Did you know that your body cannot properly absorb the amount of vitamins and nutrients most supplements contain in a daily dose? Your body will purge what it can't absorb (so you literally flush it away).
This one came from Dr. Oz: Taking your supplements at half a dose twice a day instead of all at once allows your body to better absorb all of the nutrients.
If you’re peeling and dicing potatoes for a stew or other dish, you can prepare them a few days ahead and store them in the refrigerator, in a container filled with water. To keep them from turning brown or becoming mushy when cooked, add some white vinegar (1 Tbsp. per 2 cups water) before submerging the potatoes.
When heating or re-heating items in the oven, line the sheet tray with loosely crumpled aluminum foil for a crispier bottom. The crumpled foil allows for better air circulation and drains off excess oil or juices.
If you are out of pan spray or oil, put a thin layer of mayo on your fish or chicken to help prevent it from sticking to your grill. This also prevents flare-ups so you get very nice grill marks without excess burning.
Don't shock pasta in water after cooking! Take the pasta out a minute or 2 early, drain the water, coat with oil and let cool on a tray. It keeps the starch inside the pasta and helps the sauce stick to the pasta.
Do you love pomegranates but hate getting the seeds out? Cut the pomegranate in half and use the back of a wooden spoon to knock out the pomegranate seeds.
Pork chops get a bad rap for being too dry most of the time. A simple solution to this problem is to lightly brown them on both sides and finish them off in the oven for 7-10 minutes at 350 degrees. The browning will lock the juices in, creating a succulent piece of meat.
When using cornstarch as a thickening agent, always mix it with cold water, NEVER hot water. This prevents clumping.
Does your family go camping?? How about adding pancakes to the mix!! When preparing to leave your home, just fill baggies with the batter, tie off the end and when you are ready, just snip the small ends to use as a piping bag and you are ready to cook! :)
There are two methods for removing the build-up that seems to always happen on our trays--unless of course, you use the following methods after every use. If you need to remove the grease for the first time, use either of the methods below:
1. Tea tree oil is AMAZING..leave on for about 1-2 hours then scrub off with a good scrub brush...it WILL take a bit of elbow grease. *In my opinion, this is the most effective method*
2. Use a paste made from hydrogen peroxide and baking soda (premix in bowl then spread over area). Leave on for 2 hours then use scrub brush and rinse.
Most people don't realize how easy it is to refill your plug-in scent oils (Airwick or Febreze)! All you need to do is remove the old wick from the refill (some are harder to pull out so a pair of plyers may be needed), pour in any essential oil of your choice (about 1/3 full) fill the remainder with water, place wick back in and you are done. Talk about a MONEY-SAVER!
*If you are unfamiliar with essential oils, they can be found at your local health store or online.
Home cure: Duct tape for Warts
Yes, this really does work! Covering warts with duct tape eliminates them better than freezing them off, according to a study published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. In the study, the duct tape eliminated 85% of the warts after 2 months, compared with 60% with the freezing method.
To use duct tape safely, clean the skin area. Then cut a piece of duct tape to a size slightly bigger than the wart. Apply the duct tape to the site and rub into place. Every 3 days, remove the tape and file down dead skin with a pumice stone or nail file. Repeat until the wart disappears. Chemicals in the tape suffocate and kill the wart.
So you've picked your color, but how many gallons will you need for your room? Calculate the wall area of the room; you'll need ONE GALLON FOR EVERY 450 SQUARE FEET.To determine the wall area, multiply the height of each wall by its width (don't subtract for doors and windows unless they take up more than half the wall); total the figures for the walls.
Height x Width = Wall Area
Add 10 percent for future touch-ups. For two coats, double the number.
Some people are deterred from using vinegar as an everyday cleaner because of its initial strong smell. There is a WONDERFUL solution to this problem that will keep you wanting to use it again and again!
Recipe:
-1 Large Jar or Tub with Lid
-2-3 Oranges (depending on the size of your container)--Peels ONLY!
- White Vinegar
**Curl the peels around the inside of the jar. If your oranges are small and you could fit another peel, feel free to add one more. Pour vinegar into the jar to cover the peels and close tightly. Store in the cupboard for TWO WEEKS, then transfer the vinegar to a spray bottle and use for all your cleaning purposes!
You could also try lemon, lime, clementine or mandarin orange peels as alternatives! Yummy! :)
I love my multi purpose cleaner because it combines all of my favourite natural products in one bottle!
*Note that this IS safe on all surfaces*
Ingredients:
2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Dawn Dish Soap
4 tbsp White Vinegar
1 3/4 cups (400mL) Warm Water
Combine in a spray bottle and shake well before use!
I will only use foaming hand soap in my home--mainly because I love the way it feels and it causes much less of mess as it doesnt ever leak. However, it can be costly every time you run out!
That is until I found a solution to making your own at home.
All you need to do is fill the empty bottle 1/4 full with either other handsoap OR dishsoap, then the remaining 3/4s with water. VOILA!
Sometimes you will find that it is difficult to get the last few pumps out if some soap is left at the bottom of a foam soap bottle--simply add a little water and you can use it right up! :)
Dishwasher tablets or discs seem to be all the rage right now--the only thing is, they are very pricey!
So why not make your own at home quickly and easily!
Here is what you will need:
1 Cup Washing Soda
1 Cup Borax
1/4 Cup Epsom Salt
Lemon Juice
Ice Cube or Mold Trays
This will make about 60-70 tabs--you can cut the recipe in half if needed.
Directions:
-Mix all of your dry ingredients together -Slowly add your lemon juice a tablespoon at a time (around 7-8 tablespoons in total)You don't want it to be too wet or too dry
-Fill your ice cube trays
-Let them dry until they are hard and fairly easy to remove.
Many of us may be pouring money down the drain by using too much laundry detergent--even the recommended amount may be too much!
So I challenge all of you to use HALF the amount of detergent you normally do and come back to report if you noticed a difference in th cleanliness of your items or not! :)
Washing machines today are much more efficient than the ones your parents used to have and detergents are much more concentrated — so a little goes a long way. Using too much laundry detergent not only wastes money, it can shorten the life of your washing machine and make your clothes stiffer.
If you really want to save money, here again is my homemade laundry detergent recipe:
1 bar of Fels Naptha (Or Linda's)
1 cup Washing Soda
1 cup Borax.
GRATE FULL BAR OF SOAP, COMBINE WITH WASHING SODA & BORAX. USE 1 TBSP PER LOAD.
I cannot tell you how many times Ive run into the problem of a stubborn dispenser! When this happens, try this trick:
Push the dispenser down while covering the opening with your thumb--this allows for the tube to back up. Repeat if necessary until the lotion or soap dispenses.
