GREAT HINTS!! --

• Always read the recipe over at least once before starting.
• Always use the very best ingredients you can afford.
• Flour is the primary ingredient in baking and you should always have good quality flour on hand.
• Unless stated otherwise, it is assumed you will have the rack in the center position.
• Completely cool a baking pan or sheet before reusing it.
• Different oven controls react in different ways, therefore most baking temps given in recipes are suggestions only.
• Unless stated otherwise, all ingredients should be at room temperature.
• If you are adding flour and liquids alternately, be sure the flour is the first and last ingredient added.
• If butter is used in place of vegetable shortening, the amount of butter should be at least ¼ more than the amount of shortening.
• It is best to cream butter by itself before adding the sugar.
• A dark metal pan or baking sheet will bake faster than a shiny metal pan.
• Glass containers cook baked goods faster than metal ones.
• On the average, it should take from 8 to 10 minutes to properly cream butter and sugar using the slow or medium speed of a hand-held electric mixer. Do not use high speed to cream the 2 ingredients.
• When melted chocolate is added to a batter, add it immediately after creaming the fat and sugar and before any eggs or liquid.
• A high sugar content in a cookie dough increases the chance of excessive spreading while baking. When making cookies, remember that most crisp cookies are made from very stiff doughs.
• A large amount of baking soda in a cookie dough causes spreading, as does over creaming of the sugar and fat or if the oven temp is too low.

Flour Leveler -- A chopstick makes a perfect leveling tool when measuring dry ingredients. Keep one in your flour and sugar canisters so it is handy when you need it.
Folding IN!! -- To fold together two ingredients, such as whipped cream into a custard, first stir a spoonful of the cream into the custard to lighten it, then turn that mixture into the whipped cream. Using a rubber spatula, cut straight down through the center of the mixture then turn the spatula toward you and lift up. Turn the bowl an inch or two and repeat. Continue the folding procedure, working quickly around the bowl, just until no streaks remain.
Grease and Flour Pans? -- When a chocolate cake requires greasing and flouring the pans, try using COCOA instead of flour. When the cake is done, there will be no white flour residue on your cake and it adds flavor.

OVEN Baking -- Make sure your oven has been pre-heated for 15 to 20 minutes before placing a cake in. Always bake on a middle shelf in the oven, the heat will circulate more evenly.
  When you Boil water, place a lid on the pot and the water will come to a boil in a shorter period of time - saving at least 10 minutes.

Boiling Foods takes longer to cook on Bad-Weather days due to the atmospheric pressure.

Never Salt Food to be Fried -- It will draw moisture to the surface and cause splattering in the hot oil.
Deep-Fat Frying -- Before heating the fat, add one tablespoon white vinegar to minimize the amount of fat absorbed by the frying food. The food will also taste less greasy.

WHICH OIL??

Oil is a refined liquid made from extracts of seeds, nuts, fruits and occasionally animal fats. Cooking oils have been processed to be relatively flavorless, odorless and to keep for a period of time. They are divided into 5 groups:
Delicate, aromatic oils (sesame, walnut, grape) -- These oils should be always stored in the refrigerator. Use sparingly in salads and for stir-frying.
Polyunsaturated oils (sunflower, safflower, corn and some blended oils) -- Believed to help control blood fats, these oils can be used in deep or shallow-frying, as they have a good tolerance to high temperatures.
Mono-unsaturated (peanut, olive and sesame) -- These oils break down at high temperatures and should not be used for deep-frying. They have an excellent flavor for salads. If the flavor is too strong, reduce by mixing an equal quantity of polyunsaturated oil. Olive oil, particularly virgin olive oil, is excellent for salads.
Saturated oils (coconut and animal oils) -- These oils are very strong and not really recommended for general cooking.
Solidified oils -- These are processed to make them solid at room temperature. They are slightly cheaper and are recommended for deep and shallow frying. Used and unused oils should never be mixed. Buy only sufficient oil to be used within two months. Oils may be used several times, strained and stored (except for aromatic oils) in a tightly sealed container away from light.
CAUTION: If you overheat your oil and it begins to smoke, this is a sign that the oil has started to break down and should be discarded. The smoky taste will penetrate the food, and at this stage the oil can easily burst into flames.
Is the OIL Hot Enough? -- Stick the handle of a wooden spoon in the center of the pan of oil. If bubbles form around the wood, it's ready.
Cooking at Higher Altitude Levels -- 5,000 ft. elevation of altitude will take longer. Water boils at 203° instead of the standard 212°.
Making sure the Breading Stays Put -- Make sure the food is very dry and the eggs are room temperature. Do not overbeat the eggs. After you apply the breading, place the food in the refrigerator for 1 hour before allowing the food to remain out for 20 minutes before frying.

Never use Plastic Wrap in the Microwave since when the foods become hot, chemicals from the wrap can be released into the food. Waxed paper, paper towels or a plate work well.
When you Broil in your oven, make sure you leave the door AJAR to prevent any 'roasting' process.
Slow Cooker Mess! -- Hate to spend time cleaning the baked on mess in your slow cooker or crockpot? Before you start the recipe, place a turkey size browning bag in your cooker and put the ingredients inside the bag. After serving your dinner, just take the bag out and throw it away.
Neat Casserole Trick -- When you are baking a covered casserole, keep your dish and oven neat by propping the lid open just a bit with a toothpick. This will prevent the casserole from bubbling over.

Equivalent Measures

3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon 16 tablespoons = 1 cup

4 tablespoons = ¼ cup 2 cups = 1 pint

5 1/3 tablespoons = 1/3 cup 4 cups = 1 quart

8 tablespoons = ½ cup 4 quarts = 1 gallon

Eliminating Splattering and Sticking -- When pan frying or sautèing, always heat your pan before adding the butter or oil. Not even eggs stick with this method!

  Never Miss an Ingredient! -- Before starting a recipe, I put all the ingredients and supplies on the counter. As I use each item, I put the ingredient away and any dirty bowls or utensils in the dishwasher. When I am ready to put the dish in the oven, my counter is clear, so I know there is nothing left to add to the recipe. It's a great way to avoid losing your place if you get interrupted while cooking .... and it gives you a head start on cleanup, too.

How OLD are the FROZEN VEGETABLES! -- To be sure you are purchasing quality frozen vegetables, check for freshness by shaking the package -- they should be loose and pourable. If vegetables are clumped, they have been thawed and refrozen.

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