Cooking Hints
- Spray your Tupperware with nonstick cooking spray before pouring in tomato-based sauces. No more stains.
- Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator-it will keep for weeks.
- Use lifesavers candy to hold candles in place on your next birthday cake.
- Poke an egg with a small sewing needle before hard-boiling, and the egg will peel with ease. And hold that needle in place with a magnet refrigerator clip.
- Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of a sugar cone to prevent ice cream drips.
- Zap garlic cloves in the microwave for 15 seconds and the skins slip right off.
- Use a meat baster to “squeeze” your pancake batter onto the hot griddle-perfectly shaped pancakes every time.
- Always spray your grill with nonstick cooking spray before grilling to avoid sticking.
- To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the potatoes.
- To prevent egg shells from cracking, add a pinch of salt to the water before hard-boiling.
- Use a pastry blender to cut ground beef into small pieces after browning.
- Sweeten whipped cream with confectioners' sugar instead of granulated sugar. It will stay fluffy & hold its shape better.
- For easy “meatloaf mixing”, combine the ingredients with a potato masher.
- If you don't have enough batter to fill all cupcake tins, pour 1 tablespoon of water into the unfilled spots. This helps preserve the life of your pans.
- To easily remove honey from a measuring spoon, first coat the spoon with nonstick cooking spray.
- Run your hands under cold water before pressing Rice Krispies treats in the pan. The marshmallow won't stick to your fingers.
- Mash and freeze ripe bananas, in one-cup portions, for use in later baking.
- No wasted bananas (or you can freeze them whole, peeled, in plastic baggies.)
- To quickly use that frozen juice concentrate, simply mash it with a potato masher. No need to wait for it to thaw. A wire whip works also.
- To get the most juice out of fresh lemons, bring them to room temperature & roll them under your palm against the kitchen counter before squeezing.
- To easily remove burnt on food from your skillet, simply add a drop or two of dish soap & enough water to cover bottom of pan, and bring to a boil on stove-top-skillet will be much easier to clean now.
- Transfer your jelly to a small plastic squeeze bottle-no more messy, sticky jars or knives. This also works well for homemade salad dressing.
- To aid in washing dishes, add a tablespoon of baking soda to your soapy water-it softens hands while cutting through grease.
- Save your store-bought-bread bags and ties-they make perfect storage bags for homemade bread.
- When a cake recipe calls for flouring the baking pan, use a bit of the dry cake mix instead. No white mess on the outside of the cake.
- If you accidentally over-salt a dish while it's still cooking, drop in a peeled potato. It absorbs the excess salt for an instant “fix me up”.
- Next time you need a quick ice pack, grab a bag of frozen vegetables out of your freezer-no watery leaks from a plastic baggie.
- When making bread, substitute nondairy creamer for the dry milk-it works just as well…
- Rinse cooked, ground meat with water when draining off the fat-this helps “wash away” even more fat. Use HOT or Warm water so fat won't congeal.
- Slicing meat when partially frozen makes it easier to get thin slices.
- Instead of throwing away bread heels or leftover cornbread, use them to make bread crumbs. For use later, store them in the freezer.
- Substitute half applesauce for the vegetable oil in your baking recipes. You'll greatly reduce the fat content.
- (Example: 1/2 cup vegetable oil=1/4 cup applesauce + 1/4 cup oil)
- To ripen avocados and bananas, enclose them in a brown paper bag with an apple for 2- 3 days.
- Brush beaten egg white over pie crust before baking to yield a beautiful, glossy finish.
- In recipes calling for margarine, substitute reduced-calorie margarine to help cut back on fat. Same goes with sour cream, milk, cheese, cream cheese, and cream soups.
- Place a slice of bread in hardened brown sugar to soften it back up.
- When boiling corn on the cob, add a pinch of sugar to help bring out the corn's natural sweetness.
- When starting your garden seedlings indoors, plant the seeds in egg shell halves. Simply crack the shells around the roots of your plants & transplant them outdoors-the shell is a natural fertilizer.
- To determine whether an egg is fresh, immerse it in a pan of cool, salted water. If it sinks, it is fresh; if it rises to the surface, throw it away.
- Keep the linings from cereal boxes-they make great substitutes for waxed paper.
- Use peanut butter to remove gum in your carpet.
SUPER HINTS
- Cure for headaches: Take a lime, cut it in half and rub it on your forehead. The throbbing will go away.
- Use of soap wrapper: Don't throw away the wrapper after removing a bar of soap. Place it inside your shoe cabinet or shoe box. It's a cheap way of filling the air with a nice smell.
- If your polished furniture has small scratches: Try rubbing them with a shelled walnut. You'll see the scratches just disappear.
- Are your shoes smelly: Here's a solution. Put some tea leaves into a pair of stockings & stuff each into a shoe. Leave for a day or two & the smell just vanishes.
- If you have problem opening jars: Try using latex dishwashing gloves. They give a non-slip grip that makes opening jars easy.
- Tips for stamp collectors: Place the envelope in the freezer for a few hours. You'll then be able to easily lift the stamps off with a pair of tweezers.
- To keep buttons from dropping off: Dab a drop of clear nail polish onto the thread that secures the buttons. This will harden & make it more difficult for thread to break off.
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