Kitchen Hints and Tips - Let's list them!

DrG3n3

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.

wheresheidi

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.
Love 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)

Caggle123

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...

MinglewoodBlues

bump

krystleeanne

Bump

2gabbee

Bump. Thanks for sharing!

126siany

Silicone pot holders can be used as potholders, trivets, and as jar openers (gives you a better grip on the lid).

Levedi

- 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 oil...
*shrugs*

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.

Levedi

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.

jesekelynne

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!

maurierose

Clothespins and binder clips work great for chip/cracker/cereal bag clips - don't have to buy anything special and have plenty on hand!

daoc1972

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

fishingwoman

These are great!

jkcrawford

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.

sheleen302

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)

nortx

For all the people who asked if there was a way I could consolidate all these suggestions into one document, I have created a .pdf document on my blog with all these suggestions.

You can either view them or save the document to your computer.

They are located at:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/nortx/view/topic-kitchen-hints-and-tips-let-s-list-them-417665

Enjoy!:flowerforyou:

maurierose

Wow, great document, thank you!! :flowerforyou:

BalmyD

Keep a pair of swimming goggles in the kitchen and wear them when chopping onions to prevent burning eyes and tearing.

I thought I was the only one who did this. :laugh:

1234getgoing

I have had people tell me I am crazy on this one, but I thought the idea was crazy until I tried it and It works for me!
To keep onions from burning your eyes when peeling or slicing....Get a wooden stick match...light it...blow out the flame....hold the end that is NOT burnt in your mouth. Peel or slice away. No burning the eyes !

muggsmom

Wrap your celery in aluminum foil. It will last for weeks!

AddieOverhaul

bump to find later, these are great!

sillab

bump

KMissyD

bump

lmlmrn

Forgot to take your clothes out of the dryer and now they are all wrinkled

Mix 1 cup of water and 2oz of fabric softener or cream rinse in a spray bottle, hang garment and spray lightly on each side let dry (about 10 min) and poof no iron and great looking

a bottle of cream rinse, 1 cup of white vinegar and equal parts of water make a great fabric softener for your rinse cycle in the washer..or take mixture and soak your small rags and let air dry then toss them in the dryer for reusable dryer sheets

roberts1027

Bump! I've only looked at the first page but lots of neat ideas. Thanks everyone!

yarninaround

Food Prep will save you time and money! You can slice, peel, cut and pkg foods all at once, than grab to use all week. For example, I prep carrot sticks, red, orange and yellow peppers, cheese sticks and mixed nuts on Monday nite, then just grab one each day for snacks.
If the veggies start to dry out, just pop a single ice cube in with it. I like to use & re-use the snack sized zip-lock baggies.

CanuckLove

Put frozen grapes in your white wine to keep it cold and it won't dilute it or change the flavor

jmacaroni

Bump!

ckish

- 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 oil...
*shrugs*

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.

The point of the oil is not to effect the pasta. Although you are correct that the oil doess not touch the pasta and has no effect on it. It does effect the surface tension of the water. Some pastas release a lot of starch into the water which can foam over if you are not using a big enough pot or sufficient water. The oil lightly sprayed on the top of the water changes the surface tension so the starch bubbles can't form. It's not a myth it is physics. Then again some people think going to the moon is a myth too. Go figure...

ckish

Generally there is already enough salt in the pasta so unless you are a salt junkie you might want to try not salting the water and discover for yourself which you prefer.