I was washing some potatoes this morning so I could dehydrate them and, boy, were they dirty. A couple of them had clods of dirt covering one side of the potato. When I washed it off, the part that had been covered in the dirt was a different color than the rest of the potato. Most of the potato was getting a greenish tint but the part under the dirt still looked fresh and nice.

This experience reminded me that there is a proper way to store potatoes. When the experts tell you this is the way to store your fruits and vegetables, there is a reason for it.

Potatoes must be stored in a cool, dry and dark place.

Not storing potatoes properly causes them to spoil faster, grow “eyes”, and turn green. You can still use them when they turn green but they say it is best to not eat the peel.

Now I understand why, years ago, when people stored their potatoes for the winter, they would sometimes cover the potatoes in dirt in their cellars. It made the potatoes keep better for the winter. That little clod of dirt sure did make a difference on my potato.

Don’t store your potatoes in the refrigerator. The extra cold temperatures cause a reaction in the starch of the potatoes. This reaction can make your mashed potatoes become gummy and gooey rather than light and fluffy.

Speaking of mashed potatoes, I usually add 1-2 tsp. of sugar for every four potatoes when I mash them. I get more compliments on my potatoes and most people don’t have a clue what my secret is. (I guess the whole world knows now.) 

When preparing to make mashed potatoes, don’t spend ages cutting the potatoes into small cubes before you boil them. Just cut them in fourths lengthwise and they will cook just as quickly as when they’re cubed.

Don’t like lumpy potatoes? (I know some of you do like lumps and that’s ok…) I use my hand mixer to beat my potatoes. The mixer makes it much less work, it’s faster and the mashed potatoes turn out beautifully smooth, light and fluffy. First, mash them slightly and then slowly add your milk until you get the right consistency.

It’s hard telling what I will write about tomorrow. Maybe I will go peel some carrots and discover some deep meaningful insight about my carrots.

      -Jill

Photo By: rfduck

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Tips:

• Add a box of dry instant vanilla pudding, after beating eggs, in any cookie batter for a perfect textured cookie or bar. From Marsha B.
• Try adding a pinch of oregano or a teaspoon of onion soup mix to your green beans for a different twist and taste.
• Add a teaspoon of bacon grease to green beans and sprinkle with onion salt or onion powder. This is especially good when serving them with something like meatloaf and mashed potatoes.

Menu:

Creamy Fajitas*
Tossed Salad
Salsa Green Beans*
Apple Plum Crisp*

Recipes:

Creamy Fajitas

I have a favorite recipe using steak cubes, mushroom soup, sour cream and green chilies.

Flour the steak cubes as it helps thicken the sauce. Brown the steak cubes. Add mushroom soup, green chiles and simmer for 1 hour. Then add sour cream and put in beans if you want them. Wrap ingredients in flour tortillas and add shredded cheddar cheese. Everyone loves it! Jane S

Jane didn’t give us exact measurements, but here is a general idea. These measurements aren’t exact and you can feel free to adjust them.

2 cups cubed steak
1 can cream of mushroom soup (10 3/4 oz.)
1 small can chopped green chiles
1 cup sour cream

Salsa Green Beans

1 lb. green beans
16 oz. jar of salsa
1 tsp. olive oil

Cook frozen, fresh or canned green beans. Add salsa and olive oil and simmer 5-10 minutes until flavors are blended.

Apple Plum Crisp

4 cups apples, peeled and sliced
2 cups plums, pitted and sliced
1/2 cup margarine, melted and divided
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. flour
3/4 tsp. cinnamon, divided
1 cup oats
1/4 cup nuts, chopped
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed, divided

Combine 1/4 cup margarine, 1/4 cup brown sugar, lemon juice, flour and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon. Add apples and plums, toss and coat well. Place in 8×11 baking pan.

In a bowl combine remaining 1/4 cup margarine, 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1/4 tsp. cinnamon along with oats, nuts and ginger. Sprinkle over fruit. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes until fruit is tender and topping crisp and browned. Serve with ice cream or whipped topping. 

You may substitute 2 cups of peaches or nectarines for plums.

For more money saving recipes and tips check out Dining on a Dime Cookbook.

Photo By: Scott M

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For many people, cutting back on their grocery budgets can be an overwhelming experience. They know they’re spending too much, but don’t know where to begin to cut. Often, they fear that they will deprive themselves and their children if they become frugal. The good news is that there are ways to have your cake, eat it and save money at the same time. The whole secret is to start slowly. There are countless ways you can cut, but if you need to, target just one thing at a time – you will still be saving money if you do only one thing.

If you are a frugal beginner, try these simple suggestions for saving on your food bill:

• Cooking frugally is like changing your diet. You need to learn gradually how to save money and cook frugally. Don’t expect that you will get your food bill down to $300 for four people in the first month if you are spending $600 a month right now.
• Try cutting just $25.00 or $50.00 a month. Even if you cut back only $50.00 a month, you will save $600.00 a year. If you save just $1.00 a day that is $365.00 a year. You can then apply that $365.00 a year to paying off your credit cards. At 21 percent interest, you will save over $70 a year. This will eventually cause a snowball effect since the more you pay off, the less you pay to interest. When you pay less to interest, you have more each month to apply to paying off your overall debt. This means that as you pay off the debt, the rate that you can pay it off increases.
• Before you shop, take a tour through your pantry and your refrigerator. Be organized! Don’t buy what’s already hiding in your kitchen.

• If you’re a fan of coupons, remember this: It’s not what you save, it’s what you spend. If you save 30 cents on something you wouldn’t ordinarily buy anyway, you haven’t really saved anything.
• A typical fruit item is significantly larger than one serving. Most people would be just as happy eating a small apple as eating a large one — so buy smaller fruits! You will save money by the pound.
• This month, try two meatless meals a week (or one, if you’re a die hard meat fan).
• Make simple meals. One-dish meals can contain your meat, your vegetable and your bread.
• Drink water for your meals.
  • If your family is used to drinking milk, juice or pop for every meal then start by cutting juice from one meal or snack a day and drinking only water. After you get used to this, cut from another meal until you drink only water for meals and a glass of juice or milk at snack time.
  • You can also try allowing one glass of juice at meal times and then water after it is gone.
  • You save over $500.00 a year by cutting just one glass of juice per person per day for a family of four.
• Don’t assume homemade is cheaper. If you get a VERY GOOD deal on chocolate chips and ingredients for candies, it is cheaper to make them than buying them pre-made. Make sure you do the calculations, though! If you don’t purchase them on sale, homemade candies can be more expensive than candies purchased at the store.
• Stop wasting food. Give young children small portions. They can always have more if they are still hungry. Give them a half glass of juice and a half sandwich so you don’t waste uneaten food. Put food in the refrigerator right after the meal so it doesn’t spoil. Use leftovers for lunches, in other dishes or frozen in one portion sizes for a quick meal.
• Don’t buy everything at one store.
  Prices vary greatly from one store to the next. Go to different stores to buy only their sale items. You will save more than the cost of your gas. It usually only takes half an hour to 45 minutes per store to get the items that are on sale including driving time. If you save a minimum of $20-$30 per trip, it is like “earning” $40-$60 an hour. If you save $60 spending one hour going to two different stores, it is four extra hours you might not have to work to pay for that same food purchased at the regular price.

• Remember, cooking frugally is a mindset. You have to change your cooking and eating habits. Don’t get discouraged if one idea fails. Try another one.
• Stop buying things like toaster pastries and breakfast bars for breakfast. Eat oatmeal, pancakes, granola and fruit instead.
• Don’t assume that bulk is cheaper. Compare cost by the ounce or pound.

Most people don’t think they can live the frugal life and still be comfortable. I feed my family of six on $400 per month. Over five years, when my husband earned an average of $22,000 per year, we paid off $20,000 debt. When cutting your grocery bill, it’s the little things that add up.

For more easy tips and tricks to save money in the kitchen, check out Groceries On A Dime!

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Homemade Christmas Cookies

Start Now

If you haven’t already started baking your holiday cookies you need to do it now. At the very least you can get a head start on things with a little planning.

• List what cookies you want to bake for the holidays.
• Divide the list into cookies you will give away, cookies for parties, cookies for school activities, etc. and also list the ones you will be serving for your own family closer to Christmas.
• Make the list of ingredients you will need and then go buy them so you will have them on hand. Stock your pantry.

Get as much as you can done ahead of time (now).

• Most cookie dough can be refrigerated or frozen so mix as many batches as you can. Some great doughs for this are basic chocolate chip or sugar cookie dough. You can take these two and add almost anything to them: chips, dried fruit, candy etc.
• Freeze the dough in small batches. If you only want to bake one or two cookie sheets at a time you don’t have to thaw the whole batch. I do this all year around. I keep small rolls of dough in my freezer. When I hear the grandkids are on their way, I pull out the dough and have a hot pan of cookies when they get here. It makes the house smell good for them, too.
• If you will be using colored sugar or coconut, mix it up now. To make either one, place the sugar or coconut into jars with a couple of drops of food coloring and shake. Store it in there until ready to use.
• If you love shortbread and like to give it as gifts, do it now and store in an airtight container. Shortbread cookies are one of those cookies which are better if they are aged for at least a couple of weeks.
• If nothing else at least measure out your dry ingredients. Place them in plastic bags so they’re ready to use.

Baking

• Be sure to use what the recipe calls for, whether it is butter, shortening or margarine and never use margarine that is whipped, soft spread or reduced fat. Your cookies will spread everywhere if you do.
• Pre-heat your oven
• It is best to bake only one sheet of cookies at a time but if you must do more, leave a couple of inches around the sheets for air circulation.
• Let the baking sheet cool between batches because placing dough on a hot sheet can make the cookies spread too much.
• If your recipe calls for oatmeal or nuts, toast them before using them.
• Fill a container that has large holes (like a sugar shaker) with flour to sprinkle your board before rolling out cookies.
• Make sure when you roll out cookies to cut that they are all the same thickness. Each individual cookie must not have thin or thick spots either or they will bake unevenly. You can buy rubber bands to put on your rolling pin to get an exact thickness, but they are expensive.
• I have always used 2 strips of cardboard (the thickness that I need) covered in foil and just lay them on each side of the dough with each edge of the rolling pin laying on a strip.
• If you don’t have cookie cutters or enough time to use them, just roll out your cookies and cut in squares or diamond shapes with a pastry cutter or pizza cutter. Sprinkle with colored sugar and bake.
• Use a wire cheese cutter to slice chilled refrigerator cookie dough.
• If you are making huge batches of cookies and do a lot of baking, you might try using old oven racks to cool them on. Just place something under each corner to make sure it is raised up slightly off of the table.

Storing and Shipping

• Cookies keep very well for a very long time without freezing. Most cookies don’t have ingredients the health department calls "toxic" (their words not mine) and are very safe to keep for long periods.
• Always completely cool cookies before storing and never store crisp cookies and soft cookies together. Store soft cookies in an air tight container and crisp cookies in a container with a loose lid.
• I find that tins work best for storing cookies because sometimes the cookies pick up the flavor of plastic ware if it was previously used to store something like spaghetti with garlic. This is especially true if the cookies have a lot of butter.
• If you have cookies that have ingredients like cream cheese, they will need to be stored in the fridge, but the recipe will usually tell you if you need to do this.
• You can freeze cookies up to 3 months.
• When shipping cookies, be sure to give them plenty of time to get there and always mark "perishable" on the package.
• Soft moist cookies, cookie bars and drop cookies ship the best.
• Metal tins are really the best shipping container for cookies, but if you don’t have one then a sturdy cardboard box will work. Line the box with plastic wrap or foil then place the cookies in it. Crumble up wax paper to place on top sides or anywhere you need cushioning. I then slip the whole thing into 1 or 2 plastic bags.
• I wrap that box in bubble wrap and place inside another box. You could also use newspaper, peanuts or even popcorn for cushioning at this point.

Misc. Tips

• Cookie ingredients can be very expensive, especially for Christmas cookies. If you need to save money, choose your family’s favorites that have the least expensive ingredients.
• For example, my family loves sugar cookies about the same as chocolate chip cookies. The sugar cookies cost much less because they don’t have things like chocolate chips and nuts in them, so I would bake the sugar cookies.
• Another way to save on ingredients is to use less of things like nuts and baking chips. You really can get by with putting half a bag of chips instead of a whole one into chocolate chip cookies. The same goes for nuts. If that same recipe calls for 1 cup of nuts, use just 1/2 cup.
• When giving cookies as a gift, make them look more attractive by putting them in cellophane bags and tying with a ribbon.
• Instead of just slapping cookies on a platter for your Christmas dinner or party, add a couple of votives or one large candle in the center of the platter for a more festive look.
• Save those dried out cookies or that handful of leftover cookies. Freeze them and use them in place of any recipe or dessert that calls for a graham cracker crust.

       -Jill

For lots of great recipes and tips about scratch cooking and frugal living, take a look at our Dining On A Dime Cookbook here! You’ll find almost 500 pages of very helpful information to help you learn to work all kinds of magic in the kitchen!

photo by:princessindisguise

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How to Have More with Less at Christmas
By Jill Cooper and Tawra Kellam

After laying down my last women’s magazine telling me how to be less stressed during the holidays, I’m even more confused and stressed then ever. On one page I’m told to take time for myself and indulge in a lovely spa bath. That sounds great, but I can hardly find time for a shower on a slow day in June let alone take a spa bath the week before Christmas.

As I turn the page, I’m told to give all my friends and family homemade ornaments to which I have lovingly glued 500 beads, each the size of a grain of sand. OK I’ll admit I’m not a rocket scientist, but I am baffled when I try to imagine how I could accomplish these two things even if I didn’t have an ever growing list of Christmas preparation tasks. Hmmm… Maybe I could lay in my spa bath carefully gluing on beads to ornaments throughout the night.

As I read on, there are articles telling me how not to gain weight at Christmas parties. Isn’t that like telling a three year old to not get dirty while making mud pies?

But it gets better. They then tell you to eat a meal before you go to the party. What? Is that some kind of new diet where you lose weight by eating two meals in the evening instead of one? If it is then I’m all for it. I mean really — who eats four carrot sticks and five pieces of celery at home then arrives at a party where they have pecan pie, five different types of fudge, 10 dozen cookies and egg nog and says "Oh no, I really couldn’t eat a thing. I’m sooooo full…?" Excuse Me! Doesn’t anyone live in the real world any more?

To top it all off (and the part I like the best) is after they tell us how to get rid of stress and not gain weight, they give us 10 pages of recipes for Christmas cookies made with real butter and cream that are decorated so elaborately in the pictures that it probably took a trained kitchen staff of 10 a week to make each cookie.

If you are like me and can’t stand that kind of stress, try some of these Christmas ideas to help you have a relaxed and Merry Christmas:

• Don’t over-spend – It may be tempting to fixate yourself on the sparkling look in little Johnny’s eye when he sees that $300 play car under the tree. Advertising people are really good at feeding many parents’ fantasies of their children thinking that mom and dad are the superheros for shelling out the cash and looking fondly back on that moment for the rest of their lives. The reality, though, is that most kids have lost all interest in that particular toy long before the credit cards are paid off.
• When we were growing up, my mom pulled out all of the stops at Christmas to make it as wonderful for us as she possibly could. The funny thing is that now that we are grown, the things we remember the most fondly are mom’s red Jello salad (made with red hots – yummy!) and sitting together and reading the Christmas story before opening our presents. I can’t remember what presents I received, but I always look back fondly on the Christmas story.

• Do a few things well – Instead of trying to do everything and ending up depressed with how it all turns out, focus your energy on a couple of things that are the most important to you. You may be tempted to extravagantly decorate every room in your house, but if you don’t have the time or energy, focus on one room, like a living or family room. If your entire house is beautiful but you have to go see a therapist when it’s all over, the romantic mystique will be lost. Trust me, I know about this one from personal experience.

• Limit activities — Don’t commit to do too many things. One or two parties during the holiday season will make you get all tingly in that “It’s a Wonderful Life” kind of way. Two or three parties a week may send you over the edge, especially if you have kids. (Refer to my therapist comments above.)
• This also applies to all of those appealing looking activities around town like Victorian Christmas events, Christmas celebrations at the zoo or winter carnivals. One or two can be a lot of fun, but too many will ruin the fun.

• Limit cookie baking. Don’t try to make 15 different kinds of cookies like Martha Stewart. She may look like she is super woman, but did you know she has a lot of people that help her? How much help do you get with your baking? I mean real help, not your five year old who makes everything twice as difficult for you. This is great for grandma, but you have to see your daughter every day and grandma can send her back when the house is sufficiently covered in flour. Again, pick your two or three most favorite or traditional cookies to bake and celebrate the fact that you had few enough priorities that you remembered to put the sugar in them.

• Everything doesn’t have to be homemade. I know that we advocate making your own stuff, but Marie Callender’s makes some great pies that you can pass off as homemade if you want to soothe your guilty Martha Stewart conscience. In 20 years, your kids will look fondly back on it as the best pie they ever had. Seriously, if you are making things homemade just to save money, remember that some things like candies and pies are often more expensive to make homemade, especially if you cut your finger while slicing the apples. Don’t ask me how I know, just trust me on this one.

These aren’t the only things you can do to reduce your stress, but if you stick to doing a few things well, you can truly relax and enjoy the season with your family. In the end, they would rather have fond memories of their time with you than memories of how strung out mom was after she burned the cookies.

By Jill and Tawra

photo by: trekkyandy

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Basic Chicken and Turkey Soup Recipes

With the onset of cooler weather, one of the best things to learn to make from scratch is a basic stock or soup base. Soup base is so easy to make and can be used for many different dishes. We’ll make the basic chicken broth today. Once you have it made, you can mix and match and put your favorite things into it. You can add rice for chicken and rice soup, barley for barley soup, use it to boil noodles for chicken and noodles or make simple Bisquick dumplings for chicken and dumplings. I also like to use it to cook rice in place of water.

It is also helpful to keep some frozen soup base that you can quickly grab and use when you need it for things like broccoli soup or egg flower soup.

Basic Chicken Soup

This first version, which is similar to what many people use, is in the Dining on a Dime Cookbook. The second recipe is my own quicker version which I like just as well and is a littler easier and much faster. You choose which you have time for. They are both good.

Basic Chicken Soup

2-3 chicken necks
1 bay leaf
2-4 chicken wings
2 medium carrots, sliced
3 quarts water
2 medium onions, diced

4 chicken bouillon cubes
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 tsp. salt

Bring first 6 ingredients just to boil in a large pot. Skim off foam and discard. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 2 1/2 hours or until the chicken is very tender. Strain the liquid. Cool and refrigerate so the fat can be removed easily.

Let the meat cool until it can be handled. Remove meat from bones. Discard bones. Skim fat. Bring to a boil and add last 3 ingredients. Simmer 30 minutes and serve. Makes about 12 cups broth or soup.

Half the broth may be removed before adding vegetables and frozen up to 6 months.

My Chicken Soup

4-5 chicken necks and wings
about 4 quarts of water
If I have a bay leaf or a couple of carrots, I will throw them in.

I sprinkle with all of the following to taste:

salt and pepper
onion powder (about 1 tsp.)
garlic powder (about 1 tsp)
2 chicken bouillon cubes

Cover and simmer for 2-5 hours, depending on when I remember it.

Take out the chicken pieces. Strain, cool and remove the fat. Add the meat from the chicken back in and toss the bones.

When I get ready to use it or reheat it I taste it to see if it needs more salt, onion powder, etc.

You can make turkey soup the same way. To me, turkey soup is one soup where less is best. The less of the seasonings you use, the more you can get the yummy flavor of the turkey.

Turkey Soup

turkey bones
water
garlic powder (to taste)
onion powder (to taste)
salt (to taste)
pepper (to taste)

Place turkey bones in a large pot and cover with water. Simmer, following directions for Basic Chicken Soup. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Here is one last turkey soup recipe, which is a big help if you want to cook your soup right after Thanksgiving because it helps you use many leftovers besides just the turkey.

Glorified Turkey Soup

You can not only use your leftover turkey with this recipe but vegetables like the carrots, celery and green pepper sticks from your leftover relish dish or leftover cooked carrots or green beans.

Leftover turkey bones
5-6 cups water
3 garlic cloves or garlic powder
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. rubbed sage
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup barley, uncooked*
Leftover cooked and uncooked veggies

Place turkey bones and spices in a large pot and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Remove bones from broth and pick off meat. Add barley and uncooked veggies and simmer for 45 minutes. Add in the cooked veggies 15 minutes before it’s done. Freezes well.

*You can also replace the barley with spaghetti noodles. Just add them in the last few minutes with the cooked veggies instead of cooking for 45 minutes.

       -Jill

photo by: littledebbi11

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Homemade Fudge Making Tips

• Line your pan with greased foil, plastic wrap or, better yet, parchment paper, making sure the foil comes up over the edge of the pan. Then, you can just lift it out of the pan for easier cutting.
• I have used almost every method known to man to find an easy way to cut fudge. After 40 plus years of fudge making (I started when I was in the womb, because I’m not that old, I’m sure I had almost given up until last year when I made a discovery that changed my life. I used a square metal scraper, sometimes called a dough cutter, with a rocking motion to cut my fudge. It works so well that I can hardly wait to make my fudge this year so I can cut it.
• You don’t always have to put fudge in pans. When slightly cooled, pour onto plastic wrap that has been sprayed with Pam and roll into logs. Chill and then slice.
• To add an elegant twist to homemade candy and cookies that you give as gifts, place them in cellophane bags and tie with a pretty ribbon. The fact that no wrapping is needed is an added bonus. You can place several bags of different things into a decorated box or basket for a larger gift.

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Readers’ Homemade Fudge Tips!

I think the best way to cool fudge is to pour it into a waxed paper half gallon milk carton. Once it has cooled you can peel off the carton and cut the fudge into perfect little squares. Brooke K.

I was wondering if you have thought of using a silicone baking pan to put the fudge in. If you spray it with Pam first then let the fudge set-up in it, you can simply flip it out onto a cutting board. I use a silicone Bundt pan to make meatloaf in the microwave. I also use a silicone Bundt pan for cakes and Jello molds. You can even make an ice mold, provided that you use distilled water. Everyone from Bed Bath and Beyond to Wal-mart now carries the silicone bakeware. They even make silicone "heart shaped" baking pans for Valentine’s Day! I hope my suggestion was helpful. I love "Living on a Dime."
Have a great day!!!

I saw your tip on fudge! We make the same recipe but now substitute Hershey’s kisses. This year I was able to get the kisses with almonds for $1 a bag which is a steal for our neck of the woods (Alaska!)

I saved the foil squares from the kisses as they are in beautiful falls colors. They will be glued to small boxes with lids (baby shoe boxes given away free at the shoe store) in which to place smaller presents. By the way, the fudge was the best we’ve made so far. We will be making it again for Valentine’s Day.

We roll it into walnut sized balls, roll in crushed nuts (bought when the bulk unshelled nuts go on sale and stored in the freezer/or on the back porch in our case), and give them out as chocolate truffles. We will make the same boxes but will cover them in red foil squares if I find Kisses on sale after Christmas. We make dividers out of cardboard, place the truffles in a small paper candy cup, and place them in the box. They make great presents as you not only have the chocolate but a pretty box as well. Oh, we do line the box with parchment or wax paper. I sometimes even cheat and reuse the little paper cups that come in a box of chocolate if we are given any over the holidays. My mother would die if she knew!!  Peggy

I believe I read that fudge cuts much easier with a plastic knife. Sandy

I just read your fudge recipe (which sounds wonderful, by the way) and thought I would mention that this year I made some fudge with Hershey’s kisses in the chocolate cherry cordial flavor. It tasted like chocolate covered cherries– It was to die for! Jane

For more homemade fudge and Christmas candy recipes, check out our Dining On A Dime Cookbook.

photo by:vegan-baking

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Saving Cooking Disasters

I happened to think of a couple of things today that might help you for Thanksgiving and for any of the other holidays, too.

First, if you haven’t already done it, clean out your refrigerator today. You really should clean your refrigerator before you go buy everything for your dinner but if you haven’t done it yet, do it now. There is nothing more frustrating than trying to stuff leftovers into an already full fridge when you have a house full of company over, so clean it now. If you can, leave a certain shelf for the things you are going to store before and after Thanksgiving dinner.

Fixing Cooking Boo Boos:

• If you didn’t cook your turkey with our recipe, it may come out too dry. Don’t panic. Just slice it, lay it on a platter and pour gravy over it. Then serve.
• If your stuffing is too dry, once again, add some turkey broth to it or gravy.
• If a side dish burns and sticks to the bottom of the pot, carefully pour it out of the pot, being sure not to scrape the bottom of the pan or any of the food stuck to it. You can save quite a bit this way.
• If your dinner rolls burn, carefully slice off the bottoms. If all of the bottoms are gone, people will think that is just the way they are supposed to be.
• If the crust on your pumpkin pie doesn’t turn out, scrape out the filling and place it in a nice serving dish. Cover it with lots of whipped topping sprinkled with a little cinnamon and call it Pumpkin custard.

Let’s Talk Turkey

I don’t think there is anything more dismal looking then a picked over turkey carcass. Usually, I am so tired from making the meal, being hostess and cleaning up that having to face the turkey carcass can almost put me over the edge. What I finally learned is not to do anything with it on Thanksgiving day. Then, the day after Thanksgiving, we pick at it all day long, making sandwiches and other things. Later I pick off the last of the big chunks.

I usually cook my turkey wrapped in foil or in a disposable pan so, when I’m done, I just wrap the foil around the turkey or gently shape the disposable pan around it. Then I stick it all in a couple of plastic bags, pop it in the freezer and forget it for a couple of weeks. Often I wait until January when I bring out the turkey remains and toss the carcass into a large pot for soup. That’s when it gets it’s final picking over.

If any of you have tips about how to fix Thanksgiving cooking boo boos for our beginning cooks and even some of us old timers, feel free to post. You may be the one to save someone’s Thanksgiving. : )

       -Jill

We just received this today from a reader and thought it was perfect to add here.

From Cindy:

I had just made your pecan pie muffin recipe and popped it into the oven. I checked another recipe site (not as good as yours!) and many commenters said their muffins stuck to the pans and that they had to make it over again with flour, oil, Baker’s Joy or whatever.

I thought “Great! I need these for a bake sale tomorrow. Just my luck– They’ll be stuck in the pan and unusable.” So when I took the pan out of the oven I immediately ran a sharp knife around the sides and popped the muffins out. It worked just fine. I can see, though, that if you left them in the pan to cool they probably would stick. They’re very good. Thanks for the recipe and Happy Thanksgiving!

This is a good place to give everyone a heads up that if you bake anything  sticky, sugary or syrupy, you’ll want to get it out of the pan immediately before it cools. I put a sticky topping on my cinnamon rolls so I have another pan ready to "dump" them on to the minute they come out of the oven.

Be careful with things like pecan pies and don’t fill them so full that they spill over the top and onto the edge because you will spend most of the day chiseling and trying to get a piece of pie out of the pan.

Of course, when it comes to pecan pie, I would find a way to get it out of the pan and into my mouth, even going as far as sucking on the pan if I have to. Yum! : ) : )

No matter what you make, a good rule of thumb is that if it is sticky and touches the pan it is like brushing on glue so either grease it very well or get it out of the pan quickly.

      -Jill

photos by: toomanythoughts and technodad

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Transporting Food In The Car

One of our readers, Margaret, wrote in and told of an accident she had with the holiday dishes she was transporting. I thought I would post my answer to her to help some of you avoid disaster when transporting your holiday food.

When transporting food items, here are a couple of things you can do to make it easier. Margaret recommended having someone hold the dish when possible, which I highly recommend. If you can’t, try this: I set my dish (hot or cold) in the center of a large flour sack towel, bring up the two opposite corners and tie. Then I bring up the other 2 corners and tie.

This helps keep the lid from moving. If the food is hot, the knot you made on the top gives you a handle to help hold it by. If it is very hot, you can place a hot pan holder in the center of the towel before setting the dish down. The towel it is wrapped in helps soak up some of the spills if you happen to have any spills. The towel also insulates the food, helping keep it warm.

I have used this technique for years to transport food, but in recent years, I have a new all time favorite. Now I wrap the dish in the towel and then set it all inside a cardboard box that is deeper then the dish. The boxes don’t seem to slide as much, they absorb the spills really well, the cardboard insulates the food, and the box helps make it easier when carrying a hot dish. 

-Jill

Photo By: thebittenword.com

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Turkey Talk and Thanksgiving Tips

• This is just a little reminder to take your turkey out to start thawing on Saturday if it is about a 20 pound turkey. I would start thawing any turkey on Sunday at the latest. I like to have my turkey thawed at least a day or two ahead of time so I can get it all prepared, in the pan and ready to just pull out and stick in the oven. I have so many things to do the day before Thanksgiving that this is one less thing to worry about.
• For all you new or inexperienced cooks be sure to take out the "guts" or giblets as most people call them and the neck, which are usually stuffed inside of the turkey.

• If you need to dry bread for your stuffing, lay the bread out this weekend so it will get good and dry. Break it up, place it in the bowl you are going to be mixing it in and have that much done ahead of time.
• This weekend, wash and iron your linens for the table and get your silverware and dishes organized.
• On Wednesday, do as much as you can so you’re not doing it all at the last minute. Clean the veggies for the relish dish and salads or side dishes. If you are making something like a sweet potato casserole get it all prepared so that all you have to do on Thanksgiving is pop it in the oven.
• If you don’t want to be mashing potatoes two minutes before you sit down, mash them and place them in a crockpot on low to keep warm. You can keep them in the crockpot beautifully for one hour but no more. Beyond that, they get "yucky" quickly.

Most of all, for you new cooks or those of you cooking your first Thanksgiving dinner, don’t panic. It is really no more difficult than any other regular meal, except that you are probably preparing more of everything. If you are really nervous, do a trial run this weekend. Practice by roasting a chicken and making mashed potatoes, one or two sides and a dessert. It’s just like a mini Thanksgiving.

If something goes wrong (and most of us have had something go wrong once in a while), just laugh about it. Usually, it is the Thanksgiving everyone will remember with fond, happy memories. It will give you something to tell your future daughter in law, granddaughter or daughter about.

I remember being so scared my first Thanksgiving cooking alone. My friend who was older and who was going to be one of my guests told me how on her first Thanksgiving everything was perfect. The table looked great and everyone was laughing, joking and enjoying the food but half way through the meal she noticed something – she had forgotten the turkey.

She had set it on top of the fridge to move it out of the way for a minute and had left it there. Either no one noticed or they were too polite to say anything. Things may happen, but don’t panic – Thanksgiving wasn’t meant to be perfect– just a time of fun, enjoying being with friends and family.

       -Jill

For lots of quick and easy recipes and tips about scratch cooking and frugal living, take a look at our Dining On A Dime Cookbook here!

photo by: allthingschill

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