FROM MY KITCHEN TO YOURS (DID YOU KNOW?)

1.  Brown Sugar:  A slice of soft bread placed in the package of hardened brown sugar will soften it again in a couple of hours.

2.  Cheese:  Cheese won’t harden if you butter the exposed edges before storing.

3.  Cooking Oil:  To reuse cooking oil without tasting whatever was cooked previously…cook a 1/4″ piece of ginger in the oil and it will remove any remaining flavors and odors

4.  Corn Silk:  A dampened paper towel or terry cloth brushed downward on a cob of corn will remove each strand of corn silk

5.  Garlic:  Microwave garlic cloves for 15 seconds and the skins slip right off.

6.  Lemons: Lemons stored in a sealed jar of water will produce twice the juice.  Microwave a lemon for 15 seconds and you will double the juice you get.

7.  Stale Bread:  Add a piece of fresh celery in a bag of stale bread and close it.  The celery restores a fresh taste and texture to the bread.

8.  Tomatoes:  Sunlight doesn’t ripen tomatoes, warmth does.  Store tomatoes with the stems pointed down in a cool place and they will stay fresher longer.  Place a tomato in warm water for 5-10 minutes and the skin can be easily peeled off

9.  Water:  After boiling pasta or potatoes, cool the water and use it to water your house plants.  The water contains nutrients that your plants will love

10.  Wine:  If you have leftover wine at the end of an evening, freeze it in ice cube trays for easy additions to soups and sauces in the future

If you missed the previous kitchen tips go to From my kitchen to yours (part 1) to see more tips.