September 2022 Update on Ria Stone Blog

It's been a while since I've made a post on my blog.

When I started "eBooks & More by Ria Stone" blog it was part of my adventure as a self-published author. It evolved as I published four books over nine years. Included in that time frame, Gina's Dream was translated into Spanish and later made into an audio-book.

Along the way, I helped a friend self-publish her cookbook, and edited and published a Smashwords Forum Writers Anthology.

All the while, I was trying to learn how to cook budget recipes and blogged about my experiences in the kitchen.

I peaked out on finding new recipes, I thought I could handle. I settled into a routine of Toast Toppings, Mug meals, and a variety of simple meals.

The whole 'learn to cook' experience was fun. I expanded my healthy meal options, and met many cookbook bloggers and authors I admire like Jack Monroe, Beth Moncel, and Beryl Shereshewsky, who make easy budget recipes for all of us.

I still feel like an alien in the kitchen. After having many disasters, I learned to salvage some of the meals and make do. But, disasters still happen. Each recipe, familiar or new, strikes fear in my heart.

While researching tons of recipes, I dove into various food topics like sustainability and food waste. Plus, I collected several old eCookbooks.

Earlier this year, I reduced my efforts in promoting my published works. When I get back into promotion, it will be more focused. 

I recommend the self-publishing process for anyone who has a viable idea for a book. The process is a learning experience. You will need to learn how to use various software programs and formatting requirements for various eBook and POD publishers, as well as getting ISBN numbers, and listing your book with Bowkers and the copyright office in your country.

Plus, you'll need a web presence. A blog is the easiest way to have a web presence, but for commercial purchases of your work, you need a website.

Don't expect to make money. Most writers don't make a living from their work. Join a terra-firma or online writers group to get a better idea of how published authors manage their work.

I enjoyed meeting lots of people online from all over the world.

I will pop up now and then with a post as I reevaluate where I want my blog to go.

My best to you all.

See you later. 

 

 

Mug O'Salmon Kedgeree

Mug in a Meal

Simon and Schuster

https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Meal-in-a-Mug/Denise-Smart/9781476798141

Barnes and Noble

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/meal-in-a-mug-denise-smart/1119999914

 

 

Mug O'Salmon Kedgeree

(Adapted from: Meal in a Mug, All You Need is a Mug and a Microwave by Denise Smart)

 

 

Ingredients:

 

2 Tspns mild curry paste

3 TBspns water

3/4 Cup cooked rice with some canned mixed vegetables

1 Tspn vegetable oil

1/4 Cup canned salmon

1 TBspn dry parsley

1 Capful lime juice concentrate

1 Egg

Ground black pepper to taste

Garnish with a bit more dry parsley

 

 

Process:

 

Add curry paste to mug.

Add 1 TBspn water.

Stir to mix.

Add rice and vegetables.

Add vegetable oil.

Stir well.

Add salmon.

Add 2 TBspns water.

Stir and mix well.

Place mug in microwave.

Cover with a saucer.

Microwave on high for 1 minute.

Remove mug.

Add parsley and lime juice.

Make a well in center of mixture.

Crack egg into well.

Place mug in microwave.

Cover with a saucer.

Microwave on high for 1:00 to 1:30 minutes until egg is cooked.

Let stand for a bit.

Add ground black pepper.

Add garnish.

Served with toast and a glass of Horchata

It came out fantastic. The curry really makes this dish great.

 

September 29, 2021 -- International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste

United Nations / Food and Agriculture Organization announce:

 

29 September 2021

International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste

 

 

FAO's Nine Tips for Reducing Food Waste

1. Start Small – Take smaller portions at home or share large dishes at restaurants.

2. Leave Nothing Behind – Keep your leftovers for another meal or use them in a different dish.

3. Buy Only What You Need – Make a list of what you need and stick to it. Don’t buy more than you can use.

4. Don’t Be Prejudiced -- Buy “ugly” or irregularly shaped fruits and vegetables. They are just as good but look a little different.

5. Check Your Fridge – Store food between 1 and 5 degrees Celsius (33.8 and 41 degrees Fahrenheit) for maximum freshness and shelf-life.

6. First in, First Out – Try using produce you bought previously (freeze or pickle). Stack up your fridge and cupboards moving older products to the front and newer ones in the back.

 

7. Understand Dates -- “Use by” indicates a date by which the food is safe to be eaten, while “best before” means the food’s quality is best prior to that date, but is still safe to eat after it. The "Sell by" date is helpful for stock rotation by manufacturers and retailers.
 

8. Compost – Some food waste might be unavoidable, so why not set up a compost bin.

 

9. Donate the Surplus – Sharing is caring.

 

Source: http://www.fao.org/zhc/detail-events/en/c/889172/

#ZeroHungerHero #NotWasting #KitchenMemories

Quick Meals

Busy people often don't have time to make healthy meals.

 

This is a quick list of some meals I grab when I am focused on a project and want to spend my time on the project and not on cooking and cleaning up.

 

Overnight Oats - add a layer of oats in a dish with a lid. Cover oats with milk, add some cinnamon and stir, add lid, store in fridge overnight. When ready to eat, add a bit more milk and eat plain or top with fruit, fresh, dry, or canned.

Mug O’Scrambled Egg with Salsa - crack an egg into a mug, add a dollop of milk, some black pepper and a bit of salsa. Whip and stir egg mixture. Microwave on high for two minutes. Eat straight from the mug or use as a toast topping.

Pasta Salad - Bring a pot of water to boil, add package of pasta (macaroni, ribbons or shells, for example), Stir and simmer for 8-10 minutes until pasta is cooked. Drain and store pasta in covered container. Take a portion of the pasta and stir in black pepper and mayo or pesto.

 

Salmon Salad - Drain a can of salmon, place salmon in a covered container. Add mayo and stir.

 

A Dish of Fresh or Canned Fruit

 

Tip: Add a dollop or two of canned fruit juice to a glass of milk and yogurt to make a fruit lassi. Add cinnamon and cumin and stir, if desired.

 

Cream Cheese and Fruit Toast Topping - Spread cream cheese onto a piece of toast. Top with pieces of fresh, dry, or canned fruit.

Baked Potato Salad - Pierce potato with a fork. Microwave one or two potatoes for 4-6 minutes or until cooked. Let the potatoes cool. Dice potato into cubes. Add mayo and black pepper, and stir.

Beans on Toast - On toast, spread a layer of canned or cooked beans. Top with Parmesan Cheese.

 

PB&J - There are dozens of ways to make a PB&J but the simplest is to spread a thin layer of Peanut Butter on one slice of bread and jelly or jam on the other slice.

 

 

September 17 -- Talking Health But Doing Sickness

Talking health but doing sickness

—Patricia Kinloch, Health Services Researcher in Samoa

The quote above is the title of a book on Samoan health. I find it to be a very profound epigraph.

How often do we talk health and do sickness. We talk about ridding our people of disease and we support industries that release carcinogens into the air. We talk about healing, and we use drugs that have side effects that are later found to be lethal. We talk about raising healthy children and we isolate our young mothers with little or no support.

The Samoans see sickness as a disruption in the social order. Illness, in Samoan culture, is much bigger than germs and biology. They recognize that illness is not just an individual issue. It affects the community and the group to which the person belongs.

It is important to see that even our ideas about illness are culturally based.

From: Native Wisdom for White Minds by Anne Wilson Schaef

Hotplate: Tindade

One of the things I love about @bootstrapcook, is Jack Monroe believes even people on a tight budget should be able to eat well.

When I read Jack’s Tindade recipe in Cooking on a Bootstrap, I guess I did not really understand what it was. For me, it turned out to be a tasty spread for bread chunks or crackers.

 

 

Hotplate: Tindade

(Adapted from: Cooking on a Bootstrap by Jack Monroe)
 

 

Jack’s recipe ingredients were in metric, I converted the measurements to ounces.

300ml milk = 10.14oz
500 grams fish = 17.6oz
330 grams potatoes = 10oz
400g Beans = 14oz

I looked for canned mackerel in 3 different stores but could not find any, so I used 2 cans of salmon. I think I could have added one more can.

Also, I made a lot of changes based on what I had.


Ingredients:

4oz milk
Salt /pepper to taste
1 Tspn Thyme, dry
1 Tspn Parsley
2 Cans Salmon, drained
1 Can potatoes, diced, drained and rinsed
10oz Peruano Refried Beans (white beans)
A Dab Vegetable oil
Lime juice


Process:

In a medium pot, add milk.
Set hot plate on medium low.
Let milk warm up.
Add spices.
Stir well.
Add salmon.
Add potatoes.
Stir mixture well.
Use a spoon to scoop out the beans from the packet and add to pot.
Add oil.
Stir mixture thoroughly.
Let mixture cook on medium-high for 5-10 minutes.
Stir frequently to keep mixture from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Mash the mixture, if you want it creamier.
Pull pot off hot plate.
Add lime juice.
Stir.
Let it cool a bit.
Taste mixture, stir in more s/p and/or herbs, if you’d like.

 

 

Use as a dip or spread with crackers or chunks of bread, or as side dish.

See Jack’s original recipe for recipe tips and his suggestions for how to use the empty leftover cans.

Refrigerator: Carrot Relish

I was surprised, this simple recipe is quite tasty and a great addition to many recipes.

 

I, first, saw Chef Susanne Duplantis on the short-lived Netflix Cooking Show Leftovers. A search found her website, Makeover My Leftover.

I will never be a real cook, so I depend on the advice and ideas of real cooks and chefs.

This is my first Chef Duplantis's recipe to try. Of course, I had to adapt the recipe based on the tools and ingredients I had.


Ingredients:

3-4 TBspns grated carrot, peeled
1/2 Tspn Lime Juice

Lime Zest*
1/2 TBspn sugar


Process:

Peel carrot with grater.

Grate carrot into a bowl.

Add the lime juice and zest.

Add sugar.

Stir ingredients thoroughly.
Cover and refrigerate overnight.

 

Made a turkey lunchmeat quasidilla with one slice turkey lunchmeat, shredded cabbage and 1/2 TBspn carrot salsa. It was great.

 

Lime zest is grated lime peel.