To remove water from spinach after boiling, place in an OXO Good Grips Potato Ricer and press.

  Add a can of sweetened blueberries and some fresh blueberries to your list. When you make

    a layered vanilla cake, layer the blueberries on top of the icing you use as a filling. Then decorate 

    the top of the cake with blueberries and lemon slices in a twist. To make the lemon twist, slice the 

    lemon and then make one small cut into 1/2 the slice. Take the two points and twist the lemon 

    so that when you set it down on the icing it will look decorative. 

  To pack cupcakes: Use an apple corer to remove the middle of the cupcake. Pipe in frosting. 

  Stevia from Dixie Diners Club  is a good substitute for artificial sweeteners - 

    especially in ice tea and lemonade.

  Grow your own herb garden this summer, thyme and lavender are especially 

    fragrant and covers a large area.

  To decorate a banana cream pie, toast coconut and macadamia nuts and 

     sprinkle them around the edge.

  For a delicious quick salad dressing: Mix half Italian dressing and half mayonnaise.

  Use your microwave to heat the honey trapped in the base of a honey bottle.  

  Use baking soda and a little water to clean pots and pans.

  When greasing and flouring cake pans for chocolate cakes, use unsweetened cocoa instead 

     of flour.  You won't get a white film on dark cakes.  

  Put a half lemon in your disposal for a fresh scent each time you use it.

  Pour baking soda down a kitchen drain then follow with vinegar. Let sit, then rinse.

  When making delicate cookies, use baking parchment on each baking sheet. Transfer the 

     entire sheet to the cooling rack. This will keep the cookies from breaking so easily.

  Add ginger ale to fruit juices to make them taste like punch.

  Add brown sugar to sweeten an acidic tomato sauce, e.g., spaghetti sauce.

  Store walnuts, almonds and hazelnuts in the freezer so they last longer.

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  Keep unpeeled onions in the vegetable drawer to keep them colder and prevent 

    juices evaporating as fast. This helps prevent your eyes from tearing up when 

    you chop.  Look for Vidalia onions which are nice and sweet.

  Chocolate melts quickly in the microwave, just reduce the power to 50%.  

     For decorating, place the chocolate pieces in a zipper-lock plastic bag and 

     then when melted, snip off one corner. Instant pastry bag.

  Soften frozen butter to room temperature on 50% power in microwave, watch carefully.

  Freeze leftover icing to spread between graham crackers for instant cookies.

  Freeze leftovers as soon as possible to enjoy them when there is no time to make dinner.

  Make cookie dough ahead of time, roll, flatten and freeze. Place the cookies 

    on a baking sheet and bake in preheated oven as directed in recipe.  

    Enjoy fresh-baked cookies anytime and they will taste even better.  

    The chocolate chip cookie recipe is perfect for freezing.

  Partially freeze meats to make them easier to slice for stir-fry.

  To pack cupcakes:  Use an apple corer to remove the middle of the cupcake, then 

     pipe in frosting.  This is a good idea for school lunches.  You can also wrap and 

     freeze the cupcakes.  

Look for Heart Ice Cube Tray