Kitchen Hints

KITCHEN HINTS

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!

To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the potatoes!

Use a meat baster to "squeeze" your pancake batter onto the hot griddle~ perfect shaped pancakes every time!

Use lifesavers candy to hold candles in place on your next birthday cake! Kids love 'em!

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!

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 and hold it's 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!

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!

Spray your tupperware with non-stick cooking spray before pouring in tomato-based sauces~no more stains!

Transfer your jelly to a small plastic squeeze bottle~no more messy, sticky jars or knives! This also works well for homemade salad dressing!

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!

Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator it will keep for weeks!

When making bread, substitute non-dairy 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!

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 corns natural sweetness!

Don't throw out all that leftover wine. Freeze into ice cubes for future use in casseroles and sauces.

If you have problem opening jars: Try using latex dishwashing gloves. They give a non-slip grip that makes opening jars easy!

Potatoes will take food stains off your fingers. Just slice and rub raw potato on the stains and rinse with water.

To take the tears out of chopping onions: Plug in a portable fan and turn it to high. It'll help blow away the fumes from your eyes - no more tears!

Don't panic if your soup's too salty: Add cut raw potatoes and throw them away once they are cooked and have absorbed the salt. Your soup's saved!

Instead of throwing away a sponge that has a stale odor, simply toss it in the dishwasher and wash it with the next load of dishes. It will come out clean and fresh smelling and will kill any bacteria in the sponge, so it's a good idea to toss your sponges into the dishwasher often.

Save celery leaves. Spread them out on paper towels or a paper plate and let them dry. Crumble them into soups, salads and stuffing's. They will add an extra zippy flavor for free.

Make giant ice cubes in muffin tins or plastic margarine bowls. These are perfect for using in picnic coolers or punch bowls. They look pretty and keep your drinks or food cold longer.

Don't throw those single serving gelatin plastic cups away, make your own single servings. Place the cups in a muffin holder, fill the cups and place in the refrigerator. It only takes a few minutes and no mess.

Fruit Freshener - Use 2 vitamin C tablets in a big bowl of water...let them dissolve and stir...dunk any veggie or fruit and it will stay fresh for a couple of weeks and vitamin C won't hurt you either! Try it out on a potato... dunk the potato and leave it out on the sink..it won't discolor... It's the short version of "fruit fresh ".

Cottage cheese will remain fresher longer if you store it upside down in the refrigerator. This slows the effects of oxidation.

To keep milk past it's expiration date add salt. A pinch of salt in a gallon will do it. The salt slows the rate of bacteria growth.

Brown sugar will not harden if stored in the freezer.

If you freeze wild rice it will last 3-4 months compared to a week in the refrigerator. A good trick when you go away on vacation is to place a baggie with a few ice cubes in the freezer. If a power failure occurs while you are gone and the food thaws and then refreezes you will know about it when you get home.

Ice cream container sealed in a plastic bag will stop ice crystals from forming when it is in the freezer.

Potato chip bag open again and they're all stale and yucky?? Pop them in the microwave for 30 to 60 seconds, let stand for two minutes and they'll be crispy again.

Regarding tomato paste, it seems a whole can of tomato paste is many times too much for some recipes. Suggestion: take a piece of waxed paper, putting it on a cookie sheet and putting teaspoonfuls of the leftover paste on the paper -- another sheet on top and freeze this. When frozen just peel them off and put them in a baggie and when you need a tsp. or tbs. of paste you have it without opening a whole can and there is no waste. OR-- put small amounts in an ice tray and then just pop them out when I need them.

Quick Whipping -- A teaspoonful of cold water added to the white of an egg causes it to whip more quickly while increasing the quantity.

Moldy Fruit -- What should you do with fruit with mold? Throw it away rather than simply cutting off the mold since mold on fruit goes much deeper than what appears on the fruit.

Broccoli Stalks -- Don't discard the tough ends of broccoli stalks. Use them for making soups.

Measuring Honey -- Measuring honey with a spoon is easy but getting it all off the spoon is another matter--so first rub the spoon with margarine.

Dropping Cookie Dough -- To get cookie dough to drop without sticking dip the spoon in milk first.

Leftover Pie Dough -- Extra pie dough? Cover it with some parmesan and gruyere cheese and you'll bake a delicious appetizer--at the very same meal with your pie as dessert.

Easy Shelling -- Pecans are easy to shell if they are first soaked in boilingwater for 10 minutes or so. Or microwave 2 cups of pecans or Brazil nuts in 1 cup of water for 5 to 6 minutes on HIGH.

Storing Cake -- If you store half and apple in the container which you are storing a cake, the cake will retain its freshness.

Cheesy Apple Pie -- Don't just serve cheese with apple pie, bake it right in. Spread grated sharp Cheddar on the bottom of the crust before adding the apple filling.

Sticking Cake Layers -- Cake layers sticking to the bottom of the pans? Put them back in a warm oven for a short time. The layers will then come out without a problem.

And I do believe Jojo (Jhodi) has a great recipe for low-alcohol content wine....

THANKS, ADMIN! A DEFINATE SAVE. IS there a way to star/highlight important saves, maybe an archive section? I think important saves should have a front seat rating somewhere at the nest, don't you?

All the work everyone has done here makes this an incredible site choc full of really usefull info.

Cucumbers

1. Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need every day, just one cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc.

2. Feeling tired in the afternoon, put down the caffeinated soda and pick up a cucumber. Cucumbers are a good source of B Vitamins and Carbohydrates that can provide that quick pick-me-up that can last for hours.

3. Tired of your bathroom mirror fogging up after a shower? Try rubbing a slice of cucumber along the mirror the mirror will be clear and the residue provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance.

4. Are grubs and slugs ruining your planting beds? Place a few slices in a small pie tin and your garden will be free of
pests all season long. The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off a scent undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy and make them flee the area.

5. Looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite before going out or to the pool? Try rubbing a slice or two of
cucumbers along your problem area for a few minutes, the photochemical in the cucumber cause the
collagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing the visibility of cellulite. Works great on wrinkles too!!!

6. Want to avoid a hangover or terrible headache? Eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed and wake up refreshed and
headache free. Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish essential nutrients the body lost,
keeping everything in equilibrium, avoiding both a hangover and headache!!

7. Looking to fight off that afternoon or evening snacking binge?

Cucumbers have been used for centuries and often used by European during hunting to stave off starvation.

8. Have an important meeting or job interview and you realize that you don't have enough time to polish your shoes? Rub a freshly cut cucumber over the shoe, its chemicals will provide a quick and durable shine that not only looks great but also repels water.

9. Out of WD 40 and need to fix a squeaky hinge? Take a cucumber slice and rub it along the problematic hinge, and voila, the
squeak is gone!

10. Stressed out and don't have time for massage, facial or visit to the spa? Cut up an entire cucumber and place it in a boiling
pot of water, the chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber will react with the boiling water and be released in the steam,
creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that has been shown to reduce stress in new mothers and college students during final exams.

11. Just finish a business lunch and realize you don't have gum or mints? Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your
mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds to eliminate bad breath, the photochemical will kill the bacteria in your
mouth responsible for causing bad breath.

12. Looking for a 'green' way to clean your faucets, sinks or stainless steel? Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the
surface you want to clean, not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine, but it won't leave streaks and
won't harm your fingers or fingernails while you clean.

13. Using a pen and made a mistake? Take the outside of the cucumber and slowly use it to erase the pen writing, also works
great on crayons and markers that the kids have used to decorate the walls!!

THIS MAY SOUND SILLY, But I don't care. IT CAME FROM ANCESTOR SPIRIT- Goyaklat (Geronimo). HE LITERALLY told me, food will change. Pineapples will grow on trees, and so will cucumbers, farther north than you might expect. Watch what wolf are eating, examine their poop, you will know.....amazing, huh? (To have an anscestor let one in on a secret) (There really are apple-shaped cucumbers now, (not the genetically made kind. They're called prickly pears!, and they really DO have the same qualities/contents as cukes (lemon cukes). AND they ARE growing farther north than is usual. Gray Wolves once here, then going south (New Mexico) are returning to Oregon as well.....They are mating with Northwest Timber wolves? Why---IT IS ABOUT MAJOR SHIFTS IN FOOD CHAINS ACROSS THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE......