Multi Uses for Coffee Filters

 

I love products that do double duty.  Recently my husband Stan sent me an email he received, that makes double duty products look lazy.  I had no idea that coffee filters could have so many uses.  Aside from making great coffee, I have used them to clean windows before, but that was as far as I looked for ways to use the coffee filters.

 

You can purchase 1000 coffee filters for $1.00 at our local dollar stores.  I think it is time for me to stock up on these handy multi purpose gem. 

 

 

1. Cover bowls or dishes when cooking in the microwave.  Coffee filters make excellent covers. 
 

2. Clean windows, mirrors, and chrome.  Coffee filters are lint-free so they'll leave windows sparkling.
 

3. Protect China by separating your good dishes with a coffee filter between each dish.
 

4. Filter broken cork from wine.  If you break the cork when opening a wine bottle, filter the wine through a coffee filter.
 

5. Protect a cast-iron skillet.  Place a coffee filter in the skillet to absorb moisture and prevent rust.
 

6. Apply shoe polish.  Ball up a lint-free coffee filter. 
 

7. Recycle frying oil.  After frying, strain oil through a sieve lined with a coffee filter.
 

8. Weigh chopped foods.  Place chopped ingredients in a coffee filter on a kitchen scale.
 

9. Hold tacos.  Coffee filters make convenient wrappers for messy foods.
 

10 Stop the soil from leaking out of a plant pot.  Line a plant pot with a coffee filter to prevent the soil from going through the drainage holes.
 

11. Prevent a Popsicle from dripping.  Poke one or two holes as needed in a coffee filter.
 

12. Use strips of coffee filters when you wax your eyebrows.
 

13. Put a few in a plate and put your fried bacon, French fries, chicken fingers, etc on them..  It soaks out all the grease. 
 

14. Keep in the bathroom.  They make great "razor nick fixers."
 

15. As a sewing backing.  Use a filter as an easy-to-tear backing for embroidering or appliqueing soft fabrics.
 

16. Put baking soda into a coffee filter and insert into shoes or a closet to absorb or prevent odors.
 

17. Use them to strain soup stock and to tie fresh herbs in to put in soups and stews.
 

18 Use a coffee filter to prevent spilling when you add fluids to your car.
 

19. Use them as a spoon rest while cooking and clean up small counter spills.
 

20. Can use to hold dry ingredients when baking or when cutting a piece of fruit or veggies.  Saves on having extra bowls to wash.
 

21. Use them to wrap Christmas ornaments for storage.
 

22. Use them to remove fingernail polish when out of cotton balls.
 

23. Use them to sprout seeds.  Simply dampen the coffee filter, place seeds inside, fold it and place it into a zip-lock plastic bag until they sprout.

 

24. Use coffee filters as blotting paper for pressed flowers.  Place the flowers between two coffee filters and put the coffee filters in phone book.
 

25. Use as a disposable "snack bowl" for popcorn, chips, etc.

Do you have a use for coffee filters that are not mentioned in this post?  

 

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Blueberry Strata

Blueberry Strata

1 (16 ounce) loaf French bread, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries, if using frozen, drain well

1 (8 ounce) container blueberry cream cheese, room temperature

12 eggs

2 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Coat a 13x9 inch baking pan with cooking spray.  Arrange 1/2 of bread cubes in the bottom of pan.  Sprinkle blueberries over bread.

Spread a thin layer of cream cheese over top.  

Arrange remaining bread cubes over top of cream cheese.  In large bowl, combine eggs, milk, sugar, and vanilla.  Mix until well blended.

Pour evenly over bread cubes.  

Cover with aluminum foil.  Refrigerate overnight.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place covered baking dish in oven. Bake 30 minutes.

Uncover.  Bake 30 additional minutes.

Blueberry Syrup

1 1/2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 cups cold water
1 3/4 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1 1/2 tablespoons butter

While Strata is baking, prepare Blueberry Syrup.  In large saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch.  Mix well.  Add water.  Mix well. Bring to a boil over medium high heat.  Boil 5 minutes.  Add blueberries.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium.  Cook 10 minutes.  Add butter.  Mix well.  Serve warm over Strata.

I am in Florida visiting my family.  Usually when I am here, my Mom will spoil me, and do all of the cooking.  She always makes all of my favorite meals.  I decided one morning to give my mom a break, and make breakfast for everyone.  On the menu was my Blueberry Strata.  I love that I can do most of the prep for this recipe the night before. 

The Blueberry Strata was a big hit with young and old alike.  The bread had a delicious creamy, slightly sweet custard texture on the bottom, and a nice crunch on the top.  The blueberries and cream cheese added not only color, but also tons of flavor.    We had a little leftover Strata that morning, but by afternoon it was all gone.  My sister Shelley kept going back to the refrigerator to nibble on the leftovers.

The winners of my Double Giveaway are:
Facebook: Christa Storrs
Blog Follower: Discovering the Me in Mommy
Please email your address to me at:
mykindofcooking@gmail.com

Follow my blog and or Facebook for your chance to win next months Giveaway!

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Size Matters

I am a news junky!  It is amazing all of the interesting facts you can pick up from all the different types of media available to us.  One of my favorite ways to keep up with the news, is by reading it on my phone.

Recently I read that I could lose weight just by picking the right fork.  I have known for a long time that eating on a smaller plate would help you lose weight, so I assumed I should pick the small fork too.  It made sense to me.  Small plate and small fork equals a smaller amount consumed.  Wrong!  I should have been using the larger fork.  I can now blame my lack of weight lose on using the wrong fork!  It is not my lack of exercise or the extra calories that I sometimes eat, it is the forks fault!  I think I will blame the plate too just so the fork doesn't feel picked on.

In the study, they gave people the same size plates of spaghetti, but part of the people used small forks, and the others used large forks.  At the end of the meal they weighed the plates of spaghetti, and found that the group that used the large forks ate less food.  According to the diners that used the smaller fork, they felt like the consumed less because the fork was small, so they ate more.

I am going to give this a try, and start eating with a large fork.  Are you going to give it a try too?

On Friday, I will be posting my 

Blueberry Strata recipe.

Enter my Double Giveaway! 

Follow my blog and or Facebook for your chance to win!

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Slow Cooker Hawaiian BBQ Sandwiches

Slow Cooker Hawaiian BBQ Sandwiches 

4 to 5 pounds beef chuck roast or pork roast
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small onion, sliced
1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
1 1/2 cups barbecue sauce, divided

In large skillet, add oil.  Add roast to skillet, brown all sides over medium high heat.

Spray the inside of the slow cooker with cooking spray for easy clean up.  Place the roast in the slow cooker.  Arrange onion and pineapple over roast.

Pour 1 cup of barbecue sauce over top.  Cover with a lid.  Cook on low 6 to 8 hours.

Remove roast to a cutting board or plate.  Using 2 forks, shredded the roast.

Place shredded meat in a large bowl.  Using a slotted spoon, remove onions and pineapple from slow cooker, place it in the bowl with the meat.  Add 1 cup of liquid from the slow cooker.  Add 1/2 cup barbecue sauce.  Mix well.

Serve on buns.  Makes 6 to 8 servings.

I love to use my slow cooker all year long.  There is nothing like coming home to the delicious aroma of a homemade meal, ready and waiting for you.

Barbecue sandwiches are one of my favorite meals.  But finding a good one can be difficult.  They either have too much barbecue sauce mixed in with the meat, or it has a dollop of sauce spread on top of dried out meat.  With this recipe, the meat is tender and juicy, and each bite has the perfect amount of barbecue sauce.

On Tuesday, we had a fundraiser at Passion Radio. I made the Hawaiian BBQ sandwiches, and they were a big hit!

Our good friend Bill Scott came in to help with the fundraiser.  Bill is not only an incredible fundraiser, he is also an author.  His new book "The Day Satan Called" is due out in October.  This book is generating a lot of buzz in publishing circles.  Nightline is interested in interviewing Bill, and there may soon be a movie deal.  You can download a free chapter of the book at his Facebook page.

Enter my Double Giveaway! 

Follow my blog and or Facebook for your chance to win!

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

How Much Juice?

After my Mango Salad post, I received several emails asking how many limes were needed to make 2 tablespoons of lime juice.  Below is a guide I use when I need fresh juice for a recipe.

1 medium lime yields approximately 2 tablespoons juice.

1 lemon yields approximately 3 tablespoons juice.

1 medium orange yields approximately 1/4 cup juice.

1 medium grapefruit yields approximately 2/3 cup juice.

On Friday, I will post my 

Slow Cooker Hawaiian BBQ Beef Sandwich recipe.

Enter my Double Giveaway! 

Follow my blog and or Facebook for your chance to win!

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Mango Salad

Mango Salad

1 1/2 cups diced fresh mango
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed, drained
1 1/4 cups frozen or fresh corn kernels
1/2 cup diced red pepper
1/3 cup diced red onion
1/3 cup chopped parsley or cilantro

Dressing

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon cumin
1 (0.07 ounce) packet Italian dressing mix

In large bowl,combine diced mango, black beans, corn, red pepper, red onion and parsley or cilantro.

In small bowl, combine balsamic vinegar, olive oil, water, lime juice, cumin, and Italian dressing mix. Mix well

 Add dressing mixture to bowl with chopped mango and other ingredients.  Mix well.

 Chill at least one hour before serving.

This is one of my husband Stan's favorite salads.  He loves the combination of sweet mangoes with the tang of the balsamic vinegar, and the texture of the black beans.  He always goes back for seconds.

We like have the Mango Salad alone, as a side salad with a sandwich, or even spooned over chicken. 

Enter my Double Giveaway! 

Follow my blog and or Facebook for your chance to win!

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Tip: Blanching Fresh Vegetables for a Veggie Tray

In a recent survey, people preferred fresh vegetables that had been blanched over vegetables that had not.  Now when I make my vegetable trays, I blanch most of the vegetables.  Broccoli, cauliflower, sugar snap peas, carrots, and asparagus get a quick dip in the hot tub.  I don't blanch red peppers, cherry tomatoes, and cucumbers.

Below are the steps I take when I blanch vegetables that I plan to eat raw.

1. I wash and prepare the vegetables.

2. I fill a large sauce pan with water.  Salt the water.  Bring it to a boil.

3. I fill a large bowl with water and ice.

4. I place the vegetables in boiling water for 30 seconds only.

5. I transfer the vegetables into the ice bath to stop the cooking process.

6. After vegetables have cooled, I drain them on paper towel.

Give it a try.  I think you will find, the improved taste and texture is worth the time and effort.

On Friday, I will be posting my

Mango Salad recipe!

Enter my Double Giveaway! 

Follow my blog and or Facebook for your chance to win!

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!