Wake the Lakes “Life Hacks for the Week” 11-6-23

More Kitchen Hacks to Try!
–Craving those scratch-made potato wedges from your favorite restaurant? The answer is waiting in your kitchen drawer. Cut one end of the potato for stability then push an apple slicer through and add your favorite seasonings. You can try it with sweet potatoes, too.
–Professional chefs will tell you that a damp dish towel under your mixing bowl will keep it from slipping and sliding on your counter as you mix. This tip works well with a cutting board too.
Chill Wine Super Fast. Find a tall pitcher about the height of your wine bottle and get cooling. Immerse the bottle in ice water with a small handful of salt and turn every few minutes or so. Your booze will chill in 20 minutes (or less!).
–Air fryers give us the crispy fried texture we love without the extra grease. However, air fryers don’t always produce that golden hue we crave. You can fix that, though! The secret to that perfect golden color is giving your foods a quick spritz of cooking spray before popping them into the air fryer basket. That very light coating of oil is all you need.
–Bubble wrap is a powerful insulator. While on the road, keep your favorite ice cream from melting by wrapping the pint in plastic bubble wrap. It’ll stay firm for hours.
–Make Frozen Rolls Seem Homemade. Elevate your bread basket by adding a little extra sumthin’ to frozen rolls. Thaw, then brush tops with egg wash and dip into your choice of seasoning blends, seeds or cheeses, Be as gentle or generous as you’d like! Bake according to recipe or package directions.
–The ironing board is your new kitchen friend. It can be used as extra counter space or even a makeshift cooling rack after you remove the cover. Pans, paper liners, parchment or other barriers should be used between the rack and baked goods.
–Next time you need fresh lemon juice, microwave a lemon for 7-10 seconds. Then, roll the lemon back and forth under your palm on the counter. When you squeeze, you’ll get more juice from the lemon with way less effort. Try it with limes, too!
–Rescue a Salty Soup. Next time you oversalt a soup, toss in a few wedges of raw apple or potato. Simmer for 10 minutes and discard the wedges to get the flavor back to normal.