Topic Wiki

Food:
  • If you get a piece of eggshell in with the eggs while cracking them, use the other half of the eggshell to fish it out instead of trying to use your fingers or anything else.
  • If you want to separate the yolk from the white, take an empty clean water bottle, squeeze the bottle, place the mouth over the yolk and slowly release the bottle. The yolk will get sucked up into the bottle with minimal/no white.
  • When boiling eggs, add 1/4 teaspoon baking soda to the water. Makes them really easy to peel and doesn't affect the taste.
  • If you have a room temperature bottle (and esp can) that you want to get cold fast, wrap a wet paper towel around it and put it in the freezer. It'll be ice cold pretty quickly.
  • Microwave rice from TJ's
  • Open a can of corn,put salt pepper and cheese on top, microwave or oven it (super easy lunch)
  • 2 slices of old pizza from the fridge, lay them cheese sides on top of each other and put them in a sandwich maker. Instant calzone.
  • For chulent of course.. Using only navy beans, chulent mix a big no no.
  • If you're going to freeze ground beef, put it in a gallon ziploc and squeeze/spread it flat to fill the bag. You can stack them in the freezer and it'll defrost much faster (without the outside spoiling while the inside is still frozen).
  • To easily melt a small amount of chocolate / butter, put it in a ziploc bag and put that into a mug of hot water for a few minutes. No mess! You can cut a hole in the corner to pipe chocolate too.
  • Shredded cheese lasts longer in the freezer, but will clump up, before freezing add a little bit of cornstarch (1tbs) and shake vigorously. The pieces will stay separate and it'll be easy to use.
  • To cool down baby food without blowing at it (which may add your bacteria to the food) wave your hand at it.
Travel:
  • If you want a hot meal on any plane, bring a tradition soup or oatmeal packet and use the free hot water they offer with tea. Great for traveling in general.
  • Before you go on a long flight, freeze a JJ cappuccino.  If it's frozen they let it on the plane. Once you get up from your nap on the plane there is nothing as refreshing as an iced cappuccino. It should still be freezing but not frozen.
  • When packing a suitcase, put your socks inside your shoes. It will save a little space and stop your shoes from getting crushed.
  • The aisle seat armrest usually has a little button underneath by the hinge that allows you to lift it. Makes it much easier to get in and out of your seat, especially if your tray table is open with stuff on it.
  • When we go on trips My wife packs the childrens clothing in individual ziplocs for each day of our trip. Like that she doesn't have to look for all the matching stuff.
Computers:
  • You can open links a in new tab by clicking with the scroll wheel.

    Quickly toggle between tabs.

    1) Excel and most internet browsers: Ctrl + PgUp/Dn
    2) Google Sheets: Ctrl + Shift + PgUpDn
    3) chrome: control-tab / control-shift-tab
alternatively ctrl+number tab from left
   
  • Widows+V will open up your clipboard with all recent stuff copied.
Every day/Home:
  • If you are drilling into a wall, open an envelope and tape the flap to the wall under where you are drilling and it catches all the plaster/dust that comes out. Makes cleanup after a small drilling a breeze
  • Open glass jars with rubber gloves, Or a rubber band around the lid.
  • When you first open a bottle of soda or seltzer or pop, begin by slowly turning the cap one-quarter turn and wait about 10 seconds, watching for the small bubbles to slow down, and listening as the sssst of escaping gas gets quieter.  Then turn another 1/4 turn, and wait another 10 seconds till it quiets down.
  • If you get chewing gum on your clothes, put the clothes in the freezer for a bit, it will be much easier to remove the gum afterwards.
Stores:

  • Check out at the pharmacy in the grocery store when the regular lines are long.
Perscriptions:

  • GoodRX.com, even for meds that are covered. My insurance can have a $15 copay, but coupon from GoodRX gets me the medication for $7. When insurance doesn't cover the medication, it's a fraction of the cost. I've seen discounts of 90%
Holidays:
  • After Yom Tov, especially Pesach, make a spreadsheet. What on the menu went over well with guests and kids. What did you run short on and need to have more next time around. What did you way overbuy on. That way there is no need to reinvent the wheel next year.

« Last edited by qooldude on July 07, 2022, 12:22:43 AM »

Author Topic: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!  (Read 215877 times)

Online moko

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #440 on: June 29, 2020, 01:59:34 PM »
- Serving & Refrigerating Shabbos Fish -

1 - Always wear disposable gloves when serving, so
a- can directly touch food to 'plate it' nicer / easier
b- hands don't get sticky & don't need to use so many napkins to clean them / don't need to keep washing hands (preventing dry skin)

2 - When storing over Shabbos, use only disposable pans. Not worth storing in a reusable container - washing, removing odor, etc. For a few cents every week, the pan can be tossed in the garbage and no hassle involved.
why is this "hack" specifically for Shabbos fish and not all food prep? That's what we do...

Online etech0

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #441 on: June 29, 2020, 02:01:41 PM »
More general hack: For foods that smell, store them in disposable pans (or even ziplocs) instead of containers in your fridge.
Workflowy. You won't know what you're missing until you try it.

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #442 on: June 29, 2020, 02:03:54 PM »
More general hack: For foods that smell, store them in disposable pans (or even ziplocs) instead of containers in your fridge.
that's how we store everything. With the price of disposable pans and containers as low as they are, it's not worth using real. Except for the environment of course

Online etech0

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #443 on: June 29, 2020, 02:04:57 PM »
that's how we store everything. With the price of disposable pans and containers as low as they are, it's not worth using real. Except for the environment of course
Or buy those cheap deli containers and if it takes more than 20 seconds to wash (depends what was stored in it), just throw it out
Workflowy. You won't know what you're missing until you try it.

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #444 on: June 29, 2020, 02:32:34 PM »

[/quote]
Or buy those cheap deli containers and if it takes more than 20 seconds to wash (depends what was stored in it), just throw it out
that's how we store everything. With the price of disposable pans and containers as low as they are, it's not worth using real. Except for the environment of course

Offline moish

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #445 on: June 29, 2020, 02:49:14 PM »
But I hate opening the fridge to find foil pans. Much prefer to see glass containers.

Also, why does  everyone's fish smell? Might be worthwhile to invest in fresh fish...

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #446 on: June 29, 2020, 02:50:14 PM »
But I hate opening the fridge to find foil pans. Much prefer to see glass containers.

Also, why does  everyone's fish smell? Might be worthwhile to invest in fresh fish...
By the time shabbos is over it's not fresh anymore :)
Workflowy. You won't know what you're missing until you try it.

Offline pointer

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #447 on: June 29, 2020, 03:19:20 PM »

Also, why does  everyone's fish smell? Might be worthwhile to invest in fresh fish...
Can I assume you serve baked fish?

Offline SwellCindy

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #448 on: June 30, 2020, 12:21:04 AM »
why is this "hack" specifically for Shabbos fish and not all food prep? That's what we do...

Hmmm let's see, I find that people typically use lg. utensils when serving food in their own home, they don't necessarily don gloves. However, when serving gefilte fish alongside white fish or salmon with fish sauce, the "fish course" tends to require a bit more (dexterity?) flexibility to serve neatly & I prefer to 'handle' it better - pardon the pun - , hence the gloves suggestion.  Perhaps it's also a personal preference, I wouldn't serve anyone in my household food at a meal that I touched directly, even with spotless hands, not talking about putting cookies in a bag for a child  ::)
With respect to all other minhagim regarding fish at the seudah, it goes without saying... Though if I were plating only say, salmon fillet, I think a turner would do the job just fine and I'd most likely skip the gloves.

In regard to using a disposable pan, I know many who put their cooked fish in reusable containers over Shabbos and wash after. Since years in the kitchen have taught me that fish in particular, even really fresh, even for one day, can leave an odor, I figured I'd point out something that works for me. Also, the more thrifty among us who prefer to wash even food storage items, may not have thought of splurging on a disposable for just this one thing. But you are correct, it may not classify as a "hack" per se, more of a 'dealing with fish'/kitchen/food tip perhaps.

ETA: Boy oh boy the "bold" on DDF is BOLD
« Last Edit: June 30, 2020, 12:26:25 AM by SwellCindy »

Offline SwellCindy

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #449 on: June 30, 2020, 12:24:03 AM »
@etech0 "challah bags" are my middle name lol...

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #450 on: June 30, 2020, 12:28:00 AM »
@SwellCindy just curious do you also where gloves when cooking or are you willing to touch food then with appropriate hand washing?
Do you wear gloves when setting table as not to touch plates and silverwear? 
I find that fish in a disposable pan will allow the odor to leak into the rest of fridge and prefer a properly sealable container which is dedicated - fish only.
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Offline Naftuli19

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #452 on: July 02, 2020, 10:50:20 AM »
Deep Frying Hack:
If you dont want to make any pots dirty and/or you dont know how to control the temp in a pot, you can put oil in to a silver pan and put into the oven at 400` + give it 5-10 min and add ur food.

tried this yesterday and came out great,
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Offline Naftuli19

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #453 on: July 02, 2020, 10:55:37 AM »
I have been doing this for years,

if you have a half full back of snack, fold it inwards from the bottom to push up the chips for easy access and you can also use it as a stand so the bag doesn't fall on its side.
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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #454 on: July 02, 2020, 11:11:37 AM »
Deep Frying Hack:
If you dont want to make any pots dirty and/or you dont know how to control the temp in a pot, you can put oil in to a silver pan and put into the oven at 400` + give it 5-10 min and add ur food.

tried this yesterday and came out great,
Great hack!
Will try.

Offline ckmk47

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #455 on: July 02, 2020, 11:47:07 AM »
Deep Frying Hack:
If you dont want to make any pots dirty and/or you dont know how to control the temp in a pot, you can put oil in to a silver pan and put into the oven at 400` + give it 5-10 min and add ur food.

tried this yesterday and came out great,

I assume it makes your oven all oil-splashed, though.
Or can you cover the pan?
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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #456 on: July 02, 2020, 11:49:30 AM »
Deep Frying Hack:
If you dont want to make any pots dirty and/or you dont know how to control the temp in a pot, you can put oil in to a silver pan and put into the oven at 400` + give it 5-10 min and add ur food.

tried this yesterday and came out great,
USE EXTREME CAUTION! If the foil pan bends or if the oil sloshes over the edge, you can CH"V be facing serious burns.

Offline Naftuli19

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #457 on: July 02, 2020, 12:03:24 PM »
USE EXTREME CAUTION! If the foil pan bends or if the oil sloshes over the edge, you can CH"V be facing serious burns.
y would you take it off the rack?
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Offline Naftuli19

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #458 on: July 02, 2020, 12:04:45 PM »
I assume it makes your oven all oil-splashed,
At 400` it was fine
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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #459 on: July 02, 2020, 12:12:41 PM »
What do you do with the excess oil (stam shailah)