boiling dumplings

1.  boil water--boil a lot so the dumplings won't stick together

2.  add dumplings

3.  when dumplings begin to float, add 1 cup cold water.

4.  boil water again

5.  when dumplings float, add 1 cup of cold water again.

6.  dumplings float

done!

lasagna tip

i've heard that instead of boiling lasagna noodles, you can just add an extra cup of sauce to the bottom.  but when i've tried to do that, the noodles are still raw after baking.

today i soaked the raw noodles in water for about an hour.  they got bendable.

then i just followed the recipe.  

basically i'm just trying to avoid boiling the noodles :o)  

the noodles came out alright, but still ever slightly on the firm side.  next time i'll soak them in water for longer.  

fast dinner tip

get tortillas, rotisserie chicken (from costco), tomato, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream.

microwave the tortilla with chicken and some cheese.  top with chopped tomato and a spoonful of sour cream.  

add chopped lettuce if you have it.  it adds a nice crunch but is really optional.

microwave popcorn tip

ugh, just tried microwaving popcorn with sugar and oil in an attempt to make my own microwave kettle corn.  it was a total fail.  even though i waited for 2 seconds between pops, there was a big ball of burn.  next time it's back to cooking kettle corn on the stovetop!

also it doesn't appear that kettle corn goes through the garbage disposal.  maybe it'll just dissolve after a while . . .