{"id":100,"date":"2016-01-25T13:28:00","date_gmt":"2016-01-25T13:28:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lalians.com\/?p=100"},"modified":"2022-02-17T07:09:12","modified_gmt":"2022-02-17T07:09:12","slug":"64-cooking-hacks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lalians.com\/technology\/64-cooking-hacks\/","title":{"rendered":"64 Cooking Hacks"},"content":{"rendered":"
1.<\/strong> How often when you\u2019re standing in the kitchen trying to cook a simple meal for the family, or reheating the leftovers do you have two bowls that both need heating up, yet only 1 ever fits in the microwave. You end up sitting there for 8 long minutes and then have to do the same again. You end up with a hot one and warm or cold one depending on time.<\/span><\/p>\n Get your two bowls as normal and place one in the microwave as you normally would. Get a mug and put inside the microwave next to the bowl and place the second bowl on top of the mug\u2026. Problem solved.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>2<\/strong>. Think of all those times that you stood in the kitchen cracking your eggs into a bowl to make an omelette for lunch, only for that last horrible egg not to split right and you end up with little bits of shell in your lunch. You can either leave it and crunch on it later or spend half an hour trying to grab it with your fingers only to give up.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n If you get one of the empty egg shells and use it to get the small piece of shell out you will find that for some unknown reason the shell is kind of attracted to the bigger shell and comes out right away\u2026. Problem solved.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>3.<\/strong> When you wake up in the morning on a hot clammy summer day, but you need your morning coffee. You end up with the choice of having a normal hot coffee, which isn\u2019t very refreshing on a hot day. Or end up diluting you\u2019re your coffee with ice cubes.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n What can you do?<\/i><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Try smashing up Oreo and placing the bits in an ice cube tray. Fill it with cold coffee and freeze overnight. When you wake up drop a couple into your iced coffee. YUM\u2026 Problem solved.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>4.<\/strong> When the kids are out playing and come running in asking for an iced cream. You go in the freezer, take out that giant tub of three flavor iced cream and end up bending your spoons trying to get out a good size scoop for those cones. You either have to wait half an hour for it to soften or replace your spoons every time.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n What can you do?<\/i><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Try getting a large zip lock back and keep your tub of ice cream in it. Next time you take out of the freezer and remove it from the bag you will notice it is always slightly soft. No more bent spoons\u2026 Problem solved.<\/span><\/p>\n 5.<\/strong> You\u2019re standing in the kitchen cooking a nice romantic meal for your partner. You\u2019re just about to add some nice herbs and you spot that your little bag of herbs has gone bad, and it\u2019s a trip to the shop or use those horrid dry herbs you get in a jar.<\/span><\/p>\n What can you do?<\/i><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n When you first get your bag of herbs chop, then put them in an ice cube tray and cover with oil then freeze. The oil stops your herbs getting freezer burn and keeps them nice and fresh for when needed\u2026 Problem solved.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>6.<\/strong> You have a few friends around for a meal. It gets to desert time and you go in the cupboard and you suddenly realize that all you have is mixed up bowls that down match.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n What can you do?<\/i><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Try melting a big bar of chocolate and dipping blown up balloons in. When the chocolate hardens, pop the balloons and you\u2019re left with beautiful bowls that go down a treat\u2026 Problem solved.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>7.<\/strong> When you go into your kitchen and do the washing up. You wipe down the sides and chopping boards. You get your cleaning spray out and clean away. But then the next time you go to make a sandwich it tastes funny because of the spray.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n What can you do?<\/i><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Try using salt and half a lemon. This kills the bacteria and lets you clean your chopping boards and you avoid the chemicals\u2026Problem solved.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>8.<\/strong> If you\u2019re anything like me, you will have a cupboard filled with random spice jars and nowhere else to keep them apart from dotted around your work tops<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n What can you do?<\/i><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Try using an old CD rack. Most people have an old one lying around from the days before mp3 players. If not they are often a lot cheaper than actual spice racks and do the job perfectly\u2026 Problem solved.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>9.<\/strong> Picture it. It\u2019s a hot summer day and you fancy a nice iced lolly. All you have in your freezer are those horrid little ice pops that taste like colored water. You can either go out, or spend load of money on 3 little lollies that are ok or you can suffer with the cheaper ice pops.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n What can you do?<\/i><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Best iced lollies I have ever tasted. Mix together and freeze and an iced lolly mold.<\/span><\/p>\n 2 cups of whipped cream<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n 1 cup of milk<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n 6 tbsp. Nutella<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n You will never go back. Yum\u2026Problem solved.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>10. <\/strong>I always get tooth ache and when I have a drink, I end up using a straw to help with the pain. It gets kind of embarrassing though when every 2 seconds the straw rises up from your can and pokes you in the face.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n What can you do?<\/i><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Try turning the little metal tab around and put your straw through the hole in the center of the tab. It stops you getting poked in the eye and you avoid the toothache\u2026 Problem solved.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>11.<\/strong> Let\u2019s face it, on a roasting hot day when you’re out during the off day, the worst thing is carrying a lukewarm bottle of water around with you. We don\u2019t always have the money to go into shops to keep buying nice cold ones.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n What can you do?<\/i><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Try filling a large bottle quarter of the way up and laying it down flat in your freezer. Next time your off out, fill it up and will stay cold on your trip out\u2026 Problem solved.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>12.<\/strong> So it\u2019s breakfast time and there\u2019s a decision to be made. Half the people you\u2019re cooking for want bacon and the other half want pancakes.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n What can you do?<\/i><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Try cooking your bacon in the frying pan. When done pour over a little pancake mix and cook as normal. You\u2019re now the proud maker of the bacon pancake. Pour over some syrup. Yum\u2026 Problem solved.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>13.<\/strong> How many times have you stood there in your kitchen holding that cookbook and the dreaded words separate the egg yolks appear. You end up getting horrible slimy fingers or end up not bothering and just going with the whole egg.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n What can you do?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Try cracking your egg as normal into a bowl. Get a clean, empty bottle and place the top over the yolk and squeeze. The yolk will get sucked up into the end of the bottle ready to pop back where you need. No more slimy fingers\u2026 Problem solved.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>14. <\/strong>You wake up in the middle of the night with the sudden urge for a spot of cake. Or the kids have just had tea and want some desert but you have none in and no time to bake one.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n What can you do?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n A brownie in less than 2 minutes? Sounds like a plan.<\/span><\/p>\n Mix together in a cup until smooth, and then cook in the microwave for 1 minute 40 seconds. Yum.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00bc cup sugar<\/i><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \u00bc cup flour<\/i><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n 2 tbsp cocoa<\/i><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Pinch salt<\/i><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n 2 tbsp olive oil<\/i><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n 3 tbsp water<\/i><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Problem solved.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>15.<\/strong> When you\u2019re standing in the kitchen trying to look all manly while cooking some dinner. You get to the onions and stand there with tears streaming down your face like a baby.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n What can you do?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Chew gum while chopping onions it stops you from crying\u2026 Problem solved.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>16. <\/strong>Whenever I use a block of cheese or have a large cake, I go digging through the draw routing around for a knife I can use to get nice neat slices. The trouble is, the only thing I can ever find is the standard blunt butter knife.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n What can you do?<\/i><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Try using an unscented dental floss. It works a treat and a pack lasts ages. You can use it to slice up pretty much anything that isn\u2019t too hard\u2026 Problem solved.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>17.<\/strong> Do you miss being able to make a decent toasted sandwich because all you currently have is the standard two slice toaster. The only thing you can think of is to toast two slices of bread, stick on some kind of filler and slap them both together.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n What can you do?<\/i><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Try making a sandwich as normal squashing the bread together and put the whole sandwich into one toaster slot. The result is a nice toasted sandwich that is still soft in the middle. Yum\u2026 Problem solved.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>18.<\/strong> I find it so annoying when you go out to the supermarket and you spend an hour picking up everything you need. You get to the till pack up and go home. As soon as you finish putting all your stuff away you realize that you have forgotten a few important things. You can either go back or go without.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n What can you do?<\/i><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Try taking a photo of the inside of your fridge so while you\u2019re out shopping you can see what you have and what you don\u2019t\u2026 Problem solved.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a019.<\/strong> We all do it, don\u2019t we? We go out and buy a load of fresh fruit and veg and but the time we get round to actually eat them, half have gone bad. Bananas seem to be the worst.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n What can you do?<\/i><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Try wrapping some plastic wrap around the stem of the bananas and you will notice that this keeps them fresher for longer\u2026 Problem solved.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>20.<\/strong> I love a nice takeaway. You order a giant pizza for the family; there are a few pieces left in the morning and naturally you stick it in the microwave and reheat it for breakfast. When you take it out the crust is either rock solid or really chewy.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n What can you do?<\/i><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Try placing a glass of water in the microwave next to the pizza. The steam helps it stay soft but stops it going all chewy\u2026 Problem solved.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>21.<\/strong> I find it so irritating when you reheat food in the microwave and it\u2019s steamy and feels hot, yet when you sit down to eat it half of it in the middle is still cold. You end up carrying on and pay for it the next day or pay another trip to the kitchen for round two. This usually results in dry burn food that goes in the bin.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n What can you do?<\/i><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Dig a hole in the middle of the food so you can see the plate. Now when it goes in the microwave it will heat nice an evenly\u2026 Problem solved.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>22.<\/strong> My kids love spaghetti and hotdogs, but sometimes and can get a little boring for them.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n What can you do?<\/i><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Try this little tip. Get the kids to help too. Chop up your hotdogs into quarters and pierce a few pieces of dry spaghetti through the middle and boil as normal. Mix in a little ketchup when done and sprinkle with cheese. The kids will love it\u2026 Problem solved.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>What can you do?<\/i><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
What can you do?<\/i><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n