Tag: easy recipes

Posted in #allrecipes

This Internet-Loved Hack Softens Butter in Seconds

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Buttered bread or toast is simple and delicious, but nothing is worse than reaching for the butter from the fridge only to find it’s too cold and hard to spread. 

Sure, you can pop the butter in the microwave for a few minutes, but you risk melting it too much (which also renders it unusable if you’re making your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe). And leaving it out on the counter isn’t an option when you need it ASAP. There are several hacks to soften butter in seconds, but the latest one is the most clever one yet, and possibly the least messy.

While this hack isn’t necessarily new, it’s currently trending once again online, and we think for good reason. Vital Farms recently posted about this on Instagram: “This nifty little hack for turning fridge-cold butter into soft, spreadable butter in seconds.” TikTok user roxy.369 says this is a “life hack” that’s worth trying.

Allrecipes

Posted in #allrecipes

Deadly Foods or Kitchen Folklore? 8 Food Items to Approach With Caution

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

As children, we’re often warned not to eat certain things because “they’re poisonous.” And I started wondering if those warnings had any basis in fact, or if they were nothing but a combination of hand-me-down myths, and an easy way for parents to scare children into behaving. As it turns out, most of the things I was told were poisonous were indeed, to one degree or another, poisonous. Though most will not cause death, they will often produce enough gastrointestinal distress that you might THINK that you’re dying.

Here are some of the most commonly cautioned food items that do, in fact, have a touch of toxicity.

Allrecipes

Posted in #allrecipes

The 5 Costco Prepared Foods to Avoid, According to Customers

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

The prepared foods section at Costco is diverse, affordable and delicious—the perfect solution for picking up a quick dinner on a busy night or a ready-to-eat dish for a potluck. In fact, the prepared mealsare quite popular with customers and there is a wide variety to choose from.

However, a couple of items seem to be less satisfying and not worth the purchase, according to Costco fans and customers on Reddit. Actually, several users had a lot to say in a Reddit thread discussing the worst Costco prepared foods available based on personal experience and preference. (Plus, for the most part, users agreed on which ones to avoid, creating a general consensus.) 

Here are the top suggestions from Redditors on which prepared foods to skip the next time you go to Costco.

Allrecipes

Posted in #allrecipes

Cascade Settles the Debate: Should You Be Rinsing Your Plates Before Loading the Dishwasher?

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

I have a confession to make: I’m a pre-rinser. Before I load dirty dishes into our dishwasher, I thoroughly rinse them off so that they’re nearly clean before being placed in the racks. But I’m not sure why I do it. Perhaps it was the thing to do when I was growing up and doing my chores, or maybe it’s because I’m worried about the water pressure and plumbing in our 1940s home.

Turns out, I’m not alone in my pre-rinsing habit. A recent survey commissioned by Procter & Gamble shows that 86% of us pre-rinse or pre-wash as part of our dishwashing routines.

I began to wonder, is my taking the time to pre-rinse dishes before loading them into the dishwasherbeneficial in any way, or is it a waste of time and resources, like water? I reached out to dishwasher detergent giant Cascade to find the answers.

Allrecipes

Posted in #allrecipes

The Surprising Ingredient for the Lightest, Fluffiest Pancakes Ever

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

I recently saw a bit on a late night talk show that prompted viewers to come up with the everyday activity they’d win a gold medal in if it were an Olympic sport. For me, that prize-winning skill is making pancakes. As a mom of three, I make a lot of pancakes. Chocolate chip, Mickey Mouse, silver dollar, monster truck, fire truck, blueberry, banana; you name it and I’ve poured, flipped, and plated it. 

All that practice has led to my being able to whip up a batch of pancakes without a recipe, just good vibes. A little flour, egg, dairy, some leavener, a pinch of cinnamon and usually some sort of fruit or vegetable I’m trying to hide from my kids. Through all of this tinkering I feel qualified to tell you the one ingredient that makes the best pancakes every single time is ricotta cheese. Why? This one ingredient guarantees my pancakes–no matter what their shape–are the lightest and fluffiest possible. 

Allrecipes