How do I organize my recipes? Easy! My recipe book is a three ring binder.

At this point not too high tech. Eventually I would like to store all my favorite recipes on the computer.

But for now I tape the recipe on an 8×11 piece of paper, slip it into a page protector (available at Staples or any office supply store) and stick it in the binder. I even went so far as to get tabs to separate the main dishes from the desserts from the appetizers, etc.

The bonus is that when I spill ingredients on the recipe, which I almost always do, I can easily clean up.

These are some other articles about recipes:

• Vegetarian Soup Recipes
• Vegetarian Slow Cooker Recipes
• Slow Cookers
• Rice Krispie Treats

Today dinner is ready - already! Due to a very under appreciated appliance of mine called The Slow Cooker.

I often forget that I have it there - in the back of the cabinet. But when I put the slow cooker to use - I always think that I should use it more often. What could be better than making dinner in the morning when I have a little uninterrupted time. And having food ready to feed the crowd that arrives home in the afternoon.

Surprisingly, a lot of regular recipes can be adapted to the slow cooker. Soups, stews, chilli, curries, roasts, chicken, beans - you name it. I have even found some fantastic vegetarian slow cooker recipes and vegetarian soup recipes, which can be hard to find.

The slow cooker is a must have for busy families and one of the most simple and best parenting tips around.

Every time I catch any cooking show on TV, the chef is using an immaculate, shiny, mirror quality, stainless steel pan. I always wonder, “how come nothing sticks to it?”, and “what’s the deal with the shine?” The pots and pans in my kitchen are well worn and look like they were put to good use.

In my search for the right set of pots and pans, I came across a few parenting tips for keeping stainless steel cookware looking better, longer. Now, maybe I am the only one who didn’t know this but the secret to making food in pans that do not have a nonstick coating is simple - preheat them first.

• Put the empty pan on the burner at whatever temperature (medium, med-high, etc.) that you plan to cook the food.
• Then let it heat up for about 2 or 3 minutes, literally watch the clock. I don’t need to say (but I will anyway) that you should never leave the pan unattended and that you should use your own judgement about when the pan is getting too hot.
• Finally, add the oil or butter and let that heat up for about 30 seconds.
• Add your food and voila! - no sticky mess in the pan. The only thing that I have had trouble with using this method is potatoes - they still stick.

Now for the shiny part. I have “discovered” a product called Barkeeper’s Friend which comes in both a liquid and powder as well as a few different formulas. It has restored the shine to some of my old stainless cookware and probably works even better on new stuff. However, it is not safe to use on nonstick coated cookware. The only place that I could find it locally was Bed Bath & Beyond. Give it a shot and let me know what you think!

Every busy household with kids needs a good set of pots and pans. So, being a busy parent myself, I am contemplating the purchase of a new set of cookware to handle my growing culinary needs.

Over the years I have heard rumblings about the safety of nonstick cookware. Apparently, there are cancer causing chemicals used in the manufacture of Teflon. A search brought up several web sites and articles in support of both sides of this debate. Out of all the search results that I reviewed I was only able to find one that I felt was unbiased, straightforward, and credible.

You can read about the health safety of nonstick cookware in an article entitled “Keep Your Cool When Using Teflon” by washingtonpost.com by clicking here.

Basically, this article states that nonstick cookware is generally safe. However, the coating will break down at extremely high temperatures and release gases into the air that can be toxic. That doesn’t sound too good. But is it dangerous enough to make me give up the convenience that nonstick cookware offers?

I think I need to modify my approach. At this point, I realize that I use a lot of nonstick cookware - even for items that don’t really stick (for example, my soup pot is nonstick). But you can’t beat the ease of nonstick cookware for potatoes, pancakes, and omelettes, among other things. So perhaps a “middle of the road” approach is the way to go. Stainless steel or anodized aluminum for most stuff but a few nonstick cookware standbys for those “sticky” situations.