Food Tips
As you can see, we are just getting started on our store of kitchen lore. Contributions will be greatly appreciated, so please send your tips to mgray@iupui.edu.
Growing your own herbs can be rewarding and cost-effective. Several, including oregano and thyme, are perennials.
Others, such as basil, must be planted each year, but grow fast and provide a bountiful harvest. As an alternative, indoor herb gardens are attractive, useful and even portable.
Gardening-guides.com has a nicely categorized section on herbs.
Keeping Produce Fresh
Contributed by Myrna Gray
Believe it or not, those Green Bags that you are seeing in the grocery store lately actually work! Lettuce does especially well in them. Be sure to dry your produce thoroughly. For more information, see www.greenbags.com.
A Healthy Snack
Contributed by Mary Guerriero Austrom, PhD
I love dried almonds and dried cranberries together for a quick healthy snack. It doesn't get any easier than this.
Banana Strings
Contributed by Internet Anonymous
Peel a banana from the bottom and you won't have to pick the little 'stringy things' off of it. That's how the primates do it.
Banana Freshness
Contributed by Internet Anonymous
Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store. If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster.
Cheese Freshness
Contributed by Internet Anonymous
Store your opened chunks of cheese in aluminum foil. It will stay fresh much longer and not mold!
Pepper Selection
Contributed by Internet Anonymous
Peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating. Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking.
Beef - Frying
Contributed by Internet Anonymous
Add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef. It will help pull the grease away from the meat while cooking.
Eggs - Richer omeletes
Contributed by Internet Anonymous
Add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef. It will help pull the grease away from the meat while cooking.
Brownies with Mint
Contributed by Internet Anonymous
For a cool brownie treat, make brownies as directed. Melt Andes mints in double broiler and pour over warm brownies. Let set for a wonderful minty frosting.
Garlic Strength
Contributed by Internet Anonymous
Add garlic immediately to a recipe if you want a light taste of garlic and at the end of the recipe if your want a stronger taste of garlic.
Snickers Leftover
Contributed by Internet Anonymous
Leftover snickers bars from Halloween make a delicious dessert. Simply chop them up with the food chopper. Peel, core and slice a few apples Place them in a baking dish and sprinkle the chopped candy bars over the apples. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes!!! Serve alone or with vanilla ice cream. Yummy!
Reheat Pizza
Contributed by Internet Anonymous
Heat up leftover pizza in a nonstick skillet on top of the stove, set heat to med-low and heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy micro pizza. I saw this on the cooking channel and it really works.
Easy Deviled Eggs
Contributed by Internet Anonymous
Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal, mash till they are all broken up. Add remainder of ingredients, reseal, keep mashing it up mixing thoroughly, cut the tip of the baggy, squeeze mixture into egg. Just throw bag away when done easy clean up.
Frosting - Expanding
Contributed by Internet Anonymous
When you buy a container of cake frosting from the store, whip it with your mixer for a few minutes. You can double it in size. You get to frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount. You also eat less sugar and calories per serving.
Reheating Refrigerated Bread
Contributed by Internet Anonymous
To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in a microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food moist and help it reheat faster.
Coupons and Shopping Tips
Contributed by Dr. Kunkle's Daughter
Health Snacks
Healthy Snacks for Kids (We are all kids aren't we!)