75 Quick & Easy Secrets from the Test Kitchen

By the Family Circle food editors

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10 In-a-Pinch Solutions

Get odors out of a cutting board by liberally sprinkling it with salt, then scrubbing it with half a lemon.
Out of sour cream for baking? Substitute plain yogurt. (Plain, not vanilla!)
Instead of using ice cubes to chill sangria or punch, freeze grapes; they won't dilute the drink as they melt.
For recipes that call for ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice, try pumpkin pie spice, a blend of all three.
Decorate baked goods easily: Just fill a plastic bag with melted chocolate, then snip a corner off.
Rather than turning to more salt, add flavor -- not sodium -- with hot sauce or lemon juice.
If you run out of unsweetened chocolate, blend 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder and 1 tablespoon shortening to equal 1 ounce.
Grease baking pans with the wrapper from butter.
No buttermilk? Add 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice to a measuring cup; add enough milk to equal 1 cup.
To keep a pastry crust flat when prebaking, put uncooked rice or dry beans inside the foil lining if you don't have pie weights handy.

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