In order to accommodate the lightning-fast speed at which a professional kitchen runs, it has to be kept extremely organized. All kitchens adhere to similar rules for cleaning and organization — mostly so that newbies can jump in without having to relearn a new system. My friend, Jesse, has been cooking in professional kitchens for 10 years now, and because he finds these organization methods are so useful at work he follows many of the same rules at home.

I know scrambled eggs are an easy dish to throw together, but here’s the thing: I am so not a morning person. Breakfast is a very low priority. So it used to feel like the intense whisking and extra dishes involved were more trouble than they were worth. Plus, they always turned out a bit drier than I like.

Ina Garten’s book Cook Like A Pro is all about helping home cooks (like me!) gain confidence in the kitchen — because who doesn’t want to feel like a professional chef as they’re whipping up dinner? And so recently, when I found myself in a total cooking rut, I knew just the woman who could help get me out of it. I decided to cook solely out of Cook Like A Pro for an entire week (with the exception of some light breakfasts and lunches, where I didn’t use a recipe at all), hoping to pick up some invaluable kitchen tips and wisdom and re-ignite my passion for cooking.

There’s nothing I dread more than seeing a hand-wash tag on my new favorite shirt. By the end of the task, both me and my bathroom are drenched, and I don’t really believe I did much to actually clean the item. How is me rubbing a bit of soap on my bras cleaning them?!

If you’re as obsessed with Trader Joe’s as I am, you likely don’t want to shop at any other store. That’s where these ingenious recipes come in. From an Indian-inspired pizza made with their popular cauliflower pizza crust, to a weeknight pasta dinner made with their ricotta-stuffed ravioli, we’ve gathered 6 vegetarian recipes that are packed with the fun and time-saving products you can find at Trader Joe’s — and don’t require a trip to any other store.

If you love a good, crunchy salad but quickly grow tired of them in the summer, we’ve got a whole bunch of (very delicious) solutions. These recipes — which are all either vegan or vegetarian — encourage you to think about veggies in exciting new ways. Pile beans and veggies into sweet potatoes for a richer, more satisfying spin on stuffed bell peppers. Blend veggies and herbs into a refreshing gazpacho. Or bake some broccoli into egg muffins for an easy, time-saving breakfast. No matter which route you choose, you’ll be packing in the nutrients with very little effort.

My family has never been much into cooking. When I was a kid, my parents and siblings were happiest eating “cheese pasta,” which is basically shredded cheese sprinkled over elbow noodles. So it wasn’t until I had a kitchen of my own that I realized what a joy cooking can be — and that there was a whole world of dinners beyond a bowl of noodles.

If your parents used dryer sheets in the laundry, chances are you do, too. But have you ever thought about why you’re using them? Do you know how they work? We spoke to the Environmental Working Group’s senior research and database analyst Samara Geller and laundry care expert Suzanne Holmes, manager in the product evaluation laboratory at Cotton Incorporated, to understand what dryer sheets are and what they do. Plus, we’ve got the perfect alternative, and it’s 59% off at Amazon right now!

Ring a ding ding! It’s Brussels sprouts season, y’all! If you’re part of the millions of Americans on board with the Brussels sprouts boom, it’s almost certain your Thanksgiving menu will feature these green gems. There are many ways to cook them — from tossing them into a salad to baking them into a casserole — but my favorite, by far, is simply roasting them in the oven. I love the way the insides caramelize and the outer leaves flake into crisps.

When Heather Knight moved into her new home, she had to focus on more urgent repairs and wasn’t able to put as much money into the kitchen as she would’ve liked. (So yes, although $7,500 is a lot of money, it’s not really that much when you’re talking about a kitchen renovation.) While the space was in good shape, it was dark and a little too dated for her tastes. With some pretty clever spending, she pulled off a pretty impactful renovation project.

Frozen dinner options have come a long way — especially at Trader Joe’s. (Makes sense, considering most of us are more likely to shop the freezer section at TJ’s than other grocery stores.) The offerings at Trader Joe’s are ridiculously cheap and delicious. While I’m not saying I have frozen meals every night (I do love to cook when my schedule allows!), I do turn to them fairly regularly. So it’s a good thing that Trader Joe’s has a whole section dedicated to vegetarian frozen meals. (Because I’m a vegetarian!)

Cats first started living with humans in Cyprus about 5,000 years ago, but it wasn't until the 1800s that man started to purposefully breed different kinds of cats. Since then, they have mostly lived in a gray area between feral and domesticated. Teresa Keiger is an all-breed judge for the Cat Fancier's Association and she believes that the public perception of cats as aloof or unfriendly is based on a time before they were socialized and trained for life indoors. While some might need less attention than others, the disposition of a cat differs dramatically from breed to breed: While some are happy to spend the day on their own (as long as you commit your evenings to play and snuggles), others want to spend so much time with their humans that they will literally follow you into the shower.