Repurpose your decorating tools

Repurpose your decorating tools
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A cake frosting bag and decorating tip are not just for birthday cakes. Reader Dawn Lofthus says, “They also work great for filling devilled eggs. It’s decorative and fast.”

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Just add cocoa

Just add cocoa
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More chocolate is always a good idea. Reader Lois Hill says, “When making chocolate cake, use cocoa instead of flour to coat your cake pan. This will keep the cake from having that white-flour dust on it when you remove it from the pan.”

Boil potatoes before baking

Boil potatoes before baking
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To bake potatoes quickly, reader Maxine Martin says, “Boil them in salted water for 10 minutes, and then put them into the oven. The boiling water will heat the potatoes more rapidly than if they were placed into the cold oven.”

Toast and shout

Toast and shout
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Need bread crumbs fast? Reader Dawn Leedy says, “Put two slices of bread in the toaster, transfer them to a sandwich bag, and then crush them with a soup can or rolling pin.”

Use a make-shift cookie cutter

Use a make-shift cookie cutter
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If your cookie cutters aren’t handy, don’t hang up your apron. Reader Dorothy Blessing says, “A small can of beans or a water glass makes perfectly round cookies.” While making cookies is fun, it always results in a huge mess.

Here are 24 kitchen and dining shortcuts you’ll want to use regularly.

Mix in molasses

Mix in molasses
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A short stack won’t be nearly enough if you follow reader LaFlorya Gauthier’s advice. She says, “Pancakes will brown just beautifully if you add 1 tablespoon of molasses to the batter.”

Thicken sauces in an instant

Thicken sauces in an instant
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Need a little thickening for gravy? Reader Fay Meredith says, “I keep a container of corn flour handy, adding a small amount to obtain the right consistency. It’s great, too, for thickening chowders, soups, and stews.”

Hold on to plastic berry baskets

Hold on to plastic berry baskets
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Reader Ethel Williams says a large-sized berry basket makes a good egg keeper and will revolutionise your kitchen. “It holds about a dozen eggs and takes up little refrigerator space.”

Add a naturally fresh scent

Add a naturally fresh scent
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After squeezing an orange, lemon or grapefruit for fresh juice, reader Mildred Everett advises, “Turn the rind inside out and rub the pulp over the sink. Then put small pieces around the drain waste (being careful not to push any bits down the drain) while running some water. This cleans the sink and creates a nice fresh smell.”

Take a slice of advice

Take a slice of advice
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This helpful tip for dinner preparation comes from reader Katie Koziolek. She says, “Freeze raw beef just until firm, about an hour, to make it easier to slice for stir-fries and stroganoff.”

If you found these useful, read how to fix 17 common cooking disasters.

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Source: rd.com

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