Easy Family Recipes and Cooking Guides for Busy Families
Easy family recipes, weeknight dinners, baking, cocktails and kitchen how-tos from the My Sparkling Life kitchen, grouped so you can find what you need. The quick answers below are food-safety numbers, each linked to the FDA or CDC page it comes from.
By Olivia
Quick answers
- The FDA says a turkey is safe when its temperature reaches 165°F, checked in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast, and that stuffing must also reach 165°F. — Source: FDA holiday food safety tips
- The FDA says to keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below and the freezer at 0°F, and to refrigerate or freeze perishables within 2 hours of cooking or purchasing, or within 1 hour if the outside temperature is above 90°F. — Source: FDA refrigerator thermometers
- The FDA says never to eat or taste raw flour, dough, or batter, because flour is a raw food that can carry bacteria such as Salmonella and pathogenic E. coli that milling does not kill. — Source: FDA handling flour safely
- The CDC says to allow about 24 hours of refrigerator thawing for each 4 to 5 pounds of turkey. — Source: CDC holiday turkey safety
- The FDA says most seafood should be cooked to an internal temperature of 145°F. — Source: FDA seafood safety
Start here
Weeknight and family dinners
Thirty-minute dinners, slow-cooker meals, one-pot meals for picky eaters, make-ahead breakfasts and after-school snacks, plus a look at meal planning and meal kits.
Baking, desserts and holidays
Cookies, bars and pie, a closer look at Voortman cookies, a foodie gift guide and an Easter dinner you can host without touching the stove.
Cocktails and mocktails (21+)
The cocktail recipes are for readers 21 and over. The mocktails are alcohol-free.
Pasta
How to boil pasta properly, how long fresh pasta takes, and seven regional Italian recipes.
Cooking techniques and kitchen gear
Methods and gear, from cooking frozen steaks and peas to induction versus gas, knives, spices and cooking oils.
Diet-focused cooking
DASH recipes, diabetes-friendly dinners using the plate method, and 30-minute dinners with salmon, chicken and turkey. General cooking information, not medical advice; ask your own doctor or dietitian what suits you.
Popular questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to thaw a turkey in the fridge?
The CDC says to allow about 24 hours of refrigerator thawing for each 4 to 5 pounds of turkey.