The Frugal Gourmet: how to use, re-use, recycle and recondition your ktchen staples...

Gemme · 12-29-2010, 09:52 PM

Old wife remedies, huh?

Let's see.....if you put a few squirts of lemon juice in a bottle of water, drinking it will help decrease bloating associated with salt intake. Also, injesting a little bit of local, unprocessed honey from your region daily will help reduce allergies. And cider vinegar will bring down the glycemic index of potatoes and potato dishes if added to it, which can be helpful for those eating low carb meals and/or diabetics.

Soft*Silver · 12-29-2010, 10:05 PM

I have two bags of regular sugar, unopened, that are solid as a rock. Is there any way I can soften them?

femmennoir · 12-29-2010, 10:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by softness

I have two bags of regular sugar, unopened, that are solid as a rock. Is there any way I can soften them?

Yes! open the bags and put the sugar in a bin with some slices of apples and let a few days pass. If there is a lot of sugar, you may need to renew, taking out the old apple slices and putting in new, but usually a few days do the trick!
Elle*

I'mOneToo · 12-30-2010, 01:24 AM

That remedy is good for those with days to wait... one method for immediate use is break a chunk of it off (using an ordinary dinner knife, nothing fancy or too sharp in case it goes sideways against my hand) then place it in a large freezer ziploc bag. Zip it, but don't leave too much air in it. Then take a hammer and lightly break it up. Don't pulverize it. If you leave too much air it's like hammering a balloon and can have disastrous results, or may be funny depending on your sense of humor

Then just keep it zipped until it's used up. Might be too cave-man/womanish for some but works for me!

Quote:

Originally Posted by femmennoir

Yes! open the bags and put the sugar in a bin with some slices of apples and let a few days pass. If there is a lot of sugar, you may need to renew, taking out the old apple slices and putting in new, but usually a few days do the trick!
Elle*

Jesse · 12-30-2010, 02:15 AM

Remove excess fat from stews and soups by dropping in a few ice cubes. The fat will cling to the ice cubes, which you can then remove with a slotted spoon.

Jesse · 12-31-2010, 03:58 AM

The story goes that if you soak popcorn in water for ten or fifteen minutes, then drain well and pop, the popped corn will be much fluffier and with less kernels unpopped.

WhiteTigress · 12-31-2010, 04:11 AM

When making mashed potatoes, I cook them in chicken broth or chicken stock. It gives them much more flavor. When I drain my potatoes, I save the broth, and put it in the fridge to make soup in a day or two. Consider your leftover turkey on day 3 becoming a beautiful soup, when you combine it with your leftover cooking broth, some celery and carrots (perhaps leftover from your crudite tray), and some egg noodles. The fact that you initially cooked potatoes in the broth also adds a little built-in thickener, so your soup won't be too watery.

Of course, another use for the leftover broth is to make a pot of potato soup, since you probably didn't use your entire bag of potatoes in the first place.

WT

femmennoir · 12-31-2010, 07:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jesse

The story goes that if you soak popcorn in water for ten or fifteen minutes, then drain well and pop, the popped corn will be much fluffier and with less kernels unpopped.

But have you tried it? (I don't eat popcorn, being from a region of France where corn -maize- is for poultry only)
Inquiring minds and all!

Elle*

femmennoir · 12-29-2010, 10:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gemme

Old wife remedies, huh?

Let's see.....if you put a few squirts of lemon juice in a bottle of water, drinking it will help decrease bloating associated with salt intake. Also, injesting a little bit of local, unprocessed honey from your region daily will help reduce allergies. And cider vinegar will bring down the glycemic index of potatoes and potato dishes if added to it, which can be helpful for those eating low carb meals and/or diabetics.

Oh! That is all so interesting! An old wife's remedy from France: drink a glass of lukewarm water every morning, with a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and a tablespoon of honey! This is a panacea, particularly good for aches and joint pains, but it clears your system and assists you in losing weight.

Elle*

12-29-2010, 09:52 PM	#1
Gemme Practically Lives Here How Do You Identify?: Queer Stone Femme Girl of the Unicorn Variety Preferred Pronoun?: She, as in 'She's a GEM' Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: The roads are narrow here Posts: 36,631 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 182,498 Thanked 107,972 Times in 25,664 Posts Rep Power: 21474888	Old wife remedies, huh? Let's see.....if you put a few squirts of lemon juice in a bottle of water, drinking it will help decrease bloating associated with salt intake. Also, injesting a little bit of local, unprocessed honey from your region daily will help reduce allergies. And cider vinegar will bring down the glycemic index of potatoes and potato dishes if added to it, which can be helpful for those eating low carb meals and/or diabetics. __________________ Gemme's Journal I'm misunderestimated.

12-29-2010, 10:05 PM	#2
SoftSilver Infamous Member How Do You Identify?: femme Preferred Pronoun?: she Relationship Status: Married Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: rose cottage Posts: 5,592 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 8,948 Thanked 15,908 Times in 4,062 Posts Rep Power*: 21474857	I have two bags of regular sugar, unopened, that are solid as a rock. Is there any way I can soften them? __________________ Pole bachit, a lis chuye. The field sees, the forest hears

12-30-2010, 02:15 AM	#5
Jesse Infamous Member How Do You Identify?: Transguy Preferred Pronoun?: He Relationship Status: single Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Central West Coast of Florida Posts: 5,204 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 34,866 Thanked 17,781 Times in 3,940 Posts Rep Power: 21474857	Remove excess fat from stews and soups by dropping in a few ice cubes. The fat will cling to the ice cubes, which you can then remove with a slotted spoon. __________________ “You’re so hard on yourself. Take a moment. Sit back. Marvel at your life: at the grief that softened you, at the heartache that widened you, at the suffering that strengthened you. Despite everything, you still grow. Be proud of this.”

12-31-2010, 03:58 AM	#6
Jesse Infamous Member How Do You Identify?: Transguy Preferred Pronoun?: He Relationship Status: single Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Central West Coast of Florida Posts: 5,204 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 34,866 Thanked 17,781 Times in 3,940 Posts Rep Power: 21474857	The story goes that if you soak popcorn in water for ten or fifteen minutes, then drain well and pop, the popped corn will be much fluffier and with less kernels unpopped. __________________ “You’re so hard on yourself. Take a moment. Sit back. Marvel at your life: at the grief that softened you, at the heartache that widened you, at the suffering that strengthened you. Despite everything, you still grow. Be proud of this.”

12-31-2010, 04:11 AM	#7
WhiteTigress Member How Do You Identify?: Femme, somewhat high maintenance Preferred Pronoun?: She. There should be no doubt! Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: In the ORIGINAL capital of Texas Posts: 207 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 10 Thanked 212 Times in 106 Posts Rep Power: 201111	When making mashed potatoes, I cook them in chicken broth or chicken stock. It gives them much more flavor. When I drain my potatoes, I save the broth, and put it in the fridge to make soup in a day or two. Consider your leftover turkey on day 3 becoming a beautiful soup, when you combine it with your leftover cooking broth, some celery and carrots (perhaps leftover from your crudite tray), and some egg noodles. The fact that you initially cooked potatoes in the broth also adds a little built-in thickener, so your soup won't be too watery. Of course, another use for the leftover broth is to make a pot of potato soup, since you probably didn't use your entire bag of potatoes in the first place. WT