Forget the Defrosting

We always forget to take our dinner out of the freezer. However, there are certain foods that you can cook right out of the freezer. You do not need to worry about defrosting or setting these ingredients out. They are ready as soon as you take them out of the bag. You can learn more at The Kitchn.


The more hectic life gets with work, friends, and family, the more grateful I am that freezers were invented. A well-stocked freezer full of fruits, vegetables, and homemade meals has enabled me to eat more healthy and not spend money on takeout.

The downside of a lot of frozen foods, however, is that they usually need to be thawed in order to cook or reheat well. But did you know there are still plenty of foods out there that you can cook straight from the freezer, no thawing necessary? Here are our seven favorites!

1. Bacon

Whether you want to fry up a big batch of bacon for a leisurely weekend morning or just need a slice or two to flavor a dish, there's so much fat in bacon that it can thaw and start cooking in a pan in just a few minutes. Make sure you freeze the bacon in individual slices first so that it's not frozen into one big block.


2. Fruit

We all know that frozen fruit is a great way to add texture and keep smoothies cold, but if you bake with frozen fruit, there's no need to defrost it — just mix it straight into batter or dough. If you're making a compote or fruit syrup, just throw it straight into the pot and start simmering.



3. Vegetables

Because frozen vegetables are usually frozen at the peak of freshness, they're a great, healthy choice to always have a stash of. Small vegetables like peas and corn can quickly cook and cool down in soup, and you can even throw mixed frozen vegetables straight into a skillet pasta.


4. Dumplings

Since Asian dumplings can be a bit time-consuming to make, make a big batch and then freeze them for a quick and satisfying snack or weeknight meal. Dumplings cook best straight from the freezer since thawing them will make the wrappers sticky and cook up soggy.


5. Pasta

Similar to Asian dumplings, fresh uncooked pastas and filled pastas like ravioli and agnolotti freeze extremely well. Don't thaw them or the pasta will start to stick together. Frozen pasta only takes a minute or two longer to cook than fresh before it's ready to be tossed in your favorite sauce.

6. Cooked Rice

Did you know that day-old rice makes the best fried rice? It's a great way to use up leftover steamed rice, but if you're not ready to fry up the rice just yet, stash it in the freezer. If frozen properly, the rice freezes into individual grains that you can just toss right into the wok or frying pan when the fried rice craving hits.


7. Fish

Skip the thawing of frozen fish — all you have to do is rinse the fillets off, pat them dry, and get cooking. It'll take a few more minutes to cook than a piece of fresh fish, but now you have no excuse not to have fish for dinner on a weeknight!

Make Your Baking Top Notch

Do you love to bake?  We always enjoy making sweet treats for our friends.  However, we have found five tips to help bring your baking skills to the next level!  The Kitchn has gathered some easy ingredients to use to make your next baked good the best it can be. 

1. Espresso Powder

Instant espresso powder is the unsung hero of deep, dark chocolate cakes. A little of the intense coffee powder brings depth to chocolate recipes without being overwhelming, but you can also up the amount if you're inspired to take a mocha route instead. It's also great to keep on hand for recipes calling for brewed coffee, especially if you're not the type that typically drinks a lot of it at home.



More about espresso powder
Espresso Powder in the Kitchen: What's it Good For?
Recipe: Dark Molasses Gingerbread Cake
Recipe: Peanut Butter & Espresso Truffle Blossoms



2. Chocolate Baking Bars

While chocolate chips are a handy pantry staple to have around, nothing beats a real chocolate bar. Unlike chocolate chips which have additives and stabilizers to help them keep their shape, pure chocolate bars have unrivaled flavor and versatility.

You can shave a bar for decorations or cut them into irregular pieces to stir into chocolate chip cookie dough — odd-shaped pieces create random small and large pockets of chocolate and distribute widely and melt beautifully here.



More about chocolate bars
Five Reasons to Keep a Chocolate Bar on Hand
Recipe: How To Make Chocolate Ganache for Any Dessert
Recipe: Chocolate Hazelnut Crunch Bars







3. Real Extracts

You can't replicate the flavor of real vanilla extract. Period. It may seem like a costly purchase, but you can easily make a big bottle at home with some cheap liquor and a few vanilla beans instead.

Fake extracts contain chemicals that almost but don't quite replicate the flavor of the real stuff, and the gap there will really throw off the taste of what you're making. The real stuff will infuse it with natural flavor. So ditch the imitation and invest in real vanilla, almond, or even coconut extract to really enhance your next batch of sweets.




→ Learn how to make your own: How to Make Homemade Vanilla Extract



4. Turbinado Sugar

Coarse, natural cane sugar is baking's secret weapon. It's less refined than white or regular brown sugars, so it has a more robust flavor, and it's beautiful and sparkly to boot. Sprinkle some on your next batch of muffins for added crunch, or roll a log of sugar cookie dough in it before slicing and baking to add elegance without much extra work.



More about turbinado sugar
Turbinado Sugar
Recipe: Molasses Spice Cookies with Orange Sugar





Recipe: Toffee-Chocolate Chip Shortbread

5. Flavored Baking Chips

Last, but not least, keep some flavored baking chips other than chocolate on hand. Swapping out or replacing some of the chocolate chips in a recipe with cinnamon, toffee, or caramel chips is a fun way to turn a trusted recipe into something new and fun. Plus, they'll even appease those few people in the world who don't like chocolate!

Get a recipe
Chocolate Chip and Toffee Shortbread Cookies
Giant Gooey Cinnamon Biscuits

Improve Your Sleep

There are many devices and apps that will tell you why you are not sleeping! However, this new device not only tracks your movement but environmental conditions that may cause you to wake up. Keep reading and check out Apartment Therapy for more information on this new device.

There are plenty of devices and apps that track your sleep, but not many that explain why you're waking up. Sense is a ball that sits on your bedside table and records changes in sound and light that might wake you. It corresponds to a "Pill" that clips on to your pillow that records your movement, and an app that gives you a full report of the night, so you you can do something to get some more shut eye.


• This Smart Sleep Tracker Tells You Why You're Not Getting Enough Sleep |Co.Exist

Make That Twin Bed Feel Like a King

Do you not have enough room in your apartment for a big bed? Just because you could not buy that King, does not mean you can not feel like you have a giant bed to come home too. We have some great tips on how to make that small bed feel like it is from a hotel. Keep reading and check out Apartment Therapy for more information.

Blessed with only enough room for a twin bed? Trying to make a double work for two while you save up for that California king? Buying a bed that's properly in proportion to your space (or your budget) means you're usually left wishing there was a little more room to spread out at night.

Not all of these strategies will work for your life, and some of them only give you extra space visually. But when you're desperate for a few extra inches of sleeping space, it just might help you get through the night.

Go monochromatic with linens.

It's fun to get punchy with patterns, but to visually maximize the size of your bed, stick to an array of solid colors in the same color family; whites with other light colors give the biggest boost.

Be a minimalist with pillows and throws.

Most people sleep with too many pillows beneath their heads at night. Figure out what you really need on the bed, then stash the rest of it in a storage bin. The exception? A neatly folded plush comforter can actually make your bed look bigger.



Grab a headboard (or a big piece of art).

A headboard does more than keep you from losing pillows. It visually frames your bed, making the whole thing look more substantial in both big and small rooms. In lieu of a headboard, a large-scale piece of art (just smaller than the width of your bed) hung above can work in the same way and make the bed a focal point in the room.

Add a bench to the end.

A well-proportioned bench can actually elongate a bed for taller folks or pets who like to sleep at your feet. It's tempting to snag a storage bench for the extra space, but if you've got a small room to start with, a bench with lean legs won't take up more visual real estate.


Kick pets (or kids) out of bed.

My tiny dog manages to take up as much room in our queen bed as either one of his human companions. I'm thinking it might be time to wean him off of sleeping with us so we can reclaim our space.

Save the bed for sleeping.

Stop watching TV or surfing the web in the bedroom. Treat your boudoir as the sanctuary that it is and you might find your small bed seems that much more calm and inviting at the end of a long day.