Cook Cut and Bake Away

I've been loving all the posts from you lately Crazy Cammy!

here's the back section of the cooking tips/tricks I told you about in that one recipe book!

I'll only put the ones that aren't mostly common knowledge :)

1. Use oils wisely: corn, canola, olive, grape seed, peanut, and sunflower for high temps; extra-virgin olive, sesame and walnut for medium temps

2. Never refrigerate tomatoes, potatoes, onion, winter squash and garlic- cold robs flavor

3. Bring butter and cream cheese to room temperature before beating

4. Place cheese in freezer for a few minutes before grating- easier to grate and won't stick

5. Ground beef shrinks when heated; place a 1/4 in divot in center of hamburger patties for flat burger (no more ball)

6. Use ziploc bag for marinating- you can massage meat and less risk of contamination

7. When frying or sauteing, heat pan before adding oil or butter. When oil is hot, add food. This prevents sticking and allows for even cooking

8. Grind spices from whole. Whole spices keep longer than ground

9. Ice-cold water, butter or shortening are essential for flaky pie crusts

10. Whip egg whites at room temperature for greatest volume

11. Buy shrimp frozen. It's already been frozen anyway

12. Ground pepper only holds its flavor 3 months- buy whole

13. Kosher salt is best

14. Leave pit in avacado/guacamole to prevent browning- adding lemon juice to guacamole also helps

15. When measuring sticky substances spray measuring cup with non-stick cooking spray

16. When baking, measuring matters

17. Let cooked meat rest before slicing. 5 minutes small cuts, 10 min large

18. Stir-fry toughest veggies first; ie carrots, broccoli & cabbage

19. Crack egg on flat surface to prevent the shell from piercing the yoke when needed

20. Cookies bake most evenly on a baking sheet without a rim

21. If smothering is too spicy, neutralize it with dairy products such as milk, yogurt or sour cream

22. Roll lemon or lime on counter to get juices flowing (or pop in microwave for a few seconds)

23. Cool foods completely before freezing, and freeze in small quantities to avoid ice crystals

24. Add dryer sheet to your dish water as dishes soak for easier clean up

DID YOU KNOW?

1. Peel a banana from the bottom and you won't have to pick the little "stringy things" off of it?

2. Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store. If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster

3. Store your open chunks of cheese in aluminum foil. It will stay fresh much longer and not mold!

4. Peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating. peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking.

5. Add a tsp of water when frying ground beef. It will help pull the grease away from the meat while cooking. Also, if you add salt to the pan before cooking the ground beef, it won't "spit" at you as much

6. Rubbing alcohol on paper towel gets out permanent marker on appliances/counter top

7. A little hydrogen peroxide on cloth will get blood stains out of clothes

8. Use vertical strokes when washing windows outside and horizontal for inside windows. This way you can tell which side has the streaks. Straight vinegar will get outside windows really clean. Don't wash windows on a sunny day, they will dry too quickly and will probably streak

9. Spray a bit of perfume on the light bulb in any room to create a lovely light scent in each room when the light is turned on

10. Candles will last a lot longer if placed in the freezer for 3 hours before burning. The first time you burn a candle- that will be the widest width the candle will ever burn

11. Use conditioner to shave your legs. It's cheaper and leaves legs really smooth. It's also a great way to use up a conditioner you bought but didn't like on your hair

12. To get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass, fill it with 1/2 inch of Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dish washing liquid, mix well. Flies will be drawn to cup and gone forever!

13. Put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants. They eat it, take it home, can't digest it so it kills them. It may take a week or so, especially if it rains, but it works and doesn't harm children or pets!

14. To remove old wax from a glass candle holder, put it in the freezer for a few hours. Then take the candle out and turn it upside down. The wax will fall out!

15. A damp rag, dipped in baking soda works wonders for getting crayon off the wall

16. Weeds cannot grow through newspaper- if you wet the newspaper, layering it around plants overlapping as you go with mulch
17. Broken Glass; use a wet cotton ball or Q-tip to pick up the small shards of glass you can't see easily
18. To keep squirrels away from plants, sprinkle plants with cayenne pepper. Doesn't hurt plants but squirrels hate it
19. When you buy a container of cake frostin from the store, whip it with your mixer for a few minutes and you can almost double it in size
20. To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in a microwave with a cup of water. THe increased moisture will keep the food moist and help reheat faster
21. Place a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing nylons. Statci si gone
22. Before measuring sticky substances, fill measuring cup with hot water. Dump out the hot water, but don't fry cup. Next add your ingredient (butter/peanut butter) and watch how easily it comes out!
23. Hate foggy windshields? Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the glove box of your car. When windows fog pull out eraser, works better than cloth!
24. Add garlic immediately to a recipe if you want a light taste of garlic, and at the end of the recipe if you want a stronger taste of garlic
25. Spray your tupperware with nonstick cooking spray before pouring in tomato based sauces and there won't be any stains.
26. Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator and it will kep for weeks
27. When boiling corn on the cob, add a pinch of sugar to help bring out the corn's natural sweetness

Hope some of these tips will be useful!

After the post about Larry's treasure, it got me a thinkin' about my own little treasures. Just a few things that I love and use almost daily, but could live without if necessary, ya know?

This stuff is the bomb diggidy. Been using it since high school. Thick and luscious. Makes the driest become the most moist. (haha.. most moist.. say that five times fast!)

Yep, yep. That's how we do it around here. Got one for our wedding and still use one today (they recently came out with this newer model which we love).

Don't know if I could live without this baby. I smother my lips in this several times a day and ALWAYS use it after I brush my teeth. I have several size containers (pocket, travel, drawer, and the big tub). Oh yes....