DIY Life

Popcorn and reheats. I use my microwave for the most boring tasks. (Perhaps we're experiencing a person-appliance relationship rut?) However, I just discovered a ton of unusual uses for microwave ovens and it has me thinking: maybe I need to get more creative in the kitchen! Check out my sweet list of 16 unusual uses for microwave ovens.

First, a little safety note: Drying clothes in the microwave is NOT recommended. It's a fire safety thing, people. I actually know someone whose college roommate started an apartment fire trying to dry lingerie in the microwave. Both girls had to endure the embarrassment of having half a dozen burly firemen coming in to investigate the cause of all the smoke.

As for myself, I've never set fire to anything this way but I did melt a pair of baby booties once while trying to dry them in the microwave. Oops. Bottom line: it's safest to keep clothes out of the microwave.

S'mores are traditionally melted over a blazing camp fire. I enjoyed these summer evening treats when I was younger, and want to pass on the ooey-gooey tradition to the sweet toothed kids in my life. We just can't get out in front of a campfire this year, but that isn't going to stop us from indulging in the graham cracker goodness.

When I first heard about microwave s'mores, I was horrified at the whole idea. I really thought that s'mores should be left where they belong: on the campgrounds.

After trying them, it's all I can do to not microwave one for myself right now.

We love making homemade pizza at my house. We do it up right: homemade crust in the bread machine (easy!), gourmet toppings, and if weather permits, we cook it on the grill.

For three of us, though, we make two huge pizzas, which means a lot of leftovers. We haven't yet found the ideal way to reheat it, although about 350 degrees in a toaster oven until the cheese begins to bubble is pretty close. My only complaint is that there's sometimes still a cold spot, even when the crust is beginning to overcook.

What to do? The Chicago Pizza Club has some answers on the best way to reheat pizza.

Remodeling a kitchen, there are a lot of things to consider: appliance choices, layout, storage solutions, and finishing touches. When we renovated our kitchen, flow was a priority for us. We love to cook, and the previous arrangement of the kitchen was awkward and inefficient.

If you want to take the flow of your kitchen to the next level, why not consider applying some Feng Shui principles to your remodel? SheKnows has some tips on how to design your kitchen, feng shui style.

• Plan the stove to be facing the door, as you should never have your back to the door while cooking. You can do this by creating a cooking island or by using a reflective surface.
• Avoid red, pink, or purple in your decor, as these colors can cause you to argue with your cooking partner. Instead, whites, blues, and light greens are calming choices.
• Use full-spectrum bulbs to simulate natural light.
• The traditional triangular model for kitchens fits into Feng Shui: refrigerator, stove, and sink, all about six to eight feet apart.
• Fire elements (stove, microwave) should be separated from water elements (sink, refrigerator) by wood.

The article at SheKnows has more details describing how to create Feng Shui harmony in your kitchen. A Zen kitchen sounds appealing, doesn't it?

You know, there are some DIY projects that are such a bad, bad, bad idea that you can't imagine people need to be told NOT to do them, and yet they're out there! Here we have just such a bad, bad, bad idea.

It's the cell phone hoax -- you know, the one where someone apparently makes a kernel of popcorn explode using their cell phone? Seems it's done by taking the magnetron out of your microwave and cooking the kernel from under the table. Do we really, really need to explain that a magnetron is dangerous? That there's a good reason it's carefully housed inside a casing inside your microwave?

That reason would be radioactivity. You know, the stuff that causes cancer, mutations, sterility and/or death, which is really not something you want to broadcast willy-nilly all over your kitchen.

So, yes, you likely can pop a popcorn kernel this way. And your future children may all be born with three eyeballs. Are you sure it's worth it?

There was a time when I used the microwave for everything. Now I use it as little as possible, but I could never give up microwave popcorn, or my nightly heating pad, so our microwave remains a household staple.

Of all the things you can do in microwaves, I never would have guessed that you could sun-dry tomatoes (ok, not really "sun," but definitely "dry"). It will allow you to use your garden tomatoes in recipes all year round.

Drying them in your microwave is the fastest and easiest method. All you need is the tomatoes, salt, and if you choose, seasoning salt and garlic. Prepare, microwave, let them sit according to the instructions, seal them in a baggie, toss them in the fridge, and keep them as long as you'd like.

If you have a project coming up that requires a particular color of dyed wool or silk, look no further than your kitchen. If you have a microwave and a package of unsweetened Kool-Aid, you can dye wool and silk in just a few minutes.

Myrrhmaid takes us through the process of dyeing light colored protein fiber with Kool-Aid. To do this simple project, you'll need microwave safe bowls, such as Pyrex, a colander or salad spinner, a wooden skewer or spoon to stir the wool, a mesh laundry bag to put the dyed wool in when you spin it dry in the wash machine, your favorite color Kool-Aid, and of course, a microwave.

According to Myrrhmaid, the dye is colorfast and will not fade or bleed, even after repeated washings. She says you can also use the Kool-Aid dye technique to dye wool skeins, wool socks, knit or crocheted wool items and even silk. How much more simple could it be?

We all know that coffee grounds have many uses, but did you know that coffee filters can be used for more than just holding your coffee grounds? The coffee filter is the first thing that I reach for when I need to make a new pot of java, but they come in handy for all sorts of little chores.

Valli on gomestic.com writes up a fine article on 10 amazing uses for coffee filters. They really are amazing, and I have tried many of them with success. Here is her list:

1. Cover a bowl of food with a coffee filter to prevent splattering when cooking in the microwave.
2. Coffee filters can shine your mirrors, TV screen and your computer monitor.
3. Prevent rust in your stored iron cookware by placing a coffee filter in it to absorb moisture.
4. Clean your glasses with a coffee filter and they will be lint free.
5. Place a coffee filter over the drain hole in the bottom of a planter so the soil won't leak out.
6. Cork bits get into your wine? Use a coffee filter to separate the wine from the cork bits.
7. Coffee filters can keep your fingers clean if you serve a messy hot dog or popcorn in them.
8. Put baking soda into a coffee filter and insert into shoes or a closet to absorb or prevent odors.
9. After deep fat frying, use coffee filters to help catch the small food remnants from the oil.
10. Use a coffee filter to prevent spilling when you add fluids to your car.

I use a coffee filter to cover my food so my microwave doesn't get dirty, and it works great. I wear glasses to read and I also need them when I am on the computer, and I used a coffee filter to clean my glasses, and was totally amazed and happy with the results. Try the uses and you'll be amazed too.

A big roadblock to staying green in the kitchen is the amount of trash we generate. The amount of packaging that surrounds grocery products can overflow even the largest kitchen waste can in no time flat. How often do you have to empty your kitchen trash?

In my home we have a conservative five gallon can that sits out in the open next to the fridge. Our friends can't even find it because they're always looking for something much larger. They marvel that we don't fill it at least two or three times a day. But we've learned a few household hacks for the kitchen that have allowed us to reduce our waste considerably. By doing this throughout the house, we only need the garbage company to come once a month for our one alley can (but they still charge for the whole month!)

AOL Money has an interesting article: Top 5ive Things Never to Repair. Although you'll need to check the article itself to understand the reasoning behind it, if you're curious, the five items are:

• Computers
• Digital cameras
• MP3 players
• Microwaves
• Cell phones

Read more about it after the break!

I love the smell of microwave popcorn. I love how it lingers in the house until morning, tempting me to have another bag before lunch. It turns out that that fresh butter smell is completely simulated. A chemical called Diacetyl, which smells like real butter and can be very dangerous. Diacetyl can cause a serious lung disease, previously known to effect popcorn factory workers, but now believed to threaten consumers as well. What's the alternative? Eating less popcorn? I don't think so.

Lighterfootstep.com suggests dumping this store-bought poison in favor of a homemade version. I didn't know that you could make your own microwave popcorn, but they explain it quite simply. All you need are some organic kernels, a paper lunch bag, and staples or tape. You'll have to test things a bit to see the ideal cooking time for your microwave, but once you get the hang of it, this could be just as easy as the real (or not so real) thing.

Do you use a sponge to wash your dishes? Right now, I can promise you one thing: that sponge is, unfortunately, one of the dirtiest things in your house... unless you already perform the following regimen.

For one thing, it lives near the kitchen sink, which is the germiest area of most homes. For another, all those little chambers that make a sponge so good at soaking up water also make it good at holding onto germs that can make you and your family ill. Some people run their sponges through the dishwasher, but that does little to kill bacteria.

There's a fast and easy way to disinfect your dish sponge, which you should do as often as every other day. Keep reading to find out what to do!

Popcorn - it's so fluffy and it smells so good, sometimes it just calls out to you (eat me! eat me!) -- and boy do we listen. Approximately 17 billion quarts of popcorn are eaten each year by Americans. So next time you hear those voices, I suggest going back to the basics ... put down the microwave popcorn (it's hazardous) and try making it from scratch. I think you'll be glad you did.
Stove-top Popping Directions

1. Pour 3 tablespoons of cooking oil and 1/3 cup of pop corn (white or yellow) into any heavy, 3 quart or larger pan with a lid.
   
2. Cover pan and shake gently over medium high heat, allowing steam to escape from popping kernels.
   
3. Remove pan from heat immediately when popping stops or it will quickly burn.
4. Carefully pour popped kernels into large bowl.
5. Season to taste.
   

Voila! You now have a great bowl of popcorn.

Aren't the summers relaxing?

Leisurely hours spent sidewalk shopping, a party or two with your best pals, and afternoons lounging with a margarita by the pool.

Ha.

The problem is that one of those parties ... well, it's at your house ... so people will be in your kitchen. And, have you seen your microwave? What is that anyway ... sauce, butter, popcorn, mold? It's amazing how even the biggest germ-a-fobe will let their microwave get the best of them.

Here's what you do: Fill a microwave-safe bowl with about 2 cups of water. Add some lemon juice, or a real lemon cut in half (squeeze out the juice into the water first.)

Click here for next steps