Drilling the ceiling

To minimize dust and mess when drilling holes in the ceiling, poke the drill bit through the center of a coffee filter (paper curling up away from the drill’s handle). The basket shaped filter will catch falling ceiling crumbs and dust, making cleanup easier.

Washing stuffed animals

To protect stuffed animals when washing them in a machine, place the toy inside a lingerie bag and use delicate detergent and cycle.

Remove ink stain from leather

If you find a pen mark across your leather accessory, squeeze some antibacterial hand sanitizer onto a cotton swab and use to lightly cover the stain. Let sit for about 15 seconds and remove any excess with a clean cloth. The alcohol in the product dissolves ink’s oils and the gel has moisturizing properties, so it will not dry out leather.

Healthy and crunchy French toast

When you bake French toast, instead of frying, the crust does not crisp in the same way. Next time, try coating the soaked bread slices with crumbled cornflakes. Cook in a 500F oven for 10 minutes, turning once. The flakes sear quickly and you will get the fried texture without adding any fat.

Cooking lamb

For a mild and tender taste, soak the lamb in milk for 30 minutes (or up to 5 hours) before cooking. The lactic acid in milk will break down the meat’s proteins.

Tinting white chocolate

To tint white chocolate properly, add the food coloring before melting it. If you add the color after melting it, chocolate will harden immediately.

Reduce the bitter taste in broccoli rabe

Before you sauté the vegetable in garlic and oil, blanch it in salted boiling water for 1 minute, then transfer to a bowl of ice water and drain. This procedure will remove any extra bite out of the green.

Keep salad greens crisp

Sprinkle the washed and dried leaves with some sea salt. The granules will absorb extra moisture and the greens will stay crunchy for hours until you are ready to serve your salad.