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Did you know??
 A handful of instant potato flakes will quickly thicken thin stew.
An oiled knife or scissiors will make chopping dates a snap.
Don't cut a lemon when you want just a drop of juice. Pierce lemon end with a toothpick and gently squeeze.
You can heat leftover custard and use it as frosting for a cake.
To clean raw egg dropped on the floor, sprinkle salt over it and allow it to sit for 15 minutes. Then, simply sweep up with a broom.
To clean a vegetable grater, rub salad oil on the grater before using. Use a toothbrush to brush away left over food particles before washing.
Keep your plasticware free of tomato stains by spraying with a non-stick cooking spray before pouring in sauce.
To peel garlic easily, microwave for 15 seconds
Use lifesavers as candleholders on a birthday cake.
Like to carry salads to work but find they get a bit soggy? Fold up a paper towel in quarters and put it in the bottom of the bowl. Put all salad fixings in (except the dressing and crunchies). At lunch, remove the towel. Your salad is wonderfully crisp.
When boiling corn, add sugar to the water instead of salt. Salt will toughen the corn.
To ripen tomatoes, put them in a brown paper bag in a dark pantry and they will ripen overnight.
Before measuring honey or syrup, oil the cup with cooking spray and rinse in hot water.
Add any over ripe banana to a bag with unripe fruit, like pears. The banana gives off a chemical that will hasten the ripening of other fruits.
If you over salt soup, drop in a peeled raw potato to absord the salt.
To keep celery crisp, stand it up in a pitcher or jar of cold, salted water and refrigerate.
To cook below-the-ground vegetables (such as potatoes,carrots, and turnips), place in cold water and bring
to a boil. Add above-the-ground vegetables (corn, peas,
beans) to water that's already boiling.
Add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon sugar to cooked vegetables such as carrots, corn and peas. This reduces the starchy flavors and highlights natural sweetness.
To restore wilted lettuce, quickly dip in hot water, then rinse in ice water to which you've added some salt. Shake and then refrigerate for an hour.
Stuff plastic bags into an empty tissue box for neat storage and quick retrieval.
Plastic wrap will cling better if you moisten the rim of the bowl or pan you are covering with a bit of water.
Need a funnel but don't have one handy? Make one yourself by cutting the corner out of a plastic lunch bag.
Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of a sugar cone to prevent ice cream drips.
Use a meat baster to "squeeze" your pancake batter onto the hot griddle - 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.
Run your hands under cold water before pressing Rice Krispies treats in the pan-the marshmallow won't stick to your fingers.
To get the most 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 bottom of pan, and bring to a boil on stove top - skillet will be much easier to clean now.
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.
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.
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. The throbbing will go.
Don't throw out all that leftover wine: Freeze into ice cubes for future use in casseroles and sauces.
If you have 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 mosquito bite: try applying soap on the area for instant relief.
Ants, ants, ants everywhere ... Well, they are said to never cross a chalk line. So get your chalk out and draw a line on the floor or wherever ants tend to march-see for yourself.
Use air-freshener to clean mirrors: It does a good job and better still, leave a lovely smell to the shine.
When you get a splinter, reach for the scotch tape before resorting to tweezers or a needle. Simply put the scotch tape over the splinter, then pull it off. Scotch tape removes most splinters painlessly and easily.
Next time a plastic bread wrapper melts onto your toaster or coffeepot, try rubbing some petroleum jelly on the spot and reheat the appliance and use a paper towel to rub off the plastic and the printing.
To remove candle wax from carpeting, place a brown paper bag over the wax and gently run a warm iron over the bag.
When hanging a picture, heat the nail with a flame before driving it into the wall, it won't crack or chip the plaster.
To keep shower doors shiny and clear, use a soft cloth moistened with baby oil. It prevents scum build-up from soap and dirt. Hard water spots won't appear for several months.
Make your own window cleaning solution that is less expensive than commercial solutions, add 1/2 cup rubbing alcohol to 1 qt. water.
If you are stung by a bee, apply a slice of onion to the spot and hold it there for a minute or two. It does the trick.
Newspaper repels moths which is quite helpful when storing woolen rugs.
When you find the tops are sticking to bottles of glue, try rubbing a little petroleum jelly around the rim. Works great on paint can lids too.
"Dry clean" your dog in the winter months by rubbing baking soda into his fur and then brushing it out with an old hair brush.
Clean your barbeque rack while you sleep by laying it on the lawn overnight, the dew will combine with the enzymes in the grass to loosen any burned on grease. Try it for oven racks too.
There are tons of tips out there that we may not know, if you know of some please share them with us by sending us an email below. Thanks!!
djmichelle@hotmail.com
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