How To Make Recipes Healthier
This is a simple list of baking and cooking tips for making healthier recipes. No matter what time of the year, we should turn our recipes into healthy choices for our families. With all good intentions, sometimes our attempts to a make a recipe 'healthy' produces a poor product. And that's frustrating when we don't have groceries to waste or have time to whip up another batch. Now, this is... More...
By Jill | 5 comments | Full Recipe...Ten Best Cooking Oils
Choosing the right oil to go with a particular cooking method is IMPORTANT. Some oils are good for high heat cooking, while others are better for drizzling over soups and salads and nothing more. According to the American Diabetes Association, American Dietetic Association, and the National Institute of Health, here's a good guide to the healthiest cooking oils. Walnut Oil: Good source of omegas... More...
By Jill | 2 comments | Full Recipe...How to Cook Pinto Beans in a Pressure Cooker
I don't care too much for the traditional method of cooking beans. It takes too much planning with the overnight soaking and tending to the cooking pot for 2 hours. I've used a pressure cooker for so long now, it's second nature to me. My first pressure cooker was a hand-me-down from Memaw. That was a great pot. The only reason I don't have it now is that the manufacturer stopped making the replacement... More...
By Jill | 13 comments | Full Recipe...How To Cook Northern Beans
In the past, I have explained how to use a pressure cooker for cooking beans. Read the posts, Homecooked Garbanzo Beans and Simple Bean Soup. The steps are the same, the seasonings and cooking times are different. Pressure cookers do come in different sizes, so be sure to read the user's guide before cooking. NEVER NEVER, and I mean, NEVER, throw away the User's Guide to any kitchen appliance,... More...
By Jill | 1 comment | Full Recipe...Hand Count Method for Grilling Temperatures
How do you know how hot your grill is without using a thermometer? Use the Hand Count Method - Hold your hand at grilling height over the coals. Count the number of seconds you can hold you hand there before the heat forces you to move it. 2 seconds, hot coals: 400 - 450 F degrees 4 seconds, medium coals: 350 - 375 F degrees 5 seconds, low coals: 300 - 325 F degrees Read More →
By Jill | 3 comments | Full Recipe...Delicious Cheeses for Entertaining
A Nutritionist and a Food Blogger go into a Super Foodie Mart... Doesn't that sound like the beginning of a good joke? Well, it was the way I spent my Saturday afternoon. I went grocery shopping with my girlfriend, Kim. We spent FOUR HOURS in this particular market and had a complete blast! I just so happen to have had my microphone on me for any opportune moments to interview cool folks I meet.... More...
By Jill | 2 comments | Full Recipe...Quick Cooling Method For Bar Desserts And Brownies
A sure fire easy way to remove bars from a hot pan for a quicker cooling time: 1. Spritz bottom of pan with nonstick cooking spray. 2. Measure out enough wax paper to line the pan PLUS hang out over two sides. 3. Spray the wax paper and exposed pan sides with nonstick cooking spray. You're ready to fill the pan with batter. To remove hot bars or brownies, simply and CAREFULLY grab the extra wax paper. Pull... More...
By Jill | 0 comments | Full Recipe...DIY SHREDDED CHEESE BLEND
Real quick, I just wanted to share with y'all my favorite time saver in the kitchen. In my home, we gobble up cheeses of various flavors. Most of the time I need it shredded. For a while, I bought the pre-shredded packages out of pure convenience. And just so you know, long ago, I did the math. An 8 ounce block of cheddar is the same price as an 8 ounce bag of shredded cheddar. So, why am I bothering... More...
By Jill | 4 comments | Full Recipe...Parboiled Rice Cooking Directions
Have you ever stored your rice or pasta in a clear pretty jar and thrown away the ugly packaging? Only to discover later that you can't remember what the ratios of water to rice to butter there are in the actual servings. This happens to me too often. On some jars I own, I cut out the measurements table from the package and tape it to the inside of the top of the jar. This works fine if the clipping... More...
By Jill | 2 comments | Full Recipe...Basic Rules When Sifting Real Recipes
Before I even begin to cook, I thoroughly sort and sift for REAL recipes to see if they meet up to my personal standard. Yes, I wrote 'Real Recipes'. I'll throw in the disclaimer that not everyone has the same perspective of food. Nor does everyone have the same factors that dictate a perspective of food. . This post is not written to hurt anyone feelings or make fun of anyone's taste in foods or... More...
By Jill | 2 comments | Full Recipe...Best Way to Thaw Frozen Spinach
The best way and fastest way to thaw frozen spinach is to put it in a mesh strainer and run it under very warm water. Feel around for icy chucks of spinach and break them apart with your fingers. Turn off water, grab a handful of spinach and SQUEEZE the water out back over the strainer. Depending on the recipe, it’s not absolutely necessary to make the spinach feel bone dry, unless you were using... More...
By Jill | 3 comments | Full Recipe...Substitutions Guide
Allspice (1 tsp.) = 1/2 tsp. cinnamon + 1/4 tsp. nutmeg + 1/4 tsp. ground clove Baking Powder (1 tsp.) = 1/4 tsp. baking soda + 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar Baking Soda (1 tsp.) = 2 tsp double-acting baking powder + replace acidic liquid ingredient in recipe with non-acidic liquid Balsamic Vinegar = Equal amount of sherry or cidar vinegar Bread Crumbs (1 cup)= 3/4 cup cracker crumbs Brown Sugar (1... More...
By Jill | 0 comments | Full Recipe...
