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Keeping That Pitcher Of Drinks Cold

6/21/2015

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Summer is here and that means hot humid weather. Keeping that pitcher of drinks chilled can be an issue. You want something that is longer-lasting than a simple bag of ice. The small cubes made in your freezer's ice maker are fine for filling glasses, but they just won't do when it comes to a pitcher of drinks. The problem with the small ice cubes is they melt too fast in a large pitcher, resulting in the pitcher of drinks getting watered down.

Tip:
The Best Tool for larger cubes: Muffin Tins
Before making your next pitcher drink, reach for a muffin tin (or two).  Muffin tins are the ideal size to make large, long-lasting ice cubes to keep a pitcher of drinks cool.

Fill the muffin cups with plain water or make the ice more fun by adding sliced lemon or small pieces of fruit. Then, to release the cubes, just run the bottom of the muffin tin under hot water for about 30 seconds.

These large cubes will last longer in your pitcher and will keep the beverage colder. So enjoy the heat but remember to drink plenty of fluids.

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Muffin Top Pan

3/8/2015

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I always say good tools makes life easier in the kitchen. Just ask your husband when he needs a special tool for a project. Muffin top pans are a specialty type pan that have a very shallow indentation perfect for baked items you want to stay perfectly round when baking. I bought mine for hamburger buns,  but I can already see so many other uses.

The price is around $15.00 to 20.00 and has free shipping from Amazon.
CHICAGO METALLIC is a really nice brand, heavy duty and non stick, so they are a breeze to clean. I will be trying mine out with my Strawberry Shortcake recipe. I usually use a muffin tin, then cut the muffin in half on the plate and top with the strawberries and whipping cream. This would allow of a much better presentation. One simple perfectly round cake that I can top with the berries. Try the Strawberry Shortcake recipe on my recipe blog.  The cakes are very light even with 100% whole grain. The recipe is easy but quite different. The milk is heated before adding it to the batter.

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Silicone Non Stick Mats "Silpat"

1/21/2015

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A flexible silicone baking mat is a nice kitchen tool that will make your life easier when baking. "Silpat" is one brand name, but there are many on the market. A silicone mat is one tool that's not expensive but you will use again and again. "Silpat" non-stick baking mats are made in France, they are very durable and are made out of meshed silicone. They come in may sizes to fit all types of baking sheets. When my husband bought ours, I thought do I really need this? I thought my cookies come out just fine, and my baking sheets work great. It only took me one bake to realize what a difference the mats make in my final product and clean up is a breeze.

The non-stick, flexible silicone mat replaces parchment paper and greasy sprays when used on your baking sheets. The mat dissipates heat rapidly to prevent the bottoms burning of your cookies or pastries. Your cookies will come out evenly baked every time. They will  also be shaped better, which gives you a more professional appearance of your finished product.

The mats are also a great time saver. When I bake cookies, I put the mat on the cookie sheet and place the cookie dough on the mat, then into the oven it goes. While it's baking I will take the next mat and place the cookie dough on it ready to go into the oven. When the first batch of  cookies are done you just remove the whole mat from the pan and slide it onto the cooling rack. Now you are ready to slide the new loaded mat onto the pan and put into the oven. The cookies that are cooling on the mat will come right off with no mess or sticking at all. Repeat the process until all the cookies have been baked.

Bed Bath and Beyond has generic flexible silicone mats at around $15.00 and the "Silpat" mats on Amazon are around the same price. We have had our  mats for around 7 years and they are in good shape and will last many more years. These make great gifts for someone in your life that loves to bake.
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