Keep These Measurement Conversion Charts Handy in the Kitchen

August 20, 2015 by greystar

You don’t have to be an expert at math to be a good cook, but it certainly helps to commit a few essential measuring equivalents to memory. For those less-used measurements, however, there are some helpful lists you can keep on hand in the kitchen. Bookmark these two websites of cooking measurement conversions for easy reference.

Measure Equivalents [USDA]
Find any metric to U.S. conversion on this chart along with cups to teaspoons, tablespoons, and ounces. You can use this website to convert gallons to quarts, quarts to pints, and pints to cups.
Cooking Measure Equivalents [Info Please]
This website provides a quick reference for converting table- or teaspoons to cups. It also has the essential conversions for the metric system to the American system of measurements. So if you're ever wondering how many grams are in an ounce or milliliters are in a tablespoon, check out this page on Info Please.

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr/Amelia Crook

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Tagged With: Cooking, Diet, Food, Health

High Fructose Corn Syrup Hides in These Common Foods

February 19, 2015 by greystar

While you might suspect that packaged foods like sodas and candies contain high fructose corn syrup, this processed ingredient actually lurks in many places that you wouldn’t expect. Here are a few surprising sources of high fructose corn syrup that you should avoid if you’re trying to eat healthfully.

Yogurt. While most people consider yogurt a healthy food, when it’s packed with sticky sweet high fructose corn syrup, it’s a whole different story. Many flavored yogurts in the grocery store contain the sweetener to give them their fruity flavors, and even a large number of low-fat and fat-free yogurts are filled with it.
Salad dressings. No matter how healthy you think your salad dressing may be, its positive traits don’t matter if it’s filled with high fructose corn syrup. If possible, making your own salad dressing is a surefire way to know exactly which ingredients are used.
Breads. Even if you avoid all of the sweet, dessert-style baked goods at the grocery store, high fructose corn syrup may be sneaking into your diet through your plain old bread. Even breads made with wheat and whole grain often contain the syrup, so be sure to check the ingredient list before you make your purchase.

Corn Syrup in Unexpected Foods [HuffPost Healthy Living]
Surprising Products that Contain High Fructose Corn Syrup [Divine Caroline]
(Not So) Sweet: Surprising Foods Containing High Fructose Corn Syrup [Babble]
6 Popular Foods with High Fructose Corn Syrup [FitDay]

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr/jeffreyww

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Tagged With: Diet, Food, Health, Wellness

Three Cooking Substitutes for When You’re in a Pinch

November 20, 2014 by greystar

Any seasoned cook knows that sometimes you have to get creative when sticking to a recipe, especially if you're short on some of the ingredients. The good news is that with a few easy swaps, you can make any recipe, even if you don't have the traditional ingredients on-hand. Here are three cooking substitutes for when you’re in a pinch:

If you're missing brown sugar: Your craving for homemade cookies won't wait until you can get to the store for all the ingredients. If you’re short on one cup of brown sugar, you can substitute it one cup of white sugar combined with 1/4 cup of molasses.
If you're missing butter: While no kitchen should ever be without this important ingredient, it tends to happen if you cook a lot. You can replace one cup of butter with one cup of margarine or vegetable shortening. If the recipe calls for melted butter, you can use the same amount of oil.
If you're missing half and half: If your carton is empty, you can easily recreate this essential ingredient with 1/2 a cup of partly skimmed milk and 1/2 a cup of heavy whipping cream.

Top 3 Ingredient Substitutions [All Recipes]
Ingredient Substitutions [University of Nebraska]
Baking Ingredient Substitution Table [Joys of Baking]