Food Hacks Features
How To: Everything You Need to Know About Mulled Cider
When it's frigid outside, all you can think about is getting inside and shutting out the cold. But sometimes even the largest house can get a bit, well, stuffy.
How To: Your Aluminum Foil & Plastic Wrap Dispensers Have Hidden Tabs That Will Make Your Life So Much Easier
The dispensers for aluminum foil and plastic wrap are among the most annoying-to-use kitchen items, but that's because the majority of people apparently don't know how to use them. On the ends of the boxes are two little tabs that make them so much easier to use, and believe it or not, they've always been there.
How To: 9 Pizza Hacks You Need to Try Before You Die
When it comes to pizza, everyone has strong opinions about how they like their pie, whether they prefer deep dish, thin crust, Chicago-style, or gluten-free. However, most people agree that a pizza is composed of some basic parts: a single layer of crust (usually wheat-based), sauce (usually tomato-based, cheese, and toppings. Yet enterprising cooks out there are putting a spin on the classic by turning pizza on its head. Sink your teeth into these pizza hacks before it's too late!
How To: 10 Food Hacks for Making Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies Every Time
Everyone and his mother (and grandmother) has a chocolate chip cookie recipe that he swears is the absolute best recipe, guaranteed to produce a chocolate chip cookie so good it will make you weep with joy. The problem with that is that everyone—relatives included—has a different idea of exactly what constitutes a perfect chocolate chip cookie.
How To: 10 Unbelievably Delicious Substitutes for Boring Ol' Croutons
Fall is a time of change. The leaves change color, the weather changes from warm to cool, and we change our clocks to fall back an hour. This last change means that many of us will get home from work in pitch-black darkness; for me, the early onset of night makes me less interested in cooking dinner and more interested in getting in my sweats, throwing leftovers in the microwave, and binge-watching The Affair.
How To: Make Perfect Coffee Every Time with These Java Pro Tips
There are lots of great reasons for going out to a fantastic coffee shop for a cuppa. Coffee shops have a lovely ambiance, are a perfect place to meet with friends or do some work, and are a great excuse to get out of the house. Seeking out a perfect cup of coffee, however, shouldn't be one of the reasons that you hit up your local café.
How To: Vacuum Seal Food in a Ziplock Bag Using a Microwave
Vacuum seal your food without a vacuum machine. Use a microwave and a ziplock bag to make leftover food last longer. Watch this how to video to learn how simple it is to vacuum seal food.
How To: 5 Unconventional Uses for Leftover Cookie Dough
While I frown upon any form of uneaten cookie, sometimes we overestimate our late-night cravings for baked goods leaving us with extra cookie dough at 4 a.m. If you're in the privileged dilemma of not having enough excess dough to make another batch of cookies but just enough left over that you can't justify tossing it, don't fret. Here are five effortless and unexpected ways to salvage it.
Turkey Day Hacks: 7 Alternatives to Traditional Stuffing
When it comes to Thanksgiving, some people live for stuffing (or dressing, if that's what you call it). Personally, I love all stuffing, even the boxed kind. However, even the classics can start to feel a little staid and dull after a while.
How To: Revolutionize Your Coffee Game with These Cold Brew Hacks
Summer is right around the corner, which means it's time to switch from perfect hot coffee to perfect cold coffee. A nice icy glass of cold coffee is wildly refreshing and just plain delicious. In my opinion, it's the key to enjoying any sunny day (warning: if you don't already drink cold coffee, you may find yourself drinking four or five glasses a day very quickly).
How To: Dunk an Oreo Cookie in Milk Without Getting Your Fingers Messy
Who can eat Oreos without a glass of cold milk? They're called "milk's favorite cookie" for a reason, after all. People tend to feel strongly one way or the other on whether or not to dunk cookies in general, but most dunkers and non-dunkers alike can agree that milk is a must with Oreos.
How To: Make Rotisserie-Style Chicken at Home Using a Bundt Pan
Nothing makes my stomach growl and my mouth water quite like the smell of roasting chicken. It's a pretty universal reaction, too—there's a reason every grocery store places its rotisserie grills and delis near the entrance, after all.
How To: Creative 3-Ingredient Add-Ins That Make Vanilla Ice Cream to Die For
During our high school years, one of us (hint: her name starts with a B) worked at Cold Stone Creamery. She loved working there, and from this love emerged a fascination with adding creative ingredients to plain ol' vanilla ice cream.
How To: 15 Clever Ways to Use Coffee Filters for More Than Just Java
Even if you've put aside your percolator and have gone the way of the pod coffeemaker, there are still dozens of ways to use your leftover coffee filters. Incredibly cheap, absorbent, and shaped with a ruffle, coffee filters are useful in the kitchen, garden, and around the house.
How To: 'Hot Chocolate' Balls = Next-Level Instant Cocoa
Winter—or any cold, gray day, for that matter—is the best time for a warm cup of something hot. For me, hot chocolate is my "warm cup" of choice: rich and milky, deliciously sweet, and oh-so-comforting. On super-cold days when I can't feel my face, a nice, large cup of hot chocolate warms my tummy and cheers me up. (And lucky for me, it's pretty healthy for me too!)
Tastes as Amazing as It Sounds: Make Sushi with Sriracha Instead of Seaweed
Like most food lovers, I adore sushi. And like anyone who is a living, breathing human being, I'm a pretty big fan of sriracha sauce.
How To: Stop Buying Toxic Beauty Products—Make Cheaper, All-Natural Ones Right in Your Kitchen
Many of the beauty products you buy at drug and department stores are loaded with potentially toxic ingredients like parabens, while their active ingredients are made of things like glycolic, lactic, malic, and alpha hydroxy acids and retinoids, which are all derived from foods.
How To: Make Amazing Garlic Paste Without a Clunky Garlic Press
There may be no kitchen appliance as controversial as the garlic press. Professional kitchens and many avid cooks despise it, while others staunchly defend it.
News: Go Blue, Not Green—Introducing the Newest Superfood, Blue Majik
You're all kale-d out, you've had it up to here with golden milk, and you're on the prowl for the next superfood. Well, get ready for some unicellular goodness: the next superfood is an algae named Spirulina, also known as Blue Majik. (Kudos to the marketing exec that came up with that, am I right?)
How To: These 10 Garlic Hacks Don't Stink
Garlic is a key ingredient in many delicious meals, and if you've been a fan of our site for even a short while, it's no secret that we love to share tricks and tips to make cooking with garlic even easier than you first assumed.
How To: This One Extra Step Gives Mashed Potatoes a Huge Flavor Boost
Mashed potatoes are a reliably tasty side dish, but they can definitely get a little boring sometimes. So if you're looking for that extra 'oomph' that goes beyond the classic butter and salt seasoning, try infusing your next batch with the flavor of baked potato skins.
Bottled vs. Tap: 5 Reasons Why You Should Choose City Water Over Plastic
There is a huge myth that most Americans believe, and it might be the marketing triumph of the 20th century. We pay an absurd markup (Zero Hedge says as much as 280,000% for "designer" water) on something we can get for free because most of us believe that bottled water is healthier than tap water. But is it? Here are 5 reasons why tap water is probably better than that bottled stuff you drink. 1. It's Not Cleaner (& Might Be Dirtier) Than Your Tap Water
How To: Make a Heart-Shaped Hard-Boiled Egg for Valentine's Day
Make a beautiful heart-shaped hard-boiled egg. Add it to a salad and surprise your Valentine! You'll need an egg, saucepan and cooker, drink carton, pair of scissors, chopstick, and elastic bands. Full instructions are shown in this short and simple video tutorial.
How To: 12 Easy Snacks You Can Make for Your Next Road Trip
Gas stations may be convenient for travel snacks, but the cost of shopping there sure can add up. If you're looking for easy, on-the-go snacks that fit into your travel budget, look no further. We've got 12 kid-friendly, portable food ideas you can make before leaving on your journey. You'll be amazed by how much money and time you will save with these satisfying travel snacks.
How To: Why You Should Be Using Less-Refined Sweeteners Instead of Brown or White Sugar
As a species, our cells are designed to use sugar for energy. Is it any wonder that as humans evolved, we grew to love the taste of sugar?
How To: Get Tender, Juicy Meat with This Common Kitchen Staple
Tender is the name of the game when it comes to cooking damn delicious meat, but achieving that succulent texture isn't always easy.
Stop Your Sloshing: How to Carry a Hot Cup of Joe Without Spilling Any Coffee on You
For the vast majority of people, coffee is a must-have in the morning. It provides a stimulating effect that not only wakes you up, but sets your mood and attitude for the rest of the day. Personally, I wouldn't get anything done without coffee.
Food Tool Friday: Make the Best Coffee Ever in a Turkish Ibrik
Coffee is one of the world's most popular drinks, and its fans are also usually devoted to a certain method of brewing. Some love the Keurig, others the French press, and still others swear by cold brewing. However, one of the oldest and easiest ways to brew coffee is also one of the best. If you love coffee, you should really think about getting a Turkish ibrik (also known as a cezve).
News: (Un)Appetizing Valentine's Day Bleeding Heart Cake
Baking extraordinaire Lily Vanilli has made some just-slightly-too-realistic-to-look-yummy bleeding heart cakes for people to give to their respective beaus on Valentine's Day. While it's pretty tricky to get your hands on one made by Lily herself, you can make one yourself if you've got the heart. Check out A Lot on Her Plate's video with Lily to see how to make this so-called "anti-Valentine's Day cake," which also works well for Halloween. To follow along with them, check out the full reci...
News: 10 Sneaky Substitutions That Will Have You Eating Healthier
When you're trying to cut some calories or just eat more veggies, it's important to enjoy what you're eating. If all you're doing is telling yourself "no" and focusing on what you can't eat, you are pretty much destined to fail at your diet.
How To: 5 Clever Ways to Repurpose Empty Wine Bottles
I've always had an affinity for pretty wine bottles. When I was younger, my parents and my siblings would give me their empty wine bottles so I could collect them, and I loved every single one.
Summertime Cooking Hacks: How to Make Meals Without Sweating Over Them
"The best season for food is the worst season for cooking." These words, spoken by food blogger Dave Klopfenstein of Dave's Kitchen, couldn't be more true.
How To: Why White Sugar Is the Only Type of Sugar You Need in Your Kitchen
I'll bet this scenario will sound familiar to you: you're in the middle of making a spectacular dessert that will knock the socks off of your guests, and you've almost finished gathering all of your ingredients to create your mise en place. The last ingredient listed is powdered sugar, and you reach for where it's stored, when—drat! You don't have enough for the recipe.
How To: Make All-Natural Green Food Dye for St. Patrick's Day
When we were kids, Saint Patrick's Day was a green-hued holiday that promised green eggs in the morning and green mashed potatoes in the evening... along with some traditional corned beef and cabbage, of course.
How To: Get Chris' Outrageous Cheesecake Without Going to the Cheesecake Factory
Chris' Outrageous Cheesecake, a decedent combination of chocolate cake, brownies, cheesecake, and coconut-pecan frosting, is easily one of The Cheesecake Factory's most popular desserts. But, the price of fulfilling your cravings for this addictive treat can get up there (at about $8 a slice), and when you eat it at the restaurant you likely are limited to only one small piece.
How To: 8 Simple Tweaks to Transform Your Boring Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin pie is a symbol of autumn, and it's the traditional dessert to whip up for your fam when Thanksgiving Day arrives. But year after year of the same old thing can be a total bore if you're not a strict traditionalist. So, we found 8 unique ways to make that pie a little less snooze-fest and a little more interesting.
How To: Avoid a Gravy Disaster with These Saucy Tips
Gravy is a relatively simple dish, yet it's remarkably easy to mess up. We've all experienced the disappointment of excitedly pouring gravy onto our mashed potatoes, only to realize it's too runny, too lumpy, or too bland. And because gravy is so simple, even if you don't mess it up, it's still challenging to make it memorable and delicious.
How To: Chickpea Liquid Makes a Fantastic Vegan Mayonnaise
We had some friends over for a barbecue a few weeks back. Among other items, this outdoor soirée featured an epic potato salad (bacon, basil, crushed potato chips, pickles—the whole nine yards). And, like many potato salads, ours was made with a hearty amount of mayonnaise.
How To: The Deliciously Lazy Way to Make Creamy Risotto at Home
Why are people so afraid of risotto? Contrary to what a lot of home cooks seem to believe, it's really not a difficult dish to make yourself. Sure, there's a lot of stirring involved, but it's not nearly the culinary beast it's made out to be. The real deterrent to making homemade risotto isn't that it's hard—it's that it requires a lot of attention. Risotto needs a lot of babying. Part of the process involves standing over it for 20 to 30 minutes at the stove, stirring almost constantly whil...
How To: Dice an Avocado in Seconds — Without a Knife
Avocados are one of the most universally loved foods, yet a lot of people avoid them because they can be a hassle to cut, especially if you're trying to make cubes.