Don't have sour cream?

Use plain yogurt instead.  I used it in Spaghetti pie and it worked perfectly!

Cooking with the little ones

Almost all little ones will want to help cook with you! Never mind that "Oh, they will make a mess and I don't feel up to it", (I have had that feeling before) just cook with them anyways. Even if they do make a mess! Have fun with them. Sometimes its more fun to make a mess.=) Afterwards, encourage them to help clean up. And you will have a growing relationship with them, that they will never forget!

~KJV

Keys to the kitchen

• Clean your kitchen as you go. I try to get as many dirty dishes as possible out of the way before we sit down to eat. After supper, there's less mess, which means more time to spend with family
• Make a grocery list and set a budget, then stick to them when shopping. I shop once a month, with the exception of things such as milk and eggs. That way, I don't have to go to the store as often and can keep a closer eye on my spending.
• Don't try to do everything yourself. I let my husband our children lend a hand whenever possible. The older enjoy helping me cook, while the little ones are happy to set and clear off the table.

---Jennifer Trenhaile

Posted by: KJV

Vinegar

  Two commonly used vinegars are red- and white-wine vinegar. White-wine vinegar is perfect for mild salad dressings or as a base for flavored vinegar, made by adding fruit or fresh herbs. Vinegar made from red wine has a more robust flavor than the white, and is often used as a marinade ingredient or in vinaigrette.   Vinegar should be stored in an airtight container in a cool, dark place. It will usually maintain its flavor for six months, but should be discarded at the first sign of mold.

Garlic

  There are nearly two hundred varieties of garlic, ranging in flavor from mellow to pungent, and sweet to bitter. Some are easy to peel; others have tiny cloves that are almost impossible to skin. The two primary types are soft neck and hard neck: Soft-neck garlic is the variety most widely available in supermarkets. Hard-neck garlic, known among chefs as gourmet garlic because it has a better flavor, is easier to peel and doesn't have small cloves at its center; it is also hardy to colder regions such as the northeastern United States.

A few tips on chocolate chip cookies...

I should have posted this sooner. But here are a few tips about making your chocolate chip cookies the best you have ever tasted...

First, never use margerine or shortening. Only butter. The butter is better ;-) because it makes your cookies flatter. Second, put the baking powder and salt in before the flour, it helps the cookie dough flatten better when you bake it. Thirdly, don't add too much flour, because that will make your cookies puffy, and not flat. Fourthly, add a little extra Vanilla, just for taste, it always makes your cookies the best. I think that about sums it up!

When I first used these tips for Chocolate chip cookies, my brothers loved them, and won't have chocolate chip any other way!

Click here for the chocolate chip cookie recipe...

Have fun, and ENJOY!

~KJV~

Frosting Your "Perfect" Cake

Have you frosted your cake, and wished you knew a better way so you wouldn't get it on the seving plater?

Just place a piece of parchment or wax paper on your serving plater. Then frost your cake. Slip the paper out from underneath. And there you have it! a nice frosted cake. With NO messes!

KJV

Hard to Cut Brownies?

...Here's a good way to do it.

Take a pizza cutter, instead of a plastic or metal knife. Works great!

KJV

No More Cooked-on Messes: Try it!

When I cook any type of pasta or rice, I spritz the pan with the nonstick cooking spray, let it sit for a moment, then add the water. Once the water boils, I add the pasta and stir as needed. When it's done, there's no sticky mess on the botom of the pan.

--Judith Wenzel, Hemlock, Michigan

~KJV~

Eggs, eggs, eggs...

~A fresh egg will sink in water; a stale one will float.
~For light and fluffy scrambled eggs, add a little milk or water while beating eggs.
~Can't remember if the egg is fresh or hard boiled?  Spin it.  If it wobbles, it's raw.  If it spins easily, it's hard boiled.
~To test egg whites:  If they adhere to the bowl when you turn it upside down, they are well whipped.
~When poaching eggs, try water flavored with tarragon vinegar for a subtle, different taste.

Helpful Hints on Fruits

~Ripen green bananas by wrapping them in a wet dish towel and placing in a paper bag.
~You can get more juice from a dried-up lemon or lime if you heat it for 5 minutes in boiling water before you squeeze it out.
~To ripen green tomatoes, place them in a paper bag with an aple or ripe tomato.  Store the bag in a warm dark place for 2 days or until the tomatoes ripen and turn red.

A Little Common Sense

Keep a pair of kitchen scissors handy for chopping
ingredients such as herbs, or for cutting bacon, etc.

Facts About Herbs

From: "The Backyard Homestead".

• Dried herbs are more potent than fresh--1tsp dried equals 1TB fresh.
• To store fresh herbs, wrap them in barely damp paper towels, place inside resealable plastic bags, and keep refrigerated.
• Add most herbs about 30 Minutes before the end of cooking time; simmer slowly to release flavor and retain volatile oils.
• The chopped leaves of fresh herbs may be frozen with water into ice cubes and then stored in labeled, airtight freezer bags. Use to impart an herbal flavor to soups or stews.
• Use herbs in moderation. Some may be overpowering if too much is used.

~KJV~

Honey

 
  To substitute honey for sugar in recipes, start by substituting
up to half of the sugar called for. With a little experimentation,
honey can replace all the sugar in some recipes.


  When baking with honey, remember the following:
Reduce any liquid called for by 1/4 cup for each cup of honey used.
Add l/2 teaspoon baking soda for each cup of honey used.
Reduce oven temperature by 25 F to prevent over-browning.


  Because of its high fructose content, honey has a higher
sweetening power than sugar. This means you can use less honey
than sugar to achieve the desired sweetness.


  When measuring honey, coat the measuring cup with non-stick
cooking spray or vegetable oil before adding the honey.
The honey will slide right out.

  To retain honey's wonderful texture, always store
it at room temperature; never in the refrigerator. If your honey
becomes cloudy, don't worry. It's just crystallization, a natural
process. Place your honey jar in warm water until the crystals
disappear. If you're in a hurry, place it in a microwave-safe
container and heat it in the microwave on HIGH for 2-3 minutes,
stirring every 30 seconds. Remember, never boil or scorch honey.

~VLS

Make your own...

ITALIAN HERB SEASONING:
1 tsp. Oregano
1 tsp. Marjoram
1 tsp. Thyme
1 tsp. Basil
1 tsp. Rosemary
1 tsp. Sage

CINNAMON SUGAR:
(Great on top of buttered toast!)
7/8 C Granulated sugar
2 T Ground cinnamon

CHILI POWDER:
3 T Paprika
1 T Ground cumin
2 T Oregano
1 tsp. Red or Cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. Garlic powder

~VLS

Ziplock Bag Tip!

Are you having trouble putting away your food in ziplocks, without spilling or splashing your food all over!? Here is a handy tip!

Place (fold over) a ziplock bag inside of a plastic container (of course, different sizes since the bags are different sizes)! The container will hold the bag up so you can put it away without splashes or spills! Simple and easy!

I found this tip in a book that I am reading! "Fix, Freeze, Feast"!

K.J.V.