Welcome to my page of useful (hopefully) kitchen tips and hints. I hope you find something you can use. If you have any hints that you'd like me to add, email me and let me know. Thanks :o) KITCHEN TIPS EQUIVALENT MEASURES Pinch or dash = less than 1/8 tsp 3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon 2 tablespoons = 1 fluid ounce 4 tablespoons = 1/4 cup 4 tablespoons = 2 fluid ounces 5 tbsp + 1 tsp = 1/3 cup 8 tablespoons = 1/2 cup Use applesauce in place of oil in cakes and muffins One lemon will yeild about 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 tablespoons of juice A medium size clove of garlic = 1/8 teaspoon of garlic powder You get twice the amount of orange juice from an orange, if you hold it under hot water before you squeeze Use foil as a lining when baking, it cuts down on clean-up time To check green beans for freshness, hold one between forefinger and thumb and bend it gently. If it snaps in two, it is fresh. When making muffins or cupcakes spray muffin papers with pam; this way they don't stick Cut up extra vegetables and put the leftovers in ziploc bags for freezing. This works great for onions and peppers! Next time you need cut veggies, simply open freezer door and retrieve ziploc bag Leftover taco meat or grilled chicken can be tossed into a salad for another nifty meal Home-baked cookies will stay softer and fresher longer if you slip a piece of bread inside the container with them Tired of throwing away partial jars of baby food? Try freezing what is left over in an ice cube tray. You may quickly acquire a nice variety of offerings. Two cubes generally make up a normal serving of three ounces. When in need of a cold compress, there is nothing better than a bag of frozen vegetables, especially small ones like peas or corn. They will conform to fit, won't melt, can be used over and over, and are considerably cheaper than the medical-supply cold packs. Wrap a kitchen towel around the bag and apply for 15 minutes When you purchase a box of S.O.S Pads, immediately take a pair of scissors and cut each pad into halves. This is much more economical. And now a box of S.O.S pads lasts indefinitely. In fact, it's a great way scissors get sharpened Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of a sugar cone to prevent ice cream drips Some spices loose some of their power if stored for long periods of time. Mark the date of purchase on the label to keep track of how long each container has been around. Use a meat baster to "squeeze" your pancake batter onto the hot griddle and you'll get perfectly shaped pancakes every time. To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the potatoes. To prevent egg shells from cracking, add a pinch of salt to the water before hard-boiling. Run your hands under cold water before pressing Rice Krispies treats in the pan and the marshmallow won't stick to your fingers To 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. To 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 stovetop Spray your Tupperware with nonstick cooking spray before pouring in tomato based sauces and there won't be any stains When a cake recipe calls for flouring the baking pan, use a bit of the dry cake mix instead and there won't be any white mess on the outside of the cake. If you accidentally over-salt a dish while it's still cooking, drop in a peeled potato and it will absorb the excess salt for an instant "fix me up." By letting raw potatoes sit in cold water for at least an hour before frying really improves the crispness of French fried potatoes. When baking bread, place a small dish of water in the oven to help keep the crust from becoming too hard or brown. Alternate for Buttermilk Whenever a recipe calls for buttermilk, and you have none, just add a couple of teaspoons of vinegar to your regular milk and instantly it becomes buttermilk. Microwave Food Safety Tips Remove food from store wrapping before defrosting food in the microwave.  Foam trays and plastic wraps may melt and cause chemicals to migrate into the food. Immediately cook any food thawed or partially cooked in the microwave as it may have portions that have reached temperature that may encourage bacterial growth. Baby food or formula is not recommended for microwaving due to the possibility of uneven heating that could burn a baby's mouth. A meat thermometer or oven temperature probe is recommended for checking the internal temperatures of meats. High fat or high sugar foods should always be micro-cooked in a glass container. To add a little something special on those cold winter nights, for those who have a fireplace, throw a few dried orange and lemon rinds into the fire and enjoy the aroma. HEALTH BENEFITS OF MICROWAVING More nutrients are retained during microwave cooking than conventional cooking methods. Between 40% and 60% of the vitamin C is lost when a food is cooked by conventional methods, whereas almost all the vitamin C can be retained if the food is cooked in a microwave oven; Almost half of the foliate in spinach is lost when spinach is cooked by conventional methods, but very little is lost when the spinach is cooked in the microwave.  (Foliate is a B vitamin that works to produce red blood cells and is highly abundant in raw spinach.) Save on fat calories.  Butters and oils normally needed to sauté foods conventionally are not needed when foods are cooked in the microwave. By adding a little milk to the water, cauliflower will stay white while it is being cooked