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How to freeze asparagus

Asparagus is one of the first official signs of spring and a promise that more homegrown produce is right on its heels. All winter long we wait for those green spears to show in the garden, but just like that, warm weather hits and the season is over. If you’re getting into June and you still have an abundance of asparagus in the ground, don’t fret. Freezing it means you’ll have asparagus spears available for the whole year to come. 1. Go homegrown Only bother freezing locally grown asparagus while it’s in season for your area. Asparagus that has been shipped from other states, or even internationally, will almost always be less tender and have less flavor — not a good place to start. 2. Size matters The spears you select for freezing should be at least as thick as a pencil. Thinner spears don’t hold up very well in…

12 easy, healthy snacks for your road trip

Memorial Day weekend marks the beginning of the U.S. summer travel season. Nearly 43 million Americans will use the long weekend to travel — about 37.6 million of those by car, according to automobile association AAA. While you can’t avoid the inevitable dirty gas station bathrooms and frustrating traffic jams, you can pack some snacks to make sure that you don’t get hangry and reach for unhealthy fast food. I know, I know. “Road trip food is half the fun,” you say. But is it? Do you arrive to your destination feeling satisfied and refreshed, or do you skid in sideways with a greasy chicken sandwich upset stomach ready for a 12-hour nap? The food options on the road are quite bad, but without something to satiate us, we’ll tell ourselves, “what other options are there?” Well, there are tons of options! Stop yourself from spiraling down the dark rabbit…

7 steps to prep your grill for grilling season

You might have already packed away your sweaters and scarves, but before this summer can really heat up, you need to give your grill its annual checkup. It might not be the most exciting item on your upcoming schedule, but nothing can kill an outdoor dinner party faster than a broken grill. So for the sake of future fun, follow this advice to make sure your grill is ready for its Memorial Day debut and beyond. Also read, How to kick off grilling season with proper food safety. 1. Deep clean the grates. Little charred bits don’t add flavor — by now, it’s just dirt that can make you sick. Cleaning your grates regularly will prevent dangerous bacteria buildup, improve the taste of your food, and also reduce the risk of fire. Grill grates can be cleaned a variety of different ways, but to really start the season off right, consider…

10 bad kitchen habits you need to break now

We all make mistakes in the kitchen — especially when we’re just starting out. But great cooks learn to be great by learning from their mistakes. Whether you’re a seasoned professional chef or a 20-something try-hard, if you’ve picked up any of these bad habits in the kitchen ditch them right now! Your cooking is suffering and you might not even know it. 1. Your knives are always dull When you’re using a dull knife, you actually increase your risk of getting injured. A sharp knife easily slices through anything, but a dull blade needs some force. This means it’s more likely to slip out of your hand and cut you — possibly seriously. If you don’t know how to properly sharpen a knife, no worries. You can get it done by a professional relatively cheaply. Once sharp, remember to store them with their blades protected in knife guards. Never…

18 tips on how to eat healthy and still save money at the grocery store

The average American house hold spends $6,600 on groceries every year — that’s $550 a month!. Are you doing all you can to make sure you’re getting the healthiest foods for your dollar? It can cost a lot to eat whole, healthy foods. In fact, the Harvard School of Public Health found that eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can cost about $2,000 more per year. But the real question is can you afford not to? With heart disease, cancer, and diabetes all on the rise, spending the cash now on fresh foods could save you big bucks on medical bills throughout your lifetime. This increased food expense is all the more reason to identify ways to make your money stretch. The most obvious area for savings is to eliminate food waste. Americans throw out $640 worth of groceries every year. Reduce this waste, and you’ve recouped a…

How to pick the best pineapple every time

By this point in the winter we’re dreaming of snacking on sweet, succulent pineapple while lounging in a swaying beachside hammock. Although they’re available all year long, the tangy, tropical fruit is at its peak ripeness from March to July, making this month a perfect time to start enjoying the bold taste of this delicious fruit once again. The vibrant flavor of pineapples works great in all kinds of sweet or savory appetizers, entrées, and desserts. And of course, no summer dream is complete without a cool, refreshing piña colada or mai tai. But knowing how to pick the right one can be the difference between a perfectly balanced sweet and tangy fruit, and a too tart, bitter mess. With this in mind, here are a few things to look for when picking pineapples from the store. Curious why pineapple leaves your mouth sore?  The Base The bottom of the…

An easy trick to bring butter and eggs to room temperature for baking

Baking happens. Sometimes it’s planned days ahead, and sometimes you get the urge for something sweet out of nowhere. But, if you find yourself up for a little impromptu baking session, you might run into a few problems. Recipes regularly call for room temperature eggs, butter, and even milk — that means setting them out ahead of time to warm up. So what’s an impulsive baker to do? While a perfect planner would have had these ingredients resting on the countertop for an hour ahead of time, you just pulled them from your fridge and need them ready now. The microwave looks tempting, but you know that’s seriously hit or miss — and usually makes a mess. Don’t fear. Here a few hacks so you can bake your cookies without waiting until 10 p.m. to start. How to bring butter to room temperature If you’ve ever tried to microwave butter…

10 foods that can substitute as cleaning supplies

Cleaning your house isn’t exactly fun, but you might be able to make it easier — or at least, more amusing — with one of these 10 foods substituting as cleaning supplies. You can save some money by not spending on expensive specialty products. Not to mention, you can avoid coming in contact with a ton of potentially harmful chemicals that store-bought brands typically contain. These tricks will help you keep more money in your wallet, and they support a healthier lifestyle. Who doesn’t want that? 1. Coca-Cola Coke isn’t just for sipping. The highly carbonated beverage contains phosphoric acid, citric acid, and carbonic acid — all which help it serve as a cleaning product substitute. Use it to take rust off of pots, remove, remove hard stains for inside the toilet bowl, restore shine to coins and jewelry, and get grease out of clothes. 2. Ketchup It’s might be…

10 mistakes you’re probably making when cooking pasta

Pasta is so simple, even a broke college kid can make it, right? Well, yes, if simply scarfing down calories is your goal. It doesn’t take much know-how to boil water, open a jar of sauce, and hope for the best. But if you want a delicious, authentic Italian-American plate of al dente pasta, there are many nuances to master. From leaving the noodles in the colander to not salting the water, here are 8 common mistakes we’ve all made when cooking pasta. Also see, Avocado whole wheat pasta salad. 1. Your pot is too small Size does matter. Pasta should be swimming because it will soak up water and expand. Once it expands, if there isn’t enough water left, it will get mushy and sticky. For 1 pound of pasta, fill a 4 or 5 quart pot about 3/4 of the way with water and boil. For 2 pounds of…

This is how much you need to exercise to burn off your Super Bowl snacks

There’s no question about it: Super Bowl Sunday is a tough day to eat healthy. Even if you’re not a fan of either team, you still might find yourself at a party, socializing, trying not to let those deep fried wings and blue cheese tempt you. The Super Bowl has become one of the biggest food days of the year, second only to Thanksgiving. During the four-hour Super Bowl extravaganza, the average party-goer will consume about 1,200 calories and 50 grams of fat. For most people, splurging one day isn’t going to make much of a difference. However, to help put the damage in perspective, Dietdetective.com did a little nutritional math and replaced calories with exactly how much exercise you would have to do to burn off your bad Game Day dietary decisions. Let’s have some fun… PIZZA To burn off three slices of Pizza Hut Pepperoni Lovers Pan Pizza, you…