If we were to count up utensils, knives, gadgets and gizmos in our crowded kitchens, I’ll bet the number would be astonishing. If you are like me, you may have dozens of spatulas, spoons, graters, zesters, squeezers, tossers, choppers, melon ballers, cherry pitters, and who knows what else packed in your kitchen drawers and cabinets. I’ve accumulated these tools over the years, many of which, I hardly, if ever, use. In a relatively small kitchen…
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Meal Planning for When Mom (or Dad) is Away
I recently had to travel for work. This doesn’t happen very often, but when it does, the reality of the fact that I am in charge of our family’s meals becomes very apparent. Over the years, my husband and I have come to understand that if I am traveling on a weekend, he can take care of things without much help, but if the travel is during the week, then some planning and preparation is…
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8 Tricks to Make the Cleaning After Cooking Easier
One of the complaints I hear most often from people is that while the cooking is ok, the cleaning afterward makes them crazy. I get it, I really do. You’ve made a meal for everyone, they’ve eaten (or not), and then you either have to kick back into high gear for cleaning OR have to do bedtime duty. You finally get the kids to sleep and then you face a messy kitchen when all you…
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3 Ways to Use Up Vegetables Before They Go Bad
The other day, we went to visit my in-laws. As we were leaving, my mother-in-law gave me baby spinach, red cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, a bunch of zucchini, and two pints of blueberries that she wasn’t going to be able to use up. I was a bit reluctant to take it all since I had just done our weekly shopping and wasn’t sure how I was going to be able use it all. But the idea…
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How to Cook with Kids Underfoot
Has anyone else ever been in this situation: For once, you are feeling so on top of things! You know what you are making for dinner, you actually have all the ingredients, and you start the prep in time to get dinner on the table before everyone melts down. As you are cruising along in chopping an onion, you suddenly feel a tug at your leg, or a voice calling for help on homework you…
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