One of the most important things you can do to insure that your kiddo doesn’t just toss or even trade off their lunch, is simply by including them in the shopping and making process.  By letting them pick and help with their lunch, you’re making them feel like it is their lunch and not yours. Also, once your child gets the “packing a lunch” routine down, they’ll be able to help you out in the mornings, giving you one less thing to worry about.

LUNCHBOX TIPS THAT ARE FUN

• *Buy a cool lunchbox.  Gotta have a cool one you know!  You can also get a reusable bag and let them decorate it with markers and stickers.
• *Put some notes in their lunch.  These could say things like, “Have a great day!”, “Look under your sandwich for a surprise.”, or maybe you’re telling them a knock knock joke!  And for the smaller children that can’t read, try drawing a dog with the word “DOG” written above it. You get the idea yes?!
• *This blog is ‘My Wooden Spoon’ so did it ever occur to you to put wooden utensils in your kiddo’s lunch instead of plastic?

LUNCHBOX FOOD TIPS

• *Always include a healthy beverage such as Juicy Juice (100% All Natural Juice) and happens to be little man’s favorite!
• *Make it colorful with fruits and vegetables.
• *Create your own snack mix!  Try mixing up some pretzels, crackers, and cereal and for an added treat, throw in some Raisinets!  *MY FAVE*
• Change up the bread on the sandwiches. Try using tortillas and hot dog buns.
• Throw in a surprise like candy. Yes, I said candy.  You don’t have to do it everyday but what a nice little treat for them to have.  Our faves?  Well, mine is Wonka Gummies.  Gawd how I love these. And the boys are loving the Wonka Kazoozles.  All three boys in fact!  And there’s something about the name Wonka….they are known for their candy, the movie, and fun!

There are endless ways to mix things up with lunches. What tips do you have to share with those of us who are preparing for back to school?

This is where Kraft & Sam’s Club come into play. Both companies have partnered together to bring you a 2-Week Meal Planner. Their goal is to get you to the store  once and have meals to last 2 whole weeks, saving you money on frivolous grocery spending and gas to go back and forth! As an added bonus for Sam’s Club members, you can create a personalized cookbook!  If you’re not a member, you should be.  You can find a location near you with your zip code.  We love shopping at ours and it’s very handy for us to buy in bulk since we live out in the boonies so to speak.

Back to the meal planner.  I have downloaded it and already begun to make the recipes included in it.  They are very easy and have been very good!  I love that I have the meals all planned out for me but most of all, I love that they are easy to make.

Our first night of cooking with the meal planner was actually quite surprising. We chose to make the Di Giorno Pizza with BLT Topping.  We never buy just a cheese pizza, we always buy one with tons of toppings but this recipe called for the Rising Crust-Four Cheese.  It never occurred to us to add fresh toppings like the recipe called for which was a great way to add a little coolness during the hot day, not to mention the addition of veges.  My husband insisted that we start making our pizzas this way instead of buying one that’s loaded with other toppings. WHOA!  I think he must have fell in love with the bacon and ranch, don’t you?

Di Giorno Pizza with BLT Topping

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Di Giorno Rising Crust Pizza-Four Cheese
• 1⁄2 cup shredded lettuce
• 1⁄4 cup chopped tomatoes
• 4 slices Oscar May er Bacon, cooked, crumbled
• 2 Tbsp. ranch dressing

DIRECTIONS

Heat oven to 400°F.  Bake pizza as directed on package.  Serve topped with remaining ingredients.

I’ll be sharing more of the recipes over the next couple of weeks but I hope that you’ll go and download the 2-week meal planner yourself so we can try them together!!  How fun would that be. Then when I talk about one of the recipes, you can tell me if you’ve tried it and how you liked it!

OVER TO YOU

Are you a meal planner?  If not, do you think having a meal plan at your fingertips would make a difference, cooking & budgeting wise?  I love that it gives me new creative meal ideas for the future because I’m always running out of ideas on what to cook.  I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Have you been there? Have you devoured one of their cheesecakes?  Sadly, I have not but I really want to and I know you’re gonna laugh but I had no idea that served other food as well.  Hey, that’s the sheltered life of a country gal!

They have locations everywhere and even a couple down by Houston where I’ll be going in a week so maybe I can swing by and try one out!

Right now they’re having a contest that might interest you called Share the Celebration where you can win the following:

• o Trip for 4 to Florida – Airfare, Hotel, Disney Resort Passes and $1,000
• o Chance to win a $25 gift card, $500 in gift cards
• o Cheesecake for ONE YEAR!!

You can win a $25 Gift Card to The Cheesecake Factory by visiting their site and telling me which cheesecake you would try!  Just leave your comment below and you’re entered!

Additional ways to enter, leaving each one in a separate comment please.

• Fave me at Technorati
• Subscribe to my Newsletter
• Subscribe to my blog via email or RSS reader

Both the cheesecake factory and my own giveaway here Ends on June 30th so hurry!

Should you decide to make your own cheesecake, here are some tips to help you create the perfect cheesecake!

CHEESECAKE TIPS

• * Bring all ingredients to room temperature before mixing.
• * To soften cream cheese in the microwave: place unwrapped 8 oz. cheese in a microwavable bowl and microwave on high for 15 seconds. Add 15 seconds for each additional bar of cheese.
• * Mix filling only until combined. Don’t over mix.
• * Use a spring form pan so that the sides can be removed.
• * Place spring form pan on a shallow pan, like a pizza pan , or cover bottom and up one inch around the sides with aluminum foil to avoid leaks in the oven.
• * Place a shallow pan of water in rack below cheesecake to keep oven moist
• * A perfectly baked cheesecake will be puffed around the edges. When shaken, about an inch in diameter in the center should jiggle.
• * Store in the refrigerator, loosely covered, for up to four days.
• * The bottom of the pan can be removed from the cheesecake once the cake has firmed in the refrigerator. Use two spatulas to move cake to serving platter.
• * Cheesecakes taste best when brought to room temperature–about 30 minutes.
• * Securely wrap an already firm, about 4 hours in the refrigerator, cheesecake to be put in the freezer. Cheesecakes can be kept for up to 2 months in the freezer.
• * Thaw frozen cheesecake overnight in the refrigerator.

Here’s a few pics:)

Smash that garlic clove and peel off the outer layer.

Sprinkle your salt around..you’ll thank me later.

Without the salt, the garlic would be all over my hands and everything!!!  Believe me people, it makes a difference!

BINDERS, BINDERS, BINDERS

• 3-ring sheet, 6-l/2″x8-l/2″, with two recipe pockets on each side (4 total) Plastic pockets with paper “page” in center. Find ones to fit your existing cookbook binders.
• Use sheet protectors!!  I actually do this for many other important documents;)

FILING CABINET AIN’T JUST FOR THE OFFICE!

• Use a filing cabinet. Simply label a header under a general topic such as Pork, Desserts, Seafood, etc, then sublabel folders under them. For example, Desserts are further broken up into Pies, Puddings, Icecreams, etc.  Pork is further broken up into the categories of Mince, Cutlets, Ribs, etc. Then when you get a new recipe,  simply file it into the appropriate folder.

PUT THOSE CD’S & COMPUTER TO WORK

• After you’ve saved an assortment of recipes, try categorizing them in folders and burn them to a CD-RW.  Use a rewrite CD so you can go back and add to it.
• Create a Folder with sub-folders in My Documents.  When you find a recipe, highlight, copy, open up notepad or word, paste recipe, and save!  Then, when you’re ready to use a recipe, simply find it and print it:)

OUTLOOK EXPRESS DOES MORE THAN EMAIL

• While surfing, you’re bound to find recipes that you can email yourself so have a folder designated for those recipes.  Consider adding sub-folders for the different categories of food.

PHOTOS, SHMOTOS!

• Consider using a photo album.  Many recipes come on those cute little index cards.  Simply place it in a slot and viola, you’re done!

OLD FASHION PEN AND PAPER

•  Write down all recipes you’ve used or want to try in numbered spiral index cards. Number is on the top right hand outside corner. Then take the back page of a school spiral 8 1/2 x 11 paper and write down the favorites and ones you want to try with the number book they are in. This makes for a quick location.
• have – a folder of recipes to try and – a notebook of recipes to keep.The notebook is divided into “meat main dishes,” “one dish meals with meat,” “meatless main dishes,” “sides,” and “party food (desserts and dips and stuff).” When you try a recipe,  write down the date you tried it and leave it out on the counter until after dinner. If it turns out good,  move it to the “keep” notebook and put it in a page protector in the appropriate section. If the recipe needs something (more salt, less water, whatever),  write that on the recipe next to the date and put it back in the “try” folder. If it isn’t any good, it goes in the “circular file.”  If you want to use a recipe out of a cookbook,  print it using a scanner/copier so it can go into your “system.”  But the key to any system is to actually DO it. Your own systems might work fine, you just have to put the recipes where they belong when you’re done.

Some more resources for organizing your recipes!

Mom’s Online Recipe Organizer

Recipe Manager Software

Cath Kidston Ltd Recipe Organizer

Recipe Organizer Deluxe Software

Cook’n with Quick and Easy Collection Software

My Recipe File!

THINGS YOU’LL NEED:

• Pen and Paper
• 3 Ring Binder
• Tab Dividers (optional)
• Protective Plastic Sheets (optional)

STEPS:

1.  Take out a 3-ring binder and some loose-leaf paper.

2.  Label different sheets of paper with the following:

• Master Menu
• Master Weekly Plan. For this one, write down the days of the week, leaving three lines for each day.
• One page for each day of the week.

4.  Create a list of main dishes that you and your family enjoy on the Master Menu page you made. Do this quickly and without thinking, there will be time to edit and add on to the list later.

5.  Review your list. Is there anything on it that will take longer than 30 minutes of prep (not including cooking time)? Place a star by these items and reserve them for days when you have extra time such as the weekend or special occasions.
6.  Look over the remaining items, can any of them be classified into certain categories such as: Casseroles, Mexican or Sandwiches? Make notes by each one that can fit into topics.

7.  Determine the day you ordinarily go grocery shopping. Mark (on your Master Weekly Plan) the day before as “Leftovers”. For example, if you typically go grocery shopping on Tuesday, make Monday leftover night.

8.  Figure out whether you have a day in the week that is particularly busy. Mark this day as “Quick Meal”. For example, if you run errands on Thursday, mark Thursday as “Quick Meals.”

10.  Grab yet another piece of paper. This will be your Current Menu.

11.  Write down the days of the week until and including “Leftovers.” For example, if “Leftovers” is on Thursday, and today is Monday, write down Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Leave two lines for each day.

12.  Place “Leftovers” on the appropriate day.

13.  Determine what you have in the house and work from that, your Master Menu, and your Master Weekly Menu Plan to fill in the main dishes from now until leftover night. Make sure you have matching side dishes, if necessary, as well.

14.  Take out of the freezer whatever needs to be thawed for tonight’s dinner. Be sure to include whatever side dishes you may want.

15.  Create the menus for the following week in the same manner EXCEPT, you can decide what you want to make without worrying about what is already in the house (unless you want to, for example you want to get rid of that Mac & Cheese you bought a lot of because it was on sale).

16.  Cull your weekly grocery list from your current weekly plan.

17.  Repeat and continue updating and working with your Master Menu and Master Weekly Plan.

TIPS:

• If there are less than six items at the end of step 2, you may have to return to step 1 and re-brainstorm until you have at least six items, lest you don’t have enough for an entire week.
• Making the day before you go grocery shopping leftover night is a great way to clean out the fridge.
• Leftover night does not have to be a drag. Make it an event the family can look forward to by letting them know they can have their favorite dishes from the previous week.
  Depending on how many people you have in your family, a single family favorites night can be tricky. I have found that marking their initials or color coding your Master Menu with meals each family member enjoys. This way you can rotate favorites on a regular basis.
• “Quick Meals” are anything from frozen dinners to sandwiches to a trip to a fast food place. This differs from the panicked rush to McDonalds, Burger King, et al. in that you have planned for the trip and you can ask the kids what they want before you leave the house. Make sure they know that once you walk out the door, there will be no mind-changing on what they want.
• On the other hand, if your family is small enough (for example, 2 adults and 2 children). Give a night to your spouse and another for both of the children. One child gets even-numbered family nights and the other gets odd-numbered family nights.
• Alternatively, listen throughout the week for what your family is craving, place this dish on your Master Menu and plan to have the meal on an appropriate day. Be sure to pencil in the date it was served so you can keep track in case you need to ask what someone wants.
• Review your current menu as you create any night’s dinner and pull out what you’ll need for the next day. For example, if today is Tuesday and you’ll need chicken for Wednesday, take that out to thaw as well as any side dishes (such as potatoes for mashed potatoes) while making tonight’s dinner.
• Later you may wish to add tabbed dividers for each day of the week as well as placing any recipes into plastic protectors that you can put into your binder. This will make sure your recipes are both organized and free from the dangers of grease splatters as you cook.

WARNINGS:

If you plan on doing any kind of Italian Cooking, then olive oil is must.  I found a recipe that I’ll be trying out and, of course, you must have EVOO for it!

Italian Sausage Supper Stuffing

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pint grape tomatoes
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• Salt and pepper
• 1 pound hot Italian sausage
•  1 pound sweet Italian sausages
•  2 Cubanelle peppers, seeded and chopped
•  1 large red bell pepper, chopped
•   1 large onion, chopped
•   4 hot pickled cherry peppers, seeded and finely chopped, plus a splash of their juice
•  1/2 cup dry white wine
• 4 tablespoons butter
•   2 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups chicken broth
•  2 large cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
•  1/2 loaf Italian bread, split lengthwise
•  1/2 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano or pecorino-romano cheese (a couple generous handfuls)
•  1/3 cup flat-leaf parsley (a generous handful), finely chopped
•  1 cup basil leaves, coarsely chopped or torn

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 425°. Line a baking sheet with foil and scatter the tomatoes on top. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon EVOO and season with salt and pepper. Roast until tender, about 15 minutes.
2. While the tomatoes cook, in a medium skillet, add 1 tablespoon EVOO, 1 turn of the pan, the hot and sweet Italian sausages and enough water to fill the pan by 1/4 inch. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the liquid evaporates, 10 to 12 minutes. Cook until the casings brown, 3 to 4 minutes more.
3. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon EVOO, 1 turn of the pan, over medium-high heat. Add the Cubanelle peppers, red bell pepper and onion; season with salt and pepper. Cook until just tender, 7 to 8 minutes. Stir in the pickled peppers and their juice.
4. Remove the sausages from the skillet and cut into chunks. Add to the peppers and onions. Pour the white wine into the sausage skillet and, using a wooden spoon, scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Pour into the pepper-onion mixture.
5. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in the sausage skillet over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute, then whisk in the chicken broth and cook until reduced, about 2 minutes. Add the reserved tomatoes and mash into the liquid; reserve the baking sheet, discarding the foil. Cover the tomato gravy to keep warm.
6. In a microwaveable bowl, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon EVOO and the garlic. Microwave for 20 seconds. Brush the garlic butter over the bread, then sprinkle the cheese and parsley on top. Cut the bread into large cubes. Arrange the bread cubes on the reserved baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes.
7. Combine the garlic-bread cubes with the sausage-pepper-onion mixture, spoon into shallow bowls and top with the tomato gravy and basil.

LAST THOUGHTS

Now, I realize that there is a ton of ingredients but most of them are easy enough to get.  It’s from her 30 minute meal series so it shouldn’t take long to prepare.  I always like to try something new a couple of times during the month and I think this is one that my husband would love. 

If you decide to try it, let me know what you think or blog about it and leave me the url in the comments.  Also, I’m curious as to how many of you use olive oil on a regular basis?  If you don’t, why not?

1. Make sure it’s wrapped VERY well and/or put into a seal tight container.
2. Dates–Always date your freezer products to avoid freezer burn.

Freezer burn is dehydration of the food caused by improper packing, and wastes food.  If you don’t wrap your food well and/or leave it in your freezer for a century, then this will most likely happen to your food.

BASIC FREEZING TIPS:

• Your Freezer temperature should be below 0 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a thermometer to check the temperature.
• Freeze in smaller portions so the food cools faster and thaws faster for best quality.
• You can freeze ingredients for a casserole in individual packets (chicken, vegetables, cheese), then place the smaller packets into one large bag. Label well, including thawing and baking instructions, then freeze.
• Line casserole dishes with heavy duty foil before assembling. Fill casserole, freeze, then remove foil wrapped food and seal in ziplock heavy duty freezer bag. Place in original container to thaw and bake.

FOODS THAT DON’T FREEZE WELL:

• Cream or custard fillings, milk sauces, sour cream
• Cooked egg whites, icings made from egg whites
• Fried foods
• Irish potatoes, baked or boiled
• Cabbage*, celery, cress, cucumbers*, endives, lettuce, parsley, radishes (If the cabbage and cucumbers are pickled, then they should do alright.)

PACKAGING:

• Flexible Bags or Wrappings: Bags and sheets of moisture- and vapor-resistant materials, heavy-duty aluminum foil, and laminated papers are suitable for dry-packed vegetables and fruits, meats, fish, or poultry. Bags can also be used for liquid packs. Laminated papers are sometimes used as protective overwraps. Protective cardboard cartons may be used to protect bags and sheets against tearing and to make stacking easier. Lightweight (household) aluminum foil, wax paper and bread wrappers are not sufficiently moisture- and vapor-resistant to be suitable for long-term freezer storage.
• Regular glass jars break easily at freezer temperatures. If using glass jars, choose wide-mouth dual-purpose jars made for freezing and canning. These jars have been tempered to withstand extremes in temperature. The wide mouth allows easy removal of partially thawed foods. If standard canning jars with narrow mouths are used for freezing, leave extra headspace to allow for expansion of foods during freezing. Expansion of the liquid could cause the jars to break at the neck. Some foods will need to be thawed completely before removal from the jar.

COMMON QUESTIONS:

• How Long Will Food Remain Frozen if the Power Goes Off? Foods stay frozen longer if the freezer remains unopened, is full, is in a cool place and is well-insulated. Usually food in a loaded freezer will stay frozen for two to four days, depending on the size of the freezer. A half-filled freezer will keep food frozen only about 24 hours. Cover the freezer with blankets, keeping them away from the compressor, to help hold the cold.
• Can Food Be Refrozen if It Has Thawed? Foods that have only partially thawed and still have ice crystals in the package can be safely refrozen, though quality will be poorer. Meat, fish, poultry, prepared foods, vegetables and fruits can be refrozen if they have been kept at a temperature of 40 °F or below and if their color and odor are good. However, quality will be lower. If ice cream is partially thawed, throw it out. Its texture will not be acceptable and if its temperature reaches above 40 °F, it could be unsafe.

Now I’m a huge fan of the Foodsaver! If you freeze a lot of foods, I HIGHLY recommend you invest in one of these. This is especially handy if you buy your beef in bulk. You can break it up and vacuum seal several packages. Definitely a kitchen must!

• If you like to use insulated baking sheets, don’t run out to the store to buy them; you can simulate them by stacking one regular cookie sheet over another. Be especially careful when you take them out of the oven; the top sheet should be removed first.
• Bread Baking – Brush melted butter over the tops of breads and biscuits as soon as they are removed from the oven. This will make the crust soft and full of flavor.
• Freeze stale bread and then make croutons. Toast the bread first until it is crispy. Brush the bread slices with melted butter and sprinkle on garlic or onion powder, or your favorite herb blend. Then cut the bread into small cubes for croutons.
• Use an ice cream scoop to drop cookie dough. Your cookies will be uniform size and will bake evenly. If the dough is sticky, dip the scoop into water between scoops.
• Remove baked brownies from the pan and frost them upside down. They will cut easily into squares.
• Almost any quick bread can also be used to make muffins. Instead of making the bread into loaves, just put the batter into muffin cups (spray first) and bake at a slightly higher (25?) temperature. You also need to bake them a shorter length of time than a loaf.
• Add a pinch of baking soda to your frosting and the frosting will stay moist and prevent cracking.
• Do you bake pies? Especially Meringue? To stop the meringue from shrinking away from the sides of the pies, be sure that when you put the meringue on top, you make sure it touches the pastry all around the edge. This way, it will bake onto the pastry and will not shrink!
• Baking Cakes? Do you have a recipe for cake flour, but you only have all purpose flour on hand? Take your all purpose flour and sift the flour about 5 times! There, now you have cake flour!

Finally, if you have leftover cookie dough be sure to enjoy eating every last bite of it!

Here are two good methods for melting chocolate so that it is smooth and glossy.

In a Microwave Oven
Place coarsely chopped chocolate in a microwave-safe container and microwave at MEDIUM (50 percent power) for 1 1/2 to 4 minutes, until the chocolate turns shiny. Remove the container from the microwave and stir the chocolate until completely melted. Stir milk and white chocolates after about 1 1/2 minutes. Because of their milk proteins, they need to be stirred sooner than dark chocolate. (If overheated, these chocolates may become grainy.)

In a Double Boiler
Place coarsely chopped chocolate in the top of a double boiler over hot, not simmering, water. Melt the chocolate, stirring until smooth. Remove the top part of the double boiler from the bottom.

Tempering InstructionsUsing a microwave oven in combination with the time-honored professional method of tempering chocolate on a smooth, hard work surface (preferably marble) is quickly done in 10 to 30 minutes, depending on the amount of chocolate being tempered. Although some manufacturers suggest you melt chocolate with the microwave oven set on HIGH (100 percent) power, it is a good idea to reduce this to MEDIUM (50 percent) power for even melting and to avoid overheating. Because milk and white chocolates contain milk proteins, they need to be removed from the microwave and stirred sooner than dark chocolate. If overheated, milk and white chocolates can become grainy.

Temper chocolate in a clean, dry microwave-safe glass bowl. Use a dry, rubber spatula to stir the melted chocolate. The slightest amount of moisture will cause the chocolate to seize.

Use an accurate easy-to-read thermometer when tempering or making hand-made chocolates. We recommend a digital pocket thermometer or an instant read dial thermometer with l-degree increments. Do not use a candy (deep fat frying) thermometer because the temperature gauge does not register low enough.

For an accurate temperature reading, the thermometer must be immersed in at least 2 inches of melted chocolate. If the chocolate is not deep enough, insert the stem of the thermometer at an angle. Do not let the tip of the thermometer touch the bottom or sides of the bowl because this can give a false reading. Always stir the chocolate thoroughly for at least 1 minute before reading the thermometer. The temperature of the chocolate will continue to rise even after it has been removed from the microwave.

Once the chocolate has been tempered, set the bowl on a heating pad (such as the type used for backaches). First wrap the heating pad with plastic to protect it from dripping chocolate. This is a simple and nearly foolproof way to maintain the temperature of the tempered chocolate. As you work, stir the chocolate frequently and turn the control dial on and off to control the temperature of the chocolate. You must be diligent in this; it is very easy for the tempered chocolate to overheat and to go out of temper, even when warmed gently by a heating pad.

1. Chop the chocolate into 1/4-inch chunks. Put half of the chocolate in a 1 1/2 quart microwave-safe bowl. (Use a 1 quart bowl when tempering 8-ounces of chocolate or less. When tempering more than 2 pounds of chocolate, use a larger bowl.) Microwave uncovered on MEDIUM (50 percent) power for 1 1/2 to 6 minutes, stirring every 1 1/2 minutes, until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Stir in the remaining chocolate chunks.
2. Microwave uncovered on MEDIUM (50 percent) power for 1 1/2 to 5 minutes, stirring every 60 seconds, until the chocolate is almost completely melted. Gently stir the chocolate and when it is completely melted, check the temperature. It should read between 110 and 120 degrees F (or the temperature recommended by the manufacturer.) If necessary, put the chocolate back in the microwave set on low (10 percent) power for 5 to 10 second intervals, until it reaches the correct temperature. (Stir the chocolate for at least 1 minute before checking the temperature.)
3. Transfer the melted chocolate to another 1 1/2-quart (or a smaller or larger bowl depending on the amount of chocolate being tempered.) This will bring the temperature of the chocolate down to approximately 100 degrees F.
4. Wrap a heating pad (normally used for backaches) in plastic to protect it from chocolate stains. Set the control dial to the lowest setting.
5. Pour one-third of the melted chocolate onto a clean, dry work surface (such as marble or Formica). Keep the remaining chocolate in the bowl on the heating pad.
6. Using an offset metal cake spatula, spread the chocolate evenly across the work surface into a rectangle. Using a pastry scraper, bring the chocolate together, and as you do so, scrape the chocolate off the spatula. Continue this spreading and scraping process until the chocolate cools to 80 to 82 degrees F for milk and white chocolates and 82 to 84 degrees F for dark chocolate, loses its shine and forms a thick paste with a dull matte finish. Work quickly so that the chocolate does not lump. This process can take anywhere from 2 to 10 minutes, depending on the amount of chocolate, the type and brand of chocolate as well as the temperature of the kitchen. The chocolate is now seeded. The professional term for this is “mush.”
7. Add the mush to the bowl of 100 degrees F chocolate and using a clean, dry rubber spatula, stir the chocolate gently, until smooth. Be careful not to create air bubbles as you stir the chocolate.
8. Check the temperature of the chocolate. It should register between 86 and 91 degrees F depending on the type and brand of chocolate. (In general, dark chocolate should register between 86 to 90 degrees F and milk and white chocolates should register between 86 to 89 degrees F.) If necessary, heat the bowl of chocolate in the microwave on LOW (10 percent) power for 5 to 10 second intervals, to raise the temperature the required number of degrees. (Stir the chocolate for at least 1 minute before checking the temperature. Be very careful not to overheat the chocolate.) The chocolate is now ready to work with. As you work, regularly stir the chocolate and check its temperature. Adjust the temperature and fluidity of the chocolate by turning the heating pad on and off. If for some reason the chocolate becomes too cold, simply reheat it in the microwave oven set on LOW (10 percent) power for 5 to 10 second intervals. (Stir the chocolate for at least 1 minute before rechecking the temperature.) Never let its temperature exceed 92 degrees F, or the stable cocoa butter crystals will start to melt and the temper will be lost.