Just A Few Kitchen Tips...

Good Morning!  

I hope today is a beautiful day for you and yours! 

I wanted to take just a minute to share a few handy kitchen tips with you today.

The first tip I have is something that I saw on Pinterest and just had to try for myself!

CROCK POT BAKED POTATOES

Here's what you will need...

Baking Potatoes

Olive Oil

Garlic Salt 

Sea Salt 

Aluminum Foil

and a Crock Pot :)

Now, I love a baked potato and I especially LOVE a restaurant style baked potato, so that's what I'm showing you how to prepare in your crock pot today.

First, you will need to wash your potatoes and pat them dry with a paper towel.

Next, you should go ahead and tear your foil off into squares each large enough to cover  your potatoes.

Now, place one washed potato on a piece of foil and coat your  potato with a brushing of olive oil.

Sprinkle your oiled potato all over with garlic salt  and sea salt. 

(I go a little easier on the garlic salt than I do on the sea salt.)

I just love cooking with sea salt!  

Now, it's time to wrap your potato up.

Place your wrapped potatoes inside your crock pot and close the lid!

I cooked my potatoes on high for about 30 minutes, then turned them on LOW for 4 and 1/2 hours.

I recommend you cook 3 to 4 large potatoes on low for 4 to 6 hours, depending on your crock pot, of course, and how hot it gets.  

You know your crock pot better than I do! ;)

The finished product...

YUM!!

You can top your potatoes with 

Butter

Sour Cream

Bacon

Cheese

Ranch Dressing 

Chili

Chives

The list could go on and on and on...

My personal favorite: Butter, Salt, Pepper and a Dollop of Sour Cream <3

I'm a simple girl.

This tip really worked!! If you are a working Mom, I would think this tip should help you save some time in preparing dinner for your family!

 Give it a try!

Next tip...

PREPARING, COOKING AND PEELING HARD BOILED EGGS

 

This tip was inspired by my sweet sister-in-law, Candace, who hates to prepare deviled eggs because the shell is so hard to peel away from the egg. I think she said something like, 

"Deviled eggs might really be from the devil" Ha!! ;)

Well, I learned of a way that makes peeling the shell away a much easier task!

Here's what you'll need...

Eggs

Baking Soda

Salt

and 

Water

Start by putting your raw eggs in a pot and just covering them over the tops with water.

Now, before you start to boil them, you need to add these helpful ingredients...

Baking Soda

and Salt

 I'm not sure what it is about the Baking Soda and Salt combo, but I do know that for me, it works! 

There was no measuring done, just "eyeball" it. 

 (A couple of tablespoons of soda to a tablespoon of salt, I'm guessing)

Now, turn your eggs on medium-high heat and allow them to come to a full rolling boil. 

Boil for about 7 minutes...

Then, remove from the heat and cover. 

Let the eggs simmer in the covered pot for about 10 minutes.

Rinse the eggs with cold water.

Then, cover the eggs with cold water and some ice.

After about 10 minutes, remove your eggs from the ice water and place on a towel to air dry for a minute or two.

Now, here goes nothing...

I peel my hard boiled eggs under running water.

Be gentle
and

drum roll please...

TA-DA!!

A smoothly peeled hard boiled egg! ;)

 I think the Baking Soda really helps!  

Speaking of Baking Soda...

  Everybody knows that baking soda helps keep your fridge and freezer fresh from odors, but

did you also know that

Baking soda

: can be added to your pancake or waffle recipes to make them lighter and softer?

 : can be added to your laundry detergent to help your detergent freshen and work harder?

: can be used to remove crayon marks from walls with a damp sponge?

: can be used as an all-purpose cleaner by adding 1 teaspoon of baking soda to

1 teaspoon of Borax

2 teaspoons of distilled white vinegar or lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon of dishwashing liquid

and 

2 cups of hot water?

I learned those things and many more ways  that Baking Soda can be used in this little booklet that my precious friend, Sherrie Stephens gave to me!

Okay, just a few more tips left to share

JUICING A LEMON BY HAND

When getting the juice from a lemon without a special tool...

Roll your lemon with the palm of your hand on the counter top to get the juices flowing and then cut your lemon in half.

Always squeeze your lemon with the cut side up, so that the seeds will fall into the lemon hull, not your bowl!

I think that's a cool tip!

Also, when you finish juicing your lemon, slice it up and use it to freshen up your garbage disposal. This helps with the odor and removal of impurities on your disposal blade.

The last two tips for today...

MAKING A WEEKLY MENU

After being married for over 25 years now, you can imagine how many dinners I have made for my family! My husband is a pretty picky eater, and likes what he likes, but he does get tired of the same old thing being served over and over again each week.  Let's face it, we all do! 

So...

 I came up with a plan to make a weekly menu for he and Austin to request their weekly choices.

 Daddy likes some things that Austin doesn't care for and Austin likes some things that Daddy doesn't care for, so when Daddy isn't home, I serve Austin's very favorites like Chicken Pot Pie, Potato Soup and Meatloaf. 

For the rest of the time, I decided to ask them what meals they would like to put on the menu and they gave me these meal requests. Then, I give  Daddy 4 choices (because he's the Daddy) ;) and Austin gets 2 choices each week.  

So far, this has worked very well for us! 

It makes shopping for dinners much easier and they get to choose what's for dinner each week!

* If you have more people in your family to feed, especially children, you could give each child 1 weekly choice and let them help you prepare the meal they chose!

I always loved my babies helping me in the kitchen! <3

and the last tip...

SCRUBBING DISHES

This is the best little dish scrubber!  

When visiting with my Ashley recently, I was helping her do the dishes and she had one. 

 I fell in love with it and had to get my own!

The top opens up for you to put your dish washing liquid inside and then you push the top circle down to squirt out detergent onto your dishes! 

The bristles scratch away any stuck-on food and so far, the bristles are holding up very well!

You can find these at Dollar General, department stores and kitchen stores! 

I hope some of today's tips are helpful to you! 

Enjoy your day!! <3

~ Proverbs 22:6~ 

  "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." (KJV)