QUICK HOLIDAY HACKS

QUICK HOLIDAY HACKS – As seen on 3TV/Phoenix (GMAZ) – November 20, 2017 – 8:40am

Time to think about all that clean up from that party you are having and Thanksgiving dinner. Here’s some quick tips that will help make it easier.

Use disposable aluminum pans whenever you can. If you are serving foods in serving dishes, do the messy cooking in the disposable pans. You can buy Steamer Pans at warehouse stores very cheaply. They are roughly the size of a 9X13 pan. Cook in them and then toss them. Clean up done! If you are cooking something heavy in them, put them on a cookie sheet to move in and out of the oven with ease.

Burned on food in a pan or casserole? No problem. Fill with hot water and toss in a dryer fabric softener sheet. Let sit a few hours or overnight, dump, rinse, and wash. No scrubbing or scraping.

Cooking in the crockpot, perhaps warming those mashed potatoes you made the day before? Use crockpot liners for easy cleanup. If you don’t have those, spray the crockpot with non-stick cooking spray.

Cooking something that runs over in the oven? Stop the smoking and the smell, and continue cooking by pouring a heavy layer of salt on the offending spill. Let the oven cool and lift out the spill with a spatula the next day.

Red wine spill on your tablecloth? Just grab the salt shaker and shake on a layer of salt. It will keep it from staining until you can launder it. You’ll feel better and so will the guest that spilled the wine. When serving red wine, serve white wine too. Pour white wine on red wine to neutralize the red stain. Works on fabrics and carpet. Do it ASAP.

Keep club soda on hand. It is the best OOPS! spotter around. Pour it on any spill to bubble up the mess so that you can blot it up and the salts in the club soda will keep it from staining. Use on anything you can put water on. You will thank me for this, so buy a couple of bottles.

What’s that smell??? If you overcooked something or last night’s dinner still smells, grab a towel and wring it out in undiluted white vinegar. Go through the house swinging the towel around in every room. It will neutralize the offending smell and the white vinegar smell will be gone too.