* Easy Rolling Pie Dough: Before making pie dough, store the flour in the freezer overnight to chill it. This helps keep the fat in the dough from melting so it rolls without sticking.
*Non stick eggs: To easily remove or turn fried eggs, fill half an egg shell with cool water and pour it around the eggs. This releases them from the pan making them very easy to flip or remove
*Stain-free cutting boards: To prevent beet juice (or any other juice) from staining cutting board, wipe a thin layer of vegetable oil on the boards surface before chopping the beets. The oil keeps juice from penetrating, causing it to bead up so it’s easy to wipe away.
*Adding crunch to cookies: In cookie recipes that call for chopped nuts, use whole grain wheat and barley cereal (such as grape nuts) instead. They are healthier and give cookies a wonderful crunchy texture.
* Better stuffed mushrooms: A great way to make stuffed mushrooms is to microwave the mushrooms on High for 2 minutes. Then remove the stems and place the caps upside down on a paper towel-lined plate (to drain off excess water). This brief cooking makes the caps more pliable so they won’t break as they’re stuffed. And they’ll cook completely through while baking in the oven.
* Homemade syrup: If you run out of pancake syrup, try this recipe. Bring 1 cup brown sugar and ¼ c. water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 10-12 minutes or until syrupy (don’t overcook). Add a teaspoon of maple flavoring for taste.
* No more weeping: TO prevent sour cream from developing puddles of watery liquid during storage, just smooth the surface with the back of a spoon after using.
* Cornmeal substitute: When making homemade pizza it’s important to sprinkle cornmeal on the dough to prevent it from sticking. If you run out, you can substitute for Cream of Wheat and it works just as well.
* Firm, white potato chunks: If storing peeled and cut raw potatoes before cooking, submerge them in vinegar water (1 tbsp. per 2 c. water). The vinegar will keep the potatoes white, and helps prevent them from turning mushy after they’re cooked.
* Another way to measure: The easiest method for measuring greasy ingredients, such as peanut butter or shortening, is by water displacement. To measure ½ cup for example, fill a liquid measuring cup with water to the ½ cup line, then add the peanut butter until the water level rises to the 1-cup mark. Drain the water, catch the peanut butter in your hand, and then proceed with the recipe as written.
* Softening cream cheese: When you need to soften cream cheese to room temperature in a hurry, simply submerge the cheese, wrapper and all, in hot tap water. After sitting for 5 minutes, the cream cheese is soft and ready for use.
* Perfect pasta: This is a foolproof way to cook dry pasta. Bring salted water to a boil and add your pasta as usual, but boil only 3 minutes. Then cover the pot and set it off heat. In 10 minutes, the pasta’s perfectly done – no testing required. Drain and use as you wish.
* Pepperoni degreaser: To eliminate some of the grease, toss the slices in boiling water and stir about 30 seconds. Remove the pepperoni and blot the slices dry with paper towels. This makes the pepperoni less greasy and more tender.
*Mashed potato saver: Mashed potatoes are best served hot. To keep them from getting cold during those important get-togethers, place the mashed potatoes in a slow cooker on the “keep warm” setting.
* Clean garbage disposal: The next time your garbage disposal is in need of cleaning try an environmentally friendly approach. Fill the disposal with ice and about ¼ cup table salt. Wile running a small stream of cold water, turn on the disposal and let the ice and salt scrape your disposal clean.
* No-drip ice cream cones: Keep ice cream from dripping out of the bottoms of sugar cones by putting a mini marshmallow in the bottom of the cones before filling with ice cream. It slows the drip and is a tasty surprise.
