Recipes for Non-Cooks

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Uses for Vinegar III

To make a good liniment: Beat 1 whole egg, add 1 cup vinegar and 1 cup turpentine. Blend.
Apply vinegar to chapped, cracked skin for quick healing.
Vinegar promotes skin health: Rub on tired, sore or swollen areas.
Reduce mineral deposits in pipes, radiators, kettles and tanks by adding vinegar into the system.
Rub vinegar on the cut end of uncooked ham to prevent mold.
Clean jars with vinegar and water to remove odor.
Avoid cabbage odor by adding vinegar to the cooking water.
Skunk odor: Remove from pets by rubbing fur with vinegar.
Paint adheres better to galvanized metal that has been wiped with vinegar.
Pets' drinking water: Add vinegar to eliminate odor and encourage shiny fur.
For fluffy meringue: Beat 3 egg whites with a teaspoon of vinegar.
Pie crust: Add 1 tablespoon vinegar to your pastry recipe for an exceptional crust.
Half a teaspoon per quart of patching plaster allows you more time to work the plaster before it hardens.
Prevent discoloration of peeled potatoes by adding a few drops of vinegar to water. They will keep fresh for days in fridge.
Poultry water: Add vinegar to increase egg production and to produce tender meat.
Preserve peppers: Put freshly picked peppers in a sterilized jar and finish filling with boiling vinegar.
Olives and pimentos will keep indefinitely if covered with vinegar and refrigerated.
Add 1 teaspoon vinegar to cooking water for fluffier rice.
Add vinegar to laundry rinse water: Removes all soap and prevents yellowing.
After-shampoo hair rinse: 1 ounce apple cider vinegar in 1 quart of distilled water.
For a shiny crust on homemade bread and rolls: Just before they have finished baking, take them out, brush crusts with vinegar, return to oven to finish baking.
Homemade sour cream: Blend together 1 cup cottage cheese, 1/4 cup skim
milk and 1teaspoon vinegar.
Boil vinegar and water in pots to remove stains.
Remove berry stains from hands with vinegar.
Prevent sugaring by mixing a drop of vinegar in the cake icing.
Cold vinegar relieves sunburn.
When boiling meat, add a spoonful of vinegar to the water to make it more tender.
Marinate tough meat in vinegar overnight to tenderize.
A strength tonic: Combine raw eggs, vinegar and black pepper. Blend well.

McClug

7/25/2004

Food Safety Tips:

Bacteria thrives and multiplies in food between the temperatures of 40°F. and 140°F. (4°C to 60°C), so make sure to keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold, and never leave perishable foods out for longer than two hours (including preparation time). Ready-to-eat foods should never be placed on a plate that held raw meat. The foods that are most prone to cause illness if left unrefrigerated are raw and cooked meat, poultry, and fish; salads made from starchy ingredients such as pasta, potatoes, and grains; anything containing raw or cooked eggs such as homemade mayonnaise, cream pies, and anything else containing dairy products. If you're serving appetizers and munchies that will likely be sitting out for a while, stick to foods that don't need refrigeration, such as vegetable platters, fruit skewers, breads, and chips. If serving sour cream or mayonnaise-based dips, be sure to keep the bowl on a bed of ice and avoid direct sunlight if at all possible. If possible, use two separate coolers-one for drinks and snacks, which people will be dipping into frequently, and a second one for meat and other dishes that will not be needed until it's time to sit down for the meal.

McClug

7/28/2004

Washing Chicken

If you asked me why I wash chicken before cooking it, I would say, "Because my mother always did." Is there any scientific evidence that proves it is better to wash your chicken before cooking?

Not only is there no scientific evidence to support your mother's practice, science is actually against you on this one. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, as well as food agencies in the United Kingdom and elsewhere, advises against washing poultry. Rinsing chicken will not remove or kill much bacteria, and the splashing of water around the sink can spread the bacteria found in raw chicken. (Cooking poultry to 165 degrees Fahrenheit effectively destroys the most common culprits behind food-borne illness.)

To find out if rinsing had any impact on flavor, we roasted four chickens (two rinsed, two unrinsed) and held a blind tasting. Tasters' comments and preferences were all over the place, leading us to believe that differences in flavor had more to do with the chicken itself than with rinsing.

Our conclusion? Skip the rinse. If you can't help yourself, avoid the shower in the sink and try just blotting the chicken with paper towels to remove excess liquid and keep cross-contamination to a minimum.

From Christopher Kimball, Founder and Editor of Cooks Illustrated http://www.cooksillustrated.com

Response from Dianne, 8/6/04

I will still continue to rinse the crest of my birds to remove all the LEFTOVERS, just because I do not like to have these in my birds.

I also will remove or rinse the skin and the skin pulled away when I wish to add SPICES OR HERBS UNDER SKIN THAT WILL BE REMOVED AFTER THE CHARRING OF THE BAR-B-Q, simply because I want a clean and fresh dried area for my herbs to hang on to.

I also clean and prepare the work area with a quick bleach whenever I prepare ANY BIRDS AND ALL MEATS. E coli can be found from ice cream to fruits, to veggies, and meats. We need to treat all our work areas with our choice of household cleaner. Sorry, I do not agree with this one. Dianne.

From McClug...I think Christopher Kimball was only referring to the practice of rinsing chicken pieces in an effort to kill bacteria, which doesn't kill them but it does annoy them and makes them really mean.

McClug

8/5/2004

Homemade Vanilla Extract

If you want to make your own vanilla extract, drop two vanilla beans into a fifth of either vodka or gin and let it stand for a month. After 30 days you will have vanilla extract. Use the cheapest vodka you can find. This is much more economical than purchasing vanilla extract from the market.

Response from dianne11323

You know, our cook use to make VANILLA ALL THE TIME.

I have forgotten if she used vodka or gin. I'm almost certain it was vodka. Good grief, I saw these jars standing everywhere in the kitchen all the time. I cannot remember if she PEELED THE VANILLA BEANS OR IF IT WAS WHOLE. I'm thinking WHOLE. I'm almost sure she had more than two beans in each jar.

This was the BEST REAL VANILLA I EVER USED. I should make a batch again..

Vanilla beans are easy to find at most larger grocery stores, and all Health Food or Natural Food stores.

You know, I'm thinking her jars were pint jars. She would have at least 6 jars. She always said, THE LONGER THE BETTER. And, most real vanillas are clear. They put caramel coloring in the vanilla to make it dark.

Thanks... I'll get right on this.

Dianne.

McClug

8/10/2004

Tips, More Martha/Maxine

Martha's Way  Wrap celery in aluminum foilwhen putting in the refrigerator and it will keep for weeks.

Maxine's Way  Celery? Never heard of it!

Martha's Way  Brush some beaten egg white over pie crust before baking to yield a beautiful glossy finish.

Maxine's Way  The Mrs. Smith frozen pie directions do not include brushing egg whites over the crust so I don't.

Martha's Way  Cure for headaches: take a lime, cut it in half and rub it on your forehead. The throbbing will go away.

Maxine's Way  Take a lime, mix it with tequila, chill and drink!

Martha's Way  If you have a problem opening jars, try using latex dishwashing gloves. They give a non-slip grip that makes opening jars easy.

Maxine's Way  Go ask that very cute neighbor if he can open it for you.

Martha's Way  Don't throw out all that leftover wine. Freeze into ice cubes for future use in casseroles and sauces.

Maxine's Way  Leftover wine???????? HEL-LO !!!!!.

Further comment by Maxine:

McClug

8/11/2004

Mini-Greenhouses

“I save the clear plastic containers that strawberries come in (the 2-pound size.) I fill them halfway with potting soil, sew my seeds, water them, snap the lid shut and place in a sunny place. They make wonderful and, best of all, free mini-greenhouses. They have drainage holes, so make sure you place them in a dish or something to catch the water that runs through.�?/FONT>

From Helen Frietch via http://www.worldwiderecipes.com

Further comments from dianne11323

You know this does work great!! If you are even more organized and ready for spring planting.

Keep those flower thingies you get with your annuals. You know what I'm talking about; the entire FLAT! They have nice divisions for an early seedling. You will need either the grow light or the moist covering. Both are really good. Replant the groups that seeded and grew in the larger pots from the fruits or whatever.

REMEMBER, strawberries might not like other fruits. Be sure to clean and replace all the soil before adding a tender seedling.

All fruits and veggies will replant themselves. They all have the seeds. I find it easier to use the store-bought for veggies and self replant from flowers' seeds.

Be sure to look at the expiration date for your seeds. It's a shame they try to sell last year's seeds for fresh..

Pumpkins and all vining plants will reseed themselves if you throw the entire plant on the area you are planning for them. COVER WITH MULCH AND LEAVE ALONE. You might get some great plants yet, you will know in plenty of time if you need to PLANT SOMETHING.

POTATOES ALSO! You can get away with throwing seeding potatoes on your planting area or keeping them in a cool, dry place for spring planting.

ONION'S ALSO. We always allow 12 to 20 onion plants to go to seed, and then keep the seeds, leaving different and new onions in the ground.

Good luck.

Dianne

McClug

8/19/2004

More Cooking Tips

Hamburgers in a hurry: Poke a hole in their centers when shaping. The center will cook quickly, and when the hamburgers are done, the holes are gone.
Stuffed Cabbage: freeze the leaves first and they'll roll around filling easier. And you can skip blanching.
Rinse cooked, ground meat with water when draining off the fat. This helps "wash away" even more fat! Use hot or warm water so fat won't congeal.
Slicing meat when partially frozen makes it easier to get thin slices.
Use a pastry blender to cut ground beef into small pieces after browning.
For easy "meatloaf mixing", combine the ingredients with a potato masher.
When roasting turkeys, turn the breast down. The white meat is much juicier. When you try this you will be delighted.

Geri

11/1/2004

Cooking Eggs

Cooking Eggs

Remember when cooking eggs that too high a temperature will cause them to be tough & rubbery. Use either low or medium heat.

Recipetech1

4/13/2006