Ugh. Have you ever been in the middle of baking or cooking something when you realize that you don't have the right kitchen utensil/s to make it? Often times our friends come over to our places and say, "I can tell you don't cook". The lack of kitchen utensils was the dead giveaway {haha}. Well, it is time to beef up your kitchen with the right kitchen utensils, especially if you plan on cooking for that special someone on Valentine's Day. You definitely don't want any interruptions when you're whipping up your scrumptious dish. Above we have compiled a list of the Top 10 Kitchen Must-Haves--check them out and feel free to add to the list by leaving a comment below!
We love everything about Thanksgiving dinner... it's one of our favorite holidays! But before you get ready to sit down with your loved ones to share a delicious meal, one thing must happen first: someone's gotta cook that turkey. That delicious bird isn't going to roast itself, and there are a few key steps to ensure that it's cooked to perfection. Nobody likes a dry turkey, and nobody likes salmonella. However, ranging from 14-20 lbs a bird, cooking a Thanksgiving masterpiece can be nothing short of intimidating.
Here's a few pointers that we found to be very helpful, to get that turkey in tip-top shape! Not cooking the turkey yourself? Share our turkey cooking knowledge with the one cooking your Thanksgiving dinner, and offer to lend a helping hand. Now, let's talk turkey!
1. Thaw accordingly.
Depending on if your turkey is fresh or frozen, be sure to thaw it out accordingly. Make sure that your turkey is at room temperature before popping it in the oven.
2. Add some kick.
Olive oil, butter with fresh herbs, aromatic vegetables... all of these help to add flavor. Coat the outside of the turkey with one of these fats as well. There are plenty of excellent turkey recipes available!
3. Foil is your friend.
Cover the breast of the turkey tightly with aluminum foil; just remember to remove it about 45 minutes before the turkey has finished cooking. At this time when you take the foil off of the breast, you can also lay a piece of foil over any areas that you think might be getting too dark. You don't want that baby to burn! Do this while opening/closing the oven door quickly; no need to change the oven temperature.
4. Rack it up.
Cooking your turkey on a rack helps to make things cook evenly on all sides, to get that juicy tenderness throughout. Bonus: you can use it anytime you cook poultry!
5. Don't stuff the stuffing.
Not stuffing your turkey means that it will take less time to cook- a plus! It also becomes more risky for food safety, in case the stuffing inside the turkey is not cooked to proper temperatures. Our advice: cook stuffing as a separate side dish.
6. Take the temperature.
We like to reference temperature guides when cooking, and always use a meat thermometer. Each time you open and close the oven door, heat is lost, and your turkey will suffer by drying out as well. Because of this (and because of the need to check the temp) we suggest a meat thermometer with an alarm built in. Super handy! Stick the thermometer into either the thick part of the thigh or thickest part of the breast, and you will be golden. 7. Have a turkey nap.
Once removing from the oven, allow the turkey to rest for about 20-25 minutes before beginning to carve. This allows the juices to absorb into the meat, and locks it all in. Hey, if it helps to avoid a dry turkey, we're all for it! 8. Dinner is {almost} served.
Use a very sharp knife when you're ready to carve, or an electric knife if you have one. Need to brush up on your carving skills? We found a video to help with that!
We don't believe in cheating... unless you're baking some delicious dessert. Lots of us girls love to bake and cook, but your (almost) amazing chocolate chip cookies could go wrong with one simple mistake. We made our cooking cheat sheet as simple as possible so it's easy to read.
Do you have a secret when it comes to measurements? Do you have a recipe that you'd like to share with TSS? Share us your secret! secret@thesororitysecrets.com
There's just something about brownies that everyone loves- mix that with peanut butter and it's called heaven on earth! We decided to showcase one of the easiest but most delicious recipe that only takes about 20 minutes to bake- the Peanut Butter Brownie Cups!
Ingredients
3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
1/4 cup Butter
1 tablespoon Water
1 large Egg
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 cup Flour
1 cup Peanut Butter Chips
1/2 cup to mix in
1/2 cup for topping
1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
3/4 cup to mix in
1/4 cup for topping
3/4 cup Creamy Peanut Butter
Directions
Preheat oven to 350º F
Grab a microwave-safe bowl and put in the butter, sugar, and water. Microwave it for about a minute until the butter is melted
Mix in your 3/4 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips into the mixture and mix, mix, mix until it's all melted!
Add the egg and vanilla and mix
Now add the baking soda and flour and mix
...let it cool to room temperature...
Mix in 1/2 cup of peanut butter chips and 1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips into the mix
Place the mixture into a greased muffin pan
Bake for 12-14 minutes until the inside is still gooey.
The center of the brownie cups will start to fall as they cool down, if they don't- go ahead and create a whole in the center of each brownie cup.
Place the creamy peanut butter into a microwavable bowl and microwave it for about 50 seconds until it is melted.
Pour the melted peanut butter into the center of each brownie cups
...let it cool...
Take the remainder of the peanut butter chips and chocolate chips and sprinkle it on top of each peanut butter cups.
Start your day with protein (in the form of meat, seafood, eggs, nuts), carbs (in the form of fruit, veggies) and quality fats (in the form of avocado, nuts, olive oil and coconut oil). Protein will stabilize our blood sugar when coupled with a carb. Eating a carb alone will only yield a short amount of energy and spike our blood sugar (which is not good for our body); while protein will keep us going for hours, and satiate us much longer.Also, for the girls that workout, protein is extremely important for rebuilding muscle tissue and quicker recovery.
Here are my personal favorite breakfast meals and snacks when I have:
5-10 minutes: easy to enjoy in the car or when you get ready in the morning.
smoothie made with protein powder, almond or coconut milk, berries and banana.
Sweet tip: add a splash of almond extract or honey.
time to relax and enjoy:
eggs with shrimp, sautéed veggies and avocado, topped with pico de gallo.
mid-late morning hunger: these
quick snacks/meals are great to have in your purse, car and work desk.
For easy transport, carry these items in ziplock baggies!
fruits and veggies: apple slices with cinnamon, celery with almond butter, carrots, bell pepper slices, banana (all travel well)
Mistaking a good egg from a bad egg could ruin a delicious omelette that you made for breakfast, or the homemade chocolate chip cookies that you were making for your honey. We recently found out a simple little trick to find out whether your egg is goodorbad and all you need is a bowl and water!
Simply fill up your bowl with water and place your egg in it.
If it...
Sinks- It's Good
Floats- It's Bad
A bad egg will float because there is less liquid inside. Keep in mind that eggs typically last about 3 weeks after you bring them home from the grocery store! By knowing this trick, you can save at least a little bit of money on eggs!
