FRESH IDEAS

Try a few of the ideas listed below and you will see that cooking can be a breeze.

1.Before beginning any messy project, cover your tabletop or work surface with plastic wrap that doesn’t just cling, but seals. Simply remove the plastic wrap when done for easy cleanup.

2.Make cleanup a snap by lining baking pans and roasting pans with aluminum foil. Make sure the foil extends a couple of inches over the edges of the pan for easy lift out.

3.Lightly brush turkey, chicken or hens with cooking oil before roasting to produce an appetizing golden sheen.

4.For big flavor with little work, add your favorite herbs and spices to butter. Mix in, then roll herbed butter in plastic wrap and freeze. Simply slice, as much as needed, onto roasted meat or broiled fish.

5.To prevent cheese from sticking to a grater, simply spray the grater with nonstick cooking spray before using.

6.Extend food freshness and stretch your grocery dollar by storing leftovers in resealable storage or freezer bags. Or prepare, bake, serve, store and reheat favorite foods in heat-resistant, oven-safe and freezer-ready storage containers.

7.Keep homemade or ready-to-bake cookie dough on hand. Store homemade dough in cookie-size (1-inch) balls in the freezer, or keep the ready-to-bake variety in the refrigerator. You’ll be prepared to produce a hot-from-the-oven treat in minutes for unexpected guests.

8.Bake and freeze unfrosted cupcakes. They’re easy to frost and decorate when frozen, but will thaw quickly. Frosting and decorating is an ideal project for kids looking for something fun to do, or a time-saver for when you want to bring something fancy to a party or meeting and simply don’t have time to bake.

9.When kneading dough for holiday breads, spray your hands first with nonstick cooking spray to prevent dough from sticking.

10.Use the microwave oven on the low setting to melt chocolate and to soften butter.