Cool Salad Tips:

• "Simple syrup" is really simple when the microwave is employed; microwave some sugar and water until dissolved, for quick salad dressings, drinks, glazes, and other applications.

• Freezing again: Use plastic wrap to package up portion-sized amounts of garbanzos, goat cheese, "Salad Dressing Concentrates" (which are the spices and herbs. Add to salads to fill out a meal. blended with a touch of olive oil)

• Best croutons ever: Use leftover bread, cubed and tossed in olive oil; sprinkle with a dash of garlic granules and paprika. Bake at the lowest setting (just the pilot light on with gas stoves). Left in for hours or overnight, they get perfectly crisped through, without burning.

• Poppy Seeds: They add a nice touch to salads, muffins, and more. But they don't keep well; freeze them for longer shelf life.
  

Main Dish, Main Point:

• The Sugar Secret: Add a touch of sugar (or brown sugar) to a simple mix of vinegar and perhaps soy sauce. Include favorite herbs or garlic, for an economical home-made marinade. The sugar in the marinade helps meats to acquire that perfect browning.

• Quick Mushroom Marinade: Use a zip-lock bag; toss mushrooms with some olive oil. Then add some garlic, soy sauce, and balsamic vinegar. Ready to eat as is, or throw on the grill.

• Paprikash Color: Chicken Paprikash and other stew-type dishes can develop extra rich color with the addition of paprika,

• Easy Chicken Salad: Wrap cooked chicken in plastic wrap; cool completely and the meat will be easier to chop for chicken salad the next day.

• Big Tip for a little Shrimp: Look for raw shrimp; the flavor hasn't been lost to the cooking water. Plus, it will cook up within minutes in a hot skillet.
  

Party Time (and Saucy Bits):

• Pilaf: An economical back-up for any party or big event, rice will stretch the menu without busting the budget.

• Simple & Fast: Fresh fruits and whole blocks of cheese will make the buffet table appetizing with little effort.
  

• Skip the stirring and sweating: Think "Tomato Paste" when making tomato sauce. Add it to the sauce last, to thicken it up, and you can skip hours of extra simmering.
  

Don't Desert Dessert for Fake Replicas!

• For baked goods, skip mixing the baking soda/powder/salt into flour. Just add the baking soda/powder and salt to the creamed ingredients at the last minute. You can then stir in the flour. Those important additions (the salt, baking soda/powder) will still get mixed in well, but won't loose their leavening power. (Which is why you don't mix them into the wet ingredients in the beginning).

• Remember the freezer: You can bake ahead of time, freezing the dessert until assembling on serving day.

• Elegance made easy: Chocolate Cups can be made by microwaving chocolate chips, "painting" into some foil cupcake liners. Remove liner after cooling, fill cups with a mousse or pudding; looks classy!
  

• Faster Rice Pudding (and other desserts): Microwave the milk for easier clean-up than scalding over the stove.