In each newsletter, I try to add a couple of tips &
ideas to make life a little less hectic for women. Here are tips I have
used in the past.
If you have other ideas that really make life easier, please send them to
me. You may find them in an upcoming issue.
In the Kitchen
Less Calories
“Better Homes and Gardens” gives a few ideas to burn calories. These are based on one month’s time.
Replace a daily candy bar with 5 Hershey Kisses 3,000 calories
Replace a daily bowl of ice cream with sherbet 5,120 calories
Stand on your toes 200 times while doing the dishes 3,000 calories
Use vinegar based salad dressing vs. cream based 1,280 calories
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Baking Bacon
An easy and no mess way to cook bacon is to place it in a baking dish and put it in the oven. You don’t have splattering everywhere, and it turns out exactly the same as frying.
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Bread Basket
Put a heavy duty piece of aluminum foil in the bottom of your bread serving basket. It will keep the bread hot longer, and can be used over and over.
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Cheese Shapes
Use Christmas cookie cutters to cut slices of cheddar cheese into Christmas shapes.
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Christmas Chips
Cut shapes out of spinach tortillas with cookie cutters. Bake them in a 375 oven for 8 minutes. Remove them to a wire rack and let them cool. They are very festive. (Women’s Day, Dec.2005)
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Cut Cheesecake
One of the easiest ways to cut a cheesecake is to use a long strand of non-flavored dental floss. It slices right through quickly and neatly.
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Freeze Chicken Broth
This tip comes from Sandra Freeman. When she boils a chicken, she saves any extra broth and freezes it in ice trays. After it is frozen, you can place the cubes in a freezer bag. You always have broth available.
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Pumpkin Bowls
Put dips in small hollowed out pumpkins instead of a serving bowl.
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French Toast
When making French Toast, dip the soaked bread into Corn Flakes before putting it in the skillet. It makes a nice crust on the toast.
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Meatloaf
When making a meatloaf, start by putting the crackers in a large freezer bag. Crush them by rolling over them with a rolling pin. Add all ingredients to the bag and mix by squeezing the outside of the bag. You end up with NO mess! It pours directly into you baking dish. You never have to touch it.
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Freeze Chicken
Buy chicken pieces in bulk. Divide the chicken into meal size servings and freeze in freezer bags. Make sure that after you get the air out of the bag, you separate the pieces as much as possible and lay the bag flat. Try not to have any chicken pieces that are overlapping. The chicken thaws out much faster this way.
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Shish-ka-bobs
If you make shish-ka-bobs, run 2 skewers through the chunks of food. This keeps the food from swiveling when you turn them.
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Freeze Punch Ring for Punch Bowl
When serving punch from a punch bowl, make an ice ring in advance. You can make the ring out of fruit juice, sherbet, or extra punch. It looks nice and will not water down the punch as it melts.
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Family Meal Time
Family meal time has started to diminish these days. Call your family to the table to eat each night, and turn the TV off. This will really open up conversations and allow you to keep up with what is going on in the family. Try to keep all conversations on a positive note.
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Easy Kitchen Clean-up
When you begin to prepare a meal, run a sink of soapy water. As you finish using a dish or utensil, put it in the water or go ahead and put it in the dishwasher. This only takes a few seconds longer, but saves lots of time in clean-up.
I know Rachael Ray keeps a “garbage bowl” handy when she is cooking. This is great, but I find that moving the trash can out to my work area works best for me. I am able to put all trash and vegetable peels directly into the trashcan and I do not have a bowl to clean afterward. Keeping all the trash and dirty dishes out of the way while you are cooking not only saves on clean-up time, but makes you feel less chaos due to clutter while you are cooking.
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Pork Chops
For the best pork chops you can imagine, buy a pork loin, slice it into desired thickness, and grill. You will have the most tender pork you have ever eaten!
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Proximity is a key term in efficiency. Of course you should arrange your kitchen cabinets according to the things you will use at each area (baking utensils by the oven, etc.) Another area to have things close at hand is in the pantry. I got Jay to run an electrical outlet into my pantry for an under-the- cabinet can opener. I have the can opener attached to one of the shelves, next to the trash can, with a dishtowel hanging on the wall. It makes it so convenient to open cans, drain any contents into the trash, throw away lids, and wipe away any drips that might occur.**********************************************************************************
Recipe Organization
If you find yourself with tons of clipped or printed recipes lying around, I have an organizing solution. You can take a photo album with the individual sleeves and organize your recipes in them. It really helps you find what you are looking for. I did this about a year or so ago, and thought I would get them all in 1 large album. One album almost held just the desserts. There were so many dessert recipes that I had to break them down into sections (cookies, cakes, candy, etc.) I then went to Dollar Tree and bought albums for each other category of recipes. After you get the recipes filed, take a paint marker and decorate the albums with the type of recipes it holds. They fit nicely on a shelf and make it so much easier to find a certain recipe.
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Microwave Cover
A plastic colander makes an excellent cover
for food in the microwave. It keeps splatters off of the microwave, and is
tall enough that it doesn't touch your food.
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Pie Crusts
If you decide to make homemade pie crusts this Christmas, try rolling the
dough out between 2 pieces of waxed paper. You will be amazed at the ease
and lack of mess.
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Carmelizing Sweetened Condensed Milk (As recommended by Eagle
Brand Milk)
OVEN METHOD: Pour 1 can Eagle Brand into 9-inch pie plate. Cover with aluminum foil; place in larger shallow pan. Fill larger pan with hot water. Bake at 425° for 1 1/2 hours or until thick and caramel-colored. Beat until smooth.
STOVETOP METHOD: Pour 1 can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk into top of double boiler; place over boiling water. Over low heat, simmer 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until thick and caramel-colored. Beat until smooth.
MICROWAVE METHOD: Pour 1 can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk into 2-quart glass measure. Cook on 50% power (medium) 4 minutes, stirring briskly every 2 minutes until smooth. Cook on 30% power (medium-low) 12 to 18 minutes or until very thick and caramel-colored, stirring briskly every 2 minutes until smooth.
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Meatloaf Tip
I saw this very clever tip on Paula Deen's show. When making a meatloaf,
place 3 or 4 large pieces of French bread, or some other hearty bread on
the bottom of your dish. Place your meatloaf on top of the bread. When
it cooks, the bread will absorb all of the grease.
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Mixer Tip
If you use a stand mixer, drape a clean dish towel over the top when adding dry ingredients. It keeps the ingredients in the mixer instead of all over your kitchen.
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www.Cookingbynumbers.com
This is a really neat cooking website. When you are in a pinch and need something to cook, you can actually enter the things you have on hand. Their computer system will process it and send you recipes to go with your ingredients.
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Squeezing Lemons
When you need to squeeze a lemon, put the lemon in the smallest part of your kitchen tongs (inside the opening, next to the hinge) and squeeze. In doing this, more juice comes out and it doesn't hurt your wrists. ***********************************************************************************
Time Saving Tip
When you bring produce home from the store, go
ahead and wash it. Washing all of it at once saves time, and it will be
ready when you need it.
Also, when you are cutting up vegetables and already have your cutting
board and utensils out, go ahead and cut up anything that will be needed
later. This helps with time and in some cases keeps things from ruining.
Example: When I buy a bag of onions, I cut them all at once. This week I
cut one into chunks so it would be ready for my roast on Friday. I cut
one into slices for hamburgers on Wednesday, and chopped another just to
have on hand. Each one went into a freezer bag and into the refrigerator
or freezer. I have bags of frozen bell peppers that are sliced and ones
that are chopped. When you start to cook, all you have to do is open the
freezer door!
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Steamed Vegetable Tip
Robin Miller has the easiest method for steaming
vegetables. Put your vegetables in a glass bowl, add about 2 T. Water,
and cover with a lid or plate. Microwave for about 3 minutes and they
are ready. I use frozen vegetables quite a bit. These take about 5- 6
minutes.
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Tortillas
If you need tostada shells but only have tortillas, lay them on a
baking sheet, spray with cooking spray, and bake until crispy and golden
brown.
You can make cinnamon tostadas in the same way. The only difference
is you cut the tortillas into wedges before spraying, and add cinnamon and
sugar before baking. These are great with warmed apple pie filling and
whipped cream. You can also do this with wonton wrappers.
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Favorite New Discoveries
Kraft Grate-it Fresh Parmesan Cheese
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Cheese Sticks
My husband eats cheese sticks every morning on his way to work.
Instead of buying cheese sticks, we buy a large block of cheese and slice
our own. You can make them any size you want, and the savings is phenomenal!
We do the same thing with grated cheese.
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Reheating Pizza
Heat up leftover pizza in a non- stick skillet on top of the stove, set heat
to med-low and heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy micro
pizza.
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Citrus Zest Tip
When you eat or use any type of citrus fruit, go ahead and remove the zest.
You can freeze it in a freezer bag and it will be ready when you need it.
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Kitchen Encouragement
Post applicable or favorite scriptures around the kitchen. They can be
framed, put on magnets, or just a simple note card. Here are some examples:
Luke 24:30-31
Ecclesiastes 9:7
Psalm 107:8-9
John 6:35
Proverbs 11:25
Exodus 16:4
I Peter 4:9-10
Hebrews 13:2
I Corinthians 10:31
I found a poem on the Positively Feminine site that I would love to share.
It was taken from the June 2005 issue of Family Life.
Thank God for dirty dishes.
They have a tale to tell.
While other folks go hungry,
We're eating very well.
With health and home and happiness
We shouldn't want to fuss.
For by the stack of evidence
God's very good to us.
This would be great posted in front of your sink or dishwasher. It is just a
reminder of our blessings.
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Meatballs
Prepare several batches of meatballs. Bake them about 1/2 way, and then
flash freeze them. Remove from the tray and place in a freezer bag. You will
have good homemade meatballs for subs, spaghetti, and appetizers whenever
you need them.
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Cookie Dough
Before the holidays get into full swing, make batches of cookie dough
ahead of time and freeze. This will save you time when you need it. You will
be able to pull out what you need, when you need it, and bake.
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Homemade Gifts
If you plan on baking homemade gifts, invite a friend over and bake
together. Make double recipes so that you both have a larger variety to
give.
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Frozen Meals
Prepare a few meals that can be frozen to help you on busy days.
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Mixing Tip
Spray the beaters of your electric mixer with cooking spray to keep the
batter from clinging.
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Cooking Meat
You can use a cheaper cut of meat if you prepare it in a crock pot. It
will still be very tender.
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Muffin Tins
Use muffin tins to cook stuffed bell peppers or to bake apples. This
helps keep them stable.
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Lettuce Tip
To quickly remove the core from a head of iceberg lettuce, bang the bottom
on a countertop. Turn it over and twist the core, which should come out
easily.
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Checking a Cake
If a toothpick is too short to reach the center of a baked cake to see if it
is done, use an uncooked strand of spaghetti.
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Easy Clean up for Slow Cookers
*Place food in a cooking bag before cooking it in your slow cooker. When it
is finished you just take the bag out and there is no clean up. (Submitted
by Marcia Boswank.)
*Here is a quick & easy way to cook corn on the cob, from Deidra
Floyd:
FRESH CORN ON THE COB (MICROWAVE)
Cook fresh corn on the cob in microwave with husks and silk intact. They
will cook in their own natural moisture. If your microwave doesn't have a
turntable, turn ears over and rearrange after 1/2 cooking time.
Cooking Timetable:
1 ear - 1 1/2 minutes
2 ears - 3 to 4 minutes
3 ears - 5 to 6 minutes
4 ears - 7 to 8 minutes
6 ears - 8 to 9 minutes.
When ears are hot to the touch, remove and wrap in kitchen towel or foil.
Let stand at least 5 minutes. Remove husks and silk (which is easier than
when cold) and serve salted & buttered.
To go to Deidra's Blog, click below.
http://deidrasheart.blogspot.com/
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