Test kitchen tips

When you need to improvise with kitchen gadgets, remember these tips from Parents magazine’s food editors Fraya Berg and Jackie Plant, in the magazine’s June issue:

Use an ice cream scoop to:

• Scoop cookie dough.

• Measure muffin and cupcake batter.

• Shape cooked rice or mashed potatoes into balls to decorate a plate.

Use a melon baller to:

• Add balls of fruit or veggies to a salad.

• Remove seeds from cucumbers, melons, or winter squash.

• Scrape the hairy center from an artichoke.

• Make tiny ice cream balls for parfaits and sundaes. Added benefit: Your kids get a treat, but it’s really small.

Use a pair of scissors to:

• Cut pizza and quesadillas.

• Snip parsley and other herbs.

• Cut up chicken.

• Cut canned tomatoes into chunks.

Top 10 safe grilling tips for propane

The Propane Education and Research Council urges grillers to not only read safety advice, but follow it. Getting into the habit of using safety procedures is a good start. “This way, every barbecue or cookout this summer can be fun and safe,” says Steven Raichlen, grilling authority and author of “The Barbecue! Bible.”

1. When the cylinder is refilled, have the supplier check for dents, damage, rust or leaks.

2. After filling or exchanging, take the cylinder home immediately. Keep the vehicle ventilated and the cylinder valve closed and capped.

3. Always use or store cylinders outdoors in an upright position. Do not use, store, or transport cylinders near high temperatures (this includes storing spare cylinders near the grill).

4. Never leave the grill unattended. Always follow grill manufacturers’ instructions on lighting the grill and make sure the grill top is open.

5. Before connecting or lighting a propane gas grill, use a leak-detection solution to check connections for tightness. Do not use matches or lighters to check for leaks.

6. If you suspect a gas leak, and are able to safely turn off the gas supply valve, do so immediately and call the fire department.

7. Do not allow children to tamper or play with the cylinder or grill.

8. Do not smoke while handling a propane cylinder.

9. Never pour an accelerant such as lighter fluid or gasoline on the grill.

10. When not in use, grill burner controls should be turned off and cylinder valve closed.

– By The Associated Press