WEIGHTY ISSUES AT THE SUPERMARKET

When you are shopping take a few minutes to weigh pre-packaged items, especially produce.

Grab a few bags of onions or potatoes and compare each one to the weight that you see on the bag.

You will find that you can find bags that weigh heavier than the label as all items are not the same size and it is hard to get the exact weight for each bag.

Added up over time, you will save quite a bit of money if you consistantly buy heavier bags.

MEASURING GRANULATED SUGAR

Place the desired dry measuring cup onto a piece of waxed paper, or into a larger bowl. This will contain any spills for easy transfer back to the canister.

Scoop some granulated sugar from the canister with a spoon and place it in the desired dry measuring cup.
Using a straight edge (spoon handle or spatula) level off the top of the sugar in the cup.

Place the measured sugar into your mixing bowl and return the overflow caught on your waxed paper or bowl to the canister.

MEASURING FLOUR I

Read the recipe carefully before proceeding.

If the recipe does not specify sifted flour use a spoon to gently stir the flour in the storage container to loosen up any settling.

Place the desired dry measuring cup onto a piece of waxed paper, or into a larger bowl. This will contain any spills for easy transfer back to the flour canister.

Scoop some flour from the canister with a spoon and place it in the desired dry measuring cup.

Using a straight edge (spoon handle or spatula) level off the top of the flour in the cup.

Place the measured flour into your mixing bowl and return the overflow caught on your waxed paper or bowl to the canister.

HOW MANY EGGS?

When baking and cooking it is very important to use the proper amount of eggs.

Recipes always ask for an exact number of eggs, but it is more the size of the egg that makes the difference.

Most recipes assume that you are using Large eggs.

By knowing this, it will now be easier to substitute any size of egg in your recipe.

Egg Size	Liquid Measure
2 Medium Eggs	1/3 Cup
2 Large Eggs	½ Cup
3 Medium Eggs	½ Cup
3 Large Eggs	2/3 Cup

3 teaspoons	=	1 tablespoon
2 tablespoon	=	1/8 cup
4 tablespoon	=	1/4 cup
4 oz	=	1/2 cup
8 oz	=	1 cup
16 oz	=	1 pound
2 cup	=	1 pint
2 cup Sugar	=	1 pound
1 pound Butter	=	4 sticks or 2 cups

SIFTED FLOUR

When you are baking sometimes a recipe asks for sifted flour.

It is very important to read the recipe carefully, where it asks the flour to be sifted is very important.

If the recipe asks for “one cup sifted flour” it means that you sift the flour before you measure it.

If the recipe asks for “one cup flour sifted” it means that you sift it after you measure it.

If you get it in the wrong order, you will either have too much or too little flour.

BUYING BEEF

Type of Meat	Servings
Boneless Beef - To include Ground Beef, Roasts, Steaks and Variety Beef	3-5 Servings per Pound depending on usage
Cuts with a little bones - This would be steaks with small bones	3 –4 Servings per Pound
Cuts with medium bones - This would include bone in roasts, chuck roasts and larger steaks	2 – 3 Servings per Pound
Cuts with large bones - Ribs and short ribs	1 - 2 Servings per Pound

It is always hard to tell how much beef to buy. When making your purchase you do need to remember that the amount of servings per person is greatly affected by how much fat or bone is in the cut of meat. This is just a general rule of thumb for helping you get the correct amount.

MEASURING HONEY/MOLASSES

You have a recipe that calls for honey/molasses, but you are not sure how to measure it. Technically it is a liquid, but it is thick and hard to manage as it sticks to everything! First thing, check the container for any metal. If it is all plastic or glass, remove the lid and place in the microwave oven for 10-15 seconds. This will warm up the honey so that it flows better. Take a liquid measuring cup and spray the inside with non-stick cooking spray. Place the cup on a level surface. Looking at the measuring lines on the side of the cup from eye level, pour in the honey to the line for the amount that you need. Now just pour it into your other ingredients. Most of the honey/molasses should just slide out. You may need to use a rubber spatula to get any little bits that didn't quite make it.

TOO MANY MEASURING CUPS? NEVER!

If you find that you do a lot of cooking or baking for your family, you may find that it makes your life much easier if you purchase 2 or 3 different sets of measuring spoons and cups.

There is nothing more than being in the middle of a recipe to find that the cup/spoon that you need is dirty and in the washing machine or out in the sandbox being used for creating castles.

MEASURING BROWN SUGAR

Place the desired dry measuring cup onto a piece of waxed paper, or into a larger bowl. This will contain any spills for easy transfer back to the canister.

Scoop some brown sugar from the canister with a spoon and place it in the desired dry measuring cup pressing firmly so that the sugar is gently packed into the cup level with the top.

When you turn the contents of the cup into your mixing bowl, it should hold the shape of the cup.

If your brown sugar has become hard from being exposed to air while stored, place the container in your microwave oven and microwave at 10 second increments. After each increment, gently break apart the lumps with a spoon until manageable for measuring.

MEASURING FLOUR II

Read the recipe carefully before proceeding. The wording of the recipe can greatly change your results if the sifting is done in the wrong order.

If the recipe says 1 Cup Sifted Flour, place the desired dry measuring cup onto a piece of waxed paper, or into a larger bowl. This will contain any spills for easy transfer back to the flour canister.

Scoop some flour from the canister with a spoon and place it in a sifter and sift the desired amount into the dry measuring cup.

Using a straight edge (spoon handle or spatula) level off the top of the flour in the cup.

Place the measured flour into your mixing bowl and return the overflow caught on your waxed paper or bowl to the canister.

If the recipe says 1 Cup Flour Sifted, place the desired dry measuring cup onto a piece of waxed paper, or into a larger bowl. This will contain any spills for easy transfer back to the flour canister.

Scoop some flour from the canister with a spoon and place it in the desired measuring cup.

Using a straight edge (spoon handle or spatula) level off the top of the flour in the cup.

Place the measured flour into a sifter and sift directly into your mixing bowl.

Return the overflow caught on your waxed paper or bowl to the canister.

MEASURING LIQUID

So you are ready to prepare your first recipe and it tells you that you need one cup of milk.

Ok, how do you measure it?

Liquids should always be measured in a liquid measuring cup. They usually resemble a little pitcher and come in plastic or glass models.

Place the measuring cup on a level surface. Bending down to look at the side of the cup, the measurement lines should be at eye level.

Start pouring in your liquid ingredient slowly.

Stop filling the cup once you have reached the amount that you desire for your recipe. Never hold the cup while you are filling the cup for measurement. You will not get an accurate measurement, as you will not be able to hold the cup level or steady.

IF you are just needing a small amount of liquid, you can use the same measuring spoons that you use for dry items.

Do not measure liquids directly over the bowl that you are adding to. Hold the measuring spoon over a small clean cup or bowl, while you slowly pour in the ingredient that you are measuring.

Fill the spoon just to the top with out letting it spill over if possible.

HOW MUCH FISH DO I NEED?

When planning meals, it is always hard to determine how much food to buy.

When serving fish a good rule of thumb is to buy 8-12 ounces of drawn or dressed fish per serving.

If you are serving steaks or fillets, buy 4-8 ounces per serving.

I usually tend to buy a bit heavy when serving fish & chips, as there are not as many accompaniments as there would be when you are serving steaks.

WEIGHT TO MEASURE I

Sometimes when you are cooking or baking it is difficult to locate the correct size of canned food for a recipe, or you would like to change the recipe to make more/less. The following chart will help you determine the quantity in cups that a can holds. A quick rule of thumb is 2 ounces = approx ¼ cup.

Can Size	Approx. Measure
8 oz	1 Cup Contents
10½ oz	1¼ Cup Contents
12 oz	1½ Cup Contents
14 oz	1¾ Cup Contents
16 oz	2 Cup Contents
20 oz	2½ Cup Contents
29 oz	3½ Cup Contents
43 oz	4 Cup Contents

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