Kitchen Hacks I Wish I Would Have Known About Sooner

We are busy people, us Americans. So anything I can do to pass on some info that will save us time, money, or stress, I'm all about it!

Spoon University has some amazing kitchen hacks that I so wish I would have known about earlier in life! Also thanks MSN for passing along the info so that I could pass it along to you, my friends (and fellow kitchen hackers). Enjoy!

• Use your blender to clean. Yes, you can actually put soap and water in the blender and turn it on for an efficient wash.
• Reuse the water you boiled pasta or potatoes in. Wait until the water is completely cool, then use it for a nutrient filled boost for your house plants.
• Remove the seeds from peppers for less spice. Open up your peppers, take out the seeds, and then rub salt on them Then soak them in water for 5 minutes for a less spicy flavor.
• Use vodka as a cleaner. There are several ways to do this, but the simplest is to just pour the vodka into a spray bottle for an all purpose cleaner. You can also use a 1-1 solution with water to get the same sparkle. It really gets the residue out of just about anything!
• Freeze herbs in olive oil. Drizzle olive oil over fresh herbs in an ice cube tray. When ready to use, just break off a piece for maximum flavor!
• Freeze cheese for easier grating. You only have to put cheese in the freezer for about 15 minutes for it to get infinitely easier to grate.
• Use honey for burns. The anti inflammatory and anti bacterial properties of honey make it a natural to treat a burn while you're cooking.
• Use a spoon to peel ginger. Too many cracks and crevices to use a knife to peel safely. Spoons work just as well, with no danger of you getting cut.
• Freeze leftover wine for cooking. Some of my favorite dishes have wine in them, and I always freeze leftover wine in ice cube trays to use later.
• An easy way to clean the microwave. Fill a bowl with water, and 2 TB of vinegar. Add a toothpick so it won't boil over (!). After it's boiling, don't open the microwave for about 2-3 minutes to let it steam. You can also add a drop of lemon or another essential oil to the water remove the odors.
• Use bleach to clean cutting boards. Fill your sink up with water, add about a cup of bleach, and let your plastic cutting boards soak for about an hour. Take out an rinse. This is not recommended for wooden cutting boards, however.