Fresh Herbs vs. Dried Herb Measurements

When using fresh herbs, the easy rule of thumb is to triple the amount of dried herbs called for in the recipe.  For example, 1 tsp. dried oregano equals 3 tsp. (1 TBS.) minced fresh oregano.

Self-Rising Flour Substitute

As a substitute for self-rising flour, place 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder and 1/2 tsp. salt in a measuring cup.  Add all-purpose flour to measure 1 cup.

Pumpkin Pie Tip

Try substituting eggnog for the milk in your next homemade pumpkin pie.

Cereal and Yogurt Tips

I'm never quite sure how to tell if cereal is "healthy." I happened to catch short segments on a morning news program with information on how to choose healthy cereal and yogurt.

For cereal, you want the following:

1. At least 3 grams of fiber.
2. Less than 8 grams of sugar.
3. The word whole, grain, or oats in the first ingredient listed.

For yogurt, you want the following:

1. Zero grams of fat.
2. At least 20% of daily calcium, or 200 mg.
3. Around 12 twelve grams of sugar per 6-ounce container. Fruit added to the yogurt will increase the amount of sugar. Make sure sugar isn't coming from high fructose corn syrup.
4. 90-120 calories per 6-ounce container.

Cake Mix Brownies...Don't Do It!

I tried this wonderfully easy recipe last night that I had clipped out of the newspaper. It was a recipe for brownies made out of a cake mix and had three ingredients...but they were AWFUL.

The batter tasted like cake, not brownies. The final product tasted like cake, not brownies. But it was also dry, crumbly, and grainy. So I frosted it, but it didn't help. It ended up in the trash can, much to the shock of my children.

So, next time I will stick to another recipe I know is good...Cake Mix Cookies.

Easy Bacon

I buy the precooked bacon and microwave it for 45-60 seconds so it will be crisp. I will never fry bacon again--it is way too messy!

Cookie Tip

The secret to good cookies is to get them out of the oven when they still look doughy. Let them sit on the cookie sheet for a couple of minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack. They will be very soft and delicious!