1. When you buy bananas, take them apart from the stem to prevent them from ripening too soon.
2. Store opened chunks of cheese in aluminum foil to prevent mold.
3. When buying bell peppers, use this handy rule of thumb: If the pepper has three bumps on the bottom, they’ll be sweeter and better for eating raw.. Four bumps indicate that the peppers are firmer and better for cooking.
4. Add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef. It will pull the grease away from the meat while cooking.
5. Reheat leftover pizza in a nonstick skillet on the top of the stove. Set heat to medium-low and heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy microwave pizza.
6. Use snack size snicker bars to make a yummy dessert. Chop them up, then peel, core, and slice a few apples. Place in a baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve alone or with vanilla ice cream.
7. For a cool brownie treat, make brownies as directed. Melt Andes mints in a double broiler and pour over warm brownines. Let set for a wonderful minty frosting.
8. Add garlic immediately to a recipe if you want a light taste, but at the end of the recipe if you want a stronger taste.
9. When you buy store bought cake frosting, whip it with your mixer for a few minutes. You can double it in size! You save money by frosting more cake or cupcakes with the same amount. Plus you also eat less sugar and calories per serving.
10. If you want to keep squirrels away from your plants, sprinkle the plants with cayenne pepper. It won’t hurt the plants and the squirrels won’t come near them!
11. Burnt food on your skillet? No problem! Simply add a drop or two of dish soap and water to cover bottom of pan. Bring to a boil on the stove top.
12. Spray plastic storage containers with nonstick cooking spray before pouring in tomato based sauces. Can prevent staining.
13. Wrap celery in aluminum foil before storing in fridge and it will keep for weeks!
14. Adding just a pinch of sugar when cooking corn on the cob can help bring out corn’s natural sweetness.
15. Headache? Try cutting a lime in half and rubbing it on your forehead. It may help relieve the throbbing.
16. Take the itch out of mosquito bites by applying soap on the area.
17. Applying scotch tape to a splinter can help to remove it.
18. Use Alka Seltzer to clean a toilet bowl. Can also be used to clean jewelry!