Books & Music...

I was at the park with my daughter along with my neighbor and her two kids. While the kids were sliding and swinging on the playground, my neighbor was telling me about how she's saving time cooking by making dishes where certain portions of the meal, such as the meat, can be used in another recipe for an additional meal. While I like cooking, the thought of saving time was very appealing to me.

And while the "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" mantra has been pounded into my brain, I realized that the reuse portion oftentimes goes overlooked. Do I really stop and think about what I can reuse ... including meat from a recipe?

Thank goodness for people like Lori Baird and her book Don't Throw It Out: Recycle, Renew and Reuse to Make Things Last. This book has many great ideas about ways to do this with many different areas of your house.

Here are a few of Baird's tips on how to renew and reuse your refrigerator:

Spray the Trays. Sometimes an automatic icemaker just doesn't want to let go. The cubes don't spill out of the tray, so the machine's productivity grinds to a halt. To fix the problem, remove the icemaker's tray, dry it well, and then spray it very lightly with cooking oil. Wipe it with a paper towel so there's only a thin film of oil left, then replace the tray. The new ice cubes will slide out with no hesitation, and no, you won't end up with an oily beverage.

Reuse the Racks. If you're replacing an old fridge, save the racks and give them a new life. They're perfect for draining foods such as fried chicken (set over plenty of paper towels or newspapers, of course) or cooling cookies or biscuits.