The memory of someone telling us "a how to" can be a lifesaver. Over the years, these tried and true helpful hints have earned a special place in our lives. In the garden, in the kitchen, while out camping and even doing crafts we rely on others experiences to make even the smallest task that much easier. We hope the hints and tips that we pass along to you are some you may have forgotten about. And the new ones you will keep in your memory bank for later use and to be shared with family and friends.

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Cooking for One
Submitted by Hank Turney


Hamburgers
BBQ burgers just too much trouble to make for one person? Not anymore! Make up one pound of meat into patties. Grill them up until just nearly done. Leaving the one you're going to eat on the grill until it's ready. Cool & freeze the rest in individual servings. Enjoy the other ones at your leisure by thawing and finish cooking in the microwave.

Tacos or Burritos
Another make a lot freeze for later idea. I went to the local Buck-or-Two store and bought a bunch of small round freezer containers that hold about ½ cup [125ml to metric folks]. When I cook up the meat I can make lots and then freeze it in these containers. Each one holds enough for one Burrito or two Tacos, they can be thawed according to appetite.

Taco Seasoning Mix
Prep Time: 5 minutes

• 1 cup onion flakes
• 6 Tbsp ground cumin
• 3 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp savory
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes (finely chopped)
• 1 powdered bay leaf

Mix together and store in a jar with a good sealing lid. To use, add 2-3 tablespoons of mix and 1/2 cup water per pound of meat.

Garlic
I like garlic but I don't eat it on everything. No matter how I stored it, by the time I get around to using a whole head of garlic, it was either all wilted up, or sprouted. I searched for a way to get around this problem. My son gave me the following solution.

Ready to Use Garlic
Prep Time: 30 minutes

• 4-5 heads of garlic
• 4-5 oz of dry white wine

Slice or press garlic to size normally used and put into a clean small jar with a good sealing lid. Cover with wine. When you need garlic scoop out what you think you need, drain, measure (Estimate 1 tsp = 1 clove) and return what you don't use to the wine. Will store well for up to 3 months.

NOTE: Garlic may turn a greenish color in the wine. The deeper the green colour, the fresher the garlic. This doesn't hurt the flavor and nicely camouflages it in a Caesar salad!

Ginger
I really like fresh ginger but had difficulty keeping it between uses. I use the same recipe for preserving garlic.

Caesar salad
Another favorite that seems hard to make for one! Not for me! All I had to do was find a commercial Caesar dressing that my palate could tolerate the choice was "Johnny's Great Caesar". I purchase herbed croutons and grated parmesan from the local supermarket bulk food section. These both store very well in the freezer. Once all of this is on hand you only need the Romaine. I pull off leaves and tear them up [without the hard rib, as it was originally made] when there is enough in the bowl sprinkle on some parmesan toss in a few croutons and as much pre-crushed garlic[see recipe] as you like [or social conditions dictate] pour on the dressing and toss. This system allows me to make one side salad or a barrel the only thing that limits the amount is the ingredients I have on hand.

Stock
If you like to prepare your own stock, I have a tip for that too. Cook it down so that when you chill it in the refrigerator to get the grease off the stock, it becomes a very solid jelly. After you get rid of the grease melt the jelly and pour it into a large muffin pan and freeze it. This makes ice cubes that are about ½ cup of concentrated stock. Store in freezer in a zip lock bag. When you make up soups or stews, add 1 cup of water for each "stock muffin". You can also freeze them in ice cube trays to flavor smaller recipes like gravies.

Rice
Whenever I make something that uses rice as an accompaniment I am never sure how much to make. Over the years I have found it generally better to make too much. The extra I save and make a fried rice dish a couple of days later or I use it up as desert for the meal in question. Add some raisins, 1 Tbsp. of sugar [brown or white or even honey], some cinnamon [to taste] and some milk or cream [just some, we're not making a swimming pool for the rice] warm it up good and there it is, Rice Pudding. Sometimes I crack an egg into it to make it sort of custardy, that usually results in two servings.

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Other Related Pages

Kitchen Tips | Tips for Outside | Strawberry Herb Pot| Caring for Your Quilt | Caring & Storing Fine Linens | Recipes |Cookie Exchange

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