Are You Using These 6 Kitchen Items The Wrong Way?

A simple and delicious gluten free bread recipe, practical uses for plastic wrap, and more. July 24, 2021 [View Online]( Good morning! With as many tools and appliances as we have in our kitchens, it’s no wonder that we often miss key details of how to use them correctly. But Today’s Good Thing will help set you straight by giving you useful tips for making the most of those misused items. Also in today’s newsletter: a gluten free bread that’s so simple you might just shed a tear of joy, and a new Remember When about a trusted travel companion I used to never leave home without. Jillee TODAY'S GOOD THING 6 Kitchen Items That Get Used Incorrectly [Top left: Cutting tomatoes with a serrated knife. Top right: A dishwasher rack full of dishes. Bottom left: Almonds being poured into a food processor. Bottom right: A fridge shelf.]( These six tips will help you make the most of these kitchen items that are commonly misused. 1. Kitchen Knives. Different knives are better suited to certain tasks, such as using a serrated knife to slice soft bread, juicy tomatoes, and ripe strawberries. A paring knife, on the other hand, is great for cutting small items, peeling fruits and vegetables, removing seeds, and more. 2. Dishwasher. It turns out that where you place your dishes inside your dishwasher can make a big difference. Studies show it’s best to put dishes with carb-based residues like potatoes and pasta near the center, and dishes with protein-based residues like meat and cheese around the edges of your dishwasher. 3. Food Processor. Some people use their food processor and blender interchangeably, but they’re both better used for certain tasks. Your food processor works best when used to chop up solid, dry foods or to make chunky sauces. 4. Blender. Your blender, on the other hand, is better for making smooth soups, sauces, and beverages. The best order to add ingredients to your blender is liquids first, then smaller ingredients, then larger ingredients, then put the hardest ingredients (like ice or tough stalks) in last. 5. Refrigerator. The shelves in the door of your fridge are some of the warmest parts of your fridge, so it’s best to use them to store condiments, water, shelf-stable juices, and other items that don’t need to be kept quite as cold. Store your milk and fresh juices on the main shelves of your fridge to make sure they stay cold. 6. Garlic Press. If you use a garlic press, you may be surprised to learn that you don’t actually have to peel your garlic cloves before putting them in the press. The skins will stay inside the press while the garlic itself gets pushed through the holes. [9 More Kitchen Items You’re Using Wrong]( [9 More Kitchen Items You’re Using Wrong]( Related • [7 Ways You’re Damaging Your Most Useful Kitchen Tool]( ⚡️QUICK TIPS⚡️ • It never hurts to be prepared, especially when it comes to clogged toilets. Learn how to unclog a toilet in any situation. [Read more ➜]( • If you can’t seem to keep particular foods from going bad, there’s likely a better way to store them to preserve freshness. [Read more ➜]( • When hot weather has you sweating through your pillowcase, rest your head on a DIY cooling pillow to cool yourself off. [Read more ➜]( COOKING Simple Gluten Free Bread? I’m On Cloud Nine [Two pieces of cloud bread on a plate with a jar of jam, some eggs, and more cloud bread in the background.]( With just four simple ingredients, cloud bread is so much easier than most grain free breads. Have you ever heard of "cloud bread?" It's a light, airy, and grain free bread that's popular with people who have Celiac disease or gluten sensitivities. The fact that it’s also relatively low in carbohydrates has also made it popular with people who follow low-carb diets. When I first encountered cloud bread online, I was equally intrigued by its name and by the way it looked. Each piece looks like a little golden cloud, and once I made it and tasted it for myself, the way it melted in my mouth only reinforced the cloud comparison. In addition to its dreamy taste and texture, another great thing about cloud bread is how easy it is to make. You only need four ingredients, and not a single one of them is an impossible-to-find flour substitute. (As someone who has made a lot of gluten free breads over the years, this was a huge relief!) What does go into cloud bread is eggs, cream cheese, honey, and cream of tartar. Just whip them up into a light and airy batter and bake them in the oven, and you’ll end up with bread that’s soft, delicious, and versatile enough for sandwiches, mini pizzas, or even desserts that everyone can enjoy. [View & Print The Full Recipe]( [View & Print The Full Recipe]( UNUSUAL USES Put Your Plastic Wrap To Good Use [Left: Plastic wrap under the lid of a bottle of sunscreen. Center: Plastic wrap being wrapped around banana stems. Right: A phone wrapped in plastic wrap.]( There are plenty of useful things you can do with that roll of plastic wrap sitting in your drawer. 1. Prevent Suitcase Spills. There are few things more unfortunate than shampoo or lotion getting all over the inside of your suitcase. An easy way to prevent spills is by removing the lids from your toiletry bottles, covering the openings with a piece of plastic wrap, then replacing the lids. 2. Keep Bananas Ripe. While overripe bananas can certainly be useful, if I bought the bananas to snack on I don't necessarily want them to be banana bread-ready the next day. But wrapping a bit of cling wrap around the stems of the bananas can help slow the ripening process so that they stay perfectly ripe longer. 3. Prevent Screen Smudges. Whether you're referencing a recipe or snapping a photo of your culinary masterpiece, wrap your phone in plastic wrap to keep your screen visible while protecting it from spills and smudges. Once you've washed your hands, simply peel off the plastic and toss it. [6 More Uses For Plastic Wrap]( [6 More Uses For Plastic Wrap]( JILLEE'S PICK Make Cleaning Up After A Meal More Fun [Left: The pig vacuum being used to pick up crumbs. Right: The underside of the pig vacuum.]( This little piggy went to market, this little piggy stayed home, this little piggy had roast beef, this little piggy had crumbs from your dining table. I recently came across [this pig-shaped mini tabletop vacuum]( for cleaning crumbs off of tables and countertops, and I simply could not keep the knowledge that this item exists to myself. It's a rare combination of ridiculous, adorable, and genuinely useful all in one little pig-shaped package. I could see it being a great way to get the little ones to help with after-dinner cleanup. They'll love pushing this little piggy around and watching it eat all the crumbs left behind on the dining table after a meal! [See the mini tabletop pig vacuum on Amazon ➜]( REMEMBER WHEN Don’t Forget Your Thomas Guide [A close-up photo of Thomas Guides from 1943, 1956, 1959, 1975, and 1998 arranged on a wooden table. ]( Long before the days where you could glance at a screen in your car for driving directions (and even before the days where you could print driving directions off of Mapquest), we relied on paper maps to help us navigate unfamiliar territory. Growing up in Southern California, the map of choice for many was the Thomas Guide. I never left home without mine, but in an ideal situation, I would also have a co-pilot in my passenger seat who would man the Thomas Guide and help me navigate as needed. But if I was driving alone, I would have to sit in the driveway and study my planned route for several minutes before leaving. Once I was driving, the Thomas Guide was of limited use and I would simply hope I could remember where to go. And if I got lost, I’d have to pull over, locate myself on the map, and relearn the directions before resuming my drive. And if that proved fruitless, there was always Plan B: stop at the nearest gas station and ask for directions. Back then, a knowledgeable gas station attendant was the next best thing to a Thomas Guide! A FEW MORE THINGS... Today is Pioneer Day here in Utah, a state holiday commemorating the arrival of the first group of Mormon pioneers in the Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1847. Celebrations typically include fireworks, parades, and for some, pie and beer. (“Pie-and-Beer Day” is a sort of counter-Pioneer Day celebration popularized by local non-Mormons. Welcome to Utah!) Garden To-Dos: As July starts winding down, I'm finishing up the last few gardening tasks the [USU Extension recommends]( doing during July. Still on my to-do list: harvesting small, tender squash and the first few tomatoes, deadheading my flowers, and inspecting my petunias for tobacco budworm feeding activity. LOVE OGT? SHARE IT! If you’re enjoying the OGT newsletter, it would mean so much to me if you'd share it with your friends and family! When you share it allows me to continue sharing the tips and tricks you love with you! 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