upload podcast from laptop to smartphone tip

how to mount the phone instead of charging the phone:

1. use the black cable to connect laptop to smartphone

2. on phone, click on setting icon.

3. choose "connected devices"-->USB-->use USB for file transfer

1. go to itunes and get podcasts

     -after choosing ~10 podcasts copy/paste from laptop to smartphone.

     -continue with next ten podcasts, etc.

frozen potstickers tip

pour oil in frying pan. you need 1/8 inch or thereabouts. heat up the oil on medium high. the oil should be HOT. carefully put frozen potstickers in the frying pan. pour 1/2 cup water over potstickers. cover the frying pan. cook 10 minutes. make sure bottom of potstickers are browned. cook for longer if the bottoms aren't brown enough.

be careful. sometimes the oil splatters out when you're putting the potstickers in.

swiss miss tip

dump the powder in a bowl. add a little milk. whisk it until smooth. gradually add the rest of the milk. microwave.

the old way of dumping all the powder, then all the milk and mixing with a spoon results in clumps.

use a whisk.

cheesecake tip

cheesecake tastes good eaten with mooncake. i used lotus paste mooncake. 

sticky corn/glutinous corn tip

add some water and cook in instant pot for 15 minutes. allow natural pressure release. eat.

tofu skin tip

you have to soak tofu skin for a long while before you put it in hot pot. if you just dump hard tofu skin in hot pot it'll be raw in the middle when everything else is done cooking.

roasted broccoli tip

preheat oven to 450 degrees.

cover baking sheet in foil.

put a single layer of broccoli florets. (you can also roast shelled fava beans and baby carrots.)

drizzle 1/4 cup oil.

sprinkle trader joe's everything bagel seasoning.

bake for 15 minutes.

eat.

fava tip

you can roast shelled fava beans along with broccoli. 

hard water tip

use the flat blade of a box cutter to scrape hard water deposits off granite counters. cleans it right up!

cereal tip

eat cinnamon toast crunch with sesame sticks. add milk. salty sweet, salty sweet.

noodle tip

if you cook raw noodles directly in the broth, it'll thicken the broth. but if you cook the noodles separately in boiling water, drain the noodles and then pour the broth on top, the broth won't thicken.

tortilla tip

tostito's hint of lime is about the same price as a pack of crispy tostada shells on a per ounce comparison.

eggo tips

this is for 8 eggo mini waffles:

briefly microwave eggo minis so they're not frozen anymore.

chop up eggo minis and mix in 1 raw egg. 

cook in waffle maker. 

cake pan tip

you can double a recipe for a loaf of banana bread. pour enough batter to fill half a 10 inch bundt pan. pour the rest in a muffin tin. bundt is 325 degrees for 65 minutes. muffin is 350 for 20 minutes.

notebook tip

here's how to make your own simple, unlined notebook:

get 20 pages of 8.5 X 11 inch printer paper and fold them in half "hamburger style." open up a regular stapler and line the staple up to the notebook spine. put something underneath the notebook so you don't staple into your desk. you can use an old hardcover book, for example.

press on the stapler slightly so that the staple touches the paper. staple down. use something hard to push the staple down around the pages.

also you can use a colored page as the notebook cover.

yum tip

this is good and very easy to prepare:

bottom layer is tortilla chips.

2nd layer is scrambled eggs (about 2 per person)

3rd layer is annie's salsa.

eat with a fork.

more bacon tips

you can use leftover bacon grease to cook popcorn. it doesn't really taste like bacon but it tastes different than using olive oil.

bacon baking tip

oven 400 degrees. put bacon in. no need to wait for oven to heat up. i cooked it for about 17 minutes. bake until the bacon is brown. put bacon on a couple layers of paper towel to soak up the grease.

sardines in oil

you know those canned sardines in olive oil? don't just throw the oil away! you can put it on noodles and it is super delicious!

ice cream tip

one part vanilla ice cream and one part fage original yogurt, with nonpareil sprinkles on top. delicious! it reminds me of tart frozen yogurt.