The Best Chef's Knives - With the Least Money

The Best Chef's Knives for the Least Money

There is a popular opinion that spending more on a Chef's Knife, will enable you to become a better
cook than you would be with cheap, ordinary knives.

For a long time, I bought into that opinion.

As a young person, one of my first jobs was in the housewares department of a higher-end department store. I became familiar with the better brands, and how amazing they were.

And, in fact, I own some "great knives." Some of them were gifts, and I love them for sentimental reasons. They have a "steel" that you can use to keep the cutting edge in perfect condition. And, of course, you'd never put them in the dishwasher!

But, on a recent adventure, I left my "good knives" behind, and decided I could wing it with "cheapies" for a short period of time - a few months. I  started out with an 88cent model - one of those things that could serve double-duty as either a kitchen knife or a saw. It worked well enough to get me by for the short term, but was no joy to use.

Then, one day, I was shopping at the Dollar Tree, and saw a Santoku 7" Chef's Knife, and decided to splurge and upgrade - after all, it was only $1! What could go wrong?

I brought it home, and was quite pleased with it! It cut nearly as well as my "good knives!" And, it was CHEAP!

But, of course, it wasn't long before it wasn't cutting so well. So, I bought another one for backup - because I could see this wasn't going to be a long-term solution.

Then, I thought about knife sharpeners. I had always been told that you could ruin a good knife by sharpening it with a home sharpener. And if you sharpened a knife too often, or too ambitiously, you'd wear the blade away! (To prove it, we had a family hand-me-down in a drawer that had met with that exact fate - and could nearly double as a toothpick ; )

But then it occurred to me - these are $1. knives. So WHAT if I ruin them with a cheap sharpener?!

So, I ordered one from Amazon. The locally available sharpeners at the national retailers were "too rich for my blood" ; ). This is the one I bought - by "Smith's"

And, I honed my $1. knife.  First with the coarse edge, then with the fine edge.

Guess what? It has turned into - hands down - the most effective knife I've ever owned!

I "over sharpen" it - nearly every time I use it, I run it thru the fine edge - just two or three times.

I can put it in the dishwasher if I want (tho, usually, I DO wash it by hand, just out of habit).

Instead of a knife block (who has that kind of counter space?!), I made my own sheaths out of cereal box cardboard.

This knife is a dream to own, and a pleasure to cook with. And, is embarrassingly cheap ; )

I haven't had to open the "back up" knife! BUT - I did buy an additional one in a smaller size to use where a smaller knife is better.

Who knew? Like my previous experience discovering that the Bread Machine and the High Speed Blender weren't necessary, Fancy Knives just aren't necessary kitchen equipment!

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Vegan Dump Dinners - Claire's Southern Delight

Vegan Dump Dinner, Claire's Southern Delight

This is a perfect meal for those times when you need to walk in the house, and have food right away. Plan this for nights when you're coming home late after a weeknight Vespers, or for a great Lenten luncheon after Sunday Liturgy.

Planning ahead for this simple meal means avoiding the frustration of hurried cooking when everyone is too hungry, and also avoiding the temptation to stop by for a restaurant meal that would probably be less healthy and more spendy.

And, it's great that this is a meal the family really enjoys, and only takes minutes to assemble as a "Dump Dinner."

This delicious dish is named for our dear family friend, Claire, who is a phenomenal cook, and an expert in Christian Hospitality!

Here's the Plan:

Claire's Southern Delight, Dump Dinner
In a Labeled, Gallon Zipper Freezer bag (or other favorite container) pour

3 (15oz) Cans Kidney Beans, (Drained. Light or Dark Red, your preference)
1 (8oz) Can Tomato Sauce
3/4 teaspoon Celery Salt
1 teaspoon Onion Powder
Dash Cayenne Pepper (optional)
1 Tablespoon Dried Parsley
1 teaspoon Fresh Minced Garlic (I use the kind from a jar in the produce section)
1 1/2 Tablespoon Vegetarian Bacon Bits
1/4 Cup Water

Seal Bag, Combine ingredients by squishing the bag with your hands (squeeze gently - don't try to mash the beans!)

Toss in Freezer.

Thaw in fridge 12-24 hours before use.

Pour in Slow Cooker. Cook on Low, Three Hours. Alternately, you can simply heat this on the stovetop for about 20 minutes.

Serve over Rice (I make rice ahead of time, then simply heat at serving time if time is an issue)

Accompaniments (all optional, according to what you have on hand): Tortillas, Green Olives, Shredded Lettuce, Better than Coleslaw, Corn Chips.

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Homeschooling - When Are We Doing ENOUGH?

Are We, as Homeschoolers,  Doing Enough?

This is the time of year when many homeschoolers do planning for the coming year, and in that process, many look back and review the effectiveness of the previous year.

The latest homeschooling fad is the discussion of whether we are doing enough. Whether in  a blog post, a popular book, or a real-life discussion, the gist is always the same:

"Are you insecure, guilty, worried that you're not doing enough?" 
"Do you think your kids deserve more?"
"Are you 'enough?'"
"Do you feel inadequate?"

The answer is always the same, and goes something like this:

"Well, relax!"
 "Kids need time to play!"
"You need 'me' time!"
"YOU are more than enough!"
"Public schools don't finish the book, either!" 

"You don't want to stress your child out!"
"Your child might begin to hate learning if you require too much of her!"

Have you ever heard a single argument from someone who is in favor of homeschool, but says that maybe we're NOT doing enough? 

I haven't.

And that makes me suspect that maybe we're dealing more with a "politically correct" attitude that permits no open discussion, rather than honestly assessing the situation.  

We're in danger of becoming like the citizens of Lake Woebegone, where everyone thinks of him or herself as "above average" ; ) 

*****************************

Decades ago, my Mom, of Blessed Memory, was a public school teacher. She told me one of her teaching secrets one day, when I was still a child. It is a bit of wisdom that has stuck with me for the rest of my life. 

She told me that if a student walked up to her, paper in hand, and asked her if it was "good enough" she never doubted what answer to give.

The answer was always, and certainly "No."

As a child, I was shocked and horrified.

"YOU DIDN'T EVEN CHECK TO SEE HOW GOOD IT WAS, MOM?" I demanded

"No, I didn't have to," she replied, with full confidence.

"But why, Mom?"

"Because there is only one reason a child would walk up to me and ask if his work was good enough - and that would be because he was trying to get away with less than his best," She declared.

Then she continued: "When a child has done his best, he would always walk up and say, 'Hey, teacher, look what I did!'" not 'Is this good enough?' When the children had done their best, they didn't need to ask!"

How does this apply to homeschoolers?

God's standard isn't "Do as much as the public school." or "Do what you can get by with" or even "Do enough to beat everyone else on the college entrance exams." or "Make sure your kid is at least better than the neighbor kid" but rather, it is:

^"23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, ²⁴ since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." (Colossians 3:23-24, NIV) 

If we are obeying this command, we are doing "enough" - even if our kid has learning challenges and is 5 grades behind.

And if we're not obeying this command, we're NOT doing enough - even if our kid were to be so "gifted" that he is 5 grades ahead!

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