the basics: SUBSTITUTES - TIPS - TRICKS

WHAT  DO  YOU  NEED  ???

...but first some notes and reminders:

not all the SUBSTITUTES - TIPS - TRICKS are meant to be a forever switch-up.  There is one exception to this:  MILK

Here's why:  heavy whipping cream has a month's-long fridge life.  Cereal and breakfast smoothies get almond milk.  Granola gets yogurt.  I do not drink or use straight up milk for anything other than cooking. Nor does anyone else in my households.  I always have the heavy whipping cream as a forever staple for times I need milk in a cooking recipe.

MILK                          

~  make milk using heavy whipping cream and water

~  HOW:   measure out 1/2 of what you need with the heavy whipping cream and then add water for the other 1/2 of the needed measurement

~  EXAMPLE:  you need 2 cups of milk

measure out 1 cup of heavy whipping cream

add 1 cup of water to your heavy whipping cream and stir

BUTTERMILK

~ make buttermilk using milk

~ add 1 teaspoon white vinegar to every measured cup of milk

ROOM  TEMPERATURE  EGGS

~ Place eggs in medium size bowl and run warm/not-too-hot water over eggs.  
~  Let them soak in the warm/not-too-hot water until the water maintains its warm/not-too-hot temperature and doesn't cool down from the fridge-cold eggs.

POWDER  SUGAR

~  make powder sugar using white granulated sugar 

~ using a blender, and doing only 1 cup at a time, run the white granulated sugar through your blender at the highest setting until "powdered"

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the basics: WHITE RICE

 

THE BIRTH OF:

"the basics"

Mama Jo to her Baby Bret:

"You're graduating!!! 

And on your own in a few months...

What adulting do you still need to learn??

Anything you want to learn how to cook?

- What have I missed teaching you, do you think??"

Baby Bret to her Mama Jo:

"Honestly?  

I need the recipes you have in your brain.

You know, the basics. 

Like "white rice"." 

Mama Jo in her thoughts:

"Hathaway..."   

:0)

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2  cups Jasmine long grain white rice

1  teaspoon Kosher or pink salt 

1  TABLESPOON sugar

4  cups filtered water

Wash // rinse rice until the water is no longer a clouded, milky color.  

Throughly drain.  Set aside.

Put everything in a medium pot OR large frying pan.

Whichever your choice, it MUST have a fitted lid.

Add all ingredients to your cooking pot or pan.

Put to cook on your stove at a medium or medium high cooking setting.

Stir frequently until you get it to a low boil // high simmer state.

Set a timer for 1 minute; and keep stirring the rice mixture at the low boil // simmering state.

Turn heat down to the lowest-low. 

Give it one final stir.  

Put the fitted lid on.

Set a timer for 25 minutes.

DO NOT TAKE THE LID OFF WHILE TIMER IS ON.

When timer is done, turn the heat off.

KEEP THE LID ON ANOTHER 5-10 MINUTES.

Fluff rice before serving.

Let the rice cool completely before packing up for leftovers or a meal prep.

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Gavin to his Mama Jo when he was living in Japan:
"Why did we never have a rice-cooker growing up??!"

Mama Jo to her Gavin:
"Because I know HOW to cook rice!"

HOWEVER:  
Gavin was on to something...  I now prefer the incredibly easy, slick, tasty, and perfect-every-time-rice-cooker rice.

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Click Link FOR: Mama Jo's Recipe Blog TABLE OF CONTENTS

the basics: PAN COOKED CHICKEN TENDERS

USED  FOR:

- meal prep

- chicken pitas with roasted veggies

- chicken cabbage salad

- toasted pecan spinach salad

- chicken and waffles (oatmeal waffles are the BEST!)

- chicken fettuccine 

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2 pounds of chicken tenders

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon coarse black pepper

olive oil - for cooking

Combine all in a small or medium bowl and keep in the fridge until ready to cook.

Depending on the size of your cast iron pan or frying pan: 

cook 1/2 or all of the chicken tenders until a toasty golden brown on both sides.  

If the chicken becomes stuck to the pan while cooking, add a little additional oil.

Re-oil pan and cook any remaining portions if needed.  

Keep covered with foil to maintain moisture until ready to eat or until fully cooled enough to store in the fridge.

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Click Link FOR: Mama Jo's Recipe Blog TABLE OF CONTENTS

Texas Peach 🍑 Crisp

 

June 1, 2026:  TX Urban Garden
Peaches:  Tropic Snow
- white peach, free-stone -

Shoutout to the Handsome Bret Sr!
and resident Master Gardener

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NOTES:  

- recipe named for the location of invention... 

I was NOT in the mood to make a pie

- "free-stone" means that the fruit fully pulls off from the 

peach pit when ripe

- "free-stone" peaches are my favorite and easiest to work with

- use a soft-skin peeler // it will be serrated and not a flat,

straight edged peeler like you'd use for a carrot, potato or 

apple

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6-8 cups ripe peaches, peeled and thickly sliced      

1  TABLESPOON cinnamon

3/4 cup GLUTEN-FREE flour mix

3/4 cup old fashioned oats

3/4 cup lightly packed dark (or light) brown sugar

1/2 cup butter, melted 

(Dairy-free option: 1/2 cup refined coconut oil, melted)

Put sliced peaches in bottom of a 9X13 pan.  

Sprinkle sliced peaches with the cinnamon and mix gently until all peach pieces have cinnamon on them.  

Mix remaining four ingredients in a medium bowl until a crumbly mixture.

Crumble mixture on top of the peaches.  

Bake at 375 for 45-55 minutes or until topping is dark brown in some spots, and golden brown in general with peach juices bubbling.  

Serve warm simply solo and as is OR with whipped cream OR vanilla ice cream.

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Click Link FOR: the basics: WHIPPED CREAM

Click Link FOR: Gluten-Free Flour Recipe

Click Link FOR: Mama Jo's Recipe Blog TABLE OF CONTENTS

the basics: WHIPPED CREAM

2  cups heavy whipping cream

1/2  cup powdered sugar

1  teaspoon pure vanilla 

(Mexican Vanilla is always preferred)

- Mix with a mixer stand or with a hand mixer until very thick.

- Start either stand or hand mixer on low and slowly bring up to a medium high setting. 

- Make ahead of time and refrigerate until serving.

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Click Link FOR: Mama Jo's Recipe Blog TABLE OF CONTENTS

the basics: COCONUT RICE

2  cups water

1  15 oz. can coconut milk

2  cups jasmine white rice

1  teaspoon Kosher salt

1  TABLESPOON sugar

In medium pot or large fry pan.

(…must have a matching lid!)

Combine all ingredients in your chosen medium pot or leather frying pan with a lid. 

Stir and bring everything to a simmer on med/high heat.

Continue to simmer and stir for one minute.

Put lid on pot. 

Turn burner to lowest setting and cook for 23-25 minutes. 

Remove from heat and let rest for 5-10 minutes.  

Fluff with a large serving spoon.

Keep the lid on until ready to serve.  

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Typically coconut rice gets paired with:

chicken Marsala 

verde pork taco bowls 

red pork taco bowls 

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Click Link FOR: Mama Jo's Recipe Blog TABLE OF CONTENTS

MRS. FIELD’S CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE

"Why ruin a perfectly good cookie by putting it in the oven?"
- Jerry Man Crozier
during the Twin Falls era: 2005 or so

If you eat it baked or as dough - no judgement here.
If you get a box of dough and eat it before you get home...
a little judgement and a smirk from me.

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This might be the first recipe I ever actually stole.  Y'all.  Sincerely, I cannot even remember.  If I did actually steal it - the theft was likely 29 or 30 years ago... yup.  The math is right and I am that old.

In my defense: the stolen recipe was first stolen by my SISTER from her college roommate.  Back in the 90's the only way you're getting a REALLY good recipe is if you straight up buy it.  (Think really hard and imagine no internet - Just books to buy at a book store or borrow at the library.)  Her college roommate was gifted the following recipe as her high school graduation gift from a relative (albeit NOT gluten free - and aren't we all so glad I can figure out the switch up...).

Now that we have the cookie theft confession committed to the blog, I give you the: 

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MRS. FIELD’S CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE

(But Gluten-Free if you please... )

(and family portions - not store portions)

In a HUGE bowl, cream together:
1  cup brown sugar, packed
1  cup white sugar
1  cup softened butter (2 cubes)


Beat sugars and eggs on HIGH for 8-10 minutes.

Then add to creamed ingredients:
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla (Mexican vanilla preferred)


In a large separate bowl, mix:
2  1/2 cups gluten-free flour
2  1/2 cups oatmeal (old fashioned oats - certified GF)
1  teaspoon baking soda
1  teaspoon baking powder


Add the flour mixture to the creamed ingredients.  


Mix thoroughly and then add:
1 bag (2 cups) of chocolate chips 

TRY:  dark chocolate chips (60-70%) OR milk chocolate OR semi-sweet chocolate OR a mix of any of the chocolate choices - measure 2 cups of your choice(s)

1  8 oz chocolate bar, finely grated (Optional)



Bake at 325 for 20-22 minutes or until just BARELY browned in spots on the top.

Let cool on the cookie sheet 5 minutes before trying to transfer to a cooling rack.

Makes just about 2-3 dozen cookies depending on the size….  

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Click Link FOR: Gluten-Free Flour Recipe

Click Link FOR: Mama Jo's Recipe Blog TABLE OF CONTENTS