Kitchen Tips

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Freeze Ground Meat in Small Portions with a Chopstick -- LifeHacker - First put the food into a large freezer bag and press it out as flat as possible, eliminating air pockets. (Making it thin speeds up defrost time due to the increased surface area, and pressing out excess air guards against freezer burn.) Use a long chopstick or ruler to create divisions within the food, forming individual portions. This way when you freeze the entire bag, you'll be able to quickly break off just as much as you want to use, no more.
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Baked Potato Quick Tip - To speed up time for cooking baked potatoes, press a clean aluminum nail through them to facilitate heat transfer during the cooking process.
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Raspberry Tea - You can get more from your raspberry bush than just the fruit. Pick the leaves when they are fresh and green, then put them on a baking sheet and freeze. Once frozen, store them in a Ziploc bag until needed. Steep a handful in hot water for a light and caffeine free tea.  
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How To Make Your Berries Last Longer - "Berries aren’t like apples and oranges - they go bad a lot faster, so getting them to last a little longer can be a huge money saver. Here’s what I do to get my berries to last longer:  I give them a little soak in a vinegar bath.  It’s one cup vinegar to 3 cups water.  It will kill any spores that might be on the berries and buy you some time.  Once they’ve soaked, I line my salad spinner with paper towels {to protect the berries} and give them a light spin to dry them a bit.  Finally, I put them in a container in the fridge {also lined with paper towel to absorb any remaining moisture} and leave the lid cracked a bit to get circulation to the berries." -- 100 Dollars a Month
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