Chocolate bowls are the perfect way to serve up all kinds of delicious treats.
Yes, you can make chocolate bowls at home! Just melt (in the microwave or a double boiler) chocolate–white, milk or dark chocolate will do, and you can even melt candy bars with almonds and other bits of goodness already in them. Dip a balloon into the melted chocolate, and dip again into a bowl of candy sprinkles. Once the chocolate cools and hardens, carefully deflate the balloon with a pin prick and toss it.
Remove cherry pits before you serve a bowl of cherries and you won’t have to worry about your kids chocking on the pits–or spitting them out at their siblings. First, wash the cherries. Use a narrow-necked bottle, like a wine bottle or an old-fashioned soda bottle. If the cherry has […]
Keep ice cream soft and ready for the whole family to enjoy with one simple trick: a freezer bag. No one likes to wait for ice cream to soften–especially kids! When you bring your favorite frozen confection home from the store, put it in a Ziploc bag before you put it […]
Keep basil fresh for up to a week with a simple cup of water. This method is similar to keeping a bouquet of cut flowers fresh. First, trim the stems of the basil with a sharp knife. Then, place the bunch into a glass of water. Cover with a plastic […]
Portion snacks before you indulge yourself so you’ll never have to say, “I can’t believe I ate that whole bag of cookies!” It’s easy to keep reaching into a bag of chips or a package of chocolate chip cookies until there’s nothing left. And then you feel bad. Enjoy your snacks […]
Cook pasta with less water and less mess. Most packaged pasta advises you to boil something like six quarts of water before adding the dry pasta. Then, once the pasta is cooked, you end up pouring all that water down the drain (and sometimes getting burned by the steam while […]
Fluffy mashed potatoes are everybody’s favorite, and now you can make them easily with one simple trick. The perfect fluffy mashed potatoes have a secret ingredient: baking powder. Here’s a simple recipe for mashed potatoes, with just a touch of baking powder. You won’t be able to see it or […]
DIY baking mixes save time and money, and give you the chance to enjoy homemade baked goods whenever you’re in the mood to bake. You can make specialty mixes–for example, corn bread, gluten-free mix, or cake mix–ahead of time with recipes found here. When you have a craving for some fresh-baked goodies, […]
Decorate cookies at the holidays–or any time of year–without the hassle of special tools. (Yes, there are special tools for this task, but you can do it for a fraction of the cost!) Decorating cookies and cakes adds some cheer to dessert–and it’s a fun way to keep the kids busy. […]
Edible Christmas trees are simple to make and delicious to eat. All you need is pita bread, guacamole and some pretzel sticks. You can add tomatoes or sour cream for some extra pizazz. Make your own colorful and healthy Christmas appetizer with these simple ingredients. Cut pita bread into wedges […]
Cook bacon without the mess and keep all the flavor. The best part of bacon is its juicy goodness… and what’s the best way to keep all those juices in one place? Here’s the one simple trick for evenly cooked bacon with no oil splatters: cook it in a waffle iron. Just lay […]
Chill wine the easy, efficient and stylish way: use frozen grapes. No time to chill your wine? Don’t even think about adding ice cubes, which will quickly dilute the wine. Instead, keep some frozen grapes handy in your freezer. Add the grapes to the grown-up “grape juice” and for a […]
Make celery crisp and fresh and ready for peanut butter once more. Since celery comes in bunches–and let’s face it nobody eats an entire bunch of celery in one sitting–you might have some leftover stalks that have lost their juicy crispness. No worries! Cut the tops and bottoms off of […]
Cookies are everyone’s favorite–especially during the holidays. You’ve probably spent a lot of time cooking up your mom’s favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. Now here’s the way to wrap up those treats with style. For a holiday cookie swap, or just bringing treats over to the neighbors, forget about the standard paper […]
Cocoa is always a favorite, and the peppermint version is especially delicious. You can add a few marshmallows for the little ones, or some vodka for that uncle who is looking for something “festive.” When you’ve got a house full of guests, a stovetop brimming over with holiday food, and […]
Peel garlic with no tools, no knife and no special gadget. All you need is a container with a lid–an empty glass or plastic jar works perfectly. First, separate the cloves. Then put them in the container and shake vigorously. You can watch the peels separate from the cloves as […]
