Helpful Hints for the Cook

Special Additions for Meals
When cooking a turkey breast, sprinkle on dry onion soup mix before putting it in the oven. Baste frequently.

For turkey gravy, stir sour cream into the turkey drippings.

Put a teaspoon of grape jelly or strawberry jam inside the bottom of your green peppers before stuffing them. It will cut some of the bitterness of the pepper and give the meal extra flavor.

When making homemade pizza, saute the vegetables (peppers, mushrooms, onions, broccoli, etc) in butter, garlic and Italian herbs before putting them on the pizza.

To make a quick Shepard's Pie, instead of fussing with mashing up potatoes, combine a can of cream of celery soup with milk and frozen hash browns, then layer that mixture on top of meat and vegetables.


Just Desserts

To make your chocolate chip cookies a little more special, chill the chocolate chip cookie dough. Wrap a small portion of dough around mini Snickers candy bars, then bake.

Add peanut butter to Cook & Serve chocolate pudding after you remove it from the heat and while it is still warm.

Put a few marshamellows on top of cake or cupcakes just before you take it from the oven. Or: top a plain, store bought cake slice with marshmellow, pop into the oven and warm until the marshmellows melt. Or: sprinkle warm cake with chocolate chips and spread when melted.

Breakfast

Flavor you waffle or pancake batter by adding one of the following: a dash of maple flavoring, a dash of vanilla, or substitute orange juice for the liquid.

Appetizers and Snacks

Serve party dips in scooped bell peppers, tomatoes, hollowed out head of cabbage, or half of a melon.

Keep your pickle juice and add raw stirng beans, carrot or celery sticks, or cucumber slices for a handy snack.

Beverages

Homemade Spice Tea: Put loose tea in a baby food jar with a few whole cloves, crumbled cinnamon sticks, dehydrated lemon and orange peels. Or: add just minced vanilla bean.

Add flavored extract to your cofee for a fun flavor, or spinkle cinnamon on top of your ground coffee before the water drips through it.