FRONT PORCH WISDOM

Easy Deviled Eggs 
   Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal, then mash until they are all broken up. Add remainder of ingredients, reseal, keep mashing it up, mixing thoroughly. Cut the tip of the baggy, squeeze mixture into egg. Just throw bag away when done for easy clean up
 
Expanding Frosting 
   When you buy a container of cake frosting from the store, whip it with your mixer for a few minutes.  You can double it in size. You get to frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount.  You also eat less sugar/calories per serving.

Reheat Pizza
   Heat up leftover pizza in a non-stick skillet on top of the stove. Set heat to med-low and heat until warm.  This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy micro pizza.

Reheating refrigerated bread 
   To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in a microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food moist and help it reheat faster.
  
Newspaper weeds away 
   Start putting in your plants. Work the nutrients in your soil. Wet some newspapers, put layers of the papers around the plants overlapping as you go. Cover with mulch and forget about weeds. Weeds will get through some gardening plastic but they will not get through wet newspapers.
 
Broken Glass 
   Use a dry cotton ball to pick up little broken glass pieces of
glass.  The fibers catch ones you can't see!
  
No More Mosquitoes 
   Place a dryer sheet in your pocket. It will keep the mosquitoes away.
  
Squirrel Away! 
   To keep squirrels from eating your plants, sprinkle your plants with cayenne pepper.  The cayenne pepper doesn't hurt the plant and the squirrels won't come near it.

Bikes 
   If you purchase a new bike for your child, place their picture inside the handle bar before placing the grips on.   If the bike is stolen and later recovered, remove the grip and there is your proof who owns the bike.
  
Flexible vacuum 
   To get something out of a heat register or under the fridge, add an empty paper towel roll or empty gift wrap roll to your vacuum. It can be bent or flattened to get in narrow openings.
  
Reducing Static Cling 
   Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing panty hose. Place pin in seam of slacks and - voila - static is gone.
 
Measuring Cups 
   Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup…fill it with hot water. Dump out the hot water but don't dry the cup. Next, add your ingredient, such as peanut butter and watch how easily it comes right out.
  
Foggy Windshield? 
   Hate foggy windshields? Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the glove box of your car.  When the windows fog, rub with the eraser! Works better than a cloth!
  
Reopening envelope
   If you seal an envelope and then realize you forgot to include something inside, just place your sealed envelope in the freezer for an hour or two. Voila! It unseals easily.
  
Conditioner 
   Use your hair conditioner to shave your legs. It's a lot cheaper than shaving cream and leaves your legs really smooth. It's also a great way to use up the conditioner you bought but didn't like when you tried it in your hair...
 
Goodbye Fruit Flies
   To get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass, fill it one-half with Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dishwashing liquid, mix well. You will find those flies drawn to the cup and gone forever!
  
Get Rid of Ants 
   Put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants. They eat it, take it "home," and can't digest it so it kills them.  It may take a week or so, especially if it rains, but it works and you don't have the worry about pets or small children being harmed!
  
Take baby powder to the beach 
   Keep a small bottle of baby powder in your beach bag. When you’re ready to leave the beach, sprinkle yourself and kids with the powder and the sand will slide right off your skin.

Use a dryer sheet for cleaning
    Use a dryer sheet to clean electronic items like TV, Computer Screen etc. it takes the dust off and helps repel dust.

Peppermint water helps upset bellies
    Peppermint water is great for upset bellies!! Especially for babies... 1/2 to 1 peppermint in an 8oz bottle. Babies love it and it calms them down!

Got stinky pits?
    Got underarm B.O. that even the deodorants won't get rid of?  Try this:  put a slice of raw, white potato under each armpit, keep it there for a few minutes, then toss the tater slices in the trash, rinse your underarms, apply deodorant, and the B.O. will disappear! Laugh if you want, but, IT WORKS!!

Want that "Windex" shine for less?   
     Use an unused coffee filter to clean glass. It doesn't leave lint or streaks.

Have a serious pet hair problem?
     To rid your vehicle of pet hair, use the rubber side of a "squeegee" (a windshield cleaner). It will scrape all the hair up in a ball and allow you to pick it up. This helps b/c I can never just vacuum all the pet hair up. You can use this method on your seats and carpet.

The Heinz 57 trick
     When attempting to get ketchup out of a glass bottle in a restaurant, you simply need to aim the bottle at your plate and hit the number 57 with the palm of your hand. The "57" should be where the bottle widens up. It is just a raised up number. Trust me; it works.

Boil Cure
     Cover the boil with Hunt’s Tomato Paste as a compress.  The acids from the tomatoes soothe the pain and bring the boil to a head.

Flu Achy Muscles
     Mix 1 tablespoon of horseradish in 1 cup of olive oil.  Let the mixture sit for 30 minutes, then apply it as massage oil, for instant relief for aching muscles.

Splinter Remover
     Pour a drop of Elmer’s Glue-All over the splinter, let dry and peel the dried glue off the skin.  The splinter will stick to the dried glue.

Bug Killer
     If menacing bees, wasps, hornets or yellow jackets get in your home and you can’t find the insecticide, try a spray of Formula 409.  Insects drop to the ground instantly.

Shower Cleaner for Pennies
     3 parts water to 1 part bleach for tile cleaner PLUS 1TB of vinegar for soap scum.  Just spray after shower and walk away.  Cheaper than buying already made at the store.

Easy Ice Pack
    If you need an ice pack for a bruise or swelling, here's one that's cheap, easy, and mess-free... use a package of frozen veggies.  Then, just throw them back in the freezer when you're done.

Want to Look Like a Spring Chicken?
    Use egg whites on your skin!  They harden pimples to get rid of them faster, and they're also cheap and convenient!

Tired of Buying Glass Cleaner?
    Try air freshener!  Just spray it on mirrors or windows.  It does a great job and leaves behind a beautiful fragrance!

Got a Headache?
    Cut a lime in half and rub it on your forehead.  Throbbing goes away instantly!

Dirty Dishwater Works Miracles on Your Houseplants
    This is an old-time Florida trick!  Use your dirty dish water to water your plants!  Not only are you conserving water, the soap acts as a pH balancer and the little bits of food left behind act like fertilizer for the plant!  Happy gardening!

Hate Drippy Ice Cream Cones?
    Keep ice cream from dripping out of the bottom of your ice cream cone by putting 2 miniature marshmallows in the bottom of the cone before scooping in the ice cream!

Find Out If Your Power's Gone Out While You Were...   
    If you're going out of town for any length of time, put a small bowl of ice cubes in your freezer.  When you come home, if the cubes are melted in the bowl, you'll know the power was out for a long time and you need to check on your food.

Dull Pins and Needles?
    If you are using a needle or safety pin and it becomes dull, run it through your hair.  It sharpens it right up!  Another nice trick (and a wonderful keepsake) is to make a pun cushion from your children's hair clippings.

Pet Hair Stuck in a Brush?
    Run the brush under cold water, turn over, and tap.  Fur comes out in one hunk to be thrown away.

Want Streak-Free Windows?
    Clean with water-soaked newspaper.  Dry with dry newspaper.  Streak-free!

Stinky Car Carpet?
    Place a bar of Irish Spring soap underneath the seat!  The bar of soap absorbs moisture and odor.

Want Sparkling Silver?
    Even if you think it's beyond repair, scrub it with some toothpaste!  It will shine right up!  And on pieces with a lot of detail, use a toothbrush.

Get Rid of Ant Piles!
    Sprinkle some Gains laundry powder on them and they won't come back!

How About An Easier-To-Clean Kitchen?
    When you're baking, spray "no-stick" spray (like Pam) over the door or rack of your dishwasher for easier clean-up.  Spraying the sink helps, too!  You won't have to scrub the areas you've sprayed.

Look No Further Than Your Medicine Chest for Cheap Carpet Cleaner...
    Use cheap, generic shaving cream.  Spray it on the areas you need to clean, then wipe with a brush or cloth.  Works at home and in the car!

Out of Bleach and Need to Disinfect?
    Peroxide works to clean and disinfect better and more safely than bleach.  A capful of peroxide to a spray bottle of water works wonders!

Get Rid of Aches and Pains on the Cheap...
    Make a rice bag!  Take a clean sock and full it with rice (not instant).  Tie it off and microwave for 10 seconds.  Great for your neck or back and works wonders for cramps, ladies!

Love bugs Be Gone!!!
    Take a new - not used - dryer sheet.  Wet it.  It will wash those love bugs off your car with little effort!

Want to Cool Your Car More Quickly?
    When you get into your hot car, always lower your back windows or open the rear van windows.  This will allow cool air conditioning to push the hot air out!

Get Those Sneakers Dry Fast!
    The quickest way to dry your sneakers out is to stuff newspaper in them.  The newspaper absorbs the moisture.  Do it before you go to bed and they'll be dry by morning.

Got Red Ant Bites?
    Use Skin-So-Soft from Avon or WD40 to get the itch out.

Wasp Stings HURT...
    Get the sting out of a bee or wasp sting by taping a penny to it and leaving it there for 10 minutes.  It will stop the sting and you won't even be able to tell where you got stung by the next day!

Got Stains?
    Skip the bleach.  Soak spots on clothing in a mixture of detergent-water and baking soda, then put the clothes outside on a sunny day.  Let Mother Nature do the rest!

Simple, Natural Cleaners...
    Coffee filters make great eyeglass cleaners.  Just rub it over the lenses.  Vinegar and water makes great mirror and window cleaner.  Put alcohol in a spray bottle and spray on your kitchen counters.  Keeps ants away.

Natural Swimmers' Ear Remedy...
    Use 1 part vinegar and 3 parts alcohol.  Put a few drops in each ear to dry up the water inside of them.

Breathe Away Stress...
    keep lavender near your bed or wherever you relax.

Tummy Pains?
    Place one peppermint candy in a glass of water.  As the peppermint melts, stir and sip the peppermint water.

Need an Earring Back in a Pinch?
    Cut off a pencil eraser and work the earring post into it.  It will hold the earring snug against your earlobe.

Overbake Your Cookies?
    Soften them up by placing a slice of bread in the sealed cookie container and your cookies will soften right up.

Positive Reinforcement Mantra...
    When you are afraid, remember this: Courage is not the absence of feat, but the realization and acceptance that something is more important than fear.

Put an End to Ingrown Toenails...
    Notch out a "V" shape right in the center of the big toenail each time you trim, and you'll never be bothered with ingrown toenails or the throbbing pain/infection associated with them ever again.

Earache?  Hit the Potty...
    If you have an earache, put a couple of drops of your urine in your ear.  Works like magic!  Instant relief.

Tasty Meat Made Easy...
    Always marinate your meat for at least three days, and parboil your meat a little before you BBQ it.

Bubblegum in Your Child's Hair?
    Use peanut butter to get it out!  The oil in the peanut butter loosens the gum and won't leave behind the grease that cooking oils will.

Want Tender, Juicy Meat?
    Fill a clean spray bottle with half vinegar and half water.  Spray both sides of the meat, season, and cook in the oven or grill.

Whiter Teeth Made Less Expensive...
    Brush your teeth with baking soda.  It does just as good a job as expensive whiteners.

Dull Stainless Steel?
    Use Pledge to bring back that shine!

Easy Lint Pick-Up...
    Use a used dryer sheet to clean out the lint catcher in your dryer.

Save Money and Soften Your Clothes...
    Cut your dryer sheets in half!  They work just as well!

Windex Cleans Upholstery and Carpets...
    Spray the spot with Windex and it disappears!

Quick Clean-Up for Incontinence...
    Use a non-mentholated shave cream for a quick clean-up on skin.

Clean Your Microwave More Quickly...
    Take a microwave-safe glass and fill with water.  Heat to a boil and let boil for a few minutes.  Then, carefully remove it from the microwave and wipe down the interior with a damp cloth.  The hot moisture helps loosen those stubborn spills!

Here's an Awesome Ice Pack...
    When you go to the dentist or have surgery and need a quick ice pack. use a bag of small frozen peas.

Give us Your Bit of Wisdom and You Could Win a Gator BBQ Tool Set and Omaha Steaks - a $250 Value!!!