The easy way to crush or chop nuts with no mess is to place them into a sturdy plastic bag and roll them with a rolling pin. No mess, and very quick. If you want them finer, roll them longer.

Nuts are best stored in an airtight container in the freezer to avoid getting rancid (stale tasting). They have oils and the oils can spoil if left in the warm of your cupboard too long.

To substitute for nuts, you can often use toasted coconut or honey toasted wheat germ, depending on what you are making. Often nuts can be omitted from recipes. Toasting the nuts brings out their flavor better. Often you can substitute one type of nut for another, depending on what you are making. Keep in mind that they each have their own flavor and texture and color (sometimes is important to the eye appeal of your dish).

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After flouring chicken, chill for 1 hour. The coating adheres better during frying.

For golden brown chicken every time, put a few drops of yellow food coloring in the shortening before it has heated.

Wear rubber gloves to transfer a turkey from roasting pan to platter.

Truss the bird with dental floss when grilling. Dental floss does not burn and is very strong.

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To remove peanut butter easily from your measuring cup, use the same cup to measure your vegetable oil first and the peanut butter will slide out easily. If you are not using oil in your recipe, spray the measuring cup with baking spray before filling it with peanut butter.

If you have a kitchen scale (preferably a baking scale) place a piece of waxed paper on the scale and weigh it. 1 cup equals 8 ounces. It is easy to slide off of the waxed paper into your batter.

To store peanut butter, keep it in the refrigerator to save it's freshness (or the oils from the peanuts can become rancid which is an off-flavor due to the spoilage of the oil).

Peanut butter can be used to remove gum from hair and other surfaces if it is worked into the gum, etc.

Peanut butter is a great addition to frosting – adding flavor, creaminess and nutrition. If crunchy is used, it will add interest and texture to the frosting. It can also be used in cupcakes. Slice the cupcake in half and spread peanut butter on it and then put the 2 halves together again. Helps keep it moist and makes a tasty cupcake with added nutrition.

Put peanut butter between snack crackers like Townhouse and dip in dipping chocolate or white coating chocolate for a quick cookie treat. Then sprinkle with honey toasted wheat germ for a crunchy topping.

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Lettuce should never be cut with a metal knife, since it will cause it to turn brown on the edges that touched the metal. Always cut with a plastic knife or break with your hands.

To remove the core, grasp the whole head firmly in your hands and pound it (with the core at the bottom) once very firmly onto a hard flat surface, like the sink edge or a hard counter. Using your fingers, grasp the core and twist it, pulling it out of the lettuce head. As you smell the core, you will find how bitter it is and why you would want to remove the core as soon as possible so the bitterness does not travel up into the lettuce.

To crisp wilted lettuce, rinse it in lukewarm water, wrap in a paper towel and place in the refrigerator.

Do not add dressing to lettuce until serving time or the acid in the dressing will break down the lettuce or greens and make them soft and wilted textured.

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Create an edible dipping bowl by hollowing out a round loaf of bread. For a more colorful centerpiece, use red, yellow or green bellpeppers to serve salads and dips. To serve cottage cheese salads, egg salads, etc. hollow out a large tomato and fill with your favorite small piece salads. Fruit dips and salads can be served in hollowed out oranges, apples, etc. Wrap you spare ribs around stuffing and bake for a pretty meat dish. Use boiled egg whites to serve tuna salads, etc. instead of stuffing them with the yolk mixture. Melons of various types also make pretty salad bowls. Let you imagination guide you into new serving adventures.

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Fresh bread crumbs are not breadcrumbs fresh off the grocer's shelf. Fresh bread crumbs are crumbs you make yourself by tearing fresh bread and pulverizing it in a food processor or blender. The soft crumbs make a tender meatloaf and a delicate coating for deep-fried oysters, etc.

The crumbs you buy in shaker cans in the grocery store are dry bread crumbs. Confusing the two in a recipe could be disastrous.

You can make your own crumbs as indicated above for the fresh. Dry can be made out of dry bread or fresh bread that has been pulverized in a food processor or blender or kitchen center grater and then allowed to dry in a warm oven or in an open pan on your counter.

Fresh or dryed or seasoned can be stored in your freezer for a long time and are ready to use when needed. Dry can also be stored in an airtight jar or container in your cupboard. I save ends and broken slices of bread and dry them and store them until I have several pieces and then use my kitchen center grater disc to make the crumbs. I also process fresh and store it in the freezer for quick cooking.

Seasoned crumbs can be made with fresh or dry crumbs and seasoned with your choice of seasonings. Some suggestions are seasoned salt, sage, pulverized (use a mortar and pestel) Italian seasoning, poultry seasoning, basil, garlic powder or onion powder. You can also combine any that you prefer.

Making your own crumbs is a way to use up fresh white bread or wheat bread that you might not prefer for sandwiches or use dried undesirable slices like the crust, etc.

Homemade crumbs are also much less expensive than purchasing them in the store.

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Parchment paper used as a liner on your cookie sheets saves greasing your pans and saves washing cookie sheets. It can be reused from pan to pan and the sugars and decorations that might have fallen off of the cookie in the baking process will not be burned or stuck to the pan. Loose sugars, etc. can be easily shaken off.

Insulated pans (Air Bake and similar brands) are wonderful for baking. I have not known anyone that has burned cookies since they have started using insulated pans. Remember do not immerse them. They are diswasher safe and can be rinsed off using dishwater in your sink, but if they are immersed they will admit water into the insulated layer. If this happens, put the pan in a 225 degree oven and the warmth will dry it out.

Clean brown paper bags (grocery bags) can be torn open and the inside can be used to line baking pans for meringue cookies, etc. if you do not have parchment paper. These bags are also convenient to put cookies on to cool. When done, the crumbs are easy to discard along with the grease that has soaked into the paper. They are very low cost and an effective way to recycle clean bags.

Take cookies off of pans promptly after baking is completed, as they will continue to bake if left on the pans and they might also stick. The only time you do not do this is if the recipe indicates to allow them to rest on the pans (a very delicate cookie might need time to “set up” via the cooling process).

Most cookies are baked enough when touched gently with your finger on the top and do not leave an indent on the cookie or are slightly browned around the edge. Bar cookies usually come off of the sides of the pan slightly when done.

Cookies made with powdered (confectioners sugar) are a very tender (easily crumbled) cookie. This is also often true of cookies made with oil instead of shortening or margarine.

If cookies call for “butter” it does not mean margarine. Some recipes allow substituting with margarine, but the cookies are sometimes hard if made with margarine instead of butter.

Cool cookies thoroughly before sealing and it is best if you place a layer of waxed paper or plastic wrap in between layers to save them sticking together, especially soft or soft centered cookies.

If you do not have a “cookie dropper” I highly recommend them. They can often be found in the isle with measuring cups, etc. in general merchandise stores like Walmart, etc.

Roll out cookies typically need to be thoroughly chilled before rolling and the portion of the dough that is not being rolled needs to be kept in the refrigerator. Rechill the used (leftover) part of the dough before rerolling if possible. Use a minimum amount of flour when rolling. Powdered sugar can also be used which makes a more tender cookie.

Dipping the cookie cutters in sifted cocoa puts a pretty edge on your cut cookies and marks the indents from your special cookie cutters.

Fast decorating: sprinkle the raw cookies with decorating sugars before baking- saves frosting and decorating. For drop sugar cookies, dip the bottom of a glass in colored sugar and flatten the cookies. Cinnamon sugar also makes a pretty topping that is also tasty. A nut, chocolate chip, maraschino cherry, raisin, etc. can be used in the center (on top) of cookies for quick decorating.

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Ship cookies that are not too tender (break easily). Bars usually are good for shipping, especially if made with pumpkin, squash, applesauce, etc.

Cut-out cookies often break in shipping. Sour cream cutouts or some gingerbread cookies are sturdier and might ship without too much breakage.

Adding oatmeal to cookies like chocolate chip make them sturdier and more nutritious and tasty.

Do not send meringue cookies or sugar cookies that are made with oil, as they will break very easily. Be cautious if cookies have a chocolate sauce type layer that might melt if in a warm truck or plane.

Jam oatmeal bars and many soft spice cookies are good shippers.

Be careful to not mix strong flavored cookies with lightly flavored cookies (ie. ginger snaps with sugar cookies) since flavors might mix into the mild flavored cookies.

Wrap cookies individually in plastic type wrap or the new “Press and Seal” wrap.

Be sure cookies are throughly cooled before packaging.

Use a sturdy package so it doesn't bend when other heavier packages are placed on top of it. Cookie tins or popcorn cans (might be too big) are great for shipping.

For packing material, use air popped popcorn that has not had any butter, etc. added to it. Include a salt shaker, but do not salt the popcorn or the salt will get onto the cookies. Shredded paper can be used if the cookies are first wrapped thoroughly in a plastic, etc. wrapping. Drycleaner bags that have been crushed loosely give nice cushioning for cookies and they are light to ship.

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Freeze the concentrated punch (before adding soda pop, etc.) in ice cube trays or in a ring mold with colorful fruit pieces and add to the punch as ice. It will keep the punch from getting watered down and the decorations will float as long as they are suspended in the ice.

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Creative Cooking
By
Lydia Critchley
608-240-9773
creativecook@creativecookingbylydia.com
www.creativecookingbylydia.com

MELTING CHOCOLATE

Melt chocolate over very low heat in a heavy saucepan, in the top of a double boiler over simmering (not boiling) water or in the microwave on high. Break up chocolate bars for faster melting.

Start with dry utensils and equipment. A drop of water can turn melted chocolate into a stiff, unworkable mass.

If the chocolate becomes hard or brittle, add 1 teaspoon of vegetable shortening or oil (not butter) per ounce of chocolate. Stir over low heat until the texture returns to normal.

I am available to teach cooking or food related subjects in your home or give presentations or classes for your organizations or groups. Contact me at the following e-mail address:
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Cooking classes currently scheduled can be viewed by clicking on the “Calendar” icon.

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Creative Cooking
By
Lydia Critchley
608-240-9773
creativecook@creativecookingbylydia.com
www.creativecookingbylydia.com