Thursday "Tip"... Onions

 

 http://www.recipetips.com/kitchen-tips/t--1390/onion-cooking.asp

http://www.foodnetwork.com/topics/onion.html 

    I remember growing up and my mother would make an onion sandwich with mayonnaise and sugar sprinkled on top! Onions is one of those stables to keep on hand in your kitchen, so today I thought I would offer some tips on onions.

~ Never wash them before you store them in a cool, dark, dry and ventilated place. I have mine in a bin in the bottom of my pantry.

~ You can freeze them by cutting them up in slices, diced in large or small pieces or even puree them. They are great this way for soups, gravy, chili etc.

~ To bring out the sweetness in a raw onion, put it in the refrigarator about an hour before you need it. If your in a hurry or forgot just drop in some ice water for 10-15 min, then dry off and use.

~ Love caramelized onions? You can freeze those too. Just make up a batch or make extra , let them cool, freeze in individual portions and when ready to use saute quickly while still frozen. If you let them thaw they will just be soggy.

Thursday " Tip "... Buttermilk

     Ever go to make a recipe or look up one and realize you have every thing you need, except buttermilk. Have no fear, there is a way to make buttermilk without running out to the store. This tip works for almond, coconut, soy or any other kind of non-dairy milk as well.

     For each cup of milk or non-dairy milk add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar
(regular or apple cider vinegar will work). Stir it around and let it sit for 5 minutes.

     Another option - Mix 1 3/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar with a cup of milk, stir and let it sit for 5 min.

     Now that you have your buttermilk made... enjoy the process of baking/cooking!

Thursday " Tip"... Baking Powder

 

 For all of you who love to bake, here is a tip that may help...

It's always a good idea to check the freshness of your baking powder because you never know when you purchase it, if it is old or not. So here is a how to check...

Put one teaspoon of baking powder into 1/3 cup of water and if the water does not fizz, toss the baking powder out, it's old!

Wednesday " Word"... Sugar

I came across this article http://www.foodmatters.tv/content/5-more-reasons-to-quit-sugar  and it brought sugar back to my attention. Talking about "Sugar" can not be mentioned enough. It is a very subtle and seductive ingredient in our food. I wrote about it earlier this year http://whole-food-living.blogspot.com/2014/02/thursday-3-tips-to-cut-down-on-sugar.html but I thought it worth mentioning again with the holidays approaching. Sugar is a hard thing to avoid and with Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas coming one month after the next, the choices are difficult.

A good tip to help bring awareness to the sugar that your consuming on a regular bases, is to read the label and just notice the amount of sugar per serving. And maybe go a step further and write down on a piece of paper for one day the amount of sugar and then add it up. This is not meant for a guilt trip, only to bring awareness, because we can't begin to change what we are not aware of.

Here are a few words to look for when reading a food label - looking for sugar:

• white sugar
• brown sugar
• raw sugar
• high fructose corn syrup
• corn syrup
• corn syrup solids
• malt syrup
• maple syrup
• pancake syrup
• fructose sweetener
• liquid fructose
• honey
• molasses
• anhydrous dextrose
• crystal dextrose

~ Look for more tips and ideas in the coming months to help with your  "sugar awareness" 

Thursday "Tip"... Cheese - Cellulose?

What to do with a block of cheese?

It's so easy to pick up that bag of shredded cheese ( I'm guilty of it too), but buying a block of cheese is cheaper per pound and healthier because the packaged cheese contains cellulose, http://www.foodrenegade.com/would-like-some-wood-pulp-your-shredded-cheese/ that is used as a food stabilizer ( read more about it in the attached link). You can shred the whole block at one time and put it in a container (it will keep) and it's ready just like if you bought it pre-packaged or make cubes or cheese sticks for snacking with crackers. It's the little changes that add up to saving money and your health!

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