7 Easy Cleaning Tips for the Kitchen

Cleaning the kitchen can seem so intimidating. Many people would pick laundry duty or weed patrol in the yard any day, because with dishes piled up in the sink, splashes from last night's lasagna on the oven walls, and rings around the faucet, it seems like the only way the kitchen will ever be clean is if you dedicate an entire week to fighting it.


1- Greasy Dishes

Washing them may be easier than you think, though. Attack extra-greasy dishes, pots and pans by filling a sink full of hot water and adding 3 to 4 tablespoons of white vinegar, along with a squirt of your usual dishwashing liquid. Vinegar's natural acidity will cut through that stubborn grease like a knife through butter, leaving you more time to try out the next 9 kitchen tricks.

2- Sauce Staines Containers

Now you can teach your mom a thing or two. Before storing any kind of tomato-based food or sauce in a plastic container, rub the inside of the container with vegetable oil to form a protective barrier against stains. Applying a thin coating of vegetable-oil cooking spray will work, too.

3- Ceramic Tiles

To clean splatters and spots from a ceramic tile back-splash, wipe the tile down with a clean sponge dampened with rubbing alcohol. The rubbing alcohol will not only get rid of the gunk, it will disinfect the backsplash, too.

4- Wooden Surfaces

You can then bring back the wood's natural finish by coating it with boiled linseed or vegetable oil and using fine steel wool to rub the oil in. Apply a couple more coats of oil 24 hours apart, wiping off the excess between each application.

5- Oven

Don't sacrifice chocolate cake just because of a few spills, because you don't have to spend hours cleaning it if you use our trick. Coat oven spills and splashes with salt as soon as possible after they occur. Be careful though! Wear an oven mitt and use a long-handled spoon to sprinkle salt on harder-to-reach spills. Once the oven has cooled down, use a damp rag or sponge to easily wipe them away. Watch out, because now you're going to want to bake that chocolate cake everyday just to prove you can clean it up without a hassle!

5 Tips To Cook Your Favourite Meals The Healthiest Way

Here's a few tips to cook your favourite meals the best way possible and avoid unecesssary fats.

1. Make creamy dishes without the cream

We ditch heavy cream and make velvety sauces with low-fat milk that’s thickened with flour. To make your own cream substitute: Combine 1 cup low-fat milk with 4 teaspoons all-purpose flour; whisk over medium heat until bubbling and thick. Cup for cup, thickened low-fat milk saves more than 680 calories and 53 grams saturated fat vs. heavy cream! For creamy salads, such as potato salads, opt for low-fat mayonnaise and/or reduced-fat sour cream; a blend of the two tastes great.

2. Use less oil

Extra-virgin olive oil and canola oil are our go-to, heart-healthy oils for many recipes. But they still pack about 120 calories per tablespoon. To fix that issue, the investment in good cast-iron, nonstick or enamel-coated skillets and pans for less sticking on the material.

3. Get crispy “fried” food without the grease

Here’s a very healthy alternative for all any fans of fried food..Try our oven-frying technique: Dip chicken, fish or vegetables in milk, buttermilk or egg, dredge in seasoned flour or breadcrumbs, then coat with canola or olive oil cooking spray. Place on a wire rack set on a baking sheet and bake at 425° to 450°F until crispy.

4. Egg whites in place of whole eggs

An egg white has only 16 calories and 0 grams of fat compared with 54 calories and 5 grams of fat in an egg yolk.

5. Less cheese, keep the flavor

Using less cheese gives any dish an easy health upgrade. Opt for bold-flavored cheeses, such as extra-sharp Cheddar, goat cheese and Parmigiano-Reggiano, to give more flavor impact with fewer calories and less fat.