Preventing Lumps in PolentaIn the directions for cooking polenta, it says "add cornmeal to boiling water very slowly to avoid clumping". My mother taught me another way when I was a youngster.
Save Fuel When Cooking PastaUse a heat proof sieve or colander to cook pasta in the same pan as your vegetables
Cake Mix Inner Bags For Freezing ChickenWhen it comes to fried chicken breast tenders, I like mine thin. My intent here was to use the cake mix bag just for pounding the tenders. Then it occurred to me that the bag itself would be ideal for freezing as well, and I have accumulated several over time.
How Long Does A Potato Take To Boil?Potatoes are a common root vegetable used in recipes all over the world. These starchy tubers must be cooked before being eaten. Boiling potatoes is an easy way to ensure they are ready for your table or to add to another dish. Potatoes can take anywhere from 10-30 minutes, depending on the size of the potato.
Cutting Time When Making PuddingInstead of heating cold milk in the pan with the packaged pudding mix, I heat the milk in the microwave first. It certainly cuts down on time spent stirring until the mixture boils!
Boiling an Egg in a SaucepanI place a mug in the saucepan I use to boil an egg. This uses less water and hence less energy to get the job done. '
Metal Canning Lids for LevelingWe made strawberry and blueberry preserves this year and after finishing up a jar of preserves, I wash the lid and put it in the drawer. The lids can't be used for canning any more but I have found other uses for them.
Ready Bacon AnytimeI see pretty expensive pre-cooked bacon in the stores now and decided to make it myself since I don't always have the time to make bacon for a quick, hearty breakfast.
Best Oven Baked BaconI love baking my strips of bacon in the oven. You don't have to stand over the stove, dodging oil splatters, while trying to juggle cooking times of other items you're making. However, to boost the "best" in your oven baked bacon, try this little homemade bacon tray trick.
Partially Cook Veggies BeforehandBefore I use many of my vegetables in recipes like pan-fried or oven roasted sides, I will parboil or blanch them. This helps me out in many ways. Precooking will cut down the amount of oil I use altogether by a lot, saving on calories and money.
Crock Pot Corn on the CobI experimented and cooked 6 ears of corn on the cob in the Crock Pot. I had never heard of anyone doing this but I found out that it works great! It was so good that my husband went back to the grocery store and bought more corn today so I could take pictures and share this idea on ThriftyFun.
Cooking Turkey Bacon in the OvenI love turkey bacon. I recently found I had 4 packages in the freezer and decided to get them all baked up today. They are great for BLT's, salad, grilled cheese and more. Low in fat and cholesterol, they are a great alternative to regular bacon. Once cooked, you can put them back in the freezer for quick meals and snacks.
Making a Three Course Meal in One SkilletTwice a month, I cook up some fish, spuds and peas. I usually eat the spuds, 1/2 the peas, and two pieces of fish. This leaves two pieces of fish and 1/2 the peas for lunch the next day.
Muffin Tin Meat LoafTry baking meat loaf in a muffin tin instead of the usual loaf pan. It will bake in half the time and you will have individual portions.
Homemade Shake and BakeI make my own shake and bake base. It's easy. In a large jar, I add all my leftover bits of broken chips, pretzels, bread crumbs and cereal crumbs when the cereal container is empty. Each time I add to my crumb jar, I give it a shake so all the crumbs are mixed. Right before I use it, I take some out, put it into a ziplock bag, and use the rolling pin on it to make the crumbs smaller if needed. When I need a coating for chicken, pork chops or to add to meatloaf, I use from this jar.
Cooking Small Fish in Banana LeavesUse a banana leaf or even mango leaf to wrap little fish, so they don't scatter when you cook them. As you can see on the picture, it has been arranged and wrapped properly. It also provides a delicious, natural aroma with the banana leaf.
Using Small Containers of ApplesauceEven the small jars of applesauce go bad before I can use all of it. I like to use it in baking as a substitute for part of the oil. Whenever I can stack my coupons with a sale, I will buy the individually packed cups of applesauce. Each one is 1/4 cup, so it is easy to use just what I need.
Cook Bacon in the OvenI am scared of frying bacon. I know, sounds silly, but I have been burnt by popping grease a few times and I am bacon shy. My husband, showed me this trick shortly after we married. This is how he "fries bacon", in the oven.
Reduce Heat When FryingIn frying, wait for the oil to heat up then reduce heat from high to medium. This will save you some gas if you're using a gas stove, or energy if you use electric stoves. Also, it prevents the food from getting overcooked or from burning.
Keep Cool By Cooking OutsideInstead of heating up my kitchen, I do a lot of cooking outside on the porches. I've enjoyed using my George Foreman, crockpot, toaster oven, and grill to help keep the house cool during this hot weather. I have an old hot plate that I may be dragging out soon.
The Key to Great Homemade GravyI learned how to make homemade gravy from my Mom & Grandmother, and their gravy is what made the "Dinner." Whatever meat you have roasted, braised, browned and has some residue or drippings can be a base for gravy.
Break Eggs Before Adding to RecipeIt's only happened twice in 37 years, but I ruined a cake and a meatloaf by cracking an egg into the mixture and finding out too late the egg was rotten.
Ice and Ladle Fat SkimmerWhenever we watch cooking shows, my husband sees those handy dandy fat separator tools and asks me if I want one. I'm perfectly happy with my way: put ice cubes in a ladle and skim across the fatty top of whatever you're separating. The cold will get the fat to congeal in the ladle. Just like a magnet!
Honey Mustard VinaigretteMake your own salad dressing. It's cheaper and free of additives.
Easily Remove Grease from Ground BeefWhenever I browned hamburger meat for tacos, spaghetti, or whatever, I used to take the meat out of the pan, transfer it to a strainer to drain the grease and then return it to the pan to finish cooking. I have found a better way.
Leave Sugar Out of Cooked FoodsI don't add sugar to my veggies. I just heat them, whether canned or frozen. I don't put sugar in my cornbread. I am not diabetic, I just don't require that all my food be sweetened.
Making Perfect PastaHere are instructions to creating the perfect pasta. These are hints I have read about from many different Italian chefs. If you can boil water, you can make perfect pasta.
Cube Potatoes to Speed Cooking TimeIf you are boiling potatoes to mash, it doesn't take long to dice the raw, peeled potatoes instead of halving or quartering them - and it really speeds up boiling time.
Stuffing Your Thanksgiving TurkeyI still like to put my stuffing directly into the turkey cavity. My mother did it for years and so have I and it's perfectly safe. No one has ever gotten ill from this. However, scooping the stuffing out can be quite messy.
Perfect Splatter-Free BaconFor perfectly crisp bacon that doesn't make a huge splattering mess in your kitchen, add a tablespoon of water to your pan after placing the bacon inside. The water will render the fat, keeping splashes at bay, while the heat continues to crisp your bacon well after all the water has evaporated.
Preparing Chewy TofuMy favorite stir fries are started by cooking tofu to a tasty, chewy texture. Tofu does not have much flavor on its own, but absorbs the flavor of what it is cooked with.
My Chicken Stock has Nine LivesI have been spending a lot of time in the kitchen lately, cooking traditional foods that our ancestors and grandparents cooked, in fats that our grandparents and ancestors cooked with.
Use Wooden Spoon To Prevent Boil OverWhen boiling potatoes, noodles, etc on top of stove, place a wooden spoon over top of pan to keep it from boiling over and having to clean up a mess.
Buttery Corn on the CobAfter cooking your sweet corn to perfection, I like to roll the corn cobs in paper towels, squeezing out any remaining water. The butter just glides on.
Make Creamy Tuna CasseroleWhen I make tuna casserole, I add sour cream and cream cheese to Cream of Mushroom soup.
Add Butter When Cooking NoodlesTo keep the starch from foaming and boiling over when you're cooking noodles, add about a tablespoon of butter to the water. This also makes the noodles more tender and tasty.
Save Energy When CookingCooking recipes usually date from the time people did not have to save on energy. Many recipes advise to put eggs, or rice or pasta in the water only once it is boiling to cook them. You can put eggs or rice or pasta or potatoes in the cold water and then start heating it.
Using a Peeling George Foreman GrillI really enjoy my little George Foreman grill, but the Teflon is peeling. I use a piece of lightweight tin foil, big enough to fold over the meat and spray it lightly with oil.
Cook Right In CansWe are in somewhat of a bind right now with no refrigerator and we can't do dishes in the kitchen sink because the metal pipe has rusted through. We had been eating a lot of fast foods, which is way too costly.
Use Electric Cooker As "Crockpot"Before you contemplate buying a crockpot, check out the smallest ring on your electric cooker. I found out that my past two cookers were usable this way by reading the information that came with the contraption. I didn't trust it to start with so I stayed in all day just to make sure.
Use Empty Coffee Bags for Grease DisposalI save empty foil type coffee bags for disposal of grease drippings. I don't want to pour it down my sink drain and risk clogs nor do I want it puddling in the bottom of my kitchen trash bag.
Other Uses for a Waffle IronWe use the waffle iron for making cornbread!
Cooking from Your PantryI have read many frugal blogs and sites. Many of them rely and support the idea of menu planning for cutting your grocery bill. Those who are supporters of this practice, say they look at the sale flyers and base their menu on the rock bottom prices.
Stretching Food for Growing BoysI have 3 boys who already eat a lot. I've found a few ways to "stretch" foods to help with our grocery bill.
Wooden Spoon To Prevent Boil OverDid you know that placing a wooden spoon across the top of a pot of boiling water will prevent the water from boiling over. Try it, it works!
Best Oils for Cooking and DressingsExtra-virgin olive oil is full of health benefits, but loses a great deal of those when the oil is heated.
Giving Poultry a Golden Bronze Color When BakedIf you want to have a turkey or chicken that has that beautiful golden bronze color, just add this to your "rub".
Don't Shake in Your SpicesWhen cooking, shake your spices into the lid of the spice bottle or even your hand (unless it is hot pepper), then add them to your dish. Why not sprinkle them in right over the pot? Here are a couple of good and thrifty reasons:
Wax Paper Strips for Greasing PansI like to keep ready made wax paper squares with margarine or butter that I get out of an empty butter container or margarine container.
Add Sugar To Bread StuffingI would not eat stuffing because I don't like onions. The first dinner I had with my new in-laws was Thanksgiving. When my mother-in-law set the big bowl of stuffing on the table, I thought it looked so good and smelled so good that I sampled it.
Stuffing Stuffed Pork LoinI purchased corn bread flavored Stove Top Stuffing at the store and a maple bourbon marinated pork loin for dinner. My kids usually only eat stuffing under duress, so I tried making it look a little more interesting by "stuffing the pork loin". They ate it right up :)
Easy Way to Butter Baking PansTo butter your baking pans easily, and with less mess, use a frozen stick of butter. Just unwrap the end of the stick and run it around your pan.
Dry Muffin and Mini Loaf Pans QuicklyIf you are doing a lot of baking (especially around the holidays) and are making several batches of muffins or mini loaves, you will find yourself having to wash and very completely dry pans in between batches.
Making Taco SauceAfter browning off your meat and making the sauce, use your food processor to almost puree the sauce. Taco Bell copycat?
Pop Bottle for Measuring Pasta...I use a plastic Coke bottle to get the perfect size portion of pasta. For adults, use a 2 liter plastic bottle, fill it until there is no room left at the mouth of the bottle. This will give you a nice hearty portion, and you won't waste anything.
Easy Way to Peel PotatoesI have peeled so many potatoes in my lifetime. When a friend shared an easier way I had to share. These days when I do eat mashed potatoes I leave the skin on, after a good scrubbing of course. The skin holds many vitamins and nutrients that are very good for you.
Preventing a Pot from Boiling OverMy friend sent me some tips her Aunt had shared with her. If you place a wooden spoon over the pot filled with water it will not boil over. I tried it several times and it's fool proof!
Cooking Turkey BreastI use a cooking bag and always put the breast meat side down in the pan, so all the juice stays in the meat
Keep Mixing Bowl From SlidingWhen you are mixing food in a bowl and the bowl begins to slide, put a dishtowel under it and it will stop.
Packing Brown SugarI use a small glass to press down brown sugar in my measuring cup. You could use a jelly glass also. I got these 5 oz measuring glasses at Walmart for about $1 each (made in the U.S.A. too) and they are just the right size for my hands.
Cook Bacon In Toaster OvenI use my toaster oven to cook bacon. I can make other foods while the bacon cooks and the timer keeps me from burning it!
Checking Oil Temperature When FryingDip a toothpick or a match (be sure it's made of wood!) in the hot oil. If it's ready for frying, there will be tiny bubbles around it as if the wood is "boiling". If it's not ready yet, try again. Each time you check, make sure to use a fresh piece of wood.
Grill Green Beans and PotatoesThese are soft chewy and good. Just grill them together.
Wooden Spoon When Cooking FudgeWhen making fudge, use a wooden spoon not metal. Heat from the fudge will go to the spoon and it takes longer for the fudge to come to the right stage.
Soak Rice Before CookingI have a rice cooker with a timer. I put the brown rice in it about 6 hours before it will be done. I find it tastes better after soaking in the liquid for that long. Plus I usually use chicken stock instead of water.
Tips For Cooking Brown RiceWhen cooking anything in a rice cooker, I always spray the insert with cooking spray. For brown rice, I've had success by adding water up to the next line. For example, when cooking 4 measures of brown rice, I add water up to the line that says 5.
Add More Water To Brown RiceI use my rice cooker for brown rice all the time. I get a 10 pound bag of organic short grain from Costco. I have found that it is better if I add 1/2 a cup more than what the rice cooker instruction book says for "brown" rice.
Cooking Squash in the MicrowaveShe poked holes in it and put in microwave for 10 minutes at first. We ended up putting it back in for about another 5 minutes, and it was great. After removing the seeds, she added a little margarine, brown sugar and cinnamon, and removed the squash from its 'shell'.
Freeze Partially Cooked BaconOnce the package is opened, it usually goes bad in about a week. I get around this by cooking the entire package about 3/4 of the way done and then putting it in a zip-top bag and keeping it in the freezer.
Prevent Gummy Rice with a TowelAfter steaming rice, remove pan from heat. Place folded cloth towel over the saucepan, replace the lid, set aside for 5 to 10 minutes. Towel will absorb moisture so you will have rice with no mush.
Combine Bread and Cornbread StuffingI use one package of bread stuffing and one package of corn bread stuffing. I follow instructions on packages using chicken broth.
Brown Meatballs in the OvenOnce all of the ingredients for the meatballs were well mixed, my dad would roll small amounts of the meat in the palms of his hands. Then we put them on a cookie sheet to brown slightly in the oven, this helps hold them together better.
Cooking with Frozen TomatoesI use my frozen tomatoes in soups and stews. But the big thing I do is save them until I have enough to can them and I make my own spaghetti sauce. I thaw them and make my sauce and then I have lots on hand.
Making Low Fat Mashed PotatoesI had changed my recipe for potatoes to save calories, as well as, to not have so much bad fat in them. I do use a small amount of mayo (fat free) instead of tons of butter or milk or other "not so good for you" ingredients all of which he cares less about.
Thicker Pizza CrustsWe make a lot of homemade pizzas and I've discovered how to make a thicker crust using the store crust mixes. Follow the package instructions, then cover the ball of dough and let it "rest" for a half an hour.
Add Miracle Whip To Mashed PotatoesI love to make mashed potatoes with Miracle Whip (not mayonnaise) instead of the usual butter/milk combo. Just add an amount to give the taste and texture you want, it's really different and delicious.
Making Cottage or Shepherd's PieShepherd's and cottage pies originated in Britain. I think they were ways of taking leftovers and making them into something different and delicious.
Preparing Potatoes for Potato SaladMy husband loves potato salad, but I seldom made it because for me, it took a lot of preparation time. Not any more though since I discovered this trick.
Using Fresh Butternut Squash and Pumpkins in CookingGardening is my passion and I grow lots of butternut squash and pumpkins. The fastest way to use them after picking is to soften them in a pressure cooker. I do two at a time, or one if the pumpkins are large.
Impromptu Taco SoupDH likes for me to throw stuff in a pot and make impromptu soup. Today I decided to brown some ground beef as I would for chili or spaghetti.
Vegetable Water Blanching TimetableThere have been a lot of requests for blanching veggies as of late so here's an easy timetable to follow. Be sure to check tenderness part way into the blanching guide times because freshness and size of vegetables vary.
Use Chuck Roast for Stew MeatIt is much cheaper to use a chuck roast than packaged stew meat when you make a stew. It takes no time at all to cut the roast!
Add Eggs To Sage StuffingThis is for any stuffing recipe containing sage. The addition of chopped boiled eggs and chicken broth makes the the flavor deeper and the dressing healthier, since it has protein in it from the eggs.
Thickening GravyIf you are making gravy and run out of flour, substitute pancake mix. You can use up to 3 tablespoons of pancake mix. It turns out really great, just try it!
Easy Corn on the CobPreheat your oven to 375 degrees F, rinse your corn, husk and all, DO NOT shuck it. Place corn on oven rack and bake for 30 minutes. Use oven mitts or heat resistant gloves and remove husks.
Texas Toast For CasserolesI use Texas toast with 5 cheese on it for my squash casseroles. Just put in food processor and mix, then put on top of the casserole to brown. This saves on buying cheese.
Lift Off the Fat from Soups and StewsYou sage cooks out there already know this. But, we all had to start from scratch when learning to cook, so this tip is for the "newbies"!
Keep Aluminum Foil from Sticking When BakingI found that more times than not the cheese or other topping sticks to the aluminum foil even after spraying it with cooking oil, especially if it has to bake a good while.
Stop Hamburger ShrinkageIf you punch a hole in the center of hamburger patties before cooking, they will not shrink as much as usual. I use my thumb to punch the holes, but you can use a utensil if you prefer.
Foreman Grill For Cooking SalmonUse your George Foreman grill, and it only takes 5 minutes. I season with a little garlic, onion powder, and some lemon pepper - delicious!
Use Jars To Mix Dressing and SaucesMy mom taught me to always use a jar when mixing the dressing for her potato salad or making any other homemade dressing or cold sauce. It is so much easier and cleaner than using a bowl.
Add Broccoli Slaw to MeatloafA dear friend of mine and I agree - we never make meatloaf in quite the same way twice. The last time I made it, I added one cup Brocco-Slaw per pound of meat, along with all the other ingredients.
Heating Up Store Bought PizzaWhen heating up store bought pizza, I had found that they recommend putting the pizza right on the oven rack. I did this and what a mess.
Aluminum Cooker for Baked PotatoesI raised four children. To save money and aluminum foil, I cook my baked potatoes in my 5 quart club aluminum cooker. Place clean potatoes in pan with about an inch and a half of water.
Frying Morel MushroomsWhen frying those delicious morel mushrooms, instead of dipping in egg, I dipped them in condensed cream of mushroom soup and coat them very well before I place them in my flour or cracker crumbs.
Use Parchment Paper Instead of Cooking SprayI buy a roll of parchment paper and use it to line my cake pans when baking layer cakes. No need to grease the pan.
Frozen Water Bottle For Cooling FoodsWhen cooking food that calls for it to be immediately cooled with ice, I used a bottle of frozen water that I usually keep in my freezer to take along for a cold drink all day.
Ice Cream Scoop for Measuring Sticky IngredientsWhen baking, I use my ice cream scoop to measure shortening or peanut butter. It is the type with a lever you push and it goes around the inside edge of the scoop to empty.
Lettuce Leaf to Remove Fat From SoupPlace a leaf of lettuce on the surface of soup to remove some of the fat. Discard the leaf before serving soup.
Cook Fish in Chicken BrothInstead of cooking fish in butter, use a little chicken broth. It is less fattening.
Reducing Cabbage OdorTo keep cabbage odor to a minimum when cooking, put a piece of celery or a wedge of lemon in the kettle. It will soak up the odor.
Sweeter Spaghetti SauceTo make spaghetti sauce sweeter, try adding one tablespoon of grape jam.
