Self Rising Flour Tip

If you find yourself in need of self rising flour and you don't have any here's what you can do:

Mix together 1 C all purpose flour, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
and 1/2 tsp salt.

This will give you 1 C self rising flour.

I don't usually have self rising flour in my pantry since I don't use it that often. This is a good substitute for those random recipes that call for it.

buttermilk tip

if you are out of buttermilk and you need it for a recipe here you go:

You can add 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup milk. Stir and let stand for 5 minutes. Or you can use plain yogurt instead of buttermilk.

I don't always have buttermilk on hand and it's nice if I want to make some biscuits that I can use this to supplement it!

Saucy Chicken and Pasta

Last night for dinner I found this yummy recipe on the KRAFTFOODS.com email that I get occasionally. I don't have a picture of ours so I'm posting the picture from the website. Of course I changed ours up a bit due to what I had on hand and what I knew my kids would eat. It was really good!

4-6 small boneless skinless chicken thighs

1 onion, thinly sliced, separated into rings

1 cup fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth (I used homemade stock but feel free to use the store bought kind)

1/2 cup KRAFT Classic Caesar Dressing(I used fat free dressing)

1 cup mozz. cheese, shredded.
8oz egg noodles, cook to package directions

HEAT large nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 5 min. on each side or until cooked through (165ºF).

ADD vegetables, broth and dressing; cover. Cook on medium heat 6 to 8 min. or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Cook until sauce reduces and is thick.

SPOON vegetables and egg noodles onto platter; top with chicken, sauce and cheese.

The sauce was so good that you could make it on it's own and top just about anything. I hope you enjoy it!!

Tip: make you own homemade stock, boil up chicken , beef or veggies with spices your family likes, when cool put the liquid into ice cube trays and freeze. You have perfectly portioned stock for whatever you need.

Baked Veggie Alfredo

This is one of those throw whatever you have on hand into the pot and VIOLA! You have dinner ready. It turned out really yummy and everyone enjoyed it. Feel free to make it to your family's likes. Enjoy!!



1 16 oz bag pasta
1 jar alfredo sauce
1 fresh zucchini chopped up
2 ribs of celery, chopped up
1/2 C frozen peas and carrots
3 pieces bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 C breadcrumbs
(i always have leftover bread in the freezer. put it in a food processor and season to taste. you will always have breadcrumbs on hand if you do this)


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cook and drain the pasta until almost done. About 8 minutes (depending on the type of pasta you are using.
Cook the peas and carrots with the pasta, drain. Add the celery, zucchini and toss lightly in alfredo sauce. Put in lightly greased 9X13 pan and top with breadcrumbs and bacon pieces. I also used the little bit of bacon grease as a flavoring on the top to help brown and crisp up the bread crumbs-this is of course optional.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Serve and enjoy!!


We served this with a broccoli slaw. I found a bag of the broccoli slaw at the store today. I dressed it with salsa, 1/2 a tomato, chopped up and ranch dressing to taste. This was a yummy dinner and for the most part, healthy. Hope you enjoy it!

Cook with your kids! Please!!

Safety Tips for Cooking with Kids
Combined from the California Department of Health & Penn State Cooperative Extension

One of the best ways to teach food safety is to practice it—and to be vocal about why it is being practiced. This needs to begin as soon as the child is aware of and is taking an interest in food (beyond throwing it!).

1. Prevent food poisoning by:
• always washing hands before cooking.
• not eating raw eggs or raw meats.
• waiting until the food is cooked before sampling it. Do not sample uncooked foods.

2. Have children stand at the level of the activity. Use a stool if necessary.

3. Use cooking supplies that will not break (such as plastic measuring cups and stainless-steel bowls).

4. Use plastic knives or butter knives for cutting.

5. Provide constant supervision.
• Always watch children when they use knives, mixers, or the stove.
• Supervise the use of ovens, stoves, and other kitchen appliances.
• Remind children that stoves, ovens, pans, and dishes can be very hot.

Why you should LOVE cooking with your kids-it's learning in disguise!
From the Penn State Cooperative Extension

Most children learn quickly that eating is fun. They also enjoy helping adults cook. Put the two together and you have the perfect recipe for learning. Children learn best when they’re busy and interested in what they are doing.
When children are busy scrubbing, mixing, stirring, kneading, spreading, tossing, squeezing, and pouring, they don’t realize there’s a special ingredient that you’re adding: It’s called learning!

• Cooking involves reading and talking. There is much to talk about as a recipe is read, followed, and prepared.

• Children learn math skills through counting, measuring, and following step-by-step directions.

• Science is learned as children see how food changes during cooking. They learn about hot and cold, floating and sinking, dissolving, melting, and freezing.

• Good nutrition is encouraged through cooking. Seeing exactly what goes into a recipe helps children learn to make better decisions about the food they eat.

• Children can learn about and connect with other cultures as they prepare foods from various cultural groups.

• Thinking skills are developed as children learn to compare and make relationships in food preparation. If we use too much flour in our cookie recipe, the result is a dry, hard cookie. Proportions are easily mastered when children learn that if you double the ingredients in the cookie recipe, you get double the cookies.

• Social skills are practiced in cooking when children work together, take turns, and solve problems. Most importantly, self-esteem abounds when children prepare foods for themselves and others.

SO GET OUT THERE AND COOK WITH YOUR KIDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mac N Cheese Tip

If you add just a tbsp or 2 of sour cream to your boxed mac n cheese it will give it a homemade taste. I try to do it everytime I have sour cream on hand. It also helps to make it creamy!!

Egg Tip

When making hard boiled eggs, have you ever found yourself struggling to get the shell off the egg?
Well here's a tip for you!

After the water has come to a boil and the eggs have cooked for about a minute add a heaping handful of salt to the boiling water. It won't flavor the eggs at all, and it will make it MUCH easier to remove the shell after they have cooked and cooled.