lil' bits of this-n-that: Too Salty or Too Sweet, Can be fixed! Read On

If you've over-salted soup or vegetables, add cut raw potatoes and discard once they have cooked and absorbed the salt.

A teaspoon each of cider vinegar and sugar added to salty soup or vegetables will also remedy the situation.

If you have over-sweetened a dish add salt or a teaspoon of cider vinegar will work too.

Thin gravy can be thickened by adding a mixture of flour or cornstarch and water, which has been mixed to smooth paste, added gradually, stirring constantly, while bringing to a boil.

Lumpless gravy can be your triumph if you add a pinch of salt to the flour before mixing it with water.

A small amount of baking soda added to gravy will eliminate excess grease.

Drop a lettuce leaf into a pot of homemade soup to absorb excess grease from the top.

If time allows, the best method of removing fat is refrigeration until the fat hardens. If you put a piece of waxed paper over the top of the soup, it can be peeled right off along with the hardened fat.

Image via WikipediaIf fresh veggies are wilted or blemished, pick off the brown edges, sprinkle with cool water, wrap in paper towel and refrigerate for an hour or so.

Perk up soggy lettuce by adding lemon juice to a bowl of cold water and soak for an hour in the refrigerator.

Keep your lettuce and celery in paper bags not cellophane.

Pumpkin Pie Pudding with Bourbon Whipped Cream

Image by thedabble via Flickr

Cream will whip faster and better if you'll first chill the cream, bowl, and beaters well.

A few drops of lemon juice added to whipping cream helps it whip faster and better too.

A dampened and folded dish towel placed under the bowl in which you are whipping cream will keep the bowl from dancing all over the counter top.

Brown sugar won't harden if an apple slice is placed in the container.

But if your brown sugar is already brick-hard, put your cheese-grater to work and grate the amount you need.