Thursday, November 27, 2014

Daily Life Hacks Thanksgiving Special


I will try to post few useful Life hacks daily that i have personally used and i hope you will benefit from them as well.
Below are Thanksgiving related Life hacks that i have gathered from different websites that i find them useful and believe it could save you tons of time and save you from panic attacks.

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Slow-roast your turkey overnight to free up oven space the day of.

Slow roast your turkey overnight to free up oven space the day of.


Shutterstock


Sounds crazy, but apparently it works like a charm: Put the turkey in before you go to bed, turn the heat down, and wake up to a falling-off-the-bone tender bird in the morning. Here’s the recipe.

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Add a little baking powder to make mashed potatoes extra fluffy


Add a little baking powder to make mashed potatoes extra fluffy




Apparently, the heat of the potatoes triggers the baking powder’s chemical reaction, and the CO2 produced = extra fluffiness. Try this simple recipe from an old Better Homes and Gardens cookbook.


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DIY a last-minute roasting rack with tinfoil.






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Use chicken broth to save a dried out turkey.


Use chicken broth to save a dried out turkey.

Foodcollection via Getty Images

If you've overcooked your bird -- and this is more common than you think -- pour a little warm chicken broth on top of the slices to add flavor and warmth.


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Print or write out recipes and tape them to your cabinets for easy access.

Print or write out recipes and tape them to your cabinets for easy access.




Losing that piece of paper 17 times (or spilling pie filling all over it) is NOT going to help you get into a zen cooking space. You can also cut out pages from magazines or make photocopies if you want to do this with a recipe from a cookbook.


This also makes it a lot easier to recruit cooking helpers, since you can just point them towards the recipe and tell them to figure out the rest.


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Bake stuffing in muffin tins to maximize crispy surface area and make easy single servings.




Bake stuffing in muffin tins to maximize crispy surface area and make easy single servings.




Just use your favorite stuffing recipe or try these Pancetta & Sage Stuffing Muffins.


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Freeze rolled-out pie crusts so they hold their shape in the oven.

Freeze rolled-out pie crusts so they hold their shape in the oven.


Shutterstock


Just pop them in the freezer for 20 minutes to an hour while you make the fillings, then bake (without thawing). This will let the gluten in the dough relax and minimize shrinkage during baking. This is mainly for single-crust pies like pumpkin and pecan; if you’re adding a top crust you don’t really have to worry as much about shrinking.


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Use a wine glass to cut out biscuits.
Use a wine glass to cut out biscuits.




Maybe you’re a true biscuit believer who keeps a metal cutter around, but if not this will do just fine. Make sure to dip the glass in flour after every few to keep the dough from sticking, and push straight down without twisting to make sure the biscuits can rise.


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Make gravy instantly great by adding soy sauce.




Make gravy instantly great by adding soy sauce.




Your best bet is always basing a gravy off yummy turkey pan drippings. But if a) you didn’t save them b) you’re vegetarian or c) your gravy’s just a little bland, a splash of umami is the easiest way to bring out flavor (science says!). Try adding a spoonful of regular soy sauce, Liquid Aminos, or Maggi seasoning.




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Ice down the turkey’s breast before roasting to keep it from drying out.
Ice down the turkey’s breast before roasting to keep it from drying out.




This actually works! By starting the breast at a slightly lower temperature, you solve the problem of white meat cooking faster than dark.


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Grate frozen butter straight into pie or biscuit dough.

Grate frozen butter straight into pie or biscuit dough.




You can use any normal cheese grater. This way the butter stays cold, which you want to keep everything tender and flaky, but you don’t have to give yourself an elbow injury cutting it into the flour.


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Chop your veggies ahead of time. 


Chop your veggies ahead of time.

minako yoshida via Getty Images 


Store the chopped onions, celery and carrots -- already portioned for each recipe -- in clearly labeled containers in the fridge or freezer. 


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Use the garlic-peeling shortcut.


Use the garlic-peeling shortcut.


Matthew Leete via Getty Images


Saveur showed us how to peel a whole head of garlic in just 10 seconds. This is an essential trick to know on Thanksgiving. 


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Rice is an easy, non-wasteful way to weigh down pie crust for pre-baking.




Rice is an easy, non-wasteful way to weigh down pie crust for pre-baking.




Most people don’t have actual pie weights around, and using beans is annoying because they get funny-smelling after baking, and you probably won’t want to eat them. With rice, you can just make pilaf the next day.


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Cook white and dark turkey meat separately to make sure both are perfect.


Never, never let dry breast meat happen to you. Check out this helpful video that shows exactly how to break down a turkey into parts, then cook separately with recipes like Butter-Roasted Turkey Breast and Braised Turkey Thighs.


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If you boil potatoes whole, you don’t need to peel them.

If you boil potatoes whole, you don’t need to peel them.




Just shock them in ice water when they’re done and then slip the skin off with your hands.


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Use a beaded necklace to make a cool, easy pie crust design.

Use a beaded necklace to make a cool, easy pie crust design.




Check out this video for more crimping ideas.



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Leave a comment below if you find these helpful. Feel free to share your time saving tips and tricks.

For more Life Hacks Visit: http://collectionsoflifehacks.blogspot.com/


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Source:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/rachelysanders/life-saving-thanksgiving-cooking-hacks

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/24/thanksgiving-hacks_n_6199210.html

http://collectionsoflifehacks.blogspot.com/2014/11/daily-life-hacks-thanksgiving-special.html

NOTE:

I have not written all these life hacks i have copied and pasted from the above sources.