help! cooking for company now!

[Pasha Luber]

Hi all,

I am making Hearty Lasagna from the Complete CL and have a question: When measuring 2 cups of cottage cheese (or any wet stuff, like sour cream, peanut butter, etc) should I use the dry measuring cups or a liquid measure? I am leaning to the dry cup, but just wanting to confirm...

Thanks!!

PS - the container say 16 oz., but the label states 6 - 1/2 cup servings which would equal 3 cups, not two so I am not just tossing in the whole thing.

[lindrusso]

Pasha - I would go with the dry. Though the amounts should come out the same, I find it's easier to get an accurate amount with the dry (where you can level it off) than putting it in a liquid measure.

[laughsandlaughs]

I'd use the dry measure vs. a liquid measure since it's easier to level off. The absolute easiest measuring tool for mushy stuff...peanut butter, cottage cheese, brown sugar, etc is the Pampered Chef measuring cups that push the food up from the bottom so it comes out easily. It's amazing.

If it's extra cottage cheese it'll still be fine, lasagna isn't an exact science. I haven't gotten my April issue yet to check the recipe but here's a tip I hope they include. Make sure you let the lasagna sit at least 10 minutes after you remove it from the oven so that it can firm up a little bit and will be much easier to cut into presentable pieces. Happy entertaining!!

[funnybone]

I'd use the dry as well - but it really should not matter. As for the carton saying 16 oz, it could be the weight and not the volume.

[Pasha Luber]

Thank you all so much for the prompt replies. Looks like it is unanimous - dry measure it is. You guys are the best!

I love Pampered Chef - can't get enough... gotta go back to the kitchen.

[LGBurns]

Well, I have yet another thing to add to my list of things I've learned from this board (which I will be posting on lindrusso's thread as soon as it's compiled--which I have a feeling will be a while). I always threw in the whole carton of ricotta cheese, cottage cheese whatever if it said 8 oz and the recipe called for 1 cup assuming that 8 oz was 1 cup. It never occurred to me that the 8 oz would be weight (and I never looked at the package to see number of servings). Oops! Although I've never had a problem with my dishes turning out, I'm sure they weren't the same calories or fat content as the recipe called for since my cheese amount was off. Learn something new everyday!

[barbra2001]

Wow! I am in the same boat as you... but they always turned out.. guess it is good to learn something everyday!! oops! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gifBarbra

Originally posted by LGBurns:
Well, I have yet another thing to add to my list of things I've learned from this board (which I will be posting on lindrusso's thread as soon as it's compiled--which I have a feeling will be a while). I always threw in the whole carton of ricotta cheese, cottage cheese whatever if it said 8 oz and the recipe called for 1 cup assuming that 8 oz was 1 cup. It never occurred to me that the 8 oz would be weight (and I never looked at the package to see number of servings). Oops! Although I've never had a problem with my dishes turning out, I'm sure they weren't the same calories or fat content as the recipe called for since my cheese amount was off. Learn something new everyday!

[tobykitty]

Ummm....I must confess. I also just assume that 8oz containers were a cup and tossed it in. I don't recall every having any problems - thank goodness.

[LGBurns]

Aaaahhh. I feel so much better. It's so comforting to have company.

[Luiza]

This is why US should switch to the metric system http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif I don't know how the other Canadians on the board deal with all those funny ounces and fluid ounces and pints and quarts, but I have to work out all the quantities in mililiters and grams before I go shopping, otherwise I sit in front of two differently sized ricotta cheese containers for 10 minutes to decide how much those would be in ounces... But at least I can distinguish between dry and liquid measures. I too feel much better now http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

Luiza

[Pasha Luber]

Normally I am not one for public embarassment, but...
In my frantic post-work, pre-party frantic state, I had thought that my 24 oz container was a 16 oz container. Therefore a normal 16 oz package would have been fine to put into the recipe, and would have been two cups. Sorry for the confusion, I did not mean for people to start questioning their methods based on this!! Thanks for the help, all is well and the meal was great. Did love the Mocha Pudding Cake for dessert - super easy!