TIP #27: Fake a perfectly timed meal

It's hard to make a meal with sides and time it perfectly. I often wish I had 3 to 6 arms and hands to do extra things I needed at that very moment while cooking like answer the phone, turn on/off or change the song on my IPOD, push the kid back from the hot oven, take something out of the oven while still stirring the gravy, AHHHHHH!!! Anyway, because I only have two I have to start earlier. But it creates a problem of some side dishes being too cold.

So the next time your making warm/hot side dishes like corn on the cob, baked beans, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, creamed spinach, Thanksgiving dressing, etc. store them in a mini cooler (even the reusable insulated freezer bags you buy at the grocery store) or the microwave (don't turn it on though), until you're ready to serve them. The mini cooler keeps items safely warm for longer than the microwave does. Up to 3 hours actually! The microwave for only about 30-45 minutes.

Be the perfectly timed cook you've always wanted to be.