To clean a vacuum flask

If your vacuum flask has developed a nasty smell from being closed up for a long time, pour in 1 tablespoon baking soda and fill with boiling water.  Leave to stand for 15 minutes then rinse well before using.

Microwave baked potatoes

You can bake potatoes in the microwave to get the same result as you get with oven baked potatoes. The cooked skins are softer that those baked in the oven and of course the microwaving doesn’t take nearly as long.  So this is a good way of cooking potatoes in a hurry.

Ingredients

1 medium to large potato per person
1 tablespoon yoghurt per potato
Spices (eg, paprika or ground chilli) or fresh herbs (eg, thyme, parsley)

Method

1. Wash and scrub potatoes, leaving skin intact
2. Place potatoes in the microwave
3. Cook for 3 minutes for one medium sized potato and 5-6 minutes for 2-3 potatoes
4. Squeeze the sides gently to check if they are cooked.  If they feel soft all round then they are ready
5. Remember that the cooking time will depend on the size of the potatoes and the power of your microwave so you may need to check your times carefully with your own microwave
6. Remove from the microwave and place on a serving platter or individual plates
7. Cut a cross in the top of each potato and squeeze the sides until the potato pulp fluffs up through the opening
8. Spoon a dollop of yoghurt on the fluffed up potato and sprinkle with herbs or spices
9. Serve with a meat dish and cooked vegetables or salad
10. Alternatively you could serve these baked potatoes with a vegetable casserole such as ratatouille.

Cheesy baked potatoes

When my daughters were young and I was working full time, I’d sometimes be heading home and think – OMG what have I got for dinner tonight?  Invariably on those nights we’d have cheesy baked potatoes. And if we were lucky …Read more

Calming a crying child

If your child has got so worked up they can’t stop crying, hold him/her tightly and rub their back gently until they calm down.  If you meet resistance, just keep trying quietly till you are allowed to hold them and rub their back.

Mashed potatoes

We used to put a great dollop of butter into a pile of fluffy mashed potatoes on our dinner plates.  Our different lifestyles now makes this a bit hazardous to our health.  But fluffy mashed potatoes are still a tasty way of serving potatoes. …Read more

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