Carrie's Cooking For Keeps

By Carrie Groneman

Only stepped into a kitchen to get a milk and cereal? YOU can be a successful cook of delicious food too! Carrie walks you through every step with tutorial and pictures of how to prepare desserts to main dishes, sides and salads to snacks. Never learned to measure or do dishes? No problem, she will teach you that too and so much more.

Are you more experienced cook? This book will give you new recipes to rotate with your favorites and you might just pick up a tip or two along the way.

Terrific book for the home cook with recipes that are economical, easy and great for every day meals or entertaining with pride.

For more information, recipes, musings and worthwhile reads, visit Carrie at www.amothersshadow.com

• Language: English
• Publisher: Carrie Groneman
• Release date: Nov 12, 2013
• ISBN: 9780991138326

Carrie Groneman

Carrie Groneman lives in Utah, USA. She has been married to her husband, Stan, for more than thirty years, and they have five children and a growing posterity of grandchildren. She recognizes the importance of having practical life skills and being self-reliant. She feels that cooking is one of the most crucial of basic abilities for anyone to master. Her recipes are filled with comfort foods, they are economical, and they include many techniques to help anyone succeed in the kitchen. For more information, recipes, musings, and worthwhile reads, visit her at www.amothersshadow.com

Book preview

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I must begin with my sweet husband, Stan, who has allowed me to grow and learn to cook through our years of marriage. He has always encouraged me to try cooking new foods, to keep at a recipe to make it perfect (no matter how long it took) and has continued to support me in the creation of this cookbook. A better friend could not be found.

Thank you to my mom, Connie, who thinks I can do anything and loves me.

I can’t imagine doing this book without my sister Jody, who is always willing to give her opinion of my cooking--something I greatly appreciate. She is my rock.

Thanks to my Aunt Peg who was so helpful in proofreading the recipes and giving very important feedback.

Thanks to My Grandma Shirley who gave me a love of cooking.

Thanks also to Ashley, my daughter-in-law, who is a great sport to taste my creations or help with kids. She is always willing and ready.

And a special thanks to my daughter-in-law, Tawni. Without her this book would not have happened. Tawni took all the fabulous pictures that she styled to make my food look as good as it tastes. We had such a great time cooking together while the little boys tore up the house--and we didn’t even care. Thank you, Tawni, for your encouragement and belief in me.

To my editor Debbie, your countless hours of work, insightful comments, ideas and foresight have been a tremendous blessing.  Thank you

WELCOME EVERYONE!

I have always enjoyed dabbling in the kitchen and wondered how different foods were created and made to taste the way they do.

I cooked a bit while growing up, but it wasn’t until my late teens that I really took the kitchen head on. I called my Grandma Shirley quite often as I tried to make a recipe, but her technique of it should feel like… or it should taste like… were well meaning, but left me at a loss. For example, I was cooking a turkey for Thanksgiving and Grandma told me to baste the turkey a lot with butter. Now I didn’t realize that meant to use a little butter and spoon the drippings from the turkey in the bottom of the pan onto the top of the turkey. Well, after about 2 pounds of butter, it was now time to make the gravy from the drippings. There was so much butter, I had to keep the gravy in the blender so that when we wanted some on our mashed potatoes, we buzzed it for a few seconds and hurried to pour it on the potatoes before it separated again.

This cookbook is one I wish I could have had when I was learning to cook, and I really hope you find it useful to help you become a great home cook and have the confidence to explore new foods and intricate recipes in time.

Why should you try my cook book?

If you have never, ever tried to cook, you can make these recipes.

Even if you have cooked a bit, I’ll bet you will learn something new and enjoy some new recipes to add to your favorites.

Cooking for yourself or family is comforting and builds relationships.

These recipes are basic and have lots of pictures for tutorials.

The ingredients are not expensive and easily found.

The techniques are easy to learn and master.

These foods are economical and delicious.

The cuisines are for all ages: comfort foods good enough for entertaining.

Cooking at home is much more inexpensive and healthy than eating out.

You will be successful from the first try in the kitchen!

As always, recognize a blessing and be a blessing today.

~ Carrie Groneman, A Mother’s Shadow    www.amothersshadow.com

WHAT DO I REALLY NEED TO GET STARTED?

Fry pan/skillet, nonstick is highly recommended. A small, medium, and large is best to have on hand. This pan has low sides and is for frying

Saucepans, small medium and large. These have high sides for cooking

An electric griddle—either a separate one you plug in or a griddle you can use over the stove burners

Cookie sheets, 2 if possible--higher quality will bake better. This pan is flat and will usually have a slight side on each end making it easier to take out of the oven

Jelly roll pan, 2 if possible--higher quality will bake better. This pan has an edge on all four sides to allow this pan to bake and not spill out the batter

Cooling rack for cooling cookies, cakes, etc.

8x 8 or 9x 9 baking pan, glass is preferred

9x 13 baking pan, glass is preferred.

Mixing bowls:  small, medium and large

Whisk, wire metal or coated

Pastry cutter is nice to have

Turner, sturdy Teflon coated to turn eggs, flip pancakes, etc.

Spatulas for scraping bowls. Inexpensive are fine--the high-heat rated ones are really great because they will not melt or become flimsy when hot.

Measuring cups with 1/8 cup through 1 cup. Plastic or metal.

*Having a Liquid measuring cup AND dry measuring cups are important; each has its own use and different purpose.

Measuring spoons, with 1/8 teaspoon through 1 Tablespoon. Plastic or metal.

Electric hand mixer

Kitchen Aid Mixer IF you have the means. Get a high-rated model and you will use it for years.

Blender

Chopper, a food processor, mini chopper or other device to chop and combine food

Hot pads, get a few nice thick ones

Cooking spray, any brand will do

Parchment paper to line pans for easy removal of food

Tinfoil to line pan to make clean-up easier, as well as to help keep certain foods from sticking

Waxed Paper is used to separate cooked ingredients, such as separating layers of cookies and to line a pan for easy removal

Meat Thermometer to accurately test for proper temperature when cooking meats. Cooking to appropriate temperature prevents spoilage and sickness.

Pastry Brush is used for brushing sauces onto food

Crock Pot (optional but nice to have)

HANDY INFORMATION

Before purchasing canned items, check for rust, dents, bulges and the date of expiration.

If there is a dent, it has the potential to have a miniscule hole, which will allow for spoilage and bacteria to penetrate the food. Do not use.

Rust can penetrate the can and into the food. Do not use.

Bulges are signs of spoilage of the ingredients in the can. Do not use.

If the food is expired by a few months, it is generally accepted to be usable.

Check the dates on baking soda and baking powder – they must be fresh and not  expired to work properly.

How important is it to follow the recipe as written? It is critical to read through  the recipe BEFORE beginning. This will ensure having the proper ingredients, timing for preparation and cooking, and highest possibility of success. It is recommended to prepare the recipe as written, then make adjustments as desired according to taste the next time the dish is prepared.

Following the directions carefully will help make a successful product.

Spices are used to enhance the food.

Substitutions are always allowed, but be sure the flavors will complement each other.

Check spices to see expiration date. If there isn’t one, and it has been opened for more than a year, most all ground opened spices should be replaced after 24 - 36 months for best flavor. Spices lose their strength when old. Check opened spices for taste and quality.

Store spices in a dry cool place in a tightly sealed container. Do not store above the stove or other places where heat or moisture as it will breakdown the spices.

Do not store in the refrigerator or freezer. This will introduce unwanted moisture into the spice and food.

Parchment paper. Cut to fit the bottom of pan (sides if desired). Use spray  release in bottom of pan, place parchment in bottom; this will help to keep  it in place. Spray sides of pan and parchment. Fill pan and bake as directed.

Food safety with Poultry. When handling chicken DO NOT taste sauce while chicken is raw, or sauce/marinade after raw chicken has been in it. Use Clorox or vinegar diluted in 2 parts water to sanitize all cooking utensils and area that raw chicken or turkey has come into contact with. Cook poultry to 175 degrees at its thickest area.

INGREDIENT INFORMATION

Baking soda and baking powder

They are both leavening agents, which mean they both cause food to rise and lift when baking. However they do this under different conditions.

Baking Soda is combined with a liquid that is acidic and must be baked quickly after addition to the ingredients or the baked item will fall flat. Do not use expired baking soda; you will not have good results in the finished product.

Double acting baking powder can sit in a recipe and it will not hurt the outcome, such as in cookies or biscuits. Do not use expired baking powder; you will not have good results in finished product.

Butter

Butter brings out a richer flavor in foods and provides a more dependable result in baking. Salted and unsalted butter can be interchanged. If a recipe calls for salted butter and you only have unsalted, simply add  ¼ tsp. more salt, then taste and add more if desired.

Margarine

A substitute for butter, but will not give the same flavor or results as  real butter will.

Cooking oil and shortening

When a recipe calls for cooking oil, shortening cannot be used in its place because it cannot hold air bubbles when mixed or beaten.

Shortening

This is a solid form of vegetable oil that has been processed and is usually used for frying or baking. Butter-flavored or plain shortening can be interchanged. Store in a dry, cool location and use within 6 months after opening. Shortening will go rancid, and since the odor is not as fresh as it was when first opened, it causes a distasteful flavor. Do not use old or bad shortening due to taste--and it can also make you ill.

Cooking Oil

There are many varieties, but for simplicity we will address the most commonly used. Store in a dry cool place and use within 6-12 months after opening if the product has not expired. When disposing of cooking oil after