Living 2 Eat |

 Feeling tired in the afternoon, put down the caffeinated soda and pick up a cucumber. Cucumbers are a good source of B Vitamins and Carbohydrates that can provide that quick pick-me-up that can last for hours.

 Tired of your bathroom mirror fogging up after a shower? Try rubbing a cucumber slice along the mirror, it will eliminate the fog and provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance.

 Are grubs and slugs ruining your planting beds? Place a few slices in a small pie tin and your garden will be free of pests all season long. The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off a scent undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy and make them flee the area.

Looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite before going out or to the pool? Try rubbing a slice or two of cucumbers along your problem area for a few minutes, the phytochemicals in the cucumber cause the collagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing the visibility of cellulite. Works great on wrinkles too!!!

The Pasta Diet and Your Health

1.. You walk pasta da bakery.

2.. You walka pasta da candy store.

3.. You walka pasta da Ice Cream shop.

4.. You walka pasta da table and fridge.

You will lose weight!

Storage and Handling

To preserve Vidalia Onions for a longer period of time, wrap them separately in paper towels and refrigerate.

Vidalia Onions can also be successfully stored in the legs of clean, sheer pantyhose with a knot tied between each one. Hang in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place. Keep Vidalia Onions cool and dry at all times.

To keep a pot from boiling over, put a toothpick between the pot and lid. This trick also works with covered casserole dishes in the oven.

You can keep pasta, custards, and milk from boiling over by coating the inside of the pot lid with vegetable oil.

When using a double boiler, put a few marbles or a jar lid in the bottom pan — they’ll warn you by rattling when the water gets too low and save the pan from scorching.

… for more cooking tips from Chef Rick McDaniel, click here.

It’s important that the turkey or chicken be properly thawed before cooking. The best way is to let it thaw in the refrigerator. Leave it in the original wrapper, place on a tray to catch drippings and refrigerate until the bird thaws. Depending on it’s size, allow two to four days for thawing.

If thawing in the refrigerator isn’t possible due to lack of time, there are two other alternatives. For a more rapid thawing, you can place the poultry in watertight wrapping in cold water. Change water frequently to hasten thawing. Small birds require about 1 hour. Larger birds require 6 to 8 hours. Thaw until pliable.

Or you can leave the bird in its wrapper and place it in a heavy grocery sack, closing the opening. Put the bird on a tray and let it thaw in a cool room away from heat. Check it frequently. Once thawed, the bird should be cooked immediately. Remember to allow enough thawing time, since it will take quite a while for the bird to thaw.

… for more of Chef Rick McDaniel’s cooking tips, click here.

When frying bacon, sprinkling a pinch of salt in the frying pan will help to keep the grease from splattering.

You can easily remove the silks from corn on the cob by wiping downward with a damp paper towel.

When baking, if you need to ‘plump’ raisins before adding to cakes and cookies, soak them in Coca-Cola instead of water.   Water leaches out the flavor of the raisins, but Coke adds spiciness and intensifies the flavor.

Mary

Enfield, Middlesex

ENGLAND

If you have leftover barbecue like chicken or steak, put meat in a pan with a can of Coke and reheat in oven, the meat stays extra tender without ruining the grill flavor.

Sarah

Tennessee

USA

My uncle, who is a retired chef, always marinates steaks in Coca-Cola before barbecuing.   It works as a great tenderizer.

Janae Knight

Long Beach, California

USA

When preparing a pot roast, use Coke instead of water – it tenderizes and imparts a unique flavor.

Ron

Nevada

USA

I had a friend who made the best homemade barbecue that I can remember.  He mixed 50/50 Coca-Cola and Heinz ketchup together, and slathered on meat.

Tony Miles

Riverside, California

USA

For more most interesting uses of Coca-Cola, check out Barefoot Lass’s website.

You can add more flavor to frozen vegetables by cooking them in chicken, vegetable, or beef broth.