The Cooking Mom's Secrets and Tips

If a recipe calls for 1 cup sour cream, you can substitute 
1 cup cottage cheese blended until smooth with 1 tablespoon 
lemon juice.

When separating eggs, break them into a funnel. The whites will 
go through leaving the yolk intact in the funnel.

When browning ground meat, brown several pounds at a time. Divide evenly in freezer containers and freeze for next time.

Don’t throw out all that leftover wine. Freeze into ice cubes for 
future use in casseroles and sauces.

Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of a sugar cone to 
prevent ice cream drips.

Never press or flatten burgers with spatula during cooking.  If you do your burger will be dry and not juicy.

When mincing garlic, sprinkle on a little salt so the pieces won’t 
stick to your knife

Be gentle when making burger patties! If you work the meat too hard 
you’ll get tough, dry burgers.

A dampened paper towel or terry cloth brushed downward on a cob of 
corn will remove every strand of corn silk.

The best way to store fresh celery is to wrap it in aluminum 
foil and put it in the refrigerator–it will keep for weeks.

Rescue stale or soggy chips and crackers by baking in a single layer on a 
cookie sheet at 300 for about 5 minutes. Allow to cool, 
then seal in a plastic bag or container.

To keep cauliflower white while cooking – 
add a little milk to the water.