Is your microwave oven earning its keep in your kitchen?

If you cook only for yourself or maybe one additional person, the microwave can be your best friend. Small amounts of food cook fast. When you know a few little tricks and secrets, many foods cooked in a microwave turn out even better than the conventional way of cooking.

​2-Minute Microwave Chocolate Pudding in a Jar is a prime example. It makes only two regular servings or 3-4 small servings.

Attention Yogurt makers! Don't miss the "Chocolate Pudding and Yogurt Parfait in a Jar" variation. If you're like me, I'm always looking for new ways to eat my yogurt. This parfait is easy to put together and quite a treat. Make the pudding with ultrafiltered chocolate milk for extra protein.

Question of the week: How can I vacuum-seal Mason jars with a small mouth?

Portable vacuum sealers with a built-in adapter make it easy to vacuum-seal regular-mouth and wide-mouth Mason jars. But if you want to vacuum the small 4-ounce jars, here is my solution.

Put the small jar (4-oz) inside a larger Mason jar or a canister designed for vacuum sealing. Seal the larger jar with your vacuum sealer. Then, remove the lid from the large jar. You will find the small jar inside has been sealed in the process.

Remember: Vacuum-sealing is never a replacement for heat-processed canning. Perishable food must still be refrigerated.

Blessings,

Paula

p.s. Remember that you can see any previous email from me under the newsletter heading on my website in the footer or under the "Welcome" tab at the top of any page.