Kitchen Hint of the Day!

Use less sugar when baking........


You can cut calories simply by using less sugar, or by substituting a no-calorie sweetener for part of the sugar. Just keep in mind that some people are more sensitive to tasting artificial sweeteners than others, and that some baking recipes depend on sugar for texture as much as taste. Enjoy!

Kitchen Hint of the Day!

Apple Dessert.........


Cut back on the sugar - When baking any type of apple desert, think of sugar as a spice and cut back on the sweet stuff. Just substitute with more cinnamon, nutmeg or vanilla to the recipe.

Kitchen Hint of the Day!

Sweet and salty........


Add a pinch of salt to sweet dishes to enhance the sugar.

Kitchen Hint of the Day!

Add Sugar..............


Before sauteing meats, sprinkle a tiny amount of sugar on the surface. The sugar will react with the juices and then caramelize, causing a deeper browning as well as improved flavor.

One of America's Favorites - Apple Butter

Apple butter on a slice of bread

Apple butter is a highly concentrated form of apple sauce produced by long, slow cooking of apples with cider or water to a point where the sugar in the apples caramelizes, turning the apple butter a deep brown. The concentration of sugar gives apple butter a much longer shelf life as a preserve than apple sauce.




The roots of apple butter lie in Limburg (Belgium and the Netherlands) and Rhineland (Germany), conceived during the Middle Ages, when the first monasteries (with large fruit yards) appeared. The production of the butter was a perfect way to conserve part of the fruit production of the monasteries in that region, at a time when almost every village had its own apple-butter producers. The production of apple butter was also a popular way of using apples in colonial America, well into the 19th century.

The product contains no actual dairy butter; the term butter refers only to the butter-like thick, soft consistency, and apple butter's use as a spread for breads. Sometimes seasoned with cinnamon, clove, and other spices, apple butter is usually spread on bread, used as a side dish, an ingredient in baked goods, or as a condiment. Apple butter is also used on a sandwich to add an interesting flavor, but is not as commonly used as in historical times.

Vinegar or lemon juice is sometimes mixed in while cooking to provide a small amount of tartness to the usually sweet apple butter. The Pennsylvania Dutch often include apple butter as part of their traditional 'seven sweets and seven sours' dinner table array.

In areas of the American South, the production of apple butter is a family event, due to the large amount of labor necessary to produce apple butter in large quantities. Traditionally, apple butter was prepared in large copper kettles outside. Large paddles were used to stir the apples, and family members would take turns stirring. In Appalachia, apple butter was the only type of fruit preserve normally rendered into fruit leather.

In Europe, an apple butter is traditionally made which is closer to dense syrup, in the Netherlands (known as appelstroop, meaning apple syrup) and in Germany (known as apfelkraut) and frequently eaten on bread with (or without) thinly sliced cheese and with Sauerbraten. A sweeter version, made using pears, as well as apples, is more popular in Belgium, where it is known as sirop de Liège. Other than in Benelux and the Rhineland, apple syrup is a minority taste in Western Europe (in Germany, outside of the Rhineland, it is generally sold in health food shops), and a similar food is produced in francophone Switzerland, where it is known as vin cuit.

Russian Пови́дло (from Czech povidla, or Polish powidła or powidło) is prepared by the reduction of fruit puree with some sugar and sometimes spices. The final product should contain no more than 34% of moisture and about 60% of sugar. The most popular one is made from apples, but povidlo is also made from apricots, cherries, prunes, pears, and cranberries. Polish powidła are made from fresh purple plums and with addition of sugar.

In Jersey, in the Channel Islands, apple butter is known as black butter or lé nièr beurre and includes liquorice as an ingredient.

In Japan, apple butter often contains actual butter and is a considerably lighter in color, typically a shade of yellow. It is used as a spread on toast or as a filling in baked buns, and may consist of a mashed texture with small apple chunks, similar to the red bean paste filling used in anpan. It is produced in apple-growing regions such as Nagano and Aomori Prefectures and often uses local apple varieties such as Fuji.

Apple butter can be used as a fat substitute in reduced-fat or fat-free cooking, as well as vegan recipes.


Ingredients
* Apples (peeled, cored, and finely chopped)
* Brown (or white) sugar or unrefined sugar beet juice
* Apple juice (or apple cider)
* Spices (nutmeg, cloves, allspice, cardamom, vanilla extract and lemon juice – optional.)

Types of apples
Different types of apples can be used for the production of apple butter. Apples are chosen based on

Soft apples are usually used to make apple butter

their physical and chemical properties – such as hardness, sweetness, acidity/tartness, etc. Soft apples are often chosen for the production of apple butter because they can be broken down more easily and faster when cooked. These types of apples include: McIntosh (soft, creamy), Cortland (soft, sweet-and-tart, all-purpose), Granny Smith (tartness sweetens upon cooking, ideal complement to savory and salty foods).

Manufacture
Apples are first selected based on ripeness, texture, natural sweetness and tartness/acidity. Some of these apples are pressed into fresh apple cider, while the rest are peeled and cored, then wholly steamed and cooked into apple puree. The freshly pressed apple cider and cooked apple puree are added to a large steam vat. Small amounts of sodium bicarbonate are added to the mixture in order to reduce acidity and help bring out sweetness from the natural fructose available in the apples. The mixture will then be boiled during the evaporation process, allowing the volume to reduce by about seven times. The end product will be a concentrated mixture used as apple butter.

Packaging and storage
Apple butter is typically packaged in the same way whether it is prepared in a factory setting or made

Apple butter packaged at home in jars

at home. It can be packaged mechanically in jars or cans through the use of machinery.

Apple butter is a product created as a means of preserving apples. Due to its high acidity, high sugar content and low amounts of free water, an opened package can be kept for months at room temperature without spoiling. Nevertheless there are numerous methods that can be used for the storage of apple butter. No method is 100% dependable, as there is always a chance of the presence of bacteria or other microorganisms within the food itself, on the storage equipment or in the storage facility.

Typically, the jars are sterilized before packaging to ensure no harmful microorganisms or bacteria will infect the product, causing it to spoil. Ideally, jars are sterilized using a combination of high temperature heating and ensuring a tight seal.

Apples are a high acid food, with a pH below 4.6. Therefore, the apple butter can be placed in hot jars without chances of compromising quality of the product. The main sources of spoilage, molds, yeasts and enzymes, are killed at the temperatures reached in the hot water bath during the sterilization process for cans and jars. The spoilage microorganisms in acid foods can be destroyed in a small amount of time at temperatures below that of boiling water, so there is little risk of microorganisms appearing in the food product itself.

Freezing
Freezing jars of apple butter can help to maintain quality and inhibit bacterial growth. This storage method does not destroy pre-existing microorganisms that may be present in the product, so it is important to be wary when consuming previously frozen product.

Nutrition
The nutritional value of apple butter varies quite a bit based on the recipe used to prepare that particular product. The ingredient list can be as simple as just two ingredients to a much more complicated mixture of foods. Although the ingredients may vary, which changes the nutritional value of the apple butter, the two main things that stand out to consumers on the nutritional facts table are the amount of carbohydrates and the amount of sugar that the apple butter contains. For 1 tablespoon the amount of carbohydrates range from 4-15 grams and the sugar content ranges from about 4-10 grams. Apple butter is not a good source for iron, calcium, vitamin A, vitamin B, though it contains a small amount of vitamin C. Although all the recipes vary the main ingredients in all apple butters is apples and apple juice. In commercial brands of apple butter the type of apples used are not specified, but in certain homemade recipes they specify what types of apples to use. Commercial brands tend to use corn syrup in their apple butter. In homemade apple butter, sugar or brown sugar are more frequently used. Apple butter may be a healthier choice of spread than other breakfast spreads, but would not be considered to be healthy, as it does not give the consumer very many nutrients. Apple butter is more of an accessory food to put on your toast or other foods simply added for its taste.

Uses
Apple butter and apple sauce also have different uses. Popular ways of using apple butter include, condiment or spreads for pastries and pie fillings. It can also be used as a healthier alternative for oil, shortening, or butter. Some people also enjoy using it to marinate meat, or pairing it with cooked meat and cheeses such as cheddar, brie or chevre. Apple sauce, in contrast, is usually served on its own or as a side dish for a variety of dishes.

Difference between apple sauce and butter

A comparison of Apple Sauce to Apple Butter. Apple Sauce is a lot lighter in color and has a more

A comparison of Apple Sauce to Apple Butter. Apple Sauce

liquid consistency.
During the preparation, apples are cored for apple sauces but not for apple butter, allowing it to have a much stronger apple taste. The two also differ in cooking time; apple sauce just needs to be cooked until the apples are soft enough to be pureed, while apple butter needs to be cooked until the apples brown, break down and thicken. As a result of its long cooking time, apple butter is a much darker, caramel brown color, while apple sauce is usually a lighter golden color. Apple sauce has a more liquid consistency while apple butter is thicker and is more spreadable.

Kitchen Hint of the Day!

How Sweet it is.........


Carrots are a natural sweetener. To sweeten a soup, stew, or sauce without adding sugar, stir in a small amount of pureed carrots. Use one of the sweeter carrot varieties.

Jennie - O Turkey Recipe of the Week - Smoked Thai Turkey Sandwiches

This week's Jennie - O Turkey Recipe of the Week is - Smoked Thai Turkey Sandwiches. Made using JENNIE-O® All Natural* Turkey Breast along with Sugar, Spice, Carrots, Fish Sauce, and more! Try a Sandwich with a Thai taste. You can find this recipe at the Jennie - O Turkey website. Enjoy and Make the SWITCH in 2018!  https://www.jennieo.com/


Smoked Thai Turkey Sandwiches
Break out of your sandwich shell with this appe-Thai-zing creation! It’s got sugar, spice and everything nice. Like pickled carrots and pulled turkey in a zesty fish sauce? You’ll never be bored with bread again.

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons ground paprika
4 tablespoons white sugar, divided
1 tablespoon garlic salt
2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 package JENNIE-O® All Natural* Turkey Breast
3¼ cups warm water, divided
½ cup matchstick carrots
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons salt, if desired
¼ cup honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon Thai fish sauce (add while mixing, do not heat)
8 hamburger rolls

DIRECTIONS
1) Mix together rub seasonings: brown sugar, paprkia, 2 tablespoons white sugar, garlic salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper; cover turkey breast completely. Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Place turkey on hot grill and cook until internal temperature reaches well-done, 165°F as measured by a meat thermometer.
2) While turkey is cooking, prepare the pickled carrots by mixing: water, carrots, rice vinegar 2 tablespoons sugar, cilantro and salt, if desired in small bowl. Cover and let sit until ready to use.
3) When turkey is done cooking, remove from grill and set aside to cool about 10 minutes; shred and mix in chopped cilantro.
4) Mix sauce ingredients: honey, soysauce and lime juice in a small sauce pan over medium-high heat.
5) Once it comes to a boil, reduce to a simmer. Allow to gently bubble for 2 minutes, then shut off and pour over the pulled turkey. Mix. Add fish sauce and mix again.
6) Place some of the pickled matchstick carrots on the bottom half of each bun. Top with a generous helping of the Thai pulled turkey and cover with the top of the bun.
* Always cook to an internal temperature of 165°F.

RECIPE NUTRITION INFORMATION

PER SERVING

Calories 280
Protein 30g
Carbohydrates 41g
Fiber 3g
Sugars 21g
Fat 11g
Cholesterol 80mg
Sodium 980mg
Saturated Fat 2.5g
https://www.jennieo.com/recipes/1142-smoked-thai-turkey-sandwiches

Kitchen Hint of the Day!

Bean dish flavor hint.......


If you're making beans as a side dish, add a small amount of brown sugar or molasses at the end of cooking for a delicious flavor.

Kitchen Hint of the Day!

Sweet hint.........


Before sauteing meats, sprinkle a tiny amount of sugar on the surface. The sugar will react with the juices and then caramelize, causing a deeper browning as well as an improved flavor.

One of America's Favorites - Peeps

Peeps

Peeps are marshmallow candies, sold in the United States and Canada, that are shaped into chicks, bunnies, and other animals. There are also different shapes used for various holidays. Peeps are used primarily to fill Easter baskets, though recent advertising campaigns market the candy as "Peeps - Always in Season", as Peeps has since expanded to include Halloween, Christmas and Valentine's Day; since 2014 it has been available year-round with the introduction of Peeps Minis. They are made from sugar, corn syrup, gelatin, and various food dyes.


Peeps are produced by Just Born, a candy manufacturer founded in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, by Russian immigrant Sam Born (1891-1959). In 1953 Just Born acquired the Rodda Candy Company and its marshmallow chick line, and replaced the painstaking process of hand-forming the chicks with mass production. When founder Sam Born would display a sign for his freshly-made candy, he would title it "Just Born," playing off of his last name and the fact that he made his candy fresh daily. According to Mary Bellis, the newly purchased company, Just Born, was soon the "largest marshmallow candy manufacturer in the world." New shapes other than the chicks were produced following a theme according to the season starting in the 1960s. Twenty years later, the Marshmallow Peeps Bunny was released as a popular year round shape of the candy. The yellow chicks were the original form of the candy — hence their name — but then the company introduced other colors and, eventually, the myriad shapes in which they are now produced. Peeps were manufactured in different colors such as lavender and blue starting in 1995. Prior to that they were only being produced in the traditional colors: pink, white, and yellow. New flavors such as vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate were introduced between the years of 1999 and 2002.

Orange pumpkin Halloween Peeps

In 2009, Just Born expanded the Peeps product line further by introducing Peeps Lip Balm in four flavors: grape, strawberry, vanilla, and cotton candy. Just Born has come out with several other various accessories. Items such as nail polish, wrist bands, umbrellas, golf gloves, earrings, and necklaces are produced and sold online and in retail stores. Other companies have produced items based on the popular Peeps candy. Peeps micro bead pillows were made by Kaboodle and conform to one's shape. The company Kaboodle promises that "they'll last a lot longer than their edible counterpart!" Ranging from infant sizes to adult sizes, Peeps Halloween costumes can also be found on the shelves of several costume stores. The first Peeps & Co. store opened in November 2009 in National Harbor, Maryland, Prince George's County. Peeps & Company retail stores were later opened in Minnesota, and Pennsylvania. In 2014, Peeps Minis were introduced, and were intended to be available year-round.

An annual "Peeps Eating" contest is held each year at National Harbor in front of the Peeps & Company store. 2017 winner, Matt Stonie of California, ate 255 Peeps in five minutes. The first such event was arranged by Shawn Sparks in 1994, and had only six participants. Dave Smith started an annual Peep Off in Sacramento after contacting a participant in the first Peep Off. Another contest in Maryland asks that participants create a diorama of a culturally important scene from the modern era, featuring a number of Peeps. The winner gets two free inflatable life jackets.

Several newspapers hold annual contests in which readers submit photos of dioramas featuring Peeps. The St. Paul Pioneer Press was the first paper to hold such a contest. Similar contests are put on by The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, and the Seattle Times. These contests frequently correspond with the Easter holiday. MIT also has a yearly Peeps contest.

The Racine Art Museum is sponsoring the International Peeps Competition from April 1–28. Anyone can enter the contest, centered on the theme "peep-powered work of art".

The following are other contests held in various states. Peeps jousting consists of putting two Marshmallow Chicks into the microwave and seeing which one gets the biggest and therefore affects/deforms the other. "Peepza" is a dessert pizza made with Peeps. Also, blogs were created according to Fox News entitled "101 Fun Ways to Torture a Peep."



Several recipes and creative ideas to alter Peeps have been invented. Fox News Magazine published

A coconut cake garnished with Peeps candy

an article in 2013 including several recipes from various creators, including Peeps smores, home-made chocolate covered Peeps, Peeps marshmallow chocolate chip cookies, Peeps brownies, Peeps popcorn, Peeps frosting, Peeps Krispie treats, and Peeps syrup.

A recipe for "Peepshi" involves placing a peep onto a Rice Krispie treat and wrapping it in Fruit by the Foot, to create a single "Peepshi roll" in the style of a sushi roll.

In April 2017, several internet and Twitter postings, and TV news stories claimed 'outrage' that Peeps were being used as a pizza topping.

Kitchen Hint of the Day!

When baking have your items at room temperature..........


When ingredients are at room temperature, butter and sugar will cream properly and hold more air, eggs will blend well into the batter to act as an emulsifier, egg whites are easier to beat, and dry ingredients will combine easier.

Kitchen Hint of the Day!

Natural sweets..........


Carrots, squash, tomatoes all have a natural sweetness that’s brought out even more by a dash of sugar.

Thank you to Carmen for passing this hint along.

Kitchen Hint of the Day!

If you over salt your stew or soup............


If soup or stew is too salty, add a teaspoon each of cider vinegar and sugar, or simply add sugar.

* Thank you to Brenda for passing this hint along!

One of America's Favorites - Milk Toast

Simple milk toast consisting of toasted buttermilk bread

Milk toast is a breakfast food consisting of toasted bread in warm milk, typically with sugar and butter. Salt, pepper, paprika, cinnamon, cocoa, raisins and other ingredients may be added. In the New England region of the US, milk toast refers to toast that has been dipped in a milk-based white sauce. Milk toast was a popular food throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, especially for young children and for the convalescent, for whom the food was thought to be soothing and easy to digest. Although not as popular in the 2000s, milk toast is still considered a comfort food.



The food writer M. F. K. Fisher (1908–1992) called milk toast a "warm, mild, soothing thing, full of innocent strength", and wrote, of eating milk toast in a famed restaurant with a convalescent friend, that the food was "a small modern miracle of gastronomy". She notes that her homeliest kitchen manuals even list it under Feeding The Sick or Invalid Recipes, arguing that milk toast was "an instinctive palliative, something like boiled water". Fisher also notes that for true comfort, a ritual may be necessary, and for Milk Toast people, the dish used may be foolishly important. Her favorite version of milk toast has the milk mixed 50/50 with Campbell's condensed cream of tomato soup in a wide-lipped pitcher called a boccalino in Italian Switzerland where she got it.



In the Southwestern United States

Milk toast prepared with condensed milk

In New Mexican cuisine, milk toast is referred to as leche cocida, meaning cooked milk. Toasted bread is torn into chunks and placed in a bowl. Milk is cooked with a small amount of butter, salt and pepper and is poured over the bread. It is a meal associated with using up excess milk, perhaps from the days of milk man service, in this region.






Milk toast's soft blandness served as inspiration for the name of the timid and ineffectual comic strip character Caspar Milquetoast, drawn by H. T. Webster from 1924 to 1952. Thus, the term "milquetoast" entered the language as the label for a timid, shrinking, apologetic person. Milk toast also appeared in Disney's Follow Me Boys as an undesirable breakfast for the aging main character Lem Siddons.

Kitchen Hint of the Day!

Sugar Burns........


Sugar burns at 265 degrees F (130 degrees C). If you are cooking foods with sauces or rubs that contain sugar you need to keep your grilling temperature below this temperature or your food will burn and blacken. Or don't add those sauces until the end of the cooking time.

Kitchen Hint of the Day!

Brown Sugar.........


You can keep your Brown Sugar soft and lump free with this simple trick; Just throw a couple of marshmallows into the bag with it.

Kitchen Hint of the Day!

A little sugar.......


Here's one I came across that I had not heard of - To keep a thermos fresh add a sugar cube or a teaspoonful of white sugar to a dry, empty thermos bottle before storing it away. This will prevent stale smells from developing inside.

Diabetic Dish of the Week - Amish Coleslaw

This week's Diabetic Dish of the Week is Amish Coleslaw. Thank you to Carla for passing this one along to me!

Amish Coleslaw
Recipe Ingredients:

1 medium head cabbage, cored and shredded
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 cup Splenda® Granulated No Calorie Sweetener
1 cup vinegar
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon Splenda Granulated No Calorie Sweetener
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
3/4 cupextra light olive oil

Cooking Directions:

In a large bowl, toss together the cabbage, onion, and 1 cup Splenda Granulated Sweetener. In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar, salt, celery seed, 1 teaspoon Splenda® Granulated Sweetener, mustard and oil. Bring to a boil, and cook for 3 minutes. Cool completely, then pour over cabbage mixture, and toss to coat. Refrigerate overnight for best flavor.
Makes 8 servings.

A Christmas Favorite - Eggnog

Eggnog /ˈɛɡˌnɒɡ/ (or egg nog), historically also known (when alcoholic) as milk punch or egg milk

Eggnog with cinnamon

punch, is a rich, chilled, sweetened, creamy dairy-based beverage traditionally made with milk, cream, sugar, whipped eggs (which gives it a frothy texture, and its name) and, in some contexts, distilled spirits such as brandy, rum or bourbon.

Eggnog is traditionally consumed throughout Canada and the United States at Christmas every year, often from American Thanksgiving through the end of the Christmas season. A variety called Ponche Crema has been made and consumed in Venezuela and Trinidad since the 1900s, also in the Christmas season. During this period commercially prepared eggnog is sold in grocery stores in these countries. Eggnog is also often homemade. Distilled spirits are sometimes added to both commercially prepared eggnog and homemade eggnog. Eggnog or eggnog flavoring may also be used in other drinks, such as coffee (e.g. an "eggnog latte" espresso drink) and tea, or to dessert foods such as egg-custard puddings or eggnog-flavored ice cream.




Traditional eggnog is made of milk or cream, sugar, raw eggs, an alcoholic spirit, and spices, often

Traditional eggnog typically consists of milk, sugar and raw eggs.

vanilla or nutmeg. In some recipes, vanilla flavor is added. Some modern commercial eggnogs add gelatin and other thickeners, with less egg and cream. There are variations in ingredients, and toppings may be added, such as grated nutmeg or ground cinnamon. Eggnog can be made commercially, as well as at home. Ready-made eggnog versions are seasonally available with different spirits, or without alcohol, to be drunk as bought or used as "mixes" with all the ingredients except the liquor, to be added as desired. Traditional eggnog has a significant fat content, due to the use of cream, and a high sugar content; low-fat and sugar-free formulations are available using skimmed or low fat milk.

Dutch advocaat with around 20% alcohol, long sold in bottles, is essentially an eggnog. Under current U.S. law, commercial products sold as eggnog are permitted to contain milk, sugar, modified milk ingredients, glucose-fructose, water, carrageenan, guar gum, natural and artificial flavorings, spices, monoglycerides, and coloring. Ingredients vary significantly between variants. Alcohol used in different national and regional versions of eggnog include brandy, cognac, bourbon, whiskey, sherry, rum and grain alcohol.


Some North American manufacturers offer soy-, almond-, rice- or coconut milk-based alternatives for vegans and those with dairy allergies, lactose intolerance or other dietary restrictions.

The history of non-dairy eggnogs goes back to at least 1899 when Almeda Lambert, in her Guide for

"Silk Nog," a commercial soy milk eggnog.

Nut Cookery, gave a recipe for "Egg Nog" made using coconut cream, eggs, and sugar. In 1973, Eunice Farmilant, in The Natural Foods Sweet-Tooth Cookbook, gave a more modern non-dairy eggnog recipe using 3 eggs separated, 2 tablespoons of barley malt extract or Amasake syrup, 4 cups of chilled soy milk, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and nutmeg, (p. 138-39)

In 1981, Grain Country of Los Angeles, California, introduced Grain Nog, the earliest non-dairy and vegan eggnog. Based on amazake (a traditional Japanese fermented rice beverage) and containing no eggs, it was available in plain, strawberry, and carob flavors. Also in 1981, Redwood Valley Soyfoods Unlimited (California) introduced "Soynog", the earliest known soy-based non-dairy and vegan eggnog based on soy milk and tofu (added for thickness). It was renamed Lite Nog in 1982 and Tofu Nog in 1985.

Kitchen Hint of the Day!

Lump free brown sugar.....


Keep brown sugar soft and lump free with this simple trick: Just throw a couple of marshmallows into the bag with it.