I love working from home, testing out recipes in my sanctuary of a kitchen — it’s just me & the food (and music, usually). The serenity in itself is inspiring, but occasionally, I miss the choreographed rhythm of working in a busy teaching kitchen. I learned a lot from the folks I worked with (mostly off-color jokes), so I thought I’d share some of the helpful hacks passed on to me from my well-seasoned (excuse the pun) ex-co-workers with our fabulous readers.

- Halving cherry tomatoes or grapes with ease: Instead of wasting time slicing every single one in half, use a small dessert plate to hold a handful of fruit, roll gently to level, and slice slowly with a serrated knife. It may take a little practice, but they should come out perfectly halved and ready for your recipe.

-Wrap your mixer: When whipping cream or egg whites in a stand mixer, avoid the messy splatters all over your kitchen by draping the top of your mixer with plastic wrap. Such an easy (and obvious) fix — I can’t believe I never thought of it myself!

-Upcycled knife guards: When transporting your kitchen knives or storing them in a drawer, protect the edge and your fingers by using a flattened empty paper towel roll. Just slide your blade in, secure with a binder clip, and you’re done. TP rolls are the perfect size for paring knives.

-Ice cube trays to the rescue: Use ice cube trays to freeze small squares of homemade stock, then pop them out and store in ziplock bags. You don’t have to thaw a whole quart of stock at a time, just pop out exactly what you need. I also freeze left over wine this way and I’ve got it ready for deglazing and reduction sauces.

Do you have any helpful hacks of your own to share? Leave them in the comments! — Megan B.