Marshmallows: Keep in freezer. Allow time for thawing before using. They can be refrozen several times, with not damage to the quality. They stay soft and do not get sticky.

Cookies: Place crushed tissue paper in the bottomm of your cookie jar.

Cake: Place 1/2 apple in the same container with the cake.
A slice of fresh bread fastened with toothpicks to the cut edge of a cake will keep the cake from drying out and getting stale.

Garlic: Garlic cloves can be kept in the freezer. When ready to use peel and chop before thawing.
Garlic cloves willnever dry out if you stor them in a bottle of cooking oil. After the garlic is used up, you can use the garlic-flavored oil for salad dressing.

Ice Cream: Ice cream that has been opened and returned to the freezer sometimes forms a waxlike film on the top. To prevent this, after part of the ice cream has been removed, press a piece of waxed paper or plastic wrap against the surface and reseal the carton.

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:
creativecook@creativecookingbylydia.com.

Cooking classes currently scheduled can be viewed by clicking on the “Calendar” icon.

Interactive questions, comments, suggestions, etc. can also be posted on this website.

Creative Cooking
By
Lydia Critchley

To determine whether an egg is fresh without breaking the shell, immerse the egg in a pan of cool salted water. If it sinks to the bottom, it is fresh. If it rises to the surface, throw it away.

To determine if an egg is hard-boiled, spin it. If it spins round and round, it is har-boiled. If it wobbles and will not spin, it is raw.

Pierce the end of an egg with a pin, and it will not break when placed in boiling water and it peels easier.

A few drops of vinegar will keep poached eggs from running all over the pan.

Eggs beat up fluffier when not too cold. They should be at cool room temperature for best results.

Beaten egg whites will be more stable if you add 1 teaspoon cream of tartar to each cup of egg whites (7 or 8 eggs)

For baking, it's best to use medium to large eggs. Extra large eggs may cause cakes to fall when cooled.

For fluffier omelets, add a pinch of cornstarch before beating.

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:
creativecook@creativecookingbylydia.com.

Cooking classes currently scheduled can be viewed by clicking on the “Calendar” icon.

Interactive questions, comments, suggestions, etc. can also be posted on this website.

Creative Cooking
By
Lydia Critchley

FRUIT POPSICLES

5 Peeled oranges
2 cups Pineapple juice
2 cups Sugar
5 Bananas
Juice of 2 lemons
1 (12-oz.) can Frozen orange juice

Place oranges, pineapple juice and sugar in a blender. Blend until oranges are thoroughly chopped.

In a bowl, mash bananas and add the lemon juice. Add the contents of the blender and stir well.

In a pitcher, mix the frozen orange juice with water as directed on the outside of the can. Pour this juice into the bowl and blend well with the banana and orange mixture. Fill paper cups or popsicle containers with this mixture and freeze.

Yield: Depends on size of containers used

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:
creativecook@creativecookingbylydia.com.

Cooking classes currently scheduled can be viewed by clicking on the “Calendar” icon.

Interactive questions, comments, suggestions, etc. can also be posted on this website.

Creative Cooking
By
Lydia Critchley

Coat bacon strips with flour before frying. I shake the bacon strips in a plastic bag with flour before frying in a pan or baking in a microwave. The flour creates a nice coating that tastes great and gives the bacon a new texture, while reducing shrinkage.

After purchasing bacon, cut it into half strips (to make the stips shorter) and layer with plastic wrap type product or roll into rolls (rolling from the long ends) before freezing. The bacon frys better and more evenly if it is in shorter pieces in your frying pan, so the half slices produce a better finished product. When bacon is frozen in rolls, it is easy to remove a roll at a time for use and if cut while frozen it is easy to use in recipes and omlets, etc. Cut the rolls in quarters or size desired. If done while frozen, the bacon is easy to handle as it will hold it's firmness for cutting.

Save money and buy bacon ends and pieces if available from your butcher. These are usually very lean and cost effective. If bacon will be cut into pieces for baked beans, casseroles, soup and toppings, this is ideal. You only need to cut it as needed and offers a good quality flavor while saving time and money. I freeze my ends in layers with plastic wrap product inbetween or roll it and cut it into pieces while still frozen so it is still firm for cutting ease.

When a recipe calls for bacon, split it so that you save some for the topping. Fry some of it and crumble for garnish on the top of the dish at serving time.

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:
creativecook@creativecookingbylydia.com.

Cooking classes currently scheduled can be viewed by clicking on the “Calendar” icon.

Interactive questions, comments, suggestions, etc. can also be posted on this website.

Creative Cooking
By
Lydia Critchley

When a recipe calls for only a little bit of wine and you do not want to buy a whole bottle, you can substitute with beef broth or cranberry juice for red wine and chicken broth, white grape juice, or apple juice for white wine.

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:
creativecook@creativecookingbylydia.com.

Cooking classes currently scheduled can be viewed by clicking on the “Calendar” icon.

Interactive questions, comments, suggestions, etc. can also be posted on this website.

Creative Cooking
By
Lydia Critchley

When freezing fresh fish, freeze cleaned fish in water and they are like fresh when thawed and will not become freezer burned since they can't get dried out.

When fish are caught in warm weather, they sometimes have a strong flavor. To firm the fillets and draw out some of the strong flavor, soak them in salt water. Be generous with the salt. They will not taste salty when served, but it will draw out distasteful flavors, especially in bass in warm weather. Soaking in milk will also draw out some of the muddy flavor found in fish in the warm weather.

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:
creativecook@creativecookingbylydia.com.

Interactive questions, comments, suggestions, etc. can also be posted on this website.

Creative Cooking
By
Lydia Critchley

To avoid discarding overripe bananas, mash and add lemon juice (mix well) and put into the freezer to use for making cakes or breads at a later date. The lemon juice will help them from turning dark. If you do not have lemon juice, any citric juice like orange juice will work to keep the color light. The bananas can then be thawed and baked the same manner that you would have used them prior to baking. It is handy if you feeze them in the quantity that your favorite recipe requires. Often banana breads and cakes call for buttermilk or lemon juice to activate the baking soda, and now you will already have it in the bananas and can skip adding it at the time of baking. If the recipe calls for buttermilk or sourmilk, you can use sweet milk (regular milk that you are using for drinking that has not been soured).

Creative Cooking
By
Lydia Critchley
For class information, click on the “Calendar” icon and contact me at creativecook@creativecookingbylydia.com for details.

To keep frosting from running off cake, dust the surface with a slight amount of cornstarch prior to icing.

For class information click on the “Calendar” icon and contact me for additional information at creativecook@creativecookingbylydia.com.

Heat the milk and butter before adding to mashed potatoes for fluffy potatoes.

Rinse potatoes before allowing to stand, if you intend to prepare ahead for cooking later. They will not turn dark if rinsed, keep immersed in cold water, also lemon juice can be added to maintain the white color. The lemon flavor will not be noticed, since you will only use a little lemon juice.

If using new potatoes, cook in hot water, if using old potatoes, start cooking in cold water.

Add egg whites, when mashing potatoes, that have been slightly beaten for lighter potoatoes.

Add a pinch of baking powder with the milk and margarine or butter to the potatoes when whipping them to keep them light.

To reduce calories, use chicken broth or skim milk instead of butter and whole milk in whipped potatoes.

For the single person, a ricer makes quick mashed potatoes.

For a tasty addition, I like to whip in sour cream and chopped chives or sour cream that has chives already in it.

For class information, click on the “Calendar” link. You can reach me with questions at the email address below.

Creative Cooking
By
Lydia Critchley
creativecook@creativecookingbylydia.com