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Stir Frying
Setting up A Recipe File
A recipe file is a must for every new kitchen, and especially for a young lady who is setting up her kitchen for the first time.
Whether a newlywed or a young girl in her first apartment, they will appreciate this as a housewarming gift. A mother-in-law can make sure her son has all of his favorite foods prepared like at home; this may keep him out of your kitchen for a while too!
There are many ways to set up a recipe file, an index card or notebooks are two ideas. Another great idea is one of the recipe files you can purchase through the internet, the kind that sends out a new set of cards each month.
An index card file is one common way, and can be set up either alphabetically or by topic, (casseroles, desserts, breads etc.). This is up to your discretion, but a topic is usually the easiest for her if she is unfamiliar with cooking!
Be sure to provide plenty of extra index cards, they can be color coded for the favorite recipes or plain white cards; this again is up to you.
A notebook is the most common way to set up a recipe file, and leaves plenty of room to add recipes as she learns more about cooking. Pages can be added from magazines too, if she happens to find something she would like to try in a magazine.
You can include a category on meals, which could include cards with entire meals, on them, with the individual receipts listed separately.
Another category could include basic cooking facts, measurements, cooking times, kitchen tips are always helpful.
I remember one of the things that I didnt know was how long to cook a turkey, now they just have the little pop up to let you know, but in my time they didnt have those!
There are so many little hints you can give someone, to you they are standard, to her they may make the difference between a great meal, and a total disaster!
See Also:
MySpace.com - The Leftovers - PORTLAND, MAINE - Pop Punk / Powerpop - www.myspace.com/theleftovers
Meal Planning
Thanksgiving Day Feasts
Halloween is the start of the holiday seasons for many, but Thanksgiving is the beginning of the marathon cooking binges that many of us go on during the year.
This time can be one of two things, either an enjoyable family time, or a nightmare for one, you decide!
Thanksgiving and Christmas usually mean family get togethers, and lots of food, call a family conference in advance, include all of the cooks (men and women) that will be attending and decide on your menu.
After the menu is decided on, each family member chooses what they would like to bring. This allows each family to provide what they can afford without feeling like they must go into debt!
Of course, you can always bring more than you choose, a favorite pie (if it hasnt already been included in the menu), but this method guarantees that all of the basics are there.
Without any one person being responsible for everything, and without having 6 different green bean casseroles!
Different families have different basics for their holiday meals; some have turkey, while others prefer ham, some large families like both!
Many families have traditions that they follow year after year, these are important to continue generation to generation.
However some of the basics for a Thanksgiving feast are:
*Turkey and stuffing
*Honey glazed ham
*Green bean casserole
*Pies, pumpkin pie (remember the jack-o-lantern), mince meat, apple, pecan, the varieties are endless
*Mashed potatoes and gravy
*Corn on the cob
*Salads
*Cranberry sauce or whole cranberries
*Jell-O molds
*Fruit cake, (they arent all used as doorstops)
*Drinks, sodas, spiced drinks, milk, tea, again, the choices are endless
*Rolls and breads
*Cakes
There are as many different foods at a Thanksgiving dinner as there are types of people, enjoy and keep the traditions alive, maybe create a few new ones this year! |
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Microwave Cooking
Pressure Canning
1Put 23 inches of hot water in the canner, using a jar lifter, place filled jars on a rack.
2.Fasten canner lid securely. Leave the weight off the vent or open the petcock, heat at the highest setting until the steam flows from the petcock or vent.
3.Maintain high heat and exhaust the steam for 10 minutes, place weight on vent or close petcock. In the next 3-5 minutes the canner will pressurize.
4.Begin timing when the pressure is at the recommended pressure or the weight gauge begins to jiggle or rock.
5. Adjust the heat to maintain a steady pressure at or slightly above the correct pressure.
6.When the timed process is complete, turn off the heat, and remove the canner from the heat if possible, let the canner depressurize. Do not force cool a canner, it can result in spoiled foods or damage to the seal.
Cooling with cold water or opening the vent before it has depressurized will cause seal failures and loss of liquid from jars. It may also warp the lid of older canners causing steam leaks. Older models will require about 30-45 minutes for depressurizing.
7.After it is depressurized, remove the weight from the vent or open the petcock, wait about 2 minutes, unfasten the lid and carefully lift away from your face, this is to prevent burning.
8.Remove the jars with a lifter and place on a towel or cooling rack. Do not retighten the lids when you remove the jars from a canner, this can cut the gasket and cause the seal to fail.
Cool the jars at room temperature for 12 to 24 hours. Place jars on racks or towels to prevent damage to the counter top.
After 24 hours, remove the screw caps and test the lids for proper seal using one of these methods:
*Press the middle of the lid with your finger, if it springs up when released it is not sealed.
*Tap with the bottom of a teaspoon, a well sealed lid will make a high-pitched, ringing sound.
*Hold at eye level and look across the lid, it should be slightly concave in the center, if flat or bulging, it is not sealed.
If a seal fails, the jar may be reprocessed and resealed.
Related Topics: Pastas,
Skillet Meals From Home, Ice Cream the Old Way
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