Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of a sugar cone to prevent
ice cream drips.
Use a meat baster to "squeeze" your pancake batter onto the hot griddle
for perfect shaped pancakes every time.
To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the potatoes.
To prevent egg shells from cracking, add a pinch of salt to the water
before hard-boiling.
Run your hands under cold water before pressing Rice Krispies treats in
the pan - the marshmallow won't stick to your fingers.
To get the most juice out of fresh lemons, bring them to room
temperature and roll them under your palm against the kitchen counter
before squeezing.
To easily remove burnt-on food from your skillet, simply add a drop
or two of dish soap and enough water to cover bottom of pan, and bring to a
boil on stove-top - skillet will be much easier to clean.
Spray your Tupperware with nonstick cooking spray before pouring in
tomato-based sauces - no more stains.
When a cake recipe calls for flouring the baking pan, use a bit of the
dry cake mix instead - no white mess on the outside of the cake.
If you accidentally over-salt a dish while it's still cooking, drop
in a pealed potato - it absorbs the excess salt for an instant "fix me
up".
Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator - it
will keep for weeks.
Brush beaten egg white over pie crust before baking to yield a
beautiful glossy finish.
Place a slice of apple in hardened brown sugar to soften it back up.
When boiling corn on the cob, add a pinch of sugar to help bring out
the corn's natural sweetness.
To determine whether an egg is fresh, immerse it in a pan of cool,
salted water. If it sinks, it is fresh; if it rises to the surface, throw it away.
Cure for headaches: Take a lime, cut it in half, and rub it on your
forehead. The throbbing will go away.
Don't throw out all that leftover wine: Freeze into ice cubes for
future use in casseroles and sauces.
If you have a problem opening jars, try using latex dishwashing gloves.
They give a non-slip grip that makes opening jars easy.
Potatoes will take food stains off your fingers. Just slice and rub
raw potato on the stains and rinse with water.
To get rid of itch from mosquito bite: try applying soap on the area for
instant relief.
Ants, ants, ants everywhere .. It's been said that they never cross a
chalk line. So get your chalk out and draw a line on the floor or
wherever ants tend to march - see for yourself.
Use air-freshener to clean mirrors: It does a good job and, better
still, leaves a lovely smell to the shine.
When you get a splinter, reach for the scotch tape before resorting
to tweasers or a needle. Simply put the scotch tape over the splinter,
then pull it off. Scotch tape removes most splinters painlessly and easily.
Look what you can do with Alka-Seltzer:
Clean a toilet -Drop in two Alka-Seltzer tablets, wait twenty
minutes, brush, and flush. The citric acid and effervescent action clean vitreous
china.
Clean a vase - To remove a stain from the bottom of a glass vase or
cruet, fill with water and drop in two Alka-Seltzer tablets.
Polish jewelry - Drop two Alka-Seltzer tablets into a glass of water
and immerse the jewelry for two minutes.
Clean a thermos bottle - Fill the bottle with water, drop in four
Alka-Seltzer tablets, and let soak for an hour (or longer, if necessary).
Unclog a drain - Clear the sink drain by dropping three Alka-Seltzer
tablets down the drain followed by a cup of Heinz White Vinegar. Wait a few
minutes, then run the hot water.
If your VCR has a year setting on it, which most do, you will not be able
to use the programmed recording feature after 12/31/99. Don't throw it
away. Instead, set it for the year 1972, as the days are the same as the
year 2000. The manufacturers won't tell you. They want you to buy a new Y2K
VCR.