Lessons Learned

I learned a few lessons this week while in my kitchen. I thought you could benefit from my misfortune. Keep the following lessons in mind while you're cooking or baking.

Lesson #1: Make sure the cookie dough has enough flour or you will end up with M&M cookie goo after baking.

I was making the M&M cookies for the bake sale at work. The recipe calls for 2 1/2 cups of flour but I have a note next to it that looks like this: 2C? meaning maybe only 2 cups of flour is needed. The note is wrong and I need to take it out. I added more flour after the first pan and the cookies turned out fine.

Lesson #2: Saturday morning is a great time to pre-chop veggies.

We've fallen behind on our menu plan this week and I wanted to catch up yesterday. I didn't get the meals made but I did chop most of the veggies needed.

Lesson #3: If the recipe for banana bread calls for baking soda, it's crucial that you remember to put it in.

The banana bread still tastes ok but it's kind of cakey and didn't bake all the way through. There's a few gooey spots. If you ever doubted the need for baking soda, here's your proof that it really makes a difference.

Lesson #4: When adding the ingredients to your bread machine, make sure you add the correct amount of sugar.

That, my friends, is what happens when you add 2 teaspoons of sugar instead of the 2 tablespoons of sugar the recipe called for. There wasn't enough food for the yeast. I threw away that loaf after Steve got home from work. I waited so he could see it because it was too funny not to share. I was going to make Baked Apple French Toast with it. I'll just have to try again today.

Lesson #5: When making fried broccoli, don't accidentally inhale the crushed red pepper when it hits the frying pan.

Nothing really bad will happen but it will make your throat hurt a little. Just don't do it. A side note: Fried broccoli is really easy. A little olive oil in a hot skillet (maybe a teaspoon or two), 1 teaspoon (don't use a tablespoon) crushed red pepper flakes and broccoli. Push broccoli around until it's coated with the oil and the red peppers.

Lesson #6: Crack open a Mike's Cranberry and put your feet up if you learned the majority of these lessons on the same day.