My mother-in-law sent over a nice little book for my husband this past Christmas called The Great Book of Yorkshire Pudding. Though I had made Yorkshire Puddings many times in the past, I hadn’t found a recipe that I was truly pleased with. I was optimistic that the recipe and tips in this very thorough little book would help me finally make good puddings that rose properly and had the right consistency.

And I was not disappointed.

I served these for dinner tonight with some braised beef, gravy and peas. My husband was a happy man!

You can buy special “popover pans” here in the U.S., but there is really no need. As the book mentions, you can use a regular muffin tin, or larger pans depending on the size and shape you want to achieve. I used a muffin top pan, which worked well (I adjusted the cooking time and the amount of oil used).

Here’s the recipe, adapted from The Great Book of Yorkshire Pudding by Elaine Lemm

Yorkshire Puddings

This should yield at least a dozen in a regular muffin tin.

4 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup flour
pinch of salt
2 Tablespoons cold water
Vegetable oil

Instructions:

Mix the eggs, milk and salt together until foamy (it is best to use an electric mixer). Allow the mixture to rest for about 10 minutes, until the bubbles dissolve. Slowly add the flour to the egg and milk mixture, mixing well until the consistency is smooth with no lumps. Allow to rest in a cool part of your kitchen (but not the refrigerator) for at least 30 minutes.

Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Add 1/2 teaspoon of vegetable oil to the bottom of each muffin cup. Place the pan with oil in the oven and heat for about two minutes, until piping hot. Meanwhile, add two tablespoons of cold water to the pudding batter and mix well. Remove the pan from the oven and immediately fill each muffin cup 1/3 full with batter. Return to oven and bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until the puddings have risen to their full extent and have turned golden brown.

Note: The cooking time will vary with different types of pans (the ones I made tonight took only 10 minutes in the shallow muffin top pan I used). Also, feel free to experiment with flavoring the batter–though it’s probably not as authentic, I like to add pepper and herbs like sage or rosemary to mine.

It was nice that the book was so easy to adapt to American measurements and oven temperature, and it’s full of great serving ideas, like chili-filled puddings or caramel apple Yorkshire pudding (yum!). There’s even a gluten-free Yorkshire pudding recipe. It might be a bit difficult to procure this book in the States, but it’s definitely an interesting read if you want to learn more about traditional British cooking.

Marie Callender’s frozen pot pies come in seven different flavors including beef, turkey and several different chicken varieties. The 16.5 ounce pies serve two, and the regular chicken flavor is also available in a smaller 10 oz. size. At my grocery store the larger pies sell for a regular price of $3.69 each, and I often see them on sale. I chose to serve my family the Turkey Pot Pie and Chicken Pot Pie.

Though they can be baked in the oven if you prefer to be a bit more authentic or simply have a number of pies to bake at once, the microwave is of course much more convenient. They cook for about ten minutes in the microwave compared to more than an hour in a conventional oven. I microwaved one pie at a time, allowing the first pie to cool slightly while the other cooked.

My husband snuck an awful picture of me “cooking”.

The top of the box tears away to reveal the top pie crust, while a specially designed microwave-safe pie pan ensures that the bottom crust is crisp, not soggy.

The pot pies emerged from the microwave looking wonderful with perfectly golden crust. Inside I found generous amounts of fresh-looking veggies and meat in a creamy gravy.

To complete the meal and provide a little freshness to balance the heavier fare, I like to serve a nice salad on the side (I figured that since I’m already cheating I might as well go all the way by using one of those kits that comes in a bag with toppings and dressing). My husband also insisted on making roasted potatoes.

It had been a while since I had eaten a Marie Callender’s pot pie, so I was pleasantly surprised by the nice flavor and the freshness of the ingredients. They didn’t skimp on the meat, which was moist and tender. The veggies, which included carrots, peas and celery, were colorful and retained a nice crunch. The gravy was flavorful and the crust was crisp and flaky. I love that these pies contain no preservatives.

In short, these pot pies tasted better than anything my slaving in the kitchen could have produced, and based on the ingredients I would choose, they were cheaper, too. My whole family (and especially my husband) enjoyed dinner.

You can find Marie Callender’s pot pies in the frozen section of your local grocery store. For more information, visit www.mariecallendersmeals.com

Comfort food is one yummy way to keep warm during the winter, and here are some other ways that I (a seasoned central New Yorker) bide my time until warmer spring weather arrives:

1. A good old hot water bottle. It sounds old-fashioned, but it’s an inexpensive solution that does the trick. My husband fills ours up with the hottest water from our tap, then puts it underneath the covers at the foot of our bed. It stays warm for a while and keeps my feet toasty until I’ve drifted off to sleep.

2. A down jacket. I’ve had lots of different kinds of coats over the years and have concluded that nothing beats a good down jacket. I prefer a longer jacket that covers part of my legs but doesn’t restrict movement. The lightweight insulation means I never feel overheated, but the coldest temperatures don’t bother me.

3. Hot drinks. Hot cocoa is a nice treat, but a nice steaming cup of tea is healthier, and just what I need to warm up when I start to feel chilled. The ceramic mug keeps my hands cozy, too.

4. A space heater. Our little old house isn’t zoned, so we heat all or nothing. I don’t like to be wasteful and I especially don’t like to see a huge utility bill, so I save energy and money by using a space heater instead. With a space heater I can turn down the furnace while keeping my son and myself toasty in the living room. Of course safety is a major concern for me, so I chose a ceramic heater that automatically shuts off if it’s tipped over (and now that my son is old enough to get out of bed and tinker with things, he no longer has one in his room).

5. Put a lid on it. I remember years ago thinking some old hunters’ wisdom sounded funny: “If your feet are cold, put on a hat.” But it’s true! Fend off that awful tingling feeling in your toes by wearing a warm hat or a hood when you’re out in the cold. I often wear one inside, too.

How do you get through the winter without freezing?

Jacket Potatoes are really not much more than the standard baked potato we Americans already know and love, but the toppings tend to be a bit different. Our favorite combination is baked beans (British style, if they can be found), topped with shredded cheddar cheese and then some nice fresh coleslaw. It makes a very satisfying meal, and depending on the particular ingredients you use, it can be very healthy too.

To make the perfect baked potatoes, we use large russets, thoroughly rinsed and scrubbed with a brush. We poke them all over with a fork, then brush them with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. It’s a good idea to make an extra potato just in case one ends up being unpleasant inside when you cut into it. The potatoes bake in the oven at 425 degrees for about 1 1/2 hours (it varies depending on the size). Once they are finished baking, the potatoes are cut lengthwise and opened up to receive the fillings. The potato skin, which happens to be the healthiest part, is slightly crispy and very flavorful–I eat it right along with the fillings.

Some other popular jacket potato toppings besides the ones mentioned previously are tuna salad or chili. Setting up a jacket potato bar with various toppings would be a great way to feed guests at a small party, or just a fun family meal.

Oatmeal. I hate it. Or at least I did. To me it was always a bland bowl of glop, not aided much by the brown sugar or maple syrup that I added in. Eventually I discovered the instant pouches in an array of flavors like apple cinnamon, banana nut or cinnamon roll. They were tastier to be sure, but also gummy, artificial and over-sweet.

When my little boy started solids, it was my desire to feed him healthy, no-sugar whole foods, and my propensity for mixing up concoctions of whatever he could eat at the time, that led me to a yummy breakfast idea for me, too!

We like to call it “apple pie oatmeal” (mainly as a gimmick to enthuse Mr. Boy into eating it all). Make plain oatmeal however you like (I usually use the microwave), add a quarter cup or so of natural unsweetened applesauce, sprinkle with cinnamon or apple pie spice, then mix together and enjoy! Bonus: the cool applesauce instantly brings the hot oatmeal down to a temperature that can be enjoyed immediately. To me it tastes just like apple crisp, but with none of the guilt.

Need the portability that those instant packets provide? Measure your uncooked oats into a microwave-safe storage container, then sprinkle in the spice. Take along a single-serve natural apple sauce. Add the water and microwave at work or wherever. Add the applesauce to the cooked oatmeal, then mix it all together. I’ve seen single-serve unsweetened apple sauces in a variety of flavors like peach, blueberry and even mango, so it doesn’t always need to taste the same.

This is a quick and easy zero-sugar, zero-fat idea that warms the belly and tastes great during the cooler months.

Do you have any yummy oatmeal “recipes” or mix-ins? Please share!

Baked Tostadas

(Makes six)

- Six corn tortillas
- 1 1/2 cups cooked meat or beans of choice (such as pork, chicken, beef, refried beans or chili)
- Six eggs
- Shredded coleslaw mix
- Salsa
- Sour cream
- Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray or brush with cooking oil. Arrange tortillas on baking sheet. Spread meat or beans on each tortilla, creating a well in the center. Break an egg into the center of each tortilla and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until eggs reach desired doneness (approximately 20-25 minutes). Top with coleslaw mix, salsa and sour cream. Additional toppings might include chopped onion, shredded cheese or avocado.

Tonight I served these with spanish rice on the side (I cheated and used a box mix). We love tex-mex food in our house, and this is a really easy way to get those flavors and textures without a lot of work.

My family has a favorite local pizza place that we absolutely love, but eating out gets pricey after a while. I was debating with myself whether we could really afford to go out for pizza tonight, when my friend Amy from Frugal Mama mentioned her favorite homemade pizza recipe again. I had been meaning to try it, and this evening I felt in the mood for culinary adventure. Besides, Amy promised that it’s easy.

And it was.

I mixed the dough in my stand mixer, then let it rise during the afternoon. It was very easy to work with. In addition to the super-easy no cook sauce, I topped it with fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, green pepper, onions and mushrooms (I prefer canned mushrooms on my pizza, though I’m sure fresh are healthier). I was a bit apprehensive about putting it in the oven, since so many of my pizzas have gone terribly wrong, but it wasn’t long before my house was smelling like a pizzeria, and this was ready to come out:

The cheese was bubbled and browned, just how I like it. The peppers and onions were perfectly tender, and the crust was crisp. Best of all, it didn’t stick to the pan!

I think part of my problem all along has been the oven temperature–I have usually baked pizzas at 425 or 450. The toppings never cooked enough, while the crust melded to the pan. I have to admit to thinking “Are you nuts?” when I saw that this recipe calls for a 500 degree oven, but it was just what the pizza needed. The toppings and crust both cooked perfectly.

This recipe was truly easy to do, and now I can say that I can make pizza at home. Best of all, it cost about half the price of the medium pizza we get at our favorite pizza place, even with the premium ingredients I used. This is definitely a great money-saver!

See the recipe and instructions at Frugal Mama.

Aren’t they adorable? They were super easy to make, too. I used just two ingredients:

Freeze-dried yogurt snacks come in a variety of flavors. I decided to pair strawberry flavored yogurt melts with white chocolate.  I filled a resealable plastic bag with half of the white chocolate morsels and microwaved them until melted (my microwave has a special setting to melt chocolate, but try one minute if yours doesn’t have a special setting). Then, I snipped off the corner of the plastic bag and squeezed the melted chocolate onto a yogurt melt.

I topped with another yogurt melt, and voila:

 It didn’t take long at all to use the entire bag of yogurt melts to produce a whole bunch of “macarons”.

So, what are they good for? In addition to being a yummy snack, you might use them for:

• An extra posh pretend tea party
• Part of a mini-themed menu at a baby shower
• Treats at a birthday party

This was a fun and tasty little experiment! Now hopefully the French will forgive me for attaching their term to my inauthentic snack creation.