DIY throat lozenges

So far moving to the PNW has been a fairly easy adjustment for us, especially weather-wise.  Yes, it’s cold, and yes, it’s rainy, but I’ll take some cold and rainy days over East Coast weather any day of the week. 

Still, it doesn’t prevent the kids from coming down with runny noses and coughs - especially Charlie.  Right now she has the sickies and is going through cough drops like candy.  Which they are, essentially, but I got a wild hair to make my own after seeing this pin on Pinterest for General Tso’s lozenges.  I figured it was a great idea and I wanted to try making something super potent and effective.

First mistake: I read the ingredients but I didn’t read read them.  Like, hello cayenne pepper and garlic! I’m sure my 9 year old would love to eat that! (no.)

Second mistake: I read the recipe, but I didn’t read read it.  As in, I saw four cloves of garlic and thought four heads of garlic.  OMG WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME SRSLY.  I used this method for peeling the garlic so at least the process didn’t take the rest of my life but shiiiiiiit.  I could actually smack myself.

Needless to say the project was a complete fail.  The lozenges actually would’ve turned out perfectly if not for the fact that they were comprised 90% of minced garlic… but cayenne pepper? AND garlic? AND ginger? What was I thinking?!  Those puppies were so spicy they made my eyes water while I was making them, so there was no way Charlie was going to go near them, let alone put them in her mouth.

Now, I’m going to try this cough drop recipe instead.  I bought some peppermint/spearmint herbal tea, and it’s brewing as I type this.  I’m sure this attempt will not only be more successful (*cough* no garlic) but much more palatable for a kid.

Truth be told the General Tso’s recipe was really easy, and I would absolutely use it for the husband or me over something store-bought.  I happen to have a candy thermometer, but I followed the recipe cooking time instructions exactly and the consistency was great, so I didn’t really need the thermometer.

If you like spicy stuff and feel like being all fancy pants and making your own lozenges then definitely go with General Tso’s.  Just, please, for the love, read read the recipe first.

xo

Pinterest Review: White Chicken Enchiladas

I hate to post two cooking reviews from Pinterest in a row, but I am so happy with how these turned out.  No pic this time, but you can get the recipe from Joyful Mama’s Kitchen.

My mom makes these same chicken enchiladas, and I’ve wanted her recipe for years.  They are incredible — she bakes several pans at the same time and they’re always gone in a day or two.  I’m happy to say that this recipe is just as good as hers.  One pan fed all of us, with a little leftover for my lunch the next day.

NOMS.

Pinterest Review: Miracle Cake Release

So, one of my New Year’s resolutions was to post more on my blog — I miss chronicling the stuff we’ve been up to. Unfortunately, as you can see, it’s January 22nd and this is my first post.

*sigh*

I did have one idea, though, that I think may work well: doing a sort of Pinterest roundup or review of some of the crap I pin that I actually make/try. Short and sweet, and if I don’t have to post many (or any!) pics then that might make it easier to write a few entries now and then.

Onward!

First up, I want to talk about the Miracle Pan release. It sounds sort of boring, but I effing hate it when cakes stick to the pan. It hurts my feelings and makes me want to punch things. Especially when it’s something like Pineapple Upside Down cake, and the presentation hinges on the damn thing coming out of the damn pan.

I tried this stuff, and seriously. It’s amazeballs. We don’t bake anything without using it. You just paint it on using a pastry brush, and it’s worked on everything we’ve thrown at it, including the deadly upside-down cake.

Very simple to make: equal parts shortening, vegetable oil, and flour. I store mine in one of those glass gravy jars (after I washed it, though…) and even the husband uses it. He actually stopped in the middle of making brownies so I could make more cake release because he didn’t want to cook the brownies without it.

Awesome.

I recommend you give it a shot — takes about 30 seconds, and will make your baking life a whole lot easier.

Get the full tutorial from Apronofgrace.com.