Helpful Hints
Always chill beverages or sodas before adding them to beverage recipes.
Float an ice ring made of punch in your punch bowl to prevent the ice from diluting the punch.
Place fresh or dry mint at the bottom of your hot chocolate mug.
When making fresh orange or lemonade, one lemon yields about ¼ C. juice and one orange yields about 1/3 C. of juice.
Get creative with serving dishes. Use hollowed out melons or squashes, peppers, bread bowls, etc.
After boiling or steaming vegetables, pour liquid into a freezer container. Once full, add tomato juice and seasoning for a soup.
A leaf of lettuce will absorb grease from a pot of soup, or make the soup ahead, chill it, and scrape off the grease that has floated to the top.
When making bean dishes, add chopped celery for easier digestion.
Perk up soggy lettuce by spraying it with lemon juice and cold water.
Remove hard-cooked egg shells easily by rinsing them in cold water after they are boiled.
Fresh juices, such as pineapple and orange, can be used as a salad dressing by adding a little olive oil, nutmeg, and honey.
When making a casserole, make an additional batch and freeze for a quick dinner on a busy night or for a friend in need.
Sprinkle a little salt in the pan to keep oil from splattering.
Place a wooden spoon across a pot of boiling water to prevent it from boiling over.
Soaking vegetables after slicing them reduces their nutritional value.
Clove, garlic, and pepper flavors get stronger when frozen, while sage, onion, and salt become more mild.
Store dried pasta in airtight containers and refrigerate brown rice.
A few drops of lemon juice added to rice with keep the grains from sticking.
A teaspoon of sugar added to the pot while cooking vegetables will help them keep their color.
To avoid tough beans or corn, add the salt halfway through cooking.
If pasta seems a little too dry, add a few tablespoons of pasta water.
A plastic zipper bag is great for marinating. The meat stays in the marinade and cleanup is a cinch, just toss the bag!
It’s easier to slice meat when it is partially frozen.
Cutting meats across the grain makes them easier to eat.
Thaw all meats in the refrigerator for maximum safety.
One pound of chicken is about threes cups of cubed chicken.
Rubbing lemon juice on fish before cooking will enhance the flavor and help keep the color from fading.
Placing a small dish of water in the oven when baking breads will prevent the crust from browning too much.
Shortening is best for greasing baking dishes.
To make self-rising flour, mix 4 C. flour, 2 tsp. salt, and 2 Tbsp. baking powder and store in airtight container.
Always sift flour before measuring and always sift in dry ingredients to avoid clumps.
When baking in a glass pan or using honey in place of sugar in a recipe, reduce oven temperature by 25 degrees.
Nuts keep best when stored in the freezer and can be used directly from the freezer.
Toasting nuts enhances their flavor. Bake at 300’ for 5-8 minutes.
Over-ripe bananas can be frozen until it’s time to bake. Store them unpeeled in a plastic bag in freezer.
If an egg floats in a dish of water, do not use it.
Make several batches of pie dough, roll them out individually between waxed paper, and freeze for up to 3 months.
Combine 6 parts salt and 1 part pepper for quick seasoning.
Cheese can be frozen for 3 months. If you freeze it in brick form, once it is thawed it will crumble, or you can shred it before freezing.
Water will boil faster if you fill the pot with hot water.
If you buy in bulk, repack poultry or meats in smaller portions and freeze in zipper bags. Try adding marinade to the bag.
Coating nuts in flour or berries in sugar will help them to not sink to the bottom of the pan when making breads.
A tsp. of oil or 2-3 drops of lemon juice added to the water when cooking rice will keep the grains from becoming sticky.
When all else fails, ORDER PIZZA!!!
