No kitchen is needed for hosting Sr. Center Cooking Classes. Table-top appliances are fine.
Monday’s “class” at the Senior Center gave us an opportunity to share ideas in a way that was fun, enlightening and ended with a healthy pizza feed. Whole wheat crusts, home-made sauce, veggies and sharp cheese improve nutritional value. You can do the same with your group Read more for lesson plans and recipes. Continue reading
by don R (a substitution guide when using recipes with flour.)
Here’s a quick guide to selecting the right flour for baking.
When baking, it is important to use the right kind of flour. For many years we would buy the cheapest flour on the grocer’s shelf not realizing why our gravy was lumpy or the bread did not rise. But more importantly, it is critical for some people to avoid flour containing gluten. So, yes, the type of flour you choose makes a difference. Read more about different types of flour. Continue reading
The biscuits on pot pies can be made with a master biscuit mix
February’s Cook-In features “Master Mixes.” These are pre-mixed ingredients for baking such as Bisquick® and Krusteaz©. The dry baking ingredients are already mixed and the only thing left to do is add liquids or maybe eggs and sweetener. Master mixes are easy to use and a good addition to your pantry. You can purchase them from a grocer but there are advantages for making your own. Read more for the whole story. Continue reading
Bake these gluten-free cookies: soft and delicious.
For people with special dietary needs, several sites offer cookie recipes using mashed bananas, oatmeal and nuts or dark chocolate chips. These cookies are packed with nutrients, gluten-free and non dairy. My grand-daughter tried our first batch of experimental cookies and said, “These cookies are soooooo good!” Need we say more?
Flour, butter, and a sweetener combine with add-ons to make awesome cookies. The Master cookie mix makes it easy!
Our mother made cookies using a recipe similar to the master mix we introduced in our last post. She would make a pouch and fill them with figs, or cut out trees and sprinkle them with small candies. Health-wise, these were not the best choice because she used shortening and lots of sugar. The first recipe in our last post calls for butter and brown sugar to add flavor but does little to cut cost or calories in a meal plan. If you are like many of us, added calories may not be a big concern. For others who are trying to limit fats and simple sugars, here are some practical solutions: Continue reading
Use the master cookie mix to bake these decorated cookies.
Home-Made master cookie mix will save you time and energy because some of the ingredients are premixed. For special cookies you can add ingredients just before baking. Here is the basic mix plus a recipe for cookie cut-outs. Continue reading
Pancakes can be high in saturated fat but our Master Biscuit Mix has reduced butter and sugar content and nutritious whole wheat used in place of half the all-pupose flour. To make fluffier lighter pancakes, try this trick that I picked up from my roommate’s mother in college a long long time ago. Continue reading
Biscuits are a short bread leavened with baking powder or baking soda. Even though they are not as fluffy as yeast bread, they have many uses and are simple to make. In an earlier post we shared our version of the Master Mix for biscuits but you can make more than biscuits. By starting with the base master mix and adding other ingredients you can make food like fruit empanadas, tarts, waffles and pot pies… Continue reading