Isn't it annoying when you are boiling water for pasta or
potatoes and your water boils over, creating a difficult to clean mess on your stove?
Boil overs no more! When boiling your water you can add a few teaspoons of vegetable oil to your water and your water absolutely WILL NOT boil over! OR, once your water has boiled, you can remove your pot from the heat and add a few squirts of Pam and return it to the same temperature and that will do the trick, as well! This tip is tried and true!
(the oil also keeps your pasta from sticking together and it doesn't change the taste of your food!)
Here's a another tip, just because you are so cute: when cutting brownies, use a plastic knife, it will cut right through your brownies without the brownies building up on your knife. Piece of cake, or, uh... brownies!
For more WFMW, visit Shannon here!
Great tips! I recently learned that if you spray the brownie knife with something like Pam (I use a Pampered Chef kitchen spritzer), it won't stick either.
Posted by: Nikki | March 06, 2007 at 11:39 PM
I will have to try this PAM thing out because I hate boil overs.
And we are definite plastic knife brownie cutters in this house!
Posted by: An Ordinary Mom | March 06, 2007 at 11:49 PM
I didn't know that! Next time I will be prepared!
Posted by: Jane | March 06, 2007 at 11:49 PM
I use oil in my pot of boiling water all the time, especially with pasta. It works great!
Thanks for the tip on cutting brownies with a plastic knife. I'll have to try that one.
Posted by: Overwhelmed! | March 07, 2007 at 12:33 AM
I knew oil would keep my pasta from sticking together but I had absolutely no idea it'd prevent water from boiling over. Thanks so so much for both of these tips! I love your blog, I'll definitely be back! =)
Posted by: Larae | March 07, 2007 at 01:35 AM
I had no idea about this tip. You can bet I will be doing this next time I make anything that calls for boiling water. With Charlie, I make about three pots of mac and cheese a day. He lives on it.
Posted by: Janet Bowser | March 07, 2007 at 08:51 AM
I do the oil thing all of the time. It's amazing how it works. I'll have to check out the plastic knife trick. Brownies anyone?
Posted by: Heather | March 07, 2007 at 09:08 AM
Very interesting about the oil preventing boil overs. Learned something new today. Then again, you also taught me to cover my pot with a lid and the water will boil quicker. One would think that is just common sense, but apparently I didn't think of it. Every time I boil water now I think of you Beth!
Posted by: Lynette | March 07, 2007 at 09:08 AM
Great tip! Thanks for sharing it with us!
Posted by: Karen | March 07, 2007 at 09:51 AM
No way! I didn't know either of those tricks. THANKS!
Posted by: dcrmom | March 07, 2007 at 10:14 AM
Really? Wow, cool tip!
Thanks!
Have a great Wednesday.
blessings~
Annie
Posted by: annie | March 07, 2007 at 10:36 AM
Cool tip!
Posted by: Kara | March 07, 2007 at 10:41 AM
I had no idea that the oil prevents boil-overs. I thought my mom always used it just to keep the pasta from sticking together. Maybe she didn't even know about the boil-over thing.
Posted by: Pieces | March 07, 2007 at 11:05 AM
I use this too! it works wonders! I use evoo, but you can use whatever oil you have...
Great tip!
Posted by: Athena | March 07, 2007 at 11:17 AM
Thanks for the great tip. This happens to me all of the time...I'll walk away for just a second and hear "whoosh" as the water boils over.
I read the plastic knife in brownies tip a few weeks ago, and it really works. Super!
Posted by: It's a Mom Thing | March 07, 2007 at 02:09 PM
I usually only put oil in the pot when I was making long pasta (spaghetti, fettucine, etc) for the no stick effect. I had no idea it helped with boil overs, too! This is definitely a new habit I'll have to adopt. Thanks!
Posted by: Thea | March 07, 2007 at 03:42 PM
Two great tips! Thanks.
Posted by: Girl Gone Wild | March 08, 2007 at 09:08 AM