a bowl of fun » Tips and More

Dining Etiquette.

admin — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 04:04:22 +0000

{via http://pinterest.com/}

How To Boil An Egg.

admin — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 03:36:40 +0000

Soft-Boiled Eggs:
Add enough water to a deep saucepan to cover the eggs by 1 inch {then remove eggs} and bring water to a rolling boil.
With a spoon, slowly lower each egg into the boiling water.
Reduce heat to medium-low and gently simmer: 4 minutes for soft, 5 minutes for medium-soft.
Drain boiling water and immediately run eggs under cold water.
Peel off shell and eat as is or “smear” over toast.

Hard-Boiled Eggs:
Place eggs in a single layer in a deep saucepan and add enough COLD water to cover.
Add 1 t. salt.
Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium-low.
Cook at a gentle boil for 9 minutes.
Drain boiling water and immediately run eggs under cold water.
Peel off shell and eat as is or chop up for salads.

Source: http://www.simpleorganizedliving.com/2011/04/04/how-to-boil-an-egg/

10 Uses for Basic Tomato Sauce.

admin — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 08:49:19 +0000

10 Uses for Basic Tomato Sauce
1. Pizza Sauce
Add 2 teaspoons sugar, 1 can tomato paste and 1 teaspoon each dried basil and oregano to 6 cups sauce. Simmer sauce an extra hour until sauce is quite thick.

2. Shrimp & Tomato Capellini
Sauté a handful of shrimp in garlic and butter. Add tomato sauce, chopped fresh herbs and toss with capellini (thinner than spaghettini) for a simple supper.

3. Easy Rosé Sauce
Add 1/2 cup 35% cooking cream to 4 cups sauce and cook an additional 15 minutes over medium low heat, stirring often. Serve over ravioli or manicotti.

4. Chicken Parmesan
Spoon tomato sauce generously over cooked breaded chicken cutlets. Top with mozzarella and bake until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling. Serve with spaghetti.

5. Sausage Ragout
Remove 4 Italian sausages from casings and sauté in a skillet with a chopped onion. Add 4-6 cups tomato sauce, 1 cup quartered button mushrooms and chopped green peppers, if desired. Simmer 15 minutes and serve over penne pasta.

6. Simple Bolognaise
Brown ground beef in a skillet. Add chopped onions & celery and cook for a few minutes. Add tomato sauce, a splash of red wine and cook over low heat for an hour or so. Serve with spaghetti or as a base for lasagna.

7. Baked Cauliflower or Zucchini
Spoon tomato sauce over cauliflower florets or chopped zucchini, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and bake in a casserole dish until vegetables are tender. Sprinkle with Parmesan during the last few minutes of baking, if desired. This is particularly nice with garlic-infused olive oil.

8. Grilled Vegetable Gratin
Grill softer vegetables such as peppers, zucchini, eggplant, or asparagus. Place in a casserole dish, top with tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella. Broil until cheese is melted.

9. Penne Arrabiata
Add crushed chillies to taste to basic tomato sauce. Serve over penne pasta and top with grated Romano cheese and parsley.

10. Meatballs
Simmer homemade meatballs in tomato sauce and serve with spaghetti.

{http://www.simplebites.net/10-uses-for-a-4-ingredient-tomato-sauce/}

10 Tips to Making the Best Muffins Ever.

admin — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 06:51:01 +0000

1. Start with ingredients at room temperature, eggs, milk, etc.
2. Take care not to over mix the batter; use a flexible spatula to gently fold ingredients together.
3. Batter should be stiff enough to hold a spoon upright; if it seems runny, gently fold in a few extra tablespoons of flour.
4. Use the freshest spices as possible when they are required.
5. Grease the entire muffin tin, not just the holes. More often than not, the muffins expand over the sides, and if those sides have not been properly greased, you’re going to run into trouble when you try to remove the muffins.
6. Fill muffin tins three-quarters full; the tops are the best part, so don’t be shy with the batter.
7. Slide a baking sheet under the muffin tin to help prevent the bottoms from getting too dark in the oven. This also helps with cleanup in case there is overflow.
8. Take care not to over-bake the muffins.
9. Allow muffins to cool in the pan at least 10 minutes before removing them, especially if they contain soft fresh fruit.
10. Enjoy them fresh. If you must, freeze them, although I prefer to freeze the batter (without add-ins), then thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bake the muffins fresh in the morning.

{http://www.simplebites.net/how-to-make-the-best-muffins/}

First Steps to a Healthier Diet.

admin — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 03:51:44 +0000

1. Don’t over-commit. As with all habit change, the smaller you start out, the more likely you are to succeed.

2. Do your research.

3. Seek out simple recipes.

4. Use healthful convenience foods.

5. Explore your local farmers markets.

Read more http://zenhabits.net/recipes/.

Simple Ways To Eat Better.

admin — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 11:44:26 +0000

1. Eat with wonder. Be in awe over the flavor of a pear.
2. Eat Colors not Calories. There is so much goodness in every piece of fruit and veggie you eat.
3. Cook with 5 ingredients or less. Your recipe doesn’t have to be a mile long to taste good.
4. Grow your own tiny garden. Keep it simple and grow what you love.
5. Don’t clean your plate. Stop eating when you are full.
6. Don’t eat in your car or at your desk.
7. Eat when you are hungry.

Read more: http://www.bemorewithless.com/2011/10-simple-ways-to-eat-better/.

Healthy Substitutes.

admin — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 06:42:19 +0000

I am glad to have come across these healthy substitutes from SimpleOrganic.net. We can indeed make our meals healthier, we just have to do look for better substitutes for our ingredients.

* Real (ideally grass-fed) butter in place of margarine or shortening

* Coconut oil in place of vegetable or canola oil

* Brown rice syrup in place of corn syrup

* Whole wheat flour (or pastry flour) in place of about half the white flour (and unbleached white flour for the other half)

* Whole cane sugar in place of white granulated sugar

And since we are talking about organic and healthy substitutes, Buy.com has this go green shopping campaign. You can learn more about green study through their site.

A Simple and Effective Meal Plan In 3 Easy Steps.

admin — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 08:31:32 +0000

Step 1. Make a list of meals.
Using a full sheet of paper make a list of meals that your family likes to eat. This list should have around 20 recipes on it to make sure there is enough variety from week to week.

Step 2. Pick and choose.
TIP: Try and plan for recipes requiring fresh veggies or fruits to be near the beginning of your two week plan. This way you can use fresh ingredients before they go bad and you’ve saved yourself another trip to the store and money!

Step 3. Make a shopping list.
TIP: Include items on your list that can be eaten as light nutritious snacks in between meals. Raisins, trail mix, dried fruit and nuts are great examples of nutritional snacks and can all be re-packaged into snack sized re-sealable bags to grab as you’re heading out the door.

Source: http://www.serenejourney.com/2009/01/a-simple-and-effective-meal-plan-in-3-easy-steps/.

Fruits and veggies can make our skin look young and fresh. I’m sure if we follow these tips and we religiously include healthy food in our diet, we will never need any acne treatment anymore.

Tips For A Quick And Efficient Grocery Shop.

admin — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 08:25:43 +0000

I don’t enjoy grocery shopping so much anymore. Could it be because I am not buying much junk anymore? Or I feel tired just by the thought that I’ll be the one putting those in the pantry when we get home. I came across these tips for grocery shopping efficiently, and maybe I can follow these. Let’s see if these will indeed give me more time to do other things, like browse for online accredited degrees perhaps.

1. Make a meal plan.

2. Do a quick inventory at home. Check what ingredients you already have and which ones you need to purchase.

3. Always go with a list.

4. Map out the store.

5. Shop in pairs.

{Read more: http://www.serenejourney.com/2009/01/5-tips-for-a-quick-and-efficient-grocery-shop/}

6 Simple Steps To Becoming A Masterchef at Home.

admin — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 15:34:49 +0000

Am I a masterchef. Far from it, but I am trying. But I do enjoy doing a little cooking in the kitchen. Most of the time though I find it tiring, especially if you do it everyday. I plan to get a new oven, hopefully soon, and I hope it will inspire me to spend more time in the kitchen. And for starters, I plan to get myself a really cheap chopper and hand mixer from Walmart’s Black Friday Sale. So even if I have to search for postcard printing, I just have to sneak in some time to check out the upcoming Black Friday sales to stock up on kitchen tools and gadgets.

So how do you become a masterchef?

1. Get yourself organized.
2. Get a good recipe.
3. Get good ingredients.
4. Have the right tools.
5. Learn a few common terms.
6. Dress it up.

Read more: http://www.serenejourney.com/2010/08/6-simple-steps-to-becoming-a-masterchef-at-home/.