As I was creating the list for the shelf life of some commonly used foods, it occurred to me that there just wasn’t enough space to list everything about these products and how to test them for usability.  So, I am going to research each of these products and provide additional information about them, how they are used, how to test for freshness, etc.  Today, I am going to start with baking powder.

What is it?

What is baking powder and what is it used for?  Baking powder is a combination of baking soda, corn starch and cream of tarter.  It is a leavening agent – an ingredient that makes the bread/pastry rise and become light/fluffy.   It is used in breads, cookies, and a variety of other baked goods.  It is similar to another leavening agent, yeast, but it works more quickly and doesn’t have the fermented, beer-like taste that comes with using yeast.

How long does it last?

As I mentioned in the list, baking powder will remain usable for 18 months if it remains unopened.  Once it is opened, the shelf life is reduced to 3-6 months at room temperature.  However, it’s shelf life is extended to 18 months if you place it in an airtight container and put in in the fridge.  Placing it in the freezer extends it’s life by about 6 months for a total of 24 months.   For those who bake frequently, storing it at room temperature will suffice.  However, for those of you who do not, freezing it would probably be your best option.

How do I store it?

When storing baking powder, you must make sure that it is in a sealed container in a dry place.  It should never be placed in an area that is prone to a lot of moisture unless it is in a completely airtight container.  If it is exposed to moisture of any kind, it will quickly lose it’s leavening abilities.  If your can of baking powder ever contains lumps, this is the first indicator that it has been exposed to moisture and may not leaven your foods correctly.

If it’s not fresh, how do I test it?

If you are ever unsure of its viability, you can test it by mixing a teaspoon or so of the powder with about 1/4 cup of water.  If it forms bubbles, then go ahead and bake that cake.  If the bubbles aren’t present, well, the cake is going to have to wait until you return from the grocery with a new can of baking powder.

Happy baking!

So I am a :::cough cough::: middle aged woman and I’m just now taking an interest in cooking.  Don’t get me wrong, at a very early age I learned how to make basic meals and dishes, however, I never really expanded past that other than the occasional recipe or two that I picked up along the way.  Cooking never really excited me.  There was no passion involved with cooking and it felt more like a chore.

Now that I’m getting older, I’ll be honest – I’m sick and tired of the same ole, same ole.  Who knows, perhaps my taste buds just aren’t what they used to be and need a little excitement occasionally.  They do say, after all, that variety is the spice of life.  In the past when I wanted a taste of something new, I just hopped in the car and drove to the nearest restaurant with a friend or family member.  However, in this economy that just isn’t really practical and it certainly isn’t cost efficient.

So, I guess you could say that I have been forced to begin cooking more at home.  At first, I definitely dreaded it more than than you could ever know.  I had more important things to do than stand over a stove, sweating out what little bit of energy I had left after a long day at work.  On the weekends, cooking was the last thing that I wanted to do as well.  However, once I began experimenting a little I quickly realized that I could actually make dishes that tasted as good as those at a restaurant.  In fact, some were probably even better because I knew exactly what it consisted of and was able to control the ingredients that aren’t healthy.  Once I began cooking more at home and with more variety, I have found myself wanting to eat out less and less for the above reasons and because cooking at home saves a bundle of “dough”.  Buying in bulk has saved my family even more money.

Do I still consider it a chore and dread it like the plague?  Yeah, sometimes but the more techniques, shortcuts and recipes I learn the more I want to learn and I am continuing to find great joy in the art of cooking.

I like to buy foods in bulk because it’s almost always a better deal, it means less gas wasted from additional trips to the grocery and it just makes sense.  On the downside, there have been a few times where foods have spoiled and had to be thrown out which results in money down the drain.

In order to avoid this in the future, I set out on a mission to make myself aware of the shelf life of many of the products I use frequently and, more importantly, those I use infrequently.  There’s nothing worse than wasted money.

Just before Christmas, I searched the internet for hours for the hottest new items for kids.  I was specifically looking for my daughter’s “big” gift of the year.  As I searched for what seemed like an eternity, I kept coming across Nintendo’s Wii game console.  She’s only four and $200 was quite a bit of moolah for something that may be way to advanced for her anyway.  I hate making big money decisions and this one felt exruciating but I kept coming back to the Wii time after time.  The worst case scenerio would be that it would be too advanced for her this year but by next year, it would get some use.

As is usually the case with a decision such as this, I was down to the wire and had to make a decision.  On the spur of the moment, I loaded it into my online cart and headed to the checkout process.  After just a few days, it arrived at my home and I think I must have been a child myself the last time I was so eagerly awaiting Christmas morning.  Was she going to like it?  Would the rest of the family like it?  Would it be worth the money spent or would it be a complete flop?

We had it set up and waiting for her to awake.  Most kids are up before dawn on Christmas but not my sleepy head.  She rolled down the stairs around 10:00 a.m. and, naturally, the wrapped presents caught her eye first.  She methodically opened and briefly played with each one then her eyes turned to the TV where the game screen was showing.  “What’s THAT?” she said with eyes as big as saucers.  She grabbed the controller from my hand and the rest is history.  She began playing as if she had owned a game system her entire four year life.

We had purchased the Wii Fit Plus bundle for the adults but I have to say my four year old gets more enjoyment out of that than any other game purchased for the system.  There are so many activities that are appropriate for all age levels.  She runs, jumps, does karate kicks, flies like a bird and more.  I am thrilled because with the winter months comes less opportunity for a very active child to release some of that endless energy.  Plus she is learning, at a very early age, the importance of exercise and keeping fit…naturally.  If she begins this young it will surely become a lifelong habit that will continue into adulthood.

I grew up playing video games and love them.  Of course, my generation had the Atari for starts and then moved up to the Super Nintendo but they were enough to get me hooked.  I’m no stranger to gaming and have been an avid gamer since.  In my opinion, the Nintendo Wii is the best gaming system ever.  No, it doesn’t have the best graphics and it doesn’t come with all of the extra frills but it does what no other gaming system does – prevents couch potato syndrome.

The Wii is truly an entire family affair.  It is extremely fun and very addicting.  I personally had never laughed so much in my entire life as I did the first week we owned the system.  Watching family and friends moving around and really getting into it was hilarious.

The Wii Fit Plus program is fun and is the best way I know to get a very real and burning workout without feeling like you’re really working out.  Before you even know it, you’ve already worked out for 30 minutes simply playing a wide variety of fun games.  As an added bonus, after each “game”, the system tallies the amount of calories you have burned for that game and tells you how many minutes you’ve been working out.  Before every workout session, the system weighs you in determining your current weight and BMI calculations.  You can set goals and work out every day to reach those goals.

I have to say, I do not regret my purchase for a single minute.  It was the best investment I have EVER made.  I’d do it again in a New York minute!

ADDENDUM:  Please see my article on How to Revive a “Dead” Nintendo Wii.

Once upon a time, there was a young gal named Dee.  Dee was a bookworm whose favorite pastime was reading, studying and writing.  She thoroughly enjoyed all three and if she wasn’t eating, sleeping or in school, that is all she did.  Unfortunately, Dee grew up and with adulthood came responsibilities and other obligations with the most time consuming of those being that dirty word – WORK!

Poor Dee slowly drifted away from one of her passions – writing.  Reading and studying were so embedded into her being that it was second nature to her.  Biographies, self-help, history, political and just books containing facts remained a constant.  Then came the world wide web where she hit the jackpot!  All of that random knowledge right at the tip of her fingertips.

Most days, you could/can catch Dee on her computer reading news, articles about cooking – her surprising new passion – studying up on the newest technology and so much more.  However, deep down she longed to write again.  She had an idea!  She could start a blog but then she thinks “Well, yes, I used to write a lot but was I really good at it?  That was so long ago and I was certainly not a professional.  Why shouldn’t I ?” she thought, “I’ve read countless blogs containing bad grammar, even worse spelling.  Everyone is doing it.“  But then she hears those voices in her head say, “If everyone were jumping off a bridge, would you do that too?“  She thinks for a minute, ignores those nay saying voices and begins to write….

Welcome to my new blog!  I’m not exactly sure how well this is going to turn out but I’m giving it a shot!  I can’t promise it will be a great one or even a good one but I’m giving it all I’ve got.  Who knows where it will lead me or what topics I will explore but here’s hoping it will be a joyous ride.

Hello world….here I come!