How to Clean a Salt Block

Seafood appetizer on a clean salt block

There has recently been a growing trend in the move from plain old table salt to its fancier cousin Himalayan salt. I’m sure you’ve seen it before, the light pink color is pretty unmistakable.  Himalayan salt is often touted for its health benefits and distinct mineral flavor. But what is really impressive is its ability …

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How Long Is Cranberry Sauce Good For?

Cranberry sauce on a spoon

Cranberry sauce is a true holiday season staple. But whether you get your cranberry sauce from a can or make it yourself on the stove, many people will be wondering, how long does it last? How Long Is Cranberry Sauce Good For? A simple store-bought or homemade jam-style cranberry sauce with water, sugar, and cranberries …

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How to Clean Silicone Baking Mats

Christmas sugar cookies on a baking mat

Silicone bakeware has been a fantastic addition to the home cooks tool kit. From spatulas and spoons to molds, tins, and mats these heat resistant non-stick wonders are quickly replacing their metal, plastic, and wooden counterparts.  While buying silicone cookware is easy (just don’t go over 450°F / 230°C with them), cleaning silicone cookware can …

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How to Cook Asparagus Quickly

Macro shot of asparagus on a cutting board

I love asparagus, and it is one of my go-to vegetables to pair with chicken or beef. I think there’s just something about asparagus that makes it a little fancier than your everyday vegetable like green beans or peas.  Growing up though, I hated them; however, it wasn’t until much later in life that I …

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How to Cook Baked Beans From a Can

A side of baked beans with garlic bread

Baked beans are a childhood classic. Few things spark memories of nostalgia like cooking baked beans over a fire with some hotdogs on a stick. A true staple of the pantry, I always try to have a can or two on hand for a quick side with barbecue and grilled meats.  While the most common …

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How to Clean a Peanut Butter Jar

Close up of a peanut butter jar

Assuming you don’t have a nut allergy, who doesn’t love peanut butter? Growing up, I don’t think there was ever a lunch at school where someone wasn’t eating a peanut butter sandwich of sorts. That said, cleaning up peanut butter can be a real task. I’ll be reviewing how to clean out peanut butter jars …

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Oven Baked Ham and Cheese Sliders Recipe

Oven baked ham and cheese sliders recipe on a plate

Sliders are an all time favorite of mine. Even as a Californian, I am one of those people who would take White Castle slider over an In-N-Out Burger any day of the week (my fiancé and I debate over this constantly). For me, it’s all about the steamed onion in a slider. Yes, that is …

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Easy Parmesan Buttered Noodles Recipe

Parmesan buttered noodles with cheese served on a black plate placed on a white surface

Many people associate stovetop mac and cheese with their childhoods. For me though, it has to be butter noodles with some parmesan cheese. At the end of the day, there isn’t too much difference – it’s noodle, butter, and some cheese.  I like to joke that it is the poor man’s Alfredo, but after trying …

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How to Clean a Mortar and Pestle

Clean porcelain mortar and pestle

Right up there with fire (and maybe even before that), the mortar and pestle was one of the first kitchen gadgets man invented. After all, what is a mortar and pestle than two rocks bashing and grinding into each other? Here in San Diego, you can even see ancient mortars carved into the rocks at …

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How to Clean a Meat Grinder

Meat grinder being used to grind beef cuts

A few things will take your next burger or sausage recipe to the next level quite like grinding your own meat. The control you have in food safety, quality, mix, and texture is unparalleled in the kitchen.  But, for all the same reasons I need to be cautious of ground meats on the store shelves, …

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How to Clean an Electric Skillet

An electric skillet is a great way to gain back some valuable stove top real estate. They are one part hot plate, one part non stick pan, however, they are not the easiest to clean. Lucky for you, if you have never cleaned an electric skillet or were unsure if you were doing it the …

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How to Clean Hard Anodized Cookware

Anodized cookware

One of the wonderful things about modern cookware is hard, durable, anodized aluminum. Another major plus is safety – aluminum cookware is much safer than PTFE and Teflon, as it won’t release chemicals into the air when you heat it on the stove. For many, anodized cookware was and still is my first “real” set …

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