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The slow cooker is often the hero of weeknight dinner. And while the idea of coming home to a hot dinner five nights in a row sounds broadly appealing, the thought of having dinner every night from the slow cooker itself does not.

Luckily the slow cooker excels at bulk cooking. This week we’re going to use the slow cooker to batch cook sweet potatoes and salsa chicken to use throughout the week. Do this and you won’t have to cook anything on Sunday either. Here’s how to have a week of easy dinners with help from the slow cooker.

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When we think of baking, most of us picture long, slow Sunday afternoons spent meticulously measuring, mixing, and making a masterpieces of cookies, cupcakes, and bread. But it’s said that of any truth the opposite is also true, which means that time for baking can also be found in quick bursts and in between moments, even on a weeknight.

Weeknight baking is more utilitiarian fare, to be sure. It’s the one-bowl muffins you mix up to serve with slow cooker chili or a quick batch of biscuits to serve with soup. Weeknight baking isn’t any less beautiful or satisfying than weekend baking — the process just looks different. But in the end you’re still making something delicious to share. With that in mind, here are five of our favorite weeknight baking recipes that help make dinner more special.

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Apple cider vinegar might have some pretty awesome uses, but it can also have some nasty side effects, too. On its own, apple cider vinegar has long been used as a natural remedy for everything from preventing fungal infections to losing weight. While there is no clear scientific evidence for many of these claims, plenty of people […]

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Wait — please don’t get botox! Yes, there are plenty of anti-aging products and treatments out there, from creams to oils, not to mention health supplements. There’s even a product out there that promises to electrocute your face to prevent aging. Shocking, right? Most, if not all, of these treatments have pretty questionable track records. After […]

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Welcome to a column from The Financial Diet, one of our very favorite sites, dedicated to money and everything it touches. One of the best ways to take charge of your financial life is through food and cooking.

After I graduated college and moved to New York City, buying most of my food out became my norm. I wasn’t getting myself into astronomical debt, but I certainly wasn’t budgeting. After paying off my credit card bill each month, I essentially had nothing left over. Yet it took me forever to realize the biggest reason I had nothing left over was because I was hyper-dependent on one specific habit: buying my lunch out, every single weekday.

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While many Korean ingredients can only be found in large Asian grocery stores, their popularity is making them increasingly easier to find in the Asian food aisles of more mainstream markets. But oh, what to get? You can always decide by using a recipe as your guide, but if you want to strike out on your own, here are five ingredients to experiment with that you’ll want to add to your shopping list permanently.

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The humble potato is the canvas to many a meal. You already know it as a go-to side dish, but with a little help from some pantry staples it can be the star of a delicious and comforting, wallet-friendly meal.

From fully loaded baked potatoes to soups, chowders, casseroles, and more, here are 15 fun ways to turn potatoes into dinner.

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It’s 1 a.m. You’ve been tossing and turning for the last two hours, unable to fall asleep. Maybe it’s that coffee you grabbed in the afternoon between marathon work meetings, or maybe you finished a thrilling TV series and now your mind is racing.

Enter: cooking tomes. You know, those massive books you proudly display on your bookshelf; the ones that sit up high, out of reach, because you never actually read them. Turns out, these weighty wonders come in handy when you’re battling a bout of insomnia. Dig into these books and you’ll either learn something new to up your cooking cred, or be lulled right to sleep — either way, it’s a win-win.

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Earlier this week, we said that very few cutting jobs in the kitchen can’t be handled with a trusty chef’s knife. (Read: Why Pros & Home Cooks Alike Love This Affordable Chef’s Knife.) And while we stand by that, there’s another kitchen tool we love that makes a lot of those jobs way easier.

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While a cast iron skillet is an incredible tool to help you get dinner on the table, I’d argue it’s equally useful when it comes to desserts; these days I find myself using it more for baking brownies and apple crisp then searing steaks. In fact, a cast iron skillet really can be a key tool in helping beginners become better bakers. Why is that? Here are four reasons.

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