Sticky Tupperware and other hints...

In my 16 years with Tupperware I was often asked about what to do with stained or sticky Tupperware. Here are my best ideas!

Prevent staining to begin with. If you have a Tupperware container that had sauce or something else that would stain in it, BEFORE you wash the container wipe it out with a paper towel and then rinse in COLD water - never hot. Hot water will set the stain. Once it has been wiped out and rinsed you can go ahead and wash it in hot soapy water.

Get rid of stains!

• If you have an automatic dishwasher, chances are you don't have stains on your Tupperware because the detergent contains bleach.
• There is a product called "Plastic Booster" that you put into the bottom of your dishwasher before running the wash. This also helps eliminate stubborn stains.
• If all else fails, or if you don't have a dishwasher then there are two tactics.

1. Fill the sink with hot water and a 1/4 of bleach. Put in the Tupperware and let it soak. After soaking wash with warm soapy water. This will work for stickiness.
2. For stubborn stains there is one FREE solution that is absolutely the best - the SUN! Simply put your stained piece on your patio or wherever you get a lot of strong sun, let it sit for a day or two and your stain should be gone.

Odors in your Tupperware? Simply crumple up some black and white newspaper, put it inside the container, seal and let it sit for a day or two. The odors will be gone.

Top 10 Tupperware Products - Tupperware Quick Shake

I will be posting about my favorite Tupperware products - here is the first one!

1. Tupperware Quick Shake - You will find that in your kitchen you'll be using this for EVERYTHING and you'll be wondering how you ever lived without it!

I bought my first one when I was 23 so that I could mix up Kahlua Sombreros!

As I have grown and my life has changed I have found that this is the ONE item I could not live without.

When I had babies, I used the Quick Shake to mix formula and my own diet drinks - not at the same time!

When I began entertaining at the holidays I found it is the BEST gravy mixer anywhere.

Today it is used almost daily in my home.

• My 18 year old son uses it to mix his energy drinks


• my 11 year old daughter uses it to mix pudding


• my 6 year old daughter likes to have her chocolate milk mixed in it


• I use it for anything that needs to be mixed up in small amounts - like salad dressings, marinades, eggs etc.

The quick shake container has a 2 cup capacity with the markings in ounces and fractions of cups clearly marked on the sides (it is a great learning tool for teaching kids fractions). It has a domed seal with a flip top. The seal is liquid tight so you can shake without spills then simply pour out of the flip top. There is a mixer inside (the secret) that aids in the mixing of whatever you put in there as well as adding a nice foamy touch to drinks.

Other not so common uses for the quick shake

Home made whipped cream - use 1 cup of heavy cream, 2 teaspoons of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Make sure the whipper is in place, seal and hand to your kids. Let them shake and shake until the whipped cream is ready. This really keeps kids busy and gives them a great treat - so much better than cool whip!

Egg Salad - Peel 2 boiled eggs and place in Quick Shake with mixer and seal in place. Shake. The result will be perfectly chopped eggs for your egg salad sandwich!

Eggs for camping. Cut out the middle man and crack the eggs BEFORE you leave home! The quick shake will hold 10 large eggs already cracked. Be sure to remove the whipper and keep with your other camping utensils - store the container with the eggs in your cooler. For breakfast you can open the flip top and pour out one egg at a time! It really works! You get one egg yolk and the white out of the top at a time! By the last few eggs you'll see that they are trying to mix together so simply put in the whipper, add some milk and shake - you can now make scrambled eggs!

eBay Search Results

Here are some different recipes for the quick shake:

Mint Yogurt Dressing

1/4 cup plain yogurt

½ cup mayonnaise

2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint *

In the Quick Shake, combine all ingredients. Shake well. Refrigerate for several hours to blend flavors.

Spiced Fruit Dressing

½ cup vanilla yogurt

2 tablespoons light mayonnaise

1 teaspoon honey

1/4 teaspoon cardamom

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

* Combine all ingredients in Quick Shake. Mix well. Refrigerate for several hours to blend flavors.

Poppy Seed Dressing

1/3 cup sugar

2 tablespoons vinegar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon dry mustard

½ cup vegetable oil

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

*Mix all ingredients until smooth and emulsified . Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Cappuccino Shake

1 cup milk

1 envelope of Maxwell House Cappuccino

vanilla

1 scoop vanilla ice cream, softened

*Place all ingredients in Quick Shake and shake until smooth. Top with your favorite scoop of ice cream if desired.

Citrus Squirt

*1 cup orange juice

½ cup grapefruit juice

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

1 1/4 cups sparkling bottled water

*Combine juices and syrup in Quick Shake and blend. Just before serving, stir in sparkling water.

Banana Berry Fruit Smoothie

1 medium ripe banana

1 container (8 oz) of strawberry yogurt

1 can (6 oz) unsweetened pineapple juice (3/4 cup)

*Mash the banana. Add all ingredients in Quick Shake and shake well.

Apricot-Berry Blush

½ cup apricot nectar

½ cup cranberry juice I

ce and lemon slices

*Combine apricot nectar and juice. Shake well in Quick Shake. Pour over ice and garnish with lemon slice.

Potatoes - save money and time

Cooking meals for your family using fresh ingredients not only saves money on your grocery bill, but it also gives your family wonderful flavorful meals that aren't filled with artificial ingredients, too much salt and preservatives.

Take a walk down the freezer aisle and you'll see that there isn't much that companies won't cook and sell to us as a convenience. When it comes to groceries, there are two choices. Either convenient or inexpensive - the two rarely meet.

Here are some ideas for you, for a favorite staple - POTATOES!! Especially for all of us who are strapped for time.

Potatoes - save money by purchasing fresh potatoes in 5 or 10 pound packages, save time by peeling the entire bag once. Now they are ready to prepare for each meal.

What you'll need:
5 or 10 pound bag of potatoes
peeler (I prefer the Tupperware peeler, it is the best I have ever used)
cutting board
large bowl filled with cold water (I recommend the Tupperware Thatsa Bowl)

Wash and peel the entire bag of potatoes, place peeled potatoes in cold water. Seal bowl and place in the refrigerator.

Your potatoes will stay fresh all week and so much easier to prepare now that you've peeled them.

Meal time:

Mashed potatoes :

Dice your potatoes into 1" cubes, place in pan on top of stove and bring to a boil. Continue cooking until a fork will pierce the potatoes easily. For flavor, put in fresh diced onion or dried minced onion when you start the potatoes cooking.

Drain potatoes in colander then immediately put back into the pot - do not rinse.

Not for the faint of heart here, but this is how I make my potatoes...for 10 potatoes I add in one whole stick of margarine. For 5 potatoes I add in 1/2 stick etc. Smash the potatoes together with the margarine until the margarine is melted and the potatoes are all mashed. For creamy potatoes I add half and half but milk will do. Slowly add liquid and whip potatoes with a hand whipper until you get the consistency you desire. Please I am begging you - do not use a mixer or electric whipper - you'll end up with glue! A hand whipper will take about 30 seconds and you won't have lumps providing you cooked the potatoes thoroughly.

Leftover mashed potatoes? Not a problem - FREEZE THEM!! For goodness sakes, all the food companies are willing to sell us their factory made mashed potatoes - filled with preservatives. You CAN freeze your own! To reheat microwave on high a few minutes at a time and stir in between. They will taste just as good as when you first made them! The best freezing option is to put them into a container that will go from freezer directly to the microwave. I recommend Tupperware Rock N Serve Containers. They are airtight to keep your food fresh while frozen, then simply rock open the vent and place in the microwave for reheating. The same container can go directly onto your table for serving! The Rock N Serve containers have feet on the bottom that allow for airflow in the freezer, even heating in your microwave and then act as a built in trivet when you put them on your table!

Roasted Potatoes - EASY and delicious!!

Dice potatoes into 1" cubes, place in microwave safe container with a cover (I recommend Tupperware Rock N Serve Containers). Add 1/4 cup vegetable oil and one packet of Lipton Onion Soup mix. Shake. Microwave on high for 10 minutes. You can serve them now...but if you like them crunchy which my family does, you can put them into the oven. Place cooked potatoes on cookie sheet and bake at 400 for about 15 minutes. Done!

Jel Ring Mold Recipes - AKA more uses for the Tupperware Jel Ring Mold than you EVER thought possible!

Jell-O No Bake Cheesecake

1 Box Jell-O No Bake Cheesecake
8 Oz. Pkg. Cream Cheese
1 Can Pie Filling, Cherry or Blueberry (or use the pkg. from the box mix)

Prepare crust as per box directions. Prepare filling as per box directions and add cream cheese. Take Jel-Ring Mold and make sure insert is sealed in place. Spread pie filling around bottom of mold. Spread cheesecake filling around on top of pie filling. Spread crust mixture on top of that. Seal and refrigerate 1 hour. Take seal off, invert onto plate or tray. Release middle seal and the cherries will start to drain down the sides.

Hawaiian Jell-O

1 Cup Hot Water
16 Oz. Sour Cream
6 Oz. Pkg. Raspberry Jell-O
20 Oz. Can Pineapple-Undrained

Dissolved Jell-O powder in hot water. Whisk in sour cream, add pineapple (with juice). Pour into Jel-Ring mold and chill 2-3 hours.

Club Sandwich

1 Loaf of Square Sandwich Bread (crusts cut off)
Mayonnaise
Mustard
Vinegar
Dressing
Lettuce
Onions
Pickles
Olives
Cheese
Meats - ham, turkey, bologna, salami (about 2-3 Pkgs.)
Anything else you like on sandwiches.
You will be making 2-3 layers of all the ingredients above.
Place bread slices around bottom of the mold. Press into the grooves, corners will overlap. Layer the ingredients above in order, on top of bread. Press each layer down. Repeat layers again starting with bread, pressing as you go. Depending on thickness of layers, you may be able to get one more layer. End with a layer of bread. Seal and refrigerate for ½ an hour.

Rice Krispies Treat Wreath

Prepare 1 and a half recipes for Rice Krispie Treats (before mixing in cereal, add a few drops of food coloring appropriate to the holiday). Place large seal on Jel-Mold. Spray with Pam, mix Rice Krispie Treat recipe and press into mold. Fill Jel-Mold solid with Rice Krispie Treats. Seal and let cool about 30-45 minutes. Invert onto tray.
Variations:
** Valentine's Day - Take the treat and push in the top and pull on the bottom to form a heart. Red food coloring, red hots or conversation hearts for decoration. Drizzle with melted chocolate on top.
** Easter - Place candy in the center and mashmallow bunnies and chicks with jelly beans around the outside.
** Halloween - Make 2 and place one upside down then the other right side up on top of each other to make a pumpkin (orange food coloring). Then die small amount of treats green and place in the insert for a stem and place on top. Can use black licorice to make a face.
** Christmas - Use green food coloring in the treats and red M&M's or red hots for berries. Red show licorice to tie a bow on the bottom.


Rainbow Jell-O Mold

3 Small Boxes Jell-O (various colors/flavors)
Boiling Water
Vanilla Ice Cream

Dissolve one small package Jell-O in 1 cup boiling water. Add one cup vanilla ice cream. Stir until melted, pour into Jel-Ring mold. Set in refrigerator 30 minutes. Repeat steps with new layers and colors every 30 minutes. Leave to set in refrigerator for at least 3 hours before serving.

Jell-O Salad Mold

2 Small Boxes Raspberry Jell-O
1 Cup Applesauce
½ Cup Cold Water
2 Cups Boiling Water
1 10 Oz. Pkg. Frozen Raspberries, thawed
½ Cup Chopped Nuts

Dissolve Jell-O in boiling water, add remaining ingredients. Pour into Jel-Ring mold and refrigerate to set.


Creamsicle Jell-O

2 3 Oz. Pkg. Jell-O
2 Cups Hot Water
2 Cups Vanilla Ice Cream, Softened
3 Ice Cubes

In bowl, put in Jell-O powder and add boiling water and mix well. Add ice cubes and mix slowly until ice melts. Add softened ice cream and chop up into little pieces into Jell-O mixture. Pour into Jel-Ring mold, seal completely and place in freezer for about one hour. To unmold: place serving plate in freezer 20 minutes before serving to chill. Remove large seal from mold, place plate over mold and flip over onto plate. Pour 1 cup hot water
into center space of mold for about 10 seconds and remove very slowly.


Low-Fat Strawberry Shortcake

1 Pkg. Frozen Strawberries, thawed
2-3 Cups Cubed Angel Food Cake or Pound Cake
1 Large Pkg. Sugar-Free Strawberry Jell-)
Spread strawberries evenly on bottom of Jel-Ring mold. Add cubed cake pieces. Prepare Jell-O according to directions then pour over cake/strawberries. Chill for at least 24 hours. Invert mold onto 10" Cake Taker tray. Fill center with low fat whipped cream and garnish with fresh strawberries.

Strawberry Angel Food Cake

Fresh Strawberries
Angel Food Cake (prepared with hold in center)
Lg. Box of Strawberry Jell-O (can be sugar free)

Place strawberries in bottom of Jel-Ring mold. Mix Jell-O according to directions on box (except instead of 2 cups hot and 2 cups cold, just use 2 cups hot and 1 cup cold). Pour mixed Jell-O on top of strawberries. Carefully put angel food cake down into the mold on top of the strawberries and Jell-O (do it slowly so that the Jell-O does not spill over the top). The cake will absorb the Jell-O liquid as a sponge. Seal and chill overnight. When
you turn over onto a plate, only the strawberries will be glazed and you will have a pink, moist angel food cake.


Twinkie Dessert

1 Box Twinkies, cut in half the long & short way (4 pieces)
2 10 Oz. Pkgs. of Strawberries, thawed

Place sliced Twinkies into each groove, inside and out. Spoon strawberries in between Twinkies. Seal and freeze for ½ an hour. Invert onto plate or tray. Slice and serve with whipped cream.


Punch Ice Ring

Fill with pre-made punch and slices of fruit (lemons, limes, oranges). Freeze solid. Add to your punch bowls as decoration.


Banana Ice Cream Cake

Slice bananas to fit top to bottom of Jel-Ring mold. Place in grooves around the outside edge of the mold. Place nuts in bottom of ring if desired. Fill halfway with ice cream. Level off and put in a layer of crumbled cookies or nuts, caramel or chocolate sauce. Fill remainder with ice cream. Seal and freeze for at least 24 hours. Invert onto plate, release inner seal. Slice and serve with chocolate, pineapple and strawberry toppings and
whipped cream.

Deviled Egg Mold

1 Pkg. Gelatin Powder
½ Cup Water
1 Tsp. Salt
1 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
¼ Tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
1/8 Tsp. Cayenne Pepper
¾ Cup Mayonnaise
1 ½ Tsp. Onion, grated
½ Cup Celery, finely chopped
¼ Cup Bell Pepper, grated
¼ Cup Pimentos, chopped
4 Eggs, hard boiled and chopped
12 Oz. Black Olives
12 Oz. Spanish Olives
Crackers

In small saucepan, sprinkle gelatin on water to soften. Place saucepan over low heat and stir until gelatin dissolves. Remove from heat. Add salt, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and pepper. Cool. Stir in mayonnaise. Fold in onion, celery, bell pepper, pimentos and eggs. Pour into Jel-Ring mold. Chill until firm. Dip into warm water. Place serving tray on top of mold and turn over. Shake mold to remove. Fill center with olives and place
crackers around base.


Lime Jell-O Mold

4 Cups Hot Water
2 Small Pkgs. Lime Jell-O
24 Marshmallows (mini's)
1 Large Can Crushed Pineapple
½ Pint Whipping Cream
1 Cup Chopped Nuts

Dissolve Jell-O in water. Add marshmallows and melt in saucepan over low heat on stove. Let cool until thick. Add pineapple, drained. Whip cream and fold in above mixture. Add nuts and let cool.


Jell-O Veggie

1 Large Pkg. Lemon Jell-O
½ Cup Finely Grated Carrots
½ Cup Finely Cut Half Moon Shaped Celery
½ Cup Small Green Peas
1 Tsp. Vinegar

Dissolve Jell-O per instructions (for firmer Jell-O omit ¼ cup water). Add 1 teaspoon vinegar when Jell-O starts to firm up, fold in veggies. Place small sprigs of celery leaves on top for garnish, or parsley.


Sparkling Sunshine Mold

2 Pkgs. (3 Oz. Each) sparkling Mandarin Orange Gelatin
1 ¼ Cups Boiling Water
2 Cups Cold Lemon-Flavored Club Soda or Seltzer
1 Can (11 Oz.) Mandarin Oranges, Drained
1 Large Red Ruby Grapefruit, peeled, sectioned and coarsely chopped
1 8 Oz. Container Lemon Yogurt
Mandarin Oranges and Mint Leaves for Garnish, optional

Apply inner seal to Jel-Ring Mold. Spray mold with non-stick cooking spray. Wipe out any excess with a paper towel. In bowl, place gelatin; stir in boiling water and continue to stir until gelatin is completely dissolved, about 2 minutes. Refrigerate 15 minutes. Gently stir in club soda. Measure 2 cups of mixture into another bowl and refrigerate until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Gently stir in oranges and grapefruit. Spoon into
mold. Refrigerate until set but not firm, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, refrigerate remaining gelatin until slightly thickened. Gently stir in yogurt. Spoon onto set gelatin in mold. Apply storage seal and chill until mold is firm, about 4 hours. To serve, remove mold from refrigerator and let stand at room temperature 15 minutes. Immense sealed mold in warm water 20-30 seconds. Remove storage seal. Place serving plate over mold and invert
onto plate. Slowly peal off inner seal in a circle and carefully pull upwards. Lift off ring mold slowly.

Ribbon Jell-O

1 Small Box Cherry Jell-O
1 Small Box Blueberry Jell-O
1 Small Box White Grape Jell-O
1 16 Oz. Container Sour Cream

Mix cherry Jell-O according to mold directions on package. Pour into Jel-Ring Mold and chill until firm, approximately 20-30 minutes. Mix white grape Jell-O with 1 cup boiling water. Mix with 2/3 cup sour cream. Pour over top of semi-set first layer. Chill for approximately 20-30 minutes. Mix blueberry Jell-O according to mold directions on package. Pour over top of other two layers. Chill until set. Remove from mold and serve cold

About Me

I am a work at home mom. I have 3 children, a great husband, I live in New Hampshire and I have been involved in Direct Sales for 18 years.



I started in Direct Sales as a Tupperware Consultant in 1990. I was pregnant with my first child and didn't want to put him in daycare for 10-12 hours a day after he was born. I looked into many different ways of being able to stay home AND make money because I had bills...and Tupperware seemed to be a good solution.



Why Tupperware? An excellent reputation - when you say Tupperware people recognize that their products are top quality. And I have to admit, I was intrigued by the whole organization thing. Looking inside a Tupperware catalog made me visualize myself in my own kitchen where everything had a place and everything was in its place! It is STILL a goal!

So, after 16 years with Tupperware doing thousands of parties, recruiting hundreds of consultants and leading a team with sales of over 1.6 Million a year in our best year...I decided to retire. Since I retired two years ago I have worked with a start up company helping them to build and train a new sales force and I have started a new Direct Sales business as a VP with a jewelry company.

What does it all come down to? I have so many years of ideas and training and recipes and hints...all in my head and on my computer! I know that today people will still say that they haven't seen Tupperware for YEARS and certainly haven't seen a Tupperware Consultant! I hope to share all of these things with you as well as my love of the product. Fair accurate reviews of the products and different ideas for using them!

Remember - Tupperware products have 101 uses at least!

I hope you enjoy my blog. Please be sure to post your comments and share your ideas or your experiences with me and with my readers. Product reviews are welcome too!