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May 3, 2013

How to Prevent Sinking Cupcakes

Debbie asks… Hi lately my cupcakes have become wrinkled and flat once out of the oven can you to me what might cause this please.

My Response…

Baking is such an exact science that almost any small change in a recipe can cause it to fail. Here are a few possible explanations:

  • Your baking powder or baking soda is expired.
  • Your ingredients are not room temperature.
  • Batter was over-mixed.
  • Oven door was opened during baking.
  • Batter was too liquid.
  • Improper measuring.
  • Oven was not preheated long enough.
  • Oven temperature is not accurate.

Make sure you follow your recipe exactly, right down to the size of the eggs (usually large) and use fresh ingredients. I hope this helps. Does anyone else have cupcake advice for Debbie?

May 2, 2013

My How To Guide

How To Store Cut Fruit & Vegetables

How To Aerate Flour

How To Store Granola Bars

How To Store Homemade Bread

How To Reheat Frozen Dinner Rolls

How To Freeze Yeast

How to Keep Tortillas Soft

How To Measure Flour

How To Aerate Flour

How To Toast Nuts

How To Store Celery

How To Freeze Pesto

How To Keep Brown Sugar Soft

How to Rise Dough

How To Line a Square Pan with Parchment Paper

How To Store Parsley

How To Freeze Pecan Balls

How To Measure Ingredients

How To Keep Cookies Crisp

How To Share My Recipes

How To Restore Crusty Bread

May 2, 2013

Are you man enough for this spicy salad?

SpicyCabbageSalad_600It’s cold and it’s hot! It’s my Spicy Cabbage Salad with Jalapeno Peppers and it’ll bring tears to your eyes. The brisk lime juice dressing is made as spicy as you want with added drops of Tabasco but you don’t have to go that far. I’ve also made a gentler version by using the milder Anaheim pepper and the fresh lime dressing and it’s still a fabulous, refreshing and super healthy salad.  But if you like your food to bite you back, that’s good because spicy meals boost your metabolism and help with weight loss. This simple recipe is only cabbage, onions, and peppers but make it once and you will crave it like I do. Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones

Apr 30, 2013

Better than takeout – ready in less than 20 minutes.

Best Orange Chicken RecipeI made one of my favorite meals ever for dinner today, my Orange-Sesame Chicken. If you like Chinese food then you know that much of it is deep fried but this chicken is just lightly sauteed and the sauce, made with fresh-squeezed orange juice, is fantastic. It takes longer to cook the rice than it does to make this healthy meal so be sure to start your rice first.

Today, I made fragrant jasmine rice. I always include a side of broccoli and you can add your broccoli to the rice during the last 5 minutes to save extra dishes. This orange-sesame chicken is an easy, healthy recipe that actually cooks up in less than 10 minutes, but you have to wait for the rice to cook! Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones

Apr 29, 2013

Easiest Lemon Brownies

To show how incredibly easy it is to make my healthy Lemon Brownies, I’ve made a video. These awesome low-fat brownies have no butter and it’s a simple, easy recipe… one bowl, no mixer needed. But even if they weren’t this easy, I’d still be making them all the time – they are that good! Click here for my healthy recipe.

Filed Under: Videos 3 Comments
Apr 26, 2013

Greek Lemon Potatoes

Greek Lemon Potatoes

My stepmom is Greek so I have grown to love Greek food (and her, too!). She told me that you can cook almost any Greek dish with olive oil, lemon, and oregano and this delicious side dish is the perfect example. The potatoes are marinated and roasted in the oven until they’re tender inside and the edges are crispy and golden. And wait until you taste this delicious combination of fresh lemon juice, garlic, and oregano.

There’s been lots of talk lately about the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet so there’s plenty of reason to try my easy Greek lemon potatoes. Did I say easy? See for yourself. Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones

Apr 26, 2013

Sesame Seed Breadsticks

 Homemade Breadsticks

For someone who likes crunchy food, my sesame seed breadsticks are a must. You simply cannot buy breadsticks like this anywhere and when they’re fresh out of the oven (after they stop their snap, crackle, and popping) it’s hard not to eat half the batch right there. I make 15 at a time and when there’s only one left, I make more. If you haven’t tried this easy recipe, you’re missing out. I was out of whole wheat flour so I made this batch with just all-purpose flour.  To see the video and printable recipe, click here– Jenny Jones

Apr 26, 2013

Alicia is asking what to serve with gyros

I am interested in the Greek potatoes recipe. Is that recipe still availabe?
Also, what would you recommend serving with chicken gyros for a light lunch?
Thank you!

My response:

I just posted the Greek Lemon Potatoes recipe and as for the chicken gyros lunch, I would say that’s already a pretty hearty lunch. So if anything, I would only add some crudite or a salad. One suggestion I can make is to serve a middle eastern cucumber salad which would tie in beautifully with the gyro which is traditionally Turkish or Greek, depending who you ask. I love these fresh cucumber salads which are almost like a salsa, typically made with Persian cucumbers, onion, tomato, lemon juice, and olive oil.

Apr 25, 2013

Easy-Clean Work Surface

Nate asks… Jenny, I notice in your YouTube videos you prepare your ingredients over what looks like a mat of sorts (the blue surface beneath all your bowls, etc.). What is it exactly and what would you recommend to help one cook mess-free, or at least with minimal mess? I’ve used nothing but paper towels.

My Response…

I think you’re referring to my latest video on chocolate brownies where the table cover is blue. That cover, as well as all the colorful table covers in my videos, are just fabric. They are either table cloths that I have or simply pieces of cotton I buy at the fabric store. And let me tell you this is not a practical way to cook mess-free because they all have to be washed after cooking and if any grease gets on them, it’s usually permanent. But I do the videos on a plywood table and it has to be covered with something. This isn’t much help to you but I do have one suggestion. At the fabric store, I’ve seen plastic yardage that I think is used for outdoor picnic tables. That might work for you by laying down a big sheet of  this plastic type cloth and when you’re done, just wipe the whole thing down. Hey, this just gave me an idea. I could use it in my videos!   – Jenny Jones