Tis the season to eat with abandon

Happy Holidays

Here are some helpful, if at times odd, tips for all of you foodies. I am merely the purveyor of the information.

Hull strawberries with a straw
Press a straw into the base of the strawberry and push it all the way through to hull the strawberry without having to slice! Now there’s more strawberry to enjoy.

Use a bottle and a chopstick to easily pit cherries
Another one of our easy fruit food hacks! Find a glass bottle with a narrow-ish opening, and place a cherry on top. Then, take one chopstick and poke it through the cherry. The pit should fall directly into the bottle.

Add a slice of bread in your container of cookies
If you’re tired of cookies getting crunchy less than a week after baking them, pop a slice of bread in the container or bag with them. Why? The bread keeps the cookies nice and moist! It’s one of the easiest food hacks in the book.

Bake bananas to ripen them quickly
No more waiting around for your bananas to ripen. Should you need ripe bananas, put them on a pan and bake them at 350 degrees for around five minutes. They’ll be soft and sweet when you take them out.

Use dental floss to cut through soft foods
For foods like cookie dough and gooey desserts, use unflavored dental floss to slice through without getting any leftover residue like you would with a knife. This is the key to perfect slices every time.

Unroll oranges with two simple knife cuts
With this trick, take a sharp knife and cut off the top and bottom of the orange. Now you don’t have to keep sticking your thumb in and creating a mess. Make one slice into the orange, and simply unroll it, and then you have all of your orange wedges intact, ready for snacking.

Trim veggies and store them in water to keep them crisp
If your celery, asparagus, broccoli, and other stalk vegetables are looking a little droopy, store them upright in a mason jar (or even a short flower vase) with 1-2 inches of water to keep them fresher, longer.

Use a large Mason jar for salads and grain bowls
For easy meal prep and transport, add all of your favorite salad ingredients (yes, including your greens and grains) in a large Mason jar.

Put whole eggs in a bowl of water to test their freshness
If they float, it’s a no-go. If they sink, they’re fresh.

Eat toast topping-side down so that the toppings hit your taste buds first
This totally goes against the grain (ha, ha), but trust us. First, make sure your toppings pass the upside-down test. If so, eat your toast topping-side down so that your taste buds get the most out of the toast-eating experience.

Remove the stem of the avocado to see if it’s ripe
If you’re unsure about the ripeness of your avocado, pull off the stem at the top. If the inside is green, it’s not ripe yet. If it’s brown, it’s likely overripe. But if it’s yellowish and spotted, it’s the perfect avocado ripeness for your guacamole and avocado toast.

Freeze mashed avocado for an instant smoothie upgrade
If your avocados are in their small ripe window and you don’t have any way of using them, mash them up and put them in an ice cube tray. You can freeze them and pop them in smoothies for a boost of heart-healthy fat and an instant smoothie thickener!

Use an ice cube tray to freeze leftover sauces
Didn’t use all of your pesto or bearnaise sauce? No problem. Use an ice cube tray to freeze leftover sauces, herb butters, and more for easy reheating later (and no waste).

Eat your hamburgers upside down for a mess-free meal
Because the top bun is thicker and thus more absorbent, it will hold in any sauces from creating a mess. Plus, it’s just kind of fun. But you may want to avoid eating that hamburger at night because it’s one of the 17 Foods that Sabotage your Sleep (capitals not mine).

Freeze grapes to use as edible wine coolers
Frozen grapes are delish on their own, especially during the summer, but they can also serve as wine coolers in a pinch. The grapes won’t water down the wine, and once they thaw they’ll be a yummy, boozy treat.

Shuck corn in seconds using a knife and a towel
Wrap a towel around the ear of corn, grab a sharp knife, and slice the bottom part of the ear off. Then, gently squeeze the top of the ear to release the corn from the husk, and watch it slide out! So much easier than the arduous peeling process that we’ve all done.

Make a microwave mug omelet
Eggs in the microwave are better than you might think. Scramble two or three, pour the eggs in a mug, and add your favorite veggies, meats, and cheeses. Microwave for one minute, stir it up, and then microwave for another minute. A perfect weekday breakfast.

Use a straw to vacuum-seal freezer bags
Who needs vacuum-sealed bags when you can easily do one of these food hacks? If you need foods stored air-tight, zip the bag closed except for a tiny hole that can fit a straw. Stick the straw partially in the bag and suck the air out, then quickly close the bag completely.

Cut your ice cream container as you eat it to prevent freezer burn
If you’re one of the few people that doesn’t eat the entire container of ice cream in one sitting, cut down the cardboard with each serving you eat to avoid freezer burn. The lid will still fit, but it will allow less air into the container.

Freeze fresh-brewed coffee in an ice cube tray for iced coffee that doesn’t get watered down
Slow iced coffee drinkers, rejoice! This hack allows you to drink your coffee as slow as you like without it getting watered down. You’ll also get an extra caffeine boost with it.

Enjoy!