CHOPPED EGG TRICK

Am I the only person in the world that did not know about this handy trick? Use your pastry cutter to speed-chop boiled eggs...fast and easy!!

Chop them right in the mixing bowl,
6 eggs in just seconds!!

ENJOY !!!

FREEZING EXTRA BUTTERMILK

 

OUT OF BUTTERMILK FOR BISCUITS ???

 

 

 

How many times have you tried a recipe that calls for 1 cup of buttermilk but they only sell it in quarts? Usually (at my house anyway) the unused/extra buttermilk sits (forgotten) in the back of the fridge until its "use by" date has expired, but that is now a thing of the past. Since I discovered how well buttermilk freezes, I always have it in the house.

The only trick is to freeze it in small containers so that it thaws quickly. The smallest container I tried was my ice cube tray. After they are frozen, just put them in a freezer bag and carefully mark what's in the bag:

 

 

Ice cube trays are not a standard size. I have one that measures 2 tablespoons per cube and one that measures 1½ tablespoons per cube, so keep that in mind when you are thawing out the cubes (I usually just thaw a couple extra to be on the safe side).

As a general rule:

8 frozen 2 oz. cubes = 1 cup buttermilk

6 frozen  2 oz. cubes = 3/4 cup buttermilk

4 frozen 2 oz. cubes = 1/2 cup buttermilk

2 frozen 2 oz. cubes = 1/4 cup  buttermilk

6 frozen 2 oz. cubes  = 3/4  cup buttermilk

 

 

You can thaw the buttermilk cubes overnight in the fridge, or if you need them sooner than that, you can microwave them for just a few seconds.

 

DON'T FREAK OUT TIP:

Sometimes, the thawed out buttermilk looks like it's separated (not pretty), don't freak out. Just whisk it back together (for a few seconds) then use it in any recipe.

TIP # 2:
The accuracy of the SIZE of your frozen buttermilk cubes is just a guideline and not at all important, it just gives you an idea of how many to thaw out for any given recipe.





TOASTED SALTINE TRICK

WHICH ONE OF THESE SALTINE CRACKERS

WOULD YOU RATHER EAT?

Me too!!!!!

 

This isn't really a recipe, but it is such a quick and easy kitchen trick, that I had to share it.

 

Recently, I noticed that my saltines tasted like..........nothing!! They were pale and flavorless (even the good quality brands), when did that happen?

 

So I set out to see if I could bring my crackers back to life in the oven. I was shocked at how quick and easy (and effective) it was to do!!

 

 

Lay some crackers on a dry cookie sheet and put them under a pre-heated broiler for about 30 seconds or so, flip them over and do the same on the other side, but watch them because once they start to turn golden, they get dark fast. You don't have to toast both sides, but there is more flavor if you do.

 

There are a million uses for these toasted crackers. They are great in a salad, they are great crushed and added to meatloaf mixture, they are great for snacking with some sharp cheddar or peanut butter, but my favorite is with tomato soup!!

 

 

I hope you'll try this fun tip, but here's a warning: once you try these, you will never be happy with a non-toasted saltine again!!

 

 







HANDY KITCHEN TIPS

I love handy kitchen tips, don't you?  I don't know how many times I've had one of those Homer Simpson "D'oh!!" moments when I see something that I never thought of...yet seems so obvious...like this tip:

Did you know that the plastic lid from a Parmesan container will also fit a regular mouth mason jar?  How handy is that !?!??

This next tip is super handy for gift wrapping season, never have to "find" the end of the tape....D'ho!!

Did you know that cranberry sauce freezes well? We are empty nesters and I hate opening a can of cranberry sauce, (or worse yet...make it) and then not be able to use it all.  I found that if you put it in a mason jar (with plenty of head room) it freezes well. It never freezes solid, so you can scoop out what you need (completely frozen it is still the consistency of ice cream) and then put the rest of the jar back in the freezer.  15-20 minutes at room temp or an hour in the fridge and it is just as good as fresh cranberry sauce!! We use a lot more these days (for baked chicken) because its always in the freezer!!

Remember Tang?  I buy it in gallon cans from Costco and once a month or so, I put 2 cups of it in my dishwasher and run a super hot cycle through. The dishwasher gets sparkling clean and smells fantastic!!

I buy ground beef in bulk packages, then divide and freeze it.  I found that if you wrap the ground beef (tightly) with plastic wrap BEFORE you put it into a Ziploc bag, there will be ZERO freezer burn or ice crystals. Also, since there is just the 2 of us, I divide the burger into a wide range of sizes...some as little as 1/4 pound; I then put all of the mini-packages into one big Ziploc bag and freeze...it works great and a lot less waste.

Do you need room temperature cream cheese in a hurry?  Take an 8 ounce block out of the wrapper and microwave it, on high, for 13 seconds. Do you need room temperature butter in a hurry?  Grate the butter onto a piece of waxed paper and let it sit for a few minutes.

This little refrigerator magnet, in the shape of a Pyrex measuring cup has been on my fridge for at least 20 years and I refer to it all of the time.  I've had it so long that I can't even remember where it came from, I just know that it has been ultra handy and has answered many cooking questions for me over the years. If you ever see one, or find a similar one...grab it, you will not be sorry.