Mom Money-Saving Tip 107

How often do you find yourself throwing out stale bread?  Here’s an easy way to use up those long-forgotten part-loaves hiding in the back of your fridge.  Make fresh bread crumbs.

Easiest Lunch Ever!

Starting in 7th grade I ate the same lunch almost every day for six years—a homemade tuna salad sandwich.  Strangely I never tired of it.  Recently I have returned to this lunch, although I may substitute a tortilla or whole wheat toast for the white bread.

Back to Basics: Making Whole Wheat Bread

In this stressful time when movie theaters have closed, the NBA season has been suspended and restaurants are only offering take-out in an attempt to thwart the coronavirus, food shopping can be a nightmare.  If you’re worried about having a steady supply of bread, now is the time to learn how to make it.

Question for Mom

I like bananas but often they become over-ripe or turn black before I can eat them.  How can I use them up? –Shirley Z.

Super-soft bananas are one reason why Banana Bread was invented.  Here’s my Chocolate Banana Bread recipe.  My family loves it. 
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When You're Having a Bad Day

When my day is not going right and I need to cheer myself up, I reach for a piece of crusty bread.  Add some butter, and nothing could taste better!

Mom Cooking Tip 168

Using yeast but don’t know where you should place your dough to rise?  Use your oven. Turn it on to 325 degrees for 45 seconds to warm it up just a bit.  Then turn off the heat, put your dough in a large bowl, cover it with a tea towel and place the bowl on the bottom oven rack to rise.

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Mom Cooking Tip 167

If you are just learning to bake or are trying a new baking recipe, it’s a good idea to check whatever you are baking 5 minutes before it’s supposed to be done.  Your oven may be hotter than it should be…or the recipe writer could have made an error.  If you over-bake bread, cakes or cookies, there’s nothing you can do.  By checking 5 minutes early you may discover your dish is done and you can remove it from the oven.  If it’s not done, you have not harmed it by opening the door.  Just let it bake for the additional 5 minutes.  However, don’t open the oven door every 5 minutes during baking.  That will change the temperature of the oven and will impact the end result.

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Question for Mom

Clover-Leaf Rolls Potato Rolls

 Any suggestions on how to use up leftover mashed potatoes? – Claire Z.

I like to add a few tablespoons of mashed potatoes to soup and stir until combined.  The potatoes will thicken the soup and possibly turn it into a one-dish meal—a plus on a busy night.  I might make mashed potato pancakes. Sometimes I add mashed potatoes to Shakshuka.   Clover-Leaf Potato Rolls are a nice addition at dinner. 

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Question for Mom

Onion Quiche

A lot of recipes say to preheat the oven before putting food in to cook.  Are there any dishes you can bake without preheating?  --Amy V.

When you’re baking cakes, pies, cookies, quiches, bagels or anything made with yeast, pre-heating the oven is very important.  Just a few days ago I put my pizza stone in the oven but forgot to turn on the heat.  When I was about to slide my homemade pizza onto the stone, I suddenly realized my mistake. 

So the uncooked pizza sat on the counter on the pizza paddle until

The Dangers of Autopiloting in the Kitchen

I have made hundreds of loaves of whole wheat bread over the years, and the ingredients/directions are tattooed on my brain – or so I thought until this morning.  We were running out of bread so I decided to make some more.

Easy peasy, as my kids used to say.  Out came the yeast, water, sugar, flour and all the other ingredients I keep on hand just for bread-making.  At least a decade ago I stopped looking at the recipe because I knew it by heart.  

What Is Panko and How Do I Use It?

Crab Cakes Coated in Panko Crumbs

Panko are Japanese breadcrumbs, which are larger than cornmeal and normal breadcrumbs and are crunchier than either.  Panko crumbs are made from plain white bread which has been baked in a special procedure to dry them out and keep a bread crust from forming. 

Why bother getting panko crumbs?

Mom Money-Saving Tip 100

If you have stale French bread, slice it into 1-inch pieces and heat the slices for 30 seconds in a microwave.  They will soften up, although they probably won’t taste very good. Lay the softened slices on a baking sheet and top with olive oil, chopped garlic, oregano and other spices.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes and serve as garlic bread slices.

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Eggs, Bread, Cheese and Pasta

If I were alone on a desert Island for a week, I’d want eggs, bread, cheese and pasta, plus some olive oil, garlic, salt and black pepper, if possible.  Whenever I’m cooking just for myself, these are the foods I turn to.  I may supplement them with salad and chocolate, but I could survive just on these four basics.

Too Much Sliced French Bread?

I like my carbohydrates, so whenever I see French bread on sale I buy a loaf.  I tend to ignore the probability that I have three uneaten loaves in the freezer.

Mom Cooking Tip 144

Keep a loaf of French bread in the freezer – if it won't fit, cut it in half or thirds .  Warm French bread is good for emergencies.  Make garlic bread or simply heat and slice the bread and serve it with butter.

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Mom Money-Saving Tip 91

To keep bread from getting stale, do not refrigerate it.  Store it at room temperature or in the freezer.

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Mom Money-Saving Tip 90

Why buy breadcrumbs when you can easily make your own?  If you’re dealing with traditional store-bought bread, 1 3-ounce slice makes about 1 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs. If you dry it in the oven, the slice makes 1/4 cup dried bread crumbs.

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When in Doubt, Make Cornbread

Sometimes dinner needs some extra oomph.  Maybe I didn’t buy enough meat, or the vegetables are a little limp.  Or I forgot to cook the baked potatoes.

Hot cornbread, fresh from the oven, served with a jar of honey or a chunk of butter, will make everyone feel much better. It takes 5 minutes to prepare and just 20 minutes to bake.

Gumbo and Garlic Bread

Normally I would think twice before recommending a mix.  However, after my whole family loved the soup that was based on a box of Zatarain's Gumbo Mix, I feel comfortable mentioning it.  We even fought over the leftovers, and that is unheard of in our house.

Mom Cooking Tip 122

Vegetable Quiche

If your quiche mixture seems too runny, add 1/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs before baking to absorb some of the extra liquid.

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