Here are some terrific Quick Fixes for those Oops! moments in our kitchens and homes. All these tips use handy things you already have around your home, and are intended to make your kitchen and home chores a little easier and a lot less expensive! I don’t have any super-duper advice on par with Asbestos legislation– these are just tips i have acquired through others, through my own experiments, and from reading other helpful tips and book. Check them out! 
Are you a crybaby when peeling onions? Me too! Here’s what I do: Store the onions in the refrigerator. Cool onions aren’t as pungent. Or, you can peel them onion under cool running water. It is also said that cutting off the root end of the onion helps. Also, see my post How to Dice an Onion for a fast way to chop the onions.
Fast baked potatoes: my potatoes take FOREVER to bake in my cheapo radiant electric coil oven. Here’s a unique tip– poke a nail (clean, of course) into each potato. This will reduce the baking time by 15 minutes or so! Another idea is to cut a very thin slice from the end of each potato before baking.
Speaking of potatoes– do yours get mushy when boiled? Add a 1/4 cup white vinegar to the pot while boiling. The vinegar will keep the potatoes firm.
Vinegar is an amazing, amazing liquid! It has so many uses, as a laundry softener, a window-cleaner, and even as a tenderizer for boiling meat. If you soak an older chicken roaster in vinegar for a few hours before cooking, it will greatly improve the taste and tenderness of the tough old bird.
Vinegar is also useful for cleaning the coffeepot– allow a mixture of water and vinegar (4 parts water/1 part vinegar) to go through a complete cycle in your coffeepot. Do it again, with plain water. This is a good technique to do every week or two. Vinegar gets rid of the calcium deposits that buildup inside your coffeepot. It greatly improves the function of your pot and makes the coffee taste a lot fresher!
I’ve got lots more helpful hints coming up in future posts. Stay tuned for more!
