In an attempt to be learn how to live without electricity, I needed to figure out how to reheat things in the oven. It takes a lot longer than the microwave, but I think waiting for your food is something that is beneficial. I also think that it has long been forgotten. In this world, food is always at your fingertips. This is probably the reason for a lot of health problems. All that aside, I have been using the oven to reheat things. So, here is how I do it:

Directions:

• Place the food you wish to reheat in an oven safe dish (glass, cast iron, stainless steel, stone)
• Set the oven at 250-350°F. The higher the temperature, the more likely the outside is to burn. The lower the temperature, the longer it will take, but you are less likely to burn the outside. 
• Place the dish in the oven. 
• It could take anywhere from 15 minutes to 45 or more. It really depends on what you're reheating. How do you you tell it's done?

I know this is common sense, but don't touch the pan when it comes out of the oven. I always get the urge to grab the pan with my hand for leverage when removing the food from the dish. I haven't burned myself... yet. 

If you want your food to get crispy, this is the best way to reheat it. Example, leftover fries (I always get sweet potato fries when available... mmmmm!) are all soggy and flimsy. If you reheat them in the oven, they will crisp up. 

Someone recently asked me how to make mashed potatoes. The more information I gave, the more I felt I needed to write this down for others. It's super easy, and it goes with my philosophy of "if you think it will taste good in what you're making, add it!" This is not a recipe; this is a how to, so it will focus more on the actual act of making mashed potatoes. 

Ingredients:
1 5lb Bag of Potatoes (I recommend Baby Reds or Yukon Golds so you don't have to skin them. If you use Russet potatoes, I recommend skinning them)
A Large Stockpot
A Sharp Knife
A Potato Masher or Mixer

Directions:

• Assuming you are using Yukon Golds or Baby Reds, cut them into large cubes (or whatever shape works for you). 
• Toss the cut potatoes into a pot (food tastes better when it has been thrown [VS])
• Cover the potatoes with water
• Boil
• You may want to turn your burner down to a medium-high temperature after the water has boiled. Let the potatoes cook for 15-20 minutes... might be more. It really depends on how many potatoes you cut. You want a fork to stab a chunk of potato effortlessly. You want the potatoes to be nice and tender. 
• When potatoes have reached desired tenderness, drain the water. If you are pouring the water out, be careful of the steam. Steam burns hurt [VE].
• When the water has been drained, put the hot potatoes in a big bowl. (I have a kitchenaid, so I use that to mash the potatoes. So I would put the potatoes in the kitchenaid bowl)
• Mash. If you are using a potato masher, prepare for a workout. 
• When the potatoes have reached the desired consistency (creamy or chunky) they are officially Mashed Potatoes!

If you want to make them savory and delicious:

Ingredients:
1/3 c. Butter
Milk (as needed, we use almond milk or coconut water or milk)
Garlic Powder
Sauteed Onions
Sharp Cheddar (shredded)
Salt and Pepper (to taste)

Directions:

• After you have drained the water from the cooked potatoes, put the potatoes in a large bowl (they will be very hot)
• Add any ingredient that will melt (butter, cheese etc) and onions. 
• Mash those things together. The heat from the potatoes will melt the butter and cheese and anything else you might have put in there.
• Add the rest of the ingredients. Taste as you go. 
• If you want the potatoes to be creamier, add about 1/4 c. of milk at a time until you reach the desired consistency. 

Notes:
I usually make more potatoes than can fit in my kitchenaid bowl without making a mess. So, half of the potatoes cool off by the time I mash up the second half. If that happens, I just melt the butter and skip the cheese. 

I don't recommend cutting your thumb while cutting potatoes. It makes cutting the rest of them very difficult. [VE]

I usually make up a bunch at once and then reheat it for other meals. I like making mashed potato pancakes (which I'm pretty sure I make wrong) with my morning eggs. 

Oh man, if you reheat these in the oven in a glass dish at around 350° for about 45 minutes or so, it will get this golden brown crust that is absolutely delicious. I highly recommend it. Actually, just thinking about it makes me want to make mashed potatoes tomorrow. 

I thought I had found a tried and true way to make coconut whipped cream, but the last time I tried it, everything failed. 

Normally, you would need...

Ingredients:
1 can Full Fat Coconut Milk, unsweetened and chilled 
Sugar, honey, or vanilla (or any combination of those things)

Directions:

• Take the chilled can out of the fridge and flip it upside down to open. (Since the cream floats, when you turn it upside down, you access the liquid first)
• Pour the liquid into a container (use it in smoothies or instead of water in a soup recipe or something. It's good for you.)
• You should be left with the solid cream in the bottom of the can. Put that in a bowl for your stand mixer or hand mixer. 
• Whip it. It takes several minutes with my stand mixer. 
• When it can keep hard peaks, it is ready 
• Sweeten it to taste or don't. It's up to you. :)

Notes:
We normally use the Goya brand and switched the the Thai Kitchen because it was what the grocery store had. I think that may have been the issue last time. The cream didn't separate after being chilled. Weird. It still whipped, but would only hold soft peaks. Normally, a can of coconut milk won't whip if you don't separate it. So strange. 


I have never been able to open the can properly and not stir up the insides. So, I usually take a chemistry paper filter (which we use for our Chemex) and it does such an excellent job of separating the water and the cream that I have to put some water in with the cream so it will whip properly. I tried this last time, and the water still wouldn't separate. 


In my Candied Yams recipe, I added the sugar at the beginning, before whipping the cream. It caused everything to fail. 


I really don't mind trying it over and over again. It's tasty every time, just not always fluffy or whipped. 


I recommend chemistry filter papers and the Goya brand. So far. I'll have to try out some more brands. Let me know what your favorites are!

You'll be surprised how easy and how hard this is. 

Ingredients:
1 c. Sugar
1 tbsp Molasses

This is the recipe for light brown sugar. For dark brown sugar, use 2 tablespoons of molasses. 

Directions:

• Stir

Seriously. Just stir it. 

"But it's all clumpy!" 

Keep stirring. 

"I've been stirring for over 5 minutes and there are still clumps!"

Keep stirring. You know what, try the stand mixer. 

Once the clumps are gone, you will have brown sugar!! It just takes forever to stir. 

There are a ton of different options out there. This comes up a lot, and I would rather put together my own blend than buy a pre-mixed blend. The first blend I found contained some flours I don't have lying around the house. 

Ingredients:
3/4 c. Brown Rice Flour
1/4 c. Potato Starch
2 tbsp Tapioca Flour
2 tbsp Sweet Rice Flour

I didn't have the brown rice flour or the sweet rice flour, but this looked like a recipe I would like to use in the future, so I kept it. 

The other one was easy, the ingredients were common. I had them all, and the mix worked out great in my Apple/Pear Crisp.


Ingredients:
1/4 c. Almond Flour
1/4 c. Rice Flour
1 tsp Tapioca Starch

So far this has worked for me, and I will continue to use it in the future. I am definitely open to other options and love experimenting!

I love sweet potatoes, but every way I try them takes forever. I think it's my oven. I don't like to use the microwave because I want to be electrically off the grid (can't do that with an electric oven, I know, but one day we will have some sort of gas stove). So, this is how I bake sweet potatoes.

• Stab that potato repeatedly with a fork. Don't stab yourself [VE].
• Put the potatoes on parchment paper or aluminum or something because these suckers will leak. 
• Bake at 400°F for 45 minutes, or until the potato is tender when stabbed with a fork. (in my oven, it took me an hour and a half)

I am no chef, but my understanding of the word "saute" is to put some butter in a pan with onions or mushrooms... or garlic... or etc. You get my point. It's basically like frying it (not deep-frying, you don't want to cover the onion or mushrooms... or garlic... or etc). You can tell an onion is done when it is tender or transparent. 

Let me break it down, step by step (day by day, a fresh start over, a different hand to play...)

• Chop an onion (this is the saddest part)
• Preheat a pan, sauce pan, skillet... something with walls so the butter doesn't leak all over your stove. 
• Put a pat of butter in your pan. (how much is a pat of butter, you ask? It's about a teaspoon, but I say it's a little more than that, like a half a tablespoon)
• Put the onion in the pan
• Stir it up occasionally. I always use my trusty metal spatula. I will be so sad when that things dies. Here it is after a dangerous struggle with a baked sweet potato:

This is just the way I do it, there are other ways. Try them out and find out what works best for you. The chicken was so moist, I keep coming back to this. 

• Boil water. 
  
• Add chicken.
  
• Bring to a boil.
  
• Cook for 3-5 minutes
  
• Cover and remove from heat.
  
• Let it stand for 8-10 minutes, then flip the chicken.
• Let it stand for another 8-10 minutes
• Check to make sure chicken is cooked all the way through. 

Some versions of this recipe call for making a broth with all sorts of tasty vegetables instead of just water. I'll be honest, by the time I remember that I have to poach the chicken, I generally don't have time to make a broth. I'm sure it's delicious.