Cooking Tips

• When it's strawberry season, buy extra to freeze. Freeze them unwashed in zipper bags. They work great in winter time smoothies. Just take several out rinse and cut the top off and plop in the blender with a banana and orange juice.
• Hate making bacon because of the splatter mess? Make it in the oven. Spray a cookie sheet and line up the bacon. Bake at 375 degrees until almost done. I drain on paper towels and store in the refrigerator in fresh paper towels. You can take out just what you need and microwave them in another paper towel until done.
• Isn't slicing grapes or cherry tomatoes in half time consuming? Get 2 plastic carton container lids and put them in between the lids. You can then easily slice them in a few strokes between the lids.
• Like to make pizzas on the grill in the summer? After you make the dough, roll it out into individual serving size pizza rounds. Then, grill lightly on one side. Stack them for guests to top as they wish. Make sure they put sauce and toppings on the grilled side. Put back on the grill to finish.
• Like steel cut oats, but don't have 30 minutes to wait for it in the morning? Make the recipe with one cup of oats and put it in a container in the refrigerator. Scoop out only what you need each morning and microwave. Works great!
• Have bananas that are getting too ripe, but no time to make banana bread? Peel them and put them in a plastic zipper bag, getting as much air out as possible, and freeze. They will be ready to go when you have the time to bake.
• Love chocolate desserts? Visit the grocery or drug stores after a holiday and up seasonal chocolate really inexpensively for great desserts in the future.
• Don't you love those grocery store rotisserie chickens? I cut the breast meat off the bone for my kids, and save the rest of the chicken in a gallon zipper bag in the freezer. You can put it in a stockpot with water, onion, carrot, celery, poultry season, bay leaf and a little salt and pepper for the start of great chicken noodle soup. There is already a lot of great seasoning that adds to the depth of flavor.
• Have just a bit of steak, chicken or fish left from a meal? Save it and make a quesadilla appetizer tomorrow for everyone to munch on before dinner, or an after school snack.
• Make too much icing for those sugar cookies? Put the leftovers into zipper bags and store in the freezer. When you need to decorate a few cookies or write on a cake, you'll have them ready made and in a variety of colors.