Smoothies are a favorite at our house. Over the past few years I have learned a few tips to making a better smoothie. One reason I love our Vita-Mix is that it does a great job of blending everything together so it tastes good! The tips below will work for any blender. Freeze your fruit Colder smoothies tastes better. I usually freeze almost brown bananas as well as other fruit I am able to ...
Freezing Frosting
Did you know that you can freeze frosting? I always knew you could freeze frosting, but recently I tried freezing it in the decorating bag. I just removed the tip and froze it in a ziploc bag. This works great for me because we have several birthdays a few weeks apart. The frosting might go bad in the fridge, but it lasts for a few months in the freezer. Thaw the frosting in the refrigerator ...
Measuring Shortening and Peanut Butter
One thing I dislike about baking is measuring sticky items like shortening and peanut butter. Actually I don't mind the measuring, it is the clean-up I don't care for. Here is an easy solution my mom taught me years ago. Take a glass measuring cup and fill it to the 1 cup line. Then add your sticky ingredient until it displaces to the water to the measurement you need. So for example, if you ...
Ice Cream Cake
Today is my son's 12th birthday. In our family, you are allowed to request your birthday dessert (within reason), and I usually try and make these desserts from scratch since it is cheaper and healthier. This year he requested an ice cream cake. My husband offered to pick one up from the store, since I was returning from my trip today, but I decided this would be a great opportunity to show how ...
Cracking a Peanut Shell
Shelled peanuts are a cheap, healthy and fun snack. What I do not like about peanuts is cracking the shells. It always seemed easier to me to buy the peanuts, sans shell and pay the extra price. That all changed recently when my husband showed me a little trick to cracking the shells. Every shell has a little indentation near the tip of one end. Take your thumb and gently press on the ...
Homemade Bagel Tips
I posted this homemade bagel recipe several months ago. Since posting this recipe I have discovered a tip that will make making your bagels easier and taste better. When forming the bagel shape, oil your hands with canola oil. This will make the dough extremely easy to work with. After shaping the bagel, place it on a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper, to rest for twenty minutes. The oil ...
