Tips

More Nifty Tips

1. Reheat Pizza
Heat up leftover pizza in a nonstick skillet on top of the stove, set heat to med-low and heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy micro pizza. I saw this on the cooking channel and it really works.

2. Easy Deviled Eggs
Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal, mash till they are all broken up. Add remainder of ingredients, reseal, keep mashing it up mixing thoroughly, cut the tip of the baggy, squeeze mixture into egg. Just throw bag away when done… easy clean up.

3. Expanding Frosting
When you buy a container of cake frosting from the store, whip it with your mixer for a few minutes. You can double it in size. You get to frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount. You also eat less sugar and calories per serving.

4. Reheating refrigerated bread
To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in a microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food moist and help it reheat faster.

5. Measuring Cups
Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill with hot water. Dump out the hot water, but don’t dry cup. Next, add your ingredient, such as peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes right out.

6. Goodbye Fruit Flies
To get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass fill it 1.5 cm with Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dish washing liquid, mix well. You will find those flies drawn to the cup and gone forever!

7. Get Rid of Ants
Put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants. They eat it, take it “home,” can’t digest it so it kills them. It may take a week or so, especially if it rains, but it works & you don’t have the worry about pets or small children being harmed!

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Good Hints

Peel a banana from the bottom and you won’t have to pick the little “stringy things” off of it. That’s how the primates do it.

Overly ripened bananas - don’t throw them out - throw them in the freezer! When they freeze they go blackish, but you can cut off the peels and pop them into smoothies later on - yummy.

Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store. If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster.

Store your opened chunks of cheese in aluminum foil. It will stay fresh much longer and not mold!

Peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating.
Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking.

Add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef. It will help pull the grease away from the meat while cooking.

To really make scrambled eggs or omelets rich, add a couple of spoonfuls of sour cream, cream cheese, or heavy cream in and then beat them up.

Add garlic immediately to a recipe, if you want a light taste of garlic and at the end of the recipe if your want a stronger taste of garlic.

Leftover Snickers bars from Halloween make a delicious dessert. Simply chop them up with the food chopper. Peel, core and slice a few apples. Place them in a baking dish and sprinkle the chopped candy bars over the apples. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes!!! Serve alone or with vanilla ice cream. Yum! (Leftover candy? You must be kidding?)

Chopped up Mars bars and cream (50/50 mix) microwave in 10 second bursts until melted - dip in your strawberries.

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Herbs and Spices

About herbs & spices

Archaeologists estimate that by 50,000 BC primitive man had discovered that parts of certain aromatic plants help make food taste better, according to the American Spice Trade Association (ASTA).

 

How long does bottled seasoning last in your cupboard?
Seasonings will hold flavour and taste for about one year. After 12 months you should discard your old seasonings. A good, simple test is to rub a small amount into the palm of your hand and smell. If you don’t smell anything, it’s probably time to throw it away. Empty all of your unwanted spices into the BQQ, the remaining oils will add flavour to your meat when grilling.

 

How much Greek One Spice™ should I add to meat?
In general, ½ teaspoon per 1 kg. (¼ teaspoon per 1 lb of meat)

 

How should I store my seasoning?
Humidity is a natural enemy of most dry spices and can cause your spices to “cake”. Keep your seasonings in dark, sealed containers, or a dark, cool cupboard (or drawer) away from sun light. During use avoid letting moisture in - do not sprinkle over a steaming pot. Instead, sprinkle into the palm of your hand or use a spoon before transferring to the pot.

Improper storage of your spice can greatly reduce the shelf live.
Do not store:

  • Above the refrigerator
  • Above the microwave
  • Near any heating vent
  • Near the stove or oven
  • Near the dishwasher
  • Near the sink
  • On the wall
  • Store away from moisture

 

What’s the difference between herbs and spices?
Herbs come from the leafy green parts of plants.

Spices come from bark, root, buds, seeds, berry, or the fruit of tropical plants and trees.

 

Examples of herbs and spices.

Herbs Spices
Basil Cinnamon (bark)
Caraway Black Pepper (berry)
Celery leaves Cloves & Saffron (buds)
Chives Allspice & Paprika (fruit)
Marjoram Ginger, Garlic & Onion (roots)
Oregano Poppy, Sesame & Yellow Mustard (seeds)
Parsley  
Rosemary  
Sage  
Savory  

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Equivalent Measures

 

Amounts of Food to Give Equivalent Measures
Food Required 1 Cup Equivalent
Grated cheese 100 grams
Mashed potato 200 grams (two medium potatoes)
Cooked rice 1/4 cup uncooked rice
Cooked pasta 1/3 cup uncooked pasta
Cooked sliced mushrooms 150 grams
Cooked chicken (sliced/shredded) 2-3 chicken pieces
Breadcrumbs 50 grams
Dried fruit 150-175 grams
White sugar 200 grams
Icing sugar 150 grams
Flour 125 grams

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Weights and Measures

 

Abbreviations
METRIC IMPERIAL OTHER
kilogram = kg pound = lb cup = c
gram = g ounce = oz tablespoon = T or Tbs or tbsp
litre = l pint = pt teaspoon = t or tsp
millilitre = ml quart = qt larger = lg
centimetre = cm foot = ft medium = med
millimetre = mm inch = in small = sm
degrees celsius = °C degrees fahrenheit = °F minute = min

 

Standard Measures and Conversions
1 kg 2.25 lb       0.45 kg 1 lb
1 g 0.04 oz       28.4 g 1 oz
1 l 1.76 pt       0.57 l 1 pt
1 l 35.2 fluid oz       0.03 l 1 fluid oz
1 ml 0.04 fluid oz       28.4 ml 1 fluid oz
1 cm 0.03 ft       30.5 cm 1 ft
1 cm 0.4 in       2.54 cm 1 in
1 mm .04 in       25.4 mm 1 in
100 °C 212 °F       37.8 °C 100 °F
                             
1 litre 4 cups       0.25 litre 1 cup
1 pt 7 cups       1 fl oz 28.4 ml
1 Tbsp 15 ml       1 tsp 5 ml

NB: All Imperial measurements are British standard values. (i.e. not US values)

For calculating volume and weight conversions visit www.sciencemadesimple.com/conversions.html

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