Measuring Techniques Liquids: Make sure you always are on a level surface when you measure liquids, and always use clear measuring cups. Get down at eye level to the cup while it's on your flat surface, and pour into it until you can see a level line across the desired measurement. Using Measuring Spoons: Always take a heaping spoonful of your ingredient on the spoon. Then take a straight object (i.e. the flat side of a knife) and level off to the lip of the spoon. All measurements using spoons are always levelled spoons. Measuring Brown Sugars and Shortening: Brown sugars present a different problem then dry ingredients. they must be packed into the measuring spoon to eliminate spaces that form because of it's moist nature. the same is true with shortening, and several other ingredients. Make sure you pack them full to get the right amount, and always level off to the lip of the cup. Measuring Butter: Instead of worrying about packing butter into a cup, check the label on the side of the stick. Often there are measurements on the side that make it easy to get the right amount. This also occurs on many lard and shortening containers. Substituting Equipment INSTEAD OF: Egg Beater: Use a wire whisk or if you are really desperate hold 2 forks together (facing inward). Sifter: Try a sieve and a wooden spoon to stir flour through. Works great. Steamer: Put a custard cup or empty tuna fish can in a pot. Place a heatproof dish with food to be steamed on top. Then add boiling water but don't allow the water to touch the plate. Cover your pot and let steam. Cookie Cutter: Use a drinking glass. Coat the rim with flour first, so it wont stick to the dough as much. This will have to be repeated during the cutting process. Insulated Cookie Sheet:: Use two regular cookie sheets. Place one on top of the other. Rolling Pin: Use a wooden dowel or an empty bottle Crock Pot: Use a tightly covered casserole dish in 200 degree oven for 8 hours . Double Boiler: Use any type of small ovenproof glass or earthenware bowl. Put it in a skillet with about 1/2 inch of water. Actually this works better because you will be able to control the heat of the water if it boils too much or if the water gets low you can add more. Also the sauce you are making will cook more evenly. Variety Of Tips Ice Cubes Sticking: When you make lots of ice cubes for a party and then put them in one container, do they end up sticking to one another? Here is a trick. Next time you need to store lots of ice cubes just dump the cubes into a brown paper bag before placing them into the freezer and you're guaranteed not to get a large clumpy "iceberg". Cake "holes": Keep your cakes "hole" free. After mixing batter run a knife through it. It'll remove any air holes in your finished baked cake. Chicken Soup Trick: Here is a great tip on easy clean up when making chicken soup. Put whole chicken, vegetables, herbs, spices, etc into a disposable cheesecloth bag. All the flavorful goodness will strain out through the orous fabric and the messy "glop" will stay in the bag. Double Boiler: Keep the water level up in your double boiler by placing a few marbles in the bottom of the boiler. They'll let you know when the water gets too low and it will keep you from ruining the pan. Instant Message Board: All those messages and grocery lists can clutter up a kitchen fast. Paint the inside of a cupboard door with chalkboard paint and presto - you have a perfect message board and it's out of sight! Plastic Wrap: Having trouble finding the edge of your plastic wrap? Take piece of ordinary scotch tape and touch it to the roll until you locate the edge. Homemade Potpourri: Add a few teaspoons of sugar and cinnamon to an empty metal pie plate and slowly heat on the stove. Your home will smell like a bakery! Fish Odor: To remove the odor of fish from cooking implements, rinse in vinegar water. Salt Shaker: Tightly wrap a piece of aluminum foil around the salt shaker to keep the dampness out of the salt. Keep 5 - 10 grains of rice inside a salt shaker to prevent clogging. Cereal: Heat soggy cereal or crackers on a cookie sheet for a few minutes to bring back the snap. Crisp those Chips: Place stale chips under the broiler for just a few moments to crisp them right up. Cookies: Cookies will stay fresher if you place crushed tissue paper in the bottom of your cookie jar. Crackers: Crackers will stay crisp when wrapped tightly and stored in the refrigerator. Place 1/2 apple in the cake box to keep cakes fresh. Prevent Spattering: To keep frying food from spattering, invert a metal colander over the pan, allowing the steam to escape. Sprinkle a little salt into the frying pan to prevent spattering. Prevent Sticking: Boil vinegar in a brand new frying pan to keep food from sticking. Always heat the frying pan before adding oil or butter. This will keep food from sticking. Electric Fry Pan: When frying in your electric fry pan, prop up one side slightly and fry on the elevated side for grease-free cooking. Broiling: When broiling meats on a rack, place a slice of bread in the broiler pan to soak up the fat. This also reduces the chances of a "fat fire". Hamburger Patty Trick: Poke a hole in the middle of the hamburger patties while shaping them. The burgers will cook faster and the holes will disappear when done. Brown Sugar: To soften rock-hard brown sugar, simply add a slice of soft bread to the package and close the bag tightly. In a few hours the sugar will be soft again. grate the sugar with a hand grater for immediate results. Or: set the sugar alongside a cup of water in a covered pan and place in the oven on low heat. Corn Silks: Dampen a paper towel or cloth towel and brush downward on the corn cob. Every strand of corn silk should come right off. Sticky Noodles: Add a lump of butter or a few teaspoons of cooking oil to the water. Rice. noodles or spaghetti will not boil over nor stick together. Honey or Syrup: Before measuring honey or syrup, rinse the cup in hot water or use the cup to measure oil first. Freeze honey in small freezer containers to prevent sugaring. It thaws quickly. Prevent Scorched Milk: Add a bit of sugar (without stirring) to milk to prevent from scorching. Rinse the pan in cold water before scalding milk and it will be much easier to clean. Olive Oil: Olive oil will stay fresh longer if you add a cube of sugar to the bottle. Popcorn: Popcorn should always be stored in the freezer. This helps prevent unpopped kernels. Cocoa: Cocoa stays fresher when kept in a glass jar in a cool, dry place. Marshmallows: Marshmallows won't dry out when frozen. Raisins: For plumper raisins, soak in orange juice and store in the refrigerator.           Help keep Mystical Meadows on the Web! All donations will go towards the hosting fees and prizes for our SOTY. All contents of this site are copyright ©Mystical Meadows. Graphics herein made exclusively for Mystical Meadows.