Nothing warms the soul like a thick creamy bowl of soup. Many soup recipes add cream as the base stock or to finish the soup. The cream adds a richness and a smooth texture that is wonderful tasting just not so good for the waistline.

I have tried lowering the calories by substituting low fat milk or yogurt and the result is a curdled mess once the soup comes to a simmer. I read this tip in Cooking Light and it's a great way to lighten up those creamed based soups.

They suggested using brown rice to substitute for the cream. It seemed a bit strange but when the brown rice is overcooked in a broth and then pureed with low-fat milk it works. The  brown rice becomes a rich, nutty cream that not only thickens but also adds a velvety-smooth mouth feel with only 7 calories and no sat fat per tablespoon.

Here's the Formula
Bring 2 cups unsalted chicken stock and ½ cup uncooked instant brown rice to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes. Blend mixture and 1 cup, 1% low-fat milk in a blender until smooth. Makes 3 cups.

Try this next time you are tempted to make that cream base soup. It will make you a believer.

Source:
Cooking Light Brown Rice Cream
107 calories 1.3g fat 0.5g sat fat per cup

How to Make Self Rising Flour  - Sometimes a recipe calls for self rising flour. This is something that you don't need to stock in your kitchen.  It can easily be made by combining 1 cup all purpose flour, 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Whisk together completely and use in the amount called for. Now if you are using whole grain soft white flour, increase the baking powder to 2 teaspoons per cup and leave the 1/4 teaspoon salt the same.

Measuring Flour or Weighing Flour - My best advice is no matter what type of flour you are baking with the only way to be accurate and consistent is to weigh out the flour. If you don't have a scale, the holidays are coming and this would be a perfect addition to your tools in the kitchen.

Parchment Paper - Used it to line your pans so there is no need to grease and butter the baking sheets or cake pans. Simply tear off enough to cover a cookie sheet. When lining your cake pans no matter what shape, draw around the bottom of the pan on the parchment paper and cut out.  Place it on the inside of the pan. This will save you time and cleanup along with knowing your cake will easily be removed from the pan. Parchment paper is a bit pricey so don't throw it out after one use. I reuse mine several times with out any issues.

To Prevent Over browning of Cookies: -  Baked goods made with brown sugar, honey, molasses or corn syrup brown very quickly in the oven. Cookies, because they are small and thin, can over brown or burn before they are finished baking.  My solutions is a sil pad, they line your baking sheets and prevent burning. If you don't have one double pan each baking sheet. Simply put one cookie sheet on top of another and bake according to the directions. The double panning slows the heat to the bottom and although they usually take a few minutes longer to bake, they will be perfect when finished.

To Make Buttermilk or Sour Milk - To make a substitute for buttermilk or sour milk called for in a recipe, remove 1 tablespoon milk and add 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar to a cup of whole or 2% milk. It will probably curdle but that is fine. If you make kefir, you can use it instead of the buttermilk, use the same amount as called for in the recipe.

Toasted Nuts -  Nuts add great flavor, take the extra time to toast them it really enhances their flavor. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, spread the nuts out in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and toast for 7 to 12 minutes depending upon the nut. Be careful not to burn them, so stay close to the oven. If you smell them remove them from the oven and allow to cool before adding to the recipe.

Cookie Additions - Sometimes it's hard to get the chocolate chips or any additions to the batter mixed evenly.  Save about 1/3 cup chips out of the batter. When you get to the bottom of the bowl where there aren’t as many chips, stir them in. That way the last cookies will have the same amount of goodies as the first ones baked.

Source:
Pastry Like a Pro
Helen S. Fletcher

Fresh ginger can be used in so many types for foods from teas to the main course. When you buy it at the store buy only what looks fresh and plump. I take it home and freeze it, that way you will always have it on hand for cooking.

When peeling it instead of tossing your ginger peels in the garbage (or compost!), use them to create a potent broth that you can add to…just about anything. Here’s how to do it.

How to Make the Broth
Add at least a quarter of a cup of ginger peels to a quart of water. The more ginger you add, the more flavorful (potent) it will be. Bring the mixture to a boil, cover, lower the heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Let the broth cool completely, then strain out the ginger peels and store the broth in a container in the fridge. You can even boil the peels a second time, the broth will not be as strong but will still be tasty.

Add to Juice
Ginger helps with digestion, pain and inflammation. A couple tablespoons of the fiery broth added to your juice may just be what the doctor ordered for those stomach issues.

Steam Some Veggies
Steamed root vegetables like turnips, rutabagas, and radishes may not seem exciting.  Use a double-boiler or a covered, heat-proof colander set over a sauce pot containing the broth, and simmer the broth until the vegetables are fragrant and tender. Add to a salad for that extra flavor, or use the root vegetables for a simple side dish.

Mix Up a Cocktail
Use your homemade ginger broth as a  mixer for your cocktails for example ginger and vodka, gin or sparkling wine. You can also sweeten the broth while it cooks to form a simple syrup.

Have Some Sweet Tea
Ginger tea is well-known as a soother of upset stomachs and as a tasty, caffeine-free way to unwind. To make a tea, dilute the broth with hot water and stir in the sweetener of your choice. Maple syrup and honey both go great with ginger’s earthy flavor. Add this to your tea and enjoy.

Simmer Some Soup
Carrot ginger soup is a classic. Enhance the flavor of this favorite soup by adding your (unsweetened) ginger broth to the soup.

In Baked Goods
If the recipe calls for a liquid, substitute the ginger broth. If you are making a baked good with yeast be careful not to add too much, dilute it. For muffins or any quick bread it will add extra flavor.

The options are endless, just use your imagination, and enjoy the benefits of adding fresh ginger to your meals.

Source
August 24, 2015 / Bon Appetite, Rochelle Bilow

The canning season is upon us and your recipe calls for pickling salt. Pickling salt, or sometimes called canning salt or preserving salt — is pure granulated salt (sodium chloride).  Pickling salt does not contain any anti-caking ingredients, which can turn the pickling liquid cloudy, or dark. Also, pickling salt has fine granules that makes it easier to dissolve in your brine. Morton and Ball are two common brands available at most grocery stores. It's usually in the salt section or next to the canning jars.

The question is do you really need pickling salt for pickling? While pickling salt is ideal, it's not the only salt that can be used. Kosher salt is a great alternative, as long as it's pure salt without any additives. Read the label carefully. (Diamond Crystal is a good brand; avoid Morton, which does contain anti-caking agents.) Pure sea salt can also be used in pickling.

Although table salt is perfectly safe to use in pickling, it is not recommended because the quality of pickles may suffer due to its additives.

Substitutes for Pickling Salt
When making substitutions for pickling salt, keep in mind that weight per volume can differ. Salts coarser than pickling salt may also take longer to dissolve. The University of Wisconsin - Cooperative Extension advises that
1 1/2 cups of flaked kosher salt equals about 1 cup of canning and pickling salt, or about 50% more kosher salt. For fermented pickles, they recommend measuring by weight: 7 3/4 ounces (220 grams) of flaked salt is equivalent to 1 cup of canning and pickling salt.

Sources
University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension .... Great Hand out!

The next best thing to buying your berries on sale it to be able to eat them before they start to mold. Fruits are important in your diet so keeping them fresh as long as possible should be your goal.

Next time you come from the farmers market with a bag or two of berries, you can apply a homemade solution in order to prevent them from spoiling.  The secret lies in vinegar! Vinegar can kill any mold spores or other kinds of bacteria on the surface of the berries, which  causes them to lose their freshness. Prepare a mix of 1 part white or apple cider vinegar and 10 parts water. Then dump the berries into the solution and swirl them around for a bit. After that, drain them and place in the refrigerator. This tip will extend the life of your berries about a week, when kept in the refrigerator.

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.