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Household Hints:.
1) Spray your grill with non stick cooking spray for easy cleanup.
2) Fresh lemon will remove onion scent from hands.
3) Don’t refreeze cooked, thawed foods.
4) A good icepacks are frozen peas or vegetables from your freezer.
5) Over ripe bananas can be frozen unpeeled in a freezer bag until it is time to bake.
6) Dissolving hard mini old fashioned candies add flavor to a pot of tea.
7) Be creative and colorful. Instead of regular serving plates, use different colors of plates, cup and saucers. It adds colors to the table setting. I go to the thrift shops and chose colorful dishes.
8) Calorie-free soda adds sparkle to iced fruit juices and reduces calories per portion.
9) Instant potatoes can help thicken soups and stews.
10) Chill the salad plates to keep the salad crisp.
11) If serving appetizers, allow 4 to 6 appetizers per guest if a meal follows shortly. If the meal is later, allow 6 to 8appetizers per guests and if no meal to follow allow 8 to 12 appetizers per guest.
12) Serve Lumpia in unique containers, like wooden pots, bamboo servers, shells to make it unique Filipino. I had an uncle cut bamboos for me from one knot to another, and they make good containers of Sinangag. Another good presentation will be the baskets or bilao.
13) Always have containers of mints around when having company for dinner.
14) Want to be a good hostess? Make your own Gourmet Vinegar with your picture andbrand name and present each guest a present before they leave. I also bring a bottle of mySOME LIKE IT HOT GOURMET VINEGAR if I visit someone at their homes.
15) Want to have a good Filipiniana Party? Provide Kimonas for your lady guests. Kind of stylish. KIMONOS for a JAPANESE dinner..
16) Want to have a TEA PARTY? Provide individual TEAPOTS for each guest and a VINTAGE HAT for them to wear while having tea.
17) Make your own CHOCOLATE - replace any chocolate BAR WRAPPERs with your own LOGO. I had it done at the Getting to Know You - with ANITA'S KITCHEN logo.
18) Serving wine? Make your own WINE GLASS RINGS, Gold and Silver coated RINGS can be bought in any of the party stores.
19) Going for a theme? July 4th is coming, buy those small American Flag and stick them on APPLES, OR BE CREATIVE and have RED, BLUE AND WHITE color decor.
2l) When cooking cabbage or cauliflower, add a little vinegar to the water to cut down on odors. Do not overcook.
22) Make salad dressing by adding olive oil, nutmeg and honey to fruit juices like pineapple and orange.
23) Use plastic bags to marinate meats, it is easy to turn the meats and cleanup is easy. Just toss the bag.
24) Rub vinegar on the fish to make the scaling easier.
25) When frying or broiling meat, sprinkle paprika to turn it golden brown.
26) It is easier to slice meat when it is still partially frozen.
27) When baking in a glass pan, reduce the temperature by 20.
28) In a large shaker, combine 6 parts salt and 1 part pepper for quick and easy seasoning.
29) Rub lemon juice on fish before cooking to enhance the flavor and help maintain a good color.
30) Empty purses and pockets of change at the end of the day, into a commecial water jar for charity at the end of the year.
31) To keep appetizers hot, make sure you have enough oven space and warming plates to maintain their temperature.
32) To keep appetizers cold, set bowls on top of ice or rotate bowls of dip from the fridge every hour as needed.
33) After cooking vegetables, pour any water or left over vegetable pieces into a freezer container for future money saving “free soup.” Just add tomato juice.
34) Add a little vinegar to cabbage or cauliflower when cooking to cut down on odors.
35) Add a little Olive Oil, honey and nutmeg to fruit juices of pineapple or orange for salad dressing.
36) Parboil certain meats, like pot roast, ribs, before grilling to reduce the fat content.
37) Slicing partially frozen meat is easier.
38) Sprinkle paprika on meat when frying to turn it to golden brown.
39)Add tomatoes to roasts to help tenderize the meat. Tomatoes contain an acid that will break down meats.
40)The freshness of eggs can be tested by placing in the large bowl of cold water. If they float, throw them away.
