Keep your Guacamole Green

Want to keep your guacamole green?
Of course you do.

Give this tip a try.

Before you put your guacamole into the refrigerator....


Rub some olive oil onto a sheet of plastic wrap and then press the plastic wrap against the surface of the guacamole.

Put a Magnet on your Thermometer

Inside my oven you are sure to find at least 2 or 3 thermometers.

And...up until now....you could find those thermometers sliding around---face down---and getting caught on the rack in the middle of the oven just when I'm ready to turn my cookie sheets around....UGH!

My oven is very temper-mental...so the thermometers have to stay.


I know that the thermometers come with a hanging device on the top of them, but that makes them get even more in the way than just setting them on the rack.
Has that ever happened to you?

One day, I happened to come across these really strong and cheap magnets..... that I'm using for another project......and the other day it dawned on me that maybe I could use those magnets to keep the thermometers in place.


 WOW! has that made my day or what? Sure wish I had thought of this years ago....geeze.

And even though this thermometer that you see below is not sitting on the rack next to the food that is cooking, like I know it should be..... hanging it on the side wall makes me say, "Brilliant!"

No glue or adhesive is being used with these magnets in place...they're just holding on by the sheer fact that the thermometer is steel and the inside of the oven is steel.

I hope you have some magnets sitting around so that you can also give this tip a try.

Burned Tongue

If you've ever burned your tongue--- like I have so many times before...you know how much it smarts.
And then, you can't even enjoy the rest of your coffee or soup because it hurts every time you take a drink.

There's no need to suffer like that any more...just take a small amount of sugar and sprinkle in onto your tongue in the area that got burned...or...just lick some sugar out of the sugar bowl.  Let the sugar dissolve on your tongue.
The sting from the burn will be relieved.

Dry Double Boiler

Have you ever had a double boiler run out of water and burn the pan. I did, more than once...then I heard of a little trick.
Put a couple marbles into the bottom of the pan along with the water and it will start to rattle when the water is low. 
The two seconds it takes to find a couple of marbles far out weighs the time it takes to trying to clean a scorched pan.

Keep celery fresh

Don't you hate it when you pull celery out of your refrigerator only to have it limp and spongy.
Celery will keep longer if you wrap it in aluminum foil.

At first I didn't think that this would really make that much of a difference...but then I gave it a try.
And now, this is the only way that I will store my celery.

How to Proof Yeast

What does it mean to proof yeast?

Proofing or proving yeast is simply a way to make sure that the yeast you are about to use is still good.

Some might think that this is a little old fashioned to do...but I would rather be sure that my yeast is alive before I use any more ingredients and time.

So first you will want to measure out the amount of yeast needed for the recipe you are making.
Sprinkle it over the amount of water or liquid your recipe calls for.
Make sure you use warm water 90 to 100 degrees.
If the water is too hot it will kill the yeast.

Stir in some sugar.
If the recipe doesn't call for any, add in 1 Tablespoon of sugar.
Let the mixture proof for about 10 minutes in a warm and draft free area.
The mixture will become foamy.
The foam is the yeast becoming active.
If it does not foam up after 10 minutes, you know that your yeast is bad and the bread will not rise.

Yeast will keep for about a year if you store it in a refrigerator or freezer.

Brown or wild rice

Brown rice or wild rice can be made the same way as white rice with just a few changes.
 

The first thing to remember is to use 2 1/2 cups water to 1 cup rice.  This will make about 3 1/2 cups of rice.



Start by putting the water in a sauce pan and bring it to a boil. *I usually add one bouillon cube per cup of water to give added flavor to the rice when it is being used as a side dish*.
Bring the water to a boil before putting the rice into it, this is important.

Now add the rice and stir once or twice while the water returns to a boil.
Then turn the heat down until you are at a simmer *(see note at end of this post) and cover the sauce pan with a lid.

*When you put the lid on the pan place it so that there is a slight gap on one side of the pan. Not too much of a gap as you will loose all the moisture, and not straight down or the water will boil over. This is a very important step as well.*

Start your timer for 45 minutes.

Don't give in to the temptation to check the rice while it is cooking. At the end of the 45 minutes you may check it. The rice should have what I call termite holes in the top of it. The water should be nearly or completely absorbed.

Note: Simmer means to stay just below the boiling point while bubbling gently.
          A state or temperature just below the boiling point.