My dad always use to go around chewing on them, wonder what they'd say about that? And my husband uses one after he eats to get 'stuff' out of his broken tooth, which they would say to get fixed ... THEY can try to convince him to do so ... 8-p

    Anyways, as I labeled this, toothpicks (are) good for more than just teeth. In-fact, I am sure they are multi-purposeful, but I am only going to tell you two non-teeth uses today. You however, are welcome and encouraged to tell me other ways you use them ;-}

 

    Another way #1 - (Kate, how bad of wordage is that?).

    Toothpicks work wonderful as counters when cooking or baking!!! Especially when preparing big batches. Then again, many, after hearing this tip, have gone home and started using it on single batches. Here's why:

    When I use to be a cook up at camp, I of course would never be preparing just a single batch of anything. During winter retreats you'd average sixty (60) to a hundred (100) people. But during the summer camp season, you were feeding around two hundred (200) to two hundred and twenty (220) each weekday meal.  So we always had to multiply our recipes. I loved it when Jordan E. was working in there with me!! That girl is a natural math whiz. She could give me an answer faster than I could type it into my calculator. "Jordan, 2 and 3/4 cups times 11? ANSWER. WOW!!!! 

    {Bonus tip here - if you take a 'regular' recipe (such as for one pan of brownies, or one batch of muffins) and multiply it by eleven, you'll have enough to feed about two hundred

;-) }

    But it is ever so easy to lose count of how many cups of something you've already got when your doing that large a number of something.  It never failed that I'd be in the midst of making Oatmeal Carmelita's, which would take 22 cups each of flour, oats and brown sugar, and somebody would ask me a question. By the time I had answered them, I'd lose track of where I was. For awhile I tried keeping a pen and a napkin next to where I was working, then before I'd answer somebody, I'd write the number down. But had I written down the number of where I had left off measuring, or how many more I had to go? And if I forgot to write it down ... yeah.

    Then one day the Lord gave me this brilliant idea!!! Before I started measuring out something, I'd first count out that number of toothpicks and place them on one side of the bowl. If the total number didn't equal a whole cup, I'd break the toothpick accordingly. Then as I dumped the cup full into the bowl with one hand, I'd use my other hand to move one toothpick to the other side of the bowl. Wow did it ever make things run smoother!!!

    I mentioned that "many, after hearing this tip, have gone home and started using it on single batches.".  Even at home when cooking, how many times do you get interrupted? Even when your the only one home? The phone will ring. Or somebody will ring the doorbell, or the dog will want out, or even more likely, you'll start thinking about something else while measuring and lose track of where you were 8-/ Now, when measuring brown sugar, it's usually easy to figure out, as long as you don't break down the lumps till your done measuring. But adding too many teaspoonfulls of salt can really be a problem!

    May you never again get frustrated about where you were in counting out measurements!!!  :-D

 

    Another way #2 -

    This one, believe it or not, I just figured out in the last two months. Man do I wish the idea had come y-e-a-r-s ago!!! Seriously!!!

    You know how sometimes when your cleaning / wiping out areas that have corners in them it's hard to get the corners clean? Toothpicks work GREAT for cleaning in small tight areas!!! Example - I was washing out window sills. And I've always had this problem with getting the tight corners all the way clean. Yes, I've tried squeezing the rag so that the fluid helps loosen the area. It helps, but usually doesn't get all of it. However, if after you've loosed it and gotten all that you can out, scraping at the remaining 'stuff' with a toothpick finishes the job beautifully!!!! ;-} 

    In the last couple of months, I've tried that little trick on quite a number of scenarios, and it's worked every single time!!!

    May all of your 'tight little corners' be bright shiny ones :-D

 

    Now, what other wonderful uses have you found for toothpicks?  I really am quite curious!!

 

 

I plan on linking this particular posting to:

  ~  Ann's "Make-Do Mondays", at 'Ann Kroeker. writer.'  (http://annkroeker.wordpress.com/). 

  ~  Sandra's "Happy Homemaker Monday('s)", at 'Diary of a SAHM' {SAHM = Stay At Home Mom}  (http://familycorner.blogspot.com).

  ~  Jen's "Homemaker Mondays ... Yours, Mine & Ours", at '11th Heaven's Homemaking Haven'  (http://rtheyallyours.blogspot.com/).

 ~  Tammy's "Kitchen Tip Tuesday('s)", at 'Tammy's Recipes'  (http://www.tammysrecipes.com/).

  ~  Trish's "Try This Tuesday('s)", at ' 5 Minutes for Mom'  (http://www.5minutesforspecialneeds.com/).