Okay, I have spent a lot of time in the last few days reading thru the "mix" portion of the book: Make-A-Mix. (If you click on "book review" on the right, you'll see related posts.)
Here is the list of the recipes that have an ingredient that is "un-clean" - if I search the grocery I may be able to find an acceptable option, but at this point I am going to focus on the ones I don't need to hunt for a new ingredient for. So here are the ones I will be skipping for now and why:
Breadmaker Mix - uses non fat dry milk
Cornbread Mix - uses milk or buttermilk powder
Graham Cracker Crust Mix - uses box graham crackers
Hot Roll Mix - uses non fat dry milk
Whole Wheat Hot Roll Mix - uses non fat dry milk
Quick Mix - uses non fat dry milk
Buttermilk Pancake & Waffle Mix - uses dry buttermilk
Lemon Pudding Mix - uses powdered lemonade mix
Beef Gravy Mix - uses non fat dry milk
Chicken Gravy Mix - uses non fat dry milk
White Sauce Mix - uses non fat dry milk
Home-Style Dressing Mix - uses MSG "if desired" (can you even buy this??)
Hot Chocolate Mix - uses non-dairy creamer
Russian Refresher Mix - uses powdered lemonade mix (popular drink at one time??)
This leaves me with a whole lot to try! I am hoping no one puts a hold on the book before I can finish getting through it. :)
As I mentioned earlier, there is a "mix" section and a "recipe section" (made from the mixes.) Nice concept.
Before I can try the one I really want to try, the brownie mix...I gotta go buy more cocoa powder. These sure use a lot!! But I guess if you are making a "mix" you want extras to have on hand, right? The chocolate pudding mix is almost gone. And that makes 6 batches. So much for losing weight. :)
Happy eating, Kathy
Showing posts with label book review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label book review. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Book Review
After making my chocolate pudding, well really while EATING my chocolate pudding, I decided since I had the window open from Amazon still open I'd read the reviews that were posted. 138 from a book first published in the late 1970s! 121 5 star, 11 4 star, 3 3 star, 1 2 star, and 2 1 star.
It's interesting to read what people said about the book. Some commented on "how could they only use white products (flour, sugar)" and others were all over how great it is. It's funny; cause when you think about how different we (some of us at least) eat now versus then. I was born in the 1960s, so I grew up in the age of prepared foods - the easier the better, right? Sigh.
I am curious to try some of the recipes commented on, like the hot chocolate mix, chocolate syrup mix, brownie mix and muffin mix. The snack cake mixes seem to be a hit too. I am half way through the 121 5 star reviews...LOL
Oh, the lemon pudding mix uses powdered lemonade mix, so won't be trying that one. I have made a lemon meringue pie from scratch a couple years back...lots of work but it tasted fabulous.
According to some of the 5 star reviews, the original 1978 edition has been updated to remove a lot of the shortening and replaced it with melted butter...mine is from 2006 so I must have the updated version.
Do you think anyone will notice if they don't get a pudding for dessert tonite? Two servings are not enough right now...Kathy
It's interesting to read what people said about the book. Some commented on "how could they only use white products (flour, sugar)" and others were all over how great it is. It's funny; cause when you think about how different we (some of us at least) eat now versus then. I was born in the 1960s, so I grew up in the age of prepared foods - the easier the better, right? Sigh.
I am curious to try some of the recipes commented on, like the hot chocolate mix, chocolate syrup mix, brownie mix and muffin mix. The snack cake mixes seem to be a hit too. I am half way through the 121 5 star reviews...LOL
Oh, the lemon pudding mix uses powdered lemonade mix, so won't be trying that one. I have made a lemon meringue pie from scratch a couple years back...lots of work but it tasted fabulous.
According to some of the 5 star reviews, the original 1978 edition has been updated to remove a lot of the shortening and replaced it with melted butter...mine is from 2006 so I must have the updated version.
Do you think anyone will notice if they don't get a pudding for dessert tonite? Two servings are not enough right now...Kathy
Book Review - Chocolate Pudding Mix
Checked this book out of the library this week: Make-A-Mix by Karine Eliason & Nevada Haward & Madeline Westover.
It is partially "mix" recipes and partially recipes to make with your mixes. Since I am still looking for acceptable replacements for some of my family's favorite foods, like tacos and pudding, this book seemed to give me some choices worth trying.
Over the next few weeks I am going to try to make some of the "mixes" and see what happens!
Since I am still missing desserts, I decided to start with their chocolate pudding "mix." The copyright notice in the front of the book say I am allowed to post their recipe; even though I am linking back to their book & I got it for free from the library, I will just post my opinions. Don't want to do anything I am not supposed to!!
So I measured out the dry ingredients of my cleanest unsweetened cocoa powder, granulated sugar, cornstarch and salt and mixed it all up:
And then proceeded to actually make the chocolate pudding. You add milk to a cup of the mix & cook in a pot, stirring just like you would a package mix. You are supposed to stir in butter & vanilla at the end; since I need to eat low fat, and I couldn't see why I would need butter anyway, I left it out. I let it sit on the stove while I took pictures, and that film that I love formed on top, just like the box mix. Take a look:
It's cooling as I type...but sure smells like chocolate pudding. One thing I can say is that it makes more than the 6 cups of mix. I have a 6c storage bowl that it would not fit in. But once I used 1c of the mix, it fits nicely. If you do the math on the dry ingredients, it's a bit over 6 cups. But once you whisk them together and add in the extra air, it will not fit. Go for a bigger bowl if not using any right away.
So extra mix is stored, the family's portions in bowls, covered & put in fridge for dessert tonite...and mine is just about cool enough to try. :)
Here goes: it's good!! The taste is slightly different...maybe not as sweet? Would the butter have made a difference? Hmmmmm...I use fat free dairy milk but it is still thick, creamy...it's good. Will definitely make again AND will be looking through the book to see what other pudding recipes these ladies have included.
Yummy!! Happy eating! Kathy
It is partially "mix" recipes and partially recipes to make with your mixes. Since I am still looking for acceptable replacements for some of my family's favorite foods, like tacos and pudding, this book seemed to give me some choices worth trying.
Over the next few weeks I am going to try to make some of the "mixes" and see what happens!
Since I am still missing desserts, I decided to start with their chocolate pudding "mix." The copyright notice in the front of the book say I am allowed to post their recipe; even though I am linking back to their book & I got it for free from the library, I will just post my opinions. Don't want to do anything I am not supposed to!!
So I measured out the dry ingredients of my cleanest unsweetened cocoa powder, granulated sugar, cornstarch and salt and mixed it all up:
And then proceeded to actually make the chocolate pudding. You add milk to a cup of the mix & cook in a pot, stirring just like you would a package mix. You are supposed to stir in butter & vanilla at the end; since I need to eat low fat, and I couldn't see why I would need butter anyway, I left it out. I let it sit on the stove while I took pictures, and that film that I love formed on top, just like the box mix. Take a look:
It's cooling as I type...but sure smells like chocolate pudding. One thing I can say is that it makes more than the 6 cups of mix. I have a 6c storage bowl that it would not fit in. But once I used 1c of the mix, it fits nicely. If you do the math on the dry ingredients, it's a bit over 6 cups. But once you whisk them together and add in the extra air, it will not fit. Go for a bigger bowl if not using any right away.
So extra mix is stored, the family's portions in bowls, covered & put in fridge for dessert tonite...and mine is just about cool enough to try. :)
Here goes: it's good!! The taste is slightly different...maybe not as sweet? Would the butter have made a difference? Hmmmmm...I use fat free dairy milk but it is still thick, creamy...it's good. Will definitely make again AND will be looking through the book to see what other pudding recipes these ladies have included.
Yummy!! Happy eating! Kathy
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