Here is just a peek at some of my helpful hints from around the kitchen!
Nut Horns
1 lb butter
1 lb cream cheese, softened,
3 egg yolks
dash of salt
5 cups flour
1 cup 1% milk
1 lb ground walnuts
1 1/4 c sugar
Mix first 5 ingred until smooth. Shape into small balls the shape of walnuts and then chill overnight. Keep covered. Flatten each ball and set aside. Combine the milk,walnuts, and sugar and cook on medium heat until the mixture thickens. Spread a little onto each circle and then roll each into a jelly roll (just like you do with leftover pastry dough) Bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes and dust with icing sugar while still warm.
Display your New Years resolutions on the refrigerator or bulletin board. have
each member of the family write down (or draw) his resolution, sign and date it and then
post in clear view so that they won't be forgotten. Be sure to include some positive
resolutions that will be fun to keep!
ie. I will read to the kids every day
ie. I will take an hour for myself every day
At some time in their life, kids find a way to get their tongue stuck to a metal
fence. Before this happens, know what to do so that you can calm their fears and "unstick"
their tongue quickly and easily. Here is all you have to do!
-Pour warm liquid slowly over the spot
-Ask the child to breath out through his mouth...breath should melt the connection!
It is easy to remove the smell that lingers after making Indian food. Simply
pour a little vinegar into a pot and bring to a boil...the vapor will absorb the odour.
I have a great recipe for you...now that you know how to get rid of the smell!
Easy Chicken Curry
4 chicken breasts, skinned
1/4 cup butter
1 onion
2 T curry powder (add more if you like it spicy)
1 T flour
2/3 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup coconut
salt and pepper
Fry chicken in butter until lightly browned. Add the onion and continue frying until the
onion is soft. Add spices and flour and continue cooking for another minute or so. (It is
important to fry the spices) Add stock, coconut and raisins. Cover and simmer for another
30 minutes. Serve with rice, pappadoms and lots of side dishes...my favourites are sliced
bananas, chutney, more cocconut and sliced almonds.
Chocolate Milk Syrup
3/4 cup cocoa
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to minimum. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add 4
tablespoons to cold milk!
Gift Basket!
Pack any or all of the items below in your basket,
bread mix
*baked bread
cast iron molds
bread knife
muffin tins
cutting board
butter dish
butter stamp
assortment of jams and jellies.
* well wrapped loaves of cooled quick bread can be stored up to three monthes in the
freezer.
Chocolate Frosting
1/2 cup cocoa
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup margarine
Combine all of the above ingredients in a saucepan and bring mixture to a boil. Allow to
boil for a minute and then remove from the heat. Allow to cool slightly and then beat with
a mixer until it is thick enough to spread on a cake! (no mention of icing sugar)
Snowballs
1 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 cup chopped nuts
icing sugar
Cream butter and sugar together until they are light and fluffy and then add the vanilla.
Add dry ingredients (save icing sugar for later) and form dough into small balls. Bake at
325 for about 1/2 hour, remove from the oven and roll in icing sugar. Allow to cool and
then roll again. These little snowballs look especially appealing when placed in tiny foil
cups.
Valentine Popcorn
Press popped corn that has been coated with a pink sugar syrup into a heart shaped mold.
If anyone is unsure how to make this syrup...just email me.
Cookie Exchange
Each child brings 2 dozen cookies that they have made themselves. Display
the cookies and have each child talk about the cookies that he brought. Hand out lunch
bags, markers, stickers etc and let the kids take this time to decorate their bags. Have
some cookies and milk for sampling and then send each child home with an assortment of
cookies. You don't have to wait until Christmas for a Cookie Exchange!
Bird Feeding
To melted suet, add any of the following-millet, sunflower seeds, raisins,
cornmeal, oatmeal, cracker crumbs or rice.
Kitchen Superstition
You need to find a passion fruit! There is a superstition that goes something
like this...if you kiss a passion fruit on February 1st...your most secret fantasy will come
true!
Peanut Butter Fudge
2 cups sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup milk
1/3 cup peanut butter
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup nuts
Bring first 4 ingredients to a boil over medium heat. Cover and continue for an additionial
2-3 minutes. Remove cover and continue to cook until the syrup forms a ball in cold
water. Remove from heat and add last two ingredients. Spread in a greased 8x8 inch pan.
Valentine Dinner
Plan a dinner that is typically red! And I'm not talking just about the decorations. Plan a
dinner that incorporates foods that are either red naturally or help them along the way with
a little food colouring. Red mashed potatoes will catch everyone's eye!
Highland Waffles
1 1/2 c pancake mix
good pinch tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/4 cups currents
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup molasses
1/3 cup margarine (melted)
Mix the first 4 ingredients in bowl. Combine the remaining ingredients and stir just until
the lumps disappear. Bake in a preheated waffle iron until the steam stops pouring from
the unit. Stir batter before baking each waffle so that nothing settles to the bottom.
Enough batter for about 8 waffles.
Bread Baking Tip! Save the water when you boil potatoes and add to your flour. It will
help flavour the bread and provide food for the yeast!
KITCHEN KEEPSAKE
Here is a quick and useful gift that anyone can make for under $5.00. All you need is a
photo album and inside you place tried and true recipes, house hold hints etc. It would be
a good idea to have one ready to give when needed. This might be a really good idea for a
teacher!
Lemon Jelly
6 lemons
1/2 tsp soda
1/2 bottle Certo
1 1/2 c. water
6 cups sugar
Quarter the lemons and remove the skin. Peel as much of the white off as you are able and
then set aside. You will be saving about half the rind and discarding the rest. the saved
portion, you will slice as fine as you are able. Add the water and the soda, bring to a boil
and allow to simmer for about 10 minutes, covered. Be sure to stir occasionally. Section
the fruit and remove any seeds and then add the rind and a cup f sugar to the simmering
water/ allow to simmer for an additional 20 minutes until it measures about 3 1/2 cups.
Add remaining sugar and bring to a full boil. Allow this to continue for one minute stirring
constantly. remove from heat and stir in the Certo. Skim and then label into glasses and
seal.
You can easily make your own lip gloss by purchasing a jar of vasaline and mixing it with
tiny amounts of lipstick. This is a perfect way to use up the last little bits at the bottom of
your tubes before you throw them away! Store your new lipgloss in a plastic pill container
available at the drugstore. Lipgloss for pennies!
Love on a Tray
Okay...it's the middle of the week but what better time to surprise him than when he least
expects it. Prepare something that is fast for you to prepare and fast for him to eat if that
is all your schedules will allow! A few items come to mind:
grapefruit
pancakes (you cook them the night before and simply reheat them
scrambled eggs (again get them ready the night before so all
you have to do is put them in the microwave to cook)
sticky buns...open the package and drop onto the plate...doesn't get any easiet than that!
I'm sure you get the idea by now!
Chocolate Frosting
1/2 cup cocoa
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup margarine
Combine all of the above ingredients in a saucepan and bring mixture to a boil. Allow to
boil for a minute and then remove from the heat. Allow to cool slightly and then beat with
a mixer until it is thick enough to spread on a cake! (no mention of icing sugar)
