Tuesday's Tips & Tricks: Measuring Batter

I have been on a baking binge lately.  Muffins and cupcakes are my binge of choice right now.  To achieve a uniform look, I measure the batter into each cup.  I usually use an ice cream scoop to do this, but occasionally I use a 1/4 measuring cup.  It is the perfect size to fill my muffin cups to 3/4 full.

My new cookbook is available at schools, businesses, hospitals, and book fairs in cities across the United States.  Be sure to pick up a copy or two, when you see them.  They make great gifts!

Check back on Friday,
for my Sober As A Judge Biscuits recipe! 

Follow me on my Facebook page!

Visit my friends blogs!

 GINGERLOCKS' KITCHEN, has become one of your favorite blogs! Stop by Jordan's blog and take a peek!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Tuesday's Tips & Tricks: Kitchen Bargain

I have a purse full of old hotel keys, outdated reward cards, and used gift cards.  Instead of tossing them in the trash, I use them as pot scrubbers.  They work great!  With the high price of food, anyplace you can save a couple of cents is a big help.

Check back on Friday, 

for my Grilled Cabbage recipe!

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Tuesday's Tips & Tricks: Kithcen Bargain

I love to find a bargain!  Recently I was in one of my favorite stores and found a cute pair of gloves for washing vegetables.  The were selling the gloves for $9.95.  As I looked at them, I realized they were just green colored bath gloves.  You can get the same gloves (without Veggie stamped on them) for $1.00 each at dollar stores.  That is a big savings!

The gloves would be great for scrubbing potatoes and carrots and other root vegetables, that you would like to use with their skin on.  

Check back on Friday, for my 
Grilled Balsamic Chicken recipe!

We are on our way back to the USA.  

You can follow my trip by visiting my Facebook page.

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Tuesday's Tips & Tricks: Lemons

When picking a lemon, look for ones that are bright yellow, with smooth skin, and are heavy for their size.

Do not pick lemons that are soft and spongy.  Lemons have less juice when the skin feels wrinkled, rough, or have a tough skin.

1 Medium size lemon equals approximately 2 to 3 tablespoons of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of lemon zest.

Lemon juice has 4 calories per tablespoon and no fat.

Lemons at room temperature have more juice than refrigerated lemons.

To get more juice flowing, microwave the lemon for a few seconds.  Next, roll it on the counter with the palm of your hand, before you squeeze the juice out.

If you only need a few drops of lemon juice, pierce the skin with a toothpick.  Squeeze out the amount of juice needed. Insert the toothpick back into the hole and place in a plastic bag.

Freeze lemon juice in an ice tray.  When frozen, each lemon ice cube will equal a medium lemon.

Zest is the outer colored part of the skin on a lemon, orange, or lime. Only use the colored part of the fruit peel.  Don't use the white part, it will be bitter.

Try using lemon juice instead of vinegar, when making salad dressing.

Marinades using lemon juice, tenderize chicken.

The world largest lemon was 5 pounds and 13 ounces.

Check back on Friday, for the

Lemon Heaven Dessert recipe!

 

Congratulations to Tangos Treasures 
the Giveaway Winner of the
Drinking Girls' Guide to Spanish Food Cookbook! 

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

 

Tuesday's Tips & Trick: Another Garilc Trick

A couple of months ago, I got an email asking for a tip on how to peel garlic.  I wrote two posts on the subject, Peeling Garlic and Peeling Garlic II.  When I was at my Mom's last week, she gave me a another tip to pass along to you.

Put the cloves of garlic you want peeled on a microwave safe plate.  

Microwave for 15 seconds.

The garlic heats up and expands, causing the peel to crack.

The clove easily slips out of the peeling!

Thanks Mom, for yet another great tip!
 

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Tuesday's Tips & Tricks: Unique Kitchen Tool

 My sister Shelley, was in charge of the dessert table at our Easter dinner.

You are never too old to learn something new from your mom!  I spent Easter with my family in Florida this year.  The day before Easter, my mom prepared some recipes ahead of time, set the dinning room table, and pulled out all the serving dishes she was planning on using for the dinner.

It doesn't matter how many dishes you have, it seems you always need at least one more.  My mom was peeling the price tags off of the new dishes she had purchased, when she came to one that was really stuck.  She went to the bathroom and grabbed the blow dryer.  After a couple of seconds of blow drying the sticker, it peeled right off.

I decided to put this method to a test at my own home.  I had a sticker that was really stuck to a soup mug and I couldn't get it off.  I even ran it in the dishwasher, and it still would not come off.

I put my blow dryer on the high heat, and let it sit on the sticker for less than one minute. 

And low and behold, it peeled right off!

Thanks Mom, for another great tip!

 

Check back on Friday, for the

Sinful Brownie recipe! 

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Tuesday's Tips & Tricks: Easy Egg Trick

Dividing the yolk from the egg white can be a tricky task.  It is so easy to break the yolk as you try to separate the two.  An easy way to accomplish this kitchen chore, is by cracking the egg into a funnel.

The egg white flow through the funnel, 

while the yolk is trapped in the bowl of the funnel. 

On Friday, I will post

Mom's Mashed Potato Salad.

Congratulations Beverly, you are the winner of the, 

Indian Fast Food cookbook!

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Tuesday's Tips & Tricks: Peeling Garlic

My friend Ashley, left a comment on the blog, asking for tips on peeling garlic.  I have two tips to share for peeling garlic.

1.  If I am going to mince garlic, I place the garlic clove on the cutting board.  I take my chef knife and place it over the garlic, sharp edge facing away from me. 

Using the heel of my hand, I hit the knife directly above the garlic.  The harder you hit the knife the more smashed the garlic will be.  You can then easily remove the the skin. 

I also do this technique to break up the bulb of garlic into cloves.  Make sure you hit the bulb gently to break it up and not smash the cloves.

2.  If I want to keep the garlic clove whole, I place the clove on a rubber jar opener.

 Fold the jar opener in half so the garlic clove is in the center. 

Using the palm of your hand, roll the clove around until the skin peels off.

I hope that answers your question, Ashley!

Stop back on Friday, for my

Toasted Sesame and Garlic Hummus recipe!

Enter my Giveaway for your chance to 

win a copy of my cookbook,

MY KIND OF COOKING, and cute kitchen towels!

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Tuesday's Tips & Tricks: Cream Cheese

Cream cheese is one of my favorite ingredients to use in recipes.  Not only does it make decedent desserts, but it also makes sauces taste richer and creamier.  I could go on and on about how I like to cook with cream cheese, but instead I will get right to the cooking tip.

A chef friend of mine gave me a couple of tips for when I use cream cheese in a recipe.  He said to always use cream cheese at room temperature.  That's not a new tip; my mom taught me that one, and I am sure yours did too.  The chef also said to beat the cream cheese until it is light and fluffy, before you add it to your recipe.  Don't add eggs or other ingredients, just beat it by it's self.

Measure the room temperature cream cheese before you whip it.  After it is whipped, you will not get a correct measurement, and it could affect your recipe. 

Do you have any other cream cheese tips you could share?

Check back on Friday for my,

Creamy Caramel Dip recipe.

Enter my Giveaway for your chance to win the

Joy Bauer's Food Cures Book!

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  She also has a great Giveaway on her blog! Stop by and check it out.  You'll be happy you did!

Tuesday's Tips & Tricks: Chopping Bacon

I think everyone has at least one task in the kitchen that they do not enjoy doing.  For me, it is chopping bacon.  I hate it!  The bacon is greasy and it moves around on the cutting board as I try to slice it.  There had to be an easier way to do this.

I had just finished using my kitchen shears to cut up some herbs, so I grabbed them and decided to try it on the bacon.  It worked great!  Now I only use my kitchen shears to cut the bacon into the size I need.  I cut it right into the skillet that I will be using to fry it in.  It is so easy!  You get perfect cuts and less mess by using this method.

Sometimes I stack the bacon and other times I just get it straight from the package.Then I chop away with my kitchen shears.

Which kitchen task do you enjoy doing the least?

 Stop back by on Friday for my,

New Mexico Breakfast Strata

Enter my Giveaway for your chance to win the

Joy Bauer's Food Cures Book!

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!