More helpful links

These are some great tips and tricks from one of my favorite websites- Better Homes and Gardens They have great recipes, great tips, party and entertaining ideas, and so much more. I have the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook and I use it all the time. Love it!

How to bake and frost a cake.

How to chop vs. mincing

Cooking with Herbs

Peeling and seeding tomatoes

How to roast poultry

How to broil meat

How to cook fish

How to toast nuts

How to roast garlic

Step by step egg cooking techniques

How to cut up a whole chicken

Some helpful links for some tips and tricks in the kitchen

I posted a couple of charts yesterday but it was taking over my feed. So instead I am going to post a few links that I thought you might find helpful. These are in the back of my favorite Betty Crocker Cookbook, and these are from their website. If you have any you would like to share, please pass them along! :-)

Common Ingredients: Yields and Equivalents Chart from Betty Crocker

Emergency Substitutions Chart from Betty Crocker

Cooking tools

Knifes and Cutting

Pans

Pantry Basics

Equipment Glossary Page

Ingredients Glossary

Techniques Glossary

How to set the table

This is a great photo I found when I googled "how to set the table". There seems to be a thousand ways to "properly" set the table now. This is the closest to the way that I do it.

Betty Crocker Cookbook: Wedding Edition

Betty Crocker Cookbook: Wedding Edition

OK so this is the end all be all most amazing cookbook EVER if you ask me. I have looked forever and a day for a cookbook that not only has great recipes but also shows you the BASICS. Not everyone was born a good cook, or has had the opportunity to learn from previous generations. And some of us that were blessed for those experiences, still need a little help when it comes time to actually make things happen on your own. Well this cookbook is that cookbook. It has all the great Betty Crocker recipes, and it also has pages and pages of basic information.

The front of the book starts with not only a list of basic kitchen gadgets you needs, but a description of what each one is used for and a photo. It has lots of entertaining ideas, how to properly set a table, things like that. The first chapter is all the cooking basics like how to measure dry ingredients versus wet ingredients, basics to stock your pantry with, a glossary of cooking terms, lots of basics that you can never seem to find in other cookbooks. It is a REAL how-to cookbook for beginners, or even for old pros to brush up!

I was so excited when Mom got me this for Christmas the year I got married. I have used it a million times and have learnt a lot. This is a GREAT wedding shower gift. The basic Betty Crocker Cookbook with the red cover has a lot of basics in it too, but the wedding edition has even more.

Cinnamon Toast

OK so this "recipe" is here because when I started this whole "family cookbook" idea I emailed all my family asking for recipes and my younger brother sent me a few that just cracked me up. This was one of his "recipes" which is something Mom used to make for us for breakfast when we were little. I already had it in my stash of recipes, so I decided to go ahead and post it as a "Basic" recipe. Thanks James.. or thanks Mom? haha

Several slices of white bread

Butter

Cinnamon

Sugar

Butter several slices of bread and place each on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon and sugar. Place it in the oven at 350 until sugar is slightly caramelized. Serve hot.

*You may also toast the bread ahead of time, depending on how dry you want it.

Wedding Punch

This is a great punch recipe for special occasions like weddings or anniversary parties. This recipe is one my sister in law, Jamie, had at her wedding and a year later I asked her to make it for my wedding. It is SO GOOD you better be prepared to make a double batch. 

Wedding Punch

Recipe from: Jamie R.

1- 40 oz. can pineapple juice

1-12 oz. can frozen orange juice

1- 12 oz. can frozen lemonade

6 cups of water

½ cup of sugar

2- 32 oz. bottle ginger ale.

Mix all except ginger ale together. When ready to put in punch bowl add ginger ale.

Can freeze punch until time to use.

Idea: If you have a pretty looking jello or cake mold, pour some of the punch into the mold and freeze it ahead of time. Float the ring in the punch bowl to make it more interesting, keep the punch cold, and as the ring melts it won't water down your punch. You can also add fruit to the punch ring before you freeze it. 

Sweet Tea

There is nothing better than a tall cold glass of iced tea. This is one of those things that people don't really have a RECIPE for, and every one makes it their own way. But I also know that when you find yourself newly married or off at College and suddenly Momma isn't around to make the sweet tea... you may not know how. So for those of us who need to know the basics.. this is how I make sweet tea! 

Sweet Tea

From: Jamie R.

1. Boil Water
2. Add 7 small tea bags ( I use LIPTON) 
3. Take off heat & let stand for a few hours (the longer the better)
4. Pour tea into 2 gallon pitcher
5. Add 2 cups of sugar
6. Add water
7. Stir

Serve over ice in a tall glass!

Now my Mom, Judy, makes it much sweeter and a little stronger. She uses 10 tea bags and no less than 3 cups of sugar. But I like mine the way Jamie taught me how to make it!