Category Archives: Tips

Picnic tips

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On hot days or for school and other lunches or for picnics, make the sandwiches ahead and freeze them. Take them out in the morning for noon's lunch and it will be thawed in time for lunch and safe to eat (unless in left in severe heat conditions). Pack frozen fruit juices for beverages and they will help keep your lunch cold and will be refreshing to drink. Freeze puddings for tasty desserts. (Do not freeze jell-o because it will separate.) Pack fresh fruit and if sandwiches will not be frozen, make them with sliced fruit instead of meats in the middle. Peanut butter is wonderful with fresh fruit. Sliced raw veggies are great for hot day lunches. Use sliced radishes on butter bread or or cucumbers on zucchine bread. Raw veggies like carrots and celery can be packed in water with some ice cubes in it.

To keep fruits from turning brown, rinse in orange juice or a citric juice of your choice.

Take a large beach towel to be used as a table cloth on a picnic table, or spread on the ground for the picnic or cover a dirty or rough picnic bench. They usually fit the average picnic table and are easy to launder when you get back home.

The towel can be wrapped around the lunch in your tote to help keep it cold until you eat.

Take a wet cloth in a plastic bag to wipe fingers, etc.

If taking a salad, place a smaller bowl in a larger bowl and weight down the smaller bowl. Put water between the bowls and freeze. Before leaving for the picnic, remove the weight and fill the bowl with your salad. The same technique can be used for toting deviled eggs but use a cake pan to set the deviled egg dish in and freeze water as a base in the cake pan.

Snap clothes pins can be used to save a table cloth from flying in the wind if used for clipping corners together. Dish towels can be clipped over dishes until serving time with clothes pins.

There is over a year's entries on this web site. Be sure to scroll back through to the beginning for all the recipes and tips.

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.

Countertop stains removal

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Remove stains from countertops by rubbing a paste of cream of tartar and lemon juice into the discolored areas. Let it soak and then rinse.

Make a paste of dishwasher detergent with water or use liquid dishwasher detergent and place it on the stain and allow to soak. Rub if necessary after soaking. Rinse and dry.

There are over a year's entries on this web site. Be sure to scroll back through to the beginning for all the recipes and tips.

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.

Picture/mirror hanging tips

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Mark the place you intend to hang a picture or mirror with a X of cellophane tape where you plan to pound a nail into the wall and it will save the plaster from cracking, etc. when you start hammering. After inserting the nail into the wall, remove the tape carefully.

A wet finger print will mark the spot for the hanger and will dry with no mark remaining.

If you do not have a nail, use a straight pin (stick pin) or sewing machine needles (depending on size of the needle, they will hold up to 30 pounds) and insert at an angle. Hang the picture on the pin, putting it at the place the pin and wall meet, so the weight of the picture is at the junction not on the shaft of the pin. You will be very surprised at the amount of weight it can hold and the pin leaves a very small hole in the wall in comparison to a nail, etc.
Entries have been entered for about 1 year. Be sure to search for the other ones that are not on the current screen.

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.

Garden Plant Protection and Tips

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To protect your new plants from pests and frost, cut the bottoms out of milk jugs and soda bottles (plastic) and put over your new little plants. Sprinkling them can also help, as the evaporation provides some heat and can safe guard them from early frosts.

Old stockings and pantyhose legs make great “tie to stake or trellis” material. The brown blends and the nylon does not deteriorate or cut your plants.

Put your egg shells in your flower planters or garden soil to keep it from getting acidic and it adds nutrients and keeps the soil loose.

Moth balls or dried blood can help keep pests from eating your plants, depending on what is getting into your garden. Some people sprinkle kitchen cleanser to protect their gardens. Remember after a rain, the above might have to be replaced.

Work your vegetable scraps into the soil for nutrition and recycling of the food. If you have someone that goes fishing, use their scraps in your soil for healthy plants. Coffee grounds and used tea leaves are also good for your plants.

Entries have been entered for about 1 year. Be sure to search for the other ones that are not on the current screen.

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.

Nut Tips

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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).

Entries have been entered for about 1 year. Be sure to search for the other ones that are not on the current screen.

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.

Thread tip

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Keep a bottle of your old bright red nail polish in your sewing kit. I use it to mark the slot on a thread spool so I can slip the thread end into it after sewing. This way the thread does not unwind and the slot is easy to find.

Running the thread through a cake of bees wax makes the thread stronger so it does not bread as easily. This makes it easier for gathering material. It also helps with threading the needle if the end also goes through the wax cake. If you do not have bee's wax, you can use a soap bar to make it easier to thread and both will help keep them from tangling during sewing.

A flat soap sliver is great to mark a hem or sewing location, like where a button goes, darts to sew, etc. It washes out nicely and makes a nice sharp mark if you use the edge.

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.

Storing Jewelry Tips

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Egg cartons serve as excellent storage containers for jewelry.
Place a piece of chalk in your jewelry box to prevent costume jewelry from tarnishing.

Entries have been entered for about 1 year. Be sure to search for the other ones that are not on the current screen.

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.

Poultry Tips

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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.

Entries have been entered for about 1 year. Be sure to search for the other ones that are not on the current screen.

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.

Clean vehicle tips

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A clean folded hand towel in the car is a handy lap cover if eating is done in the car. It will catch crumbs, provides a handy wiping towel for messy fingers and saves things from slipping off of you lap (between your legs). It is also handy if any spills occur or if needed to wipe a problem windshield, etc. It will also become a bib if needed for a child or baby.

Spare plastic bags, tied in a gentle knot, are the answer to put wrappers and trash into as you travel. If many small things are purchased or need to taken somewhere, place them into the bag as they accumulate for easy toting and saves them sliding and getting lost.

Anytime you get out of the car, take your trash with you and deposit in the nearest trash container. Most public places have containers near the shopping cart corrals or their entrance doors. When you arrive at home, again, take the trash into the house adn discard it with you so it does not collect in the vehicle.

A bottle of water (allow space for expansion if weather is freezing) is a handy item to help wash dirty hands and faces, clean windshields if you run out of fluid on a messy day or to wash anything else on your travels or to supply a drink if necessary.

A portable car vaccumn that plugs into the cigarette lighter receptical is a handy item to keep in your trunk to give the floors an occasional clean-up of grit, crumbs, litter, etc.

Car mats can be easily cleaned in a front loader (laundry) wash machine.

Entries have been entered for about 1 year. Be sure to search for the other ones that are not on the current screen.

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.

Peanut butter tips

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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.

Entries have been entered for about 1 year. Be sure to search for the other ones that are not on the current screen.

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.