Recipes for Non-Cooks

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Gift Wrapping Ideas

Gift Wrapping Ideas.

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Leftover pieces of wallpapering...Use to wrap any gift..

Heavy duty tin foil makes a pretty package...Wrap a shoe box top and bottom seperatly with either wall paper or tin foil and you have a nice easy-open gift box.

Popcorn tins make an easy package for something that needs a round container. (Look for these at resale shops and garage sales!!)

The colored comics from the newspaper works nicely also.

The smooth colored JUNK STUFF in the newspaper is great!! ( I often wrap all our Christmas presents in newspaper... TONS OF WRAPPING PAPER FOR THIS VERY LARGE FAMILY!! I also use as many reuseable containers as I can. No need to throw away something I can use for many years to come; ie, baskets, popcorn tins, pencil boxes...)

Use leftover yarn pieces for bows... Cut to desired length. Secure with a small rubber band and then glue to package. Again, you can find leftover yarn at almost any garage sale...

Cut off gallon jugs (milk, bleach, laundry soap..), well cleaned. Glue leftover fabrics outside and inside for a nice open gift package. If desired, Add a little filling by stuffing a couple of old nylons behind the fabric before gluing to jug. Add a quick pocket...(Really great idea for baby/wedding shower..)

All little girls love purses. Fill an old purse with WHATEVER.. Two presents in one.. (Again, resale shops and garage sales!!!)

Small decorative tin or wooden boxes make an easy

package. (RESALE SHOPS AND GARAGE SALES!!)

Old backpacks can be filled with some really cool stuff, you know!!!

ANY AND ALL BASKETS WILL BECOME A GIFT PACKAGE WITH A PRETTY BOW AND A FEW SHEETS OF THIN PRETTY PAPER.

Save those small boxes that have secure lids.. YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN YOU MIGHT NEED SOMETHING FOR A QUICK GIFT BOX WRAPPED IN TIN FOIL/ OR WHATEVER.... I wrap mine in the heavy duty tin foil before I put them away in the large covered plastic container I keep for all my reuseable gift giving stuff. That way they are ready when I need something quickly; the same with a few shoe boxes. A great way to use up those LAST FEW PIECES OF REAL WRAPPING PAPER YOU CUT OFF FROM THE ROLL...

FABRIC LEFTOVERS ARE WONDERFUL GLUED ON ANY CONTAINER!!!!! No need to use glue, though. Old Sheets and draperies make nice, QUICK wrappings. SECURE FABRIC ENDS together for weird spaced thingies with a rubber band. Then spray on a little glitter. You can find this at a craft store. OR.. Glue on a few bows here and there.

(That spray-on glitter stuff is great!!)

Just thought of a GREAT SOUP IDEA..

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BAKE YOUR SOUP BONES

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I DO THIS ALL THE TIME. BAKE ALL THE BONES FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES OR SO. IT WILL HELP WITH THE FLAVOR OF YOUR BROTHS. THE BROILER PAN REALLY WORKS GREAT FOR THIS IDEA.

Uses for Baking Soda

There are 10 Common Uses For Baking Soda:

Make a paste of baking soda and water and rub on insect bites to relieve itching.
Remove coffee and tea stains by scrubbing pots or cups with baking soda and a plastic scouring pad.
Add 1/3 cup baking soda to a wash cycle as a bleach booster or to the rinse cycle for cleaner smelling laundry.
To remove black scuff marks from floor, rub them with a paste of baking soda and water.
Clean fiberglass showers and tubs with baking soda sprinkled one sponge. Sponge clean and wipe dry.
Soak sour smelling dishcloths and sponges in water and baking soda solution.
Use a solution of water and baking soda to clean and deodorize the inside of your microwave.
Put a few spoonfuls in a cup of water in the microwave, boil for two minutes, then wipe down the inside with a sponge.
Sprinkle a little baking soda into the laundry hamper to minimize odors.
Remove crayon marks from walls by scrubbing gently with an old toothbrush and a paste of baking soda and water.

Clean Recipe Cards

If you are following a recipe from a card, you know how it can get very dirty and splashed with exotic ingredients. To keep it pristine, put the card in the prongs of a fork and set the fork in a glass in front of you....

...and don't touch it again until you have washed your hands!!

Reply from dianne11323:

You can also place your precious recipe card in a CLEAR NOTE BOOK. The type kids use for SCHOOL TERM PAPERS..

Remove their papers, store in folders in underbed clear plastic containers. Wash covering inside and out

Keep a few in the kitchen to simply LAY YOUR RECIPE UNDER WHILE YOU FOLLOW RECIPE. WASH EVERYTHING.

A LARGER PICTURE HOLDER WORKS GREAT TO HOLD RECIPES (Not the frame, just the holder).

If you have some really favorites and have a way to LAMINATE THEM...KEEP A BOX OF FAVORITES LAMINATED. SIMPLY WIPE OFF YOUR RECIPE WHEN FINISHED. I had all my favorites laminated at our local Library. The laminate machines are available almost everywhere..

CLOTHESPINS WORK GREAT ALSO! Glen made me a recipe holder out of an old piece of wood with a clothespin attached. IT'S REALLY EASY TO DO. CUT THE WOOD OR WHATEVER, ADD A BACK HOLDER SO YOUR RECIPE IS EASILY VISABLE. ATTACH WITH A CLOTHESPIN. Mine is not glued on. I keep a few on the counters for closures for almost every bag in this house, as well as for holding recipes. USE THE CLOTHES PINS.. AND wood.

Inexpensive Containers

Storage containers do not HAVE TO BE EXPENSIVE..

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CHEAP PLASTIC SHOE BOXES MAKE A NICE PICTURE ORGANIZER; FOR CHRISTMAS CARDS, ALL-OCCASION CARDS, ENVELOPES...Use cheap different colored note cards to divide catagories. ALSO GOOD FOR THREAD(spools and all), LEFTOVER YARN, CRAFTING ITEMS, ALMOST EVERYTHING, PAPER, NYLONS, SOCKS. YOU NAME IT.

CHEAP SWEATER OR UNDERBED PLASTIC CONTANERS WORK FOR EVERYTHING IN EVERY ROOM OF THE HOUSE!!!

These should be clear so you can see what's in them. MARK THEM ON TOP AND ON ALL SIDES .They stack nicely on top of each other and are very easy to move off each other to get to the bottom one. I love these for closets without shelving. Closets with shelves, storage sheds, GUYS' STUFF IN GARAGES, GIRLS' STUFF IN GARAGES, SPICE CONTAINERS...THE SKY IS THE LIMIT!!!

This tip is from Maidie Cohen via http://www.worldwiderecipes.com (I was very glad to see this because my parsley always wilts before I can use it. You have to buy such a big bunch of it at the grocer and I usually just use small amounts at a time.)

When I buy a bunch of fresh parsley I chop off a tiny bit of the stems and put the parsley in a glass or vase of very warm (almost hot) water to keep on my kitchen counter. The warm water revives the parsley. I remove any leaves in the water, and change the water every few days, or when it gets cloudy. Not only is it good to look at, especially in the winter, it's also always handy to use when I want small amounts to chop and sprinkle on something, or a stem or two to throw in a pot. My experience has been that it keeps on the counter just as long as it does in the fridge. If it's very fresh when I buy it, it'll last a couple of weeks.

Chopping Parsley: Using a chef's knife and holding down tip end, cut back and forth across whole parsley sprigs. Also use this method for chopping other fresh herbs such as cilantro, basil or sage.

Filling Freezer Bags

TO FILL FREEZER BAGS QUICKLY, place food in a quart jar, slip the bag over the jar then invert. The bag is quickly filled and the top is clean for sealing.

TO REMOVE AIR FROM A RESEALABLE BAG, insert a drinking straw into the bag,
close bag as close to straw as you can. SUCK THE AIR OUT OF THE BAG.
IN ONE QUICK MOVEMENT, REMOVE STRAW AND FINISH CLOSING THE BAG. Change the straw between different foods.

Softening Brown Sugar

Place an open box of hardened brown sugar in the microwave oven with 1 cup of hot water. Microwave at high for 1-1/2 to 2 minutes for 1/2 pound or 2 to 3 minutes for 1 pound. This will work also if you have those LEFTOVER ROCK-HARD BAG'S.
DO NOT HEAT LONG, YOU MIGHT MELT THE SUGAR. Be sure to watch closely

Softening Butter

Softening Butter in a Hurry:

It can take a long time for a stick of chilled butter to reach the right temperature for creaming. Many cooks are tempted to use the microwave, but this is an imperfect solution because the edges of the butter often begin to melt before the center is really softened. If you are in a hurry, cut the butter into tablespoon-sized pieces. It will be soft enough to use in about 15 minutes. If, despite all precautions, your butter is still too cool, a quick remedy is to wrap a bowl with a warm, damp towel and continue creaming.

Starting a Spice Cabinet

Starting A Spice Cabinet:
The beginning cook could become confused when browsing the spice rack at the local supermarket. Purchasing them all can get expensive. Many are seldom used in most kitchens. Start with these 10 and build from there:

thyme
rosemary
oregano
vanilla extract
basil
dill weed
ginger
garlic powder
chili powder
cinnamon.

Important Announcement The MSN Groups service will close in February 2009. You can move your group to Multiply, MSN’s partner for online groups. Learn More
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