Reena’s Tips of the Week:

Freshly baked home-made cookies anytime. There’s a healthier alternative to the dough boy’s usual offerings.

Notice how you always get too much rice when you order Chinese takeout? We’ll tell you why you should keep it!

While we’re on the subject of not letting food go to waste, there’s also a great way of using that pizza crust that everyone leaves behind.

Ooey Gooey Goodness

These may not come out as perfect and pretty as the store-bought variety, but at least you’ll know what you’re putting in your body and they’ll taste just as great if not better.

Being one of the easiest and quickest treats to make, everyone mixes up a batch of cookies every once in a while so while you’re at it, might as well double or triple the recipe and freeze some pre-shaped cookie dough. Virtually any drop cookie can be easily frozen in its dough state to bake at a later time.

Simply line a jelly roll pan with plastic wrap (make sure that the pan fits flat in your freezer), scoop out your dough into balls with a cookie scoop and place each ball side by side on the jelly roll pan. Fit as many as you can tightly together. When the pan is full, cover the dough with plastic wrap and place it flat in your freezer. When the cookie dough balls are completely frozen, lift up on the bottom layer of plastic wrap to release the balls individually and place them in a zippered plastic freezer bag and return to freezer. Now you won’t even have to to go the store the next time you have a craving for this guilty pleasure.

Everything’s Nice When You Add Rice

Leftover rice will keep for days and is perfect for making fried rice. This has got to be one of the most versatile dishes available for someone who hates the hassle of cooking. You can toss in pretty much anything you might have left over in your fridge…some peppers? the chicken you couldn’t finish from last night’s dinner? throw in an egg, sprinkle a dash of salt or soy sauce and you have a very quick one pot meal!

The rice must be cold before storing it in the refrigerator. For best results, wait a couple of days before making fried rice. To reheat rice, line a vegetable steamer with a coffee filter and warm over boiling water. (This tip can be found in Household Solutions 2 with Kitchen Secrets).

Waste Not, Want Not

You order pizza and the kids gobble up every bite…all except for the crusts that is. What can you do with leftover pizza crusts? Cut the crusts into small pieces and add them to soups like Mexican tortilla soup or tomato soup. Store crusts in the freezer and use as needed.

All solutions are to be used at the risk of the user.

Reena Nerbas is the author of “Household Solutions 1 with Substitutions & Household Solutions 2 with Kitchen Secrets.”

To learn more about Reena, click here.