Ezine Food Facts Page Four | Fitness and Freebies

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2001 to 2003 Food Facts: Page Four

Mint for Instant Energy? A study suggests this may very well be so. Athletes who dabbed peppermint oil on their collars ran faster and did more push-ups when exposed to peppermint scent than with other or no scents at all. The theory is that peppermint boosts mood, so you perform better without working harder.
To remove the grease from soups or stews, place a sheet of waxed paper or plastic wrap directly onto the top of the liquid before refrigerating it. Once it has cooled thoroughly, peel off the waxed paper and the grease will peel off with it.
To caramelize sliced onions quickly, cover the pan so the onions "sweat", or release moisture. They cook in their own juice, do not require much (if any) fat and require less stirring. This method gives you hands-off time to prep the rest of your meal.

Romaine lettuce is greener than iceburg lettuce and has about three times as much vitamin C and six times as much vitamin A as iceburg lettuce.
The grain Quinoa has 160 calories per quarter cup uncooked, 10 percent of your daily Fiber and about as much Protein as in an ounce of fish. At 8 milligrams of iron per half cup, quinoa is a good source of iron as well as Copper, Magnesium, Manganese, Phosphorus, Potassium, and Zinc.
Tea for Your Hair - A rinse with chamomile tea can add gloss while ginseng tea can help reduce breakage.
Brazil Nuts: They are much easier to shell if you soak them in boiling water for a few minutes before cracking.
A rubber jar opener can be a no-fuss way to peel garlic. Sandwich a clove inside the opener and roll with the palm of your hand on a flat surface.
Store plastic wrap in the refrigerator: Cold plastic wrap will not stick to itself when unrolled.
To keep your cutting board from slipping: Place a thin layer of damp paper towels underneath to anchor the board to the work surface.
To weight ingredients like salted eggplant or cucumbers (to remove excess liquid): Fill a self-sealing freezer bag with water and lay in directly on top of the ingredient. It applies more even and flexible weight in a colander and is easier to work with than cans.
Three remedies for garlic breath: Eat fresh parsley, chew on a coffee bean, eat a bowl of lime sherbet.
If something spills over in your oven, first sprinkle it with salt and remove with a metal spatula, then wipe with a damp sponge.
To brighten aluminum cookware, add 1 to 2 quarts water and 2 to 4 tablespoons cream of tartar and boil 5 to 10 minutes. Rinse, scour lightly with a steel-wool soap pad, then rinse again.
Rinse summer residue from your hair with 1/2-cup of lemon mixed with 1-cup water.
Place a slice of apple in hardened brown sugar to soften it.
To remove crayon marks from your walls... first heat the area with a hair dryer for a few seconds. Then wipe with a soft cloth. The wax of the crayon melts and will wipe right off.
A neat trick for remvoing excess fat from soup or gravy is to skim the surface with ice wrapped in a cheese cloth. The fat congeals and clings right to the cloth.
Using a pastry blender to chop hard-cooked eggs saves a great deal of time and does a thoroughly neat job.
So many recipes call for a tablespoon of lemon juice. To keep such small amounts on hand, purchase a half dozen lemons, squeeze the juice and freeze it in a plastic ice cube tray. You can then take out a square at a time.
When opening canned goods open the end that has been sitting on the shelf. The ingredients come out more easily and that end is usually cleaner.
To chop nuts quickly and without any mess, put the nuts into a plastic bag and give it a couple quick hits with a rolling pin.
When bringing chicken home from the grocery store, wash it, put it in a freezer bag, pour marinade on it and freeze the entire package. It saves so much time. When thawed, just throw it on the grill.
If you've had your oven on for another use, you can take advantage of the lingering heat to melt chocolate. Place the chocolate in a small oven-proof bowl; set the bowl in the "warm" oven. When the chocolate is almost melted, remove the bowl and stir the chocolate till it is melted and smooth.
To keep milk past it's expiration date add salt. A pinch of salt in a gallon will do it. The salt slows the rate of bacteria growth.
Potato chip bag open again and they're all stale and yucky? Pop them in the microwave for 30 to 60 seconds, let stand for two minutes and they' should be crispy again.
Don't Sieve the seeds out of raspberries - you will lost fantastic health benefits! Those raspberry seeds you often toss are one of the richest sources of a phytonutrient called ellagic acid that shows promise against breast and colon cancer. Next time you whip up peach melba sauce, keep the raspberry seeds and cash in on all those cancer fighters.
Apples will ripen six to ten times faster at room temperature than if they are refrigerated.
Using ground turkey in place of ground beef reduces the fat content considerably in many recipes. In addition, turkey offers a higher proportion of usable protein.
Moldy Fruit -- What should you do with fruit with mold? Throw it away rather than simply cutting off the mold since mold on fruit goes much deeper than what appears on the fruit.
Broccoli stalks - most of us toss them, but they are good for using in soups.
Rub your measuring spoon or cup with margarine or butter before measuring honey to avoid the sticky mess honey leaves behind.
Reduce fat, increase fiber and save money by replacing half of the ground beef or poultry in a casserole or meatloaf recipe with brown rice, bulgur, or cooked and pureed dried beans.
Eliminate greasing the pan for baked goods by using paper liners in muffin pans and parchment on baking sheets.
If you have the time, the best way of removing extra fat from soups is to refrigerate them until the fat hardens on the top, and you can simply spoon it off.
Add a tart accent to your next baked sweet potato: Top it with 2 to 3-tablespoons of unflavored non-fat yogurt.
Leftover sauceless spaghetti? Toss it into your next stir-fry a minute or two before serving (and skip the rice).
The next time you are having salsa, skip the tortilla chips and use strips of red or green bell pepper.
Wasted tomato paste? Suggestion: take a piece of waxed paper, putting it on a cookie sheet and putting teaspoonfuls of the leftover paste on the paper - another sheet on top and freeze this. When frozen just peel them off and put them in a baggie and when you need a tsp. or tbs. of paste you have it without opening a whole can and there is no waste. --OR-- put small amounts in an ice tray and then just pop them out when you need them.
Club soda--cleans sinks and can be used to remove some stains.
To keep those pesky insects away from your plants, combine one bulb of garlic, one small onion and 1-tablespoon cayenne pepper in the blender. Mix with 1 quart water and let stand for one hour. Then add 1-tablespoon Ivory liquid and mist your plants.
A serving of broccoli has more vitamin C than a serving of oranges.
A serving of carrots provides more than twice the recommended daily dose of vitamin A.
Green vegetables help maintain healthy vision.
Red vegetables help protect against heart disease.
Transform Fruit into Frozen Treats - Sweet selections like grapes, bananas, peaches and all types of berries are delicious and refreshing after a few hours in the freezer. Or, you can place them in a blender with any combination of yogurt, milk or ice for a home made fruit smoothie.
For unexpected guests, a quick way to serve something nice with tea is to quickly zest a lemon or orange into some cream cheese, mix and serve with crackers or toastites. Serve in a nice crock with some fruit garnish. It is simple and elegant.
When carrying your lunch cooler - freeze your water bottle. This way it will keep your lunch cold - you won't need an ice pack and you'll have nice cold drinking water.
Puree leftover soups, stews, meats or vegetables and use as a sauce base.
If a sauce to which you have added meat blood begins to curdle, stir in 1 or 2-teaspoons lemon juice.
Save a hollandaise that has begun to separate by adding a little boiling water and whisking until once again smooth.
Lemons!
Place votive candles in lemon shells and float them in an elegant, water-filled bowl.
Use fresh lemon juice to clean copper pots.
Fertilize roses or other plants needing acidity with lemon skins.
Try lemon as an antidote to nausea.
Grind lemon skins in the garbage disposal to keep it smelling fresh.
Toss a little lemon peel into the fireplace for a zesty fragrance.
To keep dough from sticking to your rolling pin and pastry cloth... put them in your freezer for about four hours, or overnight, before using.
To buy lower calorie canned fruits, buy those packed in water or juice instead of in heavy syrup.
To buy lower calorie frozen vegetables, buy those without added cheese, butter, or cream sauces.
Substitute half applesauce for the vegetable oil in your baking recipes to greatly reduce the fat content! (Example: 1/2 cup vegetable oil = 1/4 cup applesauce plus 1/4 cup oil)
Save your store-bought-bread bags and ties to use as perfect storage bags for homemade bread.
For recipes that call for herbs, try this handy tip to bring out the flavor of the herb. Marinate the herbs in 1 to 2-tablespoons of olive oil for approx. 30 minutes. Then add to the stew or sauce, this will bring out the full aroma of the herbs.
Clogged drains? Try this de-clogger recipe: 1/4-cup baking soda and 1/4-cup vinegar. Pour baking soda down the drain first, and then follow with the vinegar. Close drain and let sit until the bubbling has stopped. Now follow with a bucket of hot boiling water.
Next time you need a quick ice pack, grab a bag of frozen vegetables out of your freezer - no watery leaks from a plastic baggie!
Add fluff to your mashed potatoes with a pinch of baking soda during mashing.
Dried Herbs - To substitute dried herbs for the real thing, use about one-third as much dried herbs for the fresh herbs called for in a recipe.
Keep salad greens and fresh vegetables fresh by placing a paper towel with them in their plastic bag. This absorbs any liquid, which allows the produce to last longer and stay fresher.
Sprinkle salads with stuffing mix for an extra crunch. Corn bread stuffing mix is a great choice, but any will do.
Make your chili extra thick and healthy by pureeing three-fourths of the beans with one-half can of tomato sauce. Add this mixture to the chili along with the whole beans. Great source of protein and fiber!
Using a food thermometer is a great idea for burgers, poultry and other meats, but you should also use one for casseroles, egg dishes and even leftovers.
Pans and dishes that have been used for mixing, beating, or cooking eggs (or milk or cheese) should be first rinsed with cold water, then washed with hot soapy water. A hot rinse "cooks" the eggs and makes things tougher to clean.
Soy sauce can be stored up to one year at room temperature if unopened and up to one year in the refrigerator after it is opened.
Red spices such as chili powder, paprika, and ground red pepper should be stored in the refrigerator or in the freezer.
Oily seeds such as sesame and poppy seeds should be stored in the refrigerator or freezer to prevent the oils from going bad.
Most cheeses are best served at room temperature except cottage cheese, which should be chilled when served.
The harder the cheese, the longer it will remain fresh. Soft cheeses should be eaten soon after they are purchased. If stored in an airtight container they will keep from one to three weeks after being opened.
If kept refrigerated, an unopened package of cream cheese is good for one month past the "best when used by" date.
Spray the pouring lip of your measuring cup with cooking spray to prevent dribbling.
To avoid staining your plasticware, spray first with cooking spray before pouring in tomato-based sauces.
Add a spoonful of M and M's candies to your coffee for a chocolately flavored cup of java!
Hot water kills yeast. It is better to use luke warm water. Test it on your forearm.
A fast way to make bread crumbs is to toast the bread and then stick it in the blender.
Use a slice of bread to remove the scorched taste from rice by placing the bread on top of the rice in the pan and putting the lid on for a few minutes.
When kneading bread dough or decorating cookies on your kitchen table, place masking tape over the seams of the table. This will prevent ingredients from getting between the table's leaves, which makes clean-up a breeze.
Get rid of lumps in country-style gravy by stirring and "mashing" it with a potato masher.
If honey is tightly sealed it can be stored for years. If it begins to crystallize after opening it can be brought back to the proper consistency by heating in a microwave or by putting the jar in a bowl of warm water and then stirring.
During winter ice and snow storms it's a great idea to be stocked up on lots of canned foods that you can just open and serve if the power goes off. Don't forget a manual can opener!
The egg white is runnier in an egg approximately seven days old. They will stand upright about midway in a glass of water.
To get rid of the smell of fish on your hands after cleaning them for a meal, rub your hands against something made of stainless steel. It works great, but it may take a few minutes of rubbing for strong smells.
Add a pinch of pumpkin pie spice to your pancakes to add a spicy twist.
Try using maple syrup to season grapefruit, cooked and drained carrots or squash, or warm the syrup and drizzle on low-fat and fat free ice cream or frozen yogurt.
Salad switch: Top your usual tossed salad with a handful of trail mix (nuts, seeds and dried fruits).
For crisp lettuce salad with fresh mayonnaise dressing minus the last minute rush, mix the dressing in the bottom of the salad bowl. Top with broken lettuce and place it unstirred on the table. With just a quick stir when the hot food is put out, your salad will be ready.
Put sugar cubes in cheese containers to keep the cheese free of mold.
Put several drops of oil in a pan when frying with butter to keep the butter from burning.
Test your kitchen scale's accuracy by placing nine pennies on the scale. They should weigh exactly one ounce.
When purchasing fresh broccoli, see if your store sells "crowns only". Purchase just the crowns when you are cooking for one or two, so there is less waste.
When buying tortillas, read the label carefully. Some varieties contain lard. In general, choose small, six-inch corn tortillas.
Plump up dried fruit by soaking in boiling water.