Keep a Sugar Cone from DrippingTired of your sugar cone dripping from the point at the bottom? Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of a sugar cone to prevent ice cream drips. It prevents the drips and is a tasty treat at the bottom of your cone.
A Shot Glass Full of KetchupWhen serving ketchup or salad dressing to my little guys, for fish sticks or vegetables, etc., I put it in shot glasses. This cuts down on them smearing it around their plates, and insisting that they don't have any more!
Use Rice to Stretch MeatloafSave money on meat loaf by mixing the ground beef with 50%
rice.
Keep Your Salads CrispWhen I make a salad, I core my lettuce, rinse well with cold water, drain and cut it in a colander over a bowl. After it is cut, I cut my cucumber, tomatoes, onion right up top of the colander.
Leftover Condiment PacketsI have a bag in the refrigerator to place the little packets of condiments left over from fast food restaurants. Make the perfect size for the lunch box and best of all they are free!
Stretch Your Taco MeatStretch your taco meat by mixing it 50% with potatoes chopped into tiny pieces.
Use for Cereal PowderWhenever the last bowl of cereal is emptied from a cereal container, there is a powder remnant. Instead of throwing it away or eating a really soggy last bowl of cereal, I save it for powdering raisins which I pack daily in my office lunch.
Save Those Extra CondimentsSave all those extra condiments from fast-food meals. (My local McDonald's drive-thru always gives me a handful of ketchup when I ask for ketchup for one, so they really add up.) Then, use them for picnics in the summer.
Buy Sandwiches at Grocery Instead of RestaurantInstead of paying twice as much for a restaurant chain sandwich, go to your nearest supermarket. Most of the time you are guaranteed to a cheaper, doubly stuffed, sandwich, not to mention the all in all better quality.
Cookies - Small BatchesI love to make cookies, but with just my husband and 1 toddler at home, we can never eat a whole batch of cookies up before they are going stale. So I make a whole batch of cookie dough, bake just one or two sheets of cookies, then freeze the rest.
Cheap Tuna Fish TrickWhen making tuna fish salad, use a can of the more expensive solid white tuna with a cheaper can of chunk light no one will notice the difference!
Of course you always buy when on sale.
Using Leftovers For DinnerAt the end of a meal I always seem to have enough left for one more serving. I put it into a divided serving dish and freeze. At the end of a week or so the cook gets a day off. Thaw and reheat. Everyone can choose which meal they would like to eat.
Air EvacuatorsDon't spend $10, $20, or more on one of those fancy air evacuators. Instead, put your food to be stored into a Ziploc type baggy, zip it almost all the way closed, insert a straw in the small opening, suck out the air through a straw.
Buy Cheese in BulkBuy cheese on sale and in large quantities. Cut it into sizes that fit your use and freeze. To use it just let it thaw out.
Easy Dumplings (Tortillas)If you love dumplings but don't like the mess, buy or use leftover flour tortillas and cut in strips length wise and cross wise. Drop in hot chicken broth cook several minutes.
- Dorothy
Cleaning Cabbage or LettuceAdd 1/2 tsp. of baking soda to the water used to wash cabbage or lettuce and let it rest for 2 minutes.
Leftover Celery LeavesDon't throw out the top leaves of celery. Wash them, dry them, and pulverize them. Add an equal amount of salt and use for seasoning in soups or salads.
Saving Money on Sliced OlivesInstead of buying those expensive little cans of sliced and chopped olives, buy a large can, slice or chop what you need and put the rest in a jar with the juice. They will last in the refrigerator for a long time. One large can usually equals 3 or 4 small cans for close to the same price.
Freshen Stale PretzelsIf your pretzels have gone a bit stale, freshen them up by placing on a cookie sheet, single layer, in a 250 degree F oven for 10 or 15 minutes.
A Use for Squishy OnionsIf your regular onions have a green top and seem squishy, plant them outside or in a pot of dirt and enjoy the tops any way you like green onions.
Utilize a Cutting Board for More Counter SpaceIf you run out of room on your kitchen counter, place your cutting board on top of your sink basin, or pull out a drawer and place the cutting board on top of it.
Eat Breakfast for DinnerAt least once a week, have breakfast for dinner, eggs are so inexpensive. And there are so many ways to use them, omelets, pancakes, french toast. A half dozen eggs and a loaf of day old bread can feed a family of 4, and that whole meal would probably cost under $2.
By Leslie Greene
Removing Apple CoresCut a raw apple in two and use a melon ball cutter to remove the core of the apple. This is very easy and does not waste any of the apple.
By Bea W.
Green Scrubbies for PotatoesThe best potato scrubber I've ever used is the Scotch brand green scrubbies (the ones without soap). They really clean the potato, don't leave any residue and they are cheap to use (can be used until they practically fall apart).
By Sharon
Flour Tortilla NoodlesCut flour tortillas into strips with your pizza cutter. Use them instead of noodles when you make "Chicken and Noodles". Nobody will ever guess that they aren't homemade noodles.
Prevent Pasta From Sticking with Cooking SprayWhen cooking any pasta product I spray the water in the cooking pot before heating with the spray cooking oil. This puts a bit of oil in the water and prevents the pasta from sticking together.
Use Cooking Spray to Prevent StickingHere are a few helpful uses for Pam or other cooking sprays:
Unsticking Stuck MarshmallowsPut a little cornstarch or powdered sugar in the bag of marshmallows if they are stuck together. Then pull them apart with your hands. They should come apart more easily and be less likely to stick together the next time you go to use them.
Preventing Tomato Stains in TupperwareBefore putting tomato sauce or other leftovers that may say stain into tupperware, line the container with foil.
Use Cooking Spray on Hands for Sticky FoodsWhen mixing meat loaf, patting marshmallow candy into a pan, or kneading pizza dough, I first spray my hands with non-stick cooking spray. It keeps the food from sticking and washes off easily with soap and water.
Pizza Cutter for Cutting SandwichesUse a pizza cutter to slice grilled cheese sandwiches and similar foods into kid-size pieces. It is much quicker, cleaner and safer than using a knife. It also cuts the crust off of sandwiches very nicely.
By M. Day, Ohio
Buy Catsup by the GallonMy family uses a lot of catsup so I have saved a lot of bottles to refill. I then buy the gallon cans of catsup at Wal-Mart, refill my bottles and save a good bit of money and time!
By Lisa C.
Getting All the Spaghetti SauceWhen using store bought jar spaghetti sauce, after pouring all the sauce into the pan, put about a tablespoon of water in the jar, screw the lid back on and shake. Then pour the rest of the sauce out.
Cut Onions Wearing Swimming GogglesI keep a cheap pair of swimming goggles in the kitchen and wear them when chopping onions. No more tears!
Use Less SplendaAccording to Splenda's advertising, "Anywhere you can use sugar, you can use Splenda." I, personally, think Splenda is sweeter than most sweeteners, so I use less of it in my recipes, instead of equaling the amounts of sugar the recipe calls for.
Less Fat From Canned Soup and BrothTo de-fat soup or broth cans, put them in refrigerator over night. Open with a can opener and remove fat collected on the lid, sides, and bottom of the can.
Meat Slicing TipTo slice meat into thin strips, as for stir fry dishes, partially freeze it so it will slice more easily.
Better Tasting Instant Mashed PotatoesTo make instant mashed potatoes taste better, add some salt free seasoning such as Mrs. Dash. The seasoning masks the artificial flavor some instant potatoes have.
Uses for Potato MasherI use a potato masher to mash hard cooked eggs, avocados for guacamole, butter that is still to hard to use for baking cookies.
Removing the Smell of Onions, Chives or Garlic From Your HandsWant the quickest and easiest way to get the smell of onion, chives and garlic off your hands?
Cutting Chicken Strip TipWhen I want to make chicken strips from frozen boneless chicken breasts, I take them out of the freezer for approximately 30 minutes. It makes the cutting more uniform and a lot easier!
By Michelle
Instant Oatmeal For OneWhen making a single serving of oatmeal, put the oatmeal (not the packet kind - too expensive!) into the bowl, then pour boiling water in, and stir. No boil-overs!
By Linda
No Burn Cookie BakingI bake all of my cookies on a stoneware pizza pan. Any stoneware oven piece is perfectly good. I spread a very thin layer of oil on. Just enough to coat it but not enough to fry the cookies.
In Praise of Rubber SpatulasRubber spatulas are wonderful things! I routinely use mine to get the last little bit out of a jar. Recently, a visitor was amazed that I was able to scrape enough peanut butter out of an empty-looking jar to make a full sandwich!
By Leann D
PB&J TipTo keep the jelly in a peanut butter sandwich from soaking into the bread or oozing out, put peanut butter, thinly spread, on both sides of the bread instead of one. Then put the jelly in the middle.
By Lynn
Caring For A Marble SlabIf you use a marble slab for rolling pastry (which is recommended because the surface is always cool) never allow acidic foods like vinegar, lemons or tomatoes to come in contact with the surface. Acid corrodes marble.
By joesgirl
Caring For Wooden Salad BowlsBecause metal sometimes imparts a slightly unpleasant flavor to fruits and vegetables, avoid metal bowls when mixing or serving salads. China, glass or prepared wooden bowls are best.
Sharpen Your Dull KnifeDon't have a sharpening stone? Use a ceramic mug with a rough base. Turn mug upside down and using your opposite hand, hold the mug in place with the mug handle. Carefully run the blade at a slight angle across the bottom of the mug.
Opening Tuna Fish CansI love Tuna Fish but hate opening the cans due to them being messy. So, to make it easier and less messy, I take 2 tuna cans, but one under the other, and open the can with my manual can opener.
Pastry BrushA small, clean, never-used paintbrush from the dollar store makes a great pastry-type brush for brushing foods with melted butter or oil.
Asian Pears in Spinach SaladI put Asian pear in my spinach salad. They don't turn brown, you don't even have to dip them it in lemon juice.
A Little Non-Stick Spray Keeps Dressing From SeparatingTired of oil-and-vinegar-type salad dressings separating? This sounds weird, but works great: Just spray a little bit of pan coating spray (like PAM) into the mix. Most of those sprays are made of lecithin, which is a natural emulsifier, and helps to bind the dressing ingredients.
By KathyC
Stretching Taco SauceI always make Ortega taco sauce last twice as long, by taking 1/2 of the sauce and pouring it into another empty bottle and adding tomato sauce to each container. My family cannot tell the difference and the taste does not change. We go through a lot of sauce here.
By Karen P in TN
Family Sized Tea BagsUse only one family sized tea bag for a two-quart pitcher of tea. Then, re-use the tea bag to make a second pitcher of tea. Some brands of tea make a stronger second pitcher than others.
Aunt Sharon from Texas
Grip Clips for ChipsInstead of using clothes pins to close chip bags, use the grip clips that you can find in the tool sections of stores. They're never more then .50 each but last A LOT longer and don't breaking apart. I use these on all of our cereal, chips, veggies for the freezer. Works great.
By Melanie
Removing Citrus Zest for Later UseBefore you eat an orange, wash it well under running water. Then using a really good zester start grating the orange peel being careful not to peel any of the pith.
Hash Browns for SoupI have successfully used frozen cubed hash browns in soups and in "soup kits" that I make for the freezer.
By K. Cooper
Keeping Vegetable WaterWhenever I cook vegetables such as broccoli, carrots etc. I always pour the water into a plastic tub (peanut butter jar) and keep it in the freezer. I add to it each time I cook vegetables. This way I always have stock on hand for soups etc.
By Margaret
Making Hard Candy TipsHere's a couple of tips for making hard candy using flavoring oil from the "experience is the best teacher" file.
Removing Coconut Meat - Fresh Coconut Driving You Nuts?After cracking a coconut open and draining the liquid, bake the two halves in a 400 degree F oven for 25-30 minutes. The fresh coconut meat will come out very easy with a little help from a soup spoon. And your kitchen will have a tropical scent!
By Annette in NC
Getting the Last Drop of Mayonnaise or CatsupDribble a little vinegar in the bottle or jar and shake well to get the last bit of Mayo or Catsup.
Draining Juice from CansWhen opening a can of ANYTHING with juice in it (such as tuna or vegetables), only open 1/3 of can with can opener and grip the handle firmly, then tip over can above sink to drain the juice. Then finish opening the can- with no spills! (Only works with a manual can opener!)
By Jenny
Quick Vegetable Chopper - A Tin CanFor a quick, cheap vegetable (or fruit) chopper use a clean tin can. The open(sharp) end will be your chopper - punch 2 to 3 air holes in the solid end. This tool will make quick work of onions, tomatoes, etc. Just make sure to keep it away from kids as the open end is sharp.
Replacing and Preserving Numbers On a Measuring CupColored nail polish works great to mark measuring cups where the numbers have faded.
Filter for Coconut MilkA coffee filter is a very good filter to run fresh coconut milk through. Comes out clean, with no little pieces or dust of the shell. Just place the filter on top of a cup or bowl and pour the coconut liquid through slowly.
A Touch Of Mustard on SandwichesI like just a little bit of mustard on my sandwiches, but I found that it soaks into one spot, making an overpowering taste in a single bite. Now, I start with a thin layer of margarine or mayo, and then spread just a little mustard on top.
Chill Your Jello MoldPlace your jello mold in fridge to chill before adding the jello mixture. This will keep the "skin" off the mold.
Using Cloth Placemats and NapkinsUse cloth placemats and napkins. They're a treat you'll come to enjoy every day
Ice Cream Cone TipTo prevent dripping ice cream from dripping through the bottom of the cone, put a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of a waffle or sugar cone.
Tomato Paste Can TipWhen adding a can of tomato paste to a recipe, open both ends of the can but remove only one. Then you can use the other lid to push the paste through cleanly, eliminating the need to scrape out the can. This technique works for canned pumpkin, jellied cranberries, etc.
Filling CupcakesI have found it easy to fill cupcakes with a scoop 1/2 cup measuring cup. It is so easy and leaves no mess.
Lids of Sticky JarsBefore replacing the lids on your newly opened jars of honey, Karo syrup, or molasses, line the opening of the jar with some plastic wrap. You will never had trouble opening them again!
Using an Electric KnifeUse it for everything in the kitchen, including partially frozen meat, cooked meats, veggies (tomatoes, etc.) bagels, breads, etc.
Preventing Vegetable Water from Boiling OverWhen boiling potatoes, other vegetables, or pasta for your favorite recipe, a small amount, 1/2 tsp. or so of butter, will keep it from boiling over onto the burner.
Rice In Salt ShakersKeeping Salt Running Free... To keep salt from drawing moisture and hardening into chunks put a few grains of rice in the bottoms of the salt shaker.
Removing Fat from BrothI recently boiled a whole chicken to use later for chicken salad. I wanted to save some of the broth but did not want to fat/grease that I usually get in it.
Reusing Aluminum FoilIf you choose to reuse aluminum foil, consider buying the new "nonstick" variety. Yes, it definitely costs more initially, but I've found that the heavier, nonstick sheets are easier to clean, and hold up remarkably well after repeated uses.
Using a Zester for CheeseWhen I only need a small amount of grated cheese, instead of getting out my grater which is a pain to clean, I use my zester.
Cake Making TipsTips for making a cake. Post your ideas.
Dicing Chicken Into Uniform CubesDicing chicken uniformly escaped me for years, but I have finally managed to figure it out so all the pieces of breast meat are uniform in cubes without the mangling and shredding.
Ice Cream Serving TipsTips and ideas for serving ice cream. Post your ideas.
Scoop Ice Cream Ahead of TimeIce cream is the perfect dessert for a barbecue, and easy to serve if you scoop it ahead of time and put the scoops in cupcake liners, then freeze. Pop a scoop or two of ice cream into a bowl and add some sliced strawberries or peaches!
Homemade Chocolate SprinklesNo chocolate sprinkles and you need them for your cupcakes? Run a chocolate kiss through your clean garlic press to make homemade sprinkles!
Salt for Oven FiresKeep salt close at hand to throw on oven fires in the bottom of your oven. Once the oven has cooled, the salt will aid in cleaning up the spill that caused the fire. Baking soda also works well for this.
Spreading Crunchy Peanut ButterWhen you are making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with crunchy peanut butter, it usually tears up the bread.
Choosing the Right Spaghetti SauceYears ago, Consumer Reports rated spaghetti sauces. They found they had to rate them for two categories because some people like a sweet tangy sauce and others don't. If you like a sweet sauce you can make it sweet, but if you don't you can get stuck with a sauce your family will not enjoy.
Eliminate Food WasteAll your best intentions will be for not if you end up throwing away food. Make sure to freeze leftovers if you don't think you will be able to eat them soon. Don't buy more dairy, fruits, or vegetables than you can eat before they go bad.
Making Cracker CrumbsAs a physical therapist, I put to use the concept of compression on the spine to come up with this idea to quickly and neatly create cracker crumbs.
Saving Money on Boxed Rice MealsTo stretch my dollar a bit farther when making boxed rice dishes, I also cook up a cup or two of plain white (or brown) rice and mix them. You still get a lot of the yummy flavor from the boxed rice, but twice the amount.
Asking About Leftover Restaurant MeatsIf you live in a community around some restaurants, you might want to check with them for any leftover meats or other foods they might have leftover that they might not want to reheat and sell the next day...
Using Expired Cottage CheeseA few times, after finding the cottage cheese container buried in the back of the fridge, well past its expiration date, I've tossed it out. Recently, I got ready to toss out another container, but had a 2nd thought.
Chopping NutsIf you are chopping nuts with a knife, you can make them easier to chop by putting them in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes at 300 degrees F (149 C) before chopping them.
Shortening for Greasing PansI keep a plastic container with shortening in it. When I need to grease a pan, I use a small baggy. Pull baggy over your hand, dip it in the shortening, and grease your pan.
Making Garlic PasteWhen preparing a recipe and it calls for "garlic paste", instead of searching for this product at the grocery produce department. just buy some garlic...
Removing Fudge from the Pan TipPrepare the pan you pour your fudge into ahead of time by spraying it with Pam. Then cut a strip of waxed paper about 4 inches wider than your pan, press ...
A New Idea for Salad SpinningIf you don't have one of those expensive salad spinners, have some fun. Spin your salad greens and lettuce dry quickly without damaging them by washing them well, then put into a clean pillowcase.
Crack a Nut Without a Nut CrackerNo nut cracker on hand? Here are some other ways to crack a nut. 1. Use a vice grip or pliers. 2. Place the nut in a towel and hit it with a blunt option like a hammer or mallet.
Distributing Salad DressingI have found that using my salad spinner to distribute dressing evenly all over my salad means that I use less dressing. It works great...
Slicing StrawberriesThe fastest, easiest way to slice strawberries is to use an egg slicer. Wash, drain, take the cap off the strawberry, position the berry in the egg slicer and depress. Upend the slicer contents into a bowl.
Uses Folding Splatter ShieldsFolding splatter shields that are sold to place around a skillet when frying also has another clever use. You can place them around mixing bowls to keep cake or cookie batter from getting on walls while mixing...
Dealing With Food Scraps While CookingWhen cooking, I keep a crock or bowl on the counter for food scraps. This saves trips to the trash can and prevents food odors in your kitchen trash can. The bowl can then be washed with your dishes...
Putting Stubborn Lids on TupperwareIf you are having a hard time putting a plastic lid on a tupperware type container, run the lid under hot water. It should fit much more easily.
