Food Volume and Weight Equivalents Part 3

Written Monday, January 18th, 2010 by Penny Hawkins

NOTE: Sorry everyone...this is a re-post! I tried to post this on my way out of town on Friday and it posted before Anne's Haiti post instead of after. I figured hardly anyone saw it so I thought it would be best to post it again the right way!!

Today's post is about volume and weight equivalents for vegetables, and it's one of my favorites because I find myself using this information almost every time I cook! It drives me crazy when a recipe indicates "2 tbsp. sliced green onion", or "1/2 cup celery, chopped", and I have to guess how many onions or stalks of celery I need! It seems like I always chop too little or too much (usually too much), so then I have to find a way to use up the extra (the thrifty Pennsylvania Dutch girl in me just won't let me throw it away).

So... I hope you find these equivalents as helpful as I do...they seem to come in handy quite often in my kitchen!

Carrots: 1 pound = 3 cups chopped or sliced; 2 ½ cups shredded

Celery: 1 medium rib = ½ cup chopped

Corn: 2 medium ears = 2/3 to 1 cup kernels

Cucumbers: 1 pound = 3 cups sliced

Green Onions: 1 onion = 2 tbsp. sliced

Lettuce (Iceberg): 1 ½ lbs. (1 medium head) = 10 cups torn

Lettuce (Romaine): 1 lb. (1 medium bunch) = 6 cups torn

Mushrooms (button): 1 lb. = 6 cups sliced (raw); 2 cups sliced (cooked)

Onions: 1 lb. (4 medium) = 2 to 3 cups chopped

Peppers (green or red sweet): 2 large = 2 ½ rings or strips

Potatoes (new): 8 to 10 = 1 lb.

Potatoes (russet): 1 pound (3 medium) = 3 ½ cups chopped; 2 to 3 cups mashed

Spinach (fresh): 1 pound = 12 cups torn; 1 cup cooked

Tomatoes: 1 pound (3 medium) = 1 ½ to 1 ¾ cups chopped

Food Volume and Weight Equivalents Part 2

Written Tuesday, January 12th, 2010 by Penny Hawkins

Today's post continues our series that started last week on food volume and weight equivalents. I know that some of you may be wondering why anyone would need or want to know information about volume and weight equivalents. Why should you care how many teaspoons of grated peel you can get from an orange? How could this possibly be useful? Trust me HHMers, I have been cooking for a very long time and I still find myself needing information just like this on a regular basis! I promise...knowing how many oranges you need to get 4 tsps. of grated peel will help you plan your grocery list, and save you time and money as well!

So check out today's information on volume and weight equivalents for grains, then print it out and put it somewhere handy...I guarantee that someday soon you will have a reason to use it!

P.S. You need 1 medium-sized orange to get 4 tsps. of grated peel.

Barley: 3/4 cup uncooked pearl or 1-1/4 cups uncooked quick cooking = 3 cups cooked

Flour (all-purpose): 1 pound = 3-1/2 cups

Flour (whole wheat): 1 pound = 3- 3/4 cups

Macaroni: 1 cup (3-1/2 oz.) uncooked = 2 cups cooked

Noodles (medium): 3 cups (4 oz.) uncooked = 4 cups cooked

Oats (quick cooking): 1-1/2 cups uncooked = 3 cups cooked

Oats (rolled): 1 cup uncooked = 1-3/4 cups cooked

Rice (brown, long-grain, or wild): 1 cup uncooked = 3 cups cooked

Spaghetti: 8 oz. uncooked = 5 cups cooked

What a gift

Written Sunday, December 6th, 2009 by TrishB

Just when you thought you had recovered from Thanksgiving you realize that the holidays are only weeks away.  While a wonderful time is spent with family and friends, holidays are often overshadowed by gift giving mayhem.

We live in a time of midnight sales, internet shopping, gift cards, and the latest and hottest presents. Homemade gifts are a thing of the distant past.  This year in particular has been tough for many.  Why not take a break from the commercialism that defines the holiday season.


Here are some of my favorite delicious items from HHM members that can be given as gifts. They are inexpensive to prepare and will almost certainly be met with joy by the recipient.

Try Amanda’s Peppermint Bark, ambyrd21‘s Chocolate Meringues, GuiltyKitchen’s Idle Hand Bars, Theresa111‘s Coconut Macaroons, Sarah’s Lemon Bars, Annacia’s Pecan Clusters, dollydoesdesserts Dolly does the Hello Dolly Bars, chilly’s Peanut Butter Bars, Lady Gourmet’s Rice Krispy Treats, Amanda’s Holiday Snowball Cookies, or KarenB’s Holiday Cheesecake Squares.  These are baked goods that can be wrapped in cellophane with a beautiful ribbon.

If you still have time after making our members mouth watering treats, try this simple recipe for chocolate bark.

Marshmallow Bark

1 lb. bittersweet or milk chocolate, chopped (can also combine the 2)

2 cups miniature marshmallows

1 1/2 cups pecan pieces, lightly toasted

Line a jelly roll pan with waxed or parchment paper. Melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of hot water.  Stir frequently until chocolate is melted and smooth.  Remove from heat.



Stir in 1 1/2 cups of the marshmallows and 1 cup of the pecans.  Pour the mixture into the pan and spread with a spatula (about 1/2 inch thick). Sprinkle the remaining pecans and marshmallows over the top.  Press gently into the chocolate.


Refrigerate the bark until completely firm.  About 2 hours. Break or cut into chunks.  Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day or in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Make Your Own Meal Kits

Written Thursday, October 15th, 2009 by Penny Hawkins

Some of you might remember my post from last July where I described some of my favorite supermarket shortcuts from the freezer. In that post, one of the shortcuts I listed was Jimmy Dean Breakfast Scrambles, which my husband and I love for a quick meal anytime. They are soeasy and convenient that I usually have one of these handy little time-savers in the freezer at all times! A few days ago, after we had another of our “breakfast scramble” suppers, I started thinking that it would be cool to try and make my own kits and see if I could do it for less money. Since my husband’s favorite breakfast scramble is sausage, I decided to try and copy that one first. 

After a quick trip to the store for ingredients, I am delighted to say that my experiment was a success. For the same price as one Jimmy Dean Sausage Breakfast Scramble (purchased at the local Superstore for $3.48), I was able to purchase enough ingredients to create three kits of my own, equal in size to Jimmy Dean’s, for just $2.65 each! In addition to the great savings, the best part was that I had total control over what went into my kits! I like that there were no worries about excessive sodium, that I could adjust the ingredients to suit our tastes, and that I could make it healthier by using turkey breakfast sausage instead of pork sausage.

Now that I know how easy and economical it is to make my own meal kits, I plan to experiment with some more and blog about it in future posts (so stay tuned)! If you have any meal kit ideas, please give me a shout out…maybe your idea will be a feature on Food for Thought here at Half Hour Meals!

Penny’s Breakfast Skillet Meal Kit:

In a large skillet, brown turkey breakfast sausage in vegetable oil; remove from skillet and drain on paper towels. In a large bowl, combine cooled turkey sausage with potatoes and pepper/onion mix and toss ingredients to combine evenly. Divide mixture in equal amounts among three gallon-size freezer bags (I found scooping it out with a one-cup measure worked great). Label and freeze, use within 6 months. Note: Since you only need 1 ½ lbs. turkey sausage for the recipe and it’s sold in 1 lb. rolls, you obviously have to buy two lbs. I cook it all, and then just freeze the extra ½ lb. for use later (or use it to make up a quick quiche)!

To prepare Breakfast Skillet:

In a large pan, heat vegetable oil over medium heat. When oil is hot, add contents of Breakfast Skillet Kit. Cook Breakfast Skillet until potatoes are beginning to brown and onions and peppers are soft. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk eggs and milk until combined. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, push Breakfast Skillet to one side of the pan; pour egg mixture into the empty half of the skillet. Using a wooden spoon, constantly stir and scrape the eggs until they begin to scramble. Once eggs are scrambled, stir to combine with Breakfast Skillet. Remove from heat and serve.

Variation: Breakfast Skillet Kits make a great frittata!

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Take contents of one kit, thawed, and arrange in a greased 9-inch pie pan. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs and milk; pour over breakfast skillet mixture; sprinkle with pepper. Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes. Top with shredded cheese and bake an additional 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted and beginning to brown.

Double-Batch Cooking

Written Thursday, August 14th, 2008 by Penny Hawkins

To save time in the kitchen you could eat out all the time, or you could rely on frozen entrees, pizzas and “blue box� macaroni and cheese. While these options certainly save time, they can be expensive and not especially nutritious. So what else can you do? Believe it or not, sometimes the best way to save time in the kitchen is to spend time in the kitchen. Wait! Before you turn off your computer and head for the local burger joint, hear me out. What I am talking about is simply spending the few extra minutes it takes to make a double batch of a recipe- one for tonight, one to freeze for later.

The key to successfully implementing this time-saving strategy is to make it a habit to plan ahead before you spend time in the kitchen. Find recipes that freeze well and are easily doubled, allow yourself additional time to make a double batch (usually just a few extra minutes), make sure you have space in your freezer, and make sure you have the tools you need, such as freezer containers, bags, foil and tape. Also, make sure you know the guidelines for the safe storing and freezing of foods, as well as foods that do not freeze well (More about that in my next bog!).