Here is one of my latest cooking tips for the holidays – making your own fresh pumpkin puree. Pumpkin puree is a staple in Halloween and Thanksgiving cooking. From pancakes to smoothies, to fudge and cookies, this creamy part of the pumpkin adds an earthy flavor to all your fall recipes. You can buy …
A crunchy crumb crust (AKA crumble crust) is a cooking technique that I use for a lot of my recipes. It is super versatile and useful in pie recipes, bar recipes and so much more. This delicious crust can form the bottom layer of bar and cheesecake recipes and can take the place of a …
A cookie exchange is not just for Christmas. Halloween, Thanksgiving, Valentine’s day and Easter are also popular times for cookie swaps. This type of party is a fun way to share your favorite cookie recipes, since many holiday gatherings include a party dessert table. December 22 is recognized each year as National Cookie Exchange Day. To …
Outdoor parties are so much fun, but how do you make sure that the summer desserts ideas that you choose are those that melt IN your mouth and not on the table? Keep these handy tips in mind for a fun outdoor summer dessert table that can take the heat. Outdoor entertaining is a fun …
This common kitchen measurements cheat sheet helps to when you need to do conversions. I love cheat sheets, especially in the kitchen. They are fun to print out in full size and hang on the back of a cabinet door for easy reference. This common kitchen measurements cheat sheet comes in so handy when you …
Have you ever been in the middle of cooking a recipe on a busy night and discover that you are out of an ingredient? Then you might find this list of common food substitutes really helpful. One thing to keep in mind with this list of recipe swaps is that when you substitute one food …
This post will help with roast vegetable cooking times and give you some tips for perfect oven roasted vegetables every time. Roasting vegetables brings out their natural sweetness and is a great way to get kids to eat veggies. It’s also an easy form of meal preparation, since all you have to do is cut …
These heart shaped cupcakes are a fun holiday treat. If you don’t have a heart shaped cupcake tin, you can still make them with this easy trick. I am a frugal person by nature. It was a part of my upbringing and has lasted to this day. Anytime I can do a cooking hack that will …
Traditional Amish food is very simple and something that we associate with the group today. We think of it as comfort food. It usually has simple, plain ingredients. Keep reading to find out more about the Amish people, their cooking and get some tasty Amish recipes. Where are Amish people living in the US? The …
Making homemade biscuits isn’t hard but there are a few things to keep in mind. These cooking tips will help you get the most out of your recipe. Who doesn’t like the taste of a fluffy and flaky biscuit made from scratch? They are a staple of Southern cooking and make a great add on …
The difference between brownies and blondies comes mainly from the color and the main ingredients. I have seen many recipe makers call a blondie a butterscotch brownie. While technically this is somewhat true, in actual fact, a blondie and a brownie are two completely different dessert options. There is even a special food holiday called …
This recipe for roux shows how to do a white roux, step by step. It also gives suggestions for making a blonde, brown and Creole roux, as well. A basic roux starts with butter and fat of some sort. The traditional recipe is 1:1, but it depends on how thick you like your finished sauce …
Roasting red peppers is super easy to do and gives you a great tasting result that is so different from the pepper’s natural taste. This cooking tip gives you four ways for roasting peppers and works with both sweet bell peppers, and spicy chili peppers. If you have never eaten a roasted red pepper, fresh from …
Do you have a small kitchen? These great space saving kitchen ideas make life so much easier in a small kitchen. We all love a great kitchen that is both pretty and functional. But when your kitchen is quite small, organization and cupboard space can be a problem. Whether it be storing appliances, cupboard organization …
The best mashed potatoes are not too airy, seasoned perfectly, lump free, and have just the right amount of butter. These cooking tips will show you how to make the perfect mashed potatoes every time. Nothing says comfort food to me like a bowl of creamy and fluffy mashed potatoes. Combining this delicious side dish …
One great way to make the flavor of recipes really shine is to use fresh herbs for cooking. Using them adds tons of flavor and freshness to any recipe. This visual Guide to Fresh Herbs gives information on buying, storing and using the most common herbs for today’s recipes. I grow herbs year round. Most …
These one pot cooking tips will make your time in the kitchen a pleasure rather than a chore. From hearty casseroles to filling soups and delicious layered stews, these one pot meals are the closest thing to meals that seem to cook themselves. It’s hard to decide what I like the most about one pot …
Stainless steel cookware has lots of great properties, but food cooked in it has a tendency to stick. This step by step cooking tips tutorial will teach you how to season stainless steel cookware to make it non-stick. You’ll be amazed at how easy the process is. There will be no make baked on eggs, …
I love my crock pot! I can throw all of the ingredients into it early in the day and let it do its job all day long. At the end of the day, my house smells great when I come home after being out all day. But there are a few cooking tips to make …
The perfect pancakes are not an accident. They take some smart cooking and a great starting recipe for a basic pancake. But, thankfully, there are a few tips that you can make to ensure success in the morning. Follow these cooking tips to make great pancakes that are the hit of your family when they sit …
Here are a few of my favorite ways for using caramelized onions to give color, flavor and depth to all sorts of recipes. One of my favorite ways to cook onions is to caramelize them to release a lovely sweet flavor and brown color. It takes time but is so worth the effort. Now that …
Learning how to caramelize onions is a kitchen task that any cook should be able to do. Caramelized onions taste great on so many foods, but can be a little tricky to master. These cooking tips will help you make perfect caramelized onions every time. There is nothing quite like the taste of caramelized onions. Most …
One of the first questions that a waiter asks us when we order a steak in a restaurant is “how would you like it done? Steak Doneness is simply a gauge of how thoroughly cooked your piece of steak is. Do you know how to determine the doneness of beef? Cooking tips like these will …
Pitting cherries is right up there with removing pits from mangoes and unripe peaches in those “pulling out your hair” kind of kitchen tasks. There are special cherry pitters available, but what do you do if you don’t have one? Never fear, you can pit cherries with a simple household tool with this kitchen tip. …
This Paleo Worcestershire Sauce is a healthy twist on the traditional pantry staple and is really simple to make. It makes a nice addition to my cooking tips 101 page! Worcestershire Sauce is an ingredient that is called for in many recipes, but it is based on soy, as well sugar molasses, plus a quite …
I love French fries as much as the next person, but when you are trying to eat a more clean diet, normal French fries are a bit of a no no. Instead, try making these baked crispy sweet potato fries. This recipe is more healthy than normal fries, more tasty and very easy to do if …