Cooking Tips

Here are a few things I have learned over the years...

Getting the middle to set...
Ever bake something and the middle will just not get done, or set up, in the allotted cooking time? Here is my trick. Before you let the whole thing over-bake just to get the middle done, make a tent out of foil and place loosely over the baking item. This will keep the edges from burning and drying out. You might have to bake the item for five extra minutes, but this should save burning the whole thing up.

Icing, Glaze alternative...
When making a bundt cake or some sort of breakfast loaf, consider this alternative to a greased/floured pan. Make a small bowl of cinnamon/sugar and use it in the place of flour on your greased pan. The edges will be crispy and sugary when your item is turned out of the pan. Just add some berries or other fresh fruit and you will be set!

Coffee tips, ideas....

For a unique smooth, flavorful coffee blend simply go to your grocery store, to the section that sells loose coffee...the area where you can select the beans into a provided little bag and grind them on site. Well, the trick is to put a little bit of ALL the flavors of coffee in your bag. Yup. All of them. Hazelnut, with French Vanilla, with Irish Cream...whatever special flavors they have, put a little of all of them in the bag, then pour that mixture into the grinder and blend away! It doesn’t taste like anything you have ever had before. It makes the house sell amazing and the taste is unique. It is also a perfect way to make hostess gifts or Christmas gifts...you can call it “(Insert Your Name Here)’s Special Blend”....I’m telling you this works. You can do the same thing with the decaf varieties...or make yours half/half...the creativity is all up to you.

My personal coffee tip when brewing a pot at home, is to put a little pinch of cinnamon on top of the coffee grounds. Not at ton...just one shake. Trust me, it is disastrous if you think the more cinnamon the better...I did that. The cinnamon is ground so finely that it is difficult for the water to filter through, so the water backs up, spills over into your water reservoir and ruins your coffee maker. Yeah, I did that. So one shake, pinch...just a little tad. But it mellows out the coffee and makes it easier on your stomach. Odd, I know, but it works.