The family and I are running around Disney World this whole week and boy it is quite exhausting. Not saying that vacation is exhausting, but I totally underestimated how much work goes into walking around a different park each and every day for 12+ hours. Food has definitely been a learning experience, and I have made it work. This week I am talking about food hacks, and was wondering if you would be interested in me writing on how I ate Paleo at Disney World? Leave me a comment and let me know. It actually didn’t require many food hacks, just educated choices.
Before I get to the post, I want to know what your favorite food hack is. Do you have a go-to time saving tip you use all the time? Leave us a comment so we can keep this list growing. Even if you read one of the food hacks below and have a way of improving it, we want to know about it. Without further hesitation, here are the best food hacks.
Food Hacks:
- To cook bacon perfectly place the bacon in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake in an oven at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. Tweet this!
- To save half an avocado from browning, rub coconut oil over the surface, place in an airtight container and refrigerate. The coconut oil will solidify and create a crust. Tweet this!
- To slow the spoiling process store tomatoes stem side down. Tweet this!
- To speed up ripening place tomatoes and peaches in a closed paper bag. Tweet this!
- To help bananas last longer, separate the bananas and wrap the stems in plastic wrap. Tweet this!
- To help bananas ripen faster, place the yellow or green bananas in a 300 degree over for up to 40 minutes. Tweet this!
- To check if an egg is still fresh, place the raw egg in cold water to see if it sinks. (If it floats, throw it away.) Tweet this!
- Remove broken bits of eggshell while cooking, use the already cracked egg to scoop the stray shell from the food. Tweet this!
- To peel hard boiled eggs easier, add baking soda or vinegar to the water. Tweet this!
- To remove seeds from pumpkins or squash, use an ice cream scoop. Tweet this!
- To remove the skin from a piece of ginger, use a spoon. Tweet this!
- To plan the ultimate family vacation, save on your Disney World visit.
- To easily peel citrus fruits, roll the fruit on a hard surface before peeling. Tweet this!
- To juice a citrus fruit without a juicer, use a pair of tongs to juice the fruit instead of using your hands. Tweet this!
- To save cut fruit from browning, squeeze a little lemon juice over the fruit. Tweet this!
- To de-crystallize honey, place the jar of crystallized honey in hot water for 5 to 10 minutes. Tweet this!
- To peel garlic, place the separated cloves in a lidded container and shake vigorously. Tweet this!
- To prevent water from over boiling, place a wooden spoon across the top of the pot. Tweet this!
- To extend the shelf-life of nuts, place the shelled nut in the freezer. Tweet this!
- To save fresh herbs to use later, freeze them in an ice cube tray filled with water, olive oil or butter to use in sauces, soups and stews. Tweet this!
- To help soften butter faster, cut the stick into eight smaller pieces. Tweet this!
- To make clear ice cubes, fill an ice cube tray with water than has been boiled and cooled. Tweet this!
- To naturally flavor water water, add fruits and berries (or even herbs). Tweet this!
- To test baking soda for freshness, mix a 1/4 teaspoon with 2 teaspoons of vinegar to see if it bubbles. If it does not bubble, the baking soda should be thrown away. Tweet this!
- To check baking powder for freshness, mix 1 teaspoon with a 1/2 cup of warm water to see if it bubbles. If it does not bubble, the baking powder should be thrown away. Tweet this!
So what was your favorite food hack off of this list? My go to is the bacon since I eat it every day. I also use the process to ripen bananas faster to make the award winning Paleo Banana Bread recipe we have.
Monday
Coconut Milk Ranch Dressing from Blissful Basil
Tuesday
Butternut Squash Breakfast Sausage from Real Food With Dana
Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai from Lexi’s Clean Kitchen
Wednesday
Cauliflower Bagel BLTs from The Iron You
Pork and Apple Stuffed Winter Squash from Hold The Grain
Thursday
Carrot Soup with Carrot Top Garlic Pesto
Chorizo and Green Chile Frittata from Paleo Fondue
Friday
{Paleo} Coffee Creamer from Everyday Maven
Saturday/Sunday
Almond Coconut Chocolate Drops
Roasted Tomato Soup with Fresh Basil
Please…please…please…. post on eating Paleo at Disney. We are leaving in two-weeks? How about a cheat sheet???
Thank you!
Ah I won’t have time to finish a whole post by then so check out Against All grain
Thanks for that. And definitely do the Disney post. Our family is going in May and, while we will cook most of our meals and snacks at our condo, there will be some eating out at restaurants and every scrap of advice is welcome!
Oh ok awesome, I will keep working on it :)
The coconut oil/avocado trick is super clever. I will definitely try that out! My favorite trick is to use a mini blender bottle to mix separated coconut milk. Then you can pour/measure from the same container which is also airtight and ready to store the leftover milk in the fridge. OR just add a few more ingredients to the leftover milk, shake, and refrigerate for a quick chia pudding so nothing goes to waste.
That is a great idea
I add lemon juice to my avocado halves, sprinkle a little salt, and then put it in a container in the fridge. They stay green and fresh tasting for up to two days later.
Perfect
To separate eggs, crack them into a bowl or onto a plate and then suck up the yolk with a small empty water bottle (those cheap plastic ones work great). Squeeze the bottle, place it over the yolk, release the squeeze and the yolk will slurp right up into the bottle. You can keep doing it til you have all the eggs you need in the bottle then drop them into your recipe. They rarely break!
btw I cook bacon in the oven all the time on parchment paper. Works great!!
I like to decrystalize my honey by placing it in a sunny window and letting nature do the work. I would love to learn how to eat paleo in a theme park.I have the added challenge that I have to eat gluten, dairy and nights shade free or I get sick.
I have to eat gluten and dairy free or I get sick as well.
I’ve got two hacks for you – I use these all the time! Instead of boiling eggs, try steaming them. The shells will peel off SO easily. I use the directions found here: http://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2014/04/the-easy-way-to-peel-farm-fresh-hard-boiled-eggs.html It’s the only way I make hard-boiled eggs anymore.
And my top favorite – to save half an avocado from browning rub a little bit of coconut oil over the entire surface, put it in your favorite airtight container and pop it in the fridge. The coconut oil will harden and create a crust over it. The avocado will still be bright green 24 hours later!
THAT IS GENIUS!!!
Right?? It really works. Glad I could contribute. :)
Huge Disney goer here so I love to read about how people eat well at Disney. Disney has so many wonderful food options it can be hard to stay on track! Thanks for the post!
They do an amazing job supporting Paleo. I will write about it
I would love to hear about you eating Paleo at Disney World! It is tough to eat Paleo while traveling and any ideas would be great!
Ok, I will start working on a post
I love this post. My duh moment, when I read how to get a piece of egg shell out of whatever I’m cooking.
Haha, I am glad it helped
Drape a piece of parchment paper under the bacon, on top of the baking sheet, and clean up is a breeze! Plus – it makes pouring the fat into a jar to use later that much easier:)
That is another great tip, thank you
My fav is de crystallizing the honey.
Pineapple juice also works to save apples from lemons. Thank Goodness, because pineapples usually go better with apples than lemons do;)
Sorry…should have my coffee before posting…pineapple juice protects apples from browning.
Those mean old lemons…;) Thanks for the tip!
You’re welcome
Oh that is a great tip, thank you