الثلاثاء، 28 فبراير 2017

21 Absolutely Invaluable Kitchen Hacks Few People Know Of

some life hacks for preparing food, cleaning and organizing your cooking space. Some of them you may have never suspected.

Cooking Hacks

1. How to remove seeds from vegetables quickly

To quickly remove seeds from pumpkins or zucchinis, use an ice-cream scoop. Its sharp edge easily scrapes out seeds from veggies. You can also use it to make a thinly sliced salad.

2. How to remove excess fat from cooked food.

If a dish you’ve cooked turns out to be unexpectedly rich, you can easily remove excess fat using a couple of ice cubes and a paper towel. Wrap the ice in the towel and wipe it over the top of the food. The ice will act as a magnet, drawing floating fat towards it to congeal on the tissue.

3. Use film wrap like a professional chef

Does your plastic wrap stretch unevenly and rip? Keep it in the fridge, like professional chefs do. Cold food wrap behaves better, sticking and tearing less, leading to less of that familiar feeling of exasperation.

4. Peel Citrus Fruits Easily

Is peeling oranges, lemons or satsumas too much of a fath? Don’t want to ruin your manicure digging into that hard, thick rind? Stick them in the microwave for 20 seconds and it becomes much easier to separate these fruits from their wrappings.

5. Make peeling boiled eggs easier

Add soda or vinegar to the water you boil the eggs in. These substances get inside the shells and make it easier to peel them off.

6. How to squeeze more juice out of your citrus fruits

To squeeze the last drops out of a lemon, first cool the fruit in the fridge, and then zap it in the microwave for 15-20 seconds.

7. How to grate soft cheese with less mess

Bung it in the freezer for half an hour before grating. The cheese hardens, and doesn’t stick to the grater. It’s easier to sprinkle it too.

8. How to cut onions without tears

The freezer will help you here too. Put the onions in for 30 minutes before chopping them. Bear in mind that it’s only worth doing this if you plan to cook the onions; don’t subject them to this treatment if you want to make a salad with them or they’ll lose their crunch.

9. The smart way to boil pasta

If you don’t want the pot to boil over while you’re not watching it, put a wooden spoon or stirrer over the top. The wood will stop the foam from going over the edge.

10. How to roast a whole chicken

When your roast a chicken (or other bird) whole, lay it on its breast. This is because the breast contains most of the meat; the closest it is to the source of heat, the quicker it will cook through.

11. Parchment paper for cupcakes

If you don’t have special molds for cupcakes, use parchment paper instead. This method has the added benefit of producing non-standard cupcakes, which look much more interesting.

12. The right way to warm up baked items

When warming up pizza or other baked items in the microwave, put a cup of water in alongside it. The moisture will stop the pastry from drying out too much and preserve crunchy crusts.

13. Making perfect basted eggs

Break the eggs into a pan as if you’re going to fry them, but instead of vegetable oiladd some water and then put the pan on the heater. As a result, you’ll get the perfect eggs with liquid yolk.

Storage Hacks

1. How to keep cooking herbs

If you freeze herbs in an ice-cube tray, their vitamin content is preserved. Try freezing them in water or olive oil.

2. The right way to store shelled nuts

Freeze shelled nuts to preserve their nutritional properties, taste and aroma. Pack them into sealed containers before placing them into the freezer. It isn’t worth roasting the kernels first, or they’ll be no good for anything. The nuts must be raw and unprocessed. Nuts kept this way won’t acquire the bitter aftertaste of shelled nuts which have been hanging around at room temperature for a while.

Cleaning Hacks

The right way to clean a cast iron frying pan

To stop a cast iron frying pan from rusting over time, avoid washing it using regular dishwashing liquid. Use table salt instead. This method will also rid the pan of persistent odors from spices used during cooking.

2. How to rid your hands of unpleasant odors

To remove stubborn garlic or onion oders from your hands use table salt or lemon. Just rub them into your hands and rinse with water.

3. How to return metal kitchenware to its previous shine

To restore sheen to stainless steel kitchenware, wash it in a mixture of vinegar and water. If there are no metal parts a better effect can be achieved by soaking overnight in the same mixture.

4. Restoring wooden spoons to life

Over time wooden spoons and spatulas lose their looks and acquire an unpleasant odor. It would seem that the only thing to do is to chuck them out. However, if you are loath to part with your favorite kitchen helper, there is a way out. Boil the wooden spoons in plain water and leave them to dry in the sun. This will remove unpleasant odors and give them a new lease of life.

5. The right way to clean wooden chopping boards

To remove odors and food residues from wooden chopping boards rub them with coarse grain salt and leave for 10-15 minutes. Then wipe with half a lemon and dry. This procedure is guaranteed to get rid of unpleasant smells.

7. How to keep your recipes clean

When we cook, we often use a recipe book or our own notes. It can be a bit difficult to put the book on the worktop open on the right page without getting it splashed and stained. To protect cook books from this fate, use a regular trouser hanger to keep the book open on the page you need and suspend it over the work surface, where it’ll be quite safe

10 Uses for Coca-Cola You Probably Didn’t Know About

10 alternative ways to use Coca-Cola, most of which we hadn’t heard of before.

1. Natural Curls

The orthophosphoric acid in the drink solders the hair cuticle, making the strands look shiny and slightly waved. The drink’s low pH level also normalizes the acid-alkaline balance, which is important for those with dry and brittle hair. Wet your curls freely with Coсa-Cola, and after 5-10 minutes wash your hair with shampoo. By the way, this is what the well-known actress and model Suki Waterhouse does sometimes.

2. Chewing Gum Removal

There’s no need to panic if you’ve suddenly got bubblegum stuck to your hair. Pour some soda on the gum, and leave for several minutes. Then slowly and carefully remove the gum. The process is long, but it’s certainly better than cutting your hair off.

3. Hair Bleaching

If dyeing made your hair color too dark or bright, you can bleach it a little by washing with Coсa-Cola. Such an effect can be explained by the presence of citric acid and essential citrus oils in its recipe.

4. Pest Protection

Indian farmers spray their crops with Coсa-Cola to protect them from insects. These are not chemicals, but a sugar syrup. It attracts red ants: the pests’ worst enemies. And if you have slugs in your garden, you can also get rid of them using Coca-Cola. Just pour some of the drink into saucers, and put them in different places.

5. Pain Relief

If you have uncomfortable bite marks left by insects, put a cotton pad soaked in Coca-Cola on the affected area. Itching and burning will significantly reduce. This is probably due to the caffeine, which has an anesthetic effect. This is why Coca-Cola can also be used on jellyfish stings.

6. Bathroom Cleaning

Thanks to the orthophosphoric acid, Coca-Cola dissolves limescale and other impurities very well. Use a sponge or sprayer to apply the liquid. Leave it for several hours or, better still, overnight, and then wash it. By the way, this acid refers to permitted food additives and isn’t harmful if you consume it in reasonable quantities.

7. Fat Dissolution

The acids and caffeine are good fat solvents which is why the drink can be used to wash dishes and kitchen surfaces. Cover the utensils with Coca-Cola, leave for several hours, and then wash as usual.

8. Acrid Smells

If things smell like gasoline or gas, soak them in a 1:1 mixture of water and Coca-Cola before washing. The drink will also help to get rid of fishy smells and other unpleasant odors. Don’t add it to the washing machine or use this method to lighten things.

9. Coin Cleaning

Place the tarnished coins in a high narrow container, and fill it with Coca-Cola. Wait 10-15 minutes, then shake the container as if you were a bartender making cocktails. Then wash the coins under running water.

10. Rust Removal



Coca-Cola copes perfectly with rust, so you can use the drink to loosen rusted bolts, clean metal items, and solve other problems provoked by rust. Freely pour Coca-Cola on the affected area, then rub with a sponge. If the rust is too old, use foil.

16 Mistakes We Make in Living Room Design

When doing renovations, we focus on our own feelings without knowing design basics. This is why the result doesn’t always meet our expectations.
Bright Side collected the most common mistakes that slip through in living room design.

1. There’s only upper lighting in your living room

Lighting creates an atmosphere. It should take into account your mood, so the living room cannot do with only a chandelier in the center of the room. Create your own lighting system (reading, wall, and floor lamps, ceiling lights, and so on).

2. The absence or wrong size of a carpet

Small rugs bring imbalance to a room, so be sure to choose the correct size of carpet for your living room. A large rug visually extends the space, and the interior gets a finished look.

3. The misplaced TV

The best place for a TV is a blank wall. Don’t install the TV in front of or close to a window, as it’s harmful to your eyesight and prevents you from clearly seeing the image. The distance between the TV and the sofa depends on the screen size: the distance must be equal to 3-5 diagonals. Take this into account when buying a new TV.

4. You underestimate the power of cushions

Sofa cushions create a cozy and relaxed atmosphere. When choosing them, consider whether their material and texture suit the fabric your sofa and armchairs are covered with. If the furniture in the living room is made of velvet or velour, say no to cotton or linen textiles. For smaller furniture, choose small items. A massive sofa allows for several voluminous pillows.

5. Your sofa stands by the wall

This rule works for large rooms. If you have the opportunity to place the sofa away from the wall, do it. You’ll visually enlarge the space and create comfort. A sofa standing by the wall when there’s extra space feels more like a dance studio than a living room.

6. Dark furniture with low ceilings

If you buy dark furniture for a room with a low ceiling, you’ll make it look more squat and cramped. Choose compact sofas and chairs and neat tables on raised legs. Make choices that favor neutral light shades.

7. Choose furniture according to design, not your personal preferences

Just because the furniture looks nice doesn’t mean it will suit your house. Make sure it’s comfortable for you — try it. Take a seat in an armchair or sit at a table you liked. Otherwise, you’ll rarely use these things and will have to part with them.

8. Furniture that has lost its relevance

Furniture fashion exists. Bulky furniture with voluminous backs and armrests went out of fashion long ago. Pay attention to items with straight lines and sharp silhouettes. You can choose a traditional sofa, but opt for an unexpected and modern color.

9. Poorly positioned photos

Perfect height = 153 cm from floor level to the center of the image. If you have too many photos, a hanging gallery instead of photo frames placed in every corner will be a great solution.

10. Large furniture

The most common mistake is when people stuff a room with furniture that doesn’t fit its size, especially when it comes to sofas — it makes the room look much smaller. If you have a large living room, then you can afford a roomy sofa. For smaller living rooms, a two-seater sofa and a pair of armchairs are preferable.

11. You neglect the living room’s functionality

If you have a rectangular room, you can correct its shape using a cabinet or a rack — a square is more advantageous, and it’s easier to keep balance there.
Here are some zoning ideas:
  • Living room and bedroom — a bedroom will always be closer to a window because the sleeping area should inherently be further from the entrance.
  • Living room and kitchen — you can arrange zones as you like, though it’s preferable that the kitchen is closer to the window for comfortable cooking with plenty of light.
  • Living room and dining room — these are two full units that should have enough space and place in one room.
  • Living room and home office — the office can take a small corner. The main thing is to add another light source.

12. The center of the room isn’t stressed

A living room demands a bright accent. It can be a fireplace, artwork, a mirror, wallpaper — anything that attracts attention. You can also make the rest area a focal point, emphasizing it with contrasting colors, prints, or mixing complex tones.

13. Plants in small pots

It’s better to put a large plant in a pot than lots of small ones on the window sill. Thus, your room will seem bigger and cozier.

14. Old-fashioned furniture covers

When changed, furniture covers can transform an entire room and make your design stylish and modern. You can also change the image of your living room according to mood and seasons.

15. Following only one style

If you give preference to a certain style of interior and let no deviations appear, your room loses warmth and becomes very trite. Mix your favorite style with others: eclectic, retro, loft, grunge, and many other design options will make your living room original. You’ll never want to leave it!

16. Your curtains visually lessen the space

Such an insignificant trifle as incorrectly hung curtains can make your room visually smaller. It’s important to hang curtains as high and as wide as possible to make your ceilings seem higher and your living room larger. Choose a brighter and more saturated curtain color than the rest of the textiles in the room.