Being a naturally curious (some people have actually said “nosey”) person, I am always intrigued when I see a clever, new way of using regular things. I recently saw a list of “cool tricks” that can be done, using normal items in a new way. I have not tried all of these, so I can’t speak to the accuracy or usefulness of any of these, but they do sound kind of clever.
You know those bread clips you get on a loaf of bread or hot dog buns? I have always just discarded those things once I open a loaf of bread since I use the “spin it around and tuck it under” method of bread preservation. You can still use that method and find another use for that bread clip; you can use it as a handy bookmark.
Speaking of bread, the next time you get a thick, juicy hamburger, try flipping it upside down when you eat it. That’s because the top part of a hamburger bun is twice as thick as, and more durable than, the bottom. Of course, when you turn your hamburger over, the toppings become “bottomings,” so further adjustments may need to be performed.
I have never considered myself to be a chef of any kind, except for the “Boy-ar-dee” variety, perhaps. I do, however, know how to boil water. Sometimes, as we all know, water can easily boil over the pot and make a mess. Next time, try placing a wooden spoon across the top of the pot to help keep the water from boiling over.
Here’s one that I thought was very clever. If you have several computer cables on your desk, as I do, you can make a handy cable organizer using binder clips. Just clip the binder clip to the edge of your desk and feed the cable through the “loop” on the clip.
Another use for binder clips is to use them to hold opened frozen vegetable bags in your freezer. Just hang the clip over the slots in the freezer shelf and close the clip over the open end of the bag. You can do the same thing with those “chip clips” you sometimes see. This will help avoid spilling and give you more room in your freezer.
Here’s one that I am eager to “put to the test.” To help keep your car cooler on these hot summer days, try placing a plastic bottle of cold water on your car tire. According to the folks who told me about this, it’s supposed to help keep your car tire cool and therefore, your car will be cooler as well.
This is one I wish I had heard about before. My previous roommate was notorious about making a mess in the microwave oven and not cleaning it up. Since it was my microwave oven, and I did not want to deal with a mess that would be harder to clean later, I would end up cleaning the microwave. This would often take a good bit of “elbow grease.” Try this trick; place a container of water in the microwave and heat it up. This will make steam that will help soften any hardened “gunk” in the oven, making it much easier to clean.
As I stated before, I don’t know how well some of these tricks work, but your friends will likely be amazed at your ingenuity and cleverness when they see you trying them; or they might recognize them and say, “You must be a regular reader of ‘The Sunny Side,’ in the newspaper.” Either way, your friends are sure to be impressed.