Tip of the week is 'tongue in cheek, ' since I don't actually offer tips every week. And to be fair, I won't be offering them each week going forward. I will, however, give you a tip this week---and many other randomly assigned weeks. You can peek at some of my past tips, given invariably during some week or another: check out scissors and ice cube trays, day-old-bread and great uses for glass jars.

I am a big fan of tips. The truth is, I adore good ideas, whether they are from me or someone else.

This idea came out of me trying to empty my refrigerator. I didn't have a means to make meatballs, but did have some kalamata olives and a few straggling mozzarella balls. So I spruced up my spaghetti-with-red-sauce, and it occurred to me: mozzarella balls are a perfect meatball substitute. Some kids may not like meatballs, perhaps you want to serve a vegetarian meal. Maybe it is simply time to change things up a bit.

When I poured all the noodles and tomato sauce into my bowl, I topped it with a handful of mozzarella balls. These 'white cheese meatballs' tasted great; I recommend a little meatball replacement therapy once in awhile. Variety is good for the palate, and certainly good for the soul.