Silly kitchen tricks

[Sniper-T]

Little things you learnt by trying something different. and what possessed you to do it in the first place; if you remember.

I try to eat as healthy as possible. Minimum fat, minimum grease. I stirfry, not deep fry. I poach, not fry... etc.

But, there are things that need to be fried. bacon, hamburger etc.

when you fry them up, it is easy enough to save the grease by pouring it off, but there is always that coating on everything, and the extra left in the pan after you have poured off as much as you can.

Bacon is easy, you can lay it on paper towels and pat it dry with others; but what if you are making a GIANT batch of chili... or spaghetti sauce?? it isn't feasible to dump 3/4 of a canning pot onto paper towels.

Here's what I do. drain off as much as possible, block up one side of the pot, and shovel as much to that side as possible. then I use my turkey baster to get rid of whatever I can.

no biggie right? well that's just the leadup!

Then I take some paper towels and crumple them up loosely and add them to the pot and continue stirring. They will attract all the grease that is left. Replace and repeat as necessary to remove as much as you want.For everyday meals, some is ok... but for LTS, the less the better. And this will rid your meat of 99.9% of all fat, if you so wish.

The best part... the paper towels are re-usable when you're done! No, not like that!

Take them and fold them into 1/4's and put them into ziplock bags, and toss em in the freezer. I found out the hard way that both my dog and cat love them... so that led me to think... BAIT! when I am trapping, or just out shooting coyotes, hang a couple in the trees above the traps or shooting lane, and let the wind to it's thing. critters can't resist the smell. It also works for skunks and racoons.... as well as most members of the weasel family.

Oh, and I found this out by accident.. I was whiping a spill on my stove with one hand, and a couple towels slipped into my canner pot of ground moose from the other. I pulled them out easily enough, but then noticed that they were yellow with grease. Once I did my final draining I tried it again, and was VERY impressed with the results.

whatcha'll got??

[ravensgrove]

Or...you could buy grassfed meat which has next to no fat. or raise it, like we do ;) All kidding aside this was a great exercise in mental olympics. What you demonstrate is flexibility and adaptability which are certainly key SHTF necessities. GOOD ON YOU!

Here's my latest and greatest...in Team Apocolypse we have a couple of beer brewers...they always give me the spent grain for my hogs. One day they also gave me a pail of "trub". This is the yeasty, watery goo that is also a byproduct of brewing. I thought to myself....."hmmm, why couldn't that make bread?" So I got to playing around, and by loaf 3 had made fantastic pumpkin beer bread. Made a sandwich with turkey and cranberry sauce and cream cheese, and it was like Thanksgiving dinner all in one bite...and the beer! It turns out more like Irish soda bread, dense and yummy.
Tomorrow, I'm going to try making pretzels out of the trub from an orange honey lager. Waste not want not and all that jazz.
http://i1140.photobucket.com/albums/n563/ravensgrovefarm/pumpkinbeerbread.jpg

[JustAPrepper]

I lay a damp paper towel or wash cloth under plastic cutting boards...keeps them from sliding across the counter while slicing and dicing.

I oven fry all our bacon to about half done, wrap and freeze. I buy it in bulk when I find it on sale and can get 6-8 pounds done in a couple of hours. I pour all the drippings in to jars and keep in the fridge for eggs, greens, refried beans, etc. When we need bacon we pull out a few pieces, wrap in paper towels and nuke for about a minute. Super time saver for weekend breakfasts and I'm only a minute away from needing a few slices of bacon for recipes or salad toppings.

I use a grapefruit spoon to scoop out seeds from cukes, zukes, yellow squash, etc.

I use my pastry cutter (looks like this American Metalcraft PB-44 | Hand Held Pastry Blender (http://www.missionrs.com/PB-44.html?CAWELAID=1090976620&gclid=COG404CQ3KwCFYt-5QodrkkusA)) to chop eggs for egg salad or potato salad

I use my egg slicer (Paderno World Cuisine 42588-01 | Egg Slicer, Stainless Steel, 5 Inches (http://www.missionrs.com/42588-01.html?CAWELAID=1090976620&gclid=COaZ5KWQ3KwCFYHe4AodTmwyrg)) to slice strawberries for the dehydrater

I just came across this not too long ago...take the pitcher off your blender and remove the blade. Insert the blade in to a mason jar and screw on. Place on blender. It's a good way to blend/chop small amounts of things and you can seal with mason lids.

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh140/Julie-Girl/MISC%20SHTF%20PHOTOS/0b47d9ca.jpg

Been using this one for about a year now. Did you know there's a reason for the different colored bread ties on store bought bread? Turns out they act as a visual aid for the stockers to pull and replace bread without having to look for the Best By date. The colors correspond to the bake date/delivery date and are alphabetical in order for easy memorization. Since I shop on Friday I always look for white ties hoping the bread was delivered that morning but double checking to make sure it's not a leftover from the previous week. If I can't find any white I look for red since it was probably baked and delivered the day before. I have this written down on the back of a business card I keep in my purse for handy reference.

Monday - Blue
Tuesday - Green
Thursday - Red
Friday - White
Saturday - Yellow

For those of us without chickens...how to determine the best price on eggs...

1. Find the price difference between the two sizes.
2. Divide the price of the smaller size eggs by 8.

If #2 is less than #1, the smaller eggs are the better buy.
If #2 is more than #1, you'll save money on the larger eggs.

I just came across this one and haven't tried it yet...For stuck/burnt on messes on pots or casserole dishes, fill with water and add a couple drops of fabric softener or a dryer sheet and let sit overnight. Supposedly the stuff wipes right off the next morning.

[ravensgrove]

Mason jar, on the blender is genius. I am stealing that.

[Evolver]

Best way to cook pan sized Trout in the back country. Season with your favo seasonings inside wrap in foil (No butter or oils needed), throw in coals for 13 min not 12 or 14 but 13mins, remove from coals, hold foil wrapped trout in a bandanna, open foil, grasp head and pull toward you. The meat will stay in the foil/bandanna and the head/spine/ribs will all just pull right out leaving only meat, bottom side fins and skin behind. :)

Dang I just got hungry for trout.

[bacpacker]

We use the dryer sheet thing. It does work very well.

[JustAPrepper]

We use the dryer sheet thing. It does work very well.

Cool!

[JustAPrepper]

Opened the freezer earlier today and was reminded of another thing I do...

I'm really funny when it comes to onions. I eat them raw in tuna fish and on hot dogs but not on hamburgers. I can't STAND them if they're too crunchy in things like spaghetti sauce or meatloaf or sloppy joes. About the only way I universally enjoy onions in a cooked dish is when they're carmelized so every year when Vidalia Onions go on sale in the Spring I buy about 20#'s worth. I'll spend a day or two dicing them all up and using two pans on the stove I carmelize them in olive oil with a little salt and pepper. I divide them up in baggies and put in the freezer, about a cup's worth equals roughly a regular size onion. This makes super fast work for me to throw together a meatloaf, sloppy joe's or any other "cooked" dish and I don't have to worry about my onions being too raw. Also, the oil coats the onions and prevents freezer burn.

I also do the same thing with red bell peppers but I roast those on the grill with a little olive oil, put in a bowl to steam, peel the skin off and pop in baggies. They last for years.

[bacpacker]

I like the idea for the onions and peppers. We usually get a lot of onions from our garden and start picking at the scallion stage and go all the way thru the larger bulbs. We always end up with more than we can eat before they start going bad. We dried a bunch this year. We will try cooking and freezing next year.

[Gunfixr]

My wife has problems with eating too much beef, especially greasy beef, at one time, it'll tear her up for a couple days. So, she's taken to experimenting with different "standbys".
She always makes her own spaghetti sauce, but will put ground turkey in it instead of ground beef. Or, ground Italian sausage and ground turkey, half and half.

The same thing with rice. Cook up some rice, add ground beef, or ground turkey, or Italian sausage. You can even cut up Kielbasa sausage, either regular or turkey. Season to taste and enjoy, You add vegetables if desired. It can be made days in a row, never the same twice, using staples either canned yourself, or put by.
Anybody here with kids where both parents work at least fulltime should be pretty creative at throwing together quick, easy meals.

[ladyhk13]

My wife has problems with eating too much beef, especially greasy beef, at one time, it'll tear her up for a couple days. So, she's taken to experimenting with different "standbys".
She always makes her own spaghetti sauce, but will put ground turkey in it instead of ground beef. Or, ground Italian sausage and ground turkey, half and half.

The same thing with rice. Cook up some rice, add ground beef, or ground turkey, or Italian sausage. You can even cut up Kielbasa sausage, either regular or turkey. Season to taste and enjoy, You add vegetables if desired. It can be made days in a row, never the same twice, using staples either canned yourself, or put by.
Anybody here with kids where both parents work at least fulltime should be pretty creative at throwing together quick, easy meals.

We are big on eating bison. It is very low in fat and very healthy for you. Has she tried that? Maybe her system could handle eating it instead of beef? We love it.

[Sniper-T]

She always makes her own spaghetti sauce, but will put ground turkey in it instead of ground beef. Or, ground Italian sausage and ground turkey, half and half.


This almost made me choke! I am sitting here eating breakfast of leftover spaghetti with 1/2 turkey and 1/2 spicy italian sausage in the sauce. I made it a couple days ago for supper.

:)

ETA: does she eat wild meat? it is MUCH lower in fat as well!

[izzyscout21]

We are big on eating bison. It is very low in fat and very healthy for you. Has she tried that? Maybe her system could handle eating it instead of beef? We love it.

where do you even get bison?

[Sniper-T]

There are bison/buffalo ranches all over. plus you can get it online too

Tennessee Buffalo Ranches - EatBisonMeat.com (http://www.eatbisonmeat.com/webapp/GetPage?pid=52)

or just google "bison, Tennessee" and you'll get some different Ranches that raise them for consumption.

I buy from a local guy for $300.00 on the hoof for a yearling.

[JustAPrepper]

Made an Asian marinade today and came across two more I do...

Ginger Root will keep for *years* in the freezer. Two weeks ago I threw away the last little nub of a root I bought about six years earlier. It was still fine but was getting pretty small and I found a beautiful new root at the produce market so I tossed the old one. No wrapping required...just toss in a baggie and freeze. When ready to use, tap off any ice crystals and use a sharp knife to cut away the exposed area that might be dried out.

If you have a recipe that calls for equal amounts of Oil and Honey (or anything sticky), measure the Oil first then Honey. The remaining Oil will coat the measuring device and *all* the Honey will come out without having to scrape it out. Often, since I have my Oil bottles on the counter, if I just need some Honey or Syrup, I'll dribble some Oil on my finger, wipe it through my measuring cup or spoon then measure out the Honey. It pours right out so my measurements are exact.

[Sniper-T]

WoW!!!

some great tricks... keep em coming... it may seem simple to you... but we`ve not thought of it....

go people go!

[JustAPrepper]

Ok, here's ANOTHER one I did today...

Leavening agents like Baking Soda and Baking Powder will eventually go bad but I knew there was a way to test them. Since we are heading towards our Winter weather I wanted a couple of batches of Ready-To-Go Cornbread mixes for Chili and Bean/Soup dinners but the expiration date on my Baking Powder was 2009. I had to Google it and found the following...mix 1 teaspoon with 1/2 Cup Hot Water. If it bubbles/foams immediately, the Powder is still good. Mine did, so I made four baggies of pre-mixed Cornbread with instructions for the wet ingredients and baking instructions. **This test is only for Baking Powder...not Baking Soda. Hopefully it's accurate and my Cornbread will rise.:p

[Gunfixr]

Oh yes, we definitely eat wild meat, just don't ever get any. The last venison we had had been killed by someone who can't shoot. It was shot up, not shot, and had apparently run across a county or two. About all it was good for was tire retreading.

Never tried Bison. Shipping is probably a killer on it, though, since I don't think anybody here on the coast raises it.

[Sniper-T]

There's a few in Virginia... like:

Melrose Bison Farm (http://melrosebison.com/)

Or, closer to the coast...

Wild-T-Bison » Contact Us (http://wildtbison.com/contact-us/)

[JustAPrepper]

Here's a silly one...

I made Raven's bread today and was reminded of this...whenever I make bread I use a shower cap instead of a towel to cover my bowl during the rise. It helps keep some of the warmth and moisture in the bowl helping the rise and keeps the top of the dough from forming a skin.

[bacpacker]

The Krogers we shop at carries Ground Bison. It tastes very good, but like turkey, almost no fat.

[ladyhk13]

The Krogers we shop at carries Ground Bison. It tastes very good, but like turkey, almost no fat.

I'm actually not a huge fan of the ground bison, it tastes too much like beef to me I guess. We buy ribeyes from a butcher special order when they slaughter one. We get them 1 1/2" thick and they are awesome. They are just like eating a filet of beef. Yummy. Have you ever gone to a Ted's Montana Grill and had one of their bison steaks? Yummy

[bacpacker]

Nope sure hadn't. Sounds wonderful though.

[ladyhk13]

It melts in your mouth!! Yummy. It is so sweet and has a flavor all of it's own. Too bad the nearest one is in Nashville. Makes me want to throw some on the stove. Oh yeah, you can actually pan fry the stuff and still have it melt in your mouth. Amazing.

[bacpacker]

That's gotta be killer on the grill!

[ladyhk13]

Well maybe when summer hits we'll all have to get together and try it out!

[JustAPrepper]

I just finished stuffing my pie hole with this...

I made a jell-o dessert today and had half a can of sweetened condensed milk leftover. I remembered a recipe in my collection where you can boil an unopened can for several hours and it will make caramel. Well, my can was open so I did a little research and found recipes on the Kraft site. I set up a double boiler on the stove and let it go for 1.5 hours. When it was done I cut up an apple and stood right there, over the stove, dipping my apple slices in the warm caramel. OMG! SO GOOD! But so rich. I have a feeling I may have ruined my appetite for dinner tonigh.:p

[mollypup]

My wife has problems with eating too much beef, especially greasy beef, at one time, it'll tear her up for a couple days. So, she's taken to experimenting with different "standbys".
She always makes her own spaghetti sauce, but will put ground turkey in it instead of ground beef. Or, ground Italian sausage and ground turkey, half and half.

The same thing with rice. Cook up some rice, add ground beef, or ground turkey, or Italian sausage. You can even cut up Kielbasa sausage, either regular or turkey. Season to taste and enjoy, You add vegetables if desired. It can be made days in a row, never the same twice, using staples either canned yourself, or put by.
Anybody here with kids where both parents work at least fulltime should be pretty creative at throwing together quick, easy meals.

She may need to have her gall bladder checked out. I'm not a doctor, but that's a sure-fire sign of gall bladder disease. Better to get it checked out now and fixed if it needs it before SHTF.

[JustAPrepper]

Keep moisture from accumulating on top of your sour cream by smoothing it out before you put it back in the fridge.

[Sniper-T]

making chili this weekend. made me think of this:

Once you get everything into the pot simmering, give it one last stir, and take it off the stove. And put it in the oven on low, and let it 'simmer' in there. The flavours will blend together, the veggies will soften nicely, and you don't have to stir it again until you want to. Unlike stove top where it will scorch if you don't stir frequently.

This also works perfectly for spaghettie sauce.

[Grumpy Old Man]

I'm actually not a huge fan of the ground bison, it tastes too much like beef to me I guess. We buy ribeyes from a butcher special order when they slaughter one. We get them 1 1/2" thick and they are awesome. They are just like eating a filet of beef. Yummy. Have you ever gone to a Ted's Montana Grill and had one of their bison steaks? Yummy

When I lived in Colorado I would buy a 2 year old bull to butcher every year. Bison is great and has no cholesterol! However, I draw the line at patronizing anything that Ted Turner has his hands in. If you know folks in Montana, ask them about his bison ranch up there and how well he treats his neighbors!

[bacpacker]

I draw the line at patronizing anything that Ted Turner has his hands in. If you know folks in Montana, ask them about his bison ranch up there and how well he treats his neighbors!


I wouldn't piss on him, or Jane, if they were on fire!

Sorry, I just feel kinda strong about those two.

[ladyhk13]

I don't know anything about the politics of his ranches. I know she's a shithead but when we went in there the first time we had no idea who owned it and it was the first time we had bison. It is now our fav meat and we eat it as much as possible...just make sure I don't over cook it since it's so lean.

[izzyscout21]

I wouldn't piss on him, or Jane, if they were on fire!

Sorry, I just feel kinda strong about those two.

I would, only to douse the flames long enough for him to write me a check..............

[Work In Progress Too]

I just found out that you can use a Parmesean Cheese Top/Lid on a mason jar. It works... may not sound like much, but I was excited!

[eagle326]

I would, only to douse the flames long enough for him to write me a check..............

No me. I'd would add more gasoline to the fire and I'd fire her arse up too.
What she did to my brothers and him defending her make them both pieces of sh#%^t.
Sorry ; rant off.

Buffalo is so good and you're right cook it slow like you do Highland beef.

[bacpacker]

Nothing to be sorry about Eagle.

[Taz Baby]

Put rice in your jar seasonings as soon as you buy them. This stops them from getting hard. Also never put them above the stove. The heat makes them dry out.

reuse all your cans fron can food. Wash out poke holes in bottom with a ice pick and use them to plant your seeds in.

buy your lunch meat in those hillsshire farms containets. Worth the extra pennies when you get to reuse the container.

when I buy a cheesecake from the deli I use the container for a mini greenhouse to sprot my beans and seeds .I put a damp paper towel in the bottom, place seedsin it, put lid on and set it outside in the sun.

[ladyhk13]

I've been saving my yogurt containers to plant my seeds in. They don't take up as much space to store and the plants are easy to cut out of.

[Taz Baby]

I've been saving my yogurt containers to plant my seeds in. They don't take up as much space to store and the plants are easy to cut out of.

Maybe we should start a reusable thread, lol asnot to take away from this one . I love the household hints and tricks.

[Sniper-T]

I just found out that you can use a Parmesean Cheese Top/Lid on a mason jar. It works... may not sound like much, but I was excited!

I hadn't thought to post it, but I have been doing this for a while too. Conversely, the metal lids for mason jars also fit into the parm containers. so instead of relying on that silly 'dial-a-shake' spin top to seal the cheese, pop the lid off, slap one of the mason lids on, and put the lid back on. makes a nice tight seal, and keeps your cheese fresh longer, and keeps the smelly-good-ness of parmesian out of everything else in the fridge

[eagle326]

My son's girl friend was raised part Amish. She uses old pickle ; jam ; jelly jars to store some of canned food. Hasn't killed the son or grandsons yet. :)

[Sniper-T]

for those who use pop bottles for dry storage...

How do you dry them? I've had a couple sitting upside down on paper towels on my counter for a couple days now, and there is still water in them.

I'm contemplating the hair dryer!

[bacpacker]

Rinse them in the hottest water possible. Drain them as best as you can, to the extent of holding them by the bottom and slinging them around to use the g-force to kick out as much as you can. Then leave them sitting in a warm spot, open for a few days. What is left will evaporate, just takes time.

[Taz Baby]

I use them all the time for different things. I rinse them out as soon as they are empty the set them in the dish draner. As long as they can get air under them they will dry. That's why the paper towel wouldn,t work it was holding the moister in.

[izzyscout21]

I rinse them out really well then put them on the counter to dry. There is a paper towel under them, BUT I lay the bottles against the wall at an angle so air will circulate through and dry them

[Sniper-T]

^ that's how I did it too, except that I used a disinfectant to rinse too.

I looked at them this morning, and there were only a couple droplets left. Guess I'm too anxious.

calm blue ocean
calm blue ocean
calm blue ocean...

[Katrina]

Molly, not always, son 2 and I have problems eating beef that's not cooked thoroughly, it must be brown through and through.Our gall bladders are healthy. Unfortunately this is genetic prob. So we try not to eat a lot of red meat and stick to chix,fish, pork. Can get ground bison but it is way too expensive.

[Sniper-T]

Berries are delicious, but they're also kind of delicate. Raspberries in particular seem like they can mold before you even get them home from the market. There's nothing more tragic than paying $4 for a pint of local raspberries, only to look in the fridge the next day and find that fuzzy mold growing on their insides.



Well, with fresh berries just starting to hit farmers markets, we can tell you that how to keep them fresh! Here’s a tip I’m sharing on how to prevent them from getting there in the first place:



Wash them with vinegar.



When you get your berries home, prepare a mixture of one part vinegar (white or apple cider probably work best) and ten parts water. Dump the berries into the mixture and swirl around. Drain, rinse if you want (though the mixture is so diluted you can't taste the vinegar,) and pop in the fridge. The vinegar kills any mold spores and other bacteria that might be on the surface of the fruit, and voila! Raspberries will last a week or more, and strawberries go almost two weeks without getting moldy and soft. So go forth and stock up on those pricey little gems, knowing they'll stay fresh as long as it takes you to eat them.

[bacpacker]

Excellent idea Sniper. We're gonna be using this one.

[Grumpy Old Man]

I use 2 liter bottles to lower my refrigeration bill. I fill the cleaned bottles with filtered water to about where the shoulders start, cap and freeze in the freezer. Then I take one or two and put in the fridge. It lowers the compressor run time and supplies my ice water. I also use them in my coolers for camping-free ice and extra water.

[Sniper-T]

WHat are they good for?

Hooah!

Absolutely Nothing!!

Or...
are they?

Most dishes call for just the florettes, most resteraunts only serve the florettes. What do you do with the stems?

Personally I keep them for soups and casseroles. The add a nice meaty texture into things like soup or lasagne.

BUT...

They have to be peeled first, There is about an 1/8" thick nasty layer of fibers, strings and bitter blah on the outside, so peel them like a carrot (assuming people still peel carrots). and get rid of that fibrous layer, then slice or dice for a nice brocolli flavour/goodness, that otherwise would probably hit the compost bin.

If I am serving broc. for dinner, then I cut the stems off and toss them back in the fridge. They'll last a surprisingly long time, and then pull them out for 'other' dishes.

:)

[ladyhk13]

I love the broccoli stems and cook them right along with my florets. They are so tender and have a wonderful flavor. I would never think of throwing them away.

[Taz Baby]

I use every bit of veggie I get. Stems can be peeled or cooked a little longer, peelings can be grated, and tops can be cut a little bit longer to be big enough to replant.

[Taz Baby]

Here is an interesting site I found. It has a lot of info on it for just about anything you are looking for. Here is just one of the things on it.
New Uses for Lemons | Real Simple (http://www.realsimple.com/new-uses-for-old-things/new-use-lemons/index.html)

[Taz Baby]

This is such a neat idea! Storing onions for winter, can store for months in pantyhose. Tie a knot between onions and you can then clip the knot as you need an onion.

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/318182_354623104590025_189287804456890_1086875_412 017906_n.jpg

[Taz Baby]

homemade ginger: Homemade Natural Series: Homemade Cleaning Wipes (http://www.homemadeginger.com/2011/08/homemade-natural-series-homemade.html)

homemade cloth wipes and solution
safe and frugal all purpose cleaner
homemade powder laundry detergent
homemade liquid laundry detergent
homemade fabric softner

[bacpacker]

We've used the pantyhose trick. It worked well. And very easy to boot.

[sigma pete]

I've gone to half ground beef/half ground turkey for taco meet. Less grease, healthier and turkey's usually cheaper than lean beef so it saves money too.

I buy whole cuts of meat (beef and pork) and cut my own steaks/chops and put the rest in an old hand crank meat grinder for hamburger/taco meat.

I'm still playing with how to make sausage. I've learned that the meat has to be very cold (half frozen) or it doesn't get a fine enough grind. Plus, I think I'm going too lean because my attempts so far have tasted more like ground pork chop than sausage. The seasoning was good, just wrong texture.



My wife has problems with eating too much beef, especially greasy beef, at one time, it'll tear her up for a couple days. So, she's taken to experimenting with different "standbys".
She always makes her own spaghetti sauce, but will put ground turkey in it instead of ground beef. Or, ground Italian sausage and ground turkey, half and half.

The same thing with rice. Cook up some rice, add ground beef, or ground turkey, or Italian sausage. You can even cut up Kielbasa sausage, either regular or turkey. Season to taste and enjoy, You add vegetables if desired. It can be made days in a row, never the same twice, using staples either canned yourself, or put by.
Anybody here with kids where both parents work at least fulltime should be pretty creative at throwing together quick, easy meals.

[sigma pete]

Taz, your links are bad. Can you re-post them?

[Taz Baby]

sorry I am late on seeing this but here are the new links.
http://www.homemadeginger.com/2010/03/green-project-for-green-day-cloth-wipes.html

http://www.homemadeginger.com/2009/11/easy-frugal-natural-all-purpose-cleaner.html

http://www.homemadeginger.com/2009/11/homemade-laundry-detergent.html

http://www.homemadeginger.com/2011/03/homemade-all-natural-liquid-laundry.html

http://www.homemadeginger.com/2011/03/homemade-all-natural-fabric-softener.html

- - - Updated - - -

Eucalyptus Disinfecting Soap Recipe

5 cups grated castile soap
6 cups hot peppermint tea, made with 6 tablespoons fresh peppermint or with 6 to 12 tea bags
1/2 cup baking soda
1 teaspoon borax
1 teaspoon eucalyptus essential oil

http://homesteadsurvival.blogspot.com/2012/06/eucalyptus-disinfecting-soap-eucalyptus.html

[ElevenBravo]

My contribution is not too flashy, but I use biscuits that are ready to bake for my dumplings. Dont get the flaky kind, or any with butter mixed in... just plain old biscuits. Works great with chicken & dumplings when you dont have time to make from scratch.

EB

[Sniper-T]

Some of these are just awesome!!!

http://thechive.com/2012/12/06/kitchen-gadgets-that-might-just-be-game-changers-33-photos/

all this time I've been eating flat pizzas when I could be eating crust cups full of toppings *drool*

Can someone pass me a pizza-straw??

[Taz Baby]

WHAT TO DO WITH COFFEE FILTERS


https://sphotos-b-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/8550_623985850954353_2050783265_n.jpg

Coffee filters .... Who knew! And you can buy 1,000 at the Dollar Tree for almost nothing even the large ones.

1. Cover bowls or dishes when cooking in the microwave. Coffee filters make excellent covers.

2. Clean windows, mirrors, and chrome... Coffee filters are lint-free so they'll leave windows sparkling.

3. Protect China by separating your good dishes with a coffee filter between each dish.

4. Filter broken cork from wine. If you break the cork when opening a wine bottle, filter the wine through a coffee filter.

5. Protect a cast-iron skillet. Place a coffee filter in the skillet to absorb moisture and prevent rust.

6. Apply shoe polish. Ball up a lint-free coffee filter.

7. Recycle frying oil. After frying, strain oil through a sieve lined with a coffee filter.

8. Weigh chopped foods. Place chopped ingredients in a coffee filter on a kitchen scale.

9. Hold tacos. Coffee filters make convenient wrappers for messy foods.

10. Stop the soil from leaking out of a plant pot. Line a plant pot with a coffee filter to prevent the soil from going through the drainage holes.

11.. Prevent a Popsicle from dripping. Poke one or two holes as needed in a coffee filter.

12. Do you think we used expensive strips to wax eyebrows? Use strips of coffee filters..

13. Put a few in a plate and put your fried bacon, French fries, chicken fingers, etc on them. It soaks out all the grease.

14. Keep in the bathroom. They make great "razor nick fixers."

15. As a sewing backing. Use a filter as an easy-to-tear backing for embroidering or appliqueing soft fabrics.

16. Put baking soda into a coffee filter and insert into shoes or a closet to absorb or prevent odors.

17. Use them to strain soup stock and to tie fresh herbs in to put in soups and stews.

18. Use a coffee filter to prevent spilling when you add fluids to your car.

19. Use them as a spoon rest while cooking and clean up small counter spills.

20. Can use to hold dry ingredients when baking or when cutting a piece of fruit or veggies.. Saves on having extra bowls to wash.

21. Use them to wrap Christmas ornaments for storage.

22. Use them to remove fingernail polish when out of cotton balls.

23. Use them to sprout seeds.. Simply dampen the coffee filter, place seeds inside, fold it and place it into a plastic baggie until they sprout.

24. Use coffee filters as blotting paper for pressed flowers. Place the flowers between two coffee filters and put the coffee filters in phone book..

25. Use as a disposable "snack bowl" for popcorn, chips, etc.

Not just for coffee--

[Sniper-T]

moderate necro-post... but I just HAD to...

I love beets, and typically grow bulls blood beets, which inarguable are the juiciest stainiest wettest available, but also the sweetest and tastiest - imo.

Previously I cover my whole kitchen island with newspapers (NY Sunday Times thick, and I process uber carefully to not get juice anywhere)

This year, I was smoking dinner this past weekend and got drawn in trying to maintain a difficult temp, so I slipped off and pulled my beets, and took them back to base to clean while I monitored the smoker.
I shook off as much dirt as I could but just threw them into buckets.

I set up a 'station' by the smoker, and broke off excess dirt and sliced their throats and asses, and then tossed into pots of cold water. I abused them with a stick for a couple days until I had time to process (to knock off the remaining dirt)

After 2 days, of stirring and changing water, (once a day each, when I remembered...)

I dumped them in a sink of cold water and with a plastic scrubby pad I brushed off the dirt; and tossed them into a pot, changing the water when I couldn't see the bottom.

I par boiled them for 40 min (whole), and then slotted spoon them back into a sink full of clean cold water. A quick firm rub, with a few fingernail encouragements, peeled full sinks full of beets with a couple water changes/scoops... but...
and here is the kicker... by processing in water... my hands are completely clean. no staining, no mess no fuss no bother. too awesome!

[realist]

When people talk about smoking dinner around here they are talking about getting loaded...........

Again slicing throats and asses and then putting them in a tube of cold water, are you sure you have nothing to do with the mafia????

We just wash the beets, boiling them up and skin them. Nitrile gloves work and are faster..........

[Sniper-T]

nitrile gloves??? I'm sure that keeps your nail polish intact even while doing big boy chores! Not having 'blood red' stained hands at work is one thing, you being worried about breaking a nail is something completely different!

Whether it be beets, bunnies, kitties or ????... slice the throat and ass, and wait til juices run clear... season and smoke! Serve with rice pilaf! Nothing 'Mafia' there unless you keep watching... move along now, you're watching something that you have no business watching!

Are you still here? shoo!

:)

[Domeguy]

When people talk about smoking dinner around here they are talking about getting loaded...........

Again slicing throats and asses and then putting them in a tube of cold water, are you sure you have nothing to do with the mafia????

We just wash the beets, boiling them up and skin them. Nitrile gloves work and are faster..........

I'm more concerned with him "abusing them with a stick". I think that's in violation of the Geniva Convention.

[realist]

I have delicate hands, don't you know. Not really. Beets are so easy. I pick them and the wife cleans and guts them.....no abuse here....

[Sniper-T]

lol... wait until you hear about my carrots... I broke my beet stick on them bad ass boys! Geneva? In this part of Canada, Geneva is a type of hot sauce!