Panko!!

This is probably going to be the quickest tip EVER!! Use Panko Bread crumbs when breading fish, chicken, etc. Your local supermarket should carry them.

What are they, you ask?

Panko (パン粉^?) is a variety of flaky bread crumb used in Japanese cuisine as a crunchy coating for fried foods, such as tonkatsu. Panko is made from bread baked by passing an electric current through the dough,^[1] yielding bread without crusts, and it has a crisper, airier texture than most types of breading found in Western cuisine.^[1] Outside Japan, it is becoming more popular for use in Asian and non-Asian dishes, is often used on fish and seafood, and is often available in Asian markets and specialty stores. Increasingly, it is also available in many large supermarkets. Panko is produced worldwide, particularly in Asian countries, including Japan, Korea, Thailand, China, and Vietnam.


There ya go, that's straight from Wikipedia! :-)

They are so good and light and yummy and delicious and crunchy. I think you'll love them...

Have a quick tip to share? Simply comment below and perhaps we'll feature YOUR quick tip on the blog!

~Lauren

Hook & Loop

This quick tip Wednesday is brought to us by one of our readers, Ashley. She shares with us that when sewing Hook & Loop aka Velcro onto your item, keep it secure with double sided tape instead of pins! Works great!! Brillant!!

Have a quick tip to share? Simply leave us a comment and perhaps we'll feature you on the blog!

Have a wonderful week,

Lauren & Page

Italy's Secret Ingredient!

This "Quick Tip" Wednesday is actually two tips in one. :-) I LOVE Italian food, and have found that using REAL Parmesan cheese is KEY to authentic flavors in my Italian cooking. Maybe it's because almost every Italian recipe calls for it? ;-) I truly believe it's their "secret ingredient". ha!

Anyway, what I'm saying is - don't cut corners by buying the el cheapo green can that I'm not sure is even real cheese. I buy my Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese at Sam's Club and find that they're most reasonable.



Ok, second tip - you can use the rinds of your Parmesan cheese! I know Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese is kind of spendy but I'm here to tell you that you can use every last bit of this cheese! How cool is that? I simply freeze the rinds (exterior of the cheese) and then when I make a pot of soup, I throw a rind in my soup and it flavors it beautifully!! The salty, nutty, buttery cheese still on the rind flavors the soup and gives it an added dimension that is absolutely delicious! Simply remove the rind before serving, or if it happens to completely dissolve in the soup - that's fine too!

Have a quick tip to share with us?? Leave a comment below and perhaps we'll choose your quick tip to be featured!! :-)

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

~Lauren

Mmmm....COFFEE!!!

How many of you LOVE coffee?!?! I DO, I do, I do!!! I even drink decaf for the sake of my little guy and still love it!

Well, did you know that you can actually use it as an odor neutralizer?? Have a stinky fridge? Place some grounds (please use cheapo coffee for this and not your good stuff!) on a shallow tray and place inside your fridge. You'll soon notice that those darling coffee grounds have absorbed all of those icky odors!

For more intensive smells - such as a room that has just been painted (aka my nursery), recently stained furniture, etc. You can simply take an open container of fresh coffee grounds to absorb the odor. BUY a cheap brand for that purpose, but then make sure you throw it out afterwards. ;-) It really works!!

See, I bet you didn't realize that coffee had more than one delicious purpose?!


Have a Quick Tip to share? Please leave it in the comments below and we'll feature it on our blog!!

~Lauren & Page

Cleaning Shoes!

This Quick Tip Wednesday might seem a little strange, but it really works!
We women know that a woman's work is never really done, there's always SO much to do around the house. Why not try cleaning in some supportive, tennis shoes?? They will motivate you to get moving and will support your back in the process. My friend, Ashley, mentioned this great tip and I agree - I definitely notice a difference when I have my "special shoes" on. :-) I'm much less likely to just feel like sitting down on the job.


Do YOU have a quick tip to share? Comment below and we'll gladly feature it in our Quick Tip Wednesday posts!

~Lauren & Page

Hobby Lobby, How I LOVE Thee!!

This week's "quick tip" might be pretty exciting for those of you addicted to Hobby Lobby (like me). I frequently fail to print out a HL coupon and find it frustrating to realize it AFTER I am in the store and filling my cart with wonderful goodies.

Did you know that you can pull up a Hobby Lobby coupon on the internet via your cell phone and show it to the cashier at checkout? They simply need the coupon code from the online coupon. I was SUPER excited about this fact and have already done it twice (thank you Page, for informing me about this!).

Have a quick tip to share with us? Comment below and we might just feature your quick tip in next Wednesday's post!!

~Lauren

"Puttin' on the Ritz"

It's time for another "Quick Tip Wednesday".

Don't you just love how you discover something by accident, or just be truly needing to be creative? I have discovered that I prefer crackers - Ritz crackers to be exact, in the place of bread crumbs. I realized this some time ago, when I discovered I was out of Italian bread crumbs while trying to make some delicious Eggplant Parmesan (Mmmm!). I simply crushed the Ritz crackers, added my favorite Italian seasoning and voila' -my husband LOVED it!! Now I can't even imagine making Eggplant Parm without using my Ritz crackers!

Have a recipe that calls for bread crumbs? Try substituting crackers instead (especially the buttery kind aka Ritz). I use them to top my homemade Mac n' cheese, to bread chicken, eggplant, etc. Next time you make dinner, consider "Puttin' on the Ritz" - I think you'll find it very satisfying!


Have a "Quick Tip"? Comment below and we might just feature your tip in next week's "Quick Tip Wednesday"!

~Lauren

Quick Tip Wednesday: Try it!

So, this "quick tip" is not anything uber amazing-but just some thoughts and ideas to help save in the calorie department! Who can't use a little help in these areas? : )

Try It: Without Butter

Hold on--I think Paula Deen just fell off her chair and half the south wept at the thought! : )

In all seriousness, I have learned to love so many things without butter--that I once thought couldn't come without it!

Some of the biggest culprits? Corn on the cob and restaurant bread/rolls. I rarely have butter on these items any more. Honestly, (to me) they just don't need it. Just give it a try (or two)--you'll learn to love these items for what they are--which is wonderful--without all the added calories.

Try It: With a little less or no salt.

Is Paula Deen crying now? (Ha ha! No worries, Paula! I still love your cooking shows!)

I don't think most realize just how much salt they eat in a day! (Or how much comes in the food they order!) It can be just out right ridiculous!

All I'm saying is--just give your foods a try with less (or without)! Some things may take some adapting--some just may not be edible with out some salt. But, just try it! You may surprise yourself at what really doesn't need much, if any, salt on your plate!

Try It: Veggies you've always hated--or ones you've been afraid to try!

My tastes have changed so much since I was younger. I used to cringe and gag at the thought of greens or pinto beans--but now, they are things that I love or maybe even crave! (No--this is not just a prego thing! : )

Just try a little--here and there. You may still hate these items--or you may surprise yourself with a new item to love!

Do you have any other "Try It" tips? Let us know!! Every little bit helps! : )

~Page

Quick Tip Wednesday!

This "Quick Tip" comes from one of our readers , Ashley, who has a great little cooking blog. You can check it out here.


She tells us that you can FREEZE RICE!! Neat, huh? You can make your own little steamer bags and just pull them out when you need them.

"On a day with spare time pull out your rice maker, or whatever you use to make rice, and make a batch of rice. I like to do a large batch, 6 cup water 3 cup rice. Once it is done cooking I fluff it up, and fill up a Qt size freezer bag and seal it removing all the air. Be sure to label it "Rice Heat 4-5 min, High" then when you are ready to use it. just pull it out and plop it right into the microwave frozen and sealed.. the ice crystals will help it steam right up just like the store bought ones, When it is done place in a bowl and fluff it with a fork and there you go 5 min rice ! I hope you find it as useful as I do! "

Thanks for this great tip, Ashley!! :-D

Do you have a "Quick Tip" to share with everyone?? List it below in the comments with your name, and perhaps we'll blog about it in your honor!! ;-D

~Lauren & Page