Kitchen Tips, Tricks and more (C)

Checking cookies if they are done ~~~  check them at minimum baking time.


Cheese that hardens in your fridge ~~~ cheese won't harden if you butter the exposed edges before storing.


Chefs ~~~ They pound meat not to tenderize the meat, but to help even the meat so it cooks evenly.


Choosing eggs ~~~ fresh eggs' shells are rough and chalky; old eggs are smooth and shiny.


Cooking  corn ~~~ Cook corn with husks and silks on. The silks slide off with husks and both add more flavor.


Cooking with Oil ~~~ There are better cooking oils than olive: sunflower, grape seed, canola, in that order. They don't burn. Start it in the pan cold, bring up the heat slowly. If you want olive-oil flavor, start with one of those, then add a little olive oil.


Cookie dough ~~~ It can be frozen up to three months in an airtight container or refrigerated three to four days.


Cookies ~~~ If your cookies are spreading too much, try refrigerating the dough for a couple of hours before baking.


Caesar salad ~~~ serve it in a wooden bowl and rub the inside of the bowl with a clove of garlic to add some extra flavor to the greens.


Cutting in the butter ~~~ use a potato masher. It’ll help break the butter into small pieces.


Cleaning Cilantro ~~~ Plunge into a sink full or pot full of cold water. Swirl around a few times and let sit for a while. The sand, dirt, and other debris will settle to the bottom, and the leaves will float to the top and can be removed. Repeat the procedure if the cilantro is very dirty. 


Cooking vegetables ~~~ Adding one or more bouillon cubes instead of salt–improves flavor. Tossing in a few garlic cloves when boiling vegetables makes things tastier too.


Canned fruit ~~~ is much better if opened and removed from the can an hour or two before using to restore the oxygen


Cut meat for grilling ~~~~ cut big pieces of meat in half to grill them quicker. Small chunks of meat on a skewer grill in a snap.


 Cutting an Onion Without Crying ~~~ Use sweet onions. Peeling  and  cutting under running water, chopping near a gas flame, and refrigerating onions before chopping, all methods for reducing the volatility of the sulfide that causes the irritation.


Cottage cheese ~~~ will remain fresher longer if you store it upside down in the refrigerator. This slows the effects of oxidation.


Cooking Hamburgers ~~~ When cooking hamburgers, indoors or on the BBQ, poke a hole in the center. This will stop the hamburger from rising in the center and your burger will be more evenly cooked; not burnt on the edge and only medium in the middle. The hole will close while cooking. 


Checking dried beans ~~~ Put dried beans in a bowl of cold water, and discard any that float to the surface, since this is an indication of insect or mold damage. 


Cloudy Ice Tea ~~~ Add just a small dash of boiling water.


Cure Garlicky Hands ~~~ Immediately after chopping raw garlic or after a marinating process, rub your fingers thoroughly with the bottom of a stainless steel spoon under running water. Then wash your hands with soap. The metal magically neutralizes the garlic fumes!


Cleaning or Unclogging Drain ~~~ A tip you may have forgotten. To unclog a drain or keep it fresh smelling add one cup of baking soda and one cup of vinegar.


Cleaning Artifical Flowers ~~~ To clean artificial flowers, pour some salt into a paper bag and add the flowers. Shake vigorously as the salt will absorb all the dust and dirt and leave your artificial flowers looking like new! Works like a charm!


Candle ideas ~~~ Instead of whittling a candle at the base to make it fit in the candle holder, hold the end in a cup of very hot water for a few minutes to soften the wax then gently and firmly press it into the holder.
If your candle holder is too large wrap a bit of plastic wrap around the base of the candle and wedge into your holder. To make new candles dripless, soak in a strong saltwater solution for a few hours, then dry well.


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.


Cleaning Copper ~~~ Pour lemon juice on copper and sprinkle with salt. Then wipe off instantly. The salt works as an abrasive.


Cleaning Silverware ~~~ Line sink with aluminum foil, put in silverware, sprinkle with baking soda and pour boiling water over. Rinse and dry.


Centerpiece ideas ~~~ Place an array of different size candles on a circular mirror and you can also add little flower vases for a few small flowers.


Cure for headaches ~~~ take a lime, cut it in half and rub it on your forehead. The throbbing will go away.


Clean a toilet ~~~ drop in two Alka-Seltzer tablets, wait twenty minutes, brush, and flush. The citric acid and effervescent action clean vitreous china.


Cleaning a coffee pot ~~~ Pour a handful of table salt into the dirty coffee pot. Use a dish towel or sponge to rub it around and on the stains. Rinse clean. 


Cleaning scratches on wood furniture ~~~ Rub the same color crayon as the wood on to the scratch. This will  fill the scratch. Then clean with mayonnaise. The scratch will disappear. 


Cleaning A Messy Blender ~~~ To clean a blender,  add a cup of  warm water, run for a few seconds. Now add a drop of dishwashing detergent and another cup of water and blend. Let is sit for a few seconds. Rinse clean.


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).