Recipes and Cooking Ideas for Homemakers and Amateur Cooks
 

Equivalents – this chart will make your life (in the kitchen) easier

This isn’t going to be an entertaining post with pictures and all. It’s more of a helpful post. We need to have some balance here. Not all fun and games and eating and pictures.

I guess I’ve never really put a game on here… I could though, one time I saw a bar recipe and a letter was piped on each bar and they made a crossword out of it. And I’ve also seen a meat and cheese checkers game. And one of the neatest looking things I’ve seen was square cakes frosted white and oreo cookie halves stuck on them in a pattern so the cakes looked like dice.

Warning: Sudden change of subject. I used to cook pasta and be dumping the uncooked stuff into the water and then dump in more, thinking it surely wouldn’t be enough. As it cooked, it grew and GREW and I’d end up with enough pasta to feed an army! Then, I found this info, and I haven’t cooked way too much pasta since. But I still dump in the uncooked stuff and think ‘Surely that won’t be enough’, but it always grows and sure enough, it’s enough! I know, it says on the package how much cooked uncooked makes, but it seems to always have it in ounces!

Or I would be crushing crackers crumbs with a rolling pin and empty the crumbs into a measuring cup, crush more, empty them, until I had enough. And then sometimes I crushed too many and had to decide what to do with the leftover crumbs… throw them away or throw them in.

Or I’d need 1/4 cup of lemon juice and want fresh-squeezed juice, so I’d go to the store and not know how many lemons I’d need to make 1/4 cup. So I’d buy 4 or so, just to be safe (I only did that one time, then I had a better idea of how much juice one lemon makes after that).

So, I hope this info helps you as much as it helps me! These measurements might not be exact, but it gives a ballpark idea anyway.

Macaroni               1 cup (3 1/2 oz) uncooked   = 2 1/2 cups cooked
Noodles, med        3 cups (4 oz) uncooked        = 4 cups cooked
Speghetti               8 oz uncooked                       = 4 cups cooked
Popcorn                 1/3 – 1/2 cup unpopped      = 8 cups popped
Rice, long grain     1 cup uncooked                     = 3 cups cooked
Rice, minute          1 cup uncooked                     = 2 cups cooked

Bread                      1 slice                                     =3/4 cup soft crumbs
= 1/4 cup dry crumbs
Graham crackers  7 squares                               = 1/2 cup crushed
Ritz crackers         12 crackers                            = 1/2 cup crushed
Saltines                  14 crackers                            = 1/2 cup crushed

Bananas                  1 medium                              = 1/3 cup mashed
Lemons                   1 medium                              = 3 Tbsp. juice
Limes                      1 medium                             = 2 Tbsp. juice
Oranges                  1 medium                             = 1/4 – 1/3 cup juice

Lettuce                   1 head                                   = 5 cups shredded
Carrots                   1 pound                                 = 3 cups shredded
Celery                     1 rib                                       = 1/2 cup chopped
Corn                        1 ear                                      = 2/3 cup kernels
Green pepper        1 large                                   = 1 cup chopped
Mushrooms           1/2 pound                             = 3 cups sliced
Onions                    1 medium                              = 1/2 cup chopped
Potatoes                 3 medium                             = 2 cups cubed

Almonds                 1 pound                                = 3 cups chopped
Pecan halves          1 pound                                = 4 1/2 cups chopped
Walnuts                  1 pound                                = 3 3/4 cups chopped

And while I’m at it, I might as well throw in some more equivalents that I’m sure you all know. But these still come in handy when your mind goes blank… blank like mine did this morning when I made coffee and after awhile was wondering why I didn’t smell it and when I looked at the coffee pot, there was clear water in it instead of coffee! Shannon said ‘the problem with coffee is that you need it first in order to be awake enough to make it’, or something like that… it didn’t sound as confusing when he said it.

I actually forgot what I was supposed to be writing here and had to go up and check… more equivalents:

3 teaspoons            = 1 tablespoon
4 tablespoon           = 1/4 cup
5 1/3 tablespoons  = 1/3 cup
8 tablespoons         = 1/2 cup
16 tablespoons       = 1 cup
2 cups                      = 1 pint
4 cups                      = 1 quart
16 cups                    = 1 gallon
4 quarts                  = 1 gallon

And from there, you’re on your own.

I just finished eating a fresh strawberry scone… delicious! I’ll post the recipe later. Do I mean fresh as in fresh strawberries or fresh as in fresh-baked? Yeah.

Comments

6 Responses to “Equivalents – this chart will make your life (in the kitchen) easier”

  1. barb on May 31st, 2008 9:02 am

    Awww, couldn’t you give at least one picture? Like maybe inside your spice cupboard. It’s fun to see how other people organize thiers. I use the tupperware ones. Anyway I’m just kidding about that picture.
    Great post, I need those charts in a bad way.
    I’ll email you the soft pretzel recipe later today.

  2. lisa on May 31st, 2008 11:33 pm

    i LOVE this site!
    the parmesan potatoes have become our new favorite dish. don’t know how many times i’ve made them the last month. and just today i made the oatmeal squares =) from the last post. marc was hugely impressed with them.and that recipe for meatloaf has made marc admit it can actually be good, or even delicious!
    just thought i would let you know.=)

  3. Amber on June 1st, 2008 2:40 pm

    Would shredded lettuce be the same equiv. as shredded cabbage? I need to know how many heads i need to buy for 5 gal. of shredded cabbage. (for cole slaw for a school auction) :)

  4. Sharon on June 1st, 2008 2:54 pm

    Okay…stop hinting around…now I can’t wait for the strawberry scones…fresh or fresh baked. GRRR! :-)

  5. Kay on June 1st, 2008 3:59 pm

    Amber, I researched it and yes, a head of lettuce is very comparable to a head of cabbage, but the lettuce is about a half cup more. That little bit can vary though in the size of the head. One place said that 1 pound of cabbage yields 4 cups (not counting the core that you’d take out). Hope that helps! And I hope the auction goes well!

    Sharon, strawberry scones recipe coming bright and early tomorrow morning. :)

    Barb, no thanks on the spice cupboard picture! Not until some organizing goes on anyway! I don’t buy bulk, mine are the regular ones you’d buy at a grocery store.

    Lisa, thanks for the feedback! That meatloaf is one of my favorites!

  6. Our Red House on June 2nd, 2008 11:17 pm

    It would help if you also added metric equivalents. Not every blog reader is American!

    Kate

13 Ingredient Substitutions, Thurs 13 #3

Posted on April 10, 2008
Filed Under Substitutions and Equivalents, Thursday Thirteens

thursdaythirteen300.jpg

I would really do well to live beside a grocery store. Somewhere that you don’t have to even cross a street to walk to it. Then, I could nickel and dime my checking account to death instead of giving it heart attacks with big grocery bills every week. There are people who live in houses that close. I envy them and wonder if they just run over when they need something or if they plan ahead, keeping their cupboards stocked and keeping a perpertual grocery list on the fridge for a once a week run.

Our grocery store is at the end of Main Steet. It would also be close enough to live on Main Street, above one of the stores. I still remember when I first found out that people live up there. I was 9 or 10. Every time after that, when we’d drive down Main St, I’d be looking up, not around. And dreaming of living up there one day, preferably in the one above the fudge shop. I’d sit out on the deck and watch the world go by and nobody would know I’d be watching because who looks way up when you’re shopping on Main St?! To be honest, I still look up there when I’m on Main St. Not because it’s still my dream to live up there, just because it still kind of intrigues me, I guess. I even took a picture of it a couple months ago, since I was on Main St with my camera anyway…
main-street.jpg

The street is snow-covered because the Birkebeiner Ski Race was going on… that’s why I was on Main Street with my camera. Looks like someone is hosting a Birkie party on their deck up there.

Anyway, since I don’t live in town and don’t plan my menus in advance, my big laminated ‘Ingredient Substitution Chart’ comes in handy pretty often. This is one time when I won’t run out of ideas before getting to #13… I could easy do a Thursday Thirty-three today!

I’ve tried substitutions on my own. Some of them worked, like substituting blown up marshmallows for marshmallow creme in this dip recipe. Others failed, like the time when we were first married and my brothers were overnight guests. My oldest brother is diabetic and late that night, I suddenly thought about it that I have nothing in the house for breakfast for him… no bacon, no English muffins, no eggs to make eggs or pancakes with, only sweetened cold cereal. Then, I thought about it that I could make biscuits from scratch and sausage gravy. In the morning, to my dismay, the sausage I thought I had happened to be hamburger, so I decided to try to spice it up to make mock sausage. Fast-forward about 20 minutes… my brothers are in the kitchen eating and as I’m walking towards the kitchen, I hear my younger brother (who’s back is toward me) mutter, “This is gross.” as my other brother gave him a ‘shut up, she’s coming’ look. They never said anything to me about it… I guess they knew not to attack a new cook on her cooking. I don’t remember if I hadn’t test-tasted it first or what, but I did later and yeah, he was right, it was gross.

1. When you’re out of unsweetened chocolate, for every ounce or square that is called for, substitute 3 Tbsp. cocoa and 1 Tbsp. fat or oil.

2. When you’re out of cornstarch (for thickening), for every tablespoon that is called for, substitute 2 Tbsp. flour.

3. When you’re out of whipped cream, chill a 13 oz. can of evaporated milk for 12 hours, add 1 tsp. lemon juice, whip until stiff, and measure according to recipe.

4. When you’re out of eggs, for every egg called for, substitute 1/4 cup egg substitute OR 3 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. thawed frozen egg OR 2 1/2 Tbsp. dry whole egg powder & 2 1/2 Tbsp. lukewarm water. Or, just make these cookies. ????

5. When you’re out of garlic cloves, for every clove called for, substitute 1/8 tsp. garlic powder.

6. When you’re out of flavored gelatin, for every 3-oz pkg called for, substitute 1 Tbsp. plain gelatin and 2 cups fruit juice (then omit the water you’d normally add to a 3-oz pkg).

7. When you’re out of fresh herbs, for every Tbsp. called for, substitute 1 tsp. dried.

8. When you’re out of lemon juice, for every tsp. called for, substitute 1/2 tsp. vinegar. But don’t do this for lemon meringue pie!

9. When you’re out of miniature marshmallows, for every cup called for, substitute 10 large marshmallows.

10. When you’re out of buttermilk, for every cup called for, substitute 1 cup plain yogurt OR 1 cup minus 1 Tbsp. milk  and 1 Tbsp. lemon juice or vinegar and allow to stand 5 or 10 min OR 1 cup milk and 1 3/4 tsp. cream of tartar.

11. When you’re out of fresh onions, for every small onion called for, rehydrate 1 Tbsp. minced onion.

12. When you’re out of shortening (for use in baking), for every cup called for, substitute 1 1/8 cups butter or margarine and decrease salt in recipe by 1/2 tsp.

13. This last one, I just recently got from a friend… when you’re out of sour cream, combine 1/4 cup skim milk, 1 Tbsp. lemon juice, 8 oz. cottage cheese, and 1/4 tsp. salt. Blend all in blender. Makes 1 cup sour cream.

And if you’re out of the substitute items (for example, no cottage cheese on hand to make the sour cream that you’re out of), I don’t know what to do about that either. I guess make something else or go to the store.

Don’t forget to go visit other Thirteeners over at Thursday Thirteen!

Comments

15 Responses to “13 Ingredient Substitutions, Thurs 13 #3”

  1. Dallas >^^< Meow on April 10th, 2008 8:37 am

    When you’re out of fresh herbs, for every Tbsp. called for, substitute 1 tsp. dried
    —-
    dried??????

  2. kay on April 10th, 2008 8:37 am

    I, too, love to cook, and I almost always substitute. It works just fine. Happy TT.

  3. Kay on April 10th, 2008 8:41 am

    Replying to the first comment… ‘dried’ as in ‘from the container in your spice rack’ is what I take it to mean. At least I don’t dry my own herbs! :)

  4. Tammy on April 10th, 2008 9:15 am

    Loved your TT. I didn’t know some of those and took note. Thanks

  5. Karen (Simply A Musing Blog) on April 10th, 2008 9:28 am

    Wow. Those are some great substitutions. I knew some of them (like the buttermilk, onion and herb ones) but many of them I didn’t know. Thanks for stopping by my blog – I’m the one who won all the scrapbooking stuff. If you lived closer, we could get together and have a scrap date! I’d share! Honest, I would! :)

  6. Colleen on April 10th, 2008 9:47 am

    Great list! I’ll have to bookmark this and come back to it!

    Thanks for visiting my T13!

  7. MAmaArcher on April 10th, 2008 9:54 am

    great list and I loved the photo!

    I often (for a healthier substitute) will use applesauce instead of oil in cakes.

  8. amy on April 10th, 2008 9:55 am

    What a helpful list this week, thanks so much!

  9. lisa on April 10th, 2008 10:07 am

    i needed this post tuesday. i was short on sour cream and didn’t know what to do. ended up adding some blueberry yogurt to top off the sour cream i did have. worked fine. i can taste it in the marble squares, but apparently it’s not too noticeable because marc hasn’t commented. i came on here to tell you-i made the meatloaf you posted a few thursdays ago for supper last night. marc’s brother brought his new girlfriend over. let’s just say, i’m BITTERLY disappointed there are no leftovers. mmmmm, i’m getting hungry just writing about it.

  10. Out and About in Dubai on April 10th, 2008 10:46 am

    thanks for the substitutions – will have to remember the lemon bit as I always seem to be out of it!

  11. Sassy Mama Bear on April 10th, 2008 11:56 am

    Thank you so much for visiting The Cafe today, I love finding other bloggers from WI. You live in a lovely area of the state too. I live near Oshkosh myself. Our main street is currently the set of a movie about John Dillinger, I shall not being going to see the madness now that the filming will be starting.
    I am going to add you to my reader so I can check in regularly and what a wonderful & useful TT you have this week.

  12. bits & pieces on April 10th, 2008 1:03 pm

    I LOVE this list! I’m always looking up substitutions. Thanks for sharing!

    Happy TT!

  13. Judi on April 10th, 2008 1:43 pm

    Great post. Good thing I only live about 7 miles from the store (only 1 from a party store)lol I didn’t have most of the “use this instead” stuff. The other day I got all the ingredients for your “Monster Cookies” and today I had to go back out because my Maintence Man ate most of the M&M’s. Can’t complain he brings in most of the money. Just can’t say “no” to that man. :) Happy TT

  14. Michelle on April 10th, 2008 10:14 pm

    Thanks for sharing those hints!! They could come in handy!!!

  15. Shannon on April 11th, 2008 6:40 am

    I think I need to print some of these off. :) Do another one if you have so many. :)