Great Link: StillTasty.com

StillTasty.com has comprehensive information about how long you can keep thousands of foods and beverages.

How long will your favorite food or beverage stay safe and tasty? What's the best way to store it? Get answers for thousands of items on this site!

Here are some of their featured questions:

• Is it OK to put hot food directly into the fridge?
• Should you store bread on the counter or in the fridge?
• Are eggs still safe after the expiration date?
• More Questions>>

Expiration Dates: Should You Pay Attention?
The dates on food labels can be confusing. The truth is, they often have nothing to do with food safety. Here's what you really need to know. Read More » 

Sturdy Staples: 9 Foods That Can Outlast You When stored properly, these everyday items will last for years — sometimes decades — even after they’ve been opened. Read More » 

 10 Surprising Foods You Can Freeze Freeze these less-than-obvious items and you'll save money, waste less — and make cooking a whole lot more convenient. Read More »

Amazing Avocados How to keep them fresh for your Super Bowl guacamole.

Quick Tip The best place for storing eggs and milk.

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Tater Tot Toppers

This is one of my family's favorite meals, though it's not necessarily the most healthy - it's super quick & easy. We have it every now and then as a fun meal.

1 regular-sized bag frozen tator tots

1 can chili with beans (just a cheap one is fine)

1 can kidney or pinto beans (drained & rinsed)

sour cream

cheddar cheese

onion or green onions

This is so easy... You cook up the tator tots according to package directions - usually about 400 degrees for 20 minutes or so. I cook them on a round (pizza-sized) stone, so you don't have to turn them over. Sometimes I do them on convection, to be sure they all get crispy!

While they're cooking, mix the can of chili together with the can of beans and warm up - I usually just mix them together in a microwavable container and warm it in the microwave, but you can heat it on the stove if you prefer. Chop up some onion or slice some green onions. Shred some cheddar (or whatever you like) cheese and put it in a bowl.

On the table you put your bowl of tator tots, a bowl of chili-n-beans, a small bowl of onions, a small bowl of cheese, and some sour cream. We put the tator tots on the plate, then pile with chili-stuff, cheese, sour cream & onions. Of course, different members of the family use different combinations of the toppings. I tend to add hot peppers to mine! :)

Serve it with a nice salad or green vegetable. We feed 5 and usually have a serving or two left-over for lunch the next day.

Snow Ice Cream - Guest Chef

Perfect recipe for a blizzard day - except you actually have to go outside to get the snow...

This is from my super-friend De'Reen Whitney Vyleta. Enjoy!

• 2 cups milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 gallon CLEAN snow

...In a mixing bowl, mix milk and sugar together until sugar is dissolved.

De'Reen used a hand mixer. I'm thinking about trying this in my KitchenAid.

Slowly add the snow to your mixture, stirring constantly until it is as thick as ice cream.