photo by athenamama
I share tips from e-mail, my forums and postal mail, but I thought I’d feature tips from my blog readers, too. The first tip is neat. I never would have thought of it.

DUAL-PURPOSE ROLLING PIN: A few years ago, the Tupperware lady at the mall said that she puts a dozen eggs in the Tupperware rolling pin when camping and then she shakes it and has instant scrambled eggs. — Debbie

NO-TEARS ONION: Keep your mouth closed the entire time you are dealing with the onion, and breathe through your nose. Never open your mouth. You will not cry. Trust me. My husband is a professional chef. He laughed at me when I told him this tip. But when I walk in the kitchen now and try to talk to him, he hums back — I know he’s a convert. — Valetta

ROUND UP: Every time you write out a check or use a debit card for something, round that number up to the nearest dollar. Meaning, if you write out a check for $50.35, round it up to $51 in your register. This only works if you keep good control on your bills and purchases. Don’t go by your bank statement! Check to make sure that everything went through, but don’t write the amount in your book. Stick with the amount you have. I have even deposited paychecks and rounded down by $5. Meaning, deposit $350, but put $345 in your book. Out of sight, out of mind. It helped me to save for a down payment on my home. I didn’t miss it because I went by what was in my book, not my statement. — Tracy

HOMEMADE NOODLES: If you want really good-tasting noodles, put granulated chicken bouillon and cayenne pepper into your noodles. Roll them out to about 1/8- to 1/4-inch thickness, and then plop immediately into the rolling boil of the broth — no drying needed. They turn out great every time. Don’t forget to use one egg per person being served and add flour, kneading, until the dough is as soft. — Judy

COPPER CLEANER: An outstanding cleaner for copper is ordinary Worcestershire sauce. There is no scrubbing or cleaning involved. Simply soak for about two minutes, and it comes out perfectly shiny, like new. Just be careful about putting anything in there with gemstones, especially pearls, because it is possible that it could change the color of the stones. I am a jewelry artist and have done this for many years to clean copper. — Kara

REUSE CAN: I found the best storage/use system for plastic bags to be a tennis-ball can. Open both ends, punch a small hole from the inside out near the rim, and use a plastic tie-wrap or twist-tie to secure it to an inside cabinet towel rack. — Ron

CLEAN CDS: Brasso works really well on scratched CDs. The liquid has a fine abrasive in it and can be used for polishing watch crystals, too. I have a young son who is constantly asking me to repair his CDs, and I’ve used it many times. It also polishes just about any kind of plastic, too. Along with brass and copper, etc. — Bryan

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