Judi Rand spoke to Our Cozy Kitchen on Sunday January 22, 2012. She has kindly sent us some valuable cooking hints and some great recipes.

Our Cozy kitchen wishes to thank Judi rand for these Cooking Resources and helpful hints.

Resources: "Who Knew? Almanac" by Bruce Lubin & Jeanne Bossolina-Lubin, 2011 Castle Point Publishing, LLC
ISBN: 978-0-9832376-2-4......I bought this through QVC..visit online at www.WhoKnewTips.com

Internet cooking sites............Judi's collection of cookbooks.......
TIPS AND HINTS:
Add a small amount of salt to a grapefruit to make it sweeter...
Store milk on an inside shelf, not on the door. Being perishable, the temperature rises every time the door is opened...
Adding a tsp. of baking soda or a pinch of salt to a carton of milk, will keep it fresh after the expiration date...
Wrap celery in a damp paper towel and put in a plastic bag to keep it crisp, or, wrap the celery in aluminum foil...
Let chicken breasts sit for awhile after breading but before cooking so the coating will adhere better. It can be refrigerated.
If you detect a slight "off odor" when you open a package of chicken, rinse under cool water and submerge in salt water in the fridge for 1-4 hours.
rinse....reminder, don't use a lot of salt when cooking...
Put leftover orange juice, coffee, etc. in an ice cube tray and then in a plastic bag. Great for drinks or sauces.
Nuts get rancid, keep in the freezer...

APPETIZERS
-Chicken Wings-cut the wings into 3 parts and do not use the sharp tip. Marinate in you favorite barbecue sauce and broil, bake or put in the
crockpot...
-Hot dog party-Cook in beer and set up condiment bar...
-Brown Sugar Smoked Sausages:
1 pound bacon
1 (16) ounce package little smokie sausages
1 cup brown sugar, or to taste
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Cut bacon into thirds and wrap each strip around a little sausage. Place the wrapped sausages on wooden skewers, several to a
several to a skewer. Soak the wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes before using. Arrange the skewers on a baking shet and
sprinkle them with brown sugar. You can lay them on a baking sheet without the skewers too.
3. Bake until bacon is crisp and the brown sugar is melted, about 20 minutes. Check after 15 minutes...

-MEAT FILLED MUSHROOM CAPS
2 dozen mushrooms 1/2 cup soy sauce (use the less sodium one if desired)
MEAT MIXTURE:
1/2 pound ground beef 1 tbsp minced onion
1/2 clove garlic 1/4 cup minced green pepper ( optional)
2 tbsp bread crumbs 1/4 tsp salt
1 egg yolk 1/4 tsp pepper
1. Remove stems from mushrooms...
2. Marinate caps for 1 hour....
3. Finely chop stems and mix with meat mixture...
4. Drain caps...
5. Stuff mushrooms with meat mixture mounded high...
6. Brush tops with soy sauce...
7. Broil 8-10 minutes...Refrigerate or freeze...
8. When ready to serve, bring to room temerature and bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes...

-SALADS:
ANTIPASTO
Arrange romaine lettuce on a large platter...Add anything you'd like on the lettuce...Here are some ideas:
artichoke hearts, green or black olives, salami, ham, provolone cheese, other cheeses, mushrooms,
peppers, etc.
Use olive oil or Italian Dressing on the salad or on the side..
SPINACH SALAD
fresh spinach, cut apple in small pieces, chopped pecans, craisins, honey mustard dressing on or on the side...

-MAIN DISH
BAKED CHICKEN
Chicken pieces with or without skin
Mayo, Corn flake crumbs , salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder
1. Arrange the mayo in one bowl, maybe about a cup...
2. Put about 2 cups of the corn flake crumbs in another bowl with the seasonings to taste...
3. Dry the chicken and put in the mayo, then the mixed corn flake crumbs and lay on a baking sheet with sides...
4. Bake in a 350 degrees oven for 45 minutes to 60 minutes....Good hot or cold...
5. You can make a great dip for this by using 1 cup of mayo with 1 tbsp of agave or honey to taste....

-DESSERTS
MINT PATTIES
1 bag Wilton Mint Chocolate Pieces ( in Michaels Craft Store)
tube of Ritz Crackers

1. Put the mint chocolate pieces in a microwave dish
2. Lay waxed paper on a cookie sheet
3. Microwave the chocolate for 30, then 30 more seconds until melted...stir
4. Dip the ritz crackers in the chocolate...lay on the waxed paper, put in the fridge till hard
5. Can freeze if they last that long!

STRAWBERRY ANGEL CAKE
1 large angel food cake with sugar or sugar free (broken in pieces)
1 large box strawberry gelatin--sugar free is great too
2 cups boiling water
1 ( 16 ounce) package frozen strawberries...with sugar
1 large container of whipped topping
1. Dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Add frozen strawberries...
2. Just as it begins to thicken, fold in 2/3 of the container of frozen whipped topping...
3. Add cake pieces and fold together until well coated...
4. Pour into a 9" x 13" pyrex or large bowl to set....Can cover with the rest of the whipped topping if desired...
5...Good to make the night before your party so the ingredients blend...
You can cut this in pieces or serve with a large spoon to spoon it out...

LEMON/LIME PIE
1-6 ounce can of lemonade or limeade, thawed 1 can eagle brand condensed milk
1- 8 ounce container of cool whip 1 or 2 drops of yellow or green food coloring, optional
3 ounce package of cream cheese graham cracker crust
1. Mix the cream cheese to soften it...add the lemonade or limeade, cool whip, condensed milk, and food coloring...
2. Pour into the graham cracker crust...Cool in the fridge...can serve in a few hours until it sets...

NOTE: IF YOU MAKE ONE RECIPE OF THIS PIE, IT WILL BE ONE PIE....IF YOU DOUBLE THIS RECIPE YOU WILL GET 3 PIES!

SIMPLE DONUTS
1 can Pillsbury biscuits Oil in a saucepan to fry with
1. cut a biscuit into 4 parts, with a knife or scissor
2. heat the oil until hot enough to fry
3. put the piece of biscuit in the oil and fry until light brown, a few minutes...
4. drain on paper towels and sprinkle with powdered sugar....

NOTES TO PONDER
1. www.watkinsonline.com is a great site...You can find all of our sales online every month. If you want to order,
either sign up online, my associate number is 366377, or call me and I can set up an account for you. Shipping
costs are high, so it's worth ordering a bunch instead of one thing at a time...
2. The vinegar I use is called "Outrageous Olive Oils & Vinegars" The flavors are great and it's hard to believe
how wondeful they are on salads, etc. Go to www.OliveOilAz.com for information. I use Cinnamon Pear, Black Cherry,
Chocolate, and many other flavors on my salads or over fruit or in my cooking! I don't use much salad dressing anymore and
there are no calories in vinegar!

Judi Rand
(623)566-5327
Peoria, Arizona