Tips & Technique

My New Breakfast Treat
I’ve told you before – I’m really bad about eating breakfast, let alone a healthy one. As I’ve really enjoyed two of my latest discoveries, I’m combining them for a quick, easy, and surprisingly “good for you” start to the day wink You remember Cranberry Salsa? Cranberries, Ginger, and even Jalapenos all provide certain positive benefits. There’s also a little bit of other veggies and lemon juice, though I don’t think they’d count as “a serving”… After I made the salsa, I pulsed it together with cream cheese (you might recall that it is usually served OVER a block of cream cheese) – welcome calcium and protein!
Cranspread
Spoon onto your freshly toasted whole wheat English Muffin… you’ve added fiber, a few carbs, and enough “crunch” to satisfy you. And it’s so tasty, too! Really.

Posted by Linda :
Wednesday 11 January 2012 - 22:54:12
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I’m not really one for gadgets…
But if the infomercials didn’t convince me to consider the purchase, one article I recently read has swayed me. Did you know.... that according to this Skinny Secret, bite-size sliced lettuce greens can be stored for over a week?!?! That is, if you use a vacuum-pack machine. Imagine – a week’s worth of almost ready to eat lunches all prepped and ready to grab as you run out the door… Sadly, this technique has not done well with the more tender greens – baby spinach and such – but the experimentation goes on. There is also a link for other vegetables and their “shelf-life” using this technique. If you’ve got one in the back of your closet, this is a good reason to pull it out. If you buy a lot of romaine or other crisp greens, like I do, this might be the reason to do some serious shopping. Check out all the other potential uses, of course, and decide if it’s right for you. I’m just sayin’, this is a pretty good argument wink

Posted by Linda :
Wednesday 04 January 2012 - 22:00:16
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No party is complete without beverages
I’ve often used one of my Grandmother’s fancy shaped gelatin molds to make an "ice cube island" for a punch – I start with maybe an inch of water and stand some slices of fruit into the pretty grooves. Once that’s frozen, I add more water, freeze again, and have a pretty ice block. This one’s even simpler - use your muffin tins! Fill each cup with about half the volume of the fruit of your choice. Fill with water and freeze. Done. Pretty ice cubes! Even better, after adding the appropriate fruit, freeze the non-alcoholic ingredient of your punch – booze doesn’t freeze – and then your punch won’t get diluted as they melt. Now, here are two ideas for warm punch that you can make and serve from your Slow-Cooker! Both the Hot Cranberry Apple Punch and this Creamy Hot Cocoa sound divine! There are so many more options out there – hope I helped you get started on something a little “all your own”!

Posted by Linda :
Thursday 15 December 2011 - 20:49:15
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A NEAT tip for delicate icing!
This tip falls under the category “why didn’t I think of that?” I’ve never done much decorating using pastry bags, 1) because of the nasty cleanup and 2) I’m not very good at it (I blame being left-handed wink ). Well, at least now I can solve problem number one. When you’re using more than one color, or simply want the neatest possible way, you’ve got to watch this video from Dollar Store Crafts. After you’ve made and colored your frosting, you simply wrap it up in plastic, twist the ends into a “string”, and insert into your pastry bag! Easy to use, remove, and nothing to clean other than the tip – NO WASTE. The demo is concise and to the point – watching it is easier than my explanation… A great way to test it out is by making Santa Hat Brownies. These look awfully cute, but should really be assembled not too many days before you are serving – the red part of the hat is a fresh strawberry! Now, who wouldn’t enjoy those?

Posted by Linda :
Tuesday 06 December 2011 - 14:10:42
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Banana Pudding, anyone?
I just saw the kewlest couple of “tricks” on Cook’s Country. If you’re using a vanilla pudding as your base (ideally, homemade), add more banana flavor by roasting three bananas (in their peels) until black and softened. It intensifies the flavor, and obviously makes them easier to blend into your creamy delight. Best yet, you can – should - use “barely ripe” bananas. Now this one seems a little finicky, but it makes sense. As you layer your wafers, place them flat side up. Place a slice of banana on each, and then top with another wafer flat side down - Banana sandwiches wink As your pudding rests, the cookies will absorb any liquid released by the banana - NO runny pudding! Hope you enjoy!

Posted by Linda :
Wednesday 23 November 2011 - 20:17:56
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Rice your Ricotta
While my ricer is not the most popular tool in my gadget drawer, it is the best choice for making mashed potatoes – and apparently for creating ricotta filled delights.
Ricer
At least that’s according to Ciro Poppiti, Esq, of Arcangelo Cheese. In his appearance on “Ciao Italia” he explained that a ricer provides a lighter, fluffier, easier to blend consistency than even whisking. After seeing the results of his Pizza Carnevale (a cheese and sausage filled deep dish pie), if he says the ricer is the tool to use, then that’s good enough for me. Hey, the guy makes artisanal cheese for a living – he must know these things wink

Posted by Linda :
Wednesday 19 October 2011 - 02:43:46
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After the frying’s over…
We all know that after frying anything – let’s say bacon (my favorite example), that we are supposed to let them rest on paper towels or brown paper, like the stuff our grocery bags are made out of. I don’t know about you, but sometimes I get puddles of oil on the paper, and the bottom of the item gets a little soggy. One remedy is to place the item on a cooling rack over the paper, but that’s just one more item to clean. This one’s pure genius! Crinkle your paper! Seriously, crumple it up into a little ball, and then gently lay it flat, leaving all those nooks and crannies you just created. Those “ridges” will act in almost the same way as a cooling rack – leaving your beauty slightly elevated without the soggy mess on the bottom! Carla Hall demonstrated this on “The Chew” when she was reviving overcooked green beans into Fried Green Beans. Bet it would be a great way to recreate leftover beans as well – and turn them into a treat! Pretty smart all around.

Posted by Linda :
Thursday 06 October 2011 - 20:41:27
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FLUFFY brown rice?
I know it’s good for you, but following the package instructions has always led to a denser, mushier result than I get with white rice. Since it takes about twice as long to cook with a lesser result, I end up choosing white rice more times than not. No longer, though, thanks to Alton Brown. In his technique, he suggests BAKING it! You boil your water, salt, and butter if desired – then pour it over the rice in a baking dish. Seal tightly, and roast for about an hour. Done. Fluffy brown rice – sure to please.

Posted by Linda :
Tuesday 27 September 2011 - 16:31:11
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Fish even I can make!
I’ve shared my fish phobias with you before – let’s not dwell there… But this one’s so easy a kid could do it! From Chef John Besh’s “New Orleans“ on PBS, you don’t even need a recipe for this one. Buy some filets of a white flaky fish (he used red snapper). If not already in portion sizes, divide it yourself, keeping the size of a slice of bread in mind. There’s a reason for that wink Lightly season each portion with a little salt, pepper and tarragon, or other herb of your choosing (dill?). Set aside as you count out your bread slices – one per portion. Regular old white sandwich bread works well, or whole wheat if you’re so inclined. Roll each slice out as thin as you can. Lightly butter one side, and place the fish on top of the unbuttered side, pressing down slightly. Trim the bread around the outline of the fish so that they’re a pretty good match. On your heated, wide, flat, preferably nonstick skillet, place each portion butter-side down. Remind you of cooking grilled cheese? Exactly! Cook until the bread is toasted to your liking. Drizzle or brush a tiny bit of olive oil on the fish, and gently flip over. Give it just a minute or so, and voila! He served it bread side down in a “pool” of hollandaise (which he prepared first!), alongside a salad made of orange and fennel. If you’re feeling extravagant, garnish the fish and sauce with small boiled shrimp. Kind of gives a new meaning to “breaded” fish, doesn’t?

Posted by Linda :
Tuesday 16 August 2011 - 14:50:53
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Best Mushrooms Ever!
My brother Jeff swears this is the best technique – and after having his Beef Stroganoff a few days ago, I tend to agree.

[ Read the rest ... ]

Posted by Linda :
Friday 08 July 2011 - 13:31:49
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