Did you know that 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil has 120 calories and 14 grams of fat?
For a lower calorie alternative, sauté vegetables such as onions, mushrooms or celery in a small amount of wine, broth, water, soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce instead of oil.

The traditional method of browning foods requires oil, butter, or margarine.
All that extra oil, butter or margarine is not necessary. To brown meat, chicken or vegetables with almost no added fat, spray a thin film of nonstick cooking spray over the bottom of the skillet. Then preheat the skillet over medium-high heat, and brown the food as usual. If the food starts to stick, add a few teaspoons of water or broth. If you use a nonstick skillet and nonstick cooking spray, it should not be necessary to add any liquid at all.

When barbecuing chicken or ribs of any kind; first line a cookie sheet with foil; lay chicken on back and cut cavity open, placing it on the foil. Slice an onion thin and place on cavity, then wrap tightly and bake at 350 degrees for 1/2 hr., then add the barbecue sauce on and put on grill. For the ribs, you do the same way but bake for about 45min. to an hour before you put on grill. You will not only have tender and juicy ribs but without the bones because they will pull right out without wasting one ounce of the meat. Try it, you won’t be sorry and you will have more time to spend with your friends.

Extend the life of fresh herbs like parsley, mint, and basil by putting them in a jar filled halfway with water (spaghetti sauce jars will do). Cover the top of the jar with a plastic bag that has a few holes poked in it, secure with a rubber band, and pop in the fridge.