Common Tips

LEFTOVER CARROTS

Shred any leftover carrots onto a salad or some cottage/ricotta cheese. The carrots will add a bit of vitamins and crunch. 

EASY MOCHA CAKE

If you want to jazz up a regular old chocolate cake, break out the coffee!
Using a regular box of chocolate cake mix, make it up as per the instructions, except replace the water for cold coffee.
If you don’t have any coffee made up, just add a tablespoon of instant coffee to the water for making the cake and mix well.

When substituting margarine for butter in recipes, make sure that you do not substitute them for “light” butter/margarine or butter/margarine that is in tubs. 

These products are whipped more with or without water and they will contain less fat by volume, therefore your recipe will not have the desired results once it is completed.

MENU PLANNING I

The holiday season is over but you still havefamily is coming and going.
It is hard to remember what you are going to make for dinner tonight let alone for a few days while you have guests.
I put a white board on my refrigerator for just this occasion. I make a list of the dates that I am responsible for making meals.
As I plan I write the menu items on the board for the day that I will be serving it.
This will also prompt me to think of any other grocery items that I am missing that I would need to put on my shopping list.

SERVING ANGEL FOOD CAKE

Before you serve an angel food cake, place it in a tightly sealed container and freeze it for an hour or two.
When you remove the cake from the freezer place it on a wire rack to defrost for a few minutes.
Using a serrated knife, cut the cake in to 2” slices while it is partially frozen.
Freezing the cake will keep the cake firm and minimize crumbling.

PERFECT PANCAKES

Everyone knows that the first batch of pancakes that come off the griddle are always the ones that you throw out.

To ensure success on the first try, apply a thin film of oil to the preheated griddle.

Remove any excess with a paper towel as too much will make your pancake crusty and uneven in color and height.

After cooking your first batch of pancakes, using the paper towel that had the extra oil on it, recoat the griddle.

Wait a minute for the griddle to come back to temperature, and cook your next batch of pancakes. Repeat until all cakes are cooked.