Simply Laura Lea. Laura Lea

measuring cups for liquid you would

       1) likely spill some and 2) get a slightly inaccurate

       measurement. To properly measure dry ingredients,

       you want to scoop them so that they’re a bit overly

       full, and then use a butter knife to scrape any excess

       off across the top. Before scraping, I suggest tapping

       the cup gently on the countertop, to remove any air

       and make sure you’ve actually filled it properly.

      Making Sauces, Dressings, Seasoning Mixes,

       and Condiments: If an ingredient list includes a

       subsection for any of these, look for when to make

       them in the instructions. Often they don’t need to be

       made first and instead can be made when something

       else is cooking or marinating or cooling.

      Oven Rack: I always use the middle rack. If I’m

       baking two things at once, I use the middle and

       bottom third rack and switch positions of the pans

       halfway through the cooking time.

      Use Binder Clips for Parchment: When lining

       a loaf pan or other baking dish with parchment,

       this is a game changer—use small binder

       clips to hold parchment paper down around the

       edges of a loaf pan or baking sheet; you can keep

       them on during baking if they are metal. Other

       ways to manage your parchment include 1) greasing

       the dish before adding the parchment; 2) crumbling

       the parchment into a tight ball, then unfolding

       to make it more malleable; and 3) taping it down

      with regular adhesive tape—this will be fine in

       the oven.

      Make Ahead: All casseroles can be assembled the

       night before and baked the next day, but they will

       need another 5 to 10 minutes baking time because

       of the chill.

      Leftovers: All estimated lengths of time for keeping

       leftovers with meat assume the meat was fresh, not

       ready to expire, when the item was prepared.

      Room Temperature Ingredients: Some recipes

       will specify room-temperature ingredients, and

       this is not to make your life more difficult! At room

      HOW LONG CAN YOU FREEZE FOODS?

      This chart assumes that the food you’re freezing is fresh going into the freezer.

      COOKED

       Bread, unfrosted cake or cupcakes & waffles: 1 month

       Burgers, meat patties, and meatballs: 1 to 2 months

       Casseroles and pasta- based dishes: 2 months

       Chicken breasts, thighs, & wings: 4 months

       Grains: 3 months

       Pancakes, quick breads, cookies, granola bars, & muffins: 3 months

       Soups, stews, marinara sauce, stock, & broth: 2 to 3 months

       Steak: 2 to 3 months

       Taco and Bolognese meat: 1 to 2 months

       Vegetables: 8 to 12 months

      RAW

       Chicken pieces: 9 months

       Whole chicken: 1 year

       Citrus fruit: 3 months

       Other fruits & popsicles: 6 months

       Raw lean fish: 6 months

       Raw fatty fish: 2 to 3 months

       Ground beef, turkey, & chicken: 3 to 4 months

       Nuts: 3 months

       Shrimp & scallops: 3 to 4 months

       Steak: 4 to 6 months

       Vegetables: 8 to 12 months

      DON’T FREEZE

       Dairy products: yogurt, cheese, sour cream, & milk

       Hard-boiled eggs

       Canned fish

       Fresh herbs (unless suspended in oil)

       Onions, peppers, artichokes, radishes, sprouts, & salad greens

       Uncooked rice

       Water-rich foods: lemon, lime, tomato, & cucumber

      temperature, butter and eggs bond and create

       an emulsion