Helpful Hints:

Below you will find a number of "helpful hints".
Please feel free to email me if you have any others to suggest or add to the list!

Thanks and Enjoy!

• Run your hands under cold water before pressing Rice Krispie treats in the pan. The marshmallow won't stick to your fingers.

• Stuff a miniature marshmallow into bottom of sugar cone to prevent ice cream drips.

• Use a meat baster to "squeeze" your pancake batter onto the hot griddle - makes 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.

• To get more 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 the bottom of pan, and bring to a boil on stove-top. Skillet will be much easier to clean now. Same thing works using baking soda.

• Spray your Tupperware with nonstick cooking spray before using 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 peeled potato = it will absorb 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 corns 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. It will help the throbbing 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 mosquitoes bite, try applying soap on the unit
  = instant relief.

• To keep ants away apply a line with chalk. They are said not to cross a chalk line wherever they tend to march.

• Use air-freshener to clean mirrors: it does a good job and better still, leaves a lovely smell to shine.

• When you get a splinter, reach for the scotch tape before resorting to a tweezers or needle. Simply put the scotch tape over the splinter, then pull it off. Scotch tape removes most splinters painlessly and easily.

• Drop in two Alka-Seltzer tablets into the toilet, wait twenty minutes, brush, and flush. The citric acid and effervescnetation 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 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 buy a new one.. instead set it for the year 1972 as the days are the same as the year 2000. The manufacturers won't tell you...they'll want you to buy a new Y2K VCR!