Tips, tricks, hints & faves

[PTree15]

Oh my gosh - I used to LOVE American cheese! When I was pregnant with my first, I ate American cheese sandwiches every single day (and soft-serve chocolate frozen yogurt with sprinkles, but I digress...). Kraft American cheese - not the individually wrapped ones, but the ones that came in the big block - solid 1 ounce slices, yes indeed. And while I usually ate them with wheat bread, what I really craved was white bread, and a generous serving of Miracle Whip and crunchy ice berg lettuce. Near the end of my pregnancy, when I was getting up to go pee in the middle of the night, I would make myself a half an American cheese sandwich before I went back to bed.

And while I was never a fan of Velveeta by itself, it makes a killer cheese dip with a can of Rotel stirred in and all heated up.

And yeah, I can see why people say the Chao reminds them of American - it's so very mild. It probably reminds me more of Monterey Jack.

I loathed Kraft and Velveeta, but I used to love Land O' Lakes American cheese as a kid, especially in a sandwich with mustard, lettuce and tomato. I would just eat it by the slice as well. And I loved it on saltines. I'm happy that the Daiya cheddar slices take good care of my grilled cheese and my cheese-and-crackers cravings.

 

[MadamSarcastra]

11 Products on Deep Discount in May

 

[silva]

I bought some Violife Orginal and Sainsbury's Free From Cheddar for £ 2.40 which works out at approx. 2. 90 $. Moreover it tastes far better than Daiya cheese.

Tastes better than Daiya blocks? Or shreds? Easy to believe better than shreds, but if you mean better than the jalepano Havarit I'm intrigued !

 

[MadamSarcastra]

Don’t toss those old spices you never use

 

[Poppy]

Remember when adding kelp powder or nori flakes to chickpea salad made vegan tuna salad? We've come a long way, baby! I love Sophie's crab cakes and smoked salmon, and Gardein's fish fillets are delicious. Vegan seafood is so hot!

Vegan Seafood Is The Next Big Thing For 2017! Here’s The Proof:

 

[GingerFoxx]

Simple travel tip: When I travel for work and I don't know what food options might be available, I carry instant oatmeal packets and snack sized raisins or nuts in a ziplock bag in my luggage. That way, if I can't find anything appetizing in the airport terminal, I can politely ask a place that sells hot beverages (like Starbucks) for a cup of hot water and make myself and instant meal/snack.

 

[Poppy]

Those single-serve peanut butter and almond butter packets are handy for travel too.

 

[silva]

Don’t toss those old spices you never use

I read on a gardening site to sprinkle cinnamon on the soil where you plant seeds to deter some type of fungus. I forgot what, or what particular seeds, but it wouldn't hurt!

 

[silva]

I tried the chickpea cooking liquid in chocolate dough cookies and they actually tasted like regular brownies! Brownies were one thing I never felt got close enough without eggs- good, but not brownie. Aquafaba is better than starches, flax goop, or just omitting egg subs.
I think they would bake fine in a pan- I did tablespoon sized cookies. Posted in the Cake/bakes section of recipes if you want to see recipe. I actually measured things!

 

[MadamSarcastra]

I read on a gardening site to sprinkle cinnamon on the soil where you plant seeds to deter some type of fungus. I forgot what, or what particular seeds, but it wouldn't hurt!

Also fungus gnats (those teeny black flies can plague some plants).... I remember when I got a bag of potting soil to plant my avocado pit... after a few days I noticed several gnats.... The avocado never made it, but the soil dried out completely (that's the key), got stirred up & is now home to my ever-sprouting onions... and not a single gnat in sight.

I had sprinkled some cinnamon around the first plant to drive away the gnats, but was leery because I also read that it can burn the roots, etc. However, this site I'm on now says it stimulates root growth when planting cuttings....

But yeah, cinnamon is supposed to be a great fungicide.... also, sprinkle it around doorways & windowsills to deter ants.

Uses Of Cinnamon In Gardens – How To Use Cinnamon Powder For Plant Health

It seems baking soda is another plant fungicide: Using Sodium Bicarbonate On Plants – Is Baking Soda Good For Plants

 

[MadamSarcastra]

36 of the BEST kitchen tips and tricks! (with pictures) ---- (slideshow)

Many of these I've already heard of (as I'm sure most of you have), some I'd totally forgotten about, a few are brand new discoveries!

I already use #15 every time I buy a container of baby spinach or kale....

 

[silva]

I saw the watermelon 'hack' on the news last year and tried it, without success. When I got to the last cuts I got cubes falling everywhere! No way I could hold that thing together to wait to get to a bowl! I was P"SST!
I didn't have a knife nearly sharp enough to do the cherry tomato slice between plates either-another mess!
I cut melons in half, then slice off the rind all over

 

[MadamSarcastra]

I saw the watermelon 'hack' on the news last year and tried it, without success. When I got to the last cuts I got cubes falling everywhere! No way I could hold that thing together to wait to get to a bowl! I was P"SST!
I didn't have a knife nearly sharp enough to do the cherry tomato slice between plates either-another mess!
I cut melons in half, then slice off the rind all over

I just used to cut melons in 8ths, wrap 'em for later use, & use a spoon to eat 'em. LOL

Never actually tried the tomato trick... and my knives are dulling. I found my sharpener, but even that needs replacing now. But I'd LIKE to try that trick, for sure!

 

[MadamSarcastra]

I've just acquired a rock maple French-style rolling pin, and wanted to be sure I cared for it properly. I want it to last a long time.

I know about never letting wooden kitchen implements soak in water, didn't know not to use soap....

How To Clean a Wood Rolling Pin

Don't use soap. Ever. Don't do it! It'll strip the wood of its natural oils, shortening the life of your rolling pin.

 

[MadamSarcastra]

9 Reasons Why Cumin Should Be a Regular Part of Your Diet

 

[Poppy]

For whenever and wherever you travel - Happy Cow! It even works overseas! Find Vegan & Vegetarian Restaurants Near You - HappyCow

 

[Amy SF]

For whenever and wherever you travel - Happy Cow! It even works overseas! Find Vegan & Vegetarian Restaurants Near You - HappyCow

They even have an app if you have a smartphone and you want to post reviews and refer to it often.

 

[Poppy]

They even have an app if you have a smartphone and you want to post reviews and refer to it often.

I should've said that there is a Happy Cow app. I use it nearly every time I'm out of town.

 

[MadamSarcastra]

In an effort to further my vegan adventure, I'm actually considering doing something with tofu. LOL

I enjoyed reading this... and sympathized with a lot of it. 8 Reasons You Hate Tofu and How to Change That

Then there's this.... 6 Tips That Will Make You Love Tofu

I do NOT want chunks of curd, not in anything. But I thought about possibly trying to make a quiche, something like that... 'cuz the only noticeable craving for animal products I've had recently has been for something eggy. And that piece of vegan quiche I tried a while ago was SO good!

 

[silva]

"When you take a block of tofu out of the package, it is wet, mushy and spongy. Now listen closely: YOU DON’T HAVE TO EAT IT THAT WAY! If you do, well, it’s no wonder you don’t like tofu. Not pressing the tofu is one of the biggest mistakes people make. Not only does all the water need to get out of the tofu so flavor can get in, but pressing the tofu changes its texture dramatically. The tofu goes from soft and spongy to firm and dense. Freezing the tofu before using can make it even more dense and chewy. You can buy tofu presses that are available or do it yourself with paper towels and heavy objects."
I am absolutely appalled by this- taken from the "8 reasons you hate tofu"
First-tofu is NOT wet mushy or spongy. Out of the package it should taste just fine.
Secondly- I don't press tofu. I may put it between two plates and press a bit for some recipes, but normally just cube or slice
Third- if I had tofu that's been frozen the first time, I would never want it again. Yes, I know some people like it like that, but for me, that is the way to make it the texture of a sponge. A sponge that's really old and chewy.
The fresher the better.