8 Cooking Tips from Mum

I am always looking for ways to save time when it comes to cooking. Cooking is something I have to do, but not something I want to do, so I implement any tips in which I can save time.

I was talking with my Mum about this; she knows how much I hate being in the kitchen. She said to leave it with her and she would give it some thought. My mum and me, we are very different, she loves to cook, I hate to cook. I wondered what she would come up with.

A few days later, she called me back and read me her list. She had 8 tips that she used on a regular basis. She also had talked to her friends, and they gave her a couple of ideas.

Here is their list of tips:

1. When making bread in the bread maker, make a double batch. Cook one batch and freeze the other. For the batch you are going to freeze, allow the dough to rise, but then punch it down and shape it into a loaf approx 2 inches high which allows it to thaw quickly. When thawing the dough, put it in the oven at 250 degrees for 45 minutes. Then, reset the oven, and cook as normal.

2. Always keep a list in your kitchen and write down the items that need to be replenished. There is nothing worse than not having an ingredient when you need it. This also helps you buy what you need when you get groceries.

3. When making spaghetti sauce, triple the recipe. Freeze meal size portions to make lasagna, spaghetti sauce, or sloppy joes.

4. Keep empty ice cream containers and margarine containers to freeze meal size portions.

5. When cooking a turkey or roast dinner, cook extra. Then freeze the extra in meal size portions so on the nights you don't feel like cooking, you can thaw one out and have your own home cooked tv dinner.

6. For time consuming grating of cheese, or chopping of onions, always grate or chop extra. Place the extra in a zip lock bag or container for the next time you require the ingredient.

7. For recipes that you use a lot, tape a piece of paper or sticky note on the page of the recipe book. That way you don't waste time looking for favorite recipes.

8. When cooking a turkey, plan 4 different variations of meals with the turkey meat:
- Turkey dinner with vegetables
- Hot turkey sandwiches (using the gravy from the night before)
- Turkey salad rolls (using hotdog buns toasted, mix celery and mayonnaise with the turkey) You could serve with oven baked French fries
- Cold turkey macaroni salad with a garden salad (cook your favorite macaroni, let cool, add diced turkey with mayonnaise, salt and pepper)