Discover the true taste of Greece with our delectable Greek Salad! Bursting with freshness and Mediterranean flavors, this classic dish is a culinary delight that’s sure to transport your taste buds to sun-kissed shores.

Ingredients:

• 1 head iceburg lettuce
• 1 head romaine lettuce
• 1 lb. plum (roma) tomatoes
• 6 oz. greek or black olives, sliced
• 4 oz. sliced radishes
• 4 oz. feta cheese
• 2 oz. anchovies (optional)

Dressing:

• 3 oz. olive oil
• 3 oz. fresh (preferred) lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 cloves garlic, minced

Wash and cut lettuce into 1 1/2″ pieces. Slice tomatoes in quarters. Combine lettuce, tomatoes, olives, and radishes in large bowl. Mix dressing ingredients together and then toss with vegetables. Pour out into a shallow serving bowl. Crumble feta cheese over all, and arrange anchovy fillets on top (if desired).

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.

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1. Better way to peel mandarin orange.

2. Use orange peel for candles.

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

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.

5. A watermelon fruit bowl.

6. How to pick a ripe avocado.

7. Fruit cubes.

8. How to keep apple slices fresh.

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

10. Proper way to cut a mango.

11. Drink fresh apple juice for vivid dreams.

12. How to make dried fruit without a dehydrator.

13. The perfect apple snacks.

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.

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

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

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

18. Easy way to remove the strawberry leaves.

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

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

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

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.

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.

Source: 9GAG

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

4. 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 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.

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

• Gummy Bear Molds and Stoppers
• Whisk
• Small Bowl
• Small Saucepan

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

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

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.

2. 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.

3. 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).

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. 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.

13. 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.)

14. 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.

15. 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.

16. Peel that papery skin from ginger

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

17. 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.

18. 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).

19. 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.

20. 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).

21. 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.

22. 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.

23. 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.

24. 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.

25. 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.

26. Keep seeds from falling into citrus juice

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

27. 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.

28. 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

29. Make cheese grating easier and less messy

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

30. 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!

31. 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.

32. 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.

33. 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.

34. 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.

35. 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.

36. 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.

37. 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.

38. 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.

39. 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

40. 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).

41. 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.

42. 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.)

43. 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.

44. 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.

45. 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.

46. 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.

47. 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

48. 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.

49. 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).

50. 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.

51. 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.

52. 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

53. 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.

54. 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.

55. 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!

56. 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.

57. Extend nuts’ shelf life

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

58. 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

59. 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.

60. 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).

61. 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.

63. 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!

64. 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.

65. 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.

66. 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

67. 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.

68. 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.

69. 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.

70. 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.

71. 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).

72. 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.

73. 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.

This has moved to the top of our weekly go-to dinner list. You’d better make room on yours too, ’cause you’re going to LOVE it!

For the Salad
2 cups shredded or finely sliced red cabbage
2 cups shredded or finely sliced white cabbage
2 cups, finely chopped kale
2 medium carrots, peeled and shredded
1/3 cup chopped peanuts
1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp
1/2 cup Stubb’s Sweet Heat Bar-B-Q Sauce

For the Peanut Sauce
3/4 cup Stubb’s Sweet Heat Bar-B-Q sauce
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup lime juice

For the Dressing
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
zest of 1 lime + 2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons fish sauce (nam pla)
2 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons minced ginger
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Instructions
In a large bowl combine the red cabbage, white cabbage, kale and carrots. Set aside.
In a blender, combine the ingredients for the peanut sauce and blend until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a serving bowl and set aside.
In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the dressing and whisk together – add the vinaigrette a few tablespoons at a time to the salad and toss to combine. Use only enough of the dressing to lightly coat the leaves – you don’t want it to be goopy. Reserve remaining dressing for another use.
Thread the shrimp onto skewers and preheat the grill (or a grill pan) to medium high heat. Lightly brush the shrimp with vegetable oil and cook for 1-2 minutes on one side, until they start to turn pink. Flip the shrimp and brush them with barbecue sauce. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the shrimp are cooked through and brush the other side with sauce.
To serve: Mound plates with salad, top with shrimp skewers and drizzle the peanut sauce over the top of shrimp and salad. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and cilantro leaves. Serve.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

9. Create A Dedicated Kitchen Tablet

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

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

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

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

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

14. Use A Tension Rod To Hang Cleaning Products

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

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

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

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

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

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)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Cooked bacon adds to the cheese and bread crumb topping in this flavorful and creamy macaroni and cheese casserole. Serve this macaroni and cheese with sliced tomatoes or a tossed salad for a satisfying family meal.

INGREDIENTS
8 ounces elbow macaroni, about 2 cups dry
3 tablespoons butter
4 green onions, thinly sliced
dash garlic powder
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups milk
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
6 slices bacon, cooked, drained, crumbled
2 cups (8 ounces) sharp Cheddar cheese, divided
Topping
1 cup soft bread crumbs
1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons butter, melted

PREPARATION
Cook macaroni in boiling salted water following package directions. Drain in a colander, rinse with hot water, and set aside.

Heat oven to 350°. Lightly grease a 2 1/2-quart baking dish.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the 3 tablespoons of butter. Add the green onions and garlic powder. Cook, stirring, for about 1 minute. Add the flour and stir until well blended and smooth. Add the milk and cook, stirring, until thickened.

Stir in salt and pepper, to taste.

Remove 1/2 cup of the cheese and set aside. Stir the remaining 1 1/2 cups of cheese into the sauce and continue cooking until cheese is melted.

Combine the cheese sauce with the drained macaroni and then spoon the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle bacon evenly over the casserole and top with the reserved 1/2 cup of cheese.

Toss bread crumbs with 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons of melted butter and sprinkle over the casserole. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until lightly browned and bubbly.

Familiar in many foods from the famous Hungarian goulash to a dusting atop deviled eggs, have you ever wondered about paprika spice? For instance, where does paprika grow? Can I grow my own paprika peppers? Let’s read on to learn more.

Where Does Paprika Grow?

Paprika is a variety of mild pepper (Capsicum annuum) that is dried, ground and used with food either as a spice or garnish. Most of what we are familiar with comes from Spain, or yes, you guessed it, Hungary. However, these are by far not the only countries that grow paprika peppers, and for the most part, Hungarian paprika is grown in the United States.

Paprika Pepper Info

It isn’t known exactly what the derivation of the word paprika arises from. Some say it is the Hungarian word meaning pepper, while still others say it is from the Latin ‘piper’ meaning pepper. Whatever the case, paprika has been used in a variety of cuisine for hundreds of years, adding a serious boost of vitamin C to dishes. In fact, paprika peppers have more vitamin C than lemon juice by weight.

Another interesting bit of paprika pepper info is its use as a hair color. By itself, it imbues hair with a reddish hue, and combined with henna unleashes the fiery red head.

Paprika is available in several incarnations of the pepper. Regular unsmoked paprika is called Pimenton. There are gradations of regular paprika from mild, moderately spicy to very spicy.

Contrary to what you might think, the red color of the spice does not correspond to how spicy it is. The darker, browner tones of paprika are actually the spiciest while the red-toned paprikas are milder.

The spice also comes as smoked paprika, my favorite, which is smoked over oak wood. Smoked paprika is delicious in everything from potato dishes to eggs and pretty much any meat. It also lends vegetarian cuisine another layer of flavor, resulting in truly robust dishes.

Hungarian paprika fruit is a little smaller than Spanish paprika, 2-5 inches long versus 5-9 inches long. Hungarian peppers are oblong to pointy in shape with thin walls. Most are mild in flavor, but some strains can be quite hot. The Spanish paprika peppers have thicker, fleshier fruits and are more susceptible to disease than its counterpart, probably accounting for its popularity with growers.

How Do I Grow Paprika Spice?

When growing your own paprika peppers, you may plant either Hungarian or Spanish varieties. If you’re going to make the peppers into paprika, however, ‘Kalosca’ is a thin-walled sweet pepper that is easily dried and ground.

There is no secret to growing paprika peppers. They are grown much like other peppers, which means they like a well-draining, fertile soil in a sunny area. Provided that you live in a warm climate, you may start paprika outdoors from seed in zones 6 and higher. In cooler climes, start the seeds inside or purchase seedlings. Wait until all danger of frost has passed before transplanting, as all peppers are susceptible to frost.

Space plants 12 inches apart in rows 3 feet apart. Harvest time for your peppers will be staggered from summer into fall. Fruit is mature when it is bright red in color.

Dry your peppers in mesh bags hung in the attic, heated room or other area with temperatures of 130-150 F. (54-65 C.) for three days to one week. You can also use a dehydrator. When complete, 85 percent of the pod weight will have been lost.

1. Make Pizza Out of Chicken

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

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

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

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

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!

Try these easy, cheesy ground beef enchiladas, complete with sassy sauce and mild chiles.

Ingredients
1 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef
2 cans (10 oz each) Old El Paso™ enchilada sauce
1 can (4.5 oz) Old El Paso™ chopped green chiles
1 package (8.2 oz) Old El Paso™ flour tortillas for soft tacos & fajitas (6 inch)
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (6 oz)
Make it FRESH toppings, as desired (see below)

Directions
1. Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 13×9-inch (3-quart) baking dish or pan with cooking spray.

2. In 10-inch nonstick skillet, cook beef over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce and the chiles.

3. Spread 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce evenly in baking dish. Spread 1/4 cup beef mixture down center of each tortilla; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon cheese. Wrap tortillas tightly around filling, placing seam side down in baking dish. Top with remaining enchilada sauce. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

4. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before serving; add Make it FRESH toppings.

Pancakes do not need milk to make it tasty and fluffy. Delicious pancakes can be made without milk by using milk substitutes. Here are some ideal dairy milk substitutes for you to consider when making pancake recipe without milk.

If you have run out of milk when making pancakes, you may wish to know some substitutes. It could also be that someone is allergic to cow milk (like I am) and hence need to use dairy milk substitutes. So, here are some substitutes for milk that will still allow you to make some great tasting pancakes. With knowledge and creativity, you can make extremely tasty, if not better, pancakes even without this key ingredient. But, still, you can make reguraly pancakes, just without milk.

Beer Pancakes

Ingredients:
1 cup, sifted all-purpose flour
1 cup beer
¼ cup white sugar
2 tbsp. melted butter
2 tsp. cooking spray or vegetable oil
¾ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 beaten egg

Instructions:
Add all the dry ingredients such as flour, baking powder, sugar and salt to a mixing bowl.
Then add in the liquids as egg, melted butter and the substitute for milk, which is the beer in this case. Beat well until frothy and bubbly.
Heat a pan, a skillet or griddle and spray with baking lubricants or add a bit of margarine or vegetable oil.
Pour sufficient amount of the mixture and swirl around to cover the full area in round shape.
Cook closed for 1 minute and flip it upside down and cook other side too until both sides are golden-brown.

Cinnamon-Vanilla Pancakes

Ingredients:
2 cups lukewarm water
1¾ cups flour
½ cup sugar
½ cup powdered coffee creamer
1 tbsp. baking soda
1 tbsp. white vinegar
2 tsp. vegetable oil/cooking spray
1 tsp. Baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla essence
¼ tsp. salt
2 dashes Cinnamon
1 dash nutmeg

Instructions:
Add the dry ingredients, flour, sugar, powdered coffee creamer, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg into a large bowl and beat.
Add lukewarm water and stir till no lumps are present.
Follow up with white vinegar and vanilla essence and beat a minute.
Heat the skillet or pan on fire and reduce heat.
Spray with cooking spray or add cooking oil or butter for slight lubrication.
Pour sufficient batter to make a pancake of 5 inches diameter.
Cook for 1-2 minutes and when the pancake is cooked through, flip it and cook the other side till golden-brown.

Margarine Pancakes

Ingredients:
1 cup white flour
1 egg
¾ cup water
3 tbsp. white sugar
2½ tbsp. margarine, melted
2¼ tsp. baking powder
Vegetable oil/cooking spray for lubrication
¼ tsp. Salt

Instructions:
Mix flour, baking powder, sugar and salt together in a bowl.
Melt the margarine and pour into a bowl.
Mix in the water and the beaten egg and stir well.
Stir it in to the dry ingredients and continue to fold them in until fully incorporated.
Heat the skillet or griddle and lubricate with vegetable oil or cooking spray.
Pour batter to heated surface and make 5-inch rounds cooking on medium-high heat.
Flip sides to cook both sides to golden brown

Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Ingredients:
14 cups chocolate chips
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup chocolate milk
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tbsp. sugar
12 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tsp. baking powder
1 egg

Instructions:
Mix all dry ingredients from above list in a mixing bowl.
Beat the egg in a separate bowl and incorporate chocolate milk, vanilla extract, oil, and chocolate chips in to this liquid mixture.
Mix liquid mixture with the dry ingredients.
Heat the pan or skillet on medium heat and add butter, cooking spray or oil to lubricate the surface.
Pour batter and swirl around the pan to make circles of 5″ roughly. A ¼ cup batter is recommended.
Flip sides to brown both sides.

As quite evident, there are many variations of pancake recipes and hence, you can choose to make your pancakes according a one recipe of your preference or experiment with different recipes each time. Knowing how to make them without adding milk will surely be cookery secret that you will be proud to be privy to.