Don’t have a salad spinner? Try this
A salad spinner is a great kitchen tool to help remove excess water from freshly washed greens. But what if you don’t have a spinner at home? Start by soaking your greens in a large bowl of ice-cold water; let it sit while the dirt and debris sink to the bottom of the bowl. Pull the greens straight up out of the water and lay them on a clean kitchen towel, then fold the towel and twist the ends so it’s fully closed. Spin the wrappedup towel of greens outside so it mimics what a salad spinner does. Voila! Clean, dry greens.
SUNSCREEN STORAGE
Did you know sunscreen can go bad? Yes, the bottles have an expiration date, but poor storage can also expedite the degradation process. To see if your sunscreen is still good, start by squeezing some out and examining it. Is it runny or separated? If so, it’s likely gone bad and needs to be replaced. Store your new sunscreen the right way: Away from the sun and heat. Keep it in a cooler with ice or even under a towel when you’re at the pool or the beach. And store it in a cool, dark place at home when it’s not being used.
LEFTOVER WINE
A little leftover white wine that’s gone bad shouldn’t be tossed down the drain. A study by Oregon State University found that white wine is an effective disinfectant in the kitchen, killing food-borne pathogens like salmonella and E. coli. You can use old white wine to douse produce to clean it, wipe cutting boards to disinfect them and even use it on nonporous countertops as a cleaning spray. Grease stains on fabric can be removed by dousing them in white wine, too.
MATCH POTS TO BURNERS
When cooking at home, be sure to match the size of the burner to the size of the pot you’re cooking with. According to Recyclebank, a 6-inch pot on an 8-inch burner actually wastes 40% of the burner’s heat; simply moving the smaller pot to a smaller burner can help save energy and still get the job done. And when reheating foods, skip the large oven and opt for smaller users of energy like a countertop toaster oven or microwave. They have less space to heat up and work just as well in a jiffy.
ALUMINUM CANS
If you drink carbonated beverages, which is better: plastic bottles or aluminum cans? The answer is simple: aluminum. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, aluminum cans are one of the most commonly recyclable materials today. A typical soda can goes from the supermarket to the recycling bin to the recycling facility and is back on the shelf as a new soda can in less than 60 days. This recycling process can be done indefinitely because aluminum is durable, unlike plastic, which can be recycled a few times before being discarded into a landfill.
FREEZING MEATS
Fresh cuts of protein like fish, chicken and beef can be frozen and used many months later if properly packaged in the freezer. The trick is to leave virtually no “air space” between the protein and the packaging material, which helps prevent freezer burn. Wrap fresh protein tightly with freezer paper and then cover in aluminum foil, pressing tightly against the protein and creating a tight seal. When ready to use, thaw for 24 hours in the refrigerator.
BANANA PEELS
If you eat a lot of bananas, here’s one reason to save your peels: They make a fantastic fertilizer for houseplants. Simply toss your banana peels into a large jar full of water; let the peels saturate the water with nutrients like potassium, nitrogen, phosphorus and magnesium. After a few days of marinating, use the banana peel-infused water to feed your houseplants. They’ll drink it up, and the nutrient-rich water will lead to improved plant health. The leftover banana peels can then be tossed into your garden or compost.