Little Known Kitchen Facts

Two weeks till Thanksgiving! In the following weeks I will be sharing my secret recipes that my mother and mother in-law imparted to me. As a new wife my mother in-law, Lillian gave me her Thanksgiving Turkey Dinner recipe in laymen terms and that's how I will give it to you, pure and simple.

I thought I would take today and give some "useful facts and hints" to get your kitchen ready for some "serious" cooking for the coming months. From the end of November through the snowy days of February your kitchen should be the place of comfort and security from the storm. A room filled with good smells of apple pies cooking, pumpkin spices of cinnamon and nutmeg, and the wonderful aroma of roasting turkey and dressing. Now that I have awakened your taste buds, lets get back to my helpful hints and facts.

Seeping Tea:
Actually, the term is called "steeping the tea." This is the process of allowing all the wonderful elements of the tea to distribute themselves into the hot water. I have found that the best way to get a good steep from my tea bag is to simply place it in the cup, pour boiling hot water over the bag and cover with a small saucer or plate for 4 - 6 minutes while the tea bag does it's thing. Remove the plate from the cup and the bag from the cup. Then sip and enjoy! Never press the tea bag against the cup with a spoon. If you press against a tea bag with a spoon you'll notice your tea gets a little cloudy. This is because little bits of tea leaf are getting squeezed out of the bag and, this will make your tea bitter.

Baking Soda:
Baking soda is the best thing ever invented next to Duck Tape. It can be used for brushing our teeth, an aid in relieving indigestion, and a perfect solution for removing any stain from your kitchen counters (including food coloring, tea and cool aid) and the bottoms of your pots and pans. It may require a second rinsing to remove it's residue but the results are worth it.

Club Soda:
During the Holidays, carpet stains are expected but if you can catch them or even when you don't try a little club soda and let the fizz actually eat the stain! Make sure it's club soda and not a sugar based soda. Pour a little soda right on the stain let soak a few minutes and towel dry, stain gone.

Eggs:
Making breakfast on a cold winters morning and not breaking the eggs will be a breeze if you follow these simple rules; make sure your skillet is hot enough and crack eggs into skillet. Tilt the skillet towards you and cook till the clear egg whites become a little cloudy. Gently flip the eggs over cooking the eggs tilted towards you again. This should take only a minute or two and place on a dish for one minute. This will finish cooking the egg. Scrambled eggs require a hot skillet also, placing beaten eggs in skillet and let them sit for sixty seconds before turning. Turn just three times and place on plate. They will continue cooking by themselves on the plate.

Till next time dear readers, don't be tempted to fool your Holiday guest and family with pumpkin spice and apple candles.....Instead take a few minutes and throw a real apple pie in the oven. I will show you how to do it in 10 minutes from bowl to oven. Who needs an apple candle when you can have the "real" thing!

So get your kitchens ready we're about to shake some pots and pans and get down to some serious cooking! Aunt Onie