Recent Hints
Keep the straws from unwanted drink bottles
If you have a drink bottle with an internal straw, when the bottle cracks, leaks or dies, don't throw the straw out! Remove it from the bottle and keep it in your cutlery drawer for whenever you need a straw, or keep a couple in your bag for use when you're out. I keep three in a little cotton bag in my handbag for when we order a drink that would normally come with a disposable straw (milkshakes, iced coffees, spiders, soft drinks). After use, I just give the straw a quick rinse in the restroom sink, or wrap in a serviette, and give a good wash when I get home. A simple way to reduce waste and help the planet!
By: MuirinTap into the answer to no nail biting
If you are a nail biter, you may find the solution to quitting the habit by working on the sub-conscious mind. 'Tapping' is also known as the Emotional Freedom Technique. More information is available at www.thetappingsolution.com They are the best I have found. They have some free videos you can watch and follow along online, as well as books which you may find at your local library. Worth checking out!
By: Sasha PrienHottest Hints
Crockpot party feeds the crowds in winter
I came up with a great low cost, low stress way to feed the crowds at my son's 21st birthday party. With the weather being chillier, the food needed to be warming and more robust than usual. I came up with the idea of a crockpot party! I am borrowing family members' and friends' crockpots and am filling them in the morning with different dishes, then I can 'forget' about them until the evening! When it's time for everyone to eat, I can then just plug them all into a power board and put them on the table. This is a triple whammy saver for me! It saves time as I don't have to spend all day in the kitchen and can get other things ready for the party instead. It saves money as I can use cheaper cuts of meat to achieve tender dishes and - as I don't have to use serving dishes, it even saves on washing up!
By: Linda C 14 responses in the members' forumCook two simultaneous meals in one crock pot
We are a family of only two adults who cook often with a large crock pot. However we do find ourselves with a heap of left overs after cooking a pot full of food. So, instead of filling the crock pot with enough food for one meal several times over, we now take two oven bags and divide our meat/chicken/fish between both bags. We add different flavourings to each bag then arrange both bags in the slow cooker and cook on low for eight hours. I have just made Chicken Korma in one bag, using drumsticks that were on special with an extra pinch of cinnamon and some chilli, and Mediterranean Chicken with olives in the other bag. The conflicting smells are surprisingly delightful and the final result is two delicious meals both cooked with the same amount of power I would have used for one. Any extras we don't consume straight away I simply freeze and save for a later date.
By: Linda P 74 responses in the members' forumReceive a Free Newsletter
