Helping you prepare foods in a hurry!
Helpful Winter Holiday Links - 2009
Alice Henneman, MS, RD, UNL Extension in Lancaster County
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Need an ingredient substitution, an answer to a baking question, advice on preparing foods ahead? Help can be just a click away. Here are some helpful holiday links. Look for highlighted links that are also available En Español
Quick links to different sections
- Preparing foods ahead
- Ingredient substitutions and cooking terms
- Cooking and menu planning helps
- Holiday food safety
- Healthy holiday cooking and eating
- Sending food gifts to the military
- Kids Corner
Preparing foods ahead
1. Freezing Prepared foods (includes cakes, pies, casseroles, etc. Source: University of Georgia Extension Service) pdf
2. Freezing Convenience Foods that You've Prepared at Home (includes various baked goods as well as other menu items. Source: Pacific Northwest Extension Publication) pdf
3. Get out of the Kitchen When Company's Coming: Cook Ahead
4. Food Safety Checklist for "Planned-over" Foods (PDF)
Save time by making extra food for one meal that still tastes good and is safe to eat at a later meal.
Ingredient substitutions and cooking terms
1. Ingredient Substitutions
If you're in the middle of holiday cooking with no time to run to the store for a missing ingredient, look here for a possible substitute. Includes a handy print-friendly chart.
2. The Cook's Thesaursaus
This site covers thousands of ingredients and suggested substitutions.
3. Epicurious Food Dictionary
Food dictionary, culinary terms and cooking definitions
Cooking and menu planning helps
1. Tips for Preparing Party Appetizers
Tips for how to plan ahead, how much to serve, and serving suggestions.
2. Baking 911
Check this Web site for helpful tips for successful baking. Includes such topics as substituting one pan for another.
3. Cooking Basics: Food Yields (PDF) Use this handout from the University of Georgia Extension to help you determine how much food to buy.
4. Can Size Equivalents
If you have an older recipe that calls for a "number 2 can" or a similar description, visit this link.
5. Measurement Equivalents
Check here if you're trying to adjust the measurements in a recipe from teaspoons to tablespoons to cups to quarts and so on.
6. Temperature Conversion: Fahrenheit and Celsius
Helps you convert recipes from fahrenheit to celsius and vice versa.
7. Quick Meals with Canned Foods
If you're not sure if you'll have to fix meals for guests or special events and you're short on refrigerator/freezer space, keep some canned foods on hand. (They're also great for snowy days when you rather not make a trip to the grocery store!) Check here for recipes and menu suggestions from the Canned Food Alliance.
8. Cooking Different Types of Meats
Holiday food safety
Many older classic holiday recipes call for raw eggs. This cooking practice is not considered safe because of possible Salmonella infection. Check this link to the American Egg Board for a cooked version of eggnog. Another option for egg nog is to buy a ready-to-drink egg nog, available in the dairy case at most stores during the holidays.
2. Canning Cakes and Breads (learn why this can be unsafe - Source: University of Georgia Extension)
3. Holiday or Party Buffets
Web page Link | PDF
4. Brilliant Buffets (Source: fightbac.org)
5. Safety Shopping List (Source: Holidy Food Safety Success Kit)
Basic food safety tools to have on hand to ensure a safe and tasty feast.
6. Mail Order Food Safety | PDF | En Español | En Español PDF ( Source: USDA)
7. Slow Cookers and Food Safety | PDF
8. Toll-free USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline
The hotline is staffed with food safety specialists to answer food safety questions for the home cook. You may speak with a food safety specialist — in English or Spanish — from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern time on weekdays.
Call the USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline at:
1-888-MPHotline
1-888-674-6854
Or send an Email to: mphotline.fsis@usda.gov
Web page link for Hotline
9. No-Show Guests Jeopardize Food (source: USDA)
When guests encounter emergencies and the meal must be delayed or cancelled, food must be handled "just right" to remain safe.
10. Holiday Food Safety (video)
Healthy holiday cooking and eating
1.MyFood-a-pedia (Source: MyPyramid.gov)
Find the calories and MyPyramid food groups for a food, or compare two foods. You can choose the amount and see how the calories add up with "add-ons."
2. Top 10 Ways to Spice Up Your Parties with Fruits & Veggies (Source: Fruits & Veggies More Matters)
Suggestions and links to recipes for including more fruits and vegetables in your holiday meals.
3. Cooking with oils vs. solid fats (Source: Canolainfo.org)
If you've been advised to use more oils and less solid fats in your cooking, it usually doesn't work to directly substitute one for the other. Rather, you will be more successful by using recipes that are developed using oil. Find several recipes, from pie crusts to cookies, made with oil at this Web site.
4. Eat right tips
This article, written around Thanksgiving, gives good tips for all holidays.
5. Holiday Weight Management Tips With Brian Wansink (video)
I especially liked his tip about how to eatin seconds AND thirds of foods WITHOUT overeating!
Sending food gifts to the military
- Sending Food gifts overseas to the U.S. military (Source: USDA)
- USDA Gives Tips on Sending Food Gifts to U.S. Military (Source: USDA)
- Mailing Food Gifts to Military Friends and Family PDF (Source: Washington State University Extension)
- Be Smart When Shipping Food Gifts (Source: Ohio State University Extension)
- Mailing Food Gifts to Military (Source: Clemson University Extension)
- Shipping Gifts to Military Addresses (Source: U.S. Postal Service)
KIDS CORNER
1. Sue Ellen's Scrapbook (source: pbskids.org) Pictures of holiday customs in other countries. 2. Dress Up (source: pbskids.org) Drag and drop different holiday costumes to dress Sue Ellen up! 3. Holiday Music box (source: pbskids.org) Listen to songs and arrange matching puzzle pieces. 4. Winter Holiday Coloring Pages (source: Kaboose.com) Kids can "color" winter holiday pictures online. 5. Snowman (source: Kaboose.com) Drag the pieces to build your own snowman on this Web page. 6. Winter Coloring Pages (source: Kaboose.com) Celebrate the wintering season by printing and coloring these pages. (Source: kids.nationalgeographic.com) 7. Ninja Ice Chop (Source: kids.nationalgeographic.com) See if you can "chop" the ice blocks. 8. Design and Your Own Gingerbread House (Source: www.janbrett.com) Drag and drop the candy decorations on the house. You can print out your finished house. You also can share this page with a friend so they can make their own gingerbread house. 9. Professor Fizzy's Lunch Lab (Source: http://pbskids.org/lunchlab) While not specifically for the holidays, this PBS Web site is full of videos, music, games and characters to promote healthy eating for children. A great site to send younger children to, while you're cooking for the holidays. 10. Cookie Dough Coloring Page (Source: fightbac.org) This page warns kids about the dangers of eating raw cookie dough. |
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UNL Colleges with Food-related Degrees:
Schedule a Personalized visit to the UNL Camps:
- College of Agriculture Sciences & Natural Resources
Other Resources:
