Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Tips on Tuesday


Good morning everyone....we are going to share some Tips on Tuesday today!  What I'm going to share today is just some little things I do around the kitchen to make my life easier.  I hope they help you in some way:

1.  Making Gravy:  Making gravy doesn't have to be hard.  Most people say their gravy turns
     out lumpy or too thick, etc.  Let's talk about making gravy for a roast....but this can work
     for any broth you have.  I think Cornstarch is one of the best products ever invented!  Let's
     say you have just made a roast and it has a beautiful broth on it.  You have some mashed
     potatoes to go along with that succulent piece of meat.  How about some gravy?  Uh no, it's
     too hard!  Well, I'm here to tell you that NO IT ISN'T.... even you can make fabulous gravy.
        step 1:  Remove the roast from the pan and set it aside to rest.  Turn the burner down to
                     medium/low so the broth remains hot.
        step 2:  In a small cup with about 1/4 cup of water in it, beat in 2 heaping tablespoons full
                     of  cornstarch. 
        step 3:  With whisk in hand, pour the cornstarch/water mixture into the broth and
                     immediately whisk, whisk, whisk.  You will find that the broth quickly thickens
                     into a beautiful gravy.  If you find it isn't thickening like you wanted (maybe you
                     have a LOT of broth)...just redo the process, slowly adding a little bit of
                     cornstarch/water at a time until it is thickened.
        step 4:  Add the roast back into the gravy and then serve


2.  Stop buying pre-bagged cheese....  Start by buying block cheese and invest in a good s
     shredder.  Shred your own cheese.  It tastes better and has less additives.

3.  Stop using margarine....margarine is mostly chemicals.  Start buying Real Butter.  You can
     buy it at Wal-mart or any grocery store.  It is more expensive, but is much healthier for you. 
     Buy the unsalted butter for recipes.

4.  Organize your kitchen by buying large jars with lids.  When I bring home boxes of pasta,
     baking mix, rice, etc., I immediately open them and put them into these large jars.  I have
     them all labeled with a label-maker and on shelves in my kitchen.  They look more attractive
     than boxes and bags and stay fresh longer.  I bought mine at the dollar store

5.  Invest in a roll of Parchment Paper.  Use it for dropping those No-Bake cookies on or for
     lining a cookie sheet when you are roasting vegetables.  Using Parchment Paper makes
     clean-up so much easier.

6.  Watch cooking shows like Food Network, etc. You will get tons of tips and ideas and new
     recipes.  There is no harm in learning from others.  If you want to be a better cook, watch  
     better cooks work.

7.  Go meat shopping on the 1st day of each month.  Most grocery stores run meat specials on
     the first day of each month.  Watch the store ads and buy those meats that are on sale. 
     Freeze them to use throughout the month.  You will save a ton of money instead of going to
     the store every time you need meat.

8.  Invest in a small chest freezer.  Most refrigerators simply don't have enough space to buy
     sale items and store them.  A small chest freezer will start at only around $159.00 or so.  A
     good investment for the cook!

9.  Don't cut meat on a wooden cutting board.  Used a hard plastic type.  Chicken especially! 
     Wooden cutting boards are great for vegetables, etc., but don't ever cut meat on them.  They
     should never be used for raw meat.  They can hold too many of the germs left over from
     cutting meat and it is really hard to ever get them clean enough.  Instead use the plastic type
     that you can scour.

10.  And finally, before you store leftovers in your refrigerator, make sure they are completely
     cooled.  Don't put away hot foods into a container. It can cause condensation and even mold
     quicker.  Cool the food completely and then put it away.

Hope I learned ya sumpin' ....thanks for reading

Debi

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