As dip week comes to a close soon, I’ve saved my best for last, guys. Really– this is a hearty, delicious dip that could almost be considered a meal instead of just an appetizer. I challenge you to find anyone who doesn’t love a bacon cheeseburger (and finding a vegan doesn’t count!) There’s just something about it– the bacon, the ooey-gooey cheese, the juicy beef patty. But bacon cheeseburgers are just not easy party food… however, a bacon cheeseburger DIP, now, that’s another story.
I love tiramisu. It’s delicious. It just tastes fancy. There’s something about that blend of coffee and cream and everything delicious that makes my mouth water.
But it’s also kind of a pain in the butt to make. All of those layers! Don’t worry, though– you can totally serve the best tiramisu ever, without really serving tiramisu. With this easy tiramisu dip, you’ll give your guests (or yourself!) all of the flavor without any of the work that actual tiramisu requires.
Christmas… New Year… The Super Bowl… it seems like for the next three months, everyone is going to be slammed with parties, get-togethers, and other activities that require sustenance. After all of the slaving away in the kitchen (or the last minute invites), you may need a go-to dip that takes minutes to make. But that doesn’t mean you should sacrifice taste. This southwest corn dip fits the bill of easy AND delicious.
We’ve all been there. It’s Christmas time, and we want to send cookies to a friend, but there’s always that fear that they’ll get there crushed. And you don’t want that– picture perfect cookies are so much better! So how do you ship a cookie without fancy supplies like bubble wrap or packing peanuts? Well, there are a few great ways to do it!
Is anything better than a hot peppermint mocha at your favorite coffeeshop? Well, one thing I think is better is a hot peppermint mocha at home, especially one that takes almost no effort to make.
Things that go hand-in-hand with Thanksgiving… Family. Football games. Black Friday. Spices. But how do you know that your spices are really still good? From cinnamon to basil and everything in between, how long do spices last?
Well, in short, spices never truly go bad. It is highly unlikely that you’ll get an illness from a spice unless it’s contaminated somehow. That said, spices do lose their flavor and potency over time, which means that even if you won’t get sick from too-old cinnamon, you may not taste it to it’s full potential if it’s been sitting there for too long.
If you listen to a lot of cookbooks on your shelf, you may hear suggestions to toss your spices after about a year, with some even going as far as to say 6 months. But if you ask the spice manufacturers, you may get some really blurry guidelines, as well. There’s no good way to say “This is definitively how long a spice lasts.” The biggest tell-tale sign is your own senses.
If a spice has a good aroma, it’s good. If it has a good color, it’s good. If it has good flavor, it’s good. Go test it out– compare a spice you just bought side-by-side with it’s older counterpart, and you’re going to sense a difference.
That said, there are some general ideas of how long a spice will last.
Seasoning Blends, depending on the ingredients inside, will last 1-2 years. Herbs last 1-3 years depending on storage and type. A crushed or ground spice (like cinnamon or cumin) will last 2-3 years with their whole counterparts (like cinnamon sticks or whole cloves) will last 4 or more years. Poppyseeds and sesame seeds will last 2 years, but all other seeds will last 4 years. Extracts will last 4 years with the exception being real vanilla (not imitation), which will last forever. Really. In other things that last forever, salt will not go bad on you.
But, all of the above? Just guidelines. There is no set timeline of when spices will lose their potency. As I mentioned, the risk of spoiling is low.
To tell if a spice is still okay, first, observe it’s color. Is it still vibrant? If not, then it’s probably time to toss it. From there, you can crush a bit in your hand or rub the spice to warm it, then smell. How’s the aroma? If it’s weak, toss it and replace it.
If you’re in a pinch, and your spice isn’t up to it’s normal potency, then use a touch more than what you’d typically use– that will help bring out the flavor a little bit more.
But how do you keep spices from going bad quickly to begin with? There are a few ways you can keep your spices fresher for longer, cutting down on those replacement times.
First, you want to make sure your spices are stored in a cool, dark, dry place. That means you shouldn’t keep your spices near your dishwasher or your oven and cooktop.
“Okay,” some of you will be thinking. “Sounds like common sense.” But how many of us have gone and shaken our container directly over a pot of boiling… something? Your best bet is to measure your spice or pour it into your hand before putting it into your recipe, to prevent steam, moisture, heat, from getting trapped in the container.
When you set a spice aside, make sure it’s sealed tightly, and if you go to measure, never use a damp spoon. Make sure your spoon is completely dry so you don’t get the spice wet.
Finally, ensure all of your spices are in a sealed, airtight container. It should be completely closed to prevent anything getting in that shouldn’t.
Still wanting to go the extra mile to make those spices last? When possible, buy your spices whole and grind, crush, or grate them yourself just before using them. They’ll last the longest.
Mostly, just use your sense and remember that if it smells bad (or doesn’t smell at all), it’s probably not great anymore. If it smells fragrant, like it’s meant to, you’ll know to keep it. Spices can last a long time and pack a punch if stored correctly. Worst case scenario? Keep a paper taped inside the door of your spice cabinet with a list of your spices and their purchase date– then you’ll never have to ask “how long do spices last?” again!
Looking for more details about kitchen safety? Try this post on kitchen safety with kids.
As Thanksgiving approaches, it’s clear that most of us are no stranger to the road trip this time of year. And to be honest, road trips can be long, a bit crazy, and a little bit intense. Sometimes the best cure for a sibling fight or the beginnings of a headache is some good, old fashioned, road trip snacks. If you’re looking to beat the cost of gas station fare (or perhaps have better food), here are a few ideas.
Note: This is a republication of a post that I shared in March. With the Thanksgiving season upon us, I thought a few of you might want to see it again. Happy Thanksgiving!
Bacon? Check. Cheese? Check. Tons of flavor? Absolutely. See, these are the easiest potatoes I think I’ve ever made, and they’re a hit with everyone. I mean, who doesn’t love cheesy potatoes with bacon?
One of the many recipes that came from the family recipe box, this handwritten recipe with an unknown source simply stated “They’re named for the famous river because they’re LONG on taste and MIGHTY good!” Well, they didn’t disappoint, anyway! Cheesy potatoes get a big punch with this recipe because of the added bacon, the creaminess, and the green onions.
Start with some ingredients you may already have– 8 to 10 cups of potatoes, diced, 1 cup of Mayonnaise (the real deal, not salad dressing), about a teaspoon each of salt and pepper, a 16 ounce block of cheddar, diced (or the equivalent in shredded cheddar), 1/2 a cup of green onions, chopped, and a package of bacon. You can add half a cup of olives if you’d like to, but why ruin perfectly good potatoes? (Unless you’re an olive fan, in which case, you probably don’t see that as ruining them).
Start by slicing your bacon into pieces. Don’t look at me with that shocked face that I get every time someone sees me do this… you can TOTALLY bacon your bits instead of bitting your bacon. This method gets a lot less grease on your hands because there’s no tearing it up post-fry… if you do the cutting first, your bacon will be in perfect bite sized bits when you’re done. I promise. Just trust me– cutting bacon is NOT bacon blasphemy, no matter what anyone tells you.
Put that in a pan and cook it, trying not to eat too much bacon as the smell fills the air. Seriously, bacon is so hard to resist. That’s why there is bacon everything. While the bacon cooks, start peeling and dicing your potatoes, dicing your cheese, and chopping your green onions.
Delicious! Finish getting your other ingredients chopped and ready.
In a 9×13 pan or a 3 quart casserole dish, mix the green onions, cheese, bacon, and potatoes. If you’re adding olives, now is the time to do that, too.
Toss the ingredients with mayonnaise, coating well. Bake for an hour and a half, or until the potatoes are tender, in a 325 degree oven.
Enjoy that bubbly, bacon-y, cheesy potato side dish. You could even add in some hamburger meat or chicken and make it a main dish, if you wanted to.
If you love the combo of cheese and potatoes, you will want to check out the cheesy potatoes in this Hearty Cheeseburger Soup!
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It’s been a few years since I made my very first homemade chicken pot pie. I had been tackling pie crust using my great-grandmother’s no-fail pie crust recipe, and wanted to branch out from apple and peach. My first few attempts came out pretty similarly to store-bought, but then I noticed a crazy trend. I’d make the chicken pot pie, everyone would rave about it, and then there’d be a smattering of peas, green beans, and lima beans on everyone’s plate at the end… I needed an alternate plan to make sure half of our filling wasn’t going uneaten, which meant asking my family about the produce they preferred… and that’s how my chicken potato pot pie was born!
I love easy meals. Anyone who has been reading for long knows a quick and easy meal is definitely the way to my heart! When I was fixing dinner the other night, I took a look and… oh no. No sides. I had nothing to pair with the chicken I had already started boiling! So, I took to the pantry to see just what I had inside… and out of my pantry findings, this very flavorful, very easy beans and rice came to be!
You’re going to start with 4 cups of minute rice, a bag of frozen corn, a can of kidney beans (drained), a can of diced tomatoes (also drained), a finely diced bell pepper, a can of chicken broth, and a package of ranch dressing mix. But here’s the best part: if you don’t have one or more of those ingredients, sub them out! These beans and rice are totally flexible!