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(The following were sent in by Kathleen, of
Grand River, Ohio)
Use lifesavers candy to hold candles in place on your next
birthday cake!
Kids love 'em!
Poke an egg with a small sewing needle before hard-boiling, and the egg
will peel with ease! And hold that needle in place with a magnet
refrigerator clip!
Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of a sugar cone to prevent
ice cream drips!
Zap garlic cloves in the microwave for 15 seconds and the skins slip
right off!
Organize your magazines into groups according to Seasons (spring, summer,
fall and winter). This way, you have several handy reference guides for
the appropriate Season/Holiday!
Use a meat baster to "squeeze" your pancake batter onto the hot griddle~
perfect shaped pancakes every time!
Always spray your grill with nonstick cooking spray before grilling to
avoid sticking!
To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the
potatoes!
To prevent egg shells from cracking, add a pinch of salt to the water
before hard-boiling!
Use a pastry blender to cut ground beef into small pieces after browning!
Sweeten whipped cream with confectioners' sugar instead of granulated
sugar~it will stay fluffy and hold it's shape better!
For easy "meatloaf mixing," combine the ingredients with a potato masher!
If you don't have enough batter to fill all cupcake tins, pour 1
tablespoon of water into the unfilled spots...this helps preserve the life of your
pans!
To easily remove honey from a measuring spoon, first coat the spoon with
nonstick cooking spray!
Run your hands under cold water before pressing Rice Krispies treats in
the pan~the marshmallow won't stick to your fingers!
Mash and freeze ripe bananas, in one-cup portions, for use in later
baking, no wasted bananas (or you can freeze them whole, peeled, in plastic
baggies)
To quickly use that frozen juice concentrate, simply mash it with a
potato masher~no need to wait for it to thaw!
To get the most juice out of fresh lemons, bring them to room temperature
and roll them under your palm against the kitchen counter before
squeezing!
To easily remove burnt on food from your skillet, simply add a drop or
two of dish soap and enough water to cover bottom of pan, and bring to a boil
on stove-top~skillet will be much easier to clean now!
Spray your tupperware with nonstick cooking spray before pouring
in
tomato-based sauces~no more stains!
Transfer your jelly to a small plastic squeeze bottle~no more messy,
sticky jars or knives! This also works well for homemade salad dressing!
To aid in washing dishes, add a tablespoon of baking soda to your
soapy
water~it softens hands while cutting through grease!
Save your store-bought-bread bags and ties~they make perfect storage bags
for homeade bread!
When a cake recipe calls for flouring the baking pan, use a bit of the
dry cake mix instead~no white mess on the outside of the cake!
If you accidentally over-salt a dish while it's still cooking, drop in a
peeled potato~it absorbs the excess salt for an instant "fix me up"!
Next time you need a quick ice pack, grab a bag of frozen vegetables out
of your freezer~no watery leaks from a plastic baggie!
When making bread, substitute nondairy creamer for the dry milk~it works
just as well!
Rinse cooked, ground meat with water when draining off the fat~this helps
"wash away" even more fat!
Slicing meat when partially frozen makes it easier to get thin slices.
Instead of throwing away bread heels or leftover cornbread, use them to
make bread crumbs. For use later, store them in the freezer.
Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator~it will
keep for weeks!
Substitute half applesauce for the vegetable oil in your baking recipes~
you'll greatly reduce the fat content! (Example: 1/2 cup vegetable oil =
1/4 cup applesauce + 1/4 cup oil)
To ripen avocados and bananas, enclose them in a brown paper bag with an
apple for 2-3 days!
Brush beaten egg white over pie crust before baking to yield a beautiful,
glossy finish!
In recipes calling for margarine, substitute reduced-calorie margarine to
help cut back on fat! (Same goes with sour cream, milk, cheese, cream
cheese, and cream soups)
Place a slice of bread in hardened brown sugar to soften it back up!
When boiling corn on the cob, add a pinch of sugar to help bring out the
corns natural sweetness!
When starting your garden seedlings indoors, plant the seeds in egg shell
halves. Simply crack the shells around the roots of your plants and
transplant them outdoors~the shell is a natural fertilizer!
To determine whether an egg is fresh, immerse it in a pan of cool, salted
water. If it sinks, it is fresh~if it rises to the surface, throw it away.
Keep the linings from cereal boxes~they make great substitutes for waxed
paper!
NOW Look what you can do with Alka Seltzer:
Clean a toilet. Drop in two Alka-Seltzer tablets, wait twenty minutes,
brush, and flush. The citric acid and effervescent action clean vitreous
china.
Clean a vase. To remove a stain from the bottom of a glass vase or
cruet, fill with water and drop in two Alka-Seltzer tablets.
Polish jewelry. Drop two Alka-Seltzer tablets into a glass of water and
immerse the jewelry for two minutes.
Clean a thermos bottle. Fill the bottle with water, drop in four Alka-
Seltzer tablets, and let soak for an hour (or longer, if necessary).
Remove burned-on grease from a pot or pan. Fill the pot or pan with
water, drop in six Alka-Seltzer tablets, let soak for one hour, then scrub as
usual.
Unclog a drain. Clear the sink drain by dropping three Alka-Seltzer
tablets down the drain followed by a cup of Heinz White Vinegar. Wait a
few minutes, then run hot water.
Get short-term relief from nicotine withdrawal symptoms. As long as
you're not on a low-sodium diet or have peptic ulcers, drink two Alka-Seltzer
tablets dissolved in a glass of water at every meal.
Soothe insect bites. Dissolve two Alka-Seltzer tablets in a glass of
water, dip a cloth into the solution, and place the cloth on the bite for twenty
minutes.
Helpful Hints
1) Cure for headaches:
Take a lime, cut it in half and rub it on your forehead. The throbbing
will go away.
2) Use of soap wrapper:
Don't throw away the wrapper after removing a bar of soap. Place it
inside your shoe cabinet or shoe box. It's a cheap way of filling the air with
a nice smell.
3) Sctatches on furniture
If your polished furniture has small scratches: Try rubbing them with
a shelled walnut.
4) Are your shoes smelly:
Here's a solution. Put some tea leaves into a pair of stockings and
stuff each into a shoe. Leave for a day or two and the smell just vanishes!
5) Don't throw out all that leftover wine:
Freeze into ice cubes for future use in casseroles and sauces.
* you can also use these wine ice cubes in Sangrias, or
to add a little extra zip for party Punch!
6) If you have problem opening jars:
Try using latex dishwashing gloves. They give a non-slip grip that makes
opening jars easy!
7) Tips for stamp collectors:
Place the envelope in the freezer for a few hours. You'll then be able
to easily lift the stamps off with a pair of tweezers
8) To keep buttons from dropping off:
Dab a drop of clear nail polish onto the thread to secure the buttons.
This will harden and make it more difficult for thread to break off.
SUPER HINTS
1) Are cockroaches in your home driving you mad?
Try this tested trick. Fill a large bowl with cheap wine and leave it
under the sink. The pests will drink it, get drunk, fall in the bowl and
drown...easy!
* This also works using a bowl of beer in the garden for
slugs.
2) To avoid hurting your fingers while hammering metal nails into the
wall: Hold the nails with a wooden clothes peg instead. So even if you miss,
you won't get hurt.
3) To take the tears out of chopping onions:
Plug in a portable fan and turn it to high. It'll help blow away the
fumes from your eyes - no more tears!
4) Potatoes will take food stains off your fingers. Just slice and rub
raw potato on the stains and rinse with water.
5) To get rid of itch from mosquito bite:
try applying soap on the area instant relief!
6) Ants, ants, ants everywhere... Well, they are said to never cross a
chalk line. So get your chalk out and draw a line on the floor or wherever ants
tend to march- see for yourself!
7) Egg shells can be used to clean glass bottles: Break the shells into
pieces, drop them into the bottle with a few drops of detergent and a bit
of water, and shake vigorously. Then rinse with water.
8) Don't panic if your soup's too salty:
Add cut raw potatoes and throw them away once they are cooked and have
absorbed the salt. Your soup's saved!
SUPER DUPER HINTS
1) To return discolored socks to their original color:
Boil them in a pot of water with a few slices of lemon. The fruit acts
as a natural bleach.
2) Use air-freshener to clean mirrors: It does a good job and better
still, leave a lovely smell to the shine.
3) If you have problem with slippery shoelaces which refuse to stay tied:
Rub them with a candle and make them less slippery so that knots stay
put.
4) If you have stubborn grease stains on your work clothes: Add a bottle
of Coke with detergent. It'll help loosen the grease.
5) Renew the features on your old faded dolls' faces: By blending in a
cream foundation. Then apply a little rouge on the cheeks and for lips,
nail polish. Waterproof mascara can be used on eyes lashes.
6) Dirty marks on your white court shoes: Just drop some medicated oil on
a piece of cloth and clean off those dirty marks on your white court shoes.
They'll be looking as good as new again.
FIRST AID
When you get a splinter, reach for the scotch tape before resorting to
tweezers or a needle. Simply put the scotch tape over the splinter, then
pull it off. Scotch tape removes most splinters painlessly and easily.
HOW TO DETECT A TWO WAY MIRROR
When we visit toilets, bathrooms, hotel rooms, changing rooms etc, how
many
of you know for sure that the seemingly ordinary mirror hanging on the
wall
is
a real mirror, or actually a two-way mirror??
Just conduct this simple test: Place the tip of your
fingernail
against
the reflective surface and if there is a GAP between your fingernail and
the
image of the nail, then it is a GENUINE mirror. However, if your
fingernail
DIRECTLY TOUCHES the image of your nail, then BEWARE, for it is a two-way
mirror!
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