Savvy Secrets from Mary Ellen

Recently our good chum Jen was here visiting from Iowa.  She very sweetly brought us her treasured copy of a very reliable old stand by for what we like to call Savvy Secrets…..Mary Ellen’s Best of Helpful Hints – fast easy fun ways of solving household problems.
This original book of “savvy secrets” is long since out of print but many of the helpful hints it offers are every bit as useful today as they were back in 1979 when it was first published.  From time to time we will share some of the gems that Mary Ellen shared with her readers all those years ago.  Thanks for sharing it with all of us Jen 🙂

1. Wilted lettuce or celery ?  It will crisp up quickly if you place it in a pan of cold water and add a few raw sliced potatoes.

2. No corkscrew? – Run hot water on the neck of the bottle.  The heat will expand the glass causing the cork to pop out.

3. Need baked potatoes in a hurry?  Boil potatoes in salted water for 10 minutes before popping them in a very hot oven.

4. Muffins sticking to the pan?  Place the hot pan on a wet towel and muffins will slide right out.

5. Need to measure a sticky liquid like honey or syrup? First oil the measuring cup with cooking oil then rinse in hot water.

6. Want to crack a fresh coconut?  Puncture the “eyes” with an ice pick and drain out all the coconut milk.  Next place the coconut in a shallow pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour until the shell begins to crack. Cool it enough to handle, then tap it smartly with a hammer.  The shell will almost spring apart.  Pry out the coconut meat with a knife.

7. What size egg should you use when baking?  Use medium to large eggs for best results.  Using extra large eggs may cause cakes to fall when they cool.

8. Want to clean your bread board after cutting onions or garlic?  Make a paste of baking soda and water and apply generously then rinse.

9. Have a tarnished copper teakettle or copper pot?  Rub it with ketchup…the tarnish will disappear.

10. Need to wash your fine china and crystal by hand?  Place a towel in the bottom of the sink to act as a cushion.

As always we want to bring you more love, more joy and lots more abundant living!