Here are 6 tricks for your old bananas.

Freeze

Rather than throwing your old bananas away, the first thing to do is freeze them. Then you can use them in the future in any of the ways outlined below.

Ice Lollipop

A frozen banana makes an excellent ice lollipop. Just take it out of the freezer and eat it to your heart’s content.

Banana Bread

Old bananas are perfect for this classic dish. Very ripe bananas are sweeter, softer and better for baking than younger bananas.

Milkshake

Put the banana into a blender with a pint of milk, and you have beautiful milkshakes. If you’re feeling indulgent, add a little cream on top.

Smoothie

Whack the old bananas in a blender with your choice of fruits and add ice for a delicious, healthy and refreshing fruit smoothie.

Cake

You can also bake your ripe bananas into cakes. They give the cake a hint of sweet banana without being overpowering.

The post 6 Uses for Old Bananas appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Here are three tricks you should use to ensure you’re buying fresh, good quality seafood at the supermarket!

Look for a Packaged Date

If you’re buying pre-packaged seafood, it is always crucial to look for a packaged date, which will show you when the product you’re buying was prepared to sell. If it exceeds more than 2 or 3 days, you might want to avoid it.

Avoid Mondays

Did you know that Mondays are the worst day to buy seafood at the supermarket? Fishermen generally don’t go out to work on Sundays, which means the freshest catch you’ll be able to buy on a Monday will be at least a couple of days old. Going on the other days throughout the week is a safer idea.

Trust Your Nose

Even if a package shows fish or seafood still hasn’t reached its expiration date, an unpleasant smell can tell you that you should be avoiding it. So, trust your nose and don’t buy any foul-smelling fish or shellfish.

The post Three Tricks for Buying Seafood at the Supermarket appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

One of those things is the fact some foods simply aren’t great candidates for delivery. Here are three that you should avoid ordering to be delivered.

Nachos

Nachos are one of my favorite treats at Mexican restaurants, as the delicious combination of tortilla chips covered with salsa, beans, cheese, veggies, and sometimes meat is irresistible. However, by the time this dish is delivered to your home, the chips will be soggy thanks to all of those toppings, and it just won’t taste the same.

Ice Cream

It might be tempting to order an ice cream dessert from a restaurant or to simply place an order from your local gelato shop, but unfortunately this food simply doesn’t hold up well for delivery. Meltiness and losses of flavor and texture tend to be the norm when ice cream is delivered.

French Fries

Ordering french fries is a delivery classic, but more often than not you’ll end up disappointed after your fries arrive soggy and cold. Reheated french fries just aren’t the same, and unless the delivery is super quick, they won’t be hot upon arrival. It’s better not to risk it with this side dish.

The post Don’t Make the Mistake of Ordering These 3 Foods for Delivery appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

However, becoming a credible barista is a little harder than it seems. Making lattes and other fancy drinks is one thing, but the first skill you must acquire is how to make a good coffee using an espresso machine. Be sure to avoid these three mistakes while attempting it!

Forgetting to Press the Coffee

It is absolutely crucial to use a gadget to press the ground coffee that you put inside of an espresso maker to produce the finished product. A loose mound of coffee will produce grimy, watery coffee that simply doesn’t taste good. Pack it in, and be sure it’s compact!

Using the Wrong Grind

Espresso makers require a different sort of ground coffee than a filter or drip coffee maker. The thinner, smaller grind used when making espresso-style coffee allows for the water to filter through the grounds more easily. So, be sure to either grind your beans more finely or buy a special espresso ground coffee.

Neglecting Regular Cleaning

It might be tempting to ignore the need to clean your espresso maker regularly, but it is absolutely essential if you want your coffee’s flavor to continue to shine. Cleaning removes calcium deposits and unpleasant oils that can settle in the machine and create bitter-tasting coffee.

The post Mistakes to Avoid While Using an Espresso Maker appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Wipe Everything Down

After a day full of cooking and preparing food and drinks, your countertops and stove are probably going to have some residue on them. So, instead of waiting days for this dirtiness to accumulate and look unpresentable, just do a quick wipedown every day.

Sweep!

No one likes the feeling of stepping on a forgotten potato chip or an undiscovered sprinkling of coffee grounds on the floor, which means that it’s essential to sweep your kitchen every day. It’s no one’s favorite task, but you’ll appreciate how much cleaner your kitchen feels if you do it.

Keep Things Smelling Good

It’s easy for unpleasant odors to take over a kitchen if you aren’t careful. With this in mind, empty the garbage on a daily basis as soon as it fills up, and make time to spray the kitchen every day with a nice scent or by making a stovetop potpourri in order to keep things smelling nice.

The post Easy Daily Steps to Keeping a Spotless Kitchen appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Skip the Plasticware

Assuming that you will be eating at home, there’s no need to have the restaurant deliver plastic silverware along with your food. Many websites have an option to request no utensils, and if the one you order from doesn’t, be sure to request no plasticware in the notes in order to be more eco-friendly.

Tip Your Delivery Person

Delivery people are hard-working and often underpaid, which means that you should give them at least a small tip when they deliver your food to your door. It shows that you appreciate their labor and the effort that it took for them to bring your food to your home.

Wear a Mask When Opening the Door

Wearing a mask when interacting with other people is a sign of respect these days, and even though you might be in your own home, you should definitely do this when receiving your food and interacting with the delivery person. This will keep both you and the person who brings your food safe.

The post How to Make Your Online Food Order More Ethical appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Check out these alternative ways to take advantage of grapefruits in your kitchen!

Grapefruit Zest

Grapefruit zest, which is essentially the thinly-sliced peels of the grapefruit, can be used to add a lot of flavor. In fact, various recipes, from citrus vinaigrettes to the elaboration of craft beers, take advantage of the tangy bitterness of this fruit’s peel.

DIY Cleaner

Grapefruits can also be used as a natural cleaner in the kitchen. One popular way to use this fruit’s natural cleaning properties is to soak them in water to create a home-made vinegar which works to disinfect and clean without the use of harsh chemicals.

Candied Grapefruit Peel

Have you ever eaten a grapefruit and wondered what to do with the peel after finishing? One great recipe that’s deceptively simple to make is candied grapefruit peel, which really just involves boiling the peel in sugar water and then coating it with even more sugar after finishing.

The post Intriguing Uses For Grapefruit in the Kitchen appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Our favorite method of preparing them at home is baking them in the oven. Are you looking to give this method a try? These tips will help your wings turn out crispy, juicy, and absolutely delicious.

400 Degrees for 45 Minutes

When cooking wings in the oven, it’s important to get the temperature and time right in order to not make your wings dry out or be undercooked. We like baking them for 45 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, which achieves a nice crisp and an even, thorough cook.

Use an Oven Rack

One of the cardinal sins when making wings in the oven is putting them on a normal oven pan. This doesn’t allow for heat to circulate around the wings and create an even cooking environment. An oven rack, with its open spaces allowing for hot air to circulate, is the best option.

Aluminum Foil is a Life-Saver

Want a pro tip that will leave you in awe of how crispy your oven-baked chicken wings turn out to be? Wrap them in aluminum foil before putting them in the oven, which puts a direct heat source on their exteriors and crisps them up beautifully.

The post Baking Chicken Wings Couldn’t Be Easier appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Forget about the microwave, that is the worst way to do it. You will first need to preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Get a metal tray that you usually use for the oven that also fits all of the fries. Once you do, you have to get some tin foil and cover the bottom of the pan with it. This is very helpful in preventing the French fries to stick on the pan.

Put the fries over the foil, making sure they don’t overlap. By doing this you will make sure that all of the pieces are equally reheated and none of them fuse together. Feel free to add all the extra spices you love. Once the oven has reached the needed heat, simply put the pan inside. Two or three minutes should be enough. Next time you have leftovers at home try this simple, efficient way to reheat fries.

The post We Found The Best Way To Reheat Fries appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Here are 6 tricks for your old bananas.

Freeze

Rather than throwing your old bananas away, the first thing to do is freeze them. Then you can use them in the future in any of the ways outlined below.

Ice Lollipop

A frozen banana makes an excellent ice lollipop. Just take it out of the freezer and eat it to your heart’s content.

Banana Bread

Old bananas are perfect for this classic dish. Very ripe bananas are sweeter, softer and better for baking than younger bananas.

Milkshake

Put the banana into a blender with a pint of milk, and you have beautiful milkshakes. If you’re feeling indulgent, add a little cream on top.

Smoothie

Whack the old bananas in a blender with your choice of fruits and add ice for a delicious, healthy and refreshing fruit smoothie.

Cake

You can also bake your ripe bananas into cakes. They give the cake a hint of sweet banana without being overpowering.

The post 6 Uses for Old Bananas appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Here are three tricks you should use to ensure you’re buying fresh, good quality seafood at the supermarket!

Look for a Packaged Date

If you’re buying pre-packaged seafood, it is always crucial to look for a packaged date, which will show you when the product you’re buying was prepared to sell. If it exceeds more than 2 or 3 days, you might want to avoid it.

Avoid Mondays

Did you know that Mondays are the worst day to buy seafood at the supermarket? Fishermen generally don’t go out to work on Sundays, which means the freshest catch you’ll be able to buy on a Monday will be at least a couple of days old. Going on the other days throughout the week is a safer idea.

Trust Your Nose

Even if a package shows fish or seafood still hasn’t reached its expiration date, an unpleasant smell can tell you that you should be avoiding it. So, trust your nose and don’t buy any foul-smelling fish or shellfish.

The post Three Tricks for Buying Seafood at the Supermarket appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

One of those things is the fact some foods simply aren’t great candidates for delivery. Here are three that you should avoid ordering to be delivered.

Nachos

Nachos are one of my favorite treats at Mexican restaurants, as the delicious combination of tortilla chips covered with salsa, beans, cheese, veggies, and sometimes meat is irresistible. However, by the time this dish is delivered to your home, the chips will be soggy thanks to all of those toppings, and it just won’t taste the same.

Ice Cream

It might be tempting to order an ice cream dessert from a restaurant or to simply place an order from your local gelato shop, but unfortunately this food simply doesn’t hold up well for delivery. Meltiness and losses of flavor and texture tend to be the norm when ice cream is delivered.

French Fries

Ordering french fries is a delivery classic, but more often than not you’ll end up disappointed after your fries arrive soggy and cold. Reheated french fries just aren’t the same, and unless the delivery is super quick, they won’t be hot upon arrival. It’s better not to risk it with this side dish.

The post Don’t Make the Mistake of Ordering These 3 Foods for Delivery appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

However, becoming a credible barista is a little harder than it seems. Making lattes and other fancy drinks is one thing, but the first skill you must acquire is how to make a good coffee using an espresso machine. Be sure to avoid these three mistakes while attempting it!

Forgetting to Press the Coffee

It is absolutely crucial to use a gadget to press the ground coffee that you put inside of an espresso maker to produce the finished product. A loose mound of coffee will produce grimy, watery coffee that simply doesn’t taste good. Pack it in, and be sure it’s compact!

Using the Wrong Grind

Espresso makers require a different sort of ground coffee than a filter or drip coffee maker. The thinner, smaller grind used when making espresso-style coffee allows for the water to filter through the grounds more easily. So, be sure to either grind your beans more finely or buy a special espresso ground coffee.

Neglecting Regular Cleaning

It might be tempting to ignore the need to clean your espresso maker regularly, but it is absolutely essential if you want your coffee’s flavor to continue to shine. Cleaning removes calcium deposits and unpleasant oils that can settle in the machine and create bitter-tasting coffee.

The post Mistakes to Avoid While Using an Espresso Maker appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Wipe Everything Down

After a day full of cooking and preparing food and drinks, your countertops and stove are probably going to have some residue on them. So, instead of waiting days for this dirtiness to accumulate and look unpresentable, just do a quick wipedown every day.

Sweep!

No one likes the feeling of stepping on a forgotten potato chip or an undiscovered sprinkling of coffee grounds on the floor, which means that it’s essential to sweep your kitchen every day. It’s no one’s favorite task, but you’ll appreciate how much cleaner your kitchen feels if you do it.

Keep Things Smelling Good

It’s easy for unpleasant odors to take over a kitchen if you aren’t careful. With this in mind, empty the garbage on a daily basis as soon as it fills up, and make time to spray the kitchen every day with a nice scent or by making a stovetop potpourri in order to keep things smelling nice.

The post Easy Daily Steps to Keeping a Spotless Kitchen appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Skip the Plasticware

Assuming that you will be eating at home, there’s no need to have the restaurant deliver plastic silverware along with your food. Many websites have an option to request no utensils, and if the one you order from doesn’t, be sure to request no plasticware in the notes in order to be more eco-friendly.

Tip Your Delivery Person

Delivery people are hard-working and often underpaid, which means that you should give them at least a small tip when they deliver your food to your door. It shows that you appreciate their labor and the effort that it took for them to bring your food to your home.

Wear a Mask When Opening the Door

Wearing a mask when interacting with other people is a sign of respect these days, and even though you might be in your own home, you should definitely do this when receiving your food and interacting with the delivery person. This will keep both you and the person who brings your food safe.

The post How to Make Your Online Food Order More Ethical appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Check out these alternative ways to take advantage of grapefruits in your kitchen!

Grapefruit Zest

Grapefruit zest, which is essentially the thinly-sliced peels of the grapefruit, can be used to add a lot of flavor. In fact, various recipes, from citrus vinaigrettes to the elaboration of craft beers, take advantage of the tangy bitterness of this fruit’s peel.

DIY Cleaner

Grapefruits can also be used as a natural cleaner in the kitchen. One popular way to use this fruit’s natural cleaning properties is to soak them in water to create a home-made vinegar which works to disinfect and clean without the use of harsh chemicals.

Candied Grapefruit Peel

Have you ever eaten a grapefruit and wondered what to do with the peel after finishing? One great recipe that’s deceptively simple to make is candied grapefruit peel, which really just involves boiling the peel in sugar water and then coating it with even more sugar after finishing.

The post Intriguing Uses For Grapefruit in the Kitchen appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Our favorite method of preparing them at home is baking them in the oven. Are you looking to give this method a try? These tips will help your wings turn out crispy, juicy, and absolutely delicious.

400 Degrees for 45 Minutes

When cooking wings in the oven, it’s important to get the temperature and time right in order to not make your wings dry out or be undercooked. We like baking them for 45 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, which achieves a nice crisp and an even, thorough cook.

Use an Oven Rack

One of the cardinal sins when making wings in the oven is putting them on a normal oven pan. This doesn’t allow for heat to circulate around the wings and create an even cooking environment. An oven rack, with its open spaces allowing for hot air to circulate, is the best option.

Aluminum Foil is a Life-Saver

Want a pro tip that will leave you in awe of how crispy your oven-baked chicken wings turn out to be? Wrap them in aluminum foil before putting them in the oven, which puts a direct heat source on their exteriors and crisps them up beautifully.

The post Baking Chicken Wings Couldn’t Be Easier appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Forget about the microwave, that is the worst way to do it. You will first need to preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Get a metal tray that you usually use for the oven that also fits all of the fries. Once you do, you have to get some tin foil and cover the bottom of the pan with it. This is very helpful in preventing the French fries to stick on the pan.

Put the fries over the foil, making sure they don’t overlap. By doing this you will make sure that all of the pieces are equally reheated and none of them fuse together. Feel free to add all the extra spices you love. Once the oven has reached the needed heat, simply put the pan inside. Two or three minutes should be enough. Next time you have leftovers at home try this simple, efficient way to reheat fries.

The post We Found The Best Way To Reheat Fries appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.