Oatmeal Pancakes

INGREDIENTS
2 cups Old Fashioned Quaker Oats, or other quick-cooking oatmeal
2 cups buttermilk
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

PROCEDURE
Add oats and buttermilk to a mixing bowl. Stir to combine and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or preferably overnight (this gives the pancakes their distinctive texture). Add eggs, honey and oil. Stir to combine. Add the remaining ingredients and mix together.

Lightly oil a non-stick pan or griddle. Pour batter in 1/4 cup increments. Watch for the tops to bubble. Turn pancakes and cook until golden on the second side.

Thanks to http://houndstoothgourmet.com.

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Stick-free Cooking

Sticking Cake Layers -- Cake layers sticking to the bottom of the pans? Put them back in a warm oven for a short time. The layers will then come out without a problem. Or, try lining the bottom of your pans with waxed paper

Spray your tupperware with non-stick cooking spray before pouring in tomato-based sauces~no more stains!

To easily remove honey from a measuring spoon, first coat the spoon with nonstick cooking spray!

Transfer your jelly to a small plastic squeeze bottle~no more messy, sticky jars or knives! This also works well for homemade salad dressing!

Run your hands under cold water before pressing Rice Krispies treats in the pan~the marshmallow won't stick to your fingers!

If you don't have enough batter to fill all cupcake tins, pour 1 tablespoon of water into the unfilled spots...this helps preserve the life of your pans!

Dropping Cookie Dough -- To get cookie dough to drop without sticking dip the spoon in milk first.

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Cut-Fat Cooking Practices

Let's take a break from those oh so awesome recipes and let's have some practical cooking tips to reduce your fat deposits. You'll never go wrong with these.

• Grill, steam, bake or microwave your food instead of frying
• Follow the "1/2 veggies, 1/4 protein, 1/4 carbs on your plate" rule.
• Eat whole fruits rather than drink fruit juices.
• Use herbs and spices to flavor meals instead of fatty sauces.
• Replace full-fat ingredients with low-fat ones whenever possible.
• Cook in liquids instead of oil.
• Switch to artificial sweeteners instead of oil.

Source: Reader's Digest

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Vinegar's Fruity Merits

When grapes become red-wine vinegar, you get more than a salad-dressing staple: The disease-fighting phytochemicals in the fruit may become even more potent during the fermenting process, according to a study from Memorial University of Newfoundland. Other fruits are finding their way into vinegar, too; apricot, blacurrant and cherry are among the newest varieties.

How to cook with them:
Top chefs use fruit vinegars as flavor boosters for anything that needs a sharp, clean lift -- from a splash of balsamic on roasted butternut squash to a raspberry-vinegar glaze over poached pears with vanilla ice cream. Plus, they shine on salads with fruits, nuts or blue cheese. And you can use them instead of wine to deglaze a pan.

How to make your own:
You could pay $10 to $55 a bottle of gourmet fruit vinegar in store -- or try the following simple recipe, instead: Heat store-bought wine vinegar to below the boiling point, toss in a handful of berries, refrigerate the mix for a few weeks, then strain out the fruit and enjoy!


by Janis Graham

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Food-Saving and Recycling

Regarding tomato paste, it seems a whole can of tomato paste is many times too much for some recipes. Suggestion: take a piece of waxed paper, putting it on a cookie sheet and putting teaspoonfuls of the leftover paste on the paper -- another sheet on top and freeze this. When frozen just peel them off and put them in a baggie and when you need a tsp. or tbs. of paste you have it without opening a whole can and there is no waste. OR-- put small amounts in an ice tray and then just pop them out when I need them.

Mash and freeze ripe bananas, in one-cup portions, for use in later baking~no wasted bananas (or you can freeze them whole, peeled, in plastic baggies).

Don't throw out all that leftover wine. Freeze into ice cubes for future use in casseroles and sauces.

Storing Cake -- If you store half and apple in the container which you are storing a cake, the cake will retain its freshness.

Leftover Pie Dough -- Extra pie dough? Cover it with some parmesan and gruyere cheese and you'll bake a delicious appetizer--at the very same meal with your pie as dessert.

If you freeze wild rice it will last 3-4 months compared to a week in the refrigerator. A good trick when you go away on vacation is to place a baggie with a few ice cubes in the freezer. If a power failure occurs while you are gone and the food thaws and then refreezes you will know about it when you get home.

Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator it will keep for weeks!

Save celery leaves. Spread them out on paper towels or a paper plate and let them dry. Crumble them into soups, salads and stuffing's. They will add an extra zippy flavor for free.

Broccoli Stalks -- Don't discard the tough ends of broccoli stalks. Use them for making soups.

Instead of throwing away bread heels or leftover cornbread, use them to make bread crumbs. For use later, store them in the freezer.

Don't throw those single serving gelatin plastic cups away, make your own single servings. Place the cups in a muffin holder, fill the cups and place in the refrigerator. It only takes a few minutes and no mess.

Potato chip bag open again and they're all stale and yucky?? Pop them in the microwave for 30 to 60 seconds, let stand for two minutes and they'll be crispy again.

Save your store-bought-bread bags and ties~they make perfect storage bags for homemade bread!

To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the potatoes!

Use lifesavers candy to hold candles in place on your next birthday cake! Kids love 'em!

Cottage cheese will remain fresher longer if you store it upside down in the refrigerator. This slows the effects of oxidation.

To keep milk past it's expiration date add salt. A pinch of salt in a gallon will do it. The salt slows the rate of bacteria growth.

Brown sugar will not harden if stored in the freezer.

Keep the linings from cereal boxes~they make great substitutes for waxed paper!

Moldy Fruit -- What should you do with fruit with mold? Throw it away rather than simply cutting off the mold since mold on fruit goes much deeper than what appears on the fruit.

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7 Layer Finger Jello

INGREDIENTS
4 pkg. 3 oz Jello (lemon, orange, lime, strawberry)
4 pkg. Knox unflavored gelatin
1 can sweetened condensed milk

PROCEDURE
Mix 1 pkg flavored jello with 1/2 pkg of unflavored gelatin. Add 1 cup boiling water. Stir to dissolve. Cool to room temp and pour into 9 x 13 glass pan. Refrigerate for 15 minutes (and make sure your refrig is level!)

Mix 1 can sweetened condensed milk with 1 cup boiling water. In a small bowl, sprinkle 2 pkg unflavored gelatin over 1/2 cup cold water. Let stand a few minutes and then add 1/2 c boiling water to dissolve gelatin; add to milk mixture and stir to combine. Cool to room temp and pour 1 cup of milk mixture over first layer of jello. Refrig for 15 minutes.

Repeat for next three flavors. Let jello set. Cut and serve!


Thanks to http://foodlibrarian.blogspot.com.

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Steamed Tofu with Ground Pork

INGREDIENTS
Marinade:
1/4 lb ground pork
Salt and sugar to taste
1/8 tsp corn starch

1 cube silken tofu
1 shiitake mushroom (cut into little cubes)
1 stalk scallions (diagonal cuts)
1 red chili pepper (diagonal cuts)
1 tsp oyster sauce - 2 tsp soy sauce
1/2 cup broth
A few drops of sesame oil
Pepper to taste

PROCEDURE
Combine pork, salt, sugar and corn starch in a small bowl and marinate for 10 minutes.

Using a steamer, steam tofu for 5 minutes, or until warm, and set aside.

Heat up pan with some oil and stir fry ground pork and shiitake mushroom until fragrant. Add in broth, oyster sauce, soy sauce and bring it to boil.

Add in scallions, red chili pepper, sesame oil, and pepper.

Quickly stir for 30 seconds and pour the topping onto steamed tofu.

Serve over hot rice.


Thanks to http://www.sugarlens.com/.

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Homemade Ketchup

INGREDIENTS
4 whole cloves
1/4 teaspoon whole allspice
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1/4 teaspoon chile flakes
1 cinnamon stick (3-inches long)
One 28-ounce can whole, peeled tomatoes with their juice
1 large onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled and smashed
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and chopped (optional)
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar

Special Equipment: Cheesecloth

PROCEDURE
Using kitchen twine, tie the cloves, allspice, celery seed, chile flakes, and cinnamon stick together in a medium square of doubled-up cheesecloth. (You just made a bouquet garni!)

In a large, heavy pot, add the tomatoes, onion, garlic, optional jalapeno, salt, vinegar, and brown sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions and peppers are very soft, about 1 hour.

Remove and discard the secret spice bundle. Let the mixture cool slightly, then puree in batches in a blender or food processor. (Be careful pureeing hot liquids! Don’t fill the blender too full.)

At this point, if the mixture is too pulpy for your taste, pass the liquid through a sieve, pushing as much of the solids through with a rubber spatula as you can. If you prefer your ketchup a little more rustic and a little less smooth, you can skip this step.

Return to your pot and cook over medium heat, stirring to keep from scorching, until the mixture has thickened and darkened slightly in color, about 30 minutes. (If the mixture starts to scorch, turn down the heat a bit.)

Transfer to a container (a glass jar is preferable) and let cool. Cover and refrigerate for at least a few hours to allow the flavors to meld. Your delicious homemade ketchup will keep in the fridge for up to three weeks.

Thanks to http://www.brooklynfarmhouse.com/

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Bacon Bowls

Simple and clever. "Weave" the bacon strips around the bottom of a muffin pan covered by aluminum foil. Bake and you have delightful bacon bowls. Stuff it with some veggies or whatever your culinary creativity can think of.

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