Five Tips for the Kitchen, and a bonus tip should you break your wrist...

I love kitchen tips! Why? Because we're all busy and anything that makes cooking easier is a very good find, in my opinion. Plus completing prep work in the kitchen faster and easier is perfect for every busy cook! And it doesn't seem to matter how long you have been cooking, a good tip is just that a good tip! I hope you find a couple from this list offered today.

1. A simple yeast dough "glaze" to add shine and a crispy crust to your homemade bread. 

Combine the following ingredients in a small saucepan.

1 1/4 c cold water, a dash of salt, 1 T cornstarch.

Bring the ingredients to a boil, remove the saucepan from the heat and let cool.

Use a pastry brush to "paint" the tops and sides of the dough ready to be baked.

Store the leftover cooked glaze in a small jar with a screw-top lid, in the refrigerator for future use. 

This bread dough glaze is great for all bread baking, including Whole Wheat and Honey Bread!

2. When you buy a large block of cheese, take a moment to mark it in 4oz sections, with a permanent marker. When you need 1 cup grated cheese, cut off and grate one section, for 2 cups cheese, cut and grate 2 sections. So much easier than measuring grated cheese. 

So handy for Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese!

3. The next time you make meatloaf, divide the mixture into 4 miniature loaf pans (approximately 2 1/2X4 1/2 inches) and bake. Adjust the baking time as needed. Not only will the meatloaf cook in less time, but these mini loaves are also easy to store in the freezer. Smaller loaves freeze better than larger pieces/loaves.  

This tip is a delicious reason to try the meatloaf recipe from 72 Market Street!

4. The easiest way to remove excess fat from chicken is with scissors. Yep, plain old stainless steel scissors from the office supply section of your favorite department store. They do a great job. Plus they go right into the dishwasher when you are done with them!

They are much thinner than standard kitchen shears. So you can trim off more fat and leave the meat behind. 

The above photos are the results of this technique for boneless and skinless chicken thighs. But this process works for any meat with excess fat.

Perfect to enjoy any of these recipes from, Winner Winner Chicken Dinner 12 Frugal Favorites Made With Chicken Thighs. 

5. When you need a pan of cornbread for stuffing, use a flat rimmed sheet pan (like a jelly roll pan), it cooks quickly and you simply crumble it back into the pan when cool enough to handle and oven toast to your preference. There is nothing better than homemade cornbread stuffing!

And the bonus...

I took a bad fall on the ice a couple of winters ago and broke my left wrist.  While I felt fortunate it was my left wrist and not my right one, I still had to learn to do practically everything one-handed! 

Learning how to get dressed was a bit of a challenge, but I did come up with this easy solution for getting into my blue jeans! 

Tie a large rubber band around the outside edge of the top button loop, then hook the two loops over the button. To easily slip your jeans up or down over your hips, simply unzip your jeans and tug them up or down. I found that tugging on one side and then the other worked pretty good!

The rubber band stretches much like an elastic waistband and you can (usually) get dressed or use the facilities, on your own. without assistance. Independence from a rubber band, who would have thought it could be so simple...

It has not been a perfect solution, but then again, a broken or sprained wrist never is!

#wholefoodingredients

#scratchmadefoodforyourfamily

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