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Equivalencies
½
cup light brown sugar = 7 tablespoons
granulated sugar + 1 tablespoon molasses
½
cup dark brown sugar = 6 tablespoons
granulated sugar + 2 tablespoons molasses
1
cup buttermilk = ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons
regular milk
+
1 tablespoon vinegar OR lemon juice
+
1 tablespoon melted butter
1
cup self-rising flour =
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
+
½ teaspoon salt
+
enough all-purpose flour to make 1 cup
To
replace eggnog for eggs in bread pudding:
The
most complicated substitution I ever attempted
was during the Christmas holidays a few years
ago. I found myself in a pinch to make a bread
pudding with no eggs. The recipe called for 3
eggs, 2 cups of sugar, and 4 cups of milk,
among other ingredients. I was completely out
of eggs and had very little milk. But I did
have a quart of eggnog. Reading the label, I
figured out how many grams of sugars it
contained. Each tablespoon of sugar is 12.5
grams. So, for every 12.5 grams of sugar in
the eggnog, I deducted 1 Tablespoon of sugar
from the recipe. Three eggs equal 4.5 ounces
out of the shell. I had about 10 ounces of
milk, which I poured into a four-cup measuring
cup, and then finished filling with the
eggnog. Then I added 4.5 ounces more of eggnog
to complete the volume of liquid the recipe
called for, including eggs.
Taking
the mystery out of those endearing, but
archaic terms in your grandmother’s recipes:
Measurements:
1
spoonful = 1 tablespoon
1
dessert spoon = 2 teaspoons
1
kitchen spoon = 1 teaspoon
1
salt spoon = ¼ teaspoon
1
pinch or dash = a little less than 1/8
teaspoon
½
pinch = a little less than 1/16 teaspoon
1
tumbler = 1 cup
1
coffee cup = a little less than 1 cup
1
tea cup = a little less than ¾ cup
1
gill = ½ cup
1
jigger = 1 ½ fluid ounces
1
wine glass = ¼ cup
Temperatures
(all in Fahrenheit):
Extremely
hot oven: 500° or more
Very
hot oven: 450° - 475°
Hot
oven: 400° - 425°
Quick
oven: 375° - 400°
Moderately
hot oven: 375°
Moderate
oven: 350°
Moderately
slow oven: 325°
Slow
oven: 300°
Very
slow oven: below 300°
Meaurement
equivalencies for specific foods
One
(1) pound of this food:
equals
This measurement:
Any
liquid
2 cups
Ground
coffee
4 cups
Flour
4 cups
Confectioner’s
sugar
2 ½ cups
Brown
sugar (packed)
2 ½ cups
Cornmeal
3 cups
Uncooked
rice
2 cups
Raisins
or candied fruit
2 ¾ cups
Grated
Cabbage
4 cups
Chopped
Celery
4 cups
Cranberries
4 cups
Herbs
& Spices
I
love growing my own herbs. I harvest the seeds
at the end of each season and re-plant them.
They grow as fast and furiously as weeds. The
more you snip them, the more they produce.
To
start your own herb garden, plant seeds in
late February. Let germinate and sprout in a
sunny, protected area. Set new plants out
after the last frost. Grow in full sunlight
with plenty of water.
1
tablespoon fresh, snipped herbs = about 1
teaspoon dried herbs
Besides
drying, preserve freshly snipped herbs by
placing them in ice-cube trays. Cover them
with water, freeze them, and then transfer the
“herb cubes” to zip-lock bags labeled with
the name of the frozen herb. You can make your
own “Bouquet Garni” by mixing herbs. Here
are some great combinations for different
types of dishes. Use these combinations in
fresh, dried, or frozen herbs. Add the herb
listed first in the greatest amount. Add the
following herbs in lesser amounts:
Beef:
Marjoram and rosemary
strong, deep flavor
Sage,
marjoram, and savory
lighter, sweeter flavor
Marjoram
and parsley
still lighter, greener flavor
Lamb:
Rosemary and Mint
perfect to cover lamb’s heavy taste
Poultry:
Thyme, lemon balm, basil
great summer combo
Lemon
basil, parsley, and thyme
spring-time delight!
Thyme,
mustard, and parsley
great on grilled chicken
Vegetables:
Sweet basil, parsley, and thyme
sweet and green
Seafood:
Dill, and black peppercorns
classic salmon seasoning
Sweet
Basil, lemon balm
light and sweet
Basil,
mint and cinnamon
Covers fishy taste well
Herbs
and spices you can mix up ahead of time and
have on hand:
1
teaspoon Apple Pie Spice =
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼
teaspoon nutmeg
1/8
teaspoon allspice
dash
of ginger
1
teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice =
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼
teaspoon ginger
¼
teaspoon allspice
1/8
teaspoon nutmeg
1
teaspoon Poultry seasoning =
¾ teaspoon sage
¼
teaspoon thyme
1
tablespoon Cajun seasoning=
½ teaspoon EACH
white
pepper
garlic
powder
onion
powder
red
pepper
paprika
black
pepper
Dill
Pickles to Sweet
To
make some of the best sweet pickles you’ve
ever tasted, buy a jar of whole dill pickles.
Drain and rinse the jar. Wash the pickles with
water. Then slice them to the thickness you
desire. Add three cups of sugar and cider
vinegar to cover the pickles. Replace the lid
and refrigerate the jar for 10 days, stirring
after the fifth day. The sugar might look like
it’s not ever going to melt, but it will.
Helpful
Household Tips
Sometimes
food items themselves come in handy for
non-food purposes. My grandmother and her
mother used items from their pantry to help
with everything from removing creases in
clothing to clearing the drain:
Vinegar
Crease Eliminator
Sponge
one part water and two parts plain vinegar on
any crease, especially along one that forms
when a hem is let out. Steam iron over the
crease until it disappears. If the crease is
stubborn, use straight vinegar.
Drain
Cleaner
Keep
a container of this mixture in a jar near your
sink: 1 cup of baking soda, 1 cup of salt, and
¼ cup cream of tartar. When you are ready to
use it, sprinkle about 4 tablespoons of the
mixture directly down the drain. Then flush it
with 1 cups of boiling water. Wait about 10
minutes. Then flush thoroughly with tap water.
This is a maintenance procedure that will keep
your drain, whether plastic or metal, clear of
debris and smelling good.
Plant
Fertilizer
This
is an inexpensive alternative to commercial
plant fertilizers. It makes one quart.
Dissolve 1 envelope of plain gelatin in 1 cup
of hot water. Add 3 cups of tap water. Use it
once a month on potted plants.
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