Kitchen Tips-n-Tricks, Various

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cleaning microwave: fill a microwave safe bowl 3/4 full w/water. Add slice

of lemon (or Vinegar) to water & then heat it ’til steaming in microwave.

Remove

hot water & wipe microwave out w/a damp sponge. Food splatters should wipe

off

easily.

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getting dishes unstuck: when 2 dishes are stuck, 1 nested in the other,

pour cold water in top dish while dipping bottom dish in warm water. The

warm

water will make the bottom dish expand while top dish contracts. Works

w/glasses & bowls.

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reduce static on carpets: mix 1 part fabric softener to 5 parts water in a

clean spray bottle. Put spray bottle on its widest setting & spray carpet

w/a light

mist.

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old shower liners: cut magnets out of corners. use them to make

decorative fridge magnets or just plain to tack up weekly grocery list.

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when cooking wild rice: i cook the whole bag. then, i freeze in 2 C

portions in resealable plastic bags. The rice is ready to add to any recipe

&

saves time & energy.

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inside wax liners of cereal boxes: use in microwave..just slip dish

in bag & fold or leave end open & no splatters. the plastic or waxed cereal

box

liners are a good surface & “cover sheet” for rolling out pie crusts. cut

down

both sides & lay out flat. of course the larger boxes of cereal have larger

liners, which allow for those 10″ pie shells!

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cereal liner bags i save all cereal liner bags to divide & share homemade

cookies. i also layer split cereal bags between soft cookies to keep from

sticking…also make own hamburger patties & layer between split bags to

store in

freezer. double layers of bags make it even easier to separate & remove only

number of patties you need

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quickening the souring of milk: here are 2 methods for souring milk

for recipes:

1. Use whole milk= 1C milk, 1 Tbsp vinegar, stir & let stand 15 mins

2. Use 1/2 C evap. milk, 1/2 C cold water, 1 Tbsp vinegar, stir & let stand

5

to 15 mins.

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make your own chalkboard: you can make a chalkboard to fit any size of

frame. just take a thin, smooth board (smooth plywood works well for this),

cut

to desired size & paint it w/dark primer. let that dry & spray paint

w/chalkboard paint, which you can buy at local hardware store.

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checking fuel level of grill: even if your grill doesn’t have a gas gauge,

it’s still easy to check how much fuel is left in tank. bring a cup of water

to a

boil & pour water over side of the tank. feel metal w/your hand. where the

water has warmed the tank, it is empty; where the tank remains cool to the

touch, there is still propane inside. cooksillustrated.com.

~

cleaning dirty burner rings: remove rings from stove. place a paper

towel that has been dampened w/ammonia on top of ea. ring & put them in a

plastic bag. tie closed & let it sit outside overnight. the next day, open

bag

outside, then wash rings w/mild dish soap.

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tartar sauce: mix together (light) mayo, sweet or dill pickle relish,

(instant)

minced onions & fresh lemon juice.

~

soap as a lubricant: a normal bar of soap can work well as a lubricant when

applied to metal. use soap on screws before screwing into hardwood. can

also use soap to speed up a stubborn zipper or a handsaw blade. it also will

speed up the runners on windows, sliding doors & drawers.

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penny pincher: i recently came up w/this money-saving idea thats healthy,

too. i make tuna

sandwiches by emptying an undrained 6 oz. can of water-packed tuna into a

bowl, then stir in about 1/4 C quick-cooking oats. I wait about 15 mins. to

let

oatmeal soak into water before adding relish & mayo. This helps stretch the

tuna mixture to make more sandwiches & oats add extra nutrition.

When I have leftover raw vegetables from salad or veggie platters, cut

larger

ones into bite-size pieces & put all in 1 heavy-duty plastic bag in freezer.

Next

time I make soup or stew, I have already chopped veggies to add. This saves

time and money.

I keep a plastic cereal container handy. When boxes of cereal get low, I

empty

whatever is left into the container. The combo of cereals create variety &

eliminate storing a lot of partially filled boxes. Could also use container

to

combine sweetened & unsweetened cereal to help cut down on amount of sugar

you eat or mix a brand name cereal w/its generic counterpart to stretch

cereal dollars.

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makeshift knife sharpener: in a pinch, you can sharpen a knife on bottom

of a ceramic coffee mug. hold blade at a slight angle & sharpen on unglazed

ring

on bottom of mug. it’s not ideal, but it will work.

~

preventing mildew on a shower curtain: when you get out of the

shower, always close curtain so that it is not bunched up. this allows the

curtain

to dry more quickly & helps prevent mildew at bottom. spray a weak bleach

solution to inside plastic liner during regular bathroom cleaning

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