TIP TALK BY PHYLLIS A.

Have ice cube trays that won't release the cubes w/o a struggle? Very lightly coat the trays with nonstick cooking spray before filling with water. Later, the frozen cubes will just drop out....
~Jeanne Dean TOH

Use a small salad spinner to separate the juice from canned cherries and other fruit. With only a few spins, the fruit is ready and the juice is saved....
~Pat Morris TOH

For lump-free mashed potatoes, whip the cooked potatoes before adding 'warmed' butter and milk, then whip some more afterward...
~Joanne Hoschette TOH

Instead of purchasing costly cracker or bread crumbs, buy any brand of cornflakes , crush them in the blender and store them in the freezer until needed for breading chops, fish or chicken....
~Jean Huff TOH

When preparing potato salad, dice the potatoes and cook them in liquid saved from jars of pickles. The potatoes stay firm and make a unique and flavorful salad....
Arlene Anderson TOH

For lovely looking vegetable dishes, add a bit of vinegar to the water when cooking. This trick helps 'all' vegetables keep their fresh, bright color.

The next time you're struggling to fill a storage bag, try this easy method. Line a tall drinking glass with the bag, and fold the top of the bag over the rim of the glass. With the glass holding the bag, your hands are free to fill it.

No-Fry Bacon...As an alternative to frying bacon, lay the strips on a jelly roll pan and bake at 350-F for about 30 minutes. Prepared this way, bacon comes out crisp and flat. Plus, the pan cleans easily and there is no stovetop spattering.

Don't press hamburger patties with a spatula or other utensil while pan frying them---this squeezes out the meat's flavorful juices.

For easy cleanup after a spill in the oven, pour a small amount of water on the spill while the over is still warm. after 30 minutes or so, the spot will wipe up easily.

If the window of your oven gets hopelessly spattered and yellowed from broiling and baking, you'll find that baking soda on a damp cloth cleans the window easily and with no scratches.

To clean grease from the filter above the stove, put the filter in an automatic dishwasher with an extra amount of detergent and run the full cycle. It comes out looking like new. If it hasn't been cleaned in a long time, you may have to run the cycle again.

Cut off the toe of a clean athletic sock and slip it over your bottle of olive or vegetable oil. It catches drops of oil that may run down the sides of the bottle and prevents the bottle from getting slippery.

When mixing up meatloaf or patting marshmallow candy into a pan, spritz your hands with nonstick cooking spray. It keeps the food from sticking and washes off with soap and water.

For a simple way to stuff manicotti, try this method. Cook pasta until done: cool and split open lengthwise. Fill with desired ingredients and place seam side down in a baking dish. It's fast and there's less mess.

For evenly sized cookies that bake perfectly every time, use a 1-inch spring release scoop to measure and shape the dough at the same time. It's quicker than spooning the dough, and the cookies turn out great.

For sweeter tasting cantaloupe, try adding a pinch of salt. It brings out the fruit's natural sweetness so you can enjoy all of its goodness without adding any calories.

Looking for a great topping for ice cream, yogurt or pudding? Save the crumbs from your cereal boxes. Store them in resealable plastic bags to keep them crisp and delicious until you're ready to use them.

When making marshmallow cereal treats, drop big spoonfuls of the gooey mixture on waxed paper rather than pressing it into a pan. There's no need to cut them, so kids can just grab a snack and run. Store the leftovers in a resealable plastic bag to keep them soft.

Does your family love meatloaf? To shorten the cooking time, bake individual servings in a muffin pan. the smaller portions of the meat mixture cook more rapidly than a single loaf... To save even more time, use a microwave-safe muffin pan and cook your entree in the microwave.

Use a pizza cutter to slice grilled and similar foods into bite sized pieces. It's much faster, cleaner and safer than using a knife. Especially great for kids.

To cut down on cleanup when using your hand mixer, put the mixing bowl in the kitchen sink. Splatters are caught in the sink and can be rinsed away.

When hand washing my good dishes, I like to let them air dry, but dish racks are typically too small to hold everything. So I just open my empty dishwasher and stack the dishes inside. It's convenient, and they're out of the way until they're dry.

WHEN ants are a problem, sprinkle powdered chili pepper, paprika, dried peppermint, damp coffee grounds or borax where the ants are coming in. Lemon juice works well too.
~T. Measher - Illinois

"FROST" green grapes by dipping a small bunch into a slightly beaten egg white and then coating with granulated sugar. Dry on waxed pepper. These make a pretty garnish for a special occasion.
~R. Busacker - Minnesota

A 1-pound loaf of bread will make up about 8 cups of loosely packed crumbs for stuffing. Allow 1 cup of stuffing for each pound of turkey.
~E. Hoffman - Indiana

WHEN sending candy, line a cardboard box or stationery box with foil. Butter the foil like you would a pan and then pour the candy in the box. Let it cool and fold the foil over the top. Put the lid on and mail the candy this way instead of cutting before you pack it.
~D. Kirby - Missouri

A large round bone pot roast can provide three different meals: cut a piece from the round end and cube for stew...cut a slice from the flat end for Swiss steak...Then use the rest for pot roast.
~E. Hoffman - Missouri

DON'T forget this fruitful formula~~ 2 to 3 medium apples make about 1 pound.
~F. Lorence - Wisconsin

FOR a nice change of pace, turkey ham can be substituted for regular ham in all recipes. Have your butcher shave it for sandwiches; use it for a hearty ham and bean casserole. It tastes as good and is less expensive.
~P. Stewart - Indiana

FOR moist and colorful poultry stuffing; add 1 diced unpeeled apple to your favorite stuffing recipe.
~L. Nyquist - Minnesota

AFTER carving jack-o-lanterns, add cutout pumpkin pieces to beef and vegetable stew for a fun fall flavor..
~E. Kolberg

FOR extra-rich tasting homemade cranberry sauce; add vanilla extract (a teaspoon or more) after cooking.
~R. Fenner - New Mexico

ADD 1 cup of whole cranberries to your favorite double-crust apple pie for a rosy-red color and delightful sweet-tart taste.
~L. Bell - Montana

FRESH cranberries are easier to grind in a food processor or food grinder if you freeze them first. Allow ground berries to drain well before use.
~C. Schultz - Minnesota

TO make stuffing easy, cook the giblets until done, cool and chop with celery and onion in a food processor.
~S. Buch - Illinois

AS an economical substitute for chopped nuts in cookie recipes, use quick-cooking oats browned in a bit of butter or margarine.
~MJ. Swanner - Alabama



Submitted by Phyllis A.