Category Archives: Tools, Tips & Tricks

January 4, 2012

Tools Tips and Tricks with Jennifer Lanne

Jennifer Lanne knows a thing or two about fresh eggs. Her tip today comes straight from her heart and her experience!

BakingTip: Use Good Eggs

I’m a big proponent for handmade over mass production…this even applies to the eggs.

There is a noticeable visual difference in fresh eggs over store bought as well as nutritional. Free range chickens produce eggs with much darker yolks, richer in folic acid, Vitamin B and omega-3’s.

We are fortunate to have hens at home that lay for us. But for those that don’t, local farms are a great source for good eggs. Always opt for organic, cage free or free range eggs at your grocery. They may cost a little bit more…but worth the penny.

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December 21, 2011

Tools, Tips and Tricks with Kathy Petersen

When you live with a chronic illness, as Kathy Petersen does, you learn to modify your diet and lifestyle. Kathy’s tip is perfect for those who have learned, or are learning to change they way they eat so they can feel better.

A few years ago I was diagnosed with Meniere’s disease, something that sounds much worse than it is. Meniere’s is an imbalance in the fluid in your ears and can make you dizzy and affect your balance as well as your hearing. Sodium plays a big role in Meniere’s and as part of my treatment my doctor told me I could either take a water pill every day or drastically limit my sodium intake. I would much rather change my diet than rely on a pill, so I chose to limit my sodium. However, this was a very big adjustment, especially for someone who loves to cook and eat as much as I do.

I set out to find ways to season my food without any sodium. A great tip for using less sodium is flavored vinegars and oils. Balsamic vinegar replaces soy sauce beautifully, even in marinades. Some of my favorites are Don Carlos olive oil and basil olive oil from Vom Fass in Jackson Hole, Wyoming or in their online store. If you can find a specialty store that samples different oils and vinegars, then “bon appetite,” I am sure you won’t be disappointed and will find some delicious new oils and vinegars to buy!

Another one of my favorites for no salt seasoning is Kirkland brand, “no salt seasoning,” from Costco. It has almost every seasoning imaginable in it, except salt and it is delicious on everything. It has replaced many spice jars in all three of my homes!

Thanks so much for these great no-salt tips Kathy! What great ideas for cutting out unnecessary sodium from our lives!

Remember to enter our amazing giveaway from They Draw & Cook! Giveaway closes TONIGHT!!!

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December 14, 2011

Tools, Tips & Tricks with Gooseberry Patch

Over the years the ladies at Gooseberry Patch have had the opportunity to collect so many wonderful holiday gift ideas. We are so lucky today to have them share some of their favorites with you!

Everyone loves swapping treats for the holidays, and when they’re made with love and wrapped with imagination, they bring out the kid in all of us. We love giving little treats to teachers, neighbors, co-workers or just making an anonymous drop-off to someone who’s been extra nice this year.

Seems like from the very first day, however, December is filled with places to go and things to do. How to satisfy the desire to give something from the heart of your home and not spend hours and hours in the kitchen? Today’s tips are our very best super-simple treats to make…store-bought ingredients and a little inspiration are all you need to whip up some goodies in a jiffy!

Big and little kids will love getting a homemade S’mores Kit, and it’s so simple to put together. Arrange packages of graham crackers, marshmallows and chocolate bars inside a cheery enamelware pail. Be sure to slip in our recipe for Snow Cocoa too. Made in a slow cooker, this creamy white cocoa is ready for everyone to enjoy after their frosty outdoor fun!

We love using refrigerated cookie dough to make short work of holiday cookies. There’s almost no end to the ways you can dress them up! Cut them into minis and sandwich a little icing in between, roll the edges in colored sugar or chop up some gumdrops to blend into the dough before baking. We like to fill a vintage-style tin or cut-glass jelly jar with these…a wide-mouth mason jar would work too!

Pile three chubby chocolate-dipped marshmallows in a cello bag and tie with a pretty ribbon and you’re sure to make their day. They’re so easy to make…just melt a cup of your favorite chips with a teaspoon of oil in the microwave. Use a toothpick to dip marshmallows and, while chocolate is still wet, sprinkle with crushed peppermint, jimmies or colorful chocolate candies. Let them firm up on some waxed paper in the fridge and they’re ready to give!

Here’s another super-quick snack you can make and give! This only takes three ingredients: a bag of waffle-shaped pretzels, some of our favorite striped chocolate kisses and another bag of candy-coated chocolates. Line up your pretzels on a parchment-lined baking sheet, top each with a chocolate kiss and pop the whole sheet in a 170-degree oven for about 5 minutes. You just want to soften up the chocolate a little. Take ‘em out and press a candy-coated chocolate into the melty kiss and let cool. Chill in the fridge before packing up to give in cello bags. Add a twist of ribbon and you have yourself several gifts to hand out…and some snacks to enjoy too!

Thank you for these wonderful tips! These are great ideas to make neighbor and teacher gifts so much easier this year!

Remember to enter Pieography! Share your original recipe with us for a chance to win $1000 before Thursday, December 15!

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December 7, 2011

Tools Tips and Tricks with Terry Walters

I am really thrilled about the tips from Terry Walters. Her love of clean eating really comes through in her kitchen and her food and makes me want to eat healthier!

I suspect it will come as no surprise that I like things nourishing, simple and CLEAN! That’s the way I cook, and that’s the way I like to keep my kitchen, too! I don’t have a lot of gadgets, but I do have some favorites.

Eating clean means eating all the colors of the rainbow. But in our home, green is the most important color! Dark leafy greens like kale and collard greens are a rich source of calcium and minerals and are part of our daily diet. They’re made easy with 1) a super-large wooden cutting board for chopping so that we don’t end up with greens all over the kitchen, and 2) a cast iron skillet for the perfect sauté!

My pantry is another place I like to keep clean and organized, and that can be a challenge when you buy a lot of whole grains, nuts and legumes in bulk. Mason jars are my pantry lifesaver! Everything stays fresh, I can easily see exactly what I’ve got in pantry, and they have great personality. You can find mason jars everywhere from kitchen stores to hardware stores to antique shops and they make great containers for homemade gifts, too!

For more great tips on clean eating from Terry Walters, go pick up your issue of Where Women Cook!

P.S. Don’t forget to enter your pie recipe by Dec. 15th for the chance to win a chapter in our upcoming cookbook and $1,000 for the best submission!

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November 9, 2011

Tools, Tips & Tricks with Tina Haupert

After finishing college, Tina Haupert found herself 20 pounds overweight. She knew she hadn’t been taking the best care of herself on a diet of nachos and beer and very little exercise. She took matters into her own hands and in the time since she has lost the weight, kept it off and began to run marathons.

Tina shares with us her favorite “Skinny” Cooking Tools this week. These are items that have made all the difference in not only losing the weight, but keeping it off.

Cuisinart Elite Collection 4-Cup Chopper/Grinder: This grinder is the best little gadget! It’s perfect for chopping extra veggies to throw into soup, an omelet, or casserole. But it’s also great for making my favorite low-calorie treats, like yummy, high-protein Almond Joy “Ice Cream”. I actually like this version better than real ice cream and it comes with a fraction of the calories and fat.

Old-fashioned oats: I eat old-fashioned oats almost every day—either for breakfast in a big bowl of oatmeal or as a snack, like in my 3-Minute Oatmeal Raisin Cookie. Old-fashioned oats are delicious and so satisfying, thanks to the 3 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein in each 150-calorie serving—and a little goes a long way! I’m never left wanting more after eating oats.

Teddie Peanut Butter: Where would my life be without peanut butter? Teddie is all natural and tastes just like smooth, ground peanuts. Even though peanut butter is relatively high in calories, Teddie Peanut Butter sticks to my ribs and keeps me full for hours. It’s worth the calories for the serious satisfaction factor! If I add a couple of spoonfuls to my morning bowl of oats, I’m not hungry until lunchtime.

Mario Batali Measuring Prep Bowls: These bowls have measuring cup numbers on the inside, so it’s easy to keep track of portion size—especially with high-calorie treats like ice cream. Plus, their small size makes snacks seem much more plentiful when they fill up the small bowl. In the end, I eat less, and the number on the scale stays the same.

Cuisinart 12-Cup Coffee Maker: Iced coffee with vanilla soy milk pretty much tastes like dessert to me. It’s the perfect low-calorie treat to satisfy my sweet tooth and it tastes so delicious on a warm, spring day. And, of course, an iced coffee is a wonderful pick-me-in in the morning or mid-afternoon.

What great tips Tina! Thank you so much! Be sure to learn more about Tina in the latest issue of Where Women Cook!

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November 2, 2011

Tools, Tips and Tricks with Krystina Castella

November is here and that means that holiday baking is right around the corner. Krystina Castella, offers some wonderful tips on how to keep your baking at it’s best!

10 Cookie Troubleshooting Solutions

1. The bottoms burn while the tops are not yet cooked: You need an insulator. Use an insulted baking pan or parchment paper, or stack two pans together to create a double layer. Make sure the cookie sheet is placed in the middle of the oven.

2. Cookies are too flat: Too-soft butter was the most likely culprit. Next time, refrigerate the dough for 20 to 30 minutes before baking.

3. Cookies look fine in the oven but flatten out when removed: Too much air was beaten into the dough while creaming. Don’t worry; they will still taste good.

4. Rolled-cookie dough is too sticky to roll: Remember that the dough will also pick up flour from the work surface and rolling pin. If that won’t be enough, chill the dough for 1 hour and see whether that helps. If not, then add a bit more flour to reach the desired consistency.

5. Cookies are too hard: Soften in an airtight container with a piece of bread or fresh sliced apple. The cookies will absorb the moisture.

6. Cookies are overbaked: Make small test batches. Prepare 4 or 5 cookies at the preheated temperature and test the dough consistency and baking times. Adjust for the full batches.

7. Cookies are too dry and crumbly: This is something you can observe when the dough is prepared. There might be too much flour or too little liquid or shortening in the dough. Don’t pack the flour in the measuring cups. If you have this problem in the dough again, add more butter or a few tablespoons of milk next time.

8. Sides of the cookies fuse together: Leave more space between them on the pans: 1 inch for cutout cookies, at least 2 inches for drop cookies. No harm will be done if you leave more space than you think you need.

9. Cookies stick to the cookie sheet: The cookie sheet was not adequately greased or the cookies were left on the sheet to cool too long. Next time use parchment paper or grease. For now, reheat the cookies at the recipe baking temperature for 2 to 3 minutes and remove.

10. Cookies baked unevenly: The dough is not thoroughly mixed, the cookies are different sizes, or there are hot spots in the oven. Mix dough thoroughly, make cookies the same size, and rotate sheets in the oven.

Thank you so much for these great tips Krystina!! Be sure to check out Krystina’s new book that was just released yesterday, Crazy About Cakes, for more great recipes and baking tips!

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October 26, 2011

Tools, Tips & Tricks with Megan Butters Rae

Living on a farm means having access to a plentiful harvest every year. It is easy to find ways to extend the shelf life of most produce, but when it comes to fresh greens, most people are at a loss as to what to do. You hate to throw it away, and sometimes can’t give it away. So, what do you do with these glorious greens when they all come in at once and you have more than you can use?

Megan Butters Rae offers this fabulous tip. Freeze it! She freezes her kale and chard to use later in soups and stews throughout the year. Just stack the leafy greens in a freezer container, no need to blanch at all.

When taken out of the freezer, if you’re quick, you can watch them shatter like glass (fun science experiment for those with kids!). The kale and chard thaw very quickly.