How to Turn Your Microwave into a Bread Proofer

Proofing bread in your home kitchen can require creativity when you're also trying to, say, cook a week's worth of dinners on your day off so the kids don't get rickets from too many PBJs.  Since bread dough has to remain protected from drafts and nestled in a warm and moist environment, it usually makes sense to cover the dough with plastic and put it in the baking oven with the light left on to create heat.

If you own a single oven, this ties your hands in the hours that bread is proofing, and also leaves the question: where does this bread go when I'm ready to pre-heat the oven to bake it?

Answer: The microwave.  (Just don't actually turn it on!)

How to Blend Hot Liquids

First, what is the problem with blending hot liquids? They release copious steam when agitated, and steam is super hot and produces tremendous pressure when confined (think: locomotive weighing 100 tons, moved by steam.) If you put a hot liquid in your blender and put the airtight lid on, it will invariably come blasting off the moment your machine revs up, splattering you and your kitchen with scalding liquid.  Big, dangerous mess.  Thanks to Carmine for posting this humorous video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qmZaL7pErA

Summer in 20 Minutes

We call it Summer Soup, although its popularity in my house has stretched around the calendar.  Since it's simple and uses ingredients that freeze well, it's no trick to have it anytime.

Last summer I was searching for a way to feed green things to my two year old.  We had a new baby at home also, so I needed a FAST dish healthy and tasty enough that the weary, nutrient-starved parents would enjoy it, too.