Slice lemons (or limes) crosswise and place them on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Freeze, then transfer slices to a resealable bag. Add the frozen slices to your summer drinks to keep them cold without watering them down.
Making your famous apple pie and out of apple pie spice? Try this easy-as-pie recipe: simply combine 1½ tablespoons ground cinnamon, 1½ teaspoons ground nutmeg, and 1 teaspoon ground allspice. Store in an air-tight jar or plastic bag.
Need a tough scrubber for tough stains and spills? Sprinkle salt over the dirty area then scrub with a damp sponge. Works like a charm on soap scum and caked-on globs of toothpaste. Plus, no toxic chemicals!
Here’s a nifty apple pie trick: before you place your sliced pie apples in the pie shell, microwave them on high in a microwave safe dish and heat for 5 minutes until apples are slightly soft to the touch. Drain the water and add to your pie.
If you crack eggs on a flat surface rather than the side of a bowl, you’ll get fewer pieces of shell in your eggs. But if a piece still gets in, use a wet finger to snag it and scoop it out.
Pumpkins labeled “pie pumpkins” or “sugar pumpkins” are the best varieties of pumpkin for cooking. They are smaller than traditional carving pumpkins and have a sweeter, less-watery flesh. Select a pumpkin with a stem at least one to two inches long. Stems shorter than this will hasten the pumpkin’s decay. Misshapen pumpkins are fine for
Place fresh blueberries in a single layer on a cookie sheet and place in the freezer. After they are frozen, transfer them into an airtight bag or container and place back in the freezer where they will last 6-8 months. For best results, make sure your blueberries are completely dry before freezing. No need to
Cabbage is a nutritious and delicious vegetable found in many recipes, but sometimes it produces an unpopular, uncomfortable side effect ….(gas). To help reduce gas production, try boiling cabbage with one or more of these seasonings: dill seeds, whole coriander seed, caraway seeds, rosemary, savory, or sage.
Want to make banana bread but your bananas aren’t quite ripe enough yet? Use your oven to speed-ripen them! Place unpeeled (but not green) bananas on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 35-40 minutes at 300 degrees F. The peels will turn black, and the fruit will be soft — perfect for banana bread.
Use parchment paper when baking cookies. It helps them to brown evenly and it eliminates the need for greasing your baking sheets.
