It was too pretty this
weekend to be inside blogging, please forgive me!! But I do have a few of my random tips to
start off your week. Whether you are a
young girl or family starting out with only a little wiggle room in your budget
or a queen with NO budget, don’t you hate to waste food? I feel like we toss so much because I either
didn’t get to use it quickly enough or overbought. Regardless, it is food (and pennies) going
into the trash. So here are a few quick
tips to hopefully help you protect your pennies.
Eggs: How long do they last? I
had no idea, but I “googled” it last week when I was boiling eggs. I had 4
eggs, 3 sunk to the bottom, 1 floated.
Guess what they are supposed to do… SINK. Floaters are old and need to be discarded.
Fresh lemons and limes are so pretty. If you need only a
few drops of lemon juice, avoid cutting the lemon in half — it will dry out
quickly that way. Instead, puncture the fruit with a metal skewer and squeeze
out exactly what you require. The lemon, when refrigerated will last a few more
days.
Bananas: how do you like yours? I tend to like mine yellow (and really a
little on the green side is better- no brown spots!) You know they go from
green to Grinch greasy black in a short amount of time. Keep them bunched, don’t separate them until
you are ready to eat it. And don’t store in a bowl with your apples. The apples
give off a fruit gas that ripens the bananas faster. Avoid separating bananas
until you plan to eat them—they spoil less quickly in a bunch.
I think we have mentioned before,
but salt absorbs moisture and clumps together. A few grains of rice in the salt
shaker eliminates that and keeps your salt fresh.
If you get a little salt happy with
your soup, here are a few tips to try: add wedges of raw potato or
apple to absorb the salt. Simmer for 10 minutes or so, then remove the wedges; sprinkle in a spoonful of
sugar; add a dash of apple-cider
vinegar; OR dilute with water or
low-sodium broth.
To help tenderize a less expensive cut of meat try to
marinate overnight or at least 30 minutes prior to preparing in at least one of
the following: beer; vinegar; or citrus, papaya, tomato, or pineapple juices.
These liquids contain enzymes or acids that will combat the meat's toughness. (This is a super easy one to try for beef,chicken or shrimp.) You can also tenderize
tough meat by gently scoring the surface with a pizza cutter—for better
results, go against the grain of the meat.
Don’t toss out your day–old muffins. Sprinkle them with
water, place in a paper bag, and pop in a hot oven for five to 10 seconds. The
steam created by the water will restore moisture. Please don’t forget them… the
paper bag will ignite!
Smelly
plastic storage bowls? Wash and dry and then place pieces of crumbled newspaper
in the bowl and seal. The newspaper absorbs the odors. This works for anything smelly.
Put the item in a plastic trash bag and many sheets of crumbled newspaper and
close the bag. May take a few days to absorb depending on the smelliness of the
item.
 |
image via google
|
I love these tips!
Freeze leftover pancakes or waffles in a freezer bag. When you are ready to eat them, just pop in the toaster.
Make
a double batch of rice. Store the extra in a freezer bag. Use the rice for your next casserole.
Leftover
pasta can be revived by popping back into boiling water for just a few minutes When
making pasta sauce, use the water from your pasta to add to the sauce. Gives
flavor plain water can’t add.
And finally, a couple of clean up tips. And we all need them! I have a tendency to forget I am cooking… these come in very handy for me.
If you have a scorched pan, sprinkle the burned bottom with baking soda, then add four to five tablespoons salt, plus enough water to cover, and let stand overnight. Scrape out charred remains with a rubber spatula.
Rubbing alcohol will remove spots from stainless steel—pour a little of the liquid on a cotton ball and wipe over problem areas.
I hope you learned a tip or two today.
We thank you so much for allowing us the opportunity to be the little
Birdie whispering in your ear each week. Tweet, tweet~
And finally, a couple of clean up tips. And we all need them! I have a tendency to forget I am cooking… these come in very handy for me.
If you have a scorched pan, sprinkle the burned bottom with baking soda, then add four to five tablespoons salt, plus enough water to cover, and let stand overnight. Scrape out charred remains with a rubber spatula.
Rubbing alcohol will remove spots from stainless steel—pour a little of the liquid on a cotton ball and wipe over problem areas.
I hope you learned a tip or two today.
We thank you so much for allowing us the opportunity to be the little
Birdie whispering in your ear each week. Tweet, tweet~
Xoxo, Amy
Post a Comment