Ever noticed those two white, stringy cords floating around in a freshly cracked egg? They’re the chalaza, and they’re not a sign that your egg is defected or partially cooked or anything like that. They’re actually there to keep the yolk in place.

Growing up, my mom taught me to take a fork and remove them from the egg before baking. She reasoned that the chalaza can harden while baking, resulting in an occasional — and unwanted — chewy particle in your baked goods. Now, I can’t cook anything involving eggs without removing them.

However, as I’ve grown up, I’ve noticed that most cooks just crack eggs directly into batters without even mentioning the dreaded chalaza. Did these crazy culinary-school grads know nothing?! Were they too busy flashing their pearly whites on camera that they didn’t notice?! How could they commit such madness?!

It made me wonder: Do you really need to remove the chalaza before baking?

You don’t have to, but you might want to, depending on what you’re baking. The chalaza is safe to eat when cooked. In most cases it doesn’t break down during the baking process, so yes, you could bite into it. For chewy dishes, it may not be noticeable, but as Good Housekeeping notes, it’d stick out as awfully as an eggshell fragment in smooth desserts like custards.

Some cookbooks, such as the aforementioned GH tome and The Good Egg, recommend straining puddings and custards to remove the hardened, cooked chalazae. Instead, just use a fork to pull out the pieces before you start baking. It’ll take less time and give you one less utensil to clean.

Cue “Eye of the Tiger” and start feeling pumped: It’s 7 p.m. and you have a 20-page term paper ahead of you. Or a group project that’s due the next morning. Or a DIY gift that you totally meant to build weeks in advance.

Whatever your reason, welcome to the Land of the Unsleeping. I’ll be honest: it’s a far less exciting place to visit when you’re not partying the night away, but sometimes, it has to be done. Here are simple tried-and-true techniques so you can pull an all-nighter — and not look like a withered zombie that’s been hit by a minivan the next morning.

Step 1: Create Your Workspace

• Turn on all the lights in your room. Keep things bright so you’re less likely to just. Rest your head. For one. Second. And then. CRASH! Waking up all doe-eyed just in time for class isn’t a relief when only the first sentence of a 1,500-word paper has been written.
• Remove the distractions. Various companies offer Facebook blockers and other ways to cut you off from your favorite sites for a set amount of time. While you’re at it, put the cell phone on airplane mode — or turn it off completely. Don’t log into your e-mail, either. They’ll just delay your project further.
• Blast the fan & open the windows. It’s easy to feel cocooned in a warm room and drift to sleep with your head nestled somewhere between your keyboard and textbook. Resist! A cool blast of air helps you feel alert.

Step 2: Get Your Eat On

• Keep the ice water flowing. Sure, you may be making more frequent trips to the bathroom, but the cold water will keep you awake without causing you to binge — and subsequently crash — on caffeine. (Plus, walking to the bathroom can help keep you alert.)
• Plan small meals or portioned snacks. Instead of staring at an empty bag of chips, portion out your snacks in a couple plastic baggies so you’re not as likely to binge. It’s easy to mindlessly eat while working, so set aside two or three 100- to 150-calorie snacks to eat throughout the night.
• Opt for energy-boosting foods: Baby carrots, almonds, bananas with peanut butter, an apple, berries and broccoli florets are known for preventing fatigue, according to Blogher. Foods with a low-glycemic index, such as chickpeas, grapes, nuts, watermelon and aforementioned apples and carrots, are also great for keeping your energy levels strong and steady throughout the night.
• Keep the caffeine to a minimum. Use it as a last resort, and only fill your smallest mug with coffee (or Five-Hour Energy, green tea, or whatever beverage you prefer). Quickly drinking a lot of caffeine can cause it to peak in your bloodstream, Prevention reports. Smaller doses throughout the night will prevent you from energy spikes — and stalls.

Step 3: Get Out of Your Seat!

• Take a shower. If your eyes are starting to blur and flutter shut, and you just can’t stop your head from bobbing, go take a cold shower. It’ll buy you another hour at least. Just make sure the water is unpleasantly cold (sorry!).
• Just dance! You may look ridiculous, but do something to get yourself moving. Maybe that means doing a set of jumping jacks or spending five minutes dancing your face off to the latest Rebecca Black jam (you know you love her), but commit to taking a short break to revive yourself. You’ll be glad you did.