As much as I love cooking, I can't do everything (or even most things) from scratch and most nights the priority is speed. I also manage the prep process with an eye on making everything move along quickly, so I collect prep short cuts like crazy. Some shortcuts I never make in the name of quality, but others I do routinely. For instance, I refuse to buy pre-grated cheese because I swear I can taste the difference. On the other hand, I buy store-roasted chickens on 90% of my weekly trips.

Since some of these tricks were learned through hard-fought trial and error, I thought I should share what I've discovered. Maybe you'll pick up one or two tips in the process! These appear in random order!

Upgrade Salad Dressing

Grab the classic Good Seasoning Dressing mix, but make it with a high quality olive oil and balsamic vinegar and you'll be stunned how amazing and different it tastes from the original.

"Homemade" Angel Food Cake

If you own a tube pan, you should ABSOLUTELY make your own Angel Food Cake from the box. Just add water, beat, and bake for 30 minutes. Add a few berries and whipped cream (or ice cream) and you not only have a tasty dessert, but a pretty one. Wait until these are BOGO or on special and keep a box in your pantry for emergency desserts.

Easy Bacon

On school days I make the kids hot breakfast (it keeps them from getting hangry!) but I can't be bothered making bacon. That was until I realized how well bacon freezes! I cook a package on Sundays and bring them out in the morning. To reheat, microwave for 10-20 seconds. The timing varies according to the strength of your oven! Pre-cooked bacon also comes in handy when I'm making a salad and need to throw in some protein.

Oh Nuts!

I love tossing nuts into salads, on top of carrot cake, or in my Brussels sprouts, but I'm not a fan of chopping at the last minute. So, when I buy a bag of pecans, I chop immediately and put them in the freezer. Working ahead makes me happy every time I use them.

No Yoke

Forget fancy egg separator, an egg shell is all I need to separate yokes. This comes in handy for egg white omelets and assorted baking adventures. Just pour the egg back and forth between the egg shells and the whites naturally drip away. I love this trick not only because it saves using extra equipment, but also because the process is cool to watch. I am easily pleased!

Ditching Measuring Spoons

Perhaps the best habit I have is knowing what a teaspoons looks and feels like in my hands. I've been teaching this trick to my 10-year-old and she has it down, so you can too. Start by pouring a bunch of salt into a bowl. Then take a teaspoon and measure the salt and put it in your hand. Study how it looks. Throw the salt back in the bowl then try and replicate pouring the same amount back into your hand. Then measure and see how close you are. Repeat until you reliably pour a teaspoon into your hand. You can also do this with Tablespoons.

It's SO nice not having to use measuring spoons with every recipe. (Note, I only do this when I cook, not when I bake)

Fresh Garlic For All

Never ever buy jarred garlic. Not only does it taste like metal, the real stuff is super easy to prepare and keeps for ages. There are all kinds of tricks to peel garlic easily, but I find the easiest way is to simply place my knife on the clove and slam the base of my hand down hard on the side.This is what the clove looks like after hitting and the peel comes right off! Boom!

Warm Up to Your Freezer

My freezing ways started when I had a baby. I couldn't stand the craziness of buying baby food when I could make everything so easily myself. However, I soon realized I couldn't make everything myself PRECISELY when I needed it, so I'd cook in batches and freeze what I didn't use. This is now a habit with assorted batch recipes. I freeze leftover wine, lemon juice, pesto, and, my favorite, chicken stock.

Simply freeze in ice cube trays and store in ziploc bags! Use a sharpie to remind you what's in the bag because frozen liquids tend to look alike!

Taming Grated Cheese

Speaking of ziploc bags...and in support of my vow to never buy pre-grated cheese, I highly recommend this little trick. Grate your cheese on a paper towel like so...Then wrap the paper towel around the pile of cheese and slide into a plastic bag.Then remove the paper towel. Presto! All cleaned up and ready to use.

Never Too Many Avocados

You can put this tip under the "you can take the girl out of California, but you can't take California out of the girl" file. I use 3-4 avocados every week (ceviche, salsa, guacamole, etc., etc., etc.!) so I had to learn how to dice them quickly. Luckily, it's an easy process. Simply cut your avocado in half and remove the pit. Using a butter knife (you don't need sharp!), cut lengthwise, top to bottom.Then dice across the top, sideways. Finally, dice along the interior to get small sections. It will look like this...The pieces will scoop out easily with a spoon and you're good to go!

What are YOUR favorite shortcuts?

My 10 Best Kitchen Short-Cuts