20 Great and Helpful Kitchen Tips

1. Wrap celery and broccoli in aluminum foil

Wrapping celery and broccoli in aluminum foil and keeping it as airtight as possible can preserve them for up to a month. The reason is that fresh celery/broccoli has the right amount of moisture inside, and by keeping it in the airtight foil, it keeps it fresh and crisp for longer.

2. Fix stale chips and crackers in the microwave

Don’t throw away stale chips or crackers. Instead – put them in the microwave, but be sure to consume them quickly after, since the staling process accelerates once they cool down.

3. Turn a finished jar of spreadable chocolate into hot coco

That “empty” jar of Nutella is not really empty, is it? Those leftover bits of delicious chocolaty goodness can be turned into amazing chocolate milk with ease – simply pour hot milk into the spent jar, close the lid and give it a good shake until the residue all mixes with the milk, then pour in a glass and enjoy!

4. Store pineapples upside-down

Ever bought a fresh pineapple and cut it up, only to discover that the top is deliciously sweet, but the bottom is very tart? This happens because naturally, the ripening process begins at the top of the pineapple and slowly moves down. To get the pineapple to ripen faster and be fully sweet, cut off the leafy part and store it upside down, the sugars will travel from the old top to the “new” top and hasten the ripening, leaving you with a sweet and delicious pineapple quickly. OR, you can place the pineapple on the side, and keep turning it around each day, till ripe to cut, as at times, if you take out too much of the leaves to store the pineapple, then it can get stale too fast.

5.Store apples with potatoes

Apples produce Ethylene gas, which is effective at preventing the potatoes from sprouting.

6. Keep onions and garlic in ventilated paper bags

Keeping onions and garlic cloves in ventilated bag will keep them fresh and free of mold for 2-3 months longer. 7. Store lettuce with a paper towel When it comes to lettuce, as opposed to the celery, moisture is the enemy. Keeping it in a sealed bag with a paper towel will keep moisture away from lettuce, leaving it crisp and delicious. 8. Store natural nut spread upside down The common way to store natural nut spread leads to the natural oils in the nuts to float upwards, leaving the bottom hard and drier. By flipping the container for a couple of days, you help the oils return to the whole of the spread, making stirring much easier and helping you avoid that terrible, hard bottom layer. 9. Avoid empty spaces in the fridge Every time you open the fridge door, you let the cool air inside seep out, while allowing the warmer room temperature to get in. This forces the fridge to work harder to restore the temperature and can lead to fungus and bacteria to propagate faster (the cold temperature slows this process down considerably). If your fridge isn’t full, keep a few containers full of water in the empty spaces. Water cools down slower than air, helping maintain the surrounding ambient temperature down. 10. Turn leftover mayo into salad dressing Every time you finish a jar of mayo, don’t throw it away. The leftover mayo in the jar that you can’t be bothered to scrape out can be turned into fantastic salad dressing: pour in some olive oil, vinegar, and add your choice of herbs, then shake it until the residue is all mixed with the liquids, leaving you with an easy, delicious and free dressing. 11. Before you squeeze citrus, microwave it for 15 seconds It might sound weird, but warm fruit releases juice more easily than a cold one. 12. Wrap banana crowns in cling-film Bananas release Ethylene gas, similarly to apples. The only problem with that, is that it hastens ripening and then – rotting. Once harvested, this process begins and cannot be stopped. You can, however, slow it down by wrapping the crowns in cling-film, minimizing the amount of ethylene released. (For even better results, separate all the bananas from the bunch and wrap each crown individually) 13. Fertilize potted plants with spent coffee grounds Used coffee grounds are still rich in nutrients, making them wonderful fertilizer for potted plants, and their acidity also helps to keep snails and slugs away. You can sprinkle the grounds on the soil, mix it in the first 2 inches or brew it a-little, and pour the concoction into the flower-pot. 14. Use huggers to preserve cut fruits and veggies  Cut vegetables and fruit rot faster due to the exposure to air. Use the huggers to keep them fresh for longer. 15. Make ready-for-use herbal butter Chop fresh herbs and place them in an ice tray, then fill with melted butter or oil. This will prevent the herbs from spoiling and give you individual portions of your choice of herb-butter! YUM! 16. Regrow leftovers The bottom of various green leafy veggies can be regrown. Celery, green onions, lettuce and more can be regrown from the leftover bottoms, using a small container and keeping them watered. 17. Leftover cheese wrappers can be used for storage Cut the first part of the cheese along with the wrapper, remove the cheese and use the wrapper to seal the rest of the cheese. No more dry ends on your cheese! 18. Get all the mango while keeping your hands clean Cut the mango in halves, grab a glass and use it as a scooper to separate the flesh from the skin. No more wasting mango or getting your hands sticky! 19. Keep your avocado with an onion The sulfur in the onion fumes will prevent the avocado from oxidizing and turning brown. A splash of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice will work similarly. 20. Make leftover pizza crispy again There are 2 ways to get that leftover pizza crispy again: Put it in a skillet and let the oil in the crust return it into crispy goodness. Alternatively, put it in the microwave with a glass of water. While it’s not as efficient, it’s faster…

Papaya smoothie

Ingredients

papaya cut 1 cup
milk 1- 1 1/2 glass or more as desired
cashew nut/ almond powder 2-3 tbsp or put a handful of nuts soaked in warm water
dates 5-6 finely chopped and soaked in warm water
sugar to taste if need be

in a blender, add the drained nuts and dates, blend well, add sugar is using, then papaya, blend well, last add milk
serve chilled with a basil/ mint leaf
I made it this morning, as I had some papaya left over, it was filling and tasty, as hubby also liked it.

those interested in cancer and health related topics are free to see my blog-

http://cancersupportindia.blogspot.com/

 for crochet designs, my blog, those who like a particular design are free to mail me

http://My Crochet  Creations.blogspot.com

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Carrot Cake

Ingredients
wheat flour  1 1/2 cups
baking pdr.  1 1/2 tsp
baking soda 1 1/2 tsp ( if you don't want to use an egg)
cinnamon pdr. 1 tsp
nutmeg pdr. 1 /2 tsp
salt 1/2 tsp
cooking oil not Olive oil  1 tbsp
vanilla essence 1 tsp
thick buttermilk 1/4- 1/2 cup
honey   1/2 cup
milk  1/4 cup or less
carrot grated fine  2 cups

Method
Pre-heat oven to 175 deg. C
grease a baking dish well
sift together, flour, baking pdr., baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg powders well
in a big bowl, whisk together oil, egg if using and vanilla
add buttermilk first 1/4 cup, honey whisk well
add the dry ingredients, mix well, add milk, mix well
fold in carrots, mix well, if the consistency is too thick, add some more buttermilk to get the right consistency
pour into the baking dish, bake for about 25 minutes, it varies from oven to oven, so check if done by inserting a knife in the center of the cake, if it comes clean, then switch off, take out after a minute in the oven, cut and serve warm or cool with some cream frosting if desired.

those interested in cancer and health related topics are free to see my blog-

http://cancersupportindia.blogspot.com/

 for crochet designs, my blog, those who like a particular design are free to mail me

http://My Crochet  Creations.blogspot.com

For info. about knee replacement, be free to view my blog-

http://knee replacement-stickclub.blogspot.com

20 Handy Tips for Using Lemons

The lemon is a citrus with a great aroma, that blends wonderfully with food and drink, but also has many other uses, thanks to its antibacterial effect. The lemon is rich in vitamin C. It is considered a strong anti-oxidant and contains 5% acid, which makes him a very useful tool. 

So we know it's useful, but do we know how to utilize this potential? For that reason, we have collected 20 of the best things to do with a lemon, besides cooking with it!

1. Ant Repellant - Pour some lemon juice around any infested areas to keep them at bay!

2. Air freshener - An equal amount of water and lemon juice, placed in an air freshener, will supply your house with a nice fresh scent.

3. A clean tub - An equal amount of water and lemon juice can also be a very effective cleaning supply against mildew and fungus accumulating on the sides of your tub and/or shower.

4. Disinfectant - A small amount of lemon juice can be a great companion to vinegar as a cleaning supply and can help neutralize the strong smell of the vinegar. It will also greats fortify the disinfection.

5. Microwave - Heat up a bowl of water and lemon wedges in the microwave for 30-60 seconds. Next, clean the microwave. Those previously hard to remove stains will now be easily removed and the 'food smell' will be neutralized.

6. Refrigerator - Storing half a lemon in the fridge will help prevent unpleasant odors. 

7. Cleaning Chrome / Brass / Copper - Mix lemon juice with drinking soda and dip a clean hand towel in it. Wipe down the surfaces thoroughly and then rinse well and wipe down with dry paper to get them to look like new!

8. Bathroom - Mix 1/2 a cup of borax powder with a glass of lemon to clean the toilet perfectly and leave it smelling clean and fresh.

9. Faucets and sinks - Use half a lemon to remove limescale build up on your sinks and faucets. Rinse well and redo as required.

 

10. To make your laundry whiter, add a 1/2 cup of lemon juice for the washing duration of the machine and hang up the clothes to dry. A teaspoon of lemon juice in the machine during the wash cycle will give your fabric a fresher smell.

11. Dishes - To remove fat substances on tools, add a teaspoon of lemon juice to the dish soap.

12. Drainage - A mixture of hot lemon juice and drinking soda can improve your drainage and help unclog it.

13. Trash can - If you throw a few lemon peels in the trash, it will help to neutralize the bad odors coming from the rest of the food stuffs.

14. Cutting Board - Rub half a lemon on a wooden cutting board, leave it like that for the night and wash it the next day. The lemon juice will help kill bacteria accumulating on the board, and will, of course, neutralize any bad odors.

15. Glass and Mirrors - 4 table spoons of lemon juice mixed with 2 liters of water will make for an effective mixture to clean windows, mirrors and glass surfaces.

16. Furniture - 2 parts of olive or cooking oil, add one part of lemon juice to make a wonderful solution for polishing furniture.

17. Hair brightening - To brighten your hair, pour some lemon juice on it and sit for an hour in the sun.

18. Hair softening - Lemon juice mixed with a glass of warm water can be used as a great hair mask. Soak your hair in the liquid for a few minutes and then rinse thoroughly. If you have a sensitive scalp, however, this may not be the solution for you.

 

19. Cuts, stings, and skin irritation - dribble a small amount of lemon juice on small cuts, and although it will probably sting a bit, it should help stop the bleeding and disinfect the wound. In addition, applying lemon juice to stings should alleviate the feeling of discomfort and itchiness. 

20. Removing bad smell from hands - If you were handling something odorous like fish or onions, washing your hands in lemon juice is a great way to get rid of those odors without drying or damaging your skin. 

those interested in cancer and health related topics are free to see my blog-

http://cancersupportindia.blogspot.com/

 for crochet designs, my blog, those who like a particular design are free to mail me

http://My Crochet  Creations.blogspot.com

For info. about knee replacement, be free to view my blog-

http://knee replacement-stickclub.blogspot.com

Whole wheat dark chocolate cake

Ingredients

malai/ top of the milk cream  130 gm
jaggery/ brown sugar   175 gm
eggs  2
vanilla essence  1 tsp
whole wheat flour   175 gm
cocoa pdr.  50 gm
baking pdr.  3/4 tsp
baking soda  1/2 tsp
unsalted buttermilk   150 ml
dark chocolate chips  75 gm
walnuts chopped 75 gm

Method
pre-heat oven to 170 deg. C
lightly grease a loaf tin or baking dish and line with baking parchment
sift the flour with cocoa, baking pdr., baking soda and salt twice, keep aside
beat cream and brown sugar/ jaggery until light with an electric beater
beat in the eggs one by one, followed by vanilla essence
add 1/3 rd of the dry ingredients, fold in with a spatula
add 1/3rd of the buttermilk, fold in
then another 1.3rd of dry ing., followed by 1/3 rd buttermilk, fold in
then fold in buttermilk , followed by remaining dry ing.
fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts, keeping aside 1 tbsp for putting on top
pour into prepared dish, sprinkle remaining walnut on top
bake for about an hour or until tester comes out clean ( in my oven, it may take just about 30-40 min.) so those who are used to baking, can get the baked aroma, then switch off the oven
remover, cool for about 20 minutes, then gently take out, place on a cooling rack

those interested in cancer and health related topics are free to see my blog-

http://cancersupportindia.blogspot.com/

 for crochet designs, my blog, those who like a particular design are free to mail me

http://My Crochet  Creations.blogspot.com

For info. about knee replacement, be free to view my blog-

http://knee replacement-stickclub.blogspot.com