Opera Cake

20.7.13 (Sat)

One of my church buddies asked if I know how to bake an Opera cake..well, I can try since I have the recipe..Hubby doesn't really like Opera cake because of the taste and texture..but he commented that the Opera cake I baked was nice..hehe.

Opera cake is a type of French cake. It is made with layers of almond sponge cake (known as Joconde in French) soaked in coffee syrup, layered with ganache and coffee buttercream, and covered in a chocolate glaze. According to Larousse Gastronomique "Opéra gateau is an elaborate almond sponge cake with a coffee and chocolate filling and icing."

First attempt, not really satisfying, as you can see from the picture, chocolate ganache not well done, and the whole baking process was really tedious, need lots of patience.

Ingredients

Almond cake

4 egg yolks

25g honey

25g vegetable oil

4 egg whites

60g caster sugar

20g soft flour

10g corn starch

1/2 tsp baking powder

50g ground almond

Hazelnut cake

4 egg yolks

25g honey

25g vegetable oil

4 egg whites

60g caster sugar

20g soft flour

10g corn starch

1/2 tsp baking powder

50g ground hazelnut

 

***On the cake part, I followed the sponge cake method, and added 2 tbsp of ground hazelnut.

Coffee butter cream

100g butter

25g icing sugar

1/2 tsp coffee essence

50g whipped cream

***Instead of coffee essence (which I don't have), I used my 3-in-1 coffee powder, and didn't really have much coffee taste..so I guessed next round, gotta use the essence

Chocolate cream

120g whipped cream

5g rum (optional)

100g dark chocolate (melted)

50g whipped cream

Chocolate ganache

100g semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, cut into pieces

90ml heavy whipping cream

15g unsalted butter

Methods

1. Almond/Hazelnut cake: Whisk egg yolks, honey and vegetable oil until fluffy. Mix soft flour, corn starch, baking powder and almond/hazelnut well. Whisk egg whites and sugar until stiff peak. Fold in egg yolks mixture. Fold in powder mixture. Pour into tray and bake at preheated oven at 180C for 10-15mins. (if you are using the sponge cake method, plz follow the link above)

2. Coffee cream: Cream butter and icing sugar. Add coffee essence and fold in cream.

3. Chocolate cream: Mix all the ingredients together.

4. Chocolate ganache: Placed the chopped chocolates in a heatproof bowl. Set aside. Heat the cream and butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring just to boil. Immediately pour the boiling cream over the chocolates and allow to stand, without stirring, for a few minutes. Stir gently with a spoon or whisk until smooth.

5. Assembly: Cut cake into 4 slices (2 slices each for almond/hazelnut cake) after cool. Placed one slice of hazelnut cake and spread chocolate cream on top. placed one slice of almond and hazelnut cake. Spread chocolate cream on top. Layer another almond cake on top. Spread coffee buttercream on top. Glaze with chocolate ganache. Pipe the word "Opera" in the middle.

***as for me, I dvided teh cake into 3 slices. Cake - chocolate cream - cake - chocolate cream - cake - coffee buttercream - chocolate ganache.

Sponge Cake

Ingredients

4 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1/3 cup (35 grams) sifted cake flour
3 tablespoons (30 grams) cornstarch (corn flour)
1/2 cup (100 grams) plus 1 tablespoon (15 grams) granulated white sugar (divided) (you may wish to cut down the sugar portion to 60-80g, which I usually do)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar (optional)

 

Methods

While the eggs are still cold separate two of the eggs, placing the yolks in one bowl and the whites in another bowl. To the yolks, add the additional yolk, and the two remaining eggs. Cover bowls with plastic wrap and allow the eggs to come to room temperature (about 30 minutes). Meanwhile, in a small bowl whisk the flour with the cornstarch.

Place the egg yolks and whole eggs, along with 1/2 cup (100grams) of the sugar, in your electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on high speed for five minutes, or until thick, pale yellow and fluffy. (When you slowly raise the beaters the batter will fall back into the bowl in slow ribbons.) Then beat in the vanilla extract. Sift half the flour mixture over the beaten egg mixture and fold in gently with a rubber spatula, just until the flour is incorporated. Sift the remaining flour mixture into the batter and fold in.

In a clean bowl, with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue beating until soft peaks form. Sprinkle in the remaining one tablespoon sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Gently fold a little of the whites into the batter to lighten it, and then add the rest of the whites.

 

Bake for 30-35mins in a preheated oven, 170C.

**As I am using two 8" cake mould, I divided the batter into half, and bake for 20mins.

 

Strawberry Yoghurt Cake 士多啤梨乳酪蛋糕

23.7.13 (Tues)

I have always wanted to bake a strawberry cake but couldn't find sweet and cheap strawberry..Luckily, a friend of mine went to Cameron Highlands and got me 2 packets of strawberries, cost RM10..around 35pcs..which was reasonable and they were really sweet and fresh.

 

So here I go..Initially I thought it wasn't an easy recipe especially the part on strawberry fililngs..but to my surprise..everything went on smoothly and the cake was simply irresistible! Abby gonna jump up and down as she loves to eat strawberries!

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

Cake

4 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1/3 cup (35 grams) sifted cake flour
3 tablespoons (30 grams) cornstarch (corn flour)
1/2 cup (100 grams) plus 1 tablespoon (15 grams) granulated white sugar (divided) (you may wish to cut down the sugar portion to 80-100g)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar (optional)

 

Filling

150g strawberry yoghurt

50g caster sugar

8 strawberries (estimation)

200g strawberry puree (I bought a packet of strawberry fillings from the bakery shop, 300g for RM5.40)

300g whipped cream

15g (3 tsp) gelatine powder, 60ml water

 

Glaze

Piping jelly

 

Methods

Cake:
While the eggs are still cold separate two of the eggs, placing the yolks in one bowl and the whites in another bowl. To the yolks, add the additional yolk, and the two remaining eggs. Cover bowls with plastic wrap and allow the eggs to come to room temperature (about 30 minutes). Meanwhile, in a small bowl whisk the flour with the cornstarch.

Place the egg yolks and whole eggs, along with 1/2 cup (100grams) of the sugar, in your electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachemnt. Beat on high speed for five minutes, or until thick, pale yellow and fluffy. (When you slowly raise the beaters the batter will fall back into the bowl in slow ribbons.) Then beat in the vanilla extract. Sift half the flour mixture over the beaten egg mixture and fold in gently with a rubber spatula, just until the flour is incorporated. Sift the remaining flour mixture into the batter and fold in.

In a clean bowl, with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue beating until soft peaks form. Sprinkle in the remaining one tablespoon sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Gently fold a little of the whites into the batter to lighten it, and then add the rest of the whites.

 

Bake for 30-35mins in a preheated oven, 170C.

 

Fillings:

Mix strawberry yoghurt and sugar. Add in chopped strawberries and strawberry puree together. Add gelatine (dissolve gelatine powder and water over hot water). Fold in whipped cream.

 

Assembly:

SLice the cake into 2 pcs after cool. Place a slice of cake on a loosen bottomed cake mould. Place chopped strawberries and fillings. Repeat placing the other slice of cake on top. Pour the fillings over it. Chill in the refirgerator to set. Then decorate as desired. Brush a thin layer of piping jelly as glaze.

 

 

Never forget to 'Think Outside of the Box.'

A short test of how you think

This is a test....

You are driving down the road in your car on a wild, stormy night, when you pass by a bus stop and you see three people waiting for the bus:

1. An old lady who looks as if she is about to die.

2. An old friend who once saved your life.

3. The perfect partner you have been dreaming about.

Which one would you choose to offer a ride to, knowing that there could only be one passenger in your car? Think before you continue reading.

This is a moral/ethical dilemma that was once actually used as part of a job application. You could pick up the old lady, because she is going to die, and thus you should save her first. Or you could take the old friend because he once saved your life, and this would be the perfect chance to pay him back. However, you may never be able to find your perfect mate again.

YOU WON'T BELIEVE THIS...................

The candidate who was hired (out of 200 applicants) had no trouble coming up with his answer.

He simply answered: 'I would give the car keys to my old friend and let him take the lady to the hospital. I would stay behind and wait for the bus with the partner of my dreams.'

Sometimes, we gain more if we are able to give up our stubborn thought limitations.

Never forget to 'Think Outside of the Box.'

Never Forget Your Past. It's Your Best Teacher

BILL GATES in a restaurant.

After eating, he gave 5$ to the waiter as a tip.
The waiter had a strange feeling on his face after the tip.
Gates realized & asked....

What happened?
Waiter: I'm just amazed Bcoz on the same table ur son gave tip Of... 500$... & u his Father, richest man in the world Only Gave 5$...?

 Gates Smiled & Replied With Meaningful words:
"He is Son of the world's richest man, but i am the son of a wood cutter..."

( Never Forget Your Past. It's Your Best Teacher. )

Cantonese Egg Tart 蛋挞（牛油皮底）

15.7.13 (Mon)

It has been some times since I baked egg tarts..Hubby always request me to bake the puff pastry-like（酥皮底） egg tarts..but I find that very troublesome, lots of work to do, esp in preparing the puff pastry..Lately, I found another interesting and useful blog on baking, Christine's recipe..Saw this egg tart recipe and prompted me to bake.

Ingredients

Crust

225g flour

125g butter

55g icing sugar

1 egg

Dash of vanilla extract

Custard

2 eggs

125ml hot water

70g caster sugar

75g evaporated milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
 

Methods

1. Crust: Place butter at room temperature until softened. Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer over medium speed until the mixture is smooth, fluffy and light in color. Add in whisked egg, half at a time, beat over low speed. Add vanilla extract, mix well. Sift in flour in two batches, scraping down the sides of the bowl between additions with a spatula, and make sure all ingredients combine well. Knead into dough.
Roll out the dough to a 1/2 cm thickness. Line dough in the middle of tart tins, one by one. Lightly press the dough with your thumbs, starting from the bottom then up to the sides. While pressing the dough, turn the tart tin clockwise/anti-clockwise in order to make an even tart shell. Trim away any excess dough. 

2. Custard: Add sugar into hot water, mix until completely dissolved. Whisk egg with evaporated milk. Pour in sugar water. Mix well. Sift egg mixture to get rid of any foam into a tea pot. Carefully pour egg mixture into each tart shell.

3. Preheat oven to 200C and bake for 10-15mins till the edges are lightly brown. Lower the temperature to 180C and continue to bake for another 10-15mins till the custards are cooked through. Just insert a toothpick into the custard. If it stands on its own, it's done.

Notes:

Placing tarts at the lower rack in oven could cook crusts easily before the egg custard being heated up too quickly. (My oven will automatically turn on the heater at the bottom when it turns to “bake mode”. It’s better to check the menu of your own oven and know how your oven is designed.)

At the very last stage, pull the oven door open a few inches. This method is to avoid custard from being puffed up too high. The custard would collapse once they are cooled down otherwise.

Make 14-16 egg tarts. 

Hokkaido Milk Toast (Japanese style) 北海道牛奶面包

12.7.13 (Fri)

Today  I baked bread again..but this round, am using a different method of baking bread and it turned out beautifully..thks to Christine for her useful tips. Plz click here for info.

 

I was introduced to Christine's facebook by a friend..She has her own blog too..and I found this Hokkaido milk toast recipe..Christine liked to bake her bread using the "tangzhong" method, which could help to make the bread more fluffy and soft..Though I have been baking bread for own consumption, but I faced a problem - the bread will turn hard on the second day and I have to heat up in the microwave for 10-15 seconds..so, I decided to follow her method and woohoo...it worked..the bread was soft and fluffy..and the texture was good..best thing of all, no chemical added..loved it!

 

 

 

Ingredients

540g bread flour
86g caster sugar
8g salt
9g full cream milk powder (I used my kids' milk powder..haha)
11g instant dried yeast
1 egg
59g whipping cream (ran out of whipping cream, so I used 100g of fresh milk)
54g milk
184g tangzhong (method of making tangzhong)
49g unsalted butter, melted

 

Methods

1. Add all ingredients (except butter) into a breadmaker, first the wet ingredients (milk, cream, egg, tangzhong), then followed by the dry ingredients (salt, sugar, milk powder, bread flour, yeast). (Note: I used to make a small well in the bread flour, then add the yeast into it.) Select the “dough” mode (refer to the menu of your breadmaker to select the kneading dough programme). When all ingredients come together, pour in the melted butter, continue kneading until the dough is smooth and elastic. The time of kneading in the breadmaker is about 30 minutes. Then let the dough complete the 1st round of proofing, about 40 minutes, best temperature for proofing is 28C, humidity 75%, until double in size.

**Since I do not have a bread maker, I used the usual method, knead by hand. Sift flour, salt, sugar, yeast, milk powder. Make a well in the centre, add in egg, milk, melted butter & tangzhong..knead into a dough, and continue for about 10mins til elastic and smooth.

2. Transfer the dough to a clean floured surface. Deflate and divide into 3 equal portions (see picture 1). Cover with cling wrap, let rest for 15 minutes at room temperature.

3. Roll out each portion of the dough with a rolling pin into an oval shape (See picture 2). Fold 1/3 from top edge to the middle and press (see picture 3). Then fold 1/3 from bottom to the middle and press (see picture 4). Turn seal downward. Roll flat and stretch to about 30cm in length (see picture 5). With seal upward, roll into a cylinder (see picture 6). With seal facing down (see picture 7), place in the loaf tins to have the 2nd round of proofing (see picture 8), until double in size. The best temperature for 2nd round proofing is 38C, humidity 85%.

4. Brush whisked egg on surface. Bake in a pre-heated 180C (356F) oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until turns brown. Remove from the oven and transfer onto a wire rack. Let cool completely.

**adapted from Christine's recipe.

 

Tangzhong 汤种

12.7.13 (Fri)

When I first saw the word "tangzhong", I seriously had no idea what was that till I read Christine's blog...Apparently, it was a method used in baking bread, to help make the bread soft and fluffy..This was really helpful to me since I baked breads for own consumption every week.

 

Ingredients

50g bread flour

250ml water (can use 50/50 water/milk)

 

Methods
1. Mix flour in water well without any lumps. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring consistently with a wooden spoon, whisk or spatula to prevent burning and sticking while you cook along the way.

2. The mixture becomes thicker and thicker. Once you notice some “lines” appear in the mixture for every stir you make with the spoon. It’s done. You get the tangzhong. (Some people might like to use a thermometer to check the temperature. After a few trials, I found this simple method works every time.) Remove from heat.

3. Transfer into a clean bowl. Cover with a cling wrap sticking onto the surface of tangzhong to prevent from drying up. Let cool. The tangzhong can be used straight away once it cools down to room temperature. Just measure out the amount you need. The leftover tangzhong can be stored in fridge up to a few days as long as it doesn't turn grey. If so, you need to discard and cook some more. (Note: The chilled tangzhong should return to room temperature before adding into other ingredients. )

Adapted from Christine's blog

Oreo Ice Cream Cake

11.7.13 (Thurs)

I love to eat ice cream cake..if I remembered correctly, I think the last time I had ice cream cake was 2.5 yrs ago, during Abby's 2nd birthday..I found this simple recipe on youtube and wanna gave it a try..Hubby loved it so much and praised me, saying that it was so much tastier than the ice cream cake he ate before.

 

I accidentally over poured the chocolate sauce :P

 

 

Ingredients

1.5 litre any flavoured ice cream

30pcs oreo biscuits (depending on the cake size)

50g butter (melted)

150ml whipping cream

Some walnuts

Chocolate sauce

 

Method

1. Crush the oreo biscuits till it became almost like sand texture (crumbs). Pour in the melted butter and mix well. Compress it evenly on the base of the tray. Put in the fridge for at least 1 hr or till it is hardened.

 

2. Let the ice cream cooled down. Put few pieces of oreo cookies into a plastic bag and crush it slightly using a roller. Pour the biscuits into the ice cream, together with some chopped walnuts. Mix well. Then, pour into the biscuit base, smoothen with a spatula. Put into the freezer for at least 4hrs or till it is hardened.

 

 

3. Decorate as desired.

 

**For the base, I combined some digestive biscuits with the oreo biscuits.

**I added a piece of sponge cake on the base, before pouring the ice cream into it.

 

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

8.7.13 (Mon)

This morning, I bought one lemon for RM1.00, thinking to make lemon water..Then, an idea came into my mind..since I haven't try to bake anything using lemon, I decided to do so by searching online recipe on my favourite website, www.joyofbaking.com.

 

This lemon poppy seed muffins recipe caught my attention! I had 4 packets of poppy seeds, bought from Australia, so other than using them for baking bread, I can now use them to bake muffins. 

 

 

Ingredients
2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter
1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
Zest of one lemon
1 cup (240 ml) plain yogurt or sour cream (do not use non fat yogurt or sour cream)

**I omitted this
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Lemon Glaze: (optional)
1/2 cup (60 grams) confectioners sugar (powdered or icing sugar)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Note: Lemon zest is the yellow outer skin of the lemon that contains the fruit's flavor and perfume.  

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners or spray each muffin cup with a non stick vegetable spray.

2. In a bowl, whisk the flour with the poppy seeds, salt, and baking soda.

3. In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the lemon zest, yogurt (or sour cream), and vanilla extract until well blended.

 

4. Stir in the flour mixture just until moistened. Do not over mix. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups using two spoons or an ice cream scoop. Bake for about 18 - 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

 

5. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about five minutes before removing from pan.

Lemon Glaze: Place the sugar in a small bowl and stir in the lemon juice. While the muffins are still warm, drizzle the tops with the glaze.

Makes 12 muffins

Read more: http://joyofbaking.com/muffins/PoppySeedMuffins.html

 

Abby's 1st term assessment

5.7.13 (Fri)

It has been 6 months since we sent Abby to Kindy this year..I still remembered the very first day when I sent her to Kindy, she was so scare and as usual, crying, not reluctant to go inside the class..Luckily, the teachers were experienced and they just asked me to leave and they would know how to handle her..Thank God, she began to like going to Kindy everyday and indeed, learnt a lot in Kindy, in terms of languages, words, vocabularies and also, she could mixed well with her friends.

 

Abby has her very first "exam" on mid June this year..Teachers gave some guidelines to parents 1 month earlier so that parents could help to prepare their kids for the exam..I was actually quite tension after reading the guidelines..when I was in Kindy last time, we did not have such thing as exam! Nowadays, even pre-school also so advanced..Well..hubby gave me an assignment, to ensure Abby score well in her upcoming exam!

 

Abby didn't let us down..she scored pretty good in her exam..she scored 100% in 4 papers (English, BM, Science & Mathematics), 96% in Phonics (made a careless mistake) and 84% in Chinese..

 

 

I was quite happy with her results..but Hubby, haha..he was very funny..when Abby's teacher asked him to sign on a paper (to acknowledge her results), he went and browsed through Abby's classmates' results and made some comparisons..Apparently, Abby's results ranked No. 6 (there were 8 kids in her class)..So kiasu ler..(just kidding, I knew Hubby was equally happy with Abby's performance)

 

As promised earlier, Hubby will reward Abby if she scored an average of 95% in her exam and hehe..I also got rewarded! Hopefully we will see improvements in Abby's 2nd term assessment.

Her reward from Papa..which made her so happy!

 

Chicken Pie

5.7.13 (Fri)

I have a CG member who likes to bake as much as I do..her mum is a good cook too! So, when I saw her posting the picture on chicken pie, this inspired me to bake chicken pie too! Moreover, I had some leftover pie crust (I frozed it in the freezer) from the blueberry pie I baked last time, so I decided to utilise it. I quickly asked her for the recipe and she emailed it to me. I modified a bit and it was a successful masterpiece.

 

Ingredients

For the crust

227g of butter
560g wheat flour
50g sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp. lemon juice
10 tbsp. water, whenever needed

**I used this method on baking the crust

 

For the filling
2 drumsticks meat, cut in cube
6-8 pcs button mushroom, cut in cube
2 medium size potato, boil water, until it soft, peel and diced
2 pcs onions, diced
2 pcs sausages (optional)
Half tin of Campbell mushroom soup, you can also made your own white sauce

Seasoning
Salt
Black pepper
Oregano

 

Method

1. Mix the flour , sugar, rock salt , then mix well with soften butter, until it forms a crusty dough. Slowly add in lemon juice and water, continue to knead until it forms a smooth dough.

2. Use butter to apply at the baking tray, Take about half of the dough and paste at the baking tray for the base of the pie. Poke small hole on the dough.

 

3. Preheat the oven, put in the base dough and bake for 15 min with 180 C.

4. Now, you can prepare the filling. Heat pan with cooking oil, fry onion. Continuously put in chicken, mushroom and potato. Season with salt, black pepper and oregano. Then, blend in the prepared mushroom soup.

 

5. Take the base dough out, fill in the filling. Cover top with a layer of pastry. Draw the pattern on the top pastry and brush with egg. Put in the oven. Bake for another 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

 

 

Challah

3.7.13 (Wed)

I have been baking shaped dinner rolls (sausage rolls) and split tin (white loaf bread) for the past 2 weeks..Hence, I decided to try out another recipe from my bread baking recipe book - Challah.

 

Challah - an egg-rich, light-textured bread baked for the Jewish sabbath and to celebrate religious holidays. it is usually braided with three or four strands of dough, but eight strands or more may be used to create especially festive loaves.

 

 

 

Ingredients

500g high protein flour

2 tsp salt

20g or 4 tsp instant dried yeast

200ml lukewarm water (I used 150ml water + 50ml fresh milk)

2 tbsp cater sugar

2 eggs

75g butter, melted

 

For the glaze

1 egg yolk

1 tbsp water (I used fresh milk)

Poppy seeds / Sunflower seeds for sprinkling

 

Make 1 large loaf

 

Method

1. Lightly greased a baking sheet. Sift the flour and salt together into a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Mix the yeast with the water and sugar, add to the centre of the flour with the eggs and melted butter and gradually mix in the surrounding flour to form a soft dough.

 

2. Turn out on to a lightly floured surface and knead for 10mins until smooth and elastic. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with lightly oiled clear film (plastic wrap) and leave in a warm place, for 1 hr or until doubled in bulk.

 

3. Knock back (punch down), re-cover and leave to rise again in a warm place for about 1 hr. Knock back, turn out on to a lightly floured surface and knead gently. Divide into four equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope about 45cm/18 in long. Lin up next to aech other. Pinch the ends together at one end.

 

4. Starting from the right, lift the first rope over the second and the third rope over the fourth. Take the fourth rope and place in between the first and second ropes. Repeat, starting from the right and continue until braided.

 

5. Tuck the ends under and place the loaf on the prepared baking sheet. Cover with lightly oiled clear film and leave to rise in a warm place, for about 30-45mins, or until doubled in size. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200c. Beat the egg yolk and water for the glaze together.

 

6. Brush the egg glaze gently over the loaf. Sprinkle evenly with the poppy seeds and bake for 30-40mins, or until the challah is a deep golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool before slicing.

45 USES FOR LEMONS THAT WILL BLOW YOUR SOCKS OFF!!!

Most people are familiar with the traditional uses for lemons to soothe sore throats and add some citrus fl...avor to our foods.

However the diversity of applications for lemons far exceeds general knowledge and once you read the following list, you'll likely want to stock at least a few lemons in your kitchen 24-7.

1. Freshen the Fridge
Remove refrigerator odors with ease. Dab lemon juice on a cotton ball or sponge and leave it in the fridge for several hours. Make sure to toss out any malodorous items that might be causing the bad smell.

2. High Blood Pressure
Lemon contains potassium which controls high blood pressure and reduces the effect of nausea and dizziness.

3. Prevent Cauliflower From Turning Brown
Cauliflower tend to turn brown with even the slightest cooking. You can make sure the white vegetables stay white by squeezing a teaspoon of fresh lemon juice on them before heating.

4. Mental Health
Lemon water can also prep up your mood and relieve you from depression and stress. Long distance walkers and world travelers as well as explorers look upon the lemon as a Godsend. When fatigue begins, a lemon is sucked through a hole in the top. Quick acting medicine it is, giving almost unbelievable refreshments.

5. Refresh Cutting Boards
No wonder your kitchen cutting board smells! After all, you use it to chop onions, crush garlic, and prepare fish. To get rid of the smell and help sanitize the cutting board, rub it all over with the cut side of half a lemon or wash it in undiluted juice straight from the bottle.

6. Respiratory Problems
Lemon water can reduce phlegm; and can also help you breathe properly and aids a person suffering with asthma.

7. Treating Arthritis and Rheumatism
Lemon is a diuretic - assists in the production of urine which helps you to reduce inflammation by flushing out toxins and bacteria while also giving you relief from arthritis and rheumatism.

8. Prevents Kidney Stones
Regular consumption of the refreshing drink -- or even lemon juice mixed with water -- may increase the production of urinary citrate, a chemical in the urine that prevents the formation of crystals that may build up into kidney stones.

9. Keep Insects Out of the Kitchen
You don’t need insecticides or ant traps to ant-proof your kitchen. Just give it the lemon treatment. First squirt some lemon juice on door thresholds and windowsills. Then squeeze lemon juice into any holes or cracks where the ants are getting in. Finally, scatter small slices of lemon peel around the outdoor entrance. The ants will get the message that they aren’t welcome. Lemons are also effective against roaches and fleas: Simply mix the juice of 4 lemons (along with the rinds) with 1/2 gallon (2 liters) water and wash your floors with it; then watch the fleas and roaches flee. They hate the smell.

10. Anti-Aging
Lemon water reduces the production of free radicals which are responsible for aging skin and skin damage. Lemon water is calorie free and an antioxidant.

11. Fruit and Vegetable Wash
You never know what kind of pesticides or dirt may be lurking on the skin of your favorite fruits and vegetables. Slice your lemon and squeeze out one tablespoon of lemon juice into your spray bottle. The lemon juice is a natural disinfectant and will leave your fruits and vegetables smelling nice too.

12. Treat Infections
Lemon water can fight throat infections thanks to its antibacterial property. If salt water does not work for you, try lime and water for gargling.

13. Deodorize Your Garbage
If your garbage is beginning to smell yucky, here’s an easy way to deodorize it: Save leftover lemon and orange peels and toss them at the base under the bag. To keep it smelling fresh, repeat once every couple of weeks.

14. Keep Guacamole Green
You’ve been making guacamole all day long for the big party, and you don’t want it to turn brown on top before the guests arrive. The solution: Sprinkle a liberal amount of fresh lemon juice over it and it will stay fresh and green. The flavor of the lemon juice is a natural complement to the avocados in the guacamole. Make the fruit salad hours in advance too. Just squeeze some lemon juice onto the apple slices, and they’ll stay snowy white.

15. Purges The Blood
We consume a lot of junk food or food with a lot of preservatives and artificial flavours. This builds up a lot of toxins in the blood and body but daily consumption of lemon water helps to purify the blood.

16. Make Soggy Lettuce Crisp
Don’t toss that soggy lettuce into the garbage. With the help of a little lemon juice you can toss it in a salad instead. Add the juice of half a lemon to a bowl of cold water. Then put the soggy lettuce in it and refrigerate for 1 hour. Make sure to dry the leaves completely before putting them into salads or sandwiches.

17. Oral Health
Lemon juice also stops bleeding gums and reduces toothaches

18. Lighten Age Spots
Why buy expensive creams when you’ve got lemon juice? To lighten liver spots or freckles, try applying lemon juice directly to the area. Let it sit for 15 minutes and then rinse your skin clean. It’s a safe and effective skin-lightening agent.

19. Create Blonde Highlights
For salon-worthy highlights, add 1/4 cup lemon juice to 3/4 cup water and rinse your hair with the mixture. Then, sit in the sun until your hair dries. To maximize the effect, repeat once daily for up to a week.

20. Make a Room Scent/Humidifier
Freshen and moisturize the air in your home on dry winter days. Make your own room scent that also doubles as a humidifier. If you have a wood-burning stove, place an enameled cast-iron pot or bowl on top, fill with water, and add lemon (and/or orange) peels, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and apple skins. No wood-burning stove? Use your stovetop instead and just simmer the water periodically.

21. Clean and Whiten Nails
Pamper your hands without a manicurist. Add the juice of 1/2 lemon to 1 cup warm water and soak your fingertips in the mixture for 5 minutes. After pushing back the cuticles, rub some lemon peel back and forth against the nail.

22. Cleanse Your Face
Zap zits naturally by dabbing lemon juice on blackheads to draw them out during the day. You can also wash your face with lemon juice for a natural cleanse and exfoliation. Your skin should improve after several days of treatment. Lemon water is also a cooling agent, best way to beat the heat.

23. Freshen Your Breath
Make an impromptu mouthwash by rinsing with lemon juice straight from the bottle. Swallow for longer-lasting fresh breath. The citric acid in the juice alters the pH level in your mouth, killing bacteria that causes bad breath. Rinse after a few minutes because long-term exposure to the acid in lemons can harm tooth enamel.

24. Treat Flaky Dandruff
If itchy, scaly dandruff has you scratching your head, relief may be no farther away than your refrigerator. Just massage two tablespoons lemon juice into your scalp and rinse with water. Then stir one teaspoon lemon juice into one cup water and rinse your hair with it. Repeat daily until your dandruff disappears.

25. Get Rid of Tough Stains on Marble
You probably think of marble as stone, but it is really petrified calcium (also known as old seashells). That explains why it is so porous and easily stained and damaged. Those stains can be hard to remove. If washing won’t remove a stubborn stain, try this: Cut a lemon in half, dip the exposed flesh into some table salt, and rub it vigorously on the stain. But do this only as a last resort; acid can damage marble. Rinse well. Use These Lemons To Clean - Easy and Effective

26. Remove Berry Stains
It sure was fun to pick your own berries, but now your fingers are stained with berry juice that won’t come off no matter how much you scrub with soap and water. Try washing your hands with undiluted lemon juice, then wait a few minutes and wash with warm, soapy water. Repeat until your hands are stain-free.

27. Soften Dry, Scaly Elbows
Itchy elbows are bad enough, but they look terrible too. For better looking (and feeling) elbows, mix baking soda and lemon juice to make an abrasive paste, then rub it into your elbows for a soothing, smoothing, and exfoliating treatment. Rinse your extremities in a mixture of equal parts lemon juice and water, then massage with olive oil and dab dry with a soft cloth.

28. Headaches
Lemon juice with a few teaspoons of hot tea added is the treatment of a sophisticated New York bartender, for those who suffer with hangover headaches--and from headaches due to many other causes. He converts his customers to this regime, and weans them away from drug remedies completely.

29. Chills and Fevers
Chills and fevers may be due to a variety of causes; never the less the lemon is always a helpful remedy. Spanish physicians regard it as an infallible friend.

30. Diptheria
Skip the vaccine for this disease. Lemon Juice Treatment still proves as one of the most powerful antiseptics and the strong digestive qualities of the fruit are admired around the world. With the juice every hour or two, and at the same time, 1/2 to 1 tsp. should be swallowed. This cuts loose the false membrane in the throat and permits it to come out.

31. Vaginal Hygiene
Diluted lemon juice makes a safe and sane method of vaginal hygiene. Though it is a powerful antiseptic it is nevertheless free from irritating drugs in douches and suppositories.

32. Forget The Moth Balls
A charming French custom to keep closets free from moths is to take ripe lemons and stick them with cloves all over the skin. The heavily studded lemons slowly dry with their cloves, leaving a marvelous odor throughout the closets and rooms.

33. Stomach Health
Digestive problems are the most common ailments but warm water and lime juice is the solution to most digestive problems. Lemon juice helps to purify the blood, reduces your chances of indigestion, constipation, eliminates toxins from the body, adds digestion and reduces phlegm.

34. Disinfect Cuts and Scrapes
Stop bleeding and disinfect minor cuts and scraps by pouring a few drops of lemon juice directly on the cut. You can also apply the juice with a cotton ball and hold firmly in place for one minute.

35. Soothe Poison Ivy Rash
You won’t need an ocean of calamine lotion the next time poison ivy comes a-creeping. Just apply lemon juice directly to the affected area to soothe itching and alleviate the rash.

36. Remove Warts
You’ve tried countless remedies to banish warts and nothing seems to work. Next time, apply a dab of lemon juice directly to the wart using a cotton swab. Repeat for several days until the acids in the lemon juice dissolve the wart completely.

37. Bleach Delicate Fabrics
Avoid additional bleach stains by swapping ordinary household chlorine bleach with lemon juice, which is milder but no less effective. Soak your delicates in a mixture of lemon juice and baking soda for at least half an hour before washing.

38. Clean Tarnished Brass and Polish Chrome
Say good-bye to tarnish on brass, copper, or stainless steel. Make a paste of lemon juice and salt (or substitute baking soda or cream of tartar for the salt) and coat the affected area. Let it stay on for 5 minutes. Then wash in warm water, rinse, and polish dry. Use the same mixture to clean metal kitchen sinks too. Apply the paste, scrub gently, and rinse. Get rid of mineral deposits and polish chrome faucets and other tarnished chrome. Simply rub lemon rind over the chrome and watch it shine! Rinse well and dry with a soft cloth.

39. Replace Your Dry Cleaner
Ditch the expensive dry-cleaning bills (and harsh chemicals) with this homegrown trick. Simply scrub the stained area on shirts and blouses with equal parts lemon juice and water. Your “pits” will be good as new, and smell nice too.

40. Boost Laundry Detergent
For more powerful cleaning action, pour 1 cup lemon juice into the washer during the wash cycle. The natural bleaching action of the juice will zap stains and remove rust and mineral discolorations from cotton T-shirts and briefs and will leave your clothes smelling fresh. Your clothes will turn out brighter and also come out smelling lemon-fresh.

41. Rid Clothes of Mildew
Have you ever unpacked clothes you stored all winter and discovered some are stained with mildew? To get rid of it, make a paste of lemon juice and salt and rub it on the affected area, then dry the clothes in sunlight. Repeat the process until the stain is gone.

42. Eliminate Fireplace Odor
There’s nothing cozier on a cold winter night than a warm fire burning in the fireplace — unless the fire happens to smell horrible. Next time you have a fire that sends a stench into the room, try throwing a few lemon peels into the flames. Or simply burn some lemon peels along with your firewood as a preventive measure.

43. Neutralize Cat-Box Odor
You don’t have to use an aerosol spray to neutralize foul-smelling cat-box odors or freshen the air in your bathroom. Just cut a couple of lemons in half. Then place them, cut side up, in a dish in the room, and the air will soon smell lemon-fresh.

44. Deodorize a Humidifier
When your humidifier starts to smell funky, deodorize it with ease: Just pour 3 or 4 teaspoons lemon juice into the water. It will not only remove the off odor but will replace it with a lemon-fresh fragrance. Repeat every couple of weeks to keep the odor from returning.

45. Reduce Asthma Symptoms
In addition to a general detoxifying diet, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice before each meal, and before retiring can reduce asthma symptoms.

* If you do consume lemon peel, stick to organic lemons to reduce your pesticide exposure.