Tips For a Lifetime

The following are tips to make household tasks easier and more enjoyable, if you know of something please feel free to post it in the comment section!

• Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of a sugar cone to prevent ice cream drips.
• Use a meat baster to "squeeze" your pancake batter onto the hot griddle- perfect shaped pancakes every time.
• 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.
• Run your hands under cold water before pressing Rice Krispie treats in the pan, the marshmallows won't stick to your fingers.
• 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 the bottom of the pan and bring to a boil on stove-top.  You will find your skillet will be much easier to clean.
• Spray your Tupperware with nonstick cooking spray before pouring in tomato-based sauces - no more stains.
• 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".
• Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator- it will keep for weeks.
• Brush beaten egg white over pie crust before baking to yield a beautiful glossy finish.
• Place a slice of apple 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 corn's natural sweetness.
• 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.
• Cure for a headaches: take a lime, cut it in half and rub it on your forehead.  The throbbing will go away.
• Don't throw out all that leftover wine, freeze into ice cubes for future use in casseroles and sauces.
• If you have a problem opening jars: try using latex dishwashing gloves.  They give a non-slip grip that makes opening jars easy.
• Potatoes will take food stains off your fingers, just slice and rub raw potato on the stains and rinse with water.
• To get rid of itch from a mosquito bite: try applying soap on the area, instant relief.
• 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 where ever ants tend to march - see for yourself. (note: they will eventually find an area with less chalk and cross there BUT this is a fun thing to have the kids try out...just choose ants that are not going to bite the kids).
• Use air-freshener to clean mirrors, it does a good job and better still, leaves a lovely smell to the shine.
• When you get a splinter, reach for the scotch tape before resorting to tweezers or a needle, simply press scotch tape over the splinter, then pull it off.  Scotch tape removes most splinters painlessly, and easily.
• Clean a toilet: drop in two Alka-Seltzer tablets, wait twenty minutes, brush, and flush.  The citric acid and effervescent action clean citreous 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 (do not use this on fine jewelry).
• Clean a thermos bottle - fill the bottle with water, drop in four Alka-Seltzer tablets and let soak for an hour or longer of necessary.
• 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 for a few minutes, then run the hot water.
• White Vinegar works well as a mopping agent for your floors.
• Hat flat soda? when using the 2 liter bottles, after you pour a cup, put the cap back snugly and shake the battle enough that the bottle feels "hard", this adds air pressure inside the bottle and keeps the pop from going flat.