Search Results for: blog pass the salt

Passing On the Pie: Other Pumpkin Desserts

For some, Thanksgiving is just not Thanksgiving without a traditional pumpkin pie. For others, the holiday is a great excuse to experiment with new pumpkin recipes. My family falls into an in-between category. We love pumpkin pie, but there are several of us who also enjoy sampling new pumpkin desserts. Over the years, the following pumpkin recipes have become welcome members at our Thanksgiving buffet: PUMPKIN SPICE CAKE 1 (18.25-ounce) package spice cake mix 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin 3 eggs 1 teaspoon cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease a 9-inch by 13-inch baking … Continue reading →

Eight More Hardy Fish for Your Saltwater Aquarium

Although there are hundreds of fish available for saltwater aquarium keepers, some are easier to keep than others. If you are just starting out in the saltwater aquarium hobby, you might want to consider some hardy breeds that have a better chance of surviving tank mistakes. Here are a few more choices that may work well in a beginner tank: Hawkfishes — these saltwater fish are VERY hardy. Larger species of hawkfish may prey on smaller fish. Smaller hawkfish can do well in a community tank if introduced after peaceful species have already settled in. Comets — these fish are … Continue reading →

Flourless Chocolate Torte for Passover

This is a surprisingly delicious cake–I must admit. I was fairly skeptical when I pulled together the ingredients. But the result is moderately low in fat (well as low as a chocolate cake can be) and still yielded a rich, delicious and moist torte. So if you’re looking for something to serve during Passover, here is one tasty experiment in unleavened goodness. You will need: 1/2 cup matzo meal 1/3 cup walnuts 2 large eggs 1 1/4 cups sugar, divided 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 cup grated peeled apple, preferably Red Delicious 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 2 ounces bittersweet … Continue reading →

Pass the Salt, Part II

I love finding uses for something easy to obtain, affordable, and generally a product people already have around the house. So, continuing where we left off in Pass the Salt, here are some more tips: Very Clean Vases Have you ever left flowers in a vase too long? Yuck. You can use salt to scrub away the telltale ring inside the vase. If you can’t reach the ring, even with a brush, you can simply fill the vase with a strong solution of hot salt water. Allow it to sit until the water cools then carefully cover the mouth of … Continue reading →

Pass the Salt

You will find all kinds of tips, hints, tricks, and ideas posted on websites and of course, in all those magazines at the checkout. Most are intended to make life simpler and often, to help save money. Using salt in various ways can do both. Think about it. Before all these fancy products, what kinds of things did people use? Salt, was one of them. A 26-ounce canister of table salt generally costs less than a dollar. I recently found the store brand for 33 cents, so I grabbed more than one. I have heard salt mentioned many times as … Continue reading →

Hawaiian Style Holiday Gifts—Fruit Salsa and Passion Fruit Dressing

While my daughter and I have been icing cookies and dipping pretzel rods in chocolate my best friend in Hawaii has been busy whipping up her own holiday treats. Though hers are decidedly more savory than sweet. My pal Lisa’s handiwork serves as the inspiration for this blog. Her holiday recipes for fruit salsa and passion fruit dressing prove that fancy sweets aren’t the only homemade holiday treats that can be doled out to friends and co-workers. In fact, these recipes offer a welcome change to the traditional sweets given this time of year. Just package each in individual jars … Continue reading →

Cooking Skills for Kids: A New Mini Feature to the Food Blog

Tuesday was baking day this week. My oldest daughter has decided that during the holidays, she wants to bake something nice and give it away. So we set out to make Nestle Toll House Pie. It was her idea so I really wanted to let her do all the work. So I did. I helped her decipher the directions so she didn’t waste ingredients by ruining something when she wanted to add 1 ½ cups of salt because she missed that the recipe said teaspoon, but when it all came down to it, it was her product. I watched. I … Continue reading →

Tex Mex Marinade and Dr. Pepper Marinade–Too Interesting to Pass Up!

A few days ago I wrote about Mary’s Marinating Stick a brand new product on the kitchen gadget market. I figured it would only be suiting to offer a follow up article on marinating meat the old fashioned way. Marinades do two things: they tenderize meat and they flavor it. Marinades work by breaking down proteins in the meat to make it more tender. The enzymes in a marinade are not activated until they are heated so you are not tenderizing your meat when you stick it in the fridge overnight. You are flavoring it. The trick to making a … Continue reading →

Shopping List and Tidbits for the Food Blog April 1 – April 6

As many of you know, the bloggers were on a brief hiatus. They ended their brief hiatus right before we left on our vacation to Disney World. However, you can keep reading the food blog because I am back and posting daily! Although this is a short week, here is your weekly shopping list. Don’t forget: I want this to be as useful for my readers as possible so if you have formatting suggestions please feel free to comment or send me a private message! If you’re lost and can’t figure out what exactly this is all about. . .check … Continue reading →

Let’s Talk Pregnancy Blog Top Ten – Ways to Break the News

I distinctly remember the ancient Full House episode in which Aunt Becky attempts to announce her pregnancy to Uncle Jesse during a family game of Pictionary. First she drew a wheel of cheese, then I think she mocked cutting it in half, then came a bottle of ink, and of course a picture of a baby. Cheese. Half. Ink. A baby? Sheeeeshalvingababy? She’s having a baby! And the Tanner family erupted with congratulatory whelping. There’s more than one way to break the news of your pregnancy to family, friends and significant others, so why not make it really fun – … Continue reading →