Month: December 2016

Two Meals in One: Ideas for Cooking Once and Eating Twice

If you’re like most people, you lead a pretty busy or maybe even an incredibly hectic life. Instead of heading for the drive thru for a quick meal, plan your meals so you can make two meals out of your efforts. Basically, think of how each piece of meat or meal you make can be turned into another quick and delicious offering on another day.  Not only is this healthier for you, it saves you plenty of cash as well.

Roast Chicken

Roasted chicken or even pieces of cooked chicken are so versatile. You can take the meat and slice it up for sandwiches or salads. Chop the chicken finely and mix in a bit of mayonnaise, mustard and pepper to make chicken salad sandwiches. Use the carcass to create a low-sodium chicken broth or soup. Keep frozen piecrust on hand so you can make a quick potpie.

Spaghetti Sauce

Traditional spaghetti with meat sauce has more uses than you may have previously thought. Use it as a base for crockpot chili or place it on top of a plate of cheesy nachos. You can even try it in your next batch of shepherd’s pie.

If you have a meat-free tomato-based sauce, it makes a great pizza sauce, soup base or vegetarian chili. Wherever you use plain tomato sauce, you can throw in spaghetti sauce instead.

Roast Beef

Buy a roast in a larger portion than you’d normally buy because there is plenty you can do with the leftovers. Make a hearty beef barley soup or slice it in to a salad. You can also buy some buns, slice it thinly and serve it with au jus for a delicious beef dip meal.

Baked Ham

Baked ham makes a great macaroni and cheese or other pasta topping. Of course, ham and pineapple pizza is always a hit, too. And don’t forget about omelettes, quiches and more.

Mashed Potatoes

Do you ever make too many mashed potatoes and then end up throwing them away, instead of using them again? No need because you can turn them into something exciting and new. Use leftover mashed potatoes for shepherds pie or make it a whole new side dish by adding bits of bacon and cooked onion.

Rice

If you serve a meal with white rice, it’s easy to turn that same rice into a stir-fry the next day. Just sauté some vegetables, add a little soy sauce and top your rice. What about a nice rice-stuffed tomato or pepper? If rice pudding is a family favorite, you’ve got your core ingredient all ready to go.

Extending your meals takes a bit of forethought, but it’s well worth it. When planning your meals, think of how you can extend them and plan accordingly. Try to extend at least one item from each meal to another and soon it will become second nature. Once it becomes a part of your regular routine, you’ll see the savings in your grocery bill and the dinner hour will suddenly become less hectic.

Meal Planning for Two

It’s rarely the first thing on our minds, but planning meals helps ensure we can eat healthier, save money and avoid those impromptu (and expensive) meals out. If you’re planning meals for two, it can get a bit trickier, but with a plan on your side, meal planning can save you time and money, and of course, it’s delicious, too.

Determine Your Goal

You’ve decided to look into meal planning and there is a reason why. Do you want to avoid processed foods, save money, stop wasting food or what has motivated you to get a little more organized with eating at your home? Think about that reason why as you plan your meals and you’re more likely to achieve your goal.

Plan Around Your Grocery Store Visits

Some people meal plan once per week. Others do it every few days. What you decide is completely up to you and will likely revolve around your grocery store visits. If you shop only once per week, then a weekly plan will probably work for you. If you like picking up fresh goods on a more regular basis, plan accordingly.

Make a List of Recipes and Favorite Foods

Before starting your current meal plan, make a list of recipes you love and all your favorite foods. Also, look online and in your cookbooks for recipes you’d like to try. If the portions are too large for your 2-person home, consider scaling the recipe or freezing unused portions.

Keep this master list as inspiration for your individual meal plans and don’t forget to ask your partner for input as well. Together, you can come up with a great list to keep meal times exciting. You can even keep it on the fridge or in a central location, so you can keep adding to it.

Now you’re ready to start your current meal plan. Here are a few things you should do:

Check Your Stock

Always check your pantry, fridge and freezer for available items. Think about how you can incorporate these into your meal plan. For example, if you’ve got some leftover rice, you might pick up some fresh vegetables and some chicken for a nice stir-fry. Or if it looks like the eggs are about to expire, it might be time for a delicious frittata or quiche.

Check Flyers and Websites

If you’re on a budget, it’s a great idea to leaf through your local flyers or store websites for specials and coupons. If there’s a special on ground beef, it might be the perfect time to make your special stroganoff with meat loaf.

Make Your Plan

Now that you know what you’ve got and what’s on sale, you can plan your meals. Many people just plan dinners, but if you plan breakfast, lunch and dinner, you’ll get more out of your meal planning, no matter what your ultimate goal is.

As you plan your meals, think about how ingredients from one meal can be used in another. It’ll save you time and cash. If you’re looking to stay healthier, it’s more likely to keep you from grabbing some takeout if some of the work is already done for you. For example, if you steam some broccoli with Thursday night’s dinner, you can chop it more finely and add it to Saturday afternoon’s frittata.

Make Your Grocery List

Once your meals are planned, it’s time to make your grocery list. Go through each recipe and meal idea and determine which ingredients you already have and what you need to purchase. To avoid over-buying, always put the amount of the ingredient you need for your recipes. For example, if you need 2 zucchinis for a side dish you’re making and you’re not likely to eat any extras, write down that you need 2. It’s a simple thing, but helps ensure you only get what you need.

Evaluate and Talk About It

When you’re ready to work on your next meal plan, evaluate the previous one and talk about it with your partner. Which recipes did you like, didn’t like or how could some be adjusted? Also take some time to think about where you could have reused ingredients in other meals, chosen healthier options and anything else that affects your ultimate meal planning goals. The more effort you put into the details now, the easier meal planning will become and you’re more likely to reach your goals.

How to Scale a Recipe for a Different Number of Portions

You’ve got family coming over and your favorite beef stew recipe serves 4, but you’ve got 7 people coming. What are you going to do? One option is to scale the recipe, so you can serve more people, but it’s not always as straightforward as it seems. Here are some tips to make your recipe scaling a success.

The Basics – Find You Recipe Conversion Factor

The easiest approach to scaling a recipe is to multiplying the ingredients to the portion size you need and to do that, you need to calculate your recipe conversion factor. For example, if you are going to make a pasta sauce that served 6, but you need it for 12, you can multiply all the ingredients by 2 and 2 is your conversion factor.

The precise formula is:

number of servings you want ÷ number of servings in recipe = your magic number

Of course, you can run into problems with this if you need 1 3/8 tsp of basil and you don’t have a 3/8 measure. In this case, use your judgment and simply round off the number and up it to 1 ¼ teaspoons. It’s not likely to make a crucial difference.

Still, there are more problematic ingredients. What if you end up needing 3 ½ eggs? That gets a little trickier. Also keep in mind that some recipes don’t scale well, including baked goods. If you decide scaling is not a good idea, we’ve got some tips for you at the end of this article.

Things to Consider with Scaling

There are couple of things to consider including cooking time and your cooking dishes.

Cooking Time: If you’re preparing larger or smaller portions, it may alter your cooking time. Allow for more time if making larger portions and if you’re cooking meat; make sure to use a meat thermometer to ensure the appropriate internal temperature is reached.

Cooking Dishes: If you’re making baked macaroni and you halve the recipe, try to find a dish that will keep the macaroni at the same depth as the original recipe. For example, if the recipe called for a 13 x 9 inch pan, find a rectangular or square pan about half the size. That will help ensure your cooking time will be roughly the same.

If It Doesn’t Scale Well

If you discover your recipe won’t do well with scaling, and the recipe is too large, go ahead and make the full recipe.  You can portion and freeze any unused amounts. Allow the food to cool completely before freezing. Also, remove any air from freezer bags and make sure that your freezer-safe containers are nearly full, so there isn’t any extra air. And finally, don’t forget to date and label what you’ve got, so you can come back to it later.

If the recipe is too small, but won’t scale well, cook it in batches. That way, you can ensure you’ve made the recipe according to the specifications, but still get the portion you need.

Grocery Shopping for Two

If you’re shopping for two, it’s not always easy to get variety without the danger of letting food go to waste. However, if you plan your grocery shopping ahead of time and take advantage of the following in-store tips, you’ll see it’s possible to be efficient and get exactly what you want.

Stock Your Pantry with Essentials

It can seem expensive, but stocking your pantry with the essentials will help you eat less packaged food and in the long run, save you plenty of money. Having essentials like flour, sugar, oils, herbs, spices, baking soda, baking powder, butter and so forth makes it easy to put together a meal.

If you’re on a budget and need to stock your pantry slowly, add one or two of these types of items each time you shop. Soon you’ll find you have the ingredients to whip together great meals at ease.

Keep an Ongoing List

Write down important items (for example, eggs, jam, milk, bread) as soon as you notice you’re running low. If you don’t write it down right away, you’ll probably forget while you’re in the grocery store.

Plan Your Meals

It may sound tedious, but if you know what you’re eating for breakfast, lunch and dinner each day, it’s much easier to get the right amount of food and stay within your budget.

Check Local Flyers and Websites

Before you make your list, check local flyers and store websites for specials and coupons. Knowing what’s on special before you get there helps ensure you don’t make extra purchases and go over your budget.

Make a Categorized and Itemized List Before You Go

Check your fridge, freezer and pantry and put together your list. Having a list is important because it keeps you from buying items you already have and from forgetting items you actually need. You can also put the precise quantities you need of each item, so that you don’t let unused food spoil and you can afford to get more variety.

Get the Butcher to Cut Your Meat

In the meat department, ask to have large meats cut into smaller portions. If that beautiful looking rib eye roast is just too large, let them know how big you’d like it. Many grocery stores also include a “smaller portions” section that you can take advantage of. Of course, if there is meat on special, you can buy the larger portion and freeze what you don’t use.

Freeze Extras

Sometimes it’s worthwhile to buy larger quantities to save money. Plus, it saves you time because you have extra food on hand when you need it. Whether it’s meat, baked goods, vegetables or fruits, divide them into usable portions before you freeze them. That way, you don’t have to defrost more than you need.

It’s Your Money and Your Health

Planning ahead always makes for a more successful shopping trip whether you are trying to save money or eat more healthfully. While it may feel like a lot of time is involved at first, it becomes second nature and easier each and every time. So get out the flyers, your favorite recipes, paper and a pen. It’s time to get started.

Tips for Cooking for Two

It never fails. You find a recipe you’d love to try, but the portions are too big or you buy so many groceries, the two of you couldn’t possibly eat them all. Outside of inviting the whole neighborhood over to eat, here are some handy tips for cooking for two.

Have a Plan

Planning isn’t always fun, but it’s the way to ensure you have the right amount of food and that your hard-earned money doesn’t go to waste. Plan your meals out in advance and make a detailed grocery list with the precise portions that you need of each food item.

Ask the Butcher to Make a Smaller Portion

If a roast is too big or any other portion of meat is too large, don’t be shy about asking the meat department to cut it smaller for you. Most quality grocery stores will be happy to do this for you; so ask. Of course, if there is a special on pork chops in bulk, buy the package, portion it and freeze it for later.

Adjust the Recipe

It’s usually pretty easy to divide a recipe, so you only make the portions you need. If a recipe serves six, simply divide the ingredient quantity by 3 to get 2 servings. Of course, when a recipe calls for 3 eggs and serves 4 people, it becomes a bit more complicated. In addition, when it comes to baking and other types of recipes, it may adjust the cooking time as well. So when in doubt, use our next tip of portioning and freezing.

Portion Meals and Freeze

If you can’t adjust a recipe, it might be a blessing in disguise because you can save yourself plenty of time portioning a ready-made meal and freezing it. If that beef stew serves 8, go ahead and make the full recipe. Then you can eat what you’d like and then divide the rest into 2- portion packages and freeze.

Tips for freezing:

1. Always use freezer-safe storage containers and bags. They are thick and designed to keep moisture in and odors from other foods out.
2. Remove all air from bags before sealing. For storage containers, use small enough containers so they are full with little or no extra space. This helps prevent freezer burn.
3. Always completely cool your food before freezing, so it freezes faster and stays fresher. In addition, if you freeze baked goods before they are cooled, they retain moisture and can mold easily.
4. Label all your frozen items. Take note of the contents, portion and the date you made the item. That way, you can keep track of food that needs to be eaten before it expires.
5. To thaw most frozen foods, just leave in the refrigerator overnight.

Get Creative with Leftovers

If you love leftovers, this is a no-brainer. Simply package up the remainder of your meal and make it a lunch to go the next day.

If you’re not so keen on leftovers or crave variety, there is plenty you can do with pre-cooked meals and ingredients. If you roast a chicken, you can turn it into a potpie the next day and a wonderful chicken broth the day after. Chicken salad sandwiches are divine as well Or if you’ve grilled one too many steaks, chop it up and serve it cold in an indulgent salad the next day. Miscellaneous food items can be added to soups, placed on pizzas and more. There’s always something you can do with those leftovers sitting in your fridge.

Cooking for two needn’t be complicated or expensive. With just a little planning and organizing, paired with some creativity, you can make your food go a long way.

If you are like most families, you want to find ways to make summer meals quick and easy. You don’t want to spend a long time in a hot kitchen. You also don’t want to spend extra money by going out. Use these ideas to help make summer cooking simple and quick.

Make a meal plan. Having a list of your family’s favorite meals will enable you to purchase ingredients when they are on sale. Buy as many staples as you can. When you need an ingredient for their favorite dish you won’t have to run out to the store to pick it up. You’ll already have that item on-hand.

Add as many fresh fruits and vegetables to your meals as you can. Rather than cooking all of them, serve them as raw as possible. Fruits and vegetables served raw will have more nutrients than those which are cooked. Serving them raw will also keep your kitchen cooler.

Use the crock pot. It’s not only for the winter months. A crock pot will generate less heat which means your kitchen won’t become sweltering. It also allows you to cook while you’re away or otherwise engaged. Place the ingredients in the crock pot the first thing in the morning and they’ll be ready to eat when dinner time rolls around. How easy is that?

Make staple items like sauces in large amounts ahead of time. These can be frozen and then taken out of when needed.

Eat a variety of salads. Salads are generally quick and easy to make. Most of the food items don’t require cooking so preparation time is less. Of course, you can also make pasta salads ahead of time and place them in the refrigerator so they’re ready when needed.

When you do plan a meal that is going to take some time and effort, be sure to make enough that you’ll be able to have leftovers. For instance, if you bake or grill chicken, you can use leftovers to make chicken salad sandwiches. Pot roast can be used to make roast sandwiches and the vegetables put in the freezer to use in soup when soup weather returns. Try to remember to prepare the food once but use it twice.

Plan at least one vegetarian meal per week. Not only will this give you an entirely different set of recipes and foods to choose from, it will give your body a rest from too much protein. Visit a farmer’s market or pick foods from your garden and use them as the main ingredients in your vegetarian meal.

The above ideas are by no means exhaustive. However, if you use one or two of them they can make summer meals quick and easy. An added benefit is that your home will stay cooler, too.

If you want to serve ice cream for dessert, it’s easy enough to run to the store and pick some up. However, there’s nothing like homemade ice cream. The question is, how are you going to make it? You could use an expensive electric ice cream machine or even an old-fashioned hand-crank machine but there are other ways to make homemade ice cream. Consider using one of these methods the next time you have a hankering for that cold, sweet treat.

Roll the Can – Gather two coffee cans, a 1-pound and a 3-pound. Mix together your favorite ice cream base and set it aside. You will also need 10 cups of ice, 1 1/2 cups of rock salt and duct tape. Put the 1-pound can inside the 3-pound can. Pour the mixture into the smaller can and then place the lid on the can. Be sure to seal the can with duct tape. Layer ice and salt around the inner can and then place the lid on the outer can. Place kids on opposite sides from each other and allow them to roll the can back and forth between them for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes check the ice cream. If it has not begun solidifying, have them resume their game. Recheck every 10 minutes until the ice cream is done.

Bag the Ice Cream – You can make ice cream in a similar fashion as with the can. Instead of using cans, however, you will use zip top bags of different sizes. Place the chilled ice cream base in the smaller bag (1-quart) which is then placed inside the larger bag (1-gallon). Add ice half-way ups the larger bag and about 1/2 cup of salt. Make sure the smaller bag is completely covered and zip up the bag. Wrap the larger bag inside several layers of plastic grocery bags and tape it closed. Shake the bags for at least 10 minutes and then check it. If it isn’t thick enough, pour the contents out of the bag and place it in the freezer until ready.

Start with Store Bought – Maybe the only thing you can find in the store is vanilla but your family wants something more exotic. Allow the store-bought ice cream to soften. Add whatever flavorings or additions you like. Chocolate chips, chopped fruit, cookie dough are different items you may want to add. Use your imagination and you’ll have a one-of-a-kind almost homemade ice cream your family will love.

Use a Blender or Food Processor – Place frozen fruit, cream, sugar and vanilla in a food processor or blender. Blend it for five or so minutes and the result should resemble ice cream in no time.

You don’t have to purchase store-bought ice cream when you really want homemade. Try one of these four methods for making homemade ice cream and you’ll have a sweet treat that’s good to eat. Some of these methods are quick, easy and something the whole family can have a part of the making.

Some ice cream stores may have 31 flavors, but there are many more available if you care to give them a try. What are some of the most unusual flavors of homemade ice cream you’ve ever tried? If you’re adventurous, you may want to see if one of these unusual ice cream flavors suits your taste buds.

Not everyone likes the same tastes and this is true when it comes to eating ice cream. One person may prefer simple vanilla. Others may like chocolate and someone else may eat only cookie dough. With all the possibilities of unusual ice cream flavors available, you could probably try a different flavor every day for at least half a year and there would still be some you hadn’t tried.

The fruit lover may want to try one of these tantalizing tastes:

Mango sorbet would be a welcome change-of-pace for someone who generally eats orange sherbet. If you still want a citrusy taste, why not add blood oranges or tangelos to the mix?

Raspberry gelato made especially for vegans is made without dairy products or an ice cream machine. Instead, you would take cashews and grind them finely and use maple sugar to sweeten the gelato. Freeze it in a metal pan.

Perhaps you like the flavor of coffee or tea. Try one of these unusual flavors:

Take your favorite flavored coffee that has been cooled. Add it to your plain ice cream base to get a coffee flavored ice cream.

Chai tea is enjoyed by many people. You can use cooled chai tea as a part of the base to get chai tea ice cream.

Chocolate is a common ice cream flavor. Why not add Nutella, which is a combination of hazel nut and cocoa instead? Add a little Guinness to your chocolate ice cream base for something that’s truly unique.

Corn on the cob ice cream may be something you’ve never tried before. Make a plain ice cream base and then liquefy the corn before it is added to the base. This will be a whole new way to enjoy corn!

Haggis is a traditional sausage. Someone has come up with an ice cream recipe using this unusual flavor. Many people won’t even try haggis, and it’s a good chance this may be one ice cream flavor that isn’t eaten by anyone except the die-hard haggis fan.

You may enjoy sweet potato pie at Thanksgiving. Why not give sweet potato ice cream a try. Whether you choose to pair them together is up to you, but it could be interesting.

There are so many different flavors of ice cream possible. In fact the only thing that that can limit the flavors you serve your family is your imagination. If you’re adventurous, take a look through magazines, cookbooks, on the internet or on television to find new unusual ice cream flavors.

Spring time is finally here and people are looking for ways to spend time outdoors after a long winter. Even though many will wait until Labor Day to begin cooking out, some will begin grilling quite a while before that. When you’re planning a cookout or any outdoor activity, you may want to include spring drinks for a refreshing change.

Some people think about alcoholic beverages but there are many non-alcoholic spring drinks you can also enjoy. Here are a few to consider:

Lemonade is a great spring or summer time drink that everyone in the family can enjoy. Gather lemons, water and sugar and you can make a wonderful, refreshing beverage. Add a sprig of mint to finish it off and then enjoy.

Watermelon Agua Fresca is often served during the summer, but there’s no reason you can’t prepare it earlier in the year if you can find ripe watermelon. You’ll need eight cups of watermelon, water, sugar, lime juice and club soda. Puree the watermelon, water and sugar. Stir in the lime juice. Refrigerate for at least four hours and then add the club soda. If you’ve never tried this drink, you may want to give it a try this year.

Spring Fever mocktail. This drink is made with a variety of fresh juices – apple, lemon, blood orange and mango syrup. Try blending these amounts; 3/4 oz of lemon juice and mango syrup with 1 ½ oz of apple juice and 2 oz of orange juice. Delicious!

Hibiscus-Pomegranate Iced Tea not only tastes great but is good for you, too. Ingredients include herbal hibiscus tea, boiling water, pomegranate juice and cold water. Steep the tea in boiling water for about 5 minutes, pour it into a large pitcher and add the pomegranate juice and cold water. Refrigerate until it is thoroughly chilled. Serve over ice and add lemon wedges and mint.

Blueberry Ginger Bellini is a spring time drink which is made with sparkling wine, but you could also use sparkling grape juice if you don’t want the alcohol. Mash ½ cup blueberries, 1 tablespoon minced ginger, 1 tablespoon sugar, juice of ½ of a lemon. Add 2 cups blueberry juice and allow this to steep for five minutes before you strain it. Divide the juice into four glasses and then pour ½ cup sparkling wine or grape juice over it.

You can often find spring drink recipes in women’s and cooking magazines. Try something new this spring when you have a cookout or simply need something refreshing to enjoy on a warm spring afternoon. You can use one of these ideas or come up with ideas of your own.

Cooks know that as the temperatures outside increase, the desire to cook decreases. This isn’t due to lack of wanting to cook, but instead, the need to keep the home as cool as possible. This is why baking is done mostly in the winter months and cool dishes are served during the summer.

Keeping cool in the kitchen doesn’t mean eating a cold sandwich and fresh fruit every day. With the wide variety of cooking appliances to choose from today, you can serve wonderful meals for your family without heating the home. Here are just a few to choose from.

Crockpot – They aren’t just for soups and stews. Slow cooker, or Crockpot, are great for recipes which typically take a long time to prepare. You can cook anything from lasagna to a small turkey in a crockpot.

Microwave – If getting in and out of the kitchen quickly is important to you, there’s nothing quite like the microwave. You can cook nearly anything in a microwave in much less time than conventional cooking.

Electric skillet – This appliance is often much larger than your typical skillet. You can usually prepare several servings of a food at one time which will mean you won’t add to the heat in the kitchen, and you can be finished in no time.

Wok – Oriental cooking is prepared at high temperatures in the wok but the foods cook quickly. If you don’t have a wok, you can make similar meals using a normal skillet.

Pressure cooker – The pressure cooker was once a staple in every country kitchen. They aren’t used quite as often any longer but they can still be used to cook a meal in less time, and therefore less heat, than other methods.

Another way you can keep the kitchen cool this summer is to begin preparing meals earlier in the day. Plan the major part of your cooking early in the day while it is still cool. Once the cooked items are prepared, you can allow them to cool and place them in the refrigerator to add other items to when it’s time to get the meal on the table.

Offer your family plenty of cold foods when the temperatures soar. Cold fruit salads, tossed green salads, vegetable trays and homemade ice cream are sure to keep the kitchen and your family cool when it is hot outside.

Finally, if you want to keep your kitchen cool but aren’t afraid of a little heat, strike a match and get to grilling! You don’t have to stand in front of the grill while the food is cooking and the taste will be out of this world. And, best of all, you will see keeping cool in the kitchen when it is hot outside is not only possible, it can also be delicious!

Cold Food Ideas

What do you do when you’re sick of plain sandwiches or green salads during the summer months? What else can you make? Consider some of the following cold food idea when you need to prepare a nutritious and delicious meal to your family.

Get your inspiration from south of the border. Flour tortillas can be used for so many different types of cuisines. Spread a savory cream cheese spread over the tortilla, add fresh from the garden vegetables, a slice of cheese or two and you have a wonderful cold roll-up the family will love.

Fresh fruit salads are another option to consider. Go to the local farmer’s market or fruit stand to purchase fruits in season. These will be juicy and full of flavor. Slice the fruit, place it in a large bowl and refrigerate until time to enjoy it.

Three-bean salad is something you may want to prepare. If you’ve never prepared a three-bean salad, you’ll be surprised at just how easy it is to make: Drain and rinse one 15 ounce can of green beans, one 15 ounce can of kidney beans, and one pound of wax beans. Mix these together with one sliced onion, 3/4 cup white sugar, 2/3 cup distilled white vinegar, 1/3 cup vegetable oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and 1/2 teaspoon celery seed. Once the salad is thoroughly combined, allow it to set in the refrigerator for 8 to 12 hours. That’s it! Serve and enjoy.

If your family enjoys macaroni and cheese during the colder months, they’ll likely enjoy cold pasta salads during the spring and summer. There are a variety of recipes to choose from when making pasta salad or you can create one of your own using your favorite pasta, veggies, cheese and dressing.

Potato salad is another great food choice when the temperatures climb. Nearly every family has a recipe that has been passed down from mother to daughter. For an extra creamy twist to your potato salad, simply add eight ounces of sour cream to the recipe. You won’t believe how delicious your potato salad will be with that one extra ingredient.

Purchase some pre-cooked bacon (or turkey bacon) and make BLTs. The crispiness of the bacon against the softness of the bread is a delight. Add lettuce, onions and fresh from the garden tomatoes to create a taste sensation you will surely enjoy.
If you haven’t tried cold summer soups, now is the perfect time! Gazpacho is a wonderful summer soup which is served cold. It is made with onion, cucumber, green pepper, garlic, wine vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, tomato juice and oregano leaves. Blend all of the ingredients except the tomato juice until it is smooth. Pour the mixture into a serving bowl and then add the tomato juice. Cover it for at least six hours prior to serving.

These are but a few cold food ideas you may want to try this summer. Preparing a healthful meal doesn’t mean spending hours slaving over a hot stove. Use one of these ideas or take time to search this site for more cold food ideas. Your family will appreciate the delicious meal and remain cool when the temperatures start to rise.

Beating the Heat

Summer time temperatures can often reach 90 degrees or hotter depending upon where you live. The heat index can make it seem as if the temperatures are even higher. If you’re trying to beat the heat, these ideas may help.

Choose cool foods such as salads during the summer months. Of course, if you have a picnic or outdoor gathering, you will want to keep the foods cool to avoid the formation of bacteria which can make you and your family sick. Remember that any food is at risk if it is kept outdoors at 90 degrees for an hour or more.

Obviously, if you are at home you can keep foods cool by leaving them in the refrigerator. If you are having a picnic or family reunion where refrigeration is not available, you can use some of these other options:

* Electric coolers are a great option if you are away from home. These are coolers which can plug into the electric outlet in newer vehicles. The cooler enables food to remain in the ‘safe zone’ of under 40 degrees while it is in use. You can often purchase electric coolers at camping supply and discount stores.
* Chest-style coolers are also helpful for keeping foods cool as long as they are filled properly and kept closed until the food is needed. It is best to pack your cooler in the opposite way you expect to need the food. This will enable you to find what you need when you need it and then close the cooler. You can also pour some ice on the bottom of the cooler, place the food on top of the ice, and then pour more ice around the food. This creates a pillow of cold air to keep the food safe.
* Make sure the food is pre-chilled or frozen before placing it in the cooler. Having the food already cold will lengthen the amount of time the food will remain safe for everyone to eat it.
* Transport packed coolers inside the car where it is air-conditioned rather than in the trunk. The air around the cooler can affect how quickly the ice will melt. If the cooler is placed in a hot trunk, the ice will melt and the food may be affected.
* Put your beverages in a separate cooler rather than putting them in the same cooler as the food. People can drink several beverages in a short period of time. If each person gets two drinks in an hour the cooler could be opened dozens of time which might affect the quality of the food in the cooler.
* Use two serving bowls, one larger than the other. Put ice in the largest bowl and then nestle the smaller bowl into the ice. This will keep cold foods cold much longer.

* Plan to have the meal at a specific time rather than having a buffet-style meal where the food is left out for hours. If you think the food has been out too long and may not be safe, go ahead and throw it out. Don’t take any chances; it is much better to be safe than sorry.

Beating the heat and keeping foods safe is easier to do than you might think. Use the above ideas and you will be sure to enjoy your Independence Day as well as avoid getting sick from food that was not kept cool enough.

The summer months can be exceptionally hot depending upon where you live. Perhaps you don’t want to give your kids ice cream when they ask for something sweet and cool. Try these cool snacks for kids this year.

1. Peel and freeze bananas. These can be used as a treat by themselves or added to fruit smoothies.
2. Homemade sorbet is easy to make. For instance, if you love strawberries, you can puree the strawberries; add some water, a little bit of sugar, lemon juice and a package of unflavored gelatin. Use an ice cream maker to complete the recipe.
3. Freeze whole grapes and serve those to your children. Remember, however, not to give these to small children as they can be a choking hazard.
4. Homemade popsicles can be made with 100% fruit juice. You can also make them using powdered drink mixes.
5. A fruit juice spritzer is a good alternative to serving your kids a full glass of soft drink. Add 100% juice, whatever kind you like best, to ginger ale or other clear soft drink. Add ice to cool the drink down. You can also put the mixture in the blender and create a slushy with it.
6. Brown cows, or ice cream floats, are also a cool snack you might want to give your children. Fill a glass three quarters of the way with your child’s favorite soft drink. Then add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and enjoy.
7. Buy a large container of yogurt in your favorite flavor. Spoon the yogurt into an ice cube tray and then cover it with plastic wrap. Poke a popsicle stick or tooth pick into the plastic. Place these in the freezer and allow them to freeze. You can add pieces of chopped up fruit if you want to add a special treat.
8. Cut up a variety of melons and keep them in the refrigerator for a quick cool snack at any time. To make the snack more appealing, allow the children to use cookie cutters to make shapes out of them.
9. Make a batch of cookies. When they have cooled entirely, place a scoop of softened ice cream onto one cookie and then place another on top. This will make a wonderful ice cream sandwich.
10. Orange and vanilla is a wonderful combination. Add orange juice to a blender and then place a scoop of vanilla ice cream. You’ll have made a liquid dreamsicle that is much healthier than the traditional version.

Prepare these ten “cool” snacks for your kids the next time they ask for a snack this summer. These snacks will help them cool down and be enjoyable at the same time.