There’s no telling what unexpected changes and events life can throw at you. Your seemingly in-control-schedule can get thrown out of whack, without notice or warning, and all of a sudden you find yourself having to put together a cake for a birthday party that sneaked its way into next week. Or you’ve just moved places and your in-laws who said they were maybe coming into town tomorrow, are definitely coming into town today – your packed box marked “kitchen” is at the bottom of the mound of things to unpack.
While you can’t solve all of life’s problems, at least in the kitchen, there’s hope! Whatever small miracle you have to pull off, here are ten ways to help re-purpose what you’ve already got, so you can roll with life’s punches and pull off a fabulous meal at the drop of a hat.
10. No roasting rack? Use aluminum foil.
For lighter foods, triple layer and fold like an accordion. This is perfect for laying out the bacon and roasting vegetables.
For heavier foods, crunch and mold the foil into a rope shape, and bend into a coil figure. This works well for a whole chicken.
9. No egg yolk separator? Use a water bottle.
Need several yolks for a Hollandaise? Crack the full eggs into a bowl, and use the suction power of a compressed water bottle to “suck up” the yolks from the whites and deposit them in another bowl.
8. No wine bottle opener? Use a shoe.
This takes a moment, but works well in a pinch! Grab a men’s heeled dress shoe. Place the bottle of wine in the opening, onto the insole, so the toe cap is pointed to the ground. Find a solid brick or concrete wall, and firmly swing or hit the shoe (the sole facing in) into the wall. Keep in mind to find that sweet spot between gently and aggressively swinging into the wall – firmness is key! The idea is to create pressure inside that slowly pushes out the cork, enough so you can twist it out.
7. Having trouble opening a stubborn jar? Use a knife handle.
Grab a blunt cutlery knife (or any knife with a somewhat heavy handle – just watch out for the blade!) and hit around the perimeters of the jar lid hard enough to leave indents. This will loosen any threaded glass jar with a metal lid of any size.
6. Need to make impressive homemade hamburgers? Use a jar lid.
Getting the uniform thickness, height, and size of a hamburger is tricky to just “eyeball” if you’re using your hands. Forgo the fancy hamburger molds by lining the jar lid of your choosing with plastic wrap and filling the lid with the meat. Simply pat into place, and lift it out with ease.
Looking for more of these tricks? Click on the next page to see how MacGyvering can change (save?) your life!
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