Tips and Favorites

Cooking Tips - 

** To keep shredded cheese (cheddar, jack, swiss etc) from sticking, put a bit of grated Parmesan cheese in the bowl and mix. The grated cheese will keep the shreds separated and add a bit of flavor.

** Use a flat skewer for kabobs rather then a round one. Keeps meat, veggies and especially shrimp in place to even cooking.

** Thanks to Mary Anne Esposito (Ciao Italia) for this one: To peel onions put them in a bowl and pour boiling hot water over them. Let them sit for about 5 minutes; they will peel effortlessly and your eyes will not burn or tear up.

**To keep your cutting board from sliding around on the counter, take two rubber bands and wrap them around the edges. You now have a nice rubber bottom and your board stays in place.

Kitchen Ideas - 

I found this idea in Good Housekeeping Magazine. To store pots and pans (and those pesky lids), use a standard dish drainer and store the lids upright. It cleans up that mess in the cupboard and you can actually find the lid you need. 

You know those little plastic containers that are shaped like red onions, yellow onions or even peppers you're seeing at Walmart and other stores? They are supposed to keep those items fresh and also reduce odor. Guess what? They work! I love my red onion one and it keeps the onion fresher longer. Amazon has a cute Onion keeper you can buy online.

Favorite Cooking Related Websites -

Pampered Chef - I can't say enough about their products. Whether you need a small gadget or a new cookbook, they have it. Good quality too.
Chefs.com - As the site says, "Feed Your Passion."
AllRecipes.com - A favorite site of mine to find new recipe ideas.