  

Add a VEGETABLE or two.  Choose vegetables that make good sense in the casserole.  Make sure they are cooked until tender before adding and chopped small enough to mix in well.  *Tip!  Chop and saute spinach or kale as another great way to “add  in” more greens.

Choose a PROTEIN.  Depending on the casserole you might add in chicken, beef, venison, or even a can of tuna.  Chicken can be canned or cooked ahead of time.  Fresh Rotisserie chicken is also available at most stores and makes a convenient add-in to your casserole. *Tip! Beans are also a good source of protein and a great way to stretch the recipe.

Don’t forget the DAIRY.  It’s not hard to include dairy in your casserole.  Low-fat shredded cheese can be added in or sprinkled on top.  Some casseroles include plain yogurt or low-fat cottage cheese for a creamy crowd pleaser.  *Tip!  To save calories only sprinkle cheese on top when ready to serve.

Finish with flavor.  Casseroles can be filled with tasty flair.  Try using a cream soup, thinned with chicken or beef stock.  Saute some onions and garlic to add additional flavor.  Other herbs and spices include:  garlic powder, Italian seasoning, sage, thyme, basil, or your own favorite seasoning blend.

BOWLS

A recent trend that is a close relative to the casserole are BOWLS.  A BOWL is simply the layering or placing of all meal components into one bowl.   Generally, bowls include a grain of some sort, prepared veggies and meat.  Frequently a sauce is prepared and applied for added flavor.  Toppings can be simple or unique depending on the recipe and the tastes of the crowd.

Ingredients for bowls can be prepared any time and kept in individual containers in the refrigerator.  These ingredients can be accessed and heated in the microwave for a quick, and healthy meal on the go; or set out all the ingredients and have family members prepare their own BOWL for a fun and healthy family meal.

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Making a decorative wooden button out of mulberry and epoxy resin

 

Tools and materials I propose:

Lathe

Wood turning tools set

Chuck kit

Vacuum chamber kit

Buffing kit

Axe

Bandsaw

Forstner bit set

Cordless drill

Micro mesh sanding pads

In this video I make decorative wooden button out of epoxy resin and mulberry wood. It's diameter is about 12cm.

I begun by splitting a piece of mulberry into stripes using an axe. 

I then chose the pieces I wanted and cut them on the bandsaw.

I used a cylindrical plastic bowl from cheese, as a mould. 

To keep the pieces from floating in the resin I hot glued a piece of wood perpendicular to the pieces. 

I then filled the mould in resin and de-gassed it in the vacuum chamber. 

I then epoxied the blank on a glue block. 

I turned the piece to my likeness. To make the button holes I used the divider of my chuck to mark their positions. Then I used a quick and dirty jig to drill the holes with a forstner bit.

I then sanded the piece with mineral oil. I polished it with my micro mesh sanding pads and my buffing wheel. 

To polish the back of the button I used my bowl bottom jaws on the chuck. 

To make my button more real I added a black nylon cord.

I hope you liked my little button because that was it. See you soon with a new project video.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, that at no cost to you, I get a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.

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Butterfly Gardening and How to Get Them into Your Garden

 BUTTERFLY GARDENING

Part 1: First Things First-what plants and how do they know which to land on?

Are you bemoaning the lack of butterflies in your garden?

Would you love to have more butterflies visit your garden, no matter how small or big it is?
Did you know that butterflies look for specific food plants or that they have a preferred temperature to flit about in?

The Monarch butterfly (pictured below)  was in my garden on buddleia bush 'Black Knight'  

Butterflies have a preferred range of plants so it pays to know what butterflies you have in your area and what plants they might like to feed on.

Monarch Butterfly on Buddleja ' Black Knight photo M Cannon

Steve mentions a good read  on the subject of butterflies is a book co-authored by Helen Schwencke, 

Create More Butterflies: a guide to 48 butterflies and their host-plants for south-east Queensland and northern New South Wales.

Some plant suggestions to get those winged beauties into your garden are:

• Native senna cultivars are high on the list of plants that attract butterflies.
• Blunt-leaf Senna there (Senna gaudichaudii), but there’s also the corky milk vine (Secamone elliptica) and emu foot, (Cullen tenax) a trailing native plea vine.
• Think also about the native finger lime, great for container planting.
• A lot of native butterflies will be drawn to your garden if you have the right flowers for them at the right time of the year.

The further you go south, the butterfly visits will be more seasonal.

• Migrating butterflies are driven by the season's, wind direction and amount of rainfall.

Their preferred temperature range is between 23-27 degrees Centigrade.

How  do they find what they need?

The  antenna (mainly on males) is used to detect what food is available and if other male butterflies are present.

Females, however, can also use their feet. Chemoreceptors on their legs help them to choose their food plants.

Let’s find out more
I'm talking with  Steve McGrane, horticulturist, ecological agriculturist and garden writer.

Butterfly Gardening

 part 2:

So you've listened to part 1 where we talked about what plants butterflies prefer, and in particular, what type of plants the caterpillars of these butterflies like to eat.

Butterfly House Blenheim Palace, England, photo M Cannon



• But what else do butterflies like and what should you be wary of using in your garden if you want to keep those butterflies and bees coming to visit?

What do butterflies need to survive?

WATER: Butterflies are like bees, they don't like to land on a large body of water. They want to land where their mouthpieces can take up the water. A dish of water with a stone in it will provide their water needs.

SHADE: When they're eating or laying eggs, butterflies prefer semi-shade, one of the  reasons is that they camouflage themselves better.

FOOD FOR CATERPILLARS: Don't go overboard with worry about a few eaten leaves on your citrus,, or other plants because of the odd caterpillar here and there.  Remember, that caterpillar on your citrus or some other plant, may not be doing as much damage as you think. Not all caterpillars are as destructive as say the white cabbage moth caterpillar. Identify it first, then decide to leave it alone or feed it to the chooks.

• DON'T USE PESTICIDES, THESE ARE HARMFUL TO ALL BUTTERFLIES

Remember, the butterfly lifecycle is quite short, a mere two weeks before they pupate.

Butterflies pupating, butterfly house, Blenheim Palace, England. photo M Cannon

PLAY: Butterfly gardening pt 2_17thFebruary 2021

Let’s find out more
I'm talking with  Steve McGrane, horticulturist, ecological agriculturist and garden writer.

If you have any questions either for me or for Steve you can email us Realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2rrr, PO Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675.

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La Niña and the Kitchen Garden

 THE KITCHEN GARDEN

La Niña and your produce garden

Torrential rain is lashing the east coast of Australia as a write this while the west coast of enjoys a hot spell. Without sounding too dramatic, we’re starting off the kitchen garden segment with a topic about how the changing weather patterns are affecting the vegetable garden. At the moment Australia is in the grip of La Niña, a complex weather pattern, that bought rain for much of summer and now is causing flooding in many areas.

Last year's summer was quite different with bushfires in most parts of Australia.

Torrential rain driven by La Niña in my garden.

We’re not so much spruiking climate change, but really it’s more about what you the gardener can do to mitigate problems in the veggie patch because of climate events like La Niña.

This summer, the produce garden is seeing cooler temperatures during the day, increased humidity, and higher night temperatures because of the consistent cloud cover.

For those gardeners on clay soil, the soil is staying damp even during the drier periods. Veggies do not like their roots in constant water.

For those gardeners who haven't prepared their gardens for these events, they may find collar rot around citrus and other fungal problems in the kitchen garden.

The answer for clay soil in produce gardens is build raised beds. Not only does this improve drainage, but saves all that bending to ground level.

Powdery mildew is a problem with all gardens in humid weather, particularly when the crops are coming to their end of their production.

Toni recommends using a bi-carbonate spray to change the pH of the leaf surface so that the fungus cannot thrive. This is only a preventative measure. Once the mildew takes hold.

Bicarb soda recipe:
1/2 teaspoon of sodium bi-carbonate
450ml water
couple of drops of vegetable oil to help emulsify it.

Spray both leaf surfaces well until run-off. Re-apply after rain.Other problems can be fruit not ripening such as tomatoes staying green because of the lack of sunny days.

Dwarf beans are all descended from climbing beans when they perceive low light levels they will begin throwing out tendrils and revert to climbing beans. This can be just a run of cloudy days or overshadowing by trees or a neighbouring building.

Let’s find out-I'm talking with Toni Salter, the Veggie Lady. www.theveggielady.com 
PLAY: La Nina pt1_27th January 2021

If you have any questions either for me or for Toni you can email us Realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2rrr, PO Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675.

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Tonka Bean Flavour Is Great in Cooking

 SPICE IT UP

Tonka Bean

If you have thought that vanilla was a flavour all on its own, you would be wrong. Here is another bean that not only qualifies as a substitute for vanilla, but also for nutmeg.

Common Name: Tonka Bean, sometimes known as Brazilian teak.
Scientific Name: Dipteryx odorata
Family: Fabaceae

Fruit:The highly fragrant bean from a flowering tree in the pea family

Height: 25-30 metres. Grey outerbark with inner red wood.

Qualities: the presence of coumarin in the beans give the seed its odour or perfume.

Flavour: Marzipan like

Like a lot of members of the pea family that are trees, tonka beans starts as a pod on a tree. 
The pod contains a single bean which is dried like so many other spices.
It’s used in the same dishes that you used vanilla or nutmeg for, like shortbread biscuits, custards, cream brulee' and so on.

To harvest the pods, they are picked when fully mature and have fallen to the ground.  Then they are broken open with a hammer to reveal a wrinkled oblong 2.5cm seed.

When this bean is cut in half lengthwise, it has a creamy white centre.

• These beans are placed in the sun to dry, activating the enzymes within the bean.
• But did you know this bean has been banned in America since 1954 because of the coumarin present? Coumarin is also present in cinnamon and that's not banned!

Tonka beans may be grated like nutmeg before adding to a recipe or soaked in warm water or milk to infuse the flavour.

• Tonka is a strong spice, so only use in similar proportions to nutmeg.

I you wish to grow the tree yourself, it's a very pretty flowering tree suited to the tropics and sub-tropics. Not a tree for frost prone areas. The plant itself is not available for sale in Australia, but you can buy the seeds from overseas sellers.

I am talking with Ian Hemphill from www.herbies.com.au

Let’s find out more
PLAY: :Tonka Bean_20th January 2021
If you have any questions either for me or for Ian you can email us Realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2rrr, PO Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675.

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Everything From Billy Buttons, Everlastings, Flannel Flowers and Kangaroo Paws

PLANT OF THE WEEK

Some plants you just love their flowers, some just have fabulous leaves, but here’s a plant, even though on the small side, packs a punch with bright golden flowers and grey leaves that would fit into any style garden.

Scientific name:Craspedia globosus syn. Pycnosorus

Common name:Billy buttons, drumsticks.
Flowers:  golden-yellow tennis ball like spheres made up of tiny flowers on long stalks 80cm-100cm

Leaves: a rosette of grey green leaves above an underground rhizome.  

Interesting fact: Billy Buttons were part of the flower arrangement that were presented to medal winners of the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Hardiness: tolerates light frost and extended periods of dry weather. Don't like wet weet.

Billy Buttons are very famous for being very long lasting cut flowers, their bright yellow spherical flowers can be dried like other native daisies and used in floral arrangements for months.

In areas with high humidity, treat them as an annual as they will succumb to fungal problems. Easily grown from seed but use wildflower seed starter to break the dormancy of the seed. 

Let’s find out more

I'm talking with was Adrian O’Malley, horticulturist and native plant expert.
PLAY: Billy Buttons_13th January 2021

PLANT OF THE WEEK

Rhodanthe chlorocephala

Paper daisies

Some people call them paper daisies, some call them everlastings but as we say on Real World Gardener, don’t be fooled with common names because they are most often applied to an array of plants.

Scientific name: Rhodanthe chlorocephala

Common name: pink & white everlasting

Family: Asteraceae

Flowers: from winter to spring, daisy like flowers 1-6cm in diameter, composed of white or pink papery bracts. Heads normally appear singly, but tip pruning will encourage branching to produce multiple flower heads.

Position: full sun in well drained, even sandy soils. easily propagated from seed. Best sown in late autumn or early winter.  If conditions are right, they will self-seed, otherwise collect the seed when the flowers turns into a fluffy head.Store the seed head in a paper bag until next season.

Whatever you call them, it’s something even beginner gardeners can grow to pretty up their patch.

Australia's version of meadow planting can be easily achieved with these paper daisies or
everlastings. All you need to do is scatter 1 gm of seeds per square metre and rake gently into the soil. The seeds will germinate in 7-10 days if kept moist. Expect a carpet of flowers as you would see in Western Australia.
Rhodanthe chlorocephala subspecies rosea is the most widely grown subspecies and is commonly known as “Pink and White Everlasting”, “Rosy Sunray”, “Pink Paper-daisy” and “Rosy Everlasting.”
The flowers can be dried like other native daisies and used in floral arrangements for months.

Let’s find out more, I'm talking with Adrian O’Malley, horticulturist and native plant expert.

PLANT OF THE WEEK

Flannel Flowers: Actinotus helianthi
Here’s one for the lover of all things flowers, this little sub-shrub is in flower for most of the year.
The flannel flower is one of the most recognisable Australian native flowers and Adrian says it's a very tactile plant because of the soft woolly feel of the grey-green foliage.
The creamy-white flowers occur in clusters, and the entire plant has a soft woolly feel because of soft white hairs.
Looking like a daisy, but it’s not in the daisy family, instead it’s in the same family as the carrot, dill, celery and parsley.

Scientific name: Actinotus helianthi
Common name:Flannel Flowers

Family: Apiaceae

Flowers: a simple daisy flower flower with cream to white petals (bracts) tipped green. Flower size varies depending on soil conditions in which it grows but can be 3-8cm. Peak flower is Spring, with spot flowering throughout the year.

Leaves: Grey green and woolly to the touch because of the soft hairs.

Hardiness: tolerates light frost, dislikes wet feet. Avoid watering the leaves to prevent fungal problems. Grows naturally in sandstone country where soil is a bare couple of cms.

Maintenance: Tip pruning will give you more side branching and more flowers. Cut off spent flowers with snips or secateurs. Tidy up the plant by cutting off dead or yellowing foliage.

Height: up to 1.5m but in the natural habitat,  Adrian has only seen flannel flowers growing to only around 80 cm.

Flowering occurs mainly in spring to early summer (September to December) and is followed by fluffy seeds in a globular head.
But how did it get its strange name common name?
Botanists associated the flower to the soft woolly feel of er flannel.
Let’s find out more
I'm talking with Adrian O’Malley, horticulturist and native plant expert.

PLANT OF THE WEEK

Kangaroo Paw: Anigozanthos spp

This next plant is the floral emblem of Western Australia where it has grown for millions of years.
The flowers, which bloom mostly in the spring and summer, are covered with a very thick, soft fuzz, making them look almost like velvet.
It’s also bird attracting and once a favourite of gardeners.

Common Name: Kangaroo Paw

Scientific name: Anigozanthos flavidus

Family: Haemdoraceae

Flowers: spring and summer are main flowering times. Fine coloured hairs cover the flower giving it, its flower colour. Flowers are a distinct shape which can only be described as that of a kangaroo's paw! Cultivars known as 'Bush Gems" come in all colours of the rainbow.

Hardiness:Develop a blackening of the leaves in humid climates, known as inkspot disease. Cut it down to ankle height with clean secateurs to renew the growth if this occurs.

Uses: Mass planted in borders, in cottage gardens, native gardens, rockeries and containers.

Make sure you find a good colour form as it is great bird attracting garden plant that can be a feature at the back of beds.

Remove the dead flower stems and their associated foliage after flowering.

Let’s find out more
I am talking with Adrian O’Malley, horticulturist and native plant expert.

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Woodturning the "fire drop" out of briar root

 

Tools and materials I propose:

Lathe

Wood turning tools set

Chuck kit

Vacuum chamber kit

Buffing kit

Foredom Woodcarving Kit

Flat file

Flat rasp

I made this out of a piece of briar root. I filled the cracks with black epoxy resin and then  I turned it on the lathe. I made the base out of beech. I really want to thank my friend and awesome craftsman and turner Fotis Kalovedouris for sending this amazing piece to me. 

You can check Fotis's work here.

I begun by filling the cracks with black epoxy. I did two pours to complete the procedure. I used the vacuum chamber to de-gass the resin.

I hen started turning the piece true. 

At some point my tools were not cutting. I saw that I had a rock in the root. So I cut that piece off.

I used my sphere making jig to shape the bottom of my drop. 

I then removed the piece from the chuck and found the centre. I used a flat rasp bit on my rotary tool, to blend the spherical bottom with the centre and create a drop like shape. 

I finished the job using a rasp and a file. 

I sanded the piece from 100 to 320. Then I started wet sanding with mineral oil until 1000grit. Finally I buffed the piece on my buffing wheel system.

I then made the base out of beech. I used a spindle gouge to hollow the top end grain.

I then divided the piece on the lathe. I used my rotary tool to shape it. I then paint it black with a water based dye. I filled it’s texture with embellishing wax. 

And my piece was ready. I hope you liked it, because that was it. See you soon with a new project video. 

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, that at no cost to you, I get a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.

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