Helpful Hints

S tuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of a sugar cone to prevent ice cream drips!

U se a meat baster to "squeeze" your pancake batter onto the hot griddle~perfect shaped pancakes every time!

T o keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the potatoes!

T o prevent egg shells from cracking, add a pinch of salt to the water before hard-boiling!

U se a pastry blender to cut ground beef into small pieces after browning!

F or easy "meatloaf mixing," combine the ingredients with a potato masher!

R un your hands under cold water before pressing Rice Krispies treats in the pan~the marshmallow won't stick to your fingers!

M ash and freeze ripe bananas, in one-cup portions, for use in later baking, no wasted bananas (or you can freeze them whole, peeled, in plastic baggies)

T o quickly use that frozen juice concentrate, simply mash it with a potato masher~no need to wait for it to thaw!

T o get the most juice out of fresh lemons, bring them to room temperature and roll them under your palm against the kitchen counter before squeezing!

T o easily remove burnt on food from your skillet, simply add a drop or two of dish soap and enough water to cover bottom of pan, and bring to a boil on stove-top~skillet will be much easier to clean now.

S pray your Tupperware with nonstick cooking spray before pouring in tomato- based sauces~no more stains!

T ransfer your jelly to a small plastic squeeze bottle~no more messy, sticky jars or knives! This also works well for homemade salad dressing!

T o aid in washing dishes, add a tablespoon of baking soda to your soapy water~it softens hands while cutting through grease!

W hen a cake recipe calls for flouring the baking pan, use a bit of the dry cake mix instead~no white mess on the outside of the cake!

I f you accidentally over-salt a dish while it's still cooking, drop in a peeled potato~it absorbs the excess salt for an instant "fix me up"!

N ext time you need a quick ice pack, grab a bag of frozen vegetables out of your freezer~no watery leaks from a plastic baggie!

R inse cooked, ground meat with water when draining off the fat~this helps "wash away" even more fat!

W rap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator~it will keep for weeks!

S ubstitute half applesauce for the vegetable oil in your baking recipes~you'll greatly reduce the fat content! (Example: 1/2 cup vegetable oil = 1/4 cup applesauce + 1/4 cup oil).

B rush beaten egg white over pie crust before baking to yield a beautiful, glossy finish!

P lace a slice of bread in hardened brown sugar to soften it back up!

W hen boiling corn on the cob, add a pinch of sugar to help bring out the corns natural sweetness!

N OW Look what you can do with Alka Seltzer:

C lean a toilet. Drop in two Alka-Seltzer tablets, wait twenty minutes, brush, and flush. The citric acid and effervescent action clean vitreous china.

C lean a vase. To remove a stain from the bottom of a glass vase or cruet, fill with water and drop in two Alka-Seltzer tablets.

P olish jewelry. Drop two Alka-Seltzer tablets into a glass of water and immerse the jewelry for two minutes.

C lean a thermos bottle. Fill the bottle with water, drop in four Alka-Seltzer tablets, and let soak for an hour (or longer, if necessary).

U nclog a drain. Clear the sink drain by dropping three Alka-Seltzer tablets down the drain followed by a cup of Heinz White Vinegar. Wait a few minutes, then run the hot water.

C ure for headaches: Take a lime, cut it in half and rub it on your forehead. The throbbing will go.

D on't throw out all that leftover wine: Freeze into ice cubes for future use in casseroles and sauces.

I f you have problem opening jars: Try using latex dishwashing gloves.  They give a non-slip grip that makes opening jars easy!

P otatoes will take food stains off your fingers. Just slice and rub raw potato on the stains and rinse with water.

T o get rid of itch from mosquito bite: try applying soap on the area - instant relief!

A nts, ants, ants everywhere ... Well, they are said to never cross a chalk line. So get your chalk out and draw a line on the floor or wherever ants tend to march - see for yourself!

U se air-freshener to clean mirrors: It does a good job and better still,  leave a lovely smell to the shine.

W hen you get a splinter, reach for the scotch tape before resorting to tweezers or a needle. Simply put the scotch tape over the splinter, then pull it off. Scotch tape removes most splinters painlessly and easily.