Guide

No—during pregnancy, choose alcohol-free eggnog made with pasteurized dairy and eggs, or a cooked homemade batch. Eggnog is creamy, spiced, and sweet. During pregnancy, two questions matter: is there alcohol, and were the eggs and dairy handled safely? This piece breaks eggnog into the parts that matter for pregnancy: alcohol, eggs, dairy, storage, and serving. […]

Raw cut potatoes don’t freeze well; blanch or parboil first, then freeze for fries, soups, and casseroles. You can freeze potatoes after you cut them, but freezing them raw usually backfires. You’ll get gray patches, a watery bite, and pieces that fall apart once they thaw and cook. The fix is simple: give the potato

Yes, rice and beans can help weight loss when portions match your calorie target and you build the meal with more beans and non-starchy veggies. Rice and beans get a bad rap in weight-loss talk because people picture a giant bowl and call it “too many carbs.” The truth is simpler: weight loss hinges on

Yes—fried-chicken oil can be reused if you cool it, strain out crumbs, store it sealed and dark, and toss it once it smells off or smokes early. Frying chicken leaves a pot of usable oil and a decision. Save it the right way, and the next batch comes out crisp with no weird aftertaste. Save

Yes, pizza dough fries into a crisp, puffy base when oil holds near 350°F and the dough is stretched thin. Fried pizza dough sits between a slice and a doughnut: crackly edges, a tender center, and a fast cook. You can make it with plain pizza dough, a pot of oil, and one non-negotiable habit—watching

No, pink beans and kidney beans aren’t the same bean, but they’re close relatives that cook in similar ways. You’ll see “pink beans” and “kidney beans” used like they’re interchangeable, then you open the bag and wonder what you actually bought. That mix-up happens because both are common dried beans, both taste mild on their

Yes, unbaked lasagna freezes well if fillings are cooled, the pan is wrapped airtight, and it bakes to 165°F with extra time. You can freeze an uncooked lasagna and get a weeknight dinner that tastes like you planned ahead. The trick is texture. Noodles can turn soft, sauce can get watery, and cheese can split

Used cooking oil can harden in pipes, causing clogs and backups; let it cool, then seal it and toss it in the trash. You’re done frying, the pan’s still warm, and the sink is right there. A lot of people pour leftover oil down the drain “just this once.” That’s how slow drains start, then

Yes, uncooked crab cakes freeze well when chilled first, wrapped airtight, and cooked straight from frozen or after a safe thaw. Crab cakes are the sort of food you want ready on a random Tuesday. You’ve got good crab, a binder that tastes right, and a plan for dinner—then time gets weird. Freezing uncooked crab

Yes, eggs are fine to eat without washing the shell if you keep shells clean, avoid cross-contact, and cook them fully. You’ll hear two kinds of advice about “unwashed eggs,” and they clash because people are talking about different eggs. In many U.S. grocery stores, shell eggs are already cleaned before they reach you, so