Some of the very best time-saving tricks of the kitchen trade come from America's Test Kitchen. These pros know their way around the world of meal preparation and are so generous with their information. So if you're in the mood to save a little time and energy, here are some things I recently learned from them, along with three of my own best time-saving tips:

SOG-FREE SALAD ON-THE-GO!

I've always had to bring a separate container of dressing along when I've packed green salad for picnics or for brown-bagging at work. I learned the hard way the predressed greens quickly turn soggy. Thanks to the chefs at America's Test Kitchen I now take a multi-layered approach. First I add the dressing to the bottom of my container, then all chopped vegetables the recipe calls for, and I top it all off with a layer of greens and cover. Just prior to serving, I give the container either a good shake to mix everything up or I use my salad tongs to disperse all ingredients. Works like a charm.

QUICK-COOL FOR MELTED BUTTER:

I have a couple favorite recipes that call for melted butter cooled to room temperature. To speed up the process, here's what I learned to do from the Test Kitchen pros: I melt three-quarters of the amount of butter the recipe calls for in the microwave or on the stove top. Off heat, I whisk the remaining one-quarter of the cold butter into the melted portion. The cooler, unmelted portion will help lower the warm butter's temperature in less time that it takes to heat and cool the entire amount.

BETTER KITCHEN ORGANIZATION:

If your space for cleaning products is limited, you'll love this idea. The Test Kitchen folks suggest you install a spring tension rod from wall to wall under the kitchen sink near the top of the cabinet. This little trick now allows you to hang all your spray bottles from their trigger levers, leaving plenty of room underneath for products or items that can't be hung. Clever, huh?

THINK AND WORK IN ADVANCE:

Here's a time-saver I've been practicing for years. I set the table for the next morning before I go to bed. I also prep anything planned for the next morning's meal. For instance, if I'm serving waffles for the next day's breakfast, I'll mix all the dry ingredients together, cover, and set this out by the waffle maker. Then in another bowl I'll combine the wet ingredients together, cover, and refrigerate. In the morning while the waffle maker is heating up I fold the wet into the dry ingredients and in no time flat breakfast is served quickly and easily.

OPT FOR 2-IN-1 MEAL PREP!

And another time-saving habit I live by: I always try to get 2 different meals out of 1 prep effort. For instance, when having pizza for supper, I make enough dough to accommodate another dinner of calzones. I either make and refrigerate the calzones at the same time that I'm making the pizza, or I'll just freeze the dough intended for the calzones and thaw it in the fridge the day of that particular dinner. Another "for instance:" When I'm making pie for our dinner's dessert, I'll make extra pie dough for a chicken pot pie dinner the next evening.

CLEAN WHILE DINING:

We put a little vinegar and liquid detergent in our pots along with some water and let them simmer on the stove while we're eating. By the time dinner is over, the pots have all but washed themselves! And anything that was stuck onto the pots just falls right off. This is a huge time-saver!