TIPS!

Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store.
If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster.

Store your opened chunks of cheese in aluminum foil.
It will stay fresh much longer and not mold!

Peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating.
Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking.

Add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef.
It will help pull the grease away from the meat while cooking.

To really make scrambled eggs or omelets rich add a couple of
Spoonfuls of sour cream, cream cheese, or heavy cream in and then beat them up.

For a cool brownie treat, make brownies as directed. Melt Andes mints in double broiler and pour over warm brownies. Let set for a wonderful minty frosting.

Add garlic immediately to a recipe if you want a light taste
of garlic and at the end of the recipe if your want a stronger taste of garlic.

Leftover snickers bars from Halloween make a delicious dessert. Simply chop them up with the food chopper. Peel, core and slice a few apples. Place them in a baking dish and sprinkle the chopped candy bars over the apples. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes!!! Serve alone or with vanilla ice cream. Yummm!

Heat up leftover pizza in a nonstick skillet on top of the stove, set heat to med-low and heat till warm.
This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy micro pizza. I saw this on the cooking channel and it really works.

Easy deviled eggs, Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal, mash till they are all broken up.

Add remainder of ingredients, reseal, keep mashing it up mixing thoroughly, cut the tip of the baggy, squeeze mixture into egg. Just throw bag away when done easy clean up.

Expanding Frosting
When you buy a container of cake frosting from the store, whip it with your mixer for a few minutes. You can double it in size.
You get to frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount. You also eat less sugar and calories per serving.

To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in
A microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food
Moist and help it reheat faster.

Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill with hot water.

Dump out the hot water, but don't dry cup. Next, add your ingredient, such

As peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes right out.

Turkey roasting guide

Use the following chart as a helpful guide:

What Size Turkey to Purchase
Type of Turkey	Pounds to Buy
Whole bird	1 pound per person
Boneless breast of turkey	1/2 pound per person
Breast of turkey	3/4 pound per person
Prestuffed frozen turkey	1 1/4 pounds per person – keep frozen until ready to cook

Thawing
In the refrigerator
Place frozen bird in original wrapper in the refrigerator (40 °F or below). Allow approximately 24 hours per 5 pounds of turkey. After thawing, keep turkey refrigerated for only 1-2 days, or use this chart to help you countdown to the holiday.

Thawing Time in the Refrigerator
Size of Turkey	Number of Days
8 to 12 pounds	1 to 2 days
12 to 16 pounds	2 to 3 days
16 to 20 pounds	3 to 4 days
20 to 24 pounds	4 to 5 days

In cold water
If you forget to thaw the turkey or don't have room in the refrigerator for thawing, don't panic. You can submerge the turkey in cold water and change the water every 30 minutes. Allow about 30 minutes defrosting time per pound of turkey. The following times are suggested for thawing turkey in water. Cook immediately after thawing.

Thawing Time in Cold Water
Size of Turkey	Hours to Defrost
8 to 12 pounds	4 to 6 hours
12 to 16 pounds	6 to 8 hours
16 to 20 pounds	8 to 10 hours
20 to 24 pounds	10 to 12 hours

In the microwave
Microwave thawing is safe if the turkey is not too large. Check the manufacturer's instructions for the size turkey that will fit into your oven, the minutes per pound, and the power level to use for thawing. Cook immediately after thawing.

Preparation
The day before Thanksgiving
Make sure you have all the ingredients you need to prepare your holiday meal. Check to make sure you have all the equipment you will need, including a roasting pan large enough to hold your turkey and a food thermometer. The turkey may be rinsed in cold water the night before and re-wrapped for roasting the next day if you wish. Wet and dry stuffing ingredients can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated separately. This may also be done on Thanksgiving Day. Mix ingredients just before placing the stuffing inside the turkey cavity or into a casserole dish.

Thanksgiving Day
If you choose to stuff your turkey, stuff loosely. The stuffing should be moist, not dry, since heat destroys bacteria more rapidly in a moist environment. Place stuffed turkey in oven immediately. You may also cook the stuffing outside the bird in a casserole. Judging cooking time for your turkey will be easier if the following chart is used. The times listed are for a fresh or thawed turkey in an oven at 325 °F. These times are approximate.

Cooking Time — Unstuffed
Size of Turkey	Hours to Prepare
8 to 12 pounds	2 3/4 to 3 hours
12 to 14 pounds	3 to 3 3/4 hours
14 to 18 pounds	3 3/4 to 4 1/4 hours
18 to 20 pounds	4 1/4 to 4 1/2 hours
20 to 24 pounds	4 1/2 to 5 hours

Cooking Time — Stuffed
Size of Turkey	Hours to Prepare
8 to 12 pounds	3 to 3 1/2 hours
12 to 14 pounds	3 1/2 to 4 hours
14 to 18 pounds	4 to 4 1/4 hours
18 to 20 pounds	4 1/4 to 4 3/4 hours
20 to 24 pounds	4 3/4 to 5 1/4 hours

Use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature of the turkey.
A whole turkey is safe cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165 °F throughout the bird. Check the safe internal temperature in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast. All turkey meat, including any that remains pink, is safe to eat as soon as all parts reach at least 165 °F. The stuffing should reach 165 °F, whether cooked inside the bird or in a separate dish.

When turkey is removed from the oven, let it stand 20 minutes. Remove stuffing and carve turkey.

Storing Leftovers
Cut the turkey into small pieces; refrigerate stuffing and turkey separately in shallow containers within 2 hours of cooking. Use leftover turkey and stuffing within 3-4 days; gravy within 1-2 days; or freeze these foods. Reheat thoroughly to a temperature of 165 °F or until hot and steaming.

----------------------------
QUICK CHART
based on 325 degrees cooking temp...

Weight of Bird	Roasting Time (Unstuffed)	Roasting Time (Stuffed)
10 to 18 pounds	3 to 3-1/2 hours	3-3/4 to 4-1/2 hours
15 to 22 pounds	3-1/2 to 4 hours	4-1/2 to 5 hours
22 to 24 pounds	4 to 4-1/2 hours	5 to 5-1/2 hours
24 to 29 pounds	4-1/2 to 5 hours	5-1/2 to 6-1/4 hours

Italian Cocktail Meatballs

Italian Cocktail Meatballs with Herbs and Ricotta from food network!

CAn freeze cooked in sauce, or raw for up to 6months! nice handy snack, easy to defrost and serve when unexpected guests arrive!

Prep 50 min Inactive Prep 1 hr Cook45 min
Total: 2 hr 35 min
Level: Easy Yield: about 50 meatballs


Ingredients
nocoupons

* 3/4 pound ground pork
* 3/4 pound ground turkey
* 4 ounces (1/2 cup) whole milk ricotta
* 1/3 cup minced flat-leaf parsley leaves
* 1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
* 1/2 medium onion, grated (about 1/2 cup)
* 3 tablespoons finely grated pecorino
* 1 slice bacon, finely minced
* 2 large cloves garlic, minced
* 2 tablespoons milk
* 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme or lemon thyme
* 1 large egg, beaten
* 2 teaspoons kosher salt
* 2 dashes Worcestershire sauce (about 1/2 teaspoon)
* Freshly ground black pepper
* 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
* 2 to 3 cups homemade or quality jarred marinara sauce
* Small fresh basil leaves

Directions

Mix the ground meats, ricotta, parsley, panko crumbs, onion, pecorino, bacon, garlic, milk, thyme, egg, salt, Worcestershire, and black pepper, to taste, in a large bowl. Mix until just combined; don't overmix. The mixture will be pretty soft.

Using your hands, gently form mixture into 1 tablespoon small meatballs (about the size of ping pong balls). Put them on a large plate or pan; cover and refrigerate at least an hour or up to 24 hours.

Heat the oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add about 1/3 the meatballs and cook, turning occasionally, until well browned on all sides, about 6 minutes. Transfer the meatballs to a plate and repeat with the remaining meatballs.

Drain off the oil and wipe out the skillet. Return the meatballs to the skillet and pour in the marinara sauce. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover, and simmer until the meatballs are cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Serve the meatballs, skewered on a platter with a dollop of the sauce and a fresh leaf of basil. They can be serve warm or at room temperature.

The meatballs can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for 3 days, or frozen for up to 6 weeks.
Meatball wisdom:

- Be gentle when you're forming meatballs--too firm a hand makes them dense and tough.

- These can be frozen cooked (in sauce) or raw; freeze raw meatballs on a cookie sheet, then transfer them to resealable plastic bags. Cooked-in-sauce meatballs can go into plastic containers.

Copyright (c) 2007 Television Food Network, G.P., All Rights Reserved

Spicy beer brined grillled pork loin

Spicy Beer-Brined Grilled Pork Loin

A BRINE—a solution of flavors suspended with salt or sugar—forces flavor and moisture into meat. This pork loin benefits from a bath in beer, corn syrup and seasonings, resulting in a melt-in-your-mouth tender entrée.

Serving tip:Serve three-bean salad and scalloped potatoes alongside.

3-pound boneless pork loin
1 (12-ounce) can beer
1/2 cup dark corn syrup
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/3 cup prepared mustard
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 to 2 tablespoons chili powder
2 cloves garlic, minced

Place pork in large self-sealing bag. In medium bowl, stir together beer, corn syrup, onion, mustard, oil, chili powder and garlic; pour over pork, seal bag and toss gently to coat pork. Refrigerate 4 to 24 hours.
Prepare banked, medium-hot fire on covered kettle-style grill.
Remove pork from marinade, reserving marinade for basting liquid.
Grill pork over indirect heat, away from fire, basting every 10 minutes with reserved marinade, until internal temperature reads 155 to 160 degrees F. , about 1 hour.
Discard any remaining marinade; remove pork from grill and let rest 10 minutes before slicing to serve.

Makes 12 servings

Banna Crunch Bread

Banana Crunch Bread
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Baking time: 75 minutes
Makes: 16 slices
Freezing: excellent


Ingredients

Topping:
1/2 cup/125 ml flaked coconut
1/4 cup/ 50 ml brown sugar , packed
1 tbsp / 15 ml butter
1 tbsp/ 15ml All Purpose Flour

Batter:
1/3 cup/ 75ml Canola Oil
3/4 cup/ 175 ml sugar
1 tsp/ 5 ml vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup/250 ml mashed ripe bananas (2 medium bananas)
1 3/4 cups/ 425 ml All Purpose Flour
1 1/2 tsp / 7ml baking soda
1/4 tsp/ 1 ml baking powder
1 pinch salt
1 cup/250 ml White Chocolate Chips , divided


Preparation
PREHEAT oven to 325ºF (160ºC). Grease an 8” x 4” (1.5 L) loaf pan.Topping:COMBINE all ingredients in small bowl. Set aside.

Batter:MIX oil, sugar, vanilla and eggs in large bowl. Add mashed banana and stir until incorporated. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and stir until flour is incorporated. Add ¾ cup (175 mL) white chocolate chips. Pour into prepared pan. Top with remaining ¼ cup (50 mL) white chocolate chips and cover with topping.BAKE in centre of preheated oven for about 65-75 minutes or until toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack. Don’t worry if bread seems a little darker than you would expect. It is still very moist and delicious!

Tip:Freeze peeled ripe bananas in a freezer bag. When ready to bake, first thaw bananas in microwave.

Country-Style Chicken & Sausage Paella

Country-Style Chicken & Sausage Paella
2 tablespoons Butter 6 skinless chicken thighs 1 onion, sliced 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh garlic 2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 (14-ounce) can low sodium chicken broth 1 1/2 cups uncooked instant rice 1 cup frozen peas 1/2 pound fully cooked smoked turkey sausage, cut into 1/2-inch slices 1 (8-ounce) package frozen cooked medium shrimp, thawed, rinsed, peeled, deveined 1 medium tomato, chopped, if desired
Melt butter in 10-inch skillet until sizzling; add chicken thighs. Cook over medium-high heat, turning once, until chicken is browned (4 to 5 minutes). Drain off fat.
Place onion and garlic in slow cooker. Top with chicken thighs. Sprinkle with thyme, turmeric and pepper. Pour chicken broth over all ingredients. Cover; cook on Low heat setting for 6 to 8 hours, or on High heat setting for 4 to 5 hours or until chicken is tender.
Remove chicken thighs from slow cooker 30 minutes before serving. Increase heat setting to High. Stir in rice, peas, sausage and shrimp. Place chicken thighs on top of rice mixture. Cover; cook for 30 to 35 minutes or until rice is tender.
Serve with chopped tomato, if desired.
Makes 6 servings.
TIP: Because slow cookers cook food at very low temperatures, removing the lid can greatly reduce the interior temperature. Resist the temptation to peek at the contents during cooking--it can reduce the inside temperature by as much as 20 degrees in as little as 2 minutes. When you lift the cover to add ingredients, replace the lid as quickly as possible.

Jack Daniels grill glaze

Just like the kind you get at TGIFridays

2 teaspoons of roasted garlic from a jar
1 tablespoon olive oil
2/3 cup water
1 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 1/3 cups dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons minced white onion
1 tablespoon Jack Daniels Whiskey
1 tablespoon crushed pineapple
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Procedure
Combine water , pineapple juice, teriyaki, soy sauce, and brown sugar in medium saucepan over medium/high heat. Stir occasionally until mixture boils, then reduce heat until mixture is just simmering.
Add remaining ingredients to the pan and stir.
let mixture simmer for 40-50 minutes or until sauce has reduced about 1/2 and is thick and syrupy. Make sure it doesn't boil over.Make 1 cup of glaze.

GRILLING TIP : It is always best to add sauce at end of cooking, just before removing meat to prevent it from burning.
If there is alot of sugar in the sauce so it will burn quickly.
Serve suace on the side as well.

Apples - you can freeze them!

Whats the best way to freeze apples? - Yahoo! Answers
How to Freeze Apples at Home
All About Apples The New Homemaker
Freezing Apples - How to Freeze Apples