- 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.
- Spray your Tupperware with nonstick cooking spray before pouring in 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 absorbs 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 corn's 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. The throbbing will 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 mosquito bite: try applying soap on the area, 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, leaves 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.
- NOW Look what you can do with Alka-Seltzer:
Clean a toilet -drop in two Alka-Seltzer tablets, wait twenty minutes, brush, and flush. The citric acid and effervescent action 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 the 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 throw it away. Instead, set it for the year 1972 as the days are the same as the year 2000. The manufacturers won't tell you. They want you to buy a new Y2K VCR.
