Kitchen Hacks – those time-saving, and sometimes money-saving, tips that can make things easier on you in the kitchen! I like to consider myself the Queen of Culinary Improvisation (or some would say the MacGyver of the Kitchen), so I’m sharing some great kitchen hacks sure to simplify things in the kitchen!
What A Cool Lunch Box! Place a water-soaked sponge in a plastic ziplock baggie and freeze – a perfect lunchbox cooler!
My Fresh Little Tomato! Store tomatoes stem side-end down to keep them from spoiling as quickly. This prevents air from entering and moisture from exiting the scar where the tomato once attached to the vine. Storing them at room temperature rather than in the fridge also makes them last longer.
“One Banana. . .” Keep bananas fresher, longer by wrapping the end of the bunch with plastic wrap. Better yet, separate each banana, then cover the stem with plastic. The plastic wrap blocks ethylene gases from releasing out of the stem, consequently ripening the fruit too fast.
“Two Banana . . .” Peel a banana easier by taking a knife and making a small horizontal slice just under stem(where it connects to the banana) to open it easier! Do this before putting the banana in the school lunch box!
Wait, You Can Peel Fresh Ginger? The surface of fresh ginger is very knobby. Forget the peeler – Peel ginger using a spoon! It is easier to get into the nooks and crannies!
Roll Out The Lemons! Juicing a lemon? Roll it before you juice it – it breaks up the cells inside, making it easier to get the juice out!
Seeds Are So Cheesy! Wrap lemon in cheesecloth to prevent seeds! The cheesecloth allows for seed-free juice!
Thank you to WTLV-TV’s First Coast Living for inviting me on to share these tips!
Fall is coming, and nothing heralds the start of fall like Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte! It hits the stores this year as early as September 4th, but with a reworked recipe that includes real pumpkin!
Now, if you want to enjoy this treat at home, try making this large batch recipe – it is the perfect recipe hack for this delectable drink (and it includes real pumpkin)!
Large Batch Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte
Ingredients:
1 Cup pureed or canned pumpkin
4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 Cup sugar
1 Cup vanilla extract
1 cup milk, warmed and frothed, per serving (I used 2 percent milk in this recipe)
1-2 shots espresso per serving
Whipped Cream
Directions:
To Make The Pumpkin Spice Base: Combine pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice and black pepper in saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes (until it is hot and smells great!). Add sugar and continue cooking until it looks like apple butter – pretty darned thick!
Remove from heat and add in the vanilla and stir. It should have consistency of apple sauce. Cool and refrigerate (stores well for a week).
The Pumpkin Spice Base, before adding the vanilla – pretty thick!The Pumpkin Spice Base AFTER you add vanilla. Looks kind of like dark apple sauce!
To Make One Serving – Hot: In a saucepan, heat and froth one cup milk (you can froth by using a hand held or regular blender); add 1/3 cup pumpkin spice base and blend; add 1-2 shots espresso and blend. Pour into mug, top with whipped cream and a light dusting of pumpkin pie spice (optional).
To Make One Serving – Cold: In a blender, add one cup cold milk and blend until frothy. Add 1/3 cup pumpkin spice base and 1-2 shots espresso and blend. Pour over ice and serve with or with out whipped cream!
Enjoy!
Need an easy way to make a large batch of espresso? Check out this recipe that is perfect for iced coffee from the Pioneer Woman – Click Here!
This yummy recipe is adapted from one I found on TheKitchn.com!
One of the keys to lighten your child’s school backpack is to choose 3-ring binders and notebooks that are lighter. The Diva shows you some new (and old school) products to lighten that load!
Crazy schedules rule during the school year, as families scatter to a variety of after-school activities: sports, practices, dance, you name it! Try this simple tip to keep track of which family members are where!
If you can’t find the Family Center White board near you, you can order it Here!
The first day of school is rapidly approaching for students, and the Simple Solutions Diva has some great Back-To-School breakfast ideas and helpful tips to get the kids ready for school!
Give Them A Great Breakfast!
Fuel those little brains with good, healthy breakfasts they will like and they will greet the day full & happy! Here are some easy breakfast ideas that are packed with protein:
Waffle Breakfast Sundae
Healthy Waffle Sundae for Breakfast, From SimpleSolutionsDiva.com.
No, this is not a super sweet sundae for breakfast, but one made with a whole wheat (or gluten free) waffle of your choice (toasted), topped with greek yogurt, sliced fruits (I used strawberries and bananas,) and you can sprinkle some granola on top (optional) for a yummy treat! The greek yogurt is high in protein, the fruit gives them the natural sugar and the granola is crunchy good!
Almond Cereal Bars (Photo: Travis Rathbone for MyRecipes.com)
These are a great way to have cereal on the go – have a bar and glass of milk and you are set! And you know exactly what is in the cereal bar (and don’t tell the kids there’s bran in it – they don’t have to know!).
Ingredients:
2/3 cup almond butter
2/3 cup honey
4 cups bran cereal flakes
4 cups Cheerios cereal
4 tablespoons chopped, dried cherries
4 tablespoons chopped almonds (optional)
Directions:
Spray bottom and sides of a 9×13 baking pan with cooking spray.
In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the almond butter and honey. Microwave on high for 30-45 seconds – stir to combine.
In another, larger microwave-safe bowl, combine the cereals and the cherries (and almonds, if using) and microwave on high for 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until the cereal mixture is warm.
Stir the almond-honey mixture over the cereal mixture. Be sure to stir until all cereal is thoroughly coated. Pour into greased pan and press mixture into the bottom of the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm. Cut into bars and serve, or save bars in plastic bags for later. Makes approximately 20 bars.
Southwest Breakfast Wrap, from SimpleSolutionsDiva.com.
These are a great grab & go breakfast for the kids!
Ingredients:
Tortilla Wrap (can use whole wheat wraps if desired)
1 egg, scrambled – You can cook the egg in the microwave (in microwave safe cup!) on high for 1.5 minutes! (See video instructions HERE)
2 teaspoons black beans, rinsed
Cheese
Salsa
2-3 Spinach leaves, washed
Sour cream (if desired)
Directions:
Place tortilla on a microwave-safe plate. Top with cooked egg, cheese, beans, and salsa. Microwave on high for 30-45 seconds, or until tortilla is warm. Add sour cream and spinach leaves, then roll tortilla up! Wrap them in tin foil and serve warm!
During the summer, sleep schedules are crazy! Get them back on track by having them get to bed a little early every day for a week. Reduce the time in front of a TV or computer screen in the evening. Start the process by reading to them in bed (or have the children read to themselves), getting in bed 10 minutes earlier every day for the week leading up to school.
Calm The Nerves!
Many kids get worried about the start of school, or going to a new school or grade. The transition from middle school to high school (or elementary to middle) can be scary, so take advantage of the school orientations. Get a map of the school and highlight where the child’s classes will be (and what period) so they know exactly where they need to go. Talk to them about what they are excited about for school, and then find out if they are nervous about anything. Sometimes just hearing that everything will be OK from mom or dad can make things easier. For the little ones, leaving mom and dad is scary – Give them a laminated photo of the family that they can carry with them at school.
With this video, the Clear The Clutter Challenge is coming to a close! Chris Stone of NeatlyDesigned.com and I have brought you through the whole process: where to start, how to let go of things, and how to prep the space for the new, organized closet. Now we put things back together!
Let me refresh your memory of what we started with – a very disorganized, cluttered craft closet!
This process has been tough on me – I had to learn to let go of some things, not just because they made things messy, but because they were making me feel overwhelmed! Letting go really made me feel lighter, less stressed and ready to take on new challenges!
I now take pleasure in opening the doors and seeing this:
All neat and tidy! I feel less stressed already!
Take The Challenge!
It was our hope we could motivate you to take on the challenge of clearing the clutter in your home – whether it is a big or small project! If you need help, don’t be afraid (or embarrassed!) to contact a professional organizer to help you.
The reality is, if you aren’t on a episode of Hoarders, you are probably normal and just need a little help letting go!
And if you live in Northeast Florida, I highly recommend contacting Chris Stone to help you through the process! Here’s how to reach her:
Christine Stone, Owner, Neatly Designed
Professional Organizer, Member of NAPO (National Association of Professional Organizers)
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