Here are a few things we've learned over the years.

• We use avocado oil as an alternative to olive oil most of the time because it has a mild flavor and a higher flash point.
  
  
• We keep a plastic spray bottle filled with avocado oil. We use it for spraying pans, for spraying meat or vegetables before seasoning or grilling, and for dishes that use oil such as pasta salad.
  
  
• We always spray meat with oil before cooking, even if it is a fatty cut. This helps to keep it moister, and helps the seasoning stick better.
  
  
• For dishes that contain meat such as soups or one-pot meals, we always cook the meat separately first, then set it aside, and mix it into the dish at the end, cooking only a few minutes more to make sure the meat is heated. This keeps the meat from getting overcooked, dry, or tough.
  
  
• I like to use the Costco packaged hand-pulled rotisserie chicken breast meat for some recipes that call for diced or chunk chicken. It’s delicious and easy. I divide a Costco package of chicken into 3 or 4 zip-lock bags, and we freeze the extras until needed.
  
  
• I've recently discovered how awesome cast iron pans are. They get really hot, they heat evenly, and they hold the heat well. This makes it quick to cook meats, and quick and easy to thicken sauces and gravy. I used to think it was a pain to clean cast iron, but it's not bad. Use one of these chain mail scrubbers with water (no soap!) to clean the pan, then dry with a towel and put the pan over a hot burner for about 5-7 minutes, and then spray a bit of oil in the pan and wipe it out. Let cool and put away, ready for next time. Clean the chain mail scrubber with soap and rinse well.
  
  
• Below is a cheat sheet that shows how long to boil potatoes, courtesy of tipbuzz.com