If you didn’t read it already, Fun Facts About Uses For Microwaves: Part One, has a bunch of fun uses for the microwave. Here are more!
Toast Nuts
This can be done in a skillet pan as well but a microwave will do the trick, too. Put half a teaspoon of vegetable or canola oil on a plate and then place one cup of nuts over it and spread it out over the plate. Microwave the nuts and oil in one-minute intervals, making sure to stir in between. Do so for 4-8 minutes or until the nuts become toasty.
Save Your Mascara
When your mascara gets old, it can clump and dry out. To give it a little moisture, put it into the microwave for about 30 seconds. It will warm up and become much easier to apply. This is an awesome way to get the most you can out of your makeup.
Juice Your Citrus
Warming your fruit for a bit before squeezing them ensures that you’ll get the most juice out of your fruits. Don’t overheat your citrus but just microwave it for about 10-20 seconds and the squeeze it for the juiciest of fruit.
Warm Your Honey
Honey that has crystalized and become more of a solid can be heated a bit to liquify it back to more of a honey state. Microwave it in small increments to warm it up back to liquid gold.
Relax With Rice
And no, not a steaming bowl of buttered, salt, and peppered rice, but instead a warm sock full of dry rice. Seriously. Take a clean sock and add rice to it. Stick it into the microwave for 30 seconds and place it on your sore muscles. The rice gets very warm and stays insolated in the sock for an instant heating pad, wherever you want it.
Make Mug Cake
Single-serving cake in a mug in your microwave is easy and delicious. It takes about five minutes using egg, flour, cocoa sugar, and a few other ingredients you probably have in your pantry.
Soften Brown Sugar
Brown sugar can get hard and almost unusable sitting on your pantry shelf. To soften up hardened brown sugar, moisten paper towels and place them on the sugar. Microwave the sugar in 30 second increments and your sugar is good as new.
Make a Fancy Coffee
Or better yet froth milk for a fancy coffee. You don’t need a special machine to do it. Use a microwave and a jar and you can have a delicious cappuccino or latte whenever you would like. Pour milk into your jar, close the lid, and shake until the milk froths up. Then, remove the lid and nuke the jar for about 30 seconds.
Cook Pasta
Yup. You need a good ratio of pasta-to-water, ie one cup of pasta to one quart of water for elbows. Use a little bit less for spaghetti, and a little bit more for penne pasta. Microwave on high for 20 minutes and it’s done.
Cook Ground Beef
Ground beef crumble can be a staple in so many different meals, it’s a great meat to make and super easy in the microwave. Place your meat in a bowl and stir it a bit with a spoon. Add whatever seasonings you’d like, depending on what you’re making, and place into the microwave. Cook it in increments until it’s all brown and it’s done. This is definitely one of the most fun uses, and the most delicious.
Peel Produce
Not all produce can be peeled this way but select pieces can. Fruits like tomatoes and peaches can be nuked for 30 seconds. Let it stand for 2 minutes after and the peel should practically slide off.
Sterilize Garden Soil
To combat cross contamination, you should first sterilize the soil you want to garden with. Gardening lovers know this tip, and know you do, too.
Honestly, the last garden soil usage of the microwave is awesome! What’s your favorite use of the microwave?