1. Always start with a clean grill, and grease the grilling surface before heating.
2. Grill veggies separate from meats when doing kabobs. Veggies do well over indirect heat, while meats are usually best grilled over direct heat.
3. Marinate meats in the refrigerator and never...

It's back to school time, and for many of us that means it's lunchbox time! Read on for how to get that insulated food thermos ready, tips on packing lunches that are safe to eat, and 10 creative lunchbox ideas.

Insulated Food Jars

An insulated food jar opens the door to all kinds of lunch possibilities. Healthy, homemade pasta dishes, hearty soups and even last night's leftovers can all be kept hot and at a safe temperature with these! Here are a few tips that may come in handy:

• Not all thermoses are created equal. Use a good quality vacuum insulated food jar.
• Make sure your child can open the thermos by themselves. This goes for any foods being packed in a lunchbox!
• How you put foods in the jar is important. Before adding food, fill the jar with boiling water and let stand a few minutes. Empty the water and fill with steaming hot food.
• Try this at home before sending to school (or taking to work!) to make sure the food stays at a safe temperature:  Test the temperature of the food with an instant read food thermometer 4-6 hours after packing. For optimal safety, hot items should be above...

• Make candy bark or candy-loaded rice krispies treats for fun holiday gifts for friends and teachers.
• Chop up chocolately treats and freeze to use as chocolate chips throughout the year. Cookies, pancakes, ice cream toppers, smores... yum!
• Invite friends (and their leftover candy) over for these fun wine-candy pairings... Reeses Peanut Butter Cups & Gamay; Twix & ....

With the school year ending and summer vacation planning well underway, May is just one of those months where having a meal plan really can make life a little bit lot easier! 

With that in mind, we've created a 4-week meal plan this month that combines Dinner Done convenience with plenty of room for your own home-cooked family dishes or nights out at your favorite restaurants. Read on to learn more about our May Menu entrees and to download the sample meal plan in a convenient and customizable Excel format...

Easy to make adult popsicles? Yes, please...

As an empty-nester trying to get rid of "stuff" accumulated over the years, buying a new kitchen gadget was the furthest thing from my mind. But after several of you shared how much you love your air fryer, well, I had to give it a try... 

Wow! The results were impressive: perfectly crisp panko coatings, beef filets and pork tenderloin that tasted more grilled than "oven-baked" and - this is the biggie! - significantly shorter cooking times from frozen!

Stuffed chicken breasts from freezer to table in just 35 minutes? Um, yes please...

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