This Is One Of My Best Time-Saving Cooking Hacks

A simple trick for picking up small lost items, how to protect yourself from utility fraud, and more. A simple trick for picking up small lost items, how to protect yourself from utility fraud, and more. January 17, 2022 [View Online]( Good morning! They say necessity is the mother of invention, which explains how my own forgetfulness has led to several of my best ideas. One of those ideas is the cooking hack I'm sharing in Today’s Good Thing, and I’m certain it will save you as much time and frustration as it has for me. Also in today’s newsletter, I’m sharing a quick and easy tip for locating small items that got lost in your carpet somewhere. I can’t promise you’ll recover every earring, screw, and sewing needle you’ve ever lost, but it should at least prevent you from losing any more of them. Jillee TODAY'S GOOD THING This Is One Of My Best Time-Saving Cooking Hacks [Photos of cooking and freezing ground beef.]( With the help of this handy, time-saving tip, you can get dinner on the table in no time flat. If I had a nickel for every time I’ve forgotten to defrost the frozen ground beef that I was planning to use for dinner, I would be a very wealthy woman. It seems like I forget to do it much more frequently than I actually remember to, and I usually end up turning to my microwave in an attempt to speed up the thawing process. And if there’s a secret to thawing ground beef evenly in a microwave, I’m not aware of it, so I end up microwaving it 3 or 4 different times and scraping off the thawed portions in between. And then once it’s all finally defrosted and I'm done with the microwave ordeal, I still haven’t even begun cooking! But on the bright side, I eventually figured out a workaround that allows me to avoid the ordeal entirely, even when I do forget to take the ground beef out of the freezer ahead of time. Every once in a while, I cook a few pounds of ground beef at once and freeze it in one-pound or half-pound portions. Since it’s already cooked and just needs to be warmed through, it’s no big deal if I forget to thaw my ground beef before dinnertime. And even better, there’s not one, but 2 time-saving methods you can use to cook several pounds of ground beef at once—slow cooking and pressure cooking. You can find complete instructions for cooking large batches of ground beef in a slow cooker or Instant Pot at the link below. [This Is One Of My Best Time-Saving Cooking Hacks ➜]( Related • [20 Of The Best Foods To Freeze Now And Eat Later]( • [5 Quick & Easy Freezer Meals That Will Save Your Sanity]( ⚡️QUICK TIPS⚡️ • Avoid these 7 kitchen storage mistakes that make poor use of your space and shorten the lifespan of your stuff. [Read more ➜]( • These DIY exfoliating soaps have a loofah built right in, and you won’t believe how easy they are to make at home. [Read more ➜]( • You can’t eliminate all bacteria from your home, but cleaning these 10 grimy items regularly will go a long way. [Read more ➜]( NEVER MISS A TIP! Using Gmail? One click will make sure my emails always arrive in your inbox. On desktop, click the arrow icon next to the subject to tell Gmail an email is important so they always go to your inbox: On mobile just click the three dots in the top right and then click "Mark as important", like this: CLEANING Hack Your Vacuum To Retrieve Tiny Items [A photo of a vacuum hose with pantyhose over the end being used to pick up a small pin.]( Can't find a nail or earring you dropped on the carpet? Here’s how your vacuum can help. Have you ever dropped something tiny onto your carpet and had it vanish before your very eyes? Somebody call in the paranormal investigators, because there is no logical explanation for how that earring back or tiny LEGO piece (or, heaven forbid, a nail or sewing pin) disappeared in midair. Well, you many not want to call your local ghost hunters' association just yet, because there is an easier answer. If that tiny lost item is indeed hiding in the fibers of your carpet somewhere, you may be able to retrieve it with the help of your vacuum and a pair of pantyhose. Just unhook your vacuum’s hose or wand, then slide sheer pantyhose over the end and secure them with a rubber band. Turn on the vacuum and go over the carpet in the area, and if it’s hidden in the carpet somewhere, your vacuum will pick it up while the pantyhose holds it in place so you can retrieve it. STAY SAFE OUT THERE Utility Schemes Of All Shapes And Sizes [A photo of someone doing utility work.]( They take different forms, but they all center around water, electric, and natural gas utilities. Utility scams are one of the most common forms of fraud reported to the FTC, and they take many forms. But whether these would-be crooks contact you by phone or email, or claim to be from your water, electric, or gas company, they use similar tactics that can help you identify them and avoid getting taken advantage of. Most utility schemes are meant to prey on your fear of having your utility services shut off, so they may claim you owe money and must pay now to avoid getting disconnected. (Some go the opposite route and say you’ve overpaid on your bill and are entitled to a refund to try and get your bank or credit card information.) In particularly sketchy variations of these schemes, people posing as utility workers have even showed up at people’s homes, supposedly to inspect equipment, investigate leaks, or perform audits. They've sold phony services, collected personal information, and even sought out or stolen valuables. In order to avoid getting caught up in a utility scheme, keep in mind that utility companies don't usually make unscheduled visits or unsolicited calls. If someone claims to be with one of your utility companies, look up their number and call them to verify. And as always, never respond to requests for gift cards or cash cards. Read more about protecting yourself from utility fraud in the [Consumer’s Guide to Impostor Utility Scams](, published in collaboration with [Utilities United Against Scams]( (UUAS). UUAS is a coalition of 150 US and Canadian electric, water, and natural gas utility companies seeking to help protect their customers from fraud. JILLEE'S PICK Sistema Containers And Chalkboard Labels [A photo of Jillee's Sistema containers with chalkboard labels.]( I may have mentioned them here before, but I still love the [Sistema storage containers]( I use in my pantry. The clip-on lids form a tight seal, yet are easy to put on and take off, and they stack neatly too. I also like that the taller containers are narrower on one end, which makes them easy to grab. But as much as I love a good label maker, I didn’t necessarily love the idea of printing out new labels every time I wanted to store something different in one of my containers. Luckily for me, I already had a solution on hand from another organizing project that worked perfectly—a set of [chalkboard labels](. After I applied the chalkboard labels to the containers, I wrote the name of each food or ingredient on each label in chalk marker. Chalk marker is great because it doesn’t rub off as easily as standard chalk does, but it's easy to erase with a damp cloth or paper towel. [See Sistema storage containers and chalkboard labels on Amazon ➜]( MONDAY MOTIVATION Every Challenge In An Opportunity "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." - Martin Luther King, Jr. Theoretical understanding and hypothetical thinking can be useful when you're trying to prepare for situations you might encounter in the future. But when the time comes for you to act in support of something you believe in, the stakes will likely feel a lot higher than they did in theory. We all want to believe that we will make the right decision when the time comes, that we’ll stand up for what’s right and good even if it’s hard. But until we are challenged, we don't know whether we'll rise to the occasion. Until we face a situation that tests our resolve, the things we think we'll do are just stories we tell ourselves. In the bolded quote above, Dr. King said we show the "ultimate measure" of ourselves when we face challenges. Challenges come with frightening risks—we might fail, embarrass ourselves, or suffer consequences. But if we are never put to the test, we’ll never really know what kind of person we are. As you encounter challenges or hardships throughout the coming weeks, I encourage you see them as opportunities to "walk the walk" of the person you want to be. Even if no one else sees or notices your effort, the feeling of knowing your "ultimate measure" is reflective of your values is a gift in its own right. A FEW MORE THINGS... MLK Day Of Service: It’s Martin Luther King Day, a national day of service observed in honor of the legacy of Dr. King. As the only federal holiday set aside for service, it is meant to be “a day on, not a day off.” You can get involved by contributing to efforts to improve your community and make the world a better, more equitable place. Words Of Wisdom: “Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'” - Martin Luther King, Jr. Full Moon: Tonight’s full moon is referred to as the Wolf Moon, because this time of year was rife with the howling wolves, believed to be expressing their hunger. We now know that wolves howl for a [variety of social reasons](—it may simply have been easier to hear wolves in January because [sound can travel farther]( in cold weather. What did you think of today's email? [Not good]( | [Just okay]( | [Loved it!]( 🏠[Visit the By Jillee Shop]( 🤗 [Join OGT Free]( Let's connect! [facebook]( [instagram]( [pinterest]( [youtube]( If you have thoughts, comments, questions or a tip or trick you'd like to share, I'd love to hear from you! My inbox is always open, so just hit "reply" and let me know what's on your mind. See you tomorrow! Sending you bright ideas and simple solutions to help you create a home and life you love. My mailing address is: One Good Thing by Jillee 841 S. Main St. Heber City, UT 84032 If you're not happy please reply to this email to tell me why. You can [update your email preferences]( or break my heart and unsubscribe . View our privacy policy [here](.