How to refill McCormick disposable pepper grinders

Do you have one of these? I actually have two and both were almost empty.

I was frustrated trying to figure out how to get the cap off without destroying it. I twisted, turned, yanked and even tried prying it off without any luck. The thought of tossing out a perfectly good pepper grinder sparked an internet search. One of the searches recommended soaking the cap in hot water for 10 minutes. It seemed reasonable, but I wasn't totally convinced that that was the best method. So I headed down through the comments to see what others thought. Some loved the water method, but many suggested using a blow dryer and that's just what I did.

The experiment was a great success! This is what I did,

Watermelon

Do you love watermelon, but hate cleaning it? Me too!

Whenever I get a watermelon I always cut it in half, clean it and cube it to eat right away. The other half usually goes into the fridge with the rind still on. Seems reasonable, right. Well, the problem is that it reminds me every time I open the fridge that the other half of the watermelon needs my attention and that it's taking up a whole lot of space. But the thought of making a mess again keeps that half in the fridge longer than it needs to be.

My solution to this dilemma was to tackle the whole watermelon at once. A little more work at the start, but worth it.

Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs, every time!

Hard boiled eggs should not be so unpredictable, but they can be.

If you want to say goodbye to that disgusting greenish grey ring around your egg yolk (that mysteriously shows up) or the impossible un-peelable egg (that pulls away chunks of your egg whites). You have come to the right place!

Sourdough Starter

Sourdough Starter - 21 days old and bursting with a variety of bubbles.

Though I have consumed many sourdough breads in my life I have not had the privilege of making a truly memorable sourdough until now.

About 20 years ago I was given a cup of sourdough starter that had a wonderful family lineage and I felt privileged to have it. I knew nothing about what to do with it except for the fact that I needed to feed it once a week.

If I did that simple task, I would be rewarded with the aroma of fresh sourdough breads sliding in and out of my oven impressing my family and friends.

Well... that's not what happened. What started out as an amazing opportunity, quickly turned out to be an EPIC FAIL!

How long do you steam broccoli or cauliflower?

5 – 6 min. 

Make sure you bring the water in the bottom pot to a full boil before starting the timer.

This may sound like a ridiculous question to those of you whom are seasoned cooks, but I started thinking about how the basics sometimes get overlooked.  Truth is that we all started out as new cooks and someone had to teach us the little things. 

So, I decided to post individual estimated times for a few basic vegetables to use as a reference.

How long do you cook sweet potatoes and yams?

20 - 30 min.

Yams and sweet potatoes, as well as regular potatoes take about 20 - 30 minutes to steam (when using whole potatoes) .  When I say steam, I'm referring to the potatoes being over boiling water versus in the water itself.

This was a really good question and I thought I should share it because even though it seems simple - which it is, it needed an answer.

How long do you steam asparagus?

Thin: 3 – 5 min.

Thick: 6 – 8 min.

Bend and break ends off each asparagus to remove the tough stringy part.

My thin asparagus took 4 min. on high for a cooked but crisp asparagus.

The best way to know where the tough part ends and the tender begins is to; place the bottom of the asparagus and just about the middle of the asparagus between your thumb and index fingers, then bend it till it breaks.  Do this with a couple more; then measure the rest of the asparagus to those pieces and slice off the bottoms of the rest of them with a knife.

More Steamed Vegetables

BROCCOLI and CAULIFLOWER

SWEET POTATOES and YAMS

GREEN BEANS

How long do you steam green beans?

6 – 8 min.  

I steamed these on high for 7 min.

I am probably splitting hairs, but 6 ½ min. would have been optimum.

More Steamed Vegetables
BROCCOLI and CAULIFLOWER
SWEET POTATOES and YAMS
ASPARAGUS

Black, White and Red Pepper?

Deciding on what type of pepper to use when you are cooking depends on what sensation you are attempting to get in your mouth.

Lemon Sugar

Lemon Sugar is simply amazing and comes together with ease.  I would make it just for the aroma.  But…it is so much more.

What to do with Frozen Poi?

If you live on the mainland and have a craving for poi, good luck!

Nah only joking.

Pizza Tips and Tricks

PIZZA TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL THIN CRUST PIZZA

Make Your Own Pie Crust Shield

I am grateful for all the wonderful small appliances, gizmos and gadgets I have accumulated over the years. However, I couldn't justify a pie crust shield.

Potatoes?

When I buy potatoes I always look for similar sizes so they will cook evenly.

Reheat Pizza

Did you know?

If you reheat your leftover pizza in a nonstick frying pan over med-low heat with a cover, you will end up with a crispy crust.

Bananas

Did you know?

That if you take your bananas apart from the stem and separate them, they will not ripen as quickly.

If you want them to ripen faster leave in a bunch connected at the stem.

Garlic Press

Did you know?
You don’t have to peel garlic before putting it in a garlic press. Just put the unpeeled clove in the press, squeeze, then remove the papery peel, which is left behind.

Fresh Ginger

Did you know?

PEEL

The easiest way to peel ginger is with the a spoon. Simply scrape the skin with the side of a spoon and you will be amazed as to how easily the skin comes off without any waste.

FRIDGE

I store my fresh ginger in the fridge, wrapped in a clean dry paper towel and place it in a plastic bag to keep it fresh longer.

FREEZE

Ginger freezes well. I often buy more than I need, peel it and slice it. Place it in a plastic bag, be sure to keep them in a single layer and freeze. Once they are frozen, they won't stick together.

The texture of ginger changes when it's frozen, but the flavor remains the same. Use it as you would fresh ginger.

Iceberg Lettuce

Did you know?
Iceberg lettuce will stay fresh in the fridge for a couple of weeks by wrapping it in a clean, dry paper towel and storing it in a sealed plastic bag in the fridge.

Avocados

Did you know?
Ripe avocados will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week, sometimes longer.

Allow avocados to ripen on the counter. This may take a couple of days. If you want them to ripen quicker, place them in a paper bag.

An avocado is ripe when you press the skin gently and it yields slightly to pressure. You can also check, by sticking a toothpick into the spot where the stem was. If it goes in easy - it's ripe.

Store your ripe avocados in the vegetable crisper because it isn’t as cold.