EASY-BAKE CRUST

An easy way to have a really great textured pizza crust is to replace the yeast with baking powder and pre-bake the dough. The ratio of yeast to baking powder is the same, so if your recipe calls for 2 tsp. yeast, just swap in 2 tsp. baking powder.

I like to put my crust on a pan, brush with olive oil, and par-bake for six minutes at 425°. Then I add the toppings and bake the pizza an additional six minutes.

FREEZE, TOSS, BAKE

I love blueberries and enjoy them all summer long by baking them into cookies, cakes, and breads. But I realized once they get slightly soft, they’re too fragile to mix into batters without smushing. A simple solution — freeze the soft berries before tossing them into the batter. Now I have prettier baked treats and can enjoy my delicious berries all year long.

VEGGIE SNEAK

My kids don’t like vegetables, so I look for creative ways to add them to their diet. Whenever I’m making a pasta sauce or Sloppy Joes with ground meat, I raid the vegetable drawer and pull out whatever I have — bell peppers, squash, broccoli, etc., chop them fine or pulse them in the food processor, then I quickly sauté them before adding the meat and tomato sauce. It’s a great way to sneak in extra nutrients.