Who are my busy parents out there? Who wants meal time to be easier for both you and your family? Did you raise your hand? Being a busy parent and cooking in the kitchen is a task in and of itself, so if there are any ways to cut down on cooking OR cleaning time, I’m gonna do it! Here are just a few of my simple kitchen tips and tricks that will help move things along!
Use a silicone baking mat!
Growing up, I always watched my parents in the kitchen using aluminum foil for every single thing they baked in the oven. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great tool to use, but you often need to also use a non-stick spray if you’re using foil. Once I discovered silicone baking mats, it was a game changer! You don’t have to spray any non-stick spray, everything cooks/bakes evenly and comes off with no hesitation! NOTE: silicone baking mats cannot be used over 500 degrees.
Cooking pasta in a snap!
So when most of us make pasta, we boil the water, pour in the pasta, lower the heat and continue to stir and check on it right? What If I told you all you have to do is boil the water, pour in the pasta, stir once, turn off heat, cover with a lid and walk away? No need to stand there making sure it doesn’t boil over. Just turn off the flame, cover and go about your business! Give it about 10 minutes to cook and don’t touch that lid!
Make the perfect fluffy scrambled eggs!
I’m so used to using a fork for scrambling eggs because that’s what my mom did, but a whisk is so much better because it’s getting all that air into it! If you want fluffy, delicious eggs, follow these tips! Use butter or non-stick spray generously on your skillet and let it heat up for a minute. While it heats, mix in a splash of milk when beating your eggs in a bowl. Whisk and whisk until you can’t whisk anymore until the very point you are pouring them into the pan of bubbling butter or spray. Use a rubber spatula to continuously turn over sides, folding over until eggs are cooked. Remove from heat right away and you have the fluffiest eggs in town! Not to mention they won’t stick to the skillet, which means less time for you having to scrub the heck out of it!
Get your kids to eat their dinner!
Struggling to get little Susie or Johnny to eat their chicken? Coat it in cereal! Kids love cereal, heck so do I, so use it to your advantage! Traditionally I like to use seasoned breadcrumbs or panko, but if you pump it up to make it more appetizing for the kiddos, turn their cereal into the breading! Of course, not all cereals will work for this, but many will. Cap’n Crunch is a great one, Rice Crispies, Cornflakes or even Cheerios. Just crush them in a Ziploc bag and set aside. Whisk an egg with some seasonings and dip your chicken breasts in it on both sides. Proceed to dip both sides in crushed cereal and bake in oven at 350 degrees until juices run clear when cut (about 25 minutes or so). I also love to make my own honey mustard sauce for dipping, which my daughter loves to help with! When kids make their own food, they are more likely to eat it. I don’t even measure this dip. Just spoon a blob of mayonnaise into a small bowl, a good squirt of yellow mustard and a nice drizzle of honey. Stir it up with a fork until all ingredients are combined. The kids will love dipping their cereal-coated chicken in it!
Big girls (and boys) don’t cry, they chop!
My final tip for today and by far my silliest trick that I use is the way I chop my onions. It always gets a few laughs when I do it. I tear up like a newborn baby when I’m cutting onions, and there are a lot of good tricks out there to eliminate that, such as cutting onions under water. I’ve never actually tried that one, but what does work for me is wearing ski goggles! Yes, I look ridiculous but you know what? I don’t shed a single tear and I could go on making 50 “Bloomin’ Onions” that way!
Author Bio :
Adua Ring is a passionate food blogger. She runs her own food blog – MRS HUNGRY where you will find a lot of recipes. She likes to educate people through her food recipes. She recently won a blue ribbon award for peach maple pies recipe.
If you would like to share any other Kitchen tips and tricks, please let us know in the comments section. Enjoyed reading this article, make sure to check simple and useful kitchen hacks.
