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 […]
Hard boiled eggs are a culinary workhorse: you can use them to make egg salad or deviled eggs, chop them up for a Cobb salad, or take one with you for a quick protein pick-me-up. Now, you can cook these little treasures the easy way. If you’re already using the oven, […]
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 […]
A lunch hack is exactly what you need to make the most of your weekdays. Who has time to fuss with lunch? This is an awesome time-saver! You’ll save money, too, if you cook an entire chicken (or save even more time and buy a rotisserie chicken at your local […]
Roast a turkey overnight to get an exceptionally moist and juicy bird and you’ll free up the oven for cooking appetizers and sides. A few points to note: Do not stuff the turkey (cook the stuffing separately–you might want to cook it in a muffin tin for fun); Use a roasting rack […]
Edible ornaments? Yes, and they are so easy to make that you’ll wish you’d known about this DIY project ages ago. All you need are some crushed candy canes, metal cookie cutters, and a little DIY genius. Oil a cookie sheet (and the inside of the cookie cutters), add the crushed candy, […]
You’re hungry, in a bit of a hurry (no time to go out for breakfast), and you decide to make an omelette. The thing is, your housemate has taken all the eggs out of their carton and stuck them in the refrigerator’s egg holder. Great–the eggs are organized but you […]
Measure gooey ingredients the simple way, by coating your measuring spoon first with a non-stick cooking spray. When you’re measuring honey, agave, molasses, or even maple syrup into a recipe, it’s likely to get stuck to the measuring spoon. Try this simple cooking hack: lightly spray the spoon with non-stick […]
Candy cane frosting is perfect for holiday cookies and cakes. This easy frosting is lighter than traditional frosting–and quick to make. In fact, it’s so simple you can invite your husband–we mean, your kids–to help you make it. Start with some candy canes of any size. Place them in a brown […]
Grate some butter for baking, or cheese for a pizza, or even crayons for your kids’ art project (sure… it’s “for the kids”). A grater comes in handy for all sorts of things in the kitchen–including burnt cookies. Whether you sliced them from a package or made them from scratch, […]
DIY whipped cream is easy to make and delicious! For mouthwatering desserts and drinks, you can make your own fresh whipped cream, even without a mixer. Start with a small carton of heavy whipping cream (Trader Joe’s carries this), add a big pinch of sugar and half a teaspoon natural […]
