How to Cut Avocados

Cutting an avocado can be tricky. I find this way of cutting most efficient and you waste less.

1. Put an avocado on a chopping board.

2. Cut it around and separate it. Take the seed out using a knife. Less ripe it is, more difficult to take the seed out.


3. Put your spoon through the gap between the skin and run it through completely and scoop it up.


5. Cut it however you want to.

Seasoning cast iron frying pan

Using cast iron pans for cooking is a wonderful way to obtain a nice caramelized crust to your foods. Add to that the fact that cast iron pans add to your daily dietary intake of iron and the fact that cast iron pans are superb at heating evenly and you have a winner of a pan. Taking care of that pan is also of utmost importance. Once your pan is seasoned, an occasional deep cleaning is also necessary to keep your pan in the best condition.

Things You’ll Need:

* Cast iron pan
* Paper towels
* Salt
* Kosher salt

Step 1:
Know that when you notice foods sticking to your pan that normally wouldn’t, it’s time to clean and re-season your pan.

Step 2:
Heat your pan on the highest heat setting on a stove burner. When the pan is smoking hot, pour at least one cup of kosher or iodized salt into the pan.

Step 3:
Use several thicknesses of paper towels to move the salt around the pan so the salt can draw out any impurities from the pan.

Step 4:
Scrub the salt into the bottom of the pan as you continue to move the salt around.

Step 5:
Discard the hot salt after it starts to turn grey after a while.

Step 6:
Notice that the pan should look very dull since the salt has taken away any excess fat and food particles. If the pan is still shiny, repeat the hot salt scrub.

Step 7:
Wash very hot water over the pan to rinse any remaining salt, away after you have discarded the last of the salt.

Step 8:
Dry thoroughly the pan with a towel and let the pan sit in open air for ½-hour to completely dry.

Step 9:
Re-season the pan now that the pan is completely clean.


Tips & Warnings

* Kosher salt is generally better for cleaning the pan since it doesn’t have any extra additives, such as iodine. Iodized table salt can clean as well as kosher salt, but it may leave a trace amount of iodine.
* Please see the eHow Related Articles section to find out how to season your pan.
* When handling a hot cast iron pan, do not forget that the handle does not have a covering over it. Use pot holders or a dedicated cast iron handle cover to prevent severe burns on your hand.

reference from ehow.com

Preserving Cooked Rice

Did you ever wonder what to do with leftover rice? I used to throw them out or let them spoil. It smells bad when it's gone bad and I feel like I wasted a vast amount of natural resources when I throw away food.

Freezing rice? Yes, if you freeze them, later all you gotta do is to take out a pack of frozen rice and microwave it for a minute or two. It will be just like when it's fresh cooked!

1. First you'll need some leftover rice.


2. Cut a piece of plastic wrap enough to wrap whatever the portion you want to wrap.


3. Wrap it around.


4. Freeze it. My freezer is a mess! :)

Wrapping Meat

Since I live alone, and I value taste and quality of meat and fish, I always wrap them into a one or two person’s portion and freeze them. As soon as I buy a large pack of meat or fish especially from Costo, I take out zipper bags and saran wrap and divide the meat into small portions before freezing them.

Benefits of doing this?
1. No hassle later defrosting the entire pack just to use a small portion.
2. Preserves taste and quality by reducing the number of defrosting.
3. Saves money from being able to buy a large pack.

Shrimp meat

Sausages (individually wrapping sausage is, in the beginning, some work but later I am always glad that I wrapped them whenever I need to take out only one and make a hotdog or something for lunch.

Salmon and other fish. Especially when fresh bought, freezing salmon allows me to make sushi out of it later. (Assuming that the quality of the fish I purchased was pretty good)


Chicken meat. It's so convenient to be able to take out one pack and marinate whatever chicken barbecue I make.

Red meat (whatever steaks, ground beef, or ribs)


So in the end, this is what my freezer looks like. Full of packs of meat and fish.