My mom came up with a great idea to beat the clock when hosting a large dinner. She mashes her potatoes early in the day and keeps them warm in a slow cooker. She simply covers the cooker and sets…
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I like to use my slow cooker to make chicken or beef stock. I just combine the ingredients and let the mixture simmer. This way, I don’t have to be home to keep a close watch on a kettle on the…
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At my house, broken snack crackers go into a jar sealed with a lid. When the jar gets full, I process the crackers into crumbs. They're economical, handy and tastier than plain bread crumbs.…
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If your flour tortillas are too stiff to roll into burritos, enchiladas or veggie wraps, place them between two damp microwave-safe paper towels and warm them in the microwave oven. Check the…
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Cold butter is difficult to serve and spread, so I place a stick in the butter dish and slice with a sharp knife into 1-teaspoon sections (resembling the single-serving pats in restaurants). The…
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When our 2-year-old wants his spaghetti now, I pour the sauce right from the jar over hot cooked pasta and stir fast. The temperature is just right to feed him immediately. Sometimes I mix pureed…
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In a pinch, use a strand of uncooked spaghetti instead of a toothpick to test a cake for doneness. —Opal Tyler, Chesapeake, Virginia
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When making baking powder biscuits, I roll the dough into a log and slice it rather than drop it by spoonfuls. This speedy method creates nicer-looking biscuits. —Lou W., Rockford, Illinois
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A visit to the supermarket salad bar saves me a great deal of time (and mess) after a busy day. For a tossed salad, I buy a head of lettuce and pick up the rest of the vegetable fixings already…
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I’ve found that I save a lot of time and guesswork when cooking or baking by writing the name of the spice or herb on the lid of the glass or tin container with a fine-point marker. I also add the…
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