Tips to Make Your Life Easier

by Lois Breneman - Fall of 2004 - Heart to Heart

       Quick Grease Job ~ To grease baking pans and casserole dishes, mix together 1 cup each of shortening, oil and flour.  Store in the fridge and use a pastry or paint brush to apply to pans.

        Store Baking Ingredients Together ~ You will save yourself much time and effort if flour, baking soda and powder, salt, sugar, shortening, oil, vanilla, spices and other baking items are near each other.  If these items are in a pantry or cabinet away from your working station, simply keeping them all on a tray to transport to the mixing area would save you time and steps.

        Large Batches of Cookies ~ Mix large batches of cookie dough and freeze some rolls of raw dough to be baked later or to be used as welcome gifts.   Make memories for your children by having fresh baked cookies for them when they come home from school on occasion!  I remember those times of coming home and Mother would be baking cookies or making doughnuts and we kids could help, and of course, sample them!  Bake and freeze cookies ahead of time to save on being too busy later.

        Let Your Children Help! ~ Take those opportunities to involve your children in baking and cooking meals.  That's how they learn, and it won't be long before they will be capable of making some dishes as well as an entire meal for your family.  Teach your daughters and sons to cook.  Grandchildren too!  You will be glad that you did and they will reap the benefits of having that skill for life!

        Double or Triple Batches ~ When assembling casseroles, making meat loaves, baking cookies or cakes, double or triple the recipes.  This saves time and energy for easy meals later when you are too busy to cook or bake.  Also if a friend needs a meal in a special time of need, you have one in your freezer, ready to go!

        Quick Work of Sticky Refrigerator Gunk ~ Before going grocery shopping or starting in with major cooking such as preparing for holidays, clean out your refrigerator and microwave oven.  Microwave a soaking wet, soapy washcloth for a minute.  Being careful not to burn yourself, lay the hot, wet cloth on the sticky spot for a few minutes while you do other things, including wiping out your microwave with a dry cloth, which now has any stuck-on food loosened.

        Keep Christmas Simple ~ Often a big part of the stress during the holiday season is finding the perfect gifts for people.  I read about a lady who couldn't always find presents that she was sure people would want, need, or even like.  So she decided to tell her friends, coworkers, friends from her child's playgroup, etc. that she would be toning down the gifts that year.  She explained very nicely that we wanted to simplify the holiday season and would be bringing a big basket of cookies/banana bread/donuts for everyone instead of individual gifts.  This worked wonderfully, she said, and stopped cruising the aisles frantically and worrying about the expense.  Some people were visibly relieved to be "off the hook."  Christmas shouldn't feel like we're on the hook anyway!  For the people who were very close to her and to whom she really wanted to give a nice gift, I told them also that her family was keeping it "low-key," which was a broad hint that she wouldn't be spending lots of money on them, and they shouldn't on them either.  No one was offended, she enjoyed Christmas more, and January rolled around without debt.

        If your extended family always gives gifts to everyone, suggest that you each draw one person's name.  That would help every family's budget.  If you are met with opposition, suggest that the spending for each gift be decreased and set an approximate amount.