Random and useful tips from various sources (mom, other sites, cookbooks, magazines, etc):
To keep noodles from boiling over, add a touch (tablespoon or more?) of oil in the pot. This tip came from my hubby - who'da thought?!
To make Greek yogurt: Put plain yogurt on cheese cloth over colander in fridge overnight to drain out all the liquid. Done! Much cheaper.
If you cut brownies with a plastic knife, it doesn't tear chunks out of the pieces, and you get smooth lines.
To get more juice out of a lemon, microwave it for about 5 seconds, roll it on the counter pressing down, then cut and squeeze.
Have a stinky sponge? Rinse in hot water and vinegar, squeeze out, then microwave for about a minute. Stinky rags? Wash with bleach in washing machine. (It does take out some color though)
Freezing Soup (or other liquids): Pour 2-3 cups of cooked soup into quart-size ziplock plastic bags and seal. Place bags in single layers on small baking sheets in the freezer. Once soup is frozen, remove baking sheets. Now you have packages that fit neatly in nooks and crannies of your freezer.
Don't leave cooked food unrefrigerated longer than 2 hours.
Frozen leftovers keep almost indefinitely but taste best served within 6 months. Date packages.
If you end up with lots of leftovers, refrigerate or freeze by dividing the food among multiple containers - shallow is better than deep. Smaller or shallower containers increase the speed at which the stored food cools. The cooler it gets, the faster it stops the bacteria that inevitably grow in room-temperature food.
Fruit Salad Tips: (ie: waldorf, etc) Use Gave Nectar and mint. For salads with ALL berries, use black pepper and honey.
When cooking steak (or any meat that isn't ground) sear both sides to keep the juices in and make the meat more tender.
For moist muffins, the batter should be lumpy. Be careful not to over mix.
If you put a couple slices of butter underneath the skin of a turkey or chicken before you cook it the meat will be more moist.
To cook BACON:
Microwave: Place bacon slices between paper towels on paper plate or microwave safe dish. Cook on high; 2 slices: 1 1/2 - 2 mins, 4 slices: 2 1/2 - 3 mins, 6 slices: 5 1/2 - 6 mins, or until desired crispness. (I love this method!)
Fry: Place slices in unheated skillet. Cook over low to medium heat, turning occassionally, to achieve desired crispness. Place on paper towels.
Bake: Place separated bacon slices on rack in shallow pan. Bake about 15 mins in oven at 400 to desired crispness. No turning necessary.
