You can have your cake and eat it too with a lot less calories by substituting the amount of oil called for in the recipe with an equal amount of applesauce

Cottage cheese, sour cream, and other dairy products that come in a tub, will stay fresher longer if stored upside down

For easy pie crust rolling, place the dough in a grocery store plastic bag in the center. Roll out the dough inside the bag and when done, cut open the bag and then turn it into your pie pan(Rita)

When a recipe calls for fresh bread crumbs, place the amount of bread needed into the freezer until hard. This will make grating it easier(Vicki)

Bake your potatoes in cup cake pans and you will be able to remove them all at once when done(Lori)

Lemons and carrots kept in jars of water in the refrigerator will stay fresh indefinately(Joyce)

Rinse ice cubes under cold water before putting them in a glass and your cola won't fizz over(Mike)

To cook rice easier and fluffier, place one cup of raw rice into a casserole dish, pour 2 cups boiling water into rice and then place in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. To cook brown rice the same way, use one cup of raw rice, 1 3/4 cups boiling water, 325 degree oven for 50 minutes or until water is absorbed(Sarina)

Place ice cubes into a paper sack in the freezer instead of a plastic bag to keep them from sticking together(Yvonne)

Open one end of a can of tomato paste and place it in the freezer. After frozen, remove the other end of the can and push out the frozen paste. Slice frozen paste into sections and wrap each one individually and replace them in freezer to use when recipes call for just a bit of tomato paste(Dazy)

To keep freshly baked cookies nice and moist, seal them in a container with a slice of bread added(Mike)

Slice and onion before peeling it and the skin will come off easier(Aamie)

Putting salt in the water when boiling eggs makes them easier to peel(Browneyes)

Pour the contents of a 1000 IU vitamin E capsule into a new bottle of cooking oil to keep it fresh longer with no rancid smell(Linda)

For easier peeling of garlic, place the cloves into the microwave for 5-10 seconds and the peels will come right off(NBell)

If your cake is sticking to the pan, place it into the freezer until frozen and it will pop right out(Ellie)

To prevent packaged cheese(block or shredded)from molding before you use it all, place a tablespoon of sugar into the bag(Jeanne)

Crushing your graham crackers for pie crust inside of a ziplock bag will save messy cleanup(Glopeach)

Keep your can of ground coffee in the freezer or refrigerator to keep it nice and fresh(Juvana)

Make a hole the size of a dime all the way through your raw hamburger patty to keep it from shrinking up when cooking(Lisa)

Place an oven roasting bag inside of your crock pot for easier clean up(Kathy)

To keep pancake syrup from molding inside the bottle, with the cap tightly on, turn the bottle upside down until the cap of the bottle is coated, then store right side up(Shirley)

Place a few grains of uncooked rice in your salt shaker to keep the salt free flowing(Karyn)

After hard boiling eggs drain off the cooking water and add several ice cubes to the pot. Shake the ice cubes around for a few minutes and then run the eggs under very cold tap water. The shells will then come off easily(Cindy)

Place a dish cloth in the bottom of the pan, put in the eggs, cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Boil for one minute and then remove the pan and cover it with a tight fitting lid. Let pan sit until water is cool and the eggs will be perfectly boiled with no cracks(Blaughter)

To tell the difference between a boiled and fresh egg, place the egg on the flat counter space and spin it. Boiled eggs will spin but raw eggs will wobble(Blaughter)

When freezing a large amount of ground meat, place it into a freezer bag and then press it flat. It will save freezer space and also thaw faster(Blaughter)

Place a plastic sandwich bag over your hand to grease cake pans and then just throw it away to save mess(Colleen)

Peel and cut onions under cold running water to save tears(Colleen)

Coffee filters are great for draining greasy food like bacon and sausage(Brenda)

For homemade gourmet tea or coffee, use a piece of hard candy as a sweetener instead of sugar(Akem)

When making pancakes or waffles substitute the milk called for, or at least half of the milk called for, with club soda to make them fluffier(Judy)

To test the freshness of your eggs, place them in a bowl of cold water. If they float...throw them out!(Claud)

Bananas that have gotten too ripe can be peeled and placed in a container and stored in the freezer to use later in cakes and breads(Claud)

Instant mashed potato flakes make a good thickener for soups and stews(Claud)

To butter corn on the cob more easily, spread butter on a piece of bread and then roll the cob onto the bread. Throw the bread out for the birds afterwards(Bill)

To clean a badly burned pan, fill the pan with water, bring the water to a boil, remove the pan from the stove, and place one or two fabric softener sheets in it. Let this sit overnight and then clean as usual next day(Loretta)

Save the waxed liners that come in cereal boxes and slip one on your cutting board to save on cleanups and spreading of germs(Dorene)

Cut along the folds of brown grocery bags and then cut the sections into paper towel size. Use the paper bag "towels" for draining greasy foods... they are more absorbant than paper towels(Veronica)

Freeze left over black coffee in ice cube trays and when frozen place the cubes into a plastic bag to have on hand for making gravy. They add a nice brown color and you won't taste the coffee(JoFitz)

To keep from crying when cutting onions, burn a candle near your cutting board(Angel31154)

Snap type clothes pins work better than those special clips for sealing bread and chip bags(JoFitz)

Another good substitute for the amount of oil called for in cakes, muffins, and brownies is fat free sour cream(Tammy)

To keep the water from boiling over when cooking eggs or pasta add a pat of butter or margarine to the water(LadyJack)

Thaw frozen fish in milk or soak fresh fish in milk for about an hour to remove the fishy taste(Pearl)

Keep a container in the freezer for left overs like meat, veggies, rice etc. Keep adding to the container and when it is full, use these to make soup or stew(Rolanda)

If your brown sugar has gone hard, put a slice of bread into the bag and the sugar will soften up again(MaryAnn)

You can freeze eggs in an ice cube tray and when frozen pop them into a plastic bag. You can then use these eggs for baking by taking out the number of eggs needed and letting them thaw. Use these eggs for baking only!(Rolanda)

To avoid a soggy middle in french toast bake it in a waffle iron(Eunie)

When making french fries from fresh potatoes, let the sliced potatoes sit in cold water for an hour and they will crisp better(Shirley)

Whole milk can be frozen for long periods of time and then thawed for use(Carolyn)

Add some ground cinnamon to your ground coffee before brewing for a tasty flavored coffee(TWech)

An easy way to clean oven racks and the broiler pan is to place these into a large garbage bag and spray them well with oven cleaner. Tie up the bag and let it sit over night. Next day just rinse them clean(Ima)

Run several ice cubes through your garbage disposal weekly to keep it clean and fresh smelling(Shirley)

After using an SOS steel wool pad, squeeze out the excess water and place it back into the box with the other un-used pads and it will not rust(Marge)



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