The taste of “watered down” drinks once ice cubes dissolve into the original drink can leave it tasting flat and lifeless; an essence in which I find unappealing. Whether you want to eliminate the watery blahs of your beverage or add an extra zing to your drink, with only a few ingredients you can prepare your favorite frozen flavors to spark up any drink.

The essential ingredients you need for flavored ice cubes include your choice of fruit juices, liquefied jellies, or your favorite flavor liquor. (For additional flavors and colors, try using pre-made Kool-Aid). All you need is an empty ice cube tray; fill the tray with your flavor of choice, then freeze. Remove and add cubes to your drink.

You may also want to make decorative ice cubes to dress up a punch bowl for all occasions. Drained maraschino cherries, mint sprigs, citrus peels, small berries, and apple, peach, pear, or pineapple chunks are ideal to use for decorations. First, fill an ice cube tray one-third full with water, and then place it into the freezer until cubes are partially frozen. Next, remove tray and place your fruit items of choice into the cubes. Fill the remaining space in the tray with water and place back in the freezer until completely frozen. For an added dazzle to your fruit cubes, try using sparkling water or lemon-lime flavored drinks.

If you really want to make an impression, create a frozen fruit ring to float gracefully in any punch bowl. You will need sugar, one 8-ounce bottle of lime juice from concentration, water, and fruits of your choice. Dissolve ¾ cups of sugar in the lime juice in a quart size container, and then add 3 cups of water. In a 5-cup ring mold, pour ¾ cup of the mixture, then add the fruit items. Freeze. Once frozen, pour the remaining mixture on top of the frozen mold. Freeze again. To remove the frozen fruit ring from the mold, quickly dip it into water, and then it’s ready to set afloat in your punch bowl.

Polynesian Tropical Island Theme Party. How to Organize a Tropical Island Theme Party with authentic Polynesian recipes, desserts, drinks and decorating ideas.

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You’ve read your recipe. Now it’s time to go shopping for all the ingredients to create your culinary masterpiece.

Make a list of what you need.
Do you have any ingredients in stock? Do you have enough for your recipe? Are the ingredients still fresh or have they spoiled? List what you’re missing and how much you need. If you’re just cooking for one or two, don’t get the family packages of perishables unless you can freeze the extra and use it up before it gets freezer burn. Most dry spices keep quite a while, but can lose potency if stored in warm, damp areas.

Check the food ads.
See what’s on sale. There’s no sense in paying more than you have to. Consider how many people you’re cooking for and how much refrigerator and freezer space you have. Nothing is a bargain if you can’t store it long enough to cook and eat it. A large roast, for example, can be chopped into meal-sized pieces and frozen, or you can cook the whole thing, eat what you want, and save the rest for sandwiches, stews, casseroles, and snacks — if you have the refrigerator or freezer space to store it.

Using coupons: Coupons can save you money or cost you.
If the coupon is for something you would have bought anyway, it’s worth using. If it’s just a different brand, the coupon makes it cheaper than your regular brand, and you can’t taste the difference, use it. If the only reason you’re buying the product is to use the coupon, forget it! If it’s something new that you’d like to try, and you don’t have to buy a large quantity, look at the price and decide if it’s worth the money to you. Go ahead and treat yourself occasionally. Little treats make it easier to stick to a healthy routine the rest of the time.

How much should you buy?
Most supermarkets have the prices marked on the shelves, and show a unit price on the ticket. Sometimes the larger package costs less per pound, or ounce, or whatever unit is used. Sometimes the smaller package is actually the better buy. Small calculators are so inexpensive nowadays that getting one to take shopping with you can save you money, especially when one brand, for example, lists the price per pound and another shows the per ounce price.

With foods that have to be frozen or refrigerated, or fresh fruits and vegetables that spoil quickly (known as “perishables”) only buy as much as you can use before they perish. The fresher it is, the better the flavor and nutrition, so, even though you can keep a lot of stuff in the freezer for long periods, it’s better not to keep it for more than a few weeks. (Keep track of what’s in the freezer–date everything as it goes in–so that nothing gets buried in the back or bottom for years at a time.)

It’s real easy to overbuy when things are on sale. Then you risk either having to eat so much of it that you can’t stand the thought of it for a long time afterward, or being forced to throw out some of it when it spoils.

Are national brands worth the price? Are house or generic brands just as good as the national brands?

All of the major chain supermarkets have house brands or plainly packaged generic products. Some chains have both. Check out your local chains, try the house products, and decide for yourself when (or if) you want to spend a little more for the national brand. If you really prefer a national brand, especially in non-perishables, watch the ads, and when it goes on sale, stock up. Many of the house brands are made by the same companies that make the national brands. The only difference is that the supermarket chain buys in quantity, and the manufacturer has no advertising expense.

Staple supplies that every kitchen needs.
All-purpose flour, cornstarch (for thickening gravy), assorted noodles and pasta, rice, oils (vegetable, olive, peanut), vinegar (white wine, red wine, apple cider, plain distilled), canned soups (beef broth, chicken broth, tomato, cream of mushroom), assorted spices and flavorings (dried minced onion, oregano for Italian dishes, salt, pepper, any others you like.)Buy small quantities on new items and taste test before stocking up.

Other good things to keep on hand.
Canned meats and vegetables, mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup, favorite salad dressings, horseradish sauce, ready-to-eat cereal, quick cooking oatmeal, Cream of Wheat, Cream of Rice, grits, gravy mixes, drink mixes, any other favorite foods.

With these basic pointers you should be well on your way to having a well stocked kitchen and great cooking experience.

Free Groceries Using Manuf. Vouchers!
Learn how to use techniques that will get you the exact same name brand products you always buy, but for half price (some even 100% free) without clipping coupons.

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Have you ever been in a restaurant and had a dish that was so delicious you said to yourself “I wish I had the recipe to make this dish at home”. Well, now you can.

Many restaurants are famous for their signature dishes. Customers come back and back again for a great dish that can not be found in any other restaurant. But what if you had the recipe and can make it at your own home? Can you see not only how much money you can save by not having to eat out all the time, but also how popular you could be at parties and family get togethers.

There are a few books and recipe guides that you can buy inexpensively that show you the exact way to recreate your favorite meal, whether it is from that famous Italian restaurant, that famous Tex-Mex Restaurant or fun restaurant that you visit every weekend. There are dozens of recipes that will keep you salivating the whole week. If your spouse loves restaurant food, then you are going to make him or her so happy.

So if you ever sat in a restaurant and asked how’d they do that? Just get one of these famous recipe books and find out their secrets. Bon Appetite!

The Secret Recipes for Your Favorite Dishes. Learn the jealously guarded secrets behind actual dishes from The Cheesecake Factory, KFC, The Olive Garden, McDonalds,Red Lobster, Hard Rock Cafe…(far too many to list here) and learn how to easily cook them yourself!

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