Welcome to Inspired2cook…I’m so glad you’re here! I’m a stay-at-home mom, I love cooking and entertaining, and I have a passion for blessing my family and friends with great homemade food! My goal with this blog is to motivate you to get in the kitchen and cook by providing you with tested recipes from my favorite • Read More »
Archives: Entertaining Tip
Leftovers aren’t forever!
November 21, 2012 | By andrea | Comments Off on Leftovers aren’t forever! | Filed in: Christmas, Entertaining Tip, Fun Food Facts, Handy Hints, Holidays, Morsels & Musings, Thanksgiving, Turkey.Here’s some great advice on how to safely store your holiday leftovers (or any meal for that matter): Leftovers Aren’t Forever -from Thanksgiving 101 by Rick Rodgers On Thanksgiving, store your leftovers safely. Get any leftover turkey and stuffing into the refrigerator within two hours of serving. Never leave leftovers out overnight. Slice all of the • Read More »
Kitchen Share SE opening in Portland
August 18, 2012 | By andrea | Comments Off on Kitchen Share SE opening in Portland | Filed in: Cookware & Cooking Gadgets, Entertaining Tip, Handy Hints, Life in Oregon, Local Goodness, Morsels & Musings.Kitchen Share SE, a kitchen tool lending library for residents of SE Portland, will be celebrating their grand opening on August 21st from 5-8pm in SE Portland at St. David of Wales Episcopal Church (2800 SE Harrison Street). The festivities will include music, food, demos, and homemade ice cream. Kitchen Share SE will be a place where “community members can borrow • Read More »
Raspberry Sauce
February 8, 2012 | By andrea | 3 Comments | Filed in: Dessert, Entertaining Tip, Handy Hints, Recipes, Sauce.
This ultra simple recipe for Raspberry Sauce is the perfect finishing touch for a potpourri of desserts. Slightly sweet and slightly tart in flavor, its a perfect compliment to chocolate, vanilla, lemon, and almond. Drizzle the sauce over ice cream or serve with a slice of pound cake or flourless chocolate cake. I like to spoon it • Read More »
Handy Hint: Welcome guests with a fragrant house
December 3, 2011 | By andrea | Comments Off on Handy Hint: Welcome guests with a fragrant house | Filed in: Entertaining Tip, Handy Hints.During the Fall and winter months, I like to have cookies baking or a small pan of spiced cider simmering on the stove when I’m expecting company. The moment I open my front door, my guests are greeted with the wonderful fragrance of warm spices. I think it’s a great way of saying, “Welcome to my home”. What do you • Read More »
Holiday Helpers Hotlines
November 22, 2011 | By andrea | 1 Comment | Filed in: Christmas, Entertaining Tip, Fun Food Facts, Handy Hints, Holidays, Thanksgiving.While searching for recipes the other day, I came across a Holiday Helpers Hotline list (say that 3 times fast) from the fine folks at Saveur Magazine. So if you find yourself in a pickle while making the holiday meal, don’t panic…just call one of the hotlines or visit one of the websites. Also, for • Read More »
Crazy for Candy Canes
December 22, 2010 | By andrea | 1 Comment | Filed in: Chocolate, Christmas, Dessert, Entertaining Tip, Fun Food Facts, Handy Hints, Holidays, Kid-friendly, Quick Cooking, Recipes, Sauce.
If you’ve got lots of candy canes and you’re wondering what to do with them, here’s a few ideas I found at MarthaStewart.com. The Candy Cane Can -tips from Martha Stewart Everyday Food and MarthaStewart.com More than 1.8 billion of these holiday hooks are made each year. Luckily, candy canes are tasty additions to lots • Read More »
Estimating Quantities of Hors d’Oeuvres
December 6, 2010 | By andrea | Comments Off on Estimating Quantities of Hors d’Oeuvres | Filed in: Appetizer, Entertaining Tip, Handy Hints, Holidays, Morsels & Musings.Figuring out how much food to have at a party is tricky business. I’d much rather have too much food available than not enough. Here’s a few guidelines for getting a party started, whether it’s a cocktail party or a full dinner: Estimating Quantities of Hors d’Oeuvres -Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Collection Series, Hors d’Oeuvre, by • Read More »
A great garlic press
July 30, 2010 | By andrea | 3 Comments | Filed in: Cookware & Cooking Gadgets, Entertaining Tip, Handy Hints.
Several years ago, I thought I lost my garlic press. Always looking for a reason to buy more kitchen stuff, I jumped at the opportunity to purchase a new garlic-smashing implement. The kitchen store I went to did not disappoint…they had numerous models to choose from. The one that caught my eye was a shiny stainless steel Rosle Garlic • Read More »
Flavorful Grilling
July 19, 2010 | By andrea | 2 Comments | Filed in: Entertaining Tip, Grilling/BBQ, Handy Hints, Recipes.
Since we’re smack dab in the middle of Grilling Season, I thought I’d post a tip I found on the Williams-Sonoma website for using certain types of wood chips and/or herbs to add a nice smokey flavor to grilled foods. Many grocery stores, cooking supply stores and hardware stores sell different types of wood chips • Read More »