I love to bake but sometimes it seems like even the simplest recipes leave my kitchen looking like a mini twister came for a visit. Here are a few tips that I have found help cut down on clean up time.
Peeling Vegetables/Cutting Fruit- Spread butcher paper or old newspapers on the counter. You can peel vegetables right on to the paper or set it next to the cutting board to slide the rinds from fruit on to. When your done you can easily throw the whole mess away.
Baking Cookies/Rolls- Line the bottom of the pan with tin foil- Clean up is a breeze! This also works well when you are making multiple batches of cookies with only a few pans. As the first batches are baking- place dough on pre cut sheets of tin foil- when the first batches are done you can easily slide off the tin foil with the baked cookies, placing in on the counter to cool- and quickly replace with the second batch of cookies to bake.
Mixing Bowls, Utensils, Measuring Cups & Spoons- When someone shared this tip with me it seemed like such a no brainer that I couldn't believe I wasn't doing it already- When you are baking/cooking keep a sink of soapy water full- Just taking an extra second or two to rinse of the bowls and utensils you use then putting them to soak can save so much time scrubbing off dried food later.
Cooking Spray- Cooking spray is a handy thing to have on hand- If you spray a little in a Tupperware container before you store tomato based foods your Tupperware wont stain. You can spray it on your hands before you knead dough or roll cookies to help food from sticking to your hands. It also works great to spray a little on a measuring cup or spoon before measuring things like peanut butter- or syrups. You can even spray it on your grill to help foods keep from sticking to it!
Monday, June 16, 2008
Keeping It Clean When Baking/Cooking
Friday, June 13, 2008
Drop & Roar Dinosaur by Fisher Price
Although the product had a suggested age range of 6 mo- 3 years we thought it might be a bit old for our little guy (10 months). We were happily surprised however when it quickly caught his attention when we turned it on and started sending the roll-a-round balls down the chutes.
It only took a couple of times showing him what to do before he had the lights flashing and the balls moving- He is still figuring out the concept between where you put them in and where they come out- but he definitely knows how to make the music and lights come on! I can easily see this being a toy that he continues to enjoy for several years.
To see this fun toy in action you can visit this interactive DEMO.
The Drop & Roar Dinosaur is available at Toys R' Us, Wal-Mart, Target and most larger retail stores. They are a popular item and not always in stock so you might also try E-Bay and Amazon.
