Mentoring Moms are demonstrating and serving Creme Brulee on Friday for an elegant and easy dessert lesson.

To prepare ahead, I spent a mere 90 minutes with my friend Michele this afternoon before our Wednesday Bible Study, while we made the dessert and lingered over a leisurely lunch together.

I’ll be the dessert tutor and tell you just how easy it will be to pull off this gourmet dessert.  The best part is this can be made a day ahead, refrigerated over night and ready to serve the next evening.

Creme Brulee

5 egg yolks

1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp sugar, divided

2 Cups whipping cream

1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.  In large bowl, whisk egg yolks and 1/2 cup of the sugar.  In a small, heavy saucepan, heat the cream to almost simmering over low heat.  Add the cream to the egg mixture SLOWLY, whisking constantly.  Add vanilla, whisk to blend and set aside.

Divide the chocolate beween four 3/4 cup custard dishes or Remekins.  Ladle the cream mixture over the chocolate.  Place the cups in 9 X 13 baking pan and add enough hot water to the pan to come halfway up the side of the cups.  Bake about 55 minute or until the center of the custard is set.  It will jiggle just a little when set.  Remove the cups from the water and cool.   Cover each cup and chill overnight.

Before serving, preheat the broiler.  Sprinkle 1/2 Tbsp sugar over the top of each chilled mixture.  Broil, wathcing carefully, until the sugar melts and browns slightly, about 2 minutes.  Cool about 5 minutes and serve.

VOILA!  The most elegant, delicious, easy dessert you have every made.

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MarilynMoll.com is back! I am very excited about re-connecting with you my faithful friends, readers and customers!  After passing the baton from The Urban Homemaker to the Marsh family in April, my passion for homemaking remains but with a new twist!

My Mission

My mission at marilynmoll.com will to continue to fill this blog page with fresh, relevant information, tips, recipes, food-for-thought, and resources for homemakers of all ages and in all seasons of life and occasionally with a more eternal perspective and use of scriptures.

Although I have experienced many changes and many losses in the last three and half years, I have come to accept that change is inevitable.  I like this quote:

There is no growth without change.

There is no change without loss.

There is no loss without grief.

There is no grief without pain.

Family Updates

Since passing the baton to the Marsh Family, I have spent many weeks taking care of my aging parents and getting them moved to assisted living in Florida.  The highlight of my summer has been connecting with oldest daughter Laura, one-year-old grandson Job, and son-in-law Brandon while they spend their summer on the Western slope of Colorado.

Laura is now expecting a new baby in March 2012.

Son Stephen is now commanding a platoon at Ft Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska.

Youngest daughter Mary just began her busy senior year of high school and I now have a part time job a personal care provider.

“Like” my Facebook Page

One thing hasn’t changed – my passion for homemaking in all seasons of life, so that is what we will talk about here.  Please tell your friends and “like” my new facebook page.

I’m excited because I have lots of new recipes and resources to tell you about. 

Next week’s Kick off will include some valuable Give-Aways which will include an American Harvest dehydrator, Norwex Superior Mop, and other goodies.

Lastly, if you would like to correspond with me, I’d love to hear from you.  Email me at marilyn@marilynmollsnorwex.com.

Last Day for Old WonderMill Prices – $239.95 today, $259.95 tomorrow – February 15, 2011

Last day for Old Wondermill Junior price – $199.95 through February 14, 2011 – $219.95 starting February 15, 2011 -Includes free shipping, new auger, clamp, stainless steel burrs – the complete package!

This recipe is courtesy of Cooking Traditional Foods, the longest running menu mailer based on the work of Weston A Price.

This pudding recipe comes out thick and rich.  It’s great as a cake filling or in a custard cup.  You can change out the extract for different flavors.  When my kids want pudding, this is the recipe I use.

4 egg yolks

1 Tbs cornstarch

1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk

½ cup chocolate chips

1 tsp peppermint extract

In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and cornstarch until smooth. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, heat the milk and chocolate over medium heat until the chocolate is completely dissolved. Bring to a boil, remove from the heat, and cool briefly.

Whisk ¼ cup of the chocolate mixture into the egg yolk mixture. Whisk in the remaining milk in a slow stream. Return to the saucepan and heat to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Do not boil.

Remove from the heat and cool, whisking regularly to avoid a skin forming on top and keep the fat incorporated, until only slightly warm. Stir in the peppermint extract. Chill thoroughly in the fridge before serving, or use as a cream filling for cakes, cupcakes or the like.

If your family likes sweeter desserts, you can stir in plain or chocolate flavored stevia with the peppermint extract. Unsweetened chocolate and a little rapadura or your favorite chocolate bar can be substituted for the chocolate chips. Orange, vanilla or another extract that would match chocolate can be used in place of the peppermint.

Kerry Ann Foster is the owner of Cooking Traditional Foods Menu Mailer

Penny Pinchin’ Mama e-book, Jill Cooper, who raised two teenagers alone while making only $500 per month, shares practical hints and strategies she used to make the most out of every dollar. The regular price is $12.95 and this week only it is 50% off or $6.48.

Read the Class Details and Save $20 with Coupon Code Below

Celebrating 20 Years in Business:

With a Friday Freebie, last Day to Save on Real Food & Nutrition Class, and Bosch Universal Plus and Nutrimill:

Sheri Graham,  has offered to share her ebook Bountiful Breakfasts with us for this week only.  It has great recipes for muffins, breakfast breads, waffles, and more.  Many recipes are scaled to larger families or for stocking the freezer.  There are some very nice pictures to get you inspired.  Check it out while it is free.

Sheri is a homeschool mom of five and has many practical, and wonderful resources to share at her website Graham Family Ministries. Check it out.

FYI:  Sheri Graham and I co-authored  the ebook entitled: 12 Week Holiday Holiday Planner for Christian Families.

Real Food and Nutrition ecourse Registration Ends Today

Learn about Real Food and what the FDA and the Food Pyramid don’t tell you!

Save $20.00 on class registration by using coupon code UH20OFF.

Kristen Michaelis’ class Real Food and Nutrition is designed for those aged 12 and up  who desire to understand what the Real Food and Sustainable Living movement is all about.  In the 10 week ecourse you will:

• Read first-hand accounts from inside the Real Food Revolution,

• Watch video footage of the leading thinkers behind the sustainable food movement,

• Engage the course materials in a critical, thoughtful way

• Participate in an online community learning experience.

• Do experiments at the grocery store, in your kitchen, and (if possible) local farms.

• Watch informative yet entertaining videos

Bosch Universal Plus and Nutrimill prices go up on Monday February 7, 2011.  Invest Now and SAVE!

Bosch Universal Plus - Now $359.99 through February 6, 2011.  After Sunday it goes to $429.99!

Nutrimill – Now $239.99 through February 6, 2011.  After Sunday it goes up to $259.99

Related Help:

Steps to the Best Bread by Marilyn Moll

Baking Bread Step by Step Demonstration

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• Mary and I made the first half of our Colorado to Klamath Falls, OR trip with few incidents and cooperative weather on Tuesday. Wasn’t sure I’d get a boarding pass in Phoenix, but God came through. Nearly lost my purse (and all my money) in the process but all is well there too. Better to see my daughter, son-in-law and grandson than I could have imagined.
• The drive from Reno to Klamath Falls was LONG.  Why did we ever fly into Reno?  Long story, too long to tell.

• Grandson, Job, has doubled his birth weight or more and ready for some new clothes!  Weston A Price.org says chubby babies are healthy, so Job qualifies as VERY healthy.  Laura is exclusively breast feeding him.  He has his four month doctor visit on Monday.

• With a ready smile at all times, He is an easy, happy, contented, huggable baby to brighten our family celebration.

• This is my first – 3 generation- Christmas celebration in many, many years.

• Discovered an easy, economical, and fun way to do stocking stuffers. Check out the bulk food aisle with dried fruit, nut mixes, candies, and chocolates. The Thunderbird Grocery here in Klamath Falls is locally owned, amazing!

• Today is our cinnamon roll and pie making day plus lunch out with Laura’s friend and onto church for the candle light service later.

• Going to try a new tradition this year – a new pair of PJ’s for everyone on Christmas eve. I know many of you have already do this, post how you make it special or a surprise.

• Forgot the camera card for the camera. UGH! Where is my brain?

• Read aloud: Life with Father, a very old classic with a grumpy Father who is definitely the “head” of his family. Some good laughs and old-fashioned values. Takes place in NYC in the late 1800’s.

• Watched Mrs. Doubtfire with Robin Sally Field. Can’t believe it was filmed before Mary was born in the earlier 1990’s.   Some good family values with many odd twists and turns.
• December 31, 2010 is the last day to get a MultiPure Stainless Steel Countertop Unit with $200 off coupon.

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Several years ago, I was told by an older wiser mom, that the secret to her soup is in making homemade broth.  Years later, I learned that the chicken base/bouillon cubes I was buying were actually loaded with MSG, and not only unhealthy  but  a poor facsimile to the real broth in health and taste.

Never Throw Out Turkey, Chicken, Fish, Lamb, or Beef Bones

• Before MSG came into widespread use there were no commercially available chicken or beef broths available so it turns out Grandmother knew best when she used what she had and made delicious and nutritious homemade broths.

• The homemade broth or stock contains minerals including calcium but also magnesium, but also phosphorus, silicon, sulphur and other trace minerals.

• Homemade broth helps build the immune system.  We all know that chicken soup is also known as “Jewish Penicillin”.

• Good stock contains gelatin that has been proved useful in the treatment of diseases and very nourishing to the gut. Examples of diseases that benefit from homemade broth  include peptic ulcers, infectious diseases, jaundice and cancer.

• French studies showed that babies had fewer digestive problems when gelatin was added to their milk.

• Ask any soup maker – homemade broth makes superior soups, is excellent to drink when sick, and perfect for Real Gravy.

• For More information about homemade stock: Read “Broth is Beautiful” by Sally Fallon Morell

• Here is our absolutely most favorite soup recipe using turkey or chicken stock.  So enjoy those turkey leftovers, creatively:

TURKEY CHOWDER
If you make homemade turkey stock from the leftover bones the flavor skyrockets to a perfect “10″! Even if you can’t try this recipe out this year, be sure to save the recipe for future use. I usually double the amounts to have some leftover soup for the freezer. If you let the soup sit a day, the flavor improves with age. We’ve eaten this in bread bowls that I’ve made. Fabulous!

2 C. sliced carrots
3 C. water, turkey broth or canned chicken broth (watch out for vitamin C)
1 large floret of broccoli OR 1-10 oz box of broccoli
1 C. onion, chopped finely
1/2 C. celery, sliced
1 tsp. salt
1/2 C. ground oat flour (blend rolled oats in the blender to make flour)
2 C. milk or allergy alternative
6 oz. Swiss cheese, grated
1-1/2 C. diced turkey

Combine carrots, broth, onions, celery, broccoli, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Simmer 10 minutes. Bring to rolling boil again, and gradually stir in the oat flour, stirring constantly.   Let simmer another 10 minutes until lumps disappear. Reduce heat. Add milk, turkey. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese. Serves 4-6.

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Traditional Thanksgiving Menu from The Urban Homemaker

Turkey, Homemade Gravy*, Herbed Stuffing*,

Mashed Potatoes, Aunt Helen’s Sweet Potatoes*, Green Beans Amandine,

Cranberry Relish Jello Salad*

Pumpkin Bread*, Fantastic Whole Wheat Rolls*,

Apple Pie*, Pecan Pie*, and coffee or tea.

I admit, not having Thanksgiving at home this year makes me a bit sad, but I am so thankful we can share my favorite Holiday with my sister, her husband and friends in Denver.  Enjoy all the preparations with your children and build the best memories ever.

Download the free Traditional Thanksgiving ebook with all the recipes today only. ($5.97 value)

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Love Christmas cookies and chocolate fudge? Learn the healthy way of making these favorite holiday sweets with whole grains, good-for-you fats like butter and coconut oil and natural sweeteners.  This class will be December 6.  Register Here.

Class Includes:

VIDEO: How to soak flour and make buttermilk gingerbread

VIDEO: How to maple sugar walnuts

VIDEO: How to make sugarplums

MENU: Candies and Treats to share with neighbors.

MENU: Sweets & Treats for Holiday Gift-giving

MENU: Selection of Christmas Cookies Every Kid Loves

RECIPES: Gingerbread, cinnamon-molasses cookies, sugar cookies, spritz cookies, honey macaroons, sprouted spelt and maple shortbread, honey and mandarin marmalade, fudge, maple sugar walnuts, white chocolate peppermint bark, sugarplums, pasteli, gingerbread men, almond-flour gingerbread men, cookie mix in a jar, pecan crispies, spiced oatmeal raisin cookies, chocolate-coconut truffles.

For complete information on this class and others in the Happy Healthy Holiday Classes

Listen to my Interview  with Jenny McGruther to hear her passion for real foods.

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Classes are from Jenny McGruther of  Nourished Kitchen – author of How to Cook Real Foods

This is a new series from Jenny.  You can pick and choose which classes you are interested in.

Here is the menu I’m going to use to take advantage of the savings.  I already have a whole chicken in my freezer bought when on sale:

Monday:  *Roast Beef with Mashed Potatoes, steamed baby carrots with dill butter, and salad.

Tuesday: Crockpot Roasted Herbed Chicken with roasted red potatoes, green beans, halved peaches, rolls.

Wednesday:  *French Dip Sandwiches (from leftover roast beef), applesauce, and raw veggie platter.

Thursday:  Chicken Barley Vegetable Soup with herbs, served with Applesauce muffins.

Friday:  Poached Salmon (bought when on sale), with Horseradish sauce, and oven fries.

*Other ways to use up LeftoverRoast Beef:

Beef Stroganoff

Barbecued Roast Beef

Beef Stew

Vegetable Beef Soup

What creative uses will you use your leftover roast beef for?

For more menus and recipes obtain Fast and Healthy Menus for Busy Moms.

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I don’t know about you, but my most frustrating shopping experiences happen at the grocery store!  It never seems to fail that when I think I have about $50 worth of groceries in my basket, they add up to $100.  I really don’t think that the problem is with my addition skills, I am sure that there is an evil gremlin in the checkout register that adds a dollar to everything I purchase!  I love the savings cards that you get at stores like Safeway because when I swipe the card, I see the total price fall about $10.  That always makes me feel a little bit better about life; its my revenge on the gremlin.  Unfortunately the evil little gremlin always wins out, and the amount debited from my bank account is higher than it was supposed to be.  Grocery shopping is an endless frustration for me.

However, I have found valuable help in the book America’s Cheapest Family by Steve and Annette Economides that has helped make grocery shopping and grocery budgeting much easier.  This book has a very high standard, they calculate $50 a month per person.  By following the principles in this book, I am supposed to be able to feed Brandon and I on just $100 a month, and this includes eating meats and cheeses, fresh fruits and vegetables.   I have not been able to bring my grocery budget down that much yet, but I am getting closer.  I thought I’d share some of the grocery shopping principles that I have learned, and if any of you struggle with sticking to a budget at a grocery store, or if you also would like to take revenge on the evil register gremlin, perhaps these methods will help you as well.

1) Make a Menu Plan. Menu planning sounds rather overwhelming if you are a very busy person or just don’t enjoy planning, but a menu plan can take as little time as 10 or 15 minutes to simply jot down a few meals you’d like to make for the week.  Planning a menu doesn’t have to be an elaborate affair.  I usually plan to make 3 meals during the week.  By the time we’ve eaten those 3 meals, we usually have leftovers for another night and enough ingredients to make a 5th meal during the week (and after that we have a long list of friends, relatives, and distant relations we enjoy visiting on weekends).  By menu planning, your shopping will be more focused so that you don’t just randomly pick ingredients that look good at the moment, and then you will be able to save $ at the register!

2) Shop as Infrequently as Possible. Every time you shop, you are tempted by impulse buys, so the less you shop, the less you will be tempted.  The Economides shop once a month, because they have a deep freeze and plenty of storage space.  Most of us do not have such luxuries, but you can try to cut down your trips.  If you have been shopping twice a week, try going just once.  Or if you go once a week, try going every other week.  This takes a little more planning, but out of all the tips in this book, this method has helped me save the most at the checkout (does this mean I am a very impulsive person or I am just easily tempted?).

3) Check Sale Fliers. Your local grocery store, like Safeway or Krogers, will feature certain items at really low prices as an incentive to get people in the door.  Then make a menu plan based on the sales.  For example, last week chicken breasts, thighs, and drumsticks were on sale for 99 cents a pound.  So I bought about 5 pounds of chicken breasts and we will be enjoying Parmesan Chicken, Chicken Oreganato, and Honey Glazed Chicken (or at least that is the hope…the meals have yet to be made!).  Chuck Roast was also on sale for $2.00 a pound, so I also purchased several pounds of roast and divided it into several different meals.  I now have enough meat to feed Brandon and I for about two weeks of meals for just over $10. Watch for deals in other areas as well.  For example, the other week grapes were also on sale for 99 cents a pound, so we enjoyed grapes with our lunches for the next two weeks!  This week bacon was on sale for $1.99 for a one pound package, so I stocked up on that for breakfasts.

The grocery gremlin still thwarts me at every chance he gets, somehow marking up prices by the time I get to the register, or sneaking extra items in my cart (I swear I didn’t put those Oreos in my basket!).  But I am learning and someday, I shall be victorious!

Thank you for inspiring me to get a little more serious about grocery shopping!

Please post your best grocery saving tips for a complimentary copy of my ebook Fast and Healthy Menus for Busy Moms

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