15
Time-Saving Kitchen Tips
by Cyndi Roberts
It's always nice to hear about an easier or faster way to do
something--especially if that something is in the kitchen, where we spend so
much of our time!
Try these time-savers!
1. Mix up your pancake batter in your blender, then pour right
out of your container onto the griddle. You'll have lump-free batter and lots
less to clean up.
2. Having a children's birthday party? The day before, scoop ice
cream into a muffin pan lined with paper liners. Keep in the freezer till
serving time.
3. For quick frosting on a cake or pan of brownies, sprinkle a
12-oz. bag of chocolate chips on top while cake is still warm. Let it sit for a
few minutes, the chips will be soft enough to spread. Try using mint chocolate
chips, too!
4. We've all made small pizzas using English muffins, but have
you tried using flour tortillas? Just top with pizza sauce and your other
favorite things, and bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes or so.
5. Your kitchen shears are the best tool for cutting fresh green
beans into pieces. You can even cut more than one bean at a time.
6. Instead of making a white sauce for your veggies tonight, mix
equal parts of mayo and the water the veggies cooked in. Add salt and pepper to
your taste.
7. When you have cooking odors you would like to get rid of,
boil a few cinnamon sticks in water for a few minutes.
8. Another way to clean up pots and pans quickly-- boil a little
vinegar and water in the pan. Then stuck on food is easily cleaned out.
9. Another use for your electric knife: it slices chilled cookie
dough very neatly.
10. Don't fry your bacon, cook it in the oven! Just lay the
slices on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees until crisp and done. Easy
cleanup, too.
11. An easy, quick way to shred carrots for carrot cake: place
pieces of carrot in blender, add eggs the recipe calls for and blend until of
desired consistency.
12. Want to have spaghetti for sauce but no time for making
sauce? Just blend a can of Italian diced tomatoes and heat.
13. If you spill cooking oil on the floor or counter, sprinkle
flour over it; wait a few minutes for it to absorb and wipe or sweep up.
14. An easy way to peel a tomato: rub all over with the back of
a knife. Then it peels easily.
15. Use a small funnel to easily and quickly separate an egg.
The white will go through, while the yolk will stay in the funnel.
How you spend your time is more important than how you spend your money.
Money mistakes can be corrected, but time is gone forever. ---David Norris
Cyndi Roberts is the editor of the "1 Frugal Friend 2 Another" bi-weekly
newsletter and founder of the website
of the same name. Visit
http://www.cynroberts.com to find creative tips, articles, and a free
e-cooking book.
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