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 […]
It’s fun to eat a popsicle no matter how old you are. Don’t let the fear of sticky hands keep you from enjoying a lemon popsicle, a “rocket” or even the perennial favorite: the fudgsicle. Whether your kids are chasing the ice cream man, or you’re one of the only […]
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 […]
Frozen yogurt pops are a delicious, refreshing low-calorie treat. Kids love them so much they might not even realize the pops are made from healthy ingredients! Now you can make your own pops at home. You’ll save money and you can control exactly what goes into your kids’ warm-weather treats. […]
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 […]
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 […]
Campfire bacon brings bacon to new heights, and it’s a whole lot more satisfying than marshmallows and graham crackers. When you’re out camping with the guys, do you really want to make something your little sister made to get a badge in melted chocolate? Didn’t think so. All you need […]
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, […]
Crimp pie crust the simple way and you can serve a pie that looks like it was made by a professional baker. When making pie from scratch (or making store-bought crust look homemade), you could use a specialized crimper to crimp the edges of your pie crust. If you can’t seem to […]
Frozen yogurt pops are a delicious, refreshing low-calorie treat. Kids love them so much they might not even realize the pops are made from healthy ingredients! Now you can make your own pops at home. You’ll save money and you can control exactly what goes into your kids’ warm-weather treats. […]
Jar salad is so easy and healthy, and a week of salad in a jar is the best way to ensure a week of healthy lunches. Think about the things you love in a salad: greens, carrots, corn, maybe some pine nuts or pecans, chopped egg… even anchovies! Before you begin […]
