Whenever butter is called for in a recipe I always use unsalted butter. This way you have better control over the amount of salt in your dish. Also, butter can be left out on counter overnight to soften. Butter can also be frozen to keep fresh.

When baking, always take eggs out of the refrigerator 1 hour prior to using. They need to be room temperature.

When melting chocolate always use a double boiler, or a glass bowl over simmering water in pan. This prevents chocolate from burning or seizing. I love to bake…breads, muffins, cakes, cookies, you name it. Many people find baking a little daunting. It doesn’t have to be. My motto is if you can read, you can bake. The key is preparation.

The first step in cooking and baking is to have all of your ingredients measured out. This is called misenplace. It literally means to have everything in place. Whenever a pan needs to be greased, I use a light spray of unflavored Pam and then a piece of parchment paper for baking.

Invest in two or three good quality LARGE molded plastic cutting boards with a well. I cannot emphasize this enough. I have seen so many people use those little cutesy cutting boards and almost slice off a finger. A good, large cutting board on the counter with a moistened paper towel under it to keep it from sliding all over your counter is necessary! I have seen people with the smallest cutting boards (made of glass) teetering on the edge of their counter. This is an accident waiting to happen. Also, if possible invest in two or three good quality knives. I recommend a 7” Chef’s Knife for women and 9” for men, a sharp boning knife and a long serrated bread knife.

Always use Pure Vanilla Extract, not imitation.
Always use fresh ground pepper.
Always use Kosher salt, unless otherwise specified.
When bananas have become over ripened, freeze them in their skins! I use these for breads and
pancakes!

Make your own chicken stock and freeze it! It is so much better than any store bought brands and you have more control over the amount of salt/sodium in it. Whenever I make a roast chicken I use the carcass for stock! Soups and stews come out so much better when using fresh
homemade stock!

When I was a little girl my mother used to let me help her bake. She made simple cakes, pies and cookies, nothing fancy, but we loved them! My favorite was chocolate chip cookies. Oh, the mess I made, and she never once got upset!