Cottage cheese will remain fresher longer if you store it upside down in the refrigerator.   This slows the effects of oxidation.
 
 To keep milk past its expiration date add salt.  A  pinch of salt in a gallon will do it.  The salt slows the rate of bacteria growth.
 
 Brown sugar will not harden if stored in the  freezer.
 
 If you freeze wild rice it will last 3-4 months  compared to a week in the refrigerator.
 
 When you go away on vacation  place a baggie with a few ice cubes in the freezer.  If a power failure occurs while you are gone, and the food thaws and then refreezes, you will know about it when you get home.
 
 Ice cream container sealed in a plastic bag will stop ice crystals from forming when it is in the freezer.
 
 Potato chip bag has been opened and they're all stale and yucky ?? Pop them in the microwave for 30 to 60 seconds, let stand for two minutes and they'll be crispy again.
 
 Pesky insects away from your plants, combine one  bulb garlic, one small onion and one Tbs.  cayenne pepper in the blender. Mix with one qt water and let stand for one hour. Then add one Tbs Ivory liquid and mist your plants!!
 
 Club soda--removes stains, cleans sinks.
 
 Poison Ivy all over the place.....how do you get rid of it?? Mix 3 pounds of salt with a gallon of soapy water; spray the solution on the plants leaves and stems.
 
 Tomato Paste: sometimes a whole can of tomato paste is too much for some recipes.  Suggestion:  take a piece of waxed paper, putting it on a cookie sheet and putting teaspoonfuls of the leftover paste on the paper - another sheet on top and freeze this. When frozen just peel them off and put them in a baggie and when you need a tsp. or tbs. of paste you have it without opening a whole can and there is no waste.  --OR-- put small amounts in an ice tray and then just pop them out when you need them.
 
 Quick Whipping -- A teaspoonful of cold water added to the white of an egg causes it to whip more quickly while increasing the quantity.
 
 Moldy Fruit -- What should you do with fruit with mold? Throw it away rather than simply cutting off the mold since mold on fruit goes much deeper than what appears on the fruit.
 
 Broccoli Stalks -- Don't discard the tough ends of  broccoli stalks. Use them for making soups.
 
 Measuring Honey -- Measuring honey with a spoon is easy but getting it all off the spoon is another matter--so first rub the spoon with margarine.
 
 Dropping Cookie Dough -- To get cookie dough to drop without sticking, dip the spoon in milk first.
 
 Leftover Pie Dough -- Extra pie dough?  Cover it with some parmesan and gruyere cheese and you'll bake a delicious appetizer--at the very same meal with your pie as dessert.
 
 Easy Shelling -- Pecans are easy to shell if they are first soaked in boiling water for 10 minutes or so.  Or microwave 2 cups of pecans or Brazil nuts in 1 cup of  water for 5 to 6 minutes on HIGH.
 
 Storing Cake -If you store half an apple in the container which you are storing a cake, the cake will retain its freshness.
 
 Cheesy Apple Pie -- Don't just serve cheese with apple pie, bake it right in.  Spread grated sharp Cheddar on the bottom of the crust before adding the apple filling.
 
 Sticking Cake Layers -- Cake layers sticking to the bottom of the pans? Put them back in a warm oven for a short time. The layers will then come out without a problem.  Or, try lining the bottom of your pans with waxed paper.
 
 Outdoor cooking --Fast Starter -- Stuff a crumbled sheet of newspaper under your coals, then roll another sheet of newspaper into a cone and poke it through the coals to the paper to form a chimney.  Ignite the paper. It will carry the fire into your charcoal.
 
 Make cleaning easier -- To make cookout cleanups easier, take a preventive step and spray the cooking grill with nonstick spray before placing the grid over the coals. Food won't stick nearly as much as it does on an untreated grid.
 
 Juicy News -- Always use tongs when turning meat on the grill. This way, you'll avoid piercing the meat, which causes it to lose its natural juices.
 
 Gardening tips -- The Worm Turns --Plant dill around your tomato bed.  It's a great way to keep tomato horn worms from getting the better of your plants.
 
 When to Pick -- The best time to harvest fruits and vegetables for maximum flavor is in the morning.
 
 Save That Leaky Hose -- Don't throw that leaking hose away. Simply add more holes and you'll have a sprinkler for your lawn...
 
 An easy way to clean the ceiling fan, is to cover your hands in a pair of old socks, and dip them in warm sudsy water and run your hand over top and bottom of each blade.
 
 Next time you clean the blades of your ceiling fan apply a thin coat of floor wax to them.  It will keep future dust from clinging to them.
 
 Wipe mini blinds with a damp fabric softener sheet to eliminate static that collects dust.
 
 Use a blow dryer on low to clean pleated lampshades.

If you ever have something spoil badly in your refrigerator and leave a terrible odor, or have a carton of milk spill in your trunk on the way home from the grocery store, the best way to remove that smell is to fill a flat container with kitty litter and put it in the refrigerator or trunk until it has absorbed all of the odor and then remove it.  It has worked for me every time and saved a refrigerator in our church kitchen and saved my trunk even in the midst of a hot summer.  Submitted by:  Carol A. Keating, Norfolk, NE

To keep your feet feeling fresh and help absorb smelly perspiration in your shoes, simply sprinkle a little baking soda directly into each shoe and shake the shoe to distribute the soda into cracks and hard to reach places (like the toe).  Turn the shoe upside down over the trash can and shake lightly to remove and discard the excess soda.  Put on your shoes and enjoy the marvelous feeling this gives your feet.  This works with all types of shoes and is a wonderful way to stop tennis shoes from smelling bad.  Submitted by:  Debbie Justice of Shelbiana, Kentucky

Frequent Shopper Tip:  If your hubby has a fit when your coming home with shopping bags here's a great way to sneak them in.  Instead give them to your Mom (or someone you are close to) and have them give them to you saying they bought them for you.  One of our regular customers says this works great for her!!!

Did you know that if you get blood on your clothes, you can get it out by pouring a little Hydrogen Peroxide Solution on the spot.  It will bubble right out, and won't hurt your clothes. 

Black clothing tends to look brown after several washings. To restore the black color, add coffee or strong tea to the rinse water. 

Mildew spots can be removed from white fabrics by rubbing a lemon juice and salt mixture into the spots. Then, let the garment dry in the sun before washing. 

Never use bleach to get your fabric tennis shoes whiter! A little lemon juice in the final rinse should do the trick. 

If you add too much salt to a soup or stew, drop in a raw potato and boil for 5 minutes. When you remove the potato, the overt salty taste will be gone. 

Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator and it will keep for weeks.

Brush some beaten egg white over piecrust before baking to yield a beautiful glossy finish.

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

When boiling corn on the cob, add a pinch of sugar to help bring out the corn's natural sweetness!

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

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

Use a meat baster to "squeeze" your pancake batter onto the hot griddle and you'll get perfectly shaped pancakes every time.

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

To prevent eggshells from cracking, add a pinch of salt to the water before hard-boiling.

Run your hands under cold water before pressing Rice Krispies treats in the pan and the marshmallow won't stick to your fingers.

To get the most juice out of fresh lemons, bring them to room temperature and roll them under your palm against the kitchen counter before squeezing.

To easily remove burnt on food from your skillet, simply add! a drop or two of dishwasher soap and enough water to cover bottom of pan, and bring to a boil on stovetop.

Spray your Tupperware with nonstick cooking spray before pouring in tomato based sauces and there won't be any stains.

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.

If you accidentally over salt a dish while it's still cooking, drop in a peeled potato and it will absorb the excess salt for an instant "fix me up,"

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