E-book – 101 Food, Fruit and Kitchen Hacks

If you’re an avid cook like me, then you are always on the look out for tips and shortcuts that speeds up meal preparation or saves you time in the kitchen. These hacks will help you do just that. The tips are categorized into 8 categories.

delicious food cover ebook

 

For more information and download, click here




Fast Food Calories

Fast Food Calories

Despite the many gimmicks, fad diets and seemingly infinite sources of bad information, the single biggest factor in weight control is calories. More specifically, the relationship between how many calories your body burns per day and how many calories you consume (as in eat or drink) per day. What I mean is…

Consuming more calories than you burn = weight gain
Burning more calories than you consume = weight loss
Consuming and burning the same number of calories = weight maintenance

So, if you currently have weight to lose or just want to prevent yourself from ever having weight to lose, the most important and all around useful thing you can do diet-wise is pay attention to your calorie intake.

The thing is, one of the most common food choices for the average person is fast food. That’s a fact. And, as if this is going to be a shock to anyone on the planet, fast food is one of the worst high calorie offenders. That’s another fact. The combination of these two facts is… well… not-so-good.

Now, while I can’t stop fast food restaurants from selling foods that are laughably high in calories, and I certainly can’t stop people from eating fast food (it’s convenient, cheap and yummy, I know), what I can attempt to do is assist in the making of better choices. Or, in this case, prevent the making of the worst ones.

To do this, I went through the nutrition facts of literally every single item from the menus of 25 popular fast food restaurants (full list of included restaurants can be found at the end of this) to put together a list of what ended up being the 272 Fast Food Items Highest In Calories. Here we go…

Fast Food Items With 1000+ Calories

  1. White Castle Chocolate Shake – Large (Louisville region)

    Calories: 1680

  2. Nathan’s Fish N Chips

    Calories: 1537

  3. Carl’s Jr. Double Six Dollar Burger

    Calories: 1520

  4. Hardee’s Monster Thickburger

    Calories: 1420

  5. Dairy Queen Large Choc. Chip Cookie Dough Blizzard

    Calories: 1320

  6. Hardee’s Double Bacon Cheese Thickburger

    Calories: 1300

  7. Dairy Queen Large Chocolate Malt

    Calories: 1300

  8. Nathan’s Chicken Tender Platter

    Calories: 1300

  9. Jack In The Box OREO Cookie Ice Cream Shake (24oz)

    Calories: 1290

  10. Dairy Queen Chicken Strip Basket (6 piece)

    Calories: 1270

  11. Hardee’s Double Thickburger

    Calories: 1250

  12. Burger King TRIPLE WHOPPER Sandwich With Cheese

    Calories: 1230

  13. Jack In The Box Chocolate Ice Cream Shake (24oz)

    Calories: 1230

  14. White Castle Chocolate Shake – Large (New Jersey region)

    Calories: 1230

  15. Hardee’s Big Country Breakfast Platter – Breaded Pork Chop

    Calories: 1220

  16. Jack In The Box Strawberry Ice Cream Shake (24oz)

    Calories: 1220

  17. Jack In The Box Egg Nog Shake (24oz)

    Calories: 1210

  18. Nathan’s FRENCH FRIES (SUPER SIZE)

    Calories: 1188

  19. White Castle Vanilla Shake – Large (New Jersey region)

    Calories: 1180

  20. Del Taco Macho Beef Burrito

    Calories: 1170

  21. McDonald’s Chocolate Triple Thick Shake (32oz)

    Calories: 1160

  22. Hardee’s Big Country Breakfast Platter – Country Steak

    Calories: 1150

  23. McDonald’s Deluxe Breakfast (Large Size Biscuit) w/o Syrup & Margarine

    Calories: 1140

  24. Carl’s Jr. Guacamole Bacon Six Dollar Burger

    Calories: 1140

  25. Hardee’s Big Country Breakfast Platter – Chicken

    Calories: 1140

  26. White Castle Vanilla Shake – Large (Cincinnati region)

    Calories: 1140

  27. Burger King TRIPLE WHOPPER Sandwich

    Calories: 1130

  28. White Castle Chicken Rings (20)

    Calories: 1130

  29. White Castle Chocolate Shake – Large (Cincinnati region)

    Calories: 1130

  30. Carl’s Jr. Western Bacon Six Dollar Burger

    Calories: 1130

  31. Dairy Queen Large Chocolate Shake

    Calories: 1130

  32. Jack In The Box Bacon ‘n’ Cheese Ciabatta Burger

    Calories: 1120

  33. Jack In The Box Sirloin Bacon ‘n’ Cheese Burger

    Calories: 1120

  34. McDonald’s Vanilla Triple Thick Shake (32oz)

    Calories: 1110

  35. McDonald’s Strawberry Triple Thick Shake (32oz)

    Calories: 1110

  36. Del Taco Macho Nachos

    Calories: 1100

  37. Jack In The Box Bacon Ultimate Cheeseburger

    Calories: 1090

  38. White Castle Fish Nibblers – Sack

    Calories: 1090

  39. White Castle Strawberry Shake – Large (Minneapolis region)

    Calories: 1090

  40. White Castle Vanilla Shake – Large (Nashville region)

    Calories: 1090

  41. White Castle Chocolate Shake – Large (Nashville region)

    Calories: 1090

  42. McDonald’s Deluxe Breakfast (Reg. Size Biscuit) w/o Syrup & Margarine

    Calories: 1070

  43. Jack In The Box Sirloin Cheese Burger

    Calories: 1070

  44. Carl’s Jr. Bacon Cheese Six Dollar Burger

    Calories: 1070

  45. Hardee’s Six Dollar Burger

    Calories: 1060

  46. Hardee’s Big Country Breakfast Platter – Sausage

    Calories: 1060

  47. Del Taco Macho Combo Burrito

    Calories: 1050

  48. Jack In The Box Vanilla Ice Cream Shake (24oz)

    Calories: 1050

  49. Dairy Queen Large Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Blizzard

    Calories: 1050

  50. Del Taco Macho Bacon & Egg Burrito

    Calories: 1030

  51. Dairy Queen FlameThrower GrillBurger (1/2lb)

    Calories: 1030

  52. Dairy Queen Chicken Strip Basket (4 piece)

    Calories: 1030

  53. Dairy Queen Medium Choc. Chip Cookie Dough Blizzard

    Calories: 1030

  54. Hardee’s Grilled Sourdough Thickburger

    Calories: 1030

  55. White Castle Chocolate Shake – Large (New York region)

    Calories: 1020

  56. White Castle Strawberry Shake – Large (Columbus & Detroit regions)

    Calories: 1010

  57. Jack In The Box Ultimate Cheeseburger

    Calories: 1010

  58. Sonic Peanut Butter Shake – Large (20oz)

    Calories: 1010

  59. Carl’s Jr. Original Six Dollar Burger

    Calories: 1010

  60. Burger King BK Quad Stacker

    Calories: 1000

  61. Arby’s Meatball Toasted Sub

    Calories: 1000

  62. Dairy Queen Large Oreo Cookies Blizzard

    Calories: 1000

  63. Boston Market Boston Sirloin Dip Carver

    Calories: 1000

Fast Food Items With 900-999 Calories

  1. Burger King DOUBLE WHOPPER Sandwich with Cheese

    Calories: 990

  2. Sonic Chocolate Cream Pie Shake – Large (20 oz)

    Calories: 990

  3. Dairy Queen Large Strawberry CheeseQuake Blizzard

    Calories: 990

  4. White Castle Vanilla Shake – Large (New York region)

    Calories: 990

  5. Wendy’s Triple w/Everything and Cheese

    Calories: 980

  6. Sonic Super Sonic Cheeseburger (with mayo)

    Calories: 980

  7. Hardee’s Big Country Breakfast Platter – Bacon

    Calories: 980

  8. White Castle Onion Chips – Sack

    Calories: 980

  9. Carl’s Jr. Double Western Bacon Cheeseburger

    Calories: 970

  10. Hardee’s Big Country Breakfast Platter – Country Ham

    Calories: 970

  11. Arby’s Sausage Gravy Biscuit

    Calories: 961

  12. Burger King OREO Sundae Shake – Chocolate – Medium

    Calories: 960

  13. Burger King Chocolate Milk Shake – Large

    Calories: 950

  14. White Castle Chocolate Shake – Large (St Louis region)

    Calories: 950

  15. Jack In The Box Sourdough Ultimate Cheeseburger

    Calories: 950

  16. Nathan’s Chicken Breast Platter

    Calories: 943

  17. Boston Market Boston Meatloaf Carver

    Calories: 940

  18. Sonic FRITOS Chili Pie

    Calories: 940

  19. Sonic Peanut Butter Fudge Shake-Large (20oz)

    Calories: 940

  20. Burger King OREO Sundae Shake – Strawberry – Medium

    Calories: 940

  21. White Castle Vanilla Shake – Large (Minneapolis region)

    Calories: 940

  22. Carl’s Jr. Super Star (with cheese)

    Calories: 930

  23. Del Taco Macho Chicken Burrito

    Calories: 930

  24. Burger King Strawberry Milk Shake – Large

    Calories: 930

  25. Sonic Chicken Strip Dinner (4)

    Calories: 930

  26. Sonic Strawberry Cream Pie Shake – Large (20 oz)

    Calories: 930

  27. Hardee’s Thickburger

    Calories: 910

  28. Hardee’s Bacon Cheese Thickburger

    Calories: 910

  29. Jack In The Box OREO Cookie Ice Cream Shake – 16oz

    Calories: 910

  30. Burger King DOUBLE WHOPPER Sandwich

    Calories: 900

  31. Sonic Super Sonic Cheeseburger (with ketchup)

    Calories: 900

  32. Sonic M&M’s Sonic Blast – Large (20oz)

    Calories: 900

  33. Dairy Queen Medium Chocolate Malt

    Calories: 900

Fast Food Items With 800-899 Calories

  1. Sonic Super Sonic Cheeseburger (with mustard)

    Calories: 890

  2. Sonic Super Sonic Jalapeno Cheeseburger

    Calories: 890

  3. Pizza Hut Meat Lover’s 6″ Personal Pan Pizza (whole pizza)

    Calories: 890

  4. White Castle Chocolate Shake – Large (Columbus & Detroit regions)

    Calories: 890

  5. White Castle Chocolate Shake – Medium (New Jersey region)

    Calories: 890

  6. Jack In The Box Strawberry Ice Cream Shake (16oz)

    Calories: 880

  7. Jack In The Box Chocolate Ice Cream Shake (16oz)

    Calories: 880

  8. KFC Chicken and Biscuit Bowl

    Calories: 870

  9. Sonic Butterfinger Sonic Blast – Large (20oz)

    Calories: 870

  10. Sonic Hot Fudge Shake – Large (20oz)

    Calories: 870

  11. Jack In The Box Egg Nog Shake (16oz)

    Calories: 870

  12. Jack In The Box Single Bacon n’ Cheese Ciabatta Burger

    Calories: 870

  13. Nathan’s SUPER BURGER

    Calories: 863

  14. Subway Double Meatball Marinara

    Calories: 860

  15. White Castle Chocolate Shake – Medium (Nashville region)

    Calories: 860

  16. White Castle Vanilla Shake – Large (Columbus & Detroit regions)

    Calories: 860

  17. White Castle Vanilla Shake – Medium (New Jersey region)

    Calories: 860

  18. Sonic Banana Cream Pie Shake – Large (20oz)

    Calories: 860

  19. Nathan’s BURGER WITH CHEESE

    Calories: 850

  20. White Castle Chocolate Shake – Large (Indianapolis region)

    Calories: 850

  21. Sonic Coconut Cream Pie Shake – Large (20oz)

    Calories: 850

  22. Arby’s Mozzarella Sticks – Large (8)

    Calories: 849

  23. Arby’s Chicken Parmesan Toasted Sub

    Calories: 843

  24. Taco Bell Fiesta Taco Salad

    Calories: 840

  25. White Castle Mozzarella Cheese Sticks (10)

    Calories: 840

  26. White Castle Vanilla Shake – Medium (Cincinnati region)

    Calories: 840

  27. White Castle Strawberry Shake – Large (Cincinnati region)

    Calories: 840

  28. Dairy Queen Mocha MooLatte (24oz)

    Calories: 840

  29. Dairy Queen Caramel MooLatte (24oz)

    Calories: 840

  30. Sonic Chocolate Malt – Large (20oz)

    Calories: 840

  31. Sonic Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups Sonic Blast – Large (20oz)

    Calories: 840

  32. Arby’s Roast Turkey Ranch & Bacon Sandwich

    Calories: 834

  33. Wendy’s Baconator

    Calories: 830

  34. Carl’s Jr. Philly Cheesesteak Burger

    Calories: 830

  35. Carl’s Jr. Breakfast Burger

    Calories: 830

  36. Jack In The Box Fish & Chips (Large)

    Calories: 830

  37. Subway 8″ Pizza (Sausage)

    Calories: 830

  38. Burger King OREO Sundae Shake – Vanilla – Medium

    Calories: 830

  39. White Castle Strawberry Shake – Large (Chicago region)

    Calories: 830

  40. White Castle Chocolate Shake – Medium (Cincinnati region)

    Calories: 830

  41. Arby’s Classic Italian Toasted Sub

    Calories: 828

  42. Arby’s Onion Petals – Large

    Calories: 828

  43. Dairy Queen GrillBurger with Cheese (1/2lb)

    Calories: 820

  44. Carl’s Jr. Loaded Breakfast Burrito

    Calories: 820

  45. Burger King Vanilla Milk Shake – Large

    Calories: 820

  46. White Castle Chocolate Shake – Large (Chicago region)

    Calories: 820

  47. Del Taco Shredded Beef Combo Burrito

    Calories: 815

  48. Sonic Chocolate Shake – Large (20oz)

    Calories: 810

  49. White Castle Chocolate Shake – Medium (Louisville region)

    Calories: 810

  50. Dairy Queen Large Banana Split Blizzard

    Calories: 810

  51. Burger King BK Triple Stacker

    Calories: 800

  52. Dunkin Donuts Sausage Egg Cheese Biscuit Sandwich

    Calories: 800

  53. Hardee’s Big Chicken Fillet Sandwich

    Calories: 800

  54. A&W Original Bacon Double Cheeseburger

    Calories: 800

  55. Taco Bell Chicken Fiesta Taco Salad

    Calories: 800

Fast Food Items With 700-799 Calories

  1. Burger King TENDERCRISP Chicken Sandwich

    Calories: 790

  2. McDonald’s Big Breakfast (Large Size Biscuit)

    Calories: 790

  3. Subway 8″ Pizza (Pepperoni)

    Calories: 790

  4. Jack In The Box Vanilla Ice Cream Shake – 16oz

    Calories: 790

  5. Jack In The Box Sirloin Steak & Egg Burrito (no salsa)

    Calories: 790

  6. Jack In The Box Sirloin Steak & Egg Burrito with Fire Roasted Tomato Salsa

    Calories: 790

  7. White Castle Strawberry Shake – Medium (Minneapolis region)

    Calories: 790

  8. White Castle Vanilla Shake – Medium (Nashville region)

    Calories: 790

  9. White Castle Homestyle Onion Rings – Sack

    Calories: 790

  10. Sonic Oreo Sonic Blast – Large (20oz)

    Calories: 790

  11. Chick-Fil-A Hand-Spun Milkshake (Cookies & Cream)

    Calories: 790

  12. Dairy Queen Medium Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Blizzard

    Calories: 790

  13. Carl’s Jr. OREO Cookie Malt

    Calories: 790

  14. Nathan’s CHEESESTEAK (SUPREME)

    Calories: 786

  15. Del Taco Shredded Beef Breakfast Burrito

    Calories: 785

  16. Del Taco Deluxe Taco Salad

    Calories: 780

  17. Hardee’s Loaded Breakfast Burrito

    Calories: 780

  18. Hardee’s Chocolate Malt (Hand-Dipped)

    Calories: 780

  19. Sonic Strawberry Malt – Large (20oz)

    Calories: 780

  20. Sonic Bacon Cheeseburger

    Calories: 780

  21. Sonic Java Chiller, Chocolate/Caramel (20oz)

    Calories: 780

  22. Dairy Queen DQ Ultimate Burger

    Calories: 780

  23. Dairy Queen FlameThrower GrillBurger (1/4lb)

    Calories: 780

  24. Dairy Queen Medium Chocolate Shake

    Calories: 780

  25. Carl’s Jr. Vanilla Malt

    Calories: 780

  26. Carl’s Jr. Chocolate Malt

    Calories: 780

  27. Boston Market Pastry Top Chicken Pot Pie

    Calories: 780

  28. Arby’s Ultimate BLT Sandwich

    Calories: 779

  29. Arby’s Roast Beef & Swiss Sandwich

    Calories: 777

  30. Hardee’s Strawberry Malt (Hand-Dipped)

    Calories: 775

  31. KFC Chicken Pot Pie

    Calories: 770

  32. Hardee’s Loaded Biscuit ‘N’ Gravy Breakfast Bowl

    Calories: 770

  33. Hardee’s Vanilla Malt (Hand-Dipped)

    Calories: 770

  34. Jack In The Box Sirloin Steak ‘n’ Cheddar Ciabatta

    Calories: 770

  35. Taco Bell Nachos BellGrande

    Calories: 770

  36. Dairy Queen French Vanilla MooLatte (24oz)

    Calories: 770

  37. McDonald’s Chocolate Triple Thick Shake (21oz)

    Calories: 770

  38. Carl’s Jr. Strawberry Malt

    Calories: 770

  39. Boston Market Boston Turkey Carver

    Calories: 770

  40. Boston Market Boston Turkey Dip Carver

    Calories: 770

  41. Arby’s Chicken Salad w/ Pecans Sandwich

    Calories: 769

  42. Burger King WHOPPER Sandwich with Cheese

    Calories: 760

  43. Sonic Pineapple Malt – Large (20oz)

    Calories: 760

  44. Sonic Java Chiller, Caramel (20oz)

    Calories: 760

  45. Sonic Java Chiller, Chocolate (20oz)

    Calories: 760

  46. Chick-Fil-A Hand-Spun Milkshake (Chocolate)

    Calories: 760

  47. Dunkin Donuts Pastrami Supreme Sandwich

    Calories: 760

  48. Nathan’s FRENCH FRIES (LARGE)

    Calories: 758

  49. Jack In The Box Chipotle Chicken Ciabatta with Spicy Crispy Chicken

    Calories: 750

  50. Jack In The Box Sampler Trio

    Calories: 750

  51. Sonic Java Chiller, Caramel/Hazelnut (20oz)

    Calories: 750

  52. Sonic Java Chiller, Hazelnut (20oz)

    Calories: 750

  53. Sonic Strawberry Shake – Large (20oz)

    Calories: 750

  54. Sonic Java Chiller, Chocolate/Hazelnut (20oz)

    Calories: 750

  55. Subway Footlong Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki

    Calories: 750

  56. Nathan’s ONION RINGS (LARGE)

    Calories: 744

  57. Nathan’s CHEESESTEAK (ORIGINAL)

    Calories: 740

  58. KFC Famous Bowls (Mashed Potato with Gravy)

    Calories: 740

  59. McDonald’s Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese

    Calories: 740

  60. McDonald’s Strawberry Triple Thick Shake (21oz)

    Calories: 740

  61. McDonald’s Vanilla Triple Thick Shake (21oz)

    Calories: 740

  62. White Castle Chocolate Shake – Medium (New York region)

    Calories: 740

  63. Subway 8″ Pizza (Cheese & Veggies)

    Calories: 740

  64. Dairy Queen Brownie Earthquake

    Calories: 740

  65. A&W Reese’s Polar Swirl (medium)

    Calories: 740

  66. Jack In The Box Sausage, Egg & Cheese Biscuit

    Calories: 740

  67. Sonic Chicken Club Toaster Sandwich

    Calories: 740

  68. Del Taco Deluxe Chicken Salad

    Calories: 740

  69. Arby’s Philly Beef Toasted Sub

    Calories: 739

  70. Burger King Enormous Omelet Sandwich

    Calories: 730

  71. Chick-Fil-A Hand-Spun Milkshake (Strawberry)

    Calories: 730

  72. White Castle Strawberry Shake – Medium (Columbus & Detroit regions)

    Calories: 730

  73. Sonic Pineapple Shake – Large (20oz)

    Calories: 730

  74. Dairy Queen Large French Fries

    Calories: 730

  75. Dairy Queen DQ Homestyle Bacon Double Cheeseburger

    Calories: 730

  76. Dairy Queen Medium Strawberry CheeseQuake Blizzard

    Calories: 730

  77. Arby’s Roast Turkey & Swiss Sandwich

    Calories: 725

  78. Nathan’s Chicken Tender Sandwich

    Calories: 724

  79. McDonald’s Big Breakfast (Regular Size Biscuit)

    Calories: 720

  80. Hardee’s Mushroom ‘N’ Swiss Thickburger

    Calories: 720

  81. Dunkin Donuts Tropical Fruit Smoothie (Large)

    Calories: 720

  82. White Castle Vanilla Shake – Medium (New York region)

    Calories: 720

  83. Dairy Queen Small Choc. Chip Cookie Dough Blizzard

    Calories: 720

  84. A&W Papa Burger

    Calories: 720

  85. A&W Original Double Cheeseburger

    Calories: 720

  86. A&W Vanilla Milkshake (medium)

    Calories: 720

  87. Jack In The Box Bacon Cheddar Potato Wedges

    Calories: 720

  88. Sonic Cheeseburger (with mayo)

    Calories: 720

  89. Sonic Dixie cheeseburger

    Calories: 720

  90. Sonic Tater Tots w/chili & cheese (SONIC Size)

    Calories: 720

  91. Carl’s Jr. Jalapeno Burger

    Calories: 720

  92. Carl’s Jr. Bacon Swiss Crispy Chicken Sandwich

    Calories: 720

  93. Carl’s Jr. OREO Cookie Shake

    Calories: 720

  94. Subway Double Chicken Bacon Ranch

    Calories: 710

  95. Hardee’s Monster Biscuit

    Calories: 710

  96. Hardee’s Vanilla Shake (Hand-Dipped) (regular)

    Calories: 710

  97. A&W M&M Polar Swirl (medium)

    Calories: 710

  98. Jack In The Box Sourdough Jack

    Calories: 710

  99. Pizza Hut Supreme 6″ Personal Pan Pizza (whole pizza)

    Calories: 710

  100. Del Taco Deluxe Chili Cheese Fries

    Calories: 710

  101. Sonic Banana Malt – Large (20oz)

    Calories: 710

  102. Jack In The Box Ciabatta Breakfast Sandwich

    Calories: 710

  103. Dairy Queen Peanut Buster Parfait

    Calories: 710

  104. Dairy Queen Cappuccino MooLatte (24oz)

    Calories: 710

  105. Carl’s Jr. Western Bacon Cheeseburger

    Calories: 710

  106. Carl’s Jr. Chicken Breast Strips (5 pieces)

    Calories: 710

  107. Carl’s Jr. Vanilla Shake

    Calories: 710

  108. Carl’s Jr. Chocolate Shake

    Calories: 710

  109. Arby’s Loaded Potato Bites – Large (10)

    Calories: 707

  110. Nathan’s BACON CHEESEBURGER

    Calories: 706

  111. Arby’s Roast Ham & Swiss Sandwich

    Calories: 705

  112. Wendy’s Double w/Everything and Cheese

    Calories: 700

  113. Arby’s Roast Turkey Ranch & Bacon Wrap

    Calories: 700

  114. Hardee’s Chocolate Shake (Hand-Dipped) (regular)

    Calories: 700

  115. Hardee’s Strawberry Shake (Hand-Dipped) (regular)

    Calories: 700

  116. A&W Chocolate Milkshake (medium)

    Calories: 700

  117. Jack In The Box Jack’s Spicy Chicken with Cheese

    Calories: 700

  118. White Castle French Fries – Sack

    Calories: 700

  119. Sonic Vanilla Malt – Large (20oz)

    Calories: 700

  120. Carl’s Jr. Strawberry Shake

    Calories: 700

  121. Boston Market Boston Chicken Carver

    Calories: 700

NOTE: The above list includes every single fast food item (from the 25 restaurants I looked at) that contained 700 or more calories per serving. I decided on using 700 as the calorie cut off point for this list for a few reasons, the main one being that in my opinion, 700+ calories per ITEM (not per entire meal, but just in one item of that meal) really represents the worst of the worst in terms of calories.

Obviously this doesn’t mean that a 699 calorie (or lower) item can’t negatively affect your weight, it just means that for the purpose of showing the worst fast food items based solely on calories, I ended it at 700.

Fast Food Restaurant Appearances On This List

Here is the full list of restaurants included in the above list along with the total number of times an item from that restaurant appeared:

  • White Castle: 36
  • Sonic: 36
  • Jack in the Box: 28
  • Dairy Queen: 27
  • Hardee’s: 24
  • Carl’s Jr.: 22
  • Burger King: 15
  • Arby’s: 15
  • McDonald’s: 11
  • Nathans: 12
  • Del Taco: 10
  • A&W: 7
  • Boston Market: 6
  • Subway: 6
  • KFC: 3
  • Wendy’s: 3
  • Taco Bell: 3
  • Chick-Fil-A: 3
  • Dunkin Donuts: 3
  • Pizza Hut: 2
  • Popeyes: 0
  • Little Caesars: 0
  • Papa John’s: 0
  • Domino’s Pizza: 0
  • In-N-Out Burger: 0

The “Real” Top 3 Highest Calorie Items

When putting this whole thing together, I came across 3 specific foods that I ended up omitting from the above list despite them being INSANELY high in calories. My reasoning behind this is that, to the best of my knowledge, these were not normal 1 serving items. I tried to find descriptions or pictures or really any information of any kind about them, but I didn’t come up with anything. So, rather than include them on a list they would unfairly be on (if my guess is indeed correct and they are not normal 1 serving items), I decided to leave them off.

The thing is though, these 3 foods would have been numbers 1, 2 and 3 on the list. For that reason, and for the pure hilarity that is their calorie content, here is the “real” top 3: (If you happen to know anything more about any of these foods, please let me know.)

  1. Nathan’s Seafood Sampler

    Calories: 3378

  2. Arby’s Pecan Sticky Bun (4 Pack)

    Calories: 2751

  3. Nathan’s Shrimp N Chips

    Calories: 2051

Fast Food Calories
Fast Food Calories

The FAQ

How many calories should we eat per day?

The answer to this question and most of your other calorie and weight control related questions are already answered in the appropriately named Guide To Calories And Weight Control. Check it out.

You do realize that you can eat a high calorie food at a non-fast food restaurant or even just at home cooking for yourself. Why single out fast food?

Because fast food is the easiest, most convenient and all around most common way the average person eats too many calories. No where else can you get a 3000 calorie meal for under $15 without even getting out of your car. This is just the reality of the typical diet and that’s why singling out fast food is not only justified, but it also means a list like this can serve as a useful resource for a larger number of people.

And, not to mention, I don’t have the menu or nutrition facts for every single food someone may or may not prepare for themselves at home or order in some restaurant I never heard of. If I did, I’d just as soon put together a similar list.

When was this list put together, and is all the information still current?

This list was compiled in November 2007. While I doubt any of this information will change significantly any time soon (seriously, a 1500 calorie food won’t suddenly become a 300 calorie food), there is always a possibility that something might have changed to some degree at some point after this was done. So, to be 100% sure that the nutritional information you see is still current, I’d recommend checking out the web site of each fast food restaurant.

Where did you get all of this nutrition information from?

All of the nutritional content (calories) used in creating the above list was taken directly from the official web site of each fast food restaurant.




The Most Amazing Cakes You Have Ever Seen

The annual cake contest called Threadcakes is held on the Internet since 2007, where participants present their amazing cakes. It is worth mentioning, that both professionals and amateurs are taking part in this competition. The most important rule of the contest is that 2D or 3D cakes should be as edible as possible, allowing for only minimal non-edible supports to be used when constructing amazing 3D cakes. Take a look at these jaw-dropping cakes that took part in the competition!

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Super Foods For Fat Loss

If you’re on a mission to shed pounds and achieve a healthier lifestyle, look no further! This article reveals the powerful impact of super foods on fat loss. From oats to avocado, broccoli to dark chocolate – these natural wonders will support your journey.
Discover the science behind each food and practical tips to incorporate them into your meals. Start your transformative weight loss journey today!

1. Oats
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Oats are well known in the whole world for fat loss, due to its benefits. It has very low calories, high is fiber. Oats absorb water or milk very quickly and help you to stay full tummy for a longer time. Some studies shows that by including oats in diet on daily basis helps keep you away obesity and overweight.
Due to high in fiber called beta-gulcan eats enhance our defense of immune system. it speeds up the reaction of our immune system to any infection. Also kill the bacteria and more quickly heals the infection.

2. Avocado
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Avocado is most essential food you want to incorporate in your diet if you want to lose some extra pound. Fat lose is actually happen when you eat less calories and burn more. This creamy fruit is full of healthy fat; fiber and protein keep your hunger quiet for long time.
Avocado having very low sugar about 1 gram per serving. High in monounsaturated “heart healthy” fatty acid makes this fruit great choose in weight loss. Lots of vitamins and minerals like vitamin K, vitamin C, vitamin B5, B6, vitamin E. Also it has more potassium than bananas. Antioxidants also make this fruit awesome itself.

3. Broccoli
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This green cabbage looking vegetable is great choice in weight loss and fat loss. it is rich in fiber and also low in calorie. it keeps control on your hunger.  Broccoli is rich in dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals (Vitamins A, C, K and calcium) and low in fat, which makes it best choice.
One cup of Broccoli has just about 40 calories. As we all know Vitamin C is great for antioxidants which prevents skin aging. So, eating Broccoli is very beneficial.

4. Brown Rice
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Every diet expert recommends brown rice in weight loss diet plan. Of-course not because of it’s color, instead because of its nutritional value and benefits. It will help you in weight loss due to its density you eat less and feel full. It is too rich in fiber which aids in good digestion. One cups of brown rice contains about 3 gram of fiber.
it also helps reduce insulin spikes and stabilize the sugar level. So, Brown rice is definitely very beneficial for diabetics on a diet.  Integrate brown rice in your diet and experience its benefits in weight loss.

5. Wine
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Everyone thinks if we are on diet or want to lose weight than we cannot have any alcohol. Good News is that you can have Red Wine while on weight loss diet. O yeah, you read it Right. Red Wine in the dinner helps you keep yourself away from midnight snacks.
Wine can help diabetic patient and improve your sex drive. Antioxidant found in grape skin, stops fat storage. Studies shows that moderate wine drinker are with narrow waist line than other liquor drinker.
But if you don’t like red wine, there’s no need to start.  Physical activity and whole-foods based diet that’s both high in fiber and low in added sugars can promote cardiovascular health and help you lose weight.

6. Apple
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This is no surprise for anyone that apple is very beneficial for us. But what you didn’t know is apple is awesome in weight loss too. Study in food chemistry shows that apple encourage the good bacteria in our gut which helps us in weight loss.
Aim to eat up to two to three with skin, but don’t cook it for apple pie or something else. Cooking will destroy polyphenols found in apple. Apple also helps you in supercharge your metabolism. Apple is full of fiber and polyphenols which remain undigested until they are fermented in the colon. Apple also has ability to limit the absorption of Fat in body. So, an apple before a meal will lead to limit the amount of fat absorption. Apple boost your immune system due it is rich source of vitamin C.

7. Flax Seeds
Foods For Fat Loss
If you want to lose that big waist line than you just cannot ignore the flax seeds. O yeah, those weird looking seeds are very beneficial for losing weight. Flax Seeds are high in Omega 3 Fatty Acid. Simply Sprinkle of flax seeds on salads, yogurt, soups will make it healthier than ever and make you feel full also  satisfied for longer.
Flax seeds are rich source of many vitamins and minerals along with fibers. Actually it is one of the most fiber-rich foods on the planet. Also Flax seeds improve eye sight, brain performance and skin & hair appearance. If you cannot eat this little friend than flax seed oil would be great for you.

8. Spinach
Foods For Fat Loss
Spinach always reminds of Mr. Poppey The Sailor Man. Even cartoon eats spinach for energy and power. Just kidding
But Really Spinach is nutritional powerhouse. it is extremely beneficial for heart and blood pressure, and development of bones.  One cup of Spinach contains just about 7 Calories and very low amount of carbohydrate. Plus it contains lots of minerals like iron, magnesium, calcium and antioxidant. Spinach is also very rich in Dietary Fiber which helps digestion system.

9. Dark Chocolate
Foods For Fat Loss
Oooo Yeahh! It’s sound so crazy when you can have chocolate while on weight loss diet. That’s right Dark Chocolate helps you in losing weight. It cut Cravings. Most of time on Diet we have to stay away from sugar and chocolate, but a small amount of Dark Chocolate each day can help prevent you from eating something which is higher amount of sugar and lower nutrients.
It lowers your blood pressure and increase circulation. It controls appetite due to decent amount of fiber. Eating small amount of Dark Chocolate reduce Stress. Eating dark chocolate increases serotonin and endorphin levels in the brain, which helps feelings of stress and boost your mood, and saves you from stress eating.

10. Walnuts
Foods For Fat Loss
What people thinks, Walnuts can cause weight gain and obesity. In 28g of walnuts we get 2.5 g of omega 3 fatty acid (healthy fat), 4 grams of protein and 2g of fibers which provides satiety. Any weight loss diet must include satiety factor.
Walnuts are good for hairs too. Because of vitamin B7, that helps strength hairs and promotes hair growth. Walnuts very good in lowered the risk of Diabetes. Walnuts are rich in antioxidants and vitamin B which helps in prevention of free radical damage and wrinkles. Also it helps you in fighting stress.

11. Almonds
Foods For Fat Loss
Like all nuts Almonds are high in good healthy fat like omega 3, omega 6, and omega 9. These are healthy fats and very essential for our body. Almonds contain unsaturated fat which prevent us cardio vascular diseases. It also stabilizes the blood sugar level. It is the best snack for taken in between meals.
The beautiful brown skin of almonds is high in dietary fiber. It helps in digestion process. It is full of vitamins and other important minerals like vitamin E and magnesium. This helps in reduce the craving of food. But remember eat raw almonds do not cook them.

12. Green Tea
Foods For Fat Loss
So many studies shown flavonoids and caffeine present in green tea can bump up your metabolic rate, increase fat burning. That doesn’t mean you have to drink lots of cups of green tea, just 2-3 cups of green tea are sufficient for you. Also it benefits of green tea is depend on making, do not add green tea into boiling water.
First do boil water and let it sit for 5-10 minutes and then pour water on green tea and brew for a minute for better taste and benefits.
Green Tea contains antioxidants and anti-cancer compounds. Just Remember do not mix sugar or honey.

13. Olive Oil
Foods For Fat Loss
When you are on weight loss diet than Olive Oil is your BFF. I take Olive Oil is Number one super food. Delicious in salad and pasta in only its benefits, it is scientifically proves that it helps you in weight loss by feel fuller for long time. Just two table spoon of Olive Oilcan improve blood pressure and glucose level.
The key is how to cook your food in olive oil. Do not deep fry anything in olive oil. Extra virgin Olive oil helps to prevent skin cancer. Olive oil is Rich in Vitamin E and anti oxidants.

14. Cinnamon
Foods For Fat Loss
Cinnamon is awesome spice which helps in weight loss. Cinnamon can control the activity of insulin in our body. It regulates Blood sugar levels that excess fat does not build up.
It also lowers the bad cholesterol, and that is good for your heart. Also diabetics can take advantage of cinnamon to control their blood sugar level. Along with sugar it controls carbohydrates. Cinnamon slows down the emptying of gut, and makes you feel full for a longer time.

Happy Weight loss
Good Luck




Moroccan Semolina Pancakes Recipe

Moroccan Semolina Pancakes Recipe

These Moroccan Semolina Pancakes are small, spongy, and made with semolina or flour. the most common ways to eat Beghrir is by dipping them in a honey-butter mixture.

Ingredients

1.     1 1/2 cups fine semolina (smida) or durum flour (finot)
2.     3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3.     1 teaspoon salt
4.     1 teaspoon sugar
5.     2 tsp baking powder
6.     3 cups plus 2 tablespoons lukewarm water
7.     1 tablespoon yeast

Preparations

1.     Mix the flour, semolina, salt, sugar and baking powder in a mixing bowl. In a blender, measure lukewarm water to just over the 3-cup line. Add the yeast and process on low speed to blend. Gradually add the dry ingredients.
2.     Increase the processing speed and blend for a full minute, or until very smooth and creamy. The batter should be rather thin, about the same consistency as crepe batter or cooking cream.
3.     Pour the batter into a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and leave to rest for 10 minutes or a bit longer, until the top of the batter is light and a bit foamy.
4.     Heat a small non-stick skillet over medium heat. Stir the batter, and use a ladle to pour batter into the hot skillet. Pour carefully and slowly into the center and the batter will spread evenly into a circle. (Do not swirl the pan as you would for a crepe; the batter should spread itself.) Make the baghrir as large as you like.
5.     Bubbles should appear on the surface of the baghrir as it cooks. Don’t flip the baghrir. It only gets cooked on one side.
6.     Cook for about two minutes, or until the beghrir doesn’t appear wet anywhere on the surface. It should feel spongy, but not sticky or gummy, when you touch it lightly with your finger.
7.     Transfer the beghrir to cool in a single layer on a clean kitchen towel. Once they are cool, they can be stacked without sticking.
8.     Repeat with the remaining batter. Serve plain with toppings on the side, or dip the pancakes in hot syrup.

Moroccan Semolina Pancakes Recipe




How To Open a Can With Nothing But Your Bare Hands

He thinks of a convenient technique to open a jar of nourishment in the event that you are outside and overlooked any apparatuses. On the off chance that you end up with an opener and are extremely ravenous everything you need is some solid and afterward rub the can forward and backward commonly. At that point just essentially press the can and the top basically pops right off. The Crazy Russian Hacker indicates how snappy and simple the procedure is and even has a companion show the procedure. Without any blades or any instruments the straightforward bit of cement is all that is required.

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The grating attempts to break separated the seal and after that the weight of crushing the sides together is the last stride to getting the substance open.Whether you are exploring the great outdoors and neglected to pack a can opener or simply straightforward can’t discover one, this tip is a convenient one to recollect. Then again if nothing else, a fun trap to demonstrate your companions – and for this situation, the feline was exceptionally grateful to get the prize of the opened can!




21 Awesome Fruit Hacks

1. Better way to peel mandarin orange.

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2. Use orange peel for candles.

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3. Ice cream without dairy. Just ripe frozen bananas with a little water.

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4. Grate organic lemon rinds and freeze. Add lemon zest to salads, smoothies, cold and hot tea, and water. The rind has more antioxidants than the lemon juice.

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5. A watermelon fruit bowl.

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6. How to pick a ripe avocado.

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7. Fruit cubes.

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8. How to keep apple slices fresh.

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9. Cut lemons lengthwise, it makes it easier to get juice. Or check out this 66 life changing things you can do with a lemon

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10. Proper way to cut a mango.

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11. Drink fresh apple juice for vivid dreams.

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12. How to make dried fruit without a dehydrator.

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13. The perfect apple snacks.

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14. Easiest way to deseed pomegranates. Cut it in half as normal, push out the center a bit, then just start whacking the back of it with a wooden spoon into a bowl.

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15. Best way to open a banana. This is how monkeys do it too.

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16. Frozen grapes make the best snacks. They also chill wine without watering it down.

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17. Cut ripe peeled bananas into smaller pieces, then freeze so they are ready for smoothies and make it easier on your blender.

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18. Easy way to remove the strawberry leaves.

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19. When storing leftover avocado in the refrigerator, keep the seed inside. Later, use the seed to grown your own avocado.

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20. Freeze watermelon so you can enjoy watermelon smoothies or other watermelon drinks anytime of the year.

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21. Freeze avocados to use at other times. Cut them in half, peel and remove seed. Place into plastic bag and freeze.

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50 Amazingly Helpful Time-Tested Kitchen Tips

You know all of those helpful kitchen-related suggestions that old-timers are so willing to share with the younger generations? These little tips and tricks might be called “kitchen hacks” these days, but they’re still the same good old nuggets of wisdom that they always were. As with any old wives’ tale, hack, or tip, your mileage may vary. Some of these gems have been around for several lifetimes – and according to most grandmas, they really work.

1. For cleaning smelly hands after chopping onions or garlic, just rub them on a stainless steel spoon. The steel is supposed to absorb the odor.

2. Fresh coffee beans can also absorb nasty odors from your hands.

3. If you happen to over-salt a pot of soup, just drop in a peeled potato. The potato will absorb the excess salt.

4. When boiling eggs, add a pinch of salt to keep the shells from cracking.

5. Never put citrus fruits or tomatoes in the fridge. The low temperatures degrade the aroma and flavor of these persnickety fruits.

6. To clean cast iron cookwear, don’t use detergents. Just scrub them with salt and a clean, dry paper towel.

7. Will milk curdle if it is allowed to boil? It turns out that this age-old piece of wisdom isn’t true, after all. Milk that has been boiled is perfectly safe to consume.

8. To clean an electric kettle with calcium buildup on the heating element, boil a mixture of half white vinegar and half water, then empty.

9. When storing empty airtight containers, throw in a pinch of salt to keep them from getting stinky.

10. If you are making gravy and accidentally burn it, just pour it into a clean pan and continue cooking it. Add sugar a little at a time, tasting as you go to avoid over-sugaring it. The sugar will cancel out the burned taste.

11. Burned a pot of rice? Just place a piece of white bread on top of the rice for 5-10 minutes to draw out the burned flavor. Be careful not to scrape the burned pieces off of the bottom of the pan when serving the rice.

12. Before you chop chili peppers, rub a little vegetable oil into your hands and your skin won’t absorb the spicy chili oil.

13. If you aren’t sure how fresh your eggs are, place them in about four inches of water. Eggs that stay on the bottom are fresh. If only one end tips up, the egg is less fresh and should be used soon. If it floats, it’s past the fresh stage.

14. To banish ants from the kitchen, find out where they are coming in and cover the hole with petroleum jelly. Ants won’t trek through the jelly. If they are coming under a door, draw a line on the floor with chalk. The little bugs also won’t cross a line of chalk.

15. Before making popcorn on the stove or in an air popper, soak the kernels in water for 10 minutes. Drain the water, then pop as normal. The additional moisture helps the popcorn pop up quicker and fluffier with fewer “old maids.”

16. Don’t store your bananas in a bunch or in a fruit bowl with other fruits. Separate your bananas and place each in a different location. Bananas release gases which cause fruits (including other bananas) to ripen quickly. Separating them will keep them fresh longer.

17. To keep potatoes from budding in the bag, put an apple in with them.

18. If you manage to have some leftover wine at the end of the evening, freeze it in ice cube trays for easy addition to soups and sauces in the future.

19. To clean crevices and corners in vases and pitchers, fill with water and drop in two Alka-Seltzer tablets. The bubbles will do the scrubbing.

20. After boiling pasta or potatoes, cool the water and use it to water your house plants. The water contains nutrients that your plants will love.

21. When you clean your fish tank, the water you drain can also be used to water your house plants. The nitrogen and phosphorus in fish droppings make aquarium water a great fertilizer.

22. When defrosting meat from the freezer, pour some vinegar over it. Not only does it tenderize the meat; it will also bring down the freezing temperature of the meat and cause it to thaw quicker.

23. The substance in onions that causes your eyes to water is located in the root cluster of the onion. Cut this part out in a cone shape, with the largest part of the cone around the exterior root section.

24. Taking the top layer off of a onion can also reduce the amount of eye-watering misery.

26. Baking soda isn’t as effective a deodorizer for the fridge as that baking soda company would like you to believe. Activated charcoal is much better at absorbing fridge and freezer odors.

27. Baking soda is an extremely effective cleaner, though. Use it with vinegar to deodorize drains and clean stovetops and sinks.

28. A favorite tip of thousands of grandmas: when you nick your finger while cutting veggies, wait until the bleeding stops and paint on a layer of clear nail polish. It will keep juices out of the wound and won’t fall off into the spaghetti sauce like a bandage.

29. The jury is still out on what to put in the bag of brown sugar to keep it from going hard: a slice of apple, a piece of bread, and a shard of a terra cotta pot have all been used.

30. Got a nasty invisible splinter from your kitchen tools? Put a piece of adhesive tape on the area and then pull it off to remove the splinter.

31. When you burn yourself in the kitchen, just spread mustard on the affected area. Leave it for a while and it will ease the pain and prevent blistering.

32. For aluminum pans that are looking dull, just boil some apple peels in them. This will brighten up the aluminum and make your house smell yummy.

33. To keep cookies fresh, savvy grannies like to put some crumpled-up tissue paper in the bottom of the cookie jar.

34. If your salt is clumping up, put a few grains of rice in with it to absorb excess moisture.

35. To clean fruit stains off of your fingers, rub them with a fresh, peeled potato. White vinegar can also do the trick.

36. Keep iceberg lettuce fresh in the fridge by wrapping it in a clean, dry paper towel and storing lettuce and paper towel in a sealed baggie in the fridge.

37. If your loaf of bread is starting to go stale, just put a piece of fresh celery in the bag and close it back up. For some reason, this restores a fresh taste and texture to the bread.

38. Always keep an aloe vera plant in your kitchen. It’s invaluable when you scrape your arm or burn your finger. Just break off a leaf and rub the gel from the inside on the injury.

39. When making a soup, sauce, or casserole that ends up too fatty or greasy, drop in an ice cube. The ice will attract the fat, which you can then scoop out.

40. To reuse cooking oil without tasting whatever was cooked in the oil previously, cook a 1/4″ piece of ginger in the oil. It will remove any remaining flavors and odors.

41. If your milk always goes bad before you can finish it, try adding a pinch of salt to the carton when you first open it. It will stay fresh days longer.

42. Water that has been boiled and allowed to cool will freeze faster than water from the tap. This comes in handy when you’re having a party and need ice pronto.

43. Remove tea or coffee stains from your fine china by mixing up a paste of baking soda, lemon juice, and cream of tartar. Rub it over the stains and they’ll come off easily.

44. If two drinking glasses become stuck together after stacking, it’s not impossible to unstick them. Just put ice in the inner glass and dunk the outer glass in warm water. The warm glass will expand and the cold glass will contract, making the glasses separate easily.

45. For splinters under the fingernail, soaking the affected finger in a bowl of milk with a piece of bread in it is said to draw out the splinter.

46. Did grandpa ever give you a drink of cola for an upset tummy? It turns out that this is actually a pretty effective remedy. The sugar and carbonation can soothe many tummy problems – but it can also exacerbate others.

47. Putting salty bacon on a boil is said to “draw the poison out” of boils.

48. To help old wooden drawers (without runners) open and close smoothly, rub a candle on the tracks.

49. A cotton ball soaked in white vinegar and applied to a fresh bruise will reduce the darkness of the bruise and help it disappear sooner.

50. Drinking cranberry juice and eating blueberries regularly will help stave off urinary tract infections.




DIY: How To Make A Fire Pit BBQ Out of Old Car Rims

Barbecue season is here! Here are some DIY ideas how to make a BBQ out of your old car rims.
Well, this is the redneck way to grill but we think it’s cool no matter where you’re from or what culture you embrace. Lol. Hyuck. Repurposing car rims is a brilliant concept. Probably is good to let them burn for a while to get any road chemicals off.

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The 23 Absolute Worst Things That Can Happen To Your Food

Source: 9GAG



Bananas – The Superman of Fruit

The time old adage of an apple a day keeps the doctor away may soon be replaced by the banana. Compared to apples, bananas have twice the carbohydrates, three times the phosphorus, four times the protein, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. Bananas also have the added bonus of being rich in potassium.

Bananas naturally contain three types of sugars:

– Sucrose
– Fructose
– Glucose

The sugars in the banana give a the body an almost instant and long lasting energy boost.  Research has shown consuming two bananas provides enough energy for an intense 90 minute workout.  An increase in energy levels is only the tip of the bananas healthy powers.

Bananas have proven themselves to have several other health benefits:

Anemia: Bananas are high in iron and can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood which may help in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure: Being extremely high in potassium and low in salt makes the banana a perfect perfect snack for people with high blood pressure. The US FDA has recently allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit’s ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power: Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert. “200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school ( England ) were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power.”

Constipation: Say bye, bye to laxatives. Bananas are high in fiber and can help restore normal bowel actions.

Depression: Bananas contain a type of protein called tryptophan that the body uses and converts into serotonin. Serotonin puts your body in a relaxed state, improving your mood.

Hangovers: Banana milkshake to the rescue! Bananas, milk, ice and sweeten with honey. Bananas calm the stomach while the honey builds up depleted blood sugar levels, and milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness: Avoid morning sickness by snacking on bananas between meals to help keep blood sugar levels up.

Mosquito bites: Banana skins reduce swelling and irritation. Try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin before reaching for the insecticide.

Nerves: Vitamin B helps calm the nervous system, and bananas are loaded with B vitamins.

PMS: Bananas contain vitamin B6 which regulates blood glucose levels, which in-turn affects your mood.

Temperature control: Cultures all around the world believe the banana to be a “cooling” fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. Pregnant women in Thailand eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas have helped SAD sufferers due to the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.

Smoking & Tobacco Use: Looking to give up smoking? Try a banana. Bananas have B6, B12, potassium and magnesium which help the body recover from nicotine withdrawal effects.

Stress: Stress causes our metabolic rates to rise, which in effect reduces potassium levels. Potassium helps to normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates the body’s water balance. Re-balance with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

Strokes: The New England Journal of Medicine research study showed eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%

Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Warts: Natural alternative health users swear by bananas. To kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape.

Work Munchies: According to studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and chips. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

So the next time you feel like snacking… GO BANANAS!




Crazy Ketchup Facts You Probably Didn’t Know

Ketchup might seem like a product of the modern age, but the truth is it just moves with the times. Ketchup started out its life as a kind of fish sauce in Asia 1,500 years ago that was mainly used as an ingredient instead of on the side. These days, it’s used mainly as a condiment… except, of course, in student dorms where it occasionally subs for tomato sauce on pasta. Ketchup has also become largely synonymous with fast food and bad taste, leading to snobbish reactions from chefs when it is applied to their food. But here’s the truth: there’s more to ketchup than the red goop that meets the eye.

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Ketchup please, hold the tomatoes
Back in the day before ketchup went west, it was never seen in the company of tomatoes. The stuff preferred anchovies, walnuts, mushrooms, and kidney beans, among other things. In fact, it sometimes played the part of the starting point for a quick and easy recipe, a role filled more often by cream of mushroom soup today. “Ke-Tsiap,” as it was first known, went through a lot of partners on its way to the US. But it wasn’t until the year 1812 in Pennsylvania where the first tomato ketchup recipe was written down by James Mease, and thus was born the condiment that chefs love to hate.

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Feed the world
Ask anyone to name a brand of ketchup, and nine times out of ten (maybe more) the name they say is Heinz—and that’s because Heinz makes a lot of ketchup. Heinz makes so much ketchup in fact that—just counting single serve packets—they make almost enough each year to give everyone on earth two servings. Indeed, 11 billion packets of ketchup is a hell of a lot of ketchup. Throw in the bottles (glass and squeezy), and those big jugs with the pump on top at the hot dog stand, and you could probably float an aircraft carrier—which would make for a pretty creepy photo.

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Three percent unpopular
So we’ve established that Heinz makes a lot of ketchup, and since they’re not the only producer in the United States by a long way, you’re probably asking “who is eating all that ketchup?” And 97 percent of the time the answer would be…you. That’s because the slow red stuff can be found in 97 percent of homes in the US: but the impressiveness of that number is slightly overshadowed by the very nearly literal mountain of french fries that must exist to explain how Americans consume 78 million gallons of ketchup every year.

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Ketchup, catsup, and President Reagan
Ketchup and catsup are pretty much the same thing, except that ketchup might be a vegetable—well, in the 1980s at least. As a result of government budget cuts, schools were having trouble meeting the nutritional requirements for the food they were giving the kids. And so the USDA under President Ronald Reagan created regulations that basically said that anything that had the nutritional content of a vegetable could be considered one for the purposes of school lunches, and that included ketchup. There was an uproar: not least among the producers of catsup, which while virtually identical to the big K, nevertheless wasn’t blessed with the new status. Fearful of missing out on a piece of the morally questionable action, manufacturers of catsup quickly renamed their product as ketchup, leaving “catsup” forever in its wake.

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A veritable sea of condiments
It may seem hard to beat 78 million gallons of ketchup, but in a surprising, and somewhat disgustingly viscous twist, ketchup is actually outsold by both mayo and salsa. So if the oceans run dry tomorrow, we could still float three aircraft carriers—but, actually, we’d probably have bigger things to worry about.

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Fights cancer, but not wolves
Ignoring all the sugar it contains (about one-fourth of the stuff is made exclusively of sugar, in case you’re curious), ketchup actually has the potential to help prevent cancer. That’s because despite all the processing and lack of resemblance to a living fruit, there are actually quite a lot of tomatoes in that sauce. Just four tablespoons of ketchup has the equivalent nutritional value as one medium sized tomato, and that includes the antioxidant lycopene (not to be confused with lycanthropy), which as well as fighting cancer also gives tomatoes their color. But you don’t need to start chugging ketchup to get the benefit of lycopene, because almost any tomato product will do the business, so long as it’s cooked—which means hangovers are still the only thing a Bloody Mary will cure.

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Reduced speed limit ahead
Anyone who has tried to get ketchup out of the classic Heinz glass bottle can blame the government for the frustration, because ketchup has an actual legal speed limit. In order to receive a grade A rating, ketchup can flow no faster than seven centimeters (or 2.75 inches) in 30 seconds. The limit used to be nine centimeters in 30 seconds, but it was revised in 1991. Heinz has set their in house speed limit at .028 miles per hour. You can bet there aren’t many volunteers to use that speed gun.

It all ads up…
Despite moving to a squeeze bottle in 1983, Heinz Ketchup’s slow flow had become so iconic that in 1987 the company made an advertisement out of it, and cast the then unknown Matt LeBlanc as the star. Featuring some classic 1980s tunes, the ad saw LeBlanc placing the classic glass bottle on the top ledge of a building, before heading downstairs to buy a hotdog…which he then holds out just in time to catch the ketchup as it finally escapes. Incomprehensible logic aside, the ad was something of a hit—but if they’d screened it before the revolution of the squeezy bottle, they might have been lynched.

9

A sucky world record
Left to it’s own devices, ketchup doesn’t move very fast. But if you use a straw, you can set a world record. In February 2012 in Nuremberg, Germany, television reporter Benedikt Weber set the ketchup drinking world record by sucking up 14 ounces of ketchup in 32.37 seconds. Meanwhile, a dude from India named Dinesh Upadhyaya (pictured) claimed to have beaten Weber’s record in 2015—though, Guinness still recognizes Weber as the record-holder as of this writing. A little bit of ketchup on your hot dog is usually a pleasure. But 14 ounces without the dog is pushing it. Just imagine trying that with mayo.

10

A runaway industry
In the early days of ketchup, the medicinal benefits were somewhat misunderstood—so much so, that in 1835 it was being sold in pill form and was advertised to treat problems like indigestion and diarrhea. The popularity of the pills became so great that pretty soon the idea started being copied by less scrupulous entrepreneurs and the number of illnesses they claimed to treat inevitably expanded into less likely territory. Unfortunately for many a poor pill popper, a large proportion of the imitation tomato pills not only contained no tomatoes, but were in fact laxatives. The loss of confidence in the pills cause the industry to collapse after little more than a decade.




Healthy Flavored Water Recipes for Weight Loss

We’ve all heard that we should drink more water to lose weight. But if you’re like many dieters, you often grab a soda or a sports drink because it tastes better. Wouldn’t it be great if you craved water the same way you crave sweetened beverages? Well, you can with a few simple tricks. Use these healthy flavored water recipes for weight loss.

Healthy Water Recipes, Tips and Ideas
Flavored water that you buy in the store often contains added sugar or artificial sweeteners. The products are often a source of empty calories that will derail your diet. So why not make your own healthy flavored water at home?

Your own healthy water recipe can be as simple as putting frozen strawberries in water or as complicated as combining savory herbs and vegetables. The key is to experiment with different flavors until you find one or two that you really enjoy. Try any of these combinations.

berries

1. Add frozen berries to water. Why bother with boring ice cubes when you can add frozen berries instead? Frozen blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries keep your water cold and add flavor. They also add a pop of color to your drink. You can either add a few frozen berries directly to your water (buy them in bulk at the grocery store) or use ice cube trays to freeze berries into cubes. Berry flavored water will help to reduce your cravings for sweet treats and you may even save money and avoid waste in the process. Take fresh berries that are going bad and throw them in the freezer for later use.

2. Make cucumber water. If you prefer a flavor that is less sweet, then you’ll love cucumber water. Simply add a few slices to your glass and the subtle flavor gives your water a fresh, spa-like taste. If you have more time, fill a pitcher with a handful of cucumber slices and let it sit in your refrigerator. The cool flavor will help you skip the urge to drink a cold soda. I find that this healthy water recipe keeps me satisfied when I’m craving crunchy foods. I also freeze cucumber slices to add to water instead of ice cubes.

citrus water

3. Make orange water or add other citrus flavors. Lemons and limes can make your water look more sophisticated and add a hint of flavor, but don’t forget about other citrus fruits. Oranges, grapefruit, tangerines and mandarins also taste great in water. Keep a bowl of fruit slices in your refrigerator to mix and match throughout the day. My favorite combination is orange and basil. Add a few slices of orange and a few sprigs of basil to a pitcher of water and let it sit for an hour or two. The mixture sounds odd but this delicious water recipe kills my cravings for salty savory foods. If you prefer a hot drink, add a slice of lemon to hot water in the morning. It makes a great pick-me-up that adds no calories.

mint-water4. Make mint water. Make refreshing mint ice cubes by throwing a small sprig of spearmint, peppermint, or lemon mint into the ice cube tray, then add water and freeze. You can also make these healthy flavored water cubes with your favorite herbs, like rosemary or basil. This water recipe is best for people who don’t like sweetened beverages but still prefer some flavor. And sometimes the taste of mint can reduce your urge to snack so this healthy water is great for weight loss.

5. Juice cubes for children (or adults!). If you’re trying to cut back on sweetened beverages in your home, try this trick. Kids love it and you will too. Grab your favorite juice and freeze it into cubes. Lemonade also works well. Then toss the colorful cubes into a glass of water when you need a drink. You’ll get some of the flavor from the juice but far fewer calories. You can blend flavors too. Throw colorful cubes of orange juice and lemonade into a tall glass of water and enjoy.

When you start to drink more water, you’ll find that you drink less soda, less coffee, and fewer high-calorie drinks. You’ll notice three health and weight loss benefits.

– Swapping water for soda helps to decrease your daily caloric intake
– Drinking more water helps you to feel full throughout the day so you eat the right number of calories from snacks.
– When you drink water you “train” your taste buds to enjoy the subtle tastes of whole foods that are less processed and lower in calories

And while you might drink water to lose weight, you’ll find that it’s good for your wallet as well. Have you ever thought about the annual cost of your soda habit? The total cost of your daily soda may be more than you realize. So for the sake of your waistline and your wallet, give these healthy water recipes a try.




The 11 Slow Cooker Mistakes

The slow cooker is the one appliance heralded by just about every home cook for making our lives easier. But just because it’ll cook you dinner all on its own doesn’t mean there aren’t rules and guidelines that need to be followed for it to do its job well. Because there are. Quite a few of them, actually.

If you’ve been using the slow cooker, chances are you’ve broken one or two of these rules. Read on to learn about the most common slow cooker mistakes — and up your slow cooker game when you finally stop making them.

1. Don’t cook chicken with the skin on. In all other cooking instances, we love chicken skin. It crisps up so nicely and is the perfect complement to the tender meat hiding underneath. But in a slow cooker, where things stew instead of sear, the skin just turns into a rubbery, gelatinous nightmare we wouldn’t wish on anybody.

2. Don’t waste your money on fancy cuts of meat. The slow cooker is famous for tenderizing cheap cuts of meat, and that’s just one more reason we love it so much. Those pricier, already-tender cuts of meat will soften too much in the slow cooker. That also leads us to …

3. Don’t use lean cuts of meat. Fat is what gives slow-cooked meats flavor and keeps them moist when cooked at a low temperature. Lean meats get stringy and tough when they’re cooked for a long time — the opposite of what you’re going for.

4. Whatever you do, don’t forget to sear. The slow cooker makes cooking easy, but that doesn’t mean that you can skip the step of searing the meat. Browned meat tastes better, and the slow cooker just isn’t hot enough to get that done. Sear first, then slow cook. (Except when it comes to chicken. You can just throw that right in the pot.)

5. Don’t forget to cover the meat. Make sure it’s all submerged under liquid for even cooking. Cooking times for meat cooked under liquid are different for those not —so push it all down or add more liquid.

6. Don’t use too much alcohol. On the stove top, when you add wine and beer  to recipes it’s able to react with the air, cooking off the alcohol and reducing itself to add flavor without a strong alcoholic aroma. In the slow cooker, since it’s covered and doesn’t react with the air, this just doesn’t happen — the booze just sits in the liquid. Using a heavy hand with booze in a slow cooker recipe will leave you with a boozy-tasting dish. No good.

7. Don’t peek. Just don’t do it. The slow cooker needs that contained heat to make sure everything cooks as it should. Only raise the lid when adding additional ingredients like herbs and dairy.

8. With that said, don’t add herbs or dairy too soon. Fresh herbs will lose their flavor and dairy products will curdle. Add herbs within the final hour of cooking to ensure a bright flavor and dairy, like cream, at the very end.

9. Don’t assume that one temperature and time setting fits all. Cooking times vary depending on what you’re making, as does how long things need to cook. Pay attention to recipe details and experiment with your slow cooker’s settings to find the best results.

10. Whatever you do, don’t overcook. Just because you can cook foods for a very long time in a slow cooker doesn’t mean it will yield the best results. Invest in a machine with a timer and have it shut off at the appropriate time.

11. Don’t overfill. Or underfill. To ensure things don’t simmer over or cook to a burnt mess, make sure the slow cooker is filled at least halfway and no more than two-thirds full. Respect that, and the slow cooker will reward you with greatness.

Now that you’ve learned all you need to know, go slow cook some stuff.

Slow-Cooker




How to make homemade gummy bears

There’s no need to get store-bought gummy bears when you can use this recipe to make endless flavors of your own Homemade Gummy Bears.

There are no additives and no refined sugar. Best of all your kids will love them.

Ingredients Needed

  • Fruit Juice: I prefer to purchase unsweetened fruit juice since the recipe calls for additional sweetener. You can choose your favorite juices such as grape, orange, cranberry, etc.
  • Honey or Maple Syrup: You can use either honey or maple syrup for this recipe. The flavors of both are not overpowering and they each bring a subtle sweetness to the bears.
  • Stevia: Adding the stevia sweetens the homemade gummy bears a little more and you can also use sugar in its place, but you’ll need to add an additional tablespoon if you make the swap. It is also optional.
  • Unflavored Beef Gelatin: This type of gelatin is key for achieving crystal clear gummies that hold their shape well and don’t get stuck in the molds.

Flavor Combinations

To get the brilliant gummy bear colors you see in the images you can use some of the following juices. You can also use cold-pressed juice or set up a combination of some of the below.

Red

  • Grape Juice
  • Pomegranate Juice
  • Cherry Juice

Orange

  • Orange Juice
  • Apple Juice
  • Tangerines

Yellow

  • Lemonade
  • Mango
  • Tropical: pineapple, mango, and lemon juices together for a delicious tropical gummy bear.

Green

  • Green Cold-Pressed Juice: juices such as the Green Lemonade from Whole Foods will work well with these bears and taste delicious too.

Preparation:

  1. Heat the juice and sweetener. In a small pot over medium heat combine the fruit juice, honey or maple syrup, and stevia (or sugar) together until just mixed.
  2. Dissolve the gelatin. In a small bowl dissolve the unflavored beef gelatin into the water. It will become thick and sticky. Drop this mixture into the small pot.
  3. Heat the juice mixture. Stir or whisk the fruit juice mixture until it comes to a soft boil and the gelatin has dissolved.
  4. Fill the molds. Working quickly use the rubber stopper to drop the juice mixture into the gummy bear molds. Make sure to go slow and fill it up past the brim otherwise the backs of the gummy bears will turn out concave once settled.
  5. Chill. Place the mold on a flat surface or a baking sheet and sit it in the fridge to set for about 20 minutes.
  6. Pop them out. Once set you can easily pop the gummy bears out of the molds.

Jello Method

You can also use Jello to prepare a flavored version, though not as healthy, but delicious nonetheless. To use this method, which will allow for much more color variations, follow the directions below.

Jello Method Ingredients

  • 1 package of Jello (3 oz size)
  • 1 tablespoon Gelatin
  • 1/2 cup of Water

Pour the water into a small saucepan and set it over medium-low heat. Add the Jello and gelatin and whisk together until dissolved.

Remove the mixture from the heat and using your stopper drop the mixture into the molds. Allow it to cool in the fridge for about 20 minutes.

Equipment Needed

Storage

Place all the gummy bears in a sealed container and store them in the fridge for up to 1 month. They do not freeze well so I don’t recommend freezing them.

Article Source: aimeemars.com




73 Genius Kitchen Hacks to Save Time and Money

So maybe you think you’ve got it all figured out. You’re the MacGyver of the kitchen—spatula in one hand, two eggs in the other. Crack, separate, and plop goes the egg in the bowl… with a bit of shell. The horror! What do you do? Hint: Using a spoon or your fingers isn’t the answer. Thankfully, we have a solution to your egg quandary (number 10) plus quick fixes to tons of other food prepping, cooking, and baking predicament, from pitting a nectarine to softening butter the easy way. We’ve hacked your kitchen—prepare to have your mind blown (even if just a little bit).

Food Storage

white potato

  1. Keep potatoes white

Cover shredded or diced potatoes with cold water before cooking to prevent the spuds from turning that gross grayish/brown caused by the release of a starch that makes them oxidize.

  1. Slow down rotting

Store tomatoes stem 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.

  1. Give bananas a longer life

Keep bananas fresher, longer by wrapping the end of the bunch with plastic wrap. Better yet, separate each banana. The plastic wrap blocks ethylene gases from releasing out of the stem, consequently ripening the fruit too fast (see number 8).

  1. Speed up ripening

Be a total magician and morph a banana from green to yellow or a peach from crunchy to juicy all with the help of a paper bag. When fruit is tossed into the bag, concentrated ethylene gas helps it ripen faster.

  1. Save cut fruit from browning

You’ve probably heard that a little squeeze of lemon juice can keep apple slices from looking unappetizing. A mixture of one part honey to two parts water works much the same to keep fruit from browning. The citric acid and vitamin C in lemon juice as well as a peptide in honey slows down the oxidation process that causes discoloring.

  1. Prevent brown sugar from hardening

Help brown sugar stay soft and scoopable by tossing an orange peel or a slice of apple along with the sugar into an airtight container. For a quick fix, microwave brown sugar next to a small glass of water. The moisture within the microwave will help break up the block of sweetener.

  1. Avoid plastic wrap disasters

Had enough of wrangling plastic wrap? Store the roll in the fridge to store leftovers with less of a hassle. Chilling the wrap makes it easier to transport it from the roll to your bowl.

  1. Get creative with covering food

They’re known for hair hackery, but shower caps are not limited to the bathroom. Cover leftovers with a fresh cap (right in their dishes) to keep bugs and unidentifiable particles from tainting food. They’re reusable and a helluva lot easier than repeatedly removing and replacing plastic wrap or tin foil.

  1. Check if eggs are still (incredibly) edible

Gently place raw eggs in a bowl of cold water to see if they’ve gone bad. If the egg sinks to the bottom, it’s a-OK. If it floats, it has seen better days. Over time, the liquid inside eggs evaporates through the porous shell, leaving a gas bubble inside. The floatier it is, the older it is.

Peeling, Pitting, and Removing

cracking egg

  1. Never wrestle eggshell pieces again

Scoop up bits of broken eggshell from a batter or bowl of cracked eggs ready from scrambling with an already-cracked egg. Gently ladle out the piece of shell with half of an eggshell. The shell acts as a magnet to draw up shell pieces without wasting too much egg.

  1. Easily scoop out squash seeds

Remove seeds from vegetables such as squash and pumpkin with an ice cream scoop. Because the edge of the scoop is sharp, it cuts through the fibery, gooey stuff inside the squash easier than your hand or a regular spoon can.

  1. Skim the fat

Spoon out excess fat from stocks, stews, and sauces by skimming a few ice cubes (wrapped in a paper towel or cheese cloth) along the surface of the liquid. The ice helps the fat solidify, making it easier to remove with a spoon or a piece of toast.

  1. Separate yolks from whites

Separate eggs by gently squeezing a plastic water bottle over a cracked egg. When the bottle re-inflates with air, it will scoop the yolk right up. (Disclaimer: This method may take a little practice.)

  1. Pit cherries with ease

Place cherries on top of an empty beer bottle, one at a time, and use a chopstick to push the pit into the bottle.

  1. Flip that banana upside down

Ever had issues prying into a banana? You’re not alone. Instead of wasting precious fruit by hacking into the stem end with a knife, gently press the bottom together and peel the banana from the bottom up.

  1. Peel that papery skin from ginger

Ditch the peeler in favor of a spoon to peel finicky ginger root.

  1. Peel garlic the fuss-free way

Remove all cloves from the bulb, then whack each clove with the side of a chef’s knife. The skin will fall right off.

  1. Peel citrus fruits without the mess

To avoid the mess and frustration, roll citrus fruits and/or microwave them for a minute for easy peeling (just be careful to not burn yourself).

  1. De-skin potatoes without a peeler

Time to ditch the peeler again! Peel a potato in a snap by boiling it and then giving it an ice bath. The skin will separate from the potatoey center and you can pick it right off.

Pit stone fruits with a twist

  1. Pit stone fruits with a twist

Cut stone fruits, such as plums and nectarines, into two equal halves, then twist the halves in opposite directions. Use your thumb to pop out the pit (if your thumb doesn’t do the job, gently pry it out with a butter knife, or cut the fruit into quarters for easier separating).

  1. Peel boiled eggs in a big batch

Peel multiple hardboiled eggs at a time by shaking them in a lidded container. The eggs won’t be pretty, but they will be ready for an egg salad much quicker than traditional methods.

  1. Make eggshell removal even easier

Add baking soda or vinegar to water when boiling eggs for easier shell removal. Both substances permeate the eggshells and help the albumen (that’s fancy speak for egg whites) separate from the shell.

  1. Pit and peel an avocado with just one utensil

Cut an avocado into quarters length-wise to break the fruit from the pit (once it’s down to the last section, you can just pop the pit right off). Run a knife under the tip of skin on each section, then peel it off like a banana.

  1. Hull strawberries

Use a straw to hull strawberries (it’s fate!). Press a straw through the bottom of a strawberry until it breaks through the top and takes the hull—the white part of the center of the berry—with it. Remove any remaining leaves with your fingers.

  1. Make citrus fruits even jucier

To get the most juice out of a lemon, refrigerate then microwave it for 15 to 20 seconds. Bonus tips: Roll citrus fruits before squeezing, cut them lengthwise, and/or use a pair of tongs to squeeze instead of your own two hands.

  1. Keep seeds from falling into citrus juice

Wrap citrus fruits in cheesecloth (or a clean stocking) for seed-free juice.

  1. Remove pomegranate seeds (without dying your hands red)

Cut a shallow cone into the flower end of the pomegranate, then slice off the bottom of the fruit. Score the fruit along its natural ridges, and pry each section apart to reveal the seeds.

  1. De-kernel a cob of corn without your teeth

Use a bundt pan to slice corn kernels off the cob. Place the pointy end of the cob on the center hole of the pan (with the open part of the pan facing up) and gently slice downward. The pan acts double duty as both a stand and a kernel collector.

Food Prep

cheese grating

  1. Make cheese grating easier and less messy

Before grating semisoft cheeses such as fontina and fresh mozzarella, freezing it for about 30 minutes.

  1. Cut the (soft) cheese with ease

Slice soft cheeses such as brie and goat cheese with unflavored dental floss to avoid smooshing them. This trick also works for cake and cookie dough logs!

  1. Prevent onions from making you weep

To stop onion-induced tears, freeze the onion before chopping. (Note: This trick only works if you’re planning to cook the onions later—otherwise, after the onion thaws out, the raw pieces will be a bit soggy!) Or if you want to look absolutely crazy when your housemate walks in, put a slice of bread in your mouth (partially sticking out) to absorb the irritant gas before it reaches the eyes.

  1. Deal with hard-to-open jars

To open a stuck jar lid, wrap the lid with a rubber band and give it another try. The band will provide extra traction. If that’s still not enough (or your hands hurt too much), cover the rubberbanded top with a dishtowel, and try again.

  1. Make your own buttermilk

To make buttermilk when there’s none of the real stuff in the fridge, add a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to regular milk. The mixture won’t get as thick and creamy as buttermilk, but it will help create fluffy pancakes and quick breads just the same.

  1. Cut cherry tomatoes in half all at once

Cut cherry or grape tomatoes in half with ease by placing them between two lids. Gently slice horizontally through the bunch of tomatoes while pressing down the top lid for perfectly halved tomatoes. What kind of lids? Anything works! Large yogurt container lids or Tupperware tops are two good options.

butter

  1. Soften butter in a flash

Keeping butter out on the counter for an hour isn’t exactly ideal for a tight schedule. To speed up the process, grate it with a cheese grater or flatten it with a rolling pin (but put it in a plastic bag first) for spreadable, mixable butter in a pinch.

  1. Soften butter faster (without a grater or rolling pin)

If you’d rather not use one of the tips mentioned above, cut a stick of butter into about eight pieces. More surface area will allow the stick to soften more rapidly.

  1. Bring melted butter back to solid form

Revive over-softened butter by giving it an ice bath. Place the butter in a small bowl, and place the small bowl in a larger one filled with a few handfuls of ice and some cold water.

  1. Measure sticky stuff without the mess

Coat a measuring cup or spoon with hot water or a dab of cooking oil (or spray) before measuring sticky substances such as molasses or honey. The heat or oil will help it slide right off and into a mixing bowl without leaving any behind.

  1. De-crystallize honey

Bring new life to crystallized honey by placing the container in a bowl of hot water for five to 10 minutes.

Cooking and Baking

  1. Don’t waste your time flipping

Now don’t flip out on us, but you don’t always have to flip your food. When roasting items such as French fries and veggies, pre-heating your cookie sheet eliminates the need to flip halfway through. This method isn’t suggested for baked goods like cookies (they wouldn’t look so pretty).

  1. Keep pots from boiling over

Prevent overboiling by placing a wooden spoon across a pot. Because wood is not a good material for conducting heat, the hot water strays away from the handle.

  1. Cook a whole bird evenly

When cooking an entire turkey or chicken, ice the breast of the bird. Since the dark thigh meat needs more time to cook than the white breast meat, chilling the breasts will promote even cooking. (Check out these other tips for making the perfect turkey.)

  1. Make a perfect poached egg

To poach an egg that’s both tasty and aesthetically pleasing, use a metal mesh strainer to get rid of excess egg white. The strainer is also a great tool for gently lowering the egg into the water.

  1. Cut brownies without the crumbs

There’s nothing worse than pulling out a pan of perfect-smelling brownies only to destroy the entire pan when it comes time to slice. For perfectly square, clean-cut brownies (or other bars) grease a baking pan, line it with two strips of parchment (one from left to right, one from front to back), and grease the parchment paper too. Once cooked, let sit until cool to the touch. Once cooled, use the parchment paper edges to lift the brownies from the pan. Then slice with a serrated knife.

  1. Use parchment paper for muffins

No muffin liners? No problem! Use 5-inch squares of parchment paper instead. To help the paper stick better, spray each well first. Then press the squares into each hole, folding the sides as needed to create flat walls. Plus, the makeshift liners look pretty darn fancy with those popped collars.

  1. Foam milk without a frother

So maybe you don’t have a fancy-schmancy espresso machine with attached milk steamer. We can’t help you on the espresso front, but we can tell you how to get frothy, creamy, delicious milk foam on the cheap! All you need is a small jar with a lid. Fill the jar with a little milk (no more than halfway) and shake what your mama gave you (or your leftover jam jar) until the milk has doubled in size. Pop off the lid and microwave the milk for about 30 seconds.

  1. Brew coffee without a coffee maker

Boil coffee in a pot of water (use the same amount of coffee and water you would for a coffee machine). Once the coffee is removed from the heat and the grounds have settled to the bottom (four or five minutes), ladle the coffee off the top of the pot into cups.

Reheating and Storing Leftovers

  1. Give leftovers new life

Save the rice, pizza toppings, and grilled chicken. Instead of tossing leftovers in the trash, repurpose them into other meals like casseroles and frittatas.

  1. Reheat pizza and other baked goods without drying them out

When reheating pizza or baked goods, place a cup of water in the microwave with it to add moisture to the air (therefore keeping the food from drying out).

  1. Keep birthday cake fresh for days

Dug into a cake and didn’t finish the whole thing? Save it from drying out by securing a slice of bread to the exposed portions with toothpicks. The bread holds in the cake’s moisture.

  1. Reheat pasta in the microwave the right way

Reheating a giant blob of sauced spaghetti can get tricky—sizzling around the perimeter, ice cold in the middle. For even warming, shape leftover pasta into a donut (with a hole in the middle) on a plate.

  1. Reheat bread in the microwave without producing hockey pucks

Much like number 49, the key to reheating already cooked foods is to add some moisture. When it comes to bread, set the microwave to a low power setting, and drape the rolls or buns with a moist paper towel.

Freezing

feezing

  1. Save fresh herbs for later use

Use an ice-cube tray or muffin tin to freeze fresh chopped herbs in water, olive oil, or stock for later use as a seasoning agent.

  1. Chill wine and cocktails without diluting

Cool down a fresh glass of wine or a fancy cocktail by plopping a few frozen grapes in your glass.

  1. Steer clear of ice cream freezer burn

Place a piece of wax paper over ice cream before putting it back in the freezer. The barrier will help prevent freezer burn!

  1. Easily cut meat into thin slices for stir-fries

Does your stir-fry ever really­ look the same as when you ordered take out? While the veggie part is easy, it’s tricky to produce thinly sliced chicken or beef—unless you partially freeze the meat before cutting it.

  1. Extend nuts’ shelf life

Freeze shelled nuts to preserve their natural oils (which may go rancid at room temperature over time).

  1. Cool down coffee without diluting it

Fill an ice cube tray with leftover coffee (cooled to room temp) and let the cubes set in the freezer. The coffee cubes will keep an iced cup of joe from becoming watered down. You can even customize the cubes by adding milk and sweetener.

Cleaning

cleaning dishes

  1. Clean cast-iron without causing rust

Scrubbing cast-iron with soapy water is a no-no (it’ll strip away the seasoning on the pan built up from all those dishes). Instead, clean cast-iron with a salt scrub to remove stuck-on bits of food.

  1. Remove icky cooking smells from your hands

Neutralize garlic- or onion-scented hands by rubbing them with lemon juice, baking soda, or stainless steel. Why stainless steel? When you touch the material, the molecules in the steel bind with the stinky-stanky causing molecules (such as sulfur from garlic).

  1. Give the coffee grinder a clean new look

Coffee grinders don’t exactly get dirty, but grinds often clump inside the grinding well. To remove stuck-on grinds, toss a few chunks of stale bread into the small appliance, pulse, then dump the crumbs. The coffee will stick to the bread!

   62. Clean fruit and veggies without harsh chemicals

Clean fruit and veggies without harsh chemicals. Scrub fresh produce with a mixture of baking soda and water to remove grit, grime, and pesticides.

  1. De-crust a microwave

Soak a sponge in water, pop it in the microwave, and let it cruise around the turntable for a minute. This double-whammy hack loosens all that gross caked on stuff inside the microwave (making it easier to wipe away later) plus it helps disinfect the sponge too!

  1. Make an electric kettle glimmer

Lime scale often builds up on electric kettles, French presses, and other metal kitchen tools. To make them shimmer and shine like they’re brand new, scrub them with one part vinegar to one part water. If there are no electrical elements to what you’re cleaning, go ahead and soak the metal in the solution, or fill a kettle with the vinegar water and let it sit overnight.

  1. Bring new life to wooden spoons

When wooden spoons don’t exactly look (or smell) like they used to, boil them in a pot of water and leave them lying in the sun to dry.

  1. Keep wooden cutting boards looking new

Scrub a wooden cutting board with coarse salt and massage with half a lemon to clean away food particles and food smells. Rub the board with food-grade mineral oil (find it at a hardware store) to condition the wood once a month.

Kitchen Organization and Safety

chopped-vegetables

  1. Combat cross contamination

Have two cutting boards—one for raw meat, one for everything else. It’ll help separate uncooked meat juices (ewie) from raw fruit and veggies, keeping you and your family safe from cross contamination. If you’re extra ambitious, purchase two different colored boards so there’s no confusion.

  1. Keep recipes clean

Display a recipe or cookbook from your kitchen cabinet with a pants hanger. It’ll keep the pages in sight and out of the line of oil splatters or counter spills. Laptop stands are another effective tool to elevate heavier cookbooks off your workspace.

  1. Keep sponges dry

Use a binder clip (upside down) to keep a kitchen sponge upright so it dries faster and stays ick-free for longer. Decreasing moisture in the sponge means germs, mold, and stink have less of a chance to build up.

  1. Put an end to slippery cutting boards

Place a damp (not sopping) dishtowel underneath a cutting board to keep it from slipping and sliding across the kitchen countertop.

  1. Cover sharp edges

When storing knifes in a drawer, pop a wine cork on the tip. It’ll keep the knife from jabbing wandering hands, plus keep it from jostling around when a drawer is yanked open. The safest knife storage option is a block (which will also stave off blade dulling).

  1. Keep knives sharp

Store knives upside down in a countertop knife block (blades facing upward) to keep them from dulling. After chopping, transfer food to a pan or bowl using the back of a knife rather than drawing the blade across the cutting board, causing it to dull quicker. And remember kids, a sharp knife is a safer knife.

  1. Learn to fight fires

Before stopping, dropping, and rolling, sprinkle baking soda onto a small grease or electrical fire to extinguish the flames. When heated, baking soda releases carbon dioxide, which helps stifle the fire.




7 Things That Happen When You Stop Eating Sugar

American have a bigger sweet tooth than they realize. Over the last 30 years, consumption of sugar has increased by 30 percent. The average person takes in over 300 calories of added sugar every day, and this isn’t necessarily through candy and ice cream. Added sugar, often in the form of high fructose corn syrup, can be found in anything from ketchup to salad dressing to yogurt.


1. Your cholesterol will drop.
According to a study published in Open Heart, the risk posed by heart problems can be reduced by more than half. Within a few weeks LDL cholesterol can drop 10 percent, with a 20 to 30 percent reduction in triglycerides.

2. Your body’s inflammation will decrease.
Inflammation is linked to problems from acne to heart disease to depression. Cutting down on sugar intake decreases overall inflammation and the risks that come with it.

3. You’ll think more clearly.
One UCLA study found that sugar slowed learning and memory, and may even damage brain signals. Part of this may also have to do with the fact that sugar causes energy crashes that don’t do your attention span any favors.

4. You’ll age more gracefully.
Fructose helps form oxygen radicals, which accelerate the cellular damage that’s associated with aging.

5. You’ll feel more energized.
You’ve probably heard that sugar gives you a boost of energy, and there’s truth to that. Sugar spikes glucose and can have an impact that feels similar to that of caffeine. However, cutting out sugar helps stabilize glucose levels, helping you avoid the crash and feel less dependent on that sugar rush.

6. You’ll stop missing it.
Sugar is literally addictive. While it triggers the pleasure hormone dopamine in your brain, eating too much makes you desensitized to it, meaning you need larger doses to get the same affect. People who go cold turkey with sugar report intense cravings and even headaches, both symptoms associated with withdrawal.

7. You’ll lose weight.
If you cut out the 300 extra calories a day you get from sugar, you could lose five pounds in two months. And that’s assuming you’re on the lower end of the sugar consumption scale.




Kitchen Hacks: 30 Brilliant Ways To Clean And Organise Your Kitchen

For many families, entertaining and eating is done right in the kitchen, which means that not only do you want a clean kitchen for cooking, but you’ll also want space for having company over. For those that have small kitchens, having the space necessary means making use of every nook and cranny. Of course you could remodel your kitchen, but that wouldn’t be very Lifehack-like.

These simple kitchen hacks will help you maximize your storage space, allowing you to keep your kitchen organized… but that’s not all! I’m going to be throwing in some handy kitchen hacks that make cleaning super simple and quick! When it comes to cleaning around the house, the kitchen should be your priority. Why? Because it’s where the FOOD is! And who wants the place where they store and eat their food to be disgusting?

Check out the following 30 ways to organize and clean your kitchen!

1. Carve Out A Spice Niche

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Spices and herbs play a big role for many people when it comes to cooking and these petite packages can take up a lot of storage space. Utilizing a spice rack that’s mounted onto the inside of a cabinet door allows you to keep your spices organized and make use of an unused space, leaving you the option to utilize your cabinets for store something else, like your pots and pans. Don’t feel like paying a lot for a spice rack or don’t want to drill holes into your cabinets?

2. Use Magnets

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Are you using your cabinet doors for some other clever way to give yourself additional storage? If so, you can still organize your spices in a clever way by making use of magnets. You can also use magnets for storing knives so that you don’t have to use a knife block… just make sure you use a strong enough magnet so that your kitchen doesn’t rain knives.

3. Make Freezer Shelves With Magazine Holders

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Take some magazine holders and turn them on their sides for some great shelves that can be used to organize and protect flat-ish items.

4. Over The Sink Cutting Board

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Preserve precious counter space with an over the sink cutting board which are just really just long cutting boards that are meant to fit over your sink. Not only do you save on either counter or cabinet space, but with these boards you can prevent vegetable and fruit peels or juices as well as other food bits that you’re slicing, chopping and dicing from making a disaster on your kitchen counter or floor. Saves a lot of clean up with food prep! As an added bonus you can also use it to hide dirty dishes when an unexpected guest comes over.

5. Labeling System

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Labels are a great way to help you organize your kitchen. You can even put the labels on the tops of jars so that when you store them in a drawer you can take the guesswork out of which container you want.

6. Add More Storage By Hacking “Unopenable” Drawers

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Cabinet and drawer space can come at a premium, especially when working with a small kitchen, but fear not! When you’ve run out of room in your available cabinets and drawers, just create some more.

7. Hang Pots And Pans From The Ceiling

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Give yourself more cabinet space by hanging pots, pans, and even cooking utensils from the ceiling. As a bonus, get yourself an attractive overhead rack and if you have a decent set of cookware, you’ll end up with a funky, stylish decoration for the kitchen.

8. Store Lids With A Curtain Rod

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A very simple solution that helps you organize your pot lids from Instructables.

9. Create A Dedicated Kitchen Tablet

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Do you have an old tablet that you rarely use? If so, why not turn it into a dedicated kitchen tablet so that you can get rid of paper clutter like the calendar on the fridge, the cookbooks in the cabinets, and the recipes that are scattered all along the countertops. Digitizing the paper clutter is a great way to save some kitchen space.

10. Roll Out Pantry

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If you have some unused space between your refrigerator and the wall, you might want to make use of it with a roll-out pantry to store canned and boxed goods vertically.

11. Add A Kitchen Island

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A kitchen island can bring some added functionality and organization to your kitchen as it can serve as both a place to eat as well as an extra storage space.

12. Use Drawer Inserts

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One of the problems with keeping a kitchen drawer organized is the ineffective use of space. Too many times people just throw all the kitchen utensils and tools in haphazardly. Use drawer inserts to make it easy to sort utensils, cooking tools and more, allowing each to be more accessible.

13. How To Organize Your Fridge

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Keep your refrigerator organized and clean to prevent fresh food from spoiling too quickly.

14. Use A Tension Rod To Hang Cleaning Products

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A tension rod can be a great way for storing and organizing spray bottles so that you have additional space in an otherwise cramped under-sink cabinet.

15. Use A Collapsible Wine Rack For Storing Bottles

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Place a collapsible wine rack on the lower shelf of your refrigerator to keep bottles (wine, soda, water, etc.) on their sides. The one in the photo is modular so that you can add as needed.

16. Hanging Fridge Storage

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Using below-shelf hanging organizers in your fridge to keep small food items from getting lost in the shuffle.

17. Storing Garlic, Shallots and Onions

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If you have a bamboo steamer basket, use it to store garlic, onions and shallots. Due to bamboo steamers being well-ventilated, they’re the perfect environment for storing onions, garlic, and shallots which will leave your fridge with some room for other veggies.

18. How To Keep Your Sponge Dry and Mildew Free

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Once you’ve cleaned your dirty counter, sink and stains on the floor, it might be tempting to just run your sponge under some water and set it at the edge of your sink. Doing so, however, sets the stage for mold and mildew to build up. Thankfully,you can keep your sponge from becoming gross and unusable with a simple clip. Just place the sponge upright which will prevent it from sitting in water as well as help it air dry fast.

19. Clean Your Blender Quickly

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After making a smoothie or using your blender to chop up the garlic, you can quickly clean it by pouring in warm water and a tiny bit of dish soap. Top the blender with the lid and turn it on and now it’s all clean! Just make sure to give it a quick rinse after to get rid of the soap residue.

20. Rid Your Kitchen Of Foul Odors (At Least For A Day)

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If you find that your kitchen smells a bit funky or you just want to conjure memories of mom’s chocolate chip cookies, you can easily do so with some vanilla extract. Put two caps full into an oven proof dish and then place it in your oven for an hour at 300 degrees. The smell will encompass your kitchen as well as other parts of your home for about a day. You can also feel free to experiment with other essentials oils like lemon if you’d prefer.

21. Prevent Clogs From Forming

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To prevent clogs from forming in your kitchen sink, make sure to periodically pour boiling water down the drain. Doing so ensures that the oils in food products run down the drain as opposed to building up on the interior surface of pipes which is what leads to clogged drains. If you have baking soda on hand, you may want to consider pouring some down the drain prior to using the boiling water as baking soda is a great cleaning agent and can help to absorb any odors.

22. Clean Your Stainless Steel Appliances With Glass Cleaner

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Glass cleaner will give your stainless steel sink and appliances the same streak-free shine that it does for glass and mirrors. Using a glass cleaner will also help to remove any fingerprints. Just spray a few times on a microfiber cloth and make like the karate kid by ‘waxing on, waxing off’. Rinse thoroughly and dry your towel.

23. Clean Your Stainless Steel Appliances With Flour

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Don’t want to use a glass cleaner due to chemicals? Just apply some dry flour onto a microfiber cloth and buff it into your stainless steel appliance, sink or counter. Then rinse it off and the surface should shine like new.

24. Clean Your Silverware And Knives With Rust Spots Using Lemon Juice

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Eventually, stainless steel silverware and cooking knives can begin to get spotty with rust, especially if you use the dishwasher to clean them. Just take your rusted silverware or cooking knives and soak them in a glass of lemon juice for a couple of minutes. The rust will loosen up, making it easy to scrub away… just make sure to hand dry it afterwards!

25. Clean Your Oven With Baking Soda

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With some baking soda, water and a touch of elbow grease, you can easily clean your oven.

26. Clean Your Wooden Cutting Boards With Lemon And Salt

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You may think your wooden cutting board is clean but even if you wipe it down after use or give it a quick rinse, it can still get grimy on the surface. To freshen up your cutting board, sprinkle some coarse salt and then use half a lemon (cut side down) to scrub the board. Make sure to squeeze some lemon juice as you go and then let it sit for 5 minutes. Scrape the dirty liquid off and then rinse with some water.

27. Clean Your Microwave

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It seems way too easy to get microwaved food to explode which leads to messes that eventually need to be cleaned. Make it easy by putting a wet sponge inside your microwave and then spraying the inside with a mixture of water and essential oils. Microwave the sponge for two minutes, let it cool, and then use it to wipe up the leftover mess.

28. Clean Your Garbage Disposal With Lemon And Vinegar

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Tons of gunk goes through your garbage disposal so it’s a pretty good idea to keep it clean which can easily be done with some lemons and vinegar. Just slice the lemons into small pieces and then freeze the slices in vinegar. Run the lemon-vinegar cubes through your disposal every few days to keep it fresh.

29. Freshen Your Dishwasher

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It’s probably never occurred that your dishwasher needs to be cleaned since it’s constantly cleaning itself and the dishes every time you run it, but every so often it’s a good idea to freshen it up. Just run a cycle with vinegar and then do another for rinsing!

30. Freshen Your Garbage Can

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Hose down your garbage can, dry it, and then sprinkle a few tablespoons of baking soda on the bottom to keep it stink free.

Have a hack that you use to organize and clean your kitchen that hasn’t been mentioned in this list? Please share with everyone else by leaving a comment!




66 life-changing things you can do with a lemon

when life give you lemons...

When life gives you lemons, it’s time to read this list. We researched all of the miraculous things you can do with lemons, from the juice to the peel. Uses include making you healthier, more beautiful, cleaner, and a better cook (obviously), plus so much more.

Here are 66 things you can do with a lemon:

DEODORIZING

Lemon juice can fight odors and make your home smell amazing
Lemon juice can fight odors and make your home smell amazing

Clean the garbage disposal: Freeze lemon slices in plastic ice cube trays with vinegar. Once frozen, you can place a few cubes down the disposal, turn on the water, and run it for 30 seconds to clean and deodorize.

Freshen your fridge: Soak a cotton ball or sponge in lemon juice and leave it in the fridge for a few hours — your fridge will smell so much better, and it works even better than baking soda.

Make a DIY room freshener: Throw lemon peels, cloves, and cinnamon sticks into a pot of simmering water. It will make your whole house smell amazing, get rid of odors, and humidify the air, too.

Deodorize the humidifier: Pour in lemon juice with the humidifier water. Turn it on and let it run — the lemon juice will naturally deodorize the machine plus make the room smell fantastic.

Make your breath smell better: Drinking lemon water and combat the bacteria in your mouth. Just make sure to rinse with water afterwards since lemon juice can erode your teeth.

Deodorize trash cans: Throw a few peels into the trash can to keep everything smelling as fresh as possible.

Make the fireplace smell amazing: Use dried citrus peels like lemon and orange as kindling — to prepare, let them sit out on the counter for a few days so they can fully dry. They’ll act as a flame starter and will make the fire extremely aromatic.

Remove odors from hands: Whether it’s garlic or fish, cooking can make your hands smell horrible. Wash them with lemon juice and some soap to eliminate unwanted odors.

Neutralize cat-box smells: Make your home smell better by neutralizing the acidic smell of your cat box with a few lemon slices placed nearby in a bowl. It will have the same effect as store-bought air fresheners.

CLEANING

From cutting boards to windows, lemon juice can clean just about anything
From cutting boards to windows, lemon juice can clean just about anything

Polish furniture: Make a homemade furniture polish that will smell better and cost less than typical polishes out of lemon oil, squeezed lemon juice, and olive or jojoba oil. Combine the ingredients and buff with a cloth.

Remove food build up from a microwave: Place a bowl of water, lemon juice, and slices of lemon into the microwave. Heat on high for three minutes and remove the bowl. Any leftover food that used to be caked on will wipe right off and your microwave will smell amazingly clean.

Clean windows: Because it’s acidic, lemon juice is great at cutting through grease or grime build up on windows and glass. You can also mix it with cornstarch, vinegar, and water for an even better window cleaning treatment.

Remove hard water stains from faucets: Hard water can make your tub dingy and leave you with unsightly stains on faucets and shower heads. Remove build up by taking a cut lemon and rubbing it on your shower fixtures — they’ll look shiny and new when you’re done.

Clean cutting boards: Freshen your dirty, greasy cutting boards with a handful of coarse salt and a cut lemon. Sprinkle salt on the cutting board and then rub it in with the cut side of a lemon. Wipe off the salt or rinse the board in the sink — easy. You can do the same thing with rolling pins and wooden salad bowls.

Revive your old coffee maker: Run your coffee maker through a full water-only cycle. Then, mix a solution of lemon juice and water together and pour it into your coffee maker water tank. Allow it to sit before turning it on and letting it run through the cycle. Make a fresh solution and repeat the process. Run another water cycle and soak the carafe, filter, and coffee reservoir in dish soap and water to remove any lemon taste.

Clean marble: To remove rust stains from marble, sprinkle baking soda on the stain and add some lemon juice. Scrub and add more lemon juice and baking soda as needed. Wipe immediately with a clean, wet rag.

Polish brass and copper: Combine equal parts lemon juice and vinegar and then wipe the mixture on the metal with a paper towel. Polish with a soft cloth until dry. You can also combine lemon juice and baking soda to make a paste and have a similar effect to remove tarnish.

Polish silverware: Mix a tablespoon of lemon juice with 1 1/2 cups of water and 1/2 cup instant dry milk. Let the silverware sit overnight and then rinse and dry. If you’re in a hurry, simply pour some lemon juice on tarnished pieces of silverware and buff with a clean cloth.

Make your dish soap more effective: Add a teaspoon of lemon juice to dish soap to cut through grease on dishes and make your soap even more effective.

Bleach plastic Tupperware: If your Tupperware is soaking up colors from your favorite spaghetti or tomato soup, rub with some lemon juice and let it dry in the sun to bleach away the stains.

Clean the toilet: Pouring in 1/2 cup of lemon juice and letting it sit will make toilet stains easy to tackle with a brush (and make the bathroom smell citrusy). You can also add 1/2 cup of borax for extra stain fighting powers.

Unclog a drain: Pour boiling water down the drain and then half a box of baking soda followed by 8-12 ounces of lemon juice. The lemon juice will react with the baking soda causing it to turn into a foam. Then pour more boiling water down the drain to rinse away the foam and the clog.

Remove water stains on shower doors: Cut a lemon in half and dip one half into baking soda. Rub onto the glass and then rinse and dry.

Create an all-purpose cleaner: Combining water, baking soda, vinegar, lemon, and lemon essential oil will create an amazing all-purpose cleaner for the kitchen or the bathroom. Get directions here.

Clean cheese graters: Instead of ruining your sponge, clean your cheese graters using a half of a lemon instead. It won’t matter if it gets grated a little and the acid in the lemon will cut through the cheese easily.

Polish hardwood floors: Make your own lemon-vinegar floor cleaner to fight mold, bacteria, and germs. It also has the added benefit of being non-toxic and will make your floors look great.

LAUNDRY

Spray lemon juice on white sneakers and let them dry and whiten in the sun
Spray lemon juice on white sneakers and let them dry and whiten in the sun

Gently bleach fabrics: Add lemon juice to hot water and soak your white linens. Then rinse and wash as normal. You can also add 1/2 cup of lemon juice to your cycle instead of bleach for similar results.

Spot treat your shirts: Pour lemon juice on the stain and add some table salt. Rub the stain between your fingers and then rinse. This is especially helpful with dark underarm stains, and will be even more effective if you let the clothing dry in the sun.

Get mildew stains out of clothes: Make a paste with lemon juice and salt and rub it into the infected area. Let it dry in the sun, and repeat until the stain is gone.

Remove grease stains: Mix lemon juice with vinegar and apply to the stain. Let it sit and then rinse off.

Whiten tennis shoes: Spray lemon juice on white athletic shoes and let them dry in the sun. It will bleach the fabric and even make them smell better.

COOKING

Keep produce like avocados from browning with a cold lemon water soak
Keep produce like avocados from browning with a cold lemon water soak

Soak fruits and veggies in lemon water to prevent browning: After slicing up your fruit, keep it from oxidizing and turning brown by soaking in a cold bowl of water with lemon juice. Take out produce and pat dry. This works with apples, cauliflower, bananas, pears, potatoes, and avocados.

Revive limp lettuce: When lettuce starts to get soggy, you can soak the leaves in a bowl of cold water with the juice from half a lemon. Refrigerate for an hour and then dry leaves before adding to salads or sandwiches.

Keep rice from clumping: Add a spoonful of lemon juice while rice is cooking so it doesn’t stick together at the end. Let it cool when it’s done and then fluff with a fork.

Upgrade your ice cubes: Freeze lemon slices in ice cube trays (or cupcake trays if you want bigger ice cubes) and use them to add some zest to a standard glass or pitcher of water.

Marinate meats: Lemon juice is a brilliant marinade when added with oils and herbs. The acid in the lemon juice will break down the meat so that the oil and spices can flavor it even better.

Make candied lemon peels: Instead of throwing away your lemon rind, you can make candy out of it that you can put on cakes, into cookies, or just eat as a snack. All you need to do is boil the peels a few times with sugar and coat in sugar.

Keep brown sugar soft: Adding a lemon slice to brown sugar will keep it soft. The moisture from the lemon will keep the sugar from becoming rock hard and unusable.

Boost flavor and reduce salt intake: Studies have shown that if you use lemon juice and lemon zest, you’ll use less salt to boost the flavor of your dishes. It’s a healthier alternative instead of constantly reaching for salt and pepper.

Make a buttermilk substitute: If you don’t have buttermilk, add two tablespoons of lemon juice to a 1% or 2% cup of milk. Let it sit so the acid sours the milk for 15 minutes and then add it to the recipe.

Make a sour cream substitute: Similar to the buttermilk tip above, lemon juice will sour whipped cream if you let it sit for 30 minutes or so. It will also cut your calories if you’re used to adding a dollop of sour cream to a baked potato.

Make lemonade: You know what they say about life giving you lemons. Add some gin if you want a grown up lemonade.

BEAUTY

Lemon juice will brighten hair in the sun
Lemon juice will brighten hair in the sun

Lighten your hair: Lemon juice will bleach your hair in the sun. Create your own leave-in hair brightener by combining almond or coconut oil, cinnamon, and chamomile tea with lemon juice. Mix together and spray on your hair before heading outside into the sun. The lemon will lighten strands while the oil will make sure hair doesn’t get too dried out. (Simple lemon juice will also do the trick.)

Fade age spots or freckles: Lemon juice will lighten and brighten skin by reducing freckles as well as fading age spots. Wash you face, pat dry, and then apply lemon juice with a cotton swab.

Make a brightening moisturizer: Mix coconut oil with a few drops of lemon juice to hydrate skin and brighten it at the same time. Since both are anti-fungal, the mixture will also help prevent acne.

Whiten and strengthen nails: Mix lemon juice with olive oil and soak your nails. The lemon juice will brighten the nail while the olive oil will strengthen it.

Fight dandruff: Massage two tablespoons of lemon juice into your scalp and then rinse with lemon water. Repeat until dandruff is gone.

Fight acne: Lemon juice is a natural astringent which will fight the oil and clogged pores that can cause acne. After cleaning your face and patting dry, apply lemon juice to your face. After 10 minutes, rinse off with cool water. Repeat twice daily.

Exfoliate your skin: Combine lemon juice, sugar, olive oil, and honey to create a nourishing scrub for your skin. Apply to your body and face before rinsing off.

HEALTH

Drinking lemon water is good for you since it has potassium and Vitamin C
Drinking lemon water is good for you since it has potassium and Vitamin C

Start your day with lemon water: Drinking lemon water will give you a dose of Vitamin C, potassium, and will aid digestion and give your immune system a boost.

Soothe a sore throat: Lemon juice has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties which can help a sore throat. It also has lots of Vitamin C to help boost your immune system.

Treat canker sores: Because lemon is both anti-fungal and antibacterial, it will speed up the recovery time of a canker sore. Simply add lemon juice to a cup of hot water. Let steep, and then gargle with the solution. It will sting, but that means it’s working.

Soothe skin rashes: Soak a cotton ball in lemon juice and apply to the rash. This works especially well with poison ivy.

Stop itchy insect bites: Rubbing a bit of lemon juice on insect bites will relieve the swelling and itching. Just make sure not to go outside with it on since you might attract more bugs.

Reduces phlegm and soothes a cough: Adding a little lemon juice with honey to hot water will reduce mucous build up, which can help you get better faster.

Remove warts: If you don’t want to go to the doctor to treat your wart, try lemon juice as a do-it-yourself option. Dabbing lemon juice on the wart will break it down and it should disappear in two weeks.

MISCELLANEOUS

Lemon juice and cornmeal can get rid of berry stains on hands.
Lemon juice and cornmeal can get rid of berry stains on hands.

Polish leather shoes: DIY your own shoe polish with olive oil and lemon. Combine one part lemon juice with two parts olive oil and let it sink into the leather of your shoes. Wait for 10-15 minutes and then buff with a cloth.

Make invisible ink: Squeeze lemon juice into a bowl of water and then dip a cotton swab into it. Write a message on white paper and then wait for it to dry before heating the paper close to a lamp or light bulb to see the message.

Sanitize jewelry: Add a tablespoon of lemon juice to 1 1/2 cups of water. This is especially good for sanitizing earrings, but should not be used on pearls or gold.

Repel bugs from your home: Mop your floors with lemon juice and water to ward off roaches and flees, and spray concentrated lemon juice on any areas you think bugs like ants may be getting in. Bonus points if you throw some lemon peels outside of entryways.

Remove pet stains from fur: Pinkish-red stains can sometimes form around your pet’s eyes and mouth. To remove these stains, combine baking soda and lemon juice and rub it onto fur. Keep it away from your pet’s eyes and wait for about 10 minutes before rinsing off. Always check with a vet first to make sure it’s safe.

Remove berry stains from your hands: Berries can dye your hands red if you’re not careful, especially if you’re slicing, rinsing, or cooking with them. To get rid of them, make a paste of cornmeal and lemon juice and rub onto hands, let sit, and rinse off.

Kill weeds: Lemon juice will kill any weeds you don’t want growing in your yard or driveway. Fill a spray bottle with the juice and douse the offending plants.

Make your own dog and cat repellent: If neighborhood cats and dogs are using your lawn as a litterbox, combine lemon peels with coffee grounds and place them where the pets usually ‘go’ — they hate the smell and will soon head to other yards.

Save hardened paintbrushes: If your paintbrushes look like there’s no saving them, bring lemon juice and a little water to a boil and throw in the brushes to sit for 15 minutes. Wash them with soap and water afterwards and let dry. Bristles should feel soft again.




5 Ways to Make Low-Carb Pizza – Diet Advice

1. Make Pizza Out of Chicken

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First, when we say chicken pizza, we mean use chicken as the crust, not as a topping. To make it, just pound a boneless skinless chicken breast cutlet to 1/4-inch thickness. Cook it in a skillet and top away. Not only will you get amazing pizza flavor for minimal calories and carbs, but you don’t even have to turn on your oven to make it. That’s just one of many creative ways to cook chicken.

2. Use Wonton Wrappers as Crust

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Yes, seriously! Wonton wrappers are super-thin sheets of dough, and they’re perfect little vehicles for all of your favorite pizza toppers. And at around 20 calories a pop, they’re about as low in calories as pizza crust can possibly get. To make mini thin-crust pizzas, bake wonton wrappers at 375 degrees until edges begin to brown. Then flip, top, and cook until cheese melts. The perfect party treats or solo snacks!

3. Make Breakfast Pizza With an Egg Crust

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We call this “breakfast pizza” because it’s egg based, but egg-crust pizza is perfect any time of day. To make the “crust,” bring a small skillet sprayed with nonstick spray to medium heat. Add egg whites or fat-free liquid egg substitute, cover, and cook and solid enough to flip. Flip, top with your pizza favorites, and continue to cook until cheese melts and egg is cooked through.

4. Use Bell Peppers to Make Deep-Dish Pizza

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The only thing better than a hot ‘n cheesy deep-dish pizza is a hot ‘n cheesy deep-dish pizza with around 200 calories and 25g carbs! The secret to lower-carb deep-dish pizza? Use green bell peppers as the crust. Just slice them in half lengthwise, remove the seeds and stems, and bake at 375 degrees until softened. Then fill your pepper halves with toppings, and bake until hot and melty.

5. Use Veggies as the Base for Your Pizza

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A bell pepper isn’t the only veggie that works as a pizza crust. Hearty vegetables like portabella mushrooms, eggplant, and zucchini are the perfect substitute for bready crust. Mini pizzas made out of portabella mushrooms (118 calories, 7.5g carbs) are delicious!




16 kitchen gadgets that can be replaced with a simple knife

creative kitchen gadgets

If you’ve ever been to the kitchen section of a Williams-Sonoma or Bed Bath & Beyond, you might be overwhelmed by how many kitchen gadgets there are.

Those multi-colored plastic cutters, peelers, and dicers may seem handy to keep in your kitchen, but they end up mostly being clutter.

And to be honest, you don’t need anything else if you have a high-quality knife. Keep reading to see what not to buy

Apple slicer
Apple slicer

A mandolin slicer comes with a vegetable cutter, cheese slicer, and vegetable julienne slicer. And while I love it, all of this could easily be done with a knife.

a-mandolin-slicer-comes-with-a-vegetable-cutter-cheese-slicer-and-vegetable-julienne-slicer-and-while-i-love-it-all-of-this-could-easily-be-done-with-a-knife

While an apple slicer makes perfectly portioned apple slices, it’s really not necessary when you can core and slice that apple yourself.

while-an-apple-slicer-makes-perfectly-portioned-apple-slices-its-really-not-necessary-when-you-can-core-and-slice-that-apple-yourself

This 3-in-1 avocado slicer claims to help you split, pit, and slice your avocados “safely and effectively.” Your knife is also a 3-in-1 tool that does all of these things.

this-3-in-1-avocado-slicer-claims-to-help-you-split-pit-and-slice-your-avocados-safely-and-effectively-your-knife-is-also-a-3-in-1-tool-that-does-all-of-these-thin

With the time it takes for you to find this banana cutter in your kitchen, you could have already cut your banana with a knife.

with-the-time-it-takes-for-you-to-find-this-banana-cutter-in-your-kitchen-you-could-have-already-cut-your-banana-with-a-knife

Be honest: Do you really need a special strawberry cutter to hull and slice strawberries? Of course not. Hull and slice them the old-fashioned way with a knife.

be-honest-do-you-really-need-a-special-strawberry-cutter-to-hull-and-slice-strawberries-of-course-not-hull-and-slice-them-the-old-fashioned-way-with-a-knife

This grape and cherry tomato slicer is kind of a neat idea, but you could save yourself the $10 and do it with two plates and a knife instead.

this-grape-and-cherry-tomato-slicer-is-kind-of-a-neat-idea-but-you-could-save-yourself-the-10-and-do-it-with-two-plates-and-a-knife-instead

Pizza cutters are a staple in American kitchens, but completely unnecessary if you have a big chef’s knife.

pizza-cutters-are-a-staple-in-american-kitchens-but-completely-unnecessary-if-you-have-a-big-chefs-knife

With a well-honed knife, slicing a tomato is not hard at all. And you can use your hand to keep it in place.

with-a-well-honed-knife-slicing-a-tomato-is-not-hard-at-all-and-you-can-use-your-hand-to-keep-it-in-place

You don’t need a bagel cutter to get a perfect sliced bagel. You’ll save yourself counter space by using your knife instead.

you-dont-need-a-bagel-cutter-to-get-a-perfect-sliced-bagel-youll-save-yourself-counter-space-by-using-your-knife-instead

No one needs a butter cutter. A “butter cutter” already exists. It’s called a knife.

no-one-needs-a-butter-cutter-a-butter-cutter-already-exists-its-called-a-knife

While a melon ball scooper is a fine instrument, this melon peeler seems like too much work.
Plus, you can cut the fruit from the tough skin easily enough with knife.

while-a-melon-ball-scooper-is-a-fine-instrument-this-melon-peeler-seems-like-too-much-work

Chopping and cooking with garlic can make your hands smell, but a cute little garlic chopper likely won’t make much of a difference if you’re still handling it.
Instead, use a high-quality knife to chop up the garlic and try not to touch the cloves too much with your fingers.

chopping-and-cooking-with-garlic-can-make-your-hands-smell-but-a-cute-little-garlic-chopper-likely-wont-make-much-of-a-difference-if-youre-still-handling-it

Unless you eat hard-boiled eggs everyday, I’m guessing you’d never use this egg slicer and wedge.

unless-you-eat-hard-boiled-eggs-everyday-im-guessing-youd-never-use-this-egg-slicer-and-wedge

This mango slicer claims to remove the pit and slice the mango all in one smooth motion. You could also just cut up your mango and de-pit it with your knife.

this-mango-slicer-claims-to-remove-the-pit-and-slice-the-mango-all-in-one-smooth-motion-you-could-also-just-cut-up-your-mango-and-de-pit-it-with-your-knife

While anyone with braces might appreciate a tool that cuts the kernels from a corn cob, it’s really not that hard to do yourself.

while-anyone-with-braces-might-appreciate-a-tool-that-cuts-the-kernels-from-a-corn-cob-its-really-not-that-hard-to-do-yourself

Last but not least, a company created an orange peeler tool that says it’s “perfect for men without fingernails or women who don’t want to damage theirs.”

last-but-not-least-a-company-created-an-orange-peeler-tool-that-says-its-perfect-for-men-without-fingernails-or-women-who-dont-want-to-damage-theirs

Let’s just use our knives, shall we?




Protein Shake Recipes

Protein Shake Recipes

Protein Shake Recipes
Protein Shake Recipes

Peach Cinamon, Banana Nut Muffin Shake, Very Berry Vanilla, Mocha Bannana Wake-up Call, A Glass Of Apple Pie, Chocolate-Peanut Butter Banana, Mango and Tart Cherry, Vanilla Pumpkin Pie, Pina Colada Power Shake, Choco-Cherry Delight, Sweet And Simple Apple and Banana, Blubery Brain Booster, Simple Strawberry Protein Shake, Watermelon Breeze Protein Shake, Coconut Almond Shake, Super Chocolate Mint Shake, Key Lime Pie,
Dark Chocolate Peppermint Shake, Orande Creamsicle Shake, Cookies, Cream and Avocado Shake, Banana Bluberry Blast Shake, Cholocate Ginger Recovery Shake, Strawberry Cheesecake Shake, Plum Power Shake