6 easy ways to open stuck jar lids

How can you unseal a stuck bottle or jar lid? For years, we used to tap the lids with kitchen utensils or bang the container on a counter, hoping that would loosen the lid. But these tricks don’t always work, and there’s often a risk of breakage.

  Here are a half-dozen easy ways to open stuck jar or bottle lids. These helpful hints work well for anything from glass jam jars to plastic mayonnaise jars, from salad dressing bottles to peanut butter containers, and more.

1.  Choose a can/bottle opener tool. This pliers-like gadget is super for unsealing bottles and jars. It even has a flip-cap opening option. There’s even an electric version, but we haven’t had much luck with that.
2.  Pick up a jar-and-bottle opener. Constructed of hard plastic, this kitchen tool features multiple openings to fit various container lid sizes.
3.  Grab a gripper pad.  These flat discs (available in solid or waffle-weave texture) are handy for opening pesky lids. And one size fits nearly all such tasks.
4.  Save produce rubber bands. The flat-wide rubber bands that come on bunches of broccoli are the best for this job. Plus, they’re free with the produce purchase. We keep a jar of miscellaneous rubber bands in a kitchen cupboard for this purpose and others.
5.  Slip on some rubber gloves. Those sturdy latex or rubber gloves do the trick, when it comes to unsealing bottles and jars.
6.  Ask someone with strong hands. If all else fails, this is a helpful option.

 

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 Image/s: Public domain clipart and fair use product promo photo

 

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Recipe: Super-Quick Whipped Cream Cookies

 

This delicious cookie recipe is almost too easy, with just four ingredients, and the results are delightful!

 I’ve made this recipe with spice cake mix, lemon cake mix, chocolate cake mix, carrot cake mix, and strawberry cake mix. But the red velvet cake mix version is our family favorite. And it’s a perennial sell-out at a bake sale I help to supply.

 

Ingredients:

• 1 cake mix (13.5-15 oz.)
• 1 tub frozen whipped topping (thawed)
• 1 egg
• 1 cup powdered / confectioners’ sugar

 

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 (F) degrees.

 Combine cake mix, whipped topping, and egg in a large bowl. Beat well.

 Pour powdered / confectioners’ sugar into a large flat bowl or dish. (A sturdy standard-sized paper plate works well.)

 Scoop gooey cookie dough into hands (about golf-ball-sized portions). Roll the glob gently in the powdered / confectioners’ sugar to coat it fully. (This will be a messy job, but it’s worth it.)

 Drop powdered cookies on chilled baking sheets.  (Hint: For holiday/cold-weather baking, I like to place empty cookie sheets in the garage or on the porch to cool between batches.)

 Bake for 12-14 minutes (as ovens vary). They will be crackled on top and somewhat puffy.

 Remove cookies from oven, and allow them to sit on their baking sheets for a couple of minutes before removing them with a spatula and placing them on cookie racks.

 Makes approximately two dozen cookies. Store cookies in an airtight tub or container, if there are any leftovers.

 

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Image/s: LAN/PAH photo – all rights reserved.

 

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15 funny quotations for Christmas cards

 

 Witty Words for Holiday Greetings

 Christmas cards may be an appropriate spot for including clever or comical holiday quotations. Quips, jokes and one-liners are popular inclusions in holiday greetings.

 

Here are 15 favorite funny quotations for Christmas cards and greetings.

 Some of these popular comedic Christmas quotations may sound familiar, while other may be new to some readers. Either way, these statements may provoke thought or inspiration, as well as a few Christmas chuckles. What a wonderful way to spread Christmas joy and raise folks’ spirits during the holidays.

 

What kinds of popular quotation make Santa (and others) chuckle?

Take your pick – for your own Christmas cards and greetings. Why not print your favorite funny Christmas quotations onto your holiday greeting cards, or include them as Christmas card inserts?

 NOTE: Written by this author, this copyrighted material originally appeared on another publisher’s site. That site no longer exists. This author holds all rights to this content. No republication is allowed without permission.

 These favorite funny Christmas quotations are listed here in alphabetical order (by author or speaker).

1.  “You can tell a lot about a person by the way they handle three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.” Maya Angelou, American Poet and Activist (1928 – 2014)
2.   “It's always consoling to know that today's Christmas gifts are tomorrow's garage sales.” Milton Berle, American Comedian (1908 – 2002)
3.   “Santa Claus has the right idea. Visit people once a year.” Victor Borge, Danish Comedian (1909 – 2000)
4.   “Mail your packages early, so the post office can lose them in time for Christmas.” Johnny Carson, American Comedian and Television Personality (1925 – 2005)
5.   “Christmas is a time when everybody wants his past forgotten and his present remembered.” Phyllis Diller, American Comedienne (1917 - 2012)
6.   “The Supreme Court has ruled that they cannot have a nativity scene in Washington, D.C. This wasn't for any religious reasons. They couldn't find three wise men and a virgin.”
7. Jay Leno, American Comedian and Television Personality (1950 -  )
8.   "I once bought my kids a set of batteries for Christmas with a note on it saying, ‘Toys not included.’" Bernard Manning, British Comedian (1930 – 2007)
9.   “You can’t fool me—there ain’t no Sanity Clause!” Chico Marx, American Comedian and Actor (1887 – 1961)
10.   “The one thing women don't want to find in their stockings on Christmas morning is their husbands.” Joan Rivers, American Comedienne (1933 – 2014)
11.   “I stopped believing in Santa Claus when I was six. Mother took me to see him in a department store, and he asked for my autograph.” Shirley Temple, American Actress (1928 – 2014)
12.   “Never worry about the size of your Christmas tree. In the eyes of children, they are all 30 feet tall.” Larry Wilde, American Comedian (1928 – 2023)
13.   “I love Christmas. I receive a lot of presents I can’t wait to exchange.” Henny Youngman, British-American Comedian (1906 – 1998)
14.   “What do you call people who are afraid of Santa Claus? Claustrophobic.” Author Unknown
15.   “Perhaps the best Yuletide decoration is being wreathed in smiles.” Author Unknown

 What is your favorite cute, clever, lighthearted or humorous Christmas quotation? Who said it? Why do you like that funny Christmas quote the most?

 Happy ha-ha-holidays!

 

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Image/s: public domain artwork

 

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