Peeling a hard-boiled egg: one of the most annoying things ever. Cut the egg in half and scoop each half out with a spoon.

Thin sliced onion: my knife skills are not that great, so I use a vegetable peeler – works perfectly!

Melting butter in a microwave. So fast and easy until it pops and splatters all over the place. Put a small container of water next to it. Not sure why it works but it does.

Remember when I printed the Cajun Crab and Corn Soup/Chowder recipe? If you haven’t made it, you need to; it is so good. I said I grated a potato to thicken it to make it a chowder instead of a soup. One reader said she buys a box of instant mashed potatoes and uses them only for that purpose. Can’t wait to try it!

If I already told you this one, it is worth repeating. Throw away your small meat tenderizer/mallet. Use a small heavy pan instead. It can pound a whole chicken breast thinly in minutes.

Have at least one portable wooden cutting board with the oval opening at the top. When chopping onions, etc. just put a bowl under the opening and slide the chopped vegetables with the back of your knife right into the bowl.