Topic: More Hints from Emilie Barnes book "15 minute house and budget manager"

[bee9984]

(1) When canning jams use a saran wrap stretched tightly over the mouth of the jar. Then screw the lid on tightly. No need to use paraffin again. One woman has used this method successfully for over 10 years.

(2) Don't waste milk by using it for scrambled eggs or omelets. Milk makes eggs watery because it wont blend with them. Use water, which makes eggs fluffy.

(3) Freeze coffee in ice cube trays. Add the cubes to iced coffee for an extra-strength brew. Or whirl the cubes in the blender with ice cream for a coffee sluch. You can also enrich meat gravies with coffee fro a robust flavour. Coffee in cake frosting makes for a luscious mocha cream.

(4) To help keep a vegetable salad from becoming soggy, place a saucer upside down in the bottom of the bowl before filling it with the ingredients.

(5) Don't toss out that last half-inch of french, blue cheese or russian salad dressing! Transform it into a new dressing. Just add two teaspoons of vinegar or lemon juice (or one of each, if you prefer). Recap and shake vigorously. Now gradually add one-half cup mayonnaise or sour cream, shaking as you add. You will have a brand-new tasty dressing!

(6) Coloring Cookies; Put plain vanilla or sugar cookie dough in a zip-top plastic bag. Add a few drops of food coloring, press out air, seal and knead until the color is blended. (No dyed hands!)

(7) A great way to repair those nicks on your kitchen cabinets is to go over the nicks with a marker that matches the finish of the cabinets. You can polish over them with clear fingernail polish.

(8) When you are in need of extra ice cubes for a party or summer use, simply fill your egg cartons with water and freeze.

(9) To find spices quickly, put them on a double-decker lazy susan. When storing your spices, simply alphabetize them on the racks; the top layer can be A-K , the bottom L-Z. Then when your family members or guests are looking for a specific spice , it will be easy to find.

(10) Use glass or ceramic pans for baking, you can reduce your oven temp by 25 degrees (F)

(11) The shaker bottles and containers that some spices come in can be filled with flour for no-mess flouring of cutlets and other foods. If you add seasonings to the flour, you've got an instant seasoned coating mix.

(12) The few extra tablespoons of fruit juice left in the bottom of the bottle are a perfect baste for poultry.


I just love her book! It is amazing from what I have read so far. As you can see, lol, I would highly recommend her book

[baxjul]

Thanks! Great tips

[Pepper]

Thanks

[homesteadmamma]

Great tips. Thanks.

[bee9984]

You are welcome I am going to try to post some more hints tomorrow depending on this storm we are having. We have had freezing rain, then hail, warm weather, and now it is snowing that really heavy snow. All of the trees outside have their branches weighing down with the heavy snow. The neighbours tree across the road is creaking.....wow. The power has been going on and off for the last hour every now and again.

Emilie Barnes has some wonderful ideas and this evening I found a few more hints that I just stopped and thought, WOW!

[guest7]

Bee, thank you again. More more please!

[peanut]

"(1) When canning jams use a saran wrap stretched tightly over the mouth of the jar. Then screw the lid on tightly. No need to use paraffin again. "

Hmm...I don't use either saran wrap or paraffin. As long as it's in an actual canning jar, or a jar with a rubber seal, there's no need to. I've canned this way for 20 years.

Good tips generally though! I think I'll be checking this book out of the library.

Jean