Cooking Ideas
Food for thought:
- To determine if an egg is fresh, immerse it in bowl of cold water with a pinch of salt. It if sinks, it is fresh – if it floats, trash it.
- Slightly frozen meat is much easier to cut into thin slices. It usually only takes 15 to 20 minutes.
- Need a cherry pitter? Using a straw by pushing it through each cherry (from the bottom) to force the pit out.
- A roast with a bone will cook faster than a boneless roast. The bone will bring the heat to the inside.
Cooking Terms
Ever wonder what some of those cooking terms really mean?
Baste: Moistening of food to prevent drying out while cooking.
Blanch: Briefly cooking in boiling water to seal flavors and color. Mostly used for vegetables or fruit for freezing or to remove the skin.
Braise: Browning first, then simmering gently in a small amount of liquid over low heat with a covered pan until tender.
Brown: Cook over high heat, on stove, to brown food.
Carmelize: Sugar is heated until liquified and becomes a syrup.
Cleaning the Cleaning Tools
Feather duster
Pour approximately 2 cups of cornstarch into a plastic bag. Place the feather duster into the bag and secure tightly around the handle. Shake the duster and the cornstarch will remove the dirt. Remove the leftover cornstarch by shaking.
GOOGLE ADSENSE
Sponges
Place a sponge in the dishwasher, attached to one of the pegs with a clothespin, and run through a cycle with other dishes.
Sanitize in tub with 1/2 gallon of water and 1/4 cup bleach.
Microwaving is not the best choice. The size of the sponge and the differences in ovens will affect the length of time needed to kill the germs.
Home Exterior Tips
Cleaning Patio Furniture
- White plastic furniture – Use dishwasher soap to clean – this type of soap usually contains bleach. Mix about 3 teaspoons of soap to 1 gallon of warm water. Wash the furniture, rinse well, and let the sun dry it. Make sure you keep the soap off the grass or plants. The bleach may kill them. Make sure you rinse very well if it happens.
- Colored plastic furniture – Use non-bleach liquid dish soap. Make sure you rinse very well and turn the furniture upside down to dry.