School Braise
Try an online cooking or wine class this fall.

It's that time of year when the kids get new clothes, new supplies and start learning new things. Why should you be left out? Since the nest is empty during school hours, switch off Days of Our Lives and get a little schooling of your own: Take some cooking and wine classes.

Of course, should you spend every day in these kinds of classes, by the time that actual school lets out in the afternoon you'll be asleep on the couch, full of wine and delicious food. Fortunately, all these courses are available for free online. Enjoy!

Rouxbe.com
Try any one of hundreds of instructional videos and cooking lessons, and even get personal feedback from chefs. A monthly membership is only $15, and everything's viewable on an iPad. Just don't put it too close to the stove. Learn more here.

WineLoversPage.com
This site offers a quick guide to tasting wine, split into 13 easily manageable chapters. Pop open a bottle or two and commence clicking. Get started here.

Epicurious
Epicurious offers plenty of fast and healthy back-to-school recipes that cover every meal of the day. Use this site to beef up your breakfast, snack or school-lunch repertoire. Click here for more.

FreeWineCourse.com
Opt for either the Instant or Complete course, both of which are free and designed to help you learn about wine at your own pace. Click here to get started.

If there's another great cooking or wine class you've tried, tell us about it below.