Here are a few TIPS & HEALTHFUL SUGGESTIONS...

Here are a few TIPS & HEALTHFUL SUGGESTIONS…

Here are a few Tips & Healthful Suggestions that have been handed down through the generations along with the ones we've picked up along the way. We’d like to share a few tips and suggestions that have helped us get along in our kitchen.

NEW! Save your dry Macaroni or Potato Salad
If the Mac or Potato salad you've made gets dry before you serve it...add one or two tablespoons of water, milk, or broth. The liquid brings the moisture up and you don't add any extra calories.

NEW! Toasted Oatmeal
Have the best oatmeal ever! Put your empty pot on the burner and turn it on med. high to high. Add whatever amount of oats you plan to cook. Let the oats heat up for about 1 or 2 minutes, flipping the oats around every few seconds to keep them from burning. Add the water and cook as usual. The oats have a wonderful nutty taste.

No more egg shells in the mix
So you've cracked an egg and now there is shell in your mix. Just use the side of the empty shell half and scoop the piece out. It really works every time and right away too.

Sticky Oatmeal pot
When your oatmeal is done, the cooking pot is usually sticky with an oatmeal film. Don't scrub!! Place the pot in the sink and run cold water into it. Let it sit for about 20 minutes while you enjoy your breakfast and then rinse. The sticky layer will come right out with the rinse water just like majic.

Travel Salad Spinner (for Melissa)
If you crave salad, but are on the road, here's what you do. When you buy the veggies for your salad, get a couple of extra plastic bags (they can be re-used many times). After you wash the veggies place them in one of the clean extra bags. Cut a corner off that bag and tie the top. Place that bag in the other unused bag. Hold on to the bags and swing your arm around several times. The water will drain from the first bag to the second one and can be poured out leaving clean fresh salad makings! If you can go outside, you can use the first bag by itself. Just swing gently, you don't want your salad flying off into the dust.

Keep Rice safely warm.
If your rice is done a little too early, keep it warm in the oven. Place 1 or 2 folded paper towels under the lid and replace lid on the pot of rice. Place the pot of rice in the oven on warm and it will keep for over an hour without getting sticky.

Ideal Sized Cookies

Use a small ice cream scoop to make your cookies. The cookies will all come out a uniform size, and you will get the optimum amount of cookies the recipe says you will get. The cookies will be beautiful and can be boxed up for gift giving.

Perfect Gravy:
Flour/butter based:
1 Tbl. flour
1 Tbl. butter or oil
1 Cup milk or broth
In a sauce pan combine the flour and butter/oil, stir together. Heat on medium high and stir for 1 or 2 minutes so that the paste mixture isn't raw. Add the liquid slowly and continue to stir while gravy simmers until thickened.

Cornstarch based Gravy:
1 Tbl. cornstarch
4 Tbl. cool water
1 Cup milk or broth
Bring the liquid up to a boil in a saucepan. Mix the cornstarch and water together and pour into liquid. Let mixture simmer until thickened.

Lasagna Noodles:
When you assemble your baked lasagna, don't cook the noodles beforehand. Just layer as usual into the

pan with the other ingredients. The noodles absorb the sauce and get perfectly al-dente. It saves time and helps the lasagna set up beautifully.

If a recipe calls for buttering the pan:
Save the waxed papers that your butter comes wrapped in. Fold the buttered side in. Place in a zip bag and keep in the butter compartment. Only a small amount of butter is used and you can use multiple papers if you need to. It helps keep your hands cleaner too.

Want to use fresh ginger at all times?

It turns out that fresh ginger root freezes very well and doesn’t seem to suffer any ill effects from the process. It can be peeled and grated right into a sauce or marinade easily, or broken and thawed for slicing.

When grilling or frying burgers:
After forming your patties, make an indentation in the center of each patty with your thumbs (about half the depth of the patty). As the burger cooks, the center will cook at the same rate as the outside. You won’t end up with a puffy raw middle. (The burgers come out fairly even on top) This method also means you do not need to press the juices out with the spatula. The burgers stay juicy.

Have you added a little too much salt in your sauce or soup?
If you have a sauce or soup that has a little too much salt, quarter a fresh potato and

add it in to your dish. Let the potato get fairly soft. It will draw some of the saltiness into itself and can then be removed before serving. (This is a limited remedy. Always taste before serving.)

A recipe calls for a fresh tomato, seeded:
Slice the tomato in half crosswise. Gently, very gently, squeeze the seeds out. If the tomato is very ripe the meat will crush. This is best done with fresh firm tomatoes.

Make your own sauces and marinades:
Once you start trying your own concoctions from the basic recipes we have provided,

you will have more control over what your family is eating.
Most ready to use sauces and marinades have ingredients that can be a little high in salt or sugar for restricted or health conscious eaters.
Check the labels of any recommended ingredients. For example, catsup has a lot of sodium and sugar. It is used frequently as a base in sauces.

Mess free Pomegranate prep:
When you peel and prepare a pomegranate, avoid the stained fingers, clothing and surroundings by

prepping it submerged in a large bowl of cool water. The seeds come out easily and all the mess stays in the water. Cut the very top off of the pomegranate, make a cross slice lightly on the cut surface. Submerge the pom in the bowl of water and pull it apart. Gently rub the seeds and they will come off into the water. Drain and separate the peels and skins then put them into a pretty serving dish.

Sharpen disposal blades safely:

If you have dull disposal blades, or maybe an onion skin won't co-operate and go away. Simply place about a cup of ice cubes or crushed ice in the neck of the disposal and run without turning on the water. When the noise stops, your blades are usually clean and sharp.

Be a label reader:
Read the labels on the pre-prepared items that you use regularly. It might surprise you (and not in a good way) as to what you have been putting into your body. Some of the additives never become “out-a-tives” and stay in the body as long as you live.
Buying products that have little or no additives is a great way to a more healthful ingredient life. Be a well rounded, knowledgeable realistic cook.

Easy recipe help from the store:
Of course, if you have the time, nothing compares with fresh from scratch homestyle cooking. However, if you still want to put great healthful meals on the table, the Store

is a good place to get some help.
Rotisserie Chicken: Big plus item. The meat can be pulled and used in 100 different ways. Hot or cold.
Salad Greens: These come in all sorts of pre-bagged combinations. Add some of your own favorite veggies, or just serve with dressing.
Vegetables: Veggies now come pre-washed and cut for your convenience and easy recipe preparation.

Frozen Foods Department:
The Freezer Dept. is a treasure trove of items to help you time wise and health wise.

Wash it:

Even if you plan to peel a fruit or vegetable, wash the outside. As you draw the knife through the skin you can carry bacteria or other matter right into the edible part. Also, the wax rinse used to make the skins shine tends to make the meat bitter. After spending the money for fresh, make the best of it by taking a few minutes to wash off anything on the outer skin.

To slice meats very thin:
Put meat into the freezer for 30 minutes or so. The meat becomes firm enough for the knife to get a nice small “bite” and can be cut as thin as you like.

Oils:
We like to use olive oil. On the chance that you might want to deep-fry we recommend a high heat vegetable oil or if you want to pan-fry something, try extra

light olive oil or grape seed oil.
Infuse your own oils. Add garlic, fresh herbs, sun-dried tomato or any other combination you like. Put ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a near simmer. Turn off and remove from stove to cool. Put into small storage jars. Make small amounts and use it up within 2 weeks to ensure freshness. Make some and take it in a nice jar for the hostess of your next barbecue or potluck.

Make Cole Slaw dressing in a snap:
Using any type of creamy dressing your family loves, such as ranch, bleu cheese, or creamy ceasar.
Mayonnaise is the usual base and can be used if you like. The dressing base adds a lot of flavor.
Place approximately 1 cup of dressing in a bowl.
Add 1 tablespoon of vinegar (any type).
Add 3 tablespoons of honey.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Mix the ingredients together and pour over any greens that will not wilt. Refrigerate until served.

Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs:

Place the eggs in a pot of cold water. Bring them to a boil. Set timer for 9 minutes. When timer goes off, place the pot in the sink and run cold water over the eggs to stop the cooking. When they are cool enough to peel, peel them under cold running water. The eggs come out perfect every time and peel with ease.