Trivia - how do I ?
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  • To prevent ice cream drips, stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of a sugar cone.
  • To get perfectly shaped pancakes every time, use a meat baster to "squeeze" your pancake batter onto the hot griddle.
  • To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the potatoes.
  • To prevent egg shells from cracking, add a pinch of salt to the water before hard boiling.
  • To keep Rice Krispies treats from sticking to your fingers, run your hands under cold water before pressing them in the pan.
  • To get the most juice out of fresh lemons, bring them to room temperature and roll them under your palm against the kitchen counter before squeezing.
  • To easily remove burnt on food from your skillet, simply add a drop or two of dish soap and enough water to cover bottom of pan, and bring to a boil on stove-top.
  • To avoid tomato stains on plastic ware, spray with nonstick cooking spray before using.
  • To avoid a white mess when a cake recipe calls for flouring the baking pan, use a bit of the dry cake mix instead of flour.
  • To "fix up" an over-salted dish while still cooking, drop in a peeled potato and it will absorb the salt.
  • To keep celery fresh for weeks, wrap it in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator.
  • To yield a beautiful glossy finish on pie crust, brush some beaten egg white over it before baking .
  • To soften brown sugar, place a slice of apple in the bag.
  • To help bring out the corn's natural sweetness when boiling corn on the cob, add a pinch of sugar.
  • To determine whether an egg is fresh, immerse it in a pan of cool, salted water.  If it sinks, it is fresh, but if it rises to the surface, throw it away.
  • To cure throbbing headaches, cut a lime in half and rub it on your forehead.
  • To save all that leftover wine, freeze into ice cubes for future use in casseroles and sauces.
  • To open jars without slipping, use latex dishwashing gloves for a non slip grip.
  • To take food stains off your fingers, just slice and rub raw potato on the stains and rinse with water.
  • To get rid of itch from mosquito bites, try applying soap on the area for instant relief.
  • To keep ants away, draw a chalk line on the floor or wherever ants tend to march.
  • To clean mirrors, use air freshener.  It does a good job and leaves a lovely smell to the shine.
  • To remove a splinter before resorting to tweezers or a needle, put scotch tape over the splinter, then pull it off.
  • Now look what you can do with Alka Seltzer:
    • To clean a toilet, drop in two Alka-Seltzer tablets, wait twenty minutes, brush and flush.  The citric acid and effervescent action clean vitreous china.
    • To remove a stain from the bottom of a glass vase or cruet, fill with water and drop in two Alka-Seltzer tablets.
    • To polish jewelry, drop two Alka-Seltzer tablets into a glass of water and immerse the jewelry for two minutes.
    • To clean a thermos bottle, fill the bottle with water, drop in four Alka-Seltzer tablets, and let soak for an hour (or longer, if necessary).
    • To unclog a drain, drop three Alka-Seltzer tablets down the drain followed by a cup of Heinz White Vinegar - Wait a few minutes, then run the hot water.

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© Copyright 1998-2004 by Jim Pool Sunday, October 19, 2003