Category: Tip Of The Day


Apr
2022

How To Make Oat Milk

categories: Beverages, Tip Of The Day
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Ever wondered how to make oat milk? It’s EASY! With only 2-3 common ingredients you can make 5 cups of this non-dairy milk alternative.
Ever wondered how to make oat milk? It's EASY! With only 2-3 common ingredients you can make 5 cups of non-dairy milk alternative.

Nowadays there are new options springing up everywhere for non-dairy alternatives for milk, ice cream, etc. I am NOT dairy-free, but I do buy almond milk occasionally, and use it on my cereal or in oatmeal. I became aware of oat milk via commercials on TV and wondered about this product. Truthfully it sounded kind of odd to me, but I was still curious about it.

I discovered a recipe for how to make oat milk in a book by celebrity chef Michael Symon and thought I’d give it a try. Wow! It was SO EASY to make, and costs a fraction of what a carton in the store costs nowadays! It only takes a couple ingredients to make, and it tastes great on my morning cereal. WHO KNEW?

I would like to show you how to make oat milk, as a cheaper alternative to buying it, or as a tasty alternative for those who don’t use dairy products. I think you’ll be surprised how easy and inexpensive it is to make.

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Soak The Oats

Place 1 cup of old-fashioned oats (not instant!) in a large mixing bowl, and cover with 4 cups of cold water. Stir to combine, then let the oats sit and soak in the water at room temperature for 1 hour. Think of it as a “swimming pool” for oats.

Raw old fashioned oats soak in water for one hour.

Strain The Soaked Oats

After the oats have soaked for an hour, position a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl or sink. Slowly pour the water/oat mixture into the strainer to drain the oats. Give the oats a quick rinse (still in the strainer), then dump the accumulated water in the bowl underneath the strainer. Place the drained oats in a blender.

The water is strained off the soaked oats into a large bowl.The drained oats are placed into a blender.

Ready To Blend

Pour 4 cups of FRESH cold water into the blender with the oats. Add a small pinch of salt and a Tablespoon of raw honey OR real maple syrup to the blender, as well. The blender will be pretty full at this point, so make sure you have a tight fitting lid.

Fresh water, honey and a pinch of salt are added to the oats in the blender.Oats, honey, salt and water in the blender before mixing.

How To Make Oat Milk

Put the lid on the blender and blend the oat milk for 2-3 minutes, until it is completely smooth. Start the blender on low speed, then increase it as you go, eventually blending it on high speed, holding the lid in place while mixing!

After mixing the oat milk is completely smooth and blended.

Once the oat milk is smooth and finished blending, pour it AGAIN through a fine mesh strainer positioned over a large bowl. The oat milk will collect in the bowl underneath the strainer, and any leftover “pulp” will be caught in the strainer. Discard the pulp. Keep the oat milk! Strain the oat milk again, and discard any more pulp left in the strainer. Now it’s done.

Pour the oat milk (using a funnel if you have one) into a bottle or other storage container. The recipe will make about 5 cups of oat milk. A quart jar will hold about 4 cups of the milk, so either use two jars or a larger container.

Oat milk is poured through a fine mesh strainer into bowl, leaving pulp in strainer.A funnel is inserted in a jar and oat milk is poured into the jar through the funnel.

Label the container and place the oat milk in the refrigerator to fully chill. Congratulations! You’ve just learned how to make oat milk! It’s really not difficult at all to make, and will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Not bad, right?

Once fully chilled, shake the oat milk well before each use to reincorporate the ingredients, as they settle a bit and separate during refrigeration. Once mixed, enjoy it over a bowl of cereal, and take pride in knowing you made it yourself, for a fraction of the price of store-bought oat milk.

It's easy to learn how to make oat milk, and you then store it in a labeled jar in refrigerator.A bowl of cereal topped with some of the oat milk is ready to eat.

I hope you will have the opportunity to try this “recipe” for oat milk, and hope you will be as pleased with the results as I am! Thanks for stopping by today, and I hope you will come back again soon for more recipes. Take care, and have a GREAT day!

Looking For More Tips?

You can find all my tips and recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have a variety of interesting tips available, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

Original recipe source: “Fix It With Food: More Than 125 Recipes To Address Autoimmune Issues And Inflammation- A Cookbook”, by Michael Symon and Douglas Trattner, page 245, published in 2019 by Clarkson Potter

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

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How To Make Oat Milk
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
0 mins
Soaking time (Inactive Prep)
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 5 mins
 

Ever wondered how to make oat milk? It's EASY! With only 2-3 common ingredients you can make 5 cups of non-dairy milk alternative.

Category: Beverage
Cuisine: All Cuisines
Keyword: how to make oat milk
Servings: 5 cups
Calories Per Serving: 74 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 1 cup old fashioned oats
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 Tablespoon raw honey OR real maple syrup
  • 1 pinch salt
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Place 1 cup of old-fashioned oats (not instant!) in a large bowl. Cover with 4 cups of cold water. Stir to combine; let oats soak at room temperature for 1 hour.

  2. Position a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl or sink. Slowly pour water/oat mixture into the strainer to drain off water. Give oats a quick rinse (still in strainer), then dump any accumulated water.

  3. Place drained oats in a blender. Add 4 cups of FRESH cold water into blender, along with salt and raw honey (or real maple syrup).

  4. Put lid on blender. Blend 2-3 minutes, until oat milk is completely smooth. Start on low speed, then increase it as you go, eventually blending it on high speed, holding lid in place while mixing!

  5. Pour oat milk through a fine mesh strainer positioned over a large bowl. Oat milk will collect in the bowl, and any leftover "pulp" will be left in the strainer. Discard pulp. Strain milk again, then pour oat milk through a funnel into bottle or other storage container, with a lid. Refrigerate until fully chilled.

  6. Once fully chilled, shake or stir oat milk well before using to re-blend, as it settles during refrigeration. Oat milk will keep up to 5 days in refrigerator.

Recipe Notes

NOTE: Caloric Calculation made using raw honey.

Nutrition Facts
How To Make Oat Milk
Amount Per Serving (1 cup (8 oz.))
Calories 74 Calories from Fat 9
% Daily Value*
Fat 1g2%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 1g
Sodium 18mg1%
Potassium 61mg2%
Carbohydrates 14g5%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 2g4%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 14mg1%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Ever wondered how to make oat milk? It's EASY! With only 2-3 common ingredients you can make 5 cups of non-dairy milk alternative.


Sep
2021

Coconut Pecan Frosting

categories: Cakes, Tip Of The Day
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Make yummy coconut pecan frosting from scratch in 15 minutes! This frosting tastes fantastic on German chocolate cake, cupcakes, or brownies.
Make yummy coconut pecan frosting from scratch in 15 minutes! This frosting tastes fantastic on German chocolate cake, cupcakes, or brownies.

If you’re searching for a delicious cake, cupcake or brownie frosting that is super easy to make, may I suggest this coconut pecan frosting? It is incredibly simple to prepare (just cook and stir!), and it will impress you with it’s wonderful taste. Why buy it in a plastic container, when you can easily make your own from scratch?

We especially love it on German chocolate cake, but it is also awesome as a topping on chocolate brownies or cupcakes, too! My Mom has been making this frosting for as long as I can remember, and she gave me this recipe at least 30 years ago. Here’s how to make coconut pecan frosting from scratch:

Time to Cook And Stir!

Place evaporated milk, sugar, butter, egg yolks and vanilla extract into a medium saucepan. Cook these ingredients over medium-low heat, stirring to combine. Continue to cook for a FULL 12 minutes, stirring often, so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan and burn.

As it cooks, the mixture will begin to thicken. That is perfect, and is exactly what you want to happen! Once the 12 minutes is up, and the mixture has thickened, remove the saucepan from the direct heat.

Evaporated milk, sugar, butter, egg yolks and vanilla cook in a saucepan.After cooking, the evaporated milk, sugar, butter, egg yolks and vanilla are creamy and yellow in color.

Add the Coconut And Chopped Pecans To Finish

As soon as you take the pan off of the heat, add the shredded coconut and chopped pecans. Stir well, to make sure all the ingredients in the coconut pecan frosting are fully combined.

The finished frosting will be fairly thick, and still quite hot at this point. Set the pan aside and let the coconut pecan frosting cool completely before attempting to frost a cake, etc.

Shredded coconut and chopped pecans are added to saucepan.Coconut Pecan Frosting being stirred in the saucepan.

Ready To Use the Coconut Pecan Frosting!

You can stir the frosting often, to help speed up the cooling process, if desired. When the coconut pecan frosting has cooled completely, you are ready to frost your cake, cupcakes or brownies!

Once the coconut pecan frosting has cooled, it is ready to use to decorate cakes, etc.

See how pretty the frosting looks on this German chocolate cake? You can see all the shredded coconut and the small pieces of pecans. I’m not kidding, this frosting is so good you might want to just eat it by the spoonful… ha ha!

Here is a 2 layer German chocolate cake with coconut pecan frosting.

I hope you have the opportunity to make this delicious coconut pecan frosting. I am confident you’ll enjoy using it (and eating it, too)! Thank you for stopping by today, and I sincerely hope you will come back again soon. Have a wonderful day, friends.

Looking For More FROSTING Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have several delicious, made from scratch frosting recipes you might enjoy, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

Original recipe source: I got this recipe from my Mom (over 30 years ago!)

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Coconut Pecan Frosting
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
0 mins
Total Time
15 mins
 

Make yummy coconut pecan frosting from scratch in 15 minutes! This frosting tastes fantastic on German chocolate cake, cupcakes, or brownies.

Category: Frosting, Topping
Cuisine: American
Keyword: coconut pecan frosting
Servings: 1 (total amt. for 13x9 cake or 2 layer cake)
Calories Per Serving: 3783 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 1 cup evaporated milk
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup butter , equal to 1 stick
  • 3 large egg yolks , beaten slightly
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1½ cups shredded coconut
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Place evaporated milk, sugar, butter, egg yolks and vanilla into a medium saucepan. Cook on medium-low heat, stirring to combine. Continue to cook for a FULL 12 minutes, stirring often. As it cooks, it will begin to thicken. Once the 12 minutes is up, and mixture has thickened, remove pan from the heat.

  2. Immediately stir in coconut and chopped pecans. Stir well, until fully combined. Set pan aside and let frosting cool completely before attempting to frost a cake, brownies, etc. You can stir often, if desired, to "speed up" the cooling process.

  3. Once cooled to room temperature the frosting is ready to use. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

NOTE: This amount of frosting is enough for a 13x9" cake OR a round 2 layer cake. Makes approx. 4½ cups total frosting total. Caloric calculation is for the entire amount.

Nutrition Facts
Coconut Pecan Frosting
Amount Per Serving (1 Total Amount (approx. 4½ cups))
Calories 3783 Calories from Fat 2637
% Daily Value*
Fat 293g451%
Saturated Fat 161g1006%
Trans Fat 4g
Polyunsaturated Fat 31g
Monounsaturated Fat 84g
Cholesterol 872mg291%
Sodium 1160mg50%
Potassium 2073mg59%
Carbohydrates 276g92%
Fiber 33g138%
Sugar 241g268%
Protein 46g92%
Vitamin A 4245IU85%
Vitamin C 8mg10%
Calcium 876mg88%
Iron 9mg50%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Make yummy coconut pecan frosting from scratch in 15 minutes! This frosting tastes fantastic on German chocolate cake, cupcakes, or brownies.


Jun
2021

Grandma’s Fluffy White Frosting

categories: Cakes, Tip Of The Day
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Make my Grandma’s fluffy white frosting to decorate your favorite cakes or cupcakes! It’s a simple recipe I’ve used for over 45 years.

Today I want to share my Grandma’s recipe for fluffy white frosting, which can be used to decorate cakes and cupcakes. This recipe was given to my Mom (her daughter-in-law) MANY years ago, who then handed down the recipe to me over 45 years ago. I feel a wonderful connection to my Grandma Grace whenever I have made this frosting over the years.

Grandma’s Fluffy White Frosting is simple to make, but it DOES take a while to beat with an electric mixer (or stand mixer) to make it fluffy and fully dissolve the sugar. That being said, the end result is a light, fluffy frosting you will enjoy using. Here’s how to make it:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At the Bottom Of The Page

How To Make Grandma’s Fluffy White Frosting

Place the milk, cornstarch and a dash of salt in a medium saucepan. Use a spoon or wire whisk to combine these ingredients, and then cook on LOW heat, stirring often, until the mixture thickens. Once the mixture thickens, remove it from the heat and set it aside to FULLY cool. 

Milk, cornstarch and salt are cooked in saucepan until thickened.Thickened milk, cornstarch and salt mixture is set aside to cool after it is cooked.

In a separate large mixing bowl (or stand mixer), use an electric mixer to cream together the vegetable shortening, butter, granulated sugar and a portion of the powdered sugar. Mix these ingredients REALLY WELL for 15 minutes, until creamy. I use my stand mixer for this, because I can turn it on, walk away, and let it mix the frosting on its own.

NOTE:  It is important to take the time to mix these ingredients really well, so the granulated sugar is dissolved and no longer “grainy”.

Shortening, butter, powdered and granulated sugar are beaten well until creamy.

Time To Finish Making Grandma’s Fluffy White Frosting

Add vanilla extract to Grandma’s Fluffy White Frosting, and then add the cooled and thickened milk mixture. Make sure the thickened milk mixture has fully cooled before adding, so it doesn’t melt the frosting! Beat these ingredients well, until fully incorporated.

Vanilla extract is added to the frosting mixture in stand mixer.Cooled and thickened milk mixture is added to Grandma's fluffy white frosting mixture and combined.

Add the remaining portion of powdered sugar to the frosting, and mix well until fully combined. Now this yummy frosting is done, and it should be fluffy and light in texture, and ready to use.

More powdered sugar is mixed into Grandma's fluffy white frosting to finish.A bowl of Grandma's fluffy white frosting is ready to use for decorating cakes or cupcakes.

Decorating With Grandma’s Fluffy White Frosting

There will be enough frosting made to easily decorate a two layer round cake fully with frosting, or cover 2 dozen cupcakes. I ALWAYS use this frosting on my Grandma’s Red Velvet Cake. When I was growing up, this was my favorite birthday cake that my Mom made. This light, fluffy frosting was the perfect topping! YUM! 

Spreading Grandma's Fluffy White Frosting onto a red velvet cake.

I hope you have the opportunity to try this recipe- it’s never failed me yet after all these years. If you’re looking for other cake or cupcake frosting recipes, you will love my recipe for Mom’s Chocolate Buttercream Frosting.  Thanks for stopping by this website today. I hope you have a wonderful day, and trust you will come back soon.

Looking For More DESSERT Recipes?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have LOTS of yummy dessert recipes that might interest you, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

Original recipe source: My grandma Grace B.

5 from 1 vote
PRINT
Grandma's Fluffy White Frosting
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
0 mins
Total Time
20 mins
 

Make my Grandma's fluffy white frosting to decorate your favorite cakes or cupcakes! It's a simple recipe I've used for over 45 years.

Category: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Grandma's Fluffy White Frosting
Servings: 1 (total amount)
Calories Per Serving: 3170 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1½ Tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 dash salt
  • ½ cup vegetable shortening
  • ½ cup butter (or margarine) , softened
  • ⅔ cup granulated sugar
  • 1⅔ cup powdered sugar , divided use
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Place milk, cornstarch and a dash of salt in a medium saucepan. Stir or whisk to combine ingredients. Cook on LOW heat, stirring often, until mixture thickens. Once mixture thickens, remove it from the heat; set it aside to cool.

  2. In a separate large mixing bowl (or stand mixer), mix together vegetable shortening, butter, granulated sugar and a portion (2/3 cup) of the powdered sugar. Beat these ingredients REALLY WELL for about 15 minutes, until creamy. NOTE:  It is important to take the time to mix really well, so the granulated sugar is dissolved and is no longer "grainy".

  3. Add vanilla extract, and the completely cooled, thickened milk mixture. Beat ingredients well, until fully incorporated into the frosting.

  4. Add remaining cup of powdered sugar to the frosting. Mix well until fully combined. Now the frosting is done. It should be fluffy and light in texture, and ready to use. Will make enough frosting to fully cover a 2 layer round cake or 2 dozen cupcakes.

Recipe Notes

NOTE: The total amount of frosting is enough to cover two round cake layers, OR a 13x9 cake, OR 2 dozen cupcakes. * Caloric calculation is for total amount of frosting, using butter.

Nutrition Facts
Grandma's Fluffy White Frosting
Amount Per Serving (1 (TOTAL AMT.))
Calories 3170 Calories from Fat 1773
% Daily Value*
Fat 197g303%
Saturated Fat 85g531%
Trans Fat 17g
Cholesterol 256mg85%
Sodium 964mg42%
Potassium 394mg11%
Carbohydrates 356g119%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 342g380%
Protein 9g18%
Vitamin A 3299IU66%
Calcium 327mg33%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Make my Grandma's fluffy white frosting to decorate your favorite cakes or cupcakes! It's a simple recipe I've used for over 45 years.

 


Apr
2021

Making Stabilized Whipped Cream

categories: Desserts, Tip Of The Day
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Making stabilized whipped cream is easy! This sweetened cream will hold it’s shape for days- perfect for decorating pies, cheesecakes, etc.!
Making stabilized whipped cream is easy! This sweetened cream will hold it's shape for days- perfect for decorating pies, cheesecakes, etc.!

Ever baked a gorgeous pie or dessert, topped it with some piped whipped cream, only to see that whipped cream collapse or lose it’s shape after a few hours (or the next day)? I have, and that’s why I make and decorate with STABILIZED whipped cream which holds it’s shape for days, just like the pretty pies at a bakery!

Did you know making stabilized whipped cream is EASY to make by adding a simple ingredient? Yep that’s right! By adding unsweetened gelatin, you will be able to pipe gorgeous whipped cream decorations onto your favorite desserts, and they will still look fantastic 3-4 days later!  I’ve used stabilized whipped cream quite recently to decorate a Mint Brownie Pie (shown above), and on a Lemon Cream Cheese Tart, Here’s how to make it:

Scroll Down for A Printable Recipe Card At the Bottom Of The Page

Making Stabilized Whipped Cream

TIP: Before beginning, place a large mixing bowl and a whisk attachment (for stand mixer or electric mixer) in the freezer for 5 minutes to get them chilled. This will help the whipped cream to thicken a bit quicker when you make it!

Okay… here we go. Unflavored gelatin (or gelatin) is the secret ingredient! You can find this at most grocery stores in either the baking section or the jello section. The way I buy it is in small envelopes (see photo below). This recipe yields two cups of whipped cream, and will only use a TEASPOON of gelatin powder, which is less than one envelope of the powder, and this stuff will last a long time, so it’s a good investment.

Add 4 teaspoons of water to a small, microwave-safe bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin powder on top, and let it sit, undisturbed for 3-4 minutes. Then place the bowl of gelatin in the microwave. Cook on high for 10 seconds… just long enough to fully dissolve the gelatin! Give it a stir, then let the gelatin cool a little before adding it to the whipped cream (as shown below).

Unflavored gelatin powder is used to make stabilized whipped cream.Gelatin powder is sprinkled on top of water and is left to sit for 3-4 minutes.

Preparing The Whipped Cream

Remove the bowl and whisk attachment from the freezer. It should be nice and COLD! Whip heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract on high speed until it starts to thicken a bit and soft peaks can be formed.

Whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla are beaten until soft peaks form.

Slowly add the microwaved and cooled gelatin to the whipped cream while whipping on medium speed until stiff peaks form. TIP: It’s important to not just DUMP the gelatin all at once into the whipping cream mixture or else it might get clumpy, okay? 

Gelatin and water are microwaved until powder dissolves, then let cool.Gelatin mixture is slowly added to whipped cream, as it is being beaten.

How Do I Know When It Is Ready To Use?

You can tell if the peaks are stiff enough by turning off the mixer, and lifting the whisk attachment up from the whipping cream several times. When “done”, stiff peaks of whipping cream will stand up firmly on their own, and they shouldn’t collapse or fall over in the bowl.

That is how you will know the stabilized whipped cream is ready! You can transfer it to a pastry bag and refrigerate it until you are ready to decorate or serve your dessert. You can store the stabilized whipped cream for several days in the pastry bag or in a sealed container. It will hold it’s shape for several days on a refrigerated dessert.

Whipping cream is beaten until it easily forms stiff peaks.Making stabilized whipped cream lets you pipe it onto desserts and it will hold it's shape.

That’s it! See how easy it is? Pretty soon you can be making stabilized whipped cream, too! Your beautiful desserts with their nice whipped cream decorations will thank you for it!

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

Original recipe source: Danielle, at livewellbakeoften.com.how-to-make-stabilized-whipped-cream/

0 from 0 votes
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Making Stabilized Whipped Cream
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
0 mins
Total Time
10 mins
 

Making stabilized whipped cream is easy! This sweetened cream will hold it's shape for days- perfect for decorating pies, cheesecakes, etc.!

Category: Dessert, Tip, Topping
Cuisine: American
Keyword: stabilized whipped cream
Servings: 1 (2 cups total)
Calories Per Serving: 957 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 4 teaspoons water
  • 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin powder
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • ¼ cup powdered sugar (confectioner's)
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Before beginning, place a large mixing bowl and a whisk attachment (for stand mixer or electric mixer) in the freezer for 5 minutes to get them cold. This helps whipped cream to thicken quicker!

  2. Add 4 tsp. water to a small, microwave-safe bowl. Sprinkle gelatin on top; let it sit, undisturbed for 3-4 minutes. Place bowl of gelatin in microwave. Cook on high for 10 seconds... just long enough to dissolve gelatin! Stir, then let gelatin cool before adding to whipped cream

  3. Remove bowl and whisk attachment from freezer. Beat whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla (using whisk attachment) on HIGH until it begins thickening and soft peaks can be formed.

  4. Slowly add cooled gelatin to whipped cream while whipping on LOW speed. Once combined, turn mixer to MEDIUM speed; beat until stiff peaks form. TIP: Don't dump gelatin all at once into whipping cream or it might clump.

  5. You can tell if the peaks are stiff by turning off the mixer. Lift up the whisk attachment from the whipping cream several times. Stiff peaks of whipping cream will stand up firmly on their own, and won't collapse or fall over. Transfer whipped cream to a pastry bag to decorate. Store stabilized whipped cream for several days in pastry bag or sealed container. It will hold it's shape for several days on a refrigerated dessert.

Recipe Notes

NOTE: Caloric total is for the entire 2 cups of prepared whipped cream.

Nutrition Facts
Making Stabilized Whipped Cream
Amount Per Serving (1 TOTAL AMOUNT (2 cups))
Calories 957 Calories from Fat 792
% Daily Value*
Fat 88g135%
Saturated Fat 55g344%
Cholesterol 326mg109%
Sodium 100mg4%
Potassium 183mg5%
Carbohydrates 37g12%
Sugar 30g33%
Protein 8g16%
Vitamin A 3499IU70%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 158mg16%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Making stabilized whipped cream is easy! This sweetened cream will hold it's shape for days- perfect for decorating pies, cheesecakes, etc.!


Aug
2020

Garlic-Infused Olive Oil

categories: Sauces and Dressings, Tip Of The Day
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Need Garlic-Infused Olive Oil for a recipe? It’s easy to make your own in minutes (with 2 ingredients), for salad dressings, veggies, & other dishes.
Need Garlic-Infused Olive Oil for a recipe? It's easy to make your own in minutes (with 2 ingredients), for salad dressings, veggies, & other dishes.

I love to use garlic-infused olive oil in various recipes, like vegetables, salad dressings, etc. For several years I have bought bottles of it from a local olive oil and balsamic vinegar tasting room near our home. Well, I ran out of it a couple months ago, and discovered my local store had gone out of business… uh oh. POOF… it is gone! That made me very sad.

I knew of no other stores close to my home (worth making a separate trip to), so I decided to make some myself. Guess what my research showed me? The process is easy, and the resulting garlic-infused olive oil tastes wonderful! In only a few minutes, I had a great tasting copycat for the product I was used to buying, it costs a lot less, AND I made it in my own kitchen. Here’s how simple it is:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Photo showing inside of our local olive oil and vinegar tasting room.

Prepare The Fresh Garlic Cloves

To make your own garlic-infused olive oil, it’s important to use FRESH garlic, and a good quality olive oil. I do not recommend jarred or canned minced garlic for this recipe. Trust me- you want to use fresh garlic for the very best flavor!

Peel all the paper peel/skin off of the garlic cloves. This recipe yields 1 cup of infused olive oil, so you will need between 6-8 large garlic cloves (I used 6). Place one peeled clove at a time under the flat, wide blade of a large kitchen knife.

Pound the flat, broad side of the knife hard, with the ball of your hand, to smash the garlic clove underneath. It should only take one “pounding” to flatten and split the clove open. Repeat with the other cloves, one at a time.

Cloves of garlic must be stripped of the papery thin skin covering.Smashing each clove of garlic with the broad flat side of a knife.

Infusing Garlic Into The Oil

Once you have “flattened” each of the garlic cloves, place them in a small saucepan with one cup of olive oil. Turn the heat to LOW, and let the oil cook for 5 minutes.

The garlic cloves have each been smashed with the knife to release the flavor.Cooking the smashed garlic cloves with olive oil.

The oil will begin to slightly boil as it is heated. The flattened garlic cloves will release their aromatic flavor into the hot oil. This is how it becomes garlic-“infused” olive oil. When done, use a slotted spoon to remove the browned, crispy garlic cloves from the oil. You can discard the garlic cloves, or use them in any other way you choose.

Garlic-infused olive oil is cooking away in the pan.The crispy garlic cloves are removed from the garlic-infused olive oil.

Finish Preparing The Garlic-Infused Olive Oil

After removing the garlic, you’ll probably have some leftover “crispy bits” left in the pan with the olive oil. You will need to strain the oil, once it has cooled, in order to remove them.

Place a small wire mesh strainer over a bowl or measuring cup, and carefully pour the infused oil through the strainer into the container. Any tiny bits of crispy garlic will now have been removed from your oil. Once the olive oil is completely cooled, pour it through a funnel into the bottle or jar that you will be storing the oil in. Olive oil should be stored (covered), away from direct sunlight, in a dark, cool location.

NOTE: There are differing opinions and research on how long a non-commercial infused olive oil can be safely stored. Homemade infused olive oil using the method I’ve described should ideally be used within 4-5 days. It can also be frozen for safe, long-term storage.

The olive oil is strained into a cup to remove any small crispy garlic pieces.A funnel is used to add the garlic-infused olive oil to a bottle for storage.

That’s it… now you have 8 ounces of delicious, garlic-infused olive oil to pan-sear meats, use in salad dressings, or vegetable stir-frys, etc. Thank you for stopping by. I hope you have the opportunity to try infusing olive oil, and trust you will find it convenient to have in your own kitchen. The printable recipe card is below, for your convenience. Take care, and have a GREAT day!

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
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Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

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Garlic-Infused Olive Oil
Prep Time
3 mins
Cook Time
5 mins
Total Time
8 mins
 

Need Garlic-Infused Olive Oil for a recipe? It's easy to make your own in minutes (with 2 ingredients), for salad dressings, veggies, & other dishes.

Category: Condiments
Cuisine: All Cuisines
Keyword: garlic-infused olive oil
Servings: 1 cup
Calories Per Serving: 218 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 1 cup olive oil extra virgin or regular
  • 6-8 large FRESH garlic cloves do NOT use canned or jarred minced garlic
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Remove paper/skin off garlic cloves. Place one peeled clove at a time under the flat, wide blade of a large kitchen knife. Pound the flat, broad side of the knife hard, with the ball of your hand, to smash garlic clove underneath. Repeat with remaining cloves, one at a time.

  2. Place one cup of olive oil in a small saucepan. Add smashed garlic cloves. Turn heat to LOW, and cook for 5 minutes. When done, use a slotted spoon to remove browned, crispy garlic cloves from oil. Discard cloves.

  3. Strain oil, to remove any remaining crispy bits in oil. Place a wire mesh strainer over a bowl or measuring cup; carefully pour oil through strainer into container. Once oil has completely cooled, pour it through a funnel into a bottle or jar that you will be storing the oil in. Store oil (covered), away from sunlight, in a dark, cool location. Infused olive oil made using this method should be used within 4-5 days. It can also be frozen for safe long-term storage.

Recipe Notes

Caloric calculation made using extra virgin olive oil.  One cup of oil will yield approx.16 Tablespoons. Each Tablespoon of this oil is approximately 13.62 calories. 

Nutrition Facts
Garlic-Infused Olive Oil
Amount Per Serving (1 g)
Calories 218 Calories from Fat 198
% Daily Value*
Fat 22g34%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Sodium 3mg0%
Potassium 72mg2%
Carbohydrates 6g2%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin C 6mg7%
Calcium 33mg3%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Need Garlic-Infused Olive Oil for a recipe? It's easy to make your own in minutes (with 2 ingredients), for salad dressings, veggies, & other dishes.


Apr
2020

How To Test Yeast For Viability

categories: Tip Of The Day
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Trying to figure out if your dry yeast is still good for baking? It’s really simple to learn how to test yeast for viability in about 10 minutes.Trying to figure out if your dry yeast is still good for baking? It's really simple to learn how to test yeast for viability in about 10 minutes.

Well… here it is April 2020, and most grocery stores have been cleaned out of toilet paper… and YEAST. Whaaat? Apparently every living human being in the country has taken up baking while staying at home due to the big ol’ virus. Go figure!

I was surprised and totally bummed last month to see that my half-full jar of yeast in the refrigerator had expired. I tested it to see if it was still “good”, but it was really good and DEAD. Really dead, which is a total bummer. My husband said he would pick up a new package of yeast when he went to get our groceries (he’s been a good helper!). Well… that was 6 weeks ago, and we still cannot find yeast at the grocery store, or online, etc.

Scroll Down For A Printable Instruction Card At The Bottom Of The Page

A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE… In April!

Well, guess what? Last week I discovered a plastic container that had fallen over in the very back of our pantry. Apparently at some point in the past year and a half, I had purchased a large bag of active dry yeast, opened it, and stored it in a sealed plastic container in our pantry. I couldn’t believe my eyes, since I normally buy small jars and keep them in our fridge. I don’t even remember buying it, so it was a Christmas miracle… in April! But was the yeast still GOOD???? I couldn’t tell because it was out of the original packaging that had the expiration date on it (face-palm).

I was so excited, and could hardly wait to test the yeast to see if it could still be used. WOW… it was! My day was made, cinnamon rolls were made, and all was good again in the world! So I thought I would show you how to test yeast to see if it is still good. Maybe you will find this tip as valuable as I did if you have yeast that has recently expired or is on the verge of expiring! Here’s a simple way that shows how to test yeast for viability (it’s EASY):

How To Test Yeast To Make Sure It Is Still “Good”

It’s simple to test yeast for viability, and see if it can still be used for baking. Measure out 2¼ teaspoons of dry yeast (active, quick rise, etc.) into a small bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar, and combine the two ingredients.

Dry yeast and sugar are mixed together in a small bowl.

Add Warm Water (At Just The Right Temperature!)

Now you will need to add warm water to the yeast and sugar, BUT there is a catch! The water needs to be at 110°F. to activate the yeast. If the water is too hot, it will kill the yeast. Think of the story of the Three Bears. The water needs to be JUST RIGHT.

The way I do it is to bring some water to almost a boil, then pour out ¼ cup of it into a measuring cup. Let let the water slowly drop in temperature until it registers 110°F. on a digital thermometer. As soon as it hits 110 degrees, pour the water into the yeast mixture and stir well, to combine.

It is important to heat the water to 110 degrees F. before adding it to yeast and sugar.the heated water is added to the bowl of yeast and granulated sugar.

When you first mix the water, yeast and sugar, there will be some air bubbles that pop up while stirring. Once combined, set the bowl aside for 10 minutes.

Yeast, sugar, and heated water are stirred together, and then let sit for 10 minutes.

Check For Bubbles And A “Yeasty” Smell

After 10 minutes, check on your yeast experiment. You should have a bubbly mixture that smells very “yeasty”. If the bubbles are non-existent, the yeast is unfortunately dead as a doorknob.

IF the yeast is still quite bubbly, kind of frothy, and has a yeasty aroma, then it can still be used for recipes that call for yeast. Discard your little yeast experiment, and bake away! See how easy it was to learn how to test yeast? Trust me, I was giddy with excitement to see those bubbles after 10 minutes! As it sat, the liquid even began to rise just a little bit… whoo hoo!

It's bubbly and smells yeasty after 10 minutes... now you know how to test yeast!

I proceeded to make some homemade cinnamon rolls using the yeast I found. YUM! Now I can hardly wait to use this yeast to make New York style blueberry bagels, miracle bread, and even homemade pita bread!

The successfully tested yeast was used to make homemade cinnamon rolls.

Thanks for reading, friends. I hope this tip helps you, if you ever find yourself in the same situation with a jar of yeast you’re not sure about! Take care of yourself and those you love. Come back again for another visit! You can also find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page.

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

5 from 1 vote
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How To Test Yeast For Viability
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
0 mins
Total Time
10 mins
 

Trying to figure out if your dry yeast is still good for baking? It's really simple to learn how to test yeast for viability in about 10 minutes.

Category: Tip
Cuisine: All Cuisines
Keyword: how to test yeast
Servings: 1
Calories Per Serving: 103 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 2¼ teaspoons dry yeast
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup water (heated to 110°F)
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Measure out 2¼ teaspoons of dry yeast (active, quick rise, etc.) into a small bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar, and combine the two ingredients.

  2. Now you will need to add warm water to the yeast and sugar, BUT there is a catch! The water needs to be at 110°F. to activate the yeast. If the water is too hot, it will kill the yeast. The way I do it is to bring some water to almost a boil, then pour out ¼ cup of it into a measuring cup. Let let the water slowly drop in temperature until it registers 110°F. on a digital thermometer. As soon as it hits 110 degrees, pour the water into the yeast mixture and stir well, to combine. Once combined, set the bowl aside for 10 minutes.

  3. After 10 minutes, check on yeast. You should have a bubbly mixture that smells very "yeasty". If bubbles are non-existent, the yeast is unfortunately dead as a doorknob. IF the yeast is bubbly and has a yeasty aroma, then it can still be used for recipes that call for yeast. Discard your yeast experiment, and use unused yeast to bake away!

Nutrition Facts
How To Test Yeast For Viability
Amount Per Serving (1 g)
Calories 103 Calories from Fat 18
% Daily Value*
Fat 2g3%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 17mg1%
Potassium 258mg7%
Carbohydrates 15g5%
Fiber 7g29%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 11g22%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Trying to figure out if your dry yeast is still good for baking? It's really simple to learn how to test yeast for viability in about 10 minutes.


Apr
2019

Créme Brulee Coffee Creamer

categories: Beverages, Tip Of The Day
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It’s SO EASY to make yummy Créme Brulee Coffee Creamer from scratch in 10 minutes, using only 4 ingredients! A great addition to morning coffee!
It's SO EASY to make yummy Créme Brulee Coffee Creamer from scratch, in 10 minutes, using only 4 ingredients! A great addition to morning coffee!

Do you put creamer in your coffee? I sure do! As much as I WISH I could drink my coffee black, I just can’t do it! UGH. I LOVE coffee, but don’t want it to TASTE like COFFEE. Does that make sense? I seem to only enjoy coffee if it is flavored with creamer! Ha Ha!

Well, we have bought our fair share of coffee creamer at the grocery store, but I also like to know how to make my own from scratch at home! I also enjoy knowing exactly what is in my creamer! It’s also good to know I can make coffee creamer in a pinch, if necessary!

I’ve experimented with a recipe for cinnamon roll coffee creamer before, with great results, so it was time to try a new variety. Enter this recipe for Créme Brulee Coffee Creamer, from Aimee at Shugary Sweets! Since I love créme brulee for dessert, it seemed likely I would enjoy this creamer, too! The creamer is so very easy to make, and only takes 4 common ingredients!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

How To Make Créme Brulee Coffee Creamer

Start with a 12 ounce can of EVAPORATED milk. Note that it is NOT condensed milk. This recipe will use EVAPORATED milk. That is important!

Evaporated milk is used to make Créme Brulee Coffee Creamer.

Pour the evaporated milk and the brown sugar into a saucepan. Turn the heat to medium-low, and whisk these two ingredients, to combine. Continue whisking and cooking the créme brulee coffee creamer on medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes, until all the brown sugar has dissolved.

Evaporated milk and brown sugar are cooked until sugar is dissolved.

Remove the pan from the heat, and stir in the milk and vanilla extract. So far, so good, right? NOTE: Any type of milk is fine to use (low-fat, non-fat), but whole milk will yield a “creamier” taste to this coffee creamer.

Milk and then vanilla extract are added to the pan when making Créme Brulee Coffee Creamer.

Once mixed fully, pour the créme brulee coffee creamer into a container. You can use a quart sized canning jar, OR a clean old coffee creamer bottle, as shown in the photo below. I find it easiest to use a funnel to fill the bottle, which I insert directly into the top. It helps to prevent spills!

The Créme Brulee Coffee Creamer is poured though a funnel into storage container.

There you have it! You just made créme brulee coffee creamer! I ended up with about 24 ounces of creamer. Now it is time to dress up that dark, plain cup of coffee!

Créme Brulee Coffee Creamer, ready to add to a hot cup of coffee.

Aw… that’s better. Now my coffee is ready to enjoy!  I would point out that this creamer is not overly sweet, so if you like your creamer really sweet, you may want to slightly adjust the brown sugar amount that you add at the beginning.

Keep the coffee creamer stored (covered) in the refrigerator. It’s shelf life will be the same as the expiration date on the carton of milk that you used to make this recipe. Enjoy!

The coffee with créme brulee coffee creamer is ready to drink and enjoy!

See how easy it is to make your own homemade créme brulee coffee creamer? I bet you hardly even broke a sweat!  Hope you like this creamer. Enjoy your mug of coffee, and have a GREAT day! Be sure to check out ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page.

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe! 

There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

Original Recipe Source: https://www.shugarysweets.com/creme-brulee-coffee-creamer/

3.67 from 3 votes
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Créme Brulee Coffee Creamer
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
5 mins
Total Time
10 mins
 
It's SO EASY to make yummy Créme Brulee Coffee Creamer from scratch, in 10 minutes, using only 4 ingredients! A great addition to morning coffee!
Category: Condiments
Cuisine: American
Keyword: coffee creamer
Servings: 24 (2 T. per serving)
Calories Per Serving: 46 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 12 ounces evaporated milk (one can)
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1½ cups milk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Pour the evaporated milk and brown sugar into a saucepan. Turn the heat to medium-low, and whisk these two ingredients together, to combine. Continue whisking and cooking the creamer on medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes, until all the brown sugar has dissolved.

  2. Remove the pan from the heat, and stir in the milk and vanilla extract.  NOTE: Any type of milk is fine to use (low-fat, non-fat), but whole milk will yield a "creamier" taste to this coffee creamer.

  3. Once mixed fully, pour the créme brulee coffee creamer into a container. You can use a quart sized canning jar, OR a clean old coffee creamer bottle. TIP: I find it easiest to use a funnel to fill the bottle, which I insert directly into the top. It helps to prevent spills!

Nutrition Facts
Créme Brulee Coffee Creamer
Amount Per Serving (2 Tablespoons)
Calories 46 Calories from Fat 9
% Daily Value*
Fat 1g2%
Cholesterol 5mg2%
Sodium 22mg1%
Potassium 69mg2%
Carbohydrates 6g2%
Sugar 6g7%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 60IU1%
Vitamin C 0.2mg0%
Calcium 58mg6%
Iron 0.1mg1%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!It's SO EASY to make yummy Créme Brulee Coffee Creamer from scratch, in 10 minutes, using only 4 ingredients! A great addition to morning coffee!


Jan
2019

How To Freeze Bell Peppers

categories: Tip Of The Day
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Learn how easy it is to freeze bell peppers for many months, so they are conveniently available whenever you need them for a recipe!
Learn how easy it is to freeze bell peppers for many months, so they are conveniently available whenever you need them for a recipe!

Do you enjoy learning new tips to make cooking easier?  Well, I sure do!  In the past I’ve shared several tips (or kitchen hacks) on this blog, to save time and money in the kitchen. It’s always fun to learn new tricks and tips to make kitchen work easier!

Today I want to share an EASY tip that will allow you to have frozen bell peppers on hand ANY TIME you need them for a soup or casserole, etc.  By simply planning ahead, you will not need to add one more trip to the grocery store, should you need a bell pepper for a stove top, crock pot or baked recipe!

Scroll Down For A Printable “Recipe” Card At The Bottom Of The Page

How To Flash Freeze Bell Peppers

Rinse and dry the bell peppers. You can use as many as you want, and can use any color bell pepper.  Cut the bell peppers in half, and then remove all seeds and any white membrane on the inside.

Before you freeze bell peppers, seeds and white membranes must be cut out.

Once the peppers have been de-seeded, cut the bell peppers into 2″ wide strips, and then slice each strip into 2″ portions. This is the way I cut the strips, but you can also cut into long, thin strips, if desired. If there’s a lot of moisture, simply pat them dry with a paper towel.

To freeze bell peppers, seeds and membranes must first be cleared out.

To flash freeze bell peppers, place the dry pieces in a single layer on a large cookie sheet. Try to NOT let the pieces touch each other. Place the baking sheet into your freezer, and let the bell peppers freeze (uncovered) for one hour (or more).  Using this method is how you will successfully flash freeze bell peppers!

Bell peppers are cut into pieces, then placed in single layer on cookie sheet for freezing.

Once the bell pepper pieces are flash frozen, they will feel like little rocks! This is what they looked like, after an hour in the freezer.

Once bell peppers are frozen solid, they are hard as a rock!

Storing Frozen Bell Peppers

Remove the frozen bell pepper pieces from the baking sheet, and immediately place them into a plastic re-sealable freezer bag, remove the air, and seal. The frozen bell peppers will not stick together, because they have been individually frozen! Label the bag, and include the date frozen on it, if desired.

Place the bag back in the freezer, and whenever you need bell peppers for a casserole or soup, etc., you can simply pull out the bag and remove the amount you need! Now you know how to freeze bell peppers! In the past, I have kept them in the freezer and used them, for up to 10 months.

Frozen bell peppers can be stored for up to 10 months in freezer bags in freezer.

Do You Need To Thaw Frozen Bell Peppers To Use?

No. I throw frozen bell pepper pieces into recipes (such as soups or casseroles) all the time! There’s no need to thaw them before adding them to a recipe. If you need smaller pieces, simply cut them while still frozen. It’s EASY!

For me, it has been wonderful and convenient way to always have frozen bell peppers handy, to add to a recipe if a fresh bell pepper is not immediately available. I can’t begin to tell you how many times I have been thankful for this little tip! Have a GREAT day! It’s raining here in Oregon today as I write this blog post. We have had a drier than normal winter here, but we are grateful to have a bit of “liquid” sunshine today!

Interested In More Kitchen Tips?

I have several tips available in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. A couple of these handy tips include:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Have a GREAT day!

Author's signature

0 from 0 votes
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How To Freeze Bell Peppers
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
0 mins
Freezing Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 10 mins
 
Learn how easy it is to freeze bell peppers for many months, so they are conveniently available whenever you need them for a recipe!
Category: Tip
Cuisine: American
Keyword: freeze bell peppers
Servings: 1 quart (approx.)
Calories Per Serving: 152 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 3 large bell peppers , any color
Instructions

  1. Rinse and dry the bell peppers. You can use as many as you want, and can use any color bell pepper.  Cut the bell peppers in half, and then remove all seeds and any white membrane on the inside. Slice the bell peppers into 2" wide strips, and then slice each strip into 2" portions. This is the way I cut the strips, but you can also cut the peppers into long, thin strips, if desired. If there's a lot of moisture, simply pat them dry with a paper towel.

  2. Place the dry bell pepper pieces in a single layer on a large cookie sheet. Try to NOT let the pieces touch each other. Place the baking sheet into freezer, and let the bell peppers freeze (uncovered) for one hour. When done, they will be hard as a rock!

  3. Remove the frozen bell pepper pieces from baking sheet, and immediately place them into a plastic zip-loc freezer bag, remove air, and seal. The frozen bell peppers will not stick together, because they have been individually frozen! Label the bag, and place the date on it, if desired. They should keep many months in the freezer, if properly sealed.

Recipe Notes

Three large bell peppers will yield approximately one quart sized bag of frozen peppers. The caloric calculation is based on the TOTAL amount, using three large bell peppers.

Nutrition Facts
How To Freeze Bell Peppers
Amount Per Serving (1 quart)
Calories 152 Calories from Fat 9
% Daily Value*
Fat 1g2%
Sodium 19mg1%
Potassium 1038mg30%
Carbohydrates 29g10%
Fiber 10g42%
Sugar 20g22%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 15405IU308%
Vitamin C 628.3mg762%
Calcium 34mg3%
Iron 2.1mg12%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Learn how easy it is to freeze bell peppers for many months, so they are conveniently available whenever you need them for a recipe!


Nov
2018

Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix

categories: Mixes, Tip Of The Day
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 Do you need pumpkin pie spice mix for a favorite recipe this Fall? There’s no need to run to the store and buy it, when it’s SO EASY to make your own!
Will you need pumpkin pie spice mix for a favorite recipe this Fall? There's no need to run to the store and buy it, when it's SO EASY to make your own!

Have you ever been plowing through a recipe, making something you can hardly wait to try, and realize you are missing one of the main ingredients?

That was the case for me, recently.  I was making pumpkin muffins, and must have glanced at the ingredient list too quickly. Halfway through making the recipe, I realized I was needing pumpkin pie spice mix, but I was out!

Uh Oh. I was in trouble. You just have to have pumpkin pie spice for PUMPKIN muffins! Years ago I had made my own pumpkin pie spice mix from scratch, but couldn’t find my recipe anywhere. OH NO! What to do, what to do?

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At the Bottom Of The Page

Necessity Is The Mother Of Invention

I didn’t want to run all the way to the store and buy some, so I ended up making some homemade pumpkin pie spice mix!  Then I remembered seeing a “recipe” for it on Pinterest recently.

Long story short- I found the ingredient list (thanks to Trish at “Mom On Timeout”), whipped up my own homemade pumpkin pie spice mix in under 5 minutes, and finished making some really delicious muffins! Yee Haw!

How To Make Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix

Today I thought I’d share the “how to’s” with you, in case you ever need this spice mixture and can’t get to the store! The ingredients for pumpkin pie spice mix are simple. They consist of 5 spices:  cinnamon, nutmeg, ground ginger, cloves, and allspice.

Ingredients for pumpkin pie spice mix are placed in a small bowl.

The spices are simply placed into a small bowl, and whisked together, until fully combined. EASY PEASY!

Pumpkin pie spice mix ingredients are mixed together until fully combined.

Once you have the pumpkin pie spice mix combined, place it in an airtight, covered container for storage. I used a pint sized canning jar. The spice mix filled up half the jar. The plastic apples, leaves and pumpkins are just there to make plain ol’ spice mix look PURTY! Ha Ha!

Pumpkin pie spice mix in jar, by Fall apples and leaves.

See? Shown below are the pumpkin chocolate chip muffins I used my homemade pumpkin pie spice mix to make! The muffins had a perfect pumpkin spice flavor, thanks to my handy dandy homemade spice mix!! Crisis averted! Whew!

Pumpkin pie spice mix was used to make pumpkin chocolate chip muffins.

Uses For Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix

If stored in an airtight container, you can expect the pumpkin pie spice mix to keep its maximum flavor and effectiveness for about 6 months (or more, if you’re lucky). You can use the pumpkin pie spice mix for muffins, pie, pumpkin bread, coffeecakes, or other pumpkin themed recipes. It’s really handy to have around, especially during the holidays!

Store pumpkin pie spice mix in an airtight container with a lid.

I hope you will try this recipe, and see for yourself just how handy and convenient it is to make this spice mix for yourself, in under 5 minutes! Have a wonderful day, and be sure to check out ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page.

Looking For More SPICE MIX Recipes?

Speaking of “spice mixes”, you might also be interested in my recipes for Italian Seasoning, Cajun Seasoning, Taco Seasoning, or Dry Rub Spice Mix.  These spice mixes will also save you lots of your hard earned money in the long run, by making them from scratch! 

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

Original recipe source: Trish, at https://www.momontimeout.com/homemade-pumpkin-pie-spice-recipe/

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Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
0 mins
Total Time
5 mins
 

Do you need pumpkin pie spice mix for a favorite recipe this Fall? There's no need to run to the store and buy it, when it's EASY to make your own!

Category: Spices
Cuisine: American
Keyword: pumpkin pie spice mix
Servings: 9 Tablespoons (approx. 1/2 cup)
Calories Per Serving: 11 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 3 Tablespoons cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1 teaspoon ground cloves
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Measure out spices into a small bowl, and whisk together, until fully combined, and any lumps are removed.

  2. Place pumpkin pie spice mix into an airtight, sealed container for storage (I used a canning jar).

  3. Store spice mix in pantry for up to 6 months, for maximum flavor and effectiveness.

Nutrition Facts
Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix
Amount Per Serving (1 Tablespoon)
Calories 11
% Daily Value*
Sodium 1mg0%
Potassium 17mg0%
Carbohydrates 2g1%
Fiber 1g4%
Vitamin A 10IU0%
Vitamin C 0.1mg0%
Calcium 30mg3%
Iron 0.3mg2%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Do you need pumpkin pie spice mix for a favorite recipe this Fall? There's no need to run to the store and buy it, when it's SO EASY to make your own!


Oct
2018

How To Cook Spaghetti Squash

categories: Tip Of The Day, Vegetable Dishes
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This easy tutorial for how to cook spaghetti squash makes it simple to prepare this vegetable dish, which can also be used as a substitute for pasta!
This easy tutorial for how to cook spaghetti squash makes it simple to prepare this vegetable dish, which can also be used as a substitute for pasta!

Fall is upon us, and winter squash is everywhere! Grocery stores, gardens, and farmer’s markets are proudly displaying these “winter” vegetables, including the humble, yet versatile spaghetti squash!

Do you enjoy spaghetti squash?  It has an interesting history, which can be read here. It is known for being low carb and low calorie. Spaghetti squash is often used as a substitute for pasta in various dishes. One of my favorite ways to use spaghetti squash is in Spaghetti Squash Italiano… yum!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

How To Cook Spaghetti Squash

It’s actually very easy to cook spaghetti squash. The most common way to prepare it is to bake (or roast) it in an oven until tender, then pull the spaghetti like strands away from the peel once done. The first thing you will need to do is cut the spaghetti squash in half, from top to bottom (lengthwise) with a very sharp knife. Since the squash is very firm before baking, you will need to be extremely careful when cutting!

Once the squash has been cut into halves, scoop out the seeds and stringy flesh inside using a spoon. You can discard the seeds, or roast them (similar to pumpkin seeds). If you’d like to roast the seeds, check out my blog post showing how to do that HERE.

Spaghetti squash is cut in half lengthwise to remove seeds.

Seeds and pulp are removed from the spaghetti squash.

Once the spaghetti squash has been cleaned out, place them cut side DOWN, in a 9×13 baking dish. Pour enough water in the dish to just cover the bottom of the pan.  The water will help to create steam, which will help cook and tenderize the squash!

Time To Bake The Spaghetti Squash

Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil.  Place the covered baking dish in a preheated 400° oven.  You will need to bake it between 35 and 45 minutes, depending on the size of the squash.

De-seeded spaghetti squash halves are placed cut side down in baking pan with water.

Baking dish with spaghetti squash is covered with foil before baking.

Check the squash to test for tenderness after about 30 minutes. You will know the spaghetti squash is done baking if you can EASILY pierce the skin through to the flesh with a fork. If it is still a bit firm, cover, place it back into the oven and continue cooking for another 15 minutes or so.

When done cooking, the spaghetti squash can easily be pierced with a fork.

After The Squash Has Finished Baking

Once done, remove the spaghetti squash from the oven. Turn each of the squash halves over. Using a fork, gently pull the squash strands from side to side. The “noodles” should pull away from the peel. Make sure to pull across the width (not top to bottom) of the squash… that way the “noodle strands” will be a bit longer.

A fork can be used to shred cooked spaghetti squash into strands resembling spaghetti noodles.

Pull all the spaghetti squash out from the outer shells. When done, the “shells” will look like this! The empty shells can also be used to serve the spaghetti squash! Simply place the “noodles” back into empty shell after seasoning with desired toppings.

All of the spaghetti squash strands have been removed from the squash shells.

And there you have it! You just found out how to cook spaghetti squash! You will end up with several cups of it, to use however you wish! Cooked spaghetti squash will also keep for 4-5 days, if refrigerated in an airtight container!

What Can I Do With Cooked Spaghetti Squash?

Spaghetti squash can be eaten hot, drizzled with olive oil (or melted butter), salt, pepper, and other flavors. You can add garlic powder, Parmesan cheese or your favorite spices for additional flavor. You can also use spaghetti squash strands as a substitute for pasta noodles in various recipes! There’s really no limit to how you can use this wonderful vegetable!

Spaghetti squash strands are in bowl, and are ready to eat or use in other recipes!

Spaghetti squash is really very easy to cook! You can substitute it for pasta and really help cut down on calories, if you’re trying to watch what you eat!  I hope you will consider trying this easy vegetable recipe.

Interested In Other Vegetable Side Dishes?

Be sure to check out my Recipe Index (at top of blog) for ALL my recipes. I have lots of delicious veggie recipes, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe! 

There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

Original Recipe Source: https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-cook-spaghetti-squash-in-the-oven-178036

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

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PRINT
How To Cook Spaghetti Squash
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
40 mins
Total Time
50 mins
 
This easy tutorial for how to cook spaghetti squash makes it simple to prepare this vegetable dish, which can also be used as a substitute for pasta!
Category: Vegetable Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: spaghetti squash
Servings: 6 servings
Calories Per Serving: 33 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 1 medium spaghetti squash , 2-3 pounds
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Carefully cut spaghetti squash in half, from top to bottom (lengthwise).  Once squash has been halved, scoop out seeds and stringy flesh with a spoon.  You can discard the seeds, or roast them (similar to pumpkin seeds).

  2. Once cleaned out, place squash halves cut side DOWN in a 9x13 baking dish. Pour just enough water in dish to cover the bottom.  The water will help to create steam, which will help cook and tenderize the squash! Cover dish with aluminum foil.  Place on medium shelf in a preheated 400° oven.  Bake squash between 35 and 45 minutes, depending on the size. 

  3. Check the squash for tenderness after about 30 minutes. You will know the squash is done baking if you can EASILY pierce the skin through to the flesh with a fork.  If it is still a bit firm, cover with foil, and put back into oven. Continue cooking for another 15 minutes or so, until tender.

  4. Once done, remove from oven. Turn each of the squash halves over. Using a fork, gently pull the squash strands from side to side to make the "noodles". The "noodles" should pull away from the peel. Make sure to pull across the width (not top to bottom) of the squash... that way the "noodle strands" will be a bit longer.

  5. Cooked spaghetti squash will keep for several days, if refrigerated in an airtight container! Spaghetti squash can be eaten hot, drizzled with olive oil (or melted butter), salt, pepper, Parmesan cheese, and other spices. Spaghetti squash strands can be used as a substitute for pasta noodles in various recipes! ENJOY!

Recipe Notes

NOTE: If you want to bake a WHOLE, uncut spaghetti squash, place in dish with water. Cover with foil. Roast for about an HOUR or more at 400°. Test for doneness. Once done, cut in half, then scoop out seeds before pulling spaghetti squash strands.

Nutrition Facts
How To Cook Spaghetti Squash
Amount Per Serving (1 g)
Calories 33
% Daily Value*
Sodium 18mg1%
Potassium 115mg3%
Carbohydrates 7g2%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 2g2%
Vitamin A 130IU3%
Vitamin C 2.2mg3%
Calcium 25mg3%
Iron 0.3mg2%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!This easy tutorial for how to cook spaghetti squash makes it simple to prepare this vegetable dish, which can also be used as a substitute for pasta!