When I first got married, I knew next to nothing about cooking, in spite of my mother's best attempts to teach me. I have picked up quite a few tips, some of which I think are genius. Others are common sense, and still others you're probably shocked I even bothered to write - but hang in there for the genius!
1. Don't bother buying buttermilk. Substitute an equal amount of plain yogurt or make your own with 1 tablespoon lemon juice and enough milk to make 1 cup.
2. This is the brilliance - are you ready? You know how annoying it is to measure baking soda from the box that never closes properly? Next time you use up your baking powder, wash the handy canister with the little metal lip for scraping off your spoon and fill it with baking soda! Just label it well, and appreciate my genius every time you use it.
3. Whenever you make a recipe that is only mediocre, toss it out or make a note. Why settle for mediocrity when there are so many wonderful recipes to try? Keep trying until you find the best.
4. Laugh at your failures and move on. Supplement with frozen pizza if needed.
5. When you defrost meat in the refrigerator, put it in a bag or on a plate - or both. It's no fun to clean up meat juice from your shelves.
6. If you own a ton of spices, keep your most-used ones accessible and store the ones you don't use as much in a box in a cupboard somewhere. You can still use them, but they won't crowd your spice shelf.
7. Speaking of spices, the common ones are cheapest at Aldi. The next cheapest place to buy them is Cub's bulk section where they sell them in bags, or foreign food stores. The little jars in the spice aisle are very expensive.
8. Small appliances can do wonders - just find out what you'll use. A ricemaker is easy and fast, and the rice tastes better too. I don't want to ever live without my Breadmaker or Crockpot, because I love coming home to a complete dinner all ready. Large mixers are great for baking. My latest must-haves are a popcorn air popper and an ice cream maker. Even in a small kitchen, they are worth the storage space.
9. When you are trying a new or unusual recipe, halve it. That way, you're not stuck with a ton of leftovers. I can't tell you how many times I have forgotten that I am the only one in my family that likes Indian food, no matter how good the recipe is. Or even better - serve it to company. They'll either love it or you can laugh about it and order pizza. Either way, you won't have to eat the leftovers.
10. Always use a timer. Always. Even when you think you'll remember.
11. Never substitute sweetened condensed milk for evaporated milk. Just because they both come in cans does not mean they're the same.
12. Cheese makes everything better.
Feel free to add your own brilliant ideas as comments!
2 comments:
13. Have your husband cook if you thought all of these were brilliant!
If you are in a hurry and buy boxed cupcake mix instead of making from scratch, substitute plain yogurt for the water. If it is a little thick, add 2-3 tablespoons milk. Turns out incredible and doesn't taste like boxed cupcakes at all! Yum, yum!!
Post a Comment