I love tea. I love it hot and I love it iced. I love it sweet and I love it without sweetner. If you are a tea drinker, here are some ideas and tips for you:
Instead of sugar, dissolve old fasioned lemon-drops into your tea. They melt quickly and give the tea both a sweet and lemony flavor.
If you add a bit of calorie free club soda to your iced tea, you'll create a fizzy iced tea which is virtually calorie free compared to sodas.
When you make iced tea, freeze some into cubes so that you won't water down your tea by adding ice later.
Enjoy your cup of tea!
Audrey :)
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Creating Dips For Entertaining
Whenever I plan on having guests over, I always think of various dip recipes I have. To me, a party is just not a party without an assortment of dips with a combination of both vegetable and chips to accompany the dips.
While you can certainly buy pre-made dips at almost any market, I find dips so quick and easy to make, that I always make them myself.
One of my favorite dips is a cold crab dip. It only takes minutes to make and I almost never have any left over:
Crab and Cream Cheese Mold
1 package softened cream cheese
1 can crab meat
a few strands of finely chopped green onion (to taste)
salt and pepper to taste
cocktail sauce
Mix the cream cheese, crab meat, green onions, salt and pepper. Form into a mound and plate. Pour cocktail sauce over the dip. Serve with vegetables or crackers. Try both mild and spicy cocktail sauces for different flavors.
One other cold dip that almost everybody likes is guacamole. I have seen many variations on how to make guacamole. This is my favorite guacamole recipe:
Guacamole
1/2 pint sour cream
1 large avocado
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon dry minced onion
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
Mash avocado with fork. Add sour cream slowly and mix until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour.
What about those who prefer a hot dip? One of my favorites is hot artichoke dip. Again, I’ve seen many variations on this recipe. I prefer my artichoke dips with cheese in them. Here is one of my favorites:
Hot Artichoke-Cheese Dip
1 can (8 1/2 oz.) artichoke hearts (packed in water, drained)
1 jar (6 oz.) marinated artichoke hearts, drained
1 can (4 oz.) diced green chilies
6 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
Chop the artichokes, then place evenly over the bottom of a well greased shallow 2 quart baking dish. Scatter the chilies on top of the artichokes. Carefully spread the mayonnaise over the mixture. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350° for about 15 minutes. Serve warm. I love tortilla chips with this dip.
This is a dip you can make ahead of time. Make the day before serving, but do not cook. When ready to serve, cook at 350°. For 30 minutes.
For a "lighter" version of this recipe use light mayonnaise and use 1 cup regular cheddar cheese and one cup light or no fat cheddar cheese, mixed together.
These three dips are favorites when I entertain. Try them and see if your guests enjoy them also.
Audrey :)
While you can certainly buy pre-made dips at almost any market, I find dips so quick and easy to make, that I always make them myself.
One of my favorite dips is a cold crab dip. It only takes minutes to make and I almost never have any left over:
Crab and Cream Cheese Mold
1 package softened cream cheese
1 can crab meat
a few strands of finely chopped green onion (to taste)
salt and pepper to taste
cocktail sauce
Mix the cream cheese, crab meat, green onions, salt and pepper. Form into a mound and plate. Pour cocktail sauce over the dip. Serve with vegetables or crackers. Try both mild and spicy cocktail sauces for different flavors.
One other cold dip that almost everybody likes is guacamole. I have seen many variations on how to make guacamole. This is my favorite guacamole recipe:
Guacamole
1/2 pint sour cream
1 large avocado
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon dry minced onion
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
Mash avocado with fork. Add sour cream slowly and mix until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour.
What about those who prefer a hot dip? One of my favorites is hot artichoke dip. Again, I’ve seen many variations on this recipe. I prefer my artichoke dips with cheese in them. Here is one of my favorites:
Hot Artichoke-Cheese Dip
1 can (8 1/2 oz.) artichoke hearts (packed in water, drained)
1 jar (6 oz.) marinated artichoke hearts, drained
1 can (4 oz.) diced green chilies
6 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
Chop the artichokes, then place evenly over the bottom of a well greased shallow 2 quart baking dish. Scatter the chilies on top of the artichokes. Carefully spread the mayonnaise over the mixture. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350° for about 15 minutes. Serve warm. I love tortilla chips with this dip.
This is a dip you can make ahead of time. Make the day before serving, but do not cook. When ready to serve, cook at 350°. For 30 minutes.
For a "lighter" version of this recipe use light mayonnaise and use 1 cup regular cheddar cheese and one cup light or no fat cheddar cheese, mixed together.
These three dips are favorites when I entertain. Try them and see if your guests enjoy them also.
Audrey :)
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Top Ramen and Rice
My kids were visiting my sister one summer and with dinner my sister served something my kids had never seen before. She made ramen noodles and rice mixed together.
We have always eaten ramen noodles. We buy almost every flavor they make. We make them plain. We have cut up both chicken and beef and added the meats to the noodles. My sister however added rice to the noodles. My kids loved it.
The sauce packet that comes with ramen noodles is very high in sodium. If you add flavored rice to the noodles, you don’t need to use the sauce packet. If you add white rice to the noodle packet you’ll use the sauce packet but each serving has a lower amount of sodium since you’ve now added another item to the mixture.
My sister actually cuts up the noodles after boiling so that they are short like the rice kernels. Then she mixes the two together.
One other option is to make your own chicken broth or beef broth and then add both the package of ramen noodles and also the white rice. You won’t be using the sauce packet and you can also add cut up vegetables and pieces of chicken or beef to the mixture.
I actually found a blog that is all about ramen noodles http://mattfischer.com/ramen/. This blog features recipes, commentary and tons of information about ramen noodles.
Audrey :)
We have always eaten ramen noodles. We buy almost every flavor they make. We make them plain. We have cut up both chicken and beef and added the meats to the noodles. My sister however added rice to the noodles. My kids loved it.
The sauce packet that comes with ramen noodles is very high in sodium. If you add flavored rice to the noodles, you don’t need to use the sauce packet. If you add white rice to the noodle packet you’ll use the sauce packet but each serving has a lower amount of sodium since you’ve now added another item to the mixture.
My sister actually cuts up the noodles after boiling so that they are short like the rice kernels. Then she mixes the two together.
One other option is to make your own chicken broth or beef broth and then add both the package of ramen noodles and also the white rice. You won’t be using the sauce packet and you can also add cut up vegetables and pieces of chicken or beef to the mixture.
I actually found a blog that is all about ramen noodles http://mattfischer.com/ramen/. This blog features recipes, commentary and tons of information about ramen noodles.
Audrey :)
Monday, January 28, 2008
Ten Tips For Using Your Crockpot
In today’s busy world, more and more people are using crockpots to prepare the families evening meal. I know some folks who have two crockpots. They use the large one to prepare meats or poultry and they use the small one to prepare side dishes and desserts.
There are many tips to make using your crockpot even easier:
1. Don’t lift the lid to take a peak. I have read over and over that if you do lift the lid, you need to add 20 minutes cooking time.
2. Vegetables and potatoes take longer to cook in a crockpot. It’s always suggested that you place potatoes and vegetables on the bottom, layering the meat and sauces on the top.
3. Regular milk can curdle in the crockpot due to long cooking times. Consider using either canned milk, or adding the milk during the last 30 minutes of cooking. Since you’ll be lifting the lid, add a bit of cooking time to the recipe directions.
4. For recipes that call for ground beef, brown the meat before adding it to the crockpot. It will have a better texture. To confirm you discard all of the grease, pour the meat through a strainer first. Of course making a meat loaf would be the exception to this rule.
5. Trim as much fat off of meats and chicken as you can. Due to long cooking times, the fat melts right into the sauces and adds a bitter taste to the finished product. If cooking poultry remove the skin to avoid the melting fat.
6. Make sure to defrost all meats and poultry prior to putting them in the crockpot. Cooking times are based on defrosted meats.
7. Very little liquid boils away in a crockpot. You can thicken your sauce by removing the cover during the last 30 minutes of cooking. If you still find the sauce is too thin, pour the sauce into a sauce pan and add a bit of cornstarch.
8. Make sure your crockpot is filled at least half way. This prevents both undercooking and over cooking. Do not overfill the crockpot, remembering that very little liquid boils out.
9. Spray your crockpot with non stick cooking spray before adding the ingredients. This will help prevent sticking.
10. If you are using less expensive cuts of meat, consider cooking them in the crockpot as the longer cooking times help make even the toughest pull apart tender.
Enjoy the many recipes you can find for your crockpot. By following the above tips, your recipes should come out wonderfully.
There are many tips to make using your crockpot even easier:
1. Don’t lift the lid to take a peak. I have read over and over that if you do lift the lid, you need to add 20 minutes cooking time.
2. Vegetables and potatoes take longer to cook in a crockpot. It’s always suggested that you place potatoes and vegetables on the bottom, layering the meat and sauces on the top.
3. Regular milk can curdle in the crockpot due to long cooking times. Consider using either canned milk, or adding the milk during the last 30 minutes of cooking. Since you’ll be lifting the lid, add a bit of cooking time to the recipe directions.
4. For recipes that call for ground beef, brown the meat before adding it to the crockpot. It will have a better texture. To confirm you discard all of the grease, pour the meat through a strainer first. Of course making a meat loaf would be the exception to this rule.
5. Trim as much fat off of meats and chicken as you can. Due to long cooking times, the fat melts right into the sauces and adds a bitter taste to the finished product. If cooking poultry remove the skin to avoid the melting fat.
6. Make sure to defrost all meats and poultry prior to putting them in the crockpot. Cooking times are based on defrosted meats.
7. Very little liquid boils away in a crockpot. You can thicken your sauce by removing the cover during the last 30 minutes of cooking. If you still find the sauce is too thin, pour the sauce into a sauce pan and add a bit of cornstarch.
8. Make sure your crockpot is filled at least half way. This prevents both undercooking and over cooking. Do not overfill the crockpot, remembering that very little liquid boils out.
9. Spray your crockpot with non stick cooking spray before adding the ingredients. This will help prevent sticking.
10. If you are using less expensive cuts of meat, consider cooking them in the crockpot as the longer cooking times help make even the toughest pull apart tender.
Enjoy the many recipes you can find for your crockpot. By following the above tips, your recipes should come out wonderfully.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Leftovers
Since I do a lot of cooking, I seem to always have leftovers. While I prefer not to waste food, I do find that I'm forever throwing something out. Many folks have told me that I throw things out sooner than they do. So I decided to look online and see what the suggested refrigerator life is for leftover foods. I found a great chart http://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheets/HGIC3606.htm. Scroll down a bit to see the chart.
I keep foods for the lesser time periods listed here. Reading this made me smile that I'm really not throwing things away prematurely.
Post a comment. Share how long you keep leftovers in the refrigerator.
Audrey :)
I keep foods for the lesser time periods listed here. Reading this made me smile that I'm really not throwing things away prematurely.
Post a comment. Share how long you keep leftovers in the refrigerator.
Audrey :)
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Party Punch
Using calorie free club soda adds a wonderful fizz to party punch, makes them go further and reduces the overall per serving calorie count.
Fruit Juice
6 oz. frozen lemonade
6 oz. frozen orange/pineapple
32 oz. ginger ale (not canned)
32 oz. club soda
32 oz. white grape juice
Mix and serve chilled over ice.
Champagne Punch
1 quart champagne
1 quart club soda
1 - 6 ounce can lemon-lime
1 - 6 ounce can punch
1 - 6 ounce can grapefruit juice
Mix and serve chilled.
Hawaiian Punch
2 large cans pineapple grapefruit drink
1 - 12 ounce can frozen lemonade
2 large bottles ginger ale
1 large bottle club soda
1 large can Hawaiian punch
1 quart rainbow sherbet
Chill all ingredients, except sherbet. Pour sherbet into large punch bowl and mash slightly to soften. Add rest of chilled liquid and stir together.
Audrey :)
Fruit Juice
6 oz. frozen lemonade
6 oz. frozen orange/pineapple
32 oz. ginger ale (not canned)
32 oz. club soda
32 oz. white grape juice
Mix and serve chilled over ice.
Champagne Punch
1 quart champagne
1 quart club soda
1 - 6 ounce can lemon-lime
1 - 6 ounce can punch
1 - 6 ounce can grapefruit juice
Mix and serve chilled.
Hawaiian Punch
2 large cans pineapple grapefruit drink
1 - 12 ounce can frozen lemonade
2 large bottles ginger ale
1 large bottle club soda
1 large can Hawaiian punch
1 quart rainbow sherbet
Chill all ingredients, except sherbet. Pour sherbet into large punch bowl and mash slightly to soften. Add rest of chilled liquid and stir together.
Audrey :)
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Seven Layer Dip
My daughter came home tonight with a multi layer burrito. We have an incredible burrito shop here in town, right by the college actually.
As I got my one mom bite out of her burrito I thought about the fact that I have not made a 7 layer dip in quite some time.
We start with a can of refried beans. You can actually eat these room temperature or heated. If you heat them, then when you add the cheese as your second layer, the cheese melts right over the beans.
We actually make the dip right on the plate. The plate goes into the microwave with the beans spread on the bottom. Next comes the cheese, followed by any of the following, chopped tomatoes, chopped olives, chopped onions, lettuce, rice, chopped avocado or guacamole, sour cream and salsa. We use whatever we happen to have in the house. Our dip is sometimes 5 layers and sometimes 8 layers.
Serve with tortilla chips or spread on a warm tortilla.
Audrey :)
As I got my one mom bite out of her burrito I thought about the fact that I have not made a 7 layer dip in quite some time.
We start with a can of refried beans. You can actually eat these room temperature or heated. If you heat them, then when you add the cheese as your second layer, the cheese melts right over the beans.
We actually make the dip right on the plate. The plate goes into the microwave with the beans spread on the bottom. Next comes the cheese, followed by any of the following, chopped tomatoes, chopped olives, chopped onions, lettuce, rice, chopped avocado or guacamole, sour cream and salsa. We use whatever we happen to have in the house. Our dip is sometimes 5 layers and sometimes 8 layers.
Serve with tortilla chips or spread on a warm tortilla.
Audrey :)
Making Pancakes
While I was out on the internet reading, I came across a cute article written by Samantha Fredell. The article was on how to make pancakes. Though I've made pancakes thousands of times, I thought I'd read her article to see if I could make them even better. Samantha offers a few tips such as quick stirring in the melted butter that I was not aware of before. Here's her article:
For all the people in the world who loath breakfast, pancakes are a Godsend. For all those who are passionate about breakfast, pancakes are just another incredible gift to an already incredible list of delicious breakfast foods. No matter what you prefer, almost everyone loves pancakes, and it can only be to your advantage to master the the recipe for such a tasty cake!
First, you will need to look for a recipe. Look in your favorite cookbook or search the net and find the one that is right for you. It can be a plain recipe or you can make chocolate chip pancakes, sour cream pancakes, or sand dollar pancakes. Whatever you choose, the same basic instructions go for most recipes.
Now it's time to start your pancakes. Beforehand, measure out the dry ingredients. Use the correct measuring cups and spoons, and be as precise as possible. If you have too much of an ingredient or too little, especially with baking powder, it might mess it up. If the flour is supposed to be sifted, sift it to avoid lumps. Combine all the ingredients together well with a spoon.
Next, combine all the wet ingredients in a bowl. If the recipe calls for melted butter, mix the eggs, milk, and other ingredients first, then add the butter and mix it fast so that it's mixed thoroughly. Beat the ingredients thoroughly enough to combine, but don't over beat and add too much air.
When both the wet and dry ingredients are mixed, add the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients. Stir gently and not too much. It's important with pancakes not to over beat because it will make the pancakes tough. Make sure you stir it thoroughly, but if there are a couple lumps, that's okay. Lumps are okay as long as there aren't too many.
Heat a griddle or pan to medium high heat and lightly grease with butter, vegetable oil, or nonstick spray. With a ladle or measuring cup, pour about ¼ cups of batter onto the pan to make pancakes (that are/spaced) about 2 inches apart. Let them cook for about a minute. Little bubbles should start to form across the pancakes. This will tell you it's time to flip. Cook for another minute on the other side.
When the pancakes are finished, they should have a golden brown color on each side. Serve them warm with butter and syrup. If you want, you could top with strawberries and whipped cream or your other favorite topping. Don't wait until the next sunrise, start your pancakes now!
Samantha loves to cook and bake and give others tips and ideas to do the same. To find out more information about pancakes and cooking breakfast, go to Makepancakes.com
If you need a tate tester, I'm certain I'm free
Audrey :)
For all the people in the world who loath breakfast, pancakes are a Godsend. For all those who are passionate about breakfast, pancakes are just another incredible gift to an already incredible list of delicious breakfast foods. No matter what you prefer, almost everyone loves pancakes, and it can only be to your advantage to master the the recipe for such a tasty cake!
First, you will need to look for a recipe. Look in your favorite cookbook or search the net and find the one that is right for you. It can be a plain recipe or you can make chocolate chip pancakes, sour cream pancakes, or sand dollar pancakes. Whatever you choose, the same basic instructions go for most recipes.
Now it's time to start your pancakes. Beforehand, measure out the dry ingredients. Use the correct measuring cups and spoons, and be as precise as possible. If you have too much of an ingredient or too little, especially with baking powder, it might mess it up. If the flour is supposed to be sifted, sift it to avoid lumps. Combine all the ingredients together well with a spoon.
Next, combine all the wet ingredients in a bowl. If the recipe calls for melted butter, mix the eggs, milk, and other ingredients first, then add the butter and mix it fast so that it's mixed thoroughly. Beat the ingredients thoroughly enough to combine, but don't over beat and add too much air.
When both the wet and dry ingredients are mixed, add the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients. Stir gently and not too much. It's important with pancakes not to over beat because it will make the pancakes tough. Make sure you stir it thoroughly, but if there are a couple lumps, that's okay. Lumps are okay as long as there aren't too many.
Heat a griddle or pan to medium high heat and lightly grease with butter, vegetable oil, or nonstick spray. With a ladle or measuring cup, pour about ¼ cups of batter onto the pan to make pancakes (that are/spaced) about 2 inches apart. Let them cook for about a minute. Little bubbles should start to form across the pancakes. This will tell you it's time to flip. Cook for another minute on the other side.
When the pancakes are finished, they should have a golden brown color on each side. Serve them warm with butter and syrup. If you want, you could top with strawberries and whipped cream or your other favorite topping. Don't wait until the next sunrise, start your pancakes now!
Samantha loves to cook and bake and give others tips and ideas to do the same. To find out more information about pancakes and cooking breakfast, go to Makepancakes.com
If you need a tate tester, I'm certain I'm free
Audrey :)
Planning Ahead
I find that some of my smoothest meals come from planning ahead. I own many cookbooks and love to try variations of recipes. If I take the time to check the recipe the day before, I can make sure that all ingredients are on hand when I'm ready to start cooking.
Likewise, if I read the recipe through at least once to make sure I'm clear on all steps, I find that the preparation goes much smoother.
So, take 5 minutes, plan tomorrow's meals today and see how much smoother meals will go.
Audrey :)
Likewise, if I read the recipe through at least once to make sure I'm clear on all steps, I find that the preparation goes much smoother.
So, take 5 minutes, plan tomorrow's meals today and see how much smoother meals will go.
Audrey :)
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