1. To determine whether eggs are fresh or not, put them in a few inches of water. If they're horizontal, they're fresh. If they're vertical, they're not.

2.If you're separating several eggs, crack them all into a bowl and use your clean hands to scoop out the yolks. (I do this even if it's for one.)

3.Partially frozen evaporated skim milk whips up like cream.

4. Use a little soy sauce to salt and color gravy.

5. For fluffier mashed potatoes, add a pinch of baking soda along with the milk and butter when mashing.

6. Put a jar lid in the bottom or a double boiler. It will rattle if the water has boiled away.

7. If mixing by hand, 150 strokes equals one minute of electric beating time.

8. Never cook with wine you wouldn't drink.

9. Drop a wine cork into a pot of stew. The tannin in it helps tenderize the meat.

10. Homemade cookie dough is a welcome and thoughtful hostess gift.

11. Use a clear baking dish as a page weigh for your cookbook. You can read through it.

12. Slip your hand into a plastic bag to answer the phone while mixing meatloaf and other messy jobs.

13. Microwave hard winter squash on high for two minutes to make it easier to peel and cut.

14. Skin chicken when it's slightly frozen for easy skinning.

15. To help keep a pan from boiling over, rub butter around the rim of the pan. It really does work!

16. Put a slice of bread in your cookie jar to keep chewy cookies soft.

17. Use an egg slicer to cut mushrooms.

18. To ripen a tomato, put it with an apple in a perforated bag.

19. If you get mold on your cheese, just slice it off. The English agree that if the mold won't eat your cheddar, it can't be very good!