"HELP WANTED"  Do you want a job at Shoelaces? We can always use people who are interested in making our group better.We can always use people to repost  recipes and  articles to the other boards, keep an  eye on the birthdays & anniversaries, or maybe you can think of a contribution that you could add. If interested please leave a message in my recipe box (mailbox): LadyBreta Are you a siggie maker? We could always  use your help in  offering and making siggies for the group. Juat let me know at my recipe box (mailbox): LadyBreta       "Announcements" Dont forget to add your birthday and anniversary here::Members Center   If you notice any postings on any of the boards that isn't allowed or you question, please send an annoucement to the  managers  by clicking onmembers tools & then click on Send an  email to the aManagers.   We want to  keep this group clean.

HELPFUL SOUP MAKING TIPS: * Soups and stews should only simmer (NEVER BOIL) when cooking. * Refrigerate cooked stews and soups overnight before serving. The fat will rise to the top and you can skim it off before heating and serving. * In a hurry to skim the fat from the soup? An ice cube floated in the soup will help to congeal the fat and make it easier to remove. * A leaf of lettuce dropped in a pot of soup absorb the grease from the top. * Freeze the liquids from canned mushrooms or vegetables; use it in soups or stews later. * To remove excessive salt from soup, drop in a sliced raw potato. * Another way to thicken your soup, take some of the cooked vegetables out of the soup and puree in the blender. Then return to the original soup mixture.   DRESS UP YOUR SOUP EVEN MORE: Use miniature cookie cutters to cut shapes from breads such as rosemary focaccia or sourdough, then saute in a bit of butter until golden. Float the croutons on your favorite soup. Or, for a dressier affair, ladle soup into ovenproof bowls, top with puff pastry, and bake until golden. Don't forget the container: fill an oversized cookie jar in the shape of an acorn with your soup, or use inexpensive earthenware bowls for a rustic and warm presentation. Cooking a Turkey:  * If you hate the memory of dry turkey from the old days, buy a fresh-killed (meaning, never frozen) turkey. They truly are juicier, tenderer, and tastier than frozen birds.  * Turkeys range in weight from the 6- to 8-pound category to as large as 26 pounds. Very small and super-big are not better. Small ones get blotchy. Big ones present food safety problems because their mass resists total heat penetration. Best to go with a basic 12- to 16-pound turkey.   * Trussing: The point of tying string around a turkey is to make the bird into a round -- no protrusions, no wings sticking out. This prevents burning of exposed areas. Twist the wing tips, which will burn first, under themselves, using some force. Now run a strand of string under the turkey's girth and up each side, catching the wing tips under the string. Continue the string over to the drumsticks, catching them and the fatty tail flap (Pope's Nose), and tie tightly.   * Turkey lifter: This major help comes in two styles. One resembles an L-shaped metal prong. The prong goes right up the turkey's cavity while a handle remains in your hand. All you do it lift. If you've  stuffed the turkey, get the type that looks like snow chains, lies under the bird, and acts like a sling. Either device ends burned hands, greasy potholders and lost drumsticks.   * Instant-read thermometer: This is your most important tool. With this, you don't need a roasting chart or a clock. Read the facts on the dial. There will be no question about the internal temperature of your meat. If you don't have one, get one! Found under:Linda's Tip/Hint