5 Great Ways to Use a Batch of Quinoa
So you cooked up a batch of quinoa and now have a mountain of it sitting in the fridge. Of course you do because no one ever realizes how much a small amount of dry quinoa actually makes. It's easy to go overboard when you make this delicious, protein packed seed. And, making extra quinoa is also a great way to plan ahead for future meals. Having quinoa cooked and ready in the refrigerator is a definite plus when you're trying to throw together a nutritious meal in minutes for your family. Once you have your quinoa ready, what do you do with it? With just a few simple and basic ideas, you can transform your stockpile of quinoa into wonderful meals for your family. A Variety of Salads Quinoa is easy to incorporate into salads. Because of its chewy yet crunchy texture, it gives salads an interesting new contrast. Of course you could warm the quinoa up and use it to give your salad that warm-and-cold combination we love. Or you can leave the quinoa cold for a quick and easy dinner. Just toss the cold qui...
Encore Appearances for Leftover Holiday Potatoes
Leftover mashed potatoes are often the last thing you want to face for days or weeks after the big feast over the holidays. Everything else gets used up, but there's that bowl of mashed potatoes, still sitting there. Finding creative ways to use mashed potatoes in repeat performances is easier than you think. Let's take a look at a few ways to reuse your leftover potatoes so you will never again be faced with a bowl of spoiled potatoes in your refrigerator. Breads Believe it or not, potatoes actually make an amazing flour substitute. If you ever find yourself running low on flour, but have a plethora of mashed potatoes, you are still in luck. One cup of mashed potatoes is proportional to two cups of flour when it comes to baking. This is where potato rolls or potato bread typically come from. Sure, your bread will be a little denser than you might be accustomed to, but it will have a unique flavor that just can't be beat. You can also use potatoes in addition to using flour to purposely create a heavier, s...
Safety Tips for Bagged Lunches
We look forward to eating lunch. It’s a time to catch up with coworkers or friends over a good meal. Whether you have thirty minutes or an hour, follow some safety precautions so that the food you eat won’t come back to haunt you. The first safety issue with food concerns keeping hot foods hot and cold foods cold. Now, with hot foods, they won’t stay hot for several hours but an insulated container or Thermos allows for lukewarm or room temperature foods. Even if the food needs to be reheated before eating, it should be room temperature or cool when packed. Letting food cool down before refrigerating it avoids the excess condensation inside the container. That extra water that builds up inside can make food soggy. On top of that, it doesn’t look good when the container is opened and extra water has collected on the food. And, seriously who wants to eat soggy bread? For frozen meals from the store, there’s no need to thaw ...