The Handy Tips, Hacks, and Info Thread

AlexDaGator

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A thread for handy tips, useful life hacks, and helpful information!



I'll start it.

September is magical dining month in Orlando.

http://www.visitorlando.com/magicaldining/

For $35 per person, you get a three course meal (appetizer, entree, and dessert) at some of the finest restaurants in the area. Each restaurant has different magical dining menus and options. Go to the website and take a peek. It's a great bargain so make a reservation. Once you're seated, just ask your waiter for the magical dining menu.

By way of example, here is the Capital Grille's menu (always my favorite):

Choice of Appetizers

Wedge
blue cheese and applewood smoked bacon

Caesar Salad

Clam Chowder

Choice of Entrèes


8oz Filet Mignon

All-Natural Herb Grilled Chicken

14oz Bone-In Dry Aged NY Strip

Seared Citrus Glazed Salmon

Porcini Rubbed Sliced Tenderloin

*Main course accompanied by:
Sam's mashed potatoes
and French beans with heirloom tomatoes

Choice of Desserts


Flourless Chocolate Espresso Cake

Cheesecake
with seasonal berries

On their regular menu, the 14 oz Strip is $30 by itself, so you see what a great deal this is.

Tip generously if you go.

You're welcome!


Alex.
 

AlexDaGator

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Here's a marinating tip.

Most marinades use some combination of oil and an acid (like olive oil and lemon juice). Of course, the marinade separates and you have to keep moving the meat, then you put it on the grill and it all the marinade with the herbs and the garlic runs off.

Here's the tip. Mayo is about 80% vegetable oil with a little bit of water and egg added to make it solid. You can make your own mayo, or buy a good commercial brand. Substitute some of the mayo for the oil in your marinade. It will keep your marinade together and stuck to your meat. It will stay on your meat when you put it on the grill.

I like to grill boneless skinless chicken thighs. My marinade is the zest of a lemon plus the juice, olive oil and and olive oil based mayonnaise, some dijon mustard, fresh garlic, S+P, and tons of herbs. I use a combination of dried (oregano, thyme, basil, etc.) and lots of fresh rosemary chopped very fine. Boom.

You can also apply a thin coat of mayo instead of oil to seafood you plan to grill.

You're welcome!


Alex.
 

AlexDaGator

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Here's a hurricane tip for those of you with the dreaded metal bolt-on hurricane shutters standard on almost all new homes in Florida.

Those metal panels are attached with wing nuts. That's a lot of hand screwing and unscrewing.

Invest in a wing nut driver. They look like this:

12878711.jpg

Put one of those on your cordless drill and it makes the job easier (it still sucks, but it sucks a little less).


You're welcome!


Alex.
 

Zambo

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^^^^^For folks that don't use tools a lot, make sure you start those wing nuts by hand before you go at it with the power tool or you'll wind up crossthreading a bunch of them.
 

cover2

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Hope you don't mind me adding, Alex.

Ever get tired of buying chicken to cook, only to find the pieces are more akin to a grown turkey in terms of size? On Monday, enough was enough. My gang wanted fried chicken (which we don't prepare that often anymore) and all the grocer had in the cut-ups was the giant pieces. So what did I do, you ask? I bought a couple of whole young chickens. Haven't done it in quite a while, but took them home and cut them up myself. Each bird yielded your eight standard pieces, two each thighs, legs, wings, and breasts plus the back, which is really good if you like to gnaw a little bit. You also get the gizzard, liver, heart and neck that some of us old-timers enjoy. And as an added bonus, I took the time to cut out the pully bone, which in my day was the piece everybody fought over. After seasoning and soaking in butter milk, then flouring and frying, the bird was the word! I think I'll start doing my own butchering with chicken from now on, even when I want to grill or use another cooking method. It took me about 10-15 minutes to get it ready. Depending on where you buy, it's usually a little cheaper this way, too.

****Since I had 16 pieces plus, I used the deep fryer, but were I to do only one bird, I'd use my cast iron dutch oven. Just seems to be a little more flavorful even though the deep fry is pretty doggone good! And BTW, those boneless, skinless thighs you referenced are about the only individual pieces we buy nowadays along with wings.
 

AlexDaGator

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C'mon. I know you guys have some good life hacks. Share with the family.


Alex.
 

AlexDaGator

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Here's one.

Need a rough measurement? Don't have a ruler?

A dollar bill is just a shade over 6 inches in length.



Alex.
 

MidwestChomp

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Use the sticky end of a post-it note to clean between the keyboard keys on computers.

Wet shoes? Tie the laces together with a big knot. Place the knot on the outside of the clothes dryer door. Close the door and turn the machine on. Easy way to dry shoes. See the picture.


dryer shoes.JPG
 

cover2

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If you don't have or aren't inclined to carry one of those multi-tools, you can take an old pocket knife and square off the tip of the blade you use least. That way, you'll always have a screw driver with you for those light details that often pop up. Continue to keep the blade sharp and you can still use it to cut a ***** if you need to.
 

stephenPE

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And BTW, those boneless, skinless thighs you referenced are about the only individual pieces we buy nowadays
My wife is like,,,,,,,,,,dark meat ewwww.. To me those are the best too.
Here is a life tip. Duck tape and zip ties..........and Goop. Used to be called shoe goo.
819YMDTDOXL._UY395_.jpg
 

playzwtrux

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thread title change killed it...

someone should be flogged :whipped:
 

AlexDaGator

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Do you like Reese's?

I love peanut butter and chocolate. But the ice creams tend to fall a little short for me. Not enough peanut butter taste, or the chocolate sucks. Then I tried this stuff:

6c250828763a757f_Talenti_Peanut_Butter_Fudge.jpg

It's not ice cream. It's not gelato either. It's a sorbet, or "sorbetto" as they call it. Slow down, I know, I know. I hate sorbets too. Too icy. Trust me, this is different. It's creamy. It's better than any peanut butter ice cream you ever had, and the chocolate fudge is fantastic. Maybe too sweet, just like a Reese's. It doesn't taste like sorbet but there is no dairy in it at all (in case you are lactose intolerant or have an allergy, heck, it's even vegan). If you love peanut butter and chocolate, try it.


Alex.
 

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