Helpful Hints

1. Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of a sugar cone to prevent ice cream drips.

2. To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the potatoes.

3. Spray your Tupperware or other plastic dishes with nonstick cooking spray before pouring in tomato-based sauces and there won't be any stains.

4. When a cake recipe calls for flouring the baking pan, use a bit of the dry cake mix instead and there won't be any white mess on the outside of the cake.

5. If you accidentally over-salt a dish, drop in a peeled potato and it will absorb the excess salt.

6. To determine whether an egg is fresh, immerse it in a pan of cool, salted water. If it sinks, it's fresh, but if it rises to the surface, throw it away.

7. Potatoes will take food stains off your fingers. Just slice and rub raw potatoes on the stains and rinse with water.

8. Place a slice of apple in hardened brown sugar to soften it.

9. Alka-Seltzer as a cleaning agent:
a) To clean a toilet, drop 2 tablets in, wait 20 minutes, brush and flush.
b) To remove a stain from a vase or glass cruet, fill with water and drop in 2 tablets.
c) To polish jewelry, drop 2 tablets into a glass of water and immerse jewelry for 2 minutes.
d) To clean a thermos bottle, fill with water and drop in 4 tablets and let sit for an hour or more.