More Tips for Fresh Produce

1. To ripen avocados quickly, place them in a wool sock and set in a dark place.

2. To revive limp asparagus, try placing them in a tall pot with ice water in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

3. If you cook your vegetables with a small amount of milk, it will bring out more colour.

4. If you sprinkle salt into the water when you are washing vegetables, it will draw out any insects.

5. When cooking onions or cabbage, boil a small amount of vinegar in a pan to remove the odours.

6. If you sprinkle lemons with water and refrigerate them in a plastic bag, they will last a month or more.

7. If citrus fruits are warmed in the microwave or warm oven for a few minutes, they will yield more juice.

8. To keep cauliflower white during cooking, add lemon to the water. Overcooking tends to make cauliflower darker and makes it tougher.

9. To keep mushrooms white and firm when sautéing them, add a teaspoon of lemon juice to each quarter pound of butter.

10. When making stuffed peppers, coat the outside of the pepper with vegetable oil and it will retain its colour. Also, cook them in muffin tins to keep their shape.

10 Simple Tips to Improve your Meals

1. French fries will be deliciously golden brown and extra crispy if lightly sprinkled with flour before frying.

2. To peel thin skin fruits and vegetables easily, place in a bowl and cover with boiling water, let stand for one minute then peel with sharp paring knife.

3. To keep your pizza crust crispy, try placing the cheese on before the sauce. Of course you can add a bit more on top too! ;)

4. To bake the perfect potato, rub butter over potatoes before baking to prevent skin from cracking and to improve the taste.

5. A dull knife works better to cut cheese. Warm the knife and the cheese will cut like butter.

6. A FAVOURITE TIP!!! To reduce shrinkage in sausages, they should be boiled for 3-5 minutes before frying.

7. To keep meatballs from falling apart when cooking, try placing them into the refrigerator for 20 minutes before cooking.

8. When stuffing a turkey or chicken, try sealing the opening with a small raw potato.

9. To ensure the freshness of fish, place it in cold water – if it floats it has recently been caught.

10. You can thaw fish in milk. The milk will draw out the frozen taste and provides a fresh caught flavour.

Tip of the Day #285: Duct Tape on Warts

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.

Tip of the Day #284: Paint Calculator

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.

Tip of the Day #283: Cake Tips

--If you dust a little flour or cornstarch on a cake before icing it you'll find that the frosting won't run as much. --When frosting a cake , dip the spatula in warm water as well to smooth the icing.
--Also, put a piece of apple in the cake tin to keep your confection's freshness longer!

Tip of the Day #282: A 'Green' Cleaner/Disinfectant--Orange Peels & Vinegar

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! :)

Tip of the Day #281: All Purpose Cleaner

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!