Life Hacks #6: In the Kitchen...

For this week's life hacks, I decided to get specific and keep it focused in the kitchen...
I just wanted to update you on a couple of hacks from previous posts.  Do not clean your tub with half a grapefruit and salt.  It does not work...smells great, but it's still dirty.  Also, in order to remove the stems from strawberries with a straw, that has to be one ripe strawberry.  I tried it on several I purchased the other day...the straw broke.  So there you have it!

To keep your lettuce from getting soggy and turning brown after you wash it, dry it off and wrap it in a paper towel before you put it back in the fridge.
The paper towel will absorb the moisture.  UGH, there is nothing worse than soggy, brown lettuce!

To keep basil fresh, snip the ends and sit it in a glass of water in the fridge...much like you would flowers.
Cover loosely with a plastic bag while it is in the fridge.  Not that pretty, but definitely effective!

To peel garlic easily, break the bulbs into pieces, place them in a plastic container with a lid.  Seal the lid tightly and shake the container for 10-15 seconds.
Remove the lid and your garlic should be peeled.  If you have some stubborn pieces, repeat the process.

Before you squeeze that lemon or orange for some fresh juice, place it in the microwave for 10-30 seconds.
The heat softens the rind making it more pliable for squeezing.  I would try 10 second increments so that it doesn't explode in your microwave...what a mess!

Is your butter cold or frozen?  And you need it softened quickly for that cookie recipe?
Try grating it!  You won't have to wait!

Out of powdered sugar?
Take regular sugar and run it through your spice grinder...it will be powder in no time!

Fun Facts: Food prices 100 years ago...
Bacon: 34 cents/pound
Oranges: 35 cents/dozen
Peanut Butter: 33 cents/pound jar
Flour: $1.75/24 pound sack
Postum Cereal: 25 cents/2 boxes

Let me just say, I wouldn't even begin to know what to do with 24 pounds of flour!  But then again, I'm not having to bake bread every day for 6-12 children!  If you have some hacks, please feel free to share - I love new stuff!
 

26 comments

  1. I don't recommend the basil in the fridge thing. Basil hates to be cold. Keep it on the counter in water. Other herbs like parsley and chive would be fine in the fridge. xo

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    1. Good to know! Thank you so much Penny! I've always put basil in the fridge when I bring fresh home...maybe that's why it never lasted very long! Thank you for sharing that information...I like finding out what works and what doesn't! Have a great weekend! Hugs!!

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  2. Thanks for the update on the grapefruit cleaning bit! I ate my grapefruit instead this morning. I used to put a bunch of cilantro in a glass jar with water and put it in the fridge. Worked pretty well. As soon as the weather straightens up, we will have a 4x5 raised bed full of cilantro. Chickens love it too. Have a superb weekend! xoxo

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    1. You are very welcome! Yep, I bought several and decided to eat them instead of wasting them…it hurt me to use ½ on the tub…LOL I love cilantro and use it in my homemade salsa! I want the hubster to plant some fresh herbs this year. It’s hard to find a place for them to grow well in our yard because it gets so blasted hot and the shade from the tree next door keeps everything from growing…I’m hoping small pots that I can move around will work! Hope you are having a great weekend! Love and hugs!!

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  3. I love these tips Benita. I like the one about oranges and the microwave. Happy Friday.
    Hugs,
    Kris

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    1. Thank you so much Kris! I need to try it so make sure they don't explode after a few seconds...if you get to it before I do, let me know. Some of these I try, some I don't have a chance to do so, so I like for people to tell me if they know whether or not they work! :-) Hope you are having a fun Saturday! Looking forward to the new sofa!! Love and hugs!

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  4. Wow I just typed a whole comment and it disappeared, I hate when that happens!! Keep asparagus fresh by standing it up in a glass with a little water in the bottom - trim the ends first. Make buttermilk for a recipe by adding 1 tbs lemon juice or vinegar per 1 cup of milk, stir, wait a few minutes - perfect buttermilk! I've used this trick more times than I can count for baking!

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    1. I hate when that happens also…drives me nuts. Here’s a tip for that. Hit CTRL and Z at the same time, the text will reappear! 😊 We do that for asparagus, but we use white wine 😉 Awesome tip on the buttermilk. I hate wasting money to buy buttermilk when we don’t drink it and only need it for a recipe. That is a great alternative! Thank you so much for sharing that tip! I like this passing info back and forth! 😊 Love and hugs and happy weekend!

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  5. These are quite interesting, some I might try. I have done the citrus in the microwave thing and it seems to work OK. I'm all for anything that makes life easier:)

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    1. I like trying some of them, some of them are a little strange for me…LOL So glad to know that the citrus in the microwave works. I’ve never tried it but will give it a whirl now. I’m with you, whatever makes life easier is good for me! Hugs!!

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  6. I had no idea about the sugar/powder sugar. Fascinating!!
    Good idea about the butter.. happens to me all the time. ;-)

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    1. I liked the sugar/powder sugar one also. I don't like keeping powdered sugar on hand because I don't use it that often. Knowing I can make it out of regular sugar is a great idea! Definitely on the butter, I'm going to give this one a try as well! Love and hugs!

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  7. Great tips! I've dried lettuce that way before. But I usually just buy a mix under $2 because it goes back too fast when I buy lettuce, etc.
    Brenda

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    1. I’ve done the lettuce that way also, but same for us. It usually ruins before we can use it all. And I’m lazy when it comes to salad, I like the mix better and it doesn’t ruin before we eat it. Hope you are having a great weekend! Love and hugs!

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  8. Thanks Benita for those tips. I can give one I just used and that is to cook bacon in the oven on a rack over a sheet pan at 375 for about 10 minutes. Bacon will continue cooking so it doesn't have to be completely done when removing it from the oven. No mess and you can fix the rest of breakfast while the bacon cooks. Hugs and have a blessed day.

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    1. You are very welcome and thank you! That is a great idea about the bacon AND the stop of my stove is not a grease pit when I've finished! I've never tried cooking in the oven, but I do need to do it! Thank you again! Love and hugs!

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  9. Can't even imagine storing 24 pounds of flour! I'm going to try that garlic hack.

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    1. I’m with you, I have no idea where I would put it all and it would be full of weevils before I even finished using a pound. Me too on the garlic…I don’t like peeling it and having my hands smell like garlic afterwards. If anyone has a hack for getting rid of that smell off your fingers, I’m all for that! Love and hugs!

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  10. Well, if those lemons or oranges get too icky the microwave, just throw them in the garbage disposal with a cube of ice and it'll keep it clean and smelling fresh, instead of smelling like garbage!
    Great tips, keep 'em coming! HAve a great weekend.

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    1. I love putting lemon or orange rinds in the garbage disposal...it always smells wonderful! I didn't know about the ice...does it make the scent last longer? I tried putting an entire tangerine in the disposal without chopping it into pieces first...I thought the whole house was going to cave in with all the racket ours made. I never did that again, I always break them apart first. I'm quite sure our disposal is "builder-grade" is why it did that. Thank you so much and definitely let me know about the ice...that is interesting! Love and hugs!

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  11. I tried the lettuce one last week and it did work. Only problem was my kids couldn't see it behind the paper towel so no one ate it. Oh well, more for me!! ;)

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    1. LOL…I’ve used the lettuce hack also and it does work, but I forget about it and it ruins. It’s just easier for me to get the mix bags and use them. Love and hugs!

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  12. These are some great ideas. Now if I can figure out a way to keep cut avocados from turning black over night. I waste so many.
    Lisa

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    1. Lisa, lemon juice should help with that. Squirt the juice on the avocado half and wrap it tightly in Saran wrap. It works for guacamole, so it should work for the avocado! 😊 Let me know! Hugs!

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  13. John asked me to do the garlic thing... it works, but then I had a dirty jar lol I just smack them using the side of my knife. Boom! done :)

    xoxo

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    1. LOL... you're killing me Smalls...LOL (movie line). That's true, the container will be dirty. ;-) I used to smash them with a knife, but after several near miss cuts, I think I will try this hack. At least I will have some leftover and what I use won't be bloody. :-) Love and hugs sweet friend!

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