Your freezer is officially your most helpful kitchen tool.
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1
On-Call Cookies
Media Platforms Design Team
Frozen cookie dough cubes are great to have ready for an impromptu treat. Roll store-bought or homemade dough into balls and press them into the ice cube tray. When you're craving sweets, pop them out and bake according to the recipe or dough's package (plus an extra minute or two.)
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2
Mess-Free Chocolate-Covered Strawberries
Media Platforms Design Team
Dipping strawberries for a crowd is time-consuming — and gets sloppy quickly. Streamline the process by filling ice cube cups half to 2/3 full with melted dark chocolate. Then, gently press the berries into the chocolate and freeze 1 hour, or until set.
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3
Smoothie Booster
Media Platforms Design Team
Regular ice cubes can water down a fresh smoothie. Instead, pulse fresh blueberries in the food processor until finely chopped. Then, spoon into ice cube cups and freeze at least 2 hours, or until set. Use in place of ice for an extra boost of flavor and vitamins!
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4
Egg Timer
Media Platforms Design Team
This is the easiest way to preserve fresh eggs: Gently beat until whites and yolks are combined, then divide among ice cube cups. Try to stick to one or two cubes per egg so you know exactly how much to use in recipes later on (and write it down so you don't forget).
Bonus tip: If you make a recipe that only requires yolks, you can freeze the leftover egg whites for up to 1 year. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight before using.
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5
Milking It
Media Platforms Design Team
Freeze plain low-fat milk in ice cube cups and, if you like, mix with other flavorings before chilling (like vanilla bean seeds, almond extract, or cinnamon). Pop the cubes into your morning iced coffee. As they melt, they offer the perfect coffee-to-milk ratio without watering down your drink.
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6
Freshly Squeezed
Media Platforms Design Team
Juicing limes and lemons feels like it takes forever, especially when friends stop by for margaritas and you’re stuck the kitchen squeezing away! Here’s the fix: Juice a big bag of citrus and freeze in ice cube trays for cocktails (or cooking) on the fly. Let the juice defrost at room temperature, or stick ‘em in a resealable plastic bag and dunk in a bowl of warm water to speedily thaw them.
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7
Portion Control
Media Platforms Design Team
It’s easy to over do it with peanut butter! For no-brainer portion control, fill ice cube cups (1 to 2 tablespoons of peanut butter per cube) and freeze at least 1 hour until firm (and up to 1 year).
Later, pop a cube into an airtight container or resealable plastic bag with carrot sticks, celery sticks or whole-wheat crackers. It's an easy, packable snack.
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8
Water Bottle Boost
Media Platforms Design Team
Freeze coconut water in ice trays. Pop the cubes into your favorite water bottle before heading to the gym — or the beach — and get in on the all-natural combo of nutrients, like potassium and sodium.