Baby, it's HOT outside. So who wants to spend a bunch of time in the kitchen?

This time of year, we often rely on easy-prep, lighter meals to feed ourselves and our crews. One step-saving technique you may not have tried is to shred cooked chicken breast in your mixer.

It's super quick and you can use the shredded chicken in salads,  tacos, soup, barbecue, casseroles - whatever sounds good. It's great for a party, as you can shred a big pile of chicken in about a minute.

Not that you really need them....

1. ​Bake, grill or even slow-cook some chicken seasoned with salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder. Avoid seasoning with flavors that will compete with your planned uses.
2. Toss it into your mixer (use your SideSwipe :))
3. Turn on slow speed and mix until desired level of shreddedness (We know, it's not a word) is achieved.

Note: Some chunks will be smaller. We like to use those in a mayo-based chicken salad, pictured above. 

Refined Chicken Salad
Add to taste: shredded carrot, diced colored peppers, minced scallions and fresh dill. This simple recipe is great on its own or on a lovely croissant or fresh french bread rounds. Ours has the texture of tuna salad but is loaded with flavor and color. It never fails that people ask for the recipe!

We've all had baking disasters. Overbaking, underbaking, multitasking and forgetting.
The burnt-on-the-outside, raw-on-the-inside mishap that occurred in this patriotic pan cookie was due to incorrect oven temperature. We used a different oven that's improperly calibrated - by a whopping 35 degrees!! So we wasted the time and ingredients for want of a simple gadget all bakers and cooks should have. (And use on a regular basis - just in case things have changed)
​

Behold.....the oven thermometer. This small, inexpensive tool is critical for getting reliable, consistent results. This is especially important in baking, as 10-15 degrees off in either direction can ruin your results.

​You can buy these in stores and online just about anywhere. Prices range from $3 to $12 for a standard model. Check ratings for accuracy on reviews from customers and sources you trust.

Well, off to recalibrate the oven.....Most ovens have a way to do this if you find your thermostat is inaccurate. Check your owner's manual or go online.