Get a cozy fire going—fast!

You love curling up by the fire with a blanket and a book on chilly winter nights. The problem? Getting the fire lit and keeping the flames going can be a hassle. What can help: sugar. Simply throw a tablespoon or two of the pantry staple onto the logs, then carefully light them as usual. The sucrose in sugar is flammable, so it will help ignite and stoke the flames. And sugar granules burn off easily, so there won’t be any sticky residue left behind for you to clean up the next morning.