Did you know?

*When juicing a lemon, bring it to room temperature, roll it on a flat surface with the palm of your hand to loosen the juices, cut and squeeze or use a juicer.

*My grandma taught me this one: if you have a baked-on mess in a casserole dish or pan, put a few drops of dish soap and a bit of warm water in the bottom of the pan. Put on medium heat over the stove until a low boil. Remove from heat and scrape off the mess.

*When required to roll out cookie dough or pie dough with a rolling pan, put the dough in between two pieces of plastic wrap and roll out. When it is the desired thickness, remove the plastic and use dough. No sticking to counter tops or over-floured dough!

*Hard brown sugar? Put an apple slice or a piece of bread in it and the sugar will soften.

*Garlic or onion smell on your fingers? Fresh lemon juice helps remove the smell. Also, rubbing your hands under cold water and something stainless steel (I have a small stainless steel disk that sits near my sink - or you could use a spoon) absorbs the odor.

*Most white fruits or vegetables oxidize when they are cut. Add a few drops of lemon or lime juice to prevent browning.

*Keep your tomatoes on the counter, not in the refrigerator. In the refrigerator, they lose their taste.

*If you use cast iron skillets or pans, don't use dish detergent. You can use salt and water.

*Burn yourself? Put mustard (yep, mustard) on the burn. It cools the burn and prevents blistering (mustard plaster, anyone?)

*Not really a tip, just a fact: Dark chocolate is indispensable in the pantry - why? It's just so darn good and can be used for ganache, brownies, cookies, cake or my favorite, dipping in peanut butter and enjoying with a glass of milk!! And dark chocolate with a higher percentage of cacao is better for you than regular old milk chocolate.