You've probably noticed -- there are literally thousands of cooking "shortcuts" living on those grocery store shelves. Everything from salad dressing to to stir-fry mixes are waiting to help you whip up dinner in a jiffy. But are they all worth it?

The May issue of Everyday Food has a list of time-savers that they think are -- or aren't -- worth it. They say skip the bottled lemon juice, pre-peeled garlic cloves, and shrink-wrapped stir-fry mixes. They're too expensive and lack flavor and freshness. But dried breadcrumb and chicken broth get the thumbs up. That got us thinking -- what other cooking shortcuts are worth it?

Just a few short months ago Kelli Kirkland was a lousy cook -- maybe even the worst cook in America. She was a busy student at UCLA and wasn't much interested in cooking. But her grandma always believed she had a great cook inside of her. So Kelli joined Food Network's reality show, Worst Cooks in America. Eight weeks of cooking boot camp and an intense competition later, she became the series champion!

Now Kelli has a 2-year-old son and is bringing her dazzling skills home so she can pass on her family's food traditions to the next generation.

Wouldn't we all love to get our own cooking boot camp with celebrity chefs? But since that's so not happening for most of us (hey, you never know!), Kelli has some super-simple tips for gettin' your chef on at home.

Here's a dilemma I hate: I'm hungry for a snack. I don't like what's in the vending machine because it's mostly junk food and I'm trying to be skinny. So I go out -- and that's when my choices start getting expensive. Six dollars for a smoothie, three dollars for a bag of nuts, two dollars for a freakin' granola bar?

Feh! If I just plan ahead a little I could really save some dough.

We grabbed some great tips from FitSugar for homemade snacks that can save us dough (and that won't show up around our waistlines). Then came up with a few of our own. Have you ever made these?

Who else here is planning on making pasta tonight? It's hands down the easiest, most kid-friendly dish ever. Everyone has their list of favorite pasta dishes. For some people this list consists of one dish: Boiled pasta tossed with butter because that's how the two-year-old likes it. But maybe, moms, you'd like something a little more exciting that that?

There's the "fancy" version of that dish I used to make all the time in college: Buttered spaghetti with lots of lemon juice and pepper. Or you can toss with olive oil and add any of the ingredients we suggest below. The possibilities are endless, but sometimes you just need some fresh ideas. Have you tied these lately?

Hungry? Need dinner ideas? Just love anything and everything food and recipes? Then you'll totally want to follow us on Pinterest! Our virtual pin boards on Kid Friendly Recipes , Sweet Treats  and Easter 2012 are pure eye candy. Yum!

Sloppy "Janes"Ground beef can be the ultimate time-saver for moms. You can buy large amounts of it and freeze it in little one-pound packs. Then, when you need a quick dinner -- ta da! Pull one out for an easy, frugalicious meal.

But you need ideas, right? Fresh ideas beyond the usual Hamburger Helper. Well we've got you covered. Here are five quick and tasty ground beef dinner dinner ideas that will fill your family's bellies and put a smile on their faces.

If you're reading this, I'm hoping you're either a dad or a child with excellent reading comprehension skills capable of frying eggs. Are you looking for ideas for preparing Mom breakfast in bed for Mother's Day? Well, you came to the right place. That kind of thinking will earn you extra points in your household -- especially you, Dad.

And if this is a mom, what the heck. Print this out and just say: "On Mother's Day, I shall expect breakfast in bed at 9:30 a.m. That is all."

It's actually pretty easy. A few key details are all you need to make this little gesture mean everything to the well-deserving mom in your life.

Help! I'm in a dinner rut and I can't get out. Lately we've been eating the same pasta dish over and over again. You know the one: Ground beef, garlic, tomato sauce over noodles, rinse dishes, and repeat. Well no more. It's time for a brisk, springlike breeze of inspiration!

You may have noticed I'm a little bit obsessed with the new cookbook, Real Simple Easy, Delicious Home Cooking. I told you about the mix-and-match cakes and the slow-cooker tacos (made them over the weekend, delish). It's arranged by season and all the recipes are weeknight simple -- but loaded with fresh ingredients.

And they have a mini-guide with four ideas for spaghetti. I'm saved!

I love me some barbecue. Real barbecue -- the smoky, melting-off-the-bone kind of barbecue that comes from hours and hours on a flame. Not being a master BBQ griller myself I have to rely on my local restaurants. But every once in a while I wonder if I can just cheat a little and get that same flavor at home without the hours at the grill.

Why not try with hamburgers? Here are four simple ideas for giving your burgers that smoky, barbecue flavor -- just in time for the weekend! Hope yours is sunny and warm enough for grilling.