Beauty magazines say you can make great face masks from oatmeal, avocado and honey. TLC has 100 shows about how I can make a sidetable from an oak tree. The Food Channel, a personal favorite, shows me how to make souffles from the paltry ingredients in my pantry. But in reality, I'm not very likely to do any of these things. I just like watching other people do it. And I think I like knowing I can...even if I won't.
I just got an email forward that I know I've received at least three times in the last ten years. It's all about making life just a little easier...and making the most of the stuff you've got. And even though I've never polished silver by lining a baking pan with aluminum foil, I'm here to tell you, these helpful hints actually work. And clearly, since I've tried them, they're really easy.
Peel a banana from the bottom and you won't have to pick the little
"stringy things" off of it. That's how the primates do it.
Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store. If you leave
them connected at the stem, they ripen faster.
Store your opened chunks of cheese in aluminum foil. It will stay fresh
much longer and not mold!
Peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating.
Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking.
Add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef. It will help pull the
grease away from the meat while cooking.
Heat up leftover pizza in a nonstick skillet on top of the stove, set
heat to med-low and heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy. No
soggy micro pizza. I saw this on the cooking channel and it really
works.
To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place
them in a microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will
keep the food moist and help it reheat faster.
Use a wet cotton ball or Q-tip to pick up the small shards of glass you
can't see easily.
Place a dryer sheet in your pocket. It will keep the mosquitoes away.
Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill with hot
water. Dump out the hot water, but don't dry cup. Next, add your
ingredient, such as peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes right
out.
Hate foggy windshields? Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the
glove box of your car. When the windows fog, rub with the eraser! Works
better than a cloth!
If you seal an envelope and then realize you forgot to include
something inside, just place your sealed envelope in the freezer for an
hour or two. Viola! It unseals easily.
