I spend a lot of time in the kitchen between Thanksgiving and New Year's cooking dinner for friends and family and making special treats for gifts and parties. I love to cook, but the stress of the season tends to bring on more kitchen disasters than usual. I don't know about you but there's nothing worse than a mishap when company is on the way. Here are a few tips for dealing with the disasters and saving your culinary treats:

1. Lumpy gravy – put it through a strainer before serving
2. Burned the rice – turn off the heat, place a slice of white bread in the dish, cover and let sit for 5 minutes, remove bread. The burned taste will be removed with the bread. Be careful when removing the rice from the dish to avoid the burned pieces
3. Soggy vegetables – put them in a blender or food processor, add some cream (fat free half & half works great) & butter, puree (your guests will never know that wasn't your intention). Add more cream and you can serve as a soup
4. Used the salt shaker a bit too much – add a little cider vinegar, or if you have enough time and ingredients just double the recipe (leaving out the salt this time)
5. Honey or syrup crystallized – warm it in the microwave for 15 to 45 seconds or set in a pan of water of over low heat for a few minutes, stir
6. Brown sugar hard – place a cut apple in the bag or container, seal & let it sit for a day. Don't have a day, crush clumps and put sugar on cooking sheet, spritz with water, cover & heat in 225° oven for about 15 minutes. Cool before using
7. Melting chocolate and it hardens – add a teaspoon of cooking oil or solid shortening for each ounce of chocolate you are melting
8. Decorating with powdered sugar – sift it first to avoid clumping
9. Appetizers or cookies stuck to the baking sheet – wrap the hot pan in a wet towel or place it on a cold wet towel for a few minutes
10. Cleaning burned-on food off pots and pans – put some water and salt in the pan and let sit for 5 - 10 minutes, wash as usual. If really stuck, add more water & salt and bring to a boil, remove from heat and let sit for up to 12 hours.

Happy Holidays from Sound Bites Nutrition!.