pomegranate trick

i always wondered how in the world you were suppose to eat a pomegranate. until one day i was watching food network. let me share the secret to getting all those little seeds out!

you cut it in half...



take a spoon of any kind that is sturdy, like a wooden or metal spoon,
holding it over a plate or bowl,
and whack the heck out of the back of it!
and popping out come all those little seeds.




you can eat these plain. or try something new and sprinkle them over vanilla ice cream or yogurt.
*careful, these stain very easy!

does anyone have any other tricks in the kitchen?

substitutions for a missing ingredient

have you ever started or wanted to make something, went down the list of ingredients and found you were missing something in your cupboard? here are a few substitutions for you.

* 1 teaspoon baking powder = 1/4 tsp. baking soda and 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
* 1 Cup buttermilk = 1 cup regular 2% or 1% milk into which 1 Tbls. white vinegar or lemon juice has been stirred OR 1 Cup plain yogurt
* 1 Cup sour cream = 1/3 Cup butter and 2/3 Cup buttermilk
* 1 tsp. Allspice = 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
* 1 Cup firmly packed brown sugar = 1 cup granulated sugar plus 1/4 Cup molasses
* 1 Tbls dry active yeast = 1 package ( 1/4 oz.) dry active yeast
* 1/2 tsp. baking soda = 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1 Cup honey = 3/4 cup maple syrup plus 1/2 cup granulated white sugar