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Healthy Kitchen Hacks #39

Healthy Kitchen Hacks #39

*Prevent Guacamole From Turning Brown* *Homemade Corn Tortillas Without a Press* *How To Make Instant Counter Space* *Easy Way to Sweeten Plain Yogurt* *Creative Way to Close Frozen Bags*

*Prevent Guacamole From Turning Brown* *Homemade Corn Tortillas Without a Press* [Healthy Kitchen Hacks] *How To Make Instant Counter Space* *Easy Way to Sweeten Plain Yogurt* *Quick Way to Close Frozen Bags* @tspbasil

Let’s just say I’m was eating very well this past week from testing out many of these kitchen hacks – hoping some of them help you out this week, too! (Click here for past Healthy Kitchen Hacks.)

1) Easy Trick to Prevent Guacamole From Turning Brown
@TheKitchn

Healthy Kitchen Hacks - How To Keep Guacamole From Turing Brown @tspbasil

Nothing beats homemade guacamole but if you have any leftover, within a day it can turn into an unappetizing brown mush.

I’ve tried using lime juice but that doesn’t seem to help until I tried this trick from TheKitchn: add a small layer of water over top your guacamole and store in an airtight container in the fridge. The water layer provides a barrier from the oxygen that usually turns the green pigment to brown. When you are ready to eat, pour off the water, mix and serve.

This really worked! I did it twice with the same batch of guacamole and I had 3 days of bright green guacamole.

And if you really want to step up your guac game, make this: Bacon + Roasted Garlic Guacamole.

2) How to Make Homemade Corn Tortillas Without a Tortilla Press
Robin @Robinsbite

Healthy Kitchen Hacks - How To Make Corn Tortillas Without the Press @tspbasil

I’ve been wanting to make homemade corn tortillas ever since I got hooked on these whole wheat tortillas from Linsday @Lean Green Bean.

The hold-up? I thought you needed a tortilla press and I didn’t really want one more gadget in my kitchen. When I finally resigned that I’d buy one, I asked my pal and long-time Texas resident, Robin of Robinsbite which press she recommended. Her answer? “I don’t have one – I use my cast iron skillet and it works like a charm!”

And it does! Homemade tortillas are SO simple to make – they just take time. I bought masa harina (corn flour) at my local grocery store ($2.99 for a 4.4 pound bag), followed the DIY Fresh Corn Tortilla instructions from the May 2016 issue of Cooking Light and flattened those babies with that skillet. Once cooled, I froze them in a zip-lock plastic bag.

I’ll never go back to store-bought – homemade taste sooooo good! And if you need some taco inspiration, check out these links:

3) How to Make Instant Counter Space 
@America’s Test Kitchen

Healthy Kitchen Hacks - How to Make Extra Counter Space Instantly @tspbasil

Even though I now have ample counter space thanks to our kitchen redo a few years back, this trick still comes handy when we have a crowd over and surface area becomes priceless real estate.

Simply pull open a drawer and place a cutting board on top. This gives you an extra prep area or even just another place to stack plates, platters or to cool off baked goods.

4) Easy Way To Sweeten Plain Yogurt Without Adding Sugar
Heather @Nutrition Checkup

Healthy Kitchen Hacks - Easy Way To Sweetened Plain Yogurt Without Adding Sugar @tspbasil

Over the years, I’ve learned to prefer a plain thick style yogurt with a touch of honey or jam mixed in. (Side note: I’m partial to siggi’s yogurts – and not just because they are a returning sponsor to Blog Brûlée this year -#disclosure – but because of their “simple ingredients, not a lot of sugar” mantra.)

Healthy Kitchen Hacks - How Best to Sweeten Plain Yogurt with No Added Sugar

That’s why I’m digging this hack posted on Instagram by rock star dietitian, Heather Mangieri. She purees frozen fruit and uses it as a yogurt mix-in – it tastes even sweeter than fresh fruit. I made a frozen raspberry/frozen cherry puree in my blender (I added a few tablespoons of water to get the right consistency.)

If you like this idea, you may also like How To Make Homemade Greek Yogurt.

5) Quick Way to Tie Freezer Bags
via @Cook’s Illustrated

Healthy Kitchen Hacks - Easy Way To Close Frozen Fruit or Vegetable Bags @tspbasil

Let’s say you made that fruit puree for your plain yogurt and you go to seal up the half used bag of frozen fruit but you don’t have any bag clips or twistees handy (#StoryOfMyLife.)

No problem. Grab a pair of scissors and cut off a 1/2-inch strip of the bag from the top and use it as a tie!

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Would you try any of these hacks? Do you have healthy kitchen or healthy living shortcuts to share? Shoot us an email (or share below in comments and we’ll try them out.)

Sam

Wednesday 4th of May 2016

Whaaaa?! Bacon & roasted garlic guac is happening this weekend. Thank you for adding that to my life.

Deanna Segrave-Daly

Wednesday 4th of May 2016

Tee hee - you are welcome! LMK how it turns out!

Nicole @ Fitful Focus

Wednesday 27th of April 2016

The guac and drawer hacks are genius!! Totally going to use both of those. Thank you for the great tips!

Deanna Segrave-Daly

Thursday 28th of April 2016

Sure thing - I'm telling you that water trick really works :)

Elizabeth Shaw

Wednesday 27th of April 2016

Love the instant counter space! Until I get my kitchen renovation like Serena (I'm crossing my fingers the hubs build me an island) I need more space! Great idea. Did I miss the kitchen renovation post?! I watched the video (probably 10 times, with the husband lol)!

Deanna Segrave-Daly

Wednesday 27th of April 2016

Love it :) Yes, the instant counter space is a great idea if you are in the middle of a kitchen redo (and actually have drawers of course.) Serena's kitchen renovation post will be up on Friday!

Dietitian Jess

Wednesday 27th of April 2016

I've never tried the water on guac trick but I've tried the put a piece of onion in with it trick and that's work well. Will definitely try the sweetening yogurt naturally trick!

Deanna Segrave-Daly

Thursday 28th of April 2016

I'd never heard of the onion trick - interesting! The water trick really works :)

EA Stewart

Wednesday 27th of April 2016

Loving all your latest kitchen hacks, but especially #1 and #2. And, seriously, Bacon 7 Roasted Garlic Guacamole, where have you been all my life???

Deanna Segrave-Daly

Wednesday 27th of April 2016

Hehe - That is an awesome recipe I had forgotten about - getting bacon this weekend to make it again :) And you must make those corn tortillas to go with it :)

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