Special Monthly Features

• Quick Tip of the Month
• Food Theme Month Links

Finding Time When Your Plate Is Too Full

• Put In The Big Rocks First!
• Do a Don't Do List!
• Basic Foods for Cupboard, Fridge and Freezer: Create Your Own List!

Get Organized, Get Happy!

• Use Grocery List to Save Time, Eat Healthier!
  
• Organizing Your Recipe Collection
  
• Finding Recipes on the Internet
  
• Kitchen Helpers
• Kitchen Mini-Makeovers
• Contacting Nebraska Food Commodity Groups
• Find It Fast: Filing Food Appliance and Other Kitchen Gear Instruction Manuals
• Contacting Food Companies for More Information
• Contacting Kitchen and Housewares Companies for More Information

Quick Tricks for Meal Time Magic

• "Mix and Match" Meals
  
• Fast, Fresh and Full of Nutrition! Recipes from Nebraska Food Commodity Organizations
• Cook Once, Eat Twice
  
• 30+ Time-Saving Kitchen Tools
• Take The Hassle Out of Feeding Breakfast to Overnight Guests
• Get Out of the Kitchen When Company's Coming: Cook Ahead
• Making a Casserole from What's on Hand
• 2 (or more) Cooks Are Better Than 1
• Turkey Anytime: Recipes for Turning Leftovers into Planned-Overs
• Combine Cooking Time with Family Time
• Add a Little SPICE (& HERBS) to Your Life! (pdf file)
• Healthy Cooking with Spices and Herbs (pdf file)
• 12 Tasty Salad Toppers
• Toasting Nuts or Seeds Using Microwave, Oven or Stove-Top
• Nuts: Quick & Healthy Nibbles
• Kitchen Short Cuts
• Wash & Dry Herbs in a Salad Spinner
• MyPyramid and "Discretionary Calorie" Treats
• Foods for Spur-of-the-Moment Mini-Meals

COOK IT QUICK! Dishes Out Advice

• The Family is Home and They're Hungry!
• Take a Can Of Tomato Sauce and...
• Fixing Up Food Flops
• Can You Freeze These Foods?
• Making A Meal With What's On Hand
• Ingredient Substitutions
• Reducing the Size of Recipes
• How to Interpret Can Sizes: What to Do if a Recipe Calls for a Number 2 Can
• Temperature Conversion: Fahrenheit and Celsius
• Cook's Tools
• Give Flavors Time to Blend
• Are You a "Lark" or an "Owl"?: Cook Ahead Accordingly
• Avoiding a Green Ring around Cooked Egg Yolks
• Six Tools to Simplify Holiday Cooking

COOK IT QUICK! . . . and SAFE!

• How Often Should You Change Your Dishrag?
• The Food Safety Savvy Kitchen
• Food Safety Checklist For "Planned-over" Foods (PDF)
• Food Safety Links for Home Cooking
• Serving Soup -- Safely!
• Cleaning the Kitchen Cupboard: Toss or Save? (PDF)
• Cracking the Code on Egg Cartons
• Is It Safe to Refreeze Raw Meat & Poultry that Has Thawed?
• Will Reheating Food Make It Safe If You Forget to Refrigerate It?
• Is It Safe to Eat a Food that Has Freezer Burn?
• Store It, Don't Ignore It (refrigerator/freezer storage chart)
• Pass the Taste Test: Use a Thermometer (PDF)
• Forgotten in the Fridge (source: Food Reflections)
• Washing Fruits and Vegetables
• How to Tell if Your Freezer Power Was Off When You Were Away
• Use a Refrigerator AND a Freezer Thermometer
• Egg Handling & Safety Tips at Easter
• Making Homemade Ice Cream without Using Raw Eggs
• Thanksgiving Food Preparation Tips: Helpful Links

Fast Facts about Foods

• How Can I Keep Cut Fruit From Turning Brown?
• Which Fruits Will Continue to Ripen After They're Picked?
• Can I Substitute "All-purpose" Flour for "Cake Flour"?
• Substituting Whole Wheat flour for White All-purpose Flour in a Recipe
• Prolonging the Life of Bananas
• Freezing Cheese
• Substituting Oil for a Solid Shortening
• How to Toast Walnuts
• Freezing Sweet or Bell and Hot Peppers
• Freezing Raw Tomatoes (with and without their skins)
• Reducing the Size of Recipes
• Peeling and Pitting an Avocado
• Peeling and Slicing a Mango
• Choosing the Best Apple for Your Recipe
• Freezing Onions

Just for Fun!

• See "Red" on Valentine's Day
• Go for the "Green" on St. Patrick's Day
• Drying and Roasting Pumpkin Seeds
• Healthy Halloween Party Foods with Popcorn
• Have a Healthy Red & Green Holiday
• Popsicles: Not for Kids Only!
• Have a "Shot" of Dessert
• Time-saving Kitchen Tools for Holiday Gifts!
• Food Group Funny Faces
• "Star" Appeal (recipe)

Cook It Quick in Action

• RECIPE CENTRAL (individual listing of recipes)
• Fried Rice from the Fridge
• Deviled Eggs
• Easy Seafood Chowder
• From Canned Peaches to Parfait to Smoothie
• When All You Feel Like Fixing Is a Bowl of Cereal
• Enjoying Fresh Herbs at the Table
• Easy Main Dish Green Salads
• Easy, Pasta-Pleasing Main Dish Salads
• Packed Lunch Pizzazz
• Using Up Food in the Refrigerator before Leaving Town
• Quick Comfort Foods for when You Don't Feel Well
• My Favorite Smoothie: One Easy Recipe/Many Variations
• Wraps: Quick, Tasty & Good for You, Too!
• Upsidedown Strawberries and Ice Cream: Cut the Calories, Keep the Flavor
• Make Sandwiches a Meal
• Spaghetti with a Secret
• Speedy Pork Cassoulet
• Making an Olive Oil Salad Dressing
• So-Easy-to-Make Salmon Cakes
• Cranberry Apple Crisp
• Chunky Cranberry Spread
• A "Nutritionally Hot" Recipe for Oatmeal
• A Very Nice Rice Pudding
• Beyond Eating Yogurt Straight from the Carton: 9 Delicious Recipes
• Easy Egg Sandwich Meals
• Quick Cooking with Lean Beef (Includes beef salad recipe)
• Making Main Dish Salads Using MyPyramid Food Groups
• Have You Tried Kohlrabi?
• Easy-Does-It Mango Sauce
• Brewing Iced Tea with Fresh Mint
• Enjoy a PB & H Sandwich
• Sandwiches Made with Odds & Ends of Cheese
• Pasta Pronto! Canned Tuna, Tomato Sauce & Pasta
• Guacamole on the Go
• Quick Raspberry Crumbles Dessert Topping
• The Magic of Fresh Herbs
• Fresh Herb & Food Combos
• Sumptuous Smoothies & Shakes
• Light, Lean and Delicious: Summertime Steak Salad
• Salads Can Be Made from More than Lettuce: Try a Rice Salad!
• "Kick Up" Your Salad by Adding Kabobs!
• Shake It Up with Walnuts!
• Greek Rice Salad Made with Brown Rice
• Meat & Potatoes Mighty Quick
• Chicken Strata a la King (and variations!)
• Triple Play Walnut Crunch
• Ground Beef Vegetable Soup with Rice (recipe)
• Pasta Frittata with Peas (recipe)
• Carrot/Raisin Sunshine Salad (recipe)
• How Sweet It Is: Pineapple Rice Bake (recipe)
• Dip Tips and Recipes (recipes)
• Seven Simple Soups and Stews (recipes)
• Apples Anytime! (includes recipes)
• How to Cook a Turkey the Day before Serving It
• Turkey Anytime: A Recipe for Turning Leftovers into Planned Overs(recipes)
• Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie (recipe)
• Fruity Tuna Salad Sandwiches (recipe)

Cooking School

• Brown Rice: Just as Good the Second Time Around
• Hard-Cooked Eggs (external link to American Egg Board)
• Tips for Sauteing Foods
  (Includes Beef Stew with Vegetable "Gravy" recipe)
• Beef Basics (external link to Cattlemen's Beef Board)
• Pork Cooking Basics (external link to National Pork Board)
• Turkey Basics (external link to National Turkey Federation)
• Chicken (external link to National Chicken Council & U.S. Poultry and Egg Association)
• Cooking with Onions without Crying
• Freezing Cooked Food for Future Meals: Freezer Bag Tips
• Cooking with Dry Beans
• Grilling Fruits and Vegetables on a Double-sided Grill
• Oven-Roasted Root Vegetables - YUM!
• Cooking Dry Beans from Scratch CAN Be Quick
• Make Ahead Frozen Beef Crumbles
• "Tray Pack" Foods for Easy Pouring
• Helpful Holiday Links (includes cooking ahead)
• Now, You're Cooking with Brown Rice!
• What to Do with Zucchini!