Ideas for September

Welcome the first signs of fall with easy weeknight meals and more.

Pack Your Lunch

Neutralize lunchbox odors by storing a spill-proof box of baking soda inside when not in use.
Lunchbox Essentials

Make fresh summer corn last: Blanch corn on the cob then dry completely before transferring to freezer bags for up to 3 months. Dunk into boiling water for a minute or two to revive the sweet crunch.
Bobby's Roasted Corn Guacamole

Ice Cream Tip

When serving ice cream to a crowd, scoop the ice cream beforehand and re-freeze on a rimmed baking sheet.
Make Your Own Sundaes

Waffles for Dinner

It’s National Waffle Week, so mix things up by adding to the batter combinations like crumbled bacon and blue cheese for dinner or chocolate chips and chopped walnuts for dessert.
Or Make Chicken and Waffles

No-Mess Peppercorns

Place items for crushing (like peppercorns or candy) in a resealable plastic bag to keep them contained while crushing with a rolling pin or the underside of a skillet.
Mustard and Peppercorn Crusted Rib-Eye

Creative Campfire Snacks

Go beyond s'mores for snacks at your next campfire. Try threading pound cake, breadstick dough or even stuffed peppers onto skewers.
Cook These Snacks Over the Fire

Perfect Pie Crust

Use grated frozen butter when preparing a homemade pie crust—the small, flaky bits will quickly come together with the flour to form the coarse-meal texture that is standard in most recipes. The less the dough is handled, the flakier the crust.
Perfectly Flaky Pie Crust

Celebrate Apples

Celebrate National Apple Month: It’s U-Pick season, so freeze extras for cooking — peel and slice, toss with lemon juice to prevent browning, then freeze in resealable plastic bags with the quantity marked.
Apple Cake

Save a Cake

If a cake has cooled completely and is stuck in the pan, return to a hot oven briefly to melt the butter or shortening used to grease the pan. After a few minutes, remove the pan and immediately invert onto a wire rack to remove the cake.
How to Frost a Cake

Keep Mushrooms Fresh

Remove mushrooms from their plastic-wrapped bins and refrigerate them in a paper bag — the air circulation will keep them fresh for about a week.
Many Mushroom Dinners

Better Baking With Anne Burrell

Cool cakes upside down on a wire cooling rack for even, flat rounds perfect for layer cakes. If the top is still domed, slice it off using a serrated bread knife held parallel to the work surface.
Anne's Top 5 Tips to Bake Like a Pro

Use Lemon on Stains

Use the cut end of a halved lemon to clean stains from plastic containers. Air-dry in the sun.
Homemade Natural Cleaning Products

No More Eggshells

Crack eggs on a flat surface for a cleaner break—eggs cracked against the rim tend to shatter more, increasing the chance for runaway bits of eggshell in the bowl.
How to Fry Eggs

9 Uses for Baking Soda

Clean a reusable water bottle by filling it halfway with water and a teaspoon of baking soda. Shake vigorously before rinsing.
Best Bets for Baking Soda

Less-Mess Pancakes

Use a bulb baster to portion out pancake batter for less mess and more control over shapes and sizes.
Buttermilk Pancakes With Vanilla Bean-Berry Syrup

Best-Ever Apple Pie

For an apple pie filling that won’t shrink, cook the apples first.
Double Crust Apple Pie

Marshmallows Are Freezer-Friendly

Store marshmallows in the freezer to prevent hardening or a big sticky mess. They soften within the hour once set out at room temperature.
Sandra's Marshmallow Treats

Restore Order to Recycled Bags

Keep plastic grocery bags orderly by storing in an empty paper towel tube.
More Double-Duty Kitchen Ideas

Easily Pit Olives

Pit olives by placing them on a work surface and smashing with the side of a knife. The flesh will break open for easy pit removal.
Tomato, Olive, and Rosemary Crustless Quiche

Keep Skillets Looking Like New

Line stacked nonstick skillets with paper towels to prevent scratches in the coating.
Smart Storage Tips

How to Clean a Blender

No need to dismantle the blender before cleaning — just fill it with warm water about a third of the way full, add a squirt of dishwashing liquid, then blend for about 10 seconds. Remove from the base and rinse.
Use Your Blender to Make Hollandaise Sauce