Helpful Hints
1. Use lifesavers candy to hold candles in place on your
next birthday cake! Kids love 'em!
2. Poke an egg with a small sewing needle before
hard-boiling & the egg will peel with ease! Hold that
needle in place with a magnet refrigerator clip!
3. Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of a sugar
cone to prevent ice cream drips!
4. Zap garlic cloves in the microwave for 15 seconds &
the skins slip right off!
5. Organize your magazines into groups according to Seasons
(Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter). This way, you have several
handy reference guides for the appropriate Season/Holiday!
6. Use a meat baster to "squeeze" your pancake
batter onto the hot griddle ~ perfect shaped pancakes every time!
7. Always spray your grill with non-stick cooking spray
before grilling to avoid sticking!
8. To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag
with the potatoes!
9. To prevent egg shells from cracking, add a pinch of salt
to the water before hard-boiling!
10. Use a pastry blender to cut ground beef into small pieces
after browning!
11. Sweeten whipped cream with confectioners' sugar instead of
granulated sugar ~ it will stay fluffy & hold it's shape
better!
12. For easy "meatloaf mixing", combine the ingredients
with a potato masher!
13. 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!
14. To easily remove honey from a measuring spoon, first coat the
spoon with nonstick cooking spray!
15. Run your hands under cold water before pressing Rice Krispies
treats in the pan ~ the marshmallow won't stick to your fingers!
16. Mash & 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)
17. To quickly use that frozen juice concentrate, simply mash it
with a potato masher~no need to wait for it to thaw!
18. To get the most juice out of fresh lemons, bring them to room
temperature & roll them under your palm against the kitchen
counter before squeezing!
19. 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!
20. Spray your tupperware with non-stick cooking spray before
pouring in tomato-based sauces ~ no more stains!
21. Transfer your jelly to a small plastic squeeze bottle ~ no
more messy, sticky jars or knives! This also works well for
homemade salad dressing!
22. To aid in washing dishes, add a tablespoon of baking soda to
your soapy water ~ it softens hands while cutting through grease!
23. Save your store-bought bread bags & ties ~ they make
perfect storage bags for homemade bread!
24. 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!
25. 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"!
26. 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!
27. When making bread, substitute non-dairy creamer for the dry
milk ~ it works just as well!
28. Rinse cooked, ground meat with water when draining off the
fat ~ this helps "wash away" even more fat!
29. Slicing meat when partially frozen makes it easier to get
thin slices.
30. Instead of throwing away bread heels or leftover cornbread,
use them to make bread crumbs. For use later, store them in
the freezer.
31. Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the
refrigerator ~ it will keep for weeks!
32. 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)
33. To ripen avocados & bananas, enclose them in a brown
paper bag with an apple for 2-3 days!
34. Brush beaten egg white over pie crust before baking to yield
a beautiful, glossy finish!
35. In recipes calling for margarine, substitute reduced-calorie
margarine to help cut back on fat! (same goes with sour cream,
milk, cheese, cream cheese, & cream soups)
36. Place a slice of bread in hardened brown sugar to soften it
back up!
37. When boiling corn on the cob, add a pinch of sugar to help
bring out the corn's natural sweetness!
38. When starting your garden seedlings indoors, plant the seeds
in egg shell halves. Simply crack the shells around the
roots of your plants & transplant them outdoors ~ the shell
is a natural fertilizer!
39. 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.
40. Keep the linings from cereal boxes ~ they make great
substitutes for waxed paper!
**NOW Look what you can do with Alka-Seltzer**
Alka-SeltzerŪ
1. Clean a toilet: Drop in two Alka-Seltzer tablets,
wait twenty minutes, brush & flush. The citric acid &
effervescent action clean vitreous china.
2. Clean a vase: To remove a stain from the bottom of a
glass vase or cruet, fill with water & drop in two
Alka-Seltzer tablets.
3. Polish jewelry: Drop two Alka-Seltzer
tablets into a glass of water & immerse the jewelry for two
minutes.
4. Clean a thermos bottle: Fill the bottle with
water, drop in four Alka-Seltzer tablets & let soak for an
hour (or longer, if necessary).
5. Remove burnt-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.
6. 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 the hot water.
7. Get short-term relief from nicotine withdrawl
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.
8. Soothe insect bites: Dissolve two Alka-Seltzer
tablets in a glass of water, dip a cloth into the solution, &
place the cloth on the bite for twenty minutes.
**Cure for headaches**
Take a lime, cut it in half & rub it on your forehead.
The throbbing will go away.
**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.
**If your polished furniture has small scratches**
Try rubbing them with a shelled walnut. You'll see the
scratches just disappear!
**Smelly shoes**
Put some tea leaves into a pair of stockings & stuff each
into a shoe. Leave for a day or two & the smell just
vanishes!
**If you have problem opening jars**
Try using latex dishwashing gloves; they give a non-slip grip
that makes opening jars easy!
**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.
**To keep buttons from dropping off**
Dab a drop of clear nail polish onto the thread the secures the
buttons. This will harden & make it more difficult for thread
to break off.
**Are cockroaches in your home driving you mad?**
Try this tested trick. Fill a large bowl with cheap wine &
leave it under the sink. The pests will drink it, get drunk, fall
in the bowl & drown...easy!
**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.
**To take the tears out of chopping onions**
Plug in a portable fan & turn it to high. It'll help blow
away the fumes from your eyes - no more tears! [Also, try cutting
the onion in a few chunks and placing it in a bowl full of
ice-water to soak for several minutes before chopping.]
**Potatoes will take food stains off your fingers**
Just slice & rub raw potato on the stains & rinse with
water.
**To get rid of itch from mosquito bite**
Try applying soap on the area ~ instant relief!
**Ants, ants, ants everywhere!**
They are said to never cross a chalk line. So get your chalk out
& draw a line on the floor or wherever ants tend to march -
see for yourself!
**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 & a bit of water, & shake
vigorously. Then rinse with water.
**To return discoloured socks to their original colour**
Boil them in a pot of water with a few slices of
lemon. The fruit acts as a natural bleach.
**Use air-freshener to clean mirrors**
It does a good job & better still, it will leave a lovely
smell to the shine.
**If you have problem with slippery shoelaces which refuse to
stay tied**
Rub them with a candle & make them less slippery so that
knots stay put.
**If you have stubborn grease stains on your work clothes**
Add a bottle of Coke with detergent. It'll help loosen the
grease.
**Renew the features on your old faded dolls' faces**
Blend in a cream foundation. Then apply a little rouge on the
cheeks & nail polish on the lips. Waterproof mascara
can be used on eyelashes.
**Dirty marks on your white court shoes**
Just drop some medicated oil on a piece of cloth & 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 & easily.