Undercover Mother

Tip: Use hot water to get sticky ingredients cleanly out of measuring cups.

Occasionally I get a craving for something sweet and reach for something with chocolate. Okay, it’s more like daily, but I don’t like to get caught up in the details. One of my favorite quick treats to make is a no-bake cookie, as I have convinced myself that the oatmeal contained in these little pieces of heaven are healthy enough to counteract the cocoa, butter, sugar, milk and peanut butter that I need to consume to make that dry oatmeal taste so delicious.

That these are called no-bakes is deceiving because you still have to cook them, which is followed by a cleanup. My least favorite part of the cleanup is the measuring cup that once held the needed peanut butter. Cleaning peanut butter off, or out, of things is far tougher than removing baked-on gunk from a pan or taking off my workout clothes after 45 minutes on the treadmill. (Seriously, I have contemplated calling 911 a couple of times.)

I discovered a tip that sounded like it might work on my sticky dilemma and decided to give it a try.

Tip specifics

Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill the cup with hot water. Dump out the hot water, but don’t dry the cup. Next, add your ingredient, such as peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes right out.

True or bull?

We are going to call this one “Trull,” a combination answer. If you use it immediately, it works great. However, I measure out the peanut butter a few minutes ahead of time so it is ready to pour quickly into the boiling chocolate lava that I need to be stirring constantly. The peanut butter that sat for about 3 minutes in that cup refused to slide out, and I had the same old mess.

Undercover Mother’s revelations

I was really excited when I started the experiment and saw how smoothly the peanut butter slid out of the preheated measuring cup. Actually, it fell out so quickly it landed in my sink and clogged the drain, leaving me to dig the peanut butter out with the skinny end of the spatula. After using a few choice curse words and cleaning it up, I convinced myself that I could easily get over that issue when I was able to avoid the peanut butter aftermath that I am usually left with, BUT I was disappointed.

I hate sounding like a Debbie Downer, so let’s try to end this on a happy note. The sticky substance will actually dive out of the measuring cup and leave it clean if you use it immediately after you fill it. But if you wait, you will have to soak and scrub your measuring cup to get it clean. At least you can look forward to a tasty treat either way!

Tip: Use a ball of aluminum foil to scrub glassware clean.

When I was growing up, my mom was one of those women who made a point to cook big meals, especially on the weekends. My attitude is more along the lines of: “I have been doing this stuff all week. Let’s eat out!”

This past weekend I must have been feeling a bit nostalgic or bumped my head because I decided to put a bit more effort into cooking. Among the many things I made, there was a cake and a meatloaf involved.

I admit, sometimes cooking can be fun, at least until I get to the cleanup. Since I slightly overbaked the cake and failed to use that thing (I don’t know the name of) to put under my meatloaf in the pan, I was left with some messy dishes. Another thing I remember from my childhood is my mom always saying, “Those are going to have to presoak overnight. Just leave them, and you and your brothers can do them tomorrow.”

While I don’t enjoy cleaning, I am also the person that can’t go to bed unless the sink has been cleared and the counters wiped down, so the idea of presoaking overnight sends an uncomfortable shiver down my spine.

To make my life easier I decided to check out my bank of tips to see if there was anything to help me out, and, sure enough, I found a tip to get baked-on foods off in a jiffy! For the record, I just smacked myself for saying jiffy.

Tip specifics

Use aluminum foil as a glassware scrubber to get baked-on food off a glass pan or an oven rack. Dishwashing liquid and a ball of foil can be used in place of a steel-wool soap pad.

True or bull? 

True! It took me less than a minute to work the awful stuff out of the bottom of my glass casserole dishes. It takes me more time than that to rinse the dishes that my kids “already rinsed” and get them into the dishwasher. The proof is in the pudding, or in this case the pictures; they look good as new!

Undercover Mother’s revelations 

This tip is a time-saver; just make sure you only use this on glass bakeware. If you try to use the aluminum foil on your metal pots and pans, count on replacing them. While my grandmother would have reused that piece of aluminum foil another 10-15 times before discarding it, I strongly advise against it. Start fresh each time.

Now that the dishes are clean, I am off to try to find a way to get off the mouthwash that has been sprayed on the wall right next to the sink it should have been spit into without losing my sanity.

Tip: Clean your glass cooktop using baking soda.

I do a lot of cooking, but my cooking is more about survival than joy. My family needs to eat, someone needs to feed them and, as a result, I cook. I think what really takes away the joy is the cleanup afterward and the fact that I can never just make one meal that everyone will enjoy.

The other day, I was reheating something with red sauce in a pan that was far too small for the job, but easier to reach than the pans way in the back that would have resulted in my pulling everything out and then putting it back away. Anyway, I get it in there and try to stir it around to get it evenly warmed, and red sauce starts boiling all over the sides of the pan and winds up burning the heck out of my glass cooktop. Not only was it messy, but it invoked a round of, “Mom, it smells like burnt in here. Are you trying to cook again?” (Remember: Big smile and deep breath before responding.)

Aside from the need to cook is the need to clean. And now I am not just dealing with the dishes, but the messy cooktop scorched with a bit of Italian. After wiping down anything that wasn’t burned into the glass, I began scrubbing with a sponge and after a few minutes I realized I wasn’t getting anywhere. Sounds like a job for Undercover Mother!

Tip specifics

Fill a bowl with hot tap water, and mix it with some dish soap. Apply baking soda in a generous amount all over cooktop. Soak rag in soapy water and partially wring out and then lay over baking soda. Wait about 15 minutes and then swirl the rag around in circles, using the baking soda paste as a gentle scrub. Dry surface and shine it up with Windex.

As usual, I am going to show you some before and after pictures so you know I am not pulling your leg. Please remember that while I may have a gift with words, photography isn’t my strong suit so there is some glare and such. Just use your imagination. I followed the tip I found and went to work.

True or bull?

True. Well, mostly true. The glass top is substantially cleaner and even shines, but when you look close there are still several spots that need work.

Undercover Mother’s revelations

We all need help, and I am one of those people that believe some help is better than none. From a distance my glass top shines, and I would guess that the people I choose to let in my house are too polite to take a real close look and point out the imperfections. I am also one of those people that don’t care if they do, as I will be sure to return the favor by tripping on their white carpet with a glass of Merlot the next time I am invited over. “Oops, will you look at that, but I am sure I got a tip I could send you for removing red wine.”