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This is a list of hints and tips that the wonderful MyFitnessPals are posting. Please enjoy these and more will be added in the Part 2 list. This list is up-to-date as of September 4th, 2012. Enjoy! Please note that I have "cut and pasted" the posts exactly as they were posted. - If your cutting board is slipping and sliding, just wet a dish cloth and slip it under. Your cutting board will stay in one place. - If you are having trouble opening a jar or bottle, just wrap an elastic band around the top and you will be able to open it easily. - If you are peeling a potato, zucchini, carrot or other vegetable, you might find it easier if you insert a wooden or metal skewer in the end to act as a handle. - Instead of adding oil to your water when you are boiling pasta, spray the top surface of the water in the pot with some cooking spray - save those calories - Want to peel a tomato? Bring a small pot of water to the boil, cut an X in the bottom of your tomato and dip it into the boiling water for 1 minute. When you take it out, plunge it into a bowl with ice cubes and water and let it swish around for a couple of minutes. The peel will easily come off. Use a skirt/pants hanger (the one with the 2 slide-up tabs, or the duckbill clips) to hang recipes on cabinet handles while cooking. You know how veggies can get wetand slimey after cutting off a piece and storing the remainder back in the refridgerator? When only using a portion, cut vegetables like peppers, onions, zucchini from top leaving the root side in tack. They will last longer in the refridgerator and be in much better shape when you're ready to use the remainder. -squirt apples or avocados with a bit of lemon juice to prevent them from browning after cut -you can air pop popcorn kernals in the microwave by putting 2 tbsp in a brown paper bag and popping them for 3 minutes. -use a black office clip to hold sponges in an upright position -windex is the best refrigerator door cleaner!! -pouring coffee grounds from your coffee maker in the trash really helps keep the odors away. How to get tasty crispy brown skins on your jacket potatoes.I microwave my spuds for around 10 minutes in the microwave, then cover with foil & cook in the oven for around 30 minutes on gas mark 6. Take them out remove the foil, spray with frylight & sprinkle a little bit of salt over them. Oven cook for a further 10 minutes. They come out gorgeous & golden I have sachets of Butterbuds, great for on the go or at work when you want butter on your jacket potato without having to worry about weighing out your butter to work out the calories. When cooking spaghetti I spray abit of frylight in the boiling water, this stops the spaghetti from sticking together. And I love to make low calorie mashed potato by cutting up my potatoes, put them in a pan of boiling water with a teaspoon of mustard powder & 1 vegetable oxo cube. I weigh out all my cereals & my cheese into low calories portions.Handy for those mornings when I am in a rush and do not have time to weigh them out.Also handy to know when I am running out of cereal & cheese as i know exactly how many bags I have got left. Also when I buy meat in plastic packs, I take the meat out of the packs and freeze them into portions in sandwich bags to save room in the freezer. When doing batch cooking of soups instead of using up your tupperware put your soup into portion sizes into sandwich bags. Not only does it save room in your freezer for more goodies but means you still have your tubs to use if you need them. I also was told if you wash your hands with a blob of toothpaste after chopping up strong foods like garlic, onion, chillies etc this get rids of the odour And I also keep my wholemeal loaf of bread & wholemeal pitta breads in the freezer and take a couple of pieces out when I need them. That way you never have to throw it away myth skip it all. having oil floating on the op of the water does absolutely nothing to your pasta. the pasta is under the oil. the oil and water is drained off. pasta never meets said oil. *shrugs* - hate onion/garlic smelly hands find lemon juice doesnt work for you. run vinegar on your hands before hand and the onion and garlicness doesnt stick WOO! also helps you find every teeny weeny cut or scratch on your hand. lol Slice around a potato, through the skin in one line before boiling it. when its tender, drop it in ice water. the skin will come off in two solid pieces. Freeze brewed coffee in ice trays to make a frozen coffee drink without dilluting it. Also works for koolaid and fruit juice. If a recipe calls for just the yolks of an egg, freeze the whites in ice cube trays for later use. if you need buttermilk but dont want to go shopping, add 1tbs of lemon juice to 1 cup of regular milk and stir. Mix pure vanilla extract into a spritz bottle with water until its a dark amber. this works as an all natureal mosquito repellant on people and pets, even on those nasty salt marsh mosquitoes. If you avcidentally oversalt food while cooking, drop in a raw peeled potato. Vinegar before a shower rubbed on sunburn takes away the sting. 2tbs of white vinegar+2tbs of baking soda with laundru detergent removes grease stains and fast food worker stink. Lemon juice and baking soda paste applied to pimples heals them faster. Dark chocolate gets rid of onion and garlic breath. Freeze nuts and they keep longer, but dont freeze coffee beans or thet will get bland. A good solid smack with your palm on the base of a jar that wint open will open it easiet. Oh, also. keep an open box of baking soda in your fridge. it cuts food odor. change every other month. And if you have stuck on food, fill the pan with water and add a dryer sheet. let it sit for an jour or more. the solids will break loose. Toothpaste will take the tarnish off of metals such as jewelry. Run your dish sponge through the dishwasher with your dishes ( up in the glasses area) to sanitize and clean it. When cooking recipes with lots of ingredients, measure them all out and have them all ready in separate prep Cups / Bowls. It will save you time and keep you organized. Sort your dry goods pantry / cupboards by like foods and to store more, use vertical space-- turn boxes of rice mix or dry potato or pasts mixes on their side laying flat and stack on top of each other. You get more boxes stored using less shelf space. If you have a pantry door that swings open versus slides side to side, you can hang a plastic hanging shoe sorter/holder on the inside of the door and use it to store small things like pouch gravy/sauce mixes, extracts, jello/pudding boxes, teas, drink mixes /cool aid, dip packets, carry out sauces like soy sauce /mayo /mustard/ketchup, sugar /sweetener packets.etc. Use cooled down water from steaming green vegetables for watering house plants--adds nutrients to the soil. Use a tooth pick to clean out grime stuck along the edge of you sink or stove, and keep a couple old tooth brushes on hand for these cleaning jobs too. If you have a cycle delay setting on your dishwasher, use it and run your dishwasher later at night during off peak hours to save money and energy. If you have lots of hard water build-up in your dishwasher, place a glass measure cup full of white vinegar in the top rack of your dishwasher. Run through a regular cycle. You'll be amazed! I also now put a glog of white vinegar into the base just before I start the washer with a regular load of dishes. It seems to be helping prevent future build-up. (Use the regular amount of dishwashing soap per directions.) Vinegar is also awesome to run through the drip-coffee maker (followed by several rinses with clear water afterward). Rinsing your pasta will remove the starch and keep if form sticking together. Spraying oil on the inside edges of the pasta pot will help reduce boil overs. Keep a pair of swimming goggles in the kitchen and wear them when chopping onions to prevent burning eyes and tearing. Good olive oil comes in a dark bottle - clear or light colored bottles can let in too much light and ruin the flavor. Freeze soups and sauces in freezer bags laying flat on a cooking sheet. When they are frozen, remove the cookie sheet and the bags can be stored in a stack or upright to save space. If you only use part of the container of beef, chicken or vegetable stock or broth, freeze the rest in ice cube trays to use later (since the unused portion stored in the fridge needs to be used within 7 days). Use lemon juice on apples to prevent browning. if you place 1 tsp of baking soda in the water that you boil eggs in, they peel easier. :) Make your own salad dressings. Most store bought ones have partially hydrogenated oils and such, terrible for you! I have yet to find a dressing I couldn't make and they taste great, and save you money too! If you're making a pitcher of iced tea, put a pinch of baking soda in. It makes it smoother tasting taking away any bitterness Super quick egg salad method - Place boiled, peeled eggs on an egg slicer, and make the slices Then turn the whole (now sliced) egg to the opposite direction and slice again. Now you have lots of perfectly sized egg bits, and it took about 2 seconds per egg!!! Black office clips (aka "binder clips") are cheaper, last longer and do a better job that most chip clips - I used them on everything from cereal bags to potato chips. rinse pasta off w/ cold water to remove the starch - keeps it from sticking when cutting/chopping an onion, have a damp towel hanging close by, it soaks up the oils so you dont! (i usually hang mine from the bottom shelf of the closest cabinet to me) invest in a cast iron skillet. from stove top to oven to table all in 1 dish, dinner is served! invest in some good cooking sheers, you'll save money cutting your own meat you can freeze fresh milk, bread, cheese, meat, veggies and fruit. fill up your freezer when stuff's on sale (we have 2 fridges with freezers AND a large deep freezer full of portioned out anything and everything, defrost overnight while you sleep) invest in a 5 or 6 qt crockpot, i LIVE for mine, makes meal planning simple! make meals in bulk and freeze in portions (or double portions) Cut lettuce with a plastic knife - stops it from getting brown edges Put a wooden spoon across a boiling pot of water to stop if from boiling over Baked (boiled) eggs - put them into a cupcake tin, no need to add anything else and pop them in the oven for 28 mins at 160 degrees C , when done take them out and put them into ice cold water. They will peel easier and don't get the chalky yolk Natural quick way to clean a microwave - place water in a microwavable dish (like a bowl or cup or my favorite a 2 cup glass measuring cup) and cook for 5 minutes, leave the door closed for at least another 5 minutes to let the hot steam build up. Open door, remove dish (carefully with oven mitts) Take a clean cloth and wipe down the microwave. If any spots/food particles remain, repeat the process. Add a lemon, sliced up, to leave the microwave smelling sweet Wet your kitchen sponge and put in the microwave on high for two minutes to sanitize it. It should foam up and get very hot. It takes away that kitchen sponge smell and associated bacteria. Do it every day. To deter ants in your garden, cut up citrus peel into small pieces and soak in a dish of hot water overnight then just pour over where you have seen the ants running. The citrus peel then decomposes into the ground - If you are peeling a potato, zucchini, carrot or other vegetabe, you might find it easier if you insert a wooden or metal skewer in the end to act as a handle. Wow - brilliant. I can't believe this has never occurred to me. I actually stopped peeling potatoes years ago, and simply eat them with the skin on, because I invariably slice my fingers with the potato peeler, being left-handed and very uncoordinated! It's good to know there is an alternative way of doing it that will keep my fingers intact! :-) To stop beansprouts from going all soggy and slimy so you have chuck them away after just a couple of days, put them in a large dish and completely cover with cold water. Put them in the fridge and they keep for at least a week. (Refresh the water after a few days). If you have a garden and get ants or other bugs, mix dawn dish detergent with water and spritz away! safe and wont damage your plants. To remove tomato stains from plastic, place it out in the sun for a few hours. The stains will disappear Chopping onions without tears -- use the sharpest knife you have! Lemons/Limes: when is season, zest and juice then into the freezer in silicon ice cube trays (Miniature for zest covered with juice and regular [or choose a particular shape for each type of fruit] - measuring your cube will tell you exactly how many you need for any given recipe. Once frozen you can store in plastic bags to reuse trays. Keep tomatoes, avocados, bananas, apples, citrus fruits, garlic, and squashes on the counter in plain sight. Use decorative baskets to create an aesthetic display. Here are some reasons: Many fruits/vegetables lose their flavor/color/texture when kept in the fridge. All fruits produce ethylene gas when ripening and decaying. Some fruits, like apples, produce more. If kept in an enclosed cabinet, your fridge, or a plastic bag, fruits will go bad faster because of the buildup of gas. (Alternately, if you buy green bananas or hard avocados, put them in a paper bag with an apple or two and they'll be perfectly ripe by tomorrow) Fruits and vegetables are pretty and liven up your living space. When kept at eye-level, rather than tucked away out of sight, your fruits and vegetables are more likely to be your first choice when snacking or cooking, helping you make better choices. I agree with keeping these out on the counters, but in my house it inevitably leads to the presence of fruit flies. To deal with the cursed fruit flies, pour a little apple cider vinegar in a low, flat dish and add a drop or two of dish detergent and set it out near the fruit. They will fly right in and drown themselves. Freshen it every day or two. to deal with fruit flies, i keep two betta fish on my counter along with several candles. fruit flies occasionally try to move in but the fish eat them when they land on the water (which they're attracted to) and the candles drive away the rest When storing ground meat make sure to put in a freezer bag and make it as flat as possible. This does two things: save space in the freezer and when it is time to thaw out the new it thaws quickly. To remove tomato stains from plastic, place it out in the sun for a few hours. The stains will disappear. Thank you will try this soon!!! To keep from tearing up while cutting onions hold a spoon in your mouth. silly but works great I put unused tomatoe sauce in ice cube tray and freeze for later use, I remove frozen sauce cubes and keep in plastic baggie, cubes help with measuring out how much you will need for any given recipe. i don't waste any this way, i used to throw out alot of bad rotten sauce If you have caked on grease/dirt on your oven or microwave.buy a new oven or microwave.and never ever use it again! When cleaning the microwave, get a papertowel wet (add lemon juice if you want), fold it quarters, nuke it for a minute and then let it set for a few with teh micorwave closed. Then use the wet paper towel to wipe down the microwave. Be careful as it still might be warm at first. I use the grippy flat jar openers under my cutting board if it sliding around. When freezing berries and other small items that clump together, spread them out on a cookie sheet, place into the freezer and freeze until firm (doesn't have to be solid) than transfer to the bag or container of your choice. they will stay individual pieces instead of a giant lump. To measure out solid fats (lard, shortening, butter), fill a glass measuring cup with an equivalent amount of water (or more) as that which you are measuring, then scoop in your fat until the water level is that of your water plus your fat (1/2 cup of water + 1/2 cup of shortening = 1cup), pour out the water and dump the fat into your bowl, or scoop it out with slotted spoon. If you have caked on grease/dirt on your oven or microwave.buy a new oven or Wow I never thought of the wooden skewers for peeling! I always end up accidentally dropping them in the trash -.- I'm not much of a cook but here is a tip, if you have stains on your cutting boards, just put baking soda on it for a few hours and when you wash it off it will be gone! I never heard of putting oil in the water for pasta before. If you get more than 1 load of bread or bagels than its good to put 1 in the freezer so it doesnt get moldy and then take it out when you finish the 1st loaf. If cooking from a recipe on your notebook or tablet, cover the device with a clear sheet of plastic wrap to keep splatters off. I discovered the need for this while baking this morning, and blowing the flour off my notebook keyboard! Peeling hardboiled eggs! This is awesome for large quantities, I do about a dozen eggs a week and went from cursing just about every single egg to being giddy at how easy this was. http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/01/worlds-easiest-boiled-eggs-unless-youre.html If cooking from a recipe on your notebook or tablet, cover the device with a clear sheet of plastic wrap to keep splatters off. I discovered the need for this while baking this morning, and blowing the flour off my notebook keyboard! I have one over the control panel of my food scale, too for the same reason--protects it from spills and crumbs If you have build up from hair products in your hair, once a month add a tablespoon of baking soda to your shampoo and wash normally, it will make your hair squeaky clean and super soft. <<<Do not use too often since it WILL strip out ALL of the oils in your hair and off your scalp>>!!!!!! Vinegar is a great use for taking out the smells of clothes, bedding etc. I add a cup to wash and still use soap and fabric softener it also softens the water and clothes as you wash if you have hard water. Vinegar in the rinse water after you shampoo closes the hair shaft of your hair to help smooth it out. It can make you smell like vinegar so rinse well after you let sit in hair for a min. When you buy fresh produce, to keep it from going bad so fast, soak them in a sinkful of water with a 1/2 cup of vinegar to clean them. It pulls off all the waxes that the stores use to make them look more appealing. It also kills bacteria/sanitizes them :) I do this for all my produce and it gives me at least an extra week in the fridge. Especially grapes or berries! They last much longer! - Instead of adding oil to your water when you are boiling pasta, spray the top surface of the water in the pot with some cooking spray - save those calories myth skip it all. having oil floating on the op of the water does absolutely nothing to your pasta. the pasta is under the oil. the oil and water is drained off. pasta never meets said The pasta doesn't need to meet the oil. The purpose of the oil is to keep the water from boiling over and making a mess. If you want to keep the pasta from sticking to itself then give it a shot of oil after it's in the colander. If you want to avoid the oil you can also put it back in the pot and add a spoonful of sauce (if you're using tomato sauce) and stir it around. I read these quickly, so if I repeat anything I'm sorry. If your eggs are older, esp if you get them farm fresh, and you are worried they may be bad put them in a glass of water. Rotten ones will float. Also, I use the oil in things I am boiling in water b/c it keeps them from boiling over-not b/c of sticking if it hasent allready been mentioned - lemon juice mixed with white vingar can clean anything(allmost) also drier sheets in linen drawers to keep them smelling fresh This one may sound very odd but it works! If you touch fish, either to cook or eat, and you are left with a fishy smell on your hands: Wash your hands with soap, and then rub your hands on something made of stainless steel (like a sink, or a stainless steel pan). And voila, the fishy smell is gone :) Don't believe it? well try it! If you love to cook with fresh ginger (I put it in almost everything) but are tired of it going bad, keep it in the freezer. Peel it when you get it, then keep it in plastic wrap and a baggie in the freezer. When you needed it, just pulled it out and slice or grate (don't thaw!) and add it right away, then put it back int he freezer. It never goes bad and it grates and slices easily! This one may sound very odd but it works! If you touch fish, either to cook or eat, and you are left with a fishy smell on your hands: Wash your hands with soap, and then rub your hands on something made of stainless steel (like a sink, or a stainless steel pan). And voila, the fishy smell is gone :) This works for onion and garlic smells as well. Here is one for the girls (non-kitchen related): Oily complexion? every foundation you use looks greasy and shiny after a few hours of wear? Apply a thin layer of old fashioned Milk Of Magnesia all over the face, making sure it is well blended before applying your foundation. It works like a charm! Dry, chapped hands and cuticles? Apply a thick layer of vaseline or Mango Mend (found at Sally's) to the hands, wear a disposable glove, and wash dishes with warm water. The warm water helps the vaseline product sink into the skin leaving your hands nice and hydrated :) Feel like your feet sweat and smell after a workout in tennis shoes? Apply deodorant to your feet before putting socks on :) the stick kind is even better :) No more stinky feet! I put a piece of wax paper under the waffle iron or george foreman grill for quick clean ups. -Sprinkle baking soda in a clogged drain and flush with hot vinegar will open the drain as well as drain-o. -A marshmellow in the tip of an ice cream cone stops drips. -Ants won't cross a chalk line. Run chalk around you kitchen and it will keep the ants out. -Coffee grounds are great for the garden. -When using broth or anything that needs to be used w/in a certain amount of time after opening, write the date you opened it on it with a sharpie. - And my recent favorite, google the oil cleasing method. I use 1 part castrol oil and 5 parts olive oil, and use it to clean my face every night. My face has never looked better. No more expensive cleansers or moisterizers. Save chicken & steak bones, vegetable ends, onion & garlic papers, herb stems, ect in a freezer bag; when full, boil in your largest stock pot for several hours, letting it reduce to concentrate flavors, then strain through cheesecloth. Free stock that tastes awesome. Freeze in 4 cup and 1 cup portions for adding to soups and sauces. Instead of mincing garlic and ginger, I run them over a microplaner. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, drain pasta a minute or two before it's done, and let it finish cooking in the sauce. Add the reserved pasta water a 1/4 cup at a time (add only what's necessary) so the starch in it will give sauce the perfect consistency. Burnt food in the bottom of your favorite skillet? Use regular table salt and half a lemon to scrub it out. Apple cider vinegar makes for a great hair treatment. Mix in equal parts with hot water. Wet hair with water, carefully pour mixture over wet hair, sit 5 minutes, wash with shampoo twice. Removes all buildup without stripping natural oils. Don't get it in your eyes. This is especially good to perk up drooping wavy/curly hair. Bar Keeper's Friend is awesome for keeping stainless steel sinks and cookware clean. Removes the worst burnt on mess easily. 2 week old eggs are best for boiled eggs - they'll peel easier; fresh eggs are best for baked goods. If you have a garbage disposal put orange rinds down it, sharpens the blades and makes it smell better. Also works with a blender and food processor and coffee grinder. When cutting an onion first put it in the freezer for 15 minutes and you wont cry! works every time and trust me I normally look like I was sobbing once I get done with an onion. I normally have to take a few breaks because I can't see what I am doing which is dangerous! These are awesome!!! Some more tips: Only need 1/4 or 1/2 an onion, bell pepper, part of a bag of carrots, bunch of celery, pkg of fresh mushrooms, etc for a recipe? Finish chopping the rest, and toss into a freezer ziplock, flatten, squeeze the air out, and freeze - when you're making omelettes, soup, etc you can just whack the baggie on the counter to separate the pieces and use what you need. Make a lot of cakes? Save your frosting containers/lids. They hold two cups, and work PERFECTLY for the freezer (they fit nicely in the door) to store chili, spaghetti sauce, soups, cooked beans, cooked rice, etc, you name it. Use a piece of masking tape to label/date the ingredients. Saw a couple people mention freezing lemon/orange juice in ice cube trays. I freeze it flat in ziplock bags, and break off a chunk as needed (only fill it so that when it's laying on the counter, it's 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick so it's easy to break off when frozen) Making a boxed lemon cake but really like the lemony flavor? Substitue 1/2 of the water with lemon or orange juice - YUM. Making garlic mashed potatoes? Toss one or two peeled cloves in with the raw potatoes when cooking. mash them in when you drain the potatoes, they add great flavor without being overpowering. Trying to wean your kids off sugary cereal, or make it a LITTLE healthier? Mix it with something healthy, store it in cereal bins - some combinations that work great are regular rice crispies with sweetened/chocolate/fruity pebbles ones, honey nut cheerios with original flavor, raisin bran or corn flakes with frosted flakes, add regular cheerios to stuff like lucky charms, and add granola to "boring" stuff like cornflakes and kix. A 4x6 photo album works WONDERFULLY as a mini-cookbook. Buy 4x6 lined index cards (or print your recipes in that size on the computer), if you splash/spill they wipe right off. (Also, if you're a parent. I have 4 sets of these going. any time I cook something my kids love, I make a copy for each of their cookbooks or for the one who liked it, date it for memory's sake, and tuck it into their "cookbook" photo album. When they move into their own place, they'll have a good start on some recipes from home and/or know how to make some of their favorite things. Their grandmas have even contributed to the books if the kids have liked a recipe they made during a sleepover etc.) Want savory scrambled eggs or omelettes? Add a tablespoon of condensed Cream of Mushroom or Cream of Chicken soup for every 2 eggs, scramble together, and cook as usual for scrambled eggs. This has gotten me away from using gobs of cheese on my scrambled Evaporated milk works GREAT as a substitute in recipes calling for heavy whipping cream (soups, mashed potatoes, desserts, "white chili", etc) and it's drastically lower in calories. Haven't tried it for something like Fettucine Alfredo yet, but that's my next experiment. Obviously this also would NOT work if you're supposed to WHIP the whipping cream Sneak veggies into things in unusual places - I use my mini chopper and add things like finely chopped carrots, celery, onions, bell peppers, zucchini, and squash to everything from meatloaf to chili and spaghetti sauce. Most folks never know it's in there, just comment on Substitute 1/2 the required flour with whole wheat flour in pancakes, breads, and dense cakes - makes it a little healthier and more filling. Bananas getting too ripe for folks to eat? Peel and place them in ziplock bags, flatten, remove air, and freeze - can be used for everything from smoothies to pancakes, banana bread, cakes, etc. Hmm, think that's all I can think of for the moment. may come up with some more later! Mine are cleaning tips. Get 3 spray bottles. Fill one with half vinegar, and half water. Fill one with 91% rubbing alcohol. Fill the last one with peroxide. For regular cleaning, spray with vinegar (wait a minute if anything is crusty) and wipe clean. For nastier things (raw meat, eggs), use the alcohol and let it sit a minute. If you really need to disinfect, peroxide is great (I use it on the sink). I used to spend a fortune on paper towels. It was getting expensive. Then I remembered that my grandmother used to use old flour sacks to clean. I found flour sacks in Target, Walmart, etc and started using those. We probably have 2-3 dozen now. We keep a clean one hanging up for drying and a less clean one for wiping spills while cooking. When we start running low we wash them with hot water and bleach and they're like new. If they get really stained we mark them "rag" with a sharpie and use them on ickier things and throw them out if necessary. A roll of paper towels now lasts about a month. Get a 15 PSI pressure cooker, and cook in minutes not hours. (you're cooking with steam, so you seal in all the goodness!) The only thing the crockpot is good for now is keeping food - Instead of adding oil to your water when you are boiling pasta, spray the top surface of the water in the pot with some cooking spray - save those calories I have never added oil to the water and my pasta doesn't stick. Just skip this one. Rub oniony/garlicky hands on stainless steel under running water to remove the odor (a spoon will do, no need to buy anything special). Microwave your damp kitchen sponge to disinfect it -- it won't smell and it will last longer. Boiling/freezing/running it through the dishwater ARE NOT effective. Hard boiled eggs - put them in cold water, bring it to a full boil, turn off the burner and let Crock pots were invented to cook steel cut oats. Run "used" citrus (grapefruit rinds, lemon wedges from drinks etc) through the disposal to clean it out. Smells better that way too. And.dangerously.you can toast marshmallows on a parchment-lined sheet pan under the Place a wooden spoon over your sauce pan to keep from boil over's Have fun toasting marshmallows over a candle. When boiling water for tea or coffee, I pour the excessing boiling water down my sink to help keep it fresh. Shampoo you don't like makes a good bath and toilet cleaner Damp Rid, the wardrobe hanging type, is good to hang inside your car to get rid of excess humidity and smells (car windows shut) If I only 1/2 finish a bottle of pasta sauce I place it in the freezer so it's fresh when I get round to using it I ice the bottom of my cakes - a smooth flat surface, maybe I shouldn't mention that on this site :-) I freeze leftover cooked rice, keeping adding to the 'stash' until you have enough for a family meal, or freeze in individual serves I keep my onions in the fridge and chop them on top of a paper towel to save the chopping board getting 'onionified' I add a splash of white vinegar to curdle.the milk when baking scones (biscuits if your not Aussie). Makes for a light texture P.S. Windex makes stainless steel bright and shiny Cutting an onion releases gasses that are attracted to water; anything wet nearby will attract them instead of your eyes. Simplest solution: stick out your tongue! To get rid of fruit flies pour a little bit of vinegar in a glass, fill the rest of the glass with water and top it off with a few drops of dish-washing liquid. Place the glass where the flies usually are and you should see results within a couple of days. Want to loosen the grease under your hood range, boil a pot of one part vinegar, one part water on the stove the steam will loosen the grease and wipe clean. Keep book marks on your favorite receipts in cook books, makes them easier to find.
Not kitchen related : When you want to find sheets and pillow cases that match wash them and fold flat, tuck sheets and pillow cases inside one of the pillow cases.easy to store and saves space in your closet: tongue:.everything is together in one spot. Want a quick clean up for unexpected company, grab a basket and go around the room picking up what doesn't belong, carry them to the rooms where they do belong and unload.
Grab some index cards and do an inventory of your pantry and cupboards tape the card to the inside of the door and you will always know what you have.don't forget to delete items You should only rinse pasta for salads, if you are making a dish with sauces leave the starch on and the sauce will stick to the pasta better.a little starch won't kill you and your pasta will There are a lot of helpful things here. Thanks If you have the ends of the loaf of your bread left put them in the toaster and then place them in the food processor w/ any seasoning you like. Put in a bag or container and store in the fridge. Home made breadcrumbs! "Freeze brewed coffee in ice trays to make a frozen coffee drink without dilluting it. Also works for koolaid and fruit juice." And punch as well. One relative likes making pumpkin bread--she buys nuts and keeps them in the freezer. Home remedy for a stopped-up drain: baking soda and white vinegar.; A few shakes from the box of baking soda and a few glugs of white vinegar--there will be fizzing and foaming (natural reaction), but this will subside. You might have to repeat this a few times for it to work. If you love to cook with fresh ginger (I put it in almost everything) but are tired of it going bad, keep it in the freezer. Peel it when you get it, then keep it in plastic wrap and a baggie in the freezer. When you needed it, just pulled it out and slice or grate (don't thaw!) and add it right away, then put it back int he freezer. It never goes bad and it grates and slices easily! I always freeze my ginger, but I never thought of peeling it first! That was always the hardest part - trying to peel frozen ginger. Thanks! Read all of the post, now if only I could remember all of them. Got a bad stain on a piece of clothing? Cover stain in dish washing detergent and dip it into boiling water until the stain in gone. Works on anything from grease to fruit juice, once got blueberry out of a white top. (Sort of kitchen related, right?) To keep from tearing up while cutting onions, wet a dish cloth and place it next to your cutting board. From what I've been told, the wet towel will soak up the "onion vapors". I'm not sure if the science is correct, but regardless, it works. Funny when cutting onions, if you don't blink your eyes won't water. The more you blink, the worse it gets. The fruit fly one works! I work with the little buggers and we do this in the lab. We do water and pine sol with a small banana slice because it smells fresh. Or even water, dawn dish liquid and banana too. Warm water & baking soda will clean silver jewelry & remove stains from your teeth. (doesn't taste good) Vinegar cleans glass & mirrors, preferably with a newspaper. Baking soda is a great cleaner in the kitchen. parchment paper when baking anything.no mess. Hairspray takes out ink stains in clothes. 2 tbs of vinegar in a small bottle of joy makes great shampoo for dogs. (the vinegar lowers the PH) Want savory scrambled eggs or omelettes? Add a tablespoon of condensed Cream of Mushroom or Cream of Chicken soup for every 2 eggs, scramble together, and cook as usual for scambled eggs. This has gotten me away from using gobs of cheese on my scrambled eggs. Thanks for this one, looking forward to trying it. Silicone pot holders can be used as potholders, trivets, and as jar openers (gives you a better grip on the lid). - Instead of adding oil to your water when you are boiling pasta, spray the top surface of the water in the pot with some cooking spray - save those calories myth skip it all. having oil floating on the op of the water does absolutely nothing to your pasta. the pasta is under the oil. the oil and water is drained off. pasta never meets said LOL! I was going to say the same thing. The key to good pasta is to salt the water and then get the water really boiling before you put the pasta in. Gummy sticky pasta happens when the water is too cool. You want to salt the water first so the salt dissolves because this way it will absorb into the pasta. Salting cooked past is too late - it won't absorb so the flavors won't get enhanced. Salt the water first and you'll have very tasty pasta and won't have to add any salt to the dish later, so you'll end up using less salt over all. Alcohol based hand sanitizers will take ink stains out of cloth. Saturate the stain and press between two paper towels. The ink will dilute and bleed out into the towels. Don't skimp on the sanitizer. I agree with keeping these out on the counters, but in my house it inevitably leads to the presence of fruit flies. To deal with the cursed fruit flies, pour a little apple cider vinegar in a low, flat dish and add a drop or two of dish detergent and set it out near the fruit. They will fly right in and drown themselves. Freshen it every day or two. My fruit fly torture chamber as my kids lovingly refer to it consists of a clear ramekin with the apple cider vinegar also. I then cover it with plastic wrap pulling it tight. Poke holes in the plastic wrap but not too big.They go in but can't get out. The old addage, "you catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar" is way off! Clothespins and binder clips work great for chip/cracker/cereal bag clips - don't have to buy anything special and have plenty on hand! Just saw this and had to share here: http://www.realsimple.com/new-uses-for-old-things/new-uses-kitchen/blinder-clip-sponge-00100000083467/index.html Use shaving cream to get spots off carpets. Put a dab on the carpet, let sit, use a damp cloth and rub around the spot. Gone. Store a cut avacado (rarely do I eat the entire thing at one sitting), in a baggie with a cut (halved) onion. The onion helps the avadado last much longer. (Store in the fridge) As more comments are added to this thread, I will create a Part 2 PDF. You can check back on my MFP blog for additional hints and tips.

Source: http://www.texaswebsites.com/mfp/images/Kitchen_Hints_and_Tips_Part_1.pdf