Let’s Have a Barbecue Party

“A wonderful way to entertain family and friends in an outdoor setting is with a backyard barbecue party. With proper planning and the right environment people will be talking about your party all summer. Important factors to think about when entertaining are things like the barbecue grill, seating, lighting, and of course the menu planning.”

Today’s barbecue choices have never been greater. The designs and options are wonderful, there really is a barbecue that fits your individual barbecuing needs. Barbecues come in both natural gas and propane grills. Barbecues are available in portable fire pit models excellent for a patio or backyard, giving the feeling of being around an actual fire pit. Other barbecue designs include charcoal-wood grills, portable grills and outdoor stoves. Weber makes some of the most durable and reliable quality grills, using stainless steel burners to provide long- wearing even heat and burners with spider and insect screens to keep the burners pest free. The stainless steel hoods and bodies are long lasting and great looking. Several of the designs also include built in thermometers.

Another great addition to your backyard cooking options might be a BBQ smoker. These BBQ smokers are perfect for seafood delicacies and traditional barbecue meals like beef brisket, ribs or pork. They are also excellent for chicken, seafood or anything needing direct high temperatures. Briquettes are available that burn for up to eight hours giving a wonderful smoked flavor.

A beautiful patio leaves you with the feeling that your at a cottage or a wonderful outdoor retreat, the nice thing is it’s a much more affordable alternative to owning a cottage. With the great selection of patio furniture and accessories on the market you can design your patio to be your own personal vacation in your backyard. The patio is not only a convenient getaway, but also a natural extension of your home’s design and décor. Black is a popular color for furniture as is antiqued greens with a distressed look. Wooden furniture is again popular, teak being a favorite as it ages so beautifully. Patio furniture is available with armrests, high back chairs and swivel rockers with matching ottomans, all for ultimate comfort. Most of the outdoor furniture sold today is made with all weather fabrics; it’s also wise to select furniture that will be durable and low maintenance.

When throwing and planning a barbecue patio party you’ll want to be prepared and know approximately how many people will be coming. You want to be sure there is enough available seating so everyone is comfortable. You’ll also want to be prepared for unexpected weather. Awnings are an excellent option, allowing you to take control of the weather on your deck or patio in a moment; there are also outdoor tents that you can set up with a table inside to shelter yourself from the rain. It’s important to have at least one outdoor umbrella to provide protection and shade for your guests from the hot sun, not to mention they also look nice. There is no shortage of excellent patio furniture and comfortable outdoor sitting options. Patio heaters are also welcome for cooler evenings after the sun goes down.

It’s important to have a proper serving or buffet surface for your party, a place where you can have all the food, beverages, plates and utensils. Portable carts or side tables can also work well. You may even have a built-in counter top.

The lighting for your outdoor party will only matter if the barbecue carries on into the evening; regardless the lighting is something that is nice to think about as it adds so many ambiances to your backyard setting. There are outdoor solar-powered lights available and other lighting options in several designs. Luminaries, candles, miniature white lights strung between trees or along your patio, or some lovely white paper lanterns hanging from your trees can make your patio extraordinary.

Bug control is a must at your outdoor party. Burn citronella candles to help keep a variety of bugs away. If yellow jackets are a nuisance in your yard, traps are available from your garden center or nursery. Remember to cover food, especially the meat and sweet drinks on the table to protect from bugs.

A few other nice additions to your party might be; gift bags for any children attending the party, you can fill the bags with fun ideas found at the dollar store like glow sticks, crayons and little notepads etc., it’s a nice idea to keep the children occupied; patio heaters are excellent if it starts to cool down in the evening, or for unexpected cooler days; flowers in planters or hanging baskets will further add to the appeal of your yard; lastly a nice variety of music sets the mood and adds a nice overall feeling to your party.

Planning the meal is probably the biggest challenge to your party. You’ll want to know in advance if any of your guests have any special eating preferences, allergies, dislikes. You can always go with the standard burgers, veggie burgers (f there will be any vegetarians attending), steaks and salads knowing that everyone will be satisfied and full. On the other hand, you might want to surprise your guests with a wonderful honey barbecue broiled steak; a simple marinade can be made with garlic, marjoram, salt, pepper, dry mustard, honey, and balsamic vinegar. The selected steak or chicken can then be kept in the marinade for a couple of hours in the fridge, next step is onto the barbecue. Excellent side dishes might be some potato salad, a green salad and corn on the cob.

In the summertime cold drinks are a must. You might make some cold lemonade, and have some carbonated beverages on hand. A nice addition to any buffet table is a lovely punch (alcohol or non-alcohol) with some lemon slices and fresh fruit additions. Always have lots of ice available to keep the drinks cold. For dessert some cut fruit such as strawberries, melon and watermelon slices prove refreshing or a fruit salad can be nice, and of course a nice cake or some cookies is always sinful but popular. Later on, a bowl of corn tortilla chips served with salsa is well liked.

Of course your budget will determine how much you can and can’t do as far as decorating at your party. But don’t let that discourage you, it takes time to get your patio looking exactly the way you want it, in the meantime keep your eyes open and look for ideas. A simple picnic table and some plastic outdoor chairs work well too; a barbecue really is all about the food and atmosphere created.

With some planning and the right atmosphere your outdoor barbecue party will be a success. Whether your party is big or small, a barbecue is a wonderful way to get together with your closest friends and family members to enjoy the summertime and some great food.

About the Author: Valerie Giles owns and operates Best BBQ Online, a resource web site featuring bbq grills, bbq smokers, weber gas grills, grill accessories, bbq recipes and marinades. Everything you need for the barbequing season. http://www.best-bbq-online.com. Try some of our free Mouth Watering Rotisseries Recipes.

Barbecuing, a Fun and Convenient Way to Make Dinner

“There’s nothing more enjoyable than having friends and family gathered around amidst the wonderful smells of charcoal-grilled prawns, vegetables and selected favorites. Barbecuing is one of those time- honored rituals that go hand in hand with summertime. Whether you’re in your backyard or at you’re favorite camping site, barbecuing is a pleasure to be enjoyed by the whole family.”

Barbecuing has never been more exciting; with the endless designs of barbecues available and the myriad of barbecue cookbooks and cooking shows it really does take barbecuing into a whole new realm. With recipes for everything from grilled bananas to peaches and dry rubs for ribs, barbecues aren’t just for cooking steaks and burgers anymore. With all the available barbecuing options it helps to know a few of the barbecuing terms and barbecuing utensils that are used.

Firstly, barbecues come in a wide variety of options; there are propane, natural gas and the standard barbecues for use with charcoal. Barbecues can come with range style one, two and four burner options along with rotisseries. There are even barbecues that have coolers built right into the bottom! Barbecuing has never been quite so convenient.

Accessories

When you’re using your barbecue it really helps to have the right utensils and barbeque accessories, this will make your barbecuing experience easier and more enjoyable. Long handled tongs, basting brushes and spatulas are quite helpful. Heavy-duty oven mitts can also be useful. Of course you don’t want to forget the proper wire brushes and scrubbers (crumpled foil even works well) to remove build-up, keeping your grill racks clean.

Foods that are tender such as fish, vegetables and some burgers can benefit from cooking in a special grill basket (this way you aren’t loosing any of your meal into the barbecue). There are also special racks available to be used with corn, potatoes, ribs and meat.

An excellent barbecue accessory is the grill wok, with this you can make you’re favorite stir fries and vegetable dishes; the wok has small holes throughout that allow heat and smoke to penetrate the food. Another great grill accessory is the grill pizza tray used mostly for grilled pizza. Other grill accessories include; the grill topper used for fish and vegetables providing an even cooking surface, which prevents foods from falling through the grill rack; you can never have too many skewers in assorted lengths which can be used with a skewer rack for grilling your favorite marinated vegetables and meats; smoker boxes for gas grills filled with soaked wood chips add a wonderful smoked flavor to foods. Lastly foil packets are available or simple tin foil to wrap foods, just remember that you may be sacrificing the grill and smoke flavors when foods are wrapped tightly.

Grilling Processes

After you have the utensils and proper grilling accessories needed for you’re barbeque experience you’ll want to familiarize yourself on the different types of grilling processes and terms to find the ones that work best for you and to know exactly what has to be done. To start, basting is probably the most familiar of barbecuing terms, a simple brushing with a seasoned liquid adding both flavor and moisture to your food. A brochette is just French for a kabob, or simply food cooked on a skewer. A glaze is a glossy, flavorful coating on food as it cooks as a result of regular basting.

Three very popular methods of barbecuing are the direct grilling, dry smoking and indirect grilling methods. Direct grilling is probably the most popular grilling used, it is when food is placed directly over the flame. It is a fast method because of the intense heat and allows for browning on the outside of foods. This process works best for food requiring short cooking times such as burgers and steaks, you must remember to turn food over to allow cooking on both sides. The dry smoking method is achieved by placing a grill rack indirectly over the heat source with the barbecue lid down, this allows the flame to burn thus creating smoke which covers the food, giving you a smoky flavor. Lastly the indirect grilling is a slow process of cooking because of less heat, it is done by surrounding a drip pan with the coals and putting the food over the pan, so the hot air circulates around the food (similar to a convection oven). It is wise to check with your barbecue owner manual for indirect grilling specific to your barbecue, roasts work well with this method.

After you’ve acquired the barbecue and all the necessary cooking utensils and accessories you’re ready for the best part of barbecuing and that is the cooking of the food. Sauces, marinades and rubs are popular cooking ideas when barbecuing. Barbecue sauce can be said to define a great barbecue. Whether you use a little or a lot is a matter of preference. A sauce often includes sugar, honey or preserves, which can cause the sauce to burn when cooking; a suggestion is to brush your sauce on in the last five to ten minutes of cooking. There are a wide variety of sauces and glazes to be made ranging from apple butter barbecue sauce to raspberry piquant sauce.

Marinades are used for soaking your choice of meat, tofu or vegetables. The marinating both tenderizes and permeates the food with flavor, adding flavor and promoting crisp brown exteriors, changing an otherwise average dinner into a great one. Marinades are virtually fool proof and can be made in advance refrigerated in an airtight container for up to a week. The three basic ingredients in a marinade are; flavorings such as herbs, spices, sweeteners; oils which keep the food pliable and give a crispy crust; acids such as citrus juices, wines, vinegars and yogurts used to balance the sweetness. It is suggested to use the acids sparingly on fish and poultry, as they will soften the flesh when used.

A virtually fat free and easy way to add flavor to food is by using a variety of bold seasonings in a rub. The food is rubbed with spices prior to grilling, the rub transforms into a crunchy brown crust that seals in the juices and enhances the flavors of the food. The spices should be generously applied coating the entire surface of the food; the food should then be covered and put in the fridge for 15 minutes to 2 hours. Simplicity is the key for making rubs, salt and sugar are two of the main ingredients and the rest are up to you.

In summary, whatever your barbecuing specialty might be barbecues can be both a fun and convenient way to make dinner. Summertime needn’t be the only time of year that you’re barbecuing, if weather allows you can barbecue all year round. The options have never been more exciting, and the variety of foods and recipes never more abundant.

About the Author: Valerie Giles owns and operates Best BBQ Online, a resource web site featuring barbecue grills, grill accessories and BBQ recipes and marinades. Everything you need for the barbecuing season. http://www.best-bbq-online.com. Try some of our complimentary Mouth Watering Rotisseries Recipes.

How To Prepare The Perfect Garlic Lemon Chicken

If you want to prepare the perfect garlic lemon chicken then you should try this recipe. This is one of the easiest and best recipes around for creating delicious garlic lemon chicken.

Let’s get all of the ingredients together that you will need to prepare this wonderful chicken dish. You can either purchase a whole chicken and then cut it into pieces or just buy the cuts that your family enjoys such as chicken thighs or breasts. You will also need 10 cloves of minced garlic, 4 tablespoons of margarine, 3 large lemons, 1 teaspoon of dried oregano, salt, pepper, and parsley.

You should begin by preheating your broiler. Take your chicken and rinse underwater and skin, then rinse again well under cold water and place in a large baking dish. Squeeze the lemons and reserve the juice. Sprinkle about one half of the garlic over the chicken and dab ½ of the margarine on various spots on the chicken. Pour ½ of the juice from the lemons on your chicken, and season with the oregano, salt, and pepper. Broil for about 15 minutes, remember to baste quite often. Remove and turn the chicken, add the remaining of the ingredients just like you did before broiling for the first time. Now you will need to broil your chicken again for another 15 minutes. Remember, to baste your chicken so it does not burn. If the chicken starts to become too crispy, you can change from broil to bake and bake at 350 degrees until the chicken is completely done. Remove the chicken from the oven and pour the remaining sauce from the baking dish over your chicken and serve.

Everyone will absolutely love this garlic chicken dish. Serving suggestions would be whipped potatoes and a garden salad.

About The Author: Anita is author of Steaks, Seafood and Barbecue guide Steak-Guides.com.
hansd@netresearch.nl

Dutch Oven Cooking Basics

When you think of a cast iron Dutch oven, what comes to your mind? Pioneer cooking? Stews over the open fire?

Of coarse both are true, but they are still very much in use today and as for the Dutch oven, the possibilities are endless.

Dutch ovens can be used for frying, baking, boiling, and steaming as well.

Purchasing Your Dutch Oven

When purchasing your Dutch oven, make sure the lid has a raised ridge. This is to hold your heat source, which will be briquettes.

This will help you to reach the proper temperature needed for whatever cooking you are wanting to do , with the exception of boiling or frying.

In which case you would want all the heat on the bottom.

Heating Fundamentals

If you are planning on baking, you need more heat on the top than on the bottom.

Put one briquette on the bottom for every 3 on the top of the lid.

For preparing stews, use one on the top for every 4 on the bottom. When roasting, put briquettes on the top and bottom evenly.

Best Temperature

To understand the temperature and number of briquettes needed takes a little math.

Each briquette adds about 25 degrees of heat.

A good starting temperature is 350 degrees F.

To figure out how many briquettes to use, take the size of the oven in inches, and subract three to get the number of briquettes for under it, and add three to get the number of briquettes for the top.

Preparing To Cure Your Dutch Oven

Now that you understand the basics of using your Dutch oven you need to prepare or cure your oven before using it.

Some cast iron ovens have a protective covering which you will need to remove .

You will need to do some scrubbing with a non-abrasive scubber.

Once the covering is removed, rinse and dry the oven and then let it air dry.

Curing It

To cure your oven, pre-heat your kitchen stove
to 350 degrees. Place the Dutch oven on the center rack, with the lid open slightly.

Allow it to heat slowly until it is too hot to handle. Apply a thin layer of salt free cooking oil with a clean cloth to the Dutch oven inside and out.

Place your oven back inside the stove with the lid slightly open. Bake your oven for about an hour.

Repeat

After baking, allow the Dutch oven to cool slowly.

When it is cool enough to handle, repeat the oil again the same as before and bake again.

When cool enough apply a third layer of oil, but this time it is ready for use.

Preparing your Dutch oven in this way prevents rust and makes for much easier cleaning as well

Cleaning

To clean your oven after use, scrape it out, add warm water, without soap, and heat it in the oven until the water is almost boiling.

For any food that sticks a little, use a non-abrasive scrubber.

Protect your Dutch oven again by warming it in the stove, applying a thin coating of oil and letting it cool. Its now ready for storage.

Val and Robin Shortt are experienced campers and own three outdoor websites. For more tips like these and to register for their Free newsletter visit: Good Night Camping Equipment

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Cooking Terms

Bake: To cook in oven. Baking uncovered keeps food dry (ex. bread or chicken), and covered keeps food moist (ex. casseroles).

Baste: Pour liquid or pan juices over food while cooking.

Batter: A thin mixture of eggs, flour, liquid, etc. (ex. for pancakes)

Beat: To mix ingredients quickly with a whisk, fork, spoon, or electric mixer until well blended.

Blanch: Briefly put food into boiling water. This method helps preserve nutritional value, retain color, and texture.

Blend: Mix until very smooth and uniform.

Boil: Heat until bubbles form in liquid and continually rise to the surface. To bring the liquid to a rolling boil the bubbles will form more rapidly.

Broil: Cook directly under or above very hot heating unit.

Caramelize: To melt sugar slowly over low heat, until it becomes a golden brown.

Chop: Cut into coarse irregular pieces, using a knife or food processor.

Coat: To cover food evenly with crumbs, sauce, etc.

Cool: Allowing hot food to stand at room temperature until no longer hot.

Core: To remove the center of a fruit.

Crush: Press into very fine pieces.

Cube: Cutting food into squares, using a knife.

Cut In: Mix solid fat into dry ingredients until particles are the desired size, using a crisscrossing motion with two knives, a wire whisk, or a pastry cutter.

Dash: Less than 1/8 of a tsp.

Dice: Cutting food into squares that are smaller than 1/2 inch, using a knife.

Dissolve: Stirring a dry ingredient into a liquid until it disappears.

Dough: A mixture of liquid, flour, and other ingredients. It is a stiff mixture, yet still pliable.

Dust: To sprinkle lightly.

Flake: To break gently into small pieces, usually using a fork.

Flute: To squeeze pastry edges with fingers to make an attractive edge to pie crust.

Fold: Combining ingredients lightly while preventing a loss of air. Use a rubber spatula and cut down vertically through the mixture. Next, slide the spatula across the bottom of the bowl and back up the side turning the mixture over. Continue doing this while turning the bowl each time. This must be done gently. Also, don’t over do it…just until blended.

Fry: To cook in hot oil over medium or high heat.

Grate: Rubbing a hard-textured food against the rough-edged holes of a grater.

Grease: To rub the inside surface of a pan with butter or shortening.

Julienne: Cut food into thin strips, using a knife or food processor.

Knead: Work dough on a floured surface until it is a smooth, elastic texture, using hands or an electric mixer. It can take up to 20 minutes by hand.

Marinate: Place food in a sealed plastic baggie or container, usually with acidic liquid. Ex. salad dressing. Marinating can take place for an hour to 24 hours.

Mince: To cut food into very tiny pieces.

Mix: Combine ingredients until evenly distributed

Peel: Cut off outer covering of a fruit or vegetable, using a vegetable peeler or knife.

Poach: To cook in simmering liquid just below the boiling point.

Preheat: Turn the oven on to specified temperature, allowing the oven to heat to that temperature before adding food. Usually about 10 minutes.

Process: Use a food processor to mix, blend, chop, knead, liquefy, etc.

Reduce: Boil liquid uncovered to evaporate and intensify flavor.

Roast: Cook uncovered in a shallow pan w/o adding any liquid.

Saute: Cook over medium-high heat in hot oil, frequently tossing or turning.

Scald: To heat liquid just below the boiling point. A thin skin will form on milk that is scalded.

Score: Cut the surface of food 1/4 inch deep.

Shred: Cut into long, very thin strips, using round holes on shredder, knife, or food processor.

Simmer: To cook liquid on low heat, usually after liquid has been brought to a boil.

Slice: To cut into flat pieces, usually the same, or close to the same size.

Soft Peaks: Egg whites that are beaten until peaks (tops) are rounded or curl when beaters or whisk is lifted from bowl. They will still appear moist and glossy.

Soften: To let cold food (Ex. butter, cheese) stand at room temperature until no longer cold.

Steam: Cook food by placing in a steamer basket over a small amount of water in a covered pan.

Stew: To cook slowly in a small amount of liquid for a long period of time.

Stiff Peaks: Egg whites that are beaten until peaks (tops) stand up straight when beaters or whisk is removed from bowl. They will still appear moist and glossy.

Stir: Combine ingredients with a circular motion.

Stir-fry: Cooking equal in size pieces of food in a small amount of very hot oil over high heat, stirring constantly.

Strain: Pour liquid through a fine sieve or strainer to remove large pieces.

Toss: Mix ingredients lightly with a lifting motion. (Ex. “tossed” salad)

Whip: Beat ingredients to add air and to increase volume. Usually until they are light and fluffy.

Herb Dictionary

Basil: Basil has a faint licorice flavor. Use it in salads, pestos, pasta dishes, pizza, meat and poultry dishes.

Bay Leaves: Use in soups, stews, and vegetables. It is best to discard the bay leaves before serving the dish.

Chervil: Also known as “French parsley.” Chervil has a light anise flavor. Use chervil in eggs, soups, salads, or as a substitution for parsley.

Chives: These have a mild onion flavor. Chives go well in soups, salads, and vegetable dishes.

Cilantro: Also known as “Chinese parsley.” Cilantro has a delightful peppery fragrance. It is best used in Southwestern, Mexican, and Asian dishes.

Dill: Fresh dill goes best in shrimp dishes, eggs, soups, sandwiches, sauces, and cucumbers. Dry dill is great for pickles, breads, and salad dressings.

Lemon Balm: Use this herb in tea, scones, salads, or cold beverages.

Mint: This fresh breath herb goes great with lamb, poultry, salads, sauces, and teas.

Oregano: This herb has a strong flavor and smell. Add oregano to Italian dishes, meat, fish, eggs, marinades, vegetable dishes, and tomatoes.

Rosemary: Has a piny flavor and scent. This herb goes best with soups, meats, stews, breads, and vegetables.

Sage: Fresh sage leaves have a fuzzy texture. I goes well with sausage, stuffings, and poultry.

Tarragon: It has a bitter-sweet scent with a hint of anise.This classic herb is best used in soups, poultry, seafood, vegetable, and egg dishes.

Thyme: Fresh thyme is best in marinades, mayonnaise, beans, meats, stews, rice, or vegetables. Dry thyme works well too, but, goes best in breads and sauces.

– more coming soon…

Cooking Tips

When cooking Italian sauce and you cannot have sugar or you don’t want sugar….to reduce the acid content simply put a baking potato into the sauce while cooking.

To reduce the bitterness of your garlic…slice it in half and remove the green center.

Does your rice always seem to stick to the bottom of the pan? To prevent that from happening add a tablespoon of butter to the water before you add the rice.

Got burn or brown “stains” on your glass cookware? Scrub off with a fresh lemon. It should come right off. For those stubborn “stains” soak in lemon water. Five parts fresh lemon juice to one part water. Then try again.

When mixing butter and sugar together, try rinsing the bowl with boiling water first. They’ll mix faster and will be creamier.

A pie crust will be better and more easily made if all the ingredients are cool.

If you want to get all the meat out of a walnut…try soaking them overnight in salt water before you crack them.

Add a little vinegar to the water when an egg cracks during boiling. It will help seal the egg.

If you grow tomatoes in your garden…plant a few sprigs of dill near your plants to prevent tomato worms on your plants.

Potatoes soaked in salt water for 20 minutes before baking will bake more rapidly.

When cooking in the microwave always use a round dish over a dish with corners. Round dishes heat food more evenly. The corners receive most of the energy, and the food closer to the corners will overcook.
Cook Complete Meals and More in Your Microwave…in 30 Minutes or Less!

If you use fresh herbs when cooking…Keep in mind that they lose their distinctive flavor when cooked for a long time. Add some extra herbs just before you serve. This will bring out the full flavor of your dish.

Tomatoes that are too soft for use in salads can still be useful. Chop them up with some garlic, onion, and Italian seasoning…Cook covered in the microwave for about 3 minutes. Let cool. Freeze. Use later for a quick tomato sauce, stews, soup, etc.

When cooking chicken or turkey that has been cut into pieces…remember that white meat cooks more quickly than dark meat.

If you want to be sure an egg is fresh, put it in a bowl/pan of cool salty water. if the egg is still good it will sink. The egg is no longer fresh if it rises to the surface. Toss it.

To make perfect hard cooked eggs follow these steps:

1- Place a single layer of eggs in sauce pan.

2- Cover with water about one inch above the eggs.

3- Heat to boil.

4- Remove from heat and let stand 18-20 min.

5- Cool with cold water right away to prevent over cooking.

To make shredding cheese easier put it in the freezer for about 30 minutes.

If your brown sugar becomes hard, place it in a bowl with a slice of an apple. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high for 30-45 seconds. That should soften it right up!

Or…you can place a slice of soft bread in a closed container with the hardened brown sugar and it should soften up within a couple of hours.

To prevent bacon from curling, dip it into cold water before frying.

If your cookie dough is too dry, stir in a tablespoon or two of milk.

To remove burned bits from baking pans, place pan on the cook top, fill with water, and add 1 teaspoon of baking soda per cup of water; cook until the water boils and the crust begins to loosen.

To thicken a watery mousse, stir in whipped heavy cream.

To plump up dried fruit, cover it with water or other flavored liquid, such as broth or wine, and bring to a boil. Remove the fruit from the heat; cover and let stand 5 minutes.

If your gravy isn’t thick enough, mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 2 tablespoons cold water, stock, or wine; stir in this mixture slowly and constantly to thicken the gravy. Bring the gravy back to a full boil once you’ve added the cornstarch and cook until thickened.

Let roasted meat and poultry stand 10 to 15 minutes before carving. Standing allows time for the juices to settle. The slices will hold more juices, rather than the juices pooling on the cutting board.

To soften cream cheese: Place completely unwrapped packages of cream cheese in microwavable bowl. Microwave on High 30 to 45 seconds or until slightly softened.

When using glass, dark colored, or non-stick pans instead of light colored metal pans for baking, reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees.

Use canola oil for frying. It is low in saturated fat, has a high burning point, and does not detract from the flavor of the food you are frying.

To keep celery crisp: Wrap celery in aluminum foil and put it in your refrigerator. I should keep for a couple of weeks.

When using vanilla extract you should always use the pure not the imitation for optimim flavor and quality. This is true for all extract flavorings.

Blanch heavily salted bacon in boiling water for a minute before using in recipes to reduce the amount of salt in the bacon.

Brown eggs have thicker shells, which makes them great for boiled eggs – they don’t crack as easily.

Do not thaw meat, poultry and fish products on the counter or in the sink without cold water; bacteria can multiply rapidly at room temperature

To remove the smell of garlic or onions from your hands rub a tablespoon of salt mixed with a little water and rub for a few seconds then rince under cold water.

When juicing a lemon, lime, orange, or the like hold cot side up and let the juice run down your hands. Any seeds will stay in the fruit.

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