Some Serious Gems

A Reddit thread titled “Simple way to open a sealed jar” turned out to contain some golden hacks, the best one coming from a user called Gahlic1: “You don’t bang them, you simply get a bottle opener, stick it under the lid, it releases the seal without frustration or muscle!” You can substitute the bottle opened for a butter knife, or any other utensil if you prefer to avoid sharp objects.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jason Will (@plantsandprofanity)

Another idea, offered by user Malevolent-K is to wrap a rubber wristband around the lid, then give it a good twist. “Works like magic!”, they said. ShaddiJ suggested running the lid under hot water for a few moments, to help loosen it. As you see, there are quite a few options to pick from, so there no reason to let a stubborn jar ruin your mood.

The post The Easiest Ways to Open a Sealed Jar appeared first on Cooking 4 All.

Skip the Oil

Oil can be quite high in calories, with just one tablespoon of olive oil containing 119 calories. Many people use oil to prevent their veggies from sticking to the pan as they cook them, but did you know that a splash of water in a non-stick pan will work just the same, and save you a bunch of calories in the process?

Reduce the Portion

Chances are if you’ve been cooking for a while, you already view recipes as more of a suggestion than something you have to follow perfectly from beginning to end. So why shouldn’t that apply to serving sizes? After all, the easiest way to eat fewer calories in a meal is to eat a smaller portion size.

Use Substitutes

There are plenty of substitutes you can make for higher-calorie foods in recipes that won’t taste all too different but will save you a lot of calories. Think skim or plant milk for whole milk, fat-free dairy products for the full-fat versions, and so on.

The post 3 Tricks That Will Make Your Recipes Lower in Calories appeared first on Cooking 4 All.

Add Minced Parsley

Alfredo sauce has plenty of flavor, but you can spice up the flavor quotient and add a little bit of green to an otherwise drab-looking sauce by adding a little bit of minced parsley to it about two-thirds of the way through the cooking process.

Full-Fat Ingredients

No one thinks of alfredo sauce as a healthy option, and if you’re going to make it, you might as well use full-fat cheese and cream ingredients. If not, the sauce will be runny and lacking in flavor and won’t form the consistency that it needs to be enjoyable.

Don’t Overheat

One of the biggest mistakes that people make when making alfredo sauce is overheating it. This causes the cream, milk, and cheese to congeal and not combine together properly, making it essentially inedible. Never let the sauce boil or even simmer. Keep the heat moderate.

The post Secrets for Making the Perfect Alfredo Sauce appeared first on Cooking 4 All.

Step One: Slice in Half

The first thing you’ll want to do is use a large sharp knife to cut the grapefruit in half. Slice it down the middle at its most center and fattest point, and this will leave you with two sections.

Step Two: Sprinkle with Sugar

Next, take some sugar from your pantry and sprinkle it on top of the flesh of the grapefruit in both sections. Don’t overdo it, but adding just a little bit of sweetness makes this bitter and tangy fruit a lot more enjoyable.

Step Three: Use a Serrated Spoon

Here’s the most important key to eating a grapefruit: use a serrated spoon! This special type of spoon will allow you to dig out the grapefruit pieces from the membrane that separates the flesh with little effort.

Step Four: Enjoy the Juice

After you’ve used your serrated spoon to eat the grapefruit’s flesh, you’ll notice that there’s a ton of juice left over. Grab a small glass and squeeze out all of that delicious grapefruit juice! You’ll get a couple of ounces of juice that you can enjoy right away, putting the perfect end on your grapefruit experience.

The post Check Out This Easy Guide to Enjoying Grapefruit appeared first on Cooking 4 All.

It Lasts Longer

It goes without saying that frozen fruit lasts much longer than fresh fruit. Fresh fruit only really lasts for a few days, one week tops. If you freeze your fruit, it will stay fresh for months. This way, you can use it whenever you want for maximum convenience.

Stops Fruit from Going Off

If your fruit is starting to look bad and you don’t know what to do with it, it may be a good idea to freeze it. That way you can keep it fresh until you feel you’re ready to use it. You can then defrost the fruit to use in baking, cooking, or drinks as well.

Perfect for Smoothies

Speaking of drinks… frozen fruit is the best way to keep fruit for smoothies. It stays fresh for longer and gives a cool, refreshing finish as well. Indeed, it’s always nice to have fruit available, for it provides wonderful combinations for any smoothie you can think of.

Good in the Summer

In the summer months, you can actually use frozen fruit as an alternative to sweets. One of the best fruits to use as a “sweet substitute” is the banana. Just freeze it and then eat it like a lolly when it’s hot.

The post All The Benefits To Keeping Your Fruit Frozen appeared first on Cooking 4 All.

More than once we’ve been given the unpleasant surprise that the container of peppercorns that we had bought at the store were not contained in a jar that also had a grinder attached. While we now have a mortar and pestle, which can solve dilemmas in a pinch, we weren’t quite sure how to fix this situation in the past.

However, if you have an old black pepper container that contains a grinder, it’s actually amazingly simple!

While it might seem that the grinder lids on these containers cannot be removed, there is actually a trick that will allow you to pop them right up and deposit your new peppercorns into them.

Simply by heating up the lid, either with the help of a hairdryer or by dipping it into a bowl of hot water. This will loosen up the lid, and with just a little bit of muscle, you can pop it right off!

Wasn’t that easy?

The post You Can Enjoy Freshly-Ground Pepper With This Kitchen Hack appeared first on Cooking 4 All.

Though its preparation is simple, it’s important to follow a few tips if you want to make a great baked spud. Do these things, and you will be well on your way.

Choose a Starchy Potato

The first step to making a delicious baked potato is, well, picking the right potato! You’ll want to make a starchy choice, which allows for the potato’s structure to hold up after being baked. Russett potatoes are a great choice here.

Wash Well

Part of the experience of eating a baked potato is enjoying its vitamin and nutrient-rich skin after it has been prepared in the oven. However, be careful and wash the skin well before making it, as these underground-growing tubers might be quite dirty when you buy them.

Poke Holes Before Baking

Finally, don’t make a tragic mistake and forget to poke holes in your potato before sticking it in the oven! Why? Well, it’s possible for the heat and moisture inside of the potato to build up and explode without poking escape holes in the spud. That’s definitely a kitchen faux pas!

The post Tips For Prepping the Perfect Baked Potato appeared first on Cooking 4 All.

If so, fear not! Here is your comprehensive guide to how to enjoy a grapefruit with four easy steps.

Step One: Slice in Half

The first thing you’ll want to do is use a large sharp knife to cut the grapefruit in half. Slice it down the middle at its most center and fattest point, and this will leave you with two sections.

Step Two: Sprinkle with Sugar

Next, take some sugar from your pantry and sprinkle it on top of the flesh of the grapefruit in both sections. Don’t overdo it, but adding just a little bit of sweetness makes this bitter and tangy fruit a lot more enjoyable.

Step Three: Use a Serrated Spoon

Here’s the most important key to eating a grapefruit: use a serrated spoon! This special type of spoon will allow you to dig out the grapefruit pieces from the membrane that separates the flesh with little effort.

Step Four: Enjoy the Juice

After you’ve used your serrated spoon to eat the grapefruit’s flesh, you’ll notice that there’s a ton of juice left over. Grab a small glass and squeeze out all of that delicious grapefruit juice! You’ll get a couple of ounces of juice that you can enjoy right away, putting the perfect end on your grapefruit experience.

The post Check Out This Easy Guide to Enjoying Grapefruit appeared first on Cooking 4 All.

Here are three ideas for ways that you can get over the flavor and implement apple cider vinegar into your diet.

Make a Salad Dressing

Vinegar is a common ingredient used in salad dressings, so why not try making one with apple cider vinegar? You can add honey to cut the sharpness of the vinegar, and be sure to add oil to balance out its consistency.

Use it to Make a Buttermilk Substitute

It’s easy to make a buttermilk substitute by using apple cider vinegar, which is a great option for sneaking it into your diet. Buttermilk is a sour milk beverage often used in dessert recipes, and it’s easy to find apple cider vinegar substitute recipes.

Try it in a Refreshing Drink

Believe it or not, you can actually use apple cider vinegar to make a good and refreshing drink. Try adding natural sugar substitutes such as Stevia as well as fruit juices like lemon to make it palatable.

The post Implement Apple Cider Vinegar in Your Diet with These Tips appeared first on Cooking 4 All.

Here are three ingredients that you absolutely must try in a burrito sooner or later.

Potatoes and Eggs

Breakfast burritos are always a popular choice, and you can turn any type of burrito that you like into a morning favorite by adding fried potatoes and eggs. You can use any type of meat or other fillings that you want, combining them with these traditional breakfast ingredients to make a wake-up treat.

Chorizo

One ingredient that is criminally underused in burritos is chorizo. This spicy Mexican sausage is richer and spicier meat than most of the traditional options that people add to their burritos, and it adds an authentic Mexican touch to the meal that originated from their culture.

Stewed Tofu

Are you a vegan or a vegetarian and find yourself frustrated with the lack of options in burritos? Instead of opting for boring refried beans or an all-vegetable burrito, how about trying stewed tofu? Cook the tofu low and slow with Mexican spices and you’ll be amazed at the flavor burst that it adds.

The post Try These Ingredients in Your Next Burrito! appeared first on Cooking 4 All.

Some Serious Gems

A Reddit thread titled “Simple way to open a sealed jar” turned out to contain some golden hacks, the best one coming from a user called Gahlic1: “You don’t bang them, you simply get a bottle opener, stick it under the lid, it releases the seal without frustration or muscle!” You can substitute the bottle opened for a butter knife, or any other utensil if you prefer to avoid sharp objects.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jason Will (@plantsandprofanity)

Another idea, offered by user Malevolent-K is to wrap a rubber wristband around the lid, then give it a good twist. “Works like magic!”, they said. ShaddiJ suggested running the lid under hot water for a few moments, to help loosen it. As you see, there are quite a few options to pick from, so there no reason to let a stubborn jar ruin your mood.

The post The Easiest Ways to Open a Sealed Jar appeared first on Cooking 4 All.

Skip the Oil

Oil can be quite high in calories, with just one tablespoon of olive oil containing 119 calories. Many people use oil to prevent their veggies from sticking to the pan as they cook them, but did you know that a splash of water in a non-stick pan will work just the same, and save you a bunch of calories in the process?

Reduce the Portion

Chances are if you’ve been cooking for a while, you already view recipes as more of a suggestion than something you have to follow perfectly from beginning to end. So why shouldn’t that apply to serving sizes? After all, the easiest way to eat fewer calories in a meal is to eat a smaller portion size.

Use Substitutes

There are plenty of substitutes you can make for higher-calorie foods in recipes that won’t taste all too different but will save you a lot of calories. Think skim or plant milk for whole milk, fat-free dairy products for the full-fat versions, and so on.

The post 3 Tricks That Will Make Your Recipes Lower in Calories appeared first on Cooking 4 All.

Add Minced Parsley

Alfredo sauce has plenty of flavor, but you can spice up the flavor quotient and add a little bit of green to an otherwise drab-looking sauce by adding a little bit of minced parsley to it about two-thirds of the way through the cooking process.

Full-Fat Ingredients

No one thinks of alfredo sauce as a healthy option, and if you’re going to make it, you might as well use full-fat cheese and cream ingredients. If not, the sauce will be runny and lacking in flavor and won’t form the consistency that it needs to be enjoyable.

Don’t Overheat

One of the biggest mistakes that people make when making alfredo sauce is overheating it. This causes the cream, milk, and cheese to congeal and not combine together properly, making it essentially inedible. Never let the sauce boil or even simmer. Keep the heat moderate.

The post Secrets for Making the Perfect Alfredo Sauce appeared first on Cooking 4 All.

Step One: Slice in Half

The first thing you’ll want to do is use a large sharp knife to cut the grapefruit in half. Slice it down the middle at its most center and fattest point, and this will leave you with two sections.

Step Two: Sprinkle with Sugar

Next, take some sugar from your pantry and sprinkle it on top of the flesh of the grapefruit in both sections. Don’t overdo it, but adding just a little bit of sweetness makes this bitter and tangy fruit a lot more enjoyable.

Step Three: Use a Serrated Spoon

Here’s the most important key to eating a grapefruit: use a serrated spoon! This special type of spoon will allow you to dig out the grapefruit pieces from the membrane that separates the flesh with little effort.

Step Four: Enjoy the Juice

After you’ve used your serrated spoon to eat the grapefruit’s flesh, you’ll notice that there’s a ton of juice left over. Grab a small glass and squeeze out all of that delicious grapefruit juice! You’ll get a couple of ounces of juice that you can enjoy right away, putting the perfect end on your grapefruit experience.

The post Check Out This Easy Guide to Enjoying Grapefruit appeared first on Cooking 4 All.

It Lasts Longer

It goes without saying that frozen fruit lasts much longer than fresh fruit. Fresh fruit only really lasts for a few days, one week tops. If you freeze your fruit, it will stay fresh for months. This way, you can use it whenever you want for maximum convenience.

Stops Fruit from Going Off

If your fruit is starting to look bad and you don’t know what to do with it, it may be a good idea to freeze it. That way you can keep it fresh until you feel you’re ready to use it. You can then defrost the fruit to use in baking, cooking, or drinks as well.

Perfect for Smoothies

Speaking of drinks… frozen fruit is the best way to keep fruit for smoothies. It stays fresh for longer and gives a cool, refreshing finish as well. Indeed, it’s always nice to have fruit available, for it provides wonderful combinations for any smoothie you can think of.

Good in the Summer

In the summer months, you can actually use frozen fruit as an alternative to sweets. One of the best fruits to use as a “sweet substitute” is the banana. Just freeze it and then eat it like a lolly when it’s hot.

The post All The Benefits To Keeping Your Fruit Frozen appeared first on Cooking 4 All.

More than once we’ve been given the unpleasant surprise that the container of peppercorns that we had bought at the store were not contained in a jar that also had a grinder attached. While we now have a mortar and pestle, which can solve dilemmas in a pinch, we weren’t quite sure how to fix this situation in the past.

However, if you have an old black pepper container that contains a grinder, it’s actually amazingly simple!

While it might seem that the grinder lids on these containers cannot be removed, there is actually a trick that will allow you to pop them right up and deposit your new peppercorns into them.

Simply by heating up the lid, either with the help of a hairdryer or by dipping it into a bowl of hot water. This will loosen up the lid, and with just a little bit of muscle, you can pop it right off!

Wasn’t that easy?

The post You Can Enjoy Freshly-Ground Pepper With This Kitchen Hack appeared first on Cooking 4 All.

Though its preparation is simple, it’s important to follow a few tips if you want to make a great baked spud. Do these things, and you will be well on your way.

Choose a Starchy Potato

The first step to making a delicious baked potato is, well, picking the right potato! You’ll want to make a starchy choice, which allows for the potato’s structure to hold up after being baked. Russett potatoes are a great choice here.

Wash Well

Part of the experience of eating a baked potato is enjoying its vitamin and nutrient-rich skin after it has been prepared in the oven. However, be careful and wash the skin well before making it, as these underground-growing tubers might be quite dirty when you buy them.

Poke Holes Before Baking

Finally, don’t make a tragic mistake and forget to poke holes in your potato before sticking it in the oven! Why? Well, it’s possible for the heat and moisture inside of the potato to build up and explode without poking escape holes in the spud. That’s definitely a kitchen faux pas!

The post Tips For Prepping the Perfect Baked Potato appeared first on Cooking 4 All.

If so, fear not! Here is your comprehensive guide to how to enjoy a grapefruit with four easy steps.

Step One: Slice in Half

The first thing you’ll want to do is use a large sharp knife to cut the grapefruit in half. Slice it down the middle at its most center and fattest point, and this will leave you with two sections.

Step Two: Sprinkle with Sugar

Next, take some sugar from your pantry and sprinkle it on top of the flesh of the grapefruit in both sections. Don’t overdo it, but adding just a little bit of sweetness makes this bitter and tangy fruit a lot more enjoyable.

Step Three: Use a Serrated Spoon

Here’s the most important key to eating a grapefruit: use a serrated spoon! This special type of spoon will allow you to dig out the grapefruit pieces from the membrane that separates the flesh with little effort.

Step Four: Enjoy the Juice

After you’ve used your serrated spoon to eat the grapefruit’s flesh, you’ll notice that there’s a ton of juice left over. Grab a small glass and squeeze out all of that delicious grapefruit juice! You’ll get a couple of ounces of juice that you can enjoy right away, putting the perfect end on your grapefruit experience.

The post Check Out This Easy Guide to Enjoying Grapefruit appeared first on Cooking 4 All.

Here are three ideas for ways that you can get over the flavor and implement apple cider vinegar into your diet.

Make a Salad Dressing

Vinegar is a common ingredient used in salad dressings, so why not try making one with apple cider vinegar? You can add honey to cut the sharpness of the vinegar, and be sure to add oil to balance out its consistency.

Use it to Make a Buttermilk Substitute

It’s easy to make a buttermilk substitute by using apple cider vinegar, which is a great option for sneaking it into your diet. Buttermilk is a sour milk beverage often used in dessert recipes, and it’s easy to find apple cider vinegar substitute recipes.

Try it in a Refreshing Drink

Believe it or not, you can actually use apple cider vinegar to make a good and refreshing drink. Try adding natural sugar substitutes such as Stevia as well as fruit juices like lemon to make it palatable.

The post Implement Apple Cider Vinegar in Your Diet with These Tips appeared first on Cooking 4 All.

Here are three ingredients that you absolutely must try in a burrito sooner or later.

Potatoes and Eggs

Breakfast burritos are always a popular choice, and you can turn any type of burrito that you like into a morning favorite by adding fried potatoes and eggs. You can use any type of meat or other fillings that you want, combining them with these traditional breakfast ingredients to make a wake-up treat.

Chorizo

One ingredient that is criminally underused in burritos is chorizo. This spicy Mexican sausage is richer and spicier meat than most of the traditional options that people add to their burritos, and it adds an authentic Mexican touch to the meal that originated from their culture.

Stewed Tofu

Are you a vegan or a vegetarian and find yourself frustrated with the lack of options in burritos? Instead of opting for boring refried beans or an all-vegetable burrito, how about trying stewed tofu? Cook the tofu low and slow with Mexican spices and you’ll be amazed at the flavor burst that it adds.

The post Try These Ingredients in Your Next Burrito! appeared first on Cooking 4 All.