Thursday, April 25

Tips

Plan Your Meal Ahead
Tips

Plan Your Meal Ahead

PLAN AHEAD Before you leave for work in the morning, pull your recipes and get out the ingredients, bowls, spoons, whisks and so on for preparing the evening meal. Place them in one spot on the counter, so everything's ready when you get home. The only ingredients you don't put out are the ones that must be refrigerated or kept frozen. It really saves time! SWEET POTATOES Before Baking, add a can of apricot nectar and some chopped, dried apricots to the brown-sugar and butter glaze for sweet potatoes. It makes a lovely side dish for company. INSTANT BREADSTICKS When you have extra hot dog buns, split them down the middle, spread with garlic butter on each side and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Then pop them in the oven till hot, and you have breadsticks for dinner in no time.
Baking Tips: As Easy as Pie
Tips

Baking Tips: As Easy as Pie

The old saying goes “easy as pie”, so why are so many of us reluctant to try baking our own? Most of us just don’t have the time to spend hours shopping for ingredients, making the pastry from scratch and preparing the filling, especially during the holidays. Some recognized brand names are making it easy. You can now get, for example, two lines of frozen, unbaked pies, Oven Fresh and the Signature Selections by Sara Lee that are ready to pop into the oven. Here are some additional hints from Sara Lee for baking all kinds of pies: 1. If you make pumpkin pie, watch it carefully. When properly baked, the outer edges of the filling will be firmly set and slightly brown. The four- to six-inch centre circle should have a soft set and shake like gelatine. 2. Avoid baking your holid...
Cleaning and Storing Dutch Oven
Tips

Cleaning and Storing Dutch Oven

There are many opinions on cleaning a Dutch Oven. Not all Dutch Oven cooks believe you can use soap in your Dutch Oven. Some cooks suggest never to wash them, others wash them, but not with detergent. We have found that a well-seasoned oven will not be damaged by using a few drops of dishwashing soap if you have been cooking something really greasy. Just be sure to rinse several times to make sure there is no soap residue. If your oven is not well-seasoned, whatever you put in the oven will be absorbed into the pot and become part of your next meal. Dutch Oven care begins with seasoning, but it's important to clean them properly after each use. Cleaning cast iron is easier than scrubbing pots and pans. As soon as possible after using your Dutch Oven, scrape out as much food as possible wi...
Tips

How to Keep Clean Food Fresher Longer

After you've stocked up on healthy fare, you're going to want to make sure it lasts. Here are few tips for keeping your clean food fresher longer : 1. Stock up on glass containers in all sizes and shapes. 2. Store oats, rice, dried legumes and baking supplies in labeled, air tight glass containers. 3. Keep oils and spices in a cool, dark place. 4. Dont keep leftovers for longer than 3 days. 5. Keep tomatoes on the counter, but separate from bananas. 6. Keep your nuts and seeds in the fridge or freezer to keep them from going rancid. 7. Freeze vegetables and fruit at the peak of their season so you can enjoy them all year long. 8. Make preserves! There's noting better or cleaner than homemade jams, pickles and spreads.