Cooking With Gogi » Tips and Shortcuts

RE: INSTANT TEA

Cooking With Gogi — Wed, 07 May 2008 20:33:48 +0000

Here is a tip on instant tea. Some people like the instant lemon, sugared tea. When I buy the Lipton mix I also buy the Lipton plain instant tea. I combine the two and it is not quite as strong with sugar or lemon. None of us should have a lot of sugar or lemon especailly those of us with acid reflex. Those are the fringe benefits you get after age 50.

I also do this with the raspberry flavored tea. In fact we not only use the raspberry tea for "tea time", I use the mix from the can in my punches that I fix for parties or get-to-gethers.

Just a thought

Gogi

WAYS TO USE A MEATBALL

Cooking With Gogi — Mon, 05 May 2008 19:24:08 +0000

Here is suggestion that might help you out if you are in a bind at the last minute.

I make spaghetti sauce and put it in the freezer in quart containers. That way if I have company I can pull out one or more depending on how much sauce I need. I purchase a 5 lb. sack of meatballs from the store and keep them in the freezer and also make sure I have plenty of spaghetti noodles and canned mushroom soup on hand.

Once I do this my options are numerous. I can now have:

spaghetti and meatball dinner

pick up some fresh sub buns and have meat ball sandwiches

meatballs and mushroom gravy as a main dish for dinner

slice meatballs and have meatball and mushroom soup ( or leave whole)

I am not stating quantities because that depends on the size of your family or number of guests.

Think ahead

Gogi

RE: MEGA FOOD PORTIONS

Cooking With Gogi — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 18:47:15 +0000

We are told over and over again not to take large portions of food. Controled portions of food help you to maintain and lose weight. Mega portions mean more calories and a weight gain. This is not exactly true. Very strict diets can make you feel deprived and always hungry. What you choose to eat has a lot to do with it. Soups such as Progresso Light provide a full serving of vegetables and can help you control calories without that empty bowl feeling. A good salad with carefully chosen salad dressing can also give you that feeling.

Satiety (which means being full and totally satisfied and not able to take on more) is essential in helping you control calories and stick to a healthy pattern of eating habits. Pick and choose foods that are healthy and give you that satisfied feeling.

Thing to remember: It takes your brain 20 minutes to start signaling a feeling of fullness. Try to eat slowly, chew your food well, eat less, and enjoy what you eat.

You have heard the statement, "practice what you preach"? I am going to try to turn over a new leaf and try to be more aware of all of this.

Later,

Gogi

TABLECLOTHS

Cooking With Gogi — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 20:24:42 +0000

January is the month to hit all the sales for tablecloths, napkins, place mats, etc. If you want to expand your inventory on these items and add to the elegance of your dinner parties or family dinners, this is the month to get out and check out sale prices.

A good linen tablecloth could cost you in the range of $100 and up; however, there are some cotton blend and polyester blends that are wash and go and look very nice. If you are someone who does not have time on their hands, I would suggest the later. If you wash them separately and take care of them, they look very nice and last a long time. The pure linen tablecloths require special care. They must be washed in cold water and ironed on high when slightly damp.

Jacquard and Damask are also popular tablecloths. Jacquard has variegated patterns that are achieved by weavng the design into the fabric itself. Damask tablecloths are woven to achieve bars of lustrous tone-on-tone color, and are reversible with a subtle sheen.

Treat yourself to a day of shopping or just looking. Most all of my tablecloths have been given to me or bought from the sale table!!!

Have fun.

Gogi

CHICKEN AND DUMPLIN'S

Cooking With Gogi — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 20:43:45 +0000

Here is a quick meal and it is quite tasty. A retired lady at my church who was on a fixed income had many different dishes she used to come up with that were inexpensive. She used to buy cream of chicken soup in the can and fix as directed. Then she would add small canned biscuits that had been cut in 2 ro 3 pieces with the scissors or a knife to the soup after she had brought the soup to a boil. She sometimes added leftover chicken pieces and or mixed vegetables.

This may not be enough for a family of big eaters but it certainly could be a lunchtime treat. Besides it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to prepare and cook it.

Just a suggestion!

Gogi

TAKING A BREAK

Cooking With Gogi — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 19:37:19 +0000

I thought I would take a moment and share with you one of my make-do moments. I had family over for hamburgers and sausages on the grill and was trying frantically to figure out what to serve with them. I went to the closet and checked out what I had on hand and found whole kernel corn, black beans, and hot picante sauce. I quickly drained the corn and beans and added the sauce with some sliced green onions and wallah—I had a dip for my tortilla chips. The idea of the evening was to kick back and not make a big fuss over a large meal. I finished off the main course with tossed salad with a choice of salad dressings.

My next problem was a quick dessert. I took a half of left over angel food cake from the freezer, pulled it apart and put it in a glass dish. Next I put 2 packages of strawberry Jell-O over the top and zapped into the frig. When dinner was over we had a nice light, quick dessert with whipped topping on it.

With this kind of a menu we were able to sit, talk, and enjoy the evening.

Try one of your make-do dinners some evening. It is very relaxing and fun.

Enjoy

Gogi

JUST A NOTE

Cooking With Gogi — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 18:55:17 +0000

I certainly hope that those of you that check my blog will find it helpful in your daily cooking. My recipes are geared to include the ingredients that most of you have in you closet or cupboard. There are many recipes out there that sound totally wonderful but my budget and food cupboard are simply not compatible with them. I need to pick and choose what is best for my family and my pocketbook. I think Wolfgang and Emeril are great but I just cannot reach their level of daily cooking because of the many ingredients that are foreign to me. I was brought up in a simple way of living and cooking. I guess you might say I am a graduate of the make-do school of cooking. Thank God for my grandmother. She was the best make-do cook that ever was.

I think the reason I like Paula Dene is because of her down to earth recipes and they remind me of my grandmother’s cooking.

Until later.

Gogi

LEFT OVERS

Cooking With Gogi — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 18:36:25 +0000

How many times do we look at a left over and say to ourselves- should we or should we not throw this away? I have come to the conclusion unless you have lots of money the answer is don’t throw it away. Either give it away of package it up so it can be preserved for a period of time.

If I have cookies or brownies that are not exactly fresh, I put them in a plastic bag, crush them up, and use them for ice cream topping or a dessert crust of some kind.

I use all left-over donuts, fruit breads, French bread, any kind of white breads, for making bread pudding, French toast casserole, breakfast casseroles, dinner casseroles, you name it. Waste not, want not. My grandmother never wasted anything.

Any vegetables left over from a veggie tray, or that have served their time in the frig and not been used, are put into a bag and frozen until I need to make soup. It is great because it is all right there and ready for me to pop out of the freezer and use.

These are just a few simple tips for the day. Many wonderful creations can come out of our left overs. Besides that, it helps to save on the budget.

Enjoy,

Gogi

TIME FOR A BREAK AWAY FROM COOKING

Cooking With Gogi — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 21:10:23 +0000

It is time to share some of the ideas, tips, or experiences I have had while receiving my degree in “learning by your mistakes cooking class”. First of all lessons are learned by doing whatever it is hands on. If you have never made a cherry pie and failed, how are you going to figure out what it is you have done wrong. Also, practice makes perfect. Many people have said they can’t make a particular thing because they tried ONCE AND FAILED. This should not stop you from trying again. It should make you more determined to try it over and over again until you get it right. I remember my first homemade bread left a lot to be desired. My grandmother used to make her bread in a large white porcelain dish pan. She would just guess at how much of this and how much of that went into the pan. Needless to say that did not work for me. Her bread was absolutely wonderful and as I said mine left a lot to be desired. I had to resort to following a recipe and developing my own kneading technique.

If you put more than one woman in a kitchen side by side and give them the same recipe, the finished product will come out just a little bit different, or in some cases a lot different!! Just remember, when you have a failure that is your incentive to try, try again. Do not let failure win!!

Until later,

Gogi

ROUND STEAK – 3 STEAKS IN ONE

Cooking With Gogi — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 19:57:40 +0000

ROUND STEAK is divided into 3 different sections: (A) the top round; (B) the bottom round; and (C) the eye of round, which is part of the bottom round. Because the three parts are so different, markets usually divide them and price them differently. You can save yourself some money by buying whole round and cutting it up. This is simple to do because the round steak has natural seams and if you follow them exactly, the meats will cut apart easily. Each section varies in tenderness and requires different methods of cooking.

The TOP ROUND, consisting of one large muscle above the bone is more tender and can be oven broiled or pan broiled in the U.S.D.A. Prime and Choice grades, or used for braised dishes.

The BOTTOM ROUND, consisting of two smaller muscles below the bone, is not as tender as the top round. The bottom round tastes best when cooked with moist heat in all grades.

The smaller muscle of the bottom round is often separated and sold as EYE OF ROUND. Eye of round is also a less tender cut, but when sliced thin, U.S.D.A. Prime and Choice grades can be pan broiled.

Although the three sections vary in tenderness, they are all high in nutrition.

The TOP ROUND is best when it is about 1 ½ inches thick and marinated overnight in your favorite tenderizer or marinade. Score about 1 inch cuts diagonally on the meat so it can easily absorb the marinade. Turn once or twice.

The BOTTOM ROUND is best when cooked slowly in a liquid such as tomato sauce or some kind of soup. Bottom round is sometimes referred to as Swiss Steak, suggesting that this is the best way to prepare it. It can also be roasted, used in stew or beef burgundy.

EYE OF ROUND steaks are usually cut into thin round pieces and called breakfast steaks, minute steaks, or cube steaks. You need to gently tenderize them with a meat mallet. Cook them quickly so as to not overcook. A simple and good way to cook them is to flour and brown in skillet. It doesn’t take long because they are so thin.

Try looking for a nice whole round steak the next time you see them on sale. See how you can stretch the meat budget.