Vinegar and a sun burn
How to get rid of one of those nasty sun burns? Well aloe is one option, but vinegar can also take the heat out of a sun burn. Pour apple cider vinegar into a bowl, add some ice cubes to make it cold. Take a wash cloth and soak it in the vinegar. Press the wash cloth on the sun burn and it will soak up the heat and sooth your skin. It doesn't hurt at all, but it does take the heat out!
Vinegar and a sore throat
Vinegar has many uses, one of them is that it relieves a sore throat is no time. Sip either straight or watered down vinegar and your sore throat will be soothed. Sipping is important because you don't want to gulp it down, it's to strong for that. As a kid my mom would make us drink this when we were sick and it definitely works. You may smell like a pickle in the mean time, but it's worth it.
Measuring Honey
When measuring honey for a recipe always measure the oil first. This will let the honey slip right out instead of sticking on all sides. If the recipe doesn't call for oil, coat measuring cup in oil then measure honey.
Removing Wax
This tip came in handy when I spilt an entire jar candle on my carpet and bedding in my dorm room. Using some (many) paper towels and an iron the wax came come off in no time at all.
With the iron on a medium setting place the paper towels over the wax and iron on top of it. The spilt wax will melt and come up onto the paper towels. Use as many paper towels as needed to remove all the wax. This works best on carpets, clothing, or anything material. If it is safe to iron on it, then it will work!!
Slippery Cutting Board?
When using a small cutting board they often slip while you are cutting on the counter. Place a damp dish cloth or paper towel under the cutting board and you will avoid the slipping all together...and it makes it much safer too!!
Pancakes & Waffles
Whenever I make pancakes or waffles I always add a small amount of vanilla extract to the batter. About a 1/2 tsp or so, not to much so as to overpower them. It gives them a little sweetness and adds to the over all flavor.
Fresh Peppers all winter
During the summer when peppers are on sale and there are endless quantities, pick up a large number of them at your local produce store. Dice them up to your desired size and lay them in a single layer on a cookie sheet in the freezer. This is what you call flash freezing. Once they are frozen, only a few hours, transfer into a large freezer bag or container and keep in freezer for handy access all winter long. They won't stick together and they are ready to add to stir-fry or any other recipe any time you wish.
Creative Use For Pizza Boxes
Pizza boxes are very cumbersome and are always in the way until the trash goes out. Here is a creative way to use them. If you have kids, nephews, neighbors, or grandkids you can keep them busy with just a pizza box and some paint.
Flip the box inside out, so that the brown side is showing. (Remove all crumbs and left over cheese ;) Bend it so that is resembles a tent and tape the two ends to a table or sidewalk (if you don't want the mess inside.) Don a smock and set one kid on each side. Give paint brush, stand back, and let the artistic juices flow.
I work as a pre-school teacher and the messier kids are...the happier they are!! Have Fun!!
Shiny Windows
When washing windows or mirrors use Windex to wash and after you have wiped them down take a crumpled piece or newspaper (any kind will work) and wipe the window with it. Those stubborn streaks will disappear leaving a nice and shiny window.
Peeling Peaches
My grandmother of 93 recently came upon a new trick for peeling peaches. When you are peeling a large quantity of peaches it can be quite time consuming.
Boil some water and place the peaches in the water for about 30 seconds (depending on the size and ripeness). The peach skin will slip right off and leave you with a nice juicy peach. This method is great when making pies, jams, or canning them whole.
Stubborn Carpet Indentations
Have you ever moved a large piece of furniture only to find that it has left indentations in your carpet that won't budge? I recently moved and even after 6 months of vacuuming over the same stubborn indent it would not budge.
Heres a hint - place ice cubes end to end over the whole indent and allow them to melt completely. When they have melted, scrub with an old toothbrush or cleaning brush with circular motions. This will take them right away. It sounds crazy but it really does work.
Carving a Roast
When carving a roast, don't carve right away. Let the meat "rest" for 15 or so minutes. This will make for easier carving. Also carve against the grain.
Mashed Potatoes & Hard Boiled Eggs
Always start with cold water when making either mashed potatoes and hard boiled eggs. Mashed potatoes will taste better and hard boiled eggs will crack if they are heated up to quickly.
Tough Stains
Baking soda is often used for many different things other than baking and cooking. When you do a lot of cooking, appliances in the kitchen get spotted with water or grease stains. Apply a small amount of dry baking soda to a soft cloth and rub where your stains are, leaving your appliances nice and shiny.
Apply a bit of water or liquid soap making a soft scrub for those stubborn stains.
Bleach in the kitchen
Did you know that over 4 billion germs live in the average dish cloth? The kitchen itself is a place where germs love to hang out. When I was first married we didn't have a dishwasher (and we still don't) and trying to keep the dishcloths smelling fresh and clean was difficult. No matter how much soap or how well I soaked them they still smelled terrible. My mom told me to just use a small amount of bleach in the dish water every time I washed dishes. That was the key, no longer did they smell and in the process I cut the germs that normally inhabit dishcloths down significantly. Especially in these winter months when colds run rampant, bleach can kill many of those disease causing germs.
Sweeter Tomatoes
My grandmother always told me that the secret to sweeter tomatoes was to peel them before using them in salads or any other dish. She would do this raw with a knife or boil them for a few minutes and they would slip right out of their skins.
Chocolate Cake
When dusting cake tins use cocoa instead of flour so the cakes will not have a white floury look.
Less Grease Splatter
To reduce the amount of grease splattered when cooking meats, sprinkle a small amount of salt in the bottom of the skillet.
Secret To Softer Cookies
If soft cookies harden before you eat them, or you wish to send them in the mail and want them to be soft and chewy, put a piece of bread in the container with the cookies. The cookies will be soft and the bread will be hard.
This also works with brown sugar too. Place a piece of bread in the brown sugar and the sugar won't harden over time!
Subscribe
Or subscribe to the RSS feed: 