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 […]
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 […]
Keep cheese fresh with butter. No more nasty green edges or funky white dots (those are mold) on your cheese with this easy cooking hack. Planning a wine and cheese party? Just a dab of butter will make that delicious and expensive cheese last longer. Rub a bit of butter on […]
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 […]
A paper towel is just what you need to keep lettuce fresh for a few extra days. This can mean the difference between enjoying a salad with your dinner or having to trek out to the store to replace the lettuce that’s quickly gone bad in the fridge. The towel absorbs […]
Pastry puff bacon treats are the easiest way to please all your guests the next time you’re serving brunch (or even a late-night snack!). Get a pound of sliced bacon out of your refrigerator–you know you’ve got it stored in case of a bacon emergency. Cook up the bacon in […]
Guacamole, fresh salads, and baked avocado eggrolls made famous by BJ’s… delicious! The humble avocado adds flavor and zest to all sorts of recipes. Of course you want to cook with the green gems, but the price of avocados continues to rise… and who wants to pay for an avocado that–once […]
Healthy snacks are all the rage, but there’s no reason to spend a lot of money (or time) on them. You want to eat healthy while you’re out, and the great news is that you can make and take a healthy snack easily. Start with a Mason jar or IKEA food container. […]
A DIY holiday serving tray is easy to make, and it will make everything you cook over the holidays look especially sumptuous. Of course, you want your fancy holiday drinks to taste good (here’s a vodka hack that will help). For holiday appetizers or drinks, you can make a fancy […]
Avocados are a “superfood” that some nutritionists say can help reduce belly fat. They are also a powerhouse of nutrients. They’re great for salads and sandwiches and even egg rolls. All of that said, even the finest avocado can go bad quickly. A slimy brown slice of goodness is still just as good […]
Crunchy taco shells are so easy to make, you’ll wonder why you hadn’t made them before. Here’s an easy way to make hot, delicious and crunchy taco shells at home. Start with flour tortillas. Drape each one over a few rungs of your oven rack and bake at 350 for […]
