4. To make uniform
sized muffins in a hurry, use an ice cream scoop to fill the cups. It is also lots
neater! 5. To get
that onion smell out of your hands after you've been peeling and chopping onions, sprinkle
table salt on your hands and rub them together. Wash with soap and water and the smell
will be gone!
6. Did you know that any
brand of bottled Italian Salad Dressing makes a good marinade for meat?
7. When browning ground
beef, try using a pastry blender to break the meat into smaller pieces. It works much
better than a fork.
8. Canned chicken broth is
a very tasty addition to any canned vegetable, instead of water. You might want to
use the fat-free version.
9. Hate to spend the time
it takes to clean that crockpot with the baked-on food? Line your slow-cooker with
foil before adding recipe ingredients and clean up is a snap!
10. To make all your pancakes the same
size, use your gravy ladle to pour the batter!
11. Your potato masher will mash
bananas for banana bread or avocadoes for guacamole in a hurry!
12. Buy several oranges and lemons when
they are on sale. Put them in the freezer in zip-top bags. When a recipe calls for
juice, just defrost in the microwave. When a recipe calls for grated peel, it's easy
to grate while frozen.
13. Add a dash of vinegar to the
water when boiling cabbage. You won't taste it, but it will cut down on the strong
aroma.
14. For easier, faster grating,
store fresh ginger in the fridge.
15. Use your bottle brush or a
clean old toothbrush to clean the grater after grating onions or cheese. Much faster
and no more scraped hands!
16. To easily remove marshmallow
creme from the jar, dip your spoon or knife in hot water first.
17. For easy-to-peel baked sweet
potatoes, rub the skin with vegetable oil before baking. The skins will come right
off.
18. Peel your vegetables over a
half sheet of newspaper. When you're finished, just fold up and throw it all away!
19. To keep your graham cracker
pie crust from getting soggy, be sure to use only butter or regular maragarine. Don't use
the new low-fat spreads. You can also bake it to keep it crisp. Just let it
cool before adding filling.
20. When broiling meat, put 1/2 cup of
water in the drip pan. There will be no smoke and cleanup is a snap!
About the author:
Cyndi Roberts is the editor of "1 Frugal Friend 2
Another" bi-weekly newsletter, bringing you creative, practical tips to help you with
budgeting, cooking, shopping, parenting and much more as you strive to "live the Good
Life... on a budget". To subscribe visit the "1 Frugal Friend 2
Another" website at http://www.cynroberts.com
