The cost of good health.

And no, I'm not speaking of health care.

I just read a really fantastic article about the costs of food increasing and how it is changing the ways families shop. It really hit home with some of the things that we've been struggling with lately.

In our house, I am the "kitchen boss" and J is "money man." I used to do all the money, but it turns out I can't say, "no." So, now J gets this job. Have I mentioned how much he LOVES it?

One constant bone of contention is the food budget. Now, J knows that I work really hard to keep this down. I shop sales, I use coupons religiously, and I comparison shop where possible. Part of the problem is that I live in a medium sized town with small town amenities. We are a fast growing county, and developers can't keep up. I refuse to go to certain stores because the crowds are just unbearable. Still, I go cheap where possible, and I go sales in all the other places. The Internet certainly helps.

The problem comes out in the fact that we refuse to eat crap. I have this mentality that I would rather not eat anything at all, if my only choice is something that has no redeeming value. It either has to taste AMAZING or I know it has to be good for me and tastes pretty darn good. In other words, I can't remember the last time I bought ramen.

We buy organic for the dirty dozen and dairy, and natural in most other places. We have a few indulgences (mostly kid stuff), and eat lots of fruits and vegetables. Mainly, I refuse to feed the kids anything that I can't pronounce. At least I refuse 90% of the time. Yes, we hit McDonald's. The kids love it, and it's a good treat no more than once a month. As are a few other terrible items that have been known to make it in our cart. So sue me for spoiling my kids a little.

But still, it kills me how much it costs to eat well. I spend insane amounts on food and household items. All because I want to raise my kids in a clean home with natural foods, the way God intended. It boggles my mind that it takes two average incomes in our house to be able to meet our dietary and chemical expectations.

Truthfully, I could write a book about my opinions on the American diet, its ramifications on our health, and how I would like to change things for the better. Alas, I have not the attention for a book. Besides, it's already been written. It's just up to us to read the information, and realize that you have one life and one body.

Pizza, undone.

So, in February I posted about my pizza making escapades. While that pizza was good, I have since discovered what is most easily described as spectacular pizza. And these are not my words.
Several weeks back, a good friend of the ball and chain came down for a little visit. Since we have taken up vegetarianism, cooking for company has become...well..interesting. How do you cook for good friends, without them feeling like they went to visit the health nuts?

So, I decided to make individual pizzas that we all could top ourselves. That way, J's friend could add the pepperoni or not. I then had to decide how we would cook the pizzas. The oven would be difficult (I only had one large pizza stone). So, I decided to attempt a trick that I had seen on Food Network ages ago: pizza on the grill. As I brought all the ingredients out, I warned J's friend that we'd never tried this before. J was nervous about making his friend a guinea pig. I assured him that if all else failed - we would be ordering in! Turns out J's friend was ready to invest in our new pizza venture. He liked the pizza so well, he made it at his next get together.

The nice thing is, all the ingredients are the same, the process is just different.

Detailed instructions for making pizza on the grill.

1. Start the water-yeast-sugar mixture on the dough. Set aside.

2. Dice 1 onion and 1-2 cloves garlic. Add to 1/8 cup warm olive oil in medium pot. Cook until onions are starting to turn translucent.

3. Add one can diced (unspiced) tomatoes. Bring to a vigorous simmer and reduce heat (you don't want to burn it, but a small bubble is still good. We are looking to cook down the tomatoes and evaporate excess water).

4. Finish crust. Set aside to rise.

5. Add one can of tomato sauce to the cooking pot, bring to a boil. Use immersion or regular blender to whip and blend sauce up. Return to heat, bring to boil, and simmer to reduce/thicken. Salt as needed (but be careful - it won't need much if any!) Watch closely over the next hour to determine when it is thick (creates a nice thick film on the back of the spoon). You also want to get as much of the water evaporated from the sauce as possible, without turning the darn thing to paste.

6. As the sauce finishes, let the dough rise for the required hour. Remove sauce from heat when necessary. This is a great time to get everything else together, like toppings, plates, and tools. I like to take everything outside with me so fellow eaters can partake in the topping and cooking process.

7. When the crust is done, cut it into 4 equal pieces. I do this right in the bowl, cutting into quarters as best I can visually. Place pieces on large, oiled, cookie sheet in mounds. Work dough as little as possible in this process.

8. Prepare grill. Heat high to clean grill. Reduce heat. Optimal cooking temperature is 400-500 degrees. Spray grill with oil.

9. Quickly work dough to a loose circle. Perfection is not necessary. Imperfection will add to rustic feel. Toss onto grill, and close. Until you get a feel for this, do just one pizza at a time.

10. When the dough is two-thirds done (think a pancake), turn with a pair of tongs or a spatula. Spread some sauce (to desired taste), toss on the toppings, saving the cheese for last. While you can top with the typical mozzarella generally used, I really recommend fresh from the deli (sold in little balls). Just slice up and toss on in chunks. Our favorite pizza is basic: Fresh tomatoes, fresh basil, topped with fresh mozzarella. When topped, close grill and wait for cheese to melt. If extra water is forming on the top, you can tip the pizza to allow it to run off. This can come from the mozzarella or the tomatoes if enough water hasn't evaporated from the sauce.

11. Optional step: after you spread the sauce and top, you can paint on a layer of olive oil and spices around the edge of the pizza (on the exposed edge of the crust). All you need to do is whisk together olive oil, mashed/minced garlic, and whatever additional Italian spices float your boat (basil or oregano). It will make the edges yummy like bread sticks. This mixture is also fantastic to paint over unusable crusts (I always have one of these each batch). You know, a crust you turn to early and crumbles. One that gets a hole in it and is unable to be sauced. Makes a creat nibbler. Just let it finish cooking (in whatever state it's in), and paint the crust with this mixture.

12. Shimmy off the grill with the tongs and a nearby plate, and slice up however you prefer.

This is our pizza: This if for the kids (I use regular shredded mozzarella):

Really, the grill does such a great job of cooking the crust perfectly. It's crunchy on the outside, but soft and chewy on the inside. The only problem I have encountered is some water forming on the top of the pizza, but if you are vigilant about reducing the sauce in steps 5 & 6, it will come out better.

We made this just last night for baby boy's 2nd birthday. The nice thing about this, is that it is easy enough for a weekday night (provided you can get the crust done). You can easily cheat with store bought dough in a pinch. Such fun and so yum.

Not just for Asia.

When I moved in with my husband, I brought with me a college relic that I hadn't yet replaced: my old rice pot. Batter and bruised, and certainly not a nice version, it did the trick of cooking rice. My husband was totally amazed: the only other place that he had seen one of these gadgets was in the kitchen of a school friend. Said friend was Vietnamese.

After spending several years in Hawaii, my family considered rice cookers a necessity. Sort of like a blender or waffle maker - every household should have one. In fact, I would have to look up exactly how to make plain rice on the stove. I've only done it but a handful of times in my life.

Back to newly married life, this rice cooker was definitely low end. The rice ALWAYS burned to the bottom, meaning you had to soak it for 24 hours before cleaning. It was also very small. good enough for two - but it certainly wouldn't handle two.

My mom, upon a trip down here, noticed that I still had this sad little rice maker, and sent me an upgrade for Christmas. My rice is always restaurant perfect, never burnt to the bottom, and all I have to do is set it and go. Literally, wash short or medium grained rice three times, add 1.5 times the amount of water to drained rice, press go. When light flicks to warm, put two layers of paper towels to absorb excess moisture for around 15 minutes. Enjoy wonderful sticky rice! Good for a side dish, or maybe making sushi (oooh, I'll have to add that one day) :) I just have to note that you need to buy a good quality one. This is (unfortunately) one area where I think that the better brands are foreign made. Ours is Zojirushi.

Working on a wonderful new recipe for tropical muffins. My batch today was to DIE for, but I want to see if can improve yet again.

I'm thinking pizza will be up tomorrow. I know, I know...I have been promising. I just wanted to see if I could do one other thing to improve the crust. Turns out, I could :)

I've been trying...

I've been trying to post every day. It's been my goal. I fell short today.

I had a request for my updated grilled pizza recipe and hints. I really, REALLY want to share it. I just ran out of time today. Alas, such is the life to a working mommy to two. See. I AM human. I don't just bake, cook, and feed my family. Some days I just need a minute to crash. Especially on days when I spend two extra hours in school filling out paperwork for some drama that happened.

So, my plan is for tomorrow. Tomorrow I will give you insight into making pizza so good your family will never want to eat out again! We will be doing grilled pizza for my son's 2nd birthday. My baby turns two. Sniff, sniff.

Until then, enjoy a glass of whatever poison you choose....and take the night off. Get something out of the freezer, or order in.

Every mommy needs a break sometimes.

Beans, beans...the glorious food...

The more you eat...

Those of you who have young children (or remember your own childhood), will know the rest of this diddy.

This morning I was listening to Bob and Sheri, and they were asking listeners to call in with what they plan on doing with their IRS "economic stimulus check." One guy called in and claimed that after 6 years - he and his wife were completely debt free and buying their new home on cash. Bob and Sheri seemed interested, until he mentioned the name Dave Ramsey.

The ball and chain is a huge fan of this guy. He read the book shortly before Christmas (joy and rapture), and we have been in total money makeover land since the year started. We have made some headway on bills, and the headway does seem to make the ball and chain happier. Still, he's pretty much the turd in the proverbial punch bowl when you want to do something FUN with your money. He's also a supreme traditionalist. I don't mind this so much, as I am a pretty traditional gal. However, I can see why this may turn some off. Regardless, while radical and seemingly unreachable, his money beliefs make sense. My sister declared herself debt free (except for her home) - and they couldn't be happier about this.

The reason this comes up, is that one thing he tells people to do (to cut back on food costs) is eat rice and beans, beans and rice. Perish the thought. Beans are so BORING, right?

Au contraire.

Beans are a wonderful, cheap, easy, and satisfying meal. Did I say cheap? I meant to say cheap.

They've also been a staple in the diet that has completely changed my husband's health.

Tonight, since we are nearing the end of our Easter leftovers, I plan on making up some chickpeas to eat on for the rest of the week. However, since I promised this ages ago, I thought I would share my fantastic Black Beans. These were made up through trial and error over time in my own kitchen. Feel free to adjust to your tastes.

Stewed Seasoned Black Beans.

One medium onion
One green pepper
2 t. Cumin
1 t -2 T. Cayenne Pepper
Salt to taste
2 T. cilantro
1 lb back beans
2 T olive oil
2 cloves chopped garlic

Soak beans all night or all day, or follow quick soak method on package.

When done soaking, drain and sort out ickies.

Heat olive oil in pot, and add chopped onion, green pepper, and garlic. Cook until onions begins to get translucent.

When done, add the rest of the spices. Cook for thirty seconds.

Add beans, cook for 30 seconds.

Add enough water to cover the beans with 2-3 inches of space to the top.

Cook for 1.5-2.5 hours, adding water when needed (uncovered). As the beans get close, taste to adjust seasoning.

You know the beans are done when there is a very thick/starchy broth that would be good with rice, along with the beans being cooked just to the point of breaking easily. You want a broth just a bit more runny than gravy. With the water, you are basically looking to cook the beans and boil the water off.

Mt favorite way to serve is over Cilantro Lime Rice, topped with chopped avocado, tomatoes, red onions, and a dollop of sour cream.

Oink, Oink (save the pigs)

My very Midwestern husband and I decided to dabble in vegetarianism shortly after the Christmas Holiday. His "bad" cholesterol was steadily rising, and his triglycerides were through the roof. Needing to bring these numbers down (um, hello, not about to be a single mom to two if I can avoid it), I suggested trying our hand at no meat. We had been doing the moderation thing for some time (little to no red meat, avoiding meat some nights of the week), but it just wasn't working like we needed to. So, I looked a few things up online, discovered some research supporting vegetarianism, and presented it to my husband. I asked him to give me a month, he obliged. Unhappily.

Although it was feared to be a painful transition, it turns out that it's not that hard to give up meat. I got really good at cooking up beans: black, red, pinto, and even black eyed peas. We realized that (in most things) we didn't miss the meat. In fact, we recently went to a favorite Japanese Steak House - the kind where they cook your meal in front of you. We ordered the vegetable dinner and found ourselves barely able to complete the meal. On our way out I asked "how did we ever finish all that food!?" Neither of us knew.

After a month, we both felt better. We had more energy, and found our digestive tracks working a bit cleaner. We went to a church function, ate pot roast, and it felt so heavy in our stomachs. If all that wasn't enough, we have the chemistry to prove this lifestyle is better for us. J's triglycerides went down by some 50 points, his "bad cholesterol" is down to normal, and his overall cholesterol is down to 159 (from 180). No meds, no increased exercise. All we did was cut out the meat.

The only problem in this whole plan is that I now have to "reinvent" holidays. We have created some yummy traditions here. This includes ham on Easter, and it's one of my husbands most favorite meals.

For Easter this year, I combed the web for a suitable alternative. Of course, it occurred to me that I could still make eggs (we eat animal products - just no meat). What's more Easter than eggs? So, I found a quiche recipe, cheesy potatoes, and a spring salad. I then planned on carrot cake for dessert, and deviled eggs for a tasty after-church snack (I only had...oh...two dozen brightly colored hard boiled eggs to find a use for).

The quiche recipe wasn't all that great. I'd never made a quiche before, so this was a first. I don't think I cared for it all that much. It was had too many flavors competing for the same palate. I think the pesto and goat cheese would have been plenty. Or the pesto and tomatoes. Or the goat cheese and tomatoes. Not all three. I also wanted something meaty - like mushrooms - to balance all the flavor. I will say that my crust turned out amazing. Light and flaky. At some point, I will give my pie 101 course, and I will detail the ins and outs of a fantastic crust. In the mean time, I have to go against the perfect 5 start rating at all recipes and say this will not be a return show for us. At least not in it's current form.

The potatoes were "eh" as well. I love a good cheesy potato, and this just didn't do it for me. It was done before the potatoes were, and when I eat potatoes I like them really cooked. I like more creamy, less oily, and got the opposite. It also needed a lot of salt to be tasty enough. The salty flavor just didn't add the depth that I wanted from that heavy of a dish.

The salad was really good. Who would have thought that a dressing from ketchup would have been so tasty? We left out the bacon bits and croutons. Not only is it healthier that way, but I think there are more than enough flavors to make that salad without those two additives.

Finally, the carrot cupcakes. These were really good - full of good ingredients and tasty morsels. You mix the dry ingredients, wet ingredients + sugar, and all the additives (pineapple, walnuts, carrots, raisins, and coconut) in separate bowls. The bowl with additives was as large as the other bowls. It was all "guts" and I feared they would be too much for the batter. I was wrong. I topped with a very basic cream cheese frosting: stick of butter, 8 oz brick of cream cheese, cream with mixer. Add 4 cups confectioner's sugar and one teaspoon of vanilla, blend with mixer until creamy. I added frosting to a piping bag and swirled it on the top of each cupcake. Tasty AND beautiful! When I make them for guests in the future, I will need to add some sort of garnish. A beautiful orange twirl of carrot anchored in the frosting would be perfect.

So, I think it will be "back" to the drawing board next year. On the plus side the egg salad sandwiches have been OH so tasty. I also have a last minute tip for using all those hard boiled eggs: to add zip to your potato salad, egg salad, or deviled eggs: Tabasco sauce. It really gave a nice "punch" to the flavors that I wasn't expecting.

Eat your veggies!

Awhile ago, I got the book Deceptively Delicious. It has a few good recipes; enough to link to it on this page. However, the real amazing thing was that it opened my eyes to a new way of cooking - adding in veggies wherever I could.

Basically, you make a bunch of vegetables into baby food. Then you add wherever. Cauliflower to scrambled eggs, squash to noodles, sweet potatoes in tomato sauce. You name it, I've probably done it.

One of my most favorite tricks is putting something in the kid's cheese sauce for Mac and Cheese.

First, I take a box of store-bought quickie stuff. In theory, I would be making homemade and freezing it. Unfortunately, my kids are wise to this trick and will not eat it. So, I'm forced to used boxed. The compromise is that I buy the all natural stuff. You can get it in bulk - for a good price - at Amazon.com. Especially considering that you get free shipping for anything over $25.00.

Go ahead and cook the noodles as instructed, drain, return pot to hot stove.

Add a teaspoon of butter, a tablespoon of milk, one half cup of vegetable puree, and the packet of cheese. Whisk together until bubbly and creamy. Add noodles, stir for about 30 seconds and take of burner.

As far as the kind of vegetable - think thick and cheesy. I've tried cauliflower and sweet potato with good success. Green, overpowering, and watery vegetables probably wouldn't work as well.

My kids eat this down as if there was nothing in it. Would it be better for them to eat vegetables on their own? Sure, but this is a sneaky way to get a few extra down!

Save your marriage hummus.

At least, that's what it was called on a web board that I was on recently.

This is yet another "find" from another source. I made it once, improved upon it for my tastes, and made it "mine." This brings me to an important cooking point.

Aside from baking, where the yeast-sugar-salt proportions must be just so, cooking is not an exact science. You cannot create a "one size fits all" recipe. Cooking is about being one with your food, tasting, loving, thriving. It's about knowing that something "isn't right" to your tastes - and the one spice, flavor, additive that will make it so.

I am not an exact cook - which is why I will never write a cook book. I don't like feeling confined by measurements and exacts. A truly wonderful cook only uses a recipe as a guide - the rest is up to the imagination.

Hummus:

1 lb dried garbanzo beans
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 small onion, diced
approximately 4 garlic cloves, diced
two cans of plain green olives
4 tablespoons tahini
4 tablespoons lemon juice
olive oil

Start by soaking the beans all night or day. Wash and toss the ickies.

When ready to cook, place beans in a dutch oven, with around a gallon of water.

Bring to a boil, cook for 1.5-2.5 hours. You want a bean that can be mashed with a little effort, blended creamy easily, but isn't falling apart. When done, pour into a colander and drain.

In same dutch oven, put 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Heat over medium heat. Add onions and garlic. Cook for a few minutes. Depending on your affinity for garlic (I love to eat them whole and roasted) - you can increase/decrease the amount.

Add paprika, chili powder, and cumin. Cook up for a few more minutes.

Add drained beans. Cook for another two minutes or so. Adjust heat if it gets too hot.

Remove from heat, split between two bowls.

In large food processor, add one bowl of beans and one can of olives. Then add 2 heaping tablespoons of tahini, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, and blend completely.

Once blended very well, add olive oil to desired consistency. Some like it thicker, some like it thinner.

Place in bowls.

Repeat the blending process with the remainder of the ingredients.

Place in bowls. Hummus can be frozen for later consumption.

And no, this didn't save my marriage (there was nothing to be saved) - but it got your attention, didn't it? It was how it was posted elsewhere on the web, and I stole it.

When the effort pays off.

I hate store bought jam. It just doesn't TASTE like a jam should. To me, I like the berries. Store bought jam just doesn't TASTE like the berries. It tastes like jam. I'd like some berries, with some sugar, thank you very much!

I have been spoiled on Strawberry Freezer Jam since the first care package sent by my grandmother on my father's side. The sweet strawberry taste was love at first bite. When my family moved to Hawaii, it became even more of a delicacy since my grandmother was aging and fresh berries were at a premium. It wasn't until we moved to the land of berries (Willamette Valley, Oregon) that I was able to actually make this heavenly spread on my own. At this point, I was pretty much spoiled by a constant supply of Strawberry Freezer Jam.

The problem, my friends, is that making jam pretty much ranks up there with the worst jobs ever. Truthfully, the fact that I do it at all is a testament to HOW GOOD homemade jam is. I liken this to candle making, something I tried for the first time this holiday season. After making enough for all my friends, I decided that I would never do that again. The trouble just wasn't worth the cost I was saving - I'd rather wait for a good sale and buy the darn things. Jam, on the other hand, is worth EVERY ounce of trouble.

Strawberry Freezer jam.

You will need: Berries, containers (we used 9.5 ounce plastic - bad enviornmentalists), pectin, and sugar.

For each batch: 2 cups of crushed berries, 6 boxes of pectin (Surejell), 4 cups of sugar, and approximately 45 ounces of container space. This is accourding to the recipe in the Surejell box. Different Pectins may call for different amounts.

How I did it:

(1) I purchased a flat of strawberries at my local farmer's market. The berries are in season right now in the southeast, which is why I chose to make the berries this time of year. In Oregon, I would have waited until May/June.

(2) For a flat of strawberries, you will need 10 - 15 pounds of sugar, 6 boxes of pectin, and around 25-30 9.5 ounce containers.

(3) Get the berries home. Refrigerate if you don't plan on using them right away. When ready to make the jam, rinse, sort out the bad berries (you don't want to use the really overripe ones), and cut off the stems. You can also cut out bad spots from berries that are salvageable.

(4) Crush (do not puree) the berries. I actually used my KichenAid Immersion blender to help this process. I think it may have pureed the berries too much. You want full chunks of strawberries; it adds to the rustic nature of the jam. Surejell actually recommends using a potato masher. It also recommends doing it one cup at a time - but I went ahead and mashed up about half a flat at a time.

(5) Apportion out two cups of crushed berries into large bowls. I had four bowls ready to go - and one flat gave me about 12 cups. So, I put two batches in small bowls until the large ones opened up. I put two cups in each of the large bowls.

(6) Add 4 cups of sugar to each large bowl, let sit for 10 minutes.

(7) in small sauce pan, place 3/4 cup of water and one box of pectin. Bring to a boil stirring constantly, until ONE MINUTE after the mixture has started to boil. Then add to berry/sugar mixture and stir until dissolved (a good 3 minutes). Go ahead and place in containers. Make sure you do this immediately, as the jam sets up quickly.

(8) The jam needs to sit for 24 hours. You can then freeze it for up to a year or refrigerate for 3 weeks. DO NOT let this jam sit at room temperature. For pantry jam, you will need to follow alternate instructions for canning.

In my case, I made four bowls of sugar/berries, then walked away to clean out some more containers. I started boiling water and pectin, and made one batch. I did some quick math, realized that I needed more containers, and sent the husband out to the store with our daughter. I got roses too. It was a smart move on my part.

Anyhow, I turned around and got the big bowl from that first batch, rinsed it out, added more berries and sugar to sit. After that, I started the pectin again and another batch of jam. When that bowl was free, I added my last bit of crushed berries and sugar. I continued to work, one batch at a time, until all was complete. It took me slightly less than two hours. I got 28 containers of jam out of that. Easily enough to last us all year, and give some away.

The only trick here is to make sure you follow the instructions EXACTLY. If you don't add enough sugar, the pectin won't set up right and your jam will be too soft.

If you want to make sugar free or low sugar jam, there is a Surejell that will allow you to do this. My concern with this particular variety is that it is made with Splenda. We don't do sugar substitutes here for a variety of reasons. You can read about them here, here, and here. When it comes to food, I find that less is more. Therefore, I went with the original variety as it's the "all natural" sort. All natural people need all natural food.

I also want to note that this is not my recipe. I got this right out of the SureJell box - and you can too. In fact, if you use a different brand or variety of pectin, your ingredients WILL differ. The above is just a guideline for what I did this sunny afternoon.

Thank you Uncle Visa.

In an effort to streamline finances (Thank you Dave Ramsey), my husband has been paying off and closing all of our credit card accounts. One such account had some "points" accumulated. I could use these points for a multitude of things, including a catalog of goods. J told me to use the points before the account closed, as we didn't want to lose the benefits promised to us.

Now, what I would have usually done is gotten a gift card and tried to maximize the value through a sale or something. It would have also been a possibility that I would have purchased something necessary, or something that we were planning on getting anyway. However, I really wanted to get something "frivolous."

I panned through the kitchen goods, and considered buying a larger food processor. I realized that I could likely talk J into buying that for me. So, I continued my search for something that he would never go for me buying on our own. Then I found it. Something I had drooled about on the food network. Something totally unnecessary, but also totally fun.

A KitchenAid Immersion Blender, heaven in a high powered portable blender.

Now, when I got this, the ball and chain ridiculed me for it. He thought it was a completely unnecessary and un-useful purchase. Truthfully, you can do just about everything it does with other small appliances already in your kitchen. It's just that this is SO MUCH EASIER to get in and out of your cupboard. It's so simple to change out the components. And clean up is a SNAP.

So far, with my new toy, I have created:

velvety smooth tomato soup (homemade, of course)
homemade pizza sauce using blended chunks of sauted tomatoes as thickener
pesto sauce in the bowl that I served it in
9 crushed bananas for banana bread in about 30 seconds
the creamiest whipped cream I have ever had (using the wisk attachment)
chopped garlic (using the chopping attachment)

This weekend, I also plan on trying the blender out on whole strawberries as I make them into freezer jam. I'm sure it will take the muscle right out of the berry crushing job that my husband usually inherets. I also plan on making creamy potato leek soup sometime this week.

So, if you like to cook like I do - this is a GREAT little tool.