Tips & Tricks in the Kitchen

Tips and tricks to make cooking and baking easier! I would not consider myself a professional chef by any means but I found these clever tips and tricks so helpful.
To keep brown sugar soft: add a few big marsh mellow in it to soften the sugar.
To slice strawberries at ease: use your egg slicer, which also works great for mushrooms.
How to tell if your eggs are really fresh: place them into 4 inches of water. Eggs that are fresh will sink to the bottom.
How to save large batches of fresh homemade pesto: place the contents into ice cube trays so they are easily accessible.
How to save individual batches of chicken noodle soup: put into muffin tins.
How to keep delicious herbs fresher longer: store them in water to retain the flavor and texture. This herb keeper can be stored easily in your fridge. 

Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth

My kids are in love with any type of hard candy but I still get nervous to let them suck on hard candy (even though they are 5). I feel much safer having them suck on a sucker. I found this genius idea: makeshift your own jolly rancher (or any hard candy) into a sucker!

This project is so fun to do with the kids and you can mix and match the different flavors to make bright, striped sucker creations. What is needed: jolly ranchers, sucker sticks, parchment paper, foil and cookie sheet.
1) lay a piece of foil on cookie sheet. cover foil with a piece of parchment paper.
2) unwrap candies and place side by side on parchment paper in your choice of color & flavor combinations. use three candies together for extra large lollies, and only two candies together for regular lollies.
3) heat candies in oven for about 5 minutes at 200 degrees. keep a close eye on the candies and take them out as soon as they've barely melted together. if you leave them in too long they will melt too much and you won't be able to put a stick into the lollie. alter the cook time accordingly.
4) carefully take cookie sheet out of oven. immediately lay candy sticks into place on melted candies. slowly twirl in melted candy to coat the stick and so it will hold in the lollie. they're hot! don't burn yourself but you will have to work fast before the candies harden.
5) let the lollies cool about 30 minutes before eating or wrap up in clear cellophane bags, tie with ribbon and give as gifts or party favors!

Maximize your sexiness with Maxi Dresses

Maxi dresses are all the rage this Summer. I'll vote this fad two thumbs up: comfort and sex appeal all in one dress? I'm in! Maxi dresses are coming in so many different prints, designs and fits every body shape. 

Because I'm short (5'2") I thought pulling off a maxi dress would be difficult. I didn't want to look "lost" in a floor length dress but it did the opposite. When I tried one on it actually made me look taller. For the most flattering look on my short body I go with a color block design vs. a print because I don't want my body to look overwhelmed. A fun tip: tie up a small knot on either side of the dress to add a personal twist to your floor length dress.