15 Cooking Tips for the Weekend

First of all I am happy to announce that I am going to get this little project on a schedule so you all know what is coming out and when. It will take a week or so, but you're smart, you will see the pattern. I will also be adding more pictures, so look forward to that.

For this weekend I'm going to leave you with 15 of my favorite cooking tips. Little things that are golden little tidbits for a life in the kitchen, enjoy!

1. Make yourself some mint ice cubes. Just add lose mint to the ice cube tray for a great addition to your iced tea, lemonade, or even a great way to cool down your hot coco.
2. Savory Starters- When you have a free day, get some butter, soften it (don't melt!), and add in herbs and spices that you use greatly. Then roll it up in wax paper and freeze. Use this as a simple way to flavor dishes right from the start!
3. Wanton Wrappers- Keep a pack around, they are great for stuffing just about anything in and cook up quickly in many different ways. They are also super simple to work with.
4. Lemon juice is great to keep that sliced up apple from browning. It also works for potatoes, and bananas as well.  
5. To have a nicely level top on your cake, bake it a little longer, but drop the temperature about 25 degrees. You will love the difference.
6. Also a great way to save money! Buy your bread when it's on sale and store it in that extra freezer that's sitting in the garage. Bread will last up to 2 months in the freezer and it will save you a few extra bucks.
7. 3 teaspoons = 1 Tablespoon. Also make sure you are not using actual tableware, the measurements are not exactly the same.
8. Don't have cake flour? No problem, just substitute all purpose flour, for once cup cake, use 1 cup minus 2 Tablespoons of normal all purpose flour.
9. 1 lemon = 1/4 cup juice.     1 orange = 1/3 cup of juice.
10. Soup to thin? Easy fix, just add some instant potatoes to your soup of stew to thicken it right up.
11. Freeze your meat if you want to cut it in thin slices, it makes it much easier. 
12. Always use shortening to grease pans. Butter will brown and burn your food. Lard will work great as well.
13. Fill an empty sale shaker with flour for quick and easy dusting, for work surfaces.
14. To prevent cheesecake from cracking, place a pan of water under it in the oven.
15. Always add your salt to water once it's boiling.

I hope you find at least one of these tips helpful over the weekend. Now off I go to test new recipes!

~Skadia, the always cooking panther.