- [Narrator] Today we'll show you some amazingly simple
kitchen tricks that'll transform the way you cook
and make everything go just a little bit smoother.
Hard-boiled eggs are delicious,
but it can be such a hassle to remove their shells.
Over the years we've shown you several ways
to peel hard-boiled eggs easier, and today is no different.
With enough effort and lung power,
you can blow a hard-boiled egg right out of its shell.
Simply peel away a small area from the top of the egg
and peel away a larger piece of shell
from the bottom of the egg
so that's there a hole on each end.
Now put the small hole to your mouth and blow hard.
Be ready to catch the egg
as the pressure forces it through the other end.
I wouldn't suggest bragging about this method
to your guests or they'll probably be busy
next time you invite them over for egg salad sandwiches.
If you like grilled cheese sandwiches and cheese sticks,
try this trick that basically combines the two.
Start by melting butter in a frying pan.
Then get yourself some slices of bread.
You can either keep the crust or cut it off.
Use the palm of your hand or a rolling pin
to flatten each side.
Now either place sliced cheese
on top of each flattened slice,
or spread out shredded cheese.
You can add spices or other ingredients, too, if you prefer.
Start on one side and roll tightly to the other end.
Place each rolled cheese stick in the butter,
and cook it until it's lightly brown
before flipping it over.
Once both sides are cooked,
remove them from the heat and place them on a serving plate.
Now obviously, these grilled cheese sticks
are best served with tomato soup for a delicious meal.
Have you ever found yourself in need of a butter knife,
but all you have is a serrated knife
that isn't designed for butter?
It could be quite difficult to spread butter
or cream cheese with these knives,
because they're just too sharp.
So try this simple trick.
Just flip the blade over in your hand
so the dull side of the knife presses against the bread
instead of the sharp serrated edge.
Next time, you can use the first knife you see
without any worries.
Using old baking soda or baking powder
that's no longer effective can ruin your recipe
and waste ingredients and time.
Before you start cooking test their effectiveness
with these simple tricks.
Baking soda is rarely labeled with an expiration date,
so testing it first can be super helpful.
Mix 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
into two teaspoons of vinegar.
You should immediately see bubbling,
and if not it's no longer good.
To test baking powder mix a teaspoon
into 1/2 a cup of hot water.
Once again if you see bubbling it's good to use.
If not, replace it before you start cooking, and that's it.
Guacamole's great, but it browns quickly
and changes flavor when it's exposed to oxygen.
To prevent this put your leftover guacamole in a container
and then add a thin layer of water to the top.
The water acts as a protective barrier,
which also protects the guacamole
from reacting with oxygen in the air.
Pour the water out the container
when you're ready to eat it.
Guacamole will stay green and fresh for much longer.
Hey man, can you hold my avocado?
Instead of cooking bacon the traditional way
in a grease-spitting skillet,
try baking it in the oven like many restaurants do.
This way you can cook as much as you want at once
without having to flip it or deal with hot grease splatter.
The trick is to line a baking sheet with aluminum foil
and then lay out as many bacon strips as you possibly can.
And then cook it for 15 to 20 minutes,
depending on how chewy or crispy
you like your bacon, that is.
This method's maintenance-free, cooks the bacon pretty flat,
and best of all, it frees up
your stove top for other foods.
Place the bacon on a paper towel
and pat dry to remove any excess grease.
And now it's ready to serve.
Remember, bacon is its own best reason to bake bacon.
Many people struggle to get their eggs spread out nicely,
cook evenly, and, you know, not burn them in the process.
The first trick is to substitute vegetable oil
with a little butter for a richer flavor.
As your pan heats up,
crack your egg into a small bowl and whisk the whites.
Be careful not to break the yolk.
This one little trick will help your egg
to spread out perfectly in the frying pan and cook evenly.
Once it's done slide it onto a plate.
Add your favorite sides, and you've got yourself
a foolproof sunny-side up egg.
Do you have a particular cake mix
that you wish could be enjoyed as a cookie, too?
Well, you're in luck.
It's just a small difference in consistency.
It's actually incredibly easy
to turn cake mix into cookie dough.
For most cake mixes, all you have to do
is add two eggs and 1/2 a cup of oil to the mix.
Let's take a look at Funfetti.
We combine the cake mix
with 1/4 of a cup of softened butter
and four ounces of cream cheese
to create out instant cookie dough.
Depending on the size of your cookies,
bake from eight to 12 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Let them cool for a few minutes, and they're ready to serve.
And speaking of cookies,
nothing quite compares to a fresh one.
But if you're baking them in large batches,
you don't want to have to eat through them all
in just a couple days.
Make them last by storing them in a sealed container
with a few apple wedges.
The cookies will draw in moisture from the wedges,
and they'll keep a lot longer this way.
You can replace the apple wedge with a new one as needed.
You've probably seen cookie cutters
used to create fun patterns and shapes for eggs.
Why not pancakes, too?
Put those cookie cutters to good use
by placing them in a frying pan
and pouring batter right inside the outlines.
Now watch as your pancakes rise into fun shapes.
Of course depending on the shapes you have,
they might be more suitable for holiday breakfast,
but they'll taste the same anyway.
Thank you so much for watching.
If you've got your own little kitchen tricks or hacks,
post them in the comments.
If we use it in a future video, I'll let you know.
Be sure to hit that subscribe button
for new videos every week, and we'll see you next time.
(gentle music)