Category Archives: home economics

Smart Home Economics – Chicken Stew in White Wine.

March 9, 2023at home, cooking, home economics, Uncategorized, winechicken, cooking, dining at home, home ec, home economics, homemaking, stew, wineSusan Marie Molloy

These days, with the ridiculous inflationary reality all of us are experiencing, it can become challenging to maintain your household on a sensible budget. Here at The Oasis of Four Queen Palms, we work diligently to maintain a sensible household budget, without sacrificing nutrition and quality.

A couple of weeks ago, I made a simple chicken stew comprised of inexpensive chicken thighs. One way to say money on foodstuffs is to look for near to the best buy or expiration dates. They are usually discounted by the store for faster sales. This is completely safe; just make sure you use that product the same day or the next or freeze it for a later date.

Following is my recipe for Chicken Stew in White Wine that will serve two to four people:

Ingredients

1 T olive oil

3 slices bacon, cut into thin, small pieces

1 small leek, sliced into thin coins

4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs or breasts

8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced

2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 bottle (750ml) of white wine (can substitute chicken stock)

Salt and pepper, to taste

Juice of 1 lemon

Optional for garnish: chopped dill or chives

Warm the olive oil in large pot over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until the bacon has rendered some of its fat (about 2 minutes). Add the leek; sauté for about 4 minutes. Add the chicken, mushrooms, thyme, wine, and seasonings.

Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked – about 45 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice.
To serve:

Place chicken on a bed of hot, cooked flat noodles or rice. Garnish each serving with chopped fresh dill or chives.

I bought an inexpensive, on sale, white wine, so you don’t have to buy top shelf, unless you want.

From time to time, during this year, I will be sharing my tips on stretching your homemaking dollars. Sure, food and tangibles have become outrageously expensive, but with a little fortitude and imagination, you, too, can become more economically wise.

Check out my essay on Soups HERE, my Shepherd’s Pie HERE, and my Cabbage-Leek Sauté HERE.

As ever,

Lady Susan Marie Molloy

Smart Home Economics – Cabbage-Leek Sauté.

February 16, 2023at home, cooking, home economicsbidenflation, cabbage, chicken, cooking, home ec, home economics, homemaking, inflation, leeks, menu, mushroomsSusan Marie Molloy

With the ever-rising cost of foodstuffs, using every bit of food, and wisely buying provisions, is key to maintaining the household on a sensible budget. My “waste not, want not” motto works well in this economic climate. Not only is that good to follow with everyday home resources, but it is also a practical, wise, and economical way to get the most out of food and leftovers, so why not wisely stretch meals and create light lunches, while keeping the cost of food as reasonable as possible?

One of the ways I use leftovers or portions of foods is to prepare fresh cabbage with a variety of other vegetables that sauté easily. Today, I am sharing my Cabbage-Leek Sauté recipe for two.

Take three slices of bacon and cut them into thin lardons. Sauté in a large frying pan. Then add about a third of a thinly shredded small green cabbage and one leek stalk cut into thin rounds. Stir gently. Meanwhile, slice about six button mushrooms; toss them into the pan. Add about one half cup of chicken stock (or water, if you prefer) and half a tablespoon of dried thyme. Season with black pepper and salt, if desired. Stir gently to combine. Simmer on a low flame, until the vegetables are limp, but not overcooked. Transfer to plates and serve.

So, you see, there is no need to spend a lot of money for a wholesome home cooked meal. With a little creativity, you can have nice meals that stretch your buying power.

From time to time this year, I will be sharing my tips on stretching your homemaking dollars. With a little fortitude and imagination, you can become more economically wise. Check out my essay on Soups HERE, and my Shepherd’s Pie HERE.

As ever,

Lady Susan Marie Molloy

Carrots, Mothballs, and a Crazy Afghan.

February 6, 2023at home, books, current events, essay, home economicsbidenflation, current events, inflation, shopping, stores, supply chain, supply issuesSusan Marie Molloy

At this point, 2023 is 1/12^th finished. January went by at a snail’s pace for me, even though there were so many tasks accomplished:

January saw me write four new short stories – “The Jeweled Slippers,” “The Grand Duke and His Valet,” “Cave Justice,” and “Three Scottish Pearls.” All are now available on Amazon Kindle for your reading pleasure, as found HERE.

Best Friend and I noticed that our local grocery store hasn’t had fresh carrots in stock for about two weeks now. In fact, many items are missing from the shelves: oyster crackers, canned tomatoes, many Oriental cooking ingredients, and contact lens solution is out (I took the last bottle, and finding it there was a surprise).

Also, when Best Friend and I stopped by a department store earlier this week, we noticed the unmistakable strong odor of mothballs in the clothing department. We speculated that the inventory was sitting on the supply ship for months, hence the mothball odor. It was a turn off, and we soon left the store and headed to another to continue our shopping.

For the past four months, I have been busy crocheting a crazy quilt afghan with the leftover yarn I have. I am getting close to finishing it, and since I still have a lot of yarn remaining, I’ll most likely make another afghan, but in a different pattern. The afghans will come in handy for the chilly, yet ideally short, winter months here at The Oasis at Four Queen Palms.

I am toying with the idea of writing a short home economics book with the idea of smart money saving hints and tips for our time. I have it formulated in jotted down notes and outlined in my thoughts. If this idea comes to fruition, I may have it ready by late spring this year. Stay tuned.

And during January, I read two books by Alice Duer Miller, “The Happiest Time of Their Lives” and “Ladies Must Live.” Both were written at the turn of the century and were enjoyable to read. I sprinkled in a current magazine, “Taste of Home,” for good measure.

Now, the calendar turned to February – a month of a Saint Valentine’s Day celebration, preparations for Lent, and a bit of yard work and planting planning. Although this is a short month, it will be packed with activities, which I will be happy to share with you here.

Here’s to optimistic thoughts and good actions on our part. The world is becoming darker, and we surely need more light and optimism.

As ever,

Lady Susan Marie Molloy

Smart Home Economics – Shepherd’s Pie.

January 30, 2023at home, cooking, home economicscooking, dining at home, home ec, home economics, homemaking, leftovers, menu, shepherd's pieSusan Marie Molloy

Today, with the ridiculous inflation we all are experiencing, using every bit of food, and wisely buying provisions, is key to maintaining the household on a sensible budget. My “waste not, want not” motto bodes well in this economic climate. Not only is that good to follow with everyday home resources, but it is also a practical, wise, and economical way to get the most out of food and leftovers, so why not wisely stretch meals and create light lunches, while keeping the cost of food as reasonable as possible?

One of the ways I use leftovers is to prepare Shepherd’s Pie, one of Best Friend’s favorite meals.

I took the leftover beef chips I had frozen last month when I made Italian beef sandwiches here at The Oasis of Four Queen Palms. Those little pieces of beef chips are good to save for Shepherd’s Pie.

While the beef was thawing out, I cut up a couple of Russet potatoes and boiled them. I mashed them well with their jackets still on and mixed in about a quarter cup of shredded Cheddar cheese.

To the thawed beef chips, I added a couple of chopped carrots, a sliced celery stalk, and a little spoonful of flour and mixed it thoroughly.

Using individual Fiesta^® casserole bakers in a pretty Sunflower yellow hue, I first applied a light olive oil spray inside them before adding the beef mixture. Then I topped them off with the mashed potatoes and baked for a half hour at 350^OF.

So, you see, there is no need to throw out scraps, and with a little creativity, you can have a nice hot meal that stretches your buying power.

As ever,

Lady Susan Marie Molloy

Smart Home Economics – Soups.

January 5, 2023at home, cooking, home economicscooking, economy, home ec, home economics, smart living, soups, turkey, turkey soup, waste not want notSusan Marie Molloy

While I was growing up, my mother taught me how to cook and bake. There were many days where I enjoyed watching her make pepper steak, pierogi from scratch, and create ice cream bombé and kolacky. The same goes for my grandma – there were the holidays where my grandparents’ house smelled so very appetizing while she cooked kapusta z grochem on the stove while her delicious babka baked in the oven. I could hardly wait to sit down at the table and enjoy her tasty, traditional foods from the Old Country.

Over the years, I learned how to make all our family’s traditional foods, including my dad’s oxtail soup and its many ingredient versions, his version of Polish macaroni, his baked spaghetti, and how to grow the best backyard tomatoes. Though I follow most recipes to the letter, there is nothing wrong with improvising just to mix it up a little. Yes, I’ve had some hits and some misses doing that, and that’s the fun of learning!

I was fortunate to be able to take home economics in school, and from those lessons, I learned a few techniques that help my own kitchen creations to this day, although what I learned from my family is still tops and the best with me. Nevertheless, it all is an on-going experience that I seem to have tailored well to my own tastes.

One of the things I learned from my family is that there is so much truth and practicality with the “waste not, want not” dictum. Not only is that good to follow with everyday home resources, but it is also a practical, wise, and economical means to get the most out of food and leftovers. From scraps to the littlest bit of leftovers, I can wisely stretch meals and create light lunches, while keeping the cost of food as reasonable as possible.

These days, with the ridiculous inflationary reality we all are experiencing, using every bit of food, and wisely buying provisions, is key to maintaining the household on a sensible budget.

Preparing soups from scratch is one of those practical ways to use the scrap bones and meat from chicken, turkey, and beef.

Last Thanksgiving, we bought a whole Tom turkey here at The Oasis of Four Queen Palms. From that one bird, I was able to serve the Thanksgiving meal, set aside the legs and serve them on another day, freeze most of the remaining meat for other uses later such as turkey tetrazzini, salads, and sandwiches. There was enough of the carcass left to freeze two plastic bags’ worth – wings, ribs, various other bones, and skin. From those scraps, I was able to make two pots of soup, at two different times. Into the soup also went carrots, celery, pearled barley, and ground black pepper.

So, you see, there is no need to throw out the bones after a feast. You can use turkey, chicken, beef. They all make a good soup that could be a meal in itself, and with adding a few crackers on the side, you’re done.

As ever,

Lady Susan Marie Molloy