Always chill juices or sodas before adding them to beverage recipes.
Calorie-free club soda adds sparkle to iced fruit juices and reduces calories per portion.
To cool your punch, float an ic3e ring made from the punch rather than using ice cubes. It appers more decorative, prevents diluting and does not melt as quickly.
Place fresh or dried int in the bottom of a cup of hot chocolate for a cool and refreshing taste.
When making fresh lemonade or orange juice, one lemon yields about 1/4 cup juice, while one orange yields about 1/3 cup juice.
How many appetizers should you prepare? Allow 4-6 appetizers per guest if a meal quickly follows. If a late meal is planned, allow 6-8 appetizers per guest. If no meal follows, all 8-10 pieces per guest.
Think "outside the bowl." Choose brightly-colored bowls to set off dips or get creative with hollowed-out loaves of bread, bell peppers, heads of cabbage or winter squash.
Cheeses should be served at room temperature - approximately 70 degrees.
To keep appetizers hot, make sure yu have enough oven spae and warming plates to maintain their temperature.
To keep appetizers cold, set bowls on top of ice or rotate bowls of dips from the fridge every hour or as needed.
If the soup is not intended as the main course, count on 1 quart to serve six. As the main dish, plan on 1 quart to serve two.
After cooking vegetables, pour any water and leftover vegetable pieces into a freezer container. When full, add tomato juice and seasoning to create a money-saving "free soup."
Instant potatoes help thicken soups and stews.
A leaf of lettuc dropped in a pot of soup absorbs grease from the top - remove the lettuce and serve Yu can also make soup0 the day before, chill, and scrape off the hardened fat that rises to the top.
To cut down on odors when cooking cabbage or cauliflower, add a little vinegar to the water and don't overcook.
Perk up soggy lettuce by spritzing it with a mixture of lemon juice and cold water.
Your fruit salads will look better when you use an egg slicer to make perfect slices of strawberries kiwis or bananas.
The ratio for a vinigarette is typically 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar.
Chill the serving plates to keep the salad crisp.
Fruit juices, such as pineapple and orange can bee used as salad dressing by adding a little olive oil nutmeg and honey.
Tips for Side Dishes
To keep hot oil from splattering, sprinkle a little salt or flour in the pan before frying.
To prevent pasta from boiling over, place a wooden spoon or fork across the top of the pot while the pasta is boiling.
Boil all vegetables that grow above ground without a cover.
Green pepper may change thee flavor of frozen casseroles. Clove, garlic and pepper flavors get strongr when frozen, while sage, onion and salt become more mild.
Store dried pasta, rice (except brown rice) and whole grains in tightly covered containers in a cool, dry place. Regrigerate brown rice and freeze grains if you will use them within 5 months.
A few drops of lemon juice added to simmering rice will keep the grains separated.
When cooking greens, add a teaspoon of sugar to the watr to help vegetables retain their fresh colors.
A little vinegar or lemon juice added to potatoes before draining will make them extra white when mashed.
To avoid toughened beans or corn, add salt midway through cooking.To prevent cheese from sticking to a grater, spray the grater with cooking spray before beginning.
Tips for Main Dishes and Breads
Certain meats, like ribs and pot roast, can be parboiled before grilling to reduce the fat content.
Marinating is a cinch if you use a plastic bag. The meat stay in the marinade and it's easy to turn. Cleanup is easy; just toss the bag.
It's easier to thinly slice mat if it's partially frozen.
Adding tomtoes to roasts naturally tenderizes the meat as tomatoes contain an acid that works to break down meats.
When frying meat, sprinklee paprika on the meat to turn it golden brown.
When frying chicken, canola oil provides a milder taste and it contains healthier amounts of saturated and polyunsaturatd fats.
Run lemon juice on fish before cooking to enhance the flavor and help maintain a good color.
Scaling a fish is easier if vinegar is rubbed on the scales first.
When grilling fish, the rule of thumb is to cook 5 minutes on each side per inch of thickness. For example, cook a 2-inch thick fillet for 10 minutes per side. Before grilling, rub wit5h oil to seal in moisture.
When baking bread, a small dish of water in the oven will keep the crust from getting too hard or brown.
Use shortening, not margarine or oil to grease pans when baking gread. Margarinne and oil absorb more readily into the dough.
To make self-rising flour, mix 4 cups all purpose flour, 2 teaspoons salt and 2 tablespoons baking powder. Store in a tightly covered container.
The freshness of eggs can be tested by placing them in a large bowl of cold water; if they float, do not use them.
Keep eggs at room temperature to create greater volume when whipping egg whites for meringue.
Tips for Desserts or Sweet Treats
Pie dough can be frozen. Roll dough out between sheets of plastic wrap, stack in a pizza box and keep the box in the freezer. Defrost in the fridge and use as needed. Use within 2 months.
When making decorative pie edges, use a spoon for a scalloped edge. Use a fork to make crosshatched and herringbone patterns.
Prevent cracking in your cheesecake by placing a shallow pan of hot watr on the bottom oven rack and keeping the oven door shut during baking.
For a perfectly cut cheesecake, dip the knife into hot water and clean it after each cut. You can also hold a length of dental floss taut and pull it down through the cheesecake to make a clean cut across the diameter of the cake.
Unbaked cookie dough can be covered and refrigerated for up to 24 hours or frozen in an airtight container for up to 9 months.
Dip cookie cutters in flour or powdered sugar and shake off excess before cutting. For chocolate dough, dip cutters in baking cocoa.
Parchment paper provides an excllend nonstick surface for candy. Waxed paper should not be used for high-temperature candy.
Tips for This and That
Never overcook foods that are to be frozen. Foods will finish cooking when reheated.
To avoid teary eyes when cutting obions, but them under cold running water or briefly place them in the freezer before cutting.
Fresh lemon juice will remove onion scent from hands.
Ice cubes will help sharpen garbage disposal blades.
Always spray your grill wit nonstick ooking spray before grilling to avoid sticking.
To make a simple polish for copper bottom cookware, mix equal parts of flour and salt with vinegar to create a paste.
User a damp towel to keep a cutting board in place.
If your cheese is too soft to grate, place it in the freezer for 20-30 minutes.