Recipes and Household Hints
Growing up in a family that had to have the world's worse cooks, I learned to cook in self-defense. My mom couldn't boil water without scorching it and my Grandmother thought roast was supposed to be hard and dry if it was cooked. Lucky I have been blessed throughout my life with some wonderful cooks who have always generously shared their recipes and hints with me. On this page you will find some of these great household hints as well as some of my favorite recipes. I always believe that there aren't any new recipes, just variations of the old favorites so if you see one that looks familiar please know that it has gone through time and space to make it here and was good enough for me to want to send it on to my friends here.Make it good, Make it cheap
As we are all facing tough economic times one of the best places to save money is with the food you serve your family. Your family may be facing job loss or just the growing expenses of utilities and fuel. It doesn't matter if your family is like us, only 2 people or if you have a large family you can still save lots of money. This doesn't mean you are going to eat boxed mac and cheese or beans everyday, it means wonderful balanced meals. Not only are home cooked meals cheaper but they are better for your health. It takes a little work but the rewards are well worth the effort. Begin by planning your meals according to what is on sale for the week, watch the grocery store ads and purchase only what you need and be sure to get the loss leaders. If you have any extra money, stock up on things your family likes if there is a very good sale. Keep a list and take it with you to the store along with your coupons. There are all kinds of sites that give you meal plans but this is the system that works for me and I hope it will work for you. This will give you a starting place, you can change things according to what your family likes the best or what is on sale that week. One thing to remember is that if your kids (or hubby) "won't eat that", it won't kill them to miss a meal, they will be hungry at the next meal and who knows, they may learn to like new things. There is a big difference in what they want and what they need and sometimes it is hard to tell them apart. Just don't feel guilty and fix a second meal for your picky eater, that will really wreck your budget!Hints
1) After frosting your cake, place a fancy shaped cookie cutter on it and fill it with sprinkles to make a fancy looking topping. Sprinkles come in so many different colors and types you are sure to find one that will make your cake look extra special.2) When baking potatoes, butter the skins and sprinkle with coarse salt, microwave for 3 or 4 minutes and then bake them. This cuts way down on the time it takes for them to bake. Never wrap your potatoes in foil as that will actually steam rather than bake them. For some reason, it really makes a difference.
3) To grease a bundt pan or other fancy baking pans, use a pastry brush and softened shortening. I use a new stiff paint brush. Get the cheapest ones you can find, they will work just fine, just be sure to pull the loose bristles out.
4) If you want to make a 3 layer cake from a regular cake mix add the following to make 3 generous layers. Add 1/2 cup flour and sugar, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1 teaspoon vanilla or other flavoring.
5) Always use a wooden spoon to stir hot liquids on the stove. It will not get hot and won't scratch your pans.
6) Use a paper coffee filter between pieces of china to keep them from getting scratched or sticking together.
Christmas Cookie Exchange
Oh boy, time to make all those wonderful Christmas cookies and have the house smelling like sugar and spices all day long! I wanted to share some of our favorites. I have put in the fancy ones as well as the quick easy ones so just take your pick! As everyone knows, Christmas calories don't count so you might just make them all!
Look on my blog for the recipes.