That shouldn’t be too surprising, considering McDonald’s is one of the largest fast-food chains in the world. But their menu actually isn’t what generates the company’s multi-billion dollar profits. The real best-seller? Real estate.

There are more than 36,000 McDonald’s locations worldwide, but only about 5 percent of them are company-owned. The rest are franchised out, meaning they’re run by individuals who McDonald’s has contracted to operate them. In those situations, the company only spends money on the real estate of that location. The franchise is responsible for all the costs of running the restaurant while also paying McDonald’s for rent (which adds up to an average of 10.7 percent of their sales), a $45,000 franchise fee and a monthly service fee equal to 4 percent of gross sales, Business Insider reports. With multiple means of collecting revenue at relatively minimal costs, it’s no wonder McDonald’s relies so heavily on franchises. In case you were curious, here are 17 things McDonald’s employees won’t tell you.

“We are not basically in the food business,” former McDonald’s CFO Harry J. Sonneborn reportedly told investors. “We are in the real estate business. The only reason we sell 15 cent hamburgers is because they are the greatest producer of revenue from which our tenants can pay us rent.”

Being able to hand off the costs of running the restaurants is a primary key to McDonald’s success. According to Wall Street Survivor, in 2014, the company made $27.4 billion in revenue, with $9.2 billion coming from franchised locations and $18.2 from company-owned locations. But after you factor in the total costs of running those locations, McDonald’s kept only 16 percent of the revenue from locations it owned directly compared to the 82 percent of the franchise-generated revenue.

So while you may spend money at McDonald’s on a Big Mac and fries, McDonald’s is spending money on prime real estate—and they’re lovin’ it. Check out the state with the largest number of McDonald’s locations.

More for McDonald’s Lovers

The post The Real Way McDonald’s Makes Their Money—It’s Not Their Food appeared first on Taste Recipes.

Used Coffee Grounds

All coffee drinkers know the struggles of cleaning out the ol’ coffee maker, unless you’ve given into the coffee-pods craze. Wet coffee grounds are a pain to clean, but don’t make that a job for your vacuum. They can clog pipes, ruin the motor and spurn mildew growth inside the machine. Instead, scoop up those coffee grounds and use them in your garden. Here are some things you can and can’t compost, including coffee. 

Wet Foods

Some kitchen spills can be cleaned with a vacuum, like sugar and salt. Others, like fresh produce, baked beans and potato salad, cannot. They can clog the vacuum just based on their size and damage the motor because of their moisture. What’s worse, the foods could spoil inside your vacuum and start to smell. You don’t want to be stuck cleaning up that mess. Did you know these cleaning mistakes can make your home dirtier?

Plant Debris

Dead leaves and flowers that fall off houseplants could easily clog your machine. Pick them up by hand instead. Check out what happened when one of our writers started composting at home. 

Fireplace Ash

Sucking up fireplace ash with a vacuum is basically the opposite of cleaning. The particles are so fine that they could get blown out the back of the machine and right into the air. You can turn to aluminum foil to help when cleaning your fireplace.

Construction Dust

Home renovations are a big undertaking, but don’t try to breeze through the cleanup with a vacuum. Like fireplace ash, construction debris is made up of fine particles that can burn out the motor or get released back into the air. Sweep it all up to keep your vacuum—and yourself—safe. On the flip side, here are some places you’re not vacuuming, but should be. 

Coins and Small Toys

These are things you probably wouldn’t vacuum up on purpose. That’s why it’s extra important for you to check your floors before you hit that power button, especially if you have young kids. Small objects that get sucked up could break into pieces, cut the bag or wreck the vacuum’s motor—or do all three.

Liquids

Vacuuming up liquids is dangerous, plain and simple. You could be electrocuted. At the very least, the machine will undergo certain damage. Investing in a wet/dry vacuum designed to handle these problems is one solution, but there are plenty of other ways to clean spilled liquid: a mop, almost any Swiffer product, paper towels, regular towels, washcloths—you get the idea. In the event you do break your vacuum, we’ll show you how to repair it yourself.

Electrical Cords

It may not seem like a big deal to quickly vacuum over a cord so you can get that hard-to-reach corner, but it is. The vacuum can break apart the cord’s exterior and eventually expose the dangerous wires inside. Cords for vacuums themselves are usually more heavy-duty, but they can suffer the same damage.

Makeup

Eyeshadow, bronzer, foundation, blush, even broken bits of lipstick—none of these things should ever go in your vacuum. They could melt inside the machine and cause serious damage. Here’s something else homeowners need to be mindful of: Never put these things down the garbage disposal.

Soil

When your family’s shoes bring outside dirt and soil inside your clean home, you may be tempted to get out the vacuum. Bad idea. You could stain your carpet and cause the particles to get embedded even deeper into the material. Wet soil could also cause problems for the motor.

Clumps of Hair

As someone with long, thick locks that shed constantly, I can honestly say vacuuming large amounts of hair just isn’t worth it. It clogs up the machine, and you’ll need to fish it all out just to make the vacuum work properly again. Save yourself time and extra effort by sweeping it up or, if it’s on a rug or carpet, just use your hands. These are the best vacuums for cleaning up pet fur. 

Shredded Paper

Vacuuming up heaps of shredded paper is just as bad as heaps of hair, leading to a clogged machine and a screwed-up motor. A broom is the best solution to this mess, unless the shredded paper is on a carpet, in which case you may just need to use your hands.

Large Pieces of Glass

Cleaning up broken glass is always a precarious situation, we get it. But copping out by doing the job with a vacuum can ruin the inside of your machine. Then you won’t be able to vacuum anything. Throw away big pieces by hand (wear thick gloves if you’re afraid of getting cut) or just sweep it all up. Don’t miss these genius cleaning tips from professional house cleaners.

The post 13 Things You Shouldn’t Try to Vacuum appeared first on Taste Recipes.

Mattresses

Walmart’s probably not the first place you’d think to look for a new bed, but that may change. The store recently launched AllswellHome.com to sell its own brand of affordable mattresses and designer-quality bedding. The memory foam mattress starts at just $345. The Allswell collection is only available online. Walmart employees know to buy mattresses there—here’s what else Walmart employees won’t tell you.

Televisions

Walmart sells refurbished TVs, meaning the TVs were returned to the store for one reason or another. In some cases, the product may have had a scratch or dent, or a customer may have returned it without using it or even opening the box. Those items can’t be sold as new, and you can pick up those refurbished TVs for as much as 40 percent off the original price.

Grocery pickup and delivery

Yes, Walmart has followed retailers like Amazon and joined the grocery delivery game. More than 50 locations offer delivery, and the store announced plans to expand delivery to 100 metropolitan areas by the end of the year, the New York Times reports. Customers can also order groceries online and pick them up curbside in more than 2,000 stores nationwide. That service is free, while delivery has a $9.95 fee with a $30 minimum purchase.

Name-brand food

While you’re making your grocery list for pickup or delivery, make sure you include products from brands like Quaker, General Mills and Kellogg’s, which Walmart offers deals on. Shopping expert Jonni McCoy told CBS News that she saves about 8 percent buying her favorite Yoplait yogurt at Walmart instead of a local grocery store chain. Have you heard about the new Walmart membership program?

Wine

You already knew that Trader Joe’s sells cheap wine, but now Walmart does, too! In summer 2018, the store launched Winemaker’s Selection, a collection of ten brands of wines from regions around the world, featuring sparkling rosé from France, Chianti from Italy and a Cabernet Sauvignon from Paso Robles in California. The best part? Each bottle only costs $10-16. The wines are currently for sale at 1,100 Walmart locations. You can also find quality wine that doesn’t break the bank at Aldi.

Tires

Buy tires at the same place you pick up a bottle of vino? You bet. Go Banking Rates reports that buying Goodyear tires at Walmart instead of Sears or discount tire stores can save you $5-10 per tire.

Cute clothes

No longer should you go to Walmart just to buy socks and plain white T-shirts. Ellen DeGeneres recently launched her own fashion line, EV1, sold exclusively at Walmart. The trendy collection includes sneakers, jeans and jean jackets, sweatshirts and shirts with positive messages like “Love” and “Dream.” All of these fun pieces are less than $30. Here’s why Costco is about to be your favorite clothing store.

Photo prints

Drugstores may not be the best place for printing photos after all. Walmart charges only $0.09 per 4×6 photo for home delivery and in-store pickup and $0.25 for one-hour pickup. Walgreens and CVS both charge $0.33 per 4×6 photo for same day pickup.

Party supplies

Whether you’re planning a birthday party or an office celebration, stop at Walmart before your usual party store. There are several $0.97 party essentials available in-store, from tablecloths to balloons to candles.

Office supplies

Pens, printer paper, envelopes and other office essentials will often cost less at Walmart than at Staples (as long as Staples isn’t having a sale, according to passionatepennypincher.com).

Basic furniture

Not only does the style of Walmart’s furniture range from classic to contemporary, but the prices rival even those at IKEA. Lindsay Sakraida of DealNews.com told Go Banking Rates that you can save almost half by furniture shopping at Walmart, and many items include free shipping. Check out these gorgeous kitchen items you can find at Walmart.

Camping gear

If you and your family are casual campers, save money by getting basic tents and air mattresses at Walmart. “We’ve found two-person tents at Walmart for $26 as well as eight-person family options for as low as $129. A shopper could easily pay three times that at a traditional camping store,” Sakraida told Go Banking Rates.

Towels

Move over, Bed Bath and Beyond. Walmart sells six-piece bath towel sets for under $10!

Starbucks coffee

It’s shocking, we know, but you can buy Starbucks coffee outside of a Starbucks coffee shop. A 12 oz. bag of most ground coffee flavors will cost you $7.99 at Target, but a dollar less at Walmart. Amazon has slightly cheaper prices, but in most cases, you either need to buy a six-pack of 12 oz. bags or subscribe to Prime Pantry, exclusively for Amazon Prime members.

Exercise equipment

Walmart surprisingly rivals other retailers when it comes to low prices on indoor exercise bikes, treadmills and ellipticals. A price comparison will show that buying an exercise machine on Amazon could cost anywhere from $30 to $100 more than buying the same product through Walmart.

Need more Walmart tips and tricks? Here are 10 things you might not know about your favorite store.

The post 15 Things You’re Not Buying from Walmart—but Should appeared first on Taste Recipes.

Society has long associated Christmas with this classic color combo. We’ve accepted green and red as the most festive way to decorate everything from homes to cookies. Yet we do so without any inkling of doubt. Sure, red and green make a lovely pair, but how did they become the official colors of Christmas?

The History of This Classic Christmas Color Combo

It actually started centuries ago, when the colors were used to commemorate a different holiday. Ancient Celtic peoples revered red- and green-colored holly plants for being evergreen and believed holly was meant to keep Earth beautiful during the dead of winter. So when they and other cultures celebrated the winter solstice, they decorated their homes with holly to bring protection and good luck to their families in the coming year.

Here are 9 surprising facts about the winter solstice.

The tradition of pairing red and green dates continued into the 14th century when the colors were used to paint medieval rood screens, which were partitions installed in churches to separate the congregation from the priest and the altar. Dr. Spike Bucklow, a research scientist at the University of Cambridge, speculates that this physical boundary could have influenced Victorians to associate the colors with a different boundary, marking the end of the old year and the beginning of a new one at Christmas.

The Recent History of Red and Green for Christmas

Despite these meaningful religious traditions, there’s one person we should thank for confirming red and green as Christmas colors: Haddon Sundblom. Never heard of him? He’s the guy that Coca-Cola hired to draw a Santa Claus for the company’s ads.

Until that point, artistic renditions of Santa were never consistent. He was usually a thin-looking guy, and his robes varied between blue, green, and red. Sundblom chose to make him fat and jolly, wearing red robes (and, interestingly enough, the same color as the Coke logo). As Arielle Eckstut, co-author of Secret Language of Color, told NPR, that creative decision made all the difference. Of course, the ads grew in popularity, and people came to know Sundblom’s Santa as “the real one.” “It solidified in our collective imaginations the red of Santa’s robes with the green of fir trees and holly and poinsettia that we already had in our minds,” she said.

It seems that the history of how red and green came to symbolize Christmas is a lot like the holiday itself: rooted in religious tradition, modernized by commercialism, and continued by spirits of joy and good cheer. Think about that the next time you see lights blinking bright red and green. Next, check out the history of 10 favorite Christmas traditions.

The post The Real Reason Why Christmas Colors Are Green and Red appeared first on Taste Recipes.

Refrigerator

Your fridge could make you sick if you don’t clean it every once in a while. NSF International swabbed 20 Michigan kitchens as part of its 2013 Household Germ Study, and two of the germiest places were the vegetable and meat compartments in refrigerators. First, unplug the fridge and empty it out. Toss old containers and expired food, and wipe everything down with multipurpose spray. Soak drawers in warm water and scrub them clean with dish soap.

Pillows

Yes, you can put down and fiberfill pillows in the washing machine. Wash two at a time following the instructions on the care label. Otherwise, warm water on a gentle cycle will do the trick. The same settings work for your comforter (which can also use a washing). Here are some other surprising things you can clean in your washing machine.

Windowsills and window tracks

It’s easy to tell when your windows are dirty, but windowsills and tracks often go unnoticed. Dust away any loose dirt and dead bugs (or use a vacuum with a brush attachment). Use a spray bottle of white vinegar to spray the area and let it sit for a minute. Wipe with paper towels and use Q-Tips for those hard-to-reach areas. Here are some more ways you can clean your home with vinegar.

Kitchen drawers and cabinets

It’s probably a good idea to keep the places you store all your food and dishes clean, right? Empty them out (preferably one at a time to avoid unnecessary clutter), toss expired food and wipe everything down. Before returning everything to its rightful place, see if there’s any dishware you haven’t used all year. It would probably be better off donated. Don’t miss these cleaning mistakes that can make your home dirtier.

Patio furniture

As the weather warms up, why not make sure your patio furniture looks good as new before you actually start using it? The best part: You only have to clean it once a year.

Garage

Organizing your garage is just as important as actually cleaning it. You’d be amazed how much stuff accumulates in there over time—and how much you actually don’t need.

Shower curtain

Soap scum and mildew stains are haunting your shower curtain, but it doesn’t take long to clean them. Make sure you’re not making these bathroom cleaning mistakes while you’re at it.

All the cards in your wallet

You use them almost every day, probably without thinking of how many times you touch them and how few times you’ve actually cleaned them (the answer: zero). A 2012 study found that one in 10 bank cards were contaminated with fecal matter. Wipe the card with a damp cloth or anti-bacterial wipe, then gently scrub the magnetic strip with an eraser.

Keys

Keys are another item you use daily, so they can definitely use a wash. To keep them clean and prevent rust, scrub with lemon and salt and rinse with dish soap. If they’re already rusty, soak them in a vinegar and water mixture for 20 minutes, rinse, then put them back in for another 30 minutes. This ensures the rust comes out completely.

Garbage bins

Their name implies that garbage bins are supposed to be dirty, but washing them out with a hose every once in a while will make taking out the trash a slightly less painful chore. Check out these cleaning secrets from the pros.

Doorknobs

They may not have as many germs as once thought, but think: Have you ever cleaned a doorknob or a drawer handle? Ever? Take a few minutes and wipe down the most touched knobs in your house. Here are 19 hidden places in your home that you haven’t thought to clean.

Area rugs

Vacuuming rugs is easy enough to remember, but lift them up and you’ll find a whole lot of dirt and dust hiding in plain sight. By the way, these are the items you shouldn’t clean with a Swiffer.

Small appliances

This includes microwaves, toasters, blenders, coffee pots and any other small cooking appliances in the kitchen. Give each one a thorough cleaning, then be sure to clean underneath them as well.

Toys

Your child’s rubber ducky is a sneakily perfect location for mold. Take necessary precautions to prevent and remove mold on any bath toys. For that large bin of dolls and plastic trains, enlist your kids to help. Spend an afternoon going through toy bins, separating ones they want to keep and ones to donate, and clean each toy before putting it back.

Computer and TV screens

First things first: Make sure your devices are turned off and cooled off before you start cleaning. Wipe away dust and loose dirt with a soft cloth. Dip that cloth into a solution equal parts water and isopropyl alcohol and wring it out (it should be damp, but not wet). Gently wipe the screen and dry with a second cloth.

Reusable grocery and laundry bags

Think of all the places these bags have been: the floor, the trunk of your car, the kitchen counter, the table at the Laundromat. It’s time to give them a good cleaning. Take a look at these tips for getting the nice and clean.

Reusable water bottles

You’re helping the environment. You’re staying hydrated. Now use your reusable water bottle to stay healthy and add it to your next load of dirty dishes. Don’t miss these other surprising things you can put in your dishwasher.

The post 17 Things Everyone Forgets to Clean—But Shouldn’t appeared first on Taste Recipes.

It all started with the Romans and their dessert, satura, which was a mixture of barley mash, dried raisins, pine nuts, pomegranate seeds and honeyed wine. This is considered the earliest form of fruitcake. Check out these Christmas traditions that deserve a comeback.

Eventually, the idea of putting fruit and nuts into batter spread into Europe. The English began making plum cakes—here, the word “plum” refers to any type of dried fruit—which were also called Christmas cakes. In Victorian England, they became a decadent staple at weddings and holiday gatherings, and since the ingredients weren’t cheap, simply eating it was an occasion in itself. There’s no proof that Americans borrowed this tradition and opted to only eat the cake on the holiday for which it’s named, but it seems likely. Learn more about these holiday traditions you’ll want to adopt.

As for the bad reputation that fruitcake has today, commercialism may be the culprit. Smithsonian Magazine reports that mass-produced mail-order fruitcakes became available in the early 20th century. Until then, people relied on tried-and-true recipes from family and friends. But when those dry, packaged fruitcakes hit markets and mailboxes, the public was probably less than pleased.

Turn a few people into fruitcake believers by making one of these oh-so-delicious fruitcake recipes.

[Source: The New York Times, The Daily Meal, Smithsonian Magazine]

The post This Is Why We Eat Fruitcake During the Holidays appeared first on Taste Recipes.

Broccoli

We bet your mom always told you to eat your broccoli when you were a kid (whose mom didn’t?), but she may not have told you that it’s better to eat it raw than cooked. Broccoli contains high amounts of the phytochemical sulforaphane, which helps prevent cancer, heart disease, inflammation, depression and more harmful health conditions. A 2008 study published in the Journal of Agricultural Food and Chemistry showed that our bodies absorb sulforaphane more quickly when we eat broccoli raw instead of cooked. Another study from 2009 also found that cooking broccoli in a variety of ways, including microwaving, boiling and stir-frying, decreased the veggie’s vitamin C levels. If you can’t stand the thought of raw broccoli, try steaming it. Here are 20+ broccoli recipes you won’t be able to get enough of.

Onions

Onions are loaded with health benefits, including cancer-fighting ones, thanks to high concentrations of the flavonoid quercetin. “When eaten raw, you maximize on [onions’] cancer-fighting properties,” says Ashley Walter, nutritionist and chef of Living with Ashley. “Cooking reduces the benefits of the phytochemicals in onions that fights against cancers.” What’s more, onions are in the allium family of vegetables, which means they contain antiplatelet agents that can prevent cardiovascular disease. A 2012 study found that when raw onions were heated in an oven, those heart-healthy properties completely disappeared in 30 minutes or less, depending on whether the onions were whole, quartered or crushed. This is the easiest way to chop an onion. Have raw potatoes at home? Here, find out if it is safe to eat raw potatoes.

Garlic

Like onions, garlic is an allium vegetable that also has antiplatelet agents, but that means its properties that fight cardiovascular disease are also affected by heat. A 2007 study found that heating garlic at 390ºF for six minutes completely suppressed antiplatelet activity in uncrushed garlic and significantly reduced it in crushed garlic. There’s another health benefit to using raw garlic: “Studies show that heat inactivates the alliinase enzyme,” registered dietitian nutritionist Nancy Woodbury, MA, MS, RD, LD/N, tells Reader’s Digest. “Boiling garlic for 20 minutes completely suppressed antibacterial activity, and only one minute of microwave heat destroyed 100 percent of its cancer-fighting ability. Crushing garlic and allowing it to sit 10 minutes before heating it partially restored its anticarcinogenic power, but the cooked garlic was still 30 percent less potent than raw garlic.”

Blueberries

You probably already know that blueberries are healthy for you, but do you know just how healthy? “Blueberries contain more antioxidants than any other fruit, largely due to the high amounts of polyphenols,” Julie Joffrion, a fitness nutrition specialist at All Inclusive Health, tells Reader’s Digest. Eating them raw ensures you get all of those benefits. Research published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry shows that processing blueberries, through baking, cooking or proofing (when dough rises before cooking), does decrease some of their polyphenol levels. Here are some amazing salad recipes that put raw blueberries to work.

Red bell peppers

Roasted peppers are a quick, easy addition to any meal, but you may just want to eat those veggies raw. Red bell peppers are a great source of vitamin C, and heat can destroy vitamin C, according to the National Institutes of Health. Don’t miss these food myths that are wildly untrue.

Kale

A cruciferous vegetable, kale contains compounds called glucosinolates, and when they come into contact with the enzyme myrosinase, they turn into a different, disease-fighting compound. However, heat inactivates myrosinase, so your cooked kale doesn’t have the same disease-fighting properties that a raw kale salad does.

Beets

This may come as a surprise to some, but yes, you can eat beets raw. In fact, they’re actually a bit healthier for you that way. Beets contain high levels of fiber, folate (a form of vitamin B9), vitamin C, and manganese—however: “Cooked beets lose 25 percent of their folate and other vitamins and minerals,” says Rebecca Park, a registered nurse in New York City and creator of RemediesForMe.com. Try shaving the root veggie onto salads for a pop of color, or create your own raw beet salad with other raw vegetables or citrus fruit. Here are 14 more foods you could be eating wrong.

Pineapple

Grilled pineapple may be an exotic addition to any barbecue menu, but eating it could deprive you of important health benefits, says acupuncturist and natural healer Elizabeth Trattner. A 2010 study found that fresh pineapple juice was more effective at decreasing inflammation and colonic neoplasia (an abnormal growth of tissue around the colon) in mice with colitis than boiled pineapple juice; researchers attribute this to the fresh juice’s high levels of the enzyme bromelain, which helps reduce swelling. While this study was only conducted on mice, a medical review published in 2017 showed that “bromelain equals non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs as an anti-inflammatory agent, but has been shown to have fewer side effects” in human patients as well. Dr. Trattner also says eating raw pineapple helps reduce swelling and bruising in her patients after they’ve had surgery.

The post 8 Foods You Should Be Eating Raw appeared first on Taste Recipes.

Turn marshmallows into frosting

Ran out of frosting? Don’t waste time and money running to the store. Marshmallows, if you have them handy, make a creative and easy icing fix. Dip one side of your marshmallows (mini ones work best) in water so they don’t slide off, then plop a few on each cookie when they have three to five minutes left to bake. Once they start to melt but aren’t too runny, take the cookies out and spread your “homemade” frosting with a spoon. Make sure the marshmallows don’t turn brown, or else they won’t spread easily. Add these favorite Christmas cookie recipes to your repertoire.

Spice up pre-made dough

Using store-bought cookie dough to make Christmas cookies isn’t cheating if you add a personal touch. Take premade sugar cookie dough and let it soften. Then, sprinkle in any flavor you’re craving: cinnamon, orange zest, almond extract, vanilla extract, nuts, pure peppermint extract, white chocolate chips, butterscotch chips. Your guests will never know the difference. Here are a few common baking mistakes you might not know you’re making.

Dip everything in chocolate

The easiest way to take an ordinary cookie and make it instantly more appealing? Dip it in chocolate. This hack works with any type of cookie you make because, well, it’s chocolate. Add a dash of peppermint extract to give your dip a hint of Christmas. By the way, these are the best chocolate chips you can get at the grocery store.

Tackle two recipes with one dough

Cousin Nancy wants cookies; Aunt Lorraine wants pie, but you certainly don’t have time to make both. Making pie crust takes a lot of time and patience, so store-bought cookie dough can be swapped in for an easier alternative. Simply press the softened dough into a pie dish, bake it, then add your favorite no-bake fillings like cream or fruit. When you’re done with the sweet stuff, make one of these recipes for delicious appetizers for Christmas.

Make a buttermilk or sour cream alternative

If your recipe calls for a cup of buttermilk or sour cream—but they’re nowhere to be found in your fridge—take 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice, then add enough milk to equal 1 cup. For other quick fixes for missing ingredients, check out these other ways to make buttermilk out of pantry staples.

Keep your cookies soft

No one likes a dry, hard cookie (especially not Santa Claus). To ensure maximum cookie freshness, store them in a container with a slice of white bread, half of an apple, or an orange peel. The cookies will absorb that moisture, keeping them softer longer. Here are other storage tricks to make your food last longer.

No rolling pin? No problem

Wine and liquor bottles make great substitutes for rolling pins. Just wipe them down, dry them completely and cover them in flour like you would a normal rolling pin. You can also wrap the bottle in parchment paper to be extra sanitary. Check out these other ways you can put old bottles to use.

Don’t let sticky ingredients stick to measuring cups

Many Christmas cookie recipes call for ingredients like honey, syrup, or molasses. An easy fix to a sticky measurement mess is spraying the measuring cups with a non-stick spray first. You’ll get more accurate measurements, and cleaning up will be a breeze. Here are some easy Christmas cookie recipes you’ll love.

Measure your flour properly

Scooping flour directly from a bag can leave you with inaccurate measurements. Instead, spoon your flour into a dry measuring cup and scrape any excess off with a knife. Here’s how to correctly measure other cookie ingredients.

Substitute chocolate with pantry ingredients

If you ever find yourself short on chocolate, try this alternative. For every 1 ounce you need, substitute 3 tablespoons of baking cocoa plus 1 tablespoon of shortening or vegetable oil. Here are 9 easy ways to decorate your Christmas cookies.

Stay away from cold butter

Here’s a little baking secret: room temperature butter makes your cookies chewier. Leave the amount you need out on a plate for about 30 minutes before you start baking. It will mix better with dry ingredients and help the cookie dough to hold its shape while it bakes. Forgot to pull the butter out of the fridge? Check out these ways to soften butter quickly.

Flour your cookie cutters

When it comes to making cutout gingerbread or sugar cookies, the dough often sticks to the cutter and deforms what you’re trying to create. Talk about a cooking disaster. Flouring your cookie cutters before each use lets the dough slice easily and keep its shape once it’s placed on the cookie sheet. Then, find out the favorite Christmas cookie in every state.

Chill your dough

Chilling your dough at least four hours before baking makes it easier to work with. This also enhances its flavor, especially the butter, because all of the ingredients have had time to meld together. Adding in this extra prep time can seem like a pain, but you’ll thank yourself when you have the most savory cookies.

Make a frosting pipette out of a sandwich bag

Decorating your cookies has never been easier, thanks to sandwich baggies. Fill the bag with icing, snip off the corner, and you have a homemade pipette. The bigger the hole, the thicker the frosting. Next, don’t miss these Christmas cookie recipes you can make ahead of time.

The post 14 Christmas Cookie Baking Hacks to Help You Win the Holiday Season appeared first on Taste Recipes.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with Costco’s milk. It comes at a fair price, and it tastes no different from milk sold at other stores. The problem is with the packaging. Many Costco locations sell their milk in square-shaped plastic jugs, which are apparently incredibly difficult to pour without spilling. This concern has made its way across the Internet, including on Reddit discussion boards, and customers around the country all share the same frustration.

“Those square milk jugs are horrible,” Seattle-based blogger Rachel Teodoro told MONEY. “I’m a grown woman who has a college degree and I cannot pour the milk without spilling it.”

Since the packaging for Costco’s milk varies depending on the region and supplier, your local Costco may not even sell these cumbersome milk jugs. But if it does, you may want to consider going to another grocery store that sells traditional jugs that aren’t spill-prone. Costco milk prices are comparable to other national grocery stores, anyway. Here’s how to crack the secret code on your milk jug.

Of course, for every product you avoid getting at Costco, there are even more that you should definitely keep an eye out for. Check out the 15 things you aren’t buying at Costco—but should.

Watch: Grocery Store Tips You Need to Know

Here are 10 more secret grocery store tips every smart shopper should know.

The post Why You Might Not Want to Buy Your Milk from Costco appeared first on Taste Recipes.