Tasty tip: Stinky hands

I've heard about this tip before, but Ms. Denene Millner, over at MyBrownBaby, reminded me.

If you've been cutting onions, garlic, shallots, fish or really anything that can make your hands smell not-so-fresh, rub your hands on stainless steel - cookware, utensils, whatever. It magically makes you odor go away and you can go back to running after the kids.

Tasty tip: Switch your rice

To easily make meals a teensy bit healthier, switch out white rice for brown rice. You get additional fiber and nutrients effortlessly.

Worth the hype? Welch's AquaJuice

I was shopping for groceries a few weeks ago, when I stopped in the juice aisle to get something for my daughter to drink. This little girl can guzzle liquid like nobody's business, so I try not to give her drinks that are loaded with sugar (she's not big on water, unfortunately).

Then these caught my eye:

"AquaJuice?" I thought to myself. "Have my prayers been answered?"

I read the label and saw all the facts: No high fructose corn syrup. Less sugar than other brands. No added sugar. One full serving of fruit.

I was sold. I bought all three flavors. Strawberry Kiwi, Fruit Punch and Apple.

Worth the hype? In a word, no.

The drinks are basically just a 50/50 mix of water and juice, something you can easily achieve by doing it yourself. Save the money (one of those jugs alone is about $3.50) and get a $4 gallon of juice and dilute it yourself.

Have you tried AquaJuice? Did you like it? Did your kids? Let me know in the comments!

Pretty Plates

Once you have mastered a few dishes in the kitchen, it might be time to upgrade from the plastic dishes you've had since college.

Got a few extra dollars in the wallet? Try this pattern from Target. At $63, it's bold but not overwhelming. it adds some flair to your dishes without you having to break a sweat.

Quick and easy califlower

I kept reading about this recipe in a ton of different magazines and websites and I finally decided to give it a try. It comes out deliciously golden brown with a slightly nutty flavor. It's easy as can be with only three steps, so you can make this any night of the week.

Quick Roasted Califlower

Ingredients:

1 head of fresh califlower

2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil

salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cut califlower into 2 inch pieces and spread out on baking sheet. Drizzle oil over the top and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat.

3. Cook for 20-25 minutes, or until califlower is golden brown. You can add some Parmesan cheese on top during the last four minutes if you want.

7 Weeknight Dinners in 6 Easy Steps

The only way to avoid the whole "What's for dinner" question every night is to have a plan.

Know what's in the freezer, what you have a taste for, and how long it's going to take you to make it. This is called menu planning.

You can search for templates all over the internet, but here's one I think is particularly handy. If you want to make your own, just follow these simple rules:

1. Decide what you would like to eat each day this week. Include sides, salads and breads.
2. Make one meal morph into the next if you can. For instance, make a baked chicken dish on Monday, then use the leftover chicken in an enchilada dish on Tuesday. This way you maximize your effort in the beginning of the week and the rest of the week is smooth sailing.
3. Make a list of everything you'll need to make the dish, no matter how small. Include the salt, pepper and other spices.
4. Go through your fridge and pantry to see what items you have and what items you don't.
5. Make a grocery list based on the items you don't have and then go out and buy only those items along with the staples.
6. Once you get home, take a look at the next couple meals. Does every meal have chopped onions, peppers or garlic? (You'd be surprised at how many do.) Chop them now, before you put everything away. You might feel very '50s housewife, but it'll be one less thing you have to do the day of. Plus, you'll have a head start on dinner so you'll be more likely to cook instead of order a pizza.

And there you have it! A menu for the week. Not so hard, right?

Some people like to do menu planning for the month, but I think the week-by-week approach because it's hard to tell what you and the family will be in the mood for three weeks from now or how packed your schedule will be. If you know during the upcoming week, it will be next to impossible to get dinner finished before 7:30, you'll be able to improvise and prepare for that.

Give it a try and let me know how it goes for you!

Best dishes!

How to...Open Stubborn Jars

If there's one thing men (or really good biceps) are useful for, it's opening jars. I hate buying some new ingredient that's essential to a recipe and then banging on it for thirty minutes because the stupid top won't come off. Here's a few tips the next time the top refuses to let you win:

• Use the heel of your hand to smack the bottom of the jar a couple times to redistribute the air pressue on the top. An oldie but goodie.
• If you have a pointed end on your countertop, bang the top of the jar against the underside of the countertop a few times. Be careful with this one if you don't plan on using all the contents. You don't want to pop a hole in it.
• If you have a tennis ball laying around, you can cut it in half and use the rubber lining to help you. It also works well if you have some rubber gloves.

If all else fails, get a man or head to the gym!

Best dishes,

Young Mommy Chef