Happy Canada Day!! A day off and I am so excited.  The weather has been somewhat damp over the last few days and honestly I think I could curl up in the bed for about 40 hours and be very happy.  But as they say, no time for rest - keep that body going!

I was sitting talking with my mother-in-law about what to post as I was late getting home from work.  I really just slapped together some dinner and got back to work on the computer.  We came up with some kitchen tips that are super handy to know.

Over the last few weeks she has shared some really great kitchen tips that I never knew about.  So I thought, well I better share these with you and see what you think.

5 Everyday Kitchen Tips

1.  Use Bread with Hard Brown Sugar - Ever have a bag of brown sugar that gets very hard and compact in your cupboard.  No need to throw it out ever again.  Open the bag and place a piece of bread in the top of the bag and seal it up.  Leave it for two days and then check your sugar.  It will be soft and brand new.  Once you are satisfied with the results - throw away the slice of bread.

2.  Clean your pots with Baking Soda and Vinegar - Leave your sauce pot boil dry by accident as you were in the dining room enjoying your dinner?  Not to worry.  This clean up is a piece of cake with the combination of vinegar and baking soda.  In the burnt pot, add some baking soda and vinegar in the bottom of the pot and let it sit for 10 minutes.  The reaction will start to remove the burnt texture on the pot.  You can then add some hot water and give it a light scrub and you will be very pleased.

3.  How to use Sour Milk - How often do you catch yourself throwing sour milk down the sink.  There is no need to do that!  Use it for baking.  It will make a great batch of biscuits.  So the next time you smell some funny milk - set it aside and whip out your zesty apron and get baking.

4. Egg peeling off - Make a small hole in the egg by piercing with a pin before boiling it. You will be able to remove the shell very easily.

5.  Revive your Lemon/Lime - If a lemon or lime is hard, put it in warm water for 5-10 minutes to make it easier to squeeze and revitalize the juice.

Happy Canada Day for all that are celebrating and I hope you have a great Wednesday.  Before you go, check out some more zesty posts make sure you enter in my latest giveaway and try and win some POM Wonderful Juice.

Take care

zesty

We made it!  Friday is upon us and ummm.. lets just say it has been somewhat of a crazy week.  So crazy that I have something to confess to you.  This week has thrown some curve balls that I was not ready for.  As a result, the breakfast for 50 had to be outsourced to my favorite bakery.  I know I am somewhat disappointed but some things are out of my control.  The selection from the bakery was a combination of all homemade baked goods both sweet and savory.  I also used a lot of your suggestions when choosing the platters.

What I thought would be fun today is to go over the difference between a herb and a spice and some storage tips.  Let me know what you think.

What is a herb and what is a spice?

Anything with a leaf and a mild flavor that’s grown in a temperate climate is an herb. Everything else (including seeds, bark, berries and underground roots and shoots) that has a stronger flavor and grows in tropical climates is considered a spice.

HERBS

Storing Herbs
Store dried herbs in small glass jars with airtight seals or screw tops in a cool, dark cupboard away from the heat of the stove.

Store fresh herbs in the refrigerator. Don’t wash them until you’re ready to use them because they quickly go bad. If herbs are wet, shake off excess moisture, then wrap in paper towels or keep at room temperature until the leaves dry.

To dry fresh herbs for longer storage, several methods can be used:  (I never do this as I just buy them already dried or fresh but I have seen this done and seems to work effectively)

• Air - Remove all soil and roots, then wash and gently dry. Hang in bunches upside down in a paper bag with air holes in a well-ventilated area.

• Microwave - This is the best way to preserve an herb’s colour. Spread between layers of paper towel and heat on high (100%) for about 2 minutes, checking every 30 seconds and removing herbs as they dry. Leave on counter to cool and dry completely before storing.

• Oven - Spread herbs in a thin layer on baking sheet with sides. Bake at lowest heat in oven, without stirring, until leaves are dry and crispy. Do not over dry.

Freezing Fresh Herbs
For this I like to just wash and chop the herbs and place into plastic ice cube trays. Fill trays with water and freeze. Remove cubes and store in freezer bags for up to 6 months. Drop a cube, as needed, into your latest culinary concoction.

SPICES

Storing Spices
Keep freshly ground spices chilled rather than storing them at room temperature. To keep them fresh longer, grind and make them into a paste by adding just a bit of olive oil. Store in small sealed containers or freeze for up to 6 months.

Keep ground spices in small glass jars with airtight seals in a cool, dark cupboard.

I think the biggest thing with spices as we take for granted that they do expire and lose their pungency and flavor.  A rule of thumb for me is rotate your spices at least every six months to ensure quality and freshness.  I apply the same rule usually for dried herbs as well.

That was kind of fun…

I hope you have a great weekend - I am somewhat excited as it is supposed to be sunny and somewhat warm here this weekend.  Outside and fresh air here I come!  Talk to you on Monday.

Take care

zesty

To switch things up from the regular recipe post, I thought I would do a list of time saving kitchen tips.   Now most of these ideas are not rocket science or particularly complicated.  They are simply tips I have tried in the past and have adapted over time.  What I would like to see is people add to the tips in the comments and then I will create an even bigger list in the future.

So without further adieu…

Zesty’s Top 8 Time Saving Kitchen Tips

1.  Keep a clean Kitchen

The more stuff that piles up around you, the harder it is to concentrate on what happens next.  This results in making it harder to find anything you need, costing you more time and mental frustration than it would take to stay clean.

2.  Be-friend the Ice Cream Scoop

When using small pastry shells or individual graham cracker shells to make tarts, I use an ice cream scoop to fill them quickly. A heaping scoopful of pie filling is just the right amount I need for each one.

3.  Advanced Table Setting

Set the table for breakfast and prepare breakfast foods the night before. For pancakes, mix dry ingredients the previous night. In the morning, add wet ingredients and cook.

4.  Stock on Hand

Pressed for time?  Fill an ice cube tray with chicken, beef or vegetable stock.  You can even try tomato sauce and/or cream soups. Dump the frozen cubes into a freezer bag. Then grab a couple of cubes to add to your stir fry, pasta, veggies, or to whip up a quick sauce.

5.  Keep a running grocery list

This holds true to be very effective when it is grocery time both at home as well as in the grocery store.  This will eliminate not having crucial ingredients on hand for your next great recipe.

6.  Cook Once, Cook Big

Make large batches of granola and store in an airtight container; Cut up extra ingredients for another meal when using onions, green peppers, etc; Cook double batches of rice or pasta to be reheated later in the week.

7.  Beat the stick

Set your dirty pots on the stove with some vinegar and water or dish soap and water. Let them boil while you eat. By the time you finish dinner and get started on the dishes, the hot water solution will have loosened stuck-on food.

8.  Sort your dishes

Put like utensils in the same section of the silverware tray in the dishwasher (knives with knives, small forks with small forks, etc.) so that you can pull them out by group and put them away fast. You can also do the same for like sized plates and bowls.

So there you have it, some not so traditional time saving tips.  Before I leave you for another day, I really want everyone to make a effort to post a time saving tip in the comments.  I think it will be fun!

Have a great day and I will see you tomorrow.

Take care

zesty

I thought I would take some time and share with you some tips that I have learned in the past about cooking one of my favorite foods - pasta.

I hear time and time again from people that have problems cooking pasta.  Whether it be over-cooked, under-cooked, tasteless or all stuck together, a lot of people struggle with cooking pasta.

First of all, 90% of cooking pasta is simply being there. That is, letting the telephone ring through to voice-mail; perhaps leaving guests in the living room talking amongst themselves and simply keeping your focus on the task at hand. By tending to the pasta, you’ll be able to do the only test available to judge its doneness: to taste.

These tips today will hopefully help you in the future when you are craving the starch that I love so much.

Follow along and by all means add your tips in the comments below as I may have missed some other great techniques.

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Growing up with a mother and grandmomther who loved to bake - it was evident I was going to have the same passion when it comes to pastries and a sweet tooth.

Below I put together some simple tips to take to your kitchen the next time you decide to throw some flour on the counter top to ensure a delicious fruit pie.

Keep in mind I just added a few of my favorite flavorings - so feel free to switch it up and try your own twists.

Pie Chart for Double-Crust Fruit Pies

5 Steps to Perfect Pies

1. Line 9 inch (23 cm) pie plate with pastry.

2. In a large bowl, combine prepared fruit, sugar, flour, 1 tbsp lemon juice and flavoring

3. Fill pastry shell with fruit mixture; dot filling with 1tbsp of butter

4. Moisten edges of bottomw crust. Cover with top crust. Trim and flute edges. Cut steam vents. Brush top with milk or cream; sprinkle lighty with granulated sugar.

5. Bake in 425 degree (220 C) oven for 15 minutes; reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for 45-60 minutes longer or until fruit is tender, filling in thickened nd crust golden.

You can also freeze well-wrapped unbaked pies or up to 4 months, with the following changes: increase the amount of flour in each pie by 1 tbsp and don’t cut steam vents until just before baking. Bake still-frozen pies in 450 degree oven for 15 minutes; reduce heat to 375 degrees for up to 60 minutes longer or until filling in thickened and crust in golden brown.

If you don’t have time to bake pies now, you can freeze fruit without sugar in the quantities needed for pies (see pie chart), then thaw just enough to separate; make pies following the 5 steps to Perfect Fruit Pies, increasing flour by 1 tbsp, then baking for up to 60 minutes. If fruit has been frozen with sugar, subtract the amount of sugar in the fruit from the amount of sugar you add to the pie.