The Cooking Mom's Secrets and Tips

1 cup of kosher salt and 1 tablespoon of coarsely ground black pepper mixed together makes a perfect seasoning blend. Keep the mixture in a container by the stove and you never have to go looking for the salt and pepper shaker!

Cook pasta 1 minute less than the package instructions and cook it the rest of the way in the pan with sauce.

Make extra chicken stock and freeze it in plastic bags. That way when you want to make soup you can simply pull the bag out of the freezer and thaw it.

Store spices in a cool, dark place – not above your stove. Humidity, light and heat will cause herbs and spices to lose their flavor.

Make creamy salad dressings more healthy by substituting half the mayo with Greek-style yogurt.

Put orange or lemon Peel in your garbage disposal for a clean fresh scent!

When using spaghetti, keep in mind that 8 ounces of uncooked 
pasta makes 4 cups cooked.

When going on a picnic, keep sandwiches from becoming soggy 
by packing lettuce and condiments in separate containers. 
Add them to sandwiches just before serving.

When making a vinaigrette, always make it
 at least 1/2 hour ahead of time and let the mixture 
sit to allow the flavors to marry.

When picking a melon, smell it for ripeness. 
Check to see that the fruit is heavy in weight and that the 
spot on the end is soft.

If a recipe calls for 1 cup sour cream, you can substitute 
1 cup cottage cheese blended until smooth with 1 tablespoon 
lemon juice.

When separating eggs, break them into a funnel. The whites will 
go through leaving the yolk intact in the funnel.