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Simple Solutions For Everyday Cooking


Pantry Setup

Kitchen Setup

Cooking Tips

Measurements and Equivalents

Emergency Substitutions

*Tips on substitution of ingredient's In most recipes you can substitute any type of tomato for another,beans for beans, brands for brands, nuts for nuts, fruit for fruit, oil, for shortening,melted shortening for oil,  margarine for butter, use solid margarine not whipped as the whipped has more moisture and will not measure the same.
If a recipe as an example calls for 1/2 cup oil, you can use shortening just be sure to melt it so it measures the same.
.  when you buy shortening read on the can and if you are concerned about using saturated fats the can will say on it if it has saturated fat in it.  Most of the shortenings that do have meat fats in them, so pick out a vegetable shortening.  I do not like the ones with the artificial butter flavoring in them, I can always taste it, but that doesn't mean
you wont like them. There are lots of new sugar products too, if you want to cut down on your sugar. The packages of that sweetener will tell you how to measure it to get the right amount, to substitute sugar. substituting sugar is a little more tricky and may take a couple tries to get it right. Don't ever look at a failure in cooking as a disaster, just a learning.  My outside birds and cats have had lots of treats that they thought were wonderful, so think of a loaf of bread or cake that didn't turn out the way you think it should have as a treat for your pets.

*If you are making banana bread and don't quite have enough bananas any mushed up fruit will do, or add enough sour milk to make up the difference.

*If you are making nachos and do not have refried beans, pork and beans will work, just drain the juice and mush them up

*When you measure brown sugar make sure you pack it into the spoon or measuring cup.