| KSG
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What are some tips and tricks you find helpful?
Here are mine (nothing original by any means, but they work):
:: When cooking things in oil, I pour the oil into a small dish and then use a pastry brush to brush it on the pan. It really cuts down on the amount of oil used. I made Turkey Breakfast Sausages this morning (mmmmmmm). I poured the allotted 1 tsp of oil into the bowl, brushed the pan, and had almost the entire 1 tsp left over.
:: Crunch on a pickle. Yesterday was grocery store day and our fridge was quite bare. I had gone too long in between meals. Usually, that combo means very bad food choices for me. Yesterday I ate a pickle while staring at our fridge and was able to come up with a meal of sauteed spinach with a poached egg.
:: Use a fork to apply salad dressing when you're eating out. I know this is a classic trick, but my husband had never heard of it, so I thought I'd share. Order dressing on the side and dip your fork in it before taking a bite. I was satisfied with the amount of dressing - just enough to flavor the salad - and the waiter thought I had not touched the dressing.
:: Use a baby spoon for dessert! This one just occurred to me last night. It made my delicious "pudding" (peanut butter, NSA fudgsicle, and yogurt) last so much longer. |
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Sun Apr 27, 2008 1:16 pm |
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| DebbyC
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Good ideas - I totally forget pickles - moving mine to the front of the shelf! I used the small spoon idea for my warm brownie last night - why DO WE stuff a quarter cup of food in there for every bite...you don't event get to taste it all.....
Prepare veggies for snacking - if they are already clean and in baggies its easier to grab. It's also easier to make a visually appealing snack plate or salad.
Drink a glass of water 1st - if you've had a reasonable snack or meal in the past hour or so and feeling hungry. If you are really hungry, take a look at your last meal or snack and apply wisdom to your next days meal plan.
Get the milk in.
Try one new food, method of cooking, or recipe each week. |
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Sun Apr 27, 2008 3:06 pm |
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| Sugarplum Fairy
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| About that oil..........I am wondering if I can use an empty ICBINB spray bottle and put oil in it. Do you guys think it would spray out of the nozzle? That would be a good way to spray a pan so we don't pour too much oil into it. When my bottle is empty, I might try that. Make sure to clearly mark the bottle as OIL, hahahahah! |
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Sun Apr 27, 2008 4:15 pm |
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| DebbyC
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sugarplum - I bought a Misto sprayer for about $10 and that is what I frequently use to spray pans, mist food going in the oven or on the grill. I don't like that I have to pump it so often, but it works
If you try the spray bottle - let me know how it works - |
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Sun Apr 27, 2008 5:41 pm |
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| Ditdah
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| I've used oil in pump spray bottles before. Some of them work and some don't - I think it depends on the size of the holes and "stuff" inside the pump mechanism. Some pumps that work well with water or other thin liquids just clog with the oil. But I've used one that I also use for spray gel for my hair, and it works great! (I don't use the same bottle for each - I have two separate bottles! But I knew it worked on the thick hair gel, so it would work on my oil as well.) They were just cheap plastic bottles I got in a dollar store, so I can't tell you what brand they are or anything. But I wanted to let you know that there ARE bottles out there that work - you just have to experiment to find them! |
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Sun Apr 27, 2008 5:46 pm |
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| Sugarplum Fairy
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I have heard of using a fork to dip into the dressing and then the salad. I've tried that and it works well with thicker stuff, like Thousand Island. However, I don't use TI anymore, hahah. I'm into vinagrettes now, and they don't get too thick, so I just drizzle them... but the fork is a great idea!!! Just enough flavor, not overpowering and gloppy!
I use one of my espresso spoons to eat my desserts. My DH chuckled at me the first time he noticed, because we'd been watching some sitcom where this guy was using a tiny spoon to eat HIS dessert, and well, it just made sense, and he thought I was quite cute. :-)
I guess you guys must think I'm too cheap to go out and buy a pump spray bottle, huh? LOLOLOLOLOL Gosh, I didn't mean to sound like that, LOL. It's just I live in the country and don't drive, and I don't get to the store too often. So I have to be really REALLY practical sometimes! :::RED FACED::: LOLOLOL |
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Sun Apr 27, 2008 7:39 pm |
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| Ditdah
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Sugarplum Fairy wrote: I guess you guys must think I'm too cheap to go out and buy a pump spray bottle, huh?
Oh - I didn't think that at all! I just meant that I know SOME spray bottles will work, so don't give up if the ICBINB one doesn't.
Heck, I can drive, and I live in a big city, and have a full-time job with no kids, but I STILL look around forever for something around the house I can use if possible, and then I try and hit up dollar stores as much as I can! I hate to spend money on anything I don't have to. I'd rather splurge on things that are treats for me - good wine, or a really good steak, or a weekend trip! |
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Sun Apr 27, 2008 8:26 pm |
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| melindad
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Thanks a lot for the tips!
I liked the babyspoon for desert one best - it is probably a good idea as it makes you believe that you are eating more than you actually do. |
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Mon Apr 28, 2008 8:43 am |
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