Amazing Tips and Uses for used Coffee Grounds

Don’t let used coffee grounds go to waste. Use them around the house, in your garden or in homemade body-care products. Here are some handy and amazing tips/uses which I have researched on and collected from all over the web. 

 

Simple Body Scrub:

Mix ½ cup of used coffee grounds with 2 tablespoons of olive oil or coconut oil. Massage all over body while standing in the shower. Leave on for 10 minutes before showering. This mixture will exfoliate your skin. Add a few drops of vanilla extract or essential oil for a refreshing or soothing fragrance….this will make your skin feel great and smelling wonderful.

 

Body Salt Scrub: 
This rub will leave your whole body feeling soft and rejuvenated. 

Coffee Salt Scrub Recipe:
1 ½ cup coarse sea salt
1 cup coffee grounds (dried)
1 cup oil (I used coconut)
5-15 drops of essential oils

Recipe Directions: In a large bowl add coarse sea salt and coffee grounds and stir; place oil and essential oils into bowl and stir.  Store in air tight jar and use for those days when you need to need a good scrubbing.

 

Wake me Up Air Freshener: 

Perfect for your house or car. All you need is some coffee grounds and panty hose. You can easily make your own with a pair of ladies stockings and fresh ground coffee. Simply double-up the stockings, fill with coffee grounds and then tie off.

 

Exfoliating Soap: 

Add coffee grounds to melted soap (either from a homemade soap bar or from scraps of soap bars around the house) and allow hardening to make a light exfoliating hand or body soap with a subtle coffee scent. Use 1 to 2 teaspoons of coffee grounds for every 1 pound of soap.

 

Hair Conditioner: 
Add a teaspoon of used coffee grounds to your conditioner for extra soft and shiny hair.

 

Hair Treatment: 
Massage a mixture of 1⁄4 cup coffee grounds and 1⁄4 cup coconut oil into your scalp for a luxurious but deep clean. The caffeine can stimulate hair growth and give your locks fresh luster while dispelling build-up. The coconut oil will moisturize your scalp and hydrate dry strands of hair. Rinse out with an apple cider vinegar rinse. Note: This works best on dark hair, as coffee grounds may stain lighter tresses.

 

Unclog drains: 
Pour used coffee grounds down the sink or bathtub drain, followed by 3 drops of dish soap and a pot of boiling water. This will clean and clear the drain of clogs and built up grease.

 

Keep Cats out of your garden: 
Tired of your neighbors cats traipsing through your flowers? Just sprinkle some coffee grounds and orange peel where you don’t want them to walk. 

 

Freshen your flower Vase: 
Using a coffee-soil mix for your flower vase not only looks cool and lengthens your cut flowers’ life, it also acts as an air freshener in the room.

 

Flea Bath : 
When you give your dog a bath, add a tablespoon of used coffee grounds to the shampoo to help repel fleas. 

 

Deodorizer: 
Just like baking soda, used coffee grounds can absorb unpleasant odours. Combine a week’s worth of used coffee grounds in an open jar, then place it in the back of your refrigerator or freezer to naturally deodorise the space.

 

Scratch Remover: 
Reinvigorate scratched wood surfaces: Mix 1⁄4 cup coffee grounds with 1⁄4 cup warm water and 1⁄4 cup vinegar, let steep for an hour, then apply mixture to scratched wood surfaces using a washcloth. (For smaller scratches, use a cotton swab.) Let the stain sit for about five minutes for light-coloured surfaces, or up to an hour for dark-coloured surfaces, before wiping away. Note: If you are worried about the stain getting too dark, apply in small increments until you achieve the colour you want.

 

Hand Savior: 
Rub coffee grounds into your palms after handling smelly foods such as garlic, onion or even fish. The grounds will absorb the smell, as well as any oil that may have hitched a ride on your hands.

 

Cleaner:

• Scour Power. For a quick abrasive cleaner – mix equal parts of old coffee grounds and baking soda. Use to scour away grease and grime from your pots and pans. Rinse thoroughly. (Be careful of using this on surfaces that are susceptible to stains!)
• For a better-smelling garbage disposal, pour a tablespoon each of coffee grounds and baking soda down the drain to clean the blades. Note: This works best with newer disposal units. If you are unsure about your drain efficiency, consult your owners’ manual for tips.
• Before cleaning out your fireplace, sprinkle damp coffee grounds liberally over the ashes to cut down on airborne dust as you sweep them up.

 

DIY Candle: 
Want the warm scent of a coffee shop in your home without roasting beans all day long? Repurpose used coffee grounds into a homemade candle: In a small jar, place a metal-based wick in the center of the container, then fill the jar with alternating layers of coffee grounds and melted beeswax. (Allow the beeswax to solidify between layers.) This candle will release a subtle coffee scent that will help perk you up after a long day—without the caffeine.

 

Meat Tenderizer: 
Combine 1⁄2 cup coffee grounds with 1⁄4 cup ground pepper and 3 tablespoons kosher salt for a savory coffee meat rub. Sprinkle the rub on your favorite raw meat before grilling. (For best results use fresh, finely ground coffee.)

 

Fertilizer: 
Coffee grounds make a phenomenal fertilizer. They are slightly acidic, which is great for acid-loving plants such as blueberries, tomatoes, roses and hydrangeas. Plus, they attract worms, who love this gritty material. Coffee grounds help worms’ digestion, yielding great soil in return, and give worms a boost of caffeine, helping them work at double the speed. Dump used grounds into a compost bin or straight onto your garden.

 

Color Boost:

• Freshen up your autumn wardrobe. Add a pot of freshly brewed coffee and the grounds to a load of wash, toss in any brown clothing and walk away. The coffee stains the material and keeps dark colors looking great.
• Thanks again to coffee grounds’ acidic nature, you can deepen the blue color of your hydrangeas—or even turn pink hydrangeas blue—by composting with coffee grounds. Hydrangeas’ color is dependent on the pH of the soil. 

 

Control Pests:

• Use coffee grounds inside the home to repel ants. Sprinkle the grounds where ants commonly enter your house.
• Fill a can or jar with an inch or two of moistened grounds, then line the container’s neck with extra sticky double sided tape. The scent will draw cockroaches into the trap.
• Although there wouldn’t be enough caffeine left in used coffee grounds to kill snails, slugs and other unwelcome garden pests, the pungent aroma will still deter them from disturbing your garden. Sprinkle around the perimeter of your plants. 

 

Seed Starter: 

Use coffee grounds to help start seeds. With a high carbon-to-nitrogen ratio (almost 20:1), used coffee grounds will release nutrients, including nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus, into the surrounding soil as they break down. This is great for young seedlings.

Reset your sense of smell: 
Sniff coffee grounds to clear your nose after testing or sampling different perfumes….this will ‘reset’ your sense of smell.

Pin Cushion : 
Filling your pin cushion with coffee grounds will prevent your pins from rusting. Plus, it’s like a sachet of good smells every time you use it. Make sure to dry them thoroughly first by spreading them on a cookie sheet and placing them in the freezer for an hour or two

Broccoli Quiche

INGREDIENTS:

10 ounces chopped fresh broccoli (I just used a whole head and only used the florets, cut into bite sizes. I personally find the fresh one much tastier than the frozen). 

1 big yellow onion chopped

4-5 pips garlic sliced

8 ounces shredded cheese (I used a mix of parmesan and a gratin cheese)

6-7 Medium or Large eggs 

1 cup heavy cream 

salt 

pepper

Oil for cooking

METHOD:

1. Heat oven at 350F
2. Fry the onions in oil and when limp add the garlic and broccoli. Sprinkle a little salt and cover till broccoli turns a nice bright green and is a little cooked through.
3. Spoon it into a pyrex dish or pie plate.
4. Top the cooked broccoli with the shredded cheese. Set Aside.
5. Beat the eggs, then whisk in the cream, salt and pepper. 
6. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the cheese and broccoli.
7. Bake at 350º for 30-40 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. 
8. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

I served my Quiche with a mixed salad and some pan friend chicken slices seasoned with salt and chilli flakes. 

Bon Appetit!

Summer Fruit Cobbler

Summer Fruit Cobbler served with Vanilla Ice Cream

Summer is almost coming to an end and it was high time to prepare a typical summer dessert before the seasonal fruits become unavailable. You can in fact improvise and use any kind of fruit you have around. This dessert or comfort food is so simple, seasonal and delicious. I made mine with apples, blueberries, peaches and red currents. The merge of 2 sweet fruits with 2 sour ones gave it an amazing flavour and taste.

I totally loved how my apple and peach crumble turned out the other day so I cooked the fruit first in the same manner as the crumble before making the cobbler. You can use fresh or frozen fruits, but when in season, I would rather use all fresh fruit.

Fruit Preparation :

 

Ingredients

20gm butter

60gm castor or fine grain sugar

1/3 cup orange juice

1 Stick cinnamon

1 Star Anise

1-2 medium sweet apples cored, peeled and sliced  (I used 2)

3 small or medium ripe peaches, sliced.

1 cup blueberries

1 cup red currents (used as a garnish with vanilla ice cream….but you can add in some to be cooked as well)

***Optional : 1 tsp nutmeg and 1 tsp cinnamon powder – I did add these 2 spices because I love the aroma of the blend of spices with fruit and sugar….amazing flavour!

 

Method :

1. Melt butter and add spices. Stir in the sugar until it becomes a light caramel colour.

2. Deglaze with orange juice. Add the fruits and cook for 5-8 minutes.

3. Set aside and prepare the cobbler batter.

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Cobbler

 Ingredients

1/2 cup or 4 oz butter cut into slices

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 – 1 cup granulated sugar (I used only 1/2 cup of fine grain sugar)

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

pinch of salt

1 cup milk

Vanilla ice cream and fresh red currents for serving.

 

Method

1. With rack in the centre of the oven, pre-heat to 375° F. Put the butter into a 10-inch skillet or 3-quart baking dish and put the skillet or dish in the oven to melt the butter while the oven is heating.

2. Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl until well combined. Add the milk and stir just until combined. A few small lumps are fine.

Prepared Cobbler ready to go into the oven

3. When the butter is fully melted, take the skillet out of the oven and pour the batter over the melted butter. Do not mix it together. Scatter the fruit over the batter, keeping most of it in the middle of the dish, rather than the edges. Do not mix it in, either.

Baked Cobbler fresh out from Oven

4. Bake until the top is a rich golden-brown, 30 to 45 minutes (mine took 30 minutes).

5. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream and some fresh currents.

Prep time: 15 min | Cook time: 30 min | Total time: 45 minutes

Bon Appetit!

Author : Nur Diyanah Magness / www.sweetsharings.com

Tips for Baking Perfect Cupcakes

You can use any cake recipe to make cupcakes. Typically, cupcakes bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. (180°C). However, not everyone’s oven is the same and I would advise you to monitor your first batch closely. You can tell if cupcakes are done when they spring back when touched.

Ways to bake cupcakes :
Baking in a pan with a dark or non-stick surface : lower the recommended recipe temperature by 25°F to avoid overbrowning. Dark pans give your cakes a darker finish when baked at 350°F.
Baking in Cups create a pretty fluted surface and allow you to bake without grease or pan spray. They also help keep cupcakes from drying out. Be sure to spread cups evenly in pan cavities and check that cups are level before filling. When using foil cups, remove paper liners, if included, before filling and baking; liners are included to help separate the thin foil cups.
Silicone cups are oven-safe flexible cups. It’s easy to see how much fun they are to serve in, with their unique shapes and exciting colors; prepare cups with non-stick pan spray before baking. Always place cups on a cookie sheet or sheet pan for level baking and easy removal from oven. You may need to add more baking time for some shapes. To remove cupcakes, invert cup and apply gentle pressure to the bottom while gently peeling cup away. (Tip from Wilton)

Preparation
As a general rule, most cake recipes or mixes will work for cupcakes.
Simply adjust the baking time for the smaller portions and test by inserting a toothpick during baking. (This mainly applies if it is your first time for a specific recipe)
Proper measuring of ingredients is the key to perfectly baked cupcakes.
For dry ingredients, spoon into nesting measuring cups, overfilling the top first, then level it by running a spatula along the top.
For wet ingredients, it would be best to use glass measuring cups. Pour to the exact level needed.
Line cupcake pans with cupcake papers, or grease the pans.
Even non-stick pans must be prepared before baking. Prepare pan cavities by spraying with non-stick vegetable oil pan spray or coat with vegetable shortening and flour for perfect release without sticking.
Mix thoroughly but don’t overmix. Over-mixing can cause your cupcakes to taste chewy and flat.
After mixing the batter and just before filling the cups, gently fold in sprinkles, chopped nuts, chocolate chips, fruit, crushed hard candy etc.

Filling Cupcakes :

Fill the cups 1/2 to 2/3 of the way — ( Too little causes cupcakes to burn or dry out, and too much will cause batter to spill, drip, or not cook thoroughly).
After filling the cups let them rest for 2-5 minutes to let the batter settle evenly.

Options:
Decorating bag – The best way to add the batter is to squeeze it into the cup using a decorating bag. Just fill the bag about halfway with batter, and squeeze perfect portions into your cups. Using a bag will give you better control, especially when making mini cupcakes. The bag keeps batter from spilling over the cavities.
Ice cream scoop – a standard ice cream scoop in half-circle shape with lever handle.
Spoon – use a heaping tablespoon. Fill cavity ½ to 2/3 full.
Measuring cup – to give you a small and convenient container into which to put the batter.

Baking
Know your oven.
Always preheat Oven
Set a timer so that you don’t forget about your cupcakes.
Place your cupcake pan in the very center of your oven. If your oven tends to cook items more that are towards the back, then rotate your cupcake pan halfway through the cooking time. If you absolutely have to bake 2 pans of cupcakes at one time, make sure you switch cupcake pans halfway through the cooking time.
Bake cupcakes for the minimum time suggested, then test them to see if they’re done.
Cupcakes are done when you can insert a toothpick into the middle of one and it comes out clean and dry.
Always wear oven mitts when removing cupcake pans from the oven.
Place cupcake pan on cooling rack for at least 5 minutes.
Remove cupcakes from the pan and place them back on the rack to cool further.
Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting them.
Serve and enjoy cupcakes the same day they are made for optimum richness, moistness, and flavor.

Frosting Tips
If you use a ready mix, freeze then defrost unfrosted cupcakes made before decorating; they hold up better and are more moist after a few days in the freezer.
Before you begin icing and decorating cupcakes, make sure they are completely cooled.
If you’re icing cupcakes, first brush them lightly with your fingers to remove any loose crumbs.
Place a dollop of icing in the center of the treat you want to ice. Using a table knife, make short strokes to spread the icing from the top of the dollop – this keeps crumbs from getting in the icing.
If your icing is difficult to spread, dip the knife in hot water.
Try using decorations other than candy, such as cereal, pretzels, chips, etc.
For special birthday cupcakes, ice each one, then place a hard candy ring or gummy ring on top and stand a candle in the center of each one.
If you will be adding sprinkles to your frosted cupcakes, add the sprinkles immediately, or the frosting will harden and the sprinkles will not stick to it.

How to Store Cupcakes

Cool cupcakes completely before covering to keep tops from becoming sticky (about 30 minutes).
Cover cupcakes that will be frosted later loosely so the tops stay dry. If covered tightly, they become sticky and difficult to frost.
Store cupcakes with a creamy-type frosting loosely covered with foil, plastic wrap or waxed paper or under a cake safe.
Refrigerate cupcakes with whipped cream toppings or cream fillings.
Frost cupcakes with fluffy frosting on the day they are to be served.
Freeze cupcakes two to three months, tightly wrapped.
Can keep overnight unrefrigerated. Do not frost them until ready to serve/display. If you store them in an airtight container, they will keep longer and stay very moist.
Fridge- 1- 2 days at most. If storing in the fridge, you can decorate first. If more than 2 days, Cupcakes become hard as a rock because the moisture would be gone, not taste good and the liners will start separating from the cupcake – best would be in an airtight container.
To prevent frosting on frosted cupcakes from sticking, freeze cupcakes uncovered 1 hour, then insert a toothpick in the top of the cupcake, and tightly wrap.
Thaw cupcakes in the refrigerator or on the countertop.
When thawing on the countertop, loosen or remove wrapping to prevent condensation.
Decorating gel, hard candies and colored sugars do not freeze well because they tend to run during thawing.

Moist Cupcakes

One trick I always use for moist chocolate cupcakes : mix some pudding mix in the batter; this creates heavenly moist cupcakes.
Use paper cupcake liners to get moist cupcakes. This will help retain the moisture in your cupcakes because the liners hug and hold the cake together, reducing the drying effect. Skip the foil liners and the silicone cups if you want your cupcakes to stay moist.
Including oil in your batter ensures your cupcake will be moist. However, because oil is all fat without any air or emulsifiers whipped into it, cupcakes tend to be dense. Using a combination of liquid fat and solid fat ensures your cupcakes be moist and airy. Replace 1/4 of the butter or shortening in your recipe with vegetable, canola or olive oil.
Place your eggs in a bowl of 110-degree Fahrenheit water then cover the bowl with plastic wrap so your eggs are at an optimal temperature for beating. Beating warm eggs will produce well-risen, moist cupcakes. Combining the sugar, fats and eggs together aerates the fats, dispersing them well throughout your batter so your cupcakes are moist.
When combining your dry mixture with your wet mixtures, set your electric beater to the lowest setting. Beat your batter just until it is partially combined. Finish incorporating the mixture with a rubber spatula so you do not overbeat the cupcake batter. This helps keep your cupcakes moist and soft as they bake and cool.
Butter and shortening are solid fats that must NOT melt prior to adding them to your batter. When you press your thumb into a stick of butter it should offer some resistance so your thumb does not sink down easily. All fats coat the protein and starch molecules in your flour. As the solid fats melt while your cupcakes bake, they produce air and steam so your cupcakes are moist and tender. Replace 1/4 of the butter in your recipe with shortening.
Emulsifiers keep mixtures of oil and water well blended so they do not separate. They also enhance the strength and the flexibility of the protein molecules in flour. This means that as your cupcakes cook, the batter can hold air very well so you end up with a nicely textured, moist cupcake.
Egg yolks and mayonnaise contain emulsifiers and fat. Consider adding a ½ cup of mayonnaise to your cupcake batter if you are batter does not include oil. The mayonnaise adds fat and emulsifiers without thinning out your batter, producing a very moist cupcake.

The Green Dream

This juice is packed with vitamin B3, niacin and folic acid. Makes 200ml. I doubled the amount to get 2 full servings and a bit more.

Basic 200ml recipe :

250gm apple
50gm celery
50gm kiwi
1/2 lemon
100gm avocado.

Method :

Juice the apple, celery and kiwi. Transfer to blender with avocado and whizz for 20 seconds.

Decorate with kiwi slices if desired. Slurp away and enjoy! 😛😘🍋🍏

 

xoxoxo
Nur Diyanah

 

Strawberry Yogurt Cheese Dessert

Ingredients for 4 servings:

200 g cream cheese

400 grams of yogurt

130 g strawberries, some blackberries, 1 kiwi or any fruit.

1-2 tsp natural Strawberry Flavouring

1-2 tablespoons powdered sugar

5 g gelatine or agar agar (I had some of my halal gelatine which I brought from Malaysia)

250 g strawberries for decoration

 

Preparation :

1. Dissolve gelatin in 2 tablespoons cold water.
2. Add 1 tsp natural flavouring and heat in a water bath.
3. Stir until dissolved.
4. In a bowl mix cream cheese and yogurt.
5. Add gelatin mixture.
6. Wash, clean and chop strawberries. beat them in a blender with 1-2 tsp natural strawberry flavouring.
7. Strain the puree through a sieve to remove seeds. Add it to the remaining mixture, stir.
8. Sweeten to taste with 1-2 tbsp sugar.
9. Divide cream into 4 dessert glasses.
10. Chill the cheesecake for at least 3 hours.
11. Serve with fresh fruit. (I arranged kiwi slices on the side of glasses before pouring the mixture into the glasses.)

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