Sauté garlic first before adding to a sauce. The taste will be milder.
Toasting spices in a dry skillet over a medium heat brings out more flavor.
A sneaky trick that is better for your family's health is to take a small piece of tape and cover over half of the holes in the salt shaker on the inside of the lid. Less salt - healthier hearts.
Another calorie saving trick is to substitute Miracle Whip at 35 calories a tablespoon or mustard at 15 calories a tablespoon for mayonnaise which weighs in at 100 calories a tablespoon.
Substitute lemon juice or herbs for salt when cooking pasta or grains.
Storing parsley? Chop it up, place in ice cube trays, fill with water and freeze. Once frozen, transfer to a plastic bag and return to the freezer. When needed for soups or stews throw some cubes into the pot.
Bread rising? Heat up a cup of water in the microwave. Push the cup to the far corner of the microwave and add your bread in a covered bowl to rise. Close the door and let the bread rise.