Kitchen Tips

~When boiling milk, stir in a pinch of baking soda. It will help keep the milk from curdling.

~Add one teaspoon of lemon juice to each quart of water when cooking rice, it will keep the rice fluffy.

~For crisper salads place a saucer upside down in the bottom of the salad bowl before filling with salad. Excess moisture will run underneath the saucer. This will help keep the salad crisp and fresh.

~To make tasty flavored whipped cream, first whip cream and then add two tablespoons of flavored jello and continue beating on slow until the whipped cream is the right consistency.

~To use up leftover ham, lay ham slices in a baking dish and cover with maple syrup. Refrigerate overnight and then fry the ham in butter the next morning.

~Substitute crumbled cornflakes for bread crumbs when making meatloaf.

~Keep a small amount of sugar in small glass jars. Add a few drops of food coloring and shake the jar. Keep several colors on hand for cookies and cake decorations.

~Use sweet pickle juice to thin salad dressing or make French dressing instead of vinegar.

~Cook vegetables with one or more bouillon cubes instead of salt. It will improve the flavor. Also tossing in a few garlic cloves will make it more flavorful too.

~Salt added to flour used for thickening gravy, etc will help prevent lumping.

~Keep brown sugar in a closed container with an apple in it. The brown sugar will stay soft and moist.

~Grate orange and lemon peel before peeling. Dry and add to spice up a cake or any cookies or puddings. The dried grated peel will keep well in a covered jar.

~Wrap parsley in foil before freezing. Cut as much as you need and return to freezer. It will retain its flavor and freshness.

~To keep peeled potatoes from turning dark without putting them in water, wrap in a paper towel and wet under the faucet.

~Toast oatmeal in the oven before adding it to recipes.

~Add two teaspoons of vinegar to jello and it will keep the jello from melting when you serve it.

~Adding lemon juice or vinegar when cooking cauliflower helps to keep it white.

~A tablespoon of instant tapioca sprinkled into apple pie will absorb excess juice while baking.

~Add one teaspoon of baking powder to mashed potatoes to make them fluffy.

~Use a small bowl of melted butter and a brush to brush onto ears of corn. If you have a metal bowl, put butter in that bowl and put on the grill to melt.

~If you have too many ripe bananas, peel and freeze. Then dip in chocolate and freeze again.

Chicken Tortellini Soup with Garlic Bread

My friend, Luanne, printed this recipe and kindly gave me a copy. I adjusted a couple things (listed below) The original recipe can be found here: http://www.fox8.com/lifestyle/thatslife/wjw-chicken-tortellini-soup-recipe,0,4217888.story.

Since I pulled chicken out of the freezer to make today, I figured something different would be nice.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Makes 6 servings

You will need:

2 (48 oz) chicken broth
1 (16 oz) cheese tortellini (frozen)
6 oz. baby leaf spinach, (a small bunch will do)(fresh)
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1 cup carrots, chopped
1 cooked whole chicken, skinned and deboned (or 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts)
4-5 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt & Pepper to taste

IN a large stockpot over medium heat, add olive oil, onions, celery and carrots (in that order). Saute for three (3) minutes then add the broth and bring to a soft boil.

ADD cooked chicken and frozen tortellini and cook for 5-10 minutes.

ADD spinach and butter.

SERVE with garlic bread (optional).

NOTE: I used boneless, skinless chicken seasoned with garlic and onion powder, salt and pepper and it was cut into chunks. I also added freshly grated parmesan cheese to each serving. It really tastes great!!

Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread (Monkey Bread)

My husband this morning was talking about this. He said he went to the store and saw the pull-apart pepperoni bread, but couldn't find the cinnamon kind. And, since he is a serious lover of cinnamon, any chance I get to make him something with cinnamon in it is a good thing. So, I searched and found this recipe. It was really easy to make and the only things I had to buy were the biscuits and eggs (but I needed the eggs anyway since I am making chicken paprikas tonight for dinner.

As you can see, as soon as I put it on the plate, someone stole a chunk!

from: www.pillsbury.com; here is their direct link: http://www.pillsbury.com/Recipes/ShowRecipe.aspx?rid=45473

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 cans Pillsbury Grands Homestyle refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

HEAT oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a fluted bunt pan.

IN a large resealable plastic bag, mix granulated sugar and cinnamon.

SEPARATE dough and cut each biscuit into quarters. Shake in bag to coat. Arrange in pan.

MIX brown sugar and butter; pour over biscuit pieces.

BAKE 28 to 32 minutes or until golden brown and no longer doughy in center.

COOL in pan for 10 minutes. Turn upside down onto a serving plate; pull apart to serve. Serve warm.

Note: I greased my pan more than lightly, since I sometimes don't grease it enough. And, I used 2 tsp. of cinnamon (since my husband loves it), and I used a plastic container to shake the dough pieces in.

Snickerdoodles

from: Betty Crocker's Cooky Book, 1975

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Makes 6 dozen

1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 3/4 cup flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon

HEAT oven to 400 degrees.

MIX butter, sugar and eggs thoroughly.

BLEND flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt.

SHAPE dough into 1 inch balls and roll in mixture of sugar and cinnamon.

PLACE on cookie sheet 2 inches apart. bake for 8-10 minutes

Note: Dough may be chilled before rolling in cinnamon/sugar mixture. Also, these cookies puff up at first, then flatten out.

Chocolate Cheescake Candy Cane Bars

from: Food Network.com

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 8 hours
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Makes about 16 (2 inch) squares




Crust:

20 chocolate wafer cookies
3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
1 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. ground coffee beans
1/4 tsp. fine salt

Filling:

8 oz. semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
2 large eggs, room temperature

Glaze:

4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 tsp. light or dark corn syrup
2 tbsp. sour cream, room temperature
1/2 cup crushed candy canes (see note at end)

PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8x8 inch baking dish with foil.

FOR the crust: Process the chocolate wafers in a food processor with the butter, sugar, coffee and salt until fine. Evenly press the crust into the prepared dish covering the bottom completely. Bake until the crust sets, about 15 minutes.

TO make the filling: Put the chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl; heat at 75 percent power until softened, about two minutes. Stir and continue to microwave until completely melted, up to two minutes more.

BLEND the cream cheese, sugar and sour cream together in the food processor until smooth. Scrape down the sides as need. Add the eggs and pulse until just incorporated. With the food processor running, pour the chocolate into the wet ingredients and mix until smooth.

POUR the filling evenly over the crust. Bake until filling puffs slightly around the edges but is still a bit wobbly in the center, about 25-30 minutes. Cook on a rack.

FOR the glaze: Put the chocolate, butter and corn syrup in microwave safe bowl. Heat glaze in the microwave at 75 percent power until melted, about two minutes. Stir the ingredients together until smooth; add the sour cream. Spread glaze evenly over the warm cake and scatter the crushed candy canes over top.

COOL completely, then refrigerate overnight.

CUT into small bars or squares. Serve chilled or room temperature. Store cookies covered in the refrigerator for up to five days.

NOTE: To crush the candy canes, remove wrappers and place in a resealable plastic bag. Use a rolling pin to roll and break the candy up into small pieces, about 1/4 inch or so.

Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies No-bake

from: Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Desserts, Mirimax Books, 2003

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Refrigeration Time: 30 minutes
Makes 4 dozen

1 16 oz. container dark chocolate frosting
1/2 stick butter, softened
2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 tsp. pure almond extract
48 chocolate kiss candies

PULSE almonds in a food processor until very finely ground. Pour ground almonds into a pie pan or other shallow bowl and set aside.

BEAT chocolate frosting and butter in large bowl with a hand mixer until well blended. Stir in graham cracker crumbs and almond extract.

SHAPE chocolate mixture into 1-inch balls. Roll balls in almonds to coat. Place balls on cookie sheet.

USING your finger, make a deep indentation in the center of each ball. Fill the indentations with chocolate kiss candies.

REFRIGERATE for 30 minutes or until cold.

Banana-Blueberry Smoothie

from: www.marthastewart.com, Food Everyday, February 2008

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Makes 2 servings

1 ripe banana
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup nonfat plain yogurt

IN a blender, combine banana, blueberries and yogurt.

BLEND on high speed until smooth. Pour into two glasses; serve immediately.

NOTE: You can substitute any frozen fruit.

My son made a couple of these last night. He substituted blueberry yogurt for the frozen blueberries and plain yogurt. They were yummy!

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

from: Swanson

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Makes 6 servings

2 cans Swanson's seasoned chicken broth with roasted garlic
5 large potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces

PLACE potatoes and broth in a saucepan. Over high heat, bring to a boil.

COVER and cook over medium heat 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

DRAIN, reserving broth. Mash potatoes with 1 1/4 cup broth. If needed, add additional broth to reach desired consistency.

Smothered Pork Chops

from: Swanson

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Makes 6 servings

2 tbsp. cornstarch
1 can (14 1/2 oz.) beef broth
1/8 tsp. pepper
cooking spray
6 pork chops, 1/2 inch thick
1 medium onion, sliced

MIX cornstarch, broth and pepper until smooth. Set aside.

SPRAY skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Cook pork chops in 2 batches for 10 minutes or until browned. Set pork chops aside.

REMOVE pan from heat. Spray with cooking spray. Add onion and cook over medium heat until tender but crispy.

STIR cornstarch mixture and add. Cook until mixture boils and thickens, stirring constantly. Return the pork chops to pan. Cover and cook over low heat for 5-10 minutes or until pork chops are done.

Sugar

Raw Sugar - Unrefined sugar processed into crystals. Types are Turbinado, Demerara and Dark Muscovado (or Barbados).Granulated Sugar - Derived from the juice of sugar cane and sugar beets then processed. Excellent for baking. Colored Sugars - Perfect for decorating cookies and breads. To make, place a desired amount of sugar in a resealable bag. Add a drop of paste or 2 drops of liquid color. Seal, shake and knead until evenly distributed. Vanilla Sugar - Add 1 vanilla bean to 1 cup of granulated sugar in an airtight container for about 1 week and stir occasionally. Powdered/Confectioners' Sugar - Pulverized to the consistency of talc. Similar in taste to granulated sugar.
Dark Brown Sugar - Semi-refined white sugar with molasses. Dark brown sugar has more molasses than light. It has a subtle caramel flavor, good for all-purpose baking. Light Brown Sugar - Semi-refined white sugar with molasses. Light brown sugar has less molasses than dark. It has a subtle caramel flavor, good for all-purpose baking.These are just the basic sugars that are used most in cooking & baking. There are many more out there!

* Combine brown and white sugar to make cookies chewier. Using granulated by itself will make the cookies crisper.

* Brown sugar must be packed when measured.

* Store sugar in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. For added measure, you can store in a plastic bag in an airtight container. If stored properly, sugar can keep for several years.

* If brown sugar gets clumped up, you can soften it by adding a slice of bread or an apple wedge to the container and let it sit for 1-2 days. If you need it softened quickly, microwave on high for 30 seconds.