15 Time-Saving Kitchen Tips for Busy Moms

8. Fix an oil slick. Spill a little cooking oil on your counter or floor? For a speedy clean up, just sprinkle a handful of flour over the mess, let it set for a few minutes (to absorb the oil), and then simply wipe it up with a paper towel or sweep it away.

9. Fun with funnels. The fastest, surefire way to separate an egg is to use a kitchen funnel. The white will go through the funnel, but the yolk will stay in the funnel's bell.

10. Cook once, eat twice. If you're making a labor-intensive meal (lasagna, soup, hot dish, etc.), buy enough for two batches. Double the recipe and freeze the second batch for a quick and easy meal later.

11. Homemade potpourri. To cut down on kitchen odors, while you're cooking a meal or just after, set a small pot of water on the stove and drop in a slice of lemon, a cinnamon stick, or a couple pinches of your favorite aromatic spice. Let the pot boil for several minutes, and the smell will permeate your kitchen with its fragrance.

12. Get your kids to help! When I'm making dinner, my preschooler puts away freshly washed kitchen towels, empties the silverware tray in the dishwasher, feeds the dog, or sets the table. Toddlers can help put away tupperware containers, fold napkins for dinner, and sort clean (or dirty) kitchen towels. All of these chores for little helpers will save you extra minutes of time and give your child a sense of accomplishment.

13. Sweet idea. Store your brown sugar in the freezer. Believe it or not, it will never get hard. Just retrieve it about 30 minutes before you'll need it and replace the unused portion.

14. Kid-size cups. Keep a supply of biodegradable, cone-shaped coffee filters on hand—even if you don't have a coffee maker! These handy paper cups save you the need for washing snack plates and are perfect for carrying popcorn, pretzels, ice cream cones, popsicles, and more.

15. Take notes. Keep a pen and a calendar in the kitchen at all times. We use ours for making grocery lists, posting family reminders, logging dinner menus (both for planning and to see when questionable items in the fridge should be tossed), and for tracking birthdays (writing cards while waiting for a pot to boil is a great way to pass the time!).