FUN FOOD HINTS AND SURPRISES
Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of a sugar cone to prevent ice cream drips.
Use a meat baster to “squeeze” your pancake batter onto the hot griddle-perfectly-shaped pancakes every time.
To prevent eggshells from cracking, add a pinch of salt to the water before hard-boiling.
Run your hands under cold water before pressing Rice Krispies treats in the pan. The marshmallows won’t stick to your fingers.
Try using plastic bags (that come from the dry cleaners) under your throw rugs to keep them from slipping. It works like a charm.
I have just found a wonderful lint remover. Just put on a rubber glove and rub the garment. The lint comes off like a magnet.
Use cornstarch to clean fuzzy stuffed animals. Rub the cornstarch on the fuzzy part and let it stand a few minutes and then brush out the cornstarch and the toys are clean once again. Use the cornstarch as it comes right out of the box.
To get the most juice out of fresh lemons, bring them to room temperature and roll them under your palm against the kitchen counter before squeezing. Don’t throw away lemon halves after the juice has been extracted. They may be dipped in salt and rubbed on the bottom of your copper-bottomed pots for a few minutes, and they will gleam like new. Then pick up a soap-filled pad and scour the bottom of the pot lightly. This will leave a film on the pot, which will help prevent further accumulation.
Lemons also work on a cutting board. After rubbing on your pots, allow to stand for about one hour. Then wash the board under your hot water faucet with some good detergent and put out in the sun to dry. You will find that your cutting board will be bleached to a whiteness as never before.
This is a really nifty trick using good ole aluminum foil. Just wad up a piece of foil. After making a ball rub briskly over any rusted spots on your chrome furniture or chrome-plated bumpers. Get ready to take a deep breath of wonder as you watch that rust disappear.
Would you like to know a surefire method for keeping cut flowers fresh twice as long? Simply add an aspirin to the water in your vase.
To apply nail polish more easily, simply grasp an empty coffee cup with the hand to be painted. This makes it so much easier to steady your hands.
Husband used up all the rags. Got a messy project and don’t want to ruin your clothes? For shoulder-to-knees protection when painting or doing messy chores, cut a T-slit at the bottom of a plastic trash bag, cut holes at the sides under the fold, slip arms and head through the slits.
Here’s the fastest way to remove the core from the head of iceberg lettuce; bang the head, core side down, on to a hard surface such as your kitchen counter and the core should pop right out.
To remove pesky onion and garlic smells from your wood cutting boards, scrub the surface with a paste of baking soda and water.
Try saving the water from boiled peeled potatoes to use in your next bread mix. It adds the perfect flavor to bread loaves.
Neighborhood dogs won’t stay out of your garbage cans. This remedy works every time-pour a dash of household ammonia into garbage bags before closing them. The scent will deter those critters.
When forming meatballs with all of the gooey stuff included, put a few drops of vinegar on your hands every so often and the ingredients will not stick to your hands.
A teaspoon of salad oil prevents rice from sticking together and keeps water from boiling over. And speaking of boiling over, never put a lid on a pot that contains milk, you are guaranteed a mess.
When cutting hard-boiled eggs into dip your knife in boiling hot water first. This makes the most beautiful slice you have ever seen.
Have you ever wondered how restaurants make those cute garnishes? For a fancy carrot curl cut thin lengthwise strips of carrot with a vegetable peeler. Roll around your finger and fasten with toothpick. Chill in ice water. Remove picks before using.
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.
Spray your Tupperware with nonstick cooking spray before pouring in tomato-based sauces- no more stains.
If you accidentally over-salt a dish while its still cooking, drop in a peeled potato-it absorbs the excess salt for an instant “fix me up.”
If you’re a homemade cook and like to fix and freeze, remember these helpful hints. Cooked foods should be cooled before being put into freezer.
Keep food packages as thin and flat as practically, food will freeze and thaw more quickly. And if you run out of freezer containers for your homemade soup, let the soup cool and put it into freezer bags. They will freeze flat, and you can re-heat in the bag. Remember do that if you use freezer bags, the frozen mixture may not be as deep as a frozen block of food from a container. Therefore, the reheating time may be shorter.
Do you have any crazy recipes that your friends and family are amazed by the ingredients? You know like “Brown paper bag apple pie” or 7-UP cake.
I would love to feature your favorites next month.
