Well on the last journal, I asked if anyone had traditions that they participated in during the fall. I got some good responses, and I thank you guys for that.

I would like to know if you guys want to start doing monthly themes here. If you don't mind, stop by our new poll and vote on that. What I mean by monthly themes is adding in tips specifically for that month's theme. For example, if we do a theme for October, and have it related to Autumn, we could have a section dedicated to recipes for things like hot drinks for around a bonfire, ect. And I'm definitely open to suggestions on what themes and what kind of tips. This is your club too. I'd like to keep running it as such.




An extra tip to add on for citrus fruits. If you microwave lemons until it's slightly warmish, it's a lot easier to roll the lemons and then squeeze the juice out of them! *child-prodigy

About greasing the pans, an ecological trick is also to keeps the butter wrapping instead of throwing it away. You freeze them, and when you need to grease something, you just get one from the freezer and use it like you would do with a towel dipped in butter. You didn't waste any butter or towel ! ~Marie-Ange-the-Celt

Rock hard brown sugar can be softened in the microwave for a few seconds. *kat1967

Thanks so much guys, keep them coming in! I'll be doing a feature at the end of the month for everyone who sends me in a tip this month.

Summer is fast coming to an end. It will soon be time for harvesting fruits and vegetables from the garden. So soon I'll be doing a journal feature on things you can do to use up those tasty veggies and fruits, and also on ways to help save them for using later this year.

I would like some opinions though. Are there certain vegetables or meats or fruits you'd like to see some recipes or tips specifically for? Are you having trouble coming up with a new recipe that you maybe haven't tried to make?

Another thing I would love to see is if you guys would send me a comment on this journal or a note about some of your autumn traditions. It doesn't have to be food related, but anything you have that you're looking forward to this year when the leaves start to turn.

In the meantime, I'll keep trying to put some tutorials together about things that you might find, or want to do in the kitchen. If you have suggestions on a tutorial to make, please let me know! I'm always up for a challenge.

Cooking Tips!

Snazz up your beverages with ice cubes that have a thin slice of lemon in the center, or a sprig of mint. Or try using flavored water for the cubes.

Save the lemon, or other citrus fruits after you use their peel for zest. Place the remaining whole fruit in a ziploc style bag and freeze it whole. When another recipe calls for fresh lemon juice (or orange juice, lime juice, whatever) thaw the fruit you have frozen and squeeze out the juice.

To make greasing molded pans easier, freeze the pan for 5 minutes. When you brush on the melted butter or shortning, it adheres immediately, and you can see where you've applied the grease.

An easy way to check the propane level for your gas grill: Before you start the grill, heat one cup of water to boiling. Pour it down the outside of the propane tank. Because the propane gas is cooler than the air in the tank, condensation will form to reveal the gas level in the tank.

We've had some new and yummy additions to the gallery!



Thanks guys for the recipes!

If anyone has any tips, tricks, recipes or tutorials on techniques or cooking, please note the group and we'll add them!

Our first member tip! Thanks a bunch to ~Dead-Godess

When cooking sweets, always add a pinch of salt! It brings out the sweet taste of it. I use it for my cookies and brownies and cakes and such. And they're good.
_{(Keep in mind that a pinch of salt will help enhance the flavor of most of your spices as well, but when cooking for other people this may not be a good idea unless you know they don't have problems with too much salt.)}

Wanted to update everyone on some stuff that we're starting here.

We've had our first member submission to the club in the form of a recipe [link] . Thanks a bunch *sleepinglynx!

We are also starting up a series of tutorials for basic cookware and cutlery. These tutorials are submitted through this club only. If you want to submit a tutorial or guide for step by step making of a dish, or a guide about something cooking related, please send us a note and let us know what's on your mind. (This way we won't be doing multiples.)

Again your recipes are wanted! Submit them to your own account in whatever fashion suits you best, and then send us a note with the link to the deviation. We'll add it to our recipes collection for other deviants to browse through.

*New Forum*
We have a new What the Heck Is It forum. If you have questions about what a kitchen gadget does, or what a fruit or vegetable might be, or how to use a spice, this is where you'd ask.

Anyone have any awesome kitchen tips? Send us a note! I'll feature them in a Tips and Tricks journal.

Thank you to whoever donated the sub for us! Much appreciated and thank you also to *sleepinglynx for the avatar.

Hi everyone! Brand new club time!

The idea came about during a discussion in the #ArtisanCrafts between a few friends. dA really needed a repository for recipes and sharing of cooking ideas and techniques, so $Moonbeam13 created a recipe forum for us to post and share our favorites.

How do you join? Just watch the club! We'll return the favor. If you watch you can submit. That's all there is to it.

So what's this club all about you ask? Why, helping you cook of course! We'll be accepting recipes in our favorites and collections area. All you need to do is send the club a note with "Recipe" in the title. It can be text only, or have a picture with the submission.

We'll also be starting up a series of tutorials (anyone is welcome to send us one to post) about the basics of cooking. I'm hoping to make this a one stop information area for any aspiring cooks out there. And your tutorials do not have to just be for beginners! If there's a technique that you'd like to share, please send the club a note

Cheers! and Bon Appetit!