Pantry Basics

* Flour * Sugar * Brown sugar * Baking powder * Baking soda * Yeast * Spices (in powder form, cinnamon, ginger, garlic, onion, paprika) * Vanilla * Kosher salt * Fresh pepper * Canned crushed tomatoes * Jar of olive oil * Jar of canola oil * Cans of (red kidney beans, garbanzo beans, [...]

Everyday Tips

One of the best tips I can offer is to buy yourself a Crock Pot.Get one that has both High and Low settings & a removable, dishwasher safe crock, You will wonder how you’ve ever lived without one. It is great for popping a meal in and returning to your home filled with the aroma [...]

Sugar Cookie Tips

Make the most of your dough this year! Check out the following tips to ease you into the Christmas baking spirit! Rolling and Cutting Cookie dough is much easier to work with after it’s been refrigerated for at least half an hour–and the cut-outs will hold their shape better if the dough is cold. Keep [...]

Bagged salad full of it!

You might think that “pre­washed” and “triple-washed” salad greens sold in plastic clamshells or bags are squeaky clean. But our recent tests found room for improvement. No, we didn’t find pathogens such as E. coli O157:H7, listeria, or salmonella. With our small sample size — 208 containers representing 16 brands purchased at stores in Connecticut, [...]

Rotisserie chicken to the rescue!

When a recipe calls for a whole chicken shredded into bite-sized pieces, too many cooks turn the page and look for a quicker recipe. After all, who wants to deal with making a whole chicken, before you even start the main recipe? Furthermore, who has the time to do that on a weeknight? Fortunately, rotisserie [...]

Lasagna Gardening

Written by Amy Grisak Lasagna gardening sounds delicious just from the name, but it’s a great term for what others call “sheet composting” or composting in layers. In the end, it’s a fantastic method to create highly productive soil without much effort. The name is from the book Lasagna Gardening by Patricia Lanza. The beauty [...]

Cooking on a budget

Until recently I took what we at for granted. I went to the grocery store and bought what I wanted. Now with the recession I am cutting back. I normally spend about $250 a week on groceries. I have a family of four. A big burly guy, a cute petite hottie mom, and two children. [...]

MYO Baby Food

Control what goes into your baby’s food by making homemade baby food in your own kitchen. It is easier than you might think. Baked Apples Preheat oven to 350 degrees F., then wash and core apples. Wrap each apple in a square of aluminum foil, and seal tightly. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes, testing [...]

Cooking Tips

* Never cook on High! And then you won’t burn everything * Don’t use Teflon pans, they can cause cancer * Always grease the bottom of your pan with oil or butter * Yes, you do need to preheat the oven * You do need to wait for the water to boil * Use your [...]

Get back in the kitchen!

Why would some moms buy designer clothes for their kids but give them the worst junk to eat? It’s your responsibility as a mom to give your children the freshest most nutritious foods available to you. There is just no excuse for giving your children hot dogs and boxed macaroni and cheese night after night. [...]

Next Page »