Image by I-5 Design & Manufacture via Flickr When grocery shopping, it can be hard to stay within your budget. There are so many choices in the grocery store and everything looks so good. What are some ways you can better budget your groceries? Make a grocery list that fits your budget. When you plan ahead of time, it is much easier to stay within your budget rather than deciding what to get when you’re in the store. Consider what you are running low on or are out of, and try to avoid the unnecessary items. Try to center your grocery list on specific meals. If you are randomly … [Read more...]
Creating Your Own Spice Blend
March 20, 2011 by Leave a Comment
If you haven't discovered a spice blend that you like or are having trouble with the ones in your pantry, perhaps it is time to think about creating your own unique spice blend. It is a simple project but one that takes lots of testing. All you really need is a coffee grinder, a good set of spices and your imagination. Start by creating a base of the spices that you already are familiar with such as salt and pepper. Add one spice at a time in small increments. Taste as you go. But if you find yourself going too hot or too sweet, you can easily fix the problem. If the spice blend is on … [Read more...]
Getting Your Kids To Expand Their Palate
March 16, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Getting kids to expand their palate isn't easy especially when your child is a picky eater. Most kids by the time they are a toddler have shown a marked preference for certain foods. It can be difficult to get them to try out new things. Here are some tips to get your kids at least tasting a few new things. Go slowly with the introduction of new foods. Keep the introduction to one new thing at a time. Don't try to create a whole dinner of strange foods. It helps if the food is their favorite color or in the shape of something they like. Introduce them first before you give them anything … [Read more...]
Translating The Television Version To The Home Cook Version
March 9, 2011 by Leave a Comment
There is no doubt that many of the recipes on television look good. But when we try to make them ourselves, they turn into culinary disasters. Many times it is due to a lack of understanding on what the recipe is really calling for and lack of speciality kitchen tools. It is difficult to translate a dish even with precise directions. Don't completely give up hope on those television recipes though. Even if you aren't the greatest cook, you can still improvise the recipes to fit your individual cooking skills. Try starting off in smaller steps rather than taking a large one. If you are … [Read more...]
Your Wedding Day Menu
March 8, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Everybody likes something about weddings. Some people love the chance to meet a whole new family (or some cute bridesmaids). Other people love the entire notion of bringing two people together in a lifelong love. Still other people, for better or worse, think the food is the real star of the event. After all, how many events allow a person to basically go crazy on the food front? It is not like most families could individually eat what is usually left over before it goes bad, anyway. So you can pretty much have at it until you have gained a size around the waist. But then comes the inevitable … [Read more...]