The Easiest Way To Stop Your Food From Getting Stale

PLUS: 3 surprisingly practical uses for old pillows, a crowd-pleasing chicken casserole, and more. PLUS: 3 surprisingly practical uses for old pillows, a crowd-pleasing chicken casserole, and more. March 19, 2022 [View Online]( Good morning! There are few things as disheartening as looking forward to eating something—a bowl of cereal or a handful of chips—only to realize that they’ve become inedibly stale. But Today’s Good Thing features a handy gadget you can use to prevent such tragedies in the future. Also in today’s newsletter, I’m reminiscing about the predecessor to voicemail in a new Remember When, so please leave a message after the beep. Jillee TODAY'S GOOD THING The Easiest Way To Stop Your Food From Getting Stale [A photo of Jillee using a mini food sealer.]( If you’re tired of realizing your favorite cereal or snacks have gone stale, this gadget can help. While I don’t necessarily envy contending with humid conditions on a daily basis, I will say that arid conditions have their drawbacks too, including when it comes to food storage. Anything that isn’t properly sealed is liable to become stale in a hurry, and even crunchy foods can become inedible once staleness sets in. But even though air is the clear culprit, there’s not always an obvious solution to keeping it out. Rolling and clipping bags or closing boxes often isn’t always enough to keep air out, and if air can get in, so can pests and germs. But I eventually discovered a simple and affordable gadget that put all of these worries to bed. A handheld food sealer makes it easy to put an airtight seal on almost any bag. Just close it over one edge of the bag, then slowly slide it across to create an airtight, waterproof seal. With the help of my handy sealer, I'm not only encountering fewer stale foods, but I’m also using fewer ziplock bags too. At under $20, this gadget is an affordable option for sealing many different types of bags, from foil snack bags and cereal liners all the way up to thick plastic bags designed for full-size vacuum sealers. To learn more about handheld food sealers—including the 3 most useful things you can do with them—check out the link below. [The Easiest Way To Stop Your Food From Getting Stale ➜]( Related • [DIY Reusable Food Wrap]( • [Want To Save On Food? This Is The One Kitchen Gadget You Need]( ⚡️QUICK TIPS⚡️ • These no-mess sugar scrub cubes are really useful for scrubbing your hands clean of dirt, paint, or other messes. [Read more ➜]( • Are troublesome suction cups driving you crazy? Take a deep breath, then follow these steps so they stay put. [Read more ➜]( • From the kitchen to the bathroom to the backyard, these 27 tips prove that borax isn’t only useful in the laundry room. [Read more ➜]( COOKING Chicken Casserole, An All-Time Family Favorite [A photo of a plate of chicken casserole, corn, and a side salad.]( This recipe is not only one of the easiest in my repertoire, but it’s one of the most requested too. This is another one of my mother-in-law Dorothy's recipes, and it's probably the one I'm most indebted to her for, because it's one of very few that none of my kids ever complained about or refused to eat. In fact, it's been a Nystul family favorite for over two decades now, and it's blissfully quick and easy to make too. Here’s how to make it: Heat a couple of tablespoons of oil in a pan on your stovetop, then cook 4-5 chicken breasts seasoned to your liking until they're cooked through. Let them cool for a minute or two after cooking, then cut them into bite-sized pieces and arrange them in the bottom of a 9x13" baking dish. In a small bowl, combine the contents of a 10.5-ounce can of cream of chicken soup and 1 cup of sour cream, then spread the mixture over the chicken. Crush a sleeve of Ritz crackers (about 30 crackers), then sprinkle the cracker bits over the top of the chicken and cream mixture. Melt ½ cup (1 stick) of butter in a small microwave-safe dish, then pour the melted butter over the crushed crackers. Finally, sprinkle 1 tablespoon of poppy seeds on top of the crackers, if desired. (I usually skip the poppy seeds, but that's mainly a force of habit at this point.) Bake the casserole at 350°F for 30 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbly. I usually serve it with rice and a veggie of some sort, but there’s no wrong way to eat chicken casserole! [See the full recipe ➜]( UNUSUAL USES 3 Practical Uses For Your Old Pillows [Photos of uses for old pillows.]( Ready to retire your old bed pillows? Here are 3 things you can do with them instead of tossing them out. 1. Fill Another Pillow. If you have another pillow that’s in good condition, but is a bit flat for your liking, salvage the stuffing from your old pillow to add to the new one. Carefully cut an opening in the newer pillow along one of the seams (a few inches should suffice), insert the stuffing, then stitch the pillow closed again. 2. Protect Your Stuff During A Move. If you’re moving soon or know someone who is, old pillows are great for protecting items in transit. Put them between bikes to prevent them from getting scratched up, or if you have to lean something against a piece of furniture, place a pillow there to protect both items. 3. Use It As A Knee Pad. Use an old pillow as a knee pad when gardening or doing yard work. Your knees will thank you, plus you’ll save the money you would have had to spend on a real knee pad! JILLEE'S PICK Save Your Sanity With A Set Of Shims [A photo of a plastic shim being put under a table leg.]( If you’ve ever had a piece of furniture start inexplicably listing to one side, then you already know how quickly that can drive you crazy. Having a wobbly chair shift beneath you can cause your life to flash before your eyes—that is, if you're not already busy cleaning up a drink that spilled when you set it down on an unsteady table. That’s why I always keep a set of sturdy plastic shims on hand. Is it a permanent solution? No, but it sure is nice to be able to use a shim to steady a wobbly chair or table as soon as it becomes a noticeable problem. That way, at least your sanity will remain intact until you can find a more long-term fix for the problem! What I like about these [Shepherd Hardware shims]( specifically is that they’re not only extremely durable, but they have a highly textured surface on top that helps keep them in place. These ones stay put better than any other shim I’ve used, which was a nice surprise considering how affordable they are! [See Shepherd Hardware Wedge-It Plastic Shims on Amazon ➜]( REMEMBER WHEN Answering Machines [A photo of a vintage PhoneMate 400 answering machine.]( Before digital recording technology made voicemail possible, we had analog answering machines. In my teenage years, we had a PhoneMate answering machine that could record up to 20 messages on a reel-to-reel tape. (On a relevant note, the National Museum of American History now has a [PhoneMate in its collection](. I anticipate they'll also be adding me to their collection any day now!) The biggest thrill of having an answering machine was that you no longer had to sit and wait by the phone when someone said they were going to call. They could just leave a message on your machine, and it was pretty exciting to get home and see you had messages waiting. Today's voicemail has a lot of useful features that answering machines didn't have, like caller ID and timestamps. Because of that, messages tended to be quite long—the caller would have to explain who they were, when they called, and leave their own contact information in addition to explaining why they called. Even with their drawbacks, having an answering machine was still leagues better than not having one. Do you remember which answering machine your family had back in the day? A FEW MORE THINGS... Delicious Duo: It’s National Chocolate Caramel Day, a day to celebrate the most delicious of confectionery duos. Chocolate and caramel can be found alongside each other in many of the world’s favorite candies, ice creams, and other treats. I never need an excuse to overindulge on chocolate sea salt caramels, but I’m not going to say no to one either. Honoring Certified Nurses: Today is Certified Nurses Day, which recognizes nurses who have gone the extra mile to get certified in an advanced or specialty field. Certified Nurses Day is celebrated today in honor of the birthday of [Dr. Margretta Madden Styles](, who spent more than two decades advancing nurse credentialing. To all certified nurses, thank you for your professionalism and dedication. 🤔 Wordle: [Solve today's 5-letter word](. 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. Update your email preferences or [unsubscribe]( [here](. View our privacy policy [here](.