Monday, October 27, 2014

Kitchen Tips and Tricks

Kitchen Tips and Tricks 
Fruit & Veggie Wash
 Purchase a small spray bottle, and then fill it with one cup of water, one tablespoon of fresh lemon juice, and one tablespoon of baking soda. Shake gently to mix it together (it will bubble and fizz a bit).
Muffin Pan Citrus Cubes
This is a fabulous idea for a water or sangria pitcher! A muffin pan gives you much larger cubes, making the ice last much longer. This also looks beautiful with the whole lemon slices in there. You could also do this with oranges; maybe even throw in some mint or sliced strawberries!
 Make Crystal Clear Ice
 The process of boiling filtered water eliminates dissolved air and decompresses minerals in the water. That’s way too much science for me, but this would make for pretty cubes, especially if you’re freezing them with fruit for a water pitcher.
Opening Jars With Ease
There’s always that one jar that pisses you off! I usually just hand it over to the husband, but when you need a little bit of assistance, just put on a rubber kitchen glove, or place a thick rubber band around the lid. The rubber gives you just the right amount of grip to get the job done without tearing a muscle
Make Your Honey Like New Again
Have you ever thrown out crystallized honey because you thought it couldn’t be saved?   But it turns out the crystallization of honey is natural and not harmful. You can revive your little honey bear by placing it in a pot of hot water to warm it up. It will stay soft for a long time!
Save Your Cake And Eat It, Too
If you’ve ever taken leftover cake home and went to eat it later, it’s just not the same .The edges are always stale and crumbly after sitting out. Next time, place a few pieces of bread on the outer edges to keep it soft and moist!
 Wooden Spoon Trick
Place a wooden spoon over boiling water to keep it from boiling over. There is a lot of science behind this, but the easiest way to explain why this works is because the spoon pops a lot of the bubbles once they come into contact with it, and it also absorbs some of the moisture. Apparently, metal spoons don’t work because they heat up too fast. It’s worth a try!
Peel Ginger With A Spoon?
That skin isn’t as tough as it looks; The edge of the spoon takes it off with very little effort (even in all of the little crevices and bumps). Leave your knife in the drawer and use a spoon!
The Best Way To Chill Wine
 Frozen grapes  are  fantastic little cubes for keeping your wine chilled without watering it down. You can also plop one or two in a glass of red wine that has been kept at a room temperature that is too warm.
Rolling Citrus Fruit
 If you roll while applying a bit of pressure to your citrus fruits (lemons, limes, oranges, etc.), you will get so much more of that yummy juice.

Keep Lettuce Fresh Longer
 Drape a paper napkin over the top of a bowl of salad and cover the bowl with plastic wrap to keep it fresh for a week.The dry paper towel absorbs moisture from the lettuce, which is one of the main reasons why it wilts and turns soggy so fast. It’s also important to get the lettuce as dry as possible before storing in the first place.
Travel Cup
This stuff works like magic! Stretch Press’n Seal over any cup to make it a little more kid friendly. Poke a straw through the middle and you’ve got your very own homemade travel cup.
 Store Ice Cream In A Bag
A plastic freezer bag keeps the cold air from making your ice cream rock hard. If you like straight spoons and soft ice cream, this trick is worth the extra step! Try to push out as much air out of the bag as you can before putting it in the freezer.

The Smart Way To Reheat Pasta
Instead of stirring your pasta several times in between the cook time in your microwave, leave a small circle empty in the middle of your plate so that the pasta will cook more evenly.
Grate Cold Butter
 Your stick of butter has to be close to frozen for it to work, and you must work fast to keep it from melting, but the grated butter is perfect for adding to flour before baking biscuits, scones, muffins, etc.. It also makes the butter melt much faster, so if your butter is too cold to spread, consider grating it first and then topping toast, veggies, or a baked potato!

courtsey : Listotic.com

I’ve looked high and low, explored the web, and have had lots of fun compiling and creating lists of stuff that I want to learn more about and share with you!