After weeks of planning, days of packing and hours of travel, you’re finally relaxing on vacation — swearing you’re not going to worry about life back home. But inevitably, one thought creeps into your mind: “Did I leave the stove on?” Maybe it’s the hair straightener, or leaving the garage door open, or even locking the front door. Whatever plagues your peacefulness, Lifehacker shares this genius tip: Use your smartphone to snap a shot of your stove dials (or whatever it is you worry about most) before you head out the door. Make it a part of your usual pre-travel routine. That’s it. It’s so simple, but such a small step can save you from feeling stressed ever again when you’re away from home. If you’re lounging on the beach and anxiety about the little things back home start to pop up, whip out your smart phone and put your mind at…
Alton Brown’s Genius Way to Juice Watermelon
Alton Brown, the master of kitchen hacks, leaves us in awe with his many time-saving tips, so it’s no surprise he has a genius way to juice watermelon, too. His method involves a biscuit cutter, a knife and an immersion blender. Since prepping a watermelon using involves a fairly large, juicy mess on the cutting board, Alton’s hack is one worth adopting. Since less juice will end up on your countertop, you’ll have more of the sweet stuff for your beverages and recipes. You’ll also save cleanup time overall, since the rind will remain in one piece. Check out his video here, complete with dramatic music. Because, everything is a cutthroat competition in the world of Alton. https://www.instagram.com/p/BV3TbZelUtz/?taken-by=altonbrown Start by situating the watermelon comfortably on one end, so it won’t tip over. Place the biscuit cutter on the top of the watermelon, and press into the rind so it creates a circular outline. Remove…
Alton Brown’s Genius Meatball Baking Hack You’ll Want to Copy
If you consider the perfect meatball, you probably think a crispy exterior with a juicy interior, seasoned well and smothered in simmering tomato sauce. But until now, meatball bakers have typically tossed them on a sheet pan where they would simmer in their own grease and retain a bit too much of that sogginess. Food innovation is a marvelous thing. Television show host, chef and author Alton Brown took to Instagram to share with us his genius hack for solving this dilemma. He posted, “Thinking about the time I roasted my meatballs in an egg carton to wick away the grease. #crispyallover.” Fans responded in the comments with praise. Using Alton’s hack, the grease pools that usually form when baking meatballs are soaked up by the cardboard egg carton. This allows the meat to form a crispy exterior shell. (With grease-soaked paper in the oven, be sure to keep a careful watch!) Recipe…