More Tips and Tricks in the Kitchen

Good Monday morning, friends!

I hope your weekend was everything you wanted it to be 😀

We had a good, normal weekend. David painted the porch that he recently built, I did laundry and worked around the house. Sunday was full of church, grocery shopping and we watched a movie. It was a pretty slow, few days and I must say...very nice.

 

Over the weekend I was thinking about some kitchen tips and tricks that I wanted to share. These aren't earth shattering, but you never know when you might hear a new thing, right?

I had some cucumbers that I didn't want to go to waste, so I decided to do something my mom used to do when I was growing up. I sliced them and put them in a jar with vinegar, salt and pepper and let them sit for a while. 

I remember always having a container of these in the fridge when I was younger. 

After they chilled for a bit, I tasted one and it needed a bit more of something, and then I remembered that I had some pickle juice I had saved, from my most favorite pickles of all time...Fickle Pickles.

Fickle Pickles come from the Hill Country area (Boerne, New Braunfels, Gruene, Texas) and they are the best sweet and spicy pickle you will ever taste. When we were there for my mom's surgery in December, my aunt sent a jar home with me. I had to split it with Morgan, because she loves them too, and I didn't want her to miss out 😀

Anyway...I was keeping the juice, just in case I might want to use it for something, so I added about a 1/4 cup to my jar of cucumbers and it made all the difference! 

They turned out delicious! They aren't quite Fickle Pickles, but they are yummy. 

While I was peeling the cucumbers, I thought I would share my tip for how to easily peel veggies and make clean up very simple.

I lay a few paper towels in the sink and I peel the veggies over the paper towel. This sure beats standing over a trash can! 

When I'm done peeling, I fold the scraps up in the paper towel and throw them in the garbage (sorry to all of you composters). 

In this case, I put them in the bag and then tossed them in the garbage. It's such an easy way of cleaning up.

A few other kitchen tips that I thought of while peeling my cucumbers...

When making a cake or boxed dessert that requires eggs, take everything out of the box (package of cake mix, brownie mix, etc.) and lay on the counter. As you break the eggs, put the shells in the box. When you cut open the package of mix, stick the empty bag back in the box. As you do this, your area will be clean and all the trash will be in one box. 

Keep the box while baking, because you know if you throw it away, you will have to go back and look at the back of the box for a reminder 😀 When the dessert is out of the oven, feel free to toss the box in the garbage. 

And speaking of eggs...never crack the eggs directly into the batter. Always crack the eggs into your measuring cup and when you are sure there are no shells floating around, pour the eggs into the batter and be on your way. 

That's just a handy tip my mom taught me years ago.

As I said, these aren't earth shattering, but they are good tips for anyone who might need a new method once in a while. 

If you have any tips you want to add to the conversation, feel free to mention them in the comments. 

Well, it's time to start the rest of my day. I hope your Monday is wonderful and all that it needs to be 😀

Until Next Time...

Blessings!