CREAMY SMOOTH BUTTER FOR LARGE GROUPS

You are getting ready to serve a load of people at a pancake feed.

You are on a limited budget but you want to serve the best.

Try this extender to make nice creamy easy to spread butter.

In a large mixing bowl combine 1 pound of butter (4 cubes), 2 cups of evaporated milk and a teaspoon of salt.

Blend well until all of the milk is absorbed into the butter.

Now you have 2 pounds of butter to place in individual serving containers.

CHOCOLATE DIPPED STRAWBERRIES

The next time that you have some fresh strawberries have a bit of fun.

Buy some white and milk chocolate for melting.

Melt them into 2 separate bowls. Dip your strawberries about 2/3 of the way down into the white chocolate, then place onto a piece of wax paper and let sit in a cool place until firm.

Now take your strawberry and dip into the milk chocolate about 1/3 way down.

These make a very festive and unique looking fruit.

Creative Cubes

Have a little fun with your ice cubes at your party. Instead of serving boring ice cubes, drop some sprigs of mint or cranberries into the tray before you freeze.

If you are having a holiday punch, use a bit of the punch instead of water.

Bruschetta Bar

The next time you are having a get together, have a bruschetta bar. It is much simpler to let your guests decide what they want and any leftovers are easy to store.

Prepare the bread by slicing and and laying out different kinds on platters. Next prepare your toppings. You can select deli meats, lox, potted meats, and spreads. Don't forget olives, onions and pimento's for toppings.

PRE-COOKING MASHED POTATOES?

If you find that you are going to be in a pinch for space while preparing your special meal, you can always prepare your mashed potatoes up to 2 hours ahead of time.

When you have thoroughly prepared your potatoes and they are ready for serving, simply place them into a crock pot and let them sit at the low setting for up to 2 hours.

You can serve them right in the crockpot to save dirtying any more dishes and they will stay toasty warm.

KEEPING GRAVY WARM

As you found out that when you serve gravy it thickens while it cools. Toward the end of dinner you can sometimes find a congealed glob that really isn't that appetizing or pourable.

The next time that you serve gravy for a large dinner, try serving it in a fondue pot. The heat from the candle or burner will keep your gravy warm and pourable.

Just make sure to keep it away from the decorative centerpiece or it could catch on fire!

STAND UP PARTY

If you just want to have a simple get together, host a stand up party.

Make up finger foods and some punch or iced tea in advance. Now when your guests arrive all you have to do is place the food on a central table and mingle.

Every now and then just take a peek at your table and see if anything needs to be replenished.

For a quick open face sandwich spread combine 1 can of Anchovy fillets (drained) with 1 Hard Cooked Egg and 2 Tablespoons of Mayonnaise. Lightly coat thinly sliced sourdough baguettes with the spread.

Serve these sandwiches with some antipasto and Mint Iced Tea for a light fare.

VEGGIES ON ICE

If you are having a party, but you are running out of time while making preparations you can try this for a quick and easy snack bowl.

Take a large bowl and fill it up with crushed ice. Cut Celery, Carrots, Green and Red Peppers into sticks. Cut some radishes in half or quarters, depending on the size. Cut apart some Broccoli and Cauliflower Florets.

Toss all of the vegetables into the bed of ice. The ice will keep all of your veggie snacks fresh and cold.

If you are having a cocktail party, place a small pearl onion, olive, or other cocktail veggie into your ice cube tray.

Once all of the “cubes” has a veggie in it, fill with water and freeze for at least 3 hours or until frozen solid.

Pop out of the tray and place in your drink of choice.

CUPCAKE CONES

You found this great recipe to make cupcakes inside Ice Cream Cones. You decide to make them up the night before your child’s birthday to take into school/daycare.

For successful cupcake cones this is step is VERY important! Take all of the ice cream cones out of the package and inspect them carefully! If there are ANY and I mean ANY breaks, cracks or missing pieces from the tops of the cones, do not use them.

Do not overfill the cones either. The cake is not meant to puff up over the top of the cone. What you are seeing on those cute pictures is frosting.

If you are not lucky enough to have a cupcake cone pan, I used a miniature muffin pan. The cup sizes were just small enough to hold the cone in place while transferring in and out of the oven.

FANCY WATERMELON TREATS

To make a fun treat for hot summer days, slice a seedless watermelon into 1 inch slices.

Using large cookie cutters, cut out pieces of watermelon in your favorite shapes.

Place a popsicle stick about 1 inch into the side of the cutout creating a watermelon-sicle.

Place completed watermelon-sicles onto a baking sheet that is lined with aluminum foil cover with another sheet of aluminum foil, and freeze for about 1 hour.

This is a great project for kids, and adults will love them too!

TRAVELING WITH CAKE

You always run into this problem, you are throwing a party, and you need to get a cake to the location of the party.

You get the cake made and in your car, so far so good.

You get pulled out of the driveway, and smooth sailing.

Then you hit a bump or get cut off, and the cake slides around a bit.

When you get to the party you notice that the cake has slid around on the platter and is no longer centered.

The next time that you have to make a cake to transport, try this: before placing the first layer of cake onto the platter, place a dab (tablespoon or so) of frosting on to the bottom of the platter.

Then place the first layer on the platter and frost as normal. The frosting will hold the cake in place on the platter.

Pudding Parfait

If you get tired of having the same old desserts night after night, try dressing up an old favorite. Pudding is very versatile. Just keeping a couple of extra boxes of instant pudding on hand can help you create fun and unique desserts for your family.

Grab a can of fruit pie filling or fresh fruit when it is in season. Make up a batch of pudding. Before it sets, layer the pudding and the fruit into parfait glasses.

If you want a bit of extra texture, put a scoop of granola between each layer.

DISPOSABLE DISHES

If you are frequently going to luncheons and potlucks then you know how hard it is to keep track of your pots/pans/bowls.

I have actually found that if you start shopping garage sales, you can pick up pots/pans/bowls that are very cool and unique for very little money.

Now when you take your food to the luncheon or picnic, you don’t have to worry about getting your dish back or caring for the remaining food (if any) until you get home.

SIMPLY SOUFFLE

When you are entertaining guests most people over look the simplicity of a soufflé. They are easy to prepare, look impressive, taste heavenly and make very little mess to prepare.

Earlier in the day prepare a salad along with a couple of other accompaniments to compliment your soufflé.

Make up the soufflé and pop it in the oven just before your guests are scheduled to arrive.

The soufflé cooks for almost an hour giving everyone a chance to arrive and you a chance to relax and visit.

AMAZING ANTIPASTO

To make a quick and impressive appetizer, purchase a jar of Italian Antipasto (My personal favorite is Napa Valley Bistro) and a pound of lump mozzarella cheese.

About 10 minutes before guests arrive, cube the cheese into about ¾ to 1 inch cubes and place in a decorative dish. Pour the contents of the Antipasto over the cubes of cheese and gently toss to combine.

Serve with long toothpicks or relish forks.

This does not store well once combined, so only try to make up as much as you will need. If you are unsure about how much you will need, cube the cheese and store in a zip lock bag. Combine about ¼ of the cheese and antipasto at a time as needed

PUNCH IN A HURRY

The next time that you are having a get together and you can’t find your trusty punch recipe just combine a Gallon Container of Fruit Juice with a 2 liter bottle of Ginger Ale.

For a creamy taste, add a pint of ice cream scoops.

MELON MAGIC

Melon is a nice treat in the summer.

For easy preparation cut the melon in half, then use an ice cream scoop to take out the seeds.

Cut each half in half again, then each quarter into 3 slices.

Using a knife make vertical cuts about ¾ to 1 inch apart from the center or the melon to the rind.

Make a horizontal cut from one end to the other against the rind to make finger sized slices of melon for snacking.

FRUIT RAINBOW

This is a great colorful appetizer that you can make up in a jiffy and is always sure to please. Try to find the fruits that are in season at your local market using the chart below for guidance. Slice all of the fruit into finger sized pieces. Arrange ¾ of the way around a round dish in the pattern of a rainbow. Place the gold chocolates at the base of your fruit “rainbow”

CHOCOLATE COVERED MARSHMALLOWS

For a fun treat any time of year, melt up some chocolate in any color.

Place a popsicle stick in the top of a large marshmallow.

Dunk the marshmallow into the chocolate thoroughly covering it all.

Before the chocolate has a chance to cool all the way, roll your marshmallow in candy decorations.

This is a fun treat for kids to make on special holidays using coordinating colors of chocolate and candies.

For example use white chocolate and green candies for St Patricks day, or white chocolate and red candies for Valentines day.

Greener Life for Old Dishes

You love going to picnic's and potlucks, but you don't like that you are using so many paper plates and plastic silverware. You try to be environmentally conscious, but you still like to eat out with out worrying about loosing your good home dishes and cutlery.

Make a trip to your local thrift store. There you can pick up as many plates as you need, matching or not, for a song. You can also pick up silverware, knives and other needed gadgets. Now you can go out and not have to worry about loosing it. If it doesn't make it home, someone else can keep it and use it, or donate it so that someone else can use it.

Sweet Birthdays

You are making the best Birthday Cake, but the problem that you are having is with the candles. They don't want to stand up in the cake on their own, and you have to push them so far in that not very much of the candle is left sticking out.

The solution is on the candy aisle! Pick up a roll of regular life savers. There are so many flavors out there right now that you can easily find a color that matches your cake. Gently place a life saver where you would like to place each candle. Now gently press a candle in the center of the hole. Your candle now stands up like a champ!

Potluck for Tots II

If you are going to a potluck and you have younger kids, don’t forget to take a package of hot dogs and buns.

Most kids are really not that fond of casseroles, especially when they don’t know exactly what is in them.

By bringing hot dogs you don’t have to have the whining that there is nothing to eat.

Cordial Salad

You are having a large get together and you want to serve a salad. Only problem is you don’t have enough plates, and plates can be very messy with smaller salad pieces like tomato and radishes that like to roll off.

Grab a bunch of large plastic or glass drink cups. You can place the salad inside the cups/glasses and your guests can eat with ease.

Potluck for Tots

If you are going to a potluck and you have younger kids, don’t forget to take a package of hot dogs and buns.

Most kids are really not that fond of casseroles, especially when they don’t know exactly what is in them.

By bringing some hot dogs you don’t have to hear the whining that there is nothing to eat.

If you are running short of time you can even swing by and pick up some fast food, although not the healthiest your kids will appreciate it. When you get to the potluch they can just play amongst themselves and just snack on what looks good to them.

NEED TO KEEP FOOD HOT?

You have a large amount of food that you have to prepare, you are having a hard time trying to figure out how to keep it all warm. You might have a bit of trouble finding all of the supplies, but this tip will help you keep it all warm.

Find a box that is large enough to hold all of your food with plenty of room to spare.

Now locate some thick foam insulation boards. You can find these at your local home improvement store.

Cut the pieces to line all sides of your box and a piece for the top.

Now cover the whole inside with aluminum foil.

When you have your box prepared, just drop in all the food and place on the lid and your food will be kept toasty warm for hours.

QUICK PARFAIT

You just found out that you have company coming over within the hour and you have no dessert!

You can actually whip up a quick parfait that will taste like you spent all day making it!

Simply mix up a box of instant vanilla pudding. Set in the refrigerator to chill for 5 minutes.

While the pudding is chilling, pull out as many decorative glasses or bowls as you will have guests.

Grab the box of trusty oatmeal or granola and some fresh fruit. Slice strawberries or bananas, or rinse raspberries or blueberries.

Now just layer oatmeal/granola, pudding, fruit, pudding, and oatmeal in your glasses or bowls.

Top with a bit more fruit and refrigerate until ready to serve.

MARINATED CHICKEN WINGS

If you are having a little get together, you can make up a batch of these great tasting wings for your friends or family.

Combine 1/2 Cup Soy Sauce, 1/2 Cup Honey, 1/4 Cup Molasses, 2 Tablespoons Chili Sauce, 2 teaspoons Ground Ginger, and 4 cloves of garlic into a large bowl.

Add about 3 pounds of chicken wings to the sauce and mix well.

Cover and refrigerate at least one hour.

Preheat the oven to 375.

Grab a broiler pan and line it thoroughly with aluminum foil.

Spray the foil well with nonstick cooking spray.

Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and place on the baking sheet.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, marinating about every 10 minutes with the sauce remaining in your bowl.

Remove from the oven and turn the chicken pieces over. Place back in the oven and bake for another 20 minutes, marinating about 3 more times.

Chicken is done when the thickest piece of chicken is no longer pink near the bone.

Throw out any remaining marinade, do not serve it or coat the chicken with it after it is done baking.

Serve warm or chilled. Tastes great either way.

GIFTS FOR THE KITCHEN

You can have so much fun giving gifts for the kitchen. You don't need a Birthday just to buy a gift, it can be an anniversary, house warming or even New Baby!

Even if you don't know the people real well, there is nothing like receiving a basket of goodies to cook with.

You can pick up a basket or a deep pot and fill it with spaghetti, spaghetti sauce, a loaf of italian bread and a can of corn. Viole! An instant dinner.

You can even pick up some popcorn with some seasoning salt and a few boxes of chocolate covered raisins for a movie pack.

To top off your gift, visit www.crewtags.com for some great customized tags for attaching to the basket or gift.

Let your creativity out and have some fun!

BUTTERING BREAD FAST

If you are having a large get together and you need to make a large amount of bread that needs to be buttered you may not want to spend the whole afternoon buttering each piece.

Instead you can microwave the butter for about 20 seconds, stir it and if necessary microwave again at 10 second incriments until melted.

Now all you have to do is pick up a pastry brush and paint the bread!

SLOPPY TACOS

If you have problems with the meat falling out of your tacos and burritos, simply add a can of refried beans for each pound of ground beef that you have prepared.

This will bind together your mixture as well as extending it if you have some unexpected company.

SIMPLE CAKE DECORATION

For a quick decorative topping on a chocolate cake, place a paper doily or stencil on top of the cake and sift on powdered sugar.

Gently lift off the doily and the pattern will be left on the cake.

For a cake made with white frosting, try using sifted cocoa or candy sprinkles.

LINING A CAKE PAN

We have all made that superb cake for a special occasion and when you try to remove it from the pan, half of it stays in the pan…..

There are actually a couple of easy fixes for this and this one is the easiest:

Place your baking pan on a piece of Parchment Paper or Wax Paper.

Trace the outline of the bottom of the pan onto the paper and cut out just on the inside of the line so that the paper is a bit (1/4" or so) smaller than your pan.

Prepare your pan according to instructions and then place the parchment/wax paper cut out in the bottom.

Now when your cake is done baking, it should pop out of the pan in one piece.

Once the cake has cooled just a bit, lift off the paper and discard.