Just A Thought!

It’s almost apple season here in the Midwest. Try this with your next apple pie. Pour 1/2 gallon of apple cider in a large saucepan. Add 3 tsp. ground cinnamon or two or three cinnamon sticks to pan. Boil, uncovered, at a rolling boil until the mixture is reduced by half. This takes about one hour. (Clean something or just relax). Pour into jar and keep chilled or freeze. Add 1/3 cup of this to your favorite apple pie recipe for a delicious intense apple flavor.

How to keep that whipped cream stiff? To 2 cups of whipping cream, add 1 Tbs. sour cream as you are whipping. No, it won’t taste funny! You can add powdered sugar and vanilla for flavor. Any liqueur gives your cream a great taste but best of all, it won’t weep. This allows you to frost a dessert the day before needed and still have it look great.

Frozen fruit for a treat: Cool off this summer by cutting watermelon into 1 1/2” thick sticks, leaving rind on. Push a Popsicle stick into the rind end, wrap each piece and freeze for 3 hours or firm. Also freeze small bunches of grapes. A delicious pop-in-your-mouth treat!

Italian QuesadiIlas:This is a quick appetizer or light lunch! One package, Tomato Basil Tortillas or your favorite. Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella, diced or sliced pepperoni, minced sun-dried tomatoes and chopped black olives. Put another tortilla on top. Put a little oil in fry pan. Fry a few minutes on each side. Cut into wedges and serve. These can also be done on a baking sheet in a 400F. oven but brush with a little olive oil before baking about 12-15 minutes.

Shower Ideas: As guests arrive, take a picture of the guest of honor with each guest, using a Polaroid camera. Buy small frames to fit these pictures and have someone help put them in the frames. Use these as a place card.The guests take home a picture of themselves and that special gal! You can also glue to the frame, a little silk flower the color of the bridesmaids dress or a little pink or blue bow. Another idea is have the guests sign their names and best wishes on a matt for a photo/frame for the bride. Pick a frame & complementary color for the matt.The bride or mother-to-be can insert her wedding picture or picture with baby. A lovely remembrance of her shower!

Slicing potatoes for potato salad: After you have cooked and then peeled those red salad potatoes, slicing can be quick and easy. You know that your egg slicer will slice fresh mushrooms but did you know that you can make a quick job by using this handy gadget for cooked potatoes? Try it and see. I than slice across to cut potato in half.

Make Your Own Butter Basted Turkey: Combine 2 sticks of real butter that has been softened with 1 tsp. poultry seasoning or your favorite seasoned salt. Cream together and shape into a log on a piece of plastic wrap or wax paper. Chill until firm. Slip you fingers between the turkeys breast meat and skin loosing it. Work your hand as far back as possible with out tearing the skin. Slice butter into 1/4” slices and slide under the skin. Seasoned and butter basted.

Flavored Powdered Sugar: To one cup of powdered sugar add one or two teaspoons of Kool-Aid. Lemon is great or try any fruit flavors compatible to the cookie or dessert. Remember this for those Christmas cookies that are rolled in powdered sugar.

Baked Sweet Potatoes: Cream together 1 stick butter or margarine, 2 Tbs. brown sugar, a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg. Bake a sweet potato in microwave at 3-4 minutes per potato. Prick with a fork before baking. Split and add some of the spiced butter. The best!!

Christmas Place Cards: Glue a tiny ornament to a place card for a cute decoration. Add a little bow through the loop of the ornament. In craft stores you can purchase preserved greens that resemble evergreens. Glue that behind the ornament. It looks as though the ornament is hanging on a little branch.

Seasonal Sugar Bowl: Add a little red and green colored sugar to your sugar bowl for a holiday dinner. Red and blue for the forth of July and gold and brown for Thanksgiving dinner. Put either paste color or a few drops of liquid into a small jar, add sugar and shake until desired color. Every one will notice and think you are so creative.

Candle Clips: These are the kind they use on the tree with candles. There are small ones to be purchased at Christmas shops that hold a birthday size candle. Clip one onto each dessert plate during the holidays. Light them at the table and sing Happy Birthday to the Christ Child. A lovely tradition to start with your children or grandchildren.

Mitten Place Cards: Buy assorted pairs of knitted children's mittens so you have a mitten for each guest. Fill with candies, little toys, a funny pen, tiny jars of jams or mustards. Little tubes of hand cream and bags of herbed tea or cocoa mix will be appreciated. Punch a hole in the corner of the card. Put a color coordinated ribbon through hole adding a couple on jingle bells and finish by tying it just below the cuff on the mitten. Fill the mitten to suit each guest. They will love opening their special treat.

Out of bacon for that BTL? Quickly fry some slices of salami in fry pan. In seconds it’s crispy like bacon and tastes like it too. This can also be done in the microwave on toweling as you would do bacon.

Heart Shaped Cupcakes: For cute cupcakes for Valentines Day, place paper liners in cupcake pan. Fill 3/4 full with cake batter. Insert a marble between paper liner and pan and cupcake will bake into a heart shape.

Cake on the Level: Do your cakes often have a hump in the middle? Try this! Spray cake pan bottom with vegetable spray. With paper toweling wipe down sides of pan in case of over spray. Flour if necessary. Cake will rise evenly, almost guaranteed!!

Break an Egg: Did you know that if you hit an egg on a flat surface to crack it, you are less likely to have little broken shell bits.

Hard Cooked Eggs: This is my method for cooking a hard cooked egg. A perfectly cooked egg with no green ring around the yolk and done in the center.This is for large size eggs. Place eggs in pan with cold water just to cover. Bring to the boil and immediately reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cover with very cold water to stop cooking. I am sure you have your own successful method but this works for me.

Flag Ice Cubes: Purchase a little bag of flags. Make ice cubes and watch when they have formed a crust on the top. Poke the toothpick through the crust and return to the freezer. The cubes will float on the drink proudly waving Old Glory.You may want to remove the flag as the liquid gets lower. You could end up with a flag up your nose or simply use a straw!!

Grilled Pineapple Slices: Buy a peeled fresh pineapple or peel it yourself. Cut into 1 1/4” slices. With an apple corer or paring knife, remove center core. Marinate in a mixture of 1/4 cup dark rum, 1/2 cup brown sugar and a good dash of cinnamon. Let stand 1 hour. Grill, basting until lightly golden brown and serve with vanilla ice cream sprinkled with toasted Macadamia nuts.

Cinnamon Powdered Sugar: I love to sprinkle coffee cakes or muffins with this mixture. I keep it in it’s own shaker in a plastic bag until needed. It’s also great on a puff of whipped cream on pumpkin pie. Almost to simple to suggest but here goes. Combine 1 cup powdered sugar and 1-2 tsp. cinnamon. Some spice shops sell vanilla powder. Add a teaspoon of this if available. Good stuff!

Strawberry Lemonade Cooler: My favorite summer drink. Combine in blender a 16 oz. carton frozen strawberries, thawed, and a 12 oz. can of pink lemonade. Blend smooth. Put 1/2 cup mixture into glass, add ice cubes and fill glass with lemon sparkling water. Soooo refreshing!!

Appetizer Tart Shells: Purchase thin sliced bread. Roll thinner and cut with a scalloped shaped cookie cutter. Brush each side with melted butter and fit slices into mini-muffin pan. Bake in a preheated 400F. oven for 8 -10 minutes or until lightly toasted. Fill with your favorite filling. These can be frozen for future use.

Sinking Chocolate Chips?:Do you have problems with chocolate chips or nuts or these kind of things sinking when added to cake batter? Try this. Lightly spray chips with a cooking spray and dust with a little flour. Fold in by hand and things should stay in place.

Oven-dried Cherry Tomatoes: Using 2 or 3 pints of cherry tomatoes, you can add a terrific flavor to any salad. Line a jelly roll pan with foil. Slice tomatoes in half from stem end to bottom. Place them cut side up on pan. Bake in the middle of oven at 200F. for 2 -3 hours. They will reduce to three quarters their size. Let dry further with oven off for 1 hour. Store in a jar and refrigerate. I have also used sliced Italian plum tomatoes. These should be soft and chewy.

Easter Dinner Place Cards: Wasn’t Easter fun! Looking for that basket that the bunny left just for you? Buy each guest a small basket. Place in it a tinted egg with their name on. Add other candy goodies and wrap in cellophane and tie with a pretty bow. A place card can be tied onto the basket. Your guests will provide happy conversation of past Easter days. Every generation and family have had special ways to celebrate the day.

Surprise Ice Cream Balls: Place paper liners in muffin tin. Slightly soften a rich dark chocolate ice cream or your favorite flavor. Scoop a large ball and place in liner. Press a chocolate covered cherry or truffle into ball. Smooth over with back of spoon. Return to freezer. Chop nut shop quality salted pecans. Roll balls in nuts. Return to freezer until serving time. Remove paper liner. Serve with a chocolate or hot fudge sauce. A fun dessert!

* Roasted Garlic in Oil: When I roast garlic, I pop it out of the peel and put garlic cloves in a jar. I cover it with oil, olive or cooking type. To perk up that grilled sandwich or burger bun or roll just brush cut surface with oil and grill in fry pan until a toasty golden brown. Brush on meats to be grilled too.

Eggs & Bacon: For cleaning ease, line a fry pan with foil. Cook bacon and remove from pan. Gather up foil and fry eggs in a clean pan. Only one pan to clean.

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Horseradish Mustard: Let’s zip up that bland turkey or ham sandwich with this easy spread. Combine 2/3 cup grainy mustard, 1-2 Tbs. horseradish and 1 Tbs. packed brown sugar. Let stand and stir to dissolve sugar. Keep refrigerated.

* Shake and Bake Breading: Place box of Stove Top Country Herb Stuffing Mix in the food processor and chop coarsely. Mix an equal amount of plain dry bread crumbs to this. When breading combine 1 egg, beaten with 1/2 cup milk. Pat meat or fish dry with toweling. Dip meat in egg mixture and then roll in crumbs. Place 1/4 cup of cooking oil on a jelly.

	It’s almost apple season here in the Midwest. Try this with your next apple pie. Pour 1/2 gallon of apple cider in a large saucepan. Add 3 tsp. ground cinnamon or two or three cinnamon sticks to pan. Boil, uncovered, at a rolling boil until the mixture is reduced by half. This takes about one hour. (Clean something or just relax). Pour into jar and keep chilled or freeze. Add 1/3 cup of this to your favorite apple pie recipe for a delicious intense apple flavor.
	How to keep that whipped cream stiff? To 2 cups of whipping cream, add 1 Tbs. sour cream as you are whipping. No, it won’t taste funny! You can add powdered sugar and vanilla for flavor. Any liqueur gives your cream a great taste but best of all, it won’t weep. This allows you to frost a dessert the day before needed and still have it look great.
	Frozen fruit for a treat: Cool off this summer by cutting watermelon into 1 1/2” thick sticks, leaving rind on. Push a Popsicle stick into the rind end, wrap each piece and freeze for 3 hours or firm. Also freeze small bunches of grapes. A delicious pop-in-your-mouth treat!
	Italian QuesadiIlas:This is a quick appetizer or light lunch! One package, Tomato Basil Tortillas or your favorite. Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella, diced or sliced pepperoni, minced sun-dried tomatoes and chopped black olives. Put another tortilla on top. Put a little oil in fry pan. Fry a few minutes on each side. Cut into wedges and serve. These can also be done on a baking sheet in a 400F. oven but brush with a little olive oil before baking about 12-15 minutes.
	Shower Ideas: As guests arrive, take a picture of the guest of honor with each guest, using a Polaroid camera. Buy small frames to fit these pictures and have someone help put them in the frames. Use these as a place card.The guests take home a picture of themselves and that special gal! You can also glue to the frame, a little silk flower the color of the bridesmaids dress or a little pink or blue bow. Another idea is have the guests sign their names and best wishes on a matt for a photo/frame for the bride. Pick a frame & complementary color for the matt.The bride or mother-to-be can insert her wedding picture or picture with baby. A lovely remembrance of her shower!
	Slicing potatoes for potato salad: After you have cooked and then peeled those red salad potatoes, slicing can be quick and easy. You know that your egg slicer will slice fresh mushrooms but did you know that you can make a quick job by using this handy gadget for cooked potatoes? Try it and see. I than slice across to cut potato in half.
	Make Your Own Butter Basted Turkey: Combine 2 sticks of real butter that has been softened with 1 tsp. poultry seasoning or your favorite seasoned salt. Cream together and shape into a log on a piece of plastic wrap or wax paper. Chill until firm. Slip you fingers between the turkeys breast meat and skin loosing it. Work your hand as far back as possible with out tearing the skin. Slice butter into 1/4” slices and slide under the skin. Seasoned and butter basted.
	Flavored Powdered Sugar: To one cup of powdered sugar add one or two teaspoons of Kool-Aid. Lemon is great or try any fruit flavors compatible to the cookie or dessert. Remember this for those Christmas cookies that are rolled in powdered sugar.
	Baked Sweet Potatoes: Cream together 1 stick butter or margarine, 2 Tbs. brown sugar, a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg. Bake a sweet potato in microwave at 3-4 minutes per potato. Prick with a fork before baking. Split and add some of the spiced butter. The best!!
	Christmas Place Cards: Glue a tiny ornament to a place card for a cute decoration. Add a little bow through the loop of the ornament. In craft stores you can purchase preserved greens that resemble evergreens. Glue that behind the ornament. It looks as though the ornament is hanging on a little branch.
	Seasonal Sugar Bowl: Add a little red and green colored sugar to your sugar bowl for a holiday dinner. Red and blue for the forth of July and gold and brown for Thanksgiving dinner. Put either paste color or a few drops of liquid into a small jar, add sugar and shake until desired color. Every one will notice and think you are so creative.
	Candle Clips: These are the kind they use on the tree with candles. There are small ones to be purchased at Christmas shops that hold a birthday size candle. Clip one onto each dessert plate during the holidays. Light them at the table and sing Happy Birthday to the Christ Child. A lovely tradition to start with your children or grandchildren.
	Mitten Place Cards: Buy assorted pairs of knitted children's mittens so you have a mitten for each guest. Fill with candies, little toys, a funny pen, tiny jars of jams or mustards. Little tubes of hand cream and bags of herbed tea or cocoa mix will be appreciated. Punch a hole in the corner of the card. Put a color coordinated ribbon through hole adding a couple on jingle bells and finish by tying it just below the cuff on the mitten. Fill the mitten to suit each guest. They will love opening their special treat.
	Out of bacon for that BTL? Quickly fry some slices of salami in fry pan. In seconds it’s crispy like bacon and tastes like it too. This can also be done in the microwave on toweling as you would do bacon.
	Heart Shaped Cupcakes: For cute cupcakes for Valentines Day, place paper liners in cupcake pan. Fill 3/4 full with cake batter. Insert a marble between paper liner and pan and cupcake will bake into a heart shape.
	Cake on the Level: Do your cakes often have a hump in the middle? Try this! Spray cake pan bottom with vegetable spray. With paper toweling wipe down sides of pan in case of over spray. Flour if necessary. Cake will rise evenly, almost guaranteed!!
	Break an Egg: Did you know that if you hit an egg on a flat surface to crack it, you are less likely to have little broken shell bits.
	Hard Cooked Eggs: This is my method for cooking a hard cooked egg. A perfectly cooked egg with no green ring around the yolk and done in the center.This is for large size eggs. Place eggs in pan with cold water just to cover. Bring to the boil and immediately reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cover with very cold water to stop cooking. I am sure you have your own successful method but this works for me.
	Flag Ice Cubes: Purchase a little bag of flags. Make ice cubes and watch when they have formed a crust on the top. Poke the toothpick through the crust and return to the freezer. The cubes will float on the drink proudly waving Old Glory.You may want to remove the flag as the liquid gets lower. You could end up with a flag up your nose or simply use a straw!!
	Grilled Pineapple Slices: Buy a peeled fresh pineapple or peel it yourself. Cut into 1 1/4” slices. With an apple corer or paring knife, remove center core. Marinate in a mixture of 1/4 cup dark rum, 1/2 cup brown sugar and a good dash of cinnamon. Let stand 1 hour. Grill, basting until lightly golden brown and serve with vanilla ice cream sprinkled with toasted Macadamia nuts.
	Cinnamon Powdered Sugar: I love to sprinkle coffee cakes or muffins with this mixture. I keep it in it’s own shaker in a plastic bag until needed. It’s also great on a puff of whipped cream on pumpkin pie. Almost to simple to suggest but here goes. Combine 1 cup powdered sugar and 1-2 tsp. cinnamon. Some spice shops sell vanilla powder. Add a teaspoon of this if available. Good stuff!
	Strawberry Lemonade Cooler: My favorite summer drink. Combine in blender a 16 oz. carton frozen strawberries, thawed, and a 12 oz. can of pink lemonade. Blend smooth. Put 1/2 cup mixture into glass, add ice cubes and fill glass with lemon sparkling water. Soooo refreshing!!
	Appetizer Tart Shells: Purchase thin sliced bread. Roll thinner and cut with a scalloped shaped cookie cutter. Brush each side with melted butter and fit slices into mini-muffin pan. Bake in a preheated 400F. oven for 8 -10 minutes or until lightly toasted. Fill with your favorite filling. These can be frozen for future use.
	Sinking Chocolate Chips?:Do you have problems with chocolate chips or nuts or these kind of things sinking when added to cake batter? Try this. Lightly spray chips with a cooking spray and dust with a little flour. Fold in by hand and things should stay in place.
	Oven-dried Cherry Tomatoes: Using 2 or 3 pints of cherry tomatoes, you can add a terrific flavor to any salad. Line a jelly roll pan with foil. Slice tomatoes in half from stem end to bottom. Place them cut side up on pan. Bake in the middle of oven at 200F. for 2 -3 hours. They will reduce to three quarters their size. Let dry further with oven off for 1 hour. Store in a jar and refrigerate. I have also used sliced Italian plum tomatoes. These should be soft and chewy.
	Easter Dinner Place Cards: Wasn’t Easter fun! Looking for that basket that the bunny left just for you? Buy each guest a small basket. Place in it a tinted egg with their name on. Add other candy goodies and wrap in cellophane and tie with a pretty bow. A place card can be tied onto the basket. Your guests will provide happy conversation of past Easter days. Every generation and family have had special ways to celebrate the day.
	Surprise Ice Cream Balls: Place paper liners in muffin tin. Slightly soften a rich dark chocolate ice cream or your favorite flavor. Scoop a large ball and place in liner. Press a chocolate covered cherry or truffle into ball. Smooth over with back of spoon. Return to freezer. Chop nut shop quality salted pecans. Roll balls in nuts. Return to freezer until serving time. Remove paper liner. Serve with a chocolate or hot fudge sauce. A fun dessert!
	* Roasted Garlic in Oil: When I roast garlic, I pop it out of the peel and put garlic cloves in a jar. I cover it with oil, olive or cooking type. To perk up that grilled sandwich or burger bun or roll just brush cut surface with oil and grill in fry pan until a toasty golden brown. Brush on meats to be grilled too.
	Eggs & Bacon: For cleaning ease, line a fry pan with foil. Cook bacon and remove from pan. Gather up foil and fry eggs in a clean pan. Only one pan to clean.
>	Horseradish Mustard: Let’s zip up that bland turkey or ham sandwich with this easy spread. Combine 2/3 cup grainy mustard, 1-2 Tbs. horseradish and 1 Tbs. packed brown sugar. Let stand and stir to dissolve sugar. Keep refrigerated.
	* Shake and Bake Breading: Place box of Stove Top Country Herb Stuffing Mix in the food processor and chop coarsely. Mix an equal amount of plain dry bread crumbs to this. When breading combine 1 egg, beaten with 1/2 cup milk. Pat meat or fish dry with toweling. Dip meat in egg mixture and then roll in crumbs. Place 1/4 cup of cooking oil on a jelly.

Yvonne's Recipe Corner!