Bacon: Rinse bacon under cold water before frying. This reduces the amount the bacon shrinks by almost 50%

Chicken Breasts: The best buy at the supermarket is to purchase a large bag (usually 3-4 pounds) of boneless, skinless chicken breasts from the freezer section, rather than buying it a pound at a time from the fresh meats section. This saves me about $15.00 a month or more.

Marinating Meats: Lemon and lime juice and vinegar aren't the only things that work well as marinades. I use kiwi fruit, either sliced, mashed, or juiced. For sliced, lay the meat over the slices and lay slices over the top of the meat as well. Allow 2-4 hours to marinate. For a faster method, mash or juice the kiwi and use in marinade as a substitute for lemon, lime, or vinegar. This method only takes about 1/2 hour for tender meat. I also use unseasoned meat tenderizer powder (found in the spices section of the supermarket) for the times I just don't have time to marinade meat.

Meatballs: When making many meatballs a fast and simple way is to shape the meat mixture into a log and cut off slices. The slices roll easily into balls. Another option is to pat the meat into a square and cut it into cubes which again easily roll into meatballs of uniform size.

Meatloaf: Meatloaf will cook faster if you make it in small rounded loaves or even in muffin cups. Muffin cups make reheating leftovers a breeze!

Thawing A Turkey: The best way to thaw a turkey is in the refrigerator (in its original packaging on a shallow baking sheet). You should allow approx. 24 hours for every 5 lbs. of bird weight. The refrigerated method is safest and will result in the best finished product. For accelerated thawing, thaw the bird in cold water (in its original wrapping). The cold water must be changed every 30 minutes. Allow approx. 30 minutes per pound.

Breading Meats: To bread chicken cutlets and other ingredients: Use one hand for wet ingredients and another for dry when breading - that way you won't bread your hands along with dinner. To coat chicken pieces or stew-meat pieces chicken in flour or crumbs: Place the coating mixture in a plastic bag (self-sealing is the most convenient), add the chicken or beef, seal, and shake until the coated. Shake off any excess coating before you cook the chicken or beef.

Grill With Lean Meats: Unless specified for a particular recipe, always us the leanest meat possible when grilling. It's healthier, will reduce flare-ups, and help keep your cooking equipment cleaner.

Room-Temperature Meats: Allow meat to stand at room temperature 1 hour before cooking: It will cook more quickly, brown more evenly, and stick less when pan-fried. (Do not do this with highly perishable meats like ground beef and organ meats.)

Pan-Fried Meats: For even, deep browning of pan-fried meat and poultry: Blot the surface of the item with paper towels to remove excess moisture before cooking.

Roasting Poultry: Do not roast poultry in a oven temperature lower than 325 degrees. Poultry should be roasted at 325 degrees or higher to avoid potential food safety problems.

Roasts: Roasts should be allowed to "rest" 10-15 minutes after being removed from the oven. This allows the juices to settle before carving.

Preparing Meats For Cooking: Leave a thin layer of fat on steaks and roasts during cooking to preserve juiciness. Trim fat after cooking. Pat steaks, cubes and pot roasts dry with paper toweling for better browning. To make cutting into strips for stir-frying easier, partially freeze beef to firm. Salt beef after cooking or browning. Salt draws out moisture and inhibits browning.

Grilling On Skewers: When using wooden skewers for kebabs, soak in cold water for 10-30 minutes to prevent them from burning. Thread shrimp onto skewers lengthwise so they won't curl as they grill. They're also less likely to fall into the fire.

Whole Fish: Scale a fish easily by rubbing vinegar over its skin. To neatly bake a whole fish, wrap in aluminum foil. When done cooking, open the foil and gently slide a spatula under the fish.

Add Flavor With Food Waste: Save the loose skin on onions and garlic to toss into the fire just before grilling meats or vegetables. And throw dry fennel tops on the fire when grilling fish.

Apples: Refrigerated apples last up to 10 times longer than those left at room temperature. To prevent apples from speeding up the ripening process of other items in your produce drawer, store them in a plastic bag.

Asparagus: For tender asparagus, gently bend a spear until it breaks. The natural breaking point should separate the tender spear from the tough end. Dispose of the end pieces and steam to perfection!

Cabbage: Instead of blanching cabbage leaves to wilt them for stuffing, simply leave the whole head in the freezer overnight.

Celery: Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator, and it will keep for weeks.

Chopped Onions & Green Peppers: You can buy frozen chopped onion or green peppers for a quick recipe shortcut, or since they freeze so well, chop a whole bunch at once and freeze them in single servings.

Chopping Onions & Grating Horseradish: Hate how your eyes water? Tear off a section of a slice of bread (I prefer to use the heel, as I don't eat it) and place it between your lips, allowing it to protrude from your mouth while cutting.

Citrus Fruit Juice: To get the most juice out of fresh lemons, limes and oranges, bring them to room temperature and roll them under your palm against the kitchen counter before squeezing. Another method is to microwave fruit on high for 30 seconds, let stand a couple of minutes before cutting and squeezing them. Rolling it between your counter and hand also does the trick.

Citrus Zest: Before you squeeze juice from a lemon, grate off the rind into a freezer bag and freeze. Then when a recipe calls for lemon zest or rind, just pull it from the freezer. Sprinkle a little sugar over citrus zest or fresh ginger before chopping. The sugar not only dissolves and absorbs the juices but also helps spread the flavor.

Corn: When boiling corn, cooking for 3 minutes is all that's necessary; any more time will only boil out the flavor. Instead of adding salt to the boiling water, add a pinch of sugar to bring out the natural sweetness of the corn.

Crisper Drawer: Line the bottom with a paper towel to absorb liquids that make veggies wilt.

Frozen Vegetables: These are an important staple, a quick way to separate them is to pour boiling water over them in a colander and then add them to your casserole or stove-top dish to finish cooking.

Garlic: To mince a garlic clove quickly, rub it over the tines of the back side of a fork. Save yourself lots of time by always using jarred minced garlic that can be found in the produce or condiment section of the supermarket. Peel garlic by using the heel of your hand, press the flat side of a chef's knife onto an entire clove of garlic. You can then slip the slightly crushed garlic from its skin. Hands smell after peeling garlic? Rub hands with the rounded side of a stainless steel spoon under running water.

Hot Peppers: When working with fresh chili and peppers, wear disposable gloves. Don't handle the peppers under water (it extracts painful vapors).

Leafy Greens: The sooner you consume lettuce, spinach and other greens after they are picked, the crisper they will be. Rinse not-so-fresh greens under cool water to "revive" them. Dry by running the greens through a salad spinner or wrapping them in dry towels. Place in a loosely closed bag and refrigerate 1 hour. Leafy greens are packed with vitamins and minerals. When buying fresh greens, remember that they cook down considerably. One pound of spinach or mustard greens will yield a cup or two of cooked greens. Serve iceberg lettuce wedges instead of torn salad greens to save time making a salad. Also, before refrigerating iceberg lettuce, wash and remove the core so each time you need some for salad it's clean and ready.

Leeks: To clean leeks: Cut off dark green top and discard or save for stock. Trim root end, leaving base intact so that leek remains in one piece. Starting 1/2" from base, slit leek through the other end; give it a quarter turn and repeat, so the leek is quartered and the root end is intact. Soak the leek in cold water or rinse it under running water, gently spreading the leaves to remove any grit and dirt.

Mushrooms: Mushrooms soak up water like a sponge, then release it later while cooking (which can change the consistency of recipes). Try "dry cleaning" your favorite fungi. You can find a "mushroom brush" with soft bristles at most kitchen stores. Lightly moisten the brush (or a rag) with water, and gently wipe the mushrooms clean.

Onion Leftovers: If you need only 1/2 an onion, save the root half. It will last longer.

Onion & Garlic Odors: To deodorize a plastic storage container in which onions or garlic were stored, wash thoroughly, then stuff a crumpled piece of newspaper in the container, and snap on the lid. In a few days the smell will disappear.

Parsley: Fresh parsley can be dried or frozen for later use. For either method, wash and dry parsley then chop. To freeze, simply pace in a plastic zipper bag and freeze. To dry, spread chopped parsley evenly on a baking sheet and place in a 200 degree oven with the door slightly ajar. Check occasionally and remove from oven with completely dry. Store dried parsley in an airtight container. When selecting parsley, remember that the curly-leaf variety has a milder taste and the flat-leaf has a bold taste.

Peeling Fruits and Vegetables: Vegetable peelers are good for more than just carrots and potatoes. Use them to peel avocados, kiwi fruit, and many more produce items. Try it out next time you need to peel something difficult. To peel tomatoes, peaches, and pears, scald them in boiling water before peeling will allow you to peel their skins right off.

Peppers: When buying fresh peppers, choose those that are a little wrinkled but still unblemished. Wrinkling indicates mellowness.

Potatoes: To keep them from budding, place an apple in the bag with potatoes.

Ripening Fruits and Vegetables: Many fruits and vegetables found in supermarkets today look ripe, but are hard as a rock. Soften them up by placing them in a brown paper bag and hiding the bag away in a dark cabinet for a day or two. This is great for items such as avocados, kiwi fruit, peaches, nectarines, and more. Once ripe, refrigerate the produce to preserve vitamins.

Saving Herbs For Winter: Is your basil thriving? To preserve summer herbs for winter soups and stews, make herb cubes in the freezer. Chop up your herbs and place them in ice cube trays, then cover with water and freeze. To preserve the color and flavor, use boiling water to fill the tray (this blanches the herbs). Some herbs, like cilantro, keep better when frozen in oil. Mince the herb in a food processor, then introduce olive oil until you produce a fine puree. Pour into ice cube trays or bags and freeze. When introducing the frozen herbs to recipes, remember that they contain water or oil. If this will throw off the recipe's consistency, thaw and drain the cubes first.

Tomatoes: Never refrigerate a tomato that is not fully ripe. Most tomatoes sold in stores are still ripening, and would benefit from a few days on the counter. Cold temperatures alter the fruit's flavor and stop the ripening process. Once ripe, a tomato can be refrigerated for several days. To ripen a tomato fast, put it with an apple in a perforated bag. To peel and seed tomatoes, cut out the core and score an "X" on the bottom. Immerse in boiling water for 10 seconds. Remove the tomato and plunge into cold water. Remove the skin, cut in half and squeeze out seeds.

Banana Bread: For a moister and tastier banana nut bread, pour half of the batter in the baking pan, spread 1/8" - 1/4" of pineapple tidbits (drained) over the batter, then cover with remaining batter. This is especially effective for those of us who buy the boxed mix. The addition of the pineapples should only vary baking time by a few minutes, if at all. 

Breads: To cool a loaf of yeast bread, remove loaves from pans immediately and place on wire racks. To have a softer crust, brush the loaf with shortening and cover with a towel for a few minutes. For quick biscuits to round out a meal, use a drop biscuit recipe and they are done in a flash. Also try slicing leftover rolls and breads, spread softened butter and then freeze them wrapped in foil. Pull them out and reheat them easily in the foil wrapping.

Cakes: When using a glass baking dish for cakes, lower oven temperature by 25 degrees. To keep a cake longer, place half an apple in the cake container when storing. To cut a cake without messing up the decorative icing, cut it with dental floss. When a cake recipe calls for flouring the baking pan, use a bit of the dry cake mix instead, and there won't be any white mess on the outside of the cake. Don't have a cake or tart cover? Try inverting the bottom of a salad spinner or spring form pan. To dress up cakes and pies, place a doily on top, then sprinkle powdered sugar and remove. Quick and impressive!

Candy: Try to make your candy on dry days. The candy does not set as well on humid or rainy days.

Cookies: When making cookies, always use unsalted butter, never margarine. The unsalted butter gives the cookies a lighter texture. To keep cookies soft, place a slice of bread in the storage container. To prevent cookies from spreading when baking, refrigerate the dough and the baking sheet for a couple of minutes before baking. Using a cookie scoop (or a small ice cream scoop) to spoon out cookie dough gives them a uniform look and size. It also keeps your fingers clean.

Crestless Quiche: Butter a pie plate with 2-1/2 tablespoons butter, then cover with toasted bread crumbs, pressing them firmly into the butter. Chill well in the freezer, fill with your favorite quiche filling recipe, and bake as directed.

Frosting Tips: Add a pinch of baking soda to your frosting and the frosting will stay moist and prevent cracking.

Fudge: Using a wooden spoon when making fudge is best.

Gelatin Molds: To easily un mold gelatin salads or desserts, lightly brush mold with oil before pouring in the mixture.

Ice Cream Cones: Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of a sugar cone to prevent ice cream drips.

Low Fat Pie Crust: For a practically fat-free crust, substitute frozen phyla pastry for traditional pie crust. Thaw as directed, lift two leaves from the stack and center in a 9- or 10-inch pie pan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Lay two more leaves in pan at right angles to first, then two more on the bias to fill gaps, then two more so pan is fully lined. With damp paper toweling, gently press phyla into pan. Take care removing towel so you don't tear the phyla. Fill and bake pie as directed.

Make Quick Breads Faster: If you make quick breads often, mix up batches of the dry ingredients for your favorite recipes and store them in individual plastic bags, clearly labeled, in your refrigerator. The mix will be ready anytime you are. OR Go one step further by preparing the dry and wet ingredients: Put all the "dries" in one large screw-top jar, all the "wets" in a second jar, then shake each well. Store in the refrigerator until ready to proceed. Shake each jar well again, place the dry ingredients in a large bowl, make a well in the center, pour in the wet and stir just until combined - the batter should be lumpy. Proceed as recipe directs. This works for cookies, muffins, waffles, pancakes, and other simple batters.

Melting Chocolate: Place chocolate pieces in a bowl. Microwave on high for 1 min. Stir. Return to microwave if necessary. Heat and stir in 30 sec. intervals until chocolate reaches smooth, melted consistency.

Meringue: To stop the meringue from shrinking away from the sides of the pies, be sure that when you put the meringue on top, you make sure it touches the pastry all around the edge. This way, it will bake onto the pastry and will not shrink!

Pancakes: Add a pinch of sugar when making waffles and pancakes to help them brown more quickly when cooking. Use a turkey baster to squeeze your pancake batter onto the hot griddle and you'll get perfectly shaped pancakes every time.

Parchment Paper: Parchment paper is excellent for baking cakes and cookies,  making candy or covering foods for the microwave. Professional bakers have been using it for years. The best way to line a cake pan is to place pan on a sheet of parchment paper. Use a pencil to trace around bottom of pan and cut. Fit parchment liner in greased pan. Fill with batter and bake. After baking; cool cake on wire rack 15 minutes. Invert cake and remove parchment paper. For cookies, prepare cookie sheet with parchment paper, making sure to cover only the areas being used. When first batch of cookies is done, slide parchment with baked cookies off cookie sheet. Slide second sheet of parchment with unbaked cookies onto cookie sheet and bake.

Pastry Dough: Always chill pastry dough before rolling and cutting, and always chill it again afterwards, before baking, to further relax the gluten.

Pies: For flakier crust, substitute 1 teaspoon vinegar for 1 teaspoon of the cold water called for in the recipe. When cutting cream pies, first dip knife in hot water so that none of the filling will stick to it. Brush some beaten egg white over pie crust before baking to yield a beautiful glossy finish.

Pressing Down Sticky Bars: Coat hands with oil or water before pressing down sticky desserts, such as Rice Crispy Treats, to prevent sticking.

Quick Garnish: Toast coconut or chopped nuts in a shallow baking pan in the oven in 5 or 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Once cool they can even be frozen in plastic bags for future use.

Whipped Cream: Cream will whip faster and better if you'll first chill the bowl, cream, and beaters first. To stabilize whipped cream, add 2 tablespoons of nonfat dry milk to every cup of whipping cream before you whip it. Soupy whipped cream can be saved by adding an egg white, then chilling thoroughly. Re-beat for a fluffy surprise. A few drops of lemon juice added to whipping cream helps it to whip faster and better. Whipping cream will not separate if you add 1/4 tsp. unflavored gelatin per cup of whipped cream.

Yeast: Did you know that your yeast will last longer than specified on those little packages from the grocery store if kept in the refrigerator and even longer in the freezer, up to a year? If you do a lot of baking, it is wise to purchase larger amounts and freeze. Place in a plastic container and mark the date of purchase.